*** The 2012 Gym Rats Thread ***

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So, trusted gym brahs. I've been doing Stronglifts since June when I was completely new to lifting, doing a Leangains style, cut-emphasised recomp.* Lost about 10kg of fat and gained on all my lifts (e.g. 60kg deadlift at around 70kg is now a 105kg deadlift at around 60kg). I feel like I'm still making progress, albiet more slowly (e.g. my squat knackers me now so I wonder if it's affecting my others lifts on the same day)... I read different things about when to switch routines but I still feel like a beginner... thoughts?

I've looked at Mehdi's rough stats guide for when you're probably not a beginner any more, but equally someone like Rip says that training protocol should really be dependant on a person's ability to recover and not stats. As I'm cutting more than I'm bulking it's important I don't have too high a volume (and SL is just 3 exercises x3 a week, although I throw in), so possibly some sort of 3 day split based around squat/bench/deadlifts, with a couple of additional compounds on each day to pad it out. Don't want to jump off the SL wagon early though. Gah.

*(as Lylde McD recommends prioritising getting to around 10-12% bf before clean bulking, then cutting if you creep up to 15% bf... and Lylde is the master, plus it's important for psychogical reasons for me to get lean as I've never been anything other than fat, then skinny fat).
 
I've still got a bit to go. Distribution of it is weird - none in my arms/legs, starting to see the beginnings of my abs (esp, the upper area), still got a handful of fat banded around my chest. So far the cutting side is going to plan I guess (obviously it's slower than a strict cut as I over-eat with HCLF on workout days, and under-eat rest days LCHF) and I'm a lot stronger than when I started so I'm not just going to end up skinny!

Haven't had to reload as such - with things like the OHP, I've had the odd bad workout, but most of the time it's been a case of not being satisfied with my form over 5 sets of 5 and only moving up weight-wise when I felt I got 25 solid reps. Haven't failed anything 3 workouts in a row... I tend to stall rather than fail and so far I've been able to push through each time after sitting at a weight for a while until I'm satisfied I'm not cheating reps out.

I don't feel run down on rest days too much, although my legs are always tired now. It's just my workouts seem to be taking longer due to recovery between sets and - it might be a one-off but - on Monday the gym was unusually full of idiots who had hijacked the squat rack so completely I couldn't do them and went straight to bench and p.rows and where I'd struggled the last time (particularly on bench) I mostly cruised through. This made me wonder if I'd got to the point where one 'big lift' had started interferring with another, given you always do 2 out of the big 3 on SL during every workout.

To those reading and wondering if it's time to switch from a beginner program to an intermediate program, be sure to ask yourself if you're tempted to switch because your current program is hard, or because if it's not giving you results anymore. If you're getting results but the workouts are brutal, toughen up and press on! This is where the real physical and mental progress lies!
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^

Might just be that tbh. Man up etc.
 
Maybe. When you're new higher frequency seems to be beneficial. Likewise, while cutting higher frequency but lower volume also seems to be the way to go. If you're still pretty much making linear gains i'd stick at it. If however, you grow to dislike it to the point where it threatesn your consistency then switch it out to whatever you need. Consistency is more important than any particular routine.
 
Second week into 5x5 loving it, changed it up a bit, primary workout days mon,wed,fri and going to do some core/calf work on Tuesdays and maybe some other work on a weekend day if I get bored...

Chest is still a pretty weak point, having not done any barbell bench for 8 months I am back up to almost BW flat bench, and gone straight in at 60kg incline and that felt pretty easy, surprised considering that for reps 60kg is a PB compared to what I could do 8 months ago :p

52 or 55kg OHP tonight depending on how easy 52kg goes...
 
King Damager said:
Anyone happen to have a good 5x5 spreadsheet for a relative beginner?

Or is there arguably a better routine for someone starting out?

kd
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I use the Stronglifts app on my iPhone and i find that pretty good. (Its free too. :D) All you need to worry about is doing what it tells you. It progresses the weights depending on whether you mad the lifts or not and you can use it as a diary to review your progress.

The Stronglifts site has a 5x5 spreadsheet on it though which i use seperately and have modified to put my weights in and other stuff so that i can track them too.
 
Looks great. I'll have to go sign up at the local gym now. xD

As a side point, guessing there would be nothing really wrong with swapping out the bench press for dumbell chest press when I don't have a spotter?

kd
 
Fluttershy said:
Do bench press and don't fail ;)
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I remember reading something along those lines just the other day. But in essence, I'm guessing it doesn't actually matter.

At least I get to ask plenty of noobish questions (as and when I get to starting)

Diet will be the most interesting one. Think I might finally need to get me some whey. Especially with the swimming thrown in as well.. (No I'm not swimming to lose weight, I'm swimming because I enjoy swimming :p)

kd
 
It probably wouldn't matter much but i'd try do bench press if you can. What are your starting weights going to be? It's not like you're gonna be stuck with 100kg on your chest if you fail a rep.
 
Fluttershy said:
It probably wouldn't matter much but i'd try do bench press if you can. What are your starting weights going to be? It's not like you're gonna be stuck with 100kg on your chest if you fail a rep.
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That's true.

I have no idea what my starting weights are going to be :S

How should I work them out? :p Spreadsheet just starts out with 20kg for everything, and progresses you from there... 20kg I'd probably manage :p

kd
 
I've no idea, never looked at stronglifts. At worst you might have to take a breather with it on your chest then dig deep to rack it :p Doing that with 80kg wasn't fun however and if i was doing much higher i might wuss out before i got to that stage
 
Well, having just found a barbell I have lying around, and 20kg of weights on the end of it. (No idea on the weight of the bar to be honest), everything felt pretty ok (deads/squats/bench/OHP) at that weight. The OHP might have been a bit of a struggle, but everything else I spent a lot of the time focussing on technique rather than anything else at that weight...

Might start at 20 anyway, and use the first few sessions to make sure form is good.

For Delvis:
With over 80 cardiovascular and fixed weight machines plus free weights in our air-conditioned Fitness Centre, we’ve got all the equipment you’ll ever need. Our Fitness Advisors are sports science graduates which means that you’ll get the best advice possible.
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I know they have rows of any cardio machine + I think potentially every other machine under the planet, and an alright sized weights room as well that's separate.

kd
 
As you said, I'd start at 20 (Or whatever else it says) if you haven't really done anything before in a weights room, then use the next week to either jump in higher increments than normal or just jump 10+ kg and dive in. Only issue with that is you may hit a wall before you've made any real progress.

Just see how the first week goes then go from there
 
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