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[MrToughPants]

5 days and no reply to any alternate back exercises...
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=118316345&postcount=1808

...FITGAF let me down

On the flip side, I now know how to do a proper squats, dead lifts and other leg exercises

Barbell or DB rows.

 

[DoktorEvil]

Cheap my ass. The enrollment fee is 50 bones. After that it's only 10.. but that enrollment fee, ugh.

I checked the place out a few hours ago, mid afternoon, it wasn't as crowded as I thought it would be though. As a matter of fact it wasn't crowded at all.

The thing being open for 24 hours and only being a 10 minute drive from my house is what's really tempting though... but I want to know if this place is legit or not before I bite.

Wait, what? they give out free pizza and shit?

If you're going to do ANY weight training, that place will zip you up and move you to a cardio machine in a heartbeat.

You can't grunt, you can't drop weights, you can't use chalk.

Might as well be a fascist gym!

 

[Leeness]

Apparently this is universal, cats just love to lay on your yoga mats all the time. As soon as I get up in the morning they leave the bed and sit right behind me on the mat. Yoga party!

Pretty much! She's spread out on it right now again haha. She left for a bit because I was doing high knees and it scared her. But now I am done and she is back.

 

[Sadetar]

Oooh yeah, best work out in ages. I was so out of breath and sweaty, but yet so damn satisfied in the end. Hot stretching for 30 mins was like a cherry on top of it all. When I went there I was exhausted from work and sleeping too little, but it was glorious.

Also my back feels much better than it used to be. Tomorrow I will be seeing a physiotherapist and he will hopefully give me some extra core training programm I could do. Feels good. ^_^

Why hello there, fellow fit-brothers and sisters.

I've been working out for 6 months now, super happy with it. 3 times a week, following the 'New Rules of Lifting for Women' like a Holy Bible

Lost 7kg since I started, definitely looking more healthy. And little things like the perks of squats and having a nice butt :x

I am having issues with dieting though. I don't really eat junk food or drink fizzy drinks (soda), BUT I do like my sugar. I'm really struggling to find a replacement for it that doesn't include craploads of fruit sugar instead.

I tried lurking around reddit's /r/xxfitness but the popular diets there are stuff like keto, paleo and primal. I really don't see myself doing any of those. I love my diary and I like my carbs and fats occasionally. I just haven't found a good diet that works for me and makes me happy, because that's what matters at the end of the day

Before going to the gym I was on keto for a month and gave up. I have no idea how people do it. I guess it's really up to the person.

What diets do you guys have? Do you always cook your food? I go to eat outside quite often, maybe that's my bad.

Awesome work this far for losing 7 kilos!

What comes to the sweet tooth, I have the same kind of problem.

I use smoothies like mentioned (I usually mix frozen quark with berries, fat free milk and liquid stevia), quark with dried berry powders, nuts, liquid stevia, chia seeds and crunched linen seeds or sometimes I also make a very low carb microwave "cake". (If someone wants I can give the exact recipe as well, delicious as hell). Also I once in a while do my own low carb "candy bars" as well.

I know I could lose weight faster, but this far I would say it is around a pound / half a kilo per week.

 

[ILoveBish]

I can't help but feel eating the same thing every day is bad for you in the long-term. Unless you've really got the perfect diet I feel you'd be missing something, even if it is just something minor such as phytochemicals. I don't mean to pick on you specifically and if you're seeing results than who am I to poopoo on your routine, but I'm just a bit concerned about this approach.

Once every 2 to 3 weeks, I change it up when it comes to the protein source. Sometimes roast beef, sometimes chicken, sometimes turkey. I'll eat whatever it is for 2-3 weeks then change it again. My main meals are the same, mix of veggies and meat. I also take a multivitamin, d3, magnesium and zinc for supplements.

Most days I'm like this, but some days I just get fed up and have to have something different. I keep it generally healthy, but usually has more leeway than my normal eats.

I'm thinking about giving the keto diet a try for a bit...what's a generally accepted timeframe for it to be effective? 4, 6, 8 weeks? Longer?

I've been doing keto for months and see no reason to switch from it. Its likely going to be the eating style I'll stick with from now on. If you're going to try out keto, read the reddit FAQ here: http://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq.

