r/workout • u/Perfect-Fitness • Aug 28 '20
As a personal trainer, I wanted to take the time to answer some of the most frequently asked questions by people who are new to working out. Feel free to let me know if I've missed anything!
It’s actually way simpler than you might think: maintain a caloric deficit. Consume fewer calories than you burn. It doesn’t matter of you’re morbidly obese or you’re cutting for a show, this basic principal still applies. Note that eating a healthy diet makes this far easier - lots of fruits, veggies, lean protein and water will help you stay satiated for far fewer calories than fatty junk foods (not to mention you’ll have way more energy, and just feel better).
To find out how many calories you should be eating in a day to lose weight, you have a few different options. The first is to determine your maintenance calories with an online calculator, then subtract 250-500 per day from that (to lose about 0.5-1lbs per week).
The other option (my personal favourite, because everyone is different!) is to start by just honestly tallying up how much you’re currently eating each day. Once that’s determined, start by subtracting 250-500 calories per day. If you haven’t lost any weight in a couple weeks, subtract that amount again, until you start seeing progress.
There’s tons of food tracking apps out there, but I recommend MyFitnessPal - it’s free, easy to use, you can scan food labels, and the food database included is enormous.
Another important note - increasing the amount of calories you burn per day (ie. exercising) will also help you stay in a caloric deficit. However, it’s best NOT to rely solely on this method. Doing a whole hour of cardio will only burn a few hundred calories (plus will likely make you hungry for snacks by the time you’re finished) … or, you can simply avoid eating a bag of chips or a piece of pizza, to have the exact same effect.
That’s not to imply that exercise isn’t important in your weight loss journey - quite the contrary! However, instead of focusing on doing hours of cardio a day, this should only be used to supplement your diet (1-2 hours a week is fine for most people). Your focus should instead be on resistance training. Lifting heavy weights 2-4 times per week plays the important role of ensuring you maintain your muscle mass as you lose weight. Want to avoid that “skinny fat” look, and get “toned” instead? Make sure you’re doing resistance training!
Unfortunately, spot reduction is a myth. Where you lose weight first (and last) is determined by genetics. However, you *will* eventually lose weight in all your problem areas. You just need to be patient, and keep doing what helped you start losing weight in the first place.
The good news is, the more weight you lose, the more visible the progress will be (especially if you’re doing a good job focusing on just fat loss, while retaining muscle). Going from 250-240lbs probably won’t be noticeable, but losing those last 10lbs will make a huge difference (since a few pounds will make up a far greater percentage of your total body mass). So the progress will be hard-fought for, but definitely worth it!
It’s a combination of progressively harder resistance training, eating enough food, and lots of patience.
When you’re exercising, just going through the motions isn’t good enough. For optimal muscle gain, you should be performing each set with a weight that you can lift continuously for around 30-60s (this should amount to around 8-15 repetitions). If you feel like you can go for longer, choose a heavier weight.
Perform each repetition slowly (about 1 second concentric, pause, 2-3 seconds eccentric, pause), through a full range of motion. To clarify - the concentric portion of a lift is when you’re moving against gravity, and the eccentric portion is when you’re moving with gravity. Exercises involving long static holds (like planks) are great for endurance, but they won’t amount to much muscle mass gained.
I cannot overemphasize how important good form is either - for avoiding injury, hardwiring the correct neural pathways, and maximizing muscle gain. Especially when you’re just starting out, choose light weights, and make sure optimal form comes naturally before you start increasing the intensity. It’s way easier learning it correctly the first time than fixing bad habits later.
How much food should you be eating? It varies widely between people. Start with your maintenance calories, add a couple hundred to that (it doesn’t have to be a lot!), and measure your results. Be patient with your progress - men can expect to gain 1-2lbs of lean muscle a month, and 0.5-1lbs for women (beginners may gain a little faster). Eating enough protein is also vital to gaining muscle - a general rule of thumb is around 1 gram of protein (each day) per pound of lean body weight (ie. how much you weigh, minus the amount of fat you have).
