*** The 2015 Gym Rats Thread ***

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mrthingyx said:
Also stretch out your quads, too. Google "couch stretch."

And the Rumble Roller - even the black one - gets a bit uninteresting after a while. I eventually resorted to a rolling pin...
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Nothing beats a good old barbell pushed into the quad and kneaded for me, excellent. Except perhaps sitting a glute on a lacrosse ball, hnnnnnnng.
 
mrthingyx said:
Also stretch out your quads, too. Google "couch stretch."

And the Rumble Roller - even the black one - gets a bit uninteresting after a while. I eventually resorted to a rolling pin...
Click to expand...

Its amazing how you get used to the rumble, at first its torture and now its just routine, I resort to a single lacrosse ball or or use the peanut. :D
 
Started at the gym today learning how to lift properly instead of using resistance machines, which I only dabbled with briefly a year or two back. Hopefully the start of getting into this properly for the long run.

Been living very unhealthily for way too long, hopefully it will help me to feel better.

A bit weird learning how to do some of the lifts without going off balance. Learning leg stuff first:

Front Squat
Back Squat
Stiff Legged Deadlift
Walking Lunges
Hip Thrusters

I could barely walk down the stairs on the way out of thy gym, wobbling like a bowl of jelly and holding on tight to the railing :p The walking lunges annihilated me.

Hopefully going to learn to train at the same time as one of the instructors at my gym 5 days a week for at least a few weeks to start.

Going to mix in some cardio too where I can to improve my aerobic health.

Also need to focus on my diet. I love cooking properly, but since moving to London a year ago I'm finding it hard working out of a tiny kitchenette with only a 2 ring hob and close to zero counter space, which means I often resort to just whacking something in the oven...will have to see if I can somehow adapt and make it work better, it's really frustrating though.

Decided to to a body comp too so I can see how fatty I am right now and hopefully be able to notice the changes in real measurable figures over the months.

Currently 5'9" and I think 73kg. Not really fat, just beer belly and very unfit.
 
What sort of bulking/cutting process are you guys following? I'm trying to gain 500g/week (2kg pm) and everything is going to plan so far. Since 1 June I put on 5.5kg. I am planning to reach 80kg by the end of September and then I will cut down to 70kg I think.

Already have some kind of moobs going on which the missus is not happy about (77kg @ 5'10"). Not big, just makes my nips more visible through a shirt. I am quite concerned about my lifts though, I am still only able to squat 105kg for 2 reps, so it hasn't gone up in like a month, and my bench has been stuck around 70kg for ages. Tonight I will have to bench 72.5kg and I am dreading failing it.

I thought bulking would put gym on easy mode, but I don't feel like I'm suddenly getting massive gains from bulking.
 
FutileBreadMachine said:
What sort of bulking/cutting process are you guys following? I'm trying to gain 500g/week (2kg pm) and everything is going to plan so far. Since 1 June I put on 5.5kg. I am planning to reach 80kg by the end of September and then I will cut down to 70kg I think.

Already have some kind of moobs going on which the missus is not happy about (77kg @ 5'10"). Not big, just makes my nips more visible through a shirt. I am quite concerned about my lifts though, I am still only able to squat 105kg for 2 reps, so it hasn't gone up in like a month, and my bench has been stuck around 70kg for ages. Tonight I will have to bench 72.5kg and I am dreading failing it.

I thought bulking would put gym on easy mode, but I don't feel like I'm suddenly getting massive gains from bulking.
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Never will be "easy mode" when your trying to increase lifts, this takes time.. some people a lot of time. How frequent do you train? do you have any deloads/time off? sleeping well etc.. also helps to switch up the routine in my personal opinion but I get stuck on lifts very frequently and it can be for a long time too.

As for cutting and bulking it depends on goals and where your currently at, for me the last 2 years cutting/bulking over summer/winter has worked well. Moobs should disappear when you develop more muscle mass on your chest and cut.
 
Quinnaay said:
Never will be "easy mode" when your trying to increase lifts, this takes time.. some people a lot of time. How frequent do you train? do you have any deloads/time off? sleeping well etc.. also helps to switch up the routine in my personal opinion but I get stuck on lifts very frequently and it can be for a long time too.

As for cutting and bulking it depends on goals and where your currently at, for me the last 2 years cutting/bulking over summer/winter has worked well. Moobs should disappear when you develop more muscle mass on your chest and cut.
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I'm in my 5th week of 5/3/1 doing the 2 day version. I thought all that hard work in previous weeks would mean I would get a nice surprise in the final week when I do 90% of my max, but it seems my strength has not increased (on squats at least). Previously I was doing a 3x5 based program and switched to 5/3/1 due to time constraints and just for a change.

