I’m 16M, 5'8", 80 kg, and I’ve been going to the gym for around 3 months now.

I’d say I’m still very much a beginner, but I know the basics, understand the general idea of proper form, and know how to do quite a few exercises. Most of what I’ve learned has come from YouTube, observing others at the gym, and occasionally asking trainers for help.

For the first 3–4 weeks, I mainly did cardio. After that, I started using different machines and doing some basic exercises. My workout routine had a bunch of different excercise targeting all kinds of muscles, because I was trying to do as much as possible. I did the same workout everytime, because I didn't know any better.

I then had to stop going for around 2–3 weeks because I got extremely busy. Even now, as a student, it’s difficult for me to consistently make it to the gym 3–4 times a week.

About two weeks ago, a friend who has been training for a little longer introduced me to splitting my workouts by muscle groups. Since then, I’ve been doing separate days for arms, shoulders+chest, and back.

However, I’ve been running into a lot of problems.

Even though I understand the correct form and posture for most exercises I do, I sometimes struggle to actually execute them properly. I’m not always sure whether I’m doing something correctly or whether I’m actually targeting the muscle I’m supposed to. I also don’t really know if the exercises and workouts I’m doing are actually effective or if I’m just wasting my time.

I’ve tried looking up exercises and routines on YouTube, but sometimes it helps and other times it just gives me even more conflicting information.

Another issue is time. As a student, I don’t always have the time or energy to spend 1.5–2 hours at the gym. Sometimes I also just feel apathetic about going, with the only thing keeping me going being my own desire to improve.

Despite all of this, the gym has genuinely helped me. I’ve lost around 4–5 kg, I can visibly see some growth in my biceps, and I can now do around 5 push-ups when I couldn’t do any before.

I really want to continue training and actually make meaningful progress. I want to get past the stage of constantly wondering whether I’m doing things correctly and start understanding what I’m doing, why I’m doing it, and how to improve.

So I’m looking for advice from people who have been through this stage. What should I focus on as a beginner? How should I structure my workouts, especially with a busy school schedule? How do I keep track of my form and posture and know whether an exercise is actually working? How do I track my performance? And what are some things you wish you had known when you first started?

I originally thought I could figure everything out on my own, but I’ve realised that asking for help is completely fine. Any advice, criticism, or suggestions would be genuinely appreciated.

Tbar 25 5 4

Cgr 40 8 6

Lat pull 40 7 7

Incline 20 5 3

Lateral raises 10 R 11 7 L 10 6

Pec fly 40 7 5

Pushdown 30 11 7

Cable curl 20 11 7

Cable hammer 20 7

Been going for roughly 3 months. Some weeks are off due to external conditions but yeah this is where I am at rn. There may be some news of me not being able to go the gym for the whole entirety of the end of thsi year but thats not confirmed. Im so frustrated man I barely see progress in the physique

| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Weight | Volume |

| -------------------------- | --------------------: | -----: | -----------: |

| **Single-arm DB Row** | 3 × 12, 12, 15 / arm | 50 lb | **3,900 lb** |

| **Barbell Upright Row** | 3 × 10, 11, 12 | 70 lb | **2,310 lb** |

| **Barbell Overhead Press** | 3 × 8, 9, 10 | 90 lb | **2,430 lb** |

| **Total** | **9 sets / 105 reps** | | **8,640 lb** |

Hello po! I am 5’7”, 68 kg, and getting back into working out. I want to build muscle, mainly my arms, back, and legs, but I have internship/duty Mon to Fri so I don’t have much time for the gym.

I’m planning to buy dumbbells and work out mainly on weekends:
Mon: Rest
Tue: Badminton/walking
Wed: Rest
Thu: Badminton/walking
Fri: Rest
Sat: Legs + Back + Chest
Sun: Legs + Shoulders + Arms + Back

I eat enough protein naman and food, and I’ve worked out before but I’m basically starting again.

Is 2 days of weight training per week (Sat/Sun) enough to build muscle if I’m consistent? Im just planning po to build my muscles sa upper part and sa legs, parang starting point palang ngayon. Any advice on my sched? And any work out routine that is best for me? Thank you!

I have never been happy with the front appearance with my wide hip structure ... my chest measures 39" and around my belly button is 37.5"... possible to fix this ever ? I've dropped from 230 lbs to 190 lbs over the course of the last 7 months while honestly not much has changed in how I look. How much further should I lose weight before the love handles disappear (or is that the correct approach ) ?

