*** The 2012 Gym Rats Thread ***

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It's good fun mate, starting my 4th week tomorrow.
You obviously need to eat/sleep properly also don't go overboard with the weights in the first week.
That being said I haven't found it too brutal - used to get a lot more sore during my classic 4 day splits.
 
Cristian said:
It's good fun mate, starting my 4th week tomorrow.
You obviously need to eat/sleep properly also don't go overboard with the weights in the first week.
That being said I haven't found it too brutal - used to get a lot more sore during my classic 4 day splits.
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I changed some things about, but it was a good day and I shocked myself massively with the DB press (PB here and I know I can go heavier, quite easily too). It felt a bit easy if I'm honest, but then I am using the first week to judge the weights.

BOR 60x5 65x5 70x5

Wide Chins BW x 6 BW x 6

DB Press 32 x 5 34 x 5 38 x 5 (:D - heaviest weight in our gym is 40s so I'm going to hit a barrier hit sometime soon)

dips

BW x 8 8kg x 8 ( couldn't find the belt, can go heavier here. Found the belt on the way out the gym :( )

Ez Bar Curls

10k (+bar) x 8 15 x 8 20 x 8

CGB (swapped this for skull crushers)

60 x5 65 x 5 65 x 5

Pull Ups

8xbw 5x8kg

30mins of HIIT.

All in a great gym session :)
 
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Right so after a long lay off I've been back at it for 3 months and I need some advice. You might have read my previous posts on illness - well I've got 2 more chronic diseases to add to the list but I'm pumped full of medication so hoping that won't be an issue :D

The problem is, my strength is coming back and my shape is getting there but I feel like I need to switch up the routine as I'm losing motivation a bit. I've basically trained 4 times a week with:
1. heavy back/light legs
2. heavy chest/light shoulders
3. heavy legs/light back (exercises different to day 1)
4. heavy shoulders/light chest (exercises different to day 2)

It's been an awesome routine, starting on 10x3s and alternating between the two muscle groups each workout, but I really want to try something different. I'd still like to keep to 4 days a week and I'm thinking of trying a full body routine (probably HST 3 days a week) in a month or two so essentially I just want a high volume split routine that works.

Anyone got ideas as to what I should go for? I had considered GVT but I've done it in the past and I know that there are better alternatives (OVT?). I'm looking for personal experiences also, as it's hard to judge a routine from a strictly technical point of view.

I should add that I'm happy to lose a bit of the strength gains from the past 3 months as I know that the HST will bring it back up anyway
 
Syla5 said:
everything else looked good, however if you did 30 mins, then you didn't do hiit, at least not in the true sense. 30mins of interval training is still good.
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5mins warm up and cool down included in that.

I do, 200m full out, 300 rest. So it depends on how quickly I do it, on how long it takes me to do the sets. Doing 8 reps. Normally resting at 9kmh and sprinting at anywhere at 20-23kmh.

It may not be strict HIIT, but it got my bleep test up from 10.5 to 12.7. Mind you that was a while ago and I was doing it 4+ times a week with a longish run thrown in (which I'll be starting doing again sometime soon).
 
HIIT sessions are brutal and short. 12 mins is considered "a lot". You should be going full pelt for the interval. Rest. Then full pelt.

As Dom said though 30 mins of interval training is still good though and better than SS IMO. It's good to add some interval training anyway.
 
A really hard HIIT set up would look something like 30s on, 30s off. Easier has progressively longer rests and shorter intense intervals.
 
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Freefaller said:
HIIT sessions are brutal and short. 12 mins is considered "a lot". You should be going full pelt for the interval. Rest. Then full pelt.

As Dom said though 30 mins of interval training is still good though and better than SS IMO. It's good to add some interval training anyway.
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icecold said:
A really hard HIIT set up would look something like 30s on, 30s off. Easier has progressively longer rests and shorted intense intervals.
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As said, it may not be HIIT but it works for me. I find it easier to use distance to measure my rest/effort. It was really only about 18-20mins of work if you include warm up/cool down.

But I love my cardio anyway, and try to do at least 30mins of cardio a day. Got to do a 6 monthly fitness test, so hard to avoid it really.
 
Oh I wasn't being negative, what you're doing is doing you good - so keep it up! :) Just making sure the knowledge is out there in case others are interested in following your routine. :)
 
30 mins interval work is still good :) I didn't know if you were trying out hiit for fat burning reasons thought. As what your doing is for general fitness then stick with it ;)
 
Syla5 said:
30 mins interval work is still good :) I didn't know if you were trying out hiit for fat burning reasons thought. As what your doing is for general fitness then stick with it ;)
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Acctually trying to put a bit of weight on, which of course doing cardio is not good for. But yes, the plan is to increase the incline of the treadmill each week whilst still trying to run at the same speeds. I reckon I will hit a massive brick wall with that.
 
Did some leg work this morning...woo to early starts (and stupid road diversions)...

Oly back Squats: 90kgx5, 90kgx5, 100kgx5, 100kgx5, 110kgx5;
Oly Calf Raises: 90kgx5, 90kgx5, 90kgx5, 95kgx5 (mixed grip), 100kgx5 (mixed grip);
Oly SLDLs: 90kgx5, 90kgx5, 90kgx5 (mixed grip), 90kgx5 (mixed grip), 90kgx5 (Mixed grip);
Dumb-bell Step-up Lunges: 5 sets of 5 reps, each leg, with 2x20kg plates (easier to carry than dumb-bells);
DB Goblet Squats: 50kgx5, 50kgx5, 50kgx5, 50kgx5, 50kgx5p;
Leg Press Calf Extensions: 145kgx5, 145kgx5, 145kgx5, 145kgx5, 145kgx5.

Squats are 10kg up from last time as anticipated, goblet squats have a +4kg increase, as expected.

Grip is still causes problems; I may invest in some grip straps to prevent any more scary moments where my hands start to give when I'm at the top of my travel!

I am aiming for 150kg squats by the end of this year; and 80kg of weight...so I'll see what I can do.

Oh and the scales lied, I'm still actually 77-78kg. I think I need to eat more; at least 500 calories more, daily.

Kind regards,

David
 
Just as a pedantic FYI, there is no such thing as an "Oly Calf Raise". I know that you're referring to the fact that you're using a barbell, but the traditional way of expressing this would be to say "BB Calf Raise".
 
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