*** The 2011 Gym Rats Thread ***

[Psycho Sonny]

Makes it easy to stick to a routine though, think next year I'll start off by finding an Olympic bar and some dumbbells for complexes at home for off days, then I only need to gym 3 times a week.

Been using my mates shoddy screw lock ones and they annoy the hell out of me (and am also no longer living with him next year).

dumbells are expensive if you want fixed weight ones and a decent range.

the best option currently is ironmasters, there is a guy on here that has them, best interchangeable ones you can buy, but they cost a lot of money but still 5 times less what you need to pay for fixed weight dumbells in the same range.

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18270342

take a look in there and feel free to ask any questions

i got 5 new rubber mats delivered yesterday, my gym in its current state is nearing what i want it to be, i need 1 more mat but its one of the £60 ones that i want, the cheap £22 mats aren't going to be up to the job for deadlifts, so they will be used for dumbells, etc and with one more £60 mat i should have enough space to deadlift in.

hoping to update with pictures next week.

 

[Skillmister]

So just trained at my new gym i'll be using till september

Nothing special but damn its nice to train with no distractions, no bicep monkeys and no general idiocy.

I object to the pussy pad and could do with a full size bar but in reality they can take all the weight i need plus i'm using it for free so can't complain

In other news i found a pair of boxers at the back of my draw that i know used to fit last year, they have a 32-34 inch waist which is fine but they dont fit over my legs anymore !

 

[richjs]

It also allows for laziness. It's very easy to not train when you don't need to leave the house.

Dunno, I've found it easy, whenever on an off day to get myself doing some complexes / core work.

I actually find I'm the complete opposite and just cant be bothered to get to the gym now my bus pass has run out for the summer. Unless my mates driving it's £2.50 (not much but I'm a skint student and it all adds up) and 20 mins each way for a bus / 20 mins hard uphill slog on my MTB with 2.35" wheels (absolutely useless for road biking).

So nice to just be able to work out at home and have dinner straight away with no effort to get back.

Edit: @PS - no chance, I'll be taking whatever I can get second hand, unless I find a killer summer job...

 

[Skillmister]

Thats exactly why being at uni is fantastic for me ^ The gym is literally 3 minutes walk from my house, cant ask for better than that.

 

[ergonomics]

What is the general consensus on the 'IIFIYM' (If It Fits In Your Macros) mantra over here? I keep seeing it crop up and think it's a growing approach to a lifters diet but not sure if i believe all the hype around it... Josef Rakich is the best example as he insists he has a mcdonalds meal every day, and just fits the fats/protein/carb macros in with the rest of his diet, and remains lean all year round (~8%) with this approach.

 

[Chris1712]

What is the general consensus on the 'IIFIYM' (If It Fits In Your Macros) mantra over here? I keep seeing it crop up and think it's a growing approach to a lifters diet but not sure if i believe all the hype around it... Josef Rakich is the best example as he insists he has a mcdonalds meal every day, and just fits the fats/protein/carb macros in with the rest of his diet, and remains lean all year round (~8%) with this approach.

TBH it makes sense to me, I'd just be wary of the other stuff in junk food (dat sodium etc.) especially if cutting.

 

[^TANK^]

Now thats a spit and sawdust gym Skillmister, nothing wrong with that .

 

[Brumboy]

Hi, I have a few questions so if anyone can help me and give some advice that would be great.

This is my second ever week at the gym. Before this I had never even stepped foot in a gym so I'm totally new to all of this and require some help.

I've managed to find a workout plan and adapt it to the machines/equipment that are at the gym I go too:

Day 1: Chest & Triceps:

Chest

Barbell Bench Press = 6 x 3
Machine Fly = 6 x 3
Dumbbell Fly = 8 x 3

Tricep

Tricep Pushdown Rope = 8 x 3
Tricep Dumbbell Kickback = 8 x 3
Dumbbell Incline Triceps Extension = 8 x 3

Day 2: Back, Bicep and Forearm:

Back

Chin up = 8 x 3
One-Arm Dumbbell Row = 8 x 3
Bent Arm Barbell Pullover = 8 x 3

Biceps and Forearm

Pull Up = 8 x 3
Cable Seated Row = 8 x 3
Barbell Curl = 8 x 3
Incline Dumbbell Curl = 8 x 3
Alternate Hammer Curl = 8 x 3

Day 3: Shoulders and Legs:

Legs

Barbell Squat = 6 x 3
Barbell Lunge = 6 x 3
Lying Leg Curls = 8 x 3
Leg Press = 8 x 3

Shoulders

Barbell Shoulder Press = 6 x 3
Dumbbell Shoulder Press = 8 x 3
Dumbbell Lateral Raise = 8 x 3
Barbell Shrug = 8 x 3

Now it might be a terrible routine but that's what I've put together myself from looking on bodybuilding.com and other websites.

