At home/limited equipment workout resources

Hi everyone,

I’ve been going to the gym for six months now and training my glutes twice a week. While I’ve made some progress, I’m looking for a new structured program to take my results to the next level. I also train my upper body, so I’d like a well-balanced routine that allows me to keep progressing overall.

Do you have any proven programs to recommend for glute development? Ideally, something with progressive overload and a solid mix of compound and isolation exercises. I’d love to hear about what has worked for you!

My current routine fyi

Session 1: Push-Based Lower Body (Quad & Glute Focus)

•	Smith Machine Squats 
•	Hip Thrusts 
•	Smith Machine Forward Lunges / Bulgarian Split Squats 
•	Leg Press 
•	Leg Extension Machine 
•	Cable Kickbacks (45° Angle)

Session 2: Pull-Based Lower Body (Glute & Hamstring Focus)

•	Hip Thrusts 
•	Romanian Deadlifts 
•	Leg Curl Machine 
•	Hyperextensions 

Thanks in advance!

I am a pretty sedentary person and I decided that I wanted to increase my stamina and possibly work my way up to losing a few pounds at some point. As well as just generally getting in more steps.

I can't go walking outside for various reasons, and I can't afford a treadmill or walk pad or anything like that. Plus I need something fairly low impact. So what I did was I got myself an aerobic step platform with three different heights. I just started, but for the past couple of days I've been placing it in front of me and literally just stepping on and off the platform continuously while I watch something. Right now I only use the lowest height for about 20 minutes each time.

Is this an effective way to improve my cardio/stamina? I can definitely feel it and my heart rate goes up at least a bit, but I'm worried I'm not doing enough to make any real impact. My plan is to work my way up to alternating between the different heights. So like smallest height for ten minutes, medium for 10, highest for another 10 and then work my way back down. I also have small weights I can use while I'm moving. Is this a good way to go about what I'm trying to do?

Also, is what I'm doing more impactful than walking since I'm taking steps up and down rather than just walking on a flat surface? Or is it about the same/possibly even less impactful?

i have a doubt guys ,I'm actually Fat but I don't wanna bulk myself and I wanna get into a atheletic Fit body type. When I started going to gym age when I said the coach told me that you can bulk yourself and become a body builder like that ...but I'm not interested in that and for a few weeks was give the schedule and I trained now I feel like my body is becoming a bodybuilder my shoulder are getting broad. So I stopped going to gym is there any work that can make my body into any atheletic type

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Hey ladies,

I’ve been lifting 3x a week for the last 4 months. All good. But whenever I add running or Pilates to the mix, I find that my legs are just tired every single day. For running, it’s calves and for Pilates, it’s quads.

I workout 5-6 days a week. I’m eating about 2000-2100 calories, and I’m ~150lbs. I drink a lot of water and electrolytes and get at least 110g of protein per day and 250g carbs. Stretching & foam rolling are my weak points, I try to do them after every workout but it’s probably more like 50% of the time.

It could be a lot worse but I want to be able to enjoy Pilates and/or running without feeling my legs burn out! Any tips?

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.

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.

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

Squat form check. Hoping to get some feedback. I got a lot of good info last time I asked for help. I feel like my form has improved a ton but looking for any tips.

https://youtube.com/shorts/fDzy5n7cizY?si=XyANlqqf80vW_4z4

https://youtu.be/a5UK9Z6mPrw?si=VLc4d3r4VQ1J5SLA

I was so detached from my body for so long— without really realizing it. In fact, I was often a bit disturbed while thinking about it: it seemed to be something so animal and fairly gross. I used to have thoughts of escaping my physical form and being nothing but a floating consciousness (…tbf I loved psychedelics when I was younger lol).

Exercise has made me realize my body is instead an integral part of who I am— not the way it looks, but how it feels and operates. I had been under the impression that I was not my body at all, but my soul. I realize now that both are true, in fact they impact each other incredibly. It’s okay to be an animal, this is what life is after all.

Being attuned to my physical health has granted me so much more peace of mind and confidence.

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.

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.

I'm restarting going to the gym after some 1.5years away.

Previously, I lifted with a personal trainer for almost 2 years at a private gym, 3x a week, who did all the programming for me. I've since moved quite far away from my old trainer and also my friends who lift.

I've since moved, and the closest trainer that does train powerlifting and has availability is a cool 30 minutes away. I also feel like I actually wouldn't benefit from a trainer at the moment (aside from my anxiety), so I'm not willing to commit to the drive and cost yet.

I'm a very anxious and paranoid person. Like literally it took me 3 weeks to actually trust the safety arms and squat what I knew was a good restarting weight for me.

I'd love to find someone to gym with to mutually spot/check form with, but I don't know how to go about it.

I'll admit that because of my social anxiety and because I hate waiting, I've been going at 9pm - 10pmish, but I almost never see anyone else using free weights or doing any barbell exercises at my gym. I'm happy to go another time, but I know that if someone approached me during my workout I'd probably not enjoy it very much.

