*** The 2018 Gym Rats Thread ***

Kris_90 said:
Macro calculators differ depending on the formula they are based upon. They only provide a guide so make sure you adjust based on your weigh-ins.

Personally I'd try:

Protein: 150g
Fats: 60g
Carbs: 340g

That's 2,500 calories with 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight, fats high enough for healthy hormone production and carbs being made up of whatever calories you have left.

Eat that for a week, if you are not gaining, add more carbs :)
Click to expand...


Sitting down now to work out what I currently eat and what I need to eat to hit these macros.

I admit the last week (2 weeks) I have just been free styling it with a few caveats:

1. Am I eating 150g+ protein? Yes.
2. Am I seeing weight gain on the scale? Yes.
3. Stronger in the gym? Yes.
4. Am I eating 340g of carbs? Nope.
5. Am I eating enough? :confused:

Is it as simple as saying, get adequate protein in, see weight gain on the scale and strength gains in the gym and that is sufficient to see progress in the gym?

I'm imagining up to a point the above will be fine until you hit a plateau and then it's time to sort out the diet?

I'm scared to eat 340g of carbs. My body easily holds fat. It goes on first and comes off last. My genetics mean I hold a lot of lower ab fat naturally.

Having just shed 8kg, I have now gained 2kg in two weeks. And I wouldn't say my diet is particular large in terms of a bulk.

This is basically what I eat:
Breakfast:
3 weetabix, banana, 1 scoop whey = 500 calories

Lunch:
Sandwich with tuna/chicken, apple = 200-300 calories (depends on bread) + 140 calories chicken + 52 calories apple

Pre Gym:
Whey and Apple 150 calories

Whey and Banana 190 calories

Dinner:
1 sweet potato, chick breast salad/veg
or
1 Uncles Bens rice, steak/salmon/mackrel salad/veg

I cut back the weetabix from 4 to 3 as mentioned I'd jumped 2kg in two weeks.

And I do 25 mins cardio after each one of my four weight sessions in the gym and I'm still gaining weight on the above diet.
 
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opethdisciple said:
Sitting down now to work out what I currently eat and what I need to eat to hit these macros.

I admit the last week (2 weeks) I have just been free styling it with a few caveats:

1. Am I eating 150g+ protein? Yes.
2. Am I seeing weight gain on the scale? Yes.
3. Stronger in the gym? Yes.
4. Am I eating 340g of carbs? Nope.
5. Am I eating enough? :confused:

Is it as simple as saying, get adequate protein in, see weight gain on the scale and strength gains in the gym and that is sufficient to see progress in the gym?

I'm imagining up to a point the above will be fine until you hit a plateau and then it's time to sort out the diet?

I'm scared to eat 340g of carbs. My body easily holds fat. It goes on first and comes off last. My genetics mean I hold a lot of lower ab fat naturally.

Having just shed 8kg, I have now gained 2kg in two weeks. And I wouldn't say my diet is particular large in terms of a bulk.

This is basically what I eat:
Breakfast:
3 weetabix, banana, 1 scoop whey = 500 calories

Lunch:
Sandwich with tuna/chicken, apple = 200-300 calories (depends on bread) + 140 calories chicken + 52 calories apple

Pre Gym:
Whey and Apple 150 calories

Whey and Banana 190 calories

Dinner:
1 sweet potato, chick breast salad/veg
or
1 Uncles Bens rice, steak/salmon/mackrel salad/veg

I cut back the weetabix from 4 to 3 as mentioned I'd jumped 2kg in two weeks.

And I do 25 mins cardio after each one of my four weight sessions in the gym and I'm still gaining weight on the above diet.
Click to expand...

If you are gaining weight and not eating to your macros then 2,500 isn't your TDEE. Reduce your carbs until you either gain the amount you want to gain each week or stay the same weight (this would be your TDEE).
 
opethdisciple said:
Sitting down now to work out what I currently eat and what I need to eat to hit these macros.

