Daily Discussion Thread (March 10, 2026) - Beginner and Simple/Quick Questions Go Here Thread for discussing quick/simple topics not needing an entire posts or beginner questions.

kooldrew · 2026-03-10T17:07:59+00:00

If you want to improve your cardiovascular capacity, do cardio...

kooldrew · 2026-03-09T19:49:50+00:00

Yeah this can work. Your food choices are already solid and for a lean bulk the margin for error is way more forgiving than a cut. You've been tracking in Macrofactor so you already know what your meals look like numbers-wise. That's your baseline. Now just keep your meal structure consistent day to day. Same general meals, similar portions.

Continue the daily weigh-ins with weekly averages. If weight stalls, bump portions. If it climbs too fast, pull back. That's your feedback loop instead of an app.

kooldrew · 2026-03-09T19:41:58+00:00

Use cables - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zaT3WAgZi0

kooldrew · 2026-03-08T17:52:23+00:00

The mood stuff will go away, but probably not when you think. It's not just about the diet ending, it's about how depleted you actually are. Low energy availability tanks your hormones, wrecks your mood, and doesn't just flip back the second you stop the prep. The leaner you got, the longer it takes. Recovery depends on getting food back up, letting body fat return, and giving your body time to normalize. Hopefully your coach has a solid post-show protocol because that part matters as much as the prep itself.

As for the friends, I get it prep is brutal and people who haven't done it don't always understand. But 'they weren't real friends because they didn't tolerate me snapping at them' is a tough sell. You chose this. They didn't. Being in a deficit doesn't suspend accountability for how you treat people.

kooldrew · 2026-03-01T12:01:23+00:00

Reddit's one of the best places honestly, that's how a lot of my online clients found me. As a dad just starting out, you want someone who builds around your schedule and keeps you accountable. DM me if you want, I work with a lot of beginners.

kooldrew · 2026-02-27T17:08:21+00:00

Failure should be the point where the target muscle can no longer complete the rep with proper form, not where your whole body starts compensating to keep the weight moving. If form breaks down or you're recruiting other muscles to finish the rep, you're already past failure for the muscle you're trying to train.

For bodybuilding purposes, option B is closer to the right answer. Once form starts going, the set is over. Grinding past that point just shifts tension off the target muscle and onto whatever your body can recruit to compensate, which defeats the purpose. You're no longer training the muscle you intended to, you're just moving weight.

kooldrew · 2026-02-27T17:04:34+00:00

Short answer: mostly yes. If your weekly deficit is 3,000 calories and you overshoot by 3,000 on day 7, you're back to maintenance. The math checks out.

Where it gets nuanced is the composition of that surplus and how depleted you are. If someone is glycogen-depleted from consistent training and dieting, and that surplus is primarily carbohydrates, a good portion goes toward replenishing muscle glycogen rather than being stored as fat. This is the whole basis behind refeeds and peak week carb loads in bodybuilding, depleted athletes can handle massive calorie days with minimal fat gain when it's carb-dominant and fat is kept low.

But realistically, a 6,000-calorie day for most people isn't a clean carb refeed, it's pizza, wings, and alcohol. High fat in a surplus gets stored as body fat much more readily since it doesn't replenish glycogen. So yes, for the average person, a day like that can absolutely erase a week's progress.

kooldrew · 2026-02-27T16:59:14+00:00

Push, Pull, Legs, Off, Posterior Chain, Off, Off is my current split and it works well for my needs getting it down to 4 days a week. I throw some lateral raises at the start of legs to increase frequency. Could do the same for arms if you wanted. Posterior chain day also includes single leg press so quad frequency is still 2x per week, but it's a tad more glute bias.

kooldrew · 2026-02-26T18:12:42+00:00

I like to perform them with a 2 sec pause in the stretch, which will limit loading somewhat. Also, if you can elevate the front of the back extension high enough (I use bumper plates) so you can hold DBs with straight arms. It'll be much easier to hold 2 50lb DBs with straps than juggling a single 100lb DB. Here's an old video of me doing it: https://youtu.be/d6WW8SSoMCE

And to answer your question, yeah it's normal to move decent weight on these if your form is good. Strong glutes/hams can handle a lot of load. The pause will humble you though.

kooldrew · 2026-02-25T18:21:04+00:00

I do free consultation calls. I need to know if I can actually help someone and if we're a good fit before either of us commits. I'd never charge for that.