 

[Sadetar]

Thanks for the motivation, finally decided that I've been alone long enough <3

You deserve someone awesome and slightly silly. You are just always so adorable and sweet. ^_^ (And yes, you must let us know how it goes.)

Nobody is going to pop that bubble, ok so maybe I will ~ but only by trying to jump inside ~ I believe in you! The important thing is being happy with yourself in the moment which will allow you to enjoy each step of the journey!

Oh, I am generally very optimistic and happy person. Just the moments when the pain was absolutely horrid from the back were somewhat hard to me. But hey, it is only going up from this - the back is getting better, I can work out hopefully more soon and I am already having those awesome noob gains. I will be posting some comparison pics at some point even if I am still horrified about my starting photos.

Spoiler

Hahah, oh, and there is always room for you in my bubble.

I have tried to make a point to compliment strangers when I am out by myself in public, not at the gym though because people feel "compromised" or whatever. Not really making small talk but if I see something I like I tell them.

The other day I was getting cat food and a woman was clearly incredibly proud of her two great danes which were absolutely stunning animals. So when I was leaving I saw her outside waiting for a ride or something and I said "your dogs are just beautiful!" and her whole face just lit up! It took absolutely zero effort on my part and the thought was already in my brain so why not let it out?

Even though I stated the woman at the gym "interrupted" me, that was the analytical side of things. Rest assured it made my day. Even if she was just saying "you look awesome" because she was being nice. Thanks, lady, even if you don't show up Wednesday! lol

Like stated before, you are a sweetie.

Good to know I am not the only one randomly complimenting people if I see a reason for it. A nice comment when I least expect it has made my day so many times - why not share the joy.

I have also once been "interrupted" at the gym, but the lady was absolutely adorable and complimented me for doing the last couple repetitions of the set even though it was obviously a pain in the ass. It was so nice of her to pay attention and say it to me.

Long story short, I am sure you are appreciated now and will be appreciated in the future!

<3

I know.

 

[Imm0rt4l]

Made an acquaintance at the gym a few weeks back. He saw me wear a bodybuilding shirt and asked "r u aware". Today he asked where he could score some juicy juice since he wants to go for world records in powerlifting. Told him "sorry I dont know of any connections, stay safe and pepper ur angus".

 

[Jhriad]

Cheap my ass. The enrollment fee is 50 bones. After that it's only 10.. but that enrollment fee, ugh.

Enrollment fees aren't uncommon with a lot of gyms and I've seen them much higher than that. It's easily the cheapest gym around here even with the fee. I haven't actually looked at the fee for Anytime Fitness but then that place is so small I haven't bothered to go in because I didn't think they'd have most of the stuff I'd want to join a gym for.

 

[Forceatowulf]

Enrollment fees aren't uncommon with a lot of gyms and I've seen them much higher than that. It's easily the cheapest gym around here even with the fee. I haven't actually looked at the fee for Anytime Fitness but then that place is so small I haven't bothered to go in because I didn't think they'd have most of the stuff I'd want to join a gym for.

Shit. I think I'm gonna bite then. Take a tour of the joint tomorrow and see if their lifting areas are on point.

I'm gonna go squat/leg crazy. I know Fitness-GAF, with it's obsession over this shit, will more than approve.

 

[CherryWoodFuton]

I would kill for powerlifting style gym around my area. Miami's choices are either Planet fitness/24/LA globo gyms or Crossfit.....lots and lots of Crossfit...

If there's any gyms I don't know about that Miami Fit Gaf knows pls share

 

[grumble]

Shit. I think I'm gonna bite then. Take a tour of the joint tomorrow and see if their lifting areas are on point.

I'm gonna go squat/leg crazy. I know Fitness-GAF, with it's obsession over this shit, will more than approve.

If I recall, many planet fitness gyms don't have much in the way of free weights. No dead lifting, no power cages, no chalk, no perceptual exertion.

 

[DoktorEvil]

Shit. I think I'm gonna bite then. Take a tour of the joint tomorrow and see if their lifting areas are on point.

I'm gonna go squat/leg crazy. I know Fitness-GAF, with it's obsession over this shit, will more than approve.

Good luck.

You won't find much in powerlifiting in Planet Fitness.

 

[iddqd]

Fit gaf, I reduced my portion sizes and HEY HEY, I'm not hungry or see any downside.
Guess I was overeating like a crazy person.

