*** The 2013 Gym Rats Thread ***

[Barks]

After being off/on with various workouts I've decided to go with 5x5, it's the one I hear most guys praising on here so I knew I couldn't go wrong.

Currently only on my second week, but I've skipped to week 4, as squatting and benching an empty bar seemed pointless as I already them in my other workouts and such a higher weight.

I'm still not 100% on my form during squats, when I get a chance I really need to try and get a video; not the easiest job using a gym busy 99% of the time in the centre of Sheffield haha.

Out of curiosity who else on here is doing 5x5, and how quickly did you actually results and in what space of time?

It strikes me that the success everyone seems to be having with the 5x5 regime has nothing to do with the 5x5 aspect and everything to do with the focus on big compound lifts. Ever since I shifted the main focus of my sessions to deadlifts, squats and bench press I have gained huge amounts of mass and strength compared to my last few years of messing around with dumbbells and achieving, comparatively, nothing.

To answer your question though, quickly. 5 sets of any challenging compounds with enough weight and good technique and you should be seeing gains quickly so long as you're resting properly and have your diet fixed.

 

[MoNkeE]

Barks, progress only comes from progression; routines like Stronglifts 5x5 force the trainer to add weight to the bar every single session, sticking to a routine of the same lifts in the same order. The progressive weight loading means you are always lifting more weight. I know that sounds obvious, but so many people when they are "messing around with dumbbells" are chopping and changing reps/sets/weights/exercises so often nothing is consistent, and it's a lot harder to know if you're actually loading the muscle more and building strength this way. It's not simply sticking to compounds, it's having a routine that pushes you to achieve.

Any routine that tells you to lift weight is pointless if it isn't well structured and progressive. Stronglifts works at your 5 rep max range (with a slight deload if necessary), where as other strength-orientated routines work at sub-maximal weight and slowly build you up in to over your maximal.

 

[BennyC]

Agreed with Monkee.

Consistent application of principles are what delivers results. Principles based on progression, intensity & frequency.

 

[Barks]

I thought that was a given. You're talking to the guy who has a spreadsheet that goes back yonks tracking my progress in pretty much everything. The fact is though doing big compounds is generally better for building mass and strength than a handful of isolation exercises.

 

[duvet77]

The fact is though doing big compounds is generally better for building mass and strength than a handful of isolation exercises.

I thought that was a given.

 

[Delvis]

I thought that was a given.

 

[Barks]

Given or not given, having a plan and increasing poundages is key to yielding results. Even someone doing just dumbbell chest presses once a week will see results if they follow a plan.

 

[Delvis]

Ever since I shifted the main focus of my sessions to deadlifts, squats and bench press I have gained huge amounts of mass and strength compared to my last few years of messing around with dumbbells and achieving, comparatively, nothing.

Given or not given, having a plan and increasing poundages is key to yielding results. Even someone doing just dumbbell chest presses once a week will see results if they follow a plan.

Yus.

 

[Swifty123]

It's funny how much my knowledge I've learnt just from reading on here for a while.. Backed up by a few non BS internet articles. Everyone else I know who goes to the gym, still stick to their 3-4 day split routines which consist of 90% isolation exercises and I have noticed for the time they've been going their progress is tiny.

Also backed up by the number that actually train legs..

 

[Barks]

Yus.

MoNkeE's point as far as I understand is that progress in the gym is down to following a well structured plan and increasing poundages or repetitions week on week. I am fully aware of this I have read the book Beyond Brawn cover to cover twice now.

You've presented those two quotations unfairly out of context, confusing my point which is that big compound movements are far more effective at building strength and mass than a handful of isolation exercises, but that doesn't mean to say you can't progress with the latter by following a well structured plan.

 

[icecold]

MoNkeE's point as far as I understand is that progress in the gym is down to following a well structured plan and increasing poundages or repetitions week on week. I am fully aware of this I have read the book Beyond Brawn cover to cover twice now.

You've presented those two quotations unfairly out of context, confusing my point which is that big compound movements are far more effective at building strength and mass than a handful of isolation exercises, but that doesn't mean to say you can't progress with the latter by following a well structured plan.

As far as I can see it, this mild friction you're experiencing is because you sometimes seem to assume superior knowledge to the guys on here.

"I've lifted for a while"

and

"I've read this book twice"

...while good, doesn't necessarily mean you know what's going on.

 

[Barks]

I don't mean to at all, I'm more often than not the one asking for advice on here.

I just enjoy talking about it so I am sorry if I come across as condescending or arrogant.

 

[Freefaller]

It's okay I rile people up all the time.

Especially icecold. <3

 

[MoNkeE]

I thought that was a given. You're talking to the guy who has a spreadsheet that goes back yonks tracking my progress in pretty much everything. The fact is though doing big compounds is generally better for building mass and strength than a handful of isolation exercises.

This is well accepted and maintained throughout bodybuilding circles, but I actually wonder how much truth there is in there. No doubt compounds are the best exercises; shifting lots of weight, building on function strength, using all kiiiiinds of stabilisers and easy to maintain consistent form.

However, the old theory for using compounds is that they release more growth hormone in the body than isolation; this is the part I'm skeptical of! I believe the amount will be so negligible that it would offer no real world benefit.

Building on this, I get fed up of hearing people say "the body will only grow in proportion, so if you don't train legs, you won't get big". This is the biggest load of bull I've ever heard, yet is still WIDELY passed around as being a truth. And that if you train legs hard, you'll release more growth hormone which will aid the rest of your workouts; again my above point saying that I think it's negligible makes me think this is a load of testicles also.

/trained legs yesterday and still regret it.

 

[duvet77]

I thought I'd read somewhere recently that the whole thing regarding GH response to heavy compounds had been debunked... couldn't tell you where I read that though... i might even have imaginied it!

 

[Barks]

Growth hormone release aside, I find Squats and Deadlifts absolutely knackering and that in itself is surely a sign that you are taxing your body to its limits and thus stimulating a response through growth?

At the end of the day we read contradicting statements regarding this sort of thing all the time but if it works for you then it works for you. Anyone on here been training big compounds for a long period of time and not seen any marked improvement?

 

[Fireskull]

Delvis?


(Sorry joke )

 

[duvet77]

Growth hormone release aside, I find Squats and Deadlifts absolutely knackering and that in itself is surely a sign that you are taxing your body to its limits and thus stimulating a response through growth?

Not sure I follow. Running a marathon is knackering but won't make you grow. I don't think systemic fatigue (if thats what you mean by knackering) elicits growth.

Ignore me if I've misterunderstood what you mean.

 

[MoNkeE]

Yes, do not confuse fatigue with growth. I could do 50 reps of body weight squats and my legs would be knackered and pumped. But it wouldn't be making me grow or increase my 1RM

 

[duvet77]

lol... good use of spoilers... the anticpation almost killed me!

Edit: wait, what happened to delvis's's's's post?!