*** The 2011 Gym Rats Thread ***

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N19h7m4r3 said:
I do one week very heavy in powerlifting style, and this another week.
I also change the volume every month so I don't just do pure volume all the time.

I also always feel better and stronger after it all.
I give 100% effort on all lifts, be it at 30% or 100% load, it does not matter.

Also this method has done wonders for my strength training, specially given the injuries I've had in the past.

I train predominantly like the folks at Elite FTS. Just doing low reps and sets for strength is good and all, but it won't help with my weak spots where I need to improve at or build some mass at.
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So what is the goal of that workout?

Could you post a link or some more info about the training format of the Elite FTS chaps?

I don't agree with your comment about low reps. I'm not advocating max effort low reps all the time (in fact hardly ever), but low reps with low % load can fix weaknesses, in fact that's probably the best way. If you want to add more mass to a muscle or area then train for that specifically.

Yes you're quite strong for your size, but who's to say you couldn't see better results?
 
I did drop-sets for the first time on Bench Press on Monday. Was awesome, can't believe an empty bar can feel so heavy!

Wound up doing, flat, incline and then decline as we were liking it so much - might have been a bit OTT but think it has worked wonders from the lovely DOMS.
 
I get most of my info from reading a lot of their articles on their site.
http://articles.elitefts.com/

Also Further up is the "So you think you can Squat" series, where they talk about addressing weaknesses in the squats and how to rectify it. Specifically by training for mass in those areas.

Since I starting doing that for my lower back, my back pains when squatting heavy has gone down significantly, and are completely gone when wearing a belt.

My squat has also finally gone past my sticking point at 160kg that I've had since last summer,and I've improved to 175k just last week.

Also I agree completely on low rep and low %, as I've stated I don't always train near max on a volume week, specially not with so many sets.

I do it once a month usually depending on what area I feel like doing.

My usual setup is, heavy week: 85-100% either for a new max, or 3 sets for 5 reps at 85%.
Light week: 55-65% at 3 sets of 15 reps, sometimes 20.

On the off shoot that I really feel like a challange I do what I did today. I find that it really helps getting past certain sticky points and to gauge where I am in terms of doing a new Max lift.
 
I'm not against assistance work to deal with weaknesses, but it doesn't seem like that's the purpose of the day you just did. If I have weaknesses or imbalances I work on them in addition to my normal training, normally at the end of a session (8-12 reps depending on the muscle/movement).

I'm not disagreeing with EFTS (although there are people who do, I train with some of them who disagree on certain points and would explain why *in detail*:rolleyes:;)), but I can't see them suggesting 15-20 rep ranges or lots of volume.

Ultimately the way you train is up to you, I'm just trying to offer suggestions :)
 
Minimal at best.

If your goals are to be a well rounded athlete of any sort don't do that.

Also note that he only talks about strength increases "mostly" occurring in the range that you trained. Useful.

What is becoming very obvious is that this type of training can also prevent the vast majority of injuries that occur in the weakest range of motion. For example, the bottom of the squat position places outrageous stress on the knees and bottom of the bench press position can tear the ligaments and tendons of the upper arm and shoulder.
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FFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!! etc.

Not true at all. They are only dangerous if you do them incorrectly.

You might be shocked to learn that the range of motion needs to be somewhere between very little and none. Studies have been done with bodybuilders and with golfer's that demonstrated that increases in strength (even some full range strength), muscle size and athletic performance could all be achieved with very heavy exercises using zero range of motion.
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Article is getting silly now! Nearly as bad as a guy at my gym saying that if you could unrack a weight you could squat it :confused: cue 50kg-ish guy unracking 195kg and breaking a rack and a 25kg Eleiko plate :mad:

Partials can be useful, but only in a very specific way.
 
Ultimately the way you train is up to you, I'm just trying to offer suggestions :)
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It's no problem mate, I really do like to challange myself like that though, worst it even after it all and doing it usually in an hour to an hour and 15minutes; I still want to do more!
I know I have plenty left and it's even hard to just stop and start stretching and taking it easier.

icecold said:
Article is getting silly now! Nearly as bad as a guy at my gym saying that if you could unrack a weight you could squat it :confused: cue 50kg-ish guy unracking 195kg and breaking a rack and a 25kg Eleiko plate :mad:

Partials can be useful, but only in a very specific way.
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HAHA! Did he survive that?!

