#muscle strength exercises examples

[fitnessmentor]

The Strength of Resilience: How to Find Strength in Difficult Times

What are the differences between training for size and strength? Are there any? Yes!

Although very similar, training for size is different than strength training. The result is very different. Although, when training very hard, you will get bigger and stronger, you can focus on one rather than the other, depending on your goals. And that is what Mike Israetel is here to elucidate.

Dr. Mike Israetel has a PhD in sports physiology and co-founded Renaissance Periodization, a YouTube channel focused on hypertrophy. He is the person many bodybuilders turn to when building muscle.

He shared a few key differences between training for size and strength. Check it out.

Differences Between Training for Size and Strength

Here are the differences between training for size and strength, depending on each category.

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3-6 rep range for strength

5-30 rep range for hypertrophy

Volume

Regarding volume, what are the differences between training for size and strength?

> Strength training is more fatiguing per set. Hypertrophy training does not require as high preparedness, meaning just grinding through is fine.

Training for size sees higher stimuli with higher volumes than strength training does.

In reality, you cannot do both training for strength and size optimally simultaneously.

Progression

This is where the differences between training for size and strength are more significant.

When training for strength, progression in load is everything, while volume is not a must-do.

However, load progression works very well for hypertrophy purposes, but the other shouldn’t be discarded either.

In simpler terms, if you ask yourself if you should add 15lbs to the barbell and no extra sets or add 5 pounds to the bar and 1 set next week, the answer is:

For strength, add 15 pounds

For stability, add an extra set and increase the weight load slightly

Frequency

Israetel explains that you primarily need local muscles to heal between sessions for hypertrophy gains. For strength purposes, stimulative sessions need fuller recovery.

Exercise Selection

What about exercise selection? What are the differences between training for size and strength?

Strength training is defined by exercises, usually training the movement or similar ones and other activities. Think of “increasing my squat” instead of “stronger legs.” Training is not ideal for single-joint and machine movements.

Training for size thrives on intra-week exercise variation. Barbell squats alone will not get you more giant legs; you must add variation. In the same way, walking lunges won’t give you a strength boost but will help you get more giant legs.

How to Get The Best of Both

Is it possible to try and reap the benefits of training for size and strength? You definitely can.

Choose more compound movements, free-weight exercises

Perform 3-6 rep range strength-focused exercises at the beginning of your sessions

Do accessories that are still as beneficial as possible in the 6–12 rep range later in the session

Begin at your hypertrophy’s minimum practical volume and stay close to it

Progress is mostly in load week, rarely on set numbers

Ideally, you should phase-potentially do 2-3 mesos of hypertrophy training (6–15 rep range), 2-3 mesos of strength training (3-6 rep range), and take a 1-3 week active recovery phase after the phase. Then repeat.

And that was Dr. Mike Israetel’s explanation about the differences between training for size and strength. For more in-depth clarification, click on the video below.

[mrpenguinpants]

Just the weight I needed.

— You ask to sit on his back while he does push-ups.

— Phainon, Mydei + Jing Yuan

[Masterlist]

After that monster of a Lighter fic, I just wanted to write something nice and silly. I'm serious, the next fic I write might actually be 20k words. The title is from BSD btw, love and kisses to whoever gets it.

Phainon

Realistically, if you brought the idea up to Phainon, it could go one of two ways. One possibility is that he’d be fully on board—no hesitation, no questions asked, as if he’d been waiting for this moment his entire life. He’d immediately drop to the ground in one fluid motion, presenting his back like a beautifully adorned, living throne, every muscle flexing with anticipation. His arms would be poised, elbows bent just enough to secure the perfect balance, ready to support you as he began his impromptu strength training. His determined blue eyes would gleam with unshakable resolve, like a knight pledging his undying loyalty to his sovereign. To him, carrying you wouldn’t just be an exercise—it would be a calling, an honor, a challenge to conquer.

The other possibility? A completely different reaction. Phainon, with a rare, grave expression—one that only emerged in times of true distress—would place his hands firmly on your shoulders, his grip unwavering, grounding you in place. His normally vibrant demeanor would dim, his brows drawing together in deep concern as he searched your face for any sign of distress. And then, with a devastated choke, his voice thick with unfiltered worry, he’d ask, “Are you being blackmailed?”

It's not like your request is so out there that Phainon needs to find you a scapegoat for why you're asking. This isn't even the first time he's bent far stricter rules with actual consequences slightly to fulfill your requests! The man has an impressive track record of brushing the laws of common decency and practicality under the rug when it comes to helping you out. Take that one time in the baths for instance—when you were trying to get some peace and quiet, hiding under a sea of bubbles to avoid your duties. Phainon, ever the loyal accomplice, had simply closed his eyes, zipped his mouth shut with a soft snap of his fingers, and let you lie in blissful, responsibility-free silence. No questions asked. No protest. Just remarking about how difficult it was to find you before walking away.

Or the most recent example, when you decided to spy on the newest esteemed guests. It was a delicate situation, and you knew there was no way you’d be able to sneak a peek without drawing attention. So, of course, you enlisted Phainon’s help. He positioned himself like a human shield, blocking any unwanted gazes as you peered from behind him, hidden by his imposing figure. All the while, you stayed as quiet as possible, watching the guests converse with Aglaea while Phainon pretended to be entirely uninterested, despite his complete awareness of what you were up to. The point is, this request? It’s nothing compared to the stunts he’s pulled for you in the past. It wouldn't even include anyone outside you two!

Suggestion: Inflection baby! Sound just as enthusiastic as him! (It's not like he would ever say no)

Delighted squeals and giggles echo off the marbled walls as your view of the giant sphere in the sky—situated at the center of Okhema—bobs up and down, like a real ball you used to play with as a kid. In fact, everything about this moment feels like you've been transported back in time, swept up in a childish sort of joy that you haven't felt in years. Even though it's undeniably a silly sight—you, perched sideways on Phainon's back, your toes just barely hovering above the ground—you’d be lying if you said it wasn’t at least a tiny bit fun. It took a bit of hassle to convince Phainon that no, you weren’t being blackmailed, bribed, or coerced into this request. There were no hidden motives, no dark secrets behind it—just a plain, simple, and entirely ridiculous desire to see if he could do it.

"Don't forget that you're supposed to keep count," Phainon chastises lightly, though the effect is entirely ruined by the bright, boyish grin tugging at his lips. His tone is more playful than scolding, his usual boundless energy making it impossible to take him seriously. It's weird seeing him from this angle, half of his face turned over his shoulder as your neck cranes down for once. Seriously, what were they feeding this man?

"Oops, sorry!" you manage between muffled laughter, barely able to catch your breath, "I guess I lost track... maybe we should start over?"

"If that's what Your Highness wants, then it shall be done," Phainon says as easily as breathing, bending his elbows to push up again.

Mydei

Haha. No. Just no.

First of all, you wouldn’t even be a significant weight for Mydei—he could take you on as resistance training in the same way a bodybuilder might consider lifting a single book. If anything, he’d have to stack at least five more of you just to make it remotely challenging. Secondly, why on Amphoreus would you think he’d let you sit on his back? Best-case scenario, he’d stare at you with a long, exhausted sigh before asking if you’d recently taken a tumble down the stairs and cracked your head open. It’s not like he’s even being that mean when he says it anyway. Well, for Mydei standards at least. The fact that he hasn't bashed your head into the floor is, quite frankly, a miracle. The fact he hasn't bashed your head into the concrete itself is a wild understatement that you've lowered any respect he has for you over the days you've been acquainted with him.

Your first meeting was when you had misjudged how many steps there were and slipped forward. The inviting concrete was ready with open arms to split your head open, but Mydei, ever the observant type, had caught you just in time. There you were, suspended in mid-air, not even sure how you ended up there. Your limbs flailed like a ragdoll as he pulled on the back of your shirt with one arm, effortlessly lifting you with little more than the ease of a casual stretch. You'd been too stunned to even form words at the time—only managing a stammered thank-you as he set you back down as if saving you from an embarrassing death by stairs was just another casual Tuesday for him. In retrospect, it was a miracle you hadn’t cracked your skull open on the concrete. And of course, he’d said something entirely deadpan in response, like, "Pay attention next time," before turning back to his blue-haired companion. And he wonders why you're so obsessed with wanting to sit on his back.

Mydei has a short fuse and a quick temper, and as much as you'd really like to put your hand on his chest just to see his reaction, you also enjoy breathing a little too much to risk it. Not to mention, you can’t exactly take him in a fight. If you could, staking a bet that if you won, he’d have to fulfill your request would be a piece of cake. But alas, he's built like a wall, and your ability to land a punch would probably be a joke in comparison. So instead, you're left with the very real, very sensible option of begging and wearing him down with your charm—or at least hoping he’ll eventually tire of saying no. The risk? Well, it's still there, but that’s what makes it fun, right?

Suggestion: Beggars can't be choosers and living is pretty cool. Better to ask Phainon instead.

You've barely uttered the first syllable of your question before you're unceremoniously scooped up by the back of your clothing, lifted from the ground like a disgruntled cub being dragged away by its mother. Except, in this case, it's more like being hoisted over someone's firm shoulder, your limbs dangling helplessly as you're treated like a sack of potatoes. The bewilderment on your face is a new look as Phainon's figure grows smaller and smaller in the distance, the sound of your protests muffled by the unexpected shift. Amid your confusion, you catch sight of the blue bastard waving gleefully, a cheery smile plastered across his face as if he’s just won some kind of victory.

"Um, not that I'm complaining, but... where exactly are you taking me?" you ask, your voice tentative as you try to adjust yourself on his shoulder. On one hand, you're living the dream, able to feel those muscles effortlessly hoisting you up like you're nothing more than a feather. But on the other, his shoulder is starting to dig uncomfortably into your stomach, and it's quickly turning into a rather awkward ride. You shift slightly, trying to find a less painful position, but all you accomplish is further squishing yourself against his back.

"Training room." is all Mydei says. There's no snark, no extra words, just that one brief statement that leaves you quite literally and metaphorically hanging.

"Ah. Training room, huh?" you say back lamely, even though you're internally screaming in elation, your arms up in the air as you bow toward whatever Aeon is looking out for you.

