*** The 2016 Gym Rats Thread ***

[Kris_90]

Shoulders back and down and a big chest. I used matched hook grip so can imagine pulling my elbows back...

Ah I've haven't been retracting my scapular - thanks.

Imagine you're squeezing oranges in your armpits.

Pulling the shoulders back/down too, like, stand up tall and pretend you're Iron Man taking off with his rocket hands and physically drive your mitts down towards the ground (which will take your shoulders with it) and feel how tense your upper/mid back gets.

I've been using the squeezing oranges cue but I'm guessing my inconsistency with retracting my scapular is what's causing it.

I haven't been driving my hands downwards - I'm going to do a lighter deadlift session on Friday so I'll give it a go.

Cheers

 

[Dreamforger]

Sets of 9 last night then heavy front squat triples have left me with a sense of impending doom for the rest of this week

About 5 weeks out from the all Irelands

Do you have to use this as a qualifier for World's next year or do you get priority since you were on the team this year?

 

[reiyushin]

I need to win my class and hit the world standard to keep my place

 

[Dreamforger]

I need to win my class and hit the world standard to keep my place

Are there many competitors in your class? I know that a junior, a good friend of mine as it happens, filled the second space last time.

 

[reiyushin]

There's 4 of us pretty close to each other and we're very ahead of the rest of the pack from what I can see. Think for comp totals there's a guy at 756, me at 747, third place hit 732 and fourth I think hit 722.

Not sure who'll be competing yet but it should be a great day

I know exactly who you mean, he's a great guy to have as part of the sport, big things in his future if he continues as he's going

 

[theNude]

Been lurking a while. Impressed by many on this thread, just here to share that I just hit PR on standing barbell press ohp at 75kg for 1.

I have real problems with my elbow after fracture dislocation and also dislocation of shoulder so happy as its almost body weight.

That's all

 

[mrthingyx]

Been lurking a while. Impressed by many on this thread, just here to share that I just hit PR on standing barbell press ohp at 75kg for 1.

I have real problems with my elbow after fracture dislocation and also dislocation of shoulder so happy as its almost body weight.

That's all

Awesome stuff! No mean feat!

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Off on holiday this weekend, will be good to have a rest from the gym for a week. Then back to assess my squat and deadlift max lifts. Managed to bench two 48kg dumbbells last night which is a new PB and lifted the whole stack on the bicep curl machine which has been something of a goal for me.

A couple of weeks ago I hit a bit of a plateau as I mentioned. Completely stopped doing any PBs and made no progress. A little more rest and a few more calories seems to have gotten me through.

 

[SixTwoSix]

Been lurking a while. Impressed by many on this thread, just here to share that I just hit PR on standing barbell press ohp at 75kg for 1.

...and here I was all excited that I managed 2 55KG reps on OHP last night

 

[tom_e]

Been lurking a while. Impressed by many on this thread, just here to share that I just hit PR on standing barbell press ohp at 75kg for 1.

I have real problems with my elbow after fracture dislocation and also dislocation of shoulder so happy as its almost body weight.

That's all

Suffering from similar shoulder fun I know that feeling, nice work

...and here I was all excited that I managed 2 55KG reps on OHP last night

OHP is in my mind one of the slowest moving most difficult common lifts to get the big numbers up on, 55kg is still nothing to be sniffed at roughly the bodyweight of a non chunky woman or a skinny jean wearing man child.
Just in case you ever get the urge to OHP some people.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

I need to use the hammer press less and a barbell more for OHP. I always struggle to get heavier dumbells in place and find the dumbells that I do manage to get in place too light. Shoulders definitely show the slowest progress with me tbh. Then again, I don't ever want shoulder pain again - thank goodness for rotation exercises

 

[SixTwoSix]

OHP is in my mind one of the slowest moving most difficult common lifts to get the big numbers up on, 55kg is still nothing to be sniffed at roughly the bodyweight of a non chunky woman or a skinny jean wearing man child.
Just in case you ever get the urge to OHP some people.

Thanks, I was truly proud of myself as i've been maxing out at around 40/45KG for over 12 months on OHP, tried 5x5, 3x5, 3x8 rep patterns without much progress.

About a month ago I started a 1x5, 1x4, 1x3, 1x2, 1x1 routine with the weight increasing by 2.5KG on each set. I managed to get to to 55KG yesterday by going 45 x 5, 47.5 x 4, 50 x 3, 52.5 x 2...should have done 1 at the end but was curious if I could get the 2nd with good form.

 

[tom_e]

Thanks, I was truly proud of myself as i've been maxing out at around 40/45KG for over 12 months on OHP, tried 5x5, 3x5, 3x8 rep patterns without much progress.

About a month ago I started a 1x5, 1x4, 1x3, 1x2, 1x1 routine with the weight increasing by 2.5KG on each set. I managed to get to to 55KG yesterday by going 45 x 5, 47.5 x 4, 50 x 3, 52.5 x 2...should have done 1 at the end but was curious if I could get the 2nd with good form.

You should be that's brilliant progress in such a short amount of time. Finding what works for you is the difficult part once you know it's relatively plain sailing.

What worked for me was taking the best part of 6 months off and actually allowing my shoulder to heal from a old injury. 40kg with pain to 75kg comfortably just by sitting on my fat arse eating all the food

 

[SixTwoSix]

You should be that's brilliant progress in such a short amount of time. Finding what works for you is the difficult part once you know it's relatively plain sailing.

I have previously managed 47.5 but my form was atrocious, I basically reset my form with this descending rep scheme.

I'm making nice progress on my bench with the same rep scheme, not quoting numbers as they're pants but i'm progressing quickly doing descending reps/increasing weight over sticking to a 5x5/3x5/3x8 type thing.

What worked for me was taking the best part of 6 months off and actually allowing my shoulder to heal from a old injury. 40kg with pain to 75kg comfortably just by sitting on my fat arse eating all the food

Wish I could sit, eat all the food and lift heavy. It's the eternal struggle...I lift because I eat and eat because I lift.

 

[tom_e]

Wish I could sit, eat all the food and lift heavy. It's the eternal struggle...I lift because I eat and eat because I lift.

You're preaching to a 235lb midget, I feel your pain.

There was no lifting in those 6 months just eating

 

[SMN]

I need to use the hammer press less and a barbell more for OHP. I always struggle to get heavier dumbells in place and find the dumbells that I do manage to get in place too light. Shoulders definitely show the slowest progress with me tbh. Then again, I don't ever want shoulder pain again - thank goodness for rotation exercises

I just moved to being able to do 4 sets of 10 with 2 x 10KG dumbbells and thought that was an achievement... got a long way to go!

+1 for rotation exercises though, been doing them for a few weeks now to help with my shoulder as ive been getting pain on the front/outside of my shoulders when doing chest flys and OHP, seems to be helping no end.

 

[Rids]

You're preaching to a 235lb midget, I feel your pain.

There was no lifting in those 6 months just eating

Given your success with this, I am going to try the same thing for 6 months.

This is a training program I'm extremely excited about.

 

[tom_e]

Given your success with this, I am going to try the same thing for 6 months.

This is a training program I'm extremely excited about.

That'll be £50 please and may your gains be plentiful.

 

[Rids]

That'll be £50 please and may your gains be plentiful.

Sorry, I'm going to have the defer the £50 payment, all funds have been allocated to cake and ice cream.

 

[tom_e]

Sorry, I'm going to have the defer the £50 payment, all funds have been allocated to cake and ice cream.

That's not a problem I will almost certainly take cake and ice cream as payment.