*** The 2011 Gym Rats Thread ***

[Buffman]

just wondering but how much on average a day are you lot spending on food?

probably ~ £5 a day max. Need to start eating properly though, my main foods currently are eggs, couscous, tuna, oats n whey.

Need to get some salad\veg in there

 

[Delvis]

Ta,

Are you able to OHP a barbell? keeping our elbows forward and under it, stepping under the bar once it passes the top of your head? I normally always do some OHP & rotator cuff exercises, both very light just to prime the joint. Has helped a lot, despite the fact I had minor tears in both rotator cuffs I don't get much if any jip from them any more. Unless it's a sudden movement like a backhand at squash which will cause it to sublux slightly as the backs of my shoulders like to slip out.

Er, I believe so? Not done them like that mind, more of a shoulder press I guess...

Currently I do various movements to try open the joint a little so to speak, then possible some stretches on it. Other than that I keep the weight low for a bit.

Sucks really.

Back from chesy day! I 'believe' I may have got the knack of BB bench press, actually hit the chest for once as opposed to my tri's full on However, I'm finding it hard to 'feel' it when doing flys, which is weird...However I do some days and not so some other days. Think it's a factor of my right shoulder not liking them and me just being generally naff

Off topic: What are you doing part-time out of interest?

 

[LiE]

Ahhh brutal squatting today. Did 120kg x 8 x 3 then decided on one set of 130kg x 5.. last rep I almost died. Anyway, form I think looks good, just need to be careful when unracking (caught it on the rack!).

Video.

p.s. one of my gym buddies doing the bro dance at the start for the lols

 

[icecold]

Form looks nice, although it seems like you might have your feet quite turned out compared to how wide your stance is. Is it just the angle or do your knees *tend* to collapse in? Rule of thumb: smash them out as far as you can, it'll engage your glute medius and also allow for better power transfer through your lower back. One of the things that happens when your knees collapse (even just slightly) is that you load your lower back badly, whereas engaging the glutes properly and forcing the knees out keeps everything tight.

 

[LiE]

Thanks. Are you saying the wider the better?

 

[icecold]

Basically yes, in terms of your knees.

You'll see what I mean next time you try it. You might need to do a bit of this:

(the feet against the wall one)
Feet as wide as you can on the wall and parallel-ish, the get your knees out as wide as possible.

 

[LiE]

I've actually been doing that stretch for a while now, it's been really helping. I could definitely go wider, I just think sometimes I setup my feet wrong. Still getting used to the form coming from the sissy pad high bar squat with but tucking

 

[TommyV]

Hey Guys, been a while since I posted here. Hope you are all doing good and your training is all going well!

I've started taking it seriously again the past 4 weeks (have trained consistently, just slacked on diet + alcohol), and am doing great, am the strongest I've ever been and am looking pretty good (finally starting to ge tthe 'boulder shoulder' effect, when my top is off!

Anywho,

the insides of both my arms (inside of my elbows) on both sides are giving me a achy feeling after a workout, it's been like it the past week or so, it soon goes after an hour or two but no doubt it's due to the working out. Any ideas/diagnosis?

Supplements;

- Whey Protein
- Vitamin C
- Fish Oil
- Creatine
- And a heck of a lot of food (omnomnom)

Regime;

- Monday - Upper body power
- Wednesday - Back/Shoulders
- Friday - Chest/Arms

Doing Layne Norton's PHAT training. Any help appreciated, I may go and see the gym physio if it persists.

 

[Skillmister]

Have you tried icing it for 20 mins or so after a workout? I do that almost every time as my elbows are awful and it seems to help.

 

[Buckster]

how do you know if you are over-training ?

since weekend:

Sunday: 1 hr gym (30 mins cardio, 40 mins shoulders/back/triceps)
1 hr swim with rest of family
Monday: 1 hr 10 gym (35 min run, 35 mins chest/biceps)
Tuesday: 1 hr gym (30 mins cardio, 30 mins shoulders/back/triceps)
Wednesday: 1hr gym (full hour chest/biceps)
evening: 7km run (outside)

I'm still making good gains - just wondering if I could make even better gains with more rest ?

I basically have one complete rest day a week - I normally make that rest day a day I'm not at normal workplace (say I'm visiting another site and away for whole day or something), if I don't - I just force a single days rest

 

[TommyV]

how do you know if you are over-training ?

since weekend:

Sunday: 1 hr gym (30 mins cardio, 40 mins shoulders/back/triceps)
1 hr swim with rest of family
Monday: 1 hr 10 gym (35 min run, 35 mins chest/biceps)
Tuesday: 1 hr gym (30 mins cardio, 30 mins shoulders/back/triceps)
Wednesday: 1hr gym (full hour chest/biceps)
evening: 7km run (outside)

I'm still making good gains - just wondering if I could make even better gains with more rest ?

I basically have one complete rest day a week - I normally make that rest day a day I'm not at normal workplace (say I'm visiting another site and away for whole day or something), if I don't - I just force a single days rest

Just eat more food mate if you're finding any problems!

 

[TommyV]

Have you tried icing it for 20 mins or so after a workout? I do that almost every time as my elbows are awful and it seems to help.

