Poll: ***The all new gymrats thread***

Do we archive this thread and start a new one for 2010?

  • Yeah good idea.

    Votes: 11 78.6%

  • Nah I'm happy with this one.

    Votes: 3 21.4%
  • Total voters
    14
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LabR@t said:
Build a power rack

Anyone built a power rack, looks quite straight forward to do?
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You can build anything with box steel and a good welding kit or weldinng firm, ive been looking at doing a cable cage for a while now, pulleys and steel would come to less than £150 even if i had it welded up by a pro would still be way cheaper than a £1-2k cage which would not even fit in my small gym
 
Advice on back work out:

ATM i do wednesday as back n biceps

Back consists of:

Bent over row
Assited pull ups (not strong enough yet :( )
And cable machine high row

Is this ok? Can something be changed for the better added to it

Cheers for any help if ya can :)
 
Well I finished the last week of GVT half an hour ago :)

Quite possibly the most difficult thing I've ever done, physically and mentally.

But it's deffinatley worked. My bodyfat has lowered slightly (aided with not a great deal of cardio), definition has improved as a result and have added a fair amount of mass and improved my overall shape. I'm happy with the results but they could have been better If I focused on my diet a bit more, not that it was bad by any means.

Not sure how this has affected by strength though. I'm having 4/5 days off completely bar one or 2 sessions of cardio and will report back in regards to any strength decreases/increases.

Goes to show that hard work = results and that nothing in this game comes easily!

I'd recommend it, but stick with it as I found most of the gains really began to show around 7/8 weeks in. Teaches you a thing or two about form and that you can stick your ego where the sun doesnt shine :p

Finish line coming up for you shortly Freefaller!
 
ConTRo13R said:
Advice on back work out:

ATM i do wednesday as back n biceps

Back consists of:

Bent over row
Assited pull ups (not strong enough yet :( )
And cable machine high row

Is this ok? Can something be changed for the better added to it

Cheers for any help if ya can :)
Click to expand...

Dumbell Row might be something to add in or replace one of the other exercises with.
 
ConTRo13R said:
oh sorry, bent over row should be dumbell row

Is a bent over row the same but wit a barbell?
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Yes.

You can also vary your grip. Overhand and underhand.

DB rows are tougher I believe as you recruit more muscles in the shoulder/back. I don't quite know if that's acurate so will let somebody else explain.:)

Another thought you could change the grip from pullups (wide grip palms away) to chinups (palms facing close together) to target different areas of the biceps and back. Make sure you lower yourself right down to a hang at each rep. No half reps and no cheating!:p
 
Benny06 said:
Well I finished the last week of GVT half an hour ago :)

Quite possibly the most difficult thing I've ever done, physically and mentally.

But it's deffinatley worked. My bodyfat has lowered slightly (aided with not a great deal of cardio), definition has improved as a result and have added a fair amount of mass and improved my overall shape. I'm happy with the results but they could have been better If I focused on my diet a bit more, not that it was bad by any means.

Not sure how this has affected by strength though. I'm having 4/5 days off completely bar one or 2 sessions of cardio and will report back in regards to any strength decreases/increases.

Goes to show that hard work = results and that nothing in this game comes easily!

I'd recommend it, but stick with it as I found most of the gains really began to show around 7/8 weeks in. Teaches you a thing or two about form and that you can stick your ego where the sun doesnt shine :p

Finish line coming up for you shortly Freefaller!
Click to expand...

Just finished this evening. I can completely echo your results. I'm taking a bit of a rest, but will do some high intensity training before my holiday in 2 weeks - then 2 weeks of sun, sea and erm... relaxation! ;)

I always lean up nicely on holiday and lose all my water retention owing to cortisol levels so will probably look good (with a tan too) after my break., Then 4-5 weeks of regular training (pyramiding etc...) then back onto AGVT with some higher weights and different exercises!

I started bench on 70kg and finished on 105kg
I started squats on 100kg and finishes on 130kg
Front squats 60kg to 85kg
Incline bench 60 to 85
Chins BW to BW+12.5
DLs 110 to 140

So not big numbers really for me but damn the volume was tough even with those weights! I can't wait to do it again! I will start 10-20kg higher than my starting weights before as I think I probably could do with a bit more weight.
 
Benny06 said:
Yes.

You can also vary your grip. Overhand and underhand.

DB rows are tougher I believe as you recruit more muscles in the shoulder/back. I don't quite know if that's acurate so will let somebody else explain.:)

Another thought you could change the grip from pullups (wide grip palms away) to chinups (palms facing close together) to target different areas of the biceps and back. Make sure you lower yourself right down to a hang at each rep. No half reps and no cheating!:p
Click to expand...

