Since I’ve started being more intentional about bracing my core and keeping my form under control, I’ve noticed fewer issues with my lower back. After dealing with a back injury before, I’m alot more conscious about my technique now and try not to rush through sets just to hit a certain number of reps.

I’m still struggling with harder movements like one-arm push-ups, so I’ve definitely got a long way to go. But it’s interesting how something as simple as paying more attention to your core can make a difference.
Has anyone else made a small adjustment that noticeably improved their training?

Hello everyone, I’m not sure if it’s the change in weather but I seem to be a little down these days. I haven’t been able to consistently go to the gym these past two weeks due to life stuff but this time off has highlighted some of my weak points. My tendons seem to hate me and it’s been very disheartening for me and the goals I had in mind for my fitness journey. It seems as though every part of my body has some sort of issue. My rotator cuff and elbow tendinitis on my left arm have been limiting my chest growth. I can’t bring my hips to my chest without my hips having this pinching feeling, and the back of my right knee and top of my foot also seem to have stuff going on with my tendons.

I am now facing the reality of needing to not lift so heavy and work on rehabbing my body. The only issue is I don’t really know how. I’ve gotten some info on rotator cuff and elbow tendinitis but I have no idea on what to do to stop making my body so stiff where basic movements cause some sort of discomfort. Have any of you faced these issues and how did you solve them? I want to keep lifting like before but I need to get my body to a state where I don’t feel so bad all the time. Do any of you have exercises that helped you with any of these? I want to see if I can build a routine where I carve out some days to rehab my body and do some lighter lifting on others so I don’t lose all my progress. I just can’t give up because working out the way I have been has been the best thing for managing my type 2 diabetes. Please, any help is greatly appreciated.

I tore my TFCC years ago in an accident. Theres alot of scar tissue inside and my pediatrist doesnt wanna do surgery until it gets to a point where its necessary because of risks of complications. I wanna start working out because ive started to put on weight and lost alot of muscle mass. Traditional weight lifting puts to much strain on my wrist and causes severe tremors in my right hand. Any ideas on how i could work out my upper body and arms without blowing my wrist out? Any help is appreciated.

I know this probably gets asked a ton on this sub but please I promise I've done a lot of research myself and I just haven't been able to find any good advice.

I'll just get straight to the point, I want to improve my vertical jump because I play basketball. However, I got high arches so I also got really shitty ankle mobility. When I did some googling to figure out how to jump higher, it didn't take long to figure out that the most recommended exercises were all variations of squats. The issue is that I physically just can't do a squat properly, which rules out like 50% of all the advice that i found on the internet.

Is there anyone that knows any workarounds for this problem? I'm aware of those shoes that have a super high heel-to-toe drop but I honestly can't really afford them atm

I lift regularly but have noticeable anterior pelvic tilt and lumbar lordosis, which forces my lower back into a permanent arch. I physically struggle to curl my spine which is obviously needed for ab exercises that require spinal flexion, making it basically impossible to train my abs efficiently. I also really don’t like the way I look with this arched back, and I suspect it is the exact reason why I have a noticeable rib flare too. For those who had a similar problem in the past, how did you fix this?

Hey guys, I’m turning to you because I’m kind of losing faith that I’ll ever hit 10 pull ups and I don’t know why. It’s as if my body simply is not capable of progressing with this movement. In the beginning of last winter I decided to reach 10 clean pull ups as a fitness goal. I know my body composition is not in favor at ever being elite but 10 reps should be reasonably reachable. I’m 201cm tall and weigh about 108 to 110kg body fat somewhere around 20%. I can bench 100kg, do about 45-50 push ups and about 25 bodyweight dips. I managed in the span of half a year to reach 4 reps, which is also kind of long. Most people that I saw on the internet reached 10 reps within 3 months. And ever since I’m stuck. I tried so many different approaches since then and nothing seems to work. I tried the regular bodybuilding approach, Emoms, Soviet style training(lot of volume at 50% of max reps, which I’m currently doing).I’m in my 4th week at doing 2 reps for 6 sets but I don’t notice any improvement. They feel as heavy as in the 1st week. I didn’t do GTG because at my height and the way my flat is built I can’t perform pull ups at home. What is weird that I progress in everything else but not pull ups. I even started to skip out on legs to throw all my energy into pull ups but it just doesn’t work. What am I doing wrong or are my expectations so far off ? Is there some missing link that I don’t see. I don’t know. I apply the semi false grip, I try to externally rotate my shoulder, I can do scapular pull ups with 25kg attached for reps, I try to bend the bar, all the cues imaginable that are on the internet but it just doesn’t click. I hope someone can pinpoint me to a direction.

