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

[Martynt74]

Oh yeah, i imagine from my question you can guess i don't take it seriously! Even when i'm at the gym i seem to blast through 6-7 exercises in around 20-25 minutes and then do something random feeling i should do at least 30 mins!

Weights wise i'm not one to push myself too much, i bench ~50kg and then squat/deadlift around 50-60kg and don't really ever try and go above that level. So not like i need my muscles to be overly warmed up to do the lufts i need. It's more if i can do 4 sets of a given exercise. Would it make sense to do that exercise at random times, or am i better to set aside 3x 30 minutes a week and do more of a routine.

 

[MikeTheNative]

Your always better off doing a set routine, regardless of how short it as then just doing random things.

 

[subbytna]

Is there any benefit lengthy sessions?

I'm in the process of cancelling my gym membership to buy a bench and adjustable dumbells (possibly a rack/barbell too) and sticking it in my home office. Normally i'll go to the gym twice a week for ~30 minutes for strength based work. I'm wondering whether it's an idea to stick to that routine, or possibly whether it would be as beneficial to just be doing 5-10 minutes a few times a day throughout the week in between meetings etc?

Good to do a set routine for a set amount fo weeks, test your strength at the end of it then change it up to keep it fresh and interesting for another set period of time.

I agree with @MikeTheNative warm up takes time but will prevent injury

 

[Syla5]

snip

Awesome work mate that's really impressive.

Going to spam some questions now!

Did you start from no training history or had you always done something?

How tall are you?

How much were you cutting on?

Im in the start of this process myself, started in december and still have a bit of a way to go in terms of the cut phase.

 

[Syla5]

Oh yeah, i imagine from my question you can guess i don't take it seriously! Even when i'm at the gym i seem to blast through 6-7 exercises in around 20-25 minutes and then do something random feeling i should do at least 30 mins!

Weights wise i'm not one to push myself too much, i bench ~50kg and then squat/deadlift around 50-60kg and don't really ever try and go above that level. So not like i need my muscles to be overly warmed up to do the lufts i need. It's more if i can do 4 sets of a given exercise. Would it make sense to do that exercise at random times, or am i better to set aside 3x 30 minutes a week and do more of a routine.

To be blunt, if you are blasting through 6-7 different exercises in 20-25 minutes then you arent even close to working at capacity. My current routine is 7 exercises per session and each session is 1-1.5 hours long of which 10-15 mins is warmup. Each exercises has a minimum of 3 working sets and some of them have warmup sets.

 

[subbytna]

Awesome work mate that's really impressive.

Going to spam some questions now!

Did you start from no training history or had you always done something?

How tall are you?

How much were you cutting on?

Im in the start of this process myself, started in december and still have a bit of a way to go in terms of the cut phase.

I did some training before I got married but during 1st lockdown, March 2020, for almost a year, I sat on my butt at home and just ate crap while working from home. Didn't get to gym as they were closed and my weight ballooned to what you see on the pic on the left which is Feb 2021.

I'm 5'10

How much were you cutting on?

What do you mean and I'll answer Starting weight or what exactly do you want to know - simple terms as I'm smple too lol ?

Don't forget to, during the last 2 or 3 weeks of yoru cut, to bring your calories back UP again while watching your weight. When you see the weight starting to go up. Dial back 50-100 calories a day and that'll be your maintaining calroies from then on.

 

[subbytna]

To be blunt, if you are blasting through 6-7 different exercises in 20-25 minutes then you arent even close to working at capacity. My current routine is 7 exercises per session and each session is 1-1.5 hours long of which 10-15 mins is warmup. Each exercises has a minimum of 3 working sets and some of them have warmup sets.

Have to agree there. If you want your physique to grow, you need to lift weights that you struggle with (If you're struggling by the 5th or 6th rep, it's a good weight to use. If you're getting to 8 reps and it's ok, the weight is too light) If your body can already lift the weights you're lifting, it doesn't need to grow to be able to lift it, so you won't grow. Why does it need to grow when it can already lift the weight with the size your muscles are now?

If you struggle to lift heavier weights, your body will need to grow to be able to deal with that heavier weight.

Also just don't go through the motion of "moving the weight" actually take time to "feel" the muscle contracting to lift the weights. Mind muscle connection. Use compound exercises over isolation exercises too. Squats, Dips, Bench, Deadlift will all work on multiple muscle groups and will make you stronger.

 

[Martynt74]

To be fair that's good advise and well worth me taking on board. I tend to take it fairly easy and rush through it as it's not something i'm massively enjoying, and then when it's 2 weeks till i'm next there, i end up repeating the same weights as last time.

I tend to do 3/4 sets of 6, but then keep it light to try and focus on form. I know if i go heavier in the squats i have a habit of my knee buckling and so am always trying to avoid that in favour of form to avoid injury for running. Then having a proper 2 minute rest inbetween sets gets boring when you're on your own, so i end up doing the next within a minute.

It's a good point on taking the exercise slower and feeling the movement. I've just ordered a pile of stuff to have the weights at home, so hopefully i can shift my mindset slightly and enjoy it more.

 

[Syla5]

What do you mean and I'll answer Starting weight or what exactly do you want to know - simple terms as I'm smple too lol ?

I meant in terms of cals.

Im current aim is slow controlled recomp before starting to up my cals. However according to all the cals the level i have to drop my cals down to to see weight loss seems very low. For example my BMR is 1650, my maintenance should be 2300, ive been on 1800-1900 but weight loss has been slow, im just hoping its a case of fat off muscle on.

