***The 2021 Gym Rats Thread*** ᕦ( ͠°◞ °)ᕥ

[Martynt74]

Cheers. I think I’ll stick with the assisted machine and alternate between pure negatives and then some assisted to get the movement and then in theory somewhere in the middle I’ll smash it!

 

[Somnambulist]

Cheers. I think I’ll stick with the assisted machine and alternate between pure negatives and then some assisted to get the movement and then in theory somewhere in the middle I’ll smash it!

Spend most of your energy on the assisted stuff and you’ll eventually be down to a small enough assistance for x reps that you can probably knock a single unassisted rep out. The one thing I’d add is you want your movement pattern on the machine to replicate how you’d do a pull-up normally as closely as possible and use all the same cues; full range of motion (but don’t hang off your tendons/ligaments at the bottom), shoulders down/back, pull from the elbows not the hands, keep form consistent, etc.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

It’s probably been the best 3 month run I’ve had in the gym for some time. Yesterday was the first day I haven’t progressed with bench, but I felt quite flat and know typically I’d hit most of the reps. A fair bit of disruption over the next 8 days or so with Christmas and Covid booster jab, but I’ll train when I can. I strained by bicep deadlifting on Friday - I’ve never done that before and need to be a bit more careful, but it should now have a good few days to heal.

 

[uncle_rufus]

How does that happen? I thought biceps aren't really involved in DLs? (Not playing dumb or anything, just curious and feels like I can learn something to avoid!)

 

[CaptainRAVE]

How does that happen? I thought biceps aren't really involved in DLs? (Not playing dumb or anything, just curious and feels like I can learn something to avoid!)

I’m assuming I didn’t have my arms fully straightened with triceps fully engaged at some point. Either a small bounce at the bottom that then put force through my bicep or a small pull with my arms at the top. Funny thing is if I was doing over/underhand grip I’d be blaming it on that. Equally it could just be residual damage from my arm day the day before.

 

[Somnambulist]

I know you shouldn’t do stupid things like 1RM attempts on deloads but…

It was ‘only’ the assisted Nordic Curl machine. I saw Eugene Teo get all excited on IG that he was able to do one and decided based off the amount of assistance I’m using for my working sets, I surmised in theory I should probably be able to do at least one with no assistance and so I should have a go before Christmas. It’s been a long-time goal to do an unassisted Nordic... and I did it. Twice just to make sure the first wasn’t a fluke.

Deload Push + Pull combined tomorrow as although my gym is open for 4 hours on Christmas Day I’m not THAT obsessed.

 

[Hedge]

It's amazing how depressed you can feel when you miss the gym for a week. I previously went last Thursday (my main gym is at work) and combined with the run up to Christmas I felt so stressed out so yesterday I dragged myself to a local gym just to give myself a boost. Worked wonders.

Try not to let Christmas ruin routines guys!

 

[CaptainRAVE]

I find it tough to not gym. It’s been a rough few weeks. Stomach bug once, booster jab that had a similar impact. Dropped 2.5kg, although mostly seems to be fat. Then family over Christmas that I can really escape. I’ll just use it to drive me on even harder after Christmas.

I’m not *as* fussed about missing the odd session for a week as I always seem to be able to carry on with my program that often feels better with a rest. I don’t seem to drop strength like I used to.

 

[tom_e]

Had a week off last week because I hit a brick wall at the end of the previous week and needed a break, felt great although I did do some very low effort cardio on a couple of days just to keep me moving.
A break isn't always a bad idea.

 

[Somnambulist]

Rammo in there this afternoon, but got everything done before early closing… deload kinda done and will do an ‘intro’ week next week for the new split (instead of LPPLPPx it’s gonna be LULULUx, same volume just higher frequency).

 

[arc@css]

Looking forward to gently adding some upper body exercises after damaging both rotator cuffs nearly four years ago.

I never thought they would take as long to heal as they have, in fact, if someone had asked me how long I would be unable to exercise as per normal,
I would have suggested months, not years.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Thanks to one stomach bug, a vaccine and a few disrupted days with loss of appetite in between I’ve dropped 4kg, although most of which seems to be fat. No wonder squats felt heavy today and I struggled with bench last week.

