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Fitness |OT5| Intermittent Farting, Wrist Curls and Hammer Strength Machine Spotters

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Thanks for the pics Cooter, it can become very discuriging when your feeling fat during bulking time and it seems everyone is shredded. Pics like those put things into perspective
 

Cooter

Lacks the power of instantaneous movement
Had this quest bar today. I found it not amazingly good as some might think, but very passable!

It was expensive on GNC though, 3.00 per bar!

Which one is the best?
That is THE worst flavor. Stick to cookie dough, white choc rasp, PB, PB&J, apple pie, cinnaroll, and brownie.
 

Chocobro

Member
Hey guys. First time posting here, hopefully I'll post here more often in the future. There's a lot of great info in the OP. So lets get straight to business so I can get some sleep haha. I also apologize for the incoming large post.

Age: 21
Height: 5'8" or 172.7 cm
Weight: 130-135 lbs or 58.97-61.24 kg
Goal: Strength training (and I guess athletic aesthetics?)
Current Training Schedule: Mostly a modified calisthenics program to do at home that my buddy made for a friend of ours.
6cbba7e3ea8431444ad203377deaeac8.png

*For the dips, I've been doing the 150 dips training program*
I've been doing the above program for 7 weeks because I was unable fit using my university's gym into summer research.
Current Training Equipment Available: Pullup bar and a foam roller at home. University gym.
Comments: 1) I guess I should note I get most of my info from these YouTube channels: CanditoTrainingHQ, strengthcamp (Elliiott Hulse), Omar Isuf, and overtimeathletes.
2) The first time I showed my friends (who have been working out for more than 2 years) the recommended full body workout in the OP, they found it pretty ridiculous for a beginner to do a power clean :x

Now that that's done. I would like some advice from you guys! My summer research ended earlier than expected so I am free to go and use the university's fitness center. When looking through some of Omar's old videos and his project buff thing, I was wondering if I should do his recommended beginner program for 4 weeks (from Video 1; Video 2; Video 3), shown below:
1fca3e917134d1648a919eb2d9396aa8.png

And then do the recommended full body program in the OP for a few months.
**The bottom notes in the picture are just opinions/suggestions two of my friends (bodybuilder and strength builder respectively) made after showing them the program**
The reason why I am asking is because my summer research ended last Friday and I have more time to workout before classes start on September 3.

If you guys do give the green light to Omar's program for 4 weeks --> OP's program for a few months, feel free to enlighten me with what should be added to Omar's program or just give me advice in general! I believe pull-ups needs to be added for Wednesday, right?. Thanks for taking your time to read the post :)

EDIT: Just curious, do you guys log your progress in the gym using paper/pen, phone app, or just by memory?
 

Kawl_USC

Member
21st birthday is a rough time to choose to cut. Chicken on a stick for life. A lot of alcohol. Any one in the thread going to university of South Carolina?
 

sphinx

the piano man
has anyone here used bodybuilding.com to buy stuff? particularly folks in Europe? is it a reliable site to buy from?

I am about to bite and buy some quest bars, price is just about "o.k"-ish, sort of.....same price as a random protein bar I can buy in any given store here in Germany so I am willing to give it a try, just so I can post "YES! they are good!" every time the topic arises, lol.

EDIT: and would like to buy these Wrist straps, any things I should know regardings these?

image_25028_original_X_450_white.jpg


the product's name is "GASP hardcore Wrist wrap"

EDIT2: Fuck! and these lifting shoes I want them too! -_- they are in black exactly what I want.

m-performance-fitness-shoe-front_lg.jpg


on a second thought, they look hideous, lol, I got excited because they are black instead of neon orange or lime, haha
 

ACE 1991

Member
So I'm really trying to lock my caloric intake down to plan my bulk, but I'm not sure if quality for either the "moderate" or "light" activity level for the calorie calculators. I lift 3x a week for about 50 minutes, and cycle once a week for about 1.5-2 hours. I don't have much physical activity in daily life activities outside of this. I ask because the difference between intake is over 300 calories, and I tend to put on fat easily so I want to make sure I get these numbers right to minimize fat gain.
 