ALSO, Watermelons. Can't stop eating watermelons. Maybe thats where I now get my calories.

 

[Matugi]

Fit gaf, I reduced my portion sizes and HEY HEY, I'm not hungry or see any downside.
Guess I was overeating like a crazy person.

All about moderation, my friend. 90% of the game is mental, almost all of that being dedication and motivation

 

[Cudder]

In effect that's what I've been doing, yeah. Still a newbie at this, and I stopped my initial bulk prematurely for no real reason, to be honest.

Any pointers on how to tell when to switch would be appreciated

Your arms are gonna look shredded as fuck if you cut that weight. Stay the course brother!

You look extremely good as you are - I can only imagine how much of an epic beast you will be if you burn the fat away a bit.

thanks for the kind words guys.

 

[Forceatowulf]

If I recall, many planet fitness gyms don't have much in the way of free weights. No dead lifting, no power cages, no chalk, no perceptual exertion.

I was afraid of this. *sigh* Just looking around when I went in I noticed they had a shit ton of exercise bikes and treadmills. Not a weight in sight. Pretty damn big place though, could have just been in the back.

As long as they have better fundamental equipment even my old dirt poor highschool had, I'll be fine with that.

Good luck.

You won't find much in powerlifiting in Planet Fitness.

They have to have the fundamental shit. They have to. The size of this place was just ridiculous to me. They have to have decent to good weight lifting equipment in a place like that...

 

[Matugi]

One thing I'm kinda worried about is when I go back to school, the rec center staff telling me I can't deadlift barefoot. Hopefully they'll see the huge weights on the bar and won't fuck with me but they've bitched at me before for not deadlifting on yoga mats :\

 

[Pickman]

Heyo. I've been lurking on here and been reading off and on, but I just wanted to put something up to motivate myself. Going to think of this post as a starting point.

I'm 29, 6'2", have two bad knees (accident from teens and ACL/MCL tear), and weigh just under 300 lbs. I'm obese in a bad way.

Today I started a calorie journal and made leaner, better choices for lunch and dinner. I walked a mile and a half after work. I'm really hoping to get onto some kind of a weight loss/muscle building plan as I go forward from here, and I hope as I start to lose the weight it will be easier to move around more.

Can anyone recommend any good exercises for cardio and slimming down that are low impact? I have no access to a pool, so that's out, sorry.

Also, I just started a diet plan the weekend before July 4th. This is gonna suck.

 

[Zero2kz]

Ugh, sucks man. I injured my shoulder about 3 weeks ago during a flat barbell bench press. I try to stick to good form, and I somehow injured it doing relatively light weight (225 lb, my 1RM is 315).

It wasn't an instantaneous pain, but rather a dull pain that occurred after the 225lb set and slowly got worse and worse throughout the day.

So I took it easy for about 3 weeks and worked around the shoulder and did anything that didn't irritate it. So I did legs, abs, and back (rowing motions seemed fine, I just cut back on the deadlifts). After 3 weeks, absolutely no pain, decided to do a chest exercise today and give it a shot. I started out light, and then ended up eventually re-injuring it during a set of incline dumbbell presses.

So now I am probably going to go to the doctor and work around it for much more than 3 weeks this time. It hurts from only specific ranges of motion. It hurts from pushing movements and from front lateral raises especially. Side lateral raises don't hurt. The worst pain occurs if I put my shoulder in a position reminiscent of when you do a lat spread.

On the bright side, my pitiful squat is shooting up like mad from all the extra leg days. I am still a beginner and this is my first injury. I am really impatient and want to get back into it. I was always obese growing up. I peaked out at 335 pounds in January of 2013. By February 2014, I was down to 181 lb. I started to bulk and started getting all kinds of gains. I am now a relatively lean 205 lb. Working on cutting to 190 lb. Never being this fit before in my life makes it really hard for me to step back and take it easy for a bit.

 

[Jhriad]

Heyo. I've been lurking on here and been reading off and on, but I just wanted to put something up to motivate myself. Going to think of this post as a starting point.

I'm 29, 6'2", have two bad knees (accident from teens and ACL/MCL tear), and weigh just under 300 lbs. I'm obese in a bad way.