Is that workout routine good or bad? Is there anything I need to change in order to be as efficient as possible?

I basically do 12 minutes of cardio, then about a hour of weights/machines, then I finish off with 15 minutes cardio.

Is it possible to do a low calorie diet while trying to build lean muscle? I've got a bit of a pot belly and would like to get rid of it. My diet is very healthy but I don't consume a lot of calories although I do have about 150g of protein per day at least with plenty of water, fruit and vegetables.

 

[Morba]

I've managed to find a workout plan and adapt it to the machines/equipment that are at the gym I go too:

Day 1: Chest & Triceps:

Chest

Barbell Bench Press = 6 x 3
Machine Fly = 6 x 3
Dumbbell Fly = 8 x 3

Tricep

Tricep Pushdown Rope = 8 x 3
Tricep Dumbbell Kickback = 8 x 3
Dumbbell Incline Triceps Extension = 8 x 3

Day 2: Back, Bicep and Forearm:

Back

Chin up = 8 x 3
One-Arm Dumbbell Row = 8 x 3
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown = 8 x 3
Bent Over Two Dumbbell Row = 8 x 3
Barbell Bent Over Row = 6 x 3

Biceps and Forearm

Pull Up = 8 x 3
Barbell Curl = 8 x 3
Incline Dumbbell Curl = 8 x 3
Alternate Hammer Curl = 8 x 3

Day 3: Shoulders and Legs:

Legs

Barbell Squat = 6 x 3
Barbell Lunge = 6 x 3
Lying Leg Curls = 8 x 3
Leg Press = 8 x 3

Shoulders

Barbell Shoulder Press = 6 x 3
Dumbbell Shoulder Press = 8 x 3
Dumbbell Lateral Raise = 8 x 3
Barbell Shrug = 8 x 3

Now it might be a terrible routine but that's what I've put together myself from looking on bodybuilding.com and other websites.

Is that workout routine good or bad? Is there anything I need to change in order to be as efficient as possible?

I basically do 12 minutes of cardio, then about a hour of weights/machines, then I finish off with 15 minutes cardio.

Is it possible to do a low calorie diet while trying to build lean muscle? I've got a bit of a pot belly and would like to get rid of it. My diet is very healthy but I don't consume a lot of calories although I do have about 150g of protein per day at least with plenty of water, fruit and vegetables.

To grow you need to eat. Lots. low kcal diet will struggle to help you grow.

Your routine, tbh it looks horrible

Have a look at the sticky at top of forum or google stronglifts and starting strength.

Where did you read that recommended DB kickbacks?

 

[Brumboy]

Yeah but does it really matter how many calories you eat? What if I'm getting enough protein/fat/vitamins in my diet?

And what makes the routine horrible? The gym doesn't have a lot of machines and weight discs, it has some..but not a lot. It's a hotel gym.

 

[Morba]

Yeah but does it really matter how many calories you eat? What if I'm getting enough protein/fat/vitamins in my diet?

And what makes the routine horrible? The gym doesn't have a lot of machines and weight discs, it has some..but not a lot. It's a hotel gym.

If you are getting the kcals in to grow then it wont be low calorie diet that you are on. If you can find the sweetspot for your kcal intake then you will put on lean mass and little extra fat, this will mean your bodyfat % will go down.

What makes it horrible:

Chest - forget the 2 different flys. Presses, dips and maybe some flyes to finish, but not 2 lots of it.

Back - 3 lots of chin variations (pullups in the bi's part) and 3 lots of bent over rows.
Deadlifts, powercleans, where are they?

Bi's - If you have worked your back sufficiently then there is no way you will be able to do all that arm work.

 

[Delvis]

Be careful what you wish for, I got totally sick of mine.

Nah, i'm extremely self conscious, so going to the gym is a no no for me currently

I was in my garage three times a week without fail in the old house

 

[Skillmister]

Now thats a spit and sawdust gym Skillmister, nothing wrong with that .

I ****ing love it. If i was here for longer than just a month i'd buy an oly bar and some full size plates to put in there. It's insane how cheap he got all that gear for though, all from 1 guy off ebay for a couple of hundred quid

 

[Brumboy]

If you are getting the kcals in to grow then it wont be low calorie diet that you are on. If you can find the sweetspot for your kcal intake then you will put on lean mass and little extra fat, this will mean your bodyfat % will go down.

What makes it horrible:

Chest - forget the 2 different flys. Presses, dips and maybe some flyes to finish, but not 2 lots of it.

