*** The 2017 Gym Rats Thread ***

[mrthingyx]

High bar is for sexy people doing sexy squats. Low bar is for Americans who can't ROM.

It broadly depends on athletic deployment, body morphology and what you prefer (yes, really)... weightlifting requires high bar for support and low bar doesn't help (as an example).

Practically, high bar squatting will need supporting by lots of pulling work; low bar squatting will need supporting by front squats or DBSS...

 

[mrthingyx]

I tried low bar too and felt similar Giraffe

When doing the high bar keep upright more and break from knees instead of hips more.... keep chest up and tight and core braced.

Past week or so with the heavier Deadlifts and Squats I'm feeling lower back tightness a lot during the week. I think I am going to give deadlifts a break and drop weight down again on squat to let it recover more....

The lower back in SL5x5 is getting a constant hammering with Squats 3 times a week / Deadlifts ( 2 or 1 time a week) / OHP (to some extent with bracing) / BOR (again with bracing)

I hope the feeling is just muscle tightness as I've not had any sharp pain just a constant dull ache there.

Any opinions?

Sloppy good mornings with hardly any weight; crucifix stretches, fixing your form...

The reason it is aching is because it is doing more work than it should; possibly because you are going too low and dumping your lumbar out or because you are leaning forward too much... and dumping your lumbar out.

 

[mrthingyx]

From Deadlift? I think its my deadlift which is causing this muscle tightness.... IIve tried following the cues in youtube videos but still struggle to reach bar... I agree I think its overused muscle pain, but I guess that is good as its working my lower back hard.... just too hard

Yes, it's great you're doing the work, but it's also dumb because you can compress your vertebral discs in unpleasant ways. Depending on your training frequency and intensity, you are probably nicely on your way to a genuinely unpleasant muscle spasm... or worse. So don't do it.

With deadlifts, you're just not hinging at your hips properly and - as a result - pulling the weight up with your back. A properly executed deadlift is - weirdly - actually a push (from your hips)... If you need to, move your legs wider or go full sumo.

 

[mrthingyx]

I'm using the bodymax Olympic 20kg plates.

I posted a video before - I have removed it now as it was a few weeks ago...

Comments were to keep my chest up more - I physically cant see how - my arms are on the bar and its pulling my shoulder and chest down - I cannot raise them more as it would be lifting the bar of the ground...

Here is a photo of my starting stance on deadlift....

https://ibb.co/bLVys5

My legs are hip width apart with the bar near my ankles and my ankles close to bar

Legs wider and/or drop your hips lower. That photo is a perfect study on how to pull with your back as your spine has a nice and gentle curve to it.

 

[mrthingyx]

I think this has been my undoing in previous months. I need to widen my stance. I was (and still am) getting quite a bit of pain in the outside of my left knee. Physio recommended rest and MRI shows some bone oedema (thought it was a meniscal tear so dodged a bullet there!). What I think was happening is that my left knee was going into a valgus position which isn't helped by my left hand hook grip. I'll try sumos and see how I get on. My lifts are limited because I'm lifting with my back too much and haven't got the leg drive properly activated.

Plan of action is to stop cardio and switch back to weights in between pre-season training. I need to do lots of reps with light weight to get the movement and muscle activation spot on with my legs for the next couple of weeks.

Squat with a band holding your legs closed (so you have to really work to keep them apart).

Are you a cyclist or runner? I see loads on my commute with their knees bent inwards because they have forgotten how their glute med works. A wider stance might actually do more harm than good in this situation because you will exacerbate the valgus knee issue (you probably can't activate your glute med when it is in a reasonably not bad position with your legs close together, so compromising its ability to pull your femur round by moving your stance further apart is not going to solve anything).

 

[mrthingyx]

Trying to keep my squat more 'high bar'
Am I getting anywhere? Haha

In your pants. Yes.

You start off with a rounded upper back: remember to take a deep breath in, pin your shoulders back and down and push your sternum up.

You then collapse forward half way down as you disengage your flutes and quads and push all the weight through your abductors. Educated assessment because I used to do this.

Keep your chest up and high and imagine pulling your knees up and out whilst parking your bum between your ankles...

 

[mrthingyx]

Will give this a go. Might try on a bosu ball also. I'm a cyclist rather than a runner.

I think my abductors are weak on my left leg - this could be something silly like ileo-tibial band syndrome I suppose.

Bagpuss knows what I will say here.

Deficit Bulgarian split squats.

Do them. Destroy those imbalances. Build quads that would make a sprinter envious.

 

[mrthingyx]

any top tips for a poverty bencher?

seem to be stuck on 70kg which is embarrassingly low for my size

I can press more overhead -_-

Assuming technique is ok, drop down to sets of 8-10 and batter out the volume. After all, bigger muscles can move more weight, amirite?

 

[mrthingyx]

what I believe from watching videos etc is my wrists tend to bend over during bench causing the weight to be behind my forearms.

I shall have a play with my form and try some other things. my grip might be too wide/narrow or something silly. Ill try get a video up of some sorts see if you guys can fix it

That is otherwise known as bad form in the shape of a time-bomb.

Get your position and bar path sorted or you will never be able to bench to your chest's potential.

 

[mrthingyx]

Eurgh... did some sprinting on Friday at a family fun-day (playing CTF with kids).



