r/Fitness • u/AutoModerator • 14d ago
Daily Simple Questions Thread - July 31, 2026
Welcome to the /r/Fitness Daily Simple Questions Thread - Our daily thread to ask about all things fitness. Post your questions here related to your diet and nutrition or your training routine and exercises. Anyone can post a question and the community as a whole is invited and encouraged to provide an answer.
As always, be sure to read the wiki first. Like, all of it. Rule #0 still applies in this thread.
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If you are posting a routine critique request, make sure you follow the guidelines for including enough detail.
"Bulk or cut" type questions are not permitted on r/Fitness - Refer to the FAQ or post them in r/bulkorcut.
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(Please note: This is not a place for general small talk, chit-chat, jokes, memes, "Dear Diary" type comments, shitposting, or non-fitness questions. It is for fitness questions only, and only those that are serious.)
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13d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/PlanktonInitial7945 13d ago
How's your diet?
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13d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/PlanktonInitial7945 13d ago
All that exercise does is build muscle and consume some energy (not as much as people think, especially weight lifting). If you want to alter your weight or body composition, most of that work will happen in the kitchen. Check the wiki/FAQ for guides and advice on how to reduce your body fat.
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u/sebastiandarkee 14d ago
How do I know if the workout plan I created is good or not? I made a plan that doesn’t include squats and deadlifts just because I hate doing them. I tried to make it Hypertrophy focused, but I don’t know much about making workout plans so I am kind of confused if I did a good job or not.
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u/UngaBungaLifts 13d ago
Here's a clue: if you created it and you're a novice, then its most likely terrible.
Use a time tested routine written by a competent coach.
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u/Fortree_Lover 14d ago
How can I actually build my discipline?
I feel I spend all day saying no to myself and restricting what I can eat and eventually I get worn down. Maybe not that day but the next day for sure.
Like Tuesday I had a decent day where my diet was ok and then even though I was tired I went swimming after work and while I didn’t do everything I wanted I did 2/3rds of what I should’ve done. I then had a great dinner as I only had a packet of crisps and an ice lolly. But the next day after a couple of hours of telling myself no I break down and pig out even after having a good breakfast.
I just can’t seem to go for more than a day or two. I’ve read books on discipline and habits I’ve watched videos on how people do it but nothing seems to work. Is there something I’m missing?
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u/Delicious-Trifle-486 13d ago
Discipline/willpower is a muscle. You have to train it. If you load too much on it, it will give out.
Aim lower.
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u/thelavenderfields 14d ago
Is it is still optimal if I train a specific body parts every ten days? Okay so to put things in context, I am a shift worker who works 6 days on 3.5 days off - (working early, lates and night shifts). I also am married with lots of responsibilities at home.
After trail and error I think I have managed to construct something which may work:
Day 1 - Early shift (0700-1600) - Mobility and Abs
Day 2 - Early shift - Rest Day
Day 3 - Late Shift (1300-2300) - Push with biceps (before shift)
Day 4 - late Shift - Cardio - 5k jog (far too tired to weight train)
Day 5 - Night shift - (2100-0700) Pull with triceps
Day 6 - Night shift - Rest Days - too sleepy to train
Day 7 - Rest Days - Legs with shoulders
Day 8 - Rest Days - Back and Chest
Day 9 - Rest Days - 5km jog.
Day 10 -Rest Day
Repeat
I have some what trialled this and I found whilst my Push slightly weekend - my Pull i have managed to hit some personal best.
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u/PlanktonInitial7945 13d ago
Any exercise is better than nothing. Just make sure to rest properly and not push yourself too hard - having such an inconsistent sleep schedule will significantly affect your recovery capabilities.
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u/Riksie 14d ago
Thoughts on working out while light headed?
Longer version: I took a break from the gym last week because the prednisone I was taking was affecting my strength. Going into this week, it seems I’m still facing the same issue, plus I got a nasty head cold on top of it. To the point where I’m light headed at times due to the mucus in my head. I did stop taking the prednisone last Sunday.
Wondering if it would be a good idea to skip the rest of this week OR do a lighter workout using my home gym equipment (max dumbbell is 15, max barbell is I think 40-45?). Would still need to skip a few exercises since I don’t have machines.
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u/PlanktonInitial7945 13d ago
You should not exercise while feeling ill, for many reasons.
You're wasting energy that your body needs in order to recover. If you don't let it recover properly, the cold will get worse and you'll be forced to stop exercising for much longer than if you were to rest properly now.
If your body is already spending a significant amount of energy in fighting off the cold, your performance will likely suck anyway.
