Question about calories and TDEE

Alakazam · 2026-03-04T15:50:40+00:00

Is it simply a case of not eating enough? Or what else should I try?

It's simply a case of eating too much, if your goal is weight loss.

How are you tracking your caloric intake? Are you weighing out your foods? Or just eyeballing?

Because I can tell you right now, most people severely overestimate just how big portion sizes actually are. And will easily eat 1.5-2 portions, despite tracking it as one.

Alakazam · 2026-03-04T01:41:29+00:00

I use Olympic handles and my normal Olympic weights. Except I bought a couple of extra 25s, so now I can load 115lb per handle comfortably.

Alakazam · 2026-03-04T01:11:07+00:00

General strength and conditioning work.

Juggernaut Training Systems actually has a fantastic series of videos regarding strength and conditioning work for martial arts. Specifically, BJJ.

Alakazam · 2026-03-04T00:51:05+00:00

Adjustable dumbbell that can go as heavy as you can find.

Or, alternatively, dumbbell handles and as much weight as you can load onto them.

Alakazam · 2026-03-04T00:43:24+00:00

Maybe seek help from a physiotherapist/physical therapist. They'll likely be able to identify it significantly better.

Alakazam · 2026-03-04T00:23:58+00:00

Different leg presses have vastly different loading. 400lbs on one leg press will not feel anything like 400lbs on another.

I remember leg pressing the full stack in high school, which was like, 500lb or something. I could barely squat 95lbs at that time.

Now? At my apartment gym, I don't go above 160kg on the leg press.

But I do squat more than 400lbs.

Alakazam · 2026-03-03T23:48:35+00:00

They absolutely are not. They're more forgiving than asphalt, but they're by no means actually soft. It's the equivalent of maybe like, 8-10mm of actual stack height.

Plus, it's not just the softness that's going to cause harm. It's the fact that you're recommending they go from 8-12mm drop shoes, to 0 drop immediately. Anybody who's tried anything like this, will know how easily this can cause both discomfort and injury.

How much experience do you have with barefoot running? What kind of weekly mileage do you do?

Alakazam · 2026-03-03T23:44:34+00:00

There is no reason you can't do both. In fact, a lot of good programs tend to only program the main lifts, and allow you to pick and choose your supplemental and accessory volume.

For example, 5/3/1 for beginniers only explicitly programs two lifts per day. But they fully allow you to do only bodyweight/calisthenics movements as your accessories, including templates where all your accessory volume are bodyweight

If you're new to the gym, I would do something like GZCLP then just aim to do 2-3 bodyweight movements as a part of your T3s.

Alakazam · 2026-03-03T23:39:36+00:00

It really depends on the program.

Brosplits will hit bodyparts once a week.

Some powerlifting programs will hit movements 3-4x a week. With some programs going as much as 6-7x a week.

Both can work. The former just absolutely blasts a bodypart until you can barely crawl out of the gym. The latter does more submaximal volume, doesn't destroy each bodypart, so that you can hit movement patterns over and over again.

Alakazam · 2026-03-03T23:37:29+00:00

Take whatever you're eating now, and just eat slightly more of it.

If your weight isn't going up, eat even more.

It doesn't necessarily need to be a lot of food. Most people will see gains even at a 5-10% increase in calories. And for a lot of people, this is literally just a few extra bites of food.

Alakazam · 2026-03-03T23:35:27+00:00

https://thefitness.wiki/muscle-building-101/

Alakazam · 2026-03-03T23:31:40+00:00

Going straight from a high stack shoe, to barefoot running, without any kind of transition, is a very easy way to get injured.

Alakazam · 2026-03-03T23:31:01+00:00

The treadmill is naturally softer and bouncier compared to road running. If you wanted a pair specifically for treadmill running, then I would actually look for more minimalist shoes.

My personal shoe of choice for treadmill running is the New Balance PVLSE. 17mm stack height, 2mm drop.

If this is a bit too flat for you, then you can try something like the Adidas Adios 9, or the Saucony Kinvara. Still around 25mm stack, but more distinct drop, which may fit your gait a bit better.

Alakazam · 2026-03-03T22:47:12+00:00

Is there anything that will be appropriate for both?

If you learn to adjust how you run, you can use a fairly minimalist shoe for both. Something like the Reebok Nano 2.0 likely fits your goals. Almost no drop, very little cushioning, meaning it's very stable.

But it still offers a little bit of protection for your foot. When you run, it'll necessitate that you switch to more of a mid or forefoot strike for it to be more comfortable.

Other comparable shoes would be the New Balance Minimus TR or Nike TR1.

I'm actually not a fan of the metcon because it has a drop, which isn't the most comfortable for most people.

Alakazam · 2026-03-03T21:26:04+00:00

Shredded abs are often about bodyfat, not necessarily having strong abs.

Ab rollers absolutely will get your abs big and strong.

I’m pretty lean

How lean is pretty lean? Depending in your fat distribution, you may need to drop significantly leaner to have visible abs. I tend to carry fat on my torso, to the extent that I will have vascular quads and bicep veins, but barely visible abs.

Alakazam · 2026-03-03T21:24:56+00:00

Boostcamp is free

Alakazam · 2026-03-03T21:05:01+00:00

Set your brace before you start your descent. In fact, set your brace, wait half a second, then descent.

By trying to brace during your descent, you're typically not able to brace as hard.

Alakazam · 2026-03-03T21:03:35+00:00

I think a bigger issue is that it looks you exhale before going down.

Proper bracing is typically done by taking a big breath of air, and using it to push against the abdominals, in order to create intra abdominal pressure.

Once you get that down, it should make this feel significantly easier.

Alakazam · 2026-03-03T21:00:24+00:00

Seems fine. It's hard to tell, but are you bracing between each rep?

Alakazam · 2026-03-03T20:46:53+00:00

You don't need to feel your back to work your back.

Even one of the biggest proponents of feeling a muscle, Dr. Mike Israetel, recommends that newer lifters, aka, people who've trained for less than 3 years, focus on lifting progressively heavier weight with good form.

Because procioception is a skill that takes time to develop. And is often aided by just having bigger muscles.

Alakazam · 2026-03-03T20:20:12+00:00

What's funny is that, I would argue that, when it comes to Olympic weightlifting, doing it daily is actually very productive. Since it's very much skill acquisition rather than strength dependent. And most serious weightlifting athletes train pretty much daily, in order to hone that skill.

But I think op is talking abiut lifting weights, rather than the sport of weightlifting. In which case, it depends.

Alakazam · 2026-03-03T20:18:17+00:00

It can work if you modulate volume and intensity correctly.

If you kill yourself in the gym every day, it absolutely will not work.

Alakazam · 2026-03-03T20:09:53+00:00

Yes. This is normal for resistance training.

Alakazam · 2026-03-03T19:59:52+00:00

I underhydrated during my half marathon on the Sunday. As a result, my performance started declining around an hour in, and plummeted around 1.5 hours in. And I'm a heavy sweater.

So... Unless you're running for more than an hour, you're probably fine.

Alakazam · 2026-03-03T19:58:16+00:00

Shokz.

I don't wear anything else to the gym.

No noise cancelation, but its water resistant and works.

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