*** The 2011 Gym Rats Thread ***

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I'm considering switching from a 5x5 routine to a HST routine soon. But having a quick flick through the HST routines on the net, I notice they don't include a deadlift. Why is this? Would it be ok to drop a deadlift in there somewhere as it is my favourite of the compounds? I'm guessing this would fit in as a back exercise?

Has anyone gone from a SL5x5 to a HST routine? Did you see improved gains (in terms of mass)? I am trying to get to 90Kg by the end of the year, but need speed up my mass gaining to get there. I am already eating a shed load of food, including loads of protein etc, so I'm hoping a different routine will help. :)
 
ye...stick in deads. I think the reason they are left out is that most wont want to do 15's of deads...but stick them in from 10 onwards no problem. I wouldnt do every session though..so maybe alternate between SLDL and deads.
with HST you are meant to be be squating, chinning, pulling and SLDL every session. There isnt really much need for deads really with all that already being done...allthough you could argue that.
I pretty much done HST most of the last year...and dont do deads due to constant problems with lower back...so SLDL does me fine.
 
This is going to sound silly but is there an exercise or exercises that can be done instead of deadlifting? (not SLDL) I really don't get on with it, never been comfortable with it and don't want to ruin my back...
 
Deadlifts are brilliant!

I've not been doing the whole gym thing very long, and I've really tried to hammer the big compound movements into my routine so I get to like them, and it's working :p

I may only be at a working weight of 75kg but I still love them, very happy that they smash my forearms too :D
 
Deadlifts are the single best exercise you can do along with squats. I used to shy away from deadlifts but they've really improved my physique and can't be replaced easily. Good video from LiE on how to set up.
 
I even had my wife doing deadlifts the other day, hehe. Not sure how long she'll keep doing them, but I think she will keep doing military presses as part of her routine. She struggled with squats though due to her sense of balance. She was complaining about DOMS the next day. :D
 
I've just started back at the gym after about 15 months away from it, done my tricep in and was forced to stop to allow it to heal (doctors orders). Then my partner and I had a baby girl so that took over! Feeling the pain this week from being back but it feels good, sad at how much muscle i've lost and the weight drop I've had to start at but hoping i'll be able to get back to where I was soon enough. :)

One thing I had noticed before that I'm keen to avoid this time if possible is one of my arms tends to look bigger than the other when I work out, I can lift the same weight with either arm but one tends to look fuller and more ripped than the other. Any ideas how to even it out?
 
I've had a knee problem for the last month that has stopped me doing any excercise. Went to see the GP (I was convinced it was a ligament issue) who did all sorts of checks and found nothing wrong. This was despite me complaining that it was quite painful while he was pushing my leg around. :p

The only advice he gave me was to "avoid lifting heavy weights", which I'm proud to say I'm going to ignore :p. This is the first injury I've had that might have something to do with the gym, but I think I probably got it playing football, which gives me several injuries a season...

Anyway, I'm back in the gym finally. Did some 130kg deadlifts today and the knee felt fine, thankfully. I'm slowly building back up to full weight and hopefully going to set some new PBs for the powerlifting thread. :)
 
sigma said:
This is going to sound silly but is there an exercise or exercises that can be done instead of deadlifting? (not SLDL) I really don't get on with it, never been comfortable with it and don't want to ruin my back...
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Make sure you are doing them right and at a sensible intensive weight and you will be fine.
There are other things you can do, but if you are scared to do a deadlift then no point telling you other things that can be done :p
 
Certainly not scared of it, certainly not afraid of hard work :p I love squats! I just seem to naturally lift the weight with my shoulders/back rather than pushing with legs.

Lifting 40kg, perhaps I need to go a bit lighter? My lower back hurts like **** the next day so I think I'm putting too much emphasis on that as opposed to my legs? Gym partner also corrected me a few times because I was using my back rather than legs. :\

Did legs yesterday and some circuits today (running whilst pulling wheels/tyres, lifting oil barrels etc) and feeling pretty sore already! Really unfit at the moment. Had a coffee quite late and now I can't sleep!


p4radox said:
I've had a knee problem for the last month that has stopped me doing any excercise. Went to see the GP (I was convinced it was a ligament issue) who did all sorts of checks and found nothing wrong. This was despite me complaining that it was quite painful while he was pushing my leg around. :p

The only advice he gave me was to "avoid lifting heavy weights", which I'm proud to say I'm going to ignore :p. This is the first injury I've had that might have something to do with the gym, but I think I probably got it playing football, which gives me several injuries a season...

