• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Fitness |OT3| BroScience, Protein Dysentery, XXL Calf Implants, and Squat Rack Hogs

Status
Not open for further replies.
A

Anton Sugar

Member
Timedog said:
Also, I don't think I like the method of benchpressing where you arch your back a bunch and decrease range of motion in favor of larger weight.
Click to expand...

Well, there's a strong arch and then an exaggerated arch. You should always have a strong arch/solid base for benching. For safety, if nothing else.
 
M

Mr.City

Member
Timedog said:
I did squats again while eating pizza beforehand and didn't get sick. This time I was hydrated though, so I think last time me getting sick from squats was simply hydration.

I've successfully been adding weight to all my exercises every workout and getting all my reps in plus some, but what happens. But what happens if I get to lets say the 2nd set of an excercise and only get 4 reps instead of 5 because of increased weight? Meaning on my last set I'm probably only gonna get 2 or 3 instead of 5. Should I stick with the same weight for the 3rd set, and just hope I can do all the reps next workout, or should I drop weight on the last set, knowing I won't be able to do the full amount of reps?

Also, I don't think I like the method of benchpressing where you arch your back a bunch and decrease range of motion in favor of larger weight.
Click to expand...

I would repeat the weight for another workout, and if you're still stuck, drop the weight 10% and work your way back up.
 
T

Timedog

good credit (by proxy)
Anton Sugar said:
Well, there's a strong arch and then an exaggerated arch. You should always have a strong arch/solid base for benching. For safety, if nothing else.
Click to expand...

How's it make it more safe?

Mr.City said:
I would repeat the weight for another workout, and if you're still stuck, drop the weight 10% and work your way back up.
Click to expand...

10%, really??

For instance, I was doing 185x5x3 2nd to last bench press workout. Did that fine and got 7 reps on my last set, so moved up to 190x5x3 yesterday. I got 6 reps on my last set, so a few days from now when I do bench again I'm gonna try 195x5x3. If I can't do it for the correct amount of reps, and I dropped 10%, I'd go down to 175--a weight that should be way too easy for the number of reps that I'm trying to do. I don't get how that makes sense, unless you're saying I should be doing higher reps per set, so work my muscles in a different way to get growth.
 
A

Anton Sugar

Member
Timedog said:
How's it make it more safe?
Click to expand...

Don't think of it just as a simple "cheat" method. A strong arch helps maintain a rigid torso and it is MUCH hard to have a tight upper back without a tight lower back. It also helps in transferring power/stability from the floor by pushing your feet down. You form a solid "chain" with your body from tight, planted feet, to your legs, to the strong arch, and tight upper back.
 
C

Cooter

Lacks the power of instantaneous movement
So I think my rotator cuff (sp) is a little off. My right shoulder is always sore when I start most training sessions and then it gets warmed up and feels ok. Flys were uncomfortable today so I skipped them. I think I'm going to go light next week and do higher reps. :(
 
X

X-Frame

Member
Cooter said:
So I think my rotator cuff (sp) is a little off. My right shoulder is always sore when I start most training sessions and then it gets warmed up and feels ok. Flys were uncomfortable today so I skipped them. I think I'm going to go light next week and do higher reps. :(
Click to expand...

Do you have an elastic band? Throw it in a door and do external and then internal rotations and see if either motion produces pain.

Also, if you have a lacrosse/tennis ball, get up against a wall and roll it on your pecs.
 
C

catotheyounger

Member
I decline bench press "easier" than incline? I went from regular press, to incline, then to decline today - and crushed the decline sets, matching my weight and set goals for regular press. Incline usually lags behind and makes me sweat the most. I don't normally do decline as it is usually occupied, so it is relatively new to me.
 
C

Cooter

Lacks the power of instantaneous movement
catotheyounger said:
I decline bench press "easier" than incline? I went from regular press, to incline, then to decline today - and crushed the decline sets, matching my weight and set goals for regular press. Incline usually lags behind and makes me sweat the most. I don't normally do decline as it is usually occupied, so it is relatively new to me.
Click to expand...

