/r/xxfitness

Photograph via snooOG

We're a community targeted at female and gender non binary/gender non conforming redditors to discuss fitness. However, all genders are welcome to contribute, all we ask is that you abide by the rules.

READ THE FAQ AND THE RULES BEFORE POSTING

We're a community targeted at female and gender non binary/gender non conforming redditors to discuss fitness. However, all genders are welcome to contribute, all we ask is that you abide by the rules.


At home/limited equipment workout resources


Recurring threads

  • Daily Discussion

  • Daily Simple Questions

  • Accountability Monday

  • Check Me Out Tuesday

  • Talk it Out Tuesday

  • WTF Wednesday

  • Weight Change Wednesday

  • Feats of Thorsday

  • Fail Friday

  • Shopping, Gear, Clothing, Equipment etc Weekend

  • Meal Prep/Food/Snacks/Protein Weekend


Rules Summary

  • Be respectful of all folks on the sub.

  • Tag NSFW (not safe for work) posts/comments.

  • Posts about injuries and eating disorders are not allowed.

  • No self-promotion or kickbacks. Surveys must be approved by mods.

  • Posts must be on the broad topic of fitness and physical health.

  • Posts covered by the FAQ will be removed and redirected to the Daily Simple Questions thread.

  • If the post falls into a Daily/Weekly thread, it will be removed and directed there.

  • Please read the content guidelines.


Have a question or suggestion about possible changes to the subreddit? Message the moderators. The moderators also do private form checks should you feel uncomfortable about posting a public video.


Here are some hints to make your stay enjoyable:

  • Be respectful of others on the subreddit, and please report comments that violate the rules for review.
  • Please keep disparaging remarks about your body (including before photos) or others' bodies to a minimum.
  • Remember weight loss is not always the motivation for fitness, and is not always the right answer.
  • Add user flair!

/r/xxfitness

2,718,471 Subscribers

2

Bi-Weekly Self Promotion Thread: Sell Yourself and Post Referral Links Here!

Are you a personal trainer, coach, or have a personal referral code to fitness gear and supplements? This is the place to post your referral codes and links! This is the only place on xxfitness where self-promotion is allowed, so long as it is related to fitness and based in reality. Any posts that are for multilevel marketing schemes (MLMs), promote products or services not based in science/facts (such as “detox cleanses” and “flat tummy teas”), or are not directly fitness related will be removed. You may also share social media and fitness app handles here for friends and follows :)

1 Comment
2024/11/09
23:00 UTC

5

Best stationary bike classes

Hi everyone! I have started getting into cycling at my local gym and I am loving it. As the holidays are coming up and I am going home to see my family I would like to keep cycling, but will not have the classes available. Therefore I come to you for some advice.

Anyone have any experience with a good online cycling class? I want it to work with any stationary bike, be motivating (but not a lot of shouting), and have good music. I don´t care if it is free or if it costs anything. All recommendations are appreciated.

18 Comments
2024/11/09
21:55 UTC

2

Daily Simple Questions Thread

Welcome to our Daily Simple Questions thread - we're excited to have you hang out with us, especially if you're new to the sub. Are you confused about the FAQ or have a basic question about an exercise / alternatives? Do you have a quick question about calculating TDEE, lift numbers, running times, swimming intervals, or the like? Post here and the folks of xxfitness will help you answer your questions, no matter how big or small.

36 Comments
2024/11/09
14:00 UTC

6

Daily Discussion Thread

Welcome to our daily discussion thread! Tell stories, share thoughts, ask questions, swap advice, and be excellent to each other! Though we all share fitness as a common hobby or interest, the discussion here can be about any big or little thing you choose. The mods ask that you do mind the Cardinal Rules as they relate to respecting yourself and others, calling out any scantily clad photos as NSFW, and not asking for medical advice.

9 Comments
2024/11/09
14:00 UTC

3

[WEEKLY THREAD] Munchies, Macros and Meal Prep Weekend

Need a recommendation for protein powder? Not sure if your macros look quite right? Have a killer recipe to share or just want to show off your meal preop? This is the thread for you!

