*** The 2018 Gym Rats Thread ***

Man of Honour
Joined
21 Nov 2004
Posts
44,880
Another year of gains :) - have been enjoying the gym in the mornings this week. Have never seen it so quiet. I bet it will be hell in the evenings next week.

Anyone got tips for progressing with overhead press? Along the lines of assistance exercises, other than just doing a load more presses :). The one exercise that I just continually hit a plateau on.
 
Soldato
Joined
30 Sep 2008
Posts
6,769
In order to keep myself accountable I want to lay out my goals for the year early on, this will be my year to conquer and I'm not going to give myself an excuses.

Short Term: Trim to 12 stone, between 6 and 8lb to go depending on when I weigh in. Should be easily achievable in the next couple of months if I get myself together.

End of Year: Back up to 13 stone, hoping to add as much lean muscle as possible.

Lifting Goals:
Bench 1RM: 100kg - currently sitting around the 65-70kg mark so lot of work to do here.
Deadlift 1RM: 180kg - not tested my deadlift 1RM for a long time, I can pull 115 for reps pretty easily though so I'd guess around the 130-140kg mark.
Squat: be able to back squat again, fix **** mobility.
OHP 1RM: 60kg - currently pushing 40kg for some incredibly untidy reps, need to work on this, shoulder mobility also an issue.

Nothing too exciting in there, just a year of slow and steady progress hopefully.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
19 Oct 2002
Posts
2,599
I had a great start to last year - 7 months solid of strong lifts - then had an elbow injury and then a shoulder injury... Hoping to start on Monday again and hoping to be injury free.
 
Soldato
Joined
20 Nov 2009
Posts
5,337
Location
Bangor NI
I am injury free...... only taken 18months :D

Going to take this year as a new beginning and just build my way back into it. No comps until August at the earliest and then it's only I need/want/am able to qualify for something in 2019.
I've already rebuilt my deadlift technique and it's a lot cleaner than it was when I was at my best. Bench is up next and in the mean time for squats I'll either be doing high bar or safety bar squats.

It has been incredibly disheartening at times but I've learned so much in this time, I've got to make it count in the years ahead.

For my own reference my lifts are currently; 100/140/195 :D
 
Soldato
Joined
15 Feb 2013
Posts
3,090
Location
Edinburgh
This year I'm hoping to get some proper squat numbers.
Currently at 80, but I've been off it after injury for a good while now. Slowly building back up.

Determined to take over my bench as I feel the squat should be a bit higher than bench :p

Also I'd like to deadlift all my current weights :D
I only have 137 in the house, so it'll be a good excuse for new plates.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
21 Nov 2004
Posts
44,880
I am injury free...... only taken 18months :D

Going to take this year as a new beginning and just build my way back into it. No comps until August at the earliest and then it's only I need/want/am able to qualify for something in 2019.
I've already rebuilt my deadlift technique and it's a lot cleaner than it was when I was at my best. Bench is up next and in the mean time for squats I'll either be doing high bar or safety bar squats.

It has been incredibly disheartening at times but I've learned so much in this time, I've got to make it count in the years ahead.

For my own reference my lifts are currently; 100/140/195 :D

Good luck with it. Not being able to bench, or do much else without pain due to my AC joint injury was horrendous, so I can definitely relate! I am very slowly rebuilding, but at least this time with more knowledge and a much more sensible approach.
 
Soldato
Joined
17 Jun 2012
Posts
9,852
Location
South Wales
I'm going to join in with the injury pity party. :p Going into September last year training was going really well and I was on target to hit all my goals. Then injury, illness and poor motivation has put me back quite a bit. Getting the training back on track but I want to loose a bit of weight before holiday in March and then on to increases those lifts.
 

LiE

LiE

Caporegime
Joined
2 Aug 2005
Posts
25,599
Location
Milton Keynes
On Jan 1st I signed up to a gym, it's the same gym I used to train at prior to building my home gym in 2013. The main driver for me is a) motivation and b) access to more variety. I'm still plagued with knee issues, but they aren't as bad as they used to be. My shoulder is much stronger but I am sticking to DB press for now. Hoping to be up to 50kg DBs in a few months. The goal is to get back into some bodybuilding until I've regained some lost size and also increase my mobility. I'm not sure if I'll ever return to power lifting like I used to, I don't have the drive for big numbers any more, especially as I don't have as much time and my joints like to quit on me. I'll be happy if I can get to a nice 80ish kg lean this year.

#AestheticsCrew
 
Soldato
Joined
15 Mar 2010
Posts
11,056
Location
Bucks
Iv got lower back issues big time so 2018 is the year to sort that out. I know its because of lifting over the years as my posture has gone completely out of whack, perhaps I just neglected back work I dont know but posture is the start to it all.
Apart from that sticking to at least three workouts a week and switching from evening to morning workouts are where Im at. Maintaining my weight around 95kg most of the year, and probably will try and go to 90kg for the summer. (im 6,2)
 
Associate
Joined
29 Jun 2011
Posts
2,081
I was completely unrealistic last year so my aim is to set achievable goals for 2018 :D

1. Get my diet in check - I can't make any progress with a bad diet.
2. I want to get my estimated 1RM's to:
Deadlift 160kg - currently 133kg
DB Bench 40-45kg - highest my gym has
Squat 100kg - currently 85kg
OHP 60kg - currently 52.5kg
 
Soldato
Joined
11 Jun 2013
Posts
2,632
Another year of gains :) - have been enjoying the gym in the mornings this week. Have never seen it so quiet. I bet it will be hell in the evenings next week.

Anyone got tips for progressing with overhead press? Along the lines of assistance exercises, other than just doing a load more presses :). The one exercise that I just continually hit a plateau on.
Where does it get stuck?
 
Soldato
Joined
19 Jul 2013
Posts
2,731
Location
derby
This years aim is to get under 90kg body weight and enter a strongman comp in the under 90kg class. currently fluctuating between 92-95 kg

I want to get 200kg deadlift or at least get my 190kg 1rm back
100kg log press
120kg atlas stone to 4ft platform (with tacky)

lots of other improvements I want to make but these are the main 3

The strongman gym I was going is now open full time so very excited to see how I progress over the next year
 
Soldato
Joined
11 Jun 2013
Posts
2,632
Just in terms of the weight I can lift. Stuck at around 70-75kg max. It progresses, but soooooo slowly and I often go backwards.

I meant at what stage of the lift i.e. getting off shoulders, lockout etc. Brian Alsruhe on YT has a great advice on pressing weights overhead and has put 400lbs overhead so his videos might help?
 
Soldato
Joined
2 May 2011
Posts
11,868
Location
Woking
I'm in a contest at work to lose a certain amount of weight, so I've got to get from 94kg (as of today) down to 80kg in the next few month. This app I have projects mid-April, which would be awesome.

In terms of gym goals, I had lower back surgery in September so primarily I want to recover properly from that. I have a plan the guy at the gym gave me so I'm just looking to up all my numbers on that plan, but it would be great to achieve 150kg deadlift, 75kg bench, and 150kg squat (5x5 for all of them). I don't know how realistic those goals are, though!
 
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