Decline is always easier and is pretty much inferior to flat bench in every way. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
 
I

IceCold

Member
catotheyounger said:
I decline bench press "easier" than incline? I went from regular press, to incline, then to decline today - and crushed the decline sets, matching my weight and set goals for regular press. Incline usually lags behind and makes me sweat the most. I don't normally do decline as it is usually occupied, so it is relatively new to me.
Click to expand...

I think they are supposed to be easier. But I have also heard that doing dips is more effective than doing them.
 
I

Izick

Member
Mully said:
Taking a day off is great, but I always feel unproductive. What special thing do you guys do on your off day?
Click to expand...

I do nothing. If it's a deserved day off that is. If I can't go for some reason when I want to, then I always feel like shit.
 
M

Mecha_Infantry

Banned
catotheyounger said:
I decline bench press "easier" than incline? I went from regular press, to incline, then to decline today - and crushed the decline sets, matching my weight and set goals for regular press. Incline usually lags behind and makes me sweat the most. I don't normally do decline as it is usually occupied, so it is relatively new to me.
Click to expand...

Decline places less emphasis on your front delts and lets your chest do the work- in theory. And dips aren't a similar exercise as they stretch your chest from the top of the to the bottom chest, whilst any pressing form stretches the chest from the back of the chest to the top of your chest (if that makes sense), but anyway the moves are totally different as they are on a different plane of movement

I only decline bench now and incline DB press. Quite a few articles out there that talk up declining only, but I'd only recommend that for intermediate to advanced trainers

Here's the deal though, hitting your chest in a different manner will always be beneficial, decline incline or flat. So don't get caught up on which one you do, just make sure you do it, but change it up once in a while
 
Diatribe1974

Diatribe1974

Member
Question:

As someone who goes into the gym without a friend to spot me, I'm left to doing the things that I can safely do by myself, but this naturally leaves out several key exercises that I'd KILL to fit in. (Squats & Free-Weight Bench for example).

With that being said, I've found myself in a quandary in that since I break my training into 2 sections (One day is for upper body and the next is for lower body, then I repeat the cycle as the days progress). The problem is that when I do my daily upper body work out, I can easily cross over the 90 minute mark and is edging closer and closer to the 2 hour mark to finish. But with my lower body, I'm hard pressed to fit it all in at 45 minutes. Is this normal? If not, what can I do to maximize my efforts for my legs?

What I have at my disposal at the gym are leg extensions & curls (quads/hamstring/calves), calf raises and seated leg presses (again, quads). Since it's just me, what all else can I do? I'm finding myself having to throw more and more weight, just to get that 5th and final set to even just begin to tire me, but I don't want to throw so much weight on that I hurt myself either.

Suggestions?
 
M

Mecha_Infantry

Banned
DiatribeEQ said:
Question:

As someone who goes into the gym without a friend to spot me, I'm left to doing the things that I can safely do by myself, but this naturally leaves out several key exercises that I'd KILL to fit in. (Squats & Free-Weight Bench for example).

With that being said, I've found myself in a quandary in that since I break my training into 2 sections (One day is for upper body and the next is for lower body, then I repeat the cycle as the days progress). The problem is that when I do my daily upper body work out, I can easily cross over the 90 minute mark and is edging closer and closer to the 2 hour mark to finish. But with my lower body, I'm hard pressed to fit it all in at 45 minutes. Is this normal? If not, what can I do to maximize my efforts for my legs?

What I have at my disposal at the gym are leg extensions & curls (quads/hamstring/calves), calf raises and seated leg presses (again, quads). Since it's just me, what all else can I do? I'm finding myself having to throw more and more weight, just to get that 5th and final set to even just begin to tire me, but I don't want to throw so much weight on that I hurt myself either.

Suggestions?
Click to expand...

You can squat perfectly fine without a spotter as long as you have a safety rack. If you are going for size over strength, the higher rep range is something you shouldn't be scared of, so if you can hit a lighter weight for 8-12 reps you're good.