I admit the last week (2 weeks) I have just been free styling it with a few caveats:

1. Am I eating 150g+ protein? Yes.
2. Am I seeing weight gain on the scale? Yes.
3. Stronger in the gym? Yes.
4. Am I eating 340g of carbs? Nope.
5. Am I eating enough? :confused:

Is it as simple as saying, get adequate protein in, see weight gain on the scale and strength gains in the gym and that is sufficient to see progress in the gym?

I'm imagining up to a point the above will be fine until you hit a plateau and then it's time to sort out the diet?

I'm scared to eat 340g of carbs. My body easily holds fat. It goes on first and comes off last. My genetics mean I hold a lot of lower ab fat naturally.

Having just shed 8kg, I have now gained 2kg in two weeks. And I wouldn't say my diet is particular large in terms of a bulk.

This is basically what I eat:

And I do 25 mins cardio after each one of my four weight sessions in the gym and I'm still gaining weight on the above diet.
Click to expand...

You've just come out of a diet. You will naturally have a fairly big intial jump in weight from intramuscular water (in the same way when you start dieting you have that initial water weight loss of a kg or two over a few days before you start seeing actual weight loss from fat), it's over the next few weeks you'll see if weight continues to climb and it's then that you should start looking at whether your rate of weight gain is too fast.

Plz read this for rates of weight gain relative to lifting experience/development

In a surplus there's several arguments that going higher carb is better than higher fat (e.g. fat can be stored as fat with 99% efficiency, protein/fat via de novo lipogenesis less so) but I wouldn't consider a 340g carbs spread over 5 meals even that high carb (I'm on about that and only eat 4 times a day). Size of the suplus is what's going to dictate weight gain not what % of your diet comes from carbs and protein doesn't need to be super high when you're eating a hypercaloric diet v.s. a hypocaloric one.
 
So I'm just getting back into the habit after getting the ok from the physio, and damn I'm tired
Sitting here at what, nearly 20 past 9, and I could go for a nap?!?

I'm blaming sleep cycle :p
Good to get morning squats back in though
 
That feeling when you find an old image of yourself.. working towards getting this look back this year. It's getting harder as I get older. Dem natty feels.

07kXY8H.jpg
 
Sigh...

Anyone have any experience receiving cortisone injections?

I don't know what to do. The back story is I was out of action for about 3 years as my left shoulder became unstable.

Eventually the second physio I saw has managed to get me back to a position where it is much much better. I know what I can and cant do and the shoulder no longer slips any more. The good news as well is it is 100% tolerant now to bearing load and exercise. So that's a thumbs up.

The epic misfortune is back in November 17 I was doing some press-ups and I must have strained my right shoulder as I remember the last rep I did being really hard.

The bad news is the shoulder has been hurting me since Nov. So 4 months in total. The pain has changed during this time. It feels like general inflammation with occasion spikes. It was located around the deltoid and I thought it might be bursitis. It got better, it got worse depending on the day/week.

It's now changed again more towards the area of the shoulder that connects the deltoid to the bicep. The entire shoulder girdle is sore but that part is a new development.

I went to the GP last week and she has referred me for a cortisone injection. I've been googling around to find out more info and it seems these types of injections carry risks.

I can't believe that a muscle/tendon sprain will last forever. So I am inclined to turn the injection down and wait for another 3-4 months. But of course neither do I want things to get worse. Also if it makes things better than I can put this behind me and get on with my life.

I'm reading on the internet that some people think that inflammation is part of the healing process which is something I've read on here as well.

I'm inclined to go back to the GP and say I do not want the injection yet. Let me get a scan and some physio first and give it another 3-4 months.

What would you do?
 