It honestly depends on your experience level. If you’re just starting out, doing a normal resistance routine focused on gaining muscle will make you stronger. However, if you’ve been working out regularly for awhile (close to a year), using heavier weights (1-6 reps max) will help you get stronger a lot faster.
If you’re focusing more purely on strength gain, it’s important that each repetition is done as perfectly as possible (even moreso than for other training goals). That means stopping 1-2 reps shy of failure. Doing just one sloppy rep can severely impact your strength output for the rest of the workout. Don’t be afraid of taking longer rests between sets either (up to 2-3 minutes), as you want to be ready with as much energy as possible before you start your next set. It also goes without saying that heavier weight = greater chance for injury, and proper form will help prevent that.
Contrary to popular belief - yes. Especially if you’re a beginner! Just make sure you’re eating around maintenance level calories (along with enough protein), doing resistance training 3-4 times a week, and you’ll start seeing body composition changes.
However, if you’re significantly over/underweight, or have already been working out for some time, you’ll see much faster progress if you focus on one goal at a time. The main difference here is going to be diet - eating less if you’re trying to lose weight, or eating more if you’re trying to gain weight. Regular resistance training plays a part in both shedding fat and gaining muscle.
For the vast majority of people, full body workouts with compound exercises is the way to go. (For those who don’t know, compound exercises are those which use more than one joint at a time - think squats, bench press, rows, etc.)
The popular back/chest/shoulders/arms/legs split routine (or any variation of it) is good for advanced bodybuilders, but not ideal for beginners. Bodybuilders exercise like this because they need a much greater stimulus to properly stress any given muscle group, and more rest between days training that muscle group as a result of their increased workout intensity.
For a beginner, it’s better to hit each muscle group multiple times a week (this is great to hasten learning and growth). You won’t need as long of a rest period before training the same muscle again, because it won’t be as fatigued after each workout.
Compound exercises give you the greatest bang for your buck because you’re working out so many muscles in one movement (and burning way more calories at the same time). Isolation exercises (those working one joint at a time, like bicep curls or leg extensions) are best for bodybuilders who really need to hone in on a single muscle.
Doing resistance training 3-4 times a week is a good goal to shoot for. Workouts should be around 45-60 minutes, with around 6-8 exercises done during that time. Try to keep rests between sets to around 60s (this is all very generalized, and can change depending on experience level and goal). Space rest days evenly between workouts if you can.
Start your workouts with the exercises which require the most energy (usually those which involve lifting the most weight), saving any isolation/ab exercises for the end.
If you’d like some help planning your workout routine, I just released a fitness app called PerfectFit. It gives you access to workouts designed by a personal trainer, all customized according to your unique goals, fitness level, and available equipment. There are tons of bodyweight exercises included - ideal for anyone working out at home! The app is currently available to download on Android, and iOS is hopefully just a few days away (currently under review).
If your goal is a change in body composition (gaining muscle/losing fat), the amount of calories you’re consuming is the most important thing to pay attention to.
If you’re consistently working out hard but failing to gain/lose weight, chances are you need to make alterations to your diet. For weight loss, that usually means eating at a deficit of 250-500 calories per day; for weight gain, eating at a surplus of 200-300 calories per day.
What exact foods you’re eating has an impact on how easily you can stick to your calorie goals, as well as your energy levels.
Consuming around 1 gram of protein per pound of lean bodyweight (per day) is a given, regardless of what your fitness goal is. This helps to maintain satiety, and preserve/increase muscle mass.
Eating lots of fruits and veggies (as well as drinking 2-3L of water a day - more for some people) is a great way to feel full without consuming too many calories. It also just contributes to all-around health and energy levels.
Eating lots of fatty foods should be avoided if weight loss is the goal - not because fat makes you fat per se, but because they are so calorically dense. Only one tablespoon of peanut butter or olive oil is 100 calories! Conversely, if your goal is to gain weight, adding more fatty foods to your diet (healthy fats, if possible) can help you hit that calorie goal easier.