If you're getting to your final set, try a drop set with less weight and a few more reps
 
F

fredrancour

Member
DiatribeEQ said:
Question:

As someone who goes into the gym without a friend to spot me, I'm left to doing the things that I can safely do by myself, but this naturally leaves out several key exercises that I'd KILL to fit in. (Squats & Free-Weight Bench for example).

With that being said, I've found myself in a quandary in that since I break my training into 2 sections (One day is for upper body and the next is for lower body, then I repeat the cycle as the days progress). The problem is that when I do my daily upper body work out, I can easily cross over the 90 minute mark and is edging closer and closer to the 2 hour mark to finish. But with my lower body, I'm hard pressed to fit it all in at 45 minutes. Is this normal? If not, what can I do to maximize my efforts for my legs?

What I have at my disposal at the gym are leg extensions & curls (quads/hamstring/calves), calf raises and seated leg presses (again, quads). Since it's just me, what all else can I do? I'm finding myself having to throw more and more weight, just to get that 5th and final set to even just begin to tire me, but I don't want to throw so much weight on that I hurt myself either.

Suggestions?
Click to expand...

Does your gym not have squat racks or power cages for squats? I've never once even though about using a person to spot me for squats because of the safety bars on cages and racks. Hell, I don't think I've even seen anybody else use a spot either. Maybe one time when a chick was just learning that day how to do the motion.
 
I

Izick

Member
I kind of have the same question, but mainly for BB benching exercises.

Is it okay to do the machine(s) instead? I usually do machine one week, then mix it up with DB the next week.
 
M

Mr.City

Member
Timedog said:
How's it make it more safe?



10%, really??

For instance, I was doing 185x5x3 2nd to last bench press workout. Did that fine and got 7 reps on my last set, so moved up to 190x5x3 yesterday. I got 6 reps on my last set, so a few days from now when I do bench again I'm gonna try 195x5x3. If I can't do it for the correct amount of reps, and I dropped 10%, I'd go down to 175--a weight that should be way too easy for the number of reps that I'm trying to do. I don't get how that makes sense, unless you're saying I should be doing higher reps per set, so work my muscles in a different way to get growth.
Click to expand...

The deload serves as rest period. If you're not hitting the prescribed number of reps, then you're fatigued and need a period of lighter work so that you may recover. If your performance is suffering, how do you think one solves that problem?
 
Diatribe1974

Diatribe1974

Member
Mecha_Infantry said:
You can squat perfectly fine without a spotter as long as you have a safety rack. If you are going for size over strength, the higher rep range is something you shouldn't be scared of, so if you can hit a lighter weight for 8-12 reps you're good.

If you're getting to your final set, try a drop set with less weight and a few more reps
Click to expand...

Am working on strength over size for the foreseeable future. My current setup is a 5 set/5 rep setup.

I'm a little worried as with some of the machines there, I've already maxed out what they offer and figure I'll have to move to a free weight version in order to get the challenge I'm looking for.
 
A

Ashhong

Member
Quick question, is hip drive recommended when doing high bar squats? I watched that StartingStrength instructional video and a lot of the comments said that it's only recommended for low bar squats or something.

Also, should the finishing "position" to a high bar squat be when my knees lock and hips come forward? Or should my ass be sticking out at all times.
 
M

Mully

Member
Izick said:
I kind of have the same question, but mainly for BB benching exercises.

Is it okay to do the machine(s) instead? I usually do machine one week, then mix it up with DB the next week.
Click to expand...

Machine doesn't give you the same range of motion as a normal bench. Just drop the weight a little when you're on the bench.

Most of my gym sessions are by myself. I keep the weight manageable and only add 5-10lbs to my sets. The few days of a month that I do have a partner, I'll go up a little more.I believe it's better to stick with a lighter weight, do a correct and safe set than adding a heavier weight and being only able to do one or two correct reps out of eight rep set.
 
I

Izick

Member
Mully said:
Machine doesn't give you the same range of motion as a normal bench. Just drop the weight a little when you're on the bench.

