*** The 2014 Gym Rats Thread ***

Sycho said:
What's bss? remember i fairly new to this.

Looks good workout will try some of what you said see how i do.

Is doing HIIT for 10-15mins going to eat any muscle gains doing directly after weights on same day?

I'll start trying deadlifts this week, have watched some videos to check technique too to make sure i do not destroy my back.:p
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Apologies, BSS = Bulgarian Split Squat - a very humbling but very effective exercise - it'll help your squatting, knee strength/stability, and improve your hip stability too and generally your overall lumbo-pelvic-hip function targetting the lateral sub-system.

Basically they're bloody good for you and a great assistance to squatting.

The "D" in front, means "deficit" - when you nail the BSS, doing them with a deficit increases the range of motion (ROM) to further enhance their benefits. Start with a light weight!

Doing HIIT will not hamper your gains, as if done properly, but even so muscle protein breakdown is not something that happens instantly, adipose tissue (fat) is usually used as an energy source after glycogen is utilised.

In other words - you'll be fine! Just make sure the intensity is high enough.
 
mr tommo said:
Might be a stupid question but...the Smith machine (I think thats what it is called), what's the point of this? It looked just like a bench but takes away all the stabilisation needed for a standard bench press? Never used one before so I've probably missed something obvious.
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Delvis said:
Yup. Avoid.

Well, unless you want to do some specific seated press work or something.
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I wouldn't be so hasty to say avoid!

They have their uses but really for the more experienced lifter they won't feature much in a training schedule.

Some of them will be angled slightly back, others completely vertical, this will have an effect on how exercises will feel and should be performed.

Generally speaking though you should be able to get by without using one but don't dismiss it as a waste of time either though.

Inb4isolation.
 
BennyC said:
I wouldn't be so hasty to say avoid!

They have their uses but really for the more experienced lifter they won't feature much in a training schedule.

Some of them will be angled slightly back, others completely vertical, this will have an effect on how exercises will feel and should be performed.

Generally speaking though you should be able to get by without using one but don't dismiss it as a waste of time either though.

Inb4isolation.
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**** off Benny.

:v

Yes they can be used, personally I'd rather use a free barbell. My point was using them for bench press (particularly the fixed plane of motion ones, ie up/down) - Same for Squatting really.
 
icecold said:
I've spoken to people who have said similar about their chests, and guess what they all had in common? Very tight pecs, internally rotated shoulders, and poor thoracic posture.

Fix these issues (mobility thread) and your chest will be a better shape and will be able to grow more easily.
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Thats me all over. Have started addressing these and am finally making progress, however small.
 
icecold said:
Fair enough, I still want to see a video though, if only because I'm a perv <3

If your shoulders hurt from squatting, then it's very likely that you have tight pecs. There's plenty of material in the mobility thread to help you deal with this.
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I took some videos last night of a few of my squat sets last night. They're on my friend's phone, I'll get them off him later and post them up.

As for my shoulders hurting, it's due to where or how I have to place my hands on the bar when squatting. Due to mine and my friend's racks, my hands are right at the pins, if the rack was wider it wouldn't be much of a problem, though it didn't happen at all last night.


You've described perfectly what happens for someone who lifts with a non-flat lower back. You're fast off the floor because rounding your back makes the bottom of the lift the strongest position, but you pay the price when it comes to lock out.
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My lower back doesn't actually round at all, it's largely on the same angle, it's just by far the hardest or most taxing part.

Your lower back muscles should be stabilising your trunk along with the rest of the muscles in your core, they should not be prime movers. Well, I guess that is slightly subjective, but the injury risk is significantly higher with a rounded lower back.
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Certainly. I think I've actually made some progress with my back anyway from how last night's squatting session went. You should be able to see in my video later that my back isn't actually rounding, just that keeping my back stable is the hardest part of the lift.
This is a bit of a problem with "powerlifting" as a whole.

The powerlifting the counts is done in the IPF (International Powerlifting Federation - the international body) and it's national affiliates. In the here we have the GBPF, and in America it's the USAPL. This includes both equipped and classic lifting, although IMO classic is way cooler.
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The irony is that most of the other terrible federations actually have the same rules about squat depth, but they just employ some very creative interpretation. White lights seem to be influenced by the celebrity of the lifter, and the weight on the bar. You are famously not allowed to film from the side in a lot of these federations, and they proclaim that "you can't judge depth from the front". Sooo...

I can't say I'm too surprised by what you've said here. It makes me wonder just how many people actually take them seriously due to that sort of rubbish, it's like a whole load of really hollow wins.
 
uv said:
Update your log with your experience! I'd be very interested in reading it :)
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Updated

I sometimes wonder if anyone reads these things but anyone on here interested in seeing what LG IF with fasted compound based RPT training and a very strict macro intake followed for January does then please check it out. :)

I'm really pleased with my progress since I started the log despite the fact I only found the time to train twice a week tops over Sept/Oct/Nov.
 
spoffle said:
As for my shoulders hurting, it's due to where or how I have to place my hands on the bar when squatting. Due to mine and my friend's racks, my hands are right at the pins, if the rack was wider it wouldn't be much of a problem, though it didn't happen at all last night.
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You hurt your shoulders from gripping the bar too wide? That is... unusual!
My lower back doesn't actually round at all, it's largely on the same angle, it's just by far the hardest or most taxing part.