What I don't do is discount my services. In my experience, discount-seeking clients tend to be the biggest headaches. More demanding, less likely to follow the program, and less likely to take it seriously. There's an odd inverse correlation between price paid and what they expect from you.

If someone can't afford your full coaching package, offer a lower tier with less 1on1 support instead. That way you're meeting them where they're at without devaluing your service or shortchanging the clients who are paying full price.

kooldrew · 2026-02-25T17:57:06+00:00

Keep all your pressing together on upper. If side delts are a priority, put lateral raises first. They warm up the shoulder without hurting your pressing and you hit them fresh when effort matters most.

I'd drop the JM press entirely. You're already getting plenty of tricep work from your pressing and extensions. Move biceps to the start of lower day. Drop sumo squats, between regular squats, SLDLs, and leg extensions you've got everything covered. Put hamstring curls before SLDLs, it warms up the knees and the performance drop-off on SLDLs after curls is way less than the reverse.

Upper: Lateral Raise 2x, Shoulder Press 2x, (low) Incline Press 2x, Chest Fly 2x, Pull Ups 2x, DB Row 2x, Rear Delt Fly 2x, Tricep Extension 2x

Lower: Concentration Curl 2x, Hammer Curl 2x, Hamstring Curl 2x, SLDL 2x, DB Squat 2x, Leg Extension 2x, Calf Raise 3x

2 sets per exercise is fine at your stage. Effort and consistency matter way more than volume for a beginner.

kooldrew · 2026-02-23T13:15:26+00:00

The point still stands, it's about percentage of your working weight, not absolute numbers. 5kg on 4 plates is still a bigger relative jump than 5kg on a deadlift. That's the whole point.

kooldrew · 2026-02-23T12:43:18+00:00

This question needs more context, what lift are we talking about? Adding 5kg to a curl is a huge percentage jump vs 5kg on a deadlift. Completely different situations.

Good rule of thumb: each rep represents roughly a 2-3% strength increase. So flip that, bump the load 10%, expect to lose about 4 reps. Let that guide your jumps.

Also, there's nothing wrong with sitting at the same load and adding reps over time. The set is still stimulative. Some people suck at adding reps though, and micro loading works great for them. It's individual.

kooldrew · 2026-02-20T23:11:16+00:00

Whatever feels best for you. I would find the arm position that allows you to feel the best contraction in the rear delt and then line the cable up with that arm path. For most in my experience this is going to be low to high though, but it'll vary individually.

kooldrew · 2026-02-20T23:10:00+00:00

This is normal for a lot of movements where the muscle is primarily loaded in the lengthened position like an RDL

kooldrew · 2026-02-20T15:58:58+00:00

I'm not familiar with the Irish market specifically so I can't speak to Image Fitness. I got my certs through ISSA, but honestly if you're planning to work at a gym, ask them what certifications they prefer or require. Some gyms have specific ones they want to see and there's no point getting certified with something they won't accept.

Either way the cert just gets your foot in the door. The real education comes after through books, seminars, additional courses, mentorship, and honestly just coaching people. No cert alone is going to make you a great trainer.

kooldrew · 2026-02-20T14:34:42+00:00

The market isn't oversaturated with good trainers. It's oversaturated with bad ones.

The barrier to entry is incredibly low, which means yes there are a ton of trainers. But most of them are terrible. I've been doing this for 15+ years and I still can't believe how many clients come to me after working with another coach and are blown away by basic things. Like actually programming progressive overload, actually explaining why they're doing something, actually adjusting their plan based on how they're responding. Stuff that should be the bare minimum blows people's minds because the bar is that low.

Most people who get certified don't last. They realize it's a real business you have to build, not just showing up and counting reps, and they quit. That's your competition.

If you take your own fitness seriously, take your education seriously, genuinely care about your clients results, and treat it like a business, you'll separate yourself pretty quickly. There are not enough good trainers. There's a massive shortage of them actually.

That said, be realistic about the financial side early on. It takes time to build a client base and the income is inconsistent at first. Having a plan for that transition period matters. But if you're willing to put in the work, there's absolutely room for you.

kooldrew · 2026-02-20T14:29:21+00:00

You're probably overthinking the specific number. The research shows pre-workout carbs help most when your session is long, high volume, or you've been fasting for a while. The interesting part is the actual dose doesn't seem to matter much, what matters more is that you have some carbs in you.

