GordyR's Beginners Guide to Bodybuilding

$loth said:
Chong, what are HC2PP's?
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Hang Clean to Push Press I believe. :)

I might as well use this post to list my final achievements for the year, such as they are because I won't have a chance to get back to the gym until next year probably now. I'm still hovering about the 11 stone mark and my height remains remarkably unchanged at 6'4" as well. :eek: This week has been a bit mixed in results since I've been feeling tired but I forced myself to go.

Flat bench - 60kg but that is on a Smith machine with no assist
Leg press - 155kg (upped 20kg this week and it was pretty easy but I struggle to get the start)
Leg curl and extension - 75kg for both
Squats - 50kg + about 5kg for the Smith bar which is assisted (really disappointed as this was making progress but the bar on this particular Smith machine is at a bad height to use a poor excuse)
Calf raises - 77.5kg + 5kg for the assisted bar (up from 60kg a couple of weeks ago)
Dips - 3x8 for bodyweight which was fairly easy considering I was doing it at the end of a session
Deadlifts - 90kg for 4 (Only started these a few weeks ago as well, I probably could have done more reps but I felt my form going so I decided to stop)

Finally for amusement value I tried the ab isolator and back isolator they have just installed in the gym, I think there may be something wrong with them as they don't seem particularly hard at all. Overall, reasonably happy with this year but next year I'm going to try and step it up again, hopefully also persuading a mate to join me in the gym so I've got someone to test myself against.

//edit, bah beaten to the punch, I spent so long composing that post I didn't even notice the post in between times. :p
 
you can deadlift almost twice as much as you can squat? :confused: (infact tbh, i think going by your leg press, calf raise and dl pbs, your squat weight is very low?!) Don't do leg extensions, they screw your knees up.
 
Phnom_Penh said:
you can deadlift almost twice as much as you can squat? :confused: (infact tbh, i think going by your leg press, calf raise and dl pbs, your squat weight is very low?!) Don't do leg extensions, they screw your knees up.
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I can't really say too much other than it was a bit of a bad week for squats because I've been at 60kg + 15kg bar on another Smith machine. Maybe my technique is lacking a bit in general for the exercise but I just couldn't seem to get comfortable with this particular Smith machine, I know it is a spectacularly feeble excuse but it is set at a really uncomfortable height to start off at, that and the fact that it is partially assisted puts me off so I figured I'd just forget about it and start afresh in the new year.
 
Hey all,

How does this look for a 3 day split?

back/biceps

deadlifts
rows
front pulldowns
hammer curls

Chest/triceps
DB bench
incline bench
dips
tricep extension


legs/shoulders
squats
leg press
leg curl
db shoulder press
lateral raise

Swapping over tri's and bi's every so often, with cycling once/twice a week. Prefer not to do chest with shoulders.
 
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Wardie, thanks a lot for that Smolov squat program, I'll definitely enjoy doing it until my shoulder gets better! Get deep! light weight babeh!
 
semi-pro waster said:
I can't really say too much other than it was a bit of a bad week for squats because I've been at 60kg + 15kg bar on another Smith machine. Maybe my technique is lacking a bit in general for the exercise but I just couldn't seem to get comfortable with this particular Smith machine, I know it is a spectacularly feeble excuse but it is set at a really uncomfortable height to start off at, that and the fact that it is partially assisted puts me off so I figured I'd just forget about it and start afresh in the new year.
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fair enough, some smiths can be crap for squats :).
 
I was wondering what a bench press is? I looked at that muscle excercise website but couldn't find it under all the branches. I currently have a Kettler Powercentre Basic E Multi Gym in the house and use it for around 30 minutes every day but don't really know the names of any of the operations of it, or what weights/reps I should be doing with it.
 
Chong Warrior said:
Seen one group of rugby lads squatting with most shocking form you've EVER seen though! Knee's knocking, lowering to 45 degree's and then a kind of good morning...
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Do you mean they lower the squat too far, or not far enough? Hardly anyone squats in my gym and ones that do don't squat right the way to parallel so I'm not really sure if I'm doing it right. I go really quite far down (certainly past parallel and a bit more) but then I'm not using much weight until I know I can do it right.