I'm doing the BBB template and it's tough as hell doing 70% of your max 5x10. Nearly feinted doing 92.5kg deadlifts the other night!

Hope my other lifts will have improved - will find out how bench is tonight, then next week I will do the last week of OHP and deadlifts.
 
Went to an actual gym for the first time yesterday instead of using weights at home. Learnt to deadlift properly and started off getting the technique 90% there at 50kg then bumping it to 100kg and finally 140kg. Was pretty chuffed as hadnt really done them before at anything over q00kg or with correct form. Couldnt go any higher because i kept bashing my knees on the way down or arching my back to clear the knees. A quick google when i got home says tall people need a really wide stance to keep the knees out the way so will try that when i'm back from holiday.

Can confirm lower back is feeling it today though haha.
 
Been going to the gym since.. April, middle of. My current weight is 79KG but seems to go up and down to 78.5 to 80kg I'm skinny fat with a bit of a belly so abs are a no go for a while.

Haven't measured in a while but I'm assuming 5"8 maybe.

Max chest press (cybex machine) is 70kgx5 which is the most I can do at once. I was close to 90kg (next step up) but was gonna injure myself if I did.

Can't seem to gain mass very easily even though I eat a good diet and go out 4 days a week to the gym. I get about 7-8 hours sleep most days and spend 40 minutes on average there. I have a very fast metabolism which I think is the issue. Would a mass gainer be good to start? I'm already drinking Protein shakes.

Not worth posting body pic, arm pic etc because it's a mess :( Pecs have gained a notable definition at least, bit of fat but a lot better than no gym. Biceps too but still WAY too small for my liking.

Dumbell is 10kg:Hammer curls mainly. (haven't ventured into the free weight area for higher since it's mostly packed and I'm a nervous mouse there due to bigger guys) but I think 15kg would be my limit atm.
Chest press is 70kg at max 5 reps, sit at 50kg currently and comfortably.
Arm extension is 90kg (I assume kg as it doesn't say lbs) happy with that atm.
Pec fly is 42kg current and comfortable.
Rear delt row (cybex machine) is 100kg max and current and comfortable. 5x10reps before I'm done and ache.

I have a barbell at home but only 25kg because I wanted to get my form right before buying heavier. I use it for curls also.

Sorry for the long winded post but any advice, mainly on the mass side or goals to aim for once a week, month is appreciated.
 
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Stronglifts + chin-ups = win.

You aren't gaining because you are not:

1) Training compound lifts (only arms and maybe some chest) missing out your legs and back...
2) Eating enough. Simple as that.

So:

1) Train properly;
2) Eat more. A mass gainer will help but you should only e brotein shakes to top up rather than form the foundation of your diet. So eat more nuts, vegetables, meat and fish and then - once you are hitting 250+ calories over your BMR (accounting for real life and workouts) - you can think of brotein shakes. :)
 
And don't be worried about the "bigger guys", everyone starts somewhere and unless there's something strange going on at your gym, they aren't there to look at you.
 
Cheers, one thing I do need to is count calories. So many calories per 100g of food, wouldn't I have to weigh each piece of fish or something then..? I'm overthinking I know. I tried myfitnesspal but it didn't have half the excercises I do so I gave up. One calculator recommend about 2690 calories per day.

Chinups/pullups is something I wanna try but haven't for fear of looking like a tool in the open. If I try one and don't have the strength I'll feel silly. Dips maybe easier as it's more secluded from the rest of the gym I use.

Eating is another pain with me, I have a tendency to snack of crap too often. Or I eat too quick and get bloated and hardly clean a plate.

I'd do compound lifts but still feel too nervous to try it. I watch guys rack weights onto the barbell but If I struggle to even do that or hold it right (yay mental disabilities) that'll be that..

I'm determined to say sod it today and do concentration curls and incline dumbell press in the free weights section if it's free enough.
 
I've found that mental hurdle the hardest thing to get over also, perhaps because I'm not the most confident person.

I do appreciate that everybody is there to work out and nobody really cares what other people are doing... but I'm always concerned that somebody is watching me and I might make a fool of myself. Can't really give any advice for that - for me it took signing up with a personal trainer and getting them to help me build a base and my confidence before I was confident enough to take on free weights and compound lifts on my own.
 
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