You can totally tell by the way Mydei drops you in the middle of the pathway that he knows exactly what you're thinking.

Jing Yuan

Contrary to popular belief, you aren't blind. Even if the General is a bit too old to still be in his "bachelor" years—do those even truly exist for long-life species?—Jing Yuan is... well, let’s just say he’s easy on the eyes. Super easy. A five-star resort easy on the eyes. Is this what they call a silver foxian? He was the one who off-handedly mentioned it when your traitorous eyes had decided to linger a tad bit too long on the shape of his back during a meeting. Of course, you had to act all professional about it, clearing your throat and giving him a strict reprimand about how inappropriate it was to bring such things up in a work environment. You almost nailed the tone too, until you rounded the corner and crumbled into a puddle of embarrassment. What the hell just happened? How did he do that to you with just one little comment? That was so... unfair. It didn’t help that the image of sitting on his back while he did push-ups kept playing in your mind—every chiseled angle, every movement, the way he had to flex those back muscles with each rep. Seriously, how were you supposed to function with that lingering in your thoughts?

It takes several days for neither of you to address the elephant in the room. The tension lingers in the air, thick and unspoken, but it doesn't quite impede your duties. You carry on with your work, he continues to be as "lax" as ever—his presence still an odd mix of effortless command and lazy confidence. But there's something there, a shift, subtle yet undeniable. Every time you glance at him, there's the tiniest degree of something different in his smile, a sharpness to it that grows more cat-like with each passing moment. His expression seems to hold a quiet, menacing amusement as he sits across from you, still and patient, his eyes locked onto yours with an intensity that feels almost predatory. He reminds you of his pet lion in those moments, the way she watches her prey with those intense, knowing eyes. Her demeanor is calm, almost gentle, until the moment she pounces, and you can’t help but imagine the way the small, frail necks of her dinner break so easily between the crushing strength of her jaws. Yet, her owner, Jing Yuan, still calls her the sweetest, most docile creature, even with blood still staining her paws. A crazy man.

Patience is a virtue, they say. And eventually, with enough time, water will wear down the hardest stone. You’ve tried to avoid it, to ignore the inevitable, but today feels different. The morning is quiet, bathed in the soft light of the rising sun—a golden hour where the world feels still as if it’s holding its breath for what’s to come. It’s just you and Jing Yuan, silently preparing for the events ahead, the hum of the day yet to begin. There are meetings lined up, one in particular that has been pushed back so many times due to Jing Yuan’s absences that it's now on the verge of becoming a disaster. The final meeting needs to happen tonight, or his white mane might end up skewered on the end of a spear. The weight of it lingers in the air, but for now, it’s just the two of you, and the calm chirping of his precious finches acts as the only soundtrack to the morning’s preparations. As you glance at him—his calm, unflappable demeanor, his steady hands—something shifts inside you. It’s not immediate, but it’s undeniable. You finally allow yourself to acknowledge what’s been sitting in the back of your mind, simmering beneath the surface: you’re no better than your General.

Suggestion: Life is too short for things like dignity and shame, go for the throat!

"General, I apologize for my lapse in judgment, but I seriously cannot do this, or I might suffer a stroke."

Your words come out in a strangled rush, your face contorting into a myriad of expressions—none of them quite fitting for the situation. You're staring down at Jing Yuan, sprawled out on his stomach, looking entirely unbothered as he waits for you to—well, do exactly what he’d asked. Sit on his back. You have to remind yourself that it was technically his suggestion, his agreement when you’d tentatively raised the question, and yet here you are, mentally spiraling into a moral crisis. Every fiber of your being screams that this is just... wrong. This can't possibly be something that should happen in a professional setting, in a place of authority, with a man who is the very definition of your superior.

But no, there’s Jing Yuan, lying there with that serene look in his eyes, a slight smile pulling at the corners of his lips as if this were just another ordinary task in his day. You swallow thickly, still battling with your internal conflict, even though the situation is slowly spinning out of your control. How did this become a thing?

"Ah, well. I will not force you to do something you're so against," Jing Yuan says with a light chuckle, standing up smoothly as if your entire dilemma was merely a fleeting thought. He pats his pants as if brushing away any invisible dust, his movements deliberate and calm. Then, with a casual grace, he crosses his arms behind his back, his posture exuding the confidence and composure only someone of his status could command. "But it is a warrior's shame to go back on their words, don't you agree?"

You blink rapidly, momentarily taken aback by his smoothness, but the weight of his words presses on you. You can almost feel the invisible pressure of your promise tightening around you. You stammer a bit, trying to regain some semblance of control, but you can only manage a meek response.

"Ah— I... yes, General."

Before you can fully process the situation, his large, warm hand lands heavily on your shoulder. It's not the usual friendly gesture, though. No, this time it feels more like a reminder—one that makes you shrink into yourself involuntarily. His hand is firm and for the briefest moment, you feel like you're pinned in place by the sheer force of his presence. You’ve never been one to back down from a challenge, but now, in the face of his unwavering authority, you can’t help but feel small.

"So, I can count on you to fill in my stead for today's meeting then?" Jing Yuan's voice is light, but there's an unmistakable gleam in his eyes. A satisfied lion getting away with murder, "Excellent, I knew I could count on you!"

[peachdues]

AGING HEADCANONS — SANEMI SHINAZUGAWA

just a lighthearted drabble about Sanemi dealing with the effects of age on his body.

CW: 600 words • MDNI • suggestive/implied sexual content • comfort • fluff

Sanemi Shinazugawa strikes me as the type to retain a great deal of his strength as he ages. He takes pride in his muscles, and even after the Corps is disbanded, he keeps up his physique. After all, while the threat of demons has been purged from the earth, humans are still a fickle enemy. Best to be prepared to defend himself — and his family — at all times.

But what Sanemi is not prepared for is the impact his rigorous training has on his body as he gets older. Sure, he’s strong; always has been, always will be. Unfortunately for the former Wind Hashira, however, Sanemi is learning that reaching his forties has its consequences.

His joints, for example, are just the latest casualty.

“The fuck do you mean I threw a hip out?” He grumbles you help him settle into your sofa with a grunt. “I’ve done these exercises every day for more than twenty damn years —“

“Not as flexible as you were in your twenties, are you?” You half-scold, half tease, wiping your hand across your damp forehead.

When you’d awoken that morning, you hadn’t expected the labor of lugging your husband back inside his mansion before he’d completed his morning training.

You’d been in the middle of preparing tea for you to share once he’d finished — a well-settled part of your routine, one you knew he looked forward to as much as you did, even now, twenty years after you’d married. Never before had this sacred ritual been disrupted until this morning, when Sanemi’s strangled yell sent the birds scattering into the sky, and the tea kettle nearly out of your hands.

You’d hurried out into your gardens, where Sanemi maintained his sparring ring, complete with thick, wooden posts and an orderly litter of training weapons. There, sprawled across the ground, had been your husband, spitting every filthy word in his lexicon into the dirt, his hand gingerly braced atop his right hip.

In your retirement from the Demon Slayer Corps, Sanemi had been the more active one between the two of you. You regretted not keeping up with training, however, when you’d been forced to shove your shoulder under your husband’s and half-heave, half-drag him back inside your shared estate.

Once settled, you help guide Sanemi’s right leg up onto the cushion, keeping his hip elevated. “I’ll ring for Kanao or one of her girls, later.”

The Kamado family lived well over an hour away in the mountains. Had Sanemi been injured even a decade earlier, you would’ve panicked. While you were certain the doctors in the nearby prefecture were perfectly competent, there were none you trusted more than Kanao or her daughters. Thankfully, you no longer had to rely on crows or even mail services to reach them, Sanemi having purchased a telephone a few years earlier.

To your surprise, Sanemi doesn’t argue, instead turning his attention to the way you rub at the small of your back.“You okay?”

“Better than you,” you retort easily, forcing yourself to walk away, spine straight, into the kitchen to fetch the tea you’d prepared. Like you’d let him see how age was beginning to affect you, too. Heaven knows the kind of trouble you’d be in if both of you were down for the count, and you don’t think you could survive the embarrassment of sending after one of your children for assistance.

You return a moment later with the tea tray, laden with the delicate china Sanemi had gifted to you on your wedding day. He grunts his thanks when you hand him his cup, filled halfway with his tea of choice — green — sharp and bitter, the way he liked.

You busy yourself with pouring tea for yourself. “Maybe this is your sign to ease up. It’s perfectly normal that you can’t do the same things you once could, you know.”

He deflects with a cocky, smug grin. “Don’t have any trouble keepin’ up with you, darlin’. At least, you haven’t had any complaints.”

Humming, you settle into one of the great armchairs across from him. “If memory serves me right, your knee popped rather loudly the other night.”

He’d been thrusting hard up into you while you braced your hands against the headboard when a loud pop! had disrupted the steady rhythm of your hips. And, try as he might, your husband’s furtive attempt at covering the sound with a loud moan hadn’t been successful.

Sanemi’s cheeks redden, and he drops his gaze back to his tea, muttering under his breath. You smirk. Y/N, one; Sanemi, zero.

“Gettin’ old sucks,” he sighs, blowing on the steaming liquid. “Bet fuckin’ Uzui doesn’t have to deal with this shit. Tomioka and I are the only ones who still train consistently.”

“Yes, well, Uzui has his plate full.”

It was true; between three wives and four children, you reckon the former Sound Hashira got more than his fair share of physical activity.

You glance to your husband, then, chewing lightly on your lip. “I’m happy you have these issues, you know. These aches and pains — I think they’re a good thing.”

Sanemi snorts, though his eyes warm when he meets your gaze across the sitting room. “You just like seein’ me knocked down a few pegs.”

“Not at all,” you set your tea cup on the lacquered table between you and smooth your hands over your skirt. “I like knowing you’re here to age.”

Solemnity passes over his face then, softening the irritated set of his mouth. You know, as well as he, how lucky the two of you are to be sitting here, bemoaning the woes of aging, when so many of your comrades hadn’t the same fortune.