16 Comments
2024/11/09
13:00 UTC

5

[WEEKLY THREAD] Shopping and Style Saturday/Sunday - Gym clothes, gadgets, shoes, makeup, hair, skincare, and sales!

Your place to talk about anything fitness shopping and style. Whether you want to ask where to buy the best gym leggings or most supportive sports bra, which shoes or belt to get for your favorite activities, the latest on headsets and sports watches, how many times you should wash your hair when you're working out lots, how to deal with body odor, any skincare questions, or how to stop your makeup running when you sweat through a spin class. This thread can include photos of you in your favorite fitness outfits, or requests to find the perfect app, playlist, or fitness technology so you can kill your workouts.

We also allow sharing promotion codes and sales for fitness-related stuff, keeping in mind that our rules on self-promotion and affiliate links still apply.

22 Comments
2024/11/09
08:00 UTC

16

Anyone else here prone to saddle sores who goes to spin classes?

Hey guys, this community was recommended to me when I was talking to a friend about this..

I've ridden bikes for years and never had a saddle sore, including rides up to 20-30 miles in fully just street clothes. NEVER a saddle sore, no issues.

Now I'm in my thirties and gained some weight since the covid lockdowns, and found spin classes that I really love.

BUT

I get the worst saddle sores!! At first they were literally between my inner and outer labia, like blisters that popped during class. They were painful but healed really fast. I moved my seat and found that with it further forward I don't get those, but now I'm getting these brutal lumps right where my leg meets my body that are (I guess) saddle sores that are infected hair follicles. They're so painful and uncomfortable it blows my mind lol.

Anyway all of that to ask if anyone knows how to deal with this in spin class? I'm sure it's a combination of how hard we go and the arm movements we do that move me around on the seat. I don't want to stop going so I thought I'd try some options out before I give up on the classes and go back to cold outdoor rides :P

Thanks for your time <3

23 Comments
2024/11/08
18:19 UTC

4

Daily Simple Questions Thread

Welcome to our Daily Simple Questions thread - we're excited to have you hang out with us, especially if you're new to the sub. Are you confused about the FAQ or have a basic question about an exercise / alternatives? Do you have a quick question about calculating TDEE, lift numbers, running times, swimming intervals, or the like? Post here and the folks of xxfitness will help you answer your questions, no matter how big or small.

1 Comment
2024/11/08
18:00 UTC

5

Daily Discussion Thread

Welcome to our daily discussion thread! Tell stories, share thoughts, ask questions, swap advice, and be excellent to each other! Though we all share fitness as a common hobby or interest, the discussion here can be about any big or little thing you choose. The mods ask that you do mind the Cardinal Rules as they relate to respecting yourself and others, calling out any scantily clad photos as NSFW, and not asking for medical advice.

26 Comments
2024/11/08
18:00 UTC

65

Lifting heavy exhausts me the next day and I'm a new mom. Is there a "little bit every day" program out there?

I've been running strong lifts 5x5 for a few weeks and I really love lifting heavy, but find myself so so zonked for the 2-3 days following a lift. Not sore necessarily, just so tired. I'm a SAHM to a super active 9mo and it just doesn't feel sustainable. The fatigue was so rough this week :(

I'm just looking to maintain bone health and strength maintenance as my goal, no physique goals right now. I am really focused on maintaining bone density because I have osteopenoa, and I know lifting heavy is the way to do it.

Does anyone have a good strength program with a 5,6,7 day lift that just does a little bit of strength training every day? Is that even a thing? Is lifting heavy just going to zonk you for a while every time you do it? 😅

73 Comments
2024/11/08
11:22 UTC

5

[WEEKLY THREAD] Fail Friday - Because being awesome always comes at a price...

...and that price is usually coordination or social etiquette. Post your fitness and related fails to this thread.

9 Comments
2024/11/08
08:00 UTC

214

Is it okay to tell my personal trainer not to play her phone during my session?

