*** The 2016 Gym Rats Thread ***

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Bros, I have a question - my hook grip don't wanna grip no more. When I go to pull anything off the floor, my thumb slowly slips out from under my fingers and then I'm down to just overhand grip. This majorly sucks. I've never had this problem before (stop sniggering!) at much heavier weights even a few months ago. Right now I struggle with weights of 90-100kg but I've lifted 140kg before, has anyone else found this?

I'm going to move my deadlifts first to the beginning rather than start with DBSS, and then maybe start taping my thumbs
 
10 months ago I set on a little journey, fast approaching 40 and fast approaching 30st, since then I've done something about it, down a touch under 9st and for the first time in my life I have a few muscles.

Looking to knock another stone off before end of September

BfwKMi1.jpg
 
What other isolation exercises should I do along with my SLs routine I do at home. I'm not at a gym just yet (plan in doing that in September) so I only have barbells and dumbbells, no machines or pull up/dips equipment. I currently do shrugs every workout (want dem traps gainz :D) and alternate between barbell curls and reverse barbell curls. I also occasionally do dumbell shoulder press but I'm not sure if doing it every day would be too much with the other compound exercises.
 
maccapacca said:
10 months ago I set on a little journey, fast approaching 40 and fast approaching 30st, since then I've done something about it, down a touch under 9st and for the first time in my life I have a few muscles.

Looking to knock another stone off before end of September

BfwKMi1.jpg
Click to expand...

Jesus, great progress dude.
 
Moothead2 said:
What other isolation exercises should I do along with my SLs routine I do at home. I'm not at a gym just yet (plan in doing that in September) so I only have barbells and dumbbells, no machines or pull up/dips equipment. I currently do shrugs every workout (want dem traps gainz :D) and alternate between barbell curls and reverse barbell curls. I also occasionally do dumbell shoulder press but I'm not sure if doing it every day would be too much with the other compound exercises.
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Rotator cuff exercises.

And neutral curls. And tricep extensions. And lateral raises.

And shrugs? Do more deadlifts. Offal-based meatball. ;)
 
mrthingyx said:
Rotator cuff exercises.

And neutral curls. And tricep extensions. And lateral raises.

And shrugs? Do more deadlifts. Offal-based meatball. ;)
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I feel like that last part is an insult *Google's it*...You ******* :D.

Thanks for the recommendations. My problem with deadlifts is that the weights we have only goes up to about 38KG so while that's fine for my boy arm benches and chicken leg squats, the deadlift is obviously a bit pointless at that weight :(. That's the main reason I'm sacking up and joining a gym.
 
I'm after some advice. I've been bulking for about 4-6 weeks and plan to continue until at least the end of January. I've been doing ICF 5x5 (basically stronglifts with loads of accessory exercises) for 7 months now.

I want to take advantage of the bulk and maximise the amount of time in the gym. I'm think about changing to a PPLPPLR type routine will consist of:

PUSH
4x5, 1x5+ bench press/4x5, 1x5+ overhead press (alternate)
3x8-12 overhead press/3x8-12 bench press (opposite movement)
3x8-12 incline dumbbell press
3x8-12 cable fly (high, mid and low)/3x8-12 pec dec
3x8-12 triceps pushdowns SS 3x15-20 lateral raises
3x8-12 overhead triceps extensions SS 3x15-20 lateral raises

PULL
Deadlifts 3x5+/Barbell rows 4x5, 1x5+ (alternate)
3x8-12 Pullups
3x8-12 Chinups
3x8-12 seated cable rows OR chest supported rows
5x15-20 face pulls
4x8-12 hammer curls
4x8-12 dumbbell curls

LEGS
3x5, 1x5+ squat
3x8-12 Romanian Deadlift/3x8-12 DBSS (alternate)
3x8-12 leg press
3x8-12 leg curls
5x8-12 calf raises
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I like the look of the routine and being in the gym for longer seems like a good idea. Any advice?
 
To really burn your brain, workouts longer than 45 minutes (ish) start to lead to a stress response from your body: cortisol is released which will kill your tsins.

Longer in the gym does not mean better/gainful/etc: it means you didn't hit the existing lifts hard enough. ;)

Drop your rests to 30-60 seconds, bust out as many compounds as you can stomach and then accessorise the rest. That routine should be fine with 30 second rests between sets... You won't enjoy it, but if you are training hard enough you may wind up hating AND loving the gym. :)
 
mrthingyx said:
To really burn your brain, workouts longer than 45 minutes (ish) start to lead to a stress response from your body: cortisol is released which will kill your tsins.
Click to expand...

Holy cow I didn't know this - my workouts normally run 75-90 minutes with 2 minute rests between sets.

I dread to think how I'm going to get down to a 60 second rest, it'll kill me!
 
Rids said:
Holy cow I didn't know this - my workouts normally run 75-90 minutes with 2 minute rests between sets.

I dread to think how I'm going to get down to a 60 second rest, it'll kill me!
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It isn't going to ruin your workouts... The average Joe might lose out on a few percentage points over a year of training.