Every morning you see is a blessing; every new line appearing by your eyes or the corners of your mouths, a luxury far too many never got to indulge. No matter how inconvenient your stiffening joints or limited mobility became, you would never not be grateful.

When Sanemi finds his voice, it is hoarse with emotion. “Get over here. I wanna kiss you.”

Oh, you would love nothing more, but now that you’ve sat down, you find the concept of standing up almost an impossible feat. Perhaps the two of you really are doomed.

Busted, you grin, sheepish. “Can’t. My back is a little more sore than I let on.”

Sanemi groans and you laugh. “Then I stand by what I said. Gettin’ old fuckin’ sucks.”

[elicathebunny]

HEALTH SHOULD ALWAYS COME FIRST! PRIORITISING HEALTH BEFORE EVERYTHING ELSE TO LOOK GOOD + FEEL GOOD.

People always leave out the basics when it comes to trying to improve their looks. Prioritising health is so important before going in and tempering with your body. Your base is what you work with and you can definitely level up with what you've got naturally.

DIET

Your diet also depends on what your goals are. Someone who wants to build muscle will obviously eat differently from someone who just eats relatively healthy. So identify what your goals are and work your meals around that.

Here are some videos to give you a better insight: HOW I LOSE FAT AND KEEP IT OFF MEANS, WORKOUTS + EVERYTHING ELSE PROTEIN EXPLAINED, STRENGTH, MUSCLES, FAT LOSS & ENDURANCE HOW METABOLISM WORKS

Diet not only makes you feel better from the inside, but it also reflects on your outside. Your skin is a huge display of how you eat.

When you consume junk food, it can show up on your skin as breakouts or dullness. Your skin is one massive organ which soaks up everything put onto it and reflects everything you put inside your body. Fix the problem from the inside before getting confused about why your skincare routine isn't working.

FITNESS

Again, your fitness will differentiate from your goals. So work out your goals and make a plan around that. There are so many forms of fitness, some more intense than others and with different results. Working out in general is good for you, our bodies are meant to move. So even if you don't have a goal, staying active is always recommended.

HOW TO CREATE THE PERFECT WORKOUT PLAN

THE BEST WAY TO GAIN MUSCLE, SCIENCE EXPLAINED SIMPLY

Low-intensity workouts:

Yoga: Focuses on flexibility, strength, and relaxation through various poses and breathing techniques.

Pilates: A low-impact exercise method that strengthens muscles, improves flexibility, and enhances posture.

Walking: Simple yet effective, walking is a great way to improve cardiovascular health and boost mood without high impact.

Swimming: Provides a full-body workout with minimal stress on joints, making it ideal for people with joint issues or injuries.

High-intensity workouts:

HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training): Alternates between short bursts of intense exercise and brief recovery periods to maximize calorie burn and improve cardiovascular fitness.

CrossFit: Combines elements of weightlifting, interval training, gymnastics, and other exercises to build strength, endurance, and overall fitness.

Sprinting: Short, explosive bursts of running at maximum effort, often performed in intervals for cardiovascular conditioning and leg muscle strength.

Circuit Training: Involves moving through a series of exercises targeting different muscle groups with minimal rest in between, combining strength training and cardiovascular exercise.

These are just a few examples, but there are plenty of other workout styles out there to explore depending on your preferences and fitness goals. Walking every day is just a simple way to stay toned.

SLEEP

Sleeping is important for rest and recovery after workouts and energy-consuming activities. Sleep is needed for the brain to function, mood regulation and performance + productivity. Lack of sleep deprives you of all of these things, so getting your beauty sleep is absolutely needed.

School-age children (6-13 years): 9-11 hours per day.

Teenagers (14-17 years): 8-10 hours per day.

Young adults (18-25 years): 7-9 hours per day.

Adults (26-64 years): 7-9 hours per day.

HYGIENE

Upkeeping good hygiene is always needed anyway. Making sure you are clean (smelling good is a plus). Make sure you always wash your hands and take daily showers to remove any dirt on your body (clean those feet and your back well, don't forget them!). Taking care of your oral health must not be forgotten. Oil pulling and brushing your tongue for a healthy mouth. Make sure your hair is also getting the attention to keep it as healthy as you possibly can make it (this also depends on diet). Doing the extra things like spending time on your nails (making sure there isn't that stuff underneath them), making them pretty.

BODY CARE ROUTINE | FOR SMOOTH & GLOWING SKIN, TREATING KERATOSIS PILARIS, SHOWER ROUTINE

ENVIRONMENT

Having a stress-free environment is obviously the best to thrive in. But clearly not even being lucky enough to live like that constantly. So make sure you have that space to be on your own and have some alone time to really recharge. Keeping your space clean for a clear mind. Surround yourself with like-minded people and really set boundaries for those who prey on your mental clarity (energy vampires). Spending time in nature is one of the best ways to detach, rest time should not equal spending time on your devices. Let go and truly let yourself decompress. Mental health will improve how you carry yourself.

EMBODY YOUR POTENTIAL.

[midnightfairy1]

We already know the borrowers’ size puts them at a slight disadvantage when it comes to survival, but how does their size positively impact them? (scientific/biology answer)

Hi everyone! This post is going to be a little continuation of the previous post I did about borrowers’ fall damage. If you haven’t read it, I recommend checking it out (here)! In this post, I will talk about some scientifically proven advantages that borrowers have. BTW word count is like 1000.

Throughout all the borrower stories I have read, I have found some interesting constants: borrowers heal quicker than humans, recover from illness faster than humans, are genetically faster and stronger relative to their body mass, need little to no vitamin D to survive, etc. In fact, the original book by Mary Norton and a few of its adaptations mention a peculiar “borrower sense” that Arrietty and Pod Clock seem to have, which allows them to sense humans before they appear. However, scientific backing and evidence is rarely provided. Here, I will evaluate the legitimacy of many borrower conceptions.

1. Superhuman agility, durability, and strength

Borrowers tend to be depicted as having the superhuman ability to climb up structures relatively the height of skyscrapers with no sweat, but does this have to do with the muscle they built up over time, or does the answer lie in their genetics and body make-up? My non-proven scientific hypothesis is that both of these answers are correct. While yes, the fact that borrowers spend their entire lives exercising definitely plays a role in their off-the-charts abilities, there is also a not-so-talked-about genetic and biology explanation for this, the first reason tying back to my previous physics post.

I explained earlier that bone strength relative to body mass is greater for borrowers than it is for humans, because bone strength is determined by cross-sectional area (length squared) and body mass is determined by volume (length cubed). Therefore, body mass decreases faster than bone strength. This same idea can also be applied to muscle tissue, meaning borrowers’ muscles become stronger relative to their body mass as borrowers are scaled down. For example: a borrower 1/18th the height of a human would have 1/(18x18)th the bone strength and muscle strength, and 1/(18x18x18)th the body mass. This means they are relatively 18 times more durable and stronger than humans. Bone strength correlates to durability and muscle strength correlates to strength. This concept also explains why ants are able to lift 50x their body weight.

This increase in muscle strength, other than increasing borrower’s raw strength, will also allow borrowers to jump higher and move more quickly.

More reasons why real-life borrowers would be comparatively way faster than humans has to do with shorter neural distances, less inertia, and relativity to size. First, the distance between the borrower’s brain to their hand, foot, legs, etc is way smaller than it is for humans. This means that their brain is incredibly more efficient when it comes to sending signals to parts of the body, increasing borrowers’ reflexes and coordination. Also, their legs would be able to move faster because muscle contraction time is less. Muscles work by contracting, and smaller animals’ muscles are able to contract faster relative to their body size because their muscle fibers are shorter and therefore electrical signals and chemical reactions move through them more quickly.

To explain how less inertia helps borrowers move faster, lets reflect on the most basic physics principle: force = mass x acceleration. Mass and acceleration are inversely proportional, therefore someone with a smaller mass needs less force to reach the same acceleration. To put it simply, a greater inertia makes it harder for somebody to overcome momentum. Because borrowers have almost no inertia compared to humans (body mass is directly proportional to inertia), they would have to put in almost no force to accelerate quickly, take sharp turns without losing balance, stop quickly, and jump high. This is because they are able to overcome momentum very easily. Think about how squirrels or mice are able to dart around very quickly.

Almost done! Lastly, I just wanted to mention genetics. While strength and speed are greatly impacted by someone’s own exercise routine and diet, the genetic lottery can also have a say in someone’s athleticism. For example, the way somebody’s fat is distributed after they eat and the efficiency of their metabolism are often hereditary traits. I would assume that after generations upon generations of training in the walls, staying in great physical shape, and an unhealthy/unreliable diet has led borrowers to perfect their metabolism within their genes to suit their needs. I believe they would have a very slow metabolism so they could store their energy for longer and go longer without eating. I also believe their borrower’s fat would naturally be stored in places on their body to keep them warm, for example their joints.

Fun fact: the odd haircut poodles are famous for is a result of competitive swimming. Poodles were often raced in the water, so they were shaved all the way down to make them faster. However, people kept the fluff on their joints to keep poodles warm while leaving the smallest amount of fur as possible.

Okay, I got a little off topic but do with that information as you will. In conclusion, borrowers should be scientifically faster, stronger, more durable, and more agile than humans (comparatively). Imagine a borrower darting around on the floor in a blur, or jumping onto areas taller than them and off ledges ten times their height. I hope this was as interesting to you as it was to me! I appreciate everyone who took the time to read this it makes me feel super good when people like the same stuff as me. If you want to learn more borrower science, please vote below on what I should research next:

[girlietips]

What I would do to get healthy for summer 🏃🏼‍♀️🧘🏼‍♀️

So I’ve seen a lot of summer body talk on tiktok and while I think the way a lot of people are going about it in a very toxic manner I do understand the want to get healthy and fit for summer.

Here is my routine that I am doing to get fit and healthy by June as someone who prioritizes adding value to my life instead of taking away things.

So since I am posting this late February I’m just going to say we have three months until summer. I also recommend tracking your progress in some way. You don’t have to use the scale a tape measure is a great way to measure progress. I also recommend keeping track of non scale victories such as any improvements with a certain exercise, clothes fitting different and mood improvement.