Hello everyone,

I recently changed a gym and started some personal training sessions with a new trainer for one-on-one sessions. In my previous gym, I had 2 different personal trainers over the past 2 years, and they never played on their phones during my sessions. they may occasionally need to check their message, but usually, it won't go over 1 minute during the whole training session, which is normal. I understand they sometimes have to answer their client's messages. During the rest time between reps, we usually talked about knowledge of exercises, training or other random stuff. I later changed gym because that older gym was just too far (1-hour commute), so I changed to a gym that is a 10min walk away from my place.

For this new trainer, she is somehow always on her phone. Usually, we do 3-5 reps for each exercise, and there's usually 30 30-second to 1-minute break between reps. She would always check her social media or messages between reps. I paid 8 sessions, and I still have 5 sessions left. I wonder how to communicate with her. I hate to confront people with this, but she is probably on her phone for more than 10 minutes during my 50-minute session. I don't know if it's normal.

note: sorry, English is not my first language, so forgive me for grammar mistakes.

85 Comments
2024/11/08
03:29 UTC

5

Daily Simple Questions Thread

Welcome to our Daily Simple Questions thread - we're excited to have you hang out with us, especially if you're new to the sub. Are you confused about the FAQ or have a basic question about an exercise / alternatives? Do you have a quick question about calculating TDEE, lift numbers, running times, swimming intervals, or the like? Post here and the folks of xxfitness will help you answer your questions, no matter how big or small.

13 Comments
2024/11/07
22:00 UTC

5

Daily Discussion Thread

Welcome to our daily discussion thread! Tell stories, share thoughts, ask questions, swap advice, and be excellent to each other! Though we all share fitness as a common hobby or interest, the discussion here can be about any big or little thing you choose. The mods ask that you do mind the Cardinal Rules as they relate to respecting yourself and others, calling out any scantily clad photos as NSFW, and not asking for medical advice.

11 Comments
2024/11/07
22:00 UTC

4

[WEEKLY THREAD] Feats of Thorsday - How did you kick butt this week?

Share your fitness victories, big and small, from this week with the folks of xxfitness and revel in how awesome we are!

13 Comments
2024/11/07
08:00 UTC

11

Getting my sh*t together after a 7-year hiatus and I have a couple questions about caloric intake on gym days (I'm calorie cycling and I will explain why) and how to prevent fatigue after a morning workout.

Question 1:

I got a good answer on this one so I've removed this part.

Question 2.

I've been going to the gym right after work because lifting weights has always made me very tired afterwards and I have more energy in the evening.

My issue is that my gym is full of teenage boys between 4:30 and 6:00. I went a little late the other day and at 6:00 it was just me and like 10 seventeen year old bros. I'm too old for that sh"t. So I'm going to try to go in the wee morning because there isn't another time. The issue is that I've tried this before and I feel so tired for the rest of the day.

For any of you who lift in the morning and deal with fatigue afterwards, what do you do to remedy that?

21 Comments
2024/11/07
03:30 UTC

5

Daily Simple Questions Thread

Welcome to our Daily Simple Questions thread - we're excited to have you hang out with us, especially if you're new to the sub. Are you confused about the FAQ or have a basic question about an exercise / alternatives? Do you have a quick question about calculating TDEE, lift numbers, running times, swimming intervals, or the like? Post here and the folks of xxfitness will help you answer your questions, no matter how big or small.

43 Comments
2024/11/07
02:00 UTC

3

Daily Discussion Thread

Welcome to our daily discussion thread! Tell stories, share thoughts, ask questions, swap advice, and be excellent to each other! Though we all share fitness as a common hobby or interest, the discussion here can be about any big or little thing you choose. The mods ask that you do mind the Cardinal Rules as they relate to respecting yourself and others, calling out any scantily clad photos as NSFW, and not asking for medical advice.

12 Comments
2024/11/07
02:00 UTC

12

Going back to working out after pregnancy: any advice?

Hello, I had my little one a year and a couple of months ago. I am all healed from the birth. I have gained weight especially in the postpartum and I want to reingage with working out.

During the pregnancy I did yoga for strength and flexibility. Beforehand I would do some Hiit at home a couple of times a weeks. I also ran a lot 5 years ago but stopped.

