*** The 2011 Gym Rats Thread ***

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I can remember a day where benching 2 12kg dumbells was nigh on impossible for me, I started this journey as a right scrawny thing. These last couple of weeks I've been benchning 47.5kg for 15 reps, and can do a nice 55kg for a few sets of 8. Strength has increased so much it's brilliant - still tiny weights to the likes of FF, Morba, BennyC etc, but it's amazing seeing the progress first hand :)
 
Yesterday I did 47.5KG x 5x5 reps. Found it hard but didn't fail any.

Am I right in thinking when I bench I have to imagine i'm trying to hold a pencil between my shoulder blades?
 
Correct. Also really think about working the muscle. It's entirely possible to do the lift whilst just struggling under the bar; if you're not feeling it in your chest, I dare say your form isn't correct!
 
MoNkeE said:
The difference being, your 15rm is exactly that - the most weight you can rep 15 times. This is NOT 2 sets of 15 reps, it is ONE set of 15 reps. When calculating your 15rm, if you can do 2 sets of it straight away, it's not your 15rm :)

The aim is that at the end of the 2 week session, you'll be able to endure doing two full sets of your 15rm, so it will be an increase of strength and endurance. Does that make sense?
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starting to get a clearer picture now.

hmmmm, gonna be a hard session trying to figure out what all my 15 rep maxes are.
 
burtie said:
Oh well I'm doing it wrong then or I'm doing it as its set out on he HST website.
5lbs=2.5kg 10lbs=5kg
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You can do it however you like but using too light a load to start with would just be a waste of time.

HST is made up of training principles which are the science, not the amount you increase by or the specific exercises you choose. As long as the load you use is taxing but not maximal and progresses up to your calculated RM at the end of each phase (6 workouts) you will be fine.

MoNkeE said:
I can remember a day where benching 2 12kg dumbells was nigh on impossible for me, I started this journey as a right scrawny thing. These last couple of weeks I've been benchning 47.5kg for 15 reps, and can do a nice 55kg for a few sets of 8. Strength has increased so much it's brilliant - still tiny weights to the likes of FF, Morba, BennyC etc, but it's amazing seeing the progress first hand :)
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You'll be more impressed when you come on to calculate your second cycles RM's after your deload week.

I finished bench on HST cycle 1 at 110KG x 5 x 3. Yesterday my second workout of 5's on HST cycle 2 I used my finishing weight from cycle 1. Set to finish on 115KG providing things go according to plan. A 5KG increase in around 6/7 weeks over 3 working sets which is entirely down to the frequency & progressive load. Not to mention I'm 5KG lighter too :)
 
Yeah i see what your benny i think I'll use 2.5 for the 10s. Must admit the 15s have been hard with me not training for a while before starting. Oh well i intend on doing a couple more cycles of HST anyway so i learn as i go lol.
 
icecold said:
In that case it's possible that you're lifting with your shoulders/tris too much...

Looking at the breakdown of that mass gainer, I'd say it was largely superfluous for your goals.

Looking back at your diet it should be quite easy to remove the mass gainer.

Have the pharma whey (x2) with breakfast
Have slightly bigger servings of meat with other meals
Pharma whey (x2) after gym
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Yeah I would agree that im using my shoulders too much, it will be interesting over the next month or so trying to correct it. I have nothing against dropping the weights to make sure its perfect, better to do it now than later.

I am about just over half the way through the bag of gainer, once I have finished it I will re-evaluate. It was reccomended by a couple of guys in the gym so thought I would give it a go. If I don't gain a noticeable amount more fat after its finished I will think about getting another bag as I said before im quite happy with the weight I have gained.

I could go for the double scoops of pharma whey and then add creatine seperate but I shall see. Also I don't think I could increase the servings of meat as Im finding it hard enough to stomach now as it is. Usually have to force down my afternoon tuna with water.

As for carb amounts, I keep hearing differing advice on this, I thought I need a lot as the muscles use the energy to grow on rest days aswel. Would it be better to lower carb intake on rest days?

Also if i removed the both gain shakes each day thats a lot of cals, thats a lot more food I would have to eat and a lot more than just an extra scoop of pharma, granted I probably don't need quite that many but the results have been ok?


All very interesting stuff to be learning :)


PS I havent cut your quote for selected reading, just to help me remember which points Im replying to!
 
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In terms of the gainer shake, I'm just trying to look after your wallet. Instant oats are £10 for 5kg, MP's whey is £36 for 5kg (less if you find a good price match). You honestly don't need the rest of the ingredients, and if you REALLY want to try it creatine is cheap (but again I wouldn't bother).