I am training with an Upper/Lower split with a 5/6 day a week frequency.

upper:

pull-ups 2 sets of 5-8 reps (+33lbs currently).

dips 2 sets of 5-8 reps (+33lbs)

inverted row 2 sets of 5-8 reps (+33lbs)

deficit pike pushups 2 sets of 5-8 reps (+33lbs).

then i have 5 Minutes of intense cardio (boxing)

then stretches, german hangs and back bridge.

lower body:

sandbag squats 2 sets of 5-8 reps, 135lbs

weighted situps 2 sets pf 10-20 reps, 15lbs

Romanian deadlift 2 sets of 5-8, 90lbs

back extensions 2 sets of 10-20, 15lbs.

then jumprope

finally splits stretching.

I was trying to cut months ago. Stopped, tried to stay around 165lbs which was my sticking point. Now i am trying to eat in a slight surplus. Despite caloric changes I am finding difficulty in progressing pullups smoothly. My last upper session i was aiming for 8 reps with +33lbs. the top lockout was near impossible and on the 6/7th rep and i felt i need to use a rest pause. Dips are also getting tough at that 6/7th rep where i genuinely fail returning to start. I would appreciate hearing some feedback that has helped past plateaus.

Good evening, been following the RRW since about 2021. I've been progressing through the Nordic Curl exercises and for a while was doing weighted Nordic Curl descents. I maxed out my weight vest and wasn't sure where to go aside from the full motion. However, when I moved to full Nordic Curls the back of my knees started to hurt. When did you know you were strong enough for full Nordic Curls? Were there any bridge exercises you used to make it there? And is there any special equipment you use under your knees? I'd appreciate any insight you can give me.

I've been skinny for as long as I can remember. I don't eat much and I don't do sports. But I've been bodyshamed so much and it's been a huge factor of my insecurity. I don't need to be huge like a weightlifter, I just need to not be skinny, at least reach 80 kilos. I need to get started but I don't know how. I'm scared to go to the gym because I'm afraid they'll laugh at me. How much do I need to eat? Is there a routine I should do? If possible can I do this without going to the gym? (I don't have any friends to go with)

The place where I walk has an outdoors gym with a few equipment, I already use the pull up bar and the dip bar for pull up progression, dips, and inverted rows.

There is also this machine. I’m not too knowledgeable about gym equipment, but I think they have a similar machine except they add weight to it? Obviously with this one I won’t be able to add weights to it, and I already tried it and I can do each leg separately, ~15 reps per leg. I weigh 80kg.

My question is, would this exercise with body weight only have any benefit or is it just a waste?

For my legs exercises at home, I already do air squats or goblet squats with a 14kg weight, Bulgarian split squats with 14kg in each hand, RDL with 14kg in each hand, reverse lunges with 14kg in each hand. I’m a beginner with about 4 months, still working on my consistency.

I need to upgrade. I only have a bench and dumbells. I was going to get a power tower but I want to bench a barbell at some point so I need safety and something to hold that barbell. I need chinups and dips, the doorway one doesnt work for my poor man's gym.

I realized If I get a power rack, I need something that can add the dip bars and have the pull up bars (preferably more then one angle on the pull up bars, i am needing chinups really for the back.)

Is a power tower worth it? Can I get a power rack for a decent price? In the end, I dont want to buy a power tower and regret it later

Context:
I walk in the afternoon, 5.30pm, around our terrace, for half an hr. It's winter now, so it gets dark by then. I don't like that.

And, I went on a vacation last week where I had to climb a ton of stairs and hills, and not too surprisingly, despite eating tons of oily food and sugary drinks, I didn't put on more than 500 grams (weighed at the same time, in the morning, on empty stomach).

So I was thinking about doing high rep bodyweight squats, with intervals, and with half rom if need be. It should mimic the stair climbing for cardio. Half rom to not make the quads the failing point. Goal is to lose some body fat to achieve pull ups.