I haven't no, but I'll certainly do so after fridays session!

 

[Buckster]

Just eat more food mate if you're finding any problems!

cheers - will do - eatings a difficult balance though

currently addicted to nuts, and shakes !! shakes haveall sorts in them - depending on my fancy from grapefruit juice, sliced apples, bananas, blueberries, lots of oats, pure pomegranate juice, wholenut peanut butter, bunches of mint - etc etc !!

just finished this evenings run - only the 7k - but average 4'48s - which isn't too shabby (for me anyway)

 

[-Ad-]

i have found drinking BCAA's intraworkout greatly reduces DOMS, but you do ned to overdose them, i normally take 4 times the recommended dose.

I did look at them a while back, but buying more supplements is a waste if I'm not training or eating hard enough.

Think it was just a shock to the system and probbaly not stretching as much as I should have, Loading up on food now and back into the dailyburn updating habit. I also only stock good food and snacks in the flat with the odd cheat snack that I literally have to ration out

It helps the gym is open 24hrs so I can go whenever I feel the need, but it is a 25min walk or 5min drive away. Nuffield is about 7mins walk away but about £50+pcm compared to pure gyms £17 (also get £4 off cinema tickets with pure gym). If I find myself making up excuses for not going all teh way to pure gym then I'll ake the hit and join Nuffield, with the heavy winter up here lasting most the year I'm sure I'll not bother going all the way to the gym whenever I can

 

[Delvis]

Ahhh brutal squatting today. Did 120kg x 8 x 3 then decided on one set of 130kg x 5.. last rep I almost died. Anyway, form I think looks good, just need to be careful when unracking (caught it on the rack!).

Video.

Looks good

Are you mentally thinking about your chest when you are squating? ie keeping it puffed up so to speak? Dunno if it's just me or not, but looks like your lower back bent a little bit? Might have just been on the part where your hips tilt at the bottom of the rep...?

Idunno, what do I know though

 

[LiE]

Yea I've been making an effort to keep my chest up, it helps keep me from rounding my back at the bottom. The video isn't great for spotting any back rounding because of the contrast levels, it's very blurry. The guys who watched me said it was fine.

 

[Delvis]

Yea I've been making an effort to keep my chest up, it helps keep me from rounding my back at the bottom. The video isn't great for spotting any back rounding because of the contrast levels, it's very blurry. The guys who watched me said it was fine.

No worries, indeed, it helps majorly with the rounding of the back from not happening I've found...Also generally makes your lifts 'easier' in a sense as you are generally stronger in that position.

Hah, yeah, contrast levels...And he doesn't know how to get you in full view hehe

 

[BennyC]

Off topic: What are you doing part-time out of interest?

My day starts at 6:30AM, at my desk for 7AM, out the door at 4PM, pop home briefly to change, walk to the gym & train, come home eat, and relax if I'm not working at the gym. If I am it's a case of train, come home (if not training legs at home), eat, rush back out the door to work for 6PM, fall through the door at 10PM and in to bed usually before 11PM.

It's normally manageable but this week/last weekend I worked Saturday, Sunday and every evening this week alongside my full time job which I'm currently supervising the department as both my boss & line manager are away. Normally just do 4 hours on Tuesday & Thursday evening with 8 hours on a Saturday.

Also in the process of buying my first house & planning the move.

If that's what you meant?

 

[Delvis]

My day starts at 6:30AM, at my desk for 7AM, out the door at 4PM, pop home briefly to change, walk to the gym & train, come home eat, and relax if I'm not working at the gym. If I am it's a case of train, come home (if not training legs at home), eat, rush back out the door to work for 6PM, fall through the door at 10PM and in to bed usually before 11PM.

It's normally manageable but this week/last weekend I worked Saturday, Sunday and every evening this week alongside my full time job which I'm currently supervising the department as both my boss & line manager are away. Normally just do 4 hours on Tuesday & Thursday evening with 8 hours on a Saturday.

Also in the process of buying my first house & planning the move.

If that's what you meant?

In a sense ...Bloody busy though!

So you're working at the gym in the evenings as well then primarily? I hope the house buying goes well though, something I would love to do really

 

[icecold]

Hey Guys, been a while since I posted here. Hope you are all doing good and your training is all going well!

I've started taking it seriously again the past 4 weeks (have trained consistently, just slacked on diet + alcohol), and am doing great, am the strongest I've ever been and am looking pretty good (finally starting to ge tthe 'boulder shoulder' effect, when my top is off!

Anywho,

the insides of both my arms (inside of my elbows) on both sides are giving me a achy feeling after a workout, it's been like it the past week or so, it soon goes after an hour or two but no doubt it's due to the working out. Any ideas/diagnosis?

Supplements;

- Whey Protein
- Vitamin C
- Fish Oil
- Creatine
- And a heck of a lot of food (omnomnom)

Regime;

- Monday - Upper body power
- Wednesday - Back/Shoulders
- Friday - Chest/Arms

Doing Layne Norton's PHAT training. Any help appreciated, I may go and see the gym physio if it persists.

Needs some soft tissue work. Smash a tennis/lacrosse/whatever ball into the painful area.