Most of my gym sessions are by myself. I keep the weight manageable and only add 5-10lbs to my sets. The few days of a month that I do have a partner, I'll go up a little more.I believe it's better to stick with a lighter weight, do a correct and safe set than adding a heavier weight and being only able to do one or two correct reps out of eight rep set.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I suppose you're right.
 
M

Mecha_Infantry

Banned
Mully said:
Machine doesn't give you the same range of motion as a normal bench. Just drop the weight a little when you're on the bench.

Most of my gym sessions are by myself. I keep the weight manageable and only add 5-10lbs to my sets. The few days of a month that I do have a partner, I'll go up a little more.I believe it's better to stick with a lighter weight, do a correct and safe set than adding a heavier weight and being only able to do one or two correct reps out of eight rep set.
Click to expand...

Yep. Check your ego in at the door.

I see so many kids on the preacher bench doing DB curls with 5 degrees of movement using heavy weights. I feel to smack them
 
T

Timedog

good credit (by proxy)
Mr.City said:
The deload serves as rest period. If you're not hitting the prescribed number of reps, then you're fatigued and need a period of lighter work so that you may recover. If your performance is suffering, how do you think one solves that problem?
Click to expand...

Deload for only 1 workout and try the heavier weight again next time, or deload 10% and then slowly work your way back up to the heavier weight?

In the past when I'd hit a sticking point I'd just waayyyyyy overtrain, like spend 2-3 hours at the gym until i'm dead, then take like 2.5x the amount of rest time as normal. This seemed to work really well.
 
Chittagong

Chittagong

Gold Member
Bearded Dudebro said:
Hey guys, recovering anorexic here. Looking to GAF for a little help. So lemme tell a little story.

I grew up in a house where all the unhealthy foods were the norm, so of course I was a fat guy. I decided to do something about it.

I cold turkey'd everything bad. I began going to the gym every other day, doing 45 minutes of cardio. Shortly after that I had a few personal trainer sessions who showed me a few exercises. It was just a few exercises he chose based off what I said I wanted. You know, cut abs, big arms, etc. Definetly not a weight training plan. Regardless, I was well on my way to hitting my target weight.

Somehow down the line, it became all about seeing that number go down. It got to the point where I was severely limiting my calories. I did cardio only, for longer than I should have, every day of the week. To the point of a 2000 cal deficit daily. I even got to the point where I was severley limiting my water intake.
Click to expand...


Bearded Dudebro, I can easily see myself going down exactly your path at the moment. Two months into my weight loss I am now at the personal trainer step (have been working out with him 2 times a week since the get go, and 3 cardio myself), now considering increasing to 6 exercises total in a week instead of 5. I am also thinking reducing intake to 1800cal from 2000cal.

Why? I hate how slow I lose weight. I have gone down only like, 6-7 pounds since I started and want to boost that up. I am really fed up with excess weight (40-60 pounds of it), and since this is working to some extent I'm thinking why not boost it by working harder.

On a positive note, my leg muscles are growing like mofos with all the squats and lunges, and my waist is decressing a bit. But the scale isn't moving much, and I think at some point it should.
 
K

kylej

Banned
Chittagong said:
Why? I hate how slow I lose weight. I have gone down only like, 6-7 pounds since I started and want to boost that up. I am really fed up with excess weight (40-60 pounds of it), and since this is working to some extent I'm thinking why not boost it by working harder.

On a positive note, my leg muscles are growing like mofos with all the squats and lunges, and my waist is decressing a bit. But the scale isn't moving much, and I think at some point it should.
Click to expand...

You have the complete wrong view of the scale. How do you think your legs are getting huge? You're building muscle, which adds weight to your body. I've gotten numerically heavier since I started lifting. Dramatically heavier. This is also the leanest I have ever been in my entire life. The scale is not important if you feel your clothes fitting better and see your body changing.
 
