I wanted to be in the best shape of my life by 35. Went from 270 to 205! The goal this year is to try to gain more muscle in my back, traps, and calves while maintaining a lean physique. But with a family and a busy job, it’s hard to get in the gym more than once a week. I built a home gym for working out and use my row machine. I want to get a stair stepper next for better cardio.
I (23f)need advice about getting rid of “banana roll” fat under my glutes.
I’ve had this area of fat for as long as I can remember, probably since I was around 11-12 years old. The thing is, I have always been underweight with a low BMI, so it’s not like I carry a lot of fat overall. It has just always been there, no matter what my weight is.
I’ve been training on and off for about 4 years, but the last 2 years I’ve been much more consistent, working out 2-3 times per week. I mainly do strength training and almost no cardio. My typical lower body workouts include:
Hip thrusts
Romanian deadlifts
Bulgarian split squats or step-ups
Cable kickbacks
Abductions
Right now I weigh about 50 kg (I’m 153 cm tall). I intentionally gained a bit of weight after trying to bulk, but I can easily go back down to around 48 kg, which has been my usual weight.
I eat a normal, protein based balanced diet -not too much, not too little. I feel like I’m doing the right things training-wise. My glutes have definitely grown, but that “banana roll” area just won’t go away.
So my question is:
Is this something that can actually be trained away, or is it mostly genetics and fat distribution?
Would adding cardio, changing exercises, or losing fat overall make a difference? Or is it only possible to be removed with some sort of cosmetic procedure?
I’m really looking for honest, practical advice from anyone.. especially people who have dealt with the same thing.
Sorry if this question is jumbled, I hope yall get what I mean.
For context were the same height and age so I feel like she’s a realistic goal (although yes, I know she probably has a personal trainer and all)
I don’t have a lot of time in the day so I don’t wanna workout without gearing towards real results, if that makes sense. Obviously working out makes me feel better in general but I’d love to actually work towards a physique ^^ and to be clear I don’t want to do this out of hatred; I like my body (try to). But I’m lowkey weak af and building some muscle while working towards smt sounds pretty cool.
Haven't seen any gains in a while. Not sure if the workout is the problem though. Is there anything that I can change?
Hi, trying to make the most effective, efficient, and best ROI
Male
19 years old
skinny fat
155lbs
i’m want than lean aesthetic look. i’ll probably stick with for a year doing progressive overload of course, then try to switch it to something more optimal and advanced and better ROI as my body will be conditioned enough to find a better routine. just really with that mindset with “effective, efficient, not redundant, best ROI ‘perfect’ routine” mindset, i know there’s no “perfect routine”, but there’s gotta be one that’s close to it, with actual good data to back it up. anyways what do yall think?
MONDAY – UPPER
∙ Incline DB Press — 3×10–12
∙ Lat Pulldown — 4×10–12
∙ Seated Cable Row — 3×10–12
∙ Lateral Raises — 4×15–20
∙ Face Pulls — 3×12–15
∙ Bicep Curl + Tricep Pushdown — 3×10–12
TUESDAY – LOWER
∙ Back Squat — 3×10–12
∙ Romanian Deadlift — 3×10–12
∙ Bulgarian Split Squat — 3×10 each
∙ Hamstring Curl — 3×12–15
∙ Calf Raises — 3×15–20
WEDNESDAY – Recovery
∙ 20 min walk + 15 min stretching
THURSDAY – UPPER STRENGTH
∙ Bench Press — 4×4–6
∙ Weighted Pull-ups — 4×4–6
∙ Overhead Press — 3×5–6
∙ Bent-Over Row — 3×5–6
∙ Lateral Raises — 3×12–15
FRIDAY – LOWER STRENGTH
∙ Deadlift — 3×4–6
∙ Back Squat — 3×4–6
∙ Bulgarian Split Squat — 3×6–8
∙ Calf Raises — 3×12–15
SATURDAY – Optional
∙ Light circuit or rest
SUNDAY – Rest
Nutrition: 2,100–2,300 calories, 155g protein daily.
Hi! I'm 18m and 220 pounds. I know I'm fat so I've been exercising recently, starting a week from today actually:] I've been doing some light cardio on a treadmill (and my abs hurt? ik I'm out of shape but is that normal?) and dumbbell curls. I feel like I need more specific exercises. I've been trying to eat better and cut out soda for water. any tips on how to lose weight and build muscle? I tried looking online but I've seen too many different ideas
So hear me out
There’s a split in running atm and I don’t get how it’s not more popular.
it basically tics all boxes for men who might want to emphasize more the upper body.
Chest triceps
Back biceps
Legs shoulders
Rest
Chest back (a bit lower volume, 2 exercises each)
Shoulders arms
While legs get hit only once a week I feel like it’s super balanced overall with good recovery, yet I’ve never seen anyone run it so far, why do you think is that?
Hi! I've been going to the gym for like a month now, this is my routine I do every other day in this order pretty much:
Chest Press 3x
Shoulder Press 3x
Lat Pulldown 3x
Close grip row 3x
Leg Press 3x
Leg Curl 3x
Bicep Hammer Curls 3x
Tricep Pushdown 3x
Is this good you think? Should I change anything?
Hey yall, as the title suggests I have PCOS and that stubborn fat isn’t going anywhere. I know I need to have a more well rounded routine for working out at the gym but I don’t know what in specific to change. Any advice on my routine is appreciated.