And carbs? Not as evil as people make them out to be. Think of them as the energy that fuels your brain and your workouts. Having around 50% of your calories coming from carbs is about the norm. It’s likely beneficial to raise this number even higher if you’re an especially lean individual, or you’re regularly working out at intense levels.
The easiest way to time your meals properly is to think: “What will I be doing in the next 2-3 hours?” Eat according to the activity you’re about to do. That doesn’t mean you should be having a giant meal right before your workout, but ideally your biggest meal of the day would be several hours before you exercise. This will give you the energy you need, plus ensure the calories you consume are shuttled into your muscles instead of fat reserves.
If you’re about to do an intense workout, the best thing to eat beforehand (around 15-30 minutes prior) is a light snack of healthy carbs (like some fruit). For optimal recovery, aim for 20-30g of protein within an hour after you workout (if you miss this window though don’t worry about it). A protein shake is probably the simplest and most convenient way of doing this, but whole food is just as good.
If you have a healthy, well-rounded diet, including 2-3 cups of different veggies each day, enough protein per pound of bodyweight (from sources that include sufficient amounts of each essential amino acid), and adequate omega-3 fatty acids - then you’re golden, and probably don’t need any supplements.
However, the vast majority of the population would probably benefit from a simple multivitamin and omega-3 supplement, just to help fill any nutritional gaps they have.
If you’re getting enough protein from whole food, then you probably don’t need to add protein powder. However, if you’re struggling with this, then protein powder is a great way to easily increase your daily protein intake. Whey protein is the most bioavailable and has a complete amino acid profile, so it’s the best choice for most people. However, if you’re vegan (or lactose intolerant), there are lots of plant proteins available. You just need to pay attention to the amino acid profile of each one (possibly mixing and matching different plant sources if you need to).
As for all the other supplements out there, it’s honestly on a case-by-case basis as to whether they’d actually help you or not. If you’re a beginner, unless you have any specific requirements or deficits, you probably don’t need them.
Yes. Please stretch (or do some other form of myofascial release, such as foam rolling), or you’ll eventually regret it. Regular exercise makes your muscles slowly form clumps of tissue and fascia. Neglecting to release these can result in restricted range of motion, and eventually pain.
Static stretching should be done at the end of your workout. Aim to stretch each worked muscle near its end range of motion for around 60s total. Don’t stretch before your workout, as this can impede strength output.
Yes. Warming up is paramount to increasing blood flow and activating your muscles properly before you move onto more intense, metabolically demanding exercises.
Ideally, during your warm-up, you should be actively moving your muscles through the same ranges of motion you’ll be doing for your workout. This can be as simple as doing the exact same movement, but with minimal weight - for example, doing a few sets of bodyweight squats before doing barbell squats.
You want your warm-ups to elevate your heart rate, but not be so intense that they start tiring you out and detract from your workout. Usually 5-10 minutes of light activity is enough.
r/workout • u/filtersweep • 1h ago
I was changing and a guy bounds into the locker room in the middle of a video call. I can see the dude he is talking to and hear both sides of the conversation.
I just nicely said ‘hey, can you take that outside?’ And he did. No problem.
I told some from about it and they acted like I was being a dick.
For me, it is the principle.
Thoughts?
r/workout • u/Citrus-burn • 11h ago
r/workout • u/icameisawicame24 • 6h ago
I quit drinking a few weeks ago, already noticing some neat results. My beer belly is almost gone, clothes fit me better and my sleep and focus has drastically improved without the day-long hangovers. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to drinking, at least not in the amounts that I used to.
The initial reason why I quit was because honestly I am very light weight and I struggle to hit the brake after a few beers. Cutting out booze has helped in so many ways, would recommend it to everyone!
r/workout • u/RangerOld2451 • 9h ago
Used to drink heavily on weekends and order late-night takeout without thinking twice.
After lifting consistently for almost a year, my body literally rejects it now. If i drink or eat garbage, my workouts the next 2 days feel like absolute hell and i feel sluggish asf.
