*** The 2012 Gym Rats Thread ***

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Steeds, I have no idea if this is a back vs front squat argument, but with the bar being a good few inches further forwards I'd be hesitant to lean further forwards as that'll be placing a lot of weight on my lower back. Keeping my back straight and core tight actually makes it feel so much nicer, but that's not to say it's right!

Cheers LiE :)

As you can see, the shoes came off for it, and I *tried* to get my elbows higher, no idea if they're sufficiently high!
 
Actually, if you lean forward, and I'm talking a small amount, it places less stress on your back. Trouble is when you're upright, you're placing a lot of the stress on your core, which I guess isn't always a bad thing, but when you lean forward slightly, the weight shifts a lot more on to your quads

But if it works for you, stick too it
 
I normally am a fan of receiving info, I really am - but I think with the constant back pain I seem to get from squatting, I need to try it with a straight back for a few weeks to see if that sorts it :)
 
After talking about number of reps last week for DB Lunges I decided to up mine. Originally I did 5x10 which for me meant 5 sets of 10 reps, 5 reps on each leg. So last week I did 3x16, 8 reps on each leg. Really felt the mega pump going on, each rep was quickly one after the other as I walked round the gym lunging for my life. I only used 25kg db in each hand but it was plenty after I had done my 140x11 squat set. I'll continue to do higher reps.
 
Question -

Am I the only one who rarely gets arm DOMS?

I've tried working them with high reps, medium and low... everything and I rarely get DOMS in them.

They're growing for sure - but the only area of me that doesn't get DOMS?
 
Are you directly working them? Or only compound wise?

I don't get dons if they've been used in compounds...I get tri doms after doing French Presses and CGBP. Only get Bi doms if I really hammer them.
 
Delvis said:
Are you directly working them? Or only compound wise?

I don't get dons if they've been used in compounds...I get tri doms after doing French Presses and CGBP. Only get Bi doms if I really hammer them.
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Pretty much whatever I do the only thing I get is a bit weak in the arms the next day.

This is from stuff like bench pressing all the way to something like basic bi curls.
 
MoNkeE said:
Yo yo yo, got an update on the front squats for y'all:
(Around the 3rd rep, I realise Steedie would be frowning due to the speed, so I slowed down :D )

Great sesh this morning, notable lifts:
Front Squats: 75kg - 5x5
Pull Ups: 5x5
DB Bench: 28kg - 5x5
Power Cleans: 60kg - 2x5
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Those are looking really nice. To be a real arse, the only thing I can notice is that your knees are wobbling slightly. This probably just means you need to focus on it, but "gimbaling" of the knee points towards weakness/poor control in the glutes. Fixing this will give you greater lumbar stability and protect your knees and feet.


Steedie said:
Only thing I will say, is you want to lean forward a bit more

Your body naturally wants to stay upright to stay balanced, but you put a lot more emphasis on your quads if you lean forward ever so slightly

You might be leaning forward there (hard to tell from the angle) but it looks like you aren't

Other than that, good stuff
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Steedie said:
Actually, if you lean forward, and I'm talking a small amount, it places less stress on your back. Trouble is when you're upright, you're placing a lot of the stress on your core, which I guess isn't always a bad thing, but when you lean forward slightly, the weight shifts a lot more on to your quads

But if it works for you, stick too it
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Sorry mate but that isn't true. Is this something you're finding from personal experience? Might be some tightness in your hips

On a basic level, the amount of quad vs. posterior chain involvement is down to how far your knees come forward, further forward is more quad dominant and verticalising the shin and reaching back with your arse is more posterior chain dominant. The muscles you shorten (relatively) in a position you "turn off", and the ones you elongate you can develop more force from.

Ideally, in both of these positions you want your torso to be as vertical as possible, to a reasonable point. This reasonable point varies depending on the type of squatting you're doing, but if you're flexible enough to front squat by sitting down between your heals with an almost vertical torso then that's a good thing.

You can get a little more technical about balancing posterior/anterior loading, but that is more down to a persons levers defining optimal positions.
 
Guys, how dangerous would say it is to get around 3% b.f for a short period of time (circa 1month) if I can get down to that level at all?
 
icecold said:
Those are looking really nice. To be a real arse, the only thing I can notice is that your knees are wobbling slightly. This probably just means you need to focus on it, but "gimbaling" of the knee points towards weakness/poor control in the glutes. Fixing this will give you greater lumbar stability and protect your knees and feet.
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Really appreciate that ice, cheers mate. You're bang on about the knee wobble, have yet to get round to trying any of those stretches you've linked to previously, but I shall soon :)

Kai, I'd have assumed that's really not a good idea. Don't know the facts, but I know 8% is the usual recommended level, 3% is show standard and normally only maintained for a single day!
 
kai said:
Guys, how dangerous would say it is to get around 3% b.f for a short period of time (circa 1month) if I can get down to that level at all?
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Not sure any of us can speak from experience on that, but to me 3% sounds really low, lower than competition level right?
 
LiE said:
Not sure any of us can speak from experience on that, but to me 3% sounds really low, lower than competition level right?
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3 - 4 % appears to be the normal sort of high competition level for my shape, Rob Richies etc but i just wish to understand how healthy it is to sit at that level for a duration.
 
Probably worth posting the question on a forum with members who regularly compete on stage, they should know a fair bit.
 
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