*** The 2019 Gym Rats Thread ***

[mrthingyx]

Sorry to keep bombarding you with videos but as my back is feeling okay I decided to do some squats. I was hoping you guys could have a look and tell me if I'm doing anything that could hurt my back (this was my last set at 90kg). I notice when I'm getting to the bottom my weight seems to be coming off my heels? This seems to be a problem all round for me, haha. Maybe it's a flexibility thing?

Spoiler

Spread your legs (hmmmm...) and keep your knees out.

Better ankle mobility will help, so ditch your trainers and break out the 2.5kg plates. You'll need to work on your adductor mobility (because it's going to hurt as a starting point) and your glute med strength for this, but it will pay dividends.

 

[ShortWarning]

Spread your legs (hmmmm...) and keep your knees out.

Better ankle mobility will help, so ditch your trainers and break out the 2.5kg plates. You'll need to work on your adductor mobility (because it's going to hurt as a starting point) and your glute med strength for this, but it will pay dividends.

Cool, I'll look at getting some proper trainers but I'll ditch them for now. What do yo mean break out the 2.5kg plates? How would you suggest working on the other things?

Thanks!

 

[GiraffePencils]

He means putting the 2.5's under your heels to give you the raised heel you'd get with a proper lifting shoe
-Edit- To compensate ankle mobility

 

[Syla5]

Sorry to keep bombarding you with videos but as my back is feeling okay I decided to do some squats. I was hoping you guys could have a look and tell me if I'm doing anything that could hurt my back (this was my last set at 90kg). I notice when I'm getting to the bottom my weight seems to be coming off my heels? This seems to be a problem all round for me, haha. Maybe it's a flexibility thing?

First priority is turn around, squatting with your back to the catchers is almost as bad as curling in the squat rack..

After this, widen your stance a little and knees out, keep between 10 and 2 stance angle at most for now as well.

go barefoot, and if you need to try 2.5kg plates beneath your heels.

 

[ShortWarning]

First priority is turn around, squatting with your back to the catchers is almost as bad as curling in the squat rack..

After this, widen your stance a little and knees out, keep between 10 and 2 stance angle at most for now as well.

go barefoot, and if you need to try 2.5kg plates beneath your heels.

Thanks! I'll turn round. That's the secondary squat rack in the gym, the other one faces the other way so I was just used to facing into the room. I won't do it again.

I will widen and try without trainers first.

Thanks all for your advice, guys.

 

[Avenged7Fold]

How often do you guys deload or take a rest week?

I ask because some people recommend having one every 8 weeks and others once a year.

The last time I took more than two days away from the gym was probably August and have been consistently going about 5/6 days a week doing push/pull/legs and alternating volume and strength days. My progress in a lot of exercises seemed to have stagnated recently, even with the increased calorie intake.

Last time I took a week long break after a bit of motivation loss and when i came back i expected to have to play a bit of catch up but for some reason came back better than ever.

I am going to Amsterdam on the 21st, so i will probably use the time away to give my body a break.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

How often do you guys deload or take a rest week?

Depends when the wife books holidays. Varies between every 6-16 weeks. Otherwise I just take one rest day a week. Challenging to eat enough to keep this up though. I generally hate rest weeks - I struggle to work out what to eat and just feel like it throws my routine - I always struggle to hit the same weight when I return and then also get DOMs again.

 

[mrthingyx]

Deload? Only necessary if you're strength training and really pushing hard: most people never need to deload because they never stress their nervous systems enough. There are additional indicators (lifts stall, cannot maintain working weights, fatigue, etc.)... but it takes an experienced lifter to know when that really happens vs. they feel a bit washed out.

If you are regularly pushing 90% 1RM in your training then you probably need to deload, but if you're training 5-6 times a week, I suspect you are not.

I could be wrong, however!

 

[Avenged7Fold]

Maybe I'm just looking for excuses for my lack of recent progress. 5/6 day break while I'm off to Amsterdam won't hurt me anyway.

 

[Somnambulist]

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Elbow pain solutions? 2 week rest, pain goes. 1 week back, pain returns. Shoulder work and deadlifts seem to irritate it most. CGBP finishes it off (no flaring).

 

[spluff]

Elbow pain solutions? 2 week rest, pain goes. 1 week back, pain returns. Shoulder work and deadlifts seem to irritate it most. CGBP finishes it off (no flaring).

