*** The 2018 Gym Rats Thread ***

[spluff]

cheers syla5 - nice to know the ratio is looking okay Will do that with the DB bench

One thing I know I will always fail when I get to around 72.5kg -> on the last rep if I dont rest the last 2 or 3 sets for 5 minutes. Ive tried not resting so long and I always struggle the last 1... So now be default I always rest 5 mins the last 2 sets which is a pain.....

 

[Cristian]

While there is a genetic factor to calves the biggest hurdle to growth for most people is bouncing off their Achilles tendon (part of your natural spring to be fair) - I've seen a few people get good results just going back to basics and following the advice here (plus patience and food), so it can be done.

Good read there, there's definately no bouncing involved but I will aim to slow down even more. The simple fact that I feel sore when flexing them shows that I am hitting them. Unfortunately for me there's zero calf activation when walking, but the upside is that I can destroy them in the gym with little impact on my daily life. I walk a bit every day so limping around everywhere wouldn't be ideal anyway.

This was all done during relative calorie deficit times, so I'm hoping progress will pick up when dreamer bulking.

 

[nicktay2605]

I have the opposite problem, I have large calves, glutes and hamstrings but small quads. I've never really trained calves at the gym, I'm guessing they must be a decent size from playing football for the past 20+ years. I'm really trying to build up my quads now because they've always looked small and, because they're such a prominent muscle, my legs look small when viewed from the front.

 

[Cristian]

Football helps, but mainly... genetics. One of my childhood friend has always played footbal - up to regional level in his spare time for quite a few years, same as his brother. Neither of them have any calves whatsoever...
For quads squats don't really help that much. Front squats do though. As do the much hated leg extensions. Also, the proverbial "quad sweep" also has a huge genetic component. Some to do with posture, some to do with actual muscle insertion.

I for one have stopped training hamstrings directly for a few years - simply because it was becoming an absolute nightmare with formal trousers: had to buy 38" trousers on a 33-34" waist which meant repeated trips to the tailor. And having mediocre quad development, they didn't even look that muscular.

Don't get me wrong, I still squat and deadlift, 160kg x 5 on a good leg day and 220x4 on deadlifts. But I stopped going crazy with the volume for those, and started insisting more on quad volume for the same reasons, and there is a bit of progress to show.

 

[Syla5]

The simple fact that I feel sore when flexing them shows that I am hitting them.

Or it shows that they are tight. My calves are often sore, I don't exercise at all right now, and I am fully aware they need smashing from a mobility perspective.

 

[Cristian]

Nah, my lower body is reasonably flexible. Heck, even the long stretch and long range of motion helps a bit with that. Chest and shoulders on the other hand... errrrm.
I know they weren't sore at all on holiday despite no training and an average of 30k steps a day.

Be better off doing high incline walking and slowwwww negs

I will put my hand up and admit I initially ignored this, but today I decided to give it a try.
Max incline, 3mph, slow long steps with no heel involvement whatsover focusing on the calves... had to stop after less than 10 minutes

 

[BRIGGBOY81]

got back into the swingers club this weekend..... the kettle bell swingers club . since i started lifting weights i have neglected the Kettle bell. man it felt good swinging that 24kg kettle bell and reminding myself where this working out journey all started gonna add the catchers squat and press back in as well so i have some stuff i really enjoy doing and to break up my sessions a bit.

 

[Somnambulist]

got back into the swingers club this weekend..... the kettle bell swingers club . since i started lifting weights i have neglected the Kettle bell. man it felt good swinging that 24kg kettle bell and reminding myself where this working out journey all started gonna add the catchers squat and press back in as well so i have some stuff i really enjoy doing and to break up my sessions a bit.

Thank you for reminding me how many people I have to see trying to do these at my work gym, with 0 hip hinge action.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

got back into the swingers club this weekend..... the kettle bell swingers club . since i started lifting weights i have neglected the Kettle bell. man it felt good swinging that 24kg kettle bell and reminding myself where this working out journey all started gonna add the catchers squat and press back in as well so i have some stuff i really enjoy doing and to break up my sessions a bit.

Great to hear you are still going

 

[BRIGGBOY81]

Great to hear you are still going

Still am fella, 3-4 times a week forevermore. Makes me feel like a teenager again. InfacIn I am here now on my days off

 

[BRIGGBOY81]

Thank you for reminding me how many people I have to see trying to do these at my work gym, with 0 hip hinge action.

Yeah same here. People don't realise that it's the hips that are the key player not the arms

 

[Skidder]

Hello all. I've been a lot fitter and less fat than I used to be be for quite some time. I went down from 15.5 stone to around 13 8 years or so ago. Since then have done a lot of running but then switched to gym a few years ago but that has been a bit all over the place. Some cardio, some weights. Have been consistent in going (more or less) but not in approach. I also run a bit, do quite a bit of stand up paddle boarding and kayaking (as well as some boardsports like snowboarding, longboarding, onewheel but they are for fun)

As of last weekend I have set up a half rack in the garage and started stronglifts.

I have been getting stronger this past year with slightly random dumbell training in the gym and I feel that stronglifts is probably a good move.

I am pretty fit for my age (43) and I eat well but I do like a few drinks a few times a week and travel a lot so often eating and drinking in hotels. As a consequence although I feel fit and have good stamina I have a gut.