BUT

It is more of a reminder to keep your workouts focussed and stop them becoming long, sprawling, open-ended affairs: the longer the period your body is under stress the worse it will react. :)
 
mrthingyx said:
To really burn your brain, workouts longer than 45 minutes (ish) start to lead to a stress response from your body: cortisol is released which will kill your tsins.

Longer in the gym does not mean better/gainful/etc: it means you didn't hit the existing lifts hard enough. ;)

Drop your rests to 30-60 seconds, bust out as many compounds as you can stomach and then accessorise the rest. That routine should be fine with 30 second rests between sets... You won't enjoy it, but if you are training hard enough you may wind up hating AND loving the gym. :)
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Sorry i meant longer in the gym over the course of a week. My current routine has me in the gym for 2 hours + 3x a week but probably more than half of that is rest time.

Thanks for your advice :cool:
 
Kris_90 said:
Sorry i meant longer in the gym over the course of a week. My current routine has me in the gym for 2 hours + 3x a week but probably more than half of that is rest time.

Thanks for your advice :cool:
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Now, if you are trying to get stronger (I.e. training for strength) then you want greater rests between your sets to cope with the heavy loading. But generally, if you are doing strength training you won't be doing as many sets/reps, anyway.

There is no hard and fast rule (e.g. after 1hr all your gains are gone - no), but it is just something to bear in mind whilst working out. Since cutting down my rest times to 30-60s, waiting 2 minutes between sets becomes excruciating. :)

And if you are working out for 2hrs in a stretch, that is going some! :)
 
maccapacca said:
10 months ago I set on a little journey, fast approaching 40 and fast approaching 30st, since then I've done something about it, down a touch under 9st and for the first time in my life I have a few muscles.

Looking to knock another stone off before end of September

BfwKMi1.jpg
Click to expand...

30st down to 21...

How tall are you macca?

Kudo's to you
 
I was at my biggest and strongest only spending maybe 40 minutes max in the gym 3-4 times a week, get in hit the big compounds hard and **** off.

People look at me strange when they ask what sort of routine I'd recommend and I give them a compound and maybe 2 accessory exercises for each workout. Then they start banging on about the million different isolation exercises they've read about and how many of them they should put into each session because more must be better right? Right!?
 
Hmm, I sense I've been "doing it wrong" for a while then - appreciate the input lads.

I've got 4 weeks to the stag do, think I'll try and trim 15 seconds off my rest time a week and get it down to 60 seconds before I go. Then I'll do deload a week and come back to a world of pain and suffering.

Back day with 60s rest... yeah that's not going to be fun!
 
Rids said:
Hmm, I sense I've been "doing it wrong" for a while then - appreciate the input lads.

I've got 4 weeks to the stag do, think I'll try and trim 15 seconds off my rest time a week and get it down to 60 seconds before I go. Then I'll do deload a week and come back to a world of pain and suffering.

Back day with 60s rest... yeah that's not going to be fun!
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What do your workouts look like in terms of exercises and sets x reps?
 
Updated to include all my last logged sessions!

Back Day

Deadlift
85kg x 8
95kg x 8
105kg x 8
105kg x 8
105kg x 5 (grip gave out)
95kg x 5
75kg x 8

Lat Pulldown
45kg x 10
50kg x 10
55kg x 8
60kg x 6
50kg x 10
45kg x 10

Facepull
22.5kg x 10
20kg x 12
17.5kg x 14
15kg x 16

Seated Row
60kg x 10
65kg x 10
70kg x 10
70kg x 10
60kg x 12

Hammer Curls
10kg x 10 x 4

Tricep Rope Ext.

17.5kg x 12
15kg x 12
12.5kg x 12

Shoulder Day


OHP
35kg x 12
40kg x 10
45kg x 10
45kg x 9
45kg x 7
35kg x 12

Highpull
12.5kg x 12
15kg x 12
17.5kg x 12

Shrugs
10kg x 15 x 4

Front Raise to Lateral Raise back to Front Raise
5kg x 6 x 5

DB Shoulder Press
10kg x 12
12kg x 10 x 3

Facepull
25kg x 10
20kg x 10
20kg x 10
15kg x 20

Negative Chins
BW x 6 x 3

Leg Day


Squats - having knee issues at the moment - so only light / high rep goblet squats.

Leg Press
120kg x 12
140kg x 12
160kg x 12
170kg x 12
180kg x 12
180kg x 12
140kg x 15

Calf Raise (on leg press machine) - 30 second hold on last rep of each set
120kg x 12
140kg x 12
150kg x 12
160kg x 12
160kg x 12
130kg x 20

Leg Extension Machine
60kg x 12
65kg x 12
70kg x 12
75kg x 10
60kg x 12

Leg Curl Machine
50kg x 12
55kg x 12
60kg x 12
65kg x 12
50kg x 15

Tricep Rope Extention
25kg x 8
20kg x 10
20kg x 8
15kg x 12

Chest Day

DB Bench
18kg x 12
20kg x 12
22kg x 10
22kg x 8
22kg x 7
22kg x 5
14kg x 12

DB Incline Bench
14kg x 10
16kg x 10 x 4

Pec Deck Machine
45kg x 12
50kg x 12
55kg x 12
50kg x 12
40kg x 15

Cable Crossovers
7.5kg x 12 x 4
 
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