*** The 2019 Gym Rats Thread ***

Somnambulist said:
Strength more or less back to where it was pre-travellers squits which is nice. I've been reading a lot of stuff from people like Brian Minor and have started programming my workouts very RPE/RIR-based and sort of a looser structure inside a rigid framework. Very hopeful this will help smash the whole intermediate plateau I've been trudging along in at a glacial pace for a while now... proof will be when I overtake my previous bests though.

Having to be brutally honest and leaving the old ego at the door is a whole skill in itself I'm having to get better at, but a better understanding of how the process of strength/hypertrophy adaptations actually occur is helping a lot.
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To be fair - and whilst I applaud your paradigm shift - you have always been very controlled with your intake and your daily routine hasn't helped.

A soul-destroying 9-5 and an overcompensating diet would have been just as helpful. :D
 
mrthingyx said:
To be fair - and whilst I applaud your paradigm shift - you have always been very controlled with your intake and your daily routine hasn't helped.

A soul-destroying 9-5 and an overcompensating diet would have been just as helpful. :D
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Sleep has always been an issue but at least with a Pure Gym opening next to my work I've been able to have a more normal training pattern. I'm not back at my pre-holiday weight yet but the scales are going back up (and hopefully beyond!). It's definitely a case though that my desire to progress and being pig-headed has meant I've ground away at high intensities too often without recovering for the next session fully, so progressing has been at a snail's pace compared to what it should be (at my relative lifting age/level). Most of this has come from forgetting the ability to add weight to the bar (or do more reps with the same weight) is an adaptive outcome from prior overload, not a requirement for subsequent overload... a hangover from the very linear progression everyone uses as a beginner (where anything works) and never doing the kind of sub-max training powerlifting training tends to utilise due to that sport not being my thing.
 
reiyushin said:
Finally getting somewhere with deadlifts again, doubt I'll PB before the year is out but next year will have something tasty I'm sure :D
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I think your idea of just ‘getting somewhere’ and ours is quite different :p

That said, your plan has me up to a 250kg deadlift (crazy when I started around 70kg). I have started skipping week 3s when I feel good enough (and eat enough) and cycle weeks 1 and 2.

I just wish my squats progressed as well. I might try squat shoes? Thoughts? My metcons have squat inserts, I might try those to see how it feels.

I’m taking any calories I can at the moment. Hungry? Mini roll, check. Cheese available to go on top of anything, yup. Chocolate milkshake after each meal, yes please. Double peanut butter helping in evening shakes, why not. Cooked breakfast, definitely. I’m still struggling to break 90kg.
 
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CaptainRAVE said:
I think your idea of just ‘getting somewhere’ and ours is quite different :p

That said, your plan has me up to a 250kg deadlift (crazy when I started around 70kg). I have started skipping week 3s when I feel good enough (and eat enough) and cycle weeks 1 and 2.

I just wish my squats progressed as well. I might try squat shoes? Thoughts? My metcons have squat inserts, I might try those to see how it feels.

I’m taking any calories I can at the moment. Hungry? Mini roll, check. Cheese available to go on top of anything, yup. Chocolate milkshake after each meal, yes please. Double peanut butter helping in evening shakes, why not. Cooked breakfast, definitely. I’m still struggling to break 90kg.
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There is some potential conflict with the deadlifting, but also a potential form issue - depending on your level of experience and current RM...

But also, if your weight is plateau-ing, you probably need to repeat a hypertrophy cycle (I can't remember what reiyushin's routine looks like)...
 
CaptainRAVE said:
I think your idea of just ‘getting somewhere’ and ours is quite different :p

That said, your plan has me up to a 250kg deadlift (crazy when I started around 70kg). I have started skipping week 3s when I feel good enough (and eat enough) and cycle weeks 1 and 2.

I just wish my squats progressed as well. I might try squat shoes? Thoughts? My metcons have squat inserts, I might try those to see how it feels.

I’m taking any calories I can at the moment. Hungry? Mini roll, check. Cheese available to go on top of anything, yup. Chocolate milkshake after each meal, yes please. Double peanut butter helping in evening shakes, why not. Cooked breakfast, definitely. I’m still struggling to break 90kg.
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Awesome work man! Would need to see your squat to understand what is happening better.

GiraffePencils said:
Well your plan already had me deadlift PB last cycle, I'll do one more POSSIBLY 2 before the year is out :p
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Glad to hear it :D
 
So I moved away from RDLs a month or so ago, finally felt I was engaging my glutes enough in the lift. Aiming for my year long goal of deadlifting 100KG now (baby weight I know but I got weak ass legs...).

Still on my warm up sets in the vid and pyramiding up to about 85kg atm with 5kg added on every fortnight. Goal is to hit 100kg before the end of the year but obviously will need to put that back if my forms seems atrocious.

Think my form is pretty good here. Weight in the heels, straight bar path, hips don't shoot up, shoulders back, neutral spine etc. but I'm sure there's a thousand things I'm not seeing. What do you guys think? Like I said hitting 100kg would be a real big deal, but if I need to reset a little then yeah...

