*** The 2018 Gym Rats Thread ***

[CaptainRAVE]

The guy in the gym who comments that I press more on the leg press using my calves than most people in the gym on their legs, thank you (yet why are they still so small )

 

[BRIGGBOY81]

The guy in the gym who comments that I press more on the leg press using my calves than most people in the gym on their legs, thank you (yet why are they still so small )

How much do you do on your calves dude?

 

[CaptainRAVE]

How much do you do on your calves dude?

295kg for 5 sets of 10. It is a leg press though, so not as much as it sounds. Can’t do them on the calf machine as it risks aggravating a previous shoulder injury.

 

[Delvis]

Be better off doing high incline walking and slowwwww negs

 

[Cristian]

I've started a war against calves about 6 months go - pretty much every day is calf day. I tend to take fairly long rests between sets anyway so in my normal 5 day split I intruduced standing one legged calf raises between each set.
Every rest period between exercises starts with 15 reps of one legged calf raises whilst holding a dumbbell in my hand. Sitting on a small block, slow and controlled, currently using a 38kg dumbbell.

I used to to them on a leg press as well, abused them so much a few years ago that I managed to damage a ligament on my second smallest toe on the right leg. I can always feel it niggling when dehidrated. Luckily the one legged variation doesn't seem to impact them.
So far the shape is starting to look better, hardly much sized gained but I'm hoping for more improvements once I'm back on dreamer bulking season.

 

[Syla5]

Calves vs genetics, good luck dude. Unless your dreamer bulk includes jumping on the old bicycle you might find yourself wasting a lot of energy in to something you have extermerly limited control over. Just ask @LiE about his forever no calves.

 

[Deleted member 68110]

Does anyone do any workouts focusing on improving the glycolytic system? When I used to do <shhh> CrossFit </shhh> one of the workouts that always used to ruin me was "Fight Gone Bad".

It was horrendous physically, but also I hated the format - having to keep track of scores over the whole time.

Dies anyone have any workouts that serve a similar purpose that they're able to share?

 

[spluff]

Ive been doing 5x5 stronglifts for an age and thought I wanted to do more chest so I changed it to this every week (not alternating)

Mon -> Squat / Bench / Wide Bench / Push Press / BOR / Dips

Wed -> Squat / OHP / DeadLift / Side Raises / ChinUp

Fri -> Squat / Bench / Wide Bench / Push Press / BOR / Dips

Is this okay? I wanted to do more chest but wondering if its too much?

Any tips,

Cheers

 

[mrthingyx]

Does anyone do any workouts focusing on improving the glycolytic system? When I used to do <shhh> CrossFit </shhh> one of the workouts that always used to ruin me was "Fight Gone Bad".

It was horrendous physically, but also I hated the format - having to keep track of scores over the whole time.

Dies anyone have any workouts that serve a similar purpose that they're able to share?

What do you mean when you say "improving the glycolytic system?" The glycolysis process is simply the breaking down of glucose during anaerobic activity - this is the very first/early stage of exercise and what generates the really explosive/powerful contractions.

A lot of CrossFit is found to be very difficult for *strong* people because it pushes people into the aerobic physiological range: using acidic buffers and kicking the mitochondria into action to produce ATP through the metabolism of fat.

Strength training routines are - typically - glycolytic: low reps, long rests, high intensity. Body-building regimes are halfway to aerobic because of the high reps, short rest periods and the focus on causing oxidative stress... the quirk of CrossFit is that it pushes people to lift heavy/complicated stuff in a quasi-aerobic capacity. If that's what you're looking for, then just dial down your strength regime to 50-60% intensity and take away your rest periods.

 

[mrthingyx]

Ive been doing 5x5 stronglifts for an age and thought I wanted to do more chest so I changed it to this every week (not alternating)

Mon -> Squat / Bench / Wide Bench / Push Press / BOR / Dips

Wed -> Squat / OHP / DeadLift / Side Raises / ChinUp

Fri -> Squat / Bench / Wide Bench / Push Press / BOR / Dips

Is this okay? I wanted to do more chest but wondering if its too much?

Any tips,

Cheers

I'm assuming you want more chest for moar chest? You're probably better off sticking to StrongLifts and just adding in 3 sets of 8 reps of bench on Monday, and 6 sets of 3 reps on Friday. Push-press is a much more "complicated" lift that should be done at the start of your workout - before your squats.