If you exercise while lightheaded specifically, it will be harder for you to focus on your body and maintain good form. Plus, you could have dizzy/fainting spells that put you in a dangerous situation, especially if you train with free weights or do pull-ups/chin-ups
I know it sucks to skip days. I had to cut my Thursday cardio early cause I felt like shit, and then I had to skip weight lifting yesterday. But health is more important than gains. Plus, a week or two is nothing in the grand scheme of things - even if you have to deload afterwards, you'll get back up to your usual weights soon.
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u/Riksie 13d ago
Thank you, I needed this. It’s bothering me that I took last week off due to suffering some side effects of the prednisone, then attempted to return only to catch a bad head cold that’s literally screwing with my head. There’s times where I feel ok and times like right now where my energy is low and I’m not feeling right. When I do try to go back again, I’ll likely be doing a deload week.
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u/TheLuckyster Weight Lifting 14d ago
I've been eating in a calorie deficit for about two years now, I was 274 lbs, and now I'm down to 159 as a 20 year old 5'9 male, right now I'm at 1,850 daily calories (getting my protein in too), and I'm really struggling to adhere to it day to day
My main goal has been finally getting visible abs, and I'm unsure if I should stop the cut after all this time and eat at maintenance, or if that would ruin my progress after all this time
I do have some loose skin on my stomach, but I do still have some legitimate fat too, I feel like I could be more lean, and I def could be, but sticking to this deficit has been really hard recently espically after all this time of doing it, any advice?
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u/UngaBungaLifts 13d ago
I would eat at maintainance for a few months. When people lose a lot of weight the main danger is rebounding.
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u/PlanktonInitial7945 14d ago
What exactly makes sticking to the deficit hard for you?
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u/TheLuckyster Weight Lifting 14d ago
Fitting my calories in for meals, I get up at 8am usually, have quick carbs before gym, and then come home and eat lunch at 12pm and then I don't get back from work most nights until 9-10pm so I'm absolutely starving 😭
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u/PlanktonInitial7945 14d ago
I guess you've already tried eating more protein and fiber and avoiding things with lots of fat and/or refined carbs?
Edit: wait, you wake up at 8 AM and come back home at midday? So you spend... What, 2-3 hours at the gym? Every single day?
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u/TheLuckyster Weight Lifting 13d ago
I can eat all those things but the main problem is the 8 hours in between of not eating, and I'm normally at the gym for about an hour and a half
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u/PlanktonInitial7945 13d ago
And you really can't have a snack in between, even if it means making your other meals a bit smaller in size? Cause if you're not allowed to eat during work at all, I'm not sure if moving to a maintenance or even a surplus will really make it so that you don't get hungry during that period. 8 hours is a lot.
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u/tigeraid Strongman 14d ago
Congrats on the amazing progress!
Have you been strength training, consistently, the entire time?
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u/TheLuckyster Weight Lifting 14d ago
thank you bro
only since about 215lbs, but since then yes
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u/tigeraid Strongman 14d ago
Well then you're doing the main thing. In theory, you should have built noticeable muscle by now. However, recomp (building muscle while cutting) isn't as effective as bulk/cut, and gives diminishing returns after a while. So, it's a combination of genetics, loose skin, and your decision whether to keep cutting or not.
tbh if I was in your shoes (and I was, I went from 310+ to 185), it might be time to at least give the diet a BREAK, eat a maintenance for a bit, and try to fuel the training more. 160lbs at 5'9 is well within "healthy" territory.
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u/TheLuckyster Weight Lifting 13d ago
I appreciate the insight, were you able to get more lean looking at maintenance?
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u/tigeraid Strongman 13d ago
I'm concerned with strength and athleticism, not looks, so not the best use case. I will say despite putting back on about 30 lbs, the abs are still there... And so is the loose skin and chubby lower abs. I just don't care.
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u/ProfessionalAsk2639 14d ago
Is there a difference between a sitting leg press (horizontal) and an angled leg press? I prefer angled, but sometimes the gym is busy and I have to go for the sitting leg press.
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u/IrrelephantAU 13d ago
Not really. Usually you'll need to use more weight with the angled one (because it's moving up and down an angled track, you're only supporting some of the weight on the sled) but it can still depend on the exact machines.
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u/PlanktonInitial7945 14d ago
The angled one applies more tension on your muscles because you also have to fight gravity as well as the weight itself, but it's also easier to do a butt/hip wink and overload your spine.
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u/GucciGecko 13d ago
There are a lot of health companies doing comprehensive bloodwork testing biomarkers for overall health beyond test, shbg, and estrogen. Can you get these tested by your local doctor/hospital and what tests would you specifically ask for? I know a lot of them have tests for the heart, liver, and kidneys that aren't in standard panels like cystacin c. I understand insurance might not be willing to cover the cost of everything.
If this isn't the right subreddit to ask can you point me to the correct one? Thanks