March

We are gonna start slow and mindful.

I think it is good to track your calories. Not going into a deficit just yet but tracking your maintenance calories (the calories to maintain your weight) and your protein (about 1 gram per pound of body weight). This will make you more mindful of your choices and help you understand some of your eating habits.

THIS IS NOT TO MAKE YOU FEEL ANY SHAME AROUND EATING!!! This is to show how you can fit your favorite foods in with moderation.

For example I recently was one a calorie deficit where I made great progress I still ate my favorite foods. Every Friday night me and my sorority sisters would split two medium dominos pizzas. I still wanted to enjoy that time so early Friday morning I would plug into my app that I was going to eat 2 slices of pizza. Then I would make sure my breakfast and lunch would be lighter but still high protein.

Also if you have a history of EDs follow the advice of your doctor and your plan.

Getting your steps in is a very easy way to raise your base metabolic rate (the number of calories your body uses just by existing)

10,000 is a great goal but if you find that too intimidating or you have other health concerns I recommend starting with just adding 2,000 steps to however many you normally get. So if you normally get 5,000 try for 7,000

I also think if you have access to a gym you should start going there to walk on the treadmill this way you can begin to get over gym anxiety and build the habit of going to the gym.

Water is literally so important and unless you are making a conscious decision to drink water you probably are not getting enough.

2 liters is the goal so buy a big water bottle and make sure it is always with you.

Also if you don’t like the taste of water I like to add lemon juice to mine and there are also great water flavoring options.

This is weird and might just be a me thing but get a straw I drink 10x the water if I have a straw than if I don’t.

You need protein to maintain muscle especially if you are going on a deficit. Like I said you should eat 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.

If that is really difficult aim for at least 100 grams.

I also recommend finding a protein powder and bar that you like. Also I am not trying to sell you that they are more enjoyable than a candy bar or milkshake but I will say they are more enjoyable than eating a chicken breast. If you have a sweet tooth or don’t eat a lot of meat this is the way to go.

Also really important that you are still getting a proper amount of fiber to keep your digestion moving. Highly recommend Metamucil if this is something you struggle with. But also just making sure you are eating enough fruits and vegetables

April

Now that we have built up some good habits we are going to add some more.

Now you are going to add some kind of resistance/strength training to your routine.

If you’ve been going to the gym to walk start going to the weight room and grabbing some dumbbells. There are a lot of easy 1 dumbbell full routines on YouTube and TikTok so you can be in a corner and get a full workout.

If you go for a walk outside maybe end it with a YouTube workout video.

Start doing this 3-4 times a week on top of your steps goal.

This is also the time I would look towards your goals and adjust your diet and calories. Maybe you want to lose weight maybe you want to gain some weight.

If you want to lose weight don’t go extreme a deficit of 300 calories is still a deficit. No grown human can survive on 1000 calories or less. Also make sure you are eating enough protein and healthy fats still.

If you want to gain weight make sure you are strength training and upping your protein and calories so you gain muscle and strength.

If you just wanna maintain but improve your diet I suggest making healthy swaps (such as trying different higher protein ingredients, fun healthy snacks, or eating less processed food). There are so many delicious whole food recipes to try I recommend trying a new one a week.

May

May is about consistency and discipline. By now you most likely have a decent workout schedule and have made some real change with your diet. I recommend making a schedule for the month and sticking too it completely.

Keep track in a journal or habit tracking and see how many days in a row you can maintain your routines and health.

Also set yourself a reward for keeping up. My reward is going to be another piercing once I get back to my home state but it can be really anything that you really want.

If you mess up DO NOT THROW AWAY THE MONTH. Discipline and consistency are hard to build but your hard work does not disappear because you missed a day. The sun will set and rise the next day and it is better to start the day like any other rather than being hard on yourself. You only fail when you give up completely.

This will also be a great time to compare your progress.

Maybe you run faster or lift heavier.

Maybe you actually found healthy food that you like and enjoy making

Maybe you feel more confident in your skin and being active

Whatever it is take notice of the little wins and the big wins

This is what I will be doing to boost my health coming out of winter. I welcome you all to join me. I can’t say I’ll be the most active but if you dm I will see it quicker than my asks if you need to chat.

While diet culture seems to be getting a little extreme rn becoming more healthy is always good and that looks different for everyone.

Xoxo sorry I’m not that active been in a writers block where the only thing that comes to mind is all my chem homework tbh. The summer I should be back to my usual posting schedule but for now I’ll just post when I can. Love you all💋💋

[prettieinpink]

Hi lanny! Could you provide a guide on how to get into working out? 💗💖

GUIDE TO STARTING TO WORK OUT

hi lele 💝☀️ hope this guide helps you w your journey!!

The first step to working out is setting goals related to exercise, not physical appearance. Avoid things like fat loss, muscle gain, smaller waist, bigger glutes and so on. 

While you can make this a separate goal, the reason why I don’t want you to associate it with exercise is that we then allow the way our body looks to dictate whether we believe the exercise we’re doing is good enough. 

Exercise and body aesthetics are two different things. Exercise is a means of nourishing our body, soul and mind, while body aesthetics is how ‘good’ our body looks. 

On that topic, I want you to stop focusing on your physical appearance when starting to exercise and I want you to start implementing a new mindset shift about your body. Instead of seeing your body as something to look at, appreciate it for what it can do. 

For example, your hands create meals, hug your loved ones and help you with essential tasks. Your legs help you to get around, especially to your favourite places. Your stomach helps with digesting all the yummy food you eat. 

Some goal ideas:

Lift 15kg+ 

Be able to do a plank for more than 5 minutes

Learn how to do a push-up

Be able to run on the treadmill for 30 minutes 

Gain more stamina and exercise for longer 

Moving on, set a time each day in which you prioritise exercise. This can be for however long you want and the times can vary daily. 

So, during this period, you are not allowed to do anything else other than exercise. It doesn’t even have to be a specific exercise either, if you’re feeling lazy and laps walking around the house is what feels best, do it. 

However, avoid obsessing over working out and losing yourself to exercise. This kills motivation, in exercise starts to feel like another obligation in the day and not a privilege. 

Now, you have to choose what exercise is right for you. I don’t believe you’re limited to one exercise, if you want you can have more than 1. 

Gym – Perfect for a mix of strength and cardio, however not the best option if you want to exercise for free.

Yoga – Tones muscles while also being a mindful experience. Low low-impact, but recommend doing it after cardio. 

Cycling – Tones the legs and the glutes, but cycling may not be the best idea depending on where you live. 

running/jogging – Strengthens muscles and bones, however, if you don’t have flat areas, may not be the best idea. 

Pilates – Improves flexibility and tone, while still being low impact (still may be challenging).

Weightlifting – Makes you stronger and boosts your metabolism, best done at the gym. 

There are plenty of ways to exercise that I haven’t mentioned here, but these are just ideas so you can research the ones that suit you best.

I recommend talking to a doctor if you haven’t done exercise in a long time, as that can open up the possibility of injury. 

Then, once we have our goals, times and what we’re doing, we need to exercise. Implementing exercise in your life is best done slowly. 

Start with simple, and smaller versions of workouts, even if you think you can do more. Do this for about a week, then try to extend yourself with something harder. If it is too hard, don’t be afraid to go back a step. 

Make it fun, create a motivating exercise playlist or watch your favourite TV show while doing it. 

However, the main thing about exercising is that every day you are not always going to feel like it, but that is when we have to discipline ourselves, talk to the mirror and say; ‘Me exercising is a privilege, I get to nourish my body because I love and respect it so much’. 

This was the best way I disciplined myself into working out. Treating it like a privilege and something that is very benefical, rather than a painstakingly challenging activity.

Or, instead, you can visualise what you would look and feel like if you continue like this for the next 5 years.

[fitnessmentor]

The Ultimate Guide to Building Muscle and Strength

Muscle and Strength: This interesting perspective from Troy Adashun will provide you with

What are the Muscle and Strength of the Chest?

The chest muscles, or pectoral muscles, are a group of Muscle and Strength located in the chest region.

Two main muscles make up the chest muscles:

Pectoralis major: This is the larger of the two chest muscles and is responsible for the movement of the joint. The pectoralis major has two parts: the clavicular head (upper part) and the sternal head (lower position).

Pectoralis minor: This is a smaller Muscle and Strength located beneath the pectoralis major. It helps to stabilize the scapula (shoulder blade) and aids in breathing.

Other muscles that are located in the chest region include:

Serratus anterior: This muscle is located on the side of the chest and helps to stabilize the scapula during movement.

Subclavius: This Muscle and Strength is located beneath the clavicle (collarbone) and helps to stabilize it.

Intercostal muscles are located between the ribs and help with breathing by expanding and contracting the rib cage.

These muscles work together to provide stability, movement, and support for the chest and shoulder region.

What are the Disadvantages of the Bench Press?

The bench press is a popular exercise for strengthening the chest Muscle and Strength. Still, there are some potential disadvantages to consider. Here are a few:

Risk of injury: The bench press is a compound exercise that involves multiple joints and muscles, which can increase the risk of injury if performed incorrectly or with too much weight. Common injuries include shoulder, elbow, and wrist injuries.

Imbalances: People generally have a stronger arm/side when lifting a barbell. If you don't mix things up, these imbalances never get addressed.

Performing bench press exercises can lead to an overuse of the chest muscles, which can cause muscle imbalances and potentially lead to shoulder problems.

Limited range of motion: The traditional bench press involves lying on your back and pressing the weight. This limits the exercise's range of motion, leading to muscle imbalances and limited flexibility.

Lack of functional carryover: While the bench press can be a good exercise for building chest strength, it may have little carryover to functional activities outside the gym, such as lifting and carrying objects.

Excessive emphasis on the upper body: The bench press primarily targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps, which can create an imbalance in upper body development if not balanced with exercises that target the back and lower body.

As with any exercise, it's essential to perform the bench press with proper form and not overdo it to avoid potential disadvantages and damages.

Troy Adashun is a fitness and nutrition expert who creates content on YouTube focused on health, fitness, and bodybuilding.

What are the Advantages of a Strong Chest?

