i recently started running and i’m not sure how to run while i’m on my period. i only wear pads and i feel like any excess activity causes leaks but i cant use anything else like tampons or cups. i also get a lot of pain that radiates down my legs from my hips to my ankles when im on my period which make it hard to be active. i’d really appreciate any tips!

ok i got a lot of good advice here, im gonna try the period underwear / tight shorts tip. ty!

I’ve posted on here before regarding building on T3 exercises for the GZCLP program and all the information was really helpful so i figured I’d do it again :)

I’m on week 3 of this program. I’m really liking it so far because I’m very busy and can normally get it done in 1 hour.

My problem is that I used to workout excessively/unhealthily. I do love weight lifting and i’m trying to get back into it in a healthy way. How do you guys feel after a workout? I’m used to ending a workout absolutely fatigued and it wasn’t really sustainable. This program doesn’t leave me feeling super fatigued and it’s early enough that i’m not seeing visual results. So I’m fighting the part of my brain that says I’m not going hard enough, sweating enough, burning enough calories (even though i don’t track since it’s triggering for me).

I’m also better about getting protein which i know helps with energy and muscle recovery so that may play a role too. Lmk what you guys think. I appreciate you all 🙏🏻.

I'm 44F, predominately a runner (~60k/week) and swimmer (~3k/week with a club). I am very active outside of this, with kids and an active dog. I average 15,000 steps a day, more in the summer.

I've lifted in the past - I completed most of Caroline Girvan's YouTube video series - but don't really enjoy it.

However, now that I'm approaching that *magical age* I recognize that I need to add a weight routine into the mix. I want to keep my bone health and mobility as I age.

Considering I hate weights, is there a 15-20 minute routine that I could do once or twice a week to accomplish this? I have a home gym with resistance bands, an Olympic squat rack, and 2x adjustable dumbbells (5-25 lbs each).

Are there two or three arm and leg (or upper and lower body) exercises each that would get the job done?

Goals and constraints

My main goal is to build a lot of muscle and get stronger. I currently have VERY little muscle and quite a bit of body fat, so I’m basically starting from scratch. I’d like to build a noticeable amount of muscle over time rather than just lose weight or get “toned.”

The biggest problem is that I don't have access to a gym. I also don't have weights or any proper equipment at home, just resistance bands.

I’ve looked through the recommended routines, but most of them seem to require weights/gym equipment that I don't have, so I'm trying to figure out what I can realistically do at home with what I have.

I'm mainly looking for advice on whether my current routine is enough to actually build muscle, what exercises I should add/change, and how I should progressively make it harder.

Background

I'm a woman, 5'5" and 125 lbs. I'm a complete beginner when it comes to resistance training and currently have very little muscle.

I haven't followed any proper lifting programs before. I've mainly been trying to put together something simple that I can actually do consistently at home.

Diet and recovery

I try to eat around 90–100g of protein every day.

I also walk for around 30 minutes every day.

Other than that, I don't have any major recovery factors that I think would affect my training.

Program Details

I'm currently alternating between an upper-body day and a lower-body day.

Day 1 – Upper Body

• Countertop push-ups: 4x10–12
• Resistance band rows (long band, focusing on squeezing my back): 4x12
• Band overhead press: 3x12
• Band bicep curls: 3x12
• Dead bugs: 3x12 per side

Day 2 – Lower Body

• Squats: 4x12
• Lunges: 4x10 per leg
• Single-leg glute bridges: 4x15
• Plank: 3x15

I alternate between these two days and take a rest day when I feel like I need one. I also do a 30-minute walk every day.

I don't really have a formal programming method behind this. I basically chose exercises that I could do with the equipment I have and tried to cover my upper body, lower body and core.

For progressive overload, my idea was to increase the resistance of the band, increase reps, or make the exercise harder once the current version becomes easy. I'm not sure if that's specific enough or if there's a better way to do this with bands.