I

Inversive

Member
Hi fitnessGAF, I've only just started working out with a friend at the gym and i'm VERY unfit. We only go a couple of times a week so i'm wondering what are the best exercise routines that I could do at home? I don't have any equipment but i would be willing to buy some cheap stuff :p
I'm really skinny and want to get in shape for health reasons. I'm getting a pot belly from all the drink and fast food too. :(
 
I

Izick

Member
Inversive said:
Hi fitnessGAF, I've only just started working out with a friend at the gym and i'm VERY unfit. We only go a couple of times a week so i'm wondering what are the best exercise routines that I could do at home? I don't have any equipment but i would be willing to buy some cheap stuff :p
I'm really skinny and want to get in shape for health reasons. I'm getting a pot belly from all the drink and fast food too. :(
Click to expand...

Can you go to the gym consistently? Could you go consistently like 3 times a week?

EDIT: I have to run, but if you can go to the gym consistently three times a week, chek out Stronglifts 5x5.
 
M

Mecha_Infantry

Banned
For my UK GAF

AnRoAdPCQAEpbuD.jpg
 
I

Izick

Member
Inversive said:
We go twice a week atm, I can check with my friend if he would like to do 3 sessions a week though. Is 3 sessions optimal? Ok, i'll check the link, thanks man.
Click to expand...

You need to go three times. It's not really minimal, nor optimal, but rather mandatory-ish?

Remember, it's good that you've started working out at all. If you can travel to the gym by yourself, then don't let your friend hold you back though, you really should go three times.

But if you can convince him to get on this Stronglifts 5x5 system with you, it's likely both of you will stick with it, so I hope it all works out!
 
G

Gazzawa

Member
Just bought some SuperPump Max (fruit punch) from discountsuppliments.ie.
I have taken similar stuff before and was impressed so I thought I would try this out.
It gets here tomorrow whoop.
My question: Does anyone have any experience with this stuff in particular? Most reviews seem very positive. I might post here again to say how I got on with it if anyone is curious.
 
P

Petrie

Banned
Im currently cutting while continuing SS, however I want to start reseacrhing potential programs for when I finish with my cut. After spening nearly a year on strength gains, im ready to focus on size and hypertrophy. Id like to keep the strength gains I've made and possibly even continue to increase, however I'd like to make size my primary focus for a good while. Is there a particular program or programs that'd be ideal in this situation?
 
L

Lasthope106

Member
DiatribeEQ said:
Question:

As someone who goes into the gym without a friend to spot me, I'm left to doing the things that I can safely do by myself, but this naturally leaves out several key exercises that I'd KILL to fit in. (Squats & Free-Weight Bench for example).

With that being said, I've found myself in a quandary in that since I break my training into 2 sections (One day is for upper body and the next is for lower body, then I repeat the cycle as the days progress). The problem is that when I do my daily upper body work out, I can easily cross over the 90 minute mark and is edging closer and closer to the 2 hour mark to finish. But with my lower body, I'm hard pressed to fit it all in at 45 minutes. Is this normal? If not, what can I do to maximize my efforts for my legs?

What I have at my disposal at the gym are leg extensions & curls (quads/hamstring/calves), calf raises and seated leg presses (again, quads). Since it's just me, what all else can I do? I'm finding myself having to throw more and more weight, just to get that 5th and final set to even just begin to tire me, but I don't want to throw so much weight on that I hurt myself either.

Suggestions?
Click to expand...

Unless you are lifting a massive amount of weight you don't need a spotter. I've been thinking about this for the past couple of weeks and discovered that in the past, the reason I needed a spotter was because I wasn't following a linear progression; for example, one week I would lift without problem and the next week I would add 15-20lbs more (that was careless and dangerous). If you start with low weights and keep increasing 5 lbs every week, you should have no problem lifting the weights by yourself. This year I started doing squats at 135 lbs and last week I was able to do 270 lbs. You can do it man!

Squats and deadlifts are a thing of beauty. Sniff...
 