A muscular chest can have several advantages, including:

Improved upper body strength: A muscular chest can help improve upper body strength, allowing you to efficiently perform everyday activities, such as lifting heavy objects or pushing a shopping cart.

Better posture: A muscular chest can help improve posture by pulling the shoulders back and opening up the chest, which can help reduce back pain and improve breathing.

Increased sports performance: A muscular chest can improve sports performance in activities that require upper body strength and power, such as throwing a ball or swinging a bat.

Enhanced aesthetics: A strong and well-defined chest can improve the overall appearance of the upper body, leading to increased confidence and self-esteem.

Reduced risk of injury: A muscular chest can help stabilize the shoulders, reducing the risk of shoulder and upper body injuries during physical activity.

Improved balance: A muscular chest can help improve balance by improving the strength and stability of the upper body.

A muscular chest can significantly benefit from improved physical performance, increased confidence, and better posture. Incorporating chest exercises into your workout routine is essential to help build strength and maintain a healthy body.

What are the Best Reps and Sets for Building Muscle and Strength?

The number of reps and sets for building Muscle and Strength can vary depending on your fitness level, goals, and the specific exercise you're performing. However, some general guidelines can be followed for building muscle:

Repetitions (reps): For muscle hypertrophy (Muscle and Strength growth), performing 8–12 repetitions per set is generally recommended. This range is considered optimal for building muscle size and strength.

Sets: It is recommended to perform 3-5 sets per exercise. However, the number of groups can vary depending on your goals and training volume.

Rest intervals: It is essential to take adequate rest intervals between sets for muscle recovery and growth. Rest intervals of 1-2 minutes are recommended for hypertrophy training.

Progressive overload: To continue building muscle, it is essential to progressively increase the weight or resistance used during exercises over time. This can be achieved by increasing the weight used, increasing the number of reps performed, or reducing the rest time between sets.

It's important to note that the best reps and sets for building muscle may vary based on individual factors such as age, gender, fitness level, and training experience. It's recommended to work with a qualified fitness professional to determine the best rep and set ranges for your specific goals and needs.

Why is Protein Important for Building Muscle and Strength?

Protein is essential for building muscle because it provides the building blocks, or amino acids, that are necessary for muscle growth and repair. When you exercise, particularly with strength training, you create tiny tears in your muscle fibers. To repair these tears and build new muscle tissue, your body requires adequate protein.

Protein is made up of amino acids, which are the basic building blocks of muscle tissue. When you consume protein, your body breaks it down into amino acids. It uses them to repair and rebuild muscle tissue. This process is known as muscle protein synthesis.

Research has shown that consuming protein after exercise can help promote muscle protein synthesis and increase muscle growth. Some studies suggest that consuming protein before and after training can be more effective for building muscle than at other times throughout the day.

In addition to its role in muscle growth and repair, protein is also essential for other functions in the body, such as hormone production, immune function, and enzyme activity.

It's important to note that while protein is essential for building muscle, it's not the only nutrient necessary for muscle growth. Carbohydrates and fats are also crucial for providing energy and supporting overall health and wellness. A balanced diet that includes adequate amounts of all three macronutrients is essential for optimal muscle growth and overall health.

What are Macronutrients?

Macronutrients are the nutrients required in large amounts by the body to provide energy and maintain overall health. There are three macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are the body's primary source of energy. They are found in bread, pasta, rice, fruits, and vegetables. Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, which the body uses for energy.

Proteins: Proteins are essential for building and repairing tissues in the body. They are found in meat, fish, eggs, beans, and nuts. Proteins are broken down into amino acids the body uses to muscle, bones, and other tissues.

Fats: Fats are essential for providing energy, insulating and protecting organs, and supporting cell growth. They are found in oils, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish. Fats are broken down into fatty acids, which the body uses for energy and to build cell membranes.

All three macronutrients are essential for overall health and should be consumed adequately.

Each macronutrient required can vary depending on age, sex, weight, and overall health status.

[writers-potion]

Fight Scenes Involving Disabled Characters

This was inspired by a comment on one of my eariler posts by @rubyjewelqueen!

Level of Fighting Involved

Depending on the condition your character has, you'll want to adjust how physically strenuous the fight scenes are going to be. This can be done by:

Giving your disabled character a partner who'll take the worst of the fighting while the disabled character does what they can.

Giving them a partner/team they can call if they're in danger, which means they'll just have to hold on until backup comes.

Using the geographic location to limit the kind of attacks the opponent can launch.

Providing your disabled character with cool weapons (if you're writing sci-fi or fantasy, magical weapons are also an option)

Think about your character's capabilities:

Loss or Deformity of Limbs can be overcome by targeted physical training to make most of existing body parts, plus synthetic limbs if that's an option.

Muscular Dystrophy allows low-intensity exercises like walking and swimming. Your character might need breathing assistance as respiratory muscles weaken which means they won't be doing much sprinting. Braces/mobility aids needed.

Neuro Musculo Disability where there are no physical deformities but an inability to to perform controlled movements can plausibly be overcome with physical training and inventing new ways to grip and swing weapons meant for able people.

Conditions that affect one's energy and strength like CFS/POTS will be able to defend themselves quite well, but probably only for like 3-5 minutes before they need to recover for days. A rush of adrenaline and extreme anxiety will help them fight quite intensely, but you'll have to consider how much training they can get with their condition. Martial art skills that need hours of practice may be out of reach for them.

Weapons

The possibilities here are endless. Feel free to invent, or use everyday items as weapons. Just to list some common ones:

Canes, hiking poles, blades hidden in boots & at the end of walking sticks, hooked canes, T-bar cane, crutches

Self-defense items like pepper spray, stun guns, personal alarms

Daggers and light blades rather than swords, chakras they can throw around

Prosthetic can be used as weapons in dire circumstances. Your character may regret it afterwards.

handguns.

Adaptive Martial Arts

With more than 180 types and martial arts styles practiced worldwide, it’s nearly impossible to define a blanket answer to inclusion. But adaptive martial arts aim to help disabled people build physical strength.

Have a martial arts guru who is disabled themselves, and teach your hero how to fight.

Pick the martial arts that doesn't emphasize a particular skill your character doesn't have. For example, karate/kickboxing/ taekwondo emphasizes kicking which won't be possible for someone on a wheelchair. Might be better to avoid ones that involve lots of grappling. Jujitsu seems quite adaptable.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* . ───

💎If you like my blog, buy me a coffee��� and find me on instagram! 

💎Before you ask, check out my masterpost part 1 and part 2 

💎For early access to my content,  become a Writing Wizard 

[quiurifam]

Can you do a request for MK1 Johnny Cage x Bodybuilder! Fem Reader?

Imagine at the gym where Johnny appear at the gym and seeing that woman with her bigger and stronger muscular-size body

╚»★«╝ 𝕁𝕠𝕙𝕟𝕟𝕪 ℂ𝕒𝕘𝕖 𝕆𝕟𝕖-𝕤𝕙𝕠𝕥 ╚»★«╝

𝑮𝒚𝒎 𝒄𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒉

Johnny Cage(MK1) x fem reader

Warnings: None.

┈━═☆｡+ﾟ｡╚»★«╝ • • • • • • ╚»★«╝｡ﾟ+｡☆═━┈

Getting out of debt thanks to his new movie had granted Johnny the ability to indulge in his fancies once again, like for example, getting a membership at the fancy gym he wanted to go to so badly.

He was used to getting stopped left and right when trying to train by people recognizing him, but for his luck today the gym was almost empty. He was working on his squat set, listening to some random songs on his earbuds, when something, or better yet, someone caught his attention. Not too far away from where he trained, you were doing some strength-training exercises on the bench press. He looked at you admiring your arms and shoulders as you lifted up the weight, weirdly for him his mind immediately made up an image of you holding him in a headlock, but that was something he would unpack about himself later. He was obsessed with your muscles and astounded that you were lifting even more than what he usually did in his training.

Impressed by your physique and strength he gawked at you, losing track of his own sets, too captivated in watching. Only when you were finished Johnny snapped out of his charmed state, determined to score a date with you he walked up to where you were training and you stopped to look at the man who had just approached you. His gaze roaming over your body without him meaning to, with a prideful smile he used his incredible seduction skills to hit on you.

“So, do you believe in love at first squat or should I do another set?” To top it off he delivered the line with a wink at the end.

“...really?” Baffled by his choice of opening you answered. He shrugged, it hadn't been his best performance anyway, but it was part of the plan to get you to go out with him.

“I have better ones if you'd like to hear them later?” He said with a smug smile.

You let out an amused huff at the man, but unlike other times when men tried to hit on you, you decided to entertain it and introduced yourself.

“A beautiful name for a beautiful lady.” This man really was a flirt, and was not at all ashamed of it. “I'm Johnny Cage, you might have heard of me before.” He gave you a very prideful look, like he expected you to realize who he was and freak out.

“No clue, mr. Cage” Yes you had heard his name before a few times but it was funnier to tease him. “So, what are you stopping me for?”

“I was thinking maybe we could get a drink sometime.” He brought his phone out for you to type your number. “What do you say?”

You considered for a moment, the guy was cocky but also very handsome, you had been quite bored lately, so why not?

“Maybe if you promise no more bad pick-up lines.” He laughed at your comment.

“Sure, I'll find other ways to get your attention for our next dates.”

“Getting quite ahead of yourself here, don't you think Johnny?” You took his phone to type your number.

“For such a stunning lady as you? Can't help it.” Again with the wink, you gave back his phone, and you didn't fail to notice the way his gaze would sometimes travel to your arms before quickly going back to your face.

If you really were to go on a date with him, wearing something that showed your arms or was skin tight on them, could send Johnny into a cardiac arrest, his face was hot just by looking at them right now. You two chattered for bit more before he had to leave, busy schedule and all. But it didn't take two seconds once he was out of the gym for you to receive a notification on your phone.

‘Hey beauty, when are you free for our date? ;)’

[ficsandgiggles]

Core Muscles (Natasha x Yelena x Reader)

“Ahh so pleased your prompts are open again! I’m not great at asks but how about reader x one of/a combo of the Marvel girls (actors or characters, up to you) training in the gym. Reader is working on core strength and one of the girls points to the muscles reader should be working on and reader loses it because their stomach is their worst spot so of course the girls go to town. Have some fun with it!”

