*** The 2018 Gym Rats Thread ***
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Soldato
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I have the IronMind Sew Easy ones and some similarly designed ones from Modifit, which are primarily designed for the sport of weightlifting and IMO are infinitely nicer to use than the standard 'noose' type straps as they're easy to get on and off and don't really get in the way. They're the first sort in this vid:
Only really use them for RDLs and seal rows at the moment. When I used to deadlift I'd go double over hand to warm up then hook grip for working sets, although I sometimes used them for the later sets to give my thumbs a break.
Only really use them for RDLs and seal rows at the moment. When I used to deadlift I'd go double over hand to warm up then hook grip for working sets, although I sometimes used them for the later sets to give my thumbs a break.
Man of Honour
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The figure 8 straps look good. A friend of mine used them and they were so quick to setup.
Soldato
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The downside with them, especially the chunkier ones, is the bar is then trapped in the strap until you can get a hand out of one of the two loops, which is usually a two-handed job - I used some once for DBSS as I was getting to a point where a set of 12 with nearly half my bodyweight in each hand was getting unpleasant and at the end of the set nearly face-planted since I couldn't just let go of them and have them drop.
I appreciate that straps are used but what ones would you recommend? A particular design/quality that is worth considering?
The cheapest ones that are made out of fabric (none of that metal/plastic hook nonsense).
No point going flashy.
Man of Honour
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A week rest, dropping the weight by 5kg and I can deadlift again. Yay
Definitely need to keep increasing calories.
Definitely need to keep increasing calories.
Deleted member 68110
Deleted member 68110
Looking at stuff like the simple straps recommended by @Somnambulist I found these...
Beast Gear Weight Lifting Straps - Professional Standard Padded Straps With Advanced Gel Flex Grips https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0713W56XZ
You don't see a review score like that too often.
That said, there are others that look incredibly similar for even less...
Elite Body Squad Lifting Straps Wraps With Padded Wrist Support - Use Instead Of Weight Lifting Gloves To Get A Stronger Grip - Over 60cm Long With Rubber 'MAX GRIP' Sticky Pads + FREE EBOOK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00UFPKZKU
Man of Honour
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The gel grips are unnecessary, but they won't harm and the rest looks exactly the same as mine (on both links) and I regularly lift over 200kg with them, so they should be good.
The only good thing to come out of Crossfit, cheap and readily accessible lifting gear produced on a large scale
Deleted member 68110
Deleted member 68110
I won't deny CrossFit has had some poor outcomes but I think over its a massive force for good...The only good thing to come out of Crossfit, cheap and readily accessible lifting gear produced on a large scale
As with anything, it's the zealots that give the thing a bad name.
Soldato
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So first week back from holiday and the leg DOMS are unreal.
Don't think I can get through my squats today, warm-up was loosening them but weakness is there, gonna give the rest of the set a miss
Don't think I can get through my squats today, warm-up was loosening them but weakness is there, gonna give the rest of the set a miss
Soldato
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Straps people, you don't need gel or padding - worn properly they shouldn't be crushing your wrists (because they go below the wrist) or causing any pain. Arguably the more minimal they are the better because it's less faffing about to get them on/off.
Be sure whatever you get to douse them in liquid chalk and rub them all over the knurling of a barbell to help break them in.
Be sure whatever you get to douse them in liquid chalk and rub them all over the knurling of a barbell to help break them in.
Haha, I have drastically cut back on the FIFA so I can lift more!Rids! I didn't know you were swole, I thought Fifa was your sport!
Congrats on the numbers though!
I'm not swole though, I'm more like the moderately fat guy that lifts, but I'm happy with that as long as the numbers continue to go up!
Man of Honour
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You don’t need cushioning, but they certainly feel more comfortable.
