*** The 2013 Gym Rats Thread ***

After some advice, looking for a Pull up bar that goes in the door frame. There are a lot out there some better than others, any suggestions before I purchase? Cheers

Ideally you want one that hangs away from the door frame, you don't want one that goes in-between the door frame....

The ones like this are okay, but you can get better ones that come away from the frame more.

Alternatively just drill one to a wall somewhere for the best result, or as FF says just use your loft hatch or a tree :p
 
Yeah. Keep lifting as you have. If you cannot see abs, then your body fat has not dropped especially low such that some major alteration is mandated. Just keep going. Maybe one week off might help matters. It often does in these circumstances.

Next: ditch the refeeds. I used to recommend these obsessively, but after much thought I began to feel that they were being misused and abused. The purpose of structured refeeds, really, is supposed to be restoring diminished glycogen stores which in turn is supposed to help restore normal hormone function (levels of leptin, ghrelin, thyroid) - this in turn has positive effects on appetite control, mood etc and thus makes dietary adherence easier. The refilled glycogen stores, additionally, will help with working out. This all sounds well and good, except that it seems unlikely that one big refeed every 2-3 weeks or so is going to have a great effect in the grand scheme of things. Add to that that at higher body fat levels the adverse effects of diet on hormonal function and even on exercise are just going to be less.

I like tactical refeeds, but think they are better in people with very low body fat and done on a frequent basis, even as often as a few times a week (hence good for people trying to lose that last bit of fat slowly rather than rapidly). I don't think the refeed has an enormous amount of benefit for you, and indeed is more likely to slow you down from reaching your targets. In sum, my opinion is that the physiological advantages of the refeed are too insignificant in your case for it to be warranted or recommended.

Plan some cheat meals instead. The odd one here and there, once a week or whatever, won't do much harm (unless you go psycho at an eat-all-you-can buffet) and will help psychologically.

The progress has been good diet wise, at least relatively to anything I have tried in the past. I think as I get lower in weight and BF%, it is becoming harder but that might just be a mental thing. I'll tweak it again based on your advice and look at a cheat meal, rather than a large refeed.

I'll just keep ploughing on to lose the last few % of fat...I want to get bigger, but want to lose the fat first. Frustrating, but can't have it all :)
 
And it is too much squats, you're not giving your legs enough time to recover if you're doing squats three times a week. Maybe that's why Mehdi has weak calves.

Nonsense.

I haven't read above this post so forgive me if I've missed something important however...I've trained (squatted) 3 times per week and recovery has been a non issue. If your intensity & volume are appropriate it's perfectly fine.

I have joocey legs for reference.

Edit: Plenty of benefits to pushing your lactose(lactate :p) threshold. Fascia Stretch Trainng (FST7) for example uses blood volumisation, pump & lactate to stretch the muscle fascia.
 
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The progress has been good diet wise, at least relatively to anything I have tried in the past. I think as I get lower in weight and BF%, it is becoming harder but that might just be a mental thing. I'll tweak it again based on your advice and look at a cheat meal, rather than a large refeed.

I'll just keep ploughing on to lose the last few % of fat...I want to get bigger, but want to lose the fat first. Frustrating, but can't have it all :)
Dropping down to the 10-12% range before a bulk is probably not such a bad idea. Good luck, bro.
 
Steeds,

Can you post up a copy of your famous workout?

Had it written down before from someone's log but I my search fu isn't working today. :/
 
^ uve gt sum ****in nerv m8

And which one do you want brah? The legs one?

I jotted down a new lot for whole week not long ago, got it saved in my GMail

WU = Warmup
W = Working Set

Back:
Deadlifts - WU10x2 W10, 15, 20
Bent Over Row Superset w/ Lat Pulldown - 12/12x3
Cable Pullover - 15x3
One Arm Row Pyramid (No rest except the time it takes you to switch arms, last set is a drop set) - 15/12/10/8/15

Chest/Triceps:
Incline Bench Press - WU15, W10+5(6 second negs)x2
Chest Press Superset w/ Cable Crossover(10 second contraction final rep) - 20/15
Bench Press Giant Set (Heaviest Weight First, no rest just drop) - 10/12/15/Bar until Failure
Cable Pushdowns - 15x3
DB Extension Superset w/ Bench Dips - 10/20x3

Legs:
Leg Extension - 20/20/50/50/15(Last set hold at the top for a whole 2 seconds)
Squat Superset w/ Front Squats - 15/15, 20/10, 10/20
Leg Press - 8 (each leg)/15 (double leg) x3
Walking Lunges (Giant set, absolutely no rest just grab the next weights and go) - BW x20, BW+10% of bodyweight x20, BW+20% x20, BW+40% x20

Shoulders/Bis
DB Press - WU15x2, W10x3
OHP Superset w/ BB Front Raise - 12/20x3
Side Laterals Pyramid - 15, 20, 25, 20, 15
Facepull - 15x3
Seated DB Curl - 15x4
Bar Curl Pyramid Giantset (no rest, next weight and go) - 15/20/25 x2

All that must be done with no more than 30 seconds rest. And ideally with a training partner so they can take the weights off for you
 
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Not sure any of us will be able to help, because we actually lift..


Joking aside, from what I've read they can be hit or miss depending on your door frame/ceiling height. You may hit your head on the ceiling.

Cheers for that :) I actually lift but like to have some options at home when I can't get to the gym :(

Ideally you want one that hangs away from the door frame, you don't want one that goes in-between the door frame....

The ones like this are okay, but you can get better ones that come away from the frame more.

Alternatively just drill one to a wall somewhere for the best result, or as FF says just use your loft hatch or a tree :p

Cheers that's the sort I was looking at, will just grab one and see how it goes can always sen it back.
 
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