Today I started a calorie journal and made leaner, better choices for lunch and dinner. I walked a mile and a half after work. I'm really hoping to get onto some kind of a weight loss/muscle building plan as I go forward from here, and I hope as I start to lose the weight it will be easier to move around more.

Can anyone recommend any good exercises for cardio and slimming down that are low impact? I have no access to a pool, so that's out, sorry.

Also, I just started a diet plan the weekend before July 4th. This is gonna suck.

Welcome! You're already on your way to a healthier you. A healthy, well maintained diet plan will work wonders on it's own. Regular walks are a good start but I'll leave workout suggestions to the more experienced folk and I just wanted to give you a thumbs up. Keep it up!

 

[Cooter]

Pretty proud of myself. Was up at 4:30 and haven't had any food since 10 last night. Managed DLs for 445x3x5. Had to really dig deep those last 2 sets.

 

[RumblingRosco]

Heyo. I've been lurking on here and been reading off and on, but I just wanted to put something up to motivate myself. Going to think of this post as a starting point.

I'm 29, 6'2", have two bad knees (accident from teens and ACL/MCL tear), and weigh just under 300 lbs. I'm obese in a bad way.

Today I started a calorie journal and made leaner, better choices for lunch and dinner. I walked a mile and a half after work. I'm really hoping to get onto some kind of a weight loss/muscle building plan as I go forward from here, and I hope as I start to lose the weight it will be easier to move around more.

Can anyone recommend any good exercises for cardio and slimming down that are low impact? I have no access to a pool, so that's out, sorry.

Also, I just started a diet plan the weekend before July 4th. This is gonna suck.

If you ask me, I would go ahead and enjoy this weekend being July 4th and let it be your last hurrah before beginning your path to improving your health. Starting a massive change to your diet/exercise routine right before a holiday is super tough.

As far as low impact cardio, walking, swimming, and biking are all common/great forms of low impact cardio. You could also try step-ups (basically, stand on your floor, step up to a foot stool-height object, then step back down... Make sure the object is sturdy enough to be stood on, a friend of mine destroyed a wooden chair doing this once and nearly broke his ankle). Rowing machines (many, but not all, gyms have them) and punching bags are great cardio.

Also, weight training really is great for weight loss. There's no reason to exclusively start with cardio, you can absolutely do both.

 

[FUME5]

Ugh, sucks man. I injured my shoulder about 3 weeks ago during a flat barbell bench press. I try to stick to good form, and I somehow injured it doing relatively light weight (225 lb, my 1RM is 315).

It wasn't an instantaneous pain, but rather a dull pain that occurred after the 225lb set and slowly got worse and worse throughout the day.

So I took it easy for about 3 weeks and worked around the shoulder and did anything that didn't irritate it. So I did legs, abs, and back (rowing motions seemed fine, I just cut back on the deadlifts). After 3 weeks, absolutely no pain, decided to do a chest exercise today and give it a shot. I started out light, and then ended up eventually re-injuring it during a set of incline dumbbell presses.

So now I am probably going to go to the doctor and work around it for much more than 3 weeks this time. It hurts from only specific ranges of motion. It hurts from pushing movements and from front lateral raises especially. Side lateral raises don't hurt. The worst pain occurs if I put my shoulder in a position reminiscent of when you do a lat spread.

On the bright side, my pitiful squat is shooting up like mad from all the extra leg days. I am still a beginner and this is my first injury. I am really impatient and want to get back into it. I was always obese growing up. I peaked out at 345 pounds in January of 2013. By February 2014, I was down to 181 lb. I started to bulk and started getting all kinds of gains. I am now a relatively lean 205 lb. Working on cutting to 190 lb. Never being this fit before in my life makes it really hard for me to step back and take it easy for a bit.

Does it hurt more at night? If it does it could be a tendon thing, I had bursitis in my shoulders late last year that came back this year (don't do bench presses at 3 am on the morning after you get back from the club on your friends urging....even if your female friend does jump into bed with you afterwards).

If it does turn out to be a shoulder tendon issue, there are some resitance band excercises you can do that will help heal it quicker and reduce the chance of reoccurance.

 

[Zero2kz]

Does it hurt more at night? If it does it could be a tendon thing, I had bursitis in my shoulders late last year that came back this year (don't do bench presses at 3 am on the morning after you get back from the club on your friends urging....even if your female friend does jump into bed with you afterwoods).