A/N: I really hope this is okay! I have no knowledge about these types of exercises although I wish I had the motivation to learn/do them 😂 but I hope you enjoy! ❤️

Word count: 1255

Warnings: None

“So you’re working on your core strength today?”

You jumped when you heard another voice, but relaxed when you recognised it, turning around to see Natasha enter the gym, wearing a tank top and gym pants with her hair up in a ponytail.

You vowed to yourself that you would start looking after your body more, as you knew that sometimes you needed more than just your powers in a fight or for self-defence in general.

You nodded in response to Nat’s question. “Yeah… I heard that having a stronger core can do more than just give you abs, it can help balance and stuff.” You replied, briefly looking at the mirror, you had some insecurities with your body, but you could see improvement. But now you regret wearing a crop top since you were no longer alone.

“You’re learning your stuff,” Natasha commented with a smile, going towards the punching bag. “If you need any help, give me a shout, I’ll be here for a bit.” She told you before beginning her workout.

“Thanks…” you replied quietly, trying to concentrate and return to what you were doing. You decided to do the classic plank, despite hating it, there were a lot of benefits in doing it. So you got down and stretched into the position. You went into your own little world, trying to stay there for as long as possible. You were so zoned out that you didn’t notice that Yelena had walked into the room.

“You are putting yourself through torture by doing the plank you know.”

You snapped out of your head and collapsed, turning around to see Yelena smirking. “I was getting to my record time!” I whined, getting up to shove at her.

“Oh boo hoo, if you’re looking at strengthening your tummy muscles I can show you a few more exercises you can do.” She offered, and you immediately nodded, anything that avoids doing the plank.

“Okay, so you will need to be on the floor on all fours, then you stretch out an arm and then the opposite leg and switch. It’s called the bird dog.” She chuckled as you followed her directions.

You could definitely feel your core muscles working and got more and more confident as you tried to extend your limbs higher and higher, thus arching your back a little.

“You do not need to stretch high, it’s about control.” Yelena guided, putting her hands on your ribs to gently move you back to the original position, making you flinch and briefly bring your arm back.

“Oh, I’m sorry, did I hurt you?” She asked, you immediately shook your head, smiling innocently.

“Oh, no, I just didn’t expect you to touch me.” You replied casually, doing a few more rounds of the exercises before giving yourself a break.

Your eyes flickered towards Natasha, who was watching the two of you, she gave you a brief smirk as if she had already figured out why you reacted the way you did when her sister touched you.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I will be more careful next time.” The blonde apologised. “Another classic exercise though is called the dead bug, and you need to be on your back for this one.”

You nodded, rolling over so you were lying on your back, Natasha had now stopped her workout completely to observe you and Yelena, but you didn’t say anything and listened to the blonde.

“So it is basically like the bird dog but you’re on your back and you are bending your knees toward you instead of stretching it out.” She got on the floor and gave you an example, you quickly understood what she was doing and started doing the same.

“You are arching your back a little,” Yelena told you, already forgetting what she said about being more careful when touching you and putting her hand on your tummy to gently push you back down flat onto your back.

Once again, you flinched and dropped your arms and legs, blushing as Yelena gave you a confused look.

“Are you okay?” She asked, concerned that she had hurt you again.

“They’re fine, they’re just like you,” Natasha replied on your behalf, coming over and skittering into her sister's ribs briefly, causing her to yelp and slam her arms down, before smirking over at you.

“Oh, that’s what it is?” Yelena asked, lighting up a little as she knelt next to you and put a hand on your shoulder to hold you to the floor so you couldn’t escape. “Are you ticklish, Y/N?”

Your eyes widened, shaking your head as you tried to wiggle away, but it only made Yelena skitter her fingers into your ribs with her free hand.

“Pretty sure they are,” Nat replied, smiling a little before sitting on your ankles, not doing anything just yet but it was enough to make you gasp and wiggle even more, despite knowing that you couldn’t throw the Black Widow off your legs.

Yelena grinned, now just going for it and using both hands to skitter up and down your sides and ribs, causing you to arch your back with a giggly squeal. “Hehehehey nohohoho!”

“It seems that you’re right, Natasha, very ticklish indeed, and laughing helps with strengthening core muscles as well so this could be a part of your exercise routine!” Yelena beamed and now scribbled into your belly, causing you to squeal with laughter, especially since Nat started tickling your feet.

“GUHUHUHUYS QUIT IHIHIHIHIT!” You screeched, scrunching your toes up whilst shoving at Yelena, shaking your head helplessly.

“Yelena is right Y/N, laughing is highly beneficial, so I think this needs to happen more often,” Nat commented loud enough for you to hear as she held your toes back to scribble underneath them whilst Yelena now experimented with a raspberry.

You blushed, your laughter going silent as Yelena blew the raspberry, you weakly pushed at her head as you squirmed around as much as you felt able to.

Eventually, they let you up, and you immediately curled up, taking in deep breaths with the occasional giggle slipping out.

“That was… so mean…” you huffed out, making the two women chuckle fondly, Yelena ruffling your hair.

“I don’t think it was, I think you loved it more than you know.” Yelena teased, to which you flipped her off.

“Hey!” Yelena gasped and briefly dug under your arms the second you sat up, making you shriek and slam your arms down. “You know I’m right!”

You remained quiet, looking at Natasha and watching for any judgement. The redhead just smiled fondly and nodded, putting a hand on your shoulder.

“It’s okay, Y/N, it’s quite sweet if it’s true, we’re happy to do it whether it’s to strengthen your core muscles or just to cheer you up.” She reassured, pulling you into a hug, which was swiftly joined by Yelena who didn’t want to feel left out.

“This is not the last time I’m going to tickle you because it was just plain adorable.” She teased, suddenly raspberrying your neck to make you squeal before letting you go.

“Now come on, I’ll challenge you to a planking contest, all three of us.” Yelena grinned as the two women pulled away and got into position, followed by you doing the same.

Of course, you lost, and happily accepted the punishment for being the loser. But you didn’t mind, it brought you closer to the Widow sisters whilst enjoying the feeling of just letting yourself laugh for a bit.

[liesmyth]

do you have any tips/resources for a beginner who wants to get into weightlifting?

thank you for asking!! I love this question. I love lifting! It's Good For You (helps increase bone density & metabolic rate, and it's good for injury prevention and developing functional strength). It's also a really great confidence boost. 10/10 would rec lifting to every single person reading this — if it's an option for you, give it a try.

TLDR: familarise yourself with common exercises. pick a beginner program. follow it. profit!

A more involved answer, with resources and details, is under the cut

familiarise yourself with common exercises

There are hundreds of possible exercises out there to target each specific body part. However, most of those are what's called "accessory" movements, as opposed to "basic" exercises that will pop up over and over in most lifting routines. Ideally, you want to know how to perform these movements, using light weights or just your bodyweight until you feel comfortable with it.

CORE BRACING (ft deadbugs. genuinely lifechanging skill!)

Squats.

Hip hinge. This is useful for deadlifts, romanian deadlifts, kettlebell swings & similar movements

Push movements (for example: dumbell chest press, shoulder press etc)

Pull movements (dumbell rows & many others)

That said. Please don't stress too much over "good form". Each exercise has infinite variations and especially as a beginner, you won't be lifting heavy enough weights to make form optimisation a big concern. All bodies are different and our individual stances vary a lot depending on body proportions, flexibility levels etc. You just want to know HOW an exercise is supposed to be performed, in terms of: which muscles it activates? what am I supposed to get out of it? how to do it safely? Your bodyweight squat doesn't have to be flawless, it just has to be good enough.

BTW, you know when I said that there are hundreds of possible exercises out there? Here is a very detailed masterlist + exercise guide for exercises impacting each muscle group.

learn your way around a weight room, if you aren't familiar with it already.

Broadly speaking: the free weights (bar, dumbells, kettlebells) are good for compound exercises that involve multiple muscle groups. The various machines are ideal for "isolation" exercises that target fewer specific muscle groups.

If you already know what's what, then skip this bit! But I've talked to many people who feel a bit intimidated by the weight room because they feel out of place in it, and in my experience familiarising yourself with the general layout is a good way to take away that discomfort.

And, in case this is something you need to hear: you deserve to be there, you're not taking space, and most gymgoers just want to finish their workout and shower, and won't pay specific negative attention to you. Most gyms have a weight room manager or floor trainer, at least during some shifts, and they WILL be happy to help you. If you're someone who doesn't want to be bothered while exercising, just preventively introduce yourself, say you're new

pick a program

I highkey recommend following a pre-made program instead of just fucking about on your own. Here's why

programs are well-balanced in terms of volume and muscle groups, to ensure you don't overtrain one body part and leave other lagging

they have a built-in "progression scheme" that will allow you to move to a higher weight in an optimal way — basically, you'll see strength advantages sooner

they help navigate information overload. There is SO much information about fitness out there that acts as an entry barrier. Following a pre-made program really helps with that.

If you have a gym membership, you may have the option of one "free workout program" made by a trainer who works at the gym. If that's in the cards, I'd recommend going with that.

Otherwise, I strongly recommend the "programs rec guide" over at r/xxfitness, the female fitness subreddit (the name is 15 years old but it's a queer friendly, trans inclusive space). I haven't personally done any of those, but Meg Gallagher of Before the Barbell is very solid, and that's the one I'd suggest.

get ready for DOMS

Also known as delayed onset muscle soreness. It happens 1) when you go to the gym after a while or start exercising for the first time 2) when you train a different muscle group than usual 3) when you up the intensity of a workout.

Basically, you wake up in the morning and you go OUCH!! ACHEY. That's DOMS. It happens because your muscle fibres are suffering microtears and reknitting (stronker!!) and you will feel very stiff and possibly very swollen (muscles retain water).

It'll take a few days for it to go away. IT IS SAFE TO EXERCISE THROUGH DOMS; the only thing limiting you is if you're too achy to move effectively. I recommend eating something protein heavy (more on that below) and doing some gentle exercise to make it go away faster (walking, at home-stretches or yoga, swimming if it's an option, etc.)

