*** The 2012 Gym Rats Thread ***

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Sean, where do I start!

While nailing diet isn't as important if you're not focusing on gaining muscle, ignoring it while having goals in fitness is a big no no. Hell, from what I've learnt about nutrition over the last few years I'd be consuming what most would call a 'strict' diet, high protein, high fat, low carb even if I wasn't doing any sort of training. The simple reason being this is the balance our bodies desire and have evolved work with.

First of all, are you interested in improving your diet because you're starting at the gym and think they go hand in hand, or because you want to provide your body with healthier fuel?

While our bodies desire a particular palette of food types, they're incredible at adapting to whatever you give them. Hence why many people are alive and, even more incredibly, putting on muscle mass when, on the grand scheme of things, what they're feeding their body with is only a few steps up from mud.

Hopefully your advent into fitness again will spur an equal interest in nutrition and you can start seeing the benefits that both can bring.


@Delvis. Ah I see, ok that makes sense then! If you have access to a decline bench then try decline flyes, these should invoke less involvement from your delts. Even if you have a flat bench just wedge something underneath it!

Also how far up do your arms come up with you're doing these? I find beyond 30 degrees from parallel (with the floor) all tension is lost in the pec so contracting any further is pointless. Instead, start the rep in the negative at -30 degrees or so, with the dumbbells near the floor depending on how high the bench is. Doing that on decline and your chest should be on fire after a few sets.
 
Mansize_tissue said:
@Delvis. Ah I see, ok that makes sense then! If you have access to a decline bench then try decline flyes, these should invoke less involvement from your delts. Even if you have a flat bench just wedge something underneath it!

Also how far up do your arms come up with you're doing these? I find beyond 30 degrees from parallel (with the floor) all tension is lost in the pec so contracting any further is pointless. Instead, start the rep in the negative at -30 degrees or so, with the dumbbells near the floor depending on how high the bench is. Doing that on decline and your chest should be on fire after a few sets.
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Thanks for the post

The bench can go in decline, but i'm trying to keep things 'simple' for a few months as i've spent a lot of time previously jumping around on exercises and it's done me no favours.

I'm not even sure what part of my shoulder hurts, feels more like the front of the shoulder atm.

When I do flys I don't go vertical, because as you say, it's pointless :) I think I have issues with making my arms go back far enough, I don't know, hopefully people at the meet on saturday will point things out to me.
 
Great deadlifing session tonight, my shins have red lines on them now =P 105x5x5 no problem and my grip seemed to have improved more since last time :D 110 on monday then 115 next friday can't wait the deadlift is my fav exersize! :D
 
Tonights session was chest:

Bench:
1 x 10 x Bar
1 x 5 x 30kg
1 x 1 x 40kg
3 x 8 x 42.5kg (Stopped at 6 on the last set, then did another three after a short rest, could feel my shoulder niggling, that and the weight was getting to me)

DB Flys:
3 x 8 x 7.5kg each hand (Shoulder started niggling again)

Dips: With feet on a bench
3 x 10 at 'BW'

French Press:
3 x 10 x 12.5kg

Press-Ups: With knees on the floor just to hammer the tri's
1 x 10
1 x 10

By that point, my arms are more pumped than my chest as per usual as I can't seem to hit my chest properly.

Next week is going to be a corker, Bench should be going up to 45kg for 3 x 8. Although I'm not going to be able to do it I don't think, started to struggle with the last set this time.

Should I drop back down again and work up or?
 
That's understandable. Simplicity is key.

What I found indispensable for solving bench press and flye issues was putting a mirror on top of my power rack so I could see exactly how I was performing the moment. I must have looked like I'd gone full retard when bench pressing before, the lack of symmetry was astonishing. Hopefully our fellow 'rats will be able to point anything like this out to you as otherwise imbalances and improper form can go easily missed.
 
Bah! Failed to get myself sorted tonight since my car decided today was just the right time for a flat battery :(

Shall be hitting the weights first thing in the morning instead! :D
 
Aye, thanks dude, the help is much appreciated :)

Awesome latest pic as well by the way in the pics thread
 
Mansize_tissue said:
Sean, where do I start!

While nailing diet isn't as important if you're not focusing on gaining muscle, ignoring it while having goals in fitness is a big no no. Hell, from what I've learnt about nutrition over the last few years I'd be consuming what most would call a 'strict' diet, high protein, high fat, low carb even if I wasn't doing any sort of training. The simple reason being this is the balance our bodies desire and have evolved work with.

First of all, are you interested in improving your diet because you're starting at the gym and think they go hand in hand, or because you want to provide your body with healthier fuel?

While our bodies desire a particular palette of food types, they're incredible at adapting to whatever you give them. Hence why many people are alive and, even more incredibly, putting on muscle mass when, on the grand scheme of things, what they're feeding their body with is only a few steps up from mud.

