r/Workingout

I realized I always drink a few sips of water, adjust my earbuds twice, and walk one lap around the gym before I touch a singgle weight. I never planned that routine, it just somnehow became part of every workout. Now it feels weird if I skip any of it, almost like my brain isn't ready yet lol. Does anyone else have a random little ritual before they actually start training? I'm curious what habits quietly became part of your routine

I'm transitioning from a 6-day PPL split to a 5-day routine because I've realised I'd prefer having two rest days instead of one. The problem is that I'm struggling to decide on the best split.

A lot of people recommend Push / Pull / Legs / Upper / Lower, but I'm concerned that the Upper and Lower days might not provide enough volume for each muscle group.

For those of you who train 5 days per week:

• What do you think is the best 5-day workout split for muscle growth?
• Why do you prefer that split over others?
• Could you provide a sample routine so I can see how you structure volume and recovery throughout the week?

For context, my main goal is hypertrophy muscle size mass (not really in it for strength just aesthetics), and I've been running a 6-day PPL up until now.

Thanks everyone!

Hey. Im 18F and I’ve now been going to the gym for a month. I go 4 days a week and I have a comprehensive routine each day i go, followed by 25-30 mins on the treadmill. I think i’m 5’8 and I cant break 175-178 pounds. My goal is to be 145.

No matter what im doing there I just cant lose weight, and i’m getting discouraged because I’ve done my research and my forms good, im doing great cardio, and I always show up.

I dont lift excessively heavy and i do high reps lowish weights so i dont gain too much muscle or whatever. I dont eat junk food really because it upsets my stomach (soda, candy, etc) and i’ve been trying to eat lunch now that i go to the gym.. i dont understand what im doing wrong. I suspect its my diet but im not eating greasy food or slop! Maybe it’s me not getting enough protein, but im not sure how to fix that since I dont do the cooking in my house.

The only time I had lost actual weight was when i had compulsive exercise disorder but I dont have the energy to repeat that again, as i’d eat basically nothing 🥲

Can I have some advice? (No youre just a kid bs pls i need to lose this weight)

Hi. Do you do any cardio after weights and for how long? Either intervals or zone 2.

I will admit I am not skinny at all and am on the bigger side but this summer I want to fix it. I was wondering if anyone had any tips on getting skinnier over these next couple months. (Ps I might not be able to do like diets or anything)

Hi, I have a question about mental intensity during exercise and workouts. For me it’s one thing to be able to get myself to go to the gym. That’s actually pretty easy no matter what time it is. Doesn’t really affect me that much. But what does affect me is the actual intensity of a workout. I could be walking on the treadmill for example at a high speed and really push myself or alternatively I could just be walking on the treadmill at a relatively low speed and not really push myself physically and mentally. I’m wondering what advice you have for pushing myself physically and mentally. Like I said, it’s not an issue about showing up. It’s more an issue about pushing myself with intensity. Also, maybe as a side question, should I be pushing myself every day or should I be giving myself a little break and only doing that occasionally? Thanks so much!

1. Taking Sleep Serious:

You hear people say "sleep good" all the time but it's always just mentioned in the stereotypical "eat good, sleep good." I don't often hear it EMPHASIZED. Once I started taking my sleep serious it changed and improved a lot in my fitness journey and my personal life. Obvious one but I had more energy when working out and felt more "explosive." And my recovery dates felt more meaningful rather than just being lazy lmao. To get good sleep wasn't easy though. Especially being a serial doomscroller before bed, that was the hardest habit to stop. Stop scrolling before bed though please. This helped me listen to my body tell me it's time to sleep but I still couldn't fall asleep easily. Tried a few melatonin gummies, supplements, pill stacks, herbal teas, but stuck on Som Sleep. It was the only one that worked w/o leaving me feeling hungover the next day.

2. Don't hyperfocus on one area you want to see improvement:

This is one I still tend to struggle w/ but damn when you just lock in and focus on overall health and improvement. That fulfillment and boost you feel is wild. Maybe I just get too in my head sometimes about improving the things that had me start working out in the first place and I still see that in the mirror but for anybody else that get's that way. Lock in on overall. You want a better chest, hit chest till failure but have that same mentality on legs or core. Hyperfocusing on one place I want to see improvement would kill my motivation and take away from seeing improvement elsewhere or just my overall improvement from day 1.

3. Find cardio you enjoy:

I'm sure you already know but consistency beats having the "perfect plan" that you may have mapped out and the only way you are going to say consistent is doing something you enjoy. Or I guess you can say something you enjoy for what it is lol. But I used to run for cardio and I hated it, so I wouldn't want to do it. I started doing stairmaster and jumprope. I love the shit. I don't know I feel good doing it and feel good after doing it. I actually enjoy it, even when it hurts and sucks I enjoy it enough to keep going. Running for me just sucked. I guess this goes for any workout, find what you enjoy or enjoy enough to keep going. Because consistency is key (you've heard it a 1000000 times) but I'm telling you the key to consistency is enjoying what you are doing through the pain.