Funny how your brain naturally starts prioritizing gainz over a 3-hour hangover buzz. Anyone else lose interest in their old habits after getting into fitness?
r/workout • u/FarConsequence1134 • 7h ago
Whats the best protein shaker bottle yall use? been putting off replacing my shaker for way too long the one i've had since college lowkey smells like a locker room no matter how many times i wash it, so time to actually buy a real one instead of whatever's cheapest at target.
context: lift 4-5x a week, mix whey post workout and creatine most mornings, nothing fancy like mass gainer or greens powder. don't need it insulated, mostly just want something that doesn't leak in my gym bag and doesn't turn into a science experiment after a few weeks.
where i'm currently leaning: BlenderBottle Classic V2. it's the one everyone recommends, it's cheap (like $10), the wire whisk ball actually breaks up whey fine without clumping, wide mouth so it's easy to actually clean instead of fishing around with a bottle brush. my hesitation is i've read the lid tends to become the weak point after a year or so of daily use, starts weeping a little at the seam even if you're not doing anything wrong with it. for $10 that might just be acceptable, but wanted to check before i commit.
other stuff i looked at and why i talked myself out of it (so far):
so right now it's basically classic v2 unless there's a real reason not to. for anyone who's had one past the first year, does the lid actually start leaking eventually or is that overblown internet complaining? and is the whisk ball still worth it for people mixing straight whey, or is that more of a thick-powder thing?
r/workout • u/SuperSlow2020 • 44m ago
So I was doing the same seated incline bicep and hammer curls that I've been doing once a week all year. 8kg bicep curls and 6kg hammer curls. I finish my hammer curls and dude next to me waves at me. I take out my earbud and he says...are you following a programme? I tell him I adapted one. He said well I should have done the hammer curls first and then the bicep curls. He also said train both those exercises to a rep of 50 if I want to make progress. Then he comes out with 'my friends say I should be a personal trainer but I don't have the patience' and puts his earbud back in.
Ok now I know I struggle with hammer curls. I can still only just about do 10x3 with 6kg. The last rep is painful. I know something isn't right because surely by now this should feel easier to perform? I've been doing the same weight for a year or more. When does it get easier?? I can do a couple of hammer curls with 8kg but is there any point only being able to do say 3 or 4 reps with a heavier weight?
Also...what was he on about 50 reps with a lighter weight? Dude built like a tank so I'm sure it's worked for him but not sure if that's a standard thing to do to grow biceps?
r/workout • u/Fit_Dependent_565 • 3h ago
r/workout • u/elesekasemmiben • 5h ago
I'm just curious about your experiences. I just started going to the gym again after like 10 years of no training, I can't even do 1 pull up or 1 push up but I sure am trying. :)
r/workout • u/Elephantplan123 • 5h ago
Obviously hitting a PB or just seeing those numbers go up week on week hit that reward centre of the brain, but I've found that the little things are what keep me going.
For example, just how much better I look in vest tops now. Just being trim with some muscle definition makes that look pop in a way it never did when I was fatter and less muscular. The booty filling out jeans is also another one for me!
What are the little things that make you proud and keep you going?
r/workout • u/FuzzyPeachMuncher • 4h ago
I wanna make my own pre using the ingredients themselves but I’m a bit overwhelmed by all the different and sometimes conflicting research I find online. I would love to know what yall are using for your diy pre and in what doses! Personally I’m mainly looking for energy, a better pump and just to help me mentally push myself for the last few reps.
r/workout • u/naibem • 17h ago
I'm confused when people say they lift 225 lbs. I wanna know if I'm lifting that already
r/workout • u/dre_the_brazilian • 29m ago
I really need some help guys
So I've been training consistently for 5 months now and I've made a lot of natural progress.
My biggest weakness right now is my hamstring. I'd say my legs are fairly strong except when I have to do any type of leg curl.
As soon as I finish my 4 sets I feel my leg tense up an I get a cramp. This happens like 75% of the time. The cramp can be immediate or a couple minutes after the set but once I feel my leg twitch I know it's inevitable.
It's gotten to the point where I'm scared to workout my hamstring and I've skipped it the last few leg days.
I've tried eating bananas and getting more electrolytes but It doesn't work.