Anyway, I'm back in the gym finally. Did some 130kg deadlifts today and the knee felt fine, thankfully. I'm slowly building back up to full weight and hopefully going to set some new PBs for the powerlifting thread. :)
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Pretty brave of you to ignore the GP.
 
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If your lower back is hurting, this means that you're arching your back and/or you are hyper-extending at the top of the lift. Stop extending when you are upright as if you were not lifting. Lots of people go that little bit further back, but it'll only wreck your lumbar area if you do it.

Lock your abs and lats when deadlifting. This keeps your shoulders down and back, and keeps your back straight. Rotate at the hip, and when the hip won't rotate any more, bend your legs to make up for the rest of the lift. Your back should never bend when deadlifting. :)
 
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Dj_Jestar said:
If your lower back is hurting, this means that you're arching your back and/or you are hyper-extending at the top of the lift. Stop extending when you are upright as if you were not lifting. Lots of people go that little bit further back, but it'll only wreck your lumbar area if you do it.

Lock your abs and lats when deadlifting. This keeps your shoulders down and back, and keeps your back straight. Rotate at the hip, and when the hip won't rotate any more, bend your legs to make up for the rest of the lift. Your back should never bend when deadlifting. :)
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Nope, it's fine for the upper back to bend, as in the Thoracic spine.

Many pro lifters do it if not all, as it's also sometimes called the hook motion.
Now it's not the same as like bending to touch your toes, but there is a slight bend.

You'll see it in all pro powerlifting competitions and world record lifts. It's just something that happens during the lift and sticks.

The only part of the back that's never ever supposed to bend is the lowerback aka lumbar area. That's a NO NO, and can instantly lean to injury.

As Matt Kroc has stated before :
There's actually an arch in his lumbar region.

If you look at the spine and the motion of a deadlift, you can see that an arched lower back and rounded upper back gives you a mechanical advantage.

As an analogy, it makes the lumbars work like a longer crow bar.

It's something your body just kind of learns to do over the years....your body finds ways to give you the best mechanical advantage.
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The deadlift takes place at 1:20
 
Went for a 230 DL yesterday and it felt like I was suffering from internal bleeding afterwards. Perhaps wasn't such a good idea attempting that after a month off from deads. Dropped back to 190 for reps afterwards.

Oh, failed the 230 btw. :(
 
I don't think it's the incorrect positioning of my back that is my problem.

The problem is that I naturally want to pull the weight as I lift it as opposed to just holding on to the barbell and pushing with legs. Hopefully it will come with practise, I will try knocking it down to 30 kg to see if it makes any difference.
 
ooooooooooooh, gym tomorrow...i'm scared!!! Not done anything for literally months :(

And whoever told me to do negs on pulls/chins...i'm going to kill them
 
Soooooooooo i've torn part of my quadricep :(

Did it last week while doing some fartlec training, went from running to sprinting and the burst out I did just destroyed my right quad, stuggled on it for a few days then played volleyball yesterday as it didn't feel too bad, stretched out for the ball to kick it (couldn't reach with my hands) and ouch....it hurt :(

Went to the doctors today and they have given me some strong anti-flamatory stuff and i'm straight in with the physio tomorrow morning.

When I was younger I had a very similar injury but it was much much worse (crutches for 3 months as I couldn't even move it) so we think it could be a reoccurring injury :(
 
Quick question guys, quickest way for someone who is skinny to bulk up is?

I weigh 10.5 stone am 5"7 height but have always felt skinny. I can eat whatever i like but never seem to put on weight, got a little bit of a beer belly due to alcohol over the years ( I'm 36 )

Was thinking of getting a cheap multi gym and punch bag and starting to eat lots of protein, i really don't think joining a gym would be my thing but if i had some equipment at home i would hammer it every day as i really do want to change.

Advice please.
 
churchhawk said:
Quick question guys, quickest way for someone who is skinny to bulk up is?

I weigh 10.5 stone am 5"7 height but have always felt skinny. I can eat whatever i like but never seem to put on weight, got a little bit of a beer belly due to alcohol over the years ( I'm 36 )

Was thinking of getting a cheap multi gym and punch bag and starting to eat lots of protein, i really don't think joining a gym would be my thing but if i had some equipment at home i would hammer it every day as i really do want to change.

Advice please.
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You probably don't eat as much as you think, at least that's what I found when I started to bulk up. The easiest thing would be to post up a typical day's food intake and have people advise you on where to improve your diet.

Also, I'd advise against getting a cheap multigym. If it's cheap it'll probably be crap, and the range of useful excercises you can do will be limited. Find a decent gym and try it out. :)
 
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