*** The 2016 Gym Rats Thread ***

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As much as I respect your lifts roah, I'd say that's awful advice to give someone who isn't anywhere near your level :p someone who hasn't been lifting for long isn't going to know what movements to do to avoid stressing the injured area more.

Rest, supplement, rehabilitate. Train alternate body parts by all means, but I'd avoid any upper body work for a week or two entirely.
 
Freefaller said:
Our garden is big and needs a lot of maintenance - there are a lot of brushes, spades, rakes, and a garden incinerator too to deal with any fur! ;) :D I will have to re-grow my beard though....

Miles away from you my friend, down in deep Kent! :(

One day!
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Dude :(

You have no excuses for the Sheffield meet. Deal?

EddScott said:
Need a little help/advice.

I had been going to the gym for a few months and even had a little log going in the other threads.

However, 5 weeks ago whilst in the gym my right elbow started to hurt too much to lift anything and it's not gone away. If anything it's got worse.

I'm pretty sure it's tennis elbow and mildly concerned it's not getting any better. I've tried doing some light weights at home but can barely lift a tin of cat food at the moment.

Is there anything I can do to help cure this? A mate who is big into weights said cod liver oil tablets and nurofen which I've been taking every day and it's still no better. Have booked an appointment with a physio for later in the week. I'm gutted because I really felt I was starting to get somewhere.
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Hi EddScott,

I've had a similar journey (you can visit my log). What started off as mild tendonitis from pulling movements, muscle ups and and levers I could feel it starting to aggravate. I removed all pulling movements. As it was my dominant arm, I kept making mistakes by reoffending the same arm.

You need to completely stop all upper body related movements. I cannot emphasise the importance of this. I promise you - being off 3-6 months is far better than suffering 12 months down the line until it becomes unbearable that you cannot sleep. Imagine living with a dull toothache for months - only that pain is around your arm. It can and it will spread if you continue.

I was very close to breaking some personal bests - That's okay though because I know when it's better I will easily beat them.

I spent a lot of time researching into this. My job didn't help which has given me carpal tunnel syndrome. It has become serious.

I strongly recommend you get a flexbar and go through jamie dreyer's stuff - He's brilliant! Start on the red, you may be able to go to the green depending on your strength. Do not get the blue one.


Here's also a great guide to help you get started: http://antranik.org/tennis-elbow/

I have some more ideas and strategies but progress on these first.

Stop lifting. Start reading and get cracking on a routine to get rid of it. Focus on your goals and plan your training year, work on your legs, mobility and soft tissue work for the next few months. This is a part of growth and becoming stronger - chin up fella :)
 
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EddScott said:
Need a little help/advice.

I had been going to the gym for a few months and even had a little log going in the other threads.

However, 5 weeks ago whilst in the gym my right elbow started to hurt too much to lift anything and it's not gone away. If anything it's got worse.

I'm pretty sure it's tennis elbow and mildly concerned it's not getting any better. I've tried doing some light weights at home but can barely lift a tin of cat food at the moment.

Is there anything I can do to help cure this? A mate who is big into weights said cod liver oil tablets and nurofen which I've been taking every day and it's still no better. Have booked an appointment with a physio for later in the week. I'm gutted because I really felt I was starting to get somewhere.
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Doctor for the prescription meds to address the issue (5 weeks without this might be interesting); physio for the long-term rehab. And stop lifting in a way that aggravates it (basically, no pulling, pushing or anything that puts your arm under tension). There is a reason your body has pain receptors, remember...

In non-medical advice land, sort out your shoulder and thoracic mobility because they probably suck.
 
As above, had very similar issues only 6 months back.

I took a 6 week break from lifting, worked hard and shoulder mobility, and I've been back lifting for 3 months now with no recurring pain.
 
Hey guys,

So since around the 6th of August I have been cutting at 1650 kcal per day, with the end date of my cut being today. Although I still dont have dem abz, I've lost weight, my tailored suit precut fits horribly now and my clothes are looser and I've droped around 6kg. All in all it achieved what I wanted to at the consequence that my lifts have somewhat suffered.

