If Curry drops to 212 he'll be a force to be reckoned with.
*** The 2011 Gym Rats Thread ***
- Thread starter Morba
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If Curry drops to 212 he'll be a force to be reckoned with.
I have my first proper session at the gym tomorrow. I've wanted to join for years but I've always found excuses and lacked the motvation or confidence. However, I found a really good family run gym near me which has lots of equipment including a dedicated free weights room with a couple of power racks which none of the other gyms I visited had. The people who work there really encourage everyone to use free weights which is refreshing to see.
Does anyone have any general advice for newbie to the gym?
My goal is to gain stength and build muscle which I've lost due to a long term illness (now recovered). The personal trainer at the gym is going to show me how to use the equipment tomorrow and he said we'll spend a lot of time on the free weights working on my technique which is the most important thing.
Does anyone have any general advice for newbie to the gym?
My goal is to gain stength and build muscle which I've lost due to a long term illness (now recovered). The personal trainer at the gym is going to show me how to use the equipment tomorrow and he said we'll spend a lot of time on the free weights working on my technique which is the most important thing.
Find a simple routine that's based around squat, bench and deadlift and stick to it for a while. Simple as that 
In other news, I'm really frustrated with training at the moment. I've been taking it easy for the last couple of weeks because of being busy, and then I was keeping the loads low while I waited to see physio for some general soft tissue work. This adds up to two to three weeks of not really doing anything. Then just as I was about get back into things I wake up last Sunday with a pulled intercostal muscle :/ This week I've tried to play around with different things...
Squats: nope, especially not with a belt. Had to settle on beltless 165x5x3
Bench: nope, can't get into position. Feels like my body is reducing power to prevent injury too.
Deadlift: Didn't feel too painful, but there was zero power. Called it a day at 140kg :/
Incline dumbbell press: the actual movement wasn't too bad, but setting up and deloading was painful. Because I was frustrated I forced out a set with 45kg which wasn't a good idea! Might have made it worse.
Dumbbell curls: lol felt totally pointless so sacked them off after a single set.
Seated DB shoulder press: felt fine, but had to take it easy because of the recent soft tissue work with my shoulders.
Pullthroughs: good!
Physio said I could take a month to heal, but that's not really acceptable! I'm supposed to be doing pre-season stuff for american football this week, but currently I can't even run
Found out that I can get away with cycling at least.
In other news, I'm really frustrated with training at the moment. I've been taking it easy for the last couple of weeks because of being busy, and then I was keeping the loads low while I waited to see physio for some general soft tissue work. This adds up to two to three weeks of not really doing anything. Then just as I was about get back into things I wake up last Sunday with a pulled intercostal muscle :/ This week I've tried to play around with different things...
Squats: nope, especially not with a belt. Had to settle on beltless 165x5x3
Bench: nope, can't get into position. Feels like my body is reducing power to prevent injury too.
Deadlift: Didn't feel too painful, but there was zero power. Called it a day at 140kg :/
Incline dumbbell press: the actual movement wasn't too bad, but setting up and deloading was painful. Because I was frustrated I forced out a set with 45kg which wasn't a good idea! Might have made it worse.
Dumbbell curls: lol felt totally pointless so sacked them off after a single set.
Seated DB shoulder press: felt fine, but had to take it easy because of the recent soft tissue work with my shoulders.
Pullthroughs: good!
Physio said I could take a month to heal, but that's not really acceptable! I'm supposed to be doing pre-season stuff for american football this week, but currently I can't even run
Found out that I can get away with cycling at least.
Soldato
curlz get the gurlz yo
Caporegime
Legs legs legsssssssssssssssss
Leg day today
Out of interest, what days do people work their shoulders on usually? If they are doing a legs/chest/back split that is
Leg day today
Out of interest, what days do people work their shoulders on usually? If they are doing a legs/chest/back split that is
Soldato
Used to hit legs and shoulders together. Now-a-days I do a 4 day split:
Mon: Back/bis
Tues: Chest/tris
Thurs: legs
Fri: Shoulders
As my tris get a bit of work from my shoulder work out, means my chest/tri workout is as far away as possible from it
Mon: Back/bis
Tues: Chest/tris
Thurs: legs
Fri: Shoulders
As my tris get a bit of work from my shoulder work out, means my chest/tri workout is as far away as possible from it
Caporegime
Fair game...
Not sure what to do really, I'll hack them on to Legs day for now, see what happens
Not sure what to do really, I'll hack them on to Legs day for now, see what happens
Soldato
Alternatively, do your delt work on your leg days, then your trap work with your back/bis?
Man of Honour
Broke the 100kg bench today! BOOM!!
Last edited:
Caporegime
True...
Off the top of your head, what exercises do what?
I'll take a look in a sec when I get a few minutes as well
Soldato
I normally hit delts with OHP, front raises, bent over rear raises, arnold press
Traps I normally hit with shrugs and upright rows
Traps I normally hit with shrugs and upright rows
Caporegime
I normally hit delts with OHP, front raises, bent over rear raises, arnold press
Traps I normally hit with shrugs and upright rows
Ahh ok, see, I already do traps on my back day so its no biggy...
Will have to put some OHP's on to my leg day anyway as it seems to help with the mobility in my shoulder for some reason
Soldato
Make sure your shoulders are always back and not rolling forwards. Do some OHP without a bar to loosen up then a light weight (10kg fixed bar or sommat) as a warm up Same when doing front raises etc - always make sure your shoulders are back in the right position. I get awful pain in my shoulders when they roll forwards and I lift weights (awful posture here)
Same when doing front raises etc - always make sure your shoulders are back in the right position. I get awful pain in my shoulders when they roll forwards and I lift weights (awful posture here)I'm getting seriously bored/frustrated with poor strength progression whilst on a cut. I've never trained not in a calorific deficit but my progression has more or less completely stalled now, with strength gains happening maybe once a month. I think I might be at my limit of 'noob gains' and now need to properly clean bulk, but I still have a good 10kg or so to lose (ish).
Are strength oriented programs like rippetoe/stronglifts still achievable on a long cut? I quite fancy starting Stronglifts next week which should take me nicely up to Christmas assuming I stick to the schedule, though I may skip the first 2/3 weeks as the weights look a bit pointless. By 'achievable' I mean am I just as likely to hit a wall once I get back to my current weights, or I will I blast past it?
Are strength oriented programs like rippetoe/stronglifts still achievable on a long cut? I quite fancy starting Stronglifts next week which should take me nicely up to Christmas assuming I stick to the schedule, though I may skip the first 2/3 weeks as the weights look a bit pointless. By 'achievable' I mean am I just as likely to hit a wall once I get back to my current weights, or I will I blast past it?
Soldato
TBH mate, and I'm sure Ultimate has said the same, if you want to cut, cut. If you want to bulk, bulk. If you're after losing 10kg before you're happy, just go balls to the wall and hammer HIIT and diet until you're 10kg lighter. Then you can start clean bulking from the base that you're happy with.
If you've started stalling, I don't think you're going to see good stregth gains whilst cutting any more.
If you've started stalling, I don't think you're going to see good stregth gains whilst cutting any more.
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chris1712 - Get the cut done or you'll be in no mans land forever, if you think 10kg ish then it could well be up to 2 stone you need to lose. Thats not trimming up thats going from overweight to in shape.
Get it done.
Get it done.
Soldato
That's the lad I meant, Ultra - not Ultimate
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