Also partial box squats 31 reps, 3 plates each side. 140kg x31!

The box looks to be just above parallel here.

 
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:/
 
Finally managed 100kg deadlifts today, raw. 3x5 just, with warm up @ 60, 80 & 90 beforehand. Chuffed, my grips been really holding me back but it seems static holds recommended a few pages back has REALLY helped.
I also spent more time between each pull really setting up, taking a deep breath and making sure I was completely set beforehand. Also did it without shoes on, allowed me that tiny bit more depth to sort out my back angle because of my weird short arms/long torso thing. Started deads mid Jan @ 60kg, so I think I've progressed ok considering I'm still cutting and have lost 11kg in weight in that time period aswell.

Another thing - an astonishing day at the gym, usually its full of noobs curling and shadow boxing whilst holding DB's. Today though there were 2 people deadlifting (inc me) and one guy doing spectacular squats. He can't of weighed much more than 70-75 and was busting 140kg ATG, I was mirin.
 
There is a guy who used to come to my gym who would use the half ball and do squats on that with about 80kg but he had a prosthetic leg! I was staggered when I first saw it :eek:

Oh and actually it is meant to be common etiquette to put the first plates like that so the other loader can see what you are doing ;). They do it as a rule in comps :)
 
N19h7m4r3 said:
It's no problem mate, I really do like to challange myself like that though, worst it even after it all and doing it usually in an hour to an hour and 15minutes; I still want to do more!
I know I have plenty left and it's even hard to just stop and start stretching and taking it easier.



HAHA! Did he survive that?!

Also partial box squats 31 reps, 3 plates each side. 140kg x31!

The box looks to be just above parallel here.

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I'd say enjoying what you're doing is pretty important, so good! Just remember that less is sometimes more.

Just remembered my mate genuinely saying this:

Yes well when I use the shake weight it makes my arms burn so it must be doing something
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Don't be that guy :eek::o:D;)

The guy from the 195kg squat story is still with us, although he didn't show his face for a while. He was also known for wearing a helmet in the gym because he got hit by a dbell once.

There was another guy who recently broke our very expensive club bar by power cleaning not on a platform and with metal plates. I don't think anyone's actually seen him since, we did speculate that some of the bigger guys have eaten him.
Chris1712 said:
Finally managed 100kg deadlifts today, raw. 3x5 just, with warm up @ 60, 80 & 90 beforehand. Chuffed, my grips been really holding me back but it seems static holds recommended a few pages back has REALLY helped.
I also spent more time between each pull really setting up, taking a deep breath and making sure I was completely set beforehand. Also did it without shoes on, allowed me that tiny bit more depth to sort out my back angle because of my weird short arms/long torso thing. Started deads mid Jan @ 60kg, so I think I've progressed ok considering I'm still cutting and have lost 11kg in weight in that time period aswell.

Another thing - an astonishing day at the gym, usually its full of noobs curling and shadow boxing whilst holding DB's. Today though there were 2 people deadlifting (inc me) and one guy doing spectacular squats. He can't of weighed much more than 70-75 and was busting 140kg ATG, I was mirin.
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That was me! You're welcome :p

It's great training around people who know their stuff, when I'm back home from uni it takes me a few weeks to unlearn bad form habits I learn due to poor equipment, spotting myself (why can no body spot properly any more?!), and stupidity drift (...yes I just made that up).

Morba said:
really? never knew that. though i thought most comps used decent plates that had numbers on both sides... or colour coded :P
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True story, doesn't mean the guy in the pic is any less of a penis though! :/

ANOTHER stupid gym anecdote...

A friend of mine saw some guys doing a revolutionary ab exercise so he asked them if he could video it for a demo on his website (he doesn't have a website). They were doing V-ups, but with the twist of hitting the person doing them in the gut with a foam roller.

What?! :D
 
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I always /facepalm when I see people doing anything stood on a full or half gym ball.

I've seen people doing side raises and BB curls on them :confused:

I've also seen a woman curling stood on a power plate:o
 
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