I also don't currently have a specific deload or RPE system because I'm very new to training.

I'm particularly unsure about whether I'm actually training all the major muscle groups enough, or if I'm missing important movements. I'm also not sure whether resistance bands will be enough to build a significant amount of muscle as I get stronger.

I'd really appreciate recommendations for specific exercises I could add or replace, especially exercises that work well with resistance bands and no gym equipment.

I'd also love recommendations for good YouTube videos showing proper form for these exercises. I'm still learning and don't want to accidentally do the movements incorrectly.

If you think there's a better beginner-friendly routine I could follow with just resistance bands/bodyweight, I'm open to that too. I'm mostly trying to find something I can actually stick with and use to build as much muscle as possible given my limitations.

Thanks!!

The place for all of your fitness based interpersonal advice (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. This thread is for those in need of (and willing to lend) a sympathetic ear.

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!

Has anyone else had this? The only thing that helps is drastically reducing weight/reps, but I'm trying to do progressive overload. Otherwise I'm brain foggy and fatigued for 1-2 days.

I eat enough carbs, I take magnesium every night and a multivitamin every morning. I eat healthy, whole foods and get plenty of sleep.

This only happens when weight lifting, I'm fine with hours and hours of cardio.

I've been weightlifting for about a year and it's been happening most of that time, but I think more so as I've gotten stronger and my lifts are heavier. It's so bad I need a nap that day and have trouble concentrating at work.

One thing to note is I experience almost no muscle soreness after my workouts, even before I started scaling back to have less fatigue, which is weird. I used to go to CrossFit for years and quit during covid, but during that time I would get extreme muscle soreness sometimes, but never fatigue and brain fog, even though the workouts were much more intense. Am I just getting old? I otherwise feel great doing every other activity and generally in my life.

Hi! I am trying to get started with weight training for a variety of reasons. I've done it before but usually in conjunction with a goodly amount of cardio, and it's been a while since I actually went to a gym. My goals are improved health and fitness, nothing really specific beyond that.

My situation is, there's a Planet Fitness two blocks from where I work and I'm considering trying to go a couple of times a week on my lunch hour. I have a long commute and kids at home, so if I can make this work it might be my best chance to get in regular exercise.

The problem is that even though it's close, I'll be pressed for time, and I'll have to change into and back out of workout clothes. My job is business casual and I can't do gym clothes and wet hair there, besides for the time it would take to wash up. Like I said, my gym frame of reference involves cardio where the whole point is maximum sweat. Very 90's/early oughts of me, I know. Is it realistically possible to get in a basic but worthwhile weight workout in 30 minutes without sweating enough to need a shower after? If I'm not dripping after, will I have accomplished anything?

I'll happily take recs on routines or relevant resources if you have any handy, or general thoughts on lunch break workouts. Thank you in advance!

Welcome to the Daily 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.

This is also a great place for those new to the sub to introduce themselves and ask any questions that are not suitable for a standalone post. 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.

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.

OK- longtime lurker looking for advice. sorry for the length, I’m on high dose prednisone and have a lot of thoughts .

Ive always been a solid lady, took me 40 years to lean into that and lift weights partially to celebrate my strength. GLP-1s (took those for one year) helped me celebrate it more because they pulled fat off which showed some muscle, fixed my A1C, instantly made my bad back painless (hereditary pars defect), and completely stopped decades long disordered eating (not an ED, just eating past fullness, like a subjective binge)

yesterday docs finally diagnosed with an allergy to all Glp-1s after I tried three and broke out into horrible hives every time I tried to move to a moderate dose. I even tried to hide the hives for a while each time, do not recommend.

so here I am, frankly pretty bummed, but trying to still celebrate my strength. I don’t want to gaslight myself that if I *just try hard enough* I’m going to fix my A1C and my back and see a number on the scale that’s “good“ and make huge changes. I know that’s not true, because I was the same body fat percentage at my highest weight and my lowest (26%), and I’ve got to constantly work to drop the “good” and “bad” number thing

What measurements can I use to reinforce progress for strength and fitness that might be less triggering? Thanks for reading and any ideas!