I want to go back to running. I live in a nice hilly area with beautiful forest trails that are safe. I tried doing the from couch to 5k run training but I just feel too weak in my muscles and my joints are aching. I need to strengthen my body and lose weight first.

I signed up for a home gym that does mostly strength trainings (all body weights intervals, some core, and 5min cardio in the rotation). I'll do this twice a week.

I want to add a full cardio to do once a week. Do you have any advice on training/videos/ideas of what I can do?

I'm not looking to work out more than 3 times a week. With work and my kid it's already a miracle I manage to carve this time.

Summary: any cardio exercise advice to prep my body to go back to running after pregnancy and weight gain?

27 Comments
2024/11/06
23:35 UTC

9

Athlete Bodybuilding

I have some questions regarding creating programs or phasing training for those who are athletes but also have physique goals.

I’m F 21 y/o and a dance major at my university and am dancing anywhere from 3-8 hours a day depending on what we have going on. My only breaks are December and mid May through first week of August. I want to build my glutes and shoulders (mainly glutes cause I’m a pancake). It would also be nice to see some transfer of stability to dance but not necessary. I tend to only have around 60-75 min 3 times a week to train in season.

Questions:

  1. What type of exercises do you use to manage stimulus to fatigue ratios as all my energy can’t go to just the gym as dance is my main priority.
  2. Who do you look to for programs/programming and how do you go about making your own?
  3. Any good resources on how to create proper exercise programs? (I tend to do too much or too little)
  4. When you have less time to train in the week do you do more “bang for buck” exercises like squats, deadlifts, etc? Less exercises but more sets?
  5. How do you manage joint pain and overtraining?
  6. How does your off season vs in season training differ?

Sorry for the long post. Thanks in advance!

9 Comments
2024/11/06
18:09 UTC

85

Traditional weight lifting programs vs what I see other people doing at the gym

I recently started following NROLFW (New Rules of Lifting for Women). I'm on week 2. The book is very adamant that the exercises they outline are all we need to do and that it's not necessary to do exercises that target small muscles (such as bicep curls, etc.). I have also looked extensively at the other programs here in the sub's Wiki, and also read Nerd Fitness's guide, and they all pretty much suggest a very similar beginner progression (squats, deadlifts, lat pulldown, rows, etc). So I see that there is a lot of general agreement on these main movements that mimic what we do in our daily lives.

Before I started NROLFW, I worked out with Fitness Blender for years--they very much DO encourage all kinds of different strength exercises with dumbbells, including many that target small muscles. I get why they are doing this (offering variety, blending (lol), and catering to as wide an audience as possible). But what I am confused about is this: now that I am going to the gym three times per week, I'm noticing there are a lot of people there who look very strong and have very muscular bodies who in fact ARE doing these smaller movements that are not in any of the programs I have seen.

What do I conclude from this? That once people finish a certain type of program, they use these different exercises to target smaller muscles? Like, if I finish NROLFW and still want more tricep definition, would I add a day with extensions, kickbacks, etc.? Or are people just wasting their time doing these things? Is it just different philosophies and approaches to strength training?

67 Comments
2024/11/06
17:55 UTC

6

[WEEKLY THREAD] WTF Wednesday - Tell us what really grinds your gears!

I'll tell you what grinds my gears. WHEN PEOPLE DON'T POST WHAT GRINDS THEIR GEARS! This thread is for vents, rants, frustrations, bitching, and the like about all things fitness related.

63 Comments
2024/11/06
08:00 UTC

5

[WEEKLY THREAD] Weight Change Wednesday!

Welcome, everyone! Here is your place to discuss, question or relate to everything about weight loss, weight gain, cuts, bulks and diets. Standalone posts regarding these topics will be removed and redirected here or either of the daily threads.

Here are some useful links from our comprehensive FAQ and otherwise to help you get started:

11 Comments
2024/11/06
07:00 UTC

3

Daily Simple Questions Thread

Welcome to our Daily Simple Questions thread - we're excited to have you hang out with us, especially if you're new to the sub. Are you confused about the FAQ or have a basic question about an exercise / alternatives? Do you have a quick question about calculating TDEE, lift numbers, running times, swimming intervals, or the like? Post here and the folks of xxfitness will help you answer your questions, no matter how big or small.

