*** The 2011 Gym Rats Thread ***

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I've switched to Intermittent Fasting recently, already lost water weight and my abs are starting to appear again, i think i'll stick to this regime.
 
'Wes said:
I've switched to Intermittent Fasting recently, already lost water weight and my abs are starting to appear again, i think i'll stick to this regime.
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I might give it a go after xmas. I'm finding recently all my eating except breakfast is done between about 5pm and 11pm anyway so i could easily lengthen it a bit and put 'breakfast' in
 
I am going to wear my flame proof jacket for this one, but keep in mind this is more a question as appose to a statement.

It seems a lot of you spend an awful lot of time practising and practising form on deadlifts/squats Yes they are probably the most important exercise, in terms of getting solid gains.

I know my form on these are far, far from perfect and could improve but would not go to the extent of spending so much time of getting this art down to a tee. There are far too many exercises to consider.

The point I am really trying to get across and as stated this is more a question than my opinion, surely a slight variation in the form (as above with the arched back and alignment for posture) would this make a significant impact in terms of gain, and reducing injury = significantly?
 
Form is normally always pushed not to maximise gains, but to reduce the risk of injury. You might not think its that high of a risk, but you only have to look through YouTube to see the insane amount of back snapping, BB Press dropping and squat failure that occurs. If you do these exercises regularly with knowingly bad form, I'd suggest it's only a matter of time til you end up in A&E.

Don't take the risk seriously by all means - but don't expect one ounce of sympathy when you slip a disc deadlifting or trap a nerve when hyperextending. :)
 
kai said:
I am going to wear my flame proof jacket for this one, but keep in mind this is more a question as appose to a statement.

It seems a lot of you spend an awful lot of time practising and practising form on deadlifts/squats Yes they are probably the most important exercise, in terms of getting solid gains.

I know my form on these are far, far from perfect and could improve but would not go to the extent of spending so much time of getting this art down to a tee. There are far too many exercises to consider.

The point I am really trying to get across and as stated this is more a question than my opinion, surely a slight variation in the form (as above with the arched back and alignment for posture) would this make a significant impact in terms of gain, and reducing injury = significantly?
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Thats a great point m8, in my opinion whilst solid form is important, i dont think there is 'correct' form that will be exact for everyone, i think a helluva lot of lifters spend a lot of time practicing a lot of inconsequential things.

But then again do you do a newish or novice lifter any favors by belittling the importance of form? I mean once you become competent at lifting you can lift however you like.
 
'Wes said:
I've switched to Intermittent Fasting recently, already lost water weight and my abs are starting to appear again, i think i'll stick to this regime.
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Hi 'Wes,

I would be interested in knowing what this involves? I assume it means skipping a meal. Which one is best? What does your diet look like? Sorry for the barrage of questions! :o
 
I've been lifting for 7 years and now always incorporate deadlifts and squats into my routine. As I use these lifts weekly, it makes sense for me to fine tune it so that my form is good. There would be no benefit to me if I lift knowingly with bad form and just did nothing. Correct form on certain lifts means I am able to activate the right muscles at the right time, giving me the power I need. Keep increasing the weight with bad form and you'll have a problem sooner or later - I know, I've been there.

No one is saying the form has to be 100% perfect, but why wouldn't we at least try to lift the best way possible - we are in it for the long run. I've shown a lot of guys at my gym how to lift properly because they are so far from what is deemed an acceptable form. They then find they can't lift as much so go back to their old ways. That's fine but they'll cause an injury, it's only a matter of time.

Regarding the deadlift form above, the difference is quite important between the angle of the back. By keep the back in a strong position and the upper back tight you are protecting yourself. Sure this may not be a problem below a certain weight but you try that with 200kg+ and feel the pain. Your also using less muscles in the lift.

So many people do squat wrong and it isn't hurting them, but they are robbing themselves of 50% of the movement and not hitting most of the muscles they should- which is bad for growth.