 

[Syla5]

Ive been doing 5x5 stronglifts for an age and thought I wanted to do more chest so I changed it to this every week (not alternating)

Is this okay? I wanted to do more chest but wondering if its too much?

Any tips,

Cheers

A question here would be for what purpose do you want to do more chest?

Getting stronger, looking hench?

There is nothing wrong with throwing in alternating main movements for the chest, like doing DB bench as your main mover on the second day instead of BB bench both days for example.

Also something to consider is you will start to neglect the other areas that the alternating workout structure does on the deadlift day, such as shoulders, and back, so you really need to consider do you just sacrifice the deadlift and replace it with bench on the second day, rather then stopping the properly alternating approach of stronglifts.

Another alternative would be to consider a different routine all together.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

To be fair the most 'hench' looking people in my gym are the ones who train everything. Those who just focus on chest or chest/back and neglect legs - there are some big people, but their legs always make me smile. I can imagine the tiniest breath of air toppling them over

 

[LiE]

Calves vs genetics, good luck dude. Unless your dreamer bulk includes jumping on the old bicycle you might find yourself wasting a lot of energy in to something you have extermerly limited control over. Just ask @LiE about his forever no calves.

RIP forever no calves.

Trained at peak time properly for the first time in years. Wow. Why does it feel like I’m the only person out of breath and dying? Do people not know how to put in the effort these days?

 

[Cristian]

Knowthatfeel.
Sounds like you need to change gym, my commercial overpriced one has plenty of people giving it 100%.

Calves vs genetics, good luck dude. Unless your dreamer bulk includes jumping on the old bicycle you might find yourself wasting a lot of energy in to something you have extermerly limited control over. Just ask @LiE about his forever no calves.

To be honest I did have the "might as well not bother attitude" for the best part of 10 years. No genetics indeed, and there are quite a few huge guys around my gym with ridiculously poor calves.
However I can't help noticing quite a few extremely poorly gifted genetically people - DYEL extreme types - that... have decent calves simply from running around like mad. Surely something has to give? I'll keep hitting them for a good year before I throw in the towel and start saving for implants.

 

[spluff]

Im looking for a bit of both really..... I feel like I'm quite stagnant on my chest growth and increasing very slow on weight.... (I keep stalling around 75kg - 80kg) but I dont want to over train / undertrain......

I didnt think I was neglecting too much other areas as I'm still doing deadlift and OHP once every week..? (instead of twice every other week)

What other routine would u have consider?

 

[Somnambulist]

Knowthatfeel.
Sounds like you need to change gym, my commercial overpriced one has plenty of people giving it 100%.

To be honest I did have the "might as well not bother attitude" for the best part of 10 years. No genetics indeed, and there are quite a few huge guys around my gym with ridiculously poor calves.
However I can't help noticing quite a few extremely poorly gifted genetically people - DYEL extreme types - that... have decent calves simply from running around like mad. Surely something has to give? I'll keep hitting them for a good year before I throw in the towel and start saving for implants.

While there is a genetic factor to calves the biggest hurdle to growth for most people is bouncing off their Achilles tendon (part of your natural spring to be fair) - I've seen a few people get good results just going back to basics and following the advice here (plus patience and food), so it can be done.

 

[Syla5]

I'll keep hitting them for a good year before I throw in the towel and start saving for implants.

No problem still doing exercises that hit your calves, but I wouldn't go out of your way to hit them every session. 1-2 times per week is more then you need, with other leg exercises utilising them by default anyway. One of the biggest factors in calf size/shape is how they attach at the ankle and knee, nothing can change this baring extreme surgery!

Im looking for a bit of both really..... I feel like I'm quite stagnant on my chest growth and increasing very slow on weight.... (I keep stalling around 75kg - 80kg) but I dont want to over train / undertrain......

I didnt think I was neglecting too much other areas as I'm still doing deadlift and OHP once every week..? (instead of twice every other week)

What other routine would u have consider?

I am a bit to far out of touch to recommend a specific routine, but something to remember is weight shifted is relative to the muscle being used, so while you feel you are stalling around the 75kg to 80kg mark on bench it doesn't mean it isn't a solid number to be achieving.

A good thing to do would be to do alternative movements, new stimulus can help, and doing DB bench, even DB incline bench for example will give a new stimulus over just BB benching.

How do your other numbers stack up? Squat, deadlift etc.