The worst leg DOMS since I discovered DBSS. But so sweet in a sick, twisted, slightly demented way.

 

[mrthingyx]

Since I got my own bar, I've struggled with gripping during deadlifts.
Bar just feels like it slips out my hand.
Today I wrapped a hand towel round it, and hook gripped and it felt much better.
Have I just got a shoddy bar? Eg not rough enough knurling

Chalk?

Also, not all bars are created equal, with some having different diameters, too.

 

[mrthingyx]

Chalk dries my hands out so much. So when I'm on the rig doing muscle ups, pullups or toes to bar it can start pulling my hands apart. Ripping calluses are hella painful.

So I moisturise my hands every night and shave my hands every 2 weeks.

You poor thing! Do you also have to stop halfway through your workouts to avoid DOMS the next day?

 

[mrthingyx]

Amusing. Enjoy pretending calluses make you manly!

*chuckles*

I don't - I cut mine off roughly every two weeks. But I use chalk when I snatch/clean/deadlift because I ha e ripped calluses off, degloved them (which actually feels worse) and all sorts.

Chalk is actually very helpful in reducing the amount of callus damage because the bar/rig moves a lot less in the hand. It does dry skin out, too, but I prefer undamaged hands. Having lifted with micropore tape over raw flesh only seems cool for a short period of time...

And yes - I do all my deadlifts with a hook grip, too.

 

[mrthingyx]

A friend of mine is wondering whether you can take a look at his squat form. This was right at the end of a lot of sets, so a good time for weaknesses to show. Thanks

No core bracing (bum dump in the hole; chest collapses just over parallel) is a problem.

Chest up cue, with some more core training; might also need to think about foot position and knee movement, too.

 

[mrthingyx]

Any gym bro advice's regarding tennis elbow? I have been told by physio to take few weeks off, had couple of acupuncture session but still feel pain while lifting any weight.

Your physio probably isn't an idiot: take the time off to let your tendons heal. Whilst you're at it, mobilise your thoracic spine (tom_e makes me all warm and fuzzy) - probably using a foam roller - and stretch your pecs. All whilst looking after your shoulder rotation. Simple.

And stop lifting with that arm: tendinopathies have a very nasty habit of getting exponentially worse after 2-4 weeks, so don't try and work through the pain.

Useful feedback. Can you explain the bum dump bit? Thanks

Belt worth a try?

You don't seem to be bracing your core, ergo as soon as your hips actually have to start moving properly, your back asks them to hold its metaphorical pint because "it has got this."

Your chest caving is a similar symptom of the same issue: learn to brace your core (front and back), with chest and bum up (or whatever cues you are using) and you will be fine.

As tom_e is hinting, a belt at this point would be a very bad idea because your squatting is sub-optimal. Think of it like putting a boot spoiler on a car: stick it on a front wheel drive POS as an aftermarket mod and you will not only ruin the aerodynamics but reduce traction at the front end... Which would be dumb. And the car will look silly, anyway.

Design downforce and aerodynamics in from the start and you won't even need one.

 

[mrthingyx]

So I was experiencing some pain when I was squatting, I've given it 2 weeks rest and tried a few with just the bar, pain was still there.
It's pain at the top of the thigh and if I stand straight and lift the knee up it hurts it, am I right in thinking that's my hip flexor then? Just more rest?

Depends what it is. Go and see a physio to find out.

Otherwise, learn about the couch stretch.

 

[mrthingyx]

So, as I'm only a beginner and am resting whatever I've managed to do to myself, my bench and row have taken over more than I've ever managed in the squat haha
I don't want to end up neglecting the legs so I've been doing leg extensions and curls on the machines, anything else people could suggest?

Just rest it for 2-4 weeks. If you are committed to the gym, your legs will soon be back up there, so train for the long term.

And think of it as a chance to make yourself look as strong as you are to the average civilian. So begin ARMageddon and enjoy it - guilt free - for a few weeks.

Think chest, chestanbize, chestantrize, bizantrize, backenbize. No legs.

 

[mrthingyx]

Personally, no - if you are eating and sleeping enough, that kind of loading wouldn't really make a deload necessary.

 

[mrthingyx]

just a quick question - I hurt my shoulder 2 weeks ago and ive been taking time off - its starting to feel better....

Its weird - I get a sharp shooting pain on the outside bit of shoulder when reaching across my body (e.g. washing under my armpit) (this has eased a bit)

Was also getting pain when lay down in bed but that has subsided a lot.....

Any ideas?

Your body is telling you to train legs.

 

[mrthingyx]

Bench has stalled at 55 kg again. I realise this is a puny amount to hit problems, but it seems to be a common sticking point for me. I can manage 1 set of 5 and then its down hill from there.

Problem seems to be tricep related, standard for me, I get the bar off my chest fine but then don't have the drive to go the rest of the way. Worth adding CGBP into the routine?

Its worth noting that I'm dieting to try and lose some bodyfat, so understandable that I'm not seeing much positive progress, but given I'm such a novice lifter this seems a strange place to plateau?

What is your form like? Are your elbows at 45 degrees from your torso? Are your forearms vertical throughout? Where does the bar touch your body? Is your core braced? Are your feet planted?

Do you do any back work?