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been struggling with my Dead lift form for a long time, had 3 highly knowledgeable people try and get my setup right but it just didn't work, me and deadlifts have had a horrible relationship ever since

so i thought lets try SUMO!!

i now love sumo, first few lifts and form was good! I'm sure with a few tweeks here and there I will be at a new pb in no time!

anyone else a #fitchick or am I the only male to hand their testicles in at the sumo counter :D
 
kaptainmarc said:
been struggling with my Dead lift form for a long time, had 3 highly knowledgeable people try and get my setup right but it just didn't work, me and deadlifts have had a horrible relationship ever since

so i thought lets try SUMO!!

i now love sumo, first few lifts and form was good! I'm sure with a few tweeks here and there I will be at a new pb in no time!

anyone else a #fitchick or am I the only male to hand their testicles in at the sumo counter :D
Click to expand...

Just lift. ;)

@opethdisciple: cortisone injections are also a test as if the pain recedes then you had something inflamed... And it's cheaper than a scan.

Find a decent sports physio and ask them. Are you resting your shouldet completely?
 
@mrthingyx
I rested the shoulder from Nov - Jan. I started swimming 3 x a week in Jan - Feb as I was over weight. The shoulder didn't tolerate this well.

I stopped swimming as it was just inflaming the shoulder each time. I had lost the bulk of the weight anyway. So I started back in the gym. Actual pressing exercises such as chest press and shoulder press doesn't seem to cause it any issues.

All in all it is much better than it was. In Jan I couldn't even carry a baby in a travel cot without my shoulder screaming at me. Now I'm back in the gym lifting.

I've been trying ice and ibuprofen but not much success. I bought some deep heat today as that is something I haven't tried yet.

To my untrained knowledge I would guess this is tendinitis. The soreness is now located in the part of my shoulder which is bang in-between my deltoid/bicep/armpit. I get away with lifting as this part of the shoulder isn't involved in any of my lifts.

I think the shoulder is going to be OK. It's literally just some muscle soreness/inflammation. Much much better today.

What I need you guys to advise me on is some effective and time efficient rotator cuff exercises to do.

I've been doing the following before my workouts (fast forward to 6:43)


It's basically 4 x 15 reps with dumbbells.

Is this adequate or is there something more effective I should be doing?

I've spotted this and this. But so much different information out there.

This seems pretty good.
 
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Go see a good physio. I was lucky to get into an NHS physio in 2 weeks. I couldn't even raise my arm without extreme pain. Resting it completely in those ranges for 6 months, building up the advised exercises and then starting my chest work from scratch (literally 8kg dumbells!). It was a tough time, really tough, but I avoided a cortisone shot and under a year later have stronger shoulders and a chest than I ever did and with zero pain.

One thing is for sure, I learnt an awful during this time and cringe when I see some of the chest work people do. I know I could go heavier, but I stick now to building it up much more gradually. I have since applied that to all exercises and have never been as strong or made such consistent progress.
 
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Two different issues.

Left shoulder. I have instability. Excess humeral head movement. I've seen two NHS physios and surgeons. Scan revealed no damage. But the joint is lax. It's mostly bicep curls that are an issue. The movement makes the bicep tendon that attaches at the top of the shoulder joint pull the humerus forward during curls. The first physio I saw was comical. It was more hocus pocus he was asking me to do.

The second one told me I had scapula winging and needed to work on rotator cuff. Correct assumption. But I don't think they gave me all the info I needed. I've taken what they have given me and found more info and I think I now have more knowledge when it comes to rotator cuff work. So I work on that. I do my rotator cuff work at home and work on my scapula and rows in the gym as prescribed.

The right shoulder which is what I was referred for the cortisone shot I think is going to be fine. Last week I started using deep heat and it is more or less 100x better now than before. I will not get the shot done. No need.

My priority is my left shoulder. Need to stabilise that joint.

---

Question is how on earth did I make the joint loose? Three years ago, I was lifting the heaviest I was ever in my lifting days. 30kg dumbbell flat press, 26kg inclines, 24kg shoulders etc....

I started noticing over 6 months that during the inclines the shoulder was clicking. Then eventually one day in the shower putting my hand behind my back the shoulder partially dislocated.

It's been loose since.

I'm not sure if it was my volume that was too much or it was the weight etc...

These days I do a routine with much less volume and more balance between my push and pull exercises.

And of course I am working on that rotator cuff!
 
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