* The 2018 Gym Rats Thread *

CaptainRAVE · 21 Jul 2018 at 00:24

spluff said:
I really dont know ive never hurt my neck before - maybe was my head position? I also tried having bar lower on my back recently....

How strong are your traps? Do you do deadlifts?

mrthingyx · 21 Jul 2018 at 08:13

spluff said:
I really dont know ive never hurt my neck before - maybe was my head position? I also tried having bar lower on my back recently....

Which part of your neck? Back or front, or side?

spluff · 21 Jul 2018 at 10:13

mrthingyx said:
Which part of your neck? Back or front, or side?

I do deadlifts currently at 130kg

I was doing 95kg squats for 5 sessions and decided to move up to 97.5kg - it felt okay a bit hard....

(also did shrugs on the Wednesday which may have not helped?)

back of neck and movement painful is putting neck forward and a little if I turn it right

CaptainRAVE · 21 Jul 2018 at 11:57

Somnambulist said:
Wearing lifters isn't about performance, it's about enabling a better bottom position if you high bar squat to depth. Only a tiny amount of people can achieve a good deep squat in flat shoes, since it's not a natural position for your body to be in (having a heavy bar on your back whilst still keeping a vertical torso is not the same thing as hanging out at the bottom of a '3rd world squat' where there's no spinal loading). If you're only squatting to parallel and/or low bar squatting, it tends to come down to proportions, and there are now more options for hard-soled shoes for lifting other than the Olympic ones with the large heel lift (Metcons, Nanos etc).

Love the new metcons. Such a stable shoe. Much more comfortable during squats.

spluff said:
I do deadlifts currently at 130kg

I was doing 95kg squats for 5 sessions and decided to move up to 97.5kg - it felt okay a bit hard....

(also did shrugs on the Wednesday which may have not helped?)

back of neck and movement painful is putting neck forward and a little if I turn it right

Either shrugs or head position during deadlifts from my experience. That or you had the squat bar on your neck.

spluff · 21 Jul 2018 at 12:27

well I did shrugs and deadlifts on Wednesday and I must admit it did feel a bit tight thur/fri but not painful

I then did squats and it was definitely not on my neck - I had it much lower than normal - so could it have been my neck position when squat has aggravated what I did on Wednesday?

kona786 · 21 Jul 2018 at 17:53

GiraffePencils said:
Got my Belt today,
Wow,
Just wow.

That felt so solid, Should have got one ages ago haha

Nice. Got a link to the belt you went for?

GiraffePencils · 21 Jul 2018 at 23:20

kona786 said:
Nice. Got a link to the belt you went for?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004XJOX2U/ref=pe_3187911_185740111_TE_item

mrthingyx · 22 Jul 2018 at 09:20

spluff said:
well I did shrugs and deadlifts on Wednesday and I must admit it did feel a bit tight thur/fri but not painful

I then did squats and it was definitely not on my neck - I had it much lower than normal - so could it have been my neck position when squat has aggravated what I did on Wednesday?

And people wonder why I say shrugs are dumb?

Take a few days off and then get back in with some proper exercises.

spluff · 22 Jul 2018 at 11:33

mrthingyx said:
And people wonder why I say shrugs are dumb?

Take a few days off and then get back in with some proper exercises.

its starting to ease off and starting getting my full range of movement back.... do you think it will be worth having a week off? (ive been training 9 weeks without a break)

I was just doing some shrugs as assistance exercise - what do you recommend for the traps

mrthingyx · 22 Jul 2018 at 19:46

spluff said:
its starting to ease off and starting getting my full range of movement back.... do you think it will be worth having a week off? (ive been training 9 weeks without a break)

I was just doing some shrugs as assistance exercise - what do you recommend for the traps

Power cleans and snatch grip deadlifts.

And then deadlifts.

Somnambulist · 23 Jul 2018 at 08:31

A Pure Gym is about to open right next to my work. Signed up for £20 a month for 6 months on the intro offer then I'll have to quit and rejoin using the work perks discount, so I now have 2 gym memberships, but at least it means I can train a normal routine rather than compromising around my 12hr shift pattern with things like training Sunday then not being able to train again till Friday. It's lacking a few things but I can make do. There's a Pure in Orpington so in theory I could save a fair bit by using them only, but Muscleworks where I train is nearer to my house and infinitely better in every way.

spluff · 23 Jul 2018 at 09:20

mrthingyx said:
Power cleans and snatch grip deadlifts.

And then deadlifts.

I probably kill myself doing power cleans

im not so flexible so that prob rules out snatch grip deadlift - I do deadlifts - but cant really see that hitting traps much?

GiraffePencils · 23 Jul 2018 at 09:38

Recently I've slowed the decent in my squat and I'd say it's made a world of difference.
I'm not going super slow, just a lot more control going on now

mrthingyx · 23 Jul 2018 at 10:10

spluff said:
I probably kill myself doing power cleans im not so flexible so that prob rules out snatch grip deadlift - I do deadlifts - but cant really see that hitting traps much?

If you have never tried them, how would you know?

spluff · 23 Jul 2018 at 10:34

well im doing it in garage so not much space

and it looks very technical to do

DoggyX · 23 Jul 2018 at 11:23

what about snatch grip high pull (from hang/blocks) and snatch grip rack pull (from ~2" below knee) then?
Both less technical and require less flex

mrthingyx · 23 Jul 2018 at 19:54

DoggyX said:
what about snatch grip high pull (from hang/blocks) and snatch grip rack pull (from ~2" below knee) then?
Both less technical and require less flex

Less technical? *chuckles*

But high pulls are the greatest trap exercise going if you do them "right."

CaptainRAVE · 23 Jul 2018 at 20:07

mrthingyx said:
And people wonder why I say shrugs are dumb?

Take a few days off and then get back in with some proper exercises.

Shrugs are fine if done right. I always do them at the end of a deadlift session.

DoggyX · 23 Jul 2018 at 20:22

mrthingyx said:
Less technical? *chuckles*

But high pulls are the greatest trap exercise going if you do them "right."

I do cleans, high pulls etc and in my mind high pulls are less technical but that could just be how I see it.
Was just offering an alternative in passing

mrthingyx · 23 Jul 2018 at 23:22

CaptainRAVE said:
Shrugs are fine if done right. I always do them at the end of a deadlift session.

Not really. Shrugs are dumb because they encourage most lifters to develop "aesthetic" traps without due consideration for their lower traps, rhomboids or serratus anterior (I.e. things that keep shoulders pinned).

Power cleans, wide/snatch-grip work and rows are all better than shrugs. But if you HAVE to do a trap brosolation movement, do facepulls because at least they benefit you from a joint health perspective, too.

So yes... for most (read: all but a tiny minority) shrugs are dumb; a bit like wrist curls, really. Lift heavy stuff FUNCTIONALLY and the beach muscles will be along for the ride...

*** The 2018 Gym Rats Thread ***

* The 2018 Gym Rats Thread *