 
DrToffnar said:
So I moved away from RDLs a month or so ago, finally felt I was engaging my glutes enough in the lift. Aiming for my year long goal of deadlifting 100KG now (baby weight I know but I got weak ass legs...).

Still on my warm up sets in the vid and pyramiding up to about 85kg atm with 5kg added on every fortnight. Goal is to hit 100kg before the end of the year but obviously will need to put that back if my forms seems atrocious.

Think my form is pretty good here. Weight in the heels, straight bar path, hips don't shoot up, shoulders back, neutral spine etc. but I'm sure there's a thousand things I'm not seeing. What do you guys think? Like I said hitting 100kg would be a real big deal, but if I need to reset a little then yeah...

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Pretty good, but your setup shows the root of the problem: you haven't quite nailed pushing with your glutes.

When you set up, your lumbar is rounder than a round thing - you straighten it out, which is great, but it will stop you going as far as you probably could. I don't think that weight is enough to show you how the problems will eventually pop up, but that could be because it doesn't matter. :p

For clarity, that seemed a lot better than a lot of deadlifts on here, and if that was 85kg then 100kg will be a doddle.

Do it.
 
What are people's thoughts on hex bar deadlifts using the higher handles?

My work gym has a trap bar, which I find great for a variety of exercises, but no barbells or squat rack. Therefore I deadlight and row with a trap bar.

The ROM is probably lower than a barbell DL with full size weights, because I'm starting from a higher position, but then I'm fairly sure the weights in my work gym aren't full size so I use the higher handles to compensate, otherwise it feels like I'm deadlifting with my back almost horizontal, something I don't really fancy risking.

The other thing I like about them is you can get a great position without having to worry about the barbell shredding your shins.

So do any others here deadlift with a trap bar instead of a barbell? Anyone do it voluntarily?
 
Participant said:
What are people's thoughts on hex bar deadlifts using the higher handles?

My work gym has a trap bar, which I find great for a variety of exercises, but no barbells or squat rack. Therefore I deadlight and row with a trap bar.

The ROM is probably lower than a barbell DL with full size weights, because I'm starting from a higher position, but then I'm fairly sure the weights in my work gym aren't full size so I use the higher handles to compensate, otherwise it feels like I'm deadlifting with my back almost horizontal, something I don't really fancy risking.

The other thing I like about them is you can get a great position without having to worry about the barbell shredding your shins.

So do any others here deadlift with a trap bar instead of a barbell? Anyone do it voluntarily?
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Have done and they're fine... Much less shear stress on the spine and back and for most people they will be as useful. :)

Weirdly, they're also great for floor pressing. :confused:
 
mrthingyx said:
Pretty good, but your setup shows the root of the problem: you haven't quite nailed pushing with your glutes.

When you set up, your lumbar is rounder than a round thing - you straighten it out, which is great, but it will stop you going as far as you probably could. I don't think that weight is enough to show you how the problems will eventually pop up, but that could be because it doesn't matter. :p

For clarity, that seemed a lot better than a lot of deadlifts on here, and if that was 85kg then 100kg will be a doddle.

Do it.
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Cheers dude! Yeah looking at it now you're right... might try to fit in more RDLs in my routine, maybe some hip thrusts or wide leg press?
 
DrToffnar said:
Cheers dude! Yeah looking at it now you're right... might try to fit in more RDLs in my routine, maybe some hip thrusts or wide leg press?
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I actually think one of the most interesting hip hinge exercises is the band-resisted RDL. Have a look and see how you go.

Practically, the eternal cues of "bum up, chest up" will never go amiss, either...
 
mrthingyx said:
I actually think one of the most interesting hip hinge exercises is the band-resisted RDL. Have a look and see how you go.

Practically, the eternal cues of "bum up, chest up" will never go amiss, either...
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That makes sense I suppose with the constant time under tension from the bands. Might give that a try on Wednesday if I can get hold of some bands.
 
Some advice on what to do with man flu.

I have a pretty savage cold. I'm up to about 80% of where I was weight wise so feel I could go to the gym today and get through it but should I? If I went I'd just complete the 3 SL exercises and skip accessory lifts.

If I skip the session and I'm on day A, should I go back and just carry on with B or start back with A?
 
ShortWarning said:
Some advice on what to do with man flu.

I have a pretty savage cold. I'm up to about 80% of where I was weight wise so feel I could go to the gym today and get through it but should I? If I went I'd just complete the 3 SL exercises and skip accessory lifts.

If I skip the session and I'm on day A, should I go back and just carry on with B or start back with A?
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Your choices -
- carry on regardless
- ignore day A
- do both A and B on your return

I’ve done all of the above. Funny thing was that during my last cold I had two hours where I felt fine and lifted a deadlift PB that held for months after.
 
CaptainRAVE said:
Your choices -
- carry on regardless
- ignore day A
- do both A and B on your return

I’ve done all of the above. Funny thing was that during my last cold I had two hours where I felt fine and lifted a deadlift PB that held for months after.
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Thanks, I'm leaning towards carrying on regardless.

Everyone always says that if you exercise while you have a cold that it takes longer to recover. Is there really anything to that?
 
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