If it does turn out to be a shoulder tendon issue, there are some resitance band excercises you can do that will help heal it quicker and reduce the chance of reoccurance.

Yah I do have pain at night. It is the worst in the early morning, and pain will sort of taper off later in the day.

 

[Bowser]

I've been doing keto for months and see no reason to switch from it. Its likely going to be the eating style I'll stick with from now on. If you're going to try out keto, read the reddit FAQ here: http://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq.

Keto flu sounds scary and not fun lol

 

[FUME5]

Yah I do have pain at night. It is the worst in the early morning, and pain will sort of taper off later in the day.

Definitely starting to sound like a tendon problem, may be worthwhile to go to straight to a physio.

 

[rokkerkory]

beasted chest tonight with new regiment... super set everything and every set with pushup ender.

going to feast on this as reward:

 

[ILoveBish]

Keto flu sounds scary and not fun lol

It's really no big deal. After a while, you become keto adapted and life gets a lot easier.

 

[Zero2kz]

Keto flu sounds scary and not fun lol

I low carb'd for a lot of my weightloss, and I never experienced the Keto flu. So it doesn't happen to everyone.

Definitely starting to sound like a tendon problem, may be worthwhile to go to straight to a physio.

I hope that the issue seemingly got a lot better after 3 weeks is a sign that it isn't anything too serious. That is is maybe something that could be fixed with additional rest. I already had a yearly physical lined up with my doctor later this week, and I will get his opinion on it and possibly get recommendations for physical therapists.

Also, since I am new to Fitness-Gaf (and GAF in general), thought I would throw up some progress pics of 1 year difference.

January 2013, 335 lb: http://i.imgur.com/d5Wwp1E.png
January 2014, 195 lb: http://imgur.com/rpQGmHk

I do not have any pictures of me currently at 205. I didn't take many progress pics, and after 195 I just kind of stopped. Maybe I will take one in January of 2015.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Keto flu sounds scary and not fun lol

Might not happen to you, though! Definitely didn't happen to me.

 

[FUME5]

I low carb'd for a lot of my weightloss, and I never experienced the Keto flu. So it doesn't happen to everyone.



I hope that the issue seemingly got a lot better after 3 weeks is a sign that it isn't anything too serious. That is is maybe something that could be fixed with additional rest. I already had a yearly physical lined up with my doctor later this week, and I will get his opinion on it and possibly get recommendations for physical therapists.

Also, since I am new to Fitness-Gaf (and GAF in general), thought I would throw up some progress pics of 1 year difference.

January 2013, 335 lb: http://i.imgur.com/d5Wwp1E.png
January 2014, 195 lb: http://imgur.com/rpQGmHk

I do not have any pictures of me currently at 205. I didn't take many progress pics, and after 195 I just kind of stopped. Maybe I will take one in January of 2015.

Hey, if you've already got the doc visit lined up then that's the way to go.

Beastly progress by the way!

 

[CBTech]

Ok, so I'm a complete beginner to working out and looking to start. I have a problem though. I don't have a partner. Because of this I am uncomfortable with doing bench presses or any other lifting that having a partner would be good for. Currently I'm just using my apartment complex's gym, which doesn't have a bench press anyway, but has other free weights and devices I am unfamiliar with.

So, I guess my question is is there a way can I do an effective full body workout without doing bench presses, etc.?

 

[Carnby]

Hi FitnessGAF. I'd like your opinion on my workout routine.

Can I lose 40 pounds following this?

Monday - Arms, chest, stomach, back
Tuesday - 30 min running
Wednesday - legs, chest, stomach, back
Thursday - 30 min running
Friday - 30 min running

I've been following this for 6 weeks. I feel great. But I don't feel like I've lost weight. Instead I feel bulkier. Am I doing too much lifting?

 

[Matugi]

Hi FitnessGAF. I'd like your opinion on my workout routine.

Can I lose 40 pounds following this?

Monday - Arms, chest, stomach, back
Tuesday - 30 min running
Wednesday - legs, chest, stomach, back
Thursday - 30 min running
Friday - 30 min running

I've been following this for 6 weeks. I feel great. But I don't feel like I've lost weight. Instead I feel bulkier. Am I doing too much lifting?

You won't lose any weight unless your diet is in order.