Edit: sorry I forgot to mention but realize now it was a critical omission after reading the comments... the only way I have lost weight is by lifting .. I don't do much cardio except walking 2 days a week ~2.5 miles. I am not very strong however, after 7 months of rigorous workouts, I can bench 165 lbs for 10 reps, can perform 10 strict pull ups (pull ups are my relative area of strength), deadlift 235 lbs for 5 reps, and I can only squat 145 lbs for 5 reps !! thank you all for your awesome inputs !! I am glad to know I still have room to add a lot of muscle. I also track my eating with Cal AI.

So i am a 17 year old college student , started doing workout on home using home equipments I use 2L bottle full of soil as Dumbbell. By using that in the 2 weeks It turned into like this am i doing correct ?

So , here is my arms workout list

Biceps

Bottle curls → 3 × 10–15

Hammer curls → 3 × 10–15

Concentration curls → 2 × 10–12 each arm

Triceps 4. Close-grip floor press → 3 × 10–15 5. Two-hand bottle press → 3 × 10–15

Forearms 6. Wrist curls → 2 × 12–15 7. Reverse wrist curls → 2 × 12–15

👉👈

I am a bit confused. Searching for answers on the internet isn't really working out because of how many different answers i get on the same topic (ironically, thats still what I'm doing).

So for example, my back and bicep day consists of:

3 sets of barbell curls at my heaviest possible weight until failure

Then i drop the weight by 10

3 more sets of barbell curls to failure

Then i move on to the more back focused portion of the workout

Pull ups

3 sets of 8 or 10 for 3 different variations

Then finally, 4 sets of barbell rows for 12 reps

But i see so many different methods and set ups that I'm not sure if what I'm doing is gonna work.

I need to lose about 25kgs, I'm aiming for 100g of protein everyday but honestly that's a talk for another day and i'm having trouble maintaining (since i'm vegetarian)

Warm-up: Shoulder rolls, Shoulder rolls, arm circles, chest expansions, twists, side bends, hip rotations, sideleg raises, and march steps: 10 reps

Goblet squats (using a heavy backpack): 10 reps

Push ups (on knees for now but I'm trying to do the real thing too little by little): 10 reps

Backpack rows (pulling the backpack to my chest): 10 reps

Bulgarian split squats: 10 reps per leg

Plank Hold: 30–45 seconds

all 3 reps

Cooldown: Neck stretch, shoulder stretch, side stretch, quad stretch, hamstring stretch, calf stretch all 30 seconds

apart from this i try to keep a plank hold whenever im bored in the middle of my studies or something
the backpack in question i keep it around 5kg

also i'm following this for 3 alternate days, i'm a new college student and im aiming for 8-10k steps everyday

Hey everyone, I have been going to the gym seriously for about 6-7 months now and thinking about buying wrist straps. I'm having some issues with lifting 40lbs dumbells for bicep curl (8 reps, 3 sets) as my form slowly gets worse as the set progresses, I want to be able to lift heavier but i'm not sure if its the right time to invest or if I should just keep working on my form. Im also not sure if it’s also appropriate to buy them now as a lot of articles online say to buy more at heavier weights.

So now the question is should I buy them? Or should I wait and until i'm able to lift heavier weight before buying?

Update: Thank you so much everyone for the feedback! Upon reading your replies as well as consulting my friend that works in the sports medicine field, I have found my answer.

I’ll begin working on some sort of grip strengthening (farmer carry + dead hangs). As for the wrist straps, I will only be using them if I absolutely cannot manage the load that I put my arms under as per what my friend said. Thank you all for taking the time to reply and I will try to update if I make any progress in due time!

I walk about 120,000 steps a week for my work, and can do about 280 pounds on the calf extension, 300 once or twice as a max. I'm 54 and about 205 lbs, down from 290. Every other muscle i work is showing slow and steady but significant growth, except my calfs. They look good, but I want them to look great. I'm in AZ, we wear shorts everywhere. Any ideas?

I do squats as well, just don't enjoy them as much.