Hopefully your advent into fitness again will spur an equal interest in nutrition and you can start seeing the benefits that both can bring.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply, I honestly don't know where to start and you're all being very helpful! :) I am certainly interested in improving my diet, both for a healthier body and to aid training in the gym. I just don't know what sort of stuff I'd eat to replace all the sweets and other junk I eat between meals! :(

I'm going to my local gym next Friday to sign up and if I can I'll speak to someone that can get me started on cardio stuff. I'm 6'2" and 11 stone, I look like a lamp post so maybe some weights wouldn't be too bad but it's definitely not on the top of my list. Stamina first, simply just so I can play football and not be useless after 15 minutes! :D
 
Delvis said:
Indeed eh! :)

What about my session above? Am I doing too much of anything or?
Click to expand...

A routine like that will definitely see you progress, but I wouldn't be lying if I said it couldn't be improved.

Firstly, pushing movements go hand in hand with pulling movements. If possible, do some pull ups before each set of bench press. You might even find you end up benching more like myself. Every time I bench now I superset it with weighted pull ups.

Secondly, if you have the equipment/strength then traditional 'no feet on bench' dips are a much better alternative, even if it involves reducing the reps drastically. You can lean right forwards which brings your chest into it a lot more. I'd also do these before flyes. Typically as an isolation exercise flyes would be better placed at the end of the workout. You don't want to exhaust your pecs before doing dips for example as the movement will become very tri dominant when you'll want it to hit your pecs. It is the upper body squat afterall!

.Sean said:
Thanks for the reply, I honestly don't know where to start and you're all being very helpful! :) I am certainly interested in improving my diet, both for a healthier body and to aid training in the gym. I just don't know what sort of stuff I'd eat to replace all the sweets and other junk I eat between meals! :(

I'm going to my local gym next Friday to sign up and if I can I'll speak to someone that can get me started on cardio stuff. I'm 6'2" and 11 stone, I look like a lamp post so maybe some weights wouldn't be too bad but it's definitely not on the top of my list. Stamina first, simply just so I can play football and not be useless after 15 minutes! :D
Click to expand...

Good stuff! How much do you usually (or are willing to) spend on food every week? No point us starting to suggest things that just aren't feasible! Are there any particular foodtypes you're adverse to? I can handle any seafood personally, and have to restrict my lactose intake somewhat. All these things have workarounds though.
 
Only training this week on monday and ate a 230g bar of chocolate tonight + ~10 slices of toast while revising (eating to procrastinate ;D). Exam bulk: In progress ;D.

Having a knackered shoulder doesnt help things :(, No-little pressing for me for the next while (done it kayaking)

I'm gonna start tapering it down + 1 heavy drinking session a week next week though :P
 
Right, new year new start. I'd like to go with an A/B 3x a week all body split. Just wondering what people think of the following as I don't want to be overtraining / neglecting / focusing on the wrong groups? I'm particularly unsure about the core work, but my core is definitely lagging behind my lower back hence the emphasis.


A:
Squats
Pullups
SL Deadlift
Bench
Hang clean to PP
Standing cable rotations
Leg Extension
Dips
Leg Raises

B:
Front Squats
Close grip bench
Deadlifts
Chinups
Incline bench
Bent over rows
DB Lunges
Single arm shoulder press
Calf raises
Planks
 
You need a few more pulling movements compared to the amount of pushing you're doing. Cable rows and/or facepulls would be good. I'd also be careful with the amount of volume you're doing on squats, if you're not used to it you might find it a little overwhelming.

Also, standing cable rotations are not a good core exercise. Try pallof presses
 
Aye I thought I was lacking on the pull side. Will add in the cable rows/facepulls A/B. I'll also sub the pallof presses for the cable rotations

With regards to the squats I'll probably only end up doing them twice a week as the weight gets higher, but bearing in mind I've cut right back to begin with (60kg on the squats) and am going to load 2.5kg/session on the compound exercises and 1.25kg/session on the others.

Also keeping a note of each session now so I can keep track as I've been lazy up to this point and it's not really acceptable.
 
Mansize_tissue said:
A routine like that will definitely see you progress, but I wouldn't be lying if I said it couldn't be improved.

Firstly, pushing movements go hand in hand with pulling movements. If possible, do some pull ups before each set of bench press. You might even find you end up benching more like myself. Every time I bench now I superset it with weighted pull ups.

Secondly, if you have the equipment/strength then traditional 'no feet on bench' dips are a much better alternative, even if it involves reducing the reps drastically. You can lean right forwards which brings your chest into it a lot more. I'd also do these before flyes. Typically as an isolation exercise flyes would be better placed at the end of the workout. You don't want to exhaust your pecs before doing dips for example as the movement will become very tri dominant when you'll want it to hit your pecs. It is the upper body squat afterall!
Click to expand...

Thanks dude

Indeed it could be re-worked, but hopefully this will see me through for a bit and not over complicate things.

Sadly the gym has no pull-up bar, which is a tad annoying as I'd like to do them on back day.

Regarding the dips, indeed, I would rather do the dips you mention as the ones I'm currently doing kinda push my shoulders forward due to the way they're performed...Sadly our gym doesn't have anything to do normal dips with :(

Thanks though, i'll swap the flys around...Although one could argue that you don't want to wear your pecs / tri's out doing dips before flys ;)
 
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