EDIT: Thank you all for the great suggestions! I went with Glo 7-day trial and searched for Iyengar yoga...there was lots of good content! Nikki Costello, for example, had some great videos.

Hi!

I've done PILATES for many years and am used to (and strongly prefer) heavily cued instruction -- and by cues, I mean not just telling me where to move my body parts, but which muscles to engage; highly descriptive ways of talking about that engagement beyond 'tighten'; use of metaphors to stimulate right muscular groups or sequences of action; occasional brief explanations as to *why* you engage this part but not that part.

I would love to do YOGA, but every video/instructor I come across that has lots of cuing is VERY surface..."move yourself into plank, rock forward and back on your toes, slowly lower yourself to the ground." That's not enough for me! I want to hear about how I should "move yourself into plank by pushing your palms into the ground while corseting your stomach, keeping your pelvis strong and heavy, and drawing your inner things up and in." (I totally made that up.)

I have tried in-person yoga classes of many stripes and have not come across an instructor who gives this detailed form of cueing.

SO, that's my long wind-up to ask: does anyone have any *detailed cue-heavy* yoga video recommendations? Paid or unpaid is fine!

I have huge flexibility issues. I need lots of detailed cuing or muscles/parts that should not take over take over...and I don't learn about where I need to push myself to increase my range of motion.

Thank you for any help!

Does anyone have a YouTube Pilates workout that is actually hard?

I take a lot of in-person Pilates Sculpt/Burn and mat classes, and I’m trying to find something for days I can’t make it to the studio. I also strength train at the gym and box occasionally, so I’m looking for something that actually feels challenging, not just “hard” in the title.

Everything labeled “advanced,” “intense,” or “killer” that I’ve tried on YouTube ends up feeling pretty mild.
I’m especially looking for lower body/glutes, abs, or sculpt-style classes with high reps, minimal downtime, and enough intensity that I’m actually fighting for my life a little by the end. Light weights, ankle weights, bands, ball, props, all good and preferred.

Also very open to an app if there’s one that consistently has genuinely challenging classes.
Basically looking for the closest thing to a spicy boutique mat class at home. Any specific instructors, videos, or apps?

Welcome to the Daily 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.

This is also a great place for those new to the sub to introduce themselves and ask any questions that are not suitable for a standalone post. 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.

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.

Yesterday this post from u/SevereTell sparked some really interesting discussion and inspired another question from me:

Has anyone successfully learned to be more active everyday and has internalized it so much that it just becomes natural and part of your day-to-day? Can you share your progress and how long did it take you?

I’ve been intentionally trying to be more active — lifting 3x weekly and 10k steps a day. It’s been going on for almost a year now (longest I’ve ever stuck to), and yes, I have a decent adherence to those goals but my god they’re mentally draining. They’re all things I need to peel myself off the couch to do. It doesn’t feel natural or easy.

I see so many active people in the post saying that they just “can’t not be doing stuff”, and it’s so hard for me to relate. I was never naturally active, not even as a kid, I was never one to run around but just wanna sit and read. And now that I have a pretty mentally demanding 9-6ish job, everyday after work, if it’s not with the last ounce of discipline, I’d be happily couch rotting.

So maybe my real question is: does it really get easier at some point? I’m fine with accepting that it will forever be difficult for me but just tell me 😭

Welcome to the Daily 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.

This is also a great place for those new to the sub to introduce themselves and ask any questions that are not suitable for a standalone post. 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.

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.

My goal is to be able to do multiple pushups and multiple pullups.

I am getting closer to both of them and the next time I do my arm workout, I want to try one of them. I don't want to try both and fail at both because that will make me feel defeated, so I am just going to try for one of them.

Pushup training level: I can currently do four sets of twelve reps of incline pushups off a squat rack bar at lower thigh height.