4. This you probably don't need to hear again, but progress is not alway's obvious

Sometimes it's hard to see the progress. But remember where you started. You may not be where you want to be yet and have been at it for a while but look back and see how far you came. Not being where you want to be and sitting on that kills motivation. That look back at where you started can be a bit of a motivation boost so give yourself those flowers and lock back in. You'll get there.

Some of these might be obvious but these are a few things that I didn't hear emphasized too much when I first started and have forsure been big pieces of keeping me pushing forward. Do what works for you, you got this.

I have Social Anxiety Disorder, and I hate being watched while doing almost anything, especially working out. It’s not just strangers—I don’t even like my parents watching me exercise.
The moment I know someone is looking at me, I become really self-conscious and can’t focus. Because of that, I usually wait until I’m completely alone before I work out.
For those of you who have the same problem:
How do you manage to work out consistently?
Do you only exercise at home, or were you eventually able to go to a gym?
If you go to a gym now, how did you get over the fear of being watched?
Any tips that actually helped?
I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences because this has been a major barrier for me.

Context: started gym roughly 1.5 months ago, 72kg, 19M; wants to gain weight/muscle

 

Monday & Friday — Pull

Exercise Name	Prescription	Target Muscle
Lat Pulldown	3 sets × 10–12 reps	Lats & upper back
Seated Cable Row	3 sets × 10–12 reps	Rhomboids, mid-back & traps
Face pulls	3 sets × 10-12 reps	Rear Delts & Rotator Cuff
Back Extensions	2-3 sets × 12–15 reps	Erector spinae & glutes
Bicep curl/preacher curl	3 sets × 12–15 reps	bicep
Hammer Curl	3 sets × 10–12 reps	Brachialis & forearms
wrist curls	2 sets each × 12–15	Forearms

 

Tuesday & Saturday — Push

Exercise Name	Prescription	Target Muscle
Incline Dumbbell Press	3 sets × 10 reps	Upper chest focus
Machine Chest Press	3 sets × 8–10 reps	Chest, front delts & triceps
Lateral Raises	3 sets × 12–15 reps	Lateral deltoids
Triceps Pushdown	3 sets × 10–12 reps	Triceps isolation
Overhead Triceps Extension	2 sets × 12 reps	Triceps long head

 

 

Wednesday — Legs

Exercise Name	Prescription	Target Muscle
Squats or Goblet Squats	3 sets × 8–10 reps	Quadriceps, glutes & core
Hip Thrusts	3 sets × 10 reps	Glutes & hamstrings
Leg Extensions	3 sets × 12 reps	Quadriceps isolation
Leg Curl	3 sets × 12 reps	Hamstrings isolation
Standing Calf Raises	4 sets × 15 reps	Calves

 

Thursday — Active Rest

Exercise Name	Prescription	Target Muscle
Leg Raises /planks	3 sets	Lower abdominal control
Crunches and twisting crunches	3 sets × 12–15 reps	Rectus abdominis & obliques

 

Sunday — Full Rest

 

hi, ive never posted here so sorry if this isnt the right format. im 26f, overweight, and ive been using herletics for the last 7 weeks bc the idea of walking into a gym makes me want to cry. ive never been, dont have anyone to go with, and i kept putting off doing anything for years bc of how anxious it made me. sharing what ive been doing in case anyone else is in the same spot.

a friend mentioned the app so i downloaded it just to have a daily movement plan, something to check off so i could feel a tiny bit better. the quiz at the start was long, felt like 10 min, but it asks about ur activity level, goals, body areas u want to focus on, what ur comfortable doing. so i get why.

the workouts have been actually doable which is the main thing. they call it military calisthenics but its bodyweight stuff, i was scared id open it and it would be a bunch of burpees or stuff i couldnt do. its mostly low impact starting out, the sessions adjust to ur level, some stretching and yoga mixed in, things i can manage in my living room. ive only used my yoga mat, no other equipment needed, which was a big deal bc i wasnt about to start buying dumbbells before i knew id stick with it.

theres also a meal plan section if anyone is curious. lots of options, ive only made maybe 5 things so far but they were easy, 6 to 8 ingredients.

down 8 lbs over the last 7 weeks, slow, but the longest ive ever stuck with anything fitness related

I had been perfectly healthy until about 2 years ago now when i went through a really hard time and i put on a lot of weight because of it. Now ive been trying to lose fat and gain muscle but my brain just does not like to keep me motivated to exercise/work out. I used to go gym 3 times a week and i started to lose weight and put on muscle, but i found it too overwhelming there so i now have a rowing machine and weights at home. Any help from you guys will be much appreciated!!

every now and then i have days where i feel tired before i even start my workout. i'm not sore or injured, i just feel like i don't have much energy. sometimes i end up going anyway and feel better once i get started, but other times the workout feels awful from beginning to end. i'm trying to figure out when it's worth pushing through and when it's smarter to take a rest day instead. how do you usually make that decision without overthinking it?

