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

[p4radox]

Are there any reputable online sources I can link my friend to on the whole "toning" issue? I fear he's not going to believe me, or the words of some people on a computer forum (no offense... ).

 

[dun]

Can someone clarify the whole "toning" thing for me please?

I know it's a dirty word on here, but have I got this correct:

You can either build muscle mass or cut fat. Spot reