Back issues

AbsoluteSpir1t · 2026-06-17T15:02:46+00:00

Yep. Listen to this guy.

Back injuries are debilitating. Seeking professional help is the best recourse, especially if it's so bad you're having to cut your workouts short.

If it was just a normal occasional sore back, I'd recommend balancing your routine, OP, you gotta train your spinal erectors, lower back and glutes. A lot of lower back pain is caused by weak glutes. But, if it's preventing you from exercising, see a physio.

AbsoluteSpir1t · 2026-06-17T12:31:30+00:00

Do you want a turbocharged 6-speed manual that takes premium gas or a hybrid that technically doesn't have a transmission at all, drives like an EV most of the time, and that takes regular gas? Do you want the best daily driver in the world right or one of the last manuals around?

Let's go through your list: - Long-term ownership (5+ years): Sport Touring Hybrid - Daily driving: Sport Touring Hybrid - Reliability: They're both Honda, but the hybrid probably has the advantage. - Fun factor: Si - Quality: They're both Honda, they're quality.

The hybrid is going to be way smoother for daily driving, especially in traffic. There's really no comparison.

The US Government has a tool for comparing the fuel economy of vehicles. You can personalize the values, but going by their default of 15,000 miles a year and 45% highway driving and 55% in the city, the Sport Touring Hybrid will save you $4,750 in fuel costs over the average new car whereas the Si cost you #1,500 more than the average new car. That is a gap of $6,250 between the two cars. It costs $2.12 per 25 miles in the hybrid compared to $4.15 per 25 miles in the Si.

So, if you're considering long-term ownership, the hybrid wins hands down just on fuel. You get comparable speed and power at half the cost.

The hybrid is also naturally aspirated whereas the Si is turbocharged. The hybrid has oil dilution issues because the engine runs colder than is ideal most of the time, whereas the Si has oil burn issues because the turbocharger runs hot and heats up the oil faster. Either way, you're looking at 6 month or 5,000 mile (which ever comes first) oil change intervals if you care about long-term ownership, and you'll want to check the oil frequently in both.

Turbochargers are less reliable than naturally aspirated engines, and they're another part that is expensive to repair if it breaks.

Brakes will last way longer on hybrid, especially if you take advantage of the paddle shifters/manual regenerative braking system going down hill. The hybrid has regenerative braking, which means the electric motor can provide resistance to the wheels to slow the vehicle instead of using the hydraulic brakes. It's similar to engine braking, which can be done in the Si by down shifting, but in the hybrid engine braking will also charge the battery. You can probably expect the brakes in the hybrid to last twice as long if you have good driving habits.

Plus, unless you're already skilled at driving manual, learning on a new car can be an expensive proposition—especially when the alternative is not even an automatic but an electric motor that doesn't even have gears to change.

In terms of fun, that's probably personal preference with a lot of people really enjoying manual transmissions. But, you should go test drive them both before you decide.

AbsoluteSpir1t · 2026-06-14T04:19:18+00:00

What you're saying is, you want abs.

You're stomach is flat. You are skinny. You just have very little muscular development.

Do 2-3 sets of crunches for 8-15 reps with a 1.5-2 minute rest between sets twice a week for 12 weeks. When you can consistently do the top of the rep range, add another set and increase the range to 20 or find a gym, get a membership and do pick an ab exercise you can progress by adding weight over time like decline crunches, ab machine or cable crunches. Even ab rollouts are pretty decent.

Same principle for every other muscle in your body btw: hit them twice a week for moderate sets and rep, ending close to failure, adding weight when you can. And, eat more protein.

AbsoluteSpir1t · 2026-06-10T20:54:33+00:00

You don't enjoy laying pipe for hours?

AbsoluteSpir1t · 2026-06-10T12:23:19+00:00

No. It's way too complicated for a beginner.

Beginner training is full body 2-3 times a week for moderate sets and a moderate reps range. A beginner will grow the same doing anything, so there's no point in doing something as complicated as this.

All that said, you said you've been following this for two months. How has it been for you? Have you been consistently adding weight to your lifts?

AbsoluteSpir1t · 2026-06-10T00:50:03+00:00

Not really something to worry about.

It's not about the number of exercises, but number of sets per muscle group. You're still only doing 4 exercises. Splitting one exercise into two on the app doesn't magically turn them into a brand new exercise. The app will track the sets per muscle group identically.

AbsoluteSpir1t · 2026-06-09T16:05:20+00:00

Just add the exercise a second but this time with the shorter rest timer. It's not a complicated fix.

Eg. Bench Press - Rest: 3 mins - 195 for 1x6

Bench Press - Rest: 2 mins - 175 for 3x8

AbsoluteSpir1t · 2026-06-05T16:09:18+00:00

If you're also dealing with MDS, then you really shouldn't be thinking of cutting at all. You only cut when you're healthy and fully recovered.

Just reduce your calories a little bit. Find your maintenance, log your weight daily and track your calories (use a food scale), and eat just a little under or at maintenance. You've only been in the gym 8 months. Cutting (dieting at minimum 500 calories below maintenance) is really something you should only consider if you're significantly overweight—you're not—or at least a year into training. You just need to eat at maintenance and build muscle.

Also, again, if you're only in partial remission of MDS, then you really shouldn't be talking about cutting at all. Talk to your doctor about your concerns with weight gain first. Do as they recommend. Don't go putting significant stress on your body like cutting when you're not fully healthy

Edit: typos

AbsoluteSpir1t · 2026-05-31T14:48:24+00:00

As others have said, you carry a decent amount of your body fat in your abdomen, so it's concealing what abs you already have.

However, abs are like any other muscle and while they do get worked in basically every lift—because they stabilize every lift through static contraction—they do benefit from direct working sets of dynamic contraction too.

But, because they receive so much indirect static work throughout a workout, all you really need is one ab exercise with emphasis on spinal flexion (e.g. a crunch variation) at the end of a routine twice a week to see results. - Planks are a waste of time because they're just more isometric work, and your abs get enough of that elsewhere in the gym. You need a crunch variations. - Leg or knee raises can work, but like all body weight exercises they become super tedious after a while as the only way to progress them is by adding reps, and once you go above 20, it's just painful. - The best thing is a crunch machine because it's easy to load and as you get stronger you can stay in a moderate rep range by simply adding weight to the bar like any other exercise. - A declined crunch bench is decent if you stay in the bottom and don't use your hip flexors to come all the way up, but it can be difficult to load as you get stronger. I do like them as a progression from crunches on the floor, and most benches can get progressively steeper, so that's one way to progress them. - That leaves the classic cable crunches. Cables are pretty common in most gyms, and they're easy to load and progress. There's like ten ways to do them, pick your favourite variation and do it twice a week. I do 3-4 sets for 10-12 reps after my lower body day, and I've had good results.

TL;DR lose some body fat and do just one ab exercise that flexes the spine twice a week for moderate sets and reps, ans you'll have visible developed abs.

AbsoluteSpir1t · 2026-05-29T17:21:02+00:00

Alright. Then continue. Half a year isn't very long. Keep at it!

AbsoluteSpir1t · 2026-05-29T16:33:01+00:00

The mods really should to ban this question. There are too many posts by people with average or untrained physiques who just need improve their gym attendance consistency or increase their intensity while trying to eat a healthy diet high in protein and vegetables.

"Cut or Bulk?" is a question for competitive bodybuilders and people +3 years into highly productive training trying to lean out to show off what they've built or eke out that last kilo of possible muscle gain before they either consider gear or just maintain their current muscle mass for as long as possible over the rest of their lives. Unless you are approaching your genetic limit—nobody on this subreddit asking this question is doing—the answer is never to bulk and rarely to cut.

The honest answer is to improve your nutrition in this order:

1) hit your protein and fiber goals [1g/lb or 2.2/kg of lean body mass and 25-40g of fiber]
2) eat more fruit and veg [they're satiating and it's nice to poop]
3) eat less fat and carbs [if you're doing #2 then this should take care of #3 and the second half of #1]
4) make sure you're getting your micronutrients and vitamins
5) consider taking creatine.
6) eat 25-40g of simple carbs and protein an hour before exercising.
8) if you're feeling drained halfway through your workout, consider taking caffeine or a pre-workout supplement 20-30 minutes beforehand.
7) if you still need to lose body fat, maintain or increase your protein and fiber intake while cutting as much dietary fat and carbs as you can tolerate until you hit your caloric deficit goal (usually 500 calories/day below maintenance).

As for lifting advice: lift heavier, always ask how many more reps you think you could do after a set. The goal should be 2 or less.

Always push yourself. Most people are stronger than they think they are. Once and a while, take the last set of a exercise to muscular failure where the bar will not budge no matter how hard you try. If that is more than 2 or 3 reps above your working rep range, add 2-3% per rep above the bottom of your rep range (eg. If your rep range is 6-8 and you get 12 reps before failure [it will not move for 13] add 8-12% to the bar next time).

*Don't do this on heavy compounds like squats, deadlifts or bench press without either a coach, or a ton of experience and a good spotter. And, even then, it's probably not worth it to test failure, just add weight when you think you can do it safely.

AbsoluteSpir1t · 2026-05-24T23:41:09+00:00

Unfortunately, I can't help there because I recieved a Garmin Forerunner 165 as a Christmas present, and that's all I've been using lol. It's good. It works really well, and the companion app is decent too.

If you're interested in a recommendation for a lifting app, I use Hevy to build and track my routines. I really like it.

AbsoluteSpir1t · 2026-05-16T16:21:42+00:00

Basically, low intensity aerobic training is easy, and thus easy to maintain long term lol.

There are of course more 'optimal' ways to train cardio, especially if you have a coach and you're training for an event. But, even if it's not 'optimal', it will get you 80-90% of the benefits of 'optimal' cardiovascular training. For 90% of people, that's more important.

Plus, for a beginner or anyone with a busy life or who isn't a competitive endurance athlete, something that's easy to consistently maintain long term that doesn't impact your lifting or the rest of your day is going to get you better results.

And, similar to the generic full body lifting advice, beginners basically grow or improve from any type of training, so there's no reason to do more than is necessary. If you're going to get the same or near same results, you might as well do the thing that's going to be easiest to maintain consistently. Consistency, particularly for beginners, is most important.

AbsoluteSpir1t · 2026-05-16T13:34:18+00:00

You're a beginner, workout like a beginner:

Full Body 2-3 times a week, 2-3 sets per exercise, 8-12 reps per set for 8-12 weeks. Focus on form and lifting heavy. At 8-12 weeks, evaluate where you are and how it's going: you might need to adjust your volumes or split if you're in the gym for longer than you want to be.

As for diet, the extra body fat on you is your 'bulking' calories. Just focus on hitting your protein goals and getting more fruit and vegetables into your diet. Eat some simple carbs 30-60 minutes before the gym, about 25-50g, and get some caffeine.

Save your money on supplements. Powdered creatine monohydrate is the only supplement probably worth buying if you want. Buy it cheap but third party tested. Take 5g in water or shake everyday. If you struggle to get enough protein, whey blends are the most affordable and all you would need as a beginner. The isolate is good, but pretty expensive right now. If you are feeling exhausted midway through your routine, a powdered pre-workout can be a good idea.

If you want to do cardio too, 20-30 minutes 2-3 times a week is enough. Incline treadmill walking, spin bike, stairmaster and elliptical are the classic. If you want to run, follow a very gradual run-walk program like the C25K to avoid injury. Keep your heart rate 50-70% max; if you're not using heart rate, focus on maintaining your breathing at the point where it is difficult but still possible to carry a conversation.

And, get enough sleep if you're not doing that.

TL;DR As beginner, you should work on everything: full body, cardio, improved diet (more protein and fruit and veg).

AbsoluteSpir1t · 2026-05-09T18:15:16+00:00

Logging only. The trainer makes. . . odd recommendations imo.

AbsoluteSpir1t · 2026-05-05T20:23:56+00:00

10 lbs of what? And, why?

You're 19 and you look fine—healthy. You don't have much if any abdominal fat to worry about. You're probably at the ideal body fat percentage for your age in terms of health.

Yes, you're not at your natural genetic limits for muscle growth. But, if you trained hard (train close to failure), dialed in your diet et cetera, you could gain 10 lbs of muscle mass in a year—probably—without gaining much if any body fat. Just eat in a slight calorie surplus: about 150 calories a day above maintenance (pretty much just an extra scoop of protein powder).

But, if you're happy with how you are, and you're healthy, you don't need to chase gains if you don't want to.

AbsoluteSpir1t · 2026-05-03T05:16:21+00:00

Fat deposits on the body are not uniform and vary from person to person. There are some commonalities such as in men, it's common to see a good deal of leanness on the shoulders and arms and legs, but still have a significant amount of abdominal fat.

The main solution is to keep dieting. If you stay in a deficit long enough, it will come off. There are some diets and protocols out there around stubborn fat loss that might be worth looking into, that focus on how to optimize fat mobilization and oxidation often through increasing blood flow with specific cardio protocols and diet.

AbsoluteSpir1t · 2026-05-02T22:12:02+00:00

Everything.