Ive got golfers elbow at the moment - had 2 weeks off initially and I could feel it coming back - took another 2 weeks off and its not completely gone...……. not sure if I should keep waiting or start again on Monday...…. its crap!

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Ive got golfers elbow at the moment - had 2 weeks off initially and I could feel it coming back - took another 2 weeks off and its not completely gone...……. not sure if I should keep waiting or start again on Monday...…. its crap!

It is really annoying. I finally eliminate my ac joint issues entirely and this crops up. Weirdly, sometimes it persists after the gym and sometimes I only feel it during lifts. Hammer curls do seem to help. It won’t go completely though.

 

[Chong Warrior]

I've had more elbow/ shoulder/ back issues than you can shake a stick at over the years. One thing I do know is not to try to blast through it! Whatever aggravates it, no matter how much you love the exercise, stop doing it and do something else. It can be as simple as changing the angle, going from DB to Cable for example but change something.

I would rate my tri's as arguably my best bodypart for size and development. Despite being in my mid-40's now and training 6 times a week, I haven't had elbow pain for a while now and I would put it down to several factors;

1. WARM-UP! - I warm-up them up properly every single workout, that's a minimum of 50 reps with just a bar to get blood flowing to the area, 12 reps at 50% and 6-8 reps at 75% then probably 1-2 at 90% (of working weight) and it's a slow negative and really get a feel for the muscle working. I'm pumped by the time I start a working set.
   
2. MIND TO MUSCLE - Once you get this it's easier to keep constant tension in the muscle, never lock your arms out
   
3. VARIETY - Ensure your exercise selection hits all 3 heads of the tricep and vary the intensity/sets/reps. Build upto 6 rep max, then change it up. Don't be scared of even 100 rep sets - they all have their place. Assess how many pushing exercises you are doing!
   
4. DIET - Sort it out and eat properly and I mean at least 12 servings of veg/fruit a day to help fight inflamation in your body (consider supplementing with turmeric and krill oil, they really work!)

I can't stress the diet enough, it's easy to think you're getting away with it but your body will suffer long term with inflammation and other issues long run. Also a typical bodybuilding diet of tons of meat, dairy, high carb sources like oats, flour, rice, bread, sugar, sweeteners then protein powders and supplements on top are just terrible for this. You need to balance it out if you want to hit your goals long term and train pain free. Since I made this change to my diet around 3 years ago the difference is night and day. Even on a bad day I'll have 10 servings fruit/veg but upto 20 with smoothies and juices.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

@Chong Warrior some good advice there, thanks.

Hammer curls are working again, just need to remember to do them light every day.

Gave gym advice for the first time ever today. The guys knees were almost touching when squatting! It pained me. I did it as gently as I could. He seemed to take it well.

 

[neoboy]

My left shoulder is pretty fubar now, not much to do with poor form by existing injury that I thought might better as muscles strengthen around the joint.

I'll continue on with the squat, deadlift and barbell rows but for now just concentrate on rehab exercises for shoulders and cut out bench as well.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

My left shoulder is pretty fubar now, not much to do with poor form by existing injury that I thought might better as muscles strengthen around the joint.

I'll continue on with the squat, deadlift and barbell rows but for now just concentrate on rehab exercises for shoulders and cut out bench as well.

Got to just do what you can I guess. It may get better with time?

 

[neoboy]

Got to just do what you can I guess. It may get better with time?

Don't think so at this point unfortunately, had a bad fall and hurt it summer before last. Took a good 2-3 months until I could even sleep on that side. I wasn't doing gym or anything at that time and pain disappeared on its own.

Joint physically hurts when I touch it at the top and loss of power at certain angles. Fear it may be a surgery job but don't have any private healthcare at the moment.

Seeing how I'm basically just interested in weight loss right now, I'll just stick to the other big compound movements until I can afford to see someone.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Don't think so at this point unfortunately, had a bad fall and hurt it summer before last. Took a good 2-3 months until I could even sleep on that side. I wasn't doing gym or anything at that time and pain disappeared on its own.

Joint physically hurts when I touch it at the top and loss of power at certain angles. Fear it may be a surgery job but don't have any private healthcare at the moment.

Seeing how I'm basically just interested in weight loss right now, I'll just stick to the other big compound movements until I can afford to see someone.

That sucks. Definitely one to get checked out.

 

[Skidder]

Anyone recommend any particularly good reads on nutrition alongside weight training?