*** The 2010 Gym Rats Thread ***

Royality said:
In my experience that kind of mileage would be pretty exhausting if you were to lift weights too. I've been running about 20 miles per week, lifting 3 times a week and eating ~1800 calories for the last 4 weeks and it's pretty taxing - and I was already running and lifting before that (just with more calories).

Personally I'd cut the mileage and lift instead, you want your body to want to keep as much muscle as possible.

Curiously how much are you running at the moment (mileage wise)? If you're just going to start running with no prior conditioning you'll probably injure yourself!
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I usually did 20 minutes of HIIT at the gym at Uni about 2-3 times a week and then a long distance run on top of weights sessions. I am home for a month now and don't have access to a gym only some dumbbells and the great outdoors. I've been home a week and have already done 3 runs of about 7 miles and 2 fast paced runs of 2.5 miles. I realise this isn't sustainable and I think I've already got some early signs of shin splints, it was just an initial obsession having drunk far too much and eaten junk at Uni.

The dumbells I have at home are ridiculously light so I'm thinking perhaps the best option is to do one long run a week, two short runs and couple this with some easy weights session whilst restricting calories to about 2000 a day. Any faults with this plan?

Cheers for the advice
 
2000 calories a day with sessions of 20 minutes HIIT & 10 minutes Ciruits 3 times a week. Weights every other day (push pull split)around the HIIT and then every 6th day have a rest day and carb re-load.

That's what I did and it worked.
 
Sounds pretty good mate. I don't want to overdo it though I'm mostly sitting around doing revision and I keep finding myself messing around with the dumbbells far too often.

Just out of interest I can't afford to buy protein right now, is there an ideal food which is rich in protein and quick to prepare, perhaps cottage cheese?
 
BennyC said:
2000 calories a day with sessions of 20 minutes HIIT & 10 minutes Ciruits 3 times a week. Weights every other day (push pull split)around the HIIT and then every 6th day have a rest day and carb re-load.

That's what I did and it worked.
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I was just coming on too post an almost identical question;

If I'm trying to build muscle mass while cutting unwanted fat what is the best type of cardio to do. I do 4 lifting splits a week and then 2 fasted circuit training mornings and 1 fasted HII rowing morning. Should I be fitting LI prolonged cardio into my routine or would that be counteractive to gaining muscle mass, I read somewhere that low intensity cardio can lose you as much as 70% muscle in each pound of weight lost.
 
For all those who use straps and not chalk, please give the chalk a go as I have not needed to use my straps since obtaining my rock climbing chalk! without a doubt my grip has improved but that's due to the chalk reducing sweaty palms I guess.
 
Killswitch said:
I was just coming on too post an almost identical question;

If I'm trying to build muscle mass while cutting unwanted fat what is the best type of cardio to do. I do 4 lifting splits a week and then 2 fasted circuit training mornings and 1 fasted HII rowing morning. Should I be fitting LI prolonged cardio into my routine or would that be counteractive to gaining muscle mass, I read somewhere that low intensity cardio can lose you as much as 70% muscle in each pound of weight lost.
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From what i have read then HIIT is the way to go for fat loss and for also boosting the anabolic rate of your body which helps you to gain muscle. Also with HIIT you spend so much less time doing cardio than with a low intensity long duration type of cardio and will spend the rest of the day burning fat and calories as your body trys to recover form the high intensity of it.
 
Is it safe to combine HIIT with a low-carb diet then. Planning on massively reducing carbs throughout the week for weights/HIIT and having a rest day at the weekend where I'll eat much more carbs.
 
The body doesnt need carbs to work, however carbs at the right times are beneficial, they arent actually a necessity.
 
YAY!
Words cannot describe my joy.
Came back from uni to my home gym today, and they've finally got a proper power cage! Well happy, because next year I'll be on placement living at home so would be away from the array of cages at the uni gym.

So relieved :D

To celebrate I did 5x5 at 105kg back squats, and then for luck did ATG front squats 70kg for 3x5. I'm liking these a lot, although they felt quite easy which I was surprised by. Last week when I tried them at the same weight with less squats done before hand I found them much harder.

Also it has proper chin up bars, as the ones on the assisted machine, even when you remove the resistance part, still has bits that get in the way of doing them right.

All in all I am happy.

I also tried towel chin ups and christ they are hard for grip!

Did:
5x5 105KG back squat
3x5 70kg front squat. (now have massive bruises on my shoulders!)
3x8 100kg Deadlift
5x1 120kg Deadlift. (could only do 1 at a time because of grip issues).

3x5 OH cable rope tricep extensions 50kg.
2x5 25kg DB bench (out of energy by now so only managed the two.)

3x3 BW rope chin ups
3x6 BW dips (leaning forward)
5x5 32.5kg EZ bar culs


Shattered now! :P
 
Just wanting some advice from all you gym rats in here!

I'm a big bloke, 6ft4 and weigh a shade over 21st. I'm naturally strong due to my build but for the life of me can't bench press. I struggle hitting 10 reps of 30kg, is this normal for someone just starting to bench press? I also read the longer your arms the harder it is to bench due to the greater range of motion, is this true or is this just an excuse for weaklings?
 
Is that 30kg as in the bar and two 5kg plates, or 30kg and the bar. If the latter then that's fine for starting. Even if the former, it's not a problem, just work at it. Perhaps try a 5x5 routine as I've found them to be beneficial.

And don't bother with excuses, just do your own thing and push yourself.
 
The people I know with the biggest benches (140kg+ for reps) are all over 6'3.

Settling into a 6 days per week routine now that my home gym is finished and after such a long time not squatting it's great to feel the special brand of DOMS it gives you. Combine with calf DOMS and everyone in the village is laughing at how the crazy foreigner walks.

One question, when people measure their thighs, whereabouts on the thigh are you doing it?
 
Killswitch said:
Isn't it better practice to have a low carb cardio day and a high carb lifting day?
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Don't forget that growth and recovery from lifting take time and energy. You may burn 300 calories in the gym but over the next 24+ hours you'll use another 500+ for growth and recovery. If you're bumping from excess calories to deficit every day you might not be getting it right.
 
Rusty_Noob said:
I also read the longer your arms the harder it is to bench due to the greater range of motion, is this true or is this just an excuse for weaklings?
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It's true that there is a greater ROM and that does make it a little bit harder but it's really not a good excuse overall, just keep practicing and you'll get better/stronger. I don't know how you train but if it's down the gym then why not ask someone to spot you, the added confidence of having someone to help if you struggle can be important - additionally you can practice doing the controlled negatives part and have them assist the bar on the way up, this can sometimes help to break through a plateau.
 
Rusty_Noob said:
Just wanting some advice from all you gym rats in here!

I'm a big bloke, 6ft4 and weigh a shade over 21st. I'm naturally strong due to my build but for the life of me can't bench press. I struggle hitting 10 reps of 30kg, is this normal for someone just starting to bench press? I also read the longer your arms the harder it is to bench due to the greater range of motion, is this true or is this just an excuse for weaklings?
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It's an excuse people use. Sure having longer arms can and will cause you a bigger ROM, but it shouldn't stop you from developing strength over all. There are plenty of people taller than you who bench 200+kg ;)
 
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