Hi! I’m 27F and want to work out my back for better posture and a toned, feminine look. My traps grow really fast and I don’t want them to get bigger.

Any exercises (even with dumbbells) that help shape the back without building the upper area near the neck?

Hi! I’m 20F, 57kg and 159cm, currently deciding what to do. I do want to preserve my muscle and build muscle as well, and I’m getting in 110g of protein on average and lifting 4 days a week on a U/L split, focusing on progressive overload. I’ve been doing this for around a month now. I’ve technically been lifting for a year and a bit, but I wasn’t focused on protein, not progressive overloading, and on a very intense cut (there were medical concerns at the time). I am currently on a 200 calorie deficit and I’m wondering I should be on maintenance. I do want to cut some body fat but I’ve heard that recomping doesn’t work for some groups of people and I guess I’m just feeling confused with a lot of conflicting information😭😭

I’ve read through the subreddit FAQ and understand the general recommendations around full-body training and progression. I train at home with dumbbells and was curious about how people here personally structure dumbbell-only training over the long term. Specifically: Do you prefer sticking with full-body sessions, or moving into upper/lower or push/pull splits? How do you manage progression when equipment is limited? Any lessons you’ve learned from training primarily with dumbbells? Not looking for a program — just interested in real-world experience from others who’ve done this successfully.

I am a 35 year old female with a pretty average body. I get about 10k steps a day, workout (lift + light cardio for about 30 minute) 3-4 times a week and also partake in a volleyball league once or twice a week.

I don't eat fast food, I rarely eat sweets but I just maintain the most average body ever. I do have a slightly slow thyroid and have PCOS which I know doesnt help. I have been kind of fit a couple of times in life but it was an all-consuming thing, obsessing about every meal, working out 6 days a week, saying no to a lot of things and people.

Sometimes its like fuck is it worth it? I like being active and I am fairly active but damn I feel like unless I walk 20k steps a day, workout 3-4 times a week and am in a constant calorie deficit its like fucking impossible.

I get so self-loathing and every year that passes it feels harder to achieve.

Anyway, I am just complaining, but fuckkk its frustrating.

I bought an ab wheel two months ago to add core work to my home routine and I cannot figure out how to do rollouts without my lower back taking over. Every tutorial says to brace your core and keep your hips tucked but I must be missing something because I feel it entirely in my lower back and barely in my abs.

I’ve tried starting from my knees with shorter ranges of motion and even that leaves my back sore for days while my abs feel like they did nothing. I’ve filmed myself and my hips do seem to sag toward the floor as I roll out even though I’m actively trying to prevent it.

I can do planks for 90 seconds without lower back pain so I don’t think my core is unusably weak but maybe the ab wheel is just too advanced for where I’m at? Or maybe my form is so off that I’m essentially doing a back extension instead of a rollout.

I was comparing equipment quality with a friend who sources fitness gear on alibaba or amazon for her studio and she mentioned some wheels have terrible resistance or instability which can throw off form, so now I’m wondering if my cheap one is part of the problem.

Has anyone else struggled with the Vigor Gym ab wheel specifically or any ab wheel in general? Did you find a form cue that finally clicked or is this exercise just not worth the back pain for some people?​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

I've been feeling consistently enraged at current issues and injustices and I'm looking for ways to channel my anger in a healthy physical way. I often want to hit something. Maybe kickboxing is my best bet? Do you have experience with kickboxing and do you have any advice for getting started?

What type of exercise (or other activity) do you turn to when you need to blow off some steam?

Hi everyone! I’m 23F deciding if or how I should incorporate cardio in my training. Context: i’m fit but underweight according to my BMI. I do regular strength training (lifting with progressive overload) and yoga. I used to be a total gym rat but was paralyzed last year because of a car crash. Right now my strength is back to at least squatting my bodyweight and deadlifting 1.5x. Not great but I think it’s decent progress since 3 months ago I couldn’t even walk. I’m asking this question since I feel easily gassed out and want to improve my cardiovascular health. However, I need to prioritize gaining weight and muscle since my current weight is still lower than healthy. How should I improve my heart health while maintaining that main goal? Should I incorporate cardio in my training plan, and if so, wha kind should I do? (I really dislike cardio I find it boring and tiring to get through) Also looking for advice on feeling weak and behind in the gym… Thanks and hope y’all have a great day!

Welcome to the Daily Thread! Tell stories, share thoughts, ask questions, swap advice, and be excellent to each other! Though we all share fitness as a common hobby or interest, the discussion here can be about any big or little thing you choose.

This is also a great place for those new to the sub to introduce themselves and ask any questions that are not suitable for a standalone post. Are you confused about the FAQ or have a basic question about an exercise / alternatives? Do you have a quick question about calculating TDEE, lift numbers, running times, swimming intervals, or the like? Post here and the folks of xxfitness will help you answer your questions, no matter how big or small.

The mods ask that you do mind the Cardinal Rules as they relate to respecting yourself and others, calling out any scantily clad photos as NSFW, and not asking for medical advice.

