*** The 2015 Gym Rats Thread ***

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I'm supposed to be bulking after my gyno surgery now I'm back at the gym but so far after reintroducing exercise and eating more (was eating at what was supposed to be maint. cals for a sedentary moi) my weight has dropped lol.

Note to self, U R DOIN IT RONG.
 
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Spent Saturday stripping down the bike and replacing a few bits and I've never had hamstring DOMS like it! It actually hurts to sit on my office chair because the edge keeps basically foam rolling my hams :eek:
 
first question:

Last few weeks I have been getting knee pain to the point that I can no longer squat. I have been squatting with no issues for years now, but the last month or so I've had problems. Once I get the pain my session is pretty much done, I'm not able to squat or leg press any more, even squatting with just the bar hurts once it has gone. I had a week off from training legs but it hasn't helped. Any ideas of what else I can try?


Second question:
I'm finally moving out in a few weeks which means I will have to finally cook for myself! What meals do you guys usually have on week days when you have limited time after work & gym to cook? Obviously I want relatively high protein and quite healthy meals
 
XeNoN89 said:
first question:

Last few weeks I have been getting knee pain to the point that I can no longer squat. I have been squatting with no issues for years now, but the last month or so I've had problems. Once I get the pain my session is pretty much done, I'm not able to squat or leg press any more, even squatting with just the bar hurts once it has gone. I had a week off from training legs but it hasn't helped. Any ideas of what else I can try?
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#1 Go see a doctor and a physio.
#2 "Pain in my knee" can mean any number of things (miniscus, patella, patellar ligament, quad insertions, ITB, cruciate/medial ligaments cartilage damage, etc.) so "my knee hurts" isn't very helpful. ;) :D So go see a doctor and a physio. Also post videos of your squatting because chances are something isn't working...
#3 What other sports/activity to you do?

XeNoN89 said:
Second question:
I'm finally moving out in a few weeks which means I will have to finally cook for myself! What meals do you guys usually have on week days when you have limited time after work & gym to cook? Obviously I want relatively high protein and quite healthy meals
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#1 Anything with eggs'
#2 Anything with tuna
#3 Anything with chicken/beef/etc.
 
Wiped out today but had another good session - reckon my strength will be back to full capacity in another couple of weeks, although squads/deads seem to be quickest, then OHP... then bench for whatever reason. Had a good lol at some guy yelling on the GHR machine - he was hanging off the end with a medicine ball... I thought he was going to do crunches but instead he was screaming and throwing the ball into his abs. R U VAN DAMME IN DISGUIZ? Top kek. Just needed a coconut instead.

OHP feels drastically better than it used to thanks to using the lay-off and subsequent 'have to start light' to rejig my form a bit, feels juiceh.

Deadlifts... I seem to have taken to hook grip like a duck to water now. No problem for singles at 100kg today (hopefully be back to double bodyweight shortly) although with reps it starts getting more uncomfortable! Also now I can bench in a rack I should be able to start filming my sets with the GorillaPod from above so I can see wtf my bar path/elbows are doing and maybe subsequently get some decent numbers with it finally.
 
XeNoN89 said:
Second question:
I'm finally moving out in a few weeks which means I will have to finally cook for myself! What meals do you guys usually have on week days when you have limited time after work & gym to cook? Obviously I want relatively high protein and quite healthy meals
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I'm no bodybuilder and am just getting generally fitter, stronger and with a better diet. But I eat a lot of fish (tinned tuna, smoked salmon) and a lot of chicken. I have a small amount of rice or potatoes and other vegetables with it. I avoid any dressings.

Personally I've never been too keen on eggs but I try to add protein from other sources such as beans, nuts, Fage 0% greek yoghurt (love it!) and when I don't eat enough protein that day then a scoop or two of whey. e.g. for breakfast I typically have oats with a scoop of vanilla flavoured whey.

EDIT: I also try to buy the better quality meats (avoiding ''reformed" chicken, etc). It's worth paying a little extra for the better quality in my mind.
 
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Hades out of interest how much do you spend a week on shopping just for yourself? I want to move out oneday, and I eat pretty healthy like you by the sounds of it. When I move out my diet will be boring (little mad cooking skillz) but very healthy. Im guessing about £30-40 a week maybe more?

Couldn't believe it when a girl at work says she spends around £25 a month, how is that possible. She must be around her parents quite often or friends cause that's impossible surely? She is a stick though, and rather spend monies on booze. But still I cant get my head around that.
 
Cookeh said:
Gym still closed... Doesnt open until Wed... Losing my mind and my gains at equal, shocking rates.
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Dude, seriously?