Petrie

Banned
So I'm really trying to lock my caloric intake down to plan my bulk, but I'm not sure if quality for either the "moderate" or "light" activity level for the calorie calculators. I lift 3x a week for about 50 minutes, and cycle once a week for about 1.5-2 hours. I don't have much physical activity in daily life activities outside of this. I ask because the difference between intake is over 300 calories, and I tend to put on fat easily so I want to make sure I get these numbers right to minimize fat gain.

I'm a fan of using the no activity option in those calculators, then adding activity in MyFitnessPal as I actually do things. This motivates me to do more so I can indulge a bit, and stops me from using inflated numbers on days I don't do shit.
 

ACE 1991

Member
I'm a fan of using the no activity option in those calculators, then adding activity in MyFitnessPal as I actually do things. This motivates me to do more so I can indulge a bit, and stops me from using inflated numbers on days I don't do shit.

Ok, gotcha. Personally ill be be more motivated to do stuff if I know my intake is calculating for it... I guess ill shoot for ab intake of somewhere between 1.35 and 1.55 times my bmr.


EDIT: Okay, so I'm going to start a bulk based on 3000 cals per day, where my BMR is roughly 2750. This should put me at .5lb/week. In terms of macro breakdown, is 40/30/30 (protein/carbs/fat) a good goal? Also, what healthy, clean foods do you guys like when on a bulk? I'm planning on using a lot of the same foods I ate while cutting but just a higher quantity. These include: eggs, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, almonds, a ton of broccoli/bell peppers, whey... Other than oatmeal, what healthy carbs do you guys like? Thanks for all the tips, I really want to lock down my diet soon so I can hit the supermarket.
 
I'm a fan of using the no activity option in those calculators, then adding activity in MyFitnessPal as I actually do things. This motivates me to do more so I can indulge a bit, and stops me from using inflated numbers on days I don't do shit.

This actually makes a lot of sense.

Cooter pics must go into the next OP - great bulk/cut example right there.

Regarding healthy carbs:

Unless you're gluten intolerant, wholewheat pasta is pretty nice.
Also, brown or wildrice, quinoa, couscous, and sweet potatoes (these are great, and can be turned into healthy wedges).
 

thomaser

Member
Yes! Tried 50kg overhead press today for the sixth time (did a deload after the third time), and finally made it. Even did a sixth rep at the end of the third set, and felt like I could do one or two more. That felt great.

It's not strange that I did it today, though. I work out on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. On Tue and Thu, I wake up when the clock rings at 08.30, eat breakfast, go to work from 10-14, and go straight to train (I have another work shift later those days). So I get insufficient sleep and work out five hours after eating. On Sundays, on the other hand, I sleep until I wake up by myself, eat a nice breakfast with eggs and ham, and work out straight after eating. My body is more relaxed, and I have more energy. Every day should be like Sunday...

I've tried eating bananas, nuts, protein bars and so on before working out in the week, but they don't seem to have much effect. Maybe the lack of sleep is the most important part of why I struggle with ohp in the week but power through them on Sundays.
 

Noema

Member
Had this quest bar today. I found it not amazingly good as some might think, but very passable!

It was expensive on GNC though, 3.00 per bar!

Which one is the best?

Did you get it in La Madre Patria? Haven't seen them in the GNCs around here, but hopefully I can get my hands on one soon. Just to see if they are as awesome as everybody claims.
 
Did you get it in La Madre Patria? Haven't seen them in the GNCs around here, but hopefully I can get my hands on one soon. Just to see if they are as awesome as everybody claims.

They are only good if you microwave them. Otherwise they are hard like a brick unless you get apple pie.That one tends to stay somewhat soft without the microwave. Definitely not the best tasting protein bar by any stretch, but the ingredients in them and the ones NOT in them are the real reasons to eat this protein bar versus the others.
 
