*** The 2010 Gym Rats Thread ***

B1C3P said:
35 sets for chest lol? Cut it back, your doing 5x5, 5 reps you should be burst tbh, so unless you've popped a few amphetamines theres no way you can be pushing yourself thru all that. I don't do 5x5 tend to stick to 8 reps max. But as little as 2 sets. My chest workout this week was incline bench, incline flye 6 sets, no more then 8 sets generally.
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I fully appreciate that, but I've been stuck at the same weight for a year when doing lower volume. Now that I have switched to higher volume for the last few weeks, I'm actually making a gain and hope to break the sticking point I've been on (the 100kg bench) next week. :)
 
Partial squats can be pritty tough. I've only done them a few times. After I'd done all my working weights or had finished the reps I'd aimed for. When you're fatigued they're very tough!

They can be good for helping you (and your core) get used to heavier weights and also breaking through sticking points in an exercise/rep.
 
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MoNkeE said:
Out of interest, what do partials help for? I've never done any before!
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They're good for getting used to the weight increase on your back and getting a feel for moving that sort of weight around. It's also good for power development and also just to help get past a sticking point.

For example if you were really bothered about benching, you could use a rack set up the bar with you 90-100% 1RM, set it up 3,4,6, whatever inches above your chest and learn to push from there, similarly, just getting the bar moving from a lower position etc...

Similarly with squats, set the catch bars high, rep out on a v.heavy weight. Lower the bars, try again or lower weight a bit, lower the bar and continue etc... It's a good way of doing staggered training for punching through plateaus. It's hard work and a faff so most people don't bother.

They do have their place - certainly for specific training like rugby, high jump, and other explosive requirements, the shorter movement will be more beneficial to you. However, if you have the time for development doing full reps nad bringing the weights up gradually will give you longer lasting results IME. :)
 
Did heaviest dead lift working set last night 5x5 @ 180k. Really killed me. Think I'll have 190k in the tank next week but think I'm going to have to start wearing a belt now and get some knee wraps not sure. Feeling the DOMS today lol.
 
You don't need a belt or knee wraps. Unless you want an injury.

OT:

Silly bint from facebook:

fool --- has just brought a power plate! sooo excited! even tho I cant use it till February!!

Idiot 1 --- a what?

Fool --- its a machine that you stand on 10 mins a day and it tones u from top to bottom I used to use them at sunbed shop u drop a dress size in a month theyre amazing!

Idiot 2 --- How much?

Fool --- 200 on ebay, they are so worth it!
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She's up the duff:rolleyes: I hope she is severly dissapointed with it and that her offspring aren't as retarded as she is!
 
cHk4 said:
Did heaviest dead lift working set last night 5x5 @ 180k. Really killed me. Think I'll have 190k in the tank next week but think I'm going to have to start wearing a belt now and get some knee wraps not sure. Feeling the DOMS today lol.
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What do you need a belt and wraps for?

If you can already do it without them for 5x5, what makes you think you need them for even 220kg?
 
Quick question....... My leg bicep seems to be giving up before my right one - probably by one or two reps @ failure compared to my right. I want to focus on it a bit more so it can catch up...... I did biceps and chest last night, but should I do a few sets on just my left bicep tonight for a bit more growth encouragement?

Also, what bicep exercises should I be doing? I've got a wrist injury on my left wrist (unrelated to the above) which ONLY causes me grief when I use barbells..... I currently do:
  • Bicep Curls
  • Cable Bicep Curls
  • Close grip chin ups
  • 21s (superset of barbell curls, 3 exercises with 7 reps in each set) - but I'm wanting to stop doing these as it's barbell-based.
 
And like a pourous sponge I shall wash my genitals with you :eek:

In regards to any imbalances from what I've read and understood it's best not to give the weaker side extra reps/weights/ or to stop training the other stronger side. Some uni-lateral work might help (training one at a time).
And to start any uni-lateral work with the stongest side first so as do work on the neurological pathways and re-enforce form so that the weaker side learns from the stronger.

