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

[BennyC]

I really enjoyed my 3 day split when I did it. I liked the increased frequency but also getting to perform the exercises more regulary which helped with form.

 

[TommyV]

Morning All,

I'm approaching my 3month training period, and am planning on a week off to let my body 'fully' recover.

Last couple of weeks i've noticed myself hitting a hard plateau in a lot of my excercises, do i just need a rest? I've never trained as seriously as i do now (i.e. with rest week + calorie counting), is this normal to hit such a plateau?

I plan on taking the rest week, seeing how I cope first full week back, if there is no change, will concentrate on a few negative rep excerises the following week.

Additionally, is it advised i keep up my 3.2k~ calories (bulk intake!) for that rest week?

Advice much appreciated.

 

[BennyC]

Yes I'd recommend maintaining your bulk intake of calories. Some might say 3000 calories might be adequate. You're growing when you're resting so you deffinatley want to be fueling!

In terms of your plateau, have you changed your training routine at all over the last 3 months? Changed the exercises? rest periods? intenisty? reps etc? As it might just be your body adpating.

 

[TommyV]

Yes I'd recommend maintaining your bulk intake of calories. Some might say 3000 calories might be adequate. You're growing when you're resting so you deffinatley wan't to be fueling!

In terms of your plateau, have you changed your training routine at all over the last 3 months? Changed the exercises? rest periods? intenisty? reps etc? As it might just be your body adpating.

Yes i've changed it up a lot, and am trying to switch around every month or so, this week is my last week of current routine, and am going to flip it around.

Have been sticking to 6-8 reps as of the last 3 or so weeks, plan of attack will be to switch the days inwhich i do a particular body part in, and within those days, switch around the order of the routine.

ATM it looks like;

Mon - Chest
Tue - Back (upper+lower) + Traps + forearms
Wed - Rest
Thurs - Shoulders
Fri - Triceps + Traps
Sat - biceps

Note, i cannot do legs due to damaging the ACL on my left knee, I can do deadlifts but haven't been pushing myself hard at all (225x5x5 atm), but that's about it as the bones are still swollen from the initial injury.

New routine will look something like this (for the first month)

Mon - Arm day (tri + bi) in supersets (advisable?) + Traps
Tues - Rest
Wed - Shoulders
Thurs - Back + Traps
Fri - Chest + forearms
Sat/Sun - Rest

Each routine takes roughly 40-55 minutes

 

[georges]

Cheers for the cinnamon thing FF. Started putting it on my wheatbiscuit breakfast things and also in my shakes.

Just had a nice fun session. DB bench, Deadlifts, shrugs, abs, bicep curls and lat pull.

 

[BennyC]

Could you list the exercises you've been doing too?

Supersets work very well for arms for some people.

However you've got arm isolation, back, shoulders all before chest. Depending on how intense you're working I'd question weather your chest is going to be allowed a hammering at the end of the week?

Other than that it looks fairly reasonable.

You could try pyramiding the weight heavy to light or light to heavy to up the intensity. Also maybe aim for 10-12 reps slightly lighter every few weeks. What are your rests between sets like?

 

[TommyV]

Could you list the exercises you've been doing too?

Supersets work very well for arms for some people.

However you've got arm isolation, back, shoulders all before chest. Depending on how intense you're working I'd question weather your chest is going to be allowed a hammering at the end of the week?

Other than that it looks fairly reasonable.

You could try pyramiding the weight heavy to light or light to heavy to up the intensity. Also maybe aim for 10-12 reps slightly lighter every few weeks. What are your rests between sets like?

Rest time tends to be just under 2 minutes, i try to keep the intensity fairly high.

Routine aka Wall of text, all of which tends to be 6-8 reps;

- Chest

BB or DB Bench (on BB atm)
Incline DB press
Incline Flys
Dips
Decline Bench or Cable flys (this is due to how busy it is, usually cable flys are always packed)

- Back (none of this is to failure)

WG Pullups
CG Pullups
DL's 5x5
Seated Cable Rows
Wrist Curls
Reverse grip BB curls

- Shoulders

Seated press
Arnie Presses
Seated, leaned forward Reverse flys
Front Raises
Cable Lateral raises

- Triceps

CGBP
EZ Bar french curls <3
Overhead tricep extensions (double handed)
Dips
Cable pull downs to finish me off

- Biceps

Curls
BB Curls
BB Concentrated Curls
EZ Bar Hammer concentrated curls
Reverse grip BB Curls

 

[dun]

I take it those are each of your training days not 1 sesion? So you have bicep and tricep days, but no legs?

 

[TommyV]

I take it those are each of your training days not 1 sesion? So you have bicep and tricep days, but no legs?

If you read my previous post mate, i can't do legs. The closest thing i can do it glutes w/ deadlifts, i've a damage ACL on my left knee which restricts any kind of leg workout(surgery in a couple of months which i'm dreading, no training for 6 weeks :/)

And yeah, each group is a days training.

 

[dun]

Sorry mate I sometimes skim through if there has been a lot of posts, obviously missed a crucial part there . I'm not 100% clued up on ACL injuries but if it was bad enough to require surgery I certainly wouldn't be pushing anything requiring leg power, including deads.
I would still condense the 2 arm days into 1 though, no need for single bi and tri sessions imo.

 

[BennyC]

I'd have to agree. Train Bi's and Tri's together you'll get a big pump if done properly. I used to do 3 supersets back to back for arms and it worked quite well. Dropsets are also another thing to try.