Calories
People need calories to stay alive, even the laziest couch potato does. The barest minimum of calories that you need to stay alive—without any exertion whatsoever—is called your BMR.

Now, if you exercise, you need to take in more calories than your BMR, of course. How much more? That depends upon the amount of calories burned, e. g. your activity levels. Add together that amount, with the BMR, and a couple of other things that burn your calories, and you get the so-called TDEE - which is your total daily energy expenditure.

How do I calculate all then?

There are numerous complicated calculations out there, but really no one needs to manually calculate anything when there are sites that calculates everything for you:

http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/

Input height, weight, age, activity level, gender, and (optional, but helpful) bodyfat percentage (BF%) and/or waist. The calculator will give you both the BMR, TDEE, as well as an estimation of your muscle/fat mass.

Remember that all of this is blanket estimation of exacting processes going on in your body - incorrect estimations can be corrected, but the important thing is that you are consistent in your measurement and approach so you are always moving towards your goals.

Before we move on to the next step in the calculator supplied above, let's take a lot at the all-important "macros".

Protein, Carbs, Fat
Proteins are essential in the anabolic (muscle-building) processes in the body. The opposite of anabolic is catabolic (muscle-burning). If you’re interested in gaining muscle, you should make sure your protein intake is sufficient. In general it is recommended to eat around 1.0 to 1.5 grams of protein per lbs of bodyweight daily.

Hormones play an important role speeding up and slowing down anabolic and catabolic processes. Insulin is one of the hormones that tells the body to store stuff—both in the form of muscle and in the form of fat. This insulin spike is why there is near-unaminous support for consuming carbs after training! Cortisol is one of the hormones that tells the body to use its storage—again, both muscle and fat.

Go back to the calculator now, and you'll see on the right-hand side of the screen a big pie chart of the carb-fat-protein ratio that you can alter through a set of slides. Some people swear by a 40-30-30 diet. This means that 40% of your daily calorie intake comes from protein, 30% from carbs, and 30% from fat (this was popularized under the name ‘The Zone Diet’), and for a beginner this is a great start unless you're interested in a more specialized diet for various reasons.

Do remember to ensure that you have at least 1-1.5g of protein per pound of bodyweight, even if this means you get more than 40% of your daily calorie intake from your protein.

In my opinion, I think its a good idea to consume as much excess protein as you desire to gain in bodyweight. It has already been shown that as much as 1.4g/lb of bodyweight is not harmful and may be helpful, so having this "surplus" of protein is useful.

Example: We have a 160 lb individual who would like to be 180 lbs. Ignoring everything but protein, we can safely conclude he should eat at least 160g (1x) of protein a day, would do well to consume 180g of protein (a bit of surplus), and can safely and effectively consume up to 224g of protein a day (1.4x, with plenty of surplus).

How to hit your calorie and macro guideline

Use one of many food tracking apps/sites that are out there on the internet.
I am partial to the following (which also has an app for Android, iOS, and WindowsPhone):

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

Just make sure you're not fooling either yourself or the calculator - if you're consuming a snicker bar, then it will go into your food diary. If you're cooking a lot at home, you'll get a lot more accurate calorie/macro estimates of what you eat by using a food scale to weigh everything that goes into your belly.

"Bulking", or gaining weight
Essentially, to gain weight you need to intake more calories than you are expending. That is the gist of it, but it is not always that easy, as the calculated BMR number is only ever an estimate. People with varying metabolism will have actual BMR that are higher or lower than those we can glance from the calculator above, but you need not worry about that. Start off by adding a 20% increase of your daily calorific intake in the calculator, and track your progress on a weekly basis. You will have some fluctuation so do not fear if you're up or down 1-2lbs or BF% a particular week, as this is dependent on your stomach content and water weight levels. A more reliable measurement might be to simply use a tape measurement on your biceps/chest/thighs/hips. Simply continue taking consistent measurements, and re-evaluate your calorific surplus and/or macro ratios after 4 weeks.