What should my approach to eating and cardio be alongside stronglifts with that gut in mind? I have an elliptical machine in my home gym. Use that after stronglifts? On rest days? (I know don't drink and I have already cut down frequency and volume and will do some more, but also enjoy it, so it's not really my goal to bin it all together.)

Any advice? Cheers

 

[mrthingyx]

Well, if you REALLY must have alcohol then cut out your calories elsewhere or train like a crazy person to burn through additional excess.

You know the answer to your question, but I assure you that trimming everything else out to below maintainance WITH beer is going to be a lot more miserable than doing the same cut WITHOUT the drinks.

 

[Cristian]

+1 to the above.
I'd also recommend a bit of "damage control" in terms of alcohol calories.

I work in consulting and travel for work so I know how odd it can be to be the only one not drinking at the table, etc.

Apart from obvious things like "limit yourself to one drink " there are also a lot less calories in a gin and slimline tonic vs a pint of IPA.
Plus if there are multiple drinks involved, there's nothing stopping you from switching to "just tonic" after the second drink.

 

[kaptainmarc]

A few new PB's for me, Really enjoying my training lately, my body weight is slowly increasing which I need to keep an eye on

150kg Squat

140kg Atlas stone was rather excited by this one, Love atlas stones if youve never tried them find some and have a go!

Set myself new goals of 100kg over head and minimum 200kg deadlift by the end of the year

 

[BRIGGBOY81]

Just wondering what you guys think about the declined barbell bench press. I prefer doing dumbbell bench for elevated and flat as I always found the barbell equivalent unatural feeling. But while waiting for a free weights bench yesterday I thought I would give it a go, and wow I really like it. Read so many conflicting posts about its effectiveness but iam struggling with my lower peck as there is some loose skin there but man after doing the declined my whole peck felt worked. I also think it helped me keep a better rythem with my dumbbell press. So just curious how many of you guys use it.

 

[DrToffnar]

Cheers for the advice guys!

I doubt I could do what @garnett does and literally skip breakfast. I have an insatiable metabolism which demands 3 set meals and a few fruit snacks. But yeah, I think I'll just try and attempt to sort my weekends out as all notions of diet go straight out the window come Friday evening. I'm also a big beer lover (strictly on weekends) which I refuse to cut out, so I'd rather give up the junk food then that.

Do you guys tend to eat something specific before a workout? I was led to believe it's best to do exercise on a relatively empty stomach but I'm always RIDICULOUSLY peckish when I finish.

So, after posting this around 2 months ago I'm pleased to report that I've managed to loose close to 4kg.

Been a bit shaky during that time, seeing as my birthday is in mid September and I went to Bruge to celebrate (which is likely why the loss hasn't been more in line with what I'd expected. That beer man...). Getting back on track after that was hard but I've been doing intermittent fasting and watching my calorie intake for the past 3 weeks as well as hitting the gym AT LEAST 4 times a week.

Struggling a bit with maintaining a good routine whilst in the gym though... Ours doesn't have the best facilities if you want to be using free weights so often just default to cardio or leg exercises on machines. Find myself doing dumbbell exercises at home to make up for it. I'd join another gym if there where one close enough to home, but having one literally 100 yards from where I work means I guilt myself to death if I make an excuse to take a night off.

 

[garnett]

A few new PB's for me, Really enjoying my training lately, my body weight is slowly increasing which I need to keep an eye on

150kg Squat

140kg Atlas stone was rather excited by this one, Love atlas stones if youve never tried them find some and have a go!

Set myself new goals of 100kg over head and minimum 200kg deadlift by the end of the year

Good work on the PBs. I'm aiming for 200kgs deadlift by the end of the year too, so good luck to you.

 

[TomProx]

So this year i fell off the rails a bit with lifting.

Was going solid up until February time and didn't gym for months after that. Not sure why, probably because i wasn't making much progress, moving house and not enjoying the new programme i was following. Anyways, I've been going solid again since September and feel amazing.

Last year my 1RMs were: Squat 130kg, Bench 100kg and Deadlift 180kg at 83kg BW.

I got stuck at 83kg for a long time and couldn't gain anymore, anyways, over the last two months i've hit 85kg, i've been very strict with my calories, bought myself some scales which made a huge improvement. I now know that i was eating nowhere near enough last year. All in all i'm feeling absolutely amazing now that i'm back into it and i'm really looking forward to seeing what i can achieve in the coming months. Setting myself the goal of matching my old 1RMs and going from there.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Just wondering what you guys think about the declined barbell bench press. I prefer doing dumbbell bench for elevated and flat as I always found the barbell equivalent unatural feeling. But while waiting for a free weights bench yesterday I thought I would give it a go, and wow I really like it. Read so many conflicting posts about its effectiveness but iam struggling with my lower peck as there is some loose skin there but man after doing the declined my whole peck felt worked. I also think it helped me keep a better rythem with my dumbbell press. So just curious how many of you guys use it.

Powerful for activating lower and upper chest. I haven’t been able to flat bench press for sometime now. However, very recently going back to flat after decline, incline and use of dumbbells my flat bench press is the strongest it has ever been. Just be carful to lower it to the bottom of your chest, I always made the mistake of bringing it down to close to my neck which screws your shoulders.

Currently making the strongest gains ever with absolutely no injuries, niggles or pains. Eating more has helped. The cooler weather too - my gains dropped off around June, just as it got hot. The heat just kills my appetite.