You DON'T want to stay in bed the whole time, because that'll only make you more stiff and make it last longer. Note that "post exercise achiness" is something that WILL go away after the first couple of weeks or so, depending on your recovery (again, gentle exercise and/or going to the gym again when you're still a bit achey is actually preferred than being completely at rest until they're fully gone away). Long term, you're NOT supposed to feel high-level soreness after working out. "No pain no gain" is mostly bullshit.

evaluate your program!

I'm always saying this, but the best exercise is the one you actually stick with. If your exercise plan is dull or fills you with dread, it doesn't matter how good for you it supposedly is — ditch it. Give yourself a few weeks of whatever program you pick, then re-evaluate: what are your favourite exercises you've done so far? Which ones you don't like? What would you like to do? Programs can and should be modified according to your preferences, and it's a lot easier to customise something that works for YOU once you're a bit more familiar with everything. For example, maybe someone at your gym is doing kettlebell swings and you think it's cool and you'd rather do those instead of crunches for your abs. Why not. Just note down what's working and what isn't, and then re-evaluate (with gym trainers if that's an option, but also, I mean it, HMU whenever).

odds and ends!!

None of these things are a big deal, but they make your life easier:

Hydrate during a workout. If you're hydrated your body works better. You'll also probably sweat during your workout. Getting through 1L of water during a 1 hour / 1 hour and a half gym session is perfectly normal.

Warm up before lifting. Something like this for a general body warmup + lighter warm-up series before going up to the weight you actually want to lift. For example: if you're squatting the bar (20kg) I'd do one bodyweight squats series, and another series holding a 10kg kettlebell or dumbell. Cool down or stretch after!

Mobility work on a day off is a good idea, even if you're no longer suffering through soreness. This is my current go-to routine, I do it about 2x week.

If possible, eat protein the evening / day after a workout. Protein is great for building muscle, and you WILL see a noticeable difference in energy level and speed of recovery by upping your protein intake. Basically: if you usually eat lentils or fish twice a week, try to make one of those times your post-gym dinner.

(In general, as a beginner you WILL see results regardless, and you don't need to optimise nutrition or anything (not to mention, it can be overwhelming / complicated to deal with.) But if you're interested in the specifics of nutrition & exercise, HMU)

keep track of your workouts! I really recommend this; it can be very inspiring to have a backlog you can look at when you want to track your progress, and you want to establish a benchmark with yourself. It can be as simple as writing down gym days & numbers in your journal if you have one; personally I use the Strong app to save my routines, and every week when I log in new workouts I modify the values depending on what weight and # of reps I hit that week. For reference, this is what a week looks like on the Strong app for me

IF I'VE MISSED ANYTHING SHOOT ME AN ASK.

[lordmushroomkat]

I find disability perplexing, sometimes. Because.. what counts as a physical disability? Which things are only mental disabilities? Which things don't count at all?

Physically disabled people often tell us mentally disabled folk to be careful not to talk over them because the things are not the same. But uh. At what point do I qualify? At what point can I contribute to the conversation? At what point are my symptoms inconvenient enough to be valid?

Because like. I need glasses to see. And sure I have access to the corresponding disability aid for the problem (glasses), but I can't see to full capacity. My eyes physically do not function as intended. Most of the time it doesn't inconvenience me, but even with the glasses I experience difficulties. For example if I want to see something beyond a certain distance (about half a room away) I have to consciously focus my eyes in on it so I can see details. Frequently this causes mental fatigue and headaches. I also get nauseous when I try to read (or just focus intently on specific parts of a stable object) in a moving vehicle. Sometimes taking off my glasses helps with that, but most of the time I have to just stop reading or I might actually throw up. This is a major inconvenience. Is that considered a physical disability?

I have exercise-induced asthma. When doing aerobic activity my respiratory system --from my mouth to my lungs-- starts to ache more and more until I have to stop to catch my breath. This affect can be reduced by using an inhaler first, but I frequently forget about it because I spent most of my early life not knowing what the problem was. This experience hurts, it is painful, it is debilitating. It didn't used to be so obvious to me because my muscles got tired at a similar-enough pace that I simply assumed I get tired fast, but now? The flesh is strong but the lungs, the lungs are so so weak. I want to run and hike and dance and I know that I could --that the strength I have would support me-- if only I could just breathe! I always feel like I'm just doing it wrong and that if I just learned the trick, just learned how to breathe right, then I could do anything! And maybe there is a trick to breathing while moving! But my lungs still don't work the way they should! My body can't function! I have to stop to take a rest repeatedly during any aerobic activity, including running for longer than very short distances or just walking long distance; any amount of exertion eventually requires me to stop completely and wait for my body to stop aching before I can continue. Is that a physical disability?

And hey, here's something interesting that not a lot of people know about! Autism often comes with some degree of hyper-extension of the joints! Which sounds like a good thing: until you realize that this means your knee joints lock further back and it messes up your posture. Until you realize that you have to routinely crack your joints to remove the stiffness and maintain dexterity. Until you realize that your legs and arms are constantly trying to escape your hip and shoulder joints; and you have to realign them and keep them in place. Until you realize that you are predisposed to straining leg muscles. Until you realize that your joints started aching in elementary school. Until you have to teach yourself not to lock your knees so you have actual reliable stability. Until you realize that you stand weirdly. Until you realize that none of your joints stay where they're supposed to. My body requires regular maintenance (cracking my joints back into place every hour or so) to have full mobility. Is that a physical disability? It's only an extremely common side-effect of a mental disability, so does it count?

I also have auditory processing issues from the autism. Too many layers of different sounds can get overwhelming such that I can barely hear what's in front of me. And sure, that's because of my brain not filtering out the extra noises, but it's still a hearing problem. I still can't always hear things. The meat computer in my skull refuses to do its job and as a result my ability to hear what I need to be hearing is inconsistent. Is that a mental disability because it's in my brain, or a physical disability because it's not the mind part of my brain failing here?

And I have some sort of heat regulation issue! I always ran hot and sometimes that's convenient (when it's chilly out) but whenever it gets hot it's extremely debilitating! When I overheat I can't move as well and I get fatigued and my brain starts to melt (by which I mean that I get so warm that my brain ceases to be able to process things at anything like usual speed). Overheating is a major problem for me and there's very little I can do about it! Ice only goes so far. And I can't very well live in a tub of water for the whole summer (trust me I've thought about it, extensively) because it's just not practical! Heat is overwhelming and renders me non-functional and it kinda hurts too. Having an overly-warm body is debilitating in an environment that experiences summertime. Anything over 75°F and I start to become uncomfortable, anything much more than that and my brain gives up on the concept of thoughts and I start seriously considering the underwater lifestyle. For most of summer and a good deal of late spring/early fall I have two modes; overheated or underwater. That's debilitating. That's dis-able-ing. Does that count as a physical disability?

What counts as a physical disability? At what point are my struggles valid? When am I inconvenienced enough to be part of the conversation? Are my aches and pains and hurts profound and frequent enough to qualify for the label "physically disabled"?

Should I just shut up because my problems aren't big enough? Should I just bear it without comment because my body mostly works? Are my problems too pedestrian and basic to be valid considerable struggles? I lived my whole life blaming myself for my achey lungs and my weird joints. I spent my whole life overwhelmed and frustrated because I couldn't quite see, couldn't quite hear, and couldn't function at all when overheated. Is that a part of the conversation? My body hurts sometimes, and it doesn't always work the way I want it to, and actually now that I think about it I think my body always has some kind of low-grade muscle ache going on that I just sorta stopped noticing.

I don't dare call myself physically disabled --because that's not up to me to claim-- but if you asked me if I considered my body to be functional I would say an emphatic no. Like sure, I can get through the day, it carries me where I need to go; but I set up my life on purpose to avoid physical (or mental) strain wherever possible. I rarely go places, I rarely go do activities, I rarely go see people, I rarely exercise, I rarely do any of the things that my body struggles to do because I can't trust that my body will continue to support me if I make it attempt anything that might pose any challenge at all. There are very very few exceptions to this. Only a few events per year do I actually push my body in any meaningful way and it always takes days for me to feel like I've recovered from the aches and mental strain.

Is that what a physical disability is? I don't know. I don't know if it's enough that I hurt or if I have to actually be broken for it to count. I don't know.

So yeah, conversations around disability confuse me sometimes. Because mental disabilities are rarely just mental.

And autism in particular comes with ow-my-senses-don't-work and ow-my-joints-don't-go-there. Which seem like very physical problems to me.

A lot of mental disabilities seem like they have more to do with the brain as a malfunctioning meat computer (the brain as an organ) than the mind as a consciousness (the brain as a person). But I don't know if we actually consider that difference at all. This confounds me greatly.

How do we even define how debilitating something must be to be considered a physical disability?