My person view on strong lifts was that OHP as the only real shoulder exercise wasn't enough, and then doing this just once a week means that you really are only hitting your shoulders once per week one way. My view is this isn't enough.

 

[Deleted member 68110]

What do you mean when you say "improving the glycolytic system?" The glycolysis process is simply the breaking down of glucose during anaerobic activity - this is the very first/early stage of exercise and what generates the really explosive/powerful contractions.

A lot of CrossFit is found to be very difficult for *strong* people because it pushes people into the aerobic physiological range: using acidic buffers and kicking the mitochondria into action to produce ATP through the metabolism of fat.

Strength training routines are - typically - glycolytic: low reps, long rests, high intensity. Body-building regimes are halfway to aerobic because of the high reps, short rest periods and the focus on causing oxidative stress... the quirk of CrossFit is that it pushes people to lift heavy/complicated stuff in a quasi-aerobic capacity. If that's what you're looking for, then just dial down your strength regime to 50-60% intensity and take away your rest periods.

Thanks a lot for that.

I understood the glycolytic system to be the "middle pathway", while lifting utilised the phosphagenic pathway more. My understanding of "Fight Gone Bad" was that it was/is an effort to continually work the glycolytic pathway, to improve it - I'm not sure it's capable of improvement, but iirc I did read that it was possible some years ago.

I don't think lifting will push the pathway performance in the way required. In particular, localised muscle fatigue will likely prove a buffer.

I think this may have been where I started my reading around the subject...

http://www.crossfithawaii.com/2009/02/fight-gone-bad-the-bj-penn-crossfit-workout/

Spoiler

Fight Gone Bad (F.G.B.) was originally designed about a decade ago for local boy, LW UFC Champ BJ Penn! When BJ Penn did F.G.B. for the first time, he was put flat on his back when it was over! When he was asked about to compare the workout to a fight, he said it was like a “fight gone bad”.

F.G.B. was designed to match the time and domain of a UFC fight, while EXCEEDING its metabolic demands. Meaning, whatever the demands were in a UFC fight, F.G.B. exceeds them in terms of force (heavier), distance (longer ranges of motion), and time (work faster). In the workout, you work for 5 minutes on 5 different stations (Concept 2 Rower, Wall Ball, SDLHP, 20″ Box Jump, and Push Press) and rest for 1-minute. Normal F.G.B. lasts for 3 rounds, while a Championship Fight or Championship F.G.B. would be 5 rounds long. The reasoning behind the 1-minute at each station then on to the next station, was because Coach Glassman didn’t want stamina to be a significant factor in the workout. Since localized muscle endurance limitations reduces the metabolic demands by cramping you up and forcing you to rest, in this workout right when localized muscle endurance is about to be a significant factor you move to the next movement. Thus, 1 minute was deliberately chosen because it is the time limit found at the crest of the glycolytic pathway (the middle metabolic pathway).

F.G.B. in my own words: “Just when you’re getting to your threshold of pain and don’t think you can pull off another rep, 1-minute is up and you jump to the next station. So precise and so awesome!” Now, go get your fight on!

 

[spluff]

I am a bit to far out of touch to recommend a specific routine, but something to remember is weight shifted is relative to the muscle being used, so while you feel you are stalling around the 75kg to 80kg mark on bench it doesn't mean it isn't a solid number to be achieving.

A good thing to do would be to do alternative movements, new stimulus can help, and doing DB bench, even DB incline bench for example will give a new stimulus over just BB benching.

How do your other numbers stack up? Squat, deadlift etc.

My person view on strong lifts was that OHP as the only real shoulder exercise wasn't enough, and then doing this just once a week means that you really are only hitting your shoulders once per week one way. My view is this isn't enough.

Ive never done DB Bench - Just barbell and wide grip.... I might try that this Friday but no idea what weight to use - I am currently on 75kg barbell.... also lay back and push to plates together and up...

Squat is 85kg (I had a couple weeks off so slowly going up again - I was at 100kg)
Deadlift is 130kg (this is tough on my grip but I manage 2 sets of 5)
OHP is 42.5kg (I struggle to increase this much)
Rows is 70kg

I added the side raises and front raises for a bit of extra work on the OHP day....

 

[Syla5]

Well if its any consolation your bench ratio doesn't look to bad at all.

With DB bench just start with 15-20kg, if it feels to light then move on up. Trial and error until you hit a weight you can manage the 5x5 sets with 1-2 reps left in the tank at the end.