Random info that might be helpful:
-I do deal with insulin resistance and stubborn fat
- Love CrossFit type workouts
- Love HIIT workouts
- Willing to do cardio
- Nervous about weightlifting (concern of injury) but wanting to get into it
- Working hard on keeping my diet healthy and focusing on nourishment more than calorie counting
-Mostly healed from a TBI that left me unable to walk so I had to regain all of my strength over the last 3 years.
Current Routine (Yes it was AI generated but I’ve been using it as my base)
- Mon – Strength + HIIT
Wed – Walking
Fri – Strength + HIIT
Walking days:
20–30 minutes
Pace: slightly out of breath but can still talk
2 min normal walk
1 min fast walk
repeat
HIIT days:
Workout A
Incline push-ups (bench or wall) – 3×8
Dumbbell rows – 3×8 each arm
Glute bridges – 3×10
Plank – 20–30 sec
Workout B
Lunges (assisted if needed) – 3×6 each leg
Dumbbell shoulder press – 3×8
Lat pulldown (machine) – 3×8
Deadlift (very light dumbbells) – 3×8
Plank– 3 rounds of 15 seconds
I really appreciate any and all suggestions and help.
Mods please remove if this is not the right space for this post.
I already have quite muscular legs, as a former fat guy and I don't want any more muscle in my legs. For my upper body are those three exercises enough to build a minimalist decent physique.
I dont have other pictures from before
Honest question: lots of people ask about their butts, but is it possible to keep your boobs while losing weight? 🙈 I’ve lost 80lbs through calorie deficit and exercise, slowly and steadily over a few years as I have PCOS and Crohn’s disease (so I’ve had to eat more calories during my infusions and such), but now that my Crohn’s is in remission, I’ve been getting more serious and working out more intensely, doing pilates and training for a 10k. I’d like to be at my goal weight by the end of the year. I didn’t really have boobs before I gained weight, but I’d like to keep the ones I do have?! Or am I doomed because my goal is fat loss, they’re going to go too?
Been working out at home for under a year and I’m enjoying it so far. I’ve just been using a generated workout from Caliber so far but I’ve recently gotten some more equipment and wanted something a little more custom. I think I’d like to do a full body workout 3 days a week. I think it would suit me better in case I have to miss a day. I also like to superset when I can to save time.
I don’t have a specific goal aside from general fitness/exercise.
The equipment I have is:
-Spin lock adjustable dumbbells
-DIY basic cable system (can only do high pulls so far, but I intend on setting up so I can do low pulls as well. Also missing a lat pulldown bar)
-Will have a barbell later this week, but no rack for it yet
-pull up bar
-adjustable incline/decline bench
I’m sure I’m missing things or have stuff that doesn’t make sense in here. It’s just kind of a first draft. Any feedback or glaring issues? Thanks in advance.
I’ve been working out consistently for ~6 months. I wanted to take it a little more seriously and started dieting and taking supplements. I cut out ~500 calories a day (was eating a small meal after work every day), added 30 grams of protein to my diet, and started taking 7.5 grams of creatine a day. long story short in the last month and a half i’ve gained 8 pounds(192-200). should i even worry about it? the areas i’ve wanted to lose weight in seem slightly leaner and my upper chest and legs seem more defined. any advice?
Hi everyone! I’m looking for some advice on my workout routine.
Right now, I feel like my glutes have a "square" or "boxy" appearance, and I really want to work towards a more rounded, heart-shaped silhouette. My main goal is to fill out the sides and add more projection.
Current Situation:
I’m focusing on lower body, but I’m not sure if I’m hitting the right muscles for that "rounded" look.
I’m specifically looking for exercises that target the glute medius and minimus (for the side volume) and the gluteus maximus (for the lift).
Questions:
What are the best "must-do" exercises to round out the upper and side parts of the glutes?
Should I focus more on heavy compound movements (like squats/deadlifts) or isolation work (like cable abductions)?
Are there any specific cues or techniques to ensure I’m not just growing my quads instead?
I’d appreciate any routine suggestions or specific exercises that worked for you! Thanks in advance!
For me, it was like after six months. I felt more strength and better cardio.
26F, about 154lbs, been lifting regularly for about 3 years. My current goal is fat loss and simply maintaining the muscle that I do have, and subsequently toning up after I get to my goal weight.
Legs has been substantially hard for me to progress on for the past few years and I’m going on day 5 of being sore. I mostly want to grow my glutes and quads.
I literally cannot do any actual heavy weight due to a medical issue and just being generally weak with bad knees, but even doing 3 sets of lunges with a 15lb dumbbell and 2 sets of 35lb kettlebell squats has me STILL feeling sore today (Monday) from last Wednesday.
I’ve never noticed any real results from leg press, so I thought lifting some actual iron might help build some endurance strength for my legs/knees and just make everyday things hurt a little less. I used to be able to do 180lb for reps and then 200lb for a few as my max on leg press, but even then I didn’t get this sore.
I am vegetarian but get 90-100g of protein a day, which is very hard as it is, but especially when being on a cut. I eat a ton off eggs/egg whites and tofu to get that protein, as well as a protein drink after the gym, but I am always sooooooo sore. Any thoughts are welcome lol