PS what is a "good morning" ;)?
 
Not nearly far enough! It's all because of ego really. You can squat a lot more weight if you hardly go down at all which is why they do it. It's also why its hard to take anyone's numbers seriously, because almost universally people don't go near parallel... but then you shouldn't get hung up on other people's numbers! ;)
 
Skull said:
Not nearly far enough! It's all because of ego really. You can squat a lot more weight if you hardly go down at all which is why they do it. It's also why its hard to take anyone's numbers seriously, because almost universally people don't go near parallel... but then you shouldn't get hung up on other people's numbers! ;)
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I'm not worried about numbers, I'm worried about form! :)

I thought 90 degrees would be parallel and so 45 would be a very acute bend of the knee (ie REALLY low down)!
 
markyp23 said:
Do you mean they lower the squat too far, or not far enough? Hardly anyone squats in my gym and ones that do don't squat right the way to parallel so I'm not really sure if I'm doing it right. I go really quite far down (certainly past parallel and a bit more) but then I'm not using much weight until I know I can do it right.

PS what is a "good morning" ;)?
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With squats, swallow your pride, lower the weight, and go down till you are on your haunches, ass to calves, and push straight up. This way you will always be able to smugly grin when someone brashly quotes some weight bigger than yours that they can do :)

IMO weights is all about being modest, never brag about your lifts or any muscles you might be proud of. Let your attitude and how you look define your ability. The people who talk the most about numbers and post pics every other day are the least accomplished and the least dedicated.

Good Mornings are when you place a barbell on the back of your neck, like you were gonna do a squat, but then lean forward in a bow like manner with straight legs. Its a risky move for the newbie but a great back builder. Chong however was being derogatory, a squat should be straight up and down.
 
Hmmm, 11.7% bodyfat and now 13.5 stone. Alough I haven't seemed to have lost much muscle mass and my lifts are generally either staying the same or improving all the time im still skeptical, doesn't seem like 11% but even though it's not 100% accurate it's still pretty damn accurate. Just can't seem to lose fat off the last places at all (chest, hips, lower stomach) pain in the arse because it gives a strange abdominal area shape.
 
Skull said:
Not nearly far enough! It's all because of ego really. You can squat a lot more weight if you hardly go down at all which is why they do it. It's also why its hard to take anyone's numbers seriously, because almost universally people don't go near parallel... but then you shouldn't get hung up on other people's numbers! ;)
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You should go more than parallel, in fact you should be near to putting your backside on the ground if I understand squats right. That is what I aim for and that is partly why my lifts don't seem that impressive I suppose. :)

As Ultra_Extreme says Chong Warrior is confident enough to not be bothered about what other people are lifting, I only try to compare myself to what I've done before and I reckon that is about all anyone can do because we all have rather different abilities based on genetics. :)
 
semi-pro waster said:
You should go more than parallel, in fact you should be near to putting your backside on the ground if I understand squats right. That is what I aim for and that is partly why my lifts don't seem that impressive I suppose. :)

As Ultra_Extreme says Chong Warrior is confident enough to not be bothered about what other people are lifting, I only try to compare myself to what I've done before and I reckon that is about all anyone can do because we all have rather different abilities based on genetics. :)
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Thanks for the replies. I have been doing them backside to the ground and I can certainly feel it so hopefully doing that right!
 
semi-pro waster said:
You should go more than parallel, in fact you should be near to putting your backside on the ground if I understand squats right. That is what I aim for and that is partly why my lifts don't seem that impressive I suppose. :)

As Ultra_Extreme says Chong Warrior is confident enough to not be bothered about what other people are lifting, I only try to compare myself to what I've done before and I reckon that is about all anyone can do because we all have rather different abilities based on genetics. :)
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Ass to grass as they say! Yep that's the way to go. The way I think of it is, would you do a bicep curl and start from 90 degrees, and just do the top bit? I mean, I don't think ANYONE would think of doing all their curls like that. Why only do a little bit of the squat then?

At the gym again today, a little bit disheartening to be unable to do any exercise other than squats, not even curls! This squat program is excellent though, my problem right knee didnt hurt at all today, not even at the start. Full ROM definitely seems to help!
 
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