K

kylej

Banned
Petrie said:
Im currently cutting while continuing SS, however I want to start reseacrhing potential programs for when I finish with my cut. After spening nearly a year on strength gains, im ready to focus on size and hypertrophy. Id like to keep the strength gains I've made and possibly even continue to increase, however I'd like to make size my primary focus for a good while. Is there a particular program or programs that'd be ideal in this situation?
Click to expand...

5/3/1 + BBB yo.
 
C

cryptic

Member
X-Frame said:
Have you tried Amazon?

Pretty much anything will be cheaper and a better value than buying from GNC.
Click to expand...

Yeah. I've checked pretty extensively. It's either they have sucralose, it's only available in pill form, or the dose sucks. Thanks for the suggestion though, I understand I'm being a bit picky but I don't understand why so many things like this are loaded with crap.
 
M

Mr.City

Member
Timedog said:
Deload for only 1 workout and try the heavier weight again next time, or deload 10% and then slowly work your way back up to the heavier weight?
Click to expand...

You work your way back up.
Timedog said:
In the past when I'd hit a sticking point I'd just waayyyyyy overtrain, like spend 2-3 hours at the gym until i'm dead, then take like 2.5x the amount of rest time as normal. This seemed to work really well.
Click to expand...

That seems really inefficient.
 
L

Lasthope106

Member
Timedog said:
Deload for only 1 workout and try the heavier weight again next time, or deload 10% and then slowly work your way back up to the heavier weight?

In the past when I'd hit a sticking point I'd just waayyyyyy overtrain, like spend 2-3 hours at the gym until i'm dead, then take like 2.5x the amount of rest time as normal. This seemed to work really well.
Click to expand...

If you are in the gym for more than two hours you aren't working out. For me one hour is plenty. 1.5 hours is way too much. Perhaps someone can find an article about the research that found how the body produces too much cortisol if you exercise past 1 hours, and will actually affect your gains negatively.
 
F

FallingEdge

Member
Timedog said:
Deload for only 1 workout and try the heavier weight again next time, or deload 10% and then slowly work your way back up to the heavier weight?

In the past when I'd hit a sticking point I'd just waayyyyyy overtrain, like spend 2-3 hours at the gym until i'm dead, then take like 2.5x the amount of rest time as normal. This seemed to work really well.
Click to expand...

Your body grows when it is resting, not while working out. You deload 10% and work your way back up. Eat more, get rest, and try again. It is a hard process, that is for sure.

-------

So I am one week into my 'cut' which means I am eating less. On IF and eating around 2500 on workout days and 1800 off days. Might change up these numbers but getting a feel for what is working now. In any case, I am carb cycling and on my days off, eating around 60g of carbs. Today is gym day and man, maybe it is because I'm not happy with my size (always wish I was bigger) but I hate eating low carb. It isn't that it is hard but rather, I do not like the way I look. Right now, I look deflated. Sunday and Monday were low carb days and while I know that this look is just temporary, it still bothers me. Cannot wait to dive into the delicious, delicious carbs for lunch and dinner.

I don't see how people can go low carb consistently. Maybe if I was happy with my current size but to get that 'deflated' look, that is upsetting rofl.
 
K

kevo_huevo

Member
hurt my back doing deadlifts (i know, right) last week trying to go 2.2x bodyweight on them. ive been aching pretty badly this past week...its not a muscular ache, but like an ache in my lower spine..so im going to take the rest of this week off too to recover. should i invest in a belt, or just kind of reset and work on my dls at a lighter weight.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

I got abs tattooed on my stomach to be ‘summer ready’
36
3K
diffusionx replied
Diabetes-gaf - Warnings and Encouragement
2
67
4K
ChazAshley replied
The exercise pill: How exercise keeps your brain healthy and protects it against depression and anxiety
Science 2
56
4K
Maiden Voyage replied
Stop being lazy and go exercise
Opinion Drama 2 3
144
7K
sonomamashine replied
Lifters need to start treating their bodies, particularly while they're young; specialty bars and being open to new things are a great way to do that.
Opinion 2
59
4K
Punished Miku replied
Top Bottom