Have you gained muscle mass (increase in desirable tape measurement, decrease in BF% along with an increase in weight)?
Then stick with your diet, you are eating enough calories and of the right macros to fuel your bulk

If it's not working, then simply go back to the calculator and adjust the following settings based on problem you're facing:

Activity levels - You might be underestimating your activity levels, and thus getting a final calorific guideline that's too low.
Protein amount - You might be consuming too few proteins to encourage muscle growth.

Alternative to activity levels

Instead of picking an activity level (stick to sedentary in the calculator), you can use a site like http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ to add the activities you actually engage in, to get a more accurate estimate of how much you burn in addition to your BMR. If you for an example go to the gym three times a day for an hour at a time, you can input this into the Myfitnesspal exercise diary, and it will give you an additional 200-400 calories to consume on those work-out days (which should still be in line with your macros).

GOMAD (Gallon of Milk a Day)
For the individual who has a tough time gaining weight, be it lack of appetite or too impoverished to pay for steak dinner every day, it is suggested that drinking a gallon of milk a day is a good option.  It’s assumed you’re already eating 2,000 – 3,000 calories a day, and since liquid calories are easier to consume and milk is relatively cheap in most countries, it's a great way to add more calories to your diet:

  • A gallon of whole milk contains: 2400 calories, 130g fat, 180g carbohydrates, 130g protein.
  • A gallon of 2% milk contains: 1939 calories, 75g fat, 187g carbohydrates, 130g protein.
  • A gallon of skim milk contains: 1367 calories, 7g fat, 190g carbohydrates, 135g protein.
There’s a point of diminishing returns, and you may decide to have more or less milk (I’d rather have a half-gallon of whole milk a day than a whole gallon of skim), but if you are a low-bodyfat underweight male or consider yourself a “hardgainer” you have options.  Build up to a whole gallon a day over the course of a week.  Run this diet alongside a program of linear progression as outlined in the training OP, and no longer.  This is a lot of extra calories, and as you stall you will see diminishing returns.  You will gain fat, but if you are adding weight to your squat every training session that is an acceptable fact that can be mitigated with a fat loss diet after gains are exhausted.   Most people running GOMAD usually do so for up to 1-4 months at a time.

If you are already carrying a decent layer of fat or aren’t willing to add weight to the bar every training session, GOMAD probably isn’t for you.  It is bar none the most aggressive bulking diet short of the see-food ‘diet’ so if your goals are less ambitious drink your milk accordingly.  Ultimately this is still a diet for a novice who wants to squat 315lbs in a few short months, not for someone who wants to add a few pounds of muscle while staying lean.

If you are unhappy with the idea of drinking all that sugar and/or are lactose intolerant, you might want to bulk with two dozen eggs a day (2DEAD).  The macronutrient profile is very low-carb friendly.  Plus, the acronym 2DEAD just sounds badass.  If you are having trouble eating that many cooked eggs and aren’t concerned about salmonella, you can release your inner Rocky and drink them raw. The
cholesterol in eggs probably won't be a problem for you either.
  • Two dozen eggs are roughly 1,848 calories, 126g fat, 12g carbohydrates and 150g protein.
  • A dozen eggs are about 924 calories, 63g fat, 6g carbohydrates and 75g protein.
Still, exercise good judgment with whatever bulking diet you choose. Failing that, ask for advice in this thread.  With either GOMAD or 2DEAD, start slow and pace your intake throughout the day.  If neither option is appealing remember that many people can add muscle by eating 300 – 1,000 calories worth of the good food they already eat.  A little measured increase can go a long way.

Cutting
Cutting, or losing weight in the form of fat, is extremely simple, and something you might want to do after 6-12 months of a bulk. Go back to the calculator:

http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/

Input your data just like before, but now you're going to change the TDEE% so that you're consuming at a deficit of -10% to -20%.
Adjust the deficit into your cut to ensure that you're losing weight at a healthy rate of 0.25-1.5lbs a week.