On teh assisted pull ups i try to keep the weight pushing me back up to an absolute minumn i can so its more me doing the pull up that the machine even if it means i cant fully complete the last set

Is this really beneficial or should i up the weight and be able to comlete all sets

Is that palms facing me on the close grips? When i pull up then my grips is palms facing away from me and just wider than shoulder width, i always try the pull up so my chin is level with the bar and down so just before my arms make a right angle
 
ConTRo13R said:
On teh assisted pull ups i try to keep the weight pushing me back up to an absolute minumn i can so its more me doing the pull up that the machine even if it means i cant fully complete the last set

Is this really beneficial or should i up the weight and be able to comlete all sets

Is that palms facing me on the close grips? When i pull up then my grips is palms facing away from me and just wider than shoulder width, i always try the pull up so my chin is level with the bar and down so just before my arms make a right angle
Click to expand...

I would try to keep assistance from the machines minimal.

But if you struggle to get to the top of the rep you could slightly extend your legs on the platform pushing it away and then bring them back up, this should give a little momentum for the weight to push you up to the top of the rep to complete the range of motion. Only do this when you have stalled on your last rep. Just focus on getting a good range of motion and really targeting your back.

For pull ups (palms away) I'd use a wide grip, as comfortably wide as you can go. If you bend your elbow to 90 degress and bring your arms up so the back of your upper arm is parrallel to the floor. Grip the handles from this position. Focus on pulling your elbows back and down towards your sides (chest slightly out, head up).

Keep the reps controlled, this will stop you swinging and cheating using momentum.

Once you have completed your sets you could try a few negatives. Jump up to the top of the rep and then lower yourself slowly over 4 seconds. This should help to build more mass.

If you are familiar with positives (eccentric) and negatives (concentric). Positives build power and strength, negatives build mass and best results are gained from keeping these slow.

Welcome to correction!
 
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Freefaller said:
Just finished this evening. I can completely echo your results. I'm taking a bit of a rest, but will do some high intensity training before my holiday in 2 weeks - then 2 weeks of sun, sea and erm... relaxation! ;)

I always lean up nicely on holiday and lose all my water retention owing to cortisol levels so will probably look good (with a tan too) after my break., Then 4-5 weeks of regular training (pyramiding etc...) then back onto AGVT with some higher weights and different exercises!

I started bench on 70kg and finished on 105kg
I started squats on 100kg and finishes on 130kg
Front squats 60kg to 85kg
Incline bench 60 to 85
Chins BW to BW+12.5
DLs 110 to 140

So not big numbers really for me but damn the volume was tough even with those weights! I can't wait to do it again! I will start 10-20kg higher than my starting weights before as I think I probably could do with a bit more weight.
Click to expand...

Some nice improvements.

Mine were nowhere near as big. However I was doing 10 sets of 10 reps, usually supersets too.

Flat bench and standard B.O.R started at 60KG and progressed to 65KG over 5 weeks.

Incline bench went from 40KG to 55KG over 5 weeks.
Underhand B.O.R went from 60KG to 70KG over 5 weeks.

Squats and legpress went from 60KG to 70KG(stupid smith machine) and 96KG to 140KG for the last few weeks.

Leg curls went from 25KG upto 47.5KG. I've put a lot of mass onto my hamstrings.

I found squating on the smith with such short sets wasn't doing anything for my quads as I usually do sets of 20 so switched to leg press everynow and then to really target my legs.

Military press supersetted with upright rows or raises went from 25KG upto 35KG. I can see the extra mass on my shoulders and traps when doing the subsidary EZ curls.

It still puzzles me where I found the stamina to complete those sets/supersets with such short rest periods and all that volume!

Whilst It took me a few weeks to find the right weights, I found most weeks I wasn't quite using enough weight.

Looking foward to returning to a normal 3/4 sets per exercise!:p

Will be keeping the strict rest periods though. Before I began the next set when I had fully recovered but prefer the strict rest periods. I'll also be keeping my concentric movements slow, maybe not 4 seconds slow :p but a lot slower than I was before!

All in all 10 weeks put too good use!:)
 
Definitely.

I've learned all about slow eccentrics and strict rests/pauses.

4 sets are going to be soooo nice to do again! Full body workout next week - can't wait! :D

Powercleans, t-bar rows and all my other favourite exercises will be back baby! :D
 
I've decided in the last 8 months Ive lost 3st of fat and in the last 6 days ive been hit twice, I'm getting fat again its less hastle :p
 
dark_shadow said:
Thanks captain obvious :confused:

Someone broke into his house? Where were they stored? In a garage?
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Yes they where in my garage we had just moved in to are new place. My own fault for not locking the door. They did leave my bars and my £500 bike so not all bad. I need to start at a gym anyway. I still don't know how they moved 120kg of plates but they did.
 
Freefaller said:
Definitely.

I've learned all about slow eccentrics and strict rests/pauses.

4 sets are going to be soooo nice to do again! Full body workout next week - can't wait! :D

Powercleans, t-bar rows and all my other favourite exercises will be back baby! :D
Click to expand...

I can finally deadlift again! I was 5KG off my target of 200KG before I began GVT. Hopefully all the slow B.O.R's, standing military press, squats and leg curls will boost me past it!

Has anybody ever used a routine based around dropsets entirely? It'd require a lot of energy but if its been found to not be that effective and that the energy could be better spent let me know!
 
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