*** The 2017 Gym Rats Thread ***

[mrthingyx]

Hey,
So I've got my home gym setup now, but I can't get the whole stronglifts routine done in the morning, so I get the squats done, and one other exercise, then make up what I can at lunch in the work gym.

Is there any downside (to gainz ) to breaking it up like this?
I was considering finishing SL after work, would that still keep me on track?

Nothing will explode... except your shirt sleeves.

Doing squats in the AM and then doing arms other exercised in the afternoon won't hurt so go nuts.

 

[GSVBagpuss]

Warm-up not even once. Couldn't get a good angle on the spinal rotation, nevermind. Yes I have a yoga mat and a band at work (you never know when it might come in handy...), yes, night shifts this weekend = not much to do except faff about on the internet. It's funny how I think my hamstring flexibility is naff, but then I've seen far too much #InstaYoga

Being able to move freely is a worthwhile pursuit yo.

Mine looked just like this. Except the complete opposite

 

[GSVBagpuss]

Not in the same league as a lot of people here but did my first 100kg 5x5 squats today which was really tough - felt light headed afterwards!!!!!!! I wont be increasing the weight on Friday!

Three figure squatting is a serious achievement - top stuff

 

[spluff]

Three figure squatting is a serious achievement - top stuff

Cheers Bagpuss - took 3 months to get there but happy...... problem it really took it out of me and was knackered for OHP and Deadlift!!!!!!

I thought those excercises were impossible and the guy doing them was double jointed hahaha

 

[semi-pro waster]

I just tried these
https://breakingmuscle.com/fitness/how-to-assess-your-full-body-flexibility

Failed every single test!!

Thanks for the link, it's interesting to see how flexible or otherwise I am. I didn't bother with the warm-up but could do them all apart from the hamstring stretch, then again I don't think I've ever been able to do that sort of stretch with a straight leg. That they all seemed possible might suggest that I was doing something wrong as I don't think I'm particularly flexible.

 

[Somnambulist]

58kg, 190kg squat. <3

 

[MikeTheNative]

Doing squats yesterday I thought I was just feeling weak. Until I worked out that the new squat bar is actually 25kg not 20kg.

 

[spluff]

Last night when doing my squats I hit a sticking point several times in later sets - where I was pushing up and stuck and really had to concentrate and push to get the bar up.... Is this okay I don't want to injure myself? When I felt this at lower weights months ago I hit this sticking point, failed and dropped the bar to the safeties...

asked people at work to try that behind back with arms flexibility test and everyone did it bar me!!!!

 

[Freefaller]

Went to a little hotel gym last night - it was empty which was great. Didn't have a lot mainly cardio machines, a few dumbbells, and a pull down machine. Managed a rather intense 30min work out which actually has left me more sore than I was expecting!

30s row.
10x DB split squats
30 push ups
10 lat pull down
10 cable rows
seated shoulder press x8 (no back rest) // 8x side raises
10 reverse crunches
30s plank

Rinse and repeat - managed just about 6 cycles of the above. **** me that was tough.

 

[toasteh]

bros, worthwhile chest exercises? Been doing 5x5 bench but looking for decent accessory work - gym has a variety of machines (ew, ikr) and the usual free weights and benches.

 

[JammieR]

Went to a little hotel gym last night - it was empty which was great. Didn't have a lot mainly cardio machines, a few dumbbells, and a pull down machine. Managed a rather intense 30min work out which actually has left me more sore than I was expecting!

30s row.
10x DB split squats
30 push ups
10 lat pull down
10 cable rows
seated shoulder press x8 (no back rest) // 8x side raises
10 reverse crunches
30s plank

Rinse and repeat - managed just about 6 cycles of the above. **** me that was tough.

That is little work out in a little gym...

 

[Freefaller]

You've got to make do with what you're given!

 

[Illgresi]

Anyone hurt their ribs squatting before? I was on my very last rep, and it wasn't an extraordinarily high weight. My form's good, and I've never injured myself squatting before with higher weights. It's a muscular thing going by severity (3 out of 10 at worst), but I thought intercostal strains and the like were more common in twisting sports like tennis?