Kai, I don't know why you'd not want to improve form? There are many benefits and in the long run will allow you to lift heavier. Also with form I don't practice a lift like you'd think, I just make the changes during my normal workouts - it never cuts into lifting time.
 
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LiE thats a great answer, and as said it was a more a question to understand why people spend so much time on these two movements getting it down to a fine art.

I would not say i do not want to improve my form, as i know it needs tweeking and improving as there is ALWAYS room for improvement. I would say its generally good and am lifting and making good progress with weight to body weight ratio. I was kinda curious why so many spend so much time getting the movement perfect and would it be making that much of a difference.
 
kai said:
I am going to wear my flame proof jacket for this one, but keep in mind this is more a question as appose to a statement.

It seems a lot of you spend an awful lot of time practising and practising form on deadlifts/squats Yes they are probably the most important exercise, in terms of getting solid gains.

I know my form on these are far, far from perfect and could improve but would not go to the extent of spending so much time of getting this art down to a tee. There are far too many exercises to consider.

The point I am really trying to get across and as stated this is more a question than my opinion, surely a slight variation in the form (as above with the arched back and alignment for posture) would this make a significant impact in terms of gain, and reducing injury = significantly?
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Howdy

Main reason why I ask for critique, is purely due to me injuring myself previously, no not on deadlifts or squats, but on benching. I myself would rather get tips on how to improve various lifts so I do activate the right muscles and the correct supporting muscles.

Infact, since i've looked at 'how to do it properly' (ie deadlifts and squats) i've actually improved more in terms of gains and strength.

As has been said, there are hundreds of bad form videos on youtube:
(Skip towards the end)

Naturally, the above is terrible, and I have no idea why anyone would jiggle weight like that :p

I just want the best out of it all, I would rather spend five minutes correcting myself, than five minutes blasting it out however and end up screwing my back for instance

:)
 
kai said:
LiE thats a great answer, and as said it was a more a question to understand why people spend so much time on these two movements getting it down to a fine art.

I would not say i do not want to improve my form, as i know it needs tweeking and improving as there is ALWAYS room for improvement. I would say its generally good and am lifting and making good progress with weight to body weight ratio. I was kinda curious why so many spend so much time getting the movement perfect and would it be making that much of a difference.
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Well, it's quite clear you are doing something right buddy either way, otherwise you wouldnt look the way you do.

As said though, it's just personal, and i'd rather not rish screwing my shoulder over again for instance :)
 
lol @ that video delvis thats either the worst deadlift ever or the worst SLDL ever i cant be sure.

I think the kai vs LiE issue here comes down to weight involved, LiE deadlifts and squats very heavy, and going by his bodyweight id presume kai doesnt? Bodyweight is only somewhat relative to lifting weight, 200kg+ gets heavy no matter who you are. These weights must be respected and form kept in check.
 
Was involved in a car accident a few weeks ago. Having starting the gym at the beginning of the summer and seeing some good results, developing a routine etc it really hurts slowly seeing all that hard work deteriorate as I can't go to the gym.

Problem is I've injured by back (both upper and lower) as well my legs, so is there anything I could do just to sort of maintain what I have? I can't think of much which wouldn't involve putting pressure on my back?
 
Ultra_Extreme said:
lol @ that video delvis thats either the worst deadlift ever or the worst SLDL ever i cant be sure.

I think the kai vs LiE issue here comes down to weight involved, LiE deadlifts and squats very heavy, and going by his bodyweight id presume kai doesnt? Bodyweight is only somewhat relative to lifting weight, 200kg+ gets heavy no matter who you are. These weights must be respected and form kept in check.
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LiE -------- 160 / 170 / 220(s) ------ [80] ---- 550

Kai -------- 112 / 95 / 145(s) ------- [66] ---- 352

LiE wins :D
 
It doesn't take that much time to work on form, maybe doing some of the mobilization can take a while if you are missing some angles but that's all good. I hate being so inflexible. My friend started at my gym 6 months ago and I made sure he had the correct understanding of form from the start. He is making great progress is deadlifting/squatting over 100kg now for 8+ reps.
 
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