Remember that as you shed fat you will naturally need less calories to maintain your new, lower weight; this is important to remember if you have a lot to lose and start plateauing. The above calculator can be set to recalculate your new maintenance level every five or ten pounds, or whatever you feel is appropriate. Keep in mind that fat loss is rarely linear and you will likely experience stalls and sudden drops even if you're doing everything right. Weigh yourself regularly and look for the general trend; fluctuations over a few days are natural and more likely the result of water retention than anything else, but if you go two or three weeks without any progress you probably need to clamp down.

Supplements
There are so many different supplements out there on the market that it’s hard to tell which ones work and which ones are bunkum. Generally, the stuff that promises steroid-like results without being steroids is a rip-off.

Protein powder: Protein powder is not a steroid, nor does it cause you to “bulk up.” It’s basically liquid food, and a good tool for those have a hard time hitting their protein quota. All powders are equal, so pick the one that offends your palette the least.

Creatine: Like protein powder, creatine has a lot of misinformation surrounding it. All types of creatine work, so don’t worry if you got mono creatine instead of micronized. It’s been shown to positively effect performance in the weight room, with the side effect of 2-4 lbs of water weight.

Fish Oil: Fish oil is a key supplement for all hard training athletes, renowned for their essential Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3's have been shown to lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation, inhibit fat storage and prevent heart attacks (by stopping clotting). And odds are you aren't getting enough of them in your diet.

Vitamins: A hard training athlete will need more vitamins and minerals than the average person. Pharmacies and supermarkets often have these items on sale, so vitamin/mineral supplementation can be simple and inexpensive. Lyle McDonald explains the key vitamins/minerals and how they work in this article.

Weight gainers: Overpriced protein powder with starch and creatine to make you think that you’re getting those fast gains. Go with milk instead.

Pre-workout stims: Stuff like Jack3d and Dark Rage fall into this category. It’s nothing special but a lot of caffeine and other stims. Don’t go crazy and think that since 1 serving was good, 8 servings must be god-like.

I've kept the explanations of these supplements brief as to not overwhelm newer posters. However, those who want to know more about these supplements would do well to read this and this. For more information on nutrition and supplements please visit examine.com.
 
Cutting

Cutting, or losing weight in the form of fat, is extremely simple, and something you might want to do after 6-12 months of a bulk. Go back to the calculator:

http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/

Input your data just like before, but now you're going to change the TDEE% so that you're consuming at a deficit of -10% to -20%.
Adjust the deficit into your cut, on a bi-weekly basis, to ensure that you're losing weight at a healthy rate of 0.25-1.5lbs a week. You do not want to lose weight any faster, as it might result in an increasing proportion of muscle mass being lost (and a couple of other unhealthy things).

I propose you add the following (this is all paraphrased from Lyle McDonald's writings so I'm not just talking out my ass):

Remember that as you shed fat you will naturally need less calories to maintain your new, lower weight; this is important to remember if you have a lot to lose and start plateauing. The above calculator can be set to recalculate your new maintenance level every five or ten pounds, or whatever you feel is appropriate. Keep in mind that fat loss is rarely linear and you will likely experience stalls and sudden drops even if you're doing everything right. Weigh yourself regularly and look for the general trend; fluctuations over a few days are natural and more likely the result of water retention than anything else, but if you go two or three weeks without any progress you probably need to clamp down.
 
Done, added Lyle's advice.
Gonna put in keto/low-carb/intermittent fasting info later.

I cut out a lot of stuff from the original OT that I thought was a bit unnecessary for beginners, but I might have cut out too much.

And then do the recommended full body program in the OP for a few months.
**The bottom notes in the picture are just opinions/suggestions two of my friends (bodybuilder and strength builder respectively) made after showing them the program**
The reason why I am asking is because my summer research ended last Friday and I have more time to workout before classes start on September 3.

If you guys do give the green light to Omar's program for 4 weeks --> OP's program for a few months, feel free to enlighten me with what should be added to Omar's program or just give me advice in general! I believe pull-ups needs to be added for Wednesday, right?. Thanks for taking your time to read the post :)

EDIT: Just curious, do you guys log your progress in the gym using paper/pen, phone app, or just by memory?