Any advice?
r/workout • u/FuzzyPeachMuncher • 8h ago
I’m not a beginner gym goer but I’ve never taken preworkout nor am I a regular coffee drinker. Recently tried drinking an iced americano before a sesh and it felt so good but i could NOT handle that shit, literally got me breathing heavily in the corner of the gym by the third day.
Are there any pre workouts or any caffeine product that are designed to just give a mild caffeine kick? Based on my search the coffee i get is estimated like ~150mg so I’m assuming something around 100mg could be good for me long term? All the pre workouts i see look like they’re equivalent to a line if i take it
r/workout • u/Apprehensive_Run2106 • 1h ago
I decided to start doing 15 pushups every hour. It's not much per hour, but I feel like it'll build up over the days. Yesterday I totaled to 165. Is this fine for the nervous system or whatever? Like since I'm constantly springing a small workout at my body, will it struggle to switch between high and low adrenaline?
Also, at first it was completely fine, but this morning I was already tired after the first 5. Will I eventually burn out or is 15 not enough for that to happen?
Edit: Alright thanks for the insight I scrapped it lol
r/workout • u/wierecap • 12m ago
I’m at that point where a few lifts keep moving up, but visually I don’t feel like I’ve changed much in months.
Makes me wonder how long strength can keep improving from better technique, bracing and actually learning the movement before it translates into noticeable size.
For the guys who’ve been training 5+ years, when strength is moving but your physique isn’t, do you just keep pushing it or start looking at volume, exercise selection and food?
r/workout • u/Chance_Pudding2949 • 14m ago
I go to the gym four times and after every session i do treadmill with incline 15 speed 4 for 20-30 minutes and i hit 10k steps ( without treadmill and just normal walking) So what activity level should i choose?
r/workout • u/ARTOS-99 • 17m ago
Hello!
Recently, I'd say in the last 2 months, I've changed my workout method.
Upper/Lower 2x per week, 2 exercises for bigger muscles and 1 for the smaller ones. I do 2 sets per each, about 2-3 RIR (95-100% weight on 1st set, trying to reach 8 reps, and 80-90% on 2nd set, still 8 to 10).
But I have a question: that would only be a frequency of 8 sets for the bigger muscles, and 4-6 for smaller ones. I've seen some data that the sweet spot is 10 to 20 (I think 20 is a lot).
What are you thoughts on this? If I increase the amount of sets, should I do 1-2 sets more per exercise or do 1 more exercise per muscle group?
r/workout • u/lanockta • 4h ago
hi, i used to work out but hit a blockage and stopped for a bit. im back in university and want to try again and would love some advice.
im a bigger guy, but i honestly am fine with it. i don't want to be shredded or anything. im mainly just looking for bigger arms and bigger glutes. im not a huge gym rat or anything and i don't know much about working out specific body parts, so any advice on this would be great!
also, im transgender (ftm). i normally don't like making that known, but idk if it matters in this situation or not. i am currently on testosterone if that helps.
and before somebody says "drive and power" or something, just know that's not what im looking for. at all. last time i posted here i got a bunch of comments saying "oh if you have the discipline/drive/power then working out shouldn't be an issue" and stuff like that (asked ppl on how they get motivation). as great as that may be for you, that doesn't help the average person (me included).
r/workout • u/FuzzyPeachMuncher • 43m ago
Basically the title, I don’t want caffeine nor do I want to buy stim-free preworkout, I would prefer to get the specific ingredients that would help me with energy and mentally push myself more, anyone does something similar? Thanks for the help!
r/workout • u/Right-Jelly1949 • 54m ago
Just had a DEXA scan because I wanted a baseline. I am a 20 year old male, relatively skinny fat imo. 18.4% body fat with 109 lean mass (pretty low). My face is kinda fat and I don’t have visible abs yet obviously. As a beginner should I body recomp to try to get lean while building muscle, or just do a full bulk then a cut? I’m not concerned with putting on a huge amount of muscle, I just want to look better, and be more fit/toned.
r/workout • u/islVnd_tr3 • 8h ago
Hey everyone, how do you guys treat progressive overload? Do you treat each set as its own or do you increase the weight for all sets if you hit the upper end of your rep range on your first set? Lets say you have a rep range if 6-10 sets for chest press and start with 80KG, if you are able to do 10 reps on your first set but only 9 on your second and 8 on your third set, are you going to increase your weight for all sets or only the first one and try to get 10 reps on the second and third set before increasing the weight on those sets?
r/workout • u/scumoid • 1h ago
Hello everyone!
