*** The 2014 Gym Rats Thread ***

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I see someone has already mentioned boots. Get over there and purchase some lotion for it. Once you've done that make sure you give your hands a proper clean before and after the gym... Might also be worth using baby power when using weights. It'll stop your hands from getting moist and soaking up other people's germs/sweat.
 
DAIR said:
I see someone has already mentioned boots. Get over there and purchase some lotion for it. Once you've done that make sure you give your hands a proper clean before and after the gym... Might also be worth using baby power when using weights. It'll stop your hands from getting moist and soaking up other people's germs/sweat.
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And also destroy your grip, use some form of chalk liquid or otherwise.
Also everyone knows the best way to fix a ripped off callus is to cover it in tacky and then soak it in white spirits.
 
I'm back on SL now after spending the last 4(!) years doing Triathlon (including Ironman etc.) I'm only a few weeks in and everything is going OK so far except BB rows. My form sucks and I can't get my back flat. I've been subbing them with DB rows and was going to move to cable rows when my grip starts failing. This is OK right? Guys? (I've also been doing a few cheeky pull-ups too...)
 
Welcome vack to the land of proper mobility and natural (*snigger*) testosterone!

That is fine, although if you can't get your back flat rowing, I wonder how you do it for your other lifts...? :confused:

Dumbell rows are great, and doing them with straps is almost as good as doing them with FatGripz...
 
Personally I found Pendlay rows quite difficult on SL 5x5, especially when the weights started getting heavy. I do 45 degree rows now, mainly as the program I'm on calls for it, but you could do this on 5x5 no problem.
 
By flat back I mean parallel to the floor - my hamstrings don't like this. I can do rows at 45deg. OK but was under the impression that this was not considered great form? With DB rows I do them one-handed and support myself on a bench.
 
mrthingyx said:
Somebody's been watching Liao Hui... ;) :D

I wish I had the motivation to gear up my gym for this sort of thing.
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Apparently rowers have been doing it for years, well before it became popular thanks to a Liao Hui YouTube vid and a load of Scandinavian power lifters! I first saw Alberto Nunez doing the DB version, Googled it and then saw a bunch of massive Norwegians doing it and was convinced.

Because I'm small and have short arms, I can get away with just sticking some plates/mats under the back of an adjustable bench, raising the incline so the bench is pretty much back to being level (except now the arm is further back so I don't bash it with the bar) and rowing from there. The only thing is I have to use a towel or pussy pad otherwise I make a bit of noise when the bar hits the underneath of the bench.

Also using 10kg plates means I have a couple of cm clearance from the floor at the bottom too so I can still get dat stretch and t.u.t rather than pulling each rep off the floor. It takes a couple of minutes to set up but it works - just have to deal with people staring at me like I'm an alien, although the looks you get doing barbell hip thrusts are worse.
 
They actually sell benches for this, known as a prone row or pull bench.

Prone%20Pull.JPG


I've also seen people using racks for them, having a bench type thing go across the rack over the spotter bars, then having hooks in the rack on the insides to unrack the bar from.
 
Need to start focusing on my squats and deadlifts a bit more, it's shocking how much stronger I am at bench and OHP.

How long have you guys been lifting? I assume everyone in the beginner years has their weaknesses in some areas?
 
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