On 4th December I was 95.4kg and today 90.9kg. Some will be water loss, but that’s back to my July weight, although my weight tracker averages it at October levels which with a bit more eating probably isn’t too far off. I find it so difficult to put on mass, but far too easy to lose it. Onwards I guess. That does at least mean that with a 94kg OHP I can lift 100% of my bodyweight, so I’ll take the positives where I can.

 

[utajoker]

Hi

Can anyone offer advice on this workout routine please

im new to this but commited. im looking to lose weight and get some muscle.

ive got a home gym, bench, barbell, dumbells and cable machine and am currently looking to do 3 days a week 1-1.5 hours per day.

push day

bench press
incline press
dumbbell flys
overhead press
tricep push downs
dumbell tricep extensions
arnold presses
lateral raises

pull day

lat pull downs
seated rows
deadlifts
hammer curls
dumbbell curls
reverse push downs

legs day

squats
dumbbell lunges
calf raises
hip thrusts

ive been following few different online workouts but now i have everything im trying to put together something solid.

thanks

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Hi

Can anyone offer advice on this workout routine please

im new to this but commited. im looking to lose weight and get some muscle.

ive got a home gym, bench, barbell, dumbells and cable machine and am currently looking to do 3 days a week 1-1.5 hours per day.

push day

bench press
incline press
dumbbell flys
overhead press
tricep push downs
dumbell tricep extensions
arnold presses
lateral raises

pull day

lat pull downs
seated rows
deadlifts
hammer curls
dumbbell curls
reverse push downs

legs day

squats
dumbbell lunges
calf raises
hip thrusts

ive been following few different online workouts but now i have everything im trying to put together something solid.

thanks

I’d always encourage free weights (OHP, bench, squats, deads and rows) with a few machine movements thrown in early on in a program. Loads of people swear by push/pull, although I focus on a set of muscle groups each session. Most importantly I’d recommend tracking what you do and then aiming to throw in more reps/sets/weight each week.

My home gym just consists of a squat rack with pull up bar, barbell and landmine and it does everything I need.

Saturday: bench, CGBP
Monday: squats, calf raises
Tuesday: OHP, front raise, land mine lateral raise
Wednesday: landmine one arm rows and weighted pull ups
Thursday: lying overhead barbell extensions and standing barbell bicep curls
Friday: deadlifts and shrugs

 

[opethdisciple]

I need some help. Back in 2015 was when I was at my strongest but it also got me injured. I ended up with a shoulder that partially dislocates.

Over the years I stopped training and went to see various professionals for their opinions.

One told me I had shoulder subluxation another told me I had scapula dyskinesia.

Personally I think the first diagnosis is the correct one because he said to me you have stretched something. Which 'feels' the most correct.

I went to see a physio in Nov and he gave me some scapula exercises to do which improved things but it never felt like a proper fix. It felt like just papering over cracks and the vulnerability in the shoulder was still there.

However it was much better and not so loose. I have been for the last few months since seeing him back on the dumbbells in the gym.

Over Xmas I tested positive on a later flow so stayed out of the gym etc... I forgot for only a few days to do my scapula exercises meaning I went in to the gym on Tuesday after 10 days off and did my usual chest routine. To find after I had done my db chest press my shoulder had popped out of the socket.

It goes back in easy enough and I can continue with my session. But each time it pops out which isn't often it causes pain that takes a while to settle. Also it makes the shoulder more unstable during this period.

I have now upped my scapula exercise frequency as well as started doing face pulls and rotator cuff rotations in the gym but this is now making my sessions excessively long.

Anyway to get to my point I need an alternative to the regular db flat chest press.

Options:
- go back to the hammer strength machine
- neutral grip db chest press
- db crush press
- what about regular bench press, is that safer on the shoulder?

Also to add with all the corrective things I am adding to the end of the workout like two varieties of face pulls and rotator cuff work after every session a) workouts are getting excessively long and b) I have noticed this weekend my hands are aching from all the griping.

Just give an example of how long I think Fri I spent close to 2hrs in the gym and I had also done my home scapula work earlier in the day which takes a further 40 mins.

 

[Syla5]

No 2022 Gym Rats thread??!

 

[Somnambulist]

No 2022 Gym Rats thread??!

Slow start to the year. Done!