I'm looking into increasing my calories again, but my metabolism sucks and I gain fat quite easily. A quick google search and I'm already confused: read some stuff about reverse dieting, and what appears to be broscience.

What would be the best way to increase the calories back up to maintenance, and eventually a slight caloric excess? I was thinking of increasing my daily calories at 200cals on a weekly intervals.

Oh and current macros % (g):
P:45 (185)
C:35 (145)
F:20 (37)
 
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Currently squatting Tuesday and Thursday. Deadlifting on Sunday and then various stuff in between. My legs aren't recovering quickly enough at the moment though. Can't space anything out much more!
 
Going back to basics and starting 5x5 tonight, starting weights are pretty conservative so may need tweaking after a week or 2 but fancied something nice and simple to get me back into using a proper progressive routine.

Plus it suits my get in, hammer compounds, get out style nicely.
 
tom_e said:
Going back to basics and starting 5x5 tonight, starting weights are pretty conservative so may need tweaking after a week or 2 but fancied something nice and simple to get me back into using a proper progressive routine.

Plus it suits my get in, hammer compounds, get out style nicely.
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What's your 5x5 routine like? Are you doing isolates at all?
 
tom_e said:
Going back to basics and starting 5x5 tonight, starting weights are pretty conservative so may need tweaking after a week or 2 but fancied something nice and simple to get me back into using a proper progressive routine.

Plus it suits my get in, hammer compounds, get out style nicely.
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Often criticised for specificity and recovery - It's a great programme that works, easy to remember and get the ball rolling in all departments.

Just... don't end up in a wheelchair :p
 
MikeTheNative said:
What's your 5x5 routine like? Are you doing isolates at all?
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A
Squat
Bench
BOR

B
Squat
OHP
Deads

I probably will throw in some assitance stuff but in the form of CGBP,Pull ups things like that rather than pure isolation work.
I don't train to look pretty...it's just an unwanted side effect :p so isolation stuff in general doesn't interest me.

DarkShadow said:
Often criticised for specificity and recovery - It's a great programme that works, easy to remember and get the ball rolling in all departments.

Just... don't end up in a wheelchair :p
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I will certainly try my best to avoid picking up the nickname Wheelz! :D

To be honest right now that's exactly what I want from a program, once I've finished work for the day I don't want to be trying to remember eleventybillion different things or spending hours in the gym.
 
First couple of days in a proper gym. Feels good being able to go before 12 or after 2 with how my shifts are, straight on the squat rack, plenty of available bars to deadlift with and didn't have to wait for a single machine :D.

Looked like an idiot adjusting myself to a proper Olympic bar and squat rack though having only used a standard 6KG bar + plates before without a rack :p.

Following a PHUL routine at the minute and my upper body is definitely feeling yesterdays workout all over. Not sure if it's the fact I took a week break from the 5X5 beforehand or if it's just hitting my upper body more on a single day than 5X5 did but it feels good!
 
DarkShadow said:
How long you planning on doing 5x5 for?

Had a good session, squats are really starting to improve!

Hit 2 Rep PR's which you can see below :)

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No set plan yet I'll probably give it till Christmas at least.

That beard is ****ing epic, those peebs were ****ing epic'r.
 
MoNkeE said:
As much as I respect your lifts roah, I'd say that's awful advice to give someone who isn't anywhere near your level :p someone who hasn't been lifting for long isn't going to know what movements to do to avoid stressing the injured area more.

Rest, supplement, rehabilitate. Train alternate body parts by all means, but I'd avoid any upper body work for a week or two entirely.
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Seems every where I go in these forums I get a ripping :p

I was merely stating that working the muscle promotes recovery, resting for prolonged periods doesn't do any favours.

Indeed, rest, supplement and rehabilitate. I'm saying the same thing and trying to get him avoiding a cyclic injury.

I'm just a hobbyist, don't compete etc and have helped/given friendly advice to plenty of people over the years with their injuries. As long as you're careful things should be fine :)
 
No rippage mate, as I said I totally respect your lifts, and certainly would class anyone working at your level to be in the top percentile of lifters. I just think you're far more able to know what your body/joints/muscles need with your wealth of experience, and that doesn't transfer over to a newbie very well who has only been lifting for 6 months :)
 
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