I'll see how I feel on Thursday and maybe give the squats a miss with leg extensions in place or something.

 

[Freefaller]

Could be a cramp or spasm that occurred when bracing that had lead to some muscle soreness as a result.

 

[Syla5]

Anyone hurt their ribs squatting before? I was on my very last rep, and it wasn't an extraordinarily high weight. My form's good, and I've never injured myself squatting before with higher weights. It's a muscular thing going by severity (3 out of 10 at worst), but I thought intercostal strains and the like were more common in twisting sports like tennis?

I'll see how I feel on Thursday and maybe give the squats a miss with leg extensions in place or something.

Have you also had a cold recently or been sneezing more then normal? I had severe pain across my entire ribcage, docs said I had likely pulled/strained a lot of my intercostal muscle due to a bad cough during a chest infection.

 

[Somnambulist]

bros, worthwhile chest exercises? Been doing 5x5 bench but looking for decent accessory work - gym has a variety of machines (ew, ikr) and the usual free weights and benches.

Generally you want to keep it somewhat similar in terms of movement pattern so there's a specificity transfer, but it depends what part of your bench is your weak link and how advanced a lifter you are; a lot of time you just need more bench volume to get a bigger bench. If you're noticeably weaker at a specific point in the lift though, like off the chest or a few inches off the chest then you can try stuff like pause bench/floor press/pin press or Spoto press to level any imbalances, but it's a case-by-case thing and you have to find what works for you.

 

[mrthingyx]

Generally you want to keep it somewhat similar in terms of movement pattern so there's a specificity transfer, but it depends what part of your bench is your weak link and how advanced a lifter you are; a lot of time you just need more bench volume to get a bigger bench. If you're noticeably weaker at a specific point in the lift though, like off the chest or a few inches off the chest then you can try stuff like pause bench/floor press/pin press or Spoto press to level any imbalances, but it's a case-by-case thing and you have to find what works for you.

What is the actual problem? Mass or strength?

Both are normally solved by eating and sleeping more... but there are a different spread of exercises you can do to augment either.

 

[mrthingyx]

Anyone hurt their ribs squatting before? I was on my very last rep, and it wasn't an extraordinarily high weight. My form's good, and I've never injured myself squatting before with higher weights. It's a muscular thing going by severity (3 out of 10 at worst), but I thought intercostal strains and the like were more common in twisting sports like tennis?

I'll see how I feel on Thursday and maybe give the squats a miss with leg extensions in place or something.

Given what those muscles do, have you filmed your squatting to confirm good form?

 

[spluff]

Hi all,

This is my weight progress in kg since I started end of March for 4 months with 2 weeks break... I am 6ft1 with 32" waist

Is it okay progress or do I need to be gaining more weight quicker?

27-Mar 84.5
02-Apr 84.3
10-Apr 84
16-Apr 83.6
24-Apr 84.2
BREAK INJURY
08-May 82.3
15-May 82.8
22-May 83.2
29-May 84.2
05-Jun 84.5
12-Jun 83.8
19-Jun 84.2
26-Jun 84.1
03-Jul 84.9
10-Jul 84.8
17-Jul 85.1
24-Jul 84.9

 

[mrthingyx]

Hi all,

This is my weight progress in kg since I started end of March for 4 months with 2 weeks break... I am 6ft1 with 32" waist

Is it okay progress or do I need to be gaining more weight quicker?

27-Mar 84.5
02-Apr 84.3
10-Apr 84
16-Apr 83.6
24-Apr 84.2
BREAK INJURY
08-May 82.3
15-May 82.8
22-May 83.2
29-May 84.2
05-Jun 84.5
12-Jun 83.8
19-Jun 84.2
26-Jun 84.1
03-Jul 84.9
10-Jul 84.8
17-Jul 85.1
24-Jul 84.9

Are your lifts increasing? And I am assuming you are training for massssssss?

Because provided you are happy with your progress, what gives?