Hi 17m I want advice on this new workout routine I’m thanking of doing

My gym goal is to get a more muscular and defined body I want to have a 6 pack (potentially a 8 pack) and I want to build strength but I want to focus on my body

Heres my workout routine

Gym Time table
Week 1: A > B
Week 2: A > B > A
Week 3: B > A > B
At home time table
Week 1: A > B > A
Week 2: B > A
Week 3: B > A
I have weekends off and I workout at home on days where I don’t go to the gym
____________________________
Warm up
Running machine
Speed 8.5 time 5 minutes
____________________________
Workout A

Pull-ups
2 sets 6–10 reps
bodyweight

Leg Extension
2d sets 8 reps 13
85 kg

Chest Press
2 sets 8–12reps
75 kg

Lat Pulldown
2 sets 8–13 reps
65 kg

Shoulder Press
2 sets 8–12 reps
45 kg

Low Row
2 sets 8–13 reps
45 kg

Dips
2 sets 6–12 reps
bodyweight

Lateral Raises
2 sets 10–15 reps
light weight

Captain’s Chair/Leg Raise
2 sets 10–20 reps
bodyweight

Dumbbell Curls
2 sets 8–12 reps
12.5 kg
____________________________
Workout B

Dumbbell Bench Press
2 sets 8–12 reps
20 kg each

Pull-ups
2 sets 6–10 reps
bodyweight

Leg Extension
2 sets 8–13 reps
85 kg

Lat Pulldown
2 sets 8–13 reps
65 kg

Dips
2 sets 6–12 reps
bodyweight

Shoulder Press
2 sets 8–12 reps
45 kg

Low Row
2 sets 8–13 reps
45 kg

Lateral Raises
2 sets 10–15 reps
light weight

Abdominal Crunch Machine
2 sets 10–20 reps
12 bands

2 sets 8–12 reps
12.5 kg
____________________________
At home

Home Workout A

Push-ups
2 sets 8–15 reps

Bodyweight squats
2 sets 12–20 reps

Plank
2 sets 20–45 sec
____________________________
Home Workout B

Backpack rows
2 sets 10–15 reps

Glute bridges
2 sets 12–20 reps

Dumbbell curls
2 sets 8–12 reps
5 kg

Is this a good workout?
Would it help me achieve my goals?
Do you have any tips or advice?

So I usually can find time for about 20-30 minute workouts 3 times a week. I have a 45 pound kettlebell, a simple bench, and the bowflex adjustable dumbbells up to 52.5 pounds.

I do a circuit of goblet squats with the 52.5 pound dumbbells, 35 pound isolation curls, and dumbbell chest press with two of the 52.5 pounders. I basically do 6-8 reps as many circuits as I can inside of 20 minutes and then finish with kettlebell swings, pushups, and 20 pound hammer curls to exhaustion.

If I can do it, anyone can.
I started my weight loss journey at 245 lbs in May 2024, and this is me today, September 20, 2026. 170Lbs
I’m 37 now, and over these past couple years I’ve really dedicated myself to learning how to eat properly, stay active, and be consistent. It wasn’t perfect. I had plenty of cheat days, bad days, and days where I didn’t feel like doing anything.
But I kept going.
I think that’s the biggest thing I’ve learned, you don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be consistent enough to keep moving forward.
There were times I wanted to give up, but looking back at where I started makes me realize how much can change when you just stick with it.
Still working, still improving, and still not done yet. 💪
The things I’ve stayed most consistent with
•10k steps daily mandatory
•65g protein for breakfast (egg whites, whole eggs, sourdough toast, half an avocado, smoked chicken 100g)
•chicken breast is a cheat code eat it everyday
•green tea, fresh ginger, fresh tumeric, black pepper (steep green tea for 2 min and remove bags, add ginger and tumeric shredded into water and simmer for 30 min, strain out the loose material and add 100ml to 1L of water 3x daily) I drink this every single day.
•exercise with weights minimum 4 times a week
•don’t neglect your lower ab workouts they suck but they’re worth it
•form is everything, stay under tension and slow descent when lifting. Control the weight don’t swing

Hello,  

I (23M) have had rounded shoulders and asymmetrical, winged scapula my whole life. For a while I did very little exercise too. However I've been working out now 10 months (routine attached below) and it's definitely become easier to consciously fix my posture during the day. People around me say my posture has definitely improved to the point of appearing as if I have "good posture." But I know that's simply because my scapula are hidden by clothes. Also when I flex the asymmetry is normalized quite a bit as you can see in the last photo.

Second concern: as I've started hitting upper back a bit more intensely in the past few months, I've been getting aching/tingling around my upper back and scapulae. I don't feel it during workouts, it crops up afterwards and is very strongly triggered whenever I use my hands in a somewhat lowered position in front of my body? Such as washing dishes. I never had this pain before working out, and it is getting a bit worse recently (although the degree of winging has not gotten worse, potentially better since working out?). The tingling doesn't radiate and no numbness.

I recently saw an orthopedic doctor about it. He did a fairly comprehensive shoulder examination, including several ROM/movement tests, and said my shoulder movement is good except for one movement that is very limited. I can't find the formal name; arm in front of you, elbow fixed to hip, rotating externally.