 

[Zero2kz]

Ok, so I'm a complete beginner to working out and looking to start. I have a problem though. I don't have a partner. Because of this I am uncomfortable with doing bench presses or any other lifting that having a partner would be good for. Currently I'm just using my apartment complex's gym, which doesn't have a bench press anyway, but has other free weights and devices I am unfamiliar with.

So, I guess my question is is there a way can I do an effective full body workout without doing bench presses, etc.?

I would recommend getting a gym membership. In my experience, if you go solo to the gym, people are always more than willing to give you a spot if you need it. Gyms often have a surprisingly positive atmosphere and people are always willing to help each other.

If a gym membership is out of the question, you can do incline/flat/decline dumbbell presses fairly safely without spotters. Just don't go too crazy.

 

[Teggy]

I was intrigued by the channel FE posted the other day so I tried his meatloaf. I need to make some modifications to the spices, but it was pretty good:

 

[toddhunter]

I've been following this for 6 weeks. I feel great. But I don't feel like I've lost weight. Instead I feel bulkier. Am I doing too much lifting?

Besides the diet notes, are you taking photos and doing measurements? No real need to "feel" anything, you should track your progress carefully and then you will know if what you are doing is working.

Too much lifting is almost certain to not be the issue.

 

[RumblingRosco]

3x225 lbs squat form check: http://youtu.be/0eDV2yn3ZFg

Any advice greatly appreciated. As always, I'm happy to do a full deload if needed to improve my form. This was my last set for my 3s day of 5/3/1.

 

[Bowser]

Another question regarding keto - should you be limiting certain types of fatty foods? For example, it seems like avocados and full-fat cheese are made for keto with high amounts of fat and little-to-no carbs, but in the Keto Reddit FAQ, it links to this pdf which states to limit yourself to 1/2 avocado/day and 4 oz of cheese/day. Is that accurate? Seems like it'd be hard to get up to your fat intake unless you supplement with many tablespoons of olive oil/coconut oil if you impose those types of limits...

 

[Pathos]

3x225 lbs squat form check: http://youtu.be/0eDV2yn3ZFg

Any advice greatly appreciated. As always, I'm happy to do a full deload if needed to improve my form. This was my last set for my 3s day of 5/3/1.

Looking good but just a small tip, it's recommended that you just take one step back with each foot when squatting heavy. Other than that, it looks great, as far as I can tell.

Ok, so I'm a complete beginner to working out and looking to start. I have a problem though. I don't have a partner. Because of this I am uncomfortable with doing bench presses or any other lifting that having a partner would be good for. Currently I'm just using my apartment complex's gym, which doesn't have a bench press anyway, but has other free weights and devices I am unfamiliar with.

So, I guess my question is is there a way can I do an effective full body workout without doing bench presses, etc.?

Honestly, I bench without a spotter and I do fine but if you feel you need one to do bench and want an exercise to replace it, I'd recommend doing dumbell press.

 

[toddhunter]

Honestly, I bench without a spotter and I do fine but if you feel you need one to do bench and want an exercise to replace it, I'd recommend doing dumbell press.

Me too. Fear of death is my spotter and it never fails to keep me motivated.

(also after the first time I failed a press and it wasn't a big deal, I felt a lot better).

 

[Zoe]

Hi FitnessGAF. I'd like your opinion on my workout routine.

Can I lose 40 pounds following this?

Monday - Arms, chest, stomach, back
Tuesday - 30 min running
Wednesday - legs, chest, stomach, back
Thursday - 30 min running
Friday - 30 min running

I've been following this for 6 weeks. I feel great. But I don't feel like I've lost weight. Instead I feel bulkier. Am I doing too much lifting?

You're not going to lose any weight only running for 30 minutes. You either need to go longer or go shorter with HIIT.

 

[Pete Rock]

So, if you rub coconut oil on a double chocolate chunk quest bar and bake it at 275 for 10 then mix it up with chopped pecans, it tastes like gooey brownie batter right after you mix in the nuts omg. Just a little chewier. JUST a little. But otherwise it is on point.

 

[CherryWoodFuton]

Ok, so I'm a complete beginner to working out and looking to start. I have a problem though. I don't have a partner. Because of this I am uncomfortable with doing bench presses or any other lifting that having a partner would be good for. Currently I'm just using my apartment complex's gym, which doesn't have a bench press anyway, but has other free weights and devices I am unfamiliar with.

