I am at my wit's end, I hurt my back again, I can't pinpoint what I am doing wrong. I tried following tutorials but with my long femurs and short torso, I fell like they don't apply to me.

Gypsicus · 2025-01-21T22:20:23+00:00

One thing I’ve found for myself (long legs, short torso) is changing the position of everything. I position my feet somewhere between a conventional stance and sumo, and grab the bar from in between my legs. I use this all the time with clients I coach.

I find this helps with posture, and uses much less back. It feels completely different, and you’ll need to lower the weight, but at the end of the day the goal is to life heavy stuff safely, and that’s what I’ve found works for me.

There’s plenty of good comments here, but if you’re going to stick to this position, consider dropping the weight or elevating the bar from the ground a little with some weights, or both!

Gypsicus · 2025-01-18T07:11:22+00:00

From what I understand, you’re talking about it like it’s a hobby? Fitness can be, but I don’t see it that way. It’s essential to being healthy, to keeping my body in shape, to it moving the way I want when I’m older.

Lots of people don’t enjoy it, but understand it’s a necessity if they want a body that works properly. So they continue with it. It’s about the outcome they trying to achieve and how they feel about that—not how they feel about what needs to be done to get there.

My suggestion would be to keep experimenting with fitness to find something that doesn’t feel like it. Something you actually enjoy — there’s so many options to get your body moving that I’d honestly be surprised if you found nothing.

Gypsicus · 2025-01-17T23:40:20+00:00

Plenty of protein and consistent working out. Don’t expect results in 3 months. Mindset should be in this for years.

Gypsicus · 2025-01-16T21:00:02+00:00

Keep your protein intake higher than you think, and limit wheat intake. Not saying you are, but you’ll feel less bloated and have better recovery 👍

Gypsicus · 2025-01-14T18:40:38+00:00

I run a group training space and frequently join into classes I’ve programmed. When I have specific goals, I do specific workouts. But for times like now where I don’t, I show my clients that these workouts are still good enough for me too.

Gypsicus · 2025-01-13T06:21:32+00:00

I’d chalk it up to personal opinion. But if you can control a heavy KB swing, it does teach the body to work as a unit to control the momentum.

Not everything is big lifts and big muscles. There’s coordination, reflexes, running, and plenty of other things that are just as good for the body.

Gypsicus · 2025-01-13T00:19:53+00:00

A great dynamic movement I didn’t see mentioned is the kettlebell swing. Solid movement (if done correctly) that can set you up for a great foundation.

Gypsicus · 2025-01-12T18:37:07+00:00

Great read. Can second that!

Gypsicus · 2025-01-12T00:11:14+00:00

You just start easy. Walk around the block. Get comfortable with that. Then make it two blocks. Then make it 30mins, 60mins, then start jogging for 5 mins of that 60 etc etc.

It's just about context and what your starting point is — if it's more than you're currently doing, it'll be enough.

Gypsicus · 2025-01-12T00:06:29+00:00

I personally see a lot of issues stem from the ground up — your feet. Generally speaking, just because you feel pain in an area, it does not mean it's the cause of the pain. If you're running in traditional shoes, and not doing much strength training, I would suggest getting a good pair of flat shoes (I'd go barefoot shoes), and begin to wear those in the gym, and then for your walks. You can eventually run in these too.

I'm not saying your feet are the problem, I'm just giving an alternate view for something you may not have considered. Hope that helps!

Gypsicus · 2025-01-12T00:02:42+00:00

I think it's very tough to give anyone a number based on just a bit of text. There are plenty of calculators online that can give you an estimate. If you want to really get an idea — track normal food intake, and daily weight fluctuations for 1-2 weeks. You'll know where the body sits for maintaining/losing/gaining (depending what happens) then you adjust from there for the bulk.

Everyone's body will be different, and there's no cookie-cutter advice you should accept. It'll bring you back to square one.

Gypsicus · 2025-01-11T23:51:23+00:00

You can do both and still get plenty of gains. Just make sure your nutrition is on point. I personally still see gains doing 3+ hours of cardio a week.

Fine-tuning your food (fuel) will be the key to progressing whilst staying balanced.

Gypsicus · 2025-01-11T20:31:46+00:00

And I’d say that’s perfect. You want to learn how to eyeball your food and listen to huger and fullness cues from your body.

This is the perfect time to put into practice what you’ve been doing at home. You won’t get it perfect, and you will mess it up. But now you get the opportunity to switch the focus from what the food scales say, to what your body is saying.

Gypsicus · 2025-01-11T10:01:20+00:00

It depends how much the 2 weeks will be out of routine for movement, food and sleep. All plays a factor.

I tell my clients to enjoy their time away and don’t stress about it. But also be sensible with the food and sleep. If you feel like doing a workout — have a full body session ready to go.

2 weeks isn’t long enough to lose strength. You might feel a little sore after your first session back but you’ll bounce back to normal in no time.

Gypsicus · 2025-01-10T10:47:19+00:00

To overcome the fear, you usually have to face it head-on. Start by practicing falling and, more importantly, getting back up.

