For the gym rats

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Morba said:
thats far too hard a question to answer.
what works for you, where it hits the spot you want, is the correct way to perform that specific row.
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agreed, on back day i just adjust it based on how my back is feeling. If it feels like ive hit my lats and traps hard (ie chins and lat pulls) ill go perpendicular to the ground with a slight bend in the knees. If ive hammered my lower back (deadlifts/SLDL's) i'll stand more upright and use more weight.

The main thing to ensure is that you dont put 'undue' strain on the lower back and dont allow any bounce from the legs to assist you, you should be able to hold the bar to your chest at the top of the movement. If you cant its too heavy.
 
Just a quick question on skullcrushers..

I ususallly use a flat bar with an added weight.. Recently i've been getting intense pain around my elbows and upwards.. even on as little a weight as 15kg! Is this my technique do you think? Or does everyone get this?
 
Meloco said:
Just a quick question on skull crushers..

I ususallly use a flat bar with an added weight.. Recently i've been getting intense pain around my elbows and upwards.. even on as little a weight as 15kg! Is this my technique do you think? Or does everyone get this?
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Possibly tennis elbow, use elbow support straps and a EZ curl bar instead and if it still cursing you a problem seek advise off your GP!
 
OoOverclockaoO said:
Where do you guys buy your chicken from?

My local supermarket (ie. within walking distance) is Waitrose , chicken breasts there are around £10/kilo , and a kilo doesn't last me very long :(
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Waitrose is generally expensive for everything (although it is a nice store with nice food)

You know if you go back now it's likely they will have them on offer for £7.** a kilo :D

get frozen chicken boobs from asda for about £3 a kg
 
gareth.e said:
Waitrose is generally expensive for everything (although it is a nice store with nice food)

You know if you go back now it's likely they will have them on offer for £7.** a kilo :D

get frozen chicken boobs from asda for about £3 a kg
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You're right - £7.66 on sale at the moment (according to Ocado) :p

Will see if I can get to Asda next week, its a pain sometimes not having a car - can't buy loads of stuff at once!

I still have a couple of kilos left so that will do for a little bit :)
 
Saturday:

Deadlift (no belt no straps):

12x100
10x140
8x170
4x200
4x170
5x140

Standing Shoulder press:

8x50kg
8x60kg
6x70kg
8x70kg
8x60kg

Front squats:

8x60kg
8x80kg
6x90kg
4x100kg
6x100kg

Close grip pull ups:

8xBW
6xbw+10
6xbw+10
6xbw+10
5xbw+10

Flat BB Bench (no spot):

6x100
6x100
5x110kg
4x120kg
7x100kg

Another medley of a session just need to keep the weights being lifted until I can get back into my routine/split. It'll be like this until the 5th of Jan - but I'm keeping the weights and reps up so I'm not too displeased. Will probably go tomorrow as well for some back and arms work.
 
Meloco said:
Just a quick question on skullcrushers..

I ususallly use a flat bar with an added weight.. Recently i've been getting intense pain around my elbows and upwards.. even on as little a weight as 15kg! Is this my technique do you think? Or does everyone get this?
Click to expand...

I would say this is down to using the straight bar, it's a very unnatural position for your hands (putting strain on your forearms) to be in which is you'll literally always see skullcrushers done with an EZ Bar.
Is this not an option for you? I would probably opt for a dumbell, grasping the plates to allow your palms to face inwards. Obviously you'll have to take more care as the weight increases.
 
Right screw January, I'll start with weights tomorrow, got my diet sorted (and a lots of cheap chicken breasts, it's good to have link with people in the food industry). Now just need some advice on the routine. For now planning on a 5 day split, if don't have time during the week then I can easily make it a 4 day and just incorporate arms with other muscle groups. Thinking of doing them in the following order:

Chest:

Bench press 8x3
Incline dumbbell bench press 8x3
Fly 8x3
Standing fly (cable) 8x3


Arms (pulled this one straight off muscle talk):

Skull Crushers 8x3
Triceps Pushdowns 8x3
Dumbbell Extensions 8x3
EZ Curls 8x3
Alternate Dumbbell Hammer Curl 8x3
Concentration Curl 8x3
Wrist Flexor Curl 8x3
Wrist Extensor Curl 8x3