So, I guess my question is is there a way can I do an effective full body workout without doing bench presses, etc.?

You can bench in a squat rack. I do that all the time. If the squat rack isnt available the bench rack usually has a bottom hook that you can use if you fail

 

[A More Normal Bird]

Ok, so I'm a complete beginner to working out and looking to start. I have a problem though. I don't have a partner. Because of this I am uncomfortable with doing bench presses or any other lifting that having a partner would be good for. Currently I'm just using my apartment complex's gym, which doesn't have a bench press anyway, but has other free weights and devices I am unfamiliar with.

So, I guess my question is is there a way can I do an effective full body workout without doing bench presses, etc.?

As others have said you can bench without a spotter, but the good news is that if you follow a routine like that in the OP of this thread then none of the other lifts (squat, deadlift, overhead press) require a spotter.

Me too. Fear of death is my spotter and it never fails to keep me motivated.

(also after the first time I failed a press and it wasn't a big deal, I felt a lot better).

I have a friend whose motivational tactic when spotting bench is to move his hands away from the bar and tell the person lifting "you're gonna die."

 

[Jhriad]

Keto flu sounds scary and not fun lol

I had one day of feeling tired and achy but that's pretty much it.

January 2013, 335 lb: http://i.imgur.com/d5Wwp1E.png
January 2014, 195 lb: http://imgur.com/rpQGmHk

Fuck, I hope I look that good a year in. Congrats on the progress.

Another question regarding keto - should you be limiting certain types of fatty foods? For example, it seems like avocados and full-fat cheese are made for keto with high amounts of fat and little-to-no carbs, but in the Keto Reddit FAQ, it links to this pdf which states to limit yourself to 1/2 avocado/day and 4 oz of cheese/day. Is that accurate? Seems like it'd be hard to get up to your fat intake unless you supplement with many tablespoons of olive oil/coconut oil if you impose those types of limits...

Nuts, butter, bacon, butter, eggs, butter, mayo (homemade or other low carb variety), cream, and permitted oils. Enjoy that shit. I'll watch how many nuts I eat but otherwise I haven't really been limiting much. I'm not gobbling down a ton of cheese to try to get all my fat either.

 

[ILoveBish]

Another question regarding keto - should you be limiting certain types of fatty foods? For example, it seems like avocados and full-fat cheese are made for keto with high amounts of fat and little-to-no carbs, but in the Keto Reddit FAQ, it links to this pdf which states to limit yourself to 1/2 avocado/day and 4 oz of cheese/day. Is that accurate? Seems like it'd be hard to get up to your fat intake unless you supplement with many tablespoons of olive oil/coconut oil if you impose those types of limits...

I wouldn't be concerned with how much cheese and avacados you eat. My macros are 125g of fat, 180g protein, and 40g carbs, and i get 52g of fat per serving of my pizza casserole, of which i have 2 servings a day. It literally is all about the calories, keto isnt magic, but the high fat foods keep you full extremely well. To the point that now months of ketoing, i can probably do 24 hour fasts without even blinking an eye. Im just waiting for the right time to start doing those, but i usually wait 12-15 hours to eat since my last meal, just due to never being hungry and having to force myself to eat just to hit any type of macros.

Also, to my fellow EDM loving fit-gaffers, check out the weekly shows from Allen & Envy, incredible for the gym.

https://soundcloud.com/allenandenvy

Together As One is the name of the weekly mixes, sooooooo good hype music.

 

[Spiritreaver]

Uh guys, if you workout in a gym with other people you can just ask someone to spot you. I've never been turned down for a spot, and even if I did there are staff there to assist you.

If you don't have people around to spot you then I would consider alternatives.

I never lift with a partner, but always find a spotter for things like bench press.

 

[CherryWoodFuton]

Uh guys, if you workout in a gym with other people you can just ask someone to spot you. I've never been turned down for a spot, and even if I did there are staff there to assist you.

If you don't have people around to spot you then I would consider alternatives.

I never lift with a partner, but always find a spotter for things like bench press.

I would but the spotter is either: not paying the fuck attention or they touch the bar and try to help you

 

[DoktorEvil]

I would but the spotter is either: not paying the fuck attention or they touch the bar and try to help you

Or they do the lift for you instead of, you know, Spotting you.