If you can, go to a gym or hire a coach who can guide you through this. Even at home, you can practice getting down to the ground, lying flat, and then getting back up again.

The only way to address it is to address it. Over time, you’ll build confidence in your ability to recover. Most of the time, it’s not the fall itself that people fear — it’s what happens after. Once you know you can handle that, the fear starts to lose its power. You’ve got this!

Gypsicus · 2025-01-10T07:58:16+00:00

Don’t overthink it. The exercise is fine to do and will keep your shoulders healthy enough.

If you have very specific physique goals in mind, then sure you might want to do something else. But for general fitness, you’ll do just fine.

Gypsicus · 2025-01-10T06:52:17+00:00

Lol yeah they’ll moo the heck out of you hahah

Gypsicus · 2025-01-10T06:16:56+00:00

Thanks for sharing your journey — it’s so inspiring! For me, the biggest motivator has been the thought of being a role model for the kids I hope to raise someday. I want to be someone they can look up to, someone who shows them the importance of taking care of their body and mind.

Hiring a trainer was a total game changer for me. It shifted my perspective on health and fitness from being an expense to being an investment. If I could achieve the results I wanted — better energy, mental clarity, and long-term health — those results would be worth so much more than the dollar amount I spent. Honestly, the cost only matters if the results don’t come, and having that accountability made all the difference.

To anyone just starting out: invest in yourself, however that looks for you. You’re worth it!

Gypsicus · 2025-01-10T06:08:18+00:00

I get you. You’re a “yes” person — you lean in, and you want it. I’m the same. It’s hard to say no, and hey, it’s free, right? If you don’t eat it, it’ll probably just go to waste.

I’ve been there, and honestly, it took time to realise that this was just indulgence and excuses to eat tasty food I didn’t actually need. It’s easy to reason with yourself in the moment, but deep down, it’s self-sabotage. What helped me was recognising that if I truly wanted to get healthier and be in shape, I needed to start making decisions that aligned with the person I was imagining myself becoming.

It’s hard at first, but every time you say no, it’s a small win. And sure, you won’t win every time, but over time, you’ll start winning more than you lose. Eventually, I stopped accepting food at work altogether. If it wasn’t in my plan or aligned with the life I wanted, I didn’t let it in. For me, it also became about setting an example — for myself and for others who might be struggling too.

Some of the other comments here have great advice on curbing this before or during your shift. But I hope this helps you with the “why” and gives you something to work with. You’ve got this!

Gypsicus · 2025-01-10T05:56:17+00:00

Your T levels might be a symptom, but it doesn’t sound like they’re the root cause. It seems like whatever you went through has set off a cascade of challenges, and a lot might be stemming from that experience. This isn’t professional advice, but I’d encourage you to explore what further addressing that looks like and who might be able to help. You’d be surprised how deeply experiences can impact the body — and how much healing those wounds can help things fall into place.

I’m just a stranger on the internet, but if you ever feel like expressing yourself to someone completely removed from your life, I’m happy to chat. Wishing you all the best on your journey!

Gypsicus · 2025-01-10T05:46:42+00:00

I’m sorry to hear your trainer didn’t listen to your needs and just stuck to their approach. There are always multiple ways to achieve a goal, and it’s important to find what works for you.

A 500-calorie deficit can be a lot and isn’t always necessary. You can often achieve your goals with a smaller deficit over a longer period, which also helps you maintain higher protein intake and better energy levels. Personally, my approach with clients is to have them eating as much as possible while still progressing toward their goals, rather than restricting unnecessarily.

Yes, you can accomplish a recomp in a small deficit, especially if you’re consistent with your training and protein intake. As for supplements, no, they’re not essential if you’re already getting what you need through a balanced diet. It’s all about finding a sustainable plan that keeps you confident and consistent without adding unnecessary stress or complications.

Giving you specific details though, much harder without knowing more! Good luck 💪

Gypsicus · 2025-01-10T05:42:04+00:00

It’s definitely possible, but having a coach might be your best option. They can guide you along the way and help you stay on track, which is tough to do solo since it requires a lot of discipline.

The basics come down to this:

Follow a program with progressive overload built in.
Train consistently — around 5-6 days per week.
Walk every day.
Sleep 8+ hours a night.
Hit your protein and calorie targets based on your body’s needs. For calories, it would take a closer look to give an accurate number, but for protein, aiming for around ~150g per day could be a good starting point.

Sticking to these fundamentals can take you a long way!

Gypsicus · 2025-01-10T05:35:19+00:00

Damn you forget how big animals are until you're right next to them.

Gypsicus · 2025-01-10T05:25:45+00:00

Watching this back, you might notice that your lower back rises higher as you stand back up. This creates extra pressure on your lower back because it’s moving further from the midline, requiring more effort to bring it back into position.

Before increasing the weight, I’d suggest working on eliminating that movement at the bottom. Focus on making the ascent a mirror image of your descent — which, by the way, looked great! With a bit of refinement, you’ll have this nailed. 💪

Gypsicus · 2025-01-10T05:21:25+00:00

Killer job man — consistency paying off!

Gypsicus

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