usmcmp Member

You can hurt yourself with bands too. It's not the item you are using, it's how you use it. My suggestion would be to look at the thread with various lifting programs and pick one that appeals to you. Most don't tell you to use specific weights, so you start where you can. If that's using machines with no weight selected…

How tall are you? That seems in the normal range or even a bit light for a male, independent of what you say your body fat is.

I had to look this one up. I'm a bit surprised at some of his exercise selections (glute ham raise which few gyms have rather than deadlifts). If you're making progress and continuing to add volume that's great. Adding lean mass takes time. I would encourage you to consider either changing exercise selection from time to…

Which program?

I don't think you'll be happier if you cut further. As the two people above you indicate, following an actual lifting program and eating adequate protein are likely the best route at this point. You don't appear to have as much fat as you think you do, you have a lot of loose skin. Filling in some of that with muscle may…

I don't feel like clicking suspicious links. Can you just summarize it here?

This is entirely personal. Some people don't need a scale and others need to weigh daily. There was one study that showed people who weighed daily naturally adjusted their eating based on the results. I prefer to see the payoff for my efforts, others throw in the towel when the scale shows an increase. If a scale helps you…

Hi! Might be actually seeing you at a meet (or randomly at a fight) this year. 2019 was harsh.

Eat a sensible dinner like vegetables and chicken. Sometimes trying to stick to your calorie goal and eat little will cause higher hunger the next day and start a vicious cycle. One day doesn't make or break it.

Bumping for the new year.

Start with a walk. Start with five push ups from your knees. Start with swimming. Exercise doesn't have to be something big, just get moving.

Are you trying to eat "clean" or are you focusing on just hitting your calories and macros? Eating "clean" and trying to bulk for some is difficult. Things like cheese, fatty meats (like bacon), avocados, and other higher fat foods can help fill calories without being filling. Adding in things like ice cream and cheesecake…

I am also a binge eater. Sometimes completely eliminating things is necessary (Swiss Cake Rolls is one of those for me). There are various ways to work through binge eating to be able to have some of them again. Premeasured portions is one and splitting it with someone else is another. You'll have to work through different…

The whole "be an adult and do it" thing isn't helpful. You're essentially telling people they're doomed to eat foods they dislike or to stay fat. That sort of mentality and approach isn't healthy or helpful. People need tools to help them along the way, not a parent figure telling them to grow up. The IIFYM site is far…

You are seriously mistaken on what IIFYM is and the goal behind it. At this point I highly encourage you to join the debate section of the forum to discuss IIFYM further and avoid derailing this thread.

Many of our foods are fortified, so the risk of malnourishment isn't as dramatic as your post is making it seem. As I stated previously, adherence to IIFYM long term is difficult when someone is eating unbalanced. Fruits and vegetables are more filling than a donut. That doesn't make it bad to have a donut, but long term…

Any diet can be unhealthy. You can be vegan and eat only processed foods. You can follow IIFYM and eat healthier than a "clean" eater simply because your macros are better balanced. IIFYM isn't seeing how much candy and protein shakes you can fit in your calorie goal. IIFYM is saying a piece of pizza or a Snickers isn't a…

The suggestion 2g/kg is per pound of lean body mass, not total body weight. There's not necessarily a right answer to it because it will depend on how you feel. Start with the lower number and experiment from there.

I use straps for deadlift if I feel my grip gives out before the rest of me unless I am specifically training for a meet. I personally find a belt and knee sleeves harm my performance rather than help.

The only thing wrong with it is the misconception that cardio is necessary for weight loss.

I didn't have that happen. Some of my friends said it was inspiring to watch my transformation when I did my bodybuilding shows. I think it's because despite having to live a very committed lifestyle during prep my social media presence was balanced. I shared a couple of photos and some of my workout stuff, but in general…

I competed in my first two bodybuilding shows while on birth control. I had no problem gaining muscle or losing body fat.

If your goal is to develop full and we'll rounded pecs a 5x5 program may not be the best option. A hypertrophy/bodybuilding program is going to have more exercises and a wider variety, which helps those of us that seem to have muscles that don't grow well. It will take time and eventually you might need to experiment with…

Turn everything into supersets. That cuts out half of your breaks and a large chunk of transition time between exercises.

With those restrictions and your gym requirements you're not going to make much overall progress. You're going to need to sit down and seriously consider what you're willing to be flexible on. Either you accept that there are women and music in the majority of gyms or you start spending money on building your own. If you…

One person suggested serious weight training. My suggestion was more to make the work she's currently doing more effective for adding muscle. While she likely needs to gain some body fat it's still a good idea to work towards adding lean mass for a variety of health reasons. While I hate the phrase "skinny fat" it's what…

20 reps is a bit high. Are you following a program? If not it might be beneficial for you to start following a lifting program. If you're not ready to do that yet consider doing 3 sets of 8-12 reps instead of 20 reps.

I wouldn't eat above maintenance, maybe at maintenance. You have muscle memory and should gain the strength back relatively quickly. A couple of months shouldn't have actually lost much muscle, just the fullness.

Most of us have one side bigger than the other. Using only unilateral exercises isn't necessarily optimal for building balance. Unilateral work helps in many ways, but building overall strength with compound exercises is important too. If you really are significantly imbalanced it might be best to work with a trainer for a…

Which program are you doing. You've been told many times over the last year to pick and follow a plan. The plan should set up the volume appropriately.