[[[The 2022 Gym Rats Thread]]] ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ

Meh something wrong with me then. Long arms long legs 6ft 3.

Bench is easiest by far, Squat going good now I've got a nice program.

Deadlift plain old sucks, I can't get any tightness. Could be my dodgy back (spina bifida/scoleosis) or just form.

One of the gym bros a month ago taught me to look up and drive through legs and that session the movement felt so good I could actually feel the muscles working together and it was tight ...
 
I'm probably ok at bench due to lifting heavy propane cylinders in the past, good for the arms and upper body.

Also probably why my shoulders feel ****** at certain angles.
 
B&W said:
I'm probably ok at bench due to lifting heavy propane cylinders in the past, good for the arms and upper body.

Also probably why my shoulders feel ****** at certain angles.
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I can't arch a lot and an old dislocation had caused issues. So as I start to get 1.5x body weight things get difficult.

Long arms and legs = perfect for sumo. Though I manage ok with conventional.

Strangely my squat is one of my best lifts despite needing a large ROM but I do low bar squats which helps for that.
 
Kreeeee said:
I haven't used my home gym since taking up boxing in September 2021, and I have never looked as good and have as much energy as I do now.

I'm wondering if I should just sell all of my home gym equipment, I wish I found out how much I enjoy boxing a decade ago...
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Is there any gym equipment that can supplement your boxing? I always thought boxers did a fair bit of weight training too. How else are you going to build up strength? However, I'm not a boxing expert!

It depends on what you want from the home gym, strength or just fitness. Arguably boxing will provide much more fitness than the gym but if you want to keep a bit of strength training going (who wouldn't?) then it would be wise to keep it, but if you're not going to do ANY strength training then gym equipment is like golddust these days.
 
Freefaller said:
Deadlifts can fit anywhere. But they do need a good segment of time to be fair.
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Yeah I agree, although I would be heavy and low reps so trying to get it done in 40 minutes with the other stuff I would need to fit in would be tricky.
I think I'm probably just going to do them on the weekend when I'll have more time.
I had a bit of a win on the weekend. I was watching rugby on Saturday and was planning to be on it most of the day but decided to stop drinking at 6. (Chinese also helped sort me out. :p )
Felt really good the next and managed to increase to some rep PBs.
 
MikeTheNative said:
Yeah I agree, although I would be heavy and low reps so trying to get it done in 40 minutes with the other stuff I would need to fit in would be tricky.
I think I'm probably just going to do them on the weekend when I'll have more time.
I had a bit of a win on the weekend. I was watching rugby on Saturday and was planning to be on it most of the day but decided to stop drinking at 6. (Chinese also helped sort me out. :p )
Felt really good the next and managed to increase to some rep PBs.
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Haha! Good lad - I'm not a drinker but I can appreciate the strength of mind to do that!

I think Deadlifts are too important an exercise to ignore completely, even if you do high RPE once a week on deads (they don't need to be high volume sets) it'll stimulate your CNS positively.

Kreeeee said:
We do 2 sessions a week of conditioning and 1 session of full contact sparring.

The conditioning includes circuits of cardio, technique, and weights. I physically don’t think I could add in a fourth session at home without breaking myself.

I kept the home gym and added boxing equipment to it (45Kg bath and double ended bag) in case I have to skip a session but it’s happened very rarely.
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So you do weights already at the boxing gym?

I guess unless you need the space/money and you do use it often enough to warrant keeping it then it would be a shame to get rid of your setup. Also in case of holidays if the boxing gym is closed or whatever, might be worth keeping?

I do one session of BJJ a week, but for me it's just a bit of a new skill and learning to utilise my strength in a different way/different movements etc... I'm not intending on competing, or anything (I hate fighting for competition's sake) so my gym will always be my primary source of exercise. For you it sounds like you're quite committed to boxing - how long have you been doing it? And during that time how many times have you used your own gym?
 
Freefaller said:
I can't arch a lot and an old dislocation had caused issues. So as I start to get 1.5x body weight things get difficult.

Long arms and legs = perfect for sumo. Though I manage ok with conventional.

Strangely my squat is one of my best lifts despite needing a large ROM but I do low bar squats which helps for that.
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I don't arch much anyway, I think best way to increase is with a small arch. In every bench press set I do I make sure I can feel my chest. Technique goes a long way but I believe the bigger the muscle the more you can lift.
 
B&W said:
I don't arch much anyway, I think best way to increase is with a small arch. In every bench press set I do I make sure I can feel my chest. Technique goes a long way but I believe the bigger the muscle the more you can lift.
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Bigger muscles aren't necessary for powerlifting though they are a side effect - you can be very strong without being a tank, up to a point. Most lifts are down to technique and exploiting leverages.