Just focus really hard on the muscles in question. My right bicep and right lateral delt/shoulder is weaker and fatigues far quicker than my left. They should over time sort themselves out.

Some other exercises to include would be preacher curls, spider curls, hammer curls, and reverse grip curls. However don't go OTT with bicep training they're a very small muscle.

I generally try to only do 1 or 2 bicep isolations where as I'll do 2-3 tricep isolations/compounds as triceps make up more of the arm :)
 
Well...aparently no fracture around the shoulder or colar or anything...

Need to book physio, was going to do it there and then while at the X-Ray but apparently they havent got my referral? Even though it got sent last week :p
 
Okay then, I may drop the cable curls for preacher curls, then just focus on bicep curls and pull ups on one day, and preacher curls and another type the following week!

Cheers Benny :)
 
MoNkeE said:
Okay then, I may drop the cable curls for preacher curls, then just focus on bicep curls and pull ups on one day, and preacher curls and another type the following week!

Cheers Benny :)
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Yeah that's usually a good idea. pick 2/3 exercises and do those for 2/3 weeks then pick another 3 different and do those.

Deadlifted today for the first time since June!

Upto 170KG for a single with my natural grip + chalk so is a PB on the RAW front :) but not for total weight.

60 x 10
80 x 10
100 x 10
120 x 10
140 x 6
160 x 2
170 x 1
140 x 1 - held for abotu 15-20 seconds.

For some reason donating blood on Monday has affected my endurance dramatically. My calves have such severe DOMS they're swollen and sore to touch! See how deadlifts go next week.
 
Freefaller said:
I ask people why they are doing half reps, and very occaisionally they give me a good reason. However so many people just don't do things properly! :/
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It all depends on the exercise.

If I am doing explosive squats I only squat half way and try explode up as high as possible onto my toes.

MoNkeE said:
Pull ups and Chin ups are something I see people cheat on. Most never return to a dead hang between reps. Even I could knock off a couple of sets if I did that, but surely the first half of the rep is the part that really engages your back muscles?
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If I am doing close grip pull ups my arms never go below a 45 degree angle (Bicep parallel to the floor then pull up to top), it iscolates the bicep brachii and do the angle prone curl for the brachialis.
 
Woo, my gym now has a powercage, it's exciting. Except that it's designed for midgets... If you use the hangers the right way up then it's too short for squats as I've got to bend an extra 6" to get down to the bar but putting the the other way gives them just about enough height to be useful - that doesn't sort the problem that a shoulder press means I hit the top of the rack but you can't have everything I guess. Despite the slight gripe I'm actually quite chuffed we've got it now as it does mean that squatting etc should be safer.

I'm loving the new programme so far as well, it means I'm done within about 45 minutes again and I just don't know what to do with myself being finished that early so I keep throwing extra sets in at the moment. I may calm it down a bit when I move onto heavier weights though as at the moment I'm not yet at my maximum for most as I ease into it.

Finally if using creatine should you be using it every day? At the moment I'm just adding it to my post-workout shake (whey protein, flax-seed and a touch of cinnamon) so I'll only have it on training days. nb I'm not sure if they haven't sold me a dud batch, I may have to return it as I've had it twice now and I've not yet Hulked up. ;)
 
Dan Dan said:
If I am doing close grip pull ups my arms never go below a 45 degree angle (Bicep parallel to the floor then pull up to top), it iscolates the bicep brachii and do the angle prone curl for the brachialis.
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Surely you should be worrying about activating your back and not your biceps? Or do you mean narrow like the chin up grip but with your palms pronated?
 
Being a veggie your creatine levels will be lower than most. I'd take it pre and post workout WITH carbs (i.e. a banana - though you don't like 'em :p, but something like that) anything between 3-5g a day would probably leave you in good stead - but before and after a workout, with more taken before. Again I'll repeat, to optimise the effect of creatine taking it with a carb source is important.
 
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