*** The 2012 Gym Rats Thread ***

[Syla5]

thanks for all the comments guys. The reason i am not going lower is that my form breaks at or around the point i am going to, this is due to flexibility which is being worked on of course.

Also these sets are my + sets so they are the most taxing on form. My warm up sets are better then these. I am pretty certain i am going to at least parallel, the angle doesnt help much, you can see from the reflection in the mirror little clearer on the first few reps.

As for flexibility, after legs i have hiit!! session went pretty quickly this week so next week i might have an extra 15 mins to do some leg mobility, however i am already hitting them on tuesdays and thursdays and i have heard that after agressive stretching you should allow a day to recover before going at it again?!

Also birthday soon and will hopefully be getting a resistance band to help out with my stretching, and maybe even a powerlifting belt, but i am trying to avoid a belt as i think this may hinder core developement.

 

[Syla5]

i gots an avatar hoola!

 

[Morba]

Had a decent back session, but the shoulder session after was horrendous, fatigue isn't the word!!

Deadlift 12x60kg | 8x100kg | 8x140kg | 8x 140kg | 1x180kg - Plenty left in the tank here, wanna try a 1RM session next, reckon I can pull out a 210kg
Pullups 5x8xBW
DB Row 3x8x50kg DB
Seated Row 1x8 110kg | 2x8 130kg

DB Press 1x8 36kg DB's | 2x8 40kg DB's
Side raises supersetted w/ front raises 3x8x16kg DB's

Was completely spent after this, so called it a day.

in virgin?
Tried deadlifting in there on sun night, they have packed too much **** in the free weights area now, get more than 3 people in there and its hard to move lol

 

[garnett]

Just found this thread - bit of a coincidence as I'm in week 2 of a self-composed 91 day test. Trying to eat a Paleo diet and do a mix of long rowing, spinning, and weights in the gym with some running, swimming and cycling as well.

I'm keeping an exercise and food diary (which will make for a riveting read) and my plan involves 4 weeks of "benchmark" exercise tests with 3 weeks in between each for normal training.

Hopefully I will see the benchmarks improving and week 13 will prove to me it was all worth doing.

 

[Delvis]

As for flexibility, after legs i have hiit!! session went pretty quickly this week so next week i might have an extra 15 mins to do some leg mobility, however i am already hitting them on tuesdays and thursdays and i have heard that after agressive stretching you should allow a day to recover before going at it again?!

Also birthday soon and will hopefully be getting a resistance band to help out with my stretching, and maybe even a powerlifting belt, but i am trying to avoid a belt as i think this may hinder core developement.

The MWOD guys tends to say every other day I believe if you stretching some certain mucles groups (like the glute medius I think) - Hopefully ice or something can clarify / tell me that's incorrect though

I would avoid the belt for the time being, LiE tends to have a decent sense for when to use and not use the belt so he should be able to help there. I would concentrate on getting your core well developed before putting the belt on, because as you say, it won't get used to the heavier sets

Naturally if you feel it needs more support as sets go on, you may need it

i gots an avatar hoola!

Yayyyyyyyyy!

ONE OF US! ONE OF US!

Snip

Best of luck chap

 

[TommyV]

in virgin?
Tried deadlifting in there on sun night, they have packed too much **** in the free weights area now, get more than 3 people in there and its hard to move lol

Yeah mate, I managed to do them just infront of the new smith machine, just about enough room, it is ridiculous though for space now.

The bench right in the middle doesn't help matters in the slightest.

The new DB's with the spinny grips suck gooch Very impressed with all the new plates and the proper rack we've got now though!

 

[Djdom56]

Just found this thread - bit of a coincidence as I'm in week 2 of a self-composed 91 day test. Trying to eat a Paleo diet and do a mix of long rowing, spinning, and weights in the gym with some running, swimming and cycling as well.

I'm keeping an exercise and food diary (which will make for a riveting read) and my plan involves 4 weeks of "benchmark" exercise tests with 3 weeks in between each for normal training.

Hopefully I will see the benchmarks improving and week 13 will prove to me it was all worth doing.

Sounds very sensible, best of luck to you .


New belt lever finally arrived today after a real drama with pullum. For those of you that didn't know the original belt lever fell apart so I ordered the upgrade to the Torro lever that they stock which shaves £20 of the price. Then it turns out the guy didn't write down my address or my phone number, so when they realized they couldn't send it, they couldn't call me either ! I rang them yesterday because I'd seen no sign of it and the woman I spoke to found it incredibly funny but we got it all sorted and it has just arrived about 10mins ago. So after all that it's worked out ok, it looks a beast as well .

LiE, you may want to think about getting the upgrade as you get close to a year of having your belt. Both mine and my brother's belt have broken just before the year was out. I also got the impression that the discount I got was because I was still in the warranty. It's definitely much better quality.


Syla5, you can stretch everyday, especially if you cycle certain area but if say your hamstrings are really hindering you you can hit them every day for a week or so as long as you aren't stretching them to the extent that you can't walk after because you have completely switched them off .

 

[LiE]

I've got 2 prong belt Dom, didn't go for the lever.
Belt hasn't had as much use as you'd think, I've been finding it difficult to use on squats, it seems to do something to my form at the bottom of the squat. I did use it last week and it was a bit better which was probably due to my hamstrings getting a bit looser.