I’m considering building a home gym, but I’m not sure if it’s worth it. A decent setup would cost around $4400, while my gym is only $15/week, meaning that money could cover almost 5-6 years of membership. The appeal is convenience: no sharing equipment, no waiting, no commute, and probably more consistent training. But $4400 is still a lot, and I’m trying to be realistic. For those who built a home gym, was it worth it long-term?

every time i take a break and come back, the soreness hits pretty hard. what helps you ease back in without feeling wrecked for days after?

I’m about 5”5 weighing 58kg. I watched tons of videos and saw good workouts to implement to my routine. Then, now here’s where the issue might come from, I put it all through AI to fine tune it. I am a vegetarian that eats no eggs. How is my workout routine and what can I do to improve. I’m still on day 1 so I don’t have the current volume for some exercises yet.

I have a PPL split with a rest day after and then repeated starting with A and then B the next cycle. The brackets are the range of volume I should be progressively overloading before moving onto the next weight.

Push: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps

A - CHEST EMPHASIS

Incline Dumbbell Press: 3x10 (8-12) 8kg
Machine Shoulder Press: 3x10 (8-12) 9kg
Machine Chest Press: 3x10 (8-12) 18kg
Cable Lateral Raises: 3x10 (12-15) 3.4kg
High to Low Cable Fly: 3x10 (8-12)
Tricep Pulldown: 3x10 (8-12) 9kg

B - SHOULDER/TRICEP EMPHASIS

Machine Shoulder Press: 3x10 (8-12)
Incline Dumbbell Press: 3x10 (8-12) 8kg
Machine Chest Fly: 3x10 (8-12)
Cable Lateral Raises: 3x10 (12-15) 3.4kg
Overhead Tricep Cable Extension: 3x10
Tricep Pulldown: 3x10 (8-12) 9kg

Pull: Back, Biceps, Forearms

A - LAT WIDTH

Lat Pulldown: 3x10 (8-12) 25kg
Chest Supported Rows: 3x10 (8-12) 7kg
Close Grip Rows: 3x10 (8-12) 18kg
Face Pulls: 3x13 (12-15) 4.5kg
Rear Delt Fly: 3x12 (12-15) 18kg?
Incline Zottman Curls: 3x8 (8-12) 6kg
Crossbody Hammer Curls: 3x8 (8-12) 6kg

B - UPPER BACK + ARMS

Lat Pulldown: 3x10 (8-12) 25kg
Chest Supported Rows: 3x10 (8-12) 7kg
Shrugs: 3x10 (10-15)
Face Pulls: 3x13 (12-15) 4.5kg
Incline Zottman Curls: 3x8 (8-12) 6kg
Crossbody Hammer Curls: 3x8 (8-12) 6kg

Legs: Legs and Abs

A - POSTERIOR CHAIN

Stretch: that one vid on insta
Weighted Box Jumps: 3x10 5kg 18inch
Hack Squat: 3x10 (8-12)
Romanian Deadlifts: 3x10 (8-12)
Seated Leg Curls: 3x10 (8-12)
Standing Calf: 3x15 (15-20)
Hanging Leg Raises : 3x10

B - QUADS + ABS

Stretch: that one vid on insta
Hack Squat: 3x10 (8-12)
Seated Leg Extensions: 3x10 (8-12)
Romanian Deadlifts: 3x10 (8-12)
Standing Calf: 3x15 (15-20)
Hip Adductor: 3x10 (8-12)
Russian Twists: 3x15 each side
Machine Crunches: 3x12 (12-15)

so, I weigh around 210lbs, I'm 5'10 or 5'11, I'm male, and I'm 18 (I don't know which one because doctors tell me differently) but I'm looking to drop this weight because my fat is situated around my stomach and waist and some of my boobs as well, I have no access to a gym because I don't feel like paying the money so I just want some home exercises that can do just as well instead of the gym, so much information is appreciated

Hi! I've decided that I want to start going to the gym but I'm a total and absolute beginner. My goals are to lose fat and build muscle. I'm pretty lost with everything. I've been trying to do research, but all the info is different. There is such an overwhelming amount of info out there, it's discouraging me from even doing anything because there is always some source saying a certain thing is wrong.

Here are my questions:

How many times a week should I go to the gym?

What should I do at the gym?

What should my workout spread be like?

How many reps and sets do I do? Or is it better to go until failure?

How long should I rest for in-between sets?

Should I do cardio at the gym and if yes, at what point?

What should I take into consideration when it comes to food?

Is there like a basic program or do I NEED a personal trainer?

Also, if you guys have any other tips, I will be so grateful to hear them! Thank you already!!

I'm sorry if these have been asked already!

I see trainers bashing people doing cardio that it doesn't help fat loss but I haven't seen overweight runners. I was running 50k a week but compromised strength training. I didn't gain weight so it makes me confused that which form of exercise gives better results. I will be doing both now and will cut down on my running but just curious to know which one is better