I wouldn't completely eliminate carbs if you're aiming to grow, just to be safe (and you aren't aiming to lose much fat either...). Just for reference I've been going very low on carbs lately and I'm still adding lean mass (trying to lose weight though so not ideal! ;) ). You certainly don't need large quantities to grow, but it is a good idea to have some carbs around your training, particularly afterwards with some fast absorbing protein.
 
YAY!

Pulled a tendon in back of my knee for my hamstring! Hurts like hell, got the physio lads to play with it. Hurts even more.

No leg work until at least April. Plus physio again tomorrow.

Nice to know a guy in college for that.

Sucks though.
 
I can't decide what I want to do in the gym :/

Last 2-3 weeks I have been doing this circuit stuff as I want to increase my general strength and cardio and be leaner.

Now I am bored of that and it doesn't feel the same the next day without the doms :(

I was never huge before but bigger than I am now and much better strength all round which is what I think I'd like to get back again.
Trouble is at the time I had a solid routine and schedule and at the moment it's not as good as it could be.

I struggle with diet as well! Not sure what to cook for lunches and what to eat for snacks to keep it all varied.
Think I need to cut out my dinner with parents and do my own thing as they don't eat bad food, far from it but it's not as clean and balanced as I would like compared to what they want/need.
 
Morba said:
Sorry, that made me laugh :p
Hope it's nothing too bad though fella
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Haha, it's silly though, was hyper extending a bit too much on the stiff legged deadlifts and good mornings.

Lost focus and didn't bend my knees a slight bit, so it kinda went in backwards on the right leg.

Physio guy , dug his thumb in hard. Along with applying pressure to the leg so I have to try and bend and straighten it.

He said take a few days off, keep some movement on, come back and you'll be sorted with some ice.

"Can I deadlift on Monday? I'm going for 210kg."

Mr.Pshysio and another instantly went, "NO! No deadlifting, no leg work or anything that really involves legs for at least a week, maybe two."

I is sad.

At least I can still do upper body work though.
 
Ouch.

Have had my knees feel like they're about to bend backwards when deadlifting after squats when my quads were shot.

An ITBand strip probably wouldn't hurt. Well it would but you know what I mean.
 
BennyC said:
Ouch.

Have had my knees feel like they're about to bend backwards when deadlifting after squats when my quads were shot.

An ITBand strip probably wouldn't hurt. Well it would but you know what I mean.
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Yup, Mr.Physio mentioned it. I'll do what they say and hopefully I'll be back to work in no time.

It's amazing how little you can do when your legs are a no go.
 
Got the following done today:

Incline Bench: 30kg+whatever the bar is, x5, x6 x5 reps

Preacher Curl: 20kg+whatever the curl bar is: x5, x6, x7 reps

Dumb-bell Hammer Curls: 18kg x5, x6, x2 reps per arm

Chest Fly with Dumb-bells: 2x18kg, x8, x4, x5

Flat Bench: 30kg+whatever bar is, x12, 32.5kg+whatever Bar is x5, x5

Chest Dips with 12kg assistance; x5, x4

Was a bit disappointed in the reduction in reps when I went up 2.5kg on the Bench - must have been tired from my Bicep exercises. Chest Dips were as expected as I have never done them.

Last sets on each exercise I did to failure which is why I was able to squeeze one more rep out in some cases but overall a good workout.

I'll do Legs on Saturday and Abs.

I've had DOMS on Triceps, Shoulders, Abs and Biceps since Tuesday so I must be doing something right!
 
Just in from a chest/tri day at the gym, the new pullum sport benches in my gym are terrible! The distance between the seat and the back support is massive so your ass sinks into the middle when doing flat bench press.

Still got 37.5kg DB for 3x5 though which isn't too bad, gonna try my hand at 40 next week :p, hitting 40x5 would be a new pb at my lower bodyweight.
 
more squats, no heavier but more volume again.

1X5X 60kG
2X5 X 80kG
3X5 X 85kG
2X8X 60kG. I was struggling on the last set of 85 with my left knee coming in so went down in weight. Don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing to do? I know I'm feeling it :)

OHP 5X5 X 35kG

Bench 5X6 X 40kG

3X 8 X 27.5 DB rows.

ALso 3 X8 sets of lat pull downs on the cable machine thing, not sure what the weight was but there were only 8 weights.

There's a very definite change in the shape of my legs. There's no real bulk as such but they're becoming more defined.
 
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