Does your knee stop you performing B.O.R's?
Not sure if the front raises are necesary, however if it works for you...
Shrugs might make a bit of a change, again if you can perform them without your knee complaining...(I like behind the back shrugs)
Get in on the HC2PP action. It's absolutley killer and a brilliant exercise.

 

[TommyV]

Excuse my ignorance, HC2PP?

B.O.R, bent over rows, over a bench w/ DB you mean? I would be able to, but not at any weight considered challenging at all without the knee complaining. WIll give it a go though.
I do shrugs twice a week, 3x DB one time, and 3x Front BB, then from behind 3x BB. Traps have made improvements over the last few months, i remember the day when i didn't have any visible trap heads at all!

 

[BennyC]

Hang Clean to Push Press.

I personally do Hang Clean to Military Press and only push press when I've stalled.

It's effectively an upright row supersetted with military press. However it's more of an upright throw than a row. You have to really power the weight up, not reverse curl or slowly row it up.

Powercleans are probaly a better place to start.

Edit: Ahh if the knee is giving you problems then that's fine. Try using DB's and a bench I see a few people doing this and it looks quite tough.

 

[NitrogenY3K]

Bulking diet is going awsome for me at the moment, have gained pretty well so far without puttinn unwanted fat on (soem fat is inevitable)

Arms - + 0.75"
Legs - + 2"
Chest + 1"
Calves + 0.75
Waist - +0.75

Seem to be getting slightly more vascular, which Im using to give me an indicator of bodyfat gain, so by the looks of it im keeping my bodyfat in check


Im going to use this thread as a bit of a blog rather than starting a new thread If nobody minds that is

 

[BennyC]

A friend of mine seems to think that when it's cold outside/winter your metabolism slows down?

This sounds a bit odd to me. Says he 'read it in maximuscle'

 

[Freefaller]

Rubbish.

Even if it were true, it'd speed up to keep you warm - but you just feel the thermogenic more when it's warm outside.

 

[dun]

Just got in from my first "arms" day for, pff a fair few months, since I switched to doing legs twice a week anyway. Wow felt great. The pump was just insane, even having to spot some joker a couple of times I was in and out in an hour.

Seated calf raise

20kg *15
40kg *12
50kg *12
50kg *12
50kg *12
50kg *12

Standing calf raise

100kg *8
100kg *8
100kg *8
100kg *8

Dips

BW *12 (was really nervous about these, haven't done them since my shoulder but *touch wood* was good)
BW *12
BW *12
BW *12

Barbell curl

20kg (+thin bar) *12
30kg *12
30kg *12
20kg *6 half 6 half 6 full

Cable pushdown

50lb *15 (guessing it lbs here certainly isn't kilos as it would lift me up later)
70lb *12
80lb *12
90lb *10
100lb *10

Dumbbell curl

10kg *10 each arm
12.5kg *10
15kg *10
17.5kg *10

Palm facing ground kickback

7.5kg *10 each arm
7.5kg *10
7.5kg *10

Dumbbell concentration hammer

10kg *10 each arm
10kg *10

Reverse grip pushdown, supersetted with single arm

15kg *8 - 5kg *6
15kg *8 - 5kg *6
15kg *8 - 5kg *6

 

[BennyC]

Rubbish.

Even if it were true, it'd speed up to keep you warm - but you just feel the thermogenic more when it's warm outside.

Exactly what I said! He was a bit demotivated at the gym and was using this as one of his reasons. Which if anything, if it were true (which it isn't), would give you more reason to want to be there.

Shoulders today:

WU:
Military Press:
25KG x 5 front, x 5 behind
40KG x 10

PC2MP:
50KG x 8
60KG x 8
60KG x 8
50KG x 8

Arnies:
20KG DB's x 8/8
22.5KG x 8/8
25KG x 8/8

Upright Row: 4sn:
35KG x 8
40KG x 8
50KG x 8

HC2MP:
35KG x 8
35KG x 8
35KG x 8

BB Shrugs:

60KG x 12 (4sn)
80KG x 12 (4sn)
100KG x 10
120KG x 10

Single Arm DB Side raises 4sn:
7KG x 8/8
8KG x 8/8
9KG x 8/8
9KG x 8/8

Dips @ BW 4sn:
Wide x 10
Close x 10 (quick focusing on power)
Close x 10

Rear Deltoid Fly 4sn:
Both Palm Down:
33KG x 8
Single:33KG x 8/8
Single Palms Facing: 33KG x 8/8

Job done. BIG fan of HC2MP. The dips weren't probaly necesary but wanted to do some.

 

[burtie]

Went for my gym Induction tonight and had a chat with the owner who talked me into joining his power lifting session. I've not trained for at least 3 months so I did OK I hope.

Deadlift

60kg x5
70kg x5
80kg x5
90kg x5
105kg x5

DB Bent over rows
4x15 20kg

DB Shrugs 20KG each hand
4x15

4 x15 crunches

It's a very small gym but for £20 per month I like it. I'm now training with a group of 10 Mon Tue Fri. They go in a lot of lifting competitions
across Europe, so all should be good for my form and training.

 

[Rosbif]

£20? Excellent. Sounds quite cosy too. A power lifting session, cool! I think you could be onto a winner there. My gym as far as weight lifting goes is pretty damned anonymous. It is utterly lacking in atmosphere and camaraderie.