Chin ups: https://imgur.com/a/pcyZSzp

My one pull up lol: https://imgur.com/a/KB9Zo9p

As you can see in the video, I am somehow able to do chin ups (and one singular pull-up!!). I spent 6 whole months in 2019 doing a dedicated program of negatives, hangs, scapular pull ups, and couldn’t crack it. I’ve always been the big one, the slow one, the unfit one, and despite getting stronger in a powerlifting sense, never believed I could do something athletic.

Now I’m even heavier than 2019 (I’m 74 kilos) and somehow made it happen. I’m also weaker on the powerlifting side of things, so this feels extra special. Been doing a lot of rowing and pulling and negatives and half pull ups, and it’s finally paid off. I am also able to do 1 full pull-up, but the chin ups really surprised me.

This has shattered a lot of negative beliefs I have about myself and my fitness.

Next stop: half marathon!!

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

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.

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.

Hi im a 25 year old Nonbinary Femme. I’m on a journey of working out to get more toned, strong and a kind of muscle mommy/androgynous build!

I’m wondering if folks recommend chest workouts? And what benefits/changes do you see and feel from them?

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.

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.

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.

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Hi Everyone !

I need help.

I’ve been lifting weights in the gym for a few years. Hypotrophy training style. I do love lifting and I have seen some good gains. However, I am not happy with my body and I am bored of my workouts. I like my muscle but I have a lot more body fat than I would like to. I have a really hard time cutting while lifting heavy.

I have a friend who only HIIT youtube videos. Part of me is scared to try this because I have it ingrained in my mind that I must lift heavy or I will loose my muscle.

Can anyone share their experience with me? have any of you went from weightlifting to HIIT/pilates and liked it better?

I've started dancing in the past year and I no longer feel like the fitness afforded to me by a fair amount of cardio (running 10-15 miles a week + bike commuting + dancing 5ish hours a week) is sufficient for my athletic needs. I think I'd be way better at dance if my strength (& by extension balance) were better. Many dancers do pilates, I know, but given that I'm not a professional athlete and have little muscle, I was wondering whether anyone had suggestions about which of these would be better for my use case, or if anyone has alternate suggestions? I've never been able to self-motivate to work out very well, so 'just go to the gym and do these exercises / just follow along online at home' has not gone well for me at all. I do have a stretching regime which I am semi-regular about, fwiw, and I'm not really looking to waste time on that in a class.

I've been seeing my personal trainer for over three years and have progressed SO much in that time — I went from basically being a lifelong couch potato (at most I'd do some random cardio every few months) to really gaining a better understanding of my body, improving proprioception, gaining muscle, and enjoying strength training.

However, I feel like my goals are starting to diverge from my trainer's style. I started seeing him because I generally wanted to get "healthier" but now I want to get more into powerlifting. However, his background is more in calisthenics and, most importantly, I think we have a hard time sticking to a consistent training split.

Right now, my schedule allows for me to go to the gym 3x a week, and I see him for 2 of those sessions.

Reasons to leave:

• He's... a little unorthodox, even by his own admission. I feel like my sessions with him are always a mix of different things, so sometimes I'll go for a full week without doing a certain movement (e.g., upper body focus will be pull-ups one week, then bench press the next), almost like he's doing a crossfit-style "muscle confusion" type thing, and I wonder if this is actually slowing my progress. I get DOMS after almost every session and this... probably shouldn't be happening 3+ years in?
  • I've given him feedback or reminders on what I want to improve on and he'll stick to it for like a week and then go back to throwing a bunch of other stuff at me
• I feel much more confident now about improving my form by doing my own research and following a different training program. He gave me a great foundation, but I'm starting to feel like the way he teaches certain movements isn't quite right for my anatomy or goals (e.g., he doesn't really see the point of improving back squat depth if I can hit parallel)
• Good lord, I'd save so much money. BUT, it's worth noting that now that I have the income to support it, I think spending money on my health is worth every freaking penny.

Reasons to stay:

• Accountability. This is the biggest one. There have been so, so many times where I am on the verge of canceling because I'm having a bad day, or I didn't sleep well, or I'm just feeling lazy, but I muster up the energy to go because of him and I never, ever, regret it. I'm so worried I'll start to slip up if I'm 100% on my own. I also feel like as soon as I give up my time slot with him I won't be able to get it back — he's in high demand.
• He does still teach me new things (better form for some movements) and push me in good ways (e.g., hype me up to lift heavier, or encourage me to do things I wouldn't motivate myself to do, like conditioning work)
• I like him as a person! We've come to care about each other, ask about each other's families, etc., but... it's not like a friendship that I would see myself keeping outside of this scenario.

Idk y'all... this is a "good" problem to have so apologies if I sound ungrateful, but I'm wondering if anyone has any insight, especially on the accountability thing.

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.

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.

The place for all of your fitness based interpersonal encounters (is someone being creepy at the gym? Is your family telling you you’re getting too muscular? Do you want to date your personal trainer?), but also the place to talk about motivation, self-esteem and body image, and all the ways fitness affects your life.

Want to ask how mothers juggle family and fitness? How to structure Intermittent Fasting? When to work out when you do night shift? How to deal with being the only person in your friend group who works out? If you're feeling emotional, want to up your mental game, or need ideas for how to juggle everything on your plate, this is the place for you!

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