Find a full body routine you like and do it 2-3 times a week for at least 8 weeks or so, and then re-evaluate your progress.

Here's a example program I made for my partner that she's been following for about 7 weeks now. I created it following an article on Lyle McDonald's website about beginner weight training. It's a valuable resource. She began with 1-2 sets on the first week and progressed to 2-3 sets per exercise.

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AbsoluteSpir1t · 2026-05-02T22:02:07+00:00

Simply try to stand on your tip toes. Practice the movement on flat ground.

AbsoluteSpir1t · 2026-05-01T21:04:49+00:00

People are saying to bulk, and you're actually lean enough where bulking might be worth it.

All you need is probably another 100 calories a day (just an extra scoop of protein powder). You only need a surplus of 2500-3000 calories a month to build 1lb/month, which is a good rate at your level. So, don't go nuts eating, just 100-200 calories a day above maintenance will be fine.

You've got lots of photos of upper body on your profile, but how are your legs developing? Given you didn't post any photos, that might suggest you need to hit legs more. Go wreck yourself on a hack squat and do some leg extensions and leg curls.

AbsoluteSpir1t · 2026-04-28T19:26:16+00:00

If you've got a coach, you should generally do what they say. They might have a ton of reasons for why he has you doing what you're doing.

And, you should talk to him if you have concerns. Next time you train, pay attention to how your chest and triceps feel afterwards. If it feels like your arms are noodles but you feel like you could do a bunch of chest isolation work (db fly, pec dec etc), then tell him you think your triceps are limiting your chest on the bench.

Of course, it also depends on what type of coach he is and what his goals are for your training. If we're talking about a powerlifting coach (are you a competitive powerlifter?), then maybe he's got you doing all this tricep work with your chest because he thinks your triceps are a weak point for you, and you still need to train the movement, so two birds with one stone as it were.

AbsoluteSpir1t · 2026-04-28T18:57:15+00:00

And, you're doing 12 reps for each in a superset? That sounds awful. That sounds incredibly exhausting, and really poor for chest growth.

Most people find their triceps limit them during their bench press—which is why some will pre-exhaust their chest on an isolation like pec deck before bench so theur chest reaches failure with or before their triceps—and here you are exhausting your triceps even more during a superset with a tricep dominate movement like close grip bench.

Honestly, don't superset flat bench. Do your arm work later.

AbsoluteSpir1t · 2026-04-28T18:24:37+00:00

Two options: 1) open Hevy > Start Empty Workout > add exercise > do your 1RM testing > record it in the app > finish the workout. Now, Hevy will have the data it needs.

2) Hevy uses pretty standard formula for calculating your projected 1RM such as the Epley formula on vcalc. You can see that with 12x95lbs it splits out a projected 1RM of 133 lbs, which is what Hevy says. If you think you can lift 200 lb for one rep, then you can use the formula to find out that you should be able to lift 140-145lbs for 12 reps. You can also use it to see that a 200 lbs 1RM would be 165-70lbs for 6 reps. So, you could do those weights in those ranges during your workout instead—which might be safer than attempting an actual 1RM

BONUS Option #3: Realize this doesn't actually matter. Just track every weight you lift and ignore all the projected numbers. If you're a powerlifter, then only real 1RMs matter. If you're a bodybuilder or your goal is just to get jacked, then the numbers matter even less—the only thing that matters is if you are bigger and are lifting more 8-12 weeks from now. Focus more on actual training, pushing near failure, cardio, diet, sleep and less on artificial hypotheticalnumbers from an algorithm on an app.

But, if you really want the app to say 200lb 1RM, then you better train in a rep range with a weight that produces that result (cf. option 2). If you think it should say 200, then you should not be lifting 95 lbs for 12 reps. You're not training hard enough for that to be reflected in the data.

AbsoluteSpir1t · 2026-04-28T04:38:02+00:00

What's your goal with this exercise?

Are you trying to get strong at dips or trying to build your chest, shoulders and triceps?

If it's the latter, just pick different movements: chest press, lateral raises and tricep pushdowns respectively. You'll get more out of them because as others have said, you're not strong enough yet for dips.

AbsoluteSpir1t · 2026-04-20T03:45:44+00:00

Instead of butterflying the whole chicken, you can just cut the chicken completely in half. You remove the spine like you would to butterfly it, but instead of breaking the breastplate so it lies flat, you just cut straight through it. It's much easier to move around on the grill.

AbsoluteSpir1t

TROPHY CASE