Certainly. I think I've actually made some progress with my back anyway from how last night's squatting session went. You should be able to see in my video later that my back isn't actually rounding, just that keeping my back stable is the hardest part of the lift.
This is a bit of a problem with "powerlifting" as a whole.
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Sorry if this comes across as obnoxious, it isn't meant to be, but as a coach I see this a LOT.

There is no way your lower back isn't rounding if you have to grind your lockout. This is just a fact. If you aren't aware of this lumbar movement from the bottom of the movement, you'd be well served to spend some time developing the proprioception necessary to stop this from happening.

You're probably not using your core optimally, as well.

I can't say I'm too surprised by what you've said here. It makes me wonder just how many people actually take them seriously due to that sort of rubbish, it's like a whole load of really hollow wins.
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The people who understand have very little respect for records in these feds. It's a feat just to hold that weight on your back/over your face, but that's about as far as it goes.

Everybody else just gets confused.
 
icecold said:
You hurt your shoulders from gripping the bar too wide? That is... unusual!
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The other way around, because of the size of the rack, I can't grip as wide as I need to, so whilst I do grip pretty wide anyway, it's often not enough else I'll trap my fingers when racking it back after a set.

Sorry if this comes across as obnoxious, it isn't meant to be, but as a coach I see this a LOT.

There is no way your lower back isn't rounding if you have to grind your lockout. This is just a fact. If you aren't aware of this lumbar movement from the bottom of the movement, you'd be well served to spend some time developing the proprioception necessary to stop this from happening.
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It's understandable, and I can appreciate that it's hard to get an idea of what I mean, but my back is certainly not rounding, it's just the weakest part by far with regards to deadlifts and squats, deadlifts primarily however. At the point where you push your hips forward to complete the standing up part, that's where I have issues with deadlifting.

You're probably not using your core optimally, as well.
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Just to clarify it a bit too, I've had something up with my lower back for as long as I can remember, that's caused it to ache if I stand too long, though as I've build strength up it's got a lot better, though I do still want to do more to try and completely alleviate the problem.

I was going to do weighted back extensions at the gym before I got banned... :D

The people who understand have very little respect for records in these feds. It's a feat just to hold that weight on your back/over your face, but that's about as far as it goes.

Everybody else just gets confused.
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That's been my general stance with regards to powerlifting feds for a while now, as the ones I saw tainted the others, it's good to know they're not all like that.
 
Delvis said:
Fuarr. Thighs are bigger than me waist.
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Haha, yeah my friend can often fit into just one leg of my jeans. I'm not particularly lean or anything, I've got some weight I could do with losing- though that has been happening quite a bit lately, despite having put a fair amount of weight on, people keep mentioning how I look like I've lost a lot. :p
 
Just got back from gym, got measured and gained 3kg muscle aswell as losing 0.7% fat over 2 weeks....not bad considering i ate a load of crap for a week or so during xmas so i am happy.

Done a workout of: (bare in mind my weights are low as i am new :p )

Seated Rows close grip 35kg 3x8
Tricep Bar pulldowns 17kg 3x8
Bicep Curls 18kg 3x8
Lats Pulldowns(think it's called that, overhead pulldown to below chin) 35kg 3x8
Bent over rows 20kg 3x8(i can do a lot more on this but first time i do it so)
Dumbell Chest Press 10kg each 3x8 (can do a lot more on this but my leftside is weak and getting form better for next time)
Standing Dumbells Lateral Raises 8kg each 3x8 (again leftside weak needs catching up so doing a weight it's feeling good with)

Was this a good workout of exercises? i am trying to workout each muscle group area on each day(do compounds on thursday with legs) i go but problem is i go mon/weds/thurs/sun so two days are next to each other twice so might be best just go back to split workouts for them?

Before trying what i did today i splitted over 3 days with 3 exercises or so per muscle group only problem was one group as only being worked out once a week.

I was thinking might be best for me:

Sun:Triceps/Chest+15min HIIT
Mon:Biceps/Back/Shoulders+15min HIIT+Str Cardio
Weds:Triceps/Chest+15min HIIT+Str Cardio
Thurs:Squats/Benchpress/Deadlift/Some legs.+10min HIIT

I might just go with what you say Freefaller but i am wondering if the above could work well or stick with what i tried today?

Forgot to say, my main purpose is to be lean and pretty solid with around 10%-12% bodyfat or so.I want to put on some mass but not huge amounts.I also should note that i was born with a deformed lefthand which has had 2 operations on it to fuction a lot better though my grip with it is not as good as right....about 70% or so of it.(it's getting stronger and better)
 
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