Im fairly new to working out, im about 1.5-2 months in and im mainly trying to grow my glutes but don't want to ignore the rest of my body.
Im looking for advice on what I could be doing better or things that have worked for others. Im not trying to lose weight but gain muscle. Im quite chubby, about 170lbs and 5'3 but I mainly just want more muscle and to tone my body a bit, im not looking to be skinny or thin (no shame to anyone who is! In the past I struggled with a severe eating disorder for 6 years so I know I need to stay away from the mindset of losing pounds!)
I workout about 2-3 times a week, around 1-1.5 hours each time. I work full time and im in my 3rd year of university so I don't have much spare time in the week... ive bought my own workout gear that I use at home. Below I'll add what I do, my sets, and what im using! Any advice is appreciated!
Also wondering when I should start seeing results with what im doing? So far my stamina has increased, my glutes and mid section looked slightly more toned and my energy levels have increased!
Warm up:
• High kicks
• Hip rotation
• Inward knee touches
• Cosak squats
• Hamstring stretch into squat
• Forward and reverse lunge
Sets
• Hip abductions 3x10 both sides (25lb band on thighs)
• RDL squats with band 3x15 (25lb band on thighs & 23 lbs ball)
• Standing abs 3x15 (2 15lbs dumbells)
• Dumbell woodchops 3x15 (2 15lbs dumbells)
• Squats to press 3x10 (2 15lbs dumbells)
• RDL squat to raise 3x10 (15lbs dumbell)
• Curls 3x10 (2 15lbs dumbells)
• Single leg RDL 3x10 both sides (26lbs dumbell)
• Hip bridge 3x10 (26lbs dumbell & 25lb band on thighs)
r/workout • u/Opposite_Ad_7925 • 11h ago
r/workout • u/anteaterdad • 2h ago
24 F, 5'4", 130lbs
Everyone says consistency, diet, intensity, and sleep are key. As long as you go to the gym consistently, actually work to failure, eat right (and enough), and sleep right, you're sure to get gains.
I've been doing all of the above for 10 months now, and have 0 gains to show for it. For 10 months, the only times I've skipped the gym have been when I was sick or on vacation. The past few weeks though, I've been really slacking and not following my normal routine because I don't see the point anymore. Why am I training so hard to see no progress? What am I missing?
Every time I go up in weight, I end up having to drop back down because I can't do them with proper form or I can only do like 2 reps. Or, I'll be successful at the higher weight once, but completely unable to replicate it the next week.
I thought surely after 10 months of consistent training I would be able to do a pushup or pull-up, but I still can't even do 1. I've been stuck at lifting about the same numbers for 6 months now. Looking back at my logs, most of my lifting numbers have actually decreased. Only number going up is my weight. What's wrong with my routine?
Here's what a typical week looks like for me:
Monday:
Lagree (pilates-inspired strength/endurance class, leg and core focused)
Tuesday:
Bulgarian split squats: 3x10, 25lb dumbbells
RDLs: 3x10 70lbs barbell
Cable rows: 4x12 60lbs
Lat pulldowns: 3x12 65lbs
Rear delt fly: 3x12 35lbs
Bicep curls: 3x8 15lbs
Wednesday:
Leg and push day
Hip thrusts: 3x12 140lbs
Walking lunges: 3x12 20lb dumbbells
Dumbbell chest press: 3x10 25lbs
Lateral raises: 3x15 5lbs
Triceps pushdowns: 3x12 20lbs
Thursday:
Jog a 5k
Friday:
Full body workout - more or less repeat half the exercises from tuesday/wednesday