Back - 3 lots of chin variations (pullups in the bi's part) and 3 lots of bent over rows.
Deadlifts, powercleans, where are they?

Bi's - If you have worked your back sufficiently then there is no way you will be able to do all that arm work.

Well I don't see the advantage of having a high calorie diet when I can get the same protein/vitamins/minerals/amino acids from foods which have a low calorie value (tuna/fish/chicken fillets/vegetables/protein shake).

I've read that you don't need to have 6 meals per day to build muscle, you can get away with having 3 decent size meals as long as you're having 1.8G of protein per KG I weigh (so 65 x 1.8 = 117G protein). Is this actually true or have I just read a whole load of rubbish? There are so many theories

Well this is my first time in a gym and using a workout plan so I'm not surprised I've got a bad workout plan but luckily I've only done 3 days of it.

The routine that's posted in the body building sticky is:

Monday (Chest/Shoulder/Triceps)

Flat Bench Press – 3x8
Incline Dumbbell Bench – 3x8
Skull Crushers – 3x8 (similar to lying tricep extensions)
Close Grip Bench Press – 3x8
Seated Dumbbell Military Press -3x8
Lateral Dumbbell Raises – 3x8

Wednesday (Back/Biceps)

Dead lifts – 3x8
Bent over one arm Dumbbell rows – 3x8
Chin Ups 3x8 (Or Lat pull downs if you can’t do chins yet)
Barbell Bicep Curl -3x8
One arm Dumbbell hammer Curls – 3x8

Friday (Legs/Abs)

Barbell Squats – 3x8
Dumbbell Lunges – 3x8
Calf Raises-4x10
Abdominal workout (Crunches, leg raises, whatever)


Is this the routine I should start with? I've got 2 months free before I start my new job so I can go to the gym as many times as I need. The routine above is a 3 day routine, is it worth finding a 4/5 day routine or is this one fine for me?

Cheers for the help by the way mate

 

[Skillmister]

Well I don't see the advantage of having a high calorie diet when I can get the same protein/vitamins/minerals/amino acids from foods which have a low calorie value (tuna/fish/chicken fillets/vegetables/protein shake).

I've read that you don't need to have 6 meals per day to build muscle, you can get away with having 3 decent size meals as long as you're having 1.8G of protein per KG I weigh (so 65 x 1.8 = 117G protein). Is this actually true or have I just read a whole load of rubbish? There are so many theories

Protein is just one part of what you need to grow muscle. Being in a calorie defecit you lose weight, having a surplus you gain weight.

That workout will be fine if you are just starting out.

 

[Chris.]

The 6 meals a day thing isnt as much to do with content, than it helping your body use what it's given. 3 Bigger meals a day means you store more as fat, whereas 6 smaller meals means your metabolism remains at peak and you use what you eat.

Tbh my explanation is crap but you get what I mean lol

 

[Brumboy]

Protein is just one part of what you need to grow muscle. Being in a calorie defecit you lose weight, having a surplus you gain weight.

That workout will be fine if you are just starting out.

I guess but I don't actually want to put on a load of weight. I want to try and build as much lean muscle as possible. I'm 65KG & 5 foot 7 so I'm not exactly huge at the moment but I don't want to become fat!

It's just that I've read a lot of articles and theories about this and I honestly can't seem to find out something that's 100% true.

So you're definitely sure that I need to have a calorie surplus in order to gain lean muscle even though I will put on weight (not just muscle) and I can get the protein/vitamins/fats I need from low calorie foods?

 

[Chris.]

Also, people training chest and tri's try doing chest and biceps and then back and triceps.

Started back at the gym after ages off (a long long time lol) this week and tried this out and its meant I can work my Triceps properly rather than them being shot by the time ive done my chest.

 

[Morba]

3 meals a day is fine if you have the right things.
The eating more theory was debunked not long ago and is really only for people that are eating serious amounts of food, by eating it more often it makes it easier to consume.

Ross - a 4 or 5 day routine won't really work out as much more time in the gym, it would just be splitting things down a bit more so that less is done in each session.

Intensity is what matters, not how long you spend in the gym

 

[Morba]

So you're definitely sure that I need to have a calorie surplus in order to gain lean muscle even though I will put on weight (not just muscle) and I can get the protein/vitamins/fats I need from low calorie foods?

To grow you need to eat more than you burn off each day. Whether that turns to muscle or fat is based on your training and sleep.

If you eat far too much then you will add muscle and fat. If you dont eat enough then you will stay the same. If you eat less kcal than you burn you will lose weight.

Lean mass comes from eating more than your body needs day to day.

Lean mass will mean putting on weight, a lb of muscle is a lb of muscle after all