Volume is the thing that builds muscle, and progressive overload. Don't get me wrong, constantly training bodyparts will make them grow and they will get stronger, but they will adapt so will need to be pushed further. :)
 
MikeTheNative said:
@Freefaller will be happy to know that I've bought some new straps and will be back to doing dead lifts on Thursday. :p
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Yay! :D

Do you use straps all the time or only for very high weights?

As a piece of advice (sorry if you're not after it... ) try and do as many reps as you can without straps, and start to use them when your grip fails - it's good to keep practicing you grip strength and having the feel of the bar without. :) I use straps, but exactly as I describe, try at least 1-2 reps without, and then strap up. However, I do use chalk which I realise a lot of people can't because of lol commercial gym rules.
 
Freefaller said:
Yay! :D

Do you use straps all the time or only for very high weights?

As a piece of advice (sorry if you're not after it... ) try and do as many reps as you can without straps, and start to use them when your grip fails - it's good to keep practicing you grip strength and having the feel of the bar without. :) I use straps, but exactly as I describe, try at least 1-2 reps without, and then strap up. However, I do use chalk which I realise a lot of people can't because of lol commercial gym rules.
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I'll try and not use straps until getting to 3 reps and under.
I'll probably not need to use them for a while as my back will probably be the weakness before the grip starting to go. lol
 
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Kreeeee said:
A lot of the answers are in the first post you quoted, but in summary I haven’t used it at all since I started boxing last September and we do weight training in the boxing gym.

I’m way too old to compete in boxing and I value my brain too much to even give it a try. Hard sparring is about the limit for me.

I have no need for the cash and the gym is in a dedicated building (a converted cheese fondue outhouse that everyone seems to have here to stop the house smelling of cheese) so I don’t need the space. I just don’t like having clutter around it I’m unlikely to use it, particularly 300Kg of clutter XD

I really like the intensity and motivation of working out with someone opposite you who will give you a bloody nose if you start slacking off because you’re tired. There’s also a lot of camaraderie with the group and we have raclette events and bit of socializing too.
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Scrap metal goes for a lot of money these days or at least 2nd hand gym equipment.

Yes the socialising aspect is where I made a lot of friends in the past - sounds like you're doing the right things.. like you I'm way too old to compete or actually want to! :D

Sounds like you're on an exciting journey.
 
i might have to give wraps a try for when im trying higher weights with low reps. Yesterday was chest day and i managed to bench 3 sets of 8 with 60kg which i was struggling to do 1 rep of last week. Quite happy with myself and my progress. I tried 70 and got it for 1 rep wasnt that cleanest though so that's the next goal. On to leg day today :D.

i took your guys advice and i upped my calories from 1500 to 1800 and now it feels like i can eat all day feels like a bulk even though its only 300 cals it allows me more carbs which is nice for snacking on things like protein bars or yogurts which i am currently taking advantage of. Feeling more energetic etc. The fat is going to come off me at a slower pace but at least i wont be sacrificing the precious gainz.
 
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Few things i learnt today at dinner

1 - Space is certainly an issues in my shed, i haven't got the space to do a split squat using a bar and don't have enough even weight plates to use dumbells and keep things balanced
2 - Following on from the above, hip thrusts off a bench is also impossible with a bar. I might try it with just a 20kg plate
3 - First time doing Good Mornings. I've seen them mentioned in here before but never attempted them. Really enjoyed the movement, although i had to drop the weight more than i'd expected to get the full motion due to hamstring tightness.

I had started the Strong lift program, but felt there was a few things missing and rather than add additional exercises i figured i'd create my own plan. I know i've done this before, but that was in the gym where i had access to extra equipment.

Workout A
Squat (Will look to move to single leg variants in the future) 4x6
Standing Calf Raise 4x10
Bent Over Row 4x6
Upright Row 4x6
Good Morning 4x6
Deadlift 3x6

Workout B
Bench Press 4x6
Overhead Press 4x6
Tricep Extension 4x6
Bicep Curl 4x8
Single Leg Deadlift 3x6


At the moment my thinking is to aim for 3-4 sessions a week. I'm hoping that because it's in the shed, i'll be more inclined to train more often vs going to the gym. I figure each workout would last 30-40 minutes.

One thing i do struggle with is rest time inbetween sets and i get bored at around 90 seconds and usually that's about as much as i allow.


What i'd also love to do is buy the Monkey Feet device that's popular at the moment, i just can't justify $65 postage costs!
 
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