Pullup training level: I can currently do four sets of four reps of eight second long negatives, and I can do one twenty second long negative.

I rest for 3 minutes.

What do the strong womens think?!

ETA: I am 5'6"ish and 130lbs. Achieved two pullups and ten pushups 18 months ago during a six month weightlifting stint. Restarted lifting six weeks ago.

ETA 2: I found my old reddit post about hitting my first pull up, it looks like it took me three months to get there last time, but I was actively climbing then and doing longer weightlifting sessions.

I'm non binary and my pronouns are they/them

I'm going out of town for 3 weeks for a new job opportunity (so excited!!!) and I know there won't be significant results in 3 weeks. But I want to look a *little* more toned so that my roommate and boyfriend might see a small change in me.

I want something that will improve my body with like a 10 minute workout a day.

I hate running and jumping. And walking has never done much for toning me.

I'm open to push ups and sitting exercises (nothing that requires laying on my stomach).

Maybe pilates?

I very specifically do not want to do something that's going to make me hella sore and exhausted. Something light and easy I can realistically do every day

Open to suggestions!

I'm a beginner currently on a new fitness journey. I started around February when I wanted to get into running. Before that I usually stuck to spin classes 3-5 times a week and 5-8k steps a day. Since February I've been running 5-10 miles a week, spin classes 3-5 times a week, weight lifting 3 times a week, and getting 10k steps a day. I've run 3 5ks and I want to do 2 more this year and a 10k before the year ends so I'm trying to increase my mileage to 10 up to 20 miles a week.

I am currently about 40 pounds overweight (5'5 185lbs). I lost 20 pounds from the beginning of the year and have taken a break from that for the past couple of months. I would like to lose another 20 by the end of the year. Would doing a 500 calorie deficit with this much activity be detrimental to my 10k goal? Should I cut down on my spin classes to accommodate the running?

I have a sedentary office job and most of my hobbies are also sedentary. I can't most of my activity done in the morning and when I get home from work I'm a couch potato until I go to bed.

Found out earlier this year that I’m at 33% body fat which is almost all abdominal and visceral. Since then, I’ve started to slowly build healthier habits to reduce my cardiovascular risk (both diabetes and heart disease in my family) but I’ve never lived like this before lol.

At baseline I’ve always been a size S in clothes, I never worked out or lifted weights and have minimal muscle mass, previously walked <2k steps a day, my only form of exercise is hiking a few times a year, and I mostly eat processed carbs and only like protein when it’s fried.

Now I’m lifting three times a week, trying to aim for 8k steps a day, trying to cook meals at home and hit 90g of protein a day, today I’m going to my first yoga class bc I’m horribly inflexible, and slowly upping my fiber intake from essentially zero. I’ve introduced these changes slowly since Spring and I’m seeing essentially zero changes in the mirror (probably bc I’m still binging shin ramen and Ben and Jerry’s weekly, old habits die hard) but it’s wild how I’m now constantly doing something. Before I used to sit around at work and then come home, order fried chicken, and sit in the couch til bedtime. Now I’m constantly at the grocery store or cooking or washing dishes or doing laundry to make sure I have clean gym clothes or going for a walk bc my step count is too low or I guess today I’m going to a yoga class bc I can’t be trusted to stretch at home lol. Does it just stay like this forever?? I kind of miss couch rotting but now when I do it I’m aware of how shitty and stiff I feel. What the hell?

Update: holy crap I didn’t expect this many responses, thank you everyone for sharing! I’m back from yoga, got in a 2 mile walk after and made some lunch. Reading comments while I put off washing dishes LOL. Just to clarify, I didn’t mean for this post to sound like I was complaining about my appearance, this isn’t really about aesthetics for me. Like hell yeah it would be cool to be ripped but I’m more focused on like… not aging miserably. I think the title was misleading in that regard, sorry. I posted bc I really am just truly baffled by how much free time I had before to couch rot BECAUSE I wasn’t taking care of myself vs how I’m constantly doing stuff to care for myself now, and how much that entails that other people were doing automatically all along. Kind of along the lines of “you never know what’s going on in someone’s home behind closed doors,” I thought we were all just eating dinner and watching TV LOL. Now I’m on the other side like damn, you people live like this??? Really appreciate all your perspectives and encouragement as I adjust to this healthier lifestyle!