17 Comments
2024/11/06
06:00 UTC

2

Daily Discussion Thread

Welcome to our daily discussion thread! Tell stories, share thoughts, ask questions, swap advice, and be excellent to each other! Though we all share fitness as a common hobby or interest, the discussion here can be about any big or little thing you choose. The mods ask that you do mind the Cardinal Rules as they relate to respecting yourself and others, calling out any scantily clad photos as NSFW, and not asking for medical advice.

5 Comments
2024/11/06
06:00 UTC

37

How to work towards pull-ups if even negatives are too hard?

I've been strength training in the gym (following 5/3/1 for beginners) since May of this year, and I've increased my strength and built muscle relatively well considering I only train 3 days per week. However, one area I just can't seem to progress with is pull-ups. I do 3 sets per week using the assisted machine in the gym but I also do dead hangs at home regularly. I am still no closer to achieving a pull-up and after seeing lots of advice on here about negatives, I've tried that and can't even do those. I step off the bench/chair and instantly lose about 5 inches, then the rest of the negative I can only make last about 6-7 seconds. I can manage 3 of them at most. They feel horrendous. What can I do to get closer to being able to do pull-ups if even negatives are too hard for me?

47 Comments
2024/11/05
14:46 UTC

26

Feel like I’m losing my nerve again with squats!

For the past year or so I’ve never really pushed with doing heavy squats and stuck with a comfy working weight (I’ve always done ancillary stuff like BSS) despite making significant gains with DLs etc. I’ve always been a bit anxious with squats even though my form is good, I know how to fail safely and always use the safety bars. A couple of months ago I revisited squats with my PT, got some 1 or 2 rep maxes out of the way (much heavier than my previous working sets), started wearing a belt and felt way more confident going forward.

The past couple of weeks I’ve felt myself slip back to my safe squat space 😂 I’m not sure why I have this mental barrier since I know I can push the weight and can bail safely but at this point I feel like my brain would be more comfortable with trying for a bench PR without a spotter 🙃

28 Comments
2024/11/05
13:20 UTC

19

Treadmill alternative for home?

Ive got super lazy the past year and got concerned about my cardiovescular health. I work as a tattoo artist so my posture is just also not the best.

I need to do something. Going to gym is unfortunately is not an option at the moment. However, Im thinking about purchasing an equipment for home so I could get some exercise done.

I could sell my soul for an incline treadmill but the problem is, it wouldnt be a nice since I live in apartman on the 2nd floor. So I need an alternative.

Its either an elliptical trainer or a spinning bike. What do you think is better in my case? I want to sweat and be out of breath and suffer. For this reason I think pedaling on a bike might wont be the better choice.

Honeslty as for elliptical, I never really took them seriously, I felt like its more suitable for the elderly since it looks pretty easy too.

What do you think? Please share your experience. I might just going to get a treadmill anyway and try to dampen the sound or it with multiple thick rubber foam underneath.

89 Comments
2024/11/05
11:58 UTC

3

Daily Simple Questions Thread

Welcome to our Daily Simple Questions thread - we're excited to have you hang out with us, especially if you're new to the sub. Are you confused about the FAQ or have a basic question about an exercise / alternatives? Do you have a quick question about calculating TDEE, lift numbers, running times, swimming intervals, or the like? Post here and the folks of xxfitness will help you answer your questions, no matter how big or small.

9 Comments
2024/11/05
10:00 UTC

3

Daily Discussion Thread

Welcome to our daily discussion thread! Tell stories, share thoughts, ask questions, swap advice, and be excellent to each other! Though we all share fitness as a common hobby or interest, the discussion here can be about any big or little thing you choose. The mods ask that you do mind the Cardinal Rules as they relate to respecting yourself and others, calling out any scantily clad photos as NSFW, and not asking for medical advice.

21 Comments
2024/11/05
10:00 UTC

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