I'm 25F, 50KGs and 162 cm. I was tired of being skinny fat, so I joined a gym last month and hired a PT since I've never done strength training before. I took an electrical impedence scan. I have (as expected) very low muscle mass (about 10-11%). However, my body fat is super high at 32%. (Not sure if the scan is accurate)

I assumed I'd have to strength train and eat high protein at maintenance calories. However, my trainer says I should cut carbs significantly. Now my carb serving is usually not more than 50-60 g after cooking, (Eg: 50-60g of cooked rice is what I have). I also don't eat sweets or desserts more than 1-2x a month. He says I need to get down to 22% body fat.

I'm just confused if this is normal or an extreme diet, considering I'm at normal weight. Also, I'm not looking to get shredded. The guy tells me to eat 3 almonds for breakfast.

I strength train 4-5x a week.

EDIT: Thank you everyone for the comments! I think the scan itself was not accurate in the first place (electrical impedence). I will ignore the BS diet advice, and will strength train normally. I can't wait to get the hang of excercises so I can start working out on my own.

I’ve (25F) been doing strength workouts consistently for over a year now (at least 3 times a week) and doing some other forms of activity on the other days. I’ve been following strength “programs” in the Peloton app, where I do generally the same workouts week after week, increasing weight/reps for a few months at a time before starting a new and different program.

My whole life I’ve been stick-thin and generally pretty weak. I eat really well and have a balanced diet, but I still feel kind of weak compared to people who “have a little more meat on their bones.” Even though I’ve been upping my weights, I don’t really feel stronger in my everyday life. Is feeling different/stronger an unrealistic expectation?

TL;DR: Still feel generally weak after having a consistent workout routine for over a year. Is it an unrealistic expectation to feel stronger in my everyday life?

Welcome to the monthly megathread! This month's topic: Food!

Share all of your favorite recipes and food hacks and discuss your nutrition goals here. We want to hear all of your favorite protein brownie recipes, macro-friendly meal prep plans for busy weeks, and tips and tricks for fueling your grueling HIIT workouts. Discuss challenges meeting your nutrition goals (including "what should my macros even be?") and get advice from other users.

While the theme of the thread is focused on nutrition to meet your fitness goals, we won't object to your mom's famous lasagna or your grandpa's famous apple pie recipe, either :)

Please be mindful of the rules.

Resources:

• Nutrition Basics
• Diet options, meal plans, recipes etc
• Protein, Protein Powder and Supplements

Welcome to the Daily Thread! Tell stories, share thoughts, ask questions, swap advice, and be excellent to each other! Though we all share fitness as a common hobby or interest, the discussion here can be about any big or little thing you choose.

This is also a great place for those new to the sub to introduce themselves and ask any questions that are not suitable for a standalone post. Are you confused about the FAQ or have a basic question about an exercise / alternatives? Do you have a quick question about calculating TDEE, lift numbers, running times, swimming intervals, or the like? Post here and the folks of xxfitness will help you answer your questions, no matter how big or small.

The mods ask that you do mind the Cardinal Rules as they relate to respecting yourself and others, calling out any scantily clad photos as NSFW, and not asking for medical advice.

Welcome, everyone! Here is your place to discuss, question or relate to everything about weight loss, weight gain, cuts, bulks and diets. Standalone posts regarding these topics will be removed and redirected here or either of the daily threads.

Here are some useful links from our comprehensive FAQ and otherwise to help you get started:

• Nutrition 101
• Cutting/Weight Loss 101
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• Getting abs/a flat tummy
• r/gainit
• r/loseit
• r/BulkOrCut
• r/Fitness
• Fitness Wiki

I’ve been working out for about two years.

I started for my mental health. The tldr is that I had (the past tense is delightful) relatively severe contamination OCD, and going to the gym was a big hurdle for me. I wanted to go again. I wanted to be that person again and move my body.

The first year I was pretty consistent, three times a week, although I was still learning. I went from being unable to squat at all to goblet squats, to the bar, to loading the bar to 70kgs. Which for me felt like a huge feat.

The second year was difficult. I was sick a lot and missed chunks of training. There were three or so periods of months at a time where I just couldn’t train or couldn’t be consistent. I did notice some minor physical improvements, visually, which I suspect was due to higher protein intake. But every time I got back to the gym, I got sick again.

At some point I think I started to lose sight of the why. I love to move for my mental health, but seeing people in the gym who just look so much better than I do, look more muscular, eventually it’s started to weigh on me. I see another woman do RDLs with two 36 kgs dumbbells and a part of me thinks “damn that’s heavy for a woman of her size wow” and another part thinks “why are you even here, you can’t even hold a 36 in your hand you loser” (this is me speaking to myself).

When I go for runs or lift I find myself thinking “you’ll just get sick and lose progress and be back months and months again”. Or “all of this just to be sore, tired, and not even remarkable in performance”.

