*** The 2014 Gym Rats Thread ***

[spoffle]

That makes it sound like I let go of the bar and windmill my arms a bit to make sure my ribs are taking all the load!

For clarification, I did maintain some support with my arms, but just enough that allowed the stretch reflex and tension in my chest drain. Pause reps help me keep control and improve my form, too, which is why I've moved over to only paused reps at the moment.

 

[Serge]

If you think that's dangerous Delvis, we know someone who was benching around 140kg for a single without a spotter. He failed it, then proceeded to roll it down his stomach and over his crotch so he could sit up I think it scarred him mentally for life.

 

[Ayahuasca]

I've seen people bring the bar down so high that they cant even roll it and it's stuck on their neck/collar bone. Some people have a death wish

 

[FrenchTart]

I know what you mean, it's frustrating having the knowledge that you can go harder but the risk/reward ratio prevents you from doing so. I'm not sure what type of training you do but it's well worth a go if you're into strength/power. I'm running the Smolov JR bench at the moment doing everything paused and I can really feel the difference after the sessions by introducing the pause.

At the moment I'm just using oly DBs at home along with a bench and pull-up bar to try and maintain some strength. I keep thinking I should join a gym again but I can't bring myself to wait around for a cage at Pure Gym for hours on end and I'm not sure of anywhere local that is both reasonable and not too expensive.

Still, DB squats are kind of fun

 

[spoffle]

I said leaving 180kg on your chest may make it crack one day if you have no other support, I.e. you literally have it on your rib cage and no tension is taken with your arms, I didn't intentially tell you 'spoffle, you are going to hurt yourself one day if you keep doing that' did I?

As I said, it seemed to be implied. I also didn't lose tension on my arms, I still supported the bar with it as you can tell if you look at my forearms.

I honestly couldn't care less how you lift, I will probably never bench 180kg, am I bothered? No. Am I going to slate your lift because of that? No, that's just dickish.

As I've said, it's coming across a certain way. If you don't mean it like that, I'll take your word for it.

However, saying someone can't give advice/opinions/pointers because they have injured themselves previously or are currently injured is somewhat silly.

In which case, you've misunderstood my point. I'm not saying that you can't give advice because you've injured yourself.

I was saying that I find it amusing that you've told me I'll hurt myself numerous times, yet you seemingly have regular injuries, and that you mustn't be taking your own advice. Not amusing that you're hurting yourself, just the contrast and absurdity of "don't do that, you'll hurt yourself" whilst you're doing things that hurt yourself. Because I actually very rarely hurt myself.

Not at all, I'm saying that it seems that you are basing your advice on yourself and how your body responds to certain things, that and you are effectively telling me how I feel. If my ribs were under too much strain, I would feel it, I can assure you on that 100% because I know what rib and sternum pain feel like, I have an issue with my sternum where the cartilage seems to get inflamed sometimes, which causes pain. I listen to my body and I know if something is too stressful.

 

[Serge]

At the moment I'm just using oly DBs at home along with a bench and pull-up bar to try and maintain some strength. I keep thinking I should join a gym again but I can't bring myself to wait around for a cage at Pure Gym for hours on end and I'm not sure of anywhere local that is both reasonable and not too expensive.

Still, DB squats are kind of fun

I can certainly understand why you wouldn't want to go to Pure Gym

How are you doing the DB squats? Slinging them onto your shoulders and holding them there?

 

[FrenchTart]

I can certainly understand why you wouldn't want to go to Pure Gym

How are you doing the DB squats? Slinging them onto your shoulders and holding them there?

I'm following this form guide at the moment:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/dumbbell-squat

If that's bad/there's a better way I'm more than happy to change though

 

[spoffle]

I've seen people bring the bar down so high that they cant even roll it and it's stuck on their neck/collar bone. Some people have a death wish

Oh lawd, I'm sure people have died from failing a rep like that.