1. Omar knows his stuff, so I think you'd be fine following his beginner's program over the one in the OP, no problem.
2. Pull-ups are difficult for a lot of people, it essentially being a pull-down of your bodyweight. I'd just replace the pull-down with pull-ups (3 sets of 10 reps, perhaps) if you can manage them. If you're blazing through them with ease, then do weighted pull-ups (if your uni gym don't have one of those belts to add on weights, then just grab a dumbbell with your feets).
 

theytookourjobz

Junior Member
I would advise anyone taking pre-workout stimulants like Jack3d to be extremely careful if you are doing any sort of HIIT. I know someone who passed away recently because of the pre-workout combined with an heart condition that he didn't know about. Only 29 years old.
 

Chocobro

Member
1. Omar knows his stuff, so I think you'd be fine following his beginner's program over the one in the OP, no problem.
2. Pull-ups are difficult for a lot of people, it essentially being a pull-down of your bodyweight. I'd just replace the pull-down with pull-ups (3 sets of 10 reps, perhaps) if you can manage them. If you're blazing through them with ease, then do weighted pull-ups (if your uni gym don't have one of those belts to add on weights, then just grab a dumbbell with your feets).

Awesome. I actually struggle with doing pull-ups, which is why I've been doing 5x1 for the past...maybe three weeks. I can probably do 5x2 now. In the first three weeks, I was following Scooby's pull-up training video and doing the negatives to work up to many pull-ups.
So knowing this, I guess I should stick with the pull-down until I can manage that volume of pull-ups or maybe I should do assisted pull-ups? A follow-up question: if the former, should I stick with his underhand pulldown or use overhand? AFAIK the overhand targets the lats more (EDIT: or targets the lower/upper lats more, respectively?). Feel free to drop some knowledge on me if I'm wrong, I'm still learning haha.
 

velociraptor

Junior Member
So I'm looking to build my home gym in a few weeks.

Will buy this power rack:
powertecpowergympackage.jpg


Do I need anything else?

Also, does it matter if I buy rubber coated vs cast iron weights?
 

Cooter

Lacks the power of instantaneous movement
Damn my legs are sore since I started deadlifting. Is this too much?

Sun: DL
Tues: 5x5 squats
Wed: DL
Fri: Hi rep squats
Sun: DL
 

SeanR1221

Member
I would advise anyone taking pre-workout stimulants like Jack3d to be extremely careful if you are doing any sort of HIIT. I know someone who passed away recently because of the pre-workout combined with an heart condition that he didn't know about. Only 29 years old.

Wow that's terrible. No warning signs beforehand? Did he ever have bad effects from caffeine?
 

Cooter

Lacks the power of instantaneous movement
Scooter you aren't the rest of us. For regular folks that's way too much, especially if dead lifting heavy!

I usually have a day of rest in between which justified the schedule in my mind. I may drop the Sun DLs and just do them once a week on Weds. I'm still feeling things out after adding DLs back in my routine.
 
D

Deleted member 47027

Unconfirmed Member
I would advise anyone taking pre-workout stimulants like Jack3d to be extremely careful if you are doing any sort of HIIT. I know someone who passed away recently because of the pre-workout combined with an heart condition that he didn't know about. Only 29 years old.

That's horrible :(
 
http://store.bbcomcdn.com/images/store/prodimage/prod_25028/image_25028_original_X_450_white.jpg[/IMG]

the product's name is "GASP hardcore Wrist wrap"

Don't know about the rest you asked about, but I have used the wraps for a long time and see a lot of the guys at my gym use them regularly as well, good product :)
 

deadbeef

Member
Made some tuna / egg burritos for this week:

24 oz albacore tuna
8 boiled eggs
5T olive oil mayo
3C chopped celery
Pepper

Total for this mix: 64g fat, 27g carbohydrate (5 fiber), 206g protein

Wrap these in some flour tortillas - yum!
 

entremet

Member
I would advise anyone taking pre-workout stimulants like Jack3d to be extremely careful if you are doing any sort of HIIT. I know someone who passed away recently because of the pre-workout combined with an heart condition that he didn't know about. Only 29 years old.