I've done some sports in the past (BJJ, archery, parkour and rock climbing to name a few) and I'm constantly switching between some and trying new ones because I'm so indecisive. A constant is bodyweight exercises and calisthenics, although I want to make sure that I'm doing the best exercises in order to increase my general athleticism for when I eventually settle on a sport/pick a new one. The hope is that my body will be less of a limiting factor/something I have to work on and I can moreso focus on the mental/knowledge aspect of the sport.

My knee plank form: https://ibb.co/YTRj0bkg

Sorry for the very bad pic, but I can't find a proper recording position in the narrow spot where i work out.

I'm a beginner, absolute beginner. And the problem is i don't feel my abs during planks, but my upper and/or lower back instead. So i decided to do knee planks instead, to see if it is better. I feel my lower back less, but still don't feel my abs.

I'm aware that this is most likely a form issue. So i'm asking, what does my form look like? From what you can gather of this picture.

In general i believe my core is very weak, since i feel my lower back even when i try crunches.

Hello everyone, not too long ago I made a post explaining my declining progress with pullups and how my max has gone down, since then I've restructured my program as follows- my new pull day focuses on accessories and grip work, whilst every other day I crank out a set of pullups as many times during the day as possible. Unsurprisingly, this has worked flawlessly, I definitely feel more confident in my form and even my rock climbing has improved greatly. Every week since beginning I add a rep to my set and just crank it out on my home pullup bar whenever I pass it lol. Since I'm a college student I'm at home between classes and I average 8-10 sets a day.

Good evening, I've been working on the recommended workout since 2021. I've been following the recommended progression for anti-rotation core exercises, specifically Copenhagen Planks. I recently hit three sets of 30 seconds each for Copenhagen Planks with movement. Does anyone have any suggestions for progression exercises beyond that, ideally without needing huge equipment but I'll take anything I can get. I saw there was the ring ballot press but I do all my training at home with just pullup and dip bars. Appreciate any insight you can give me.

i’m currently trying to figure out how to start gaining any sort of strength, i have POTS and it’s very difficult for me to any form of exercise for long periods of time, my doctor says exercise will help but i didn’t really listen and now im starting to regret that. i’m very weak, and i can’t even do 1 normal push up and walking in general makes me feel exhausted.

i am considering doing the easy knee push ups, crunches because my core is “made of goo”, and squats, and that’s all i’ve planned on doing so far. i have no idea how to figure out how many of each i should do, and how frequently i should do them because i have little to no knowledge on exercises as a whole, and the last time i actually exercised properly was in freshman year of high school in gym before i got sick (i got covid which caused me to get POTS in the first place) and i have now since graduated from high school and am now in my second year of college so it’s been a good few years since i actually tried to do anything

i am hoping that just anything will help me gain some strength to function more normally.

(if this is needed, i am 19, FTM, 5’ 6” and 112 lbs with very low muscle mass and a mainly sedentary lifestyle because i do online college)

(tldr; i need advice on how i should exercise to gain a normal amount of strength to function day to day, and any advice and low impact exercises that can help are greatly appreciated)

(NOT LOOKING FOR MEDICAL ADVICE)

I'm wondering how "to failure" should be defined for purposes of improving strength and hypertrophy.

Intuitively, it seems to me that "failure" should mean that the muscle group being targeted is itself exhausted.

The problem I'm having is that for certain exercises I feel a different kind of fatigue that seems to bring me to failure - either a feeling of discomfort or pain in a different muscle group or general tiredness or feeling out of breath.

It seems like this is ineffective for building actual muscle. To grow muscle, it seems to me that, when repeating to failure, I should be unable to execute more reps because the muscle itself should be "used up" so to speak.

What do you think can be done about this problem?

Is it a question of adding more weight / resistance? (Intuitively I think it probably is, though I'm having difficulty, as even when I add more weight, I seem to somehow still be able to bang out more reps in pretty good form and end up failing through feeling short of breath, generally fatigued, etc.)

Or is it maybe a question of exercising either less or more frequently? E.g. taking 1-2 days break or maybe increasing to 2 workouts per day? (I currently work out daily.) It's possible that I'm in a fatigue deficit, as I do quite often feel tired and lethargic.

Or maybe a question of choosing different exercises or somehow adding more resistance?