At the moment I'm just using oly DBs at home along with a bench and pull-up bar to try and maintain some strength. I keep thinking I should join a gym again but I can't bring myself to wait around for a cage at Pure Gym for hours on end and I'm not sure of anywhere local that is both reasonable and not too expensive.

Still, DB squats are kind of fun

We go to an Exercise For Less (I'm not writing it how they do, no chance), there's actually 2 we can get to within about the same distance, and they've both been very good.

It's by far been the best commercial gym we've been to. We found a local "hardcore" gym, it had everything we needed, but it stank of death and arse, the smell lingered even after you left, so we avoid that place. If there's one somewhat local to you, check it out, they do a day pass so you can go without having to sign up. We're only paying a tenner a month, and very rarely have to wait for anything as most people there don't squat.

 

[Serge]

I'm following this form guide at the moment:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/dumbbell-squat

If that's bad/there's a better way I'm more than happy to change though

That way's fine too, and probably easier than lugging dumbbells up to your shoulders depending on what you're able to squat. I'd do it the other way though as I go full depth so I'd have to shrug my shoulders and bend my arms to keep the dumbbells off the floor at the bottom portion of the rep.

 

[FrenchTart]

We go to an Exercise For Less (I'm not writing it how they do, no chance), there's actually 2 we can get to within about the same distance, and they've both been very good.

It's by far been the best commercial gym we've been to. We found a local "hardcore" gym, it had everything we needed, but it stank of death and arse, the smell lingered even after you left, so we avoid that place. If there's one somewhat local to you, check it out. We're only paying a tenner a month, and very rarely have to wait for anything as most people there don't squat.

That's the exact kind of place I need to find - one that is well equipped but filled with people that only do curls

That way's fine too, and probably easier than lugging dumbbells up to your shoulders depending on what you're able to squat. I'd do it the other way though as I go full depth so I'd have to shrug my shoulders and bend my arms to keep the dumbbells off the floor at the bottom portion of the rep.

Hmm.. I hadn't thought of that. My squatting was never anything impressive - max of 100kg at (at the time) about 87kg bw. I've actually run out of plates at home so I'm currently stuck on 32.5kg per arm. Trying to make up for lack of intensity with volume until I get round to buying more plates. I hadn't really thought about depth as I guess I didn't really regard it as a 'proper' squat. Maybe I'll look to move to over the shoulder and improve my range of motion.

 

[Serge]

stank of death and arse, the smell lingered even after you left

I can confirm that that isn't an exaggeration.

 

[spoffle]

That's the exact kind of place I need to find - one that is well equipped but filled with people that only do curls



Hmm.. I hadn't thought of that. My squatting was never anything impressive - max of 100kg at (at the time) about 87kg bw. I've actually run out of plates at home so I'm currently stuck on 32.5kg per arm. Trying to make up for lack of intensity with volume until I get round to buying more plates. I hadn't really thought about depth as I guess I didn't really regard it as a 'proper' squat. Maybe I'll look to move to over the shoulder and improve my range of motion.

Oh yeah, it's full of curl bros too. They have a load of plates too. We used to go to "The Gym" in the city centre, and you couldn't do squats without getting evils, because they had so few plates. I'm sure it was like 6 20s, 2 15s, 4x 10s and a few 5s and 2.5s. So you were doing squats, and someone was doing bench press, there was next to no weight to use for anyone else.

 

[Serge]

That's the exact kind of place I need to find - one that is well equipped but filled with people that only do curls



Hmm.. I hadn't thought of that. My squatting was never anything impressive - max of 100kg at (at the time) about 87kg bw. I've actually run out of plates at home so I'm currently stuck on 32.5kg per arm. Trying to make up for lack of intensity with volume until I get round to buying more plates. I hadn't really thought about depth as I guess I didn't really regard it as a 'proper' squat. Maybe I'll look to move to over the shoulder and improve my range of motion.

