* The 2011 Gym Rats Thread *

icecold · 2 May 2011 at 17:57

Thanks, hopefully I can translate that into a nice heavy single.

HST is a great program, the balance it allows is more or less perfect. It's also easy to tweak for your weaknesses, for example I'm going to be doing deficit deads instead of SLDL next time I do HST because my sticking point is near the floor.

My program is pretty complicated and controversial, a lot of people wouldn't get on with it. It's a heavily modified version of this: http://www.joeskopec.com/ruspeak.html (http://www.joeskopec.com/extrussianpower.xls)with assistance work, tweaked percentages, box/speed squat instead of light squat, speed bench instead of light bench etc (at some point I'll post up the whole thing). Peoples main problem with it is the volume involved. I actually wouldn't recommend you jump in and do that, instead look at something like Wendler's 5 3 1 program.

Xein · 2 May 2011 at 18:03

I've just printed the guide off for reference and to read over which will help, are there any other supplements I can take to help me apart from Whey Protein?

Buffman · 2 May 2011 at 18:07

Frozo said:
I've just printed the guide off for reference and to read over which will help, are there any other supplements I can take to help me apart from Whey Protein?

You should first address your current diet, i.e. stop eating stuff like crisps, not eat ready meals, generic sugary cereal etc? Take a step back from the supplements and address your diet first.

N19h7m4r3 · 2 May 2011 at 18:07

Frozo said:
I've just printed the guide off for reference and to read over which will help, are there any other supplements I can take to help me apart from Whey Protein?

Nothing unless you don't change your diet mate.

It's the first and last thing that will affect your progress.

Xein · 2 May 2011 at 18:10

The Craig said:
You should first address your current diet, i.e. stop eating stuff like crisps, not eat ready meals, generic sugary cereal etc? Take a step back from the supplements and address your diet first.

N19h7m4r3 said:
Nothing unless you don't change your diet mate.

It's the first and last thing that will affect your progress.

I'll give the Whey Protein a miss for the moment then and get started with the routine with changing my diet and hopefully getting a bike

LiE · 2 May 2011 at 18:21

So tired after today's leg session. Recently changed the routine around and added some hack squats on the machine, such a deep burn!

Squat was not bad today on a strength day.

100kg x 6
130kg x 4
140kg x 4
150kg x 2

Mansize_tissue · 2 May 2011 at 18:22

Yeah Wendler's was going to be my starting point. That's quite interesting set/rep progression in the routine you linked to, I remember coming across it before when I was looking into it. Would it be silly to do dumbbell exercises for assistance work in a powerlifting cycle? I think I'll miss them too much if I remove them completely.

Frozo, as The Craig said have a read of the sticky and report back. If you're serious about this then be prepared to completely overhaul your diet (EDIT: slooooooooooow).

Xein · 2 May 2011 at 18:24

Mansize_tissue said:
Frozo, as The Craig said have a read of the sticky and report back. If you're serious about this then be prepared to completely overhaul your diet (EDIT: slooooooooooow).

I've had a brief look through it but have printed it off so I can have a proper read through it later

Edit: Just working out a diet now with the food suggested in the Beginners Guide

Edit2: Just wondering whether you can take Whey Protein twice a day? (As I'm sorting my routine out)

N19h7m4r3 · 2 May 2011 at 19:12

You can drink whey all day if you want. It's just some protein.

It's got nothing on fish and meat though, I'd rather have those then whey.

Buffman · 2 May 2011 at 19:52

Frozo said:
Edit2: Just wondering whether you can take Whey Protein twice a day? (As I'm sorting my routine out)

You can (I often do), I wouldnt be having it as my only source of protein though.

Morba · 2 May 2011 at 20:08

regulus said:
New PB with DB shoulder presses. Threw up the 45kg dumbbells for 6 solid reps. May not sound like much but with the doctor saying two years ago I'll never be able to lift my right arm above my shoulder again after a skiing accident, I'm pretty darn pleased with it. Eyeing the 50's next.

That's bloody good work fella

-Ad- · 2 May 2011 at 20:37

Morba said:
That's bloody good work fella

45kg dumbells on shoulder press!!!!

Christ that is mental!

Skull · 2 May 2011 at 20:42

I've got a friend who can do the 50s, he's very muscular and strong, so good job!

LiE · 2 May 2011 at 20:44

Yea 45s are no easy feat, I can only just manage what you did and that's without the the history of a shoulder problem.

icecold · 2 May 2011 at 20:50

Mansize_tissue said:
Yeah Wendler's was going to be my starting point. That's quite interesting set/rep progression in the routine you linked to, I remember coming across it before when I was looking into it. Would it be silly to do dumbbell exercises for assistance work in a powerlifting cycle? I think I'll miss them too much if I remove them completely.

What type of dumbbell work are you thinking of? It's fine, but you need to remember your primary focus is to increase your total. I occasionally do a little bit of hypertrophy work on my shoulders purely for aesthetic reasons (in conjunction with shoulder balancing/strengthening stuff) and it does no harm, but is the first thing to be sacrificed if I'm tired. Likewise with incline dumbbell bench or dips. By definition your assistance work needs to be adding something to your training and in an ideal world that would just be strengthening weak spots, but ultimately you should do things you enjoy sometimes too. I think about 80% of my assistance has a specific powerlifting goal in mind, but I'm only semi-strict in doing them all the time.

In short (sorry for the ramble :rolleyes:

), they certainly won't kill you.

Mansize_tissue · 2 May 2011 at 21:08

Hah thanks, well I was mainly thinking of dumbbell bench and shoulder press. For chest I was thinking I'd do barbell bench with speed (barbell bench) and inc/dec dumbbell bench for assistance, for example.

Going to have to put some sort of box together for squats at some point. I've got a bedside table that seems about the right height but I'll probably crush it!

icecold · 2 May 2011 at 21:25

Sounds good. Box squatting is awesome if you can put something together, I'm thinking of ditching conventional squats altogether when my box numbers catch up.

regulus · 2 May 2011 at 21:29

Morba said:
That's bloody good work fella

Cheers. One day I hope to lift the weights you guys lift

N19h7m4r3 · 2 May 2011 at 21:33

regulus said:
Cheers. One day I hope to lift the weights you guys lift

Well you're already well ahead of me on dumbbell shoulder press.
Last I tried I was just doing 30kg ones, and that was before chrismas I think, since then I just focus on Barbbell Presses.

Andr3w · 3 May 2011 at 05:43

I've started to take some creatine monohydrate capsules. Never had them before.

Don't judge me

*** The 2011 Gym Rats Thread ***

* The 2011 Gym Rats Thread *