*** The 2013 Gym Rats Thread ***

I think its more fair to say Bad CrossFit is the new Zumba.

I work with a couple of guys who do CrossFit and they are all in great shift and move good numbers. They also **** off the CrossFit camps that don't encourage proper form etc.
 
Pigeon_Killer said:
CrossFit's the new Zumba.
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Ha, I was going to use that exact comparison but didn't for fear of being behind the times, incase CrossFit has been around for donkeys :p

Apparently this CrossFit chap Rich Froning is the fittest man on Earth :confused: So I presume these CrossFit games attract global contestants and they have a good argument for this title!?

From what I can see, he just uses his YouTube presence to preach Jesus.
 
chulainn said:
Could someone just check over my routine? and make any suggestions
Im 18 and weight 16'stone. My aim is to get this down to 14 stone then build up with muscle! Think ive got a pretty good frame too.

So what ive done for the past week is replaced all drinks with water, (my headaches have decrease dramatically) counting my calories keeping to a 1600-1700 caloric intake and exercising.

Everyday im walking for 30-60 mins everyday and lifting 3x week.

workout A
3x5 Bench press
3x5 squat
1x5 deadlift
3x5 Barbell curls
3x5 dumbell hammer curls
30x sit ups on recline bench (10 with 5kg weight on my chest)
20x pressups

Workout B
3x5 Squat
3x5 standing military press
3x5 Power cleans
3x5 dumbell curls
2x5 chest rows
30x sit ups on recline bench (10 with 5kg weight on my chest)
20x press-ups

Could you tell me what i can do better? And how long the initial weight loss will take roughly (16st-14st) Sorry for the long post !
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Erm... I am not zure what you are looking to accomplish with that routine.

Regardless of anything else DO NOT put power cleans in there... a waste of time and effort for your objectives.
 
shifty_uk said:
I'm on YouTube right now browsing through a variety of Olympic lifting videos, techniques, big lifts from past Olympics etc....it's amazing how many times I've seen CrossFit mentioned by users, CrossFit terminology(WOD, GHR, CrossFit Complex) and CrossFit videos recommended. It's bloody annoying.

They usually lead to videos of women performing multiple lifts with poor form :confused:
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GHR= glute hamstring raise? That's normal terminology, not Crossfit specifis Shirley?

Delvis said:
Cross fit is pretty big yes, primarily in the states im presuming.
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I met a Danish girl who said it was big there too.

The nearest Crossfit gym to Oxford is London (perhaps unsurprisingly)
 
bakes0310 said:
squats and deadlift sort the core out I believe. Im sure one or two exercises on core wouldn't hurt I suppose. But reading the stronglifts guide they tell you not to bother with that as its all sorted out with the big 3 lifts anyway. My core gets a good workout on squats especially.
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Core-specific training is a crucial part of most athletic conditioning programs across countless sports. There's a good reason for this: it is enormously helpful.

And on that tangent, it ticks me off beyond words that some of the stronglifts forum idiots deride calf isolation, saying that "calves are only needed for walking and running". Talk about missing the point. By that logic, what exactly is being enormously strong in squats and deadlifts important for in modern daily living?
 
tom_e said:
If you're basing this on a program like Starting Strength then just follow the program exactly as it's set out don't bother changing anything or adding extras just do as it tells you, at least to start with once you've got some experience and know how your body is reacting then you can start mixing things up.
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This. Also realise if you're doing SS / SL on a diet then you'll make progress with noob gains for a while, but eventually you'll hit a wall with recovery/progression, at which point you need to decide whether you want to start eating to gain to keep things ticking or switch to something which gives you more recovery time between squats! Won't be for a while though.
 
BigPecsPeter said:
Core-specific training is a crucial part of most athletic conditioning programs across countless sports. There's a good reason for this: it is enormously helpful.

And on that tangent, it ticks me off beyond words that some of the stronglifts forum idiots deride calf isolation, saying that "calves are only needed for walking and running". Talk about missing the point. By that logic, what exactly is being enormously strong in squats and deadlifts important for in modern daily living?
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Surely the calves will be worked as much as there required during the lifts that use them? Powerlifting for example and squatting your using your calves but I don't see why anymore work than squats would be required if your only interested in improving that lift? Espically for such a small muscle group!
 
I'm pretty sure my calves aren't holding my deadlift and squats back. Haven't trained them in years.
 
Begbie said:
Surely the calves will be worked as much as there required during the lifts that use them? Powerlifting for example and squatting your using your calves but I don't see why anymore work than squats would be required if your only interested in improving that lift? Espically for such a small muscle group!
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Unless you're tip toeing while squatting, they hardly get a workout compared to walking around all day.
 
Bro, you're doing the squat wrong if you don't throw a calf raise in at the top of of each rep.
 
Lolz.

Yup, no need for calf isolation in order to have strong compound lifts.

The problem is those people who deride it because "well, it's a waste of time since u only needz calves 4 running n stuffz". As if the only thing that matters to the fitness world is having big oly bar lifts. They forget that the majority of guys in the gym are there to develop decent balanced physiques, and couldn't care less that they'll never take 200 below parallel.
 
I hit them twice a week at the moment.

On Mondays after back and hamstrings I hit them with 5-6 heavy sets, then Thursday after quads I do 10-12 light but high rep sets. Do a mixture of standing calf raises and seated calf raises
 
And what's your take on using the leg press machine for straight leg calf work?



On the calf topic, I have noticed that just walking the bar out in very heavy squats seemed to hit the gastrocnemius pretty hard. It seems that some research backs it up too, sorta interesting
 
I do a lot of my seated calf work on the leg press. But I do find that I'm able to hit the calves a bit better if my legs aren't completely straight, a slight bend in the knee helps me feel it 100% in my calves, while as when I have a straight leg, I feel it in my feet more
 
I hit calves most days, they take a beating and recover quickly.

I do 3 heavy sets.
Seated calf raise, our machines are rubbish so the weight is 140kg but it feels light, 30 reps.
Then straight onto the leg press for some calves stuff there, 20 reps
Then straight into 20 quick bodyweight raises and 20 slow contracting bodyweight reps.

I have only been doing it a month but definitely starting to show some thickness and vasc, and only takes like 10 mins at the end of each session.
 
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