Soldato
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Training at Pure for a bit now when I'm at work has made me realise how good I have it with regards to equipment at MuscleWorks with all their Hammer Strength plate loaded kit, Cybex Eagle machines and so on. The machines in Pure are just utter gash for the most part. Resistance isn't smooth, ergonomics are poor... luckily that only accounts for a small % of what I do in the gym...
Chin-ups with 25kg on the belt boshed out a little earlier - my first 4am PB!
Chin-ups with 25kg on the belt boshed out a little earlier - my first 4am PB!
Soldato
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Forgot to add these ones for HMB - another useless supp:
https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/...rtrophy_and_Strength_Gains_in_HMB_.96829.aspx
https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/...Leucine_Metabolites_Do_Not_Enhance.96836.aspx
Man of Honour
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I know what you mean. I have all that in my current gym, but I see few with such a good setup. Along with it being less than a 5 minute walk from my house, it makes me reluctant to relocate.
That said, back in work soon and dreading the 6pm rush in there with only 3 squat racks. Usually fine on a Friday. A pain on a Monday though.
I am going back to just whey and a multi vitamin supplement I think. Have tried a few others, but just wasting money.
Deleted member 68110
Deleted member 68110
Add to that its pernicious "foot-like" odour... And it's a tempting one to leave out.
I'm going to leave it in the mix because of the possibility it might help maintain mass while I continue my deficit, but only really because I have it there.
Soldato
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There really isn't much that's worth buying:
High strength vitamin D3 because it's likely you're not getting enough sun
Creatine - works in it's 1-2%-y way, worth taking for vegetarians/vegans (as mentioned earlier in thread)
Caffeine - who needs to pay £ for pre-workouts when this is all that's effective about them and you can just drink coffee (not that nasty instant stuff though...)
Good quality Omega 3 oil if you don't eat much oily fish or get it in your diet via some other means (I have a bit of seafood but buy the Nordic Oil lemon flavoured liquid off Amazon)
Multi-vitamins are decent insurance on a diet when food is more limited but the sports type '3 a day!' ones are a waste of money
If you're female and avoid red meat and dairy, iron and zinc
Other stuff that works is grey area where you can buy online easily although it's not really of benefit to training directly; things like yohimbine for stubborn fat loss (not that many people get lean enough to start targeting stubborn areas), melatonin for sleep, then obviously anything that actually helps for gainz is on the really naughty list.
I actually buy a 70% casein, 30% whey blend now. I tend to make proats, protein fluff/desert far more than I drink a shake and the mix (MyProtein Milk Protein Smooth) handles heat better and is theoretically a better choice for a last meal since it's digested slower.
Deleted member 68110
Deleted member 68110
Protein, multi-vitamin, omega oil, and an espresso on the way to the gym - that was what I've being taking for the last year since trying to get back in shape.
I've gone from Myprotein Impact whey to a mix of that, their "Hurricane XS" (which has some creatine and other stuff in it) and their Recovery Fuel (which has some carbohydrate in it). When I've used everything up I'm going to go back to simple Impact whey.
I took another sample sachet of their MyPre before the gym yesterday.
I felt good, so I gave my deadlifts a go - I wanted to film it for some form guidance but the lifting area was quite busy. I managed a PR 1RM of 190KG which made my day. I felt good after and toyed with going for more but decided to leave it in the end.
I really want to add some plyometric leg exercises but don't really like box jumps. Does anyone do any sort of weighted jumping squat?
I've gone from Myprotein Impact whey to a mix of that, their "Hurricane XS" (which has some creatine and other stuff in it) and their Recovery Fuel (which has some carbohydrate in it). When I've used everything up I'm going to go back to simple Impact whey.
I took another sample sachet of their MyPre before the gym yesterday.
I felt good, so I gave my deadlifts a go - I wanted to film it for some form guidance but the lifting area was quite busy. I managed a PR 1RM of 190KG which made my day. I felt good after and toyed with going for more but decided to leave it in the end.
I really want to add some plyometric leg exercises but don't really like box jumps. Does anyone do any sort of weighted jumping squat?