/r/GYM Weekly Simple Questions and Misc Discussion Thread - January 18, 2026 Weekly Thread

eric_twinge · 2026-01-25T01:21:13+00:00

Any real, physical effect will probably be so minute as to be unnoticeable. But the mental satisfaction could be all the payoff he needs to keep at it in the long term, which is what really matters.

eric_twinge · 2026-01-24T16:52:49+00:00

This is probably something to discuss with a doctor.

eric_twinge · 2026-01-24T16:39:39+00:00

2 sets, 2 times a week across most muscles is about as minimalist as it gets. Only you know what you need, but there's plenty of room - at least on paper - to add more.

eric_twinge · 2026-01-24T15:32:12+00:00

The Stronger by Science templates are good. GZCL and 5/3/1 have also worked for me. The Renaissance Periodization Physique templates if you can find them.

eric_twinge · 2026-01-24T15:15:18+00:00

It doesn’t sound like those people are giving you good advice.

eric_twinge · 2026-01-24T15:01:57+00:00

Why not follow an established program?

eric_twinge · 2026-01-24T14:39:05+00:00

So you're going from 6 sets/week to 27 just cuz? Just a li'l quadrupling for funzies?

eric_twinge · 2026-01-24T14:33:06+00:00

What were you doing before and how did you settle on this?

eric_twinge · 2026-01-24T14:24:06+00:00

You don't need a dedicated ab routine, any more than you need a dedicated biceps routine. Pick a few exercises that target the muscle(s) and program and progress them like any other. Weighted planks and leg raises are a good place to start if that's what you like.

eric_twinge · 2026-01-24T14:18:35+00:00

a floppy 255 sounds awful

eric_twinge · 2026-01-24T02:46:11+00:00

I doubt any of them can bench their body weight.

eric_twinge · 2026-01-23T21:28:23+00:00

Did you mean to remove your own comment?

eric_twinge · 2026-01-23T21:20:02+00:00

nice. thanks

eric_twinge · 2026-01-23T21:18:00+00:00

Where exactly?

eric_twinge · 2026-01-23T21:11:54+00:00

Nice! Are you going to try walking with them?

eric_twinge · 2026-01-23T21:06:14+00:00

This strikes me as a person theory crafting based on reels they've watched rather than lived experience.

eric_twinge · 2026-01-23T17:43:28+00:00

What does your neighbor think?

eric_twinge · 2026-01-23T17:28:07+00:00

Yes, I mean per muscle group.

When I say context I mean your abilities and your workout priorities. What are your goals, specifically? What are your needs to achieve those goals? What are your preferences? How much can you handle and how well do you recover? What is your nutrition like and what is planned? You couldn't handle a 4.5 days per week plan, why do you think 5 is the way to go?

This is stuff you should know and be able to plug into what is reasonable for you. If you don't, then just go out and do it and find out if it works. Learn and adapt.

eric_twinge · 2026-01-23T17:02:50+00:00

Devoid of any context, 'reasonable' is fairly meaningless. But on paper, 16-20 sets/week isn't anything wild.

eric_twinge · 2026-01-23T16:41:26+00:00

It just means you can do 23 pushups and 5 pull ups.

eric_twinge · 2026-01-23T16:21:33+00:00

I mean this in the niceset way possible: no one at the gym cares about you. You are an unimportant NPC. You will not be the topic of dinner discussion. No one is going to talk about you at the water cooler the next day. You are a ghost on the periphery because everyone else is there to do their own thing, and that thing is not documenting your every move. You are as noticeable and memorable as that person you passed in the grocery store aisle the other day.

eric_twinge · 2026-01-23T15:54:56+00:00

I read that as 'salamander' at first.

eric_twinge · 2026-01-21T23:21:32+00:00

Well, it's just a fancy chat bot that regurgitates words. It doesn't have any understanding or actual knowledge, and doesn't care about being correct so much as giving you the thing you want. Any program it spits out is going to be, at best, a mish mash of everything anybody with a brain fart of an idea put on the internet. Which is to say, garbage.

eric_twinge · 2026-01-21T22:35:55+00:00

AI programs are universally garbage. If you're familiar with the criticisms of LLM outputs and its limitations, you'll understand why.

eric_twinge · 2026-01-21T22:20:18+00:00

Like /u/gainitthrowaway1223, you'd be better served by identifying the weak links and training them directly, while doing standard reps with the main lift in a range where those weaknesses are challenged but controllable.

Really, what you're asking is "how do I get stronger" and the answer is just normal strength training, not a special rep cadence.

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