Do you have any other ideas on this? Thanks in advance.

I (24F, 137 lbs) have been practicing push ups on and off for about a year and a half. I wasnt taking it seriously as I am now because I have an important PT test to take next year. Before, I just practiced whenever and was able to unlock my first floor push up. However, at that time I was only able to do 1 good one and on the 2nd onwards I was worming/bottom half lagging.

After that I went to the gym regularly (just a month lol) lifting weights and practicing push ups sometimes. Because of that I was able to increase my reps to about 6-7, but they were about 3-4 good reps and the rest I was still worming.

I took a break from the gym after having lost my period due to stress and other factors. Now, I’m trying to focus my attention on consistently practicing my push ups. I can do 4 strict floor push ups after training for about 3 weeks, 1-2x/week. I dont aim for higher reps if I know I’m just gonna sag/worm because thats teaching my body to remember bad form. I also practice inclined push ups and gradually lower the surface when it gets easy.

But realistically, what more can I do to take my reps from 3-4 to double digits?

Additional stuff:
- my PT date is somewhere around Jan-Mar 2027, i just want to be prepared in case its actually scheduled in January
- the minimum reps I have to do is 15 or more in under a minute but my goal is 20 to be safe

I’m 32 years old 1.80cm tall and 77kgs and have been doing calisthenics since 2020. But for the past 3 years Ive made no meaningful progress. My goal has been the front lever and I’ve never been able to achieve it. Here’s where I am:

-handstand hold (1 min+)
-2 handstand pushups (free standing)
-20kg pull up one rep max
-30+ push ups
-20kg dips one rep max
-60s hang ( I don’t understand why I can’t break this )
-adv tuck 10s
-adv tuck planche
-front split both legs

I tried everything. Periodizarion between hypertrophy and skills. Upper lower split. Push pull legs. Tried doing only 2 sets and going to failure. Tried always going to failure and never going to failure.

Do you have any tips? I really want to make progress to eventually achieve the front lever. But I can’t even progress on my pulling strength…let alone front lever

Apologies for typos, wrote this on my phone…

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now i know that flat foot can't be permanently reversed and develop the arch that was never there but can through exercises we improve its appearance slightly?

in my case I think I have flexible flat feet cuz I have arch in my feet when my feet are free in air but when they're on ground and i stand my arch completely disappears like 0% arch.

I have no pain whatsoever there is extremely slight discomfort in knee sometimes but i workout and go to gym everyday and I have no pain my main problem is visual appearance my feet roll outwards when I wear shoes and this makes my feet area look weird and damages the shoes too. So is there a way i can fix that slightly by exercises?

I have flat foot, overpronation and hindfoot valgus.

After a long time i did mountain climbing exercise (GROIN). It was exactly 48 hours ago. I had a mild muscle soreness next day but today i cant even stand or walk.properly.

It hurts too much near the groin and upper thigh near pelvic bone b3side the groin.

I cant stand upright and my upper.body is instinctively bending forward while walking

I am scared, is it really the muscle.soreness or somethig more serious.

It hurts when i try to stand up after sitting for long time and it also hurts when i try to sit after standing for some time.

If it is DOMS, how long does it take to end? If not, what should.i do?

Thank you.

(Note: not looking medical advice, just trying to think of exercises I've missed)

I'm currently dealing with a pinched nerve in my neck, and as well as the poison being debilitating, the lack of exercise is mentally extremely taxing.

I can walk, but I can't run or jump (the landing jars my neck), I can't lift much with my arms, I can't do my usual core exercises because they also work my shoulders, and I can't ride a bike because of the position.

Other than walking, the only exercises I can think of to do right now are calf raises and variations on squats and lunges.

What else is that that I'm missing that can give my legs and maybe core a good workout without involving my neck, shoulders, or arms? The physical inactivity is almost as unpleasant as the actual pain at this point!

Currently my eating has been pretty bad, so I've probably been eating less calories and protein than is necessary in order to gain muscle. I'm curious if continuing to train would be a bad idea since it would maybe make the skills that I'm training for easier, and I would need to do more reps in order to achieve hypertrophy. Or maybe it'll make me lose some of my current muscle mass.

While I want to be able to do more advanced skills, I also don't want to make it more difficult to pack on muscle when my eating does improve. Does anybody have any input or experience with this sort of thing?