Holy crap.

Sad to hear.
 

Cooter

Lacks the power of instantaneous movement
Feeling good! Third time DL'ing after a year+ off and got this today:

5x225
5x250
5x295
5x315
5x355
 

sphinx

the piano man
in case anyone is wondering, bodybuilding,com is fucking useless for us people in Europe, they reject all my credit cards and for wire transfers, they demand an international one, they don't have a euro account or something and must pay taxes.

and even if you went through the hassle, they do not ship quest bars overseas.

what a waste of time that was and every single google result shows quest bars going for insane prizes if you want them delivered to Germany,

it sucks >_<

Wow that 1percentage page is the business.

Just having trouble deciding between lightly active and moderately active.

yeah, great find by Squiddy, everyone should go in there and put their infos, it's a great tool.

Don't know about the rest you asked about, but I have used the wraps for a long time and see a lot of the guys at my gym use them regularly as well, good product :)

I couldn't buy them, BB.com didn't want my money :'( will look elsewhere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ2957l4r4U

dude tears his bicep

how does this happen? scary

haha, like I am clicking on that link
 

Thrakier

Member
What do you guys think about rep counts in general? I'm always more inclined to be around 5 when going up to 8-12. I know I know...there are millions of training principles and ways to build mass and believers for every shit. I think I just want to go back to push & pull around 5 reps and foucsing on getting stronger...what do you think.
 

Cooter

Lacks the power of instantaneous movement
What do you guys think about rep counts in general? I'm always more inclined to be around 5 when going up to 8-12. I know I know...there are millions of training principles and ways to build mass and believers for every shit. I think I just want to go back to push & pull around 5 reps and foucsing on getting stronger...what do you think.
I think you should do it then! Keep the reps low, lift heavy, and rest plenty in between sets.
 

rando14

Member
What do you guys think about rep counts in general? I'm always more inclined to be around 5 when going up to 8-12. I know I know...there are millions of training principles and ways to build mass and believers for every shit. I think I just want to go back to push & pull around 5 reps and foucsing on getting stronger...what do you think.

low reps = strength
high reps = size

Though obvously the two are not mutually exclusive, especially for a newbie lifter
 

Cooter

Lacks the power of instantaneous movement
I wouldn't lock yourself into any concrete number. For example, when I do my shoulder raises I up the reps to 12,10,8,6 but when OHP'ing and most other exercises I stick to 10,8,6,4. Then I have shrugs where I do sets of 20 usually. Squats are unique too. I have a 5x5 heavy day and a 15,12,10,8,6 hi rep day. My weighted pull ups have different numbers also. Granted I have been at this for a while and know exactly my goals and what I hope to achieve but the point stands. :)
 

SeanR1221

Member
If you're expierenced you can play around a little with rep ranges on the accessory stuff.

I think I mentioned here I'm doing one warmup and two work sets of accessory. I go for as many reps as I can, and increase the weight every week/every other week and naturally decrease the reps. Once I hit a 5 rep range I reset and see if I can get a higher amount of reps at a lower weight (this being stronger)
 

Zozobra

Member
Oh man, finally, FINALLY was able to do a proper low-bar squat at the gym today! The weight was paltry compared to what you guys are putting up, but everything finally clicked form-wise.

I'm not very flexible at all and I'm also super tall so I wasn't able to cheat and move my arms out far enough to get the bar in the right place without some extreme wrist-bending.

Picked up a six-foot piece of dowel at Home Depot a couple weeks ago and diligently did shoulder dislocations at home every day and today was the big payoff.

Sorry, but I had to share. That exercise had been frustrating as hell. Feelsgoodman.jpg

Also, if OT6 doesn't have something about Quest bars in the title, I don't even know man, that's like two thirds of the content of this thread now!
I'm just jealous because they're so expensive in Canada ;)
 
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