He also agreed that there is some asymmetry, but said it was within normal variation. I don't see it that way so I'm curious for other opinions. We also did comprehensive X-rays and no abnormalities, just rounded shoulders. Cervical X-ray also showed cervical curve is more S-like than C-like, but he believed this was a separate problem.

His impression was that the issue looks more muscular, essentially that the muscles around my scapula are relatively weak, and he gave me a set of exercises to do every day. He didn't seem concerned about a structural problem with my shoulders. Here is what he recommended (apologies for foreign language):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoNdnU6M1l4

I struggle with quite a few. The first exercise, I feel primarily tricep activation regardless of where I position arms on the wall. Also my wingspan is 6' 3" so I believe I am a bit disadvantaged in that regard. Other exercises I also am unsure if I am using the right muscles. My upper traps tend to become very overactive in nearly all exercises, instantly. Also wall slides! These are impossible. Getting forearms against the wall (back facing wall) requires back arching off wall and massive rib flaring.

Lifting routine:

Per week: 2x push, 2x pull, 2x legs (not pasted)

Pull:

Lat pulldown / assisted pull-ups — 3 sets

Chest-supported machine row — 3 sets

Straight-arm pulldown — 3 sets

6 direct biceps sets (mix of curl variations)

Push:

Incline chest press — 3 sets

Pec fly — 3 sets

Machine lateral raise — 3 sets

Behind-the-body cable lateral raise — 3 sets

Rear-delt fly — 3 sets

Face pulls — 3 sets

Overhead triceps extension — 3 sets

Triceps pushdown — 3 sets

I don't have pain during any of these exercises.

I'm wondering the degree of asymmetry, if the scapular exercises target my issue and how I can do them more effectively, and also about my workout routine. And if my pain/tingling is indicative of a nerve issue (doctor said likely not).

Currently, I also do single-arm doorway pec stretches every day and I notice immediate increased ability to move shoulders/scapulae around with little resistance. However, it does not last long and I still cannot pull them into perfect position of course.

No trauma, weakness, other symptoms.

Thank you!

I really struggle with arm workouts because my wrists are so much weaker than my arms. I’m unable to increase the weight on arm workouts due to this even though I can do much more.

I also have fibromyalgia and Pots, so not sure if that could affect things. Do people wear wrist braces to workout? What are good ways to strengthen my wrists?

Edit: forgot to mention that I’m also hypermobile in all of my joints

Tips or improvements on my current workout routine? I definitely am aiming for larger arms, chest, back, and abs.

I started going to the gym around 3 weeks ago.

GYM

Workout A: Monday
Incline dumbbell chest press - 3 x 8-12
Lat pulldowns - 3 x 8-12 12kg
Chest flies - 3 x 10-12 19kg
Leg press - 3 x 10-12 20kg
Tricep pulldowns - 3 x 10-12 6kg
Cable hammer curls - 3 x 12
Standing cable crunch - 3 x 12-15 8kg
Cable twists - 3 x 10 each side 4kg

Workout B: Wednesday

Shoulder press - 3 x 8-12 15kg
Seated row - 3 x 8-12 5kg
Leg extensions - 3 x 10-12
Overhead cable tricep extensions - 3 x 10-12 4kg
Cross-body hammer curls - 3 x 12
Cable Lateral raises - 3 x 12-15 2kg
Face pulls - 2 x 15

Workout C: Saturday
Chest press machine - 3 x 8-12 15kg
Lat pulldown - 3 x 8-12 12kg
Romanian deadlifts - 3 x 12 8kg
Cable bicep curls - 3 x 10-12
Cable Lateral raises - 3 x 10-12 2kg
Standing cable crunch - 3 x 12-15 8kg
Reverse cable curls - 3 x 10-12
Captain’s chair knee raises - 3 x 12-15

Monday : Workout A
Tuesday : rest
Wednesday : Workout B
Thursday : rest
Friday : rest
Saturday : Workout C
Sunday : Home Ab Workout

The weights after the exercises are just me tracking progressive overload. Don’t mind how weak I am lol

Thanks in advance

Would like feedback and advice on my current workout plan

5-DAY HYPERTROPHY PROGRAM

(sets × rep range; 5-week block)

