* The 2011 Gym Rats Thread *

Freefaller · 26 Jul 2011 at 14:31

They are bloody hard!

icecold · 26 Jul 2011 at 14:49

I literally can't do overhead squats, shoulders still slightly restricted so I just fall over in a super manly way

In preparation for using my shoulders, I do the following:

- some gentle internal/external rotation stretching
- lacrosse ball in my pec and anterior compartment of my shoulder (hurts like a blowtorch, but it works)
- foam roll my thoracic spine.
- warm up for each specific exercise with light weight. For bench, I always start with just the bar for 15 reps.

Then it's just a matter of always being conscious of retracting my shoulders back in their sockets when pushing.

oddjob62 · 26 Jul 2011 at 14:55

icecold said:
I literally can't do overhead squats, shoulders still slightly restricted so I just fall over in a super manly way

Yeah you need good flexibility in the shoulders to be able to do them. BTW we need a video demo of this "manly fall over"

icecold · 26 Jul 2011 at 15:04

I'll video an attempt when my brother is back.

...but to be clear, I said super manly

oddjob62 · 26 Jul 2011 at 15:14

icecold said:
I'll video an attempt when my brother is back.

...but to be clear, I said super manly

Super manly, or Superman-ly?

Delvis · 26 Jul 2011 at 15:19

Freefaller said:
They are bloody hard!

From what I have seen I'd tend to agree!!!

icecold said:
I literally can't do overhead squats, shoulders still slightly restricted so I just fall over in a super manly way

In preparation for using my shoulders, I do the following:

- some gentle internal/external rotation stretching
- lacrosse ball in my pec and anterior compartment of my shoulder (hurts like a blowtorch, but it works)
- foam roll my thoracic spine.
- warm up for each specific exercise with light weight. For bench, I always start with just the bar for 15 reps.

Then it's just a matter of always being conscious of retracting my shoulders back in their sockets when pushing.

Hmm okay, what rotation stretching? Like in the vid or? Be nice to get a ball / roller, no idea how I would use them...Just seems funny how you can spend twice as long warming up than you do actual training

...I like to warm up and stuff, but you know

icecold · 26 Jul 2011 at 15:33

oddjob62 said:
Super manly, or Superman-ly?

I'll let your judge for yourself

o)

Delvis, have a general browse here: http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18268152

Internal:
http://www.mobilitywod.com/2010/08/s...s-old-man.html
http://www.mobilitywod.com/2011/04/e...-i-has-it.html

External:
http://www.mobilitywod.com/2010/09/r...ulders-yo.html
http://www.mobilitywod.com/2010/09/f...your-mind.html
http://www.mobilitywod.com/2010/08/i...episode-9.html

But you shouldn't do these too aggressively within 30 mins or so of exercising.

Andr3w · 26 Jul 2011 at 15:40

So if it's bad shoulder position thats hurting my shoulders when benching....what am I doing wrong?

I try and pinch my shoulder blades at the back and bring the weight slowly down to my nipples and push it back up again!

On the olympic bar I have my middle finger over the little 'ring gap' that doesn't have the etching on it.

icecold · 26 Jul 2011 at 15:57

Are your shoulders actually on the bench though? Next time you're benching, unrack the bar and use the weight to push your shoulder as far back into the socket as possible.

Most likely you start off in a decent position, but at the end of the rep you lock out by using your shoulders to kind of shrug it forwards (you lose tension in your back and your shoulder blades are no longer pinned, shoulders come off the bench). Also, it isn't just about having your shoulders pulled back, you also need to pull them down to your feet.

Andr3w · 26 Jul 2011 at 16:11

icecold said:
(you lose tension in your back and your shoulder blades are no longer pinned, shoulders come off the bench). Also, it isn't just about having your shoulders pulled back, you also need to pull them down to your feet.

I have this!! Thinking about it my shoulders arn't on the bench. Could this be whats hurting me? It's only started happening recently, since i've got to 60kg benching (it's quite hard for me, i just managed 5x5 but my shoulder was killing on the last set)

So to fix this i just squeeze my blades together as if im holding a pencil...then try push them towards my feet??

That looks and feels really unnatural? I never see people doing this.

IceBus · 26 Jul 2011 at 16:30

Just ordered some 80% whey from MyProtein (Iron Science delivery was going to be £16!)... I was just wondering, is it better to take pre or post-workout (or both)? Particularly for cardio I'm guessing pre-workout might be better as it'll stop my body trying to use muscle for energy?

SkidMarkKing · 26 Jul 2011 at 17:06

IceBus said:
Just ordered some 80% whey from MyProtein (Iron Science delivery was going to be £16!)... I was just wondering, is it better to take pre or post-workout (or both)? Particularly for cardio I'm guessing pre-workout might be better as it'll stop my body trying to use muscle for energy?

Post workout dude! Make sure you do eat before working out though.

Steedie · 26 Jul 2011 at 17:14

Eat a solid meal about an hour, hour and a half before your workout. Something with carbs for energy and protein obviously.

Avoid fats pre and post workout, especially post workout as it slows the absorption rate during that crucial time

Nitefly · 26 Jul 2011 at 18:48

Delvis said:
Can I ask, where do you train?

Currently at the Oxford Brookes gym in... Oxford

GarethSouthgate · 26 Jul 2011 at 18:58

Chest is killin' today, doing 15kg dumbells, the guy next to me was doing something crazy like 40kg probably more! :0

oddjob62 · 26 Jul 2011 at 19:14

sigma said:
the guy next to me was doing something crazy like 40kg probably more! :0

Ahhhh. Don't you love high rep day

LiE · 26 Jul 2011 at 19:16

icecold said:
2) The pad is a real problem and will do you more harm than good. In your case it's exaggerating the problem you have with your back, by having the bar even higher up your spine you are increasing the forces on your back. This means that when your spine is out of position and becomes loaded your back muscles have to work very hard to stabilise. A partial fix here is to make sure you push your chest out throughout the lift.

Also, you mention shoulder flexibility restricting your bar position. Try this: http://www.mobilitywod.com/2011/04/episode-211365-the-simple-five-way-shoulder.html

Tried today to stop using the pad and get the bar in the correct position, but I had some big problems. As mentioned my shoulder flexibility is very poor, so with the bar in position my wrists were massively over stretched. Then as soon as some weight was on the bar I really struggled to keep it from dropping off my back - I'm guessing because my elbows and wrists were massively wrong. I basically can't squat at all with the way the bar is.

Here's some pics I took to show the problem.

Psycho Sonny · 26 Jul 2011 at 19:17

Steedie said:
Eat a solid meal about an hour, hour and a half before your workout. Something with carbs for energy and protein obviously.

Avoid fats pre and post workout, especially post workout as it slows the absorption rate during that crucial time

i though IF and lean gains pretty much says the above is broscience?

dont avoid anything, just make sure every meal is well rounded and healthy.

GarethSouthgate · 26 Jul 2011 at 19:19

oddjob62 said:
Ahhhh. Don't you love high rep day

High reps with 40kg+ dumbells? :eek:

I can't even imagine getting there, even 25 is a big ask from where I am.

Psycho Sonny · 26 Jul 2011 at 19:22

sigma said:
High reps with 40kg+ dumbells? I can't even imagine getting there, even 25 is a big ask from where I am.

you should be able to hit 25kg dumbells within a year of lifting.

40kg could take 3 years.

everybody is different though, but i would say the above is true for a lot of people.

*** The 2011 Gym Rats Thread ***

* The 2011 Gym Rats Thread *