Shoulders:

Front raise 8x3
Cable lateral raise 8x3
Shoulder press 8x3
Dumbbell rear lateral raise 8x3
Could also do with some suggestion for rotator cuff exercises

Back:

Shrugs 8x3
Cable close grip pulldown 8x3
Cable front pulldown 8x3
Dumbbell bent over row 8x3
Chin ups 8x3


Legs (leaving them last in the week since I always get a bad case of DOMS and can barely walk next day so at least I'll be recovering when not at work):

Squats 8x3
Deadlifts 8x3
Leg Press 8x3
Calf Raise 8x3

Now the arms routine I pulled off muscletalk article is probably too excessive for a beginner so I can cut a few things out of there and also think I should probably do more on a chest day. As for legs would it be better to do 5x5 instead of 8x3? Critism and suggestions is more than welcome with the routine so fire away gents.
 
neoboy said:
snip
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Not sure on the quantity for just starting out again.. should be fine

The arms section isn't too big as 2 of the excercises are for forearms.. And if I was you I wouldn't do the same forearm excercises week in week out.. they adjust quickly so switch it about aloads do like plate pinces or just hang from pullup bars and just generally mix it up (imo)

Also don't do it in order of how the guy there does it..
I would do it

chest, legs, back, shoulders, arms...

I'm not a fan of the chest day either.. I would do cable flies.. at the end but I would do some sort of bench instead of the usual flies like decline barbell but it's all up to you.. I'd just rather do another compound than do 2 different fly excercises..

Also I don't like the order of excercises for days such as in shoulders day or back day..

Finally I like to have variations of reps.. For some things I'll do 4x8 or 3x12 or 4x6 or 5x5 or 3x14 or 4x10... I want to focus slightly more on strength in some things and go for reps in others...


Maaaan I'm realising how fussy I'm getting :D

more editing: do some dips for you're tris.. also I like doing cgbp on tris day as it means you lift lots of weight with them and it slightly hits the chest again, for bi's I don't do much only do hammers and barbbell curls.. sometimes 1 more excercise if I feel like it (too knackered from the rest of the week :p) I use to always badly neglect bi's because I don't want to be a bicep boy :p

final editing i hope: Wheres the core stuff? Do some proper core work 1 day a week where you feel you can be bothered.. Don't just do 100000 crunches ever morning :p
 
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My thoughts:

Do your shrugs on your shoulder day, before your pressing.

In terms of rotator cuff exercises:

Standing with light 15/20KG Barbell. Held above head so backs of arms parralell to floor. Rotate 90 degrees foward so backs of arms now face behind you but still up in the same position, forearms should be parralell to the ground.(Now in press position) Bring back up so that barbell is back in starting position. Repeat. Try to keep you elbows up whilst returning to the starting position.

Not entirely sure if this just hits the rotator cuff, but can deffinatly feel it on the inner shoulder.

I use this as a warmup before any upperbody workout paired with front and side raises - Post light cardio.

Edit: Here we go:
http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/rotator-cuff-exercises.html

The 'Horizontal rotation' but with a Barbell, find it easier to keep the arms in the correct position.
 
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Has anyone else here noticed that all that Christmas food has gone straight to their belly. My gym does'nt reopen until the 4th so can't get in, looks like extra cardio and weights for me!
 
Surprisingly I didn't put anything on during Christmas despite eating like half a duck (with the skin on!) and tons of chocolate but my over enthusiastic solo dancing on empty dance floors probably has something to do with it ;)
 
Mirage said:
I would say this is down to using the straight bar, it's a very unnatural position for your hands (putting strain on your forearms) to be in which is you'll literally always see skullcrushers done with an EZ Bar.
Is this not an option for you? I would probably opt for a dumbell, grasping the plates to allow your palms to face inwards. Obviously you'll have to take more care as the weight increases.
Click to expand...

I used to use an EZ bar, but at the gym I use at uni the weights for the bar are... well, not always the best. I thought I would use the straight bar for ease of use. Obviously that was a bad idea. Thanks for the advice on the dumbells use though, did not realise you could use them and will be very useful for when I need to do these at home!
 
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