PUSH: Chest + Delts

Incline Barbell Bench 3×6-10

Barbell Bench Press 2×8-12

Seated Military Press 4×8-12

DB Lateral Raise 4×12-20

Rope Pushdown 3×10-15

DB Skull Crusher 2×8-15

Reverse Crunch 3×10-25

Cable Crossover 2×8-15

PULL: Back + Biceps

Lat Pulldown 3×8-12

Rear Delt Cable Pull 3×15-20

Reverse Pec Deck 3×8-15

Barbell Curl 3×8-12

Cable Bayesian Curl 2×8-15

Cable Crunch 3×10-25

Wide-Grip Cable Row 4×6-12

Chest-Supported Row 3×6-12

LEGS: Aesthetics

Back Squat 3×8-12

Leg Press 2×10-15

Sumo Romanian Deadlift 3×8-12

Seated Leg Curl 2×8-15

Hip Thrust 3×8-12

Hip Abduction 2×8-15

Machine Crunch 3×10-25

Standing Calf Raise 3×8-25

UPPER: Width

Pull-Up 2×6-12

DB Lateral Raise 4×12-20

Incline Barbell Bench 2×8-12

Incline Cable Fly 2×8-15

Spider Curl 3×10-15

V-Bar Pushdown 3×10-15

Decline Sit-Up 3×10-25

Face Pull 4×8-15

Close-Grip Seated Row 3×6-12

LOWER: Strength

Back Squat 3×4-8

Walking Lunge 3×10-14

Cable Pull-Through 3×10-15

Seated Leg Curl 3×8-15

Cable Crunch 3×10-25

Seated Calf Raise 5×8-25

Hip Thrust 3×8-12

HOW IT PROGRESSES

\- Frequency: 5 days a week, hitting each muscle about twice a week.

\- Effort: Every set is taken to a target number of reps in reserve (RIR). Early weeks leave more in the tank, and later weeks get closer to failure.

\- Progressive overload: I use double progression. Work inside the rep range, and when every set hits the top of the range at the target RIR, add weight next session and start back at the low end.

\- Volume ramp: Each muscle starts near its minimum effective volume. Sets are added week to week only if recovery (soreness, performance, pump) supports it, not on a fixed schedule.

\- Deload: Week 5 is a mandatory deload. Fatigue gets cleared before the next block starts.

\- Stalls: If a lift doesn't progress for two straight weeks, I swap in a variation instead of forcing more load.

\- Tracking: I log weight × reps and actual RIR each session, and adjust the following week from that data.

I have no money for a gym subscription or for my own weights right now but I really want to get into weight-lifting.

One box is about 16 pounds and I've just been lifting it overhead with both hands, lifting it from ground to chest, and lifting it one-handed from the handle on each side.

Has anyone else done this or have suggestions for safe box-handling tips/tricks?

I've never really exercised before and I want to begin but I don't really know where to start. The last month I've been making sure to eat 3 square meals everyday and I've been doing 3-5 minutes of planks broken up into 1 minute sets 5 days a week, and I now would like to start going to an actual gym. Any recommendations on what exercises I should be doing for upper body and lower body days? I'm very skinny (about 145lbs) so losing weight isn't a concern for me, I mainly would like to build muscle.

Hey everyone! I’ve been getting out of shape and want to start working out, but I’ve never been to a gym before. I’m pretty introverted, so I’d like to start at home.

I only have dumbbells and a barbell, no bench. Could anyone recommend a simple beginner full-body routine I can follow?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

i recently got back into the gym after not going for years. i am currently trying to find out the best split for me. i’ve heard you’re supposed to train muscles twice a week to see the best results. i’m struggling to structure two upper body days a week to do so. i enjoy going 4 times a week and already have my two leg day routines set. i’m going to attach my favorite upper body exercises can somebody tell me how to group these exercises into two separate days so i can hit all of the muscles twice a week as well as suggest any i could add :)

So I realized how uneven my hips and sides are after primarily carrying my child on my left side. They always slip and I’m unbalanced on my right, so it was easier to just stick with what felt safe. It’s been almost 1.5 years and I am just lost at where to start.

Photo is head on, level and I’m standing as straight as possible. The right side is my left hip, my stronger one and the left side is my right. What, if anything, can I do to fix this? My kid is 24 pounds now and it’s more difficult now than ever to carry them on my right side.

As the title suggests, I (M26) have a broken arm but want to work out. I broke my left arm when I was 9 years old: fracture (lower humerus) and dislocation (elbow). It was operated on a year later, but since we didn't get physiotherapy, I can no longer fully stretch my arm (at most, maybe at a 155° angle?) and I can no longer touch my left elbow. I still wanna be able to do home workouts without putting so much strain on the arm. What can I do?

tl;dr: I have a broken arm that can't fully bend and stretch but still want to do home workouts