[youremyheaven]

female (yin)-centric exercises and movement practices

i am personally all for the burgeoning popularity of somatics and i think the rise of pilates is wonderful.

for a long time, "exercise" meant hitting the gym and painfully enduring sessions that felt like physical torture. unless you're a high performance athlete, i dont really see the merit in resistance training tbh. obviously everybody has different tastes and preferences and some people probably find somatics and pilates too boring and slow and want something more high intensity which is 👍🏼

however, for many of us who struggle to keep up with these and repeatedly admonish ourselves for being "lazy" due to our inability to thrive or be consistent or enjoy these workouts, there are manyyyy other forms of practices that are wonderful and fun to do and are perhaps better suited for our bodies, temperaments, lifestyles etc

first of all, the concept of "exercise" has become synonymous with either losing weight or making gains. we are told that we have to "exercise" to stay fit. but exercise can mean manyyy different things, its not just cardio and weights. and this means a lot of people think if you're not trying to gain or lose anything, you dont "need" to "exercise".

but this is not true, i think "movement" is a better word and everybody regardless of their weight, age, gender or whatever else needs to move their bodies. we were not meant to just sit, stand and lay down, we need to move. not to serve some moral purpose of "fitness" (another flawed concept) but because its spiritually, physically and emotionally bad for us to not move. we feel more alive when we move. our culture has become so dopamine fried, sex addicted, toxic eating and drug abusing in large part because our lifestyles are so sedentary and we crave stimulation. we wouldnt depend on external substances to feel "alive" if we felt that aliveness within us every day.

you dont need to "exercise" but you def need to move!!! when we dont, we feel lethargic, stagnant, our joints (from years of inactivity) become more sensitive, our body hurts, our immunity suffers and aging can bring aches of all kinds but this does not have to be anybody's reality. we change this!!

you're not lazy for not exercising, if you liked how doing an activity made you feel, you would do it all the time. dont punish yourself!!!

i personally think strength training works for many people. this can mean, swimming, cycling, hiking, dancing, pilates, yoga, barre etc

now about somatic movement practices,

somatics is all about the mind-body connection and intentional movement. pilates (which was basically developed from yoga) and yoga are examples of somatic practice

but there are other methods as well:

Rolfing

Alexander method

Feldenkrais method

Laban movement analysis

Fascia training (myofascial release)

and somatic practices also include things like progressive muscle relaxation, emotional freedom technique, body scanning etc

i know it can all be a little overwhelming but tbh there is a lot of overlap between all of these practices so dont feel like you're missing out by not trying them all,, stick to what feels right for you and focus on that.

yin yoga and restorative yoga (very similar but also different) are also helpful

the reason i put "female centric" in the title is bc i feel like the world of diet and exercise is dominated by a masculine worldview of doing things the hard way/aggressive way and by acting with resistance/restraint instead of a more open/whole approach and valuing "slow" progress over quick and easy ones. the reason why ppl hit the gym make quick progress and then relapse is bc its genuinely difficult to put up with a gym routine for most people who aren't physically immune to pain. movement does not have to "hurt", be "draining" or a proof of your willpower as a human being. its fun, easy, natural, fulfilling and a part of life<333 you can proceed more slowly and make progress over time but tbh you'll be lost in the flow so you wont bother checking to see if you have and life is long so there's no rush!! what we gain slowly will last us forever!! bc we alter our body's alignment and our own relationship with it + our lifestyle/routine to truly embody it instead of a "crash and burn" style that leads to burnout.

remember, the river wears out the rocks not through force but simply by flowing<3

anybody can do these exercises btw, not just women lol

if you have doubts or questions, feel free to ask me <333

[wolfertinger]

As someone with a degenerative disease. You HAVE to use your muscles to keep them functioning. It’s not fake concern to say that.

^

literally. if you have ever gone to physical therapy, even just for post surgery. they will tell you EXACTLY what anon did, before. you HAVE to use your muscles, as they will deteriorate fast, the less you use them. mobility stretches and strength exercises, should be the bare minimum, if you are sitting for long periods of time.

i say this, as someone often at a desk for work, or on a computer. you can get serious health issues, from sitting/laying for long stretches. for example. deep vein thrombosis, or degeneration of discs in the spine/neck from bad posture, are severe, but also possible. i was warned about these two, simply for long term flights, due to medications i take.

[ashleyloob]

Hi!

From someone who is disorganized and discouraged, I would love advice on weight-lifting/building muscle. Would you share your understanding of building muscle and the breakdown of diet?

If possible, could you share how you apply what you know to yourself? If you use any tools to help you?

Struggled with working out, gaining weight, and eating my whole life. Thanks!

prefacing this with some important info for fellow disorganized scatterbrains!!!!

the main reason why ppl have trouble sticking to a lifestyle change is because they try to make very drastic changes too quick, and you get overwhelmed and it becomes unsustainable. this is especially an issue for neurodivergent folks, and since it's Tumblr I assume a good chunk of y'all are (me too dw)

DON'T immediately overhaul ur diet and hit the gym 5x a week from day 1!!! hitting tiny goals consistently is also more rewarding than working towards one very large arbitrary goal that you might not reach, esp when it comes to working out. start veeery small if u need to, such as only 10 bodyweight squats per day like i did and go from there. you wanna program ur brain into feeling accomplished to keep you motivated. patience is key!!!!

ok!! now onto the more detailed info below

Disclaimer: I'm still a newbie myself!! only consistently lifting heavy for about 3 months as of this post. I did a good deal of excessive info diving on lifting using the power of Sheer Autism, and my main gym buddy is very experienced & taught me a good chunk of this shit so shout-out to my pal for making all this possible xoxo

so good news!! "building muscle" is very easy for beginners starting from zero. newbie gainz are absolutely real. at this stage you can do just about anything at the gym and get stronger bc u can only go up. BUT!! if you structure it, you can make the process enjoyable and much more efficient. if you're goal oriented (lookin at u ADHD menaces), you'll love the concept progressive overload.

PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD & SETS/REPS

wikipedia defines progressive overload as: a method of strength training and hypertrophy training that advocates for the gradual increase of the stress placed upon the musculoskeletal and nervous system. in layman's terms, it just means gradually adding more weight as you work out to increase the difficulty as you get stronger. progress is VERY easy to track because of this, and you'll be hitting PRs pretty much every week for the first couple of months and that shit feels fantastic because you physically feel yourself getting stronger so rapidly. I use the app Strong to track my workouts. so, how do we structure progressive overload? that's through sets/reps. A rep is a single execution of an exercise. 1 squat is one rep. 2 squat is 2 reps. and so on. A set is a collection of reps. The format is Sets x Reps, for example: 3x5 means 3 sets of 5 reps. You will rest between sets, and it's typically anywhere from 1 minute all the way up to 5 minutes depending on the level of exertion/type of training you are doing. Heavier weights mean longer rest periods and vice versa.

WHERE DO I EVEN START??

For those interested in barbell training: the r/fitness beginner routine is pretty good! I also recommend 5x5 stronglifts. both are very straightforward, but also note the typical olympic barbell is 45lbs. If this is a weight you struggle with, you can begin with bodyweight exercises, dumbbells, or machines at the gym which are all very BEGINNER beginner friendly. especially when it comes to legs you're probably much stronger than you think. Most people can squat 45lbs first try. don't be afraid -- you're standing on those things all day, they can support hella weight. Like I mentioned earlier, don't be afraid to start veeeery small and work your way up from there. I started at home with doing only bodyweight squats without the barbell, then added on benching with light 7lb dumbbells after a week, then impulse signed up for a gym membership a month later and began to go there to use equipment and now i'm deadlifting over 100lbs as a tiny girl that previously was too weak to even lift a 40lb dog. it snowballs quicker than you think once you gain confidence in your own body and its abilities!

WOAH I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SQUAT/DEADLIFT/BENCH/THIS IS SCARY AND IM FUCKING UP

If you can, i highly recommend getting a personal trainer to assist you, or tag along with a gymrat pal to show you the ropes. This page is also a good resource to learn specific lifts. otherwise, youtube is your best friend. you can record your sets and compare your form to form tutorials on youtube, and actively take notes on what to change the next time you work out. Be an active learner!!! be aware of what muscles are engaged when you lift and how your body feels. almost NOBODY gets it right the first time, esp with barbells. we've all made fools out of ourselves at the gym as beginners it's chill. i find people at the gym are very nice and willing to help you out if you're struggling, and people don't judge at all-- it's very easy to get in your own head in these spaces but most humans there are supportive and want you to succeed, especially since it's a hobby they are also passionate about. the more you do it, the less anxious you get. exposure therapy is very effective!! Also, almost all the barbell exercises can be replaced with smaller dumbbells, and you can do them at home if you get your own set + a workout bench (pretty cheap if u get secondhand, check facebook marketplace/craigslist). i got mad social anxiety myself so i understand sometimes you just can't, and this is an option for those that find public spaces overwhelming.

DIET

I personally don't think specialized diets/precise macro tracking is super duper important for newbies/casuals, only moderately important (spicy take for some but whatever). but you probably naturally will take an interest in diet once you realize it'll help you perform significantly better in the gym. the only macro i track is protein. You can use a TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) calculator to roughly estimate the amount of protein you need for maximum gainz. it's usually around .7-1g of protein for every pound of lean body mass (weight that isn't fat mass). Imma be real it's pretty hard for me to hit the recommended protein goal and most days I don't because my appetite just can't kick in for the amount it demands, and protein is super filling. I found that if i decreased the amount of carbs i eat, i am able to consume more protein bc i guess there's more room in my stomach lol. i eat a fuck ton of greek yogurt, chicken, fish, and tofu. when i started working out, i begin cooking a lot more and found i naturally craved less processed junk foods and snacks because the protein was keeping me full all day which is a plus! Even when im not regularly hitting my protein goal my gym progress is still going well and I think it's simply because my diet is A LOT better than what it used to be in my gremlin days. I also eat a lot more now that i've gained a bit of muscle, so do be prepared for food costs to go up as your metabolism increases and demands more energy to upkeep your gainz.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR ME TO LOOK LIKE A MUSCLE MOMMY????

a whileeee. over a year, probably, unless if you're on anabolic steroids (dont ever do that u will quite literally die). and physique is mostly from diet since it's dependent on your body fat percentage, the saying "abs are made in the kitchen" is true. its why you see hyper skinny terminally indoors gamer dudes with abs, even if they'd snap in half if you farted in their general direction. those mfs barely eat they too busy being gamers i am no longer interested in lifting for aesthetics personally since i get more joy from hitting PRs and i'm pretty content with my body image, but ik physique is the reason why most people get into lifting so i'll touch on it. Weightlifting on its own will not make you lose weight or fat. Again, it needs to be supplemented with a healthy sustainable diet (DO NOT DO CRASH DIETS THAT SHIT IS GARBAGE) and a form of cardio. I actually gained 8lbs since I began lifting from water retention & new muscle mass (muscle is more dense than fat, your body retains water when repairing muscle after a gym sesh) but my measurements and pants size have remained the same. I'm short, so something as small as a 5lb increase usually bumped me up a pants size but it didn't this time bc im gettin swole :') if you want to track physique changes, measuring your waistline & progress pics is a better way to do so than the scale. If you want bigger muscles, look into hypertrophy training. it's a tad different from strength training, mainly because you do higher reps at a lower weight.