I cant wait to reverse things and add a few cals back on, my suggested maintenance sounds like heaven right now!

 

[subbytna]

I meant in terms of cals.

Im current aim is slow controlled recomp before starting to up my cals. However according to all the cals the level i have to drop my cals down to to see weight loss seems very low. For example my BMR is 1650, my maintenance should be 2300, ive been on 1800-1900 but weight loss has been slow, im just hoping its a case of fat off muscle on.

I cant wait to reverse things and add a few cals back on, my suggested maintenance sounds like heaven right now!

I'm currently between 2300 and 2500 but that's a very measured bulk. For cutting I'll be doing 12 weeks and it'll be something like this

week 1&2 drop calories to 2200 + standard 3 days weight training
week 3&4 drop to 2100 + standard 3 days weight training
week 5&6 drop to 2000 + standard 3 days weight training
week 7-9 (3 week block) 2000 calories + standard 3 days weight training, but with 25mins of HIIT training now included on off days (Tue and Thur) weekends will always be free for recovery
week 10 bring calories back up to 2100 Back to just standard 3 days weight training
week 11 bring calories back up to 2200 Back to just standard 3 days weight training

week 10 and 11: I'll be watching the weight fairly closely and if it is creeping up by 1lb every couple days (averaged over a week), I'll adjust calories to find new maintenance intake, plus back to just standard 3 days weight training

week 12 is calories up to 2300 again, IF the weight doesn't creep up and just standard 3 days weight training

I'll max out at 2300 as I'll have less fat/weight but hopefully most of the muscle mass intact. My coach knows my plans and is working on a routine to reflect the deficit in calories/carbs I'll have.

Carb cycling too so that on the 3 standard weight days I'll go maybe 100g carbs more (peak of the trough carb cycle).
On the 2 days of HIIT, I'll not take the extra carbs (trough of the carb cycle)

 

[Syla5]

yeap im at a stable 1800-1900 range so going to be keeping at that. Weights 4 times per week, daily walks, and i am holding HIIT in reserve for when weight loss stops.

I think im just overly concerned that my cals are too low.

 

[Freefaller]

I'm eating too many Calories at the moment. Probably as round 3800 but I'm trying to offset it with activity but it's a struggle. I had my BF% done recently for my yearly health check and it clocked me in at around 17% which I'm more than happy with considering I'm in my 40s. I naturally start to eat less as the weather improves, I think I go into full hibernation mode in winter! Aka bulk mode!

That said I've never really made much of an effort on diet, but I've always eaten well and seldom eat rubbish. Not sure if it'll be sustainable as I get older though.

@subbytna had inspired me to try and make more of an effort. Just a lot lazier at the moment than I was before.

 

[Somnambulist]

I'm making a concerted effort to get sloppy this and next year. 3DMJ had a good podcast the other day on the necessity of weight gain and I can't deny I saw far greater progress just before the pandemic when bodyweight (and fat) had crept up and although I've dieted down and kept the gains I'm falling back into being overly cautious again.

Need to get chonky!

 

[Syla5]

Yeah I've no issue once I get to a certain point with upping cals again and putting some weight back on, but I have a point in mind that I want to get to that I've not gotten to before that gives me a lot more freedom when coming back the other way.

 

[Freefaller]

I suffer from mild body dismorphia where I hate looking slim/skinny but I also hate being "dadbod". If I drop under 90kg I get panicky. It's ******* annoying and completely irrational.

 

[MikeTheNative]

I know alcohol is a killer for workouts. However in the past I've used that as an excuse not to go the gym the next day after a heavy session, trying not to do that this year though. After a pretty heavy day watching the rugby Saturday, woke up with a headache and a bit hungover but still managed to go and it was a decent work out in the end.

 

[Freefaller]

I know alcohol is a killer for workouts. However in the past I've used that as an excuse not to go the gym the next day after a heavy session, trying not to do that this year though. After a pretty heavy day watching the rugby Saturday, woke up with a headache and a bit hungover but still managed to go and it was a decent work out in the end.

Well done on cracking on. I'm pretty much teetotal now, I have a handful of beers / alcoholic drinks a year (for years now) and definitely helps. I don't deny myself a drink from time to time, I think denying yourself pleasures that are truly pleasures is counter productive. Overdoing, even overdoing the gym isn't going to do anyone any good.

 

[subbytna]

I'm eating too many Calories at the moment. Probably as round 3800 but I'm trying to offset it with activity but it's a struggle. I had my BF% done recently for my yearly health check and it clocked me in at around 17% which I'm more than happy with considering I'm in my 40s. I naturally start to eat less as the weather improves, I think I go into full hibernation mode in winter! Aka bulk mode!

That said I've never really made much of an effort on diet, but I've always eaten well and seldom eat rubbish. Not sure if it'll be sustainable as I get older though.

@subbytna had inspired me to try and make more of an effort. Just a lot lazier at the moment than I was before.

Go get aboard the Gainz Train my friend

 

[Syla5]

I think im still around 8-12 weeks away from the end of my cut and upping cals, very much looking forward to that point.

 

[subbytna]

I suffer from mild body dismorphia where I hate looking slim/skinny but I also hate being "dadbod". If I drop under 90kg I get panicky. It's ******* annoying and completely irrational.

Going under 90kg, but with a good physique is good. Don't get too focused on weight as it's not the be all and end all. I'm 93kg just now (as of last night) I have been as low as 88kg but strength started to go as I wasn't eating enough maintaining levels of food. My ideal natural weight is around 90kg from what I've felt, so having the shape I've worked for and getting to the 90kg mark with cutting, will give me a good shape for summer.