ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ ||| The 2023/2024 Gym Rats Thread ||| ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ

[ddoubleep]

I would say it's absolutely not a great programme for a beginner as the exercises are complex, require a lot of mobility and difficult to do with good form for the majority of the trained gym goers, let alone the untrained ones. Especially the hang clean, front squat (which looks terrible in that picture, he's holding the bar with his hands) and push press.
Everything is there is a great exercise IF you do it properly. The average person that has a desk job simply hasn't got the mobility to do these and they're a terrible way to start as the risk of injury vs reward ratio is absolutely broken.

Depending on equipment availalable I would start with squats* (front squats only if you have proper front rack mobility or rest bar properly on your shoulders) and variations - split squats and the like, lounges, perhaps deadlifts*, some sort of military press, pull ups (negatives only to start with if too difficult) and dips (same as push ups), maybe some bent over rows. That ab rolling exercise is fantastic for your core as well, provided you can maintain decent form.
If you have access to it - a bench for bench pressing* is also great. Then simpler stuff like kettlebell swings.

Squat, deadlift and bench - are the holly 3 staples in lifting, they are big compounds that develop strength and all the good stuff. They are also moderately complex and not as easy to do as it seems. I'm happy to have a look at a form video and give pointers if anyone wants to, you can upload it as a private / unlisted youtube video as well.

I would definately look for something that spins... it's a recipe for injury to do those kinds of exercise with a screw type bar...

Thanks for taking the time to reply and going into it a bit more. I also tried to do this routine which I would a bit more easier to do and less stress with better form. I did it three times to give myself a bit of a workout with low weights. I was just seeking advice on doing something 3 times a week to get in a routine. It not about being jacked up but filling out and more strength.

I do have a desk job and feel body is weaker as a result.

I have access to a barbell, ez-bar and up to around 50kg in weights (2.5 / 5 / 10) plates. A couple of dumbbells and a 10 and 15kg kettlebell along with a pull-up bar.

Is there anything I can follow or goes into detail what you mentioned to combine a routine together.

Thanks for any tips.

 

[Cristian]

Thanks for taking the time to reply and going into it a bit more. I also tried to do this routine which I would a bit more easier to do and less stress with better form. I did it three times to give myself a bit of a workout with low weights. I was just seeking advice on doing something 3 times a week to get in a routine. It not about being jacked up but filling out and more strength.

Don't worry, I've been trying to get jacked for over 15 years, it still didn't happen. It's important to point out that the gentleman in the video didn't achive that kind of physique with that kind of workout (he's got years of heavy lifting and potential light drug use). Lots of people are afraid of getting "too big" or "too muscular" - don't worry it's not something that happens by accident but something that takes years of training (and often lots of drug use). That is some attention seeking video and nothing else, the weights required to build that kind of physique wouldn't allow the silly transitions he does for the front squat and bench press. He looks like someone who could easily do 10 reps of 100kg on the bench press, you're not lifting the bar that way for sure to do that!

You have stumbled across a golden principle of muscle / fitness progress though when you mentioned that the routine is easier, which is... progressive overload. In your first year of lifting it's very important to constantly and progressively increase the weights you're looking to do. That's the best way to make progress and constantly increase difficulty, especially at your begining of your journey.

I would point you in the direction of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlZPCJJOUfQ and spend some time on this channel. Now, a lot of these involve "gym exercises" but youtube is full of alternatives for "home / prison workouts". Things like pistol squats, dips between 2 chairs, that kind of stuff. I'd recommend buying a door frame pull up bar, you can do push ups with feet elevated, etc. Just because you have a barbell doesn't mean it's the most efficient way of doing things. A quick google showed me this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtuKRFRSDm8 I'm sure there are better exercises but the guy there has perfect form and the workout he's doing is significantly safer and more effective than the barbell masturbation in the previous links. Don't get me wrong, proper weights and gym equipment (such as a squat rack and a bench) are the best way to make progress but doing barbell curls on an EZ bar doesn't really get you much!

Based on the first video from RP I linked I'd look at creating a routine / split that you can post hear and I can help you tweak accordingly.

 

[ddoubleep]

Don't worry, I've been trying to get jacked for over 15 years, it still didn't happen. It's important to point out that the gentleman in the video didn't achive that kind of physique with that kind of workout (he's got years of heavy lifting and potential light drug use). Lots of people are afraid of getting "too big" or "too muscular" - don't worry it's not something that happens by accident but something that takes years of training (and often lots of drug use). That is some attention seeking video and nothing else, the weights required to build that kind of physique wouldn't allow the silly transitions he does for the front squat and bench press. He looks like someone who could easily do 10 reps of 100kg on the bench press, you're not lifting the bar that way for sure to do that!

You have stumbled across a golden principle of muscle / fitness progress though when you mentioned that the routine is easier, which is... progressive overload. In your first year of lifting it's very important to constantly and progressively increase the weights you're looking to do. That's the best way to make progress and constantly increase difficulty, especially at your begining of your journey.

I would point you in the direction of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlZPCJJOUfQ and spend some time on this channel. Now, a lot of these involve "gym exercises" but youtube is full of alternatives for "home / prison workouts". Things like pistol squats, dips between 2 chairs, that kind of stuff. I'd recommend buying a door frame pull up bar, you can do push ups with feet elevated, etc. Just because you have a barbell doesn't mean it's the most efficient way of doing things. A quick google showed me this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtuKRFRSDm8 I'm sure there are better exercises but the guy there has perfect form and the workout he's doing is significantly safer and more effective than the barbell masturbation in the previous links. Don't get me wrong, proper weights and gym equipment (such as a squat rack and a bench) are the best way to make progress but doing barbell curls on an EZ bar doesn't really get you much!

Based on the first video from RP I linked I'd look at creating a routine / split that you can post hear and I can help you tweak accordingly.

Thanks for that. I have taken all the videos I have been replicating with a pinch of salt and know what be the same physique. I have noticed some body change and also it takes a lot of oxygen to do some and feels like I have gone for a run. Small steps I know but feels like I ready to really come up with a longterm plan to safely and progressively do this.

I may have wrongly assumed the barbell was the best way to go about it and doing everything in my garage. I don't mind investing in some gear but want an efficient program that can fit in lunchtimes, before bed or early morning depending on my commitments and workload.

I will watch RP to further educate myself.

 

[ShortWarning]

Well this week was PR week but last week I came down with a savage virus so haven't been to the gym since last Monday (15/04) (where I pulled a deadlift double @97% so a PR for this week was looking good).

I'm finally starting to feel better (just about) but not sure if I should just skip this round of PRs. I've basically done nothing since the 15/04. Tried really hard to keep my calories up but haven't really been able to for the last week (I've been forcing food down but not as much as I should be eating).

Not really sure what to do because I was planning for a month long cut from next week.

Do I try for PRs next week half expecting to not pull them but maybe being pleasantly surprised or just bin them off and start a new PR block after this cut?