It sounds like you're working well with what you've got. It's well worth moving over to full ROM squats when you can, if not just for the extra posterior chain activation, just be careful and make sure your flexibility is there as you increase the depth.

 

[Razor-BladE]

We used to go to "The Gym" in the city centre, and you couldn't do squats without getting evils, because they had so few plates. I'm sure it was like 6 20s, 2 15s, 4x 10s and a few 5s and 2.5s. So you were doing squats, and someone was doing bench press, there was next to no weight to use for anyone else.

Exactly the experience I had at 'The Gym' near me as well. Apart from the fact that you couldn't even bench press with a barbell because they had no bench racks... (unless you used the one squat rack they had). Safe to say I left swiftly.

 

[FrenchTart]

Oh yeah, it's full of curl bros too. They have a load of plates too. We used to go to "The Gym" in the city centre, and you couldn't do squats without getting evils, because they had so few plates. I'm sure it was like 6 20s, 2 15s, 4x 10s and a few 5s and 2.5s. So you were doing squats, and someone was doing bench press, there was next to no weight to use for anyone else.

That sounds pretty horrendous :/

It sounds like you're working well with what you've got. It's well worth moving over to full ROM squats when you can, if not just for the extra posterior chain activation, just be careful and make sure your flexibility is there as you increase the depth.

My flexibility was pretty decent when I was on the barbell back squat and I had decent depth but yeah, I wouldn't be shocked if a lot of that has gone in the months since I've been able to do them :/

 

[Serge]

Exactly the experience I had at 'The Gym' near me as well. Apart from the fact that you couldn't even bench press with a barbell because they had no bench racks... (unless you used the one squat rack they had). Safe to say I left swiftly.

We actually got banned from there in the end

We used the lift because we were wrecked from deadlifts and couldn't be bothered climbing the stairs, the lift jammed and we had to call the manager (this was around 12am), he came and had a sissy fit because he had to get out of bed to come and rescue us despite us doing nothing wrong and that being in his job description and reflected in his salary. Then they banned us both for "providing our PINS to other people".

One of their locations has recently removed most of the heavier dumbbells and 25kg/20kg plates because of noise complaints too, they're really not a gym you'd want to lift in if you want to get strong.

 

[spoffle]

Exactly the experience I had at 'The Gym' near me as well. Apart from the fact that you couldn't even bench press with a barbell because they had no bench racks... (unless you used the one squat rack they had). Safe to say I left swiftly.

Oh wow yeah I completely forgot about that, their racks were horrible for benching, and even worse for trying to do seated shoulder press, seated shoulder press just didn't work at all there.

That sounds pretty horrendous :/

It was, the only redeeming feature was that it was 24/7. We did however end up getting banned...

 

[Syla5]

Impressive bench spoffle. I am suprised it goes up because it looks like you take any built up tension out of your back/arms/chest with that drop!

As previously said, when you learn to lift well technically, your going to be beastly strong. Till then, stay safe!

Also you could probably ditch the gloves, at the weights your shifting, they are doing nothing but putting a lose surface between you and the bar.

 

[Serge]

My flexibility was pretty decent when I was on the barbell back squat and I had decent depth but yeah, I wouldn't be shocked if a lot of that has gone in the months since I've been able to do them :/

The main thing that tends to go is calf flexibility, so that your heels come off the ground at the bottom portion of the squat, that goes pretty quickly. I just used to squat with my heels on 2.5kg plates, slowly lowered it to 1.25kg plates and then off completely, no big deal.

 

[Serge]

Impressive bench spoffle. I am suprised it goes up because it looks like you take any built up tension out of your back/arms/chest with that drop!

As previously said, when you learn to lift well technically, your going to be beastly strong. Till then, stay safe!

Also you could probably ditch the gloves, at the weights your shifting, they are doing nothing but putting a lose surface between you and the bar.

He likes soft supple feminine hands unfortunately.