*** The 2016 Gym Rats Thread ***

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neoboy said:
I think my problem is that because I've lifted before back in the day, I'm making very good strength gains but because of my sedentary lifestyle over last few years my joints and supporting muscles around them are simply not keeping up.

I'm taking a step back now and reducing the weight while implementing a lot more "lighter" exercises to help with my lower back and shoulders not to mention knees since I'm coming off an ACL replacement.
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Possibly: most people with shoulder problems that I know about (myself included) generally ignore their rotator cuffs at their peril... All that benching and pressing, and that poor group of four tiny kicked has to try and stabilise your humeral head...

Lighter exercises will not save you unless you are incorporating rotator cuff and shoulder mobility work.
 
CaptainRAVE said:
After reading around for a bit I am now incorporating various rotation exercises and stretches - already noticing a difference tbh. Hopefully this will continue to help.
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Good work. One thing to bear in mind is that just because it stops hurting doesn't mean you have solved the problem...

Much like all muscle pairings, you need to keep the rotators strong and happy over the course of your lifting career, so they will always need work! :)
 
As part of my daily routine and gym routine I incorporate lots of RC and general shoulder health work. This stems from old injuries and paranoia about them reoccurring but also it just does improve mobility and reduce injuries or pain related to dysfunction.
 
Freefaller said:
As part of my daily routine and gym routine I incorporate lots of RC and general shoulder health work. This stems from old injuries and paranoia about them reoccurring but also it just does improve mobility and reduce injuries or pain related to dysfunction.
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That is just because you are awesome. ;)
 
Would you like to share some of that of RC and should work routine, oh The Great Freefaller :D

I'm basically dropping everything overhead and go easier on the incline stuff as those hurt the most and incorporating a doorway stretch, reverse flies, external and internal rotations on the cables and lateral raises. Interesting point about the latter is that I'm fine with palms facing towards the body, to the front but if facing to the back I really feel it in the shoulder and it most certainly doesn't feel "smooth".

On a bright side making good progress on leg days and ACL seems solid on everything but heavy leg extension sets. In 6 weeks the deadlift is up from 60kg to 120kg and did 140kg for one rep but not quite ready for a full set yet. Leg press on Friday went up to 290kg so should breach the 300kg barrier this week and finally feel strong enough to start squatting. So far just been doing goblet squats in the morning with my 16kg kettlebell to start building up the strength and get used to the correct movement.
 
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They key for me and my dysfunction is an overactive trap when doing shoulder/bench work.

External shoulder rotation with DBs, and bands.
Wall slides - ensuring spine is contact at all times with wall - if you cannot get your arms overhead without back flexion you need to work on that.
Alternating shoulder flexion
YTWs
Scap pull ups
Shoulder dislocations
Soft tissue work with hockey ball in and around the shoulder cavity and clavicle
Static and dynamic stretches

Be aware of your posture, and being sat at a desk all day and compensate for it. Learn to rotate and activate scaps and get up and move occasionally.
 
The powah of NEAT.

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Great stuff man, thanks!

The years of sedentary lifestyle have definitely done some damage to my posture and joint motion by the looks of it, had difficulty getting the elbows on the wall without a wall stretch :eek:

Lot of work ahead but looking forward to getting back into it the right way.
 
Managed to hit 100kg Bench press and 160kg Deadlift in the Norther Universities Powerlifting competition

Unfortunately I didn't get a video of my 100kg bench press but I did of the 160kg deadlift. - https://www.instagram.com/p/BE1jk1CGGai/?taken-by=porridgeisyummy

Not sure how I feel about how it looks but I'm lacking a lot of leg drive right now because of a dodgy, but getting better, knee so I am quite back dominant right now.
 
Dreamforger said:
Managed to hit 100kg Bench press and 160kg Deadlift in the Norther Universities Powerlifting competition

Unfortunately I didn't get a video of my 100kg bench press but I did of the 160kg deadlift. - https://www.instagram.com/p/BE1jk1CGGai/?taken-by=porridgeisyummy

Not sure how I feel about how it looks but I'm lacking a lot of leg drive right now because of a dodgy, but getting better, knee so I am quite back dominant right now.
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Awesome skills. :cool:

Well done!
 
A week feasting in Italy has got my deadlift back on track. Ran out of time a bit the last session, but pulled 140x2 which is the most in about a year. Will try for 150 tomorrow morning and see how it's all feeling. Quite enjoying gym before work at the moment.
 
You could look on supplement centre?

Slow year for me on squats and deadlifts :-( bombed every new PB attempt despite failing by the minutest of margins
 
mrthingyx said:
Yup. The only exercise I know that combines the unbearable burn and pump from hypertrophy-range training with the exhaustion and twitchiness that accompanies strength-range training.

I blame these almost entirely for wearing trousers that don't fit properly, anymore. :D
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THESE ARE STILL DISGUSTING

Lawl just seen how heavy my breathing is by the end of that too. Why do I make myself do these!?
 
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