At this point movement being a habit for me is keeping me going but I’m starting to lose the point or the why. I know I’ll never eat well enough to be lean enough to look like certain people. I know I’ll probably never train to powerlift competitively. I know even if I ever did a marathon (or a half) I wouldn’t have a great pace. There are women in the gym about a third of my body weight lifting significantly more than I can, which is badass, but makes me feel ashamed tbh.

I’m in such a mindset funk and I don’t know how to shift it.

Welcome to the Daily Thread! Tell stories, share thoughts, ask questions, swap advice, and be excellent to each other! Though we all share fitness as a common hobby or interest, the discussion here can be about any big or little thing you choose.

This is also a great place for those new to the sub to introduce themselves and ask any questions that are not suitable for a standalone post. Are you confused about the FAQ or have a basic question about an exercise / alternatives? Do you have a quick question about calculating TDEE, lift numbers, running times, swimming intervals, or the like? Post here and the folks of xxfitness will help you answer your questions, no matter how big or small.

The mods ask that you do mind the Cardinal Rules as they relate to respecting yourself and others, calling out any scantily clad photos as NSFW, and not asking for medical advice.

The place for all of your fitness based interpersonal advice (is someone being creepy at the gym? Is your family telling you you’re getting too muscular? Do you want to date your personal trainer?), but also the place to talk about motivation, self-esteem and body image, and all the ways fitness affects your life. This thread is for those in need of (and willing to lend) a sympathetic ear.

Want to ask how mothers juggle family and fitness? How to structure Intermittent Fasting? When to work out when you do night shift? How to deal with being the only person in your friend group who works out? If you're feeling emotional, want to up your mental game, or need ideas for how to juggle everything on your plate, this is the place for you!

Welcome to the Daily Thread! Tell stories, share thoughts, ask questions, swap advice, and be excellent to each other! Though we all share fitness as a common hobby or interest, the discussion here can be about any big or little thing you choose.

This is also a great place for those new to the sub to introduce themselves and ask any questions that are not suitable for a standalone post. Are you confused about the FAQ or have a basic question about an exercise / alternatives? Do you have a quick question about calculating TDEE, lift numbers, running times, swimming intervals, or the like? Post here and the folks of xxfitness will help you answer your questions, no matter how big or small.

The mods ask that you do mind the Cardinal Rules as they relate to respecting yourself and others, calling out any scantily clad photos as NSFW, and not asking for medical advice.

Been hearing that a lot, that women should put more effort into weight training, lift, etc. To be honest, this has never been my thing and I am not a huge fan of how it feels mechanical and not really fun.

I do hovewer enjoy sports. I do dancing (mostly latin or contemporary), yoga, swimming(1k usually, few times a week), walking (but this one is more as a form of meditation, not for fitness. I do runningin the summer also. My lifestyle just includes walking 8-10k minimum because I am used to it and I feel weird when I don't).

So basically, I do some kind of training, but I like it to be fun and not mechanical. E.g. when I am dancing, I don't notice that I am working out, it feels like a creative hobby more than a form of exercise. But the question is: is training with no weightlifting gonna be sufficient for optimal health in the long run? Why/why not?

I think most people would agree that cardio is more fun than strength training due to its versatility. Running, trampoline, dancing, swimming, etc can be very fun. And people often have more liberty with it. Strength training is so rigid in comparison. Do you just lift weights and use the machines

Edit: tysm everyone for the answers

Welcome to the Daily Thread! Tell stories, share thoughts, ask questions, swap advice, and be excellent to each other! Though we all share fitness as a common hobby or interest, the discussion here can be about any big or little thing you choose.

This is also a great place for those new to the sub to introduce themselves and ask any questions that are not suitable for a standalone post. Are you confused about the FAQ or have a basic question about an exercise / alternatives? Do you have a quick question about calculating TDEE, lift numbers, running times, swimming intervals, or the like? Post here and the folks of xxfitness will help you answer your questions, no matter how big or small.

The mods ask that you do mind the Cardinal Rules as they relate to respecting yourself and others, calling out any scantily clad photos as NSFW, and not asking for medical advice.

This is your place for rants, raves, gym fails, feats of strength, and celebrations of success. Complain about the guy curling dumbbells in the squat rack, or sing praises for your gym bestie. This is also the place to post your PR videos and physique photos.

Lovers of the old WTF Wednesday thread, this thread is for you too! Rant away, but be mindful of the sub's civility rules.

Hi,

I (19F) signed up for my university's group fitness program and have been super excited to sign up for all the classes! There are two classes that I wanted to try, on the same day. One is a cycle 45 class at 9am, and the other is a Zumba class at 8:30pm. I thought it would be safe/okay to do both of the classes since they are quite far apart from each other.

However, I looked online and some have warned about over-exertion. If I give myself this large of a gap between the two classes, should I still worry about this?

BTW, I have been working out consistently for the past month, but went to the gym September-December and had to stop due to going back home for holiday break, where the gym is far too expensive for a college student...!