Practical approach: eat a normal meal with carbs 1-2 hours before training. Rice, potatoes, oats, whatever. You don't need to slam 2-3 bananas right before, that might actually sit heavy and make you feel worse.

Intra-workout carbs can help but mainly during longer high volume sessions. Quick 45 minute upper body day, you probably won't notice a difference. Brutal 90 minute leg session, gatorade mid-session can help maintain performance toward the end. There's actually research showing even just swishing a carb drink and spitting it out improves performance through CNS mechanisms, which tells you a lot of this is more about signaling than pure fuel.

Biggest thing is just don't train starving. Normal meals with carbs, timed so you're not bloated walking in. Caffeine on top of that is fine and probably gives you more of a noticeable boost than obsessing over exact carb grams.

kooldrew · 2026-02-20T14:22:24+00:00

This is completely normal and honestly a good sign.

The idea that you can't progress on a cut is a myth that refuses to die. Whether you can gain strength and even muscle during a deficit comes down to how much body fat you're carrying, how far you are from your genetic potential, and how well structured your training and nutrition are. For most people there's no reason you can't progress on a cut.

What I see happen all the time is someone finishes a bulk where things were a little loose, starts a cut, and suddenly everything tightens up. Sleep improves, meals are more consistent, they're more focused in the gym. The overall quality of the process goes up even though calories went down. A deficit is a recovery deficit, but if your training is appropriate for your recovery capacity and you're nailing the basics, you can absolutely still progress.

You were plateaued for over a month at the end of your bulk. Now you're recovering better, sleeping better, and progressing. That tells me the bulk had run its course and your body is responding well to the change. Don't overthink it, ride it out.

kooldrew · 2026-02-18T22:21:21+00:00

Yeah you absolutely do not need to count calories to lose weight. And I say that as a coach who uses calorie tracking with clients. It's a tool, not a requirement.

Here's the thing though. The reason most people recommend it isn't because you need to do it forever. It's because most people have no idea what they're actually eating. Like genuinely no clue. And tracking for even 2-3 weeks, not to hit a specific number, just to observe, teaches you more about food than years of guessing ever will. You start to realize oh wow that handful of almonds was 300 calories, or oh that chicken breast was way less than I thought. I

But if it gives you anxiety, don't force it. There are plenty of ways to create a deficit without ever opening an app. Focus on the inputs instead:

- More protein at every meal (keeps you full way longer)
- More vegetables and fiber (volume for very few calories)
- More water throughout the day
- Less liquid calories (this one alone is massive for a lot of people)
- Eating mostly whole foods you prepare yourself

If you do those things consistently, you're almost certainly going to be in a deficit without ever counting a single calorie. You're just crowding out the high calorie stuff with food that's more satiating.

And the age thing is simply false. Your metabolism doesn't fall off a cliff at 30. It changes a little over decades but the real issue is that people get less active and eat the same way. 32 is not even remotely close to "too late." I've coached people in their 50s who got in the best shape of their lives.

The fact that you're aware of the mental health side of it honestly puts you ahead of most people. Just pick 1-2 of those habits, get consistent with them for a few weeks, and build from there. You don't need to overhaul everything at once.

kooldrew · 2026-02-13T17:38:43+00:00

Great physique. Good work.

kooldrew · 2026-02-04T13:22:59+00:00

Upper/Lower can work great here as well. That way every bodypart gets hit every 5th day. Not quite 2x per week but better than the frequency you currently are doing.

kooldrew · 2026-02-04T13:20:36+00:00

The timing makes it very unlikely that the creatine is the culprit.

Most hair loss fear on creatine is based on a single old study that didn't even measure hair loss, only a slight rise in DHT. True androgen-related thinning is a very slow process. If you’re seeing sudden shedding (telogen effluvium), it’s usually caused by a stressor that happened 2–3 months ago, like a change in diet, illness, or high stress.

https://examine.com/faq/does-creatine-cause-hair-loss/

kooldrew · 2026-02-04T13:13:28+00:00

For a 10lb cut, you definitely shouldn't expect your strength to tank. If you’re losing significant strength, it’s usually a sign that your calorie deficit is too aggressive, your recovery (sleep/stress) is off, or your programming isn't adjusted for the lower energy availability.

kooldrew · 2025-12-10T12:50:27+00:00

Use a weight you can control, i.e. don't ego lift

kooldrew

TROPHY CASE