Any gym recommendations near the mainline of Philly?

Sorry in advance but I don’t meet the karma requirement for the Philadelphia subreddit.

Shot in the dark, but I’m a student at a prominent mainline university and the gym is alright but a bit crowded. I’m planning on training for a bodybuilding competition this year and I was hoping to find a good gym close by for the community.

Theres a bodybuilding gym in my hometown for ~60/mo, not a chain, has a pool & workout classes, mostly strength training focused, and about 15 minutes away. Ideally I would find something like that. Pwrbld in king of Prussia sounds great but I’m worried about the traffic to KOP - on a good day I can get there in 20 minutes but in traffic, forget it.

Anything similar?

reddit.com
u/user1987623 — 8 hours ago

Thoughts on this take …?

I was sort of offended by this NGL because I am planning on doing fit model in the Spring (have been working out for five years but didn’t put on that much muscle probably because I’ve been eating at maintenance) and I don’t know it’s sort of offensive to the amount of work fit models have put in.

I also think the competition is not about who has the most muscle, it’s about the whole package. Obviously it’s about having the right ratios, leaning out, having the right hair, tan, and makeup, etc.

Her evidence for fit model being a dead end division is that once you turn pro you can’t cross over into another division (didn’t know this, maybe someone else can confirm). She also says that the fit model standard asks for nearly no muscle but that’s what bikini was 10 years ago and no one criticized it then 🤷‍♀️

But I don’t know, as someone who was never an athlete and built my existing muscle from literally the ground up, I find the “what I looked like my first month in the gym” comment to be a little offensive.

u/user1987623 — 2 days ago

Had someone ask me if I’m competing today at the gym

This has never happened before, I’m a few weeks into my bulk and that felt like such a high compliment haha.

u/user1987623 — 3 days ago

I did the trim like you guys suggested!

I was initially opposed but the more I looked in the mirror the less I could deny that my ends were a bit sparse. Went to a hair school and got a trim for $15.

u/user1987623 — 7 days ago

Do I have the anatomy for a forward helix Or a conch?

I am considering a forward helix or a conch but I’m genuinely curious if that would look good on either of my ears. Open to suggestions

u/user1987623 — 7 days ago

This girl finally posted her dress reveal and weight loss transformation

I didn’t love her content but I have to admit she pulled it together and really committed to the weight loss. She looked really good

u/user1987623 — 7 days ago

Can’t give up the blonde, but can give up heat

Unfortunately I love how my hair looks blonde and straightened. I tried going brunette for several months but I did not like it at all and my confidence was destroyed. Now I have been only highlighting every 4-6 months as opposed to ever 3, and have been trying to reduce heat in order to grow my hair out and prevent damage.

First pic: straightened / styled
Second pic: my natural curls
Third pic: rough dried my hair with low heat and slept in braids
Fourth pic: using rosemary water to slick back my hair into a bun

Hoping to see a lot more growth with these styles but it sucks because I love my straight hair so much

u/user1987623 — 10 days ago

Growing glutes in a building phase with a muscle strain

I haven’t seen a doctor or PT about this (let me know if you think I should) but when I do certain single leg exercises I have a lot of pain in my lower left glute. I think I tend to have better mind muscle connection with my left glute and possibly it’s getting overworked because of that, especially because I tend to feel off balance / unnatural when switching to the right leg.

I just recently decided to start a building phase (until December) so I’m eating more, sleeping more, and hitting legs 3x per week instead of 2x, with a strong glute focus. I definitely am feeling more pain now (especially doing any kind of lunge or Bulgarian) but I honestly always have felt some discomfort when doing them since the beginning of my fitness journey and have avoided them because of it.

On the contrary, glute kickbacks and single leg RDLs are fine. Step ups too.

Does this sound like a serious issue? / do I need to put training aside and address this ‘injury’ or whatever it might be? Or has anyone had success in building their glutes just by avoiding the exercises that cause pain.

Can definitely ask about this in other subs too but I figured this would have more woman-specific answers.

reddit.com
u/user1987623 — 11 days ago

Question about fit model attire

Hi all, I’ve been lifting casually for about five years but I’d like to start competing. I think fit model makes the most sense for me because I still am relatively small / not super muscular and need to build up my glutes a bit more. Gonna keep my head down and build for the next six months and then aim to prep and compete for an April show.

Background aside, since fit model is sort of a new division I can’t find a ton of information. I was under the impression that fit models wear bikinis (with more coverage and less bling) but the show I’m signing up for describes the attire as athletic wear (see screenshot). This contradicts the npc guidelines that they attached literally right after lol…

Just wondering, is this something that varies by show? This is the Philly iron classic that I’m thinking about. Also, any advice about overall appearance? Tan, heels, full glam makeup and extensions yes?

u/user1987623 — 16 days ago
▲ 1 r/vinted

There are no drop off points in my city??

Tried to ship using the drop off locator (first sale on Vinted but I have hundreds on depop and Poshmark) and there are literally zero drop off points in my city or surrounding cities. Would have to drive two hours north… lol… I reached out to Vinted support but what is the usual solution?

reddit.com
u/user1987623 — 17 days ago

Assistance with item pricing / info?

Found a slip dress from miss dior at the thrift. Super beautiful, no information on sizing though and the wash tag is ripped out. Fits me like a small though. If anyone has info about vintage Dior (or if this is one of their modern collections) please let me know.

Also, if anyone has pricing ideas please let me know. It’s not in perfect condition but gives serious andi anderson vibes and I think pink would sell well.

u/user1987623 — 20 days ago

Where can I finish the show in the U.S.?

I was living in Europe the past four months and watched the mentalist on Netflix, literally only had 5-6 episodes left and got back to the U.S. and didn’t realize I could no longer watch them. Even had them downloaded but it didn’t work anymore. Please lmk!

reddit.com
u/user1987623 — 2 months ago