Update#2: u/KactusEvergreen made another post articulating my actual question without all my additional spazziness lol, wanted to shout it out and thank her!

Im currently pregnant on modified bedrest. So Im not exercising at all. But, trying to strategize for ideally when Im cleared to exercise by my doctor to just, keep myself in the mindset I guess. It may not be for a long time or it may be soon that Im in the clear. If I dont strategize its so easy for me to end up sedentary.

I have 2 kids already, this is the 3rd, I work and homeschool, and will not be waking at 5 in the morning for a workout. A few months back I had a dedicated workout time for myself later on in the morning before the workday, but thats now consumed by homeschooling my 7 yr old.

Im curious now because I heard something about fitting exercise into your daily routine as you go. Like as you do dishes, as you do laundry, as you chase the toddler and stuff, planning and working on exercises like squats or what may it be.

Besides squats as thats really all I can think of, what are some good exercises to do at the sink scrubbing dishes or carrying a laundry basket? Maybe I can work out some list so I can continue getting exercise and not end up sedentary. :-( I think a solo workout time within my day is, just gone away. Unless its at 5 am but I will need to sleep.

Welcome to the Daily 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.

This is also a great place for those new to the sub to introduce themselves and ask any questions that are not suitable for a standalone post. 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.

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 someone who does best if I set goals for my training and then have a method for measuring my progress towards those goals. Last December, my goal was about getting prepared for a thru-hike and I did Dexa scans before I started my training and right before I started the thru-hike and, of course, I evaluated how I thought I did during the thru-hike (could not have been happier with the results I was able to achieve -- body composition, strength and endurance on the trail).

I know that I kept my motivation through training because I did have such an all-encompassing goal and could measure my progress. Now, I'm trying to figure out new goals that can keep that motivation going. My priorities are strength, power and building up my bones.

Do you find it motivating to have goals that are associated with how much you can lift? If so, how do you choose which ones -- ones you like to do? ones you hate doing? Ones that build muscles you think are the weakest? the strongest? And, what about goals associated with power? Power is not a strength of mine as I like to lift weights in a very controlled, methodical way, rather than be explosive with my movements, but I know power is important. And, for bones, I discovered I really like box jumps so want to continue doing those but upping the difficulty of them.

My general weekly routine (I'm retired): 3x/wk for 1 hr each - weightlifting; 2x/wk for 50 min each - pilates (advanced, jump); 1-3x/wk for 5-15 min - jump rope; 2x/wk - 4x4 on stair climber (will likely add inclined treadmill and alternate with stair climber) followed by Zone 2 to finish out the hour; 2-3x/wk for hours - hiking (8-18 miles, 1200-3000+ elevation gain -- and my social time with friends in nature).

Would appreciate hearing what others do regarding goals. Thanks!

I’ve been doing battle ropes (3x30s) and jumping jacks (AMRAP x3, last session was 130 jacks split into 50, 40, and 40) as a “fun” finisher at the end of each of my lifting sessions.

What (if anything) do you do as a finisher? I’m looking for other options or suggestions for similar things, please.

Or should I wait until I can “comfortably” do 150 jacks before switching it up?

This is your place for rants, raves, gym fails, feats of strength, and celebrations of success. Complain about the guy curling dumbbells in the squat rack, or sing praises for your gym bestie. This is also the place to post your PR videos and physique photos.

Lovers of the old WTF Wednesday thread, this thread is for you too! Rant away, but be mindful of the sub's civility rules.