*** The 2014 Gym Rats Thread ***

Wasn't sure where else to ask this so here it shall be ! I've posted in the weight loss thread a couple of times, I've been on a mission to lose weight for the last 1.5 years and doing quite well. Quick recap I started at just under 120kg (19stone I think) and now down to 78kg (12stone...ish).

I've been walking to work and back for the last 6/7 months or so, I don't have a bike before someone asks and I wouldn't want to cycle in Brussels its a bloody deathtrap ! Its just under 6km (~3.5 miles I don't think I'm that good at converting on the spot) each way so 12km 5 days a week. I don't have any issues and its becoming quite easy really. I've started thinking about putting some weights in my backpack for the walk. I'm just wondering if there is actually any benefit to doing this though ? or will it just put more stress on my shoulders/back for no reason.

If weights are a good idea I assume I should start off with a small weight then slowly increase. I have cast iron weights at home so I could just stick one or two of them into the backpack fairly easily.
 
Adsta said:
Wasn't sure where else to ask this so here it shall be ! I've posted in the weight loss thread a couple of times, I've been on a mission to lose weight for the last 1.5 years and doing quite well. Quick recap I started at just under 120kg (19stone I think) and now down to 78kg (12stone...ish).

I've been walking to work and back for the last 6/7 months or so, I don't have a bike before someone asks and I wouldn't want to cycle in Brussels its a bloody deathtrap ! Its just under 6km (~3.5 miles I don't think I'm that good at converting on the spot) each way so 12km 5 days a week. I don't have any issues and its becoming quite easy really. I've started thinking about putting some weights in my backpack for the walk. I'm just wondering if there is actually any benefit to doing this though ? or will it just put more stress on my shoulders/back for no reason.

If weights are a good idea I assume I should start off with a small weight then slowly increase. I have cast iron weights at home so I could just stick one or two of them into the backpack fairly easily.
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It's useful conditioning and will burn more calories... is that what you're after?
 
Adsta said:
Wasn't sure where else to ask this so here it shall be ! I've posted in the weight loss thread a couple of times, I've been on a mission to lose weight for the last 1.5 years and doing quite well. Quick recap I started at just under 120kg (19stone I think) and now down to 78kg (12stone...ish).

I've been walking to work and back for the last 6/7 months or so, I don't have a bike before someone asks and I wouldn't want to cycle in Brussels its a bloody deathtrap ! Its just under 6km (~3.5 miles I don't think I'm that good at converting on the spot) each way so 12km 5 days a week. I don't have any issues and its becoming quite easy really. I've started thinking about putting some weights in my backpack for the walk. I'm just wondering if there is actually any benefit to doing this though ? or will it just put more stress on my shoulders/back for no reason.

If weights are a good idea I assume I should start off with a small weight then slowly increase. I have cast iron weights at home so I could just stick one or two of them into the backpack fairly easily.
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Just make sure you're using a decent backpack preferably with chest and waist straps to help distribute the weight and you'll be fine, the extra weight will increase the effort needed so will help with burning more calories and help your cv fitness.
 
Yea thats the idea just to burn some more calories I figured more weight = more effort so would help burn more. But honestly I had no idea if that was correct because I wasn't sure of the weights on the back would have that effect.

I have a pretty good ruck sack (swiss one) which has padding on the back and chest and waist straps which I will use.

I thought it would help build more stamina since I don't do any other cardio now really. Except maybe the rowing machine.
 
mrthingyx said:
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Ahh thank you very much that was exactly what I was looking to hear :D, and yeh im in no rush to achieve that magazine physique or anything like that I know that takes time and dedication :D haha, but just feeling my muscles becoming firmer and a bit more pronounced would already be a great start, theres no better feeling than knowing you're doing your body good after all :), and yeh I am fairly slim, but when I eat normally I tend to hover around 13 stone, so im not a beanpole by any stretch of the imagination so im hoping that plays into my favour, everyones different at the end of the day so I guess just doing it and finding out is the best way :D thank you again :)
 
Hi guys, question if you don't mind. I think my rotary cuff has been injured as it's severally effecting my benching, flies, shoulder presses etc basically all upper body workouts.

So the other day, I tried to isolate the particular muscle and so going through the different muscle exercises for the shoulder cuff, I did the following exercise which seemed to hit the spot

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Supraspinatus/DBFrontLateralRaise.html

I found straight away, my right arm was having a hard time even with light weights. My left arm had no problems what so ever, however my right was really struggling and was in discomfort. Its the same when benching etc, the left arm can push through however I have to stop due to the right giving up/tire quickly.

Apart from continuing the exercise to build up that muscle, if there anything more I can do and or less to do? i.e. do lower weights high reps until the muscle rebuilds?

Now I can't think specifically of something which may have injured the cuff, however I did have a car crash 3 years back which meant some reconstruction of my wrist & arm. Whether that helps at all I don't know but any tips/advice is welcome.

Note * I've just got back into the gym properly (weights 4-5 times a week) after a year and a half out of similar routine.
 
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Super annoying night at the gym. All racks were busy so I spent 20 minutes playing around on various crappy machines whilst waiting for the racks... then another 10 minutes waiting for racks some more... then got bored and headed home :/ I cycled a few extra miles to try and make up the energy burned at least but in terms of actual exercise done there was very little. Pretty rubbish.
 
Delvis said:
What did you need to do in the rack?
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Curls, of course :p

I'm still on stronglifts so today was squats, bench and pendlay rows. The main thing I was bothered about was squats tbh. I was tempted to do PR randomly but in my boredom I kind of knackered arms with all the rubbish resistance machines.
 
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tom_e said:
If you want a real shock load up the 30kg you lost and then walk around for a bit then realise you used to carry that around 24/7.
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My walk today into work with 15kg in the ruck sack I figured I'd start off slightly "lighter" rather than jump to 30kg as I'm not that strong just yet :p Needless to say even with 15kg I felt the difference and that's only half so yea quite a shock walking 6km with half of the weight I have lost on my back.
 
FrenchTart said:
Super annoying night at the gym.
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Yeah it's annoying that. Think the most I've waited is around 20 minutes, so I just stand close to the racks and just ask if anyone is using these next and form a queue ans just spend time warming up. Never bother walking away as I'd never get on and like you said, tire myself out on the other machines.
 
Yeah my Gym is super busy too especially considering its just opened and super cheap, Mondays (chest day) is the worst every bench, barbell, cable it taken. Got my PB Friday on the 45degree leg press though 180kg 5x5 happy days.
 
The weight room in my new place is great even when I get there just after six it's pretty much empty, which means I can get my housemate to come in and join me as well which she'd never have done at somewhere like puregym where it's constantly rammed.
 
Delvis said:
Now squat it.
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I wish, ive recently been getting groin pain when squatting no idea why, on both the squat rack and hack squat, i did some research and some say weak adductor but im not sure, so i started last week very light and working my way up to the point of pain.. could be form but it looks ok. Never had a really good squat only got to 80kg that said I weight 62kg so it's not too bad hence being happy with the leg press pb
 
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