*** The 2011 Gym Rats Thread ***

[semi-pro waster]

What are the above two?

The first one is Close Grip Bench Press which is as the name suggests where you're holding the bar in a very close grip, as a guess when I do it there's approximately 1-2" between the knuckles on either hand. However that's just a spot that works for me, it may be you need to go wider or a bit narrower - it should really work your triceps and your elbows should be relatively "locked in" so they're not moving much (i.e. outwards) and losing the tension or at least that's what I believe is the way to do it.

French press - probably easiest to look at this video, I'm not qualified to offer an opinion on whether the form is spot on but it ought to give you an idea to start with.

 

[Skillmister]

 

[^TANK^]

Went and had a look at Virgin Active, my god what a pile of ****e for £60 a month each! Thats not me being a snob it really was bad, aging rusting equipment with next to no plates for the squat rack and they also had separate swimming pools/sauna so I wouldn't be able to be with my girlfriend.

Fitness First is to far away for us, so we will be going back to the David Lloyd which I was very impressed with when we originally went there. I have also discovered they have revamped the weights area with £200,000 worth of new updated equipment and more 25 kilo plates .

 

[Skillmister]

What like seperate swimming pools for male/female lol? Or for gym goers and non gym goers (surely this!)

 

[^TANK^]

What like separate swimming pools for male/female lol? Or for gym goers and non gym goers (surely this!)

Separate male and female swimming and sauna facilities.

(I'm used to saunas where you wear swimming attire not go nude!)

 

[Skillmister]

That's ridiculous

 

[^TANK^]

We both laughed when they asked us afterwords if we would be joining their "couples £120 month off peak membership" rat hole.

 

[LiE]

Damn I feel for you Tank, I'm spoilt for choice in Milton Keynes for gyms. David Lloyd's is so damn pricey for a solo membership I couldn't bring myself to consider it. It does look nice though and wouldn't get any bicep monkeys.

 

[icecold]

Yeah but.. I seem to have permanently 'twinged' my elbow since that one time I did skullcrushers (with too much weight probably).

And it flares up on the above exercises, no doubt once I switch my routite and go tricep pulldowns/dips etc it'll be worse.

Any suggestions?

By the way I use elbow straps to compress the elbows now during shoulder press.

Get it looked at by a physio.

HOWEVER, problems in elbows tend to arise from problems in shoulders...


Physio session today, and after various pulling, tugging and bending of my foot/ankle/shin (yes, bending my shin ) my ankle made some sickening crunching sounds which were apparently good news. My tendons are still junky from an almost two year old sprain, which is apparently common.

Told him about the pains in my shoulders and it seems I've developed bicep tendinitis in the proximal head. It's a pretty complex picture, but tight pec minor is turning off supraspinatus (and trap, lat and teres minor to some extent) so my bicep and tricep need to kick in to pull my arm in to the socket for stability. Also, in an ironic twist, the soft tissue work I've been doing has caused the tendon to hypertrophy which irritates the grove it runs through.

Hopefully this solves my benching problems!

Deadlift day tomorrow, and I'm planning on a big Christmas rack pull

 

[^TANK^]

Damn I feel for you Tank, I'm spoilt for choice in Milton Keynes for gyms. David Lloyd's is so damn pricey for a solo membership I couldn't bring myself to consider it. It does look nice though and wouldn't get any bicep monkeys.

What I love is you're fixed to a contract **** or bust, so they will struggle to get rid of me if I load a machine with to much weight (in their opinion).

 

[Skillmister]

Making sure to hit my Christmas macros...

 

[MoNkeE]

Mmmmmmmm.....!

 

[Freefaller]

Damn I feel for you Tank, I'm spoilt for choice in Milton Keynes for gyms. David Lloyd's is so damn pricey for a solo membership I couldn't bring myself to consider it. It does look nice though and wouldn't get any bicep monkeys.

I go to a David Lloyd and I have to report you do get bicep monkeys but the equipment is good. I can afford it as far as I'm concerned as I like the facilities. Hopefully I'll get my gf to join so we can get a cheaper rate next year

 

[Ultra_Extreme]

Making sure to hit my Christmas macros...

nothing really functional in that

 

[tom_e]

nothing really functional in that

Good for keeping sane though!

 

[Delvis]

The first one is Close Grip Bench Press which is as the name suggests where you're holding the bar in a very close grip, as a guess when I do it there's approximately 1-2" between the knuckles on either hand. However that's just a spot that works for me, it may be you need to go wider or a bit narrower - it should really work your triceps and your elbows should be relatively "locked in" so they're not moving much (i.e. outwards) and losing the tension or at least that's what I believe is the way to do it.

French press - probably easiest to look at this video, I'm not qualified to offer an opinion on whether the form is spot on but it ought to give you an idea to start with.

Thanks matey, much appreciated.

How you've described the CGBP, sounds eefectively like a skull crusher ...If your elbows are keeping in?

 

[Freefaller]

Except the bar comes down to your chest and not your face, and it's not a rotational pivoted movement like skull crushers are.

 

[Delvis]

Except the bar comes down to your chest and not your face, and it's not a rotational pivoted movement like skull crushers are.

Cool

I've not tried them yet so not sure how it feels, thanks for letting me know though

 

[Freefaller]

It's more of a compound rather than isolation movement, however, that supersetted with cable pull downs = great tricep burn.

 

[Delvis]

I'd love a cable machine

I have to do dips with my legs up as theres no dip station...Then tricep extension above the head or skull crushers