- Bro curlz with heavy bags;
- Rows under your dining table/desk;
- Chins from loft hatch;
- Bulgarian split squats off your settee/bed
- Single leg squats from a chair (careful with this one! :D);
- Car deadlifts;
- Settee deadlifts/RDLs;
- Weighted pushups/hand stand pushups, etc.)

Get on that ghetto gain-train, and stop whining. ;) :D
 
bakes0310 said:
Hades out of interest how much do you spend a week on shopping just for yourself? I want to move out oneday, and I eat pretty healthy like you by the sounds of it. When I move out my diet will be boring (little mad cooking skillz) but very healthy. Im guessing about £30-40 a week maybe more?

Couldn't believe it when a girl at work says she spends around £25 a month, how is that possible. She must be around her parents quite often or friends cause that's impossible surely? She is a stick though, and rather spend monies on booze. But still I cant get my head around that.
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I probably spend around £15 to £20 a day on food including a huge amount of fruit, etc. But I tend to buy small amounts of food from convenient, and therefore expensive, places. E.g. I work in central London. But buying in bulk and from cheaper places will stretch the money a lot more. I would struggle to keep it to £40 a week though.
 
mrthingyx said:
Dude, seriously?

- Bro curlz with heavy bags; Done.
- Rows under your dining table/desk; Done.
- Chins from loft hatch; Done.
- Bulgarian split squats off your settee/bed Didnt think of this.
- Single leg squats from a chair (careful with this one! :D); Done, fell too many times.
- Car deadlifts; Only car on the drive is Pug 107, if I drop it the entire car will fall apart.
- Settee deadlifts/RDLs; Done, but its really light.
- Weighted pushups/hand stand pushups, etc.) Done.

Get on that ghetto gain-train, and stop whining. ;) :D
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Its not as though I've not been doing all of the above, but its really not quite the same :( At one point I was curling my dogs... Plus I'm British, whining is an inherent part of my heritage.
 
Can I get some opinions on what I've been doing in the gym the last couple of months? Don't want to start a training log as I'm not really sure what I'm doing just yet but I'm determined to stick with it.

I'm 37, 5,8 and probably 10-11 stone ish - I don't need to lose weight, just want a better looking body. I've got a little bit of a gut which I want shot of too.

I can only get to the gym twice a week Tuesday and Thursday at 8.30am due to work and my children - maybe could fit one in on a weekend.

So this is what I do at the moment.

Cross trainer - sounds rubbish but I do 1KM with a resistance of 7 and it takes just under 16 minutes.
Rowing Machine - I do this - row for 1.40 rest for 20 - X9 and you have to beat your previous. I manage about 3300m in the time.

Then onto the weights.
Leg press - 40x10x3
Rope pull down - 15x10x3 - The rope makes it much harder than the bar for some reason and struggle with just 15 on there!
Leg curl - 40x10x3
Chest press 35x10x3
Leg extension 40x10x3
Low row 60x10x3
Bicep curls 8x10x3

That usually takes about 1hr 20 or thereabouts.

At home almost every day I do 15x3 push ups - 30/40x3 sit ups - 7.5kg bicep curlsx10x3. I bought a bar to go in the door frame for pull ups but can only manage 3 or 4 - it feels really awkward.

So anyway, that is what I'm doing. I don't do any bench lifting although I think I should. I was also thinking if I can add more visits to break up the rowing/trainer to one session and only weights another session.

Any help is really appreciated!
 
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So you don't want to lose weight, but you want to get rid of your gut? Right. :)

Your routine does look a bit like "use lots of machines in the gym and hope for the best" which I don't think will be the most efficient use of your time. It is 'ok' and it won't do you any harm at all, but it's not optimal by any stretch of the imagination (you are not squattng, deadlifting, or doing very much with free weights at all - which is not good).

Look at something like the Starter Routine highlighted in the first post of this thread - it's awesome.

If you're looking to get rid of your gut:

- Work out your basal metabolic rate and calorie requirements (using an app like MyFitnessPal can be a great help in this);
- run at a calorie deficit for a month or so...
- lose gut.

You will get a better physique just by lifting weights even in a calorie deficit if you've only just started lifting because your body will adapt to the new stresses it is working under (through greater muscle perfusion and more localised glycogen storage for that pumped up look). So concentrate on losing the guy first, and then get huge.
 
Been attempting to lose a few kilos/drop a waist size prior to May (admittedly not trying very hard...:D) - Still hovering at 100kg

Amusing though, few years ago I think I'd be on the floor crying and rocking back and forth is I weighed 100kg back then :p
 
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