Deadlifts I only use my belt for the last 2-3 sets really. I may start using it again on Military Press now that the weight is going up, need to keep tight!

 

[icecold]

That's why I write it all down in a notepad

Yesterday was Legs:

-5 Mins warm up on a bike - 30s on, 30s off
-Bulgarian Split Squats:
1 x 10 x BW
1 x 5 x 10KG
3 x 10 x 12KG

Glute Bridges:
3 x 10 x 17.5KG
I'm not sure whether or not these are niggling my back or not, as i'm not sure how my back should be on the ground (flat or arched...? =/)

Glute Ham Raises:
3 x 10 x BW

Calve Raise:
3 x 20 x 40KG

Leg Extensions - Just to finish off really
3 x 20 x 30KG

Then some curls ya'll

I can remember individual sessions fine, but tracking general progress is going to be easier with a log. I record most things on a spreadsheet on my phone, but it's tiresome to write comments.

I'm surprised you managed all those GHRs!

thanks for all the comments guys. The reason i am not going lower is that my form breaks at or around the point i am going to, this is due to flexibility which is being worked on of course.

Also these sets are my + sets so they are the most taxing on form. My warm up sets are better then these. I am pretty certain i am going to at least parallel, the angle doesnt help much, you can see from the reflection in the mirror little clearer on the first few reps.

As for flexibility, after legs i have hiit!! session went pretty quickly this week so next week i might have an extra 15 mins to do some leg mobility, however i am already hitting them on tuesdays and thursdays and i have heard that after agressive stretching you should allow a day to recover before going at it again?!

Also birthday soon and will hopefully be getting a resistance band to help out with my stretching, and maybe even a powerlifting belt, but i am trying to avoid a belt as i think this may hinder core developement.

I looked again, and now I'm not sure I was right. I may have been overcompensating for the angle.

 

[Syla5]

I looked again, and now I'm not sure I was right. I may have been overcompensating for the angle.

no worries, i will try and get a side view next time, as depth is somehting i am definatly concious about with my form.

 

[Djdom56]

I've got 2 prong belt Dom, didn't go for the lever.
Belt hasn't had as much use as you'd think, I've been finding it difficult to use on squats, it seems to do something to my form at the bottom of the squat. I did use it last week and it was a bit better which was probably due to my hamstrings getting a bit looser.

Deadlifts I only use my belt for the last 2-3 sets really. I may start using it again on Military Press now that the weight is going up, need to keep tight!

Ah, small facepalm there . Don't know why I thought you had the lever. That's odd, I wonder why that's happening? I'm guessing you have tried having it slightly different heights on your stomach, I have mine a little higher when I'm squatting compared to when I'm deadlifting.

 

[LiE]

Probably got confused because I was talking to ice about prong vs lever at the time I was deciding which one to go for.

I think it may be because of not being used to the belt and wearing it a little too low.

 

[Delvis]

I can remember individual sessions fine, but tracking general progress is going to be easier with a log. I record most things on a spreadsheet on my phone, but it's tiresome to write comments.

I'm surprised you managed all those GHRs!

Meh, Just write them down you monkey It's good to write where you fail and other things that may happen during the session

Oh? Why are you surprised? Just due to the nature of them?

I'm probably not doing them 100%, as I kinda have to bodge them...They work what I need them to work for the time being anyway

EDIT: Probably not done as 'slow; as you are meant to, but hey, something to work on

Do them like this primarily: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wfu_cqHZBGs

Not a 'full' GHR, but hey

 

[Morba]

Yeah mate, I managed to do them just infront of the new smith machine, just about enough room, it is ridiculous though for space now.

The bench right in the middle doesn't help matters in the slightest.

The new DB's with the spinny grips suck gooch Very impressed with all the new plates and the proper rack we've got now though!

That rack seems horrible imo, too upright, should be angled like the old one or be deeper so that you dont need to be so close to it if you want to use the catchers. Also it's placement next to the window is asking for trouble, can see a plate going through the window lol.

yeah, agree on those dumbells too. They feel horrible in the hand

 

[Freefaller]

GHRs are tough. You do have to fight it all the way down. I get the worse DOMS from them.

 

[Delvis]

GHRs are tough. You do have to fight it all the way down. I get the worse DOMS from them.

I can certainly feel it every step I take while walking at the moment!

Love it though

 

[icecold]

Meh, Just write them down you monkey It's good to write where you fail and other things that may happen during the session

That's my point

I do write things down, but it's in here so I have to search for my posts.

Those GHRs are fine to begin with, but work up to using less assistance.

 

[Delvis]

That's my point

I do write things down, but it's in here so I have to search for my posts.

Those GHRs are fine to begin with, but work up to using less assistance.

Aye

It'll be the resistance of letting myself drop I think I'll be working on for a fair whack of time.

Like I said, take a note pad and leave it there I've been tempted to do a 'log' so to speak on here to as I do write everything up on here as well...Don't want to be a copy cat though

 

[icecold]

I started one a ages ago on here and it was useful for a while, I'm not so bothered about whether people think I'm being a "copy cat" :/

 

[Freefaller]

Ah I didn't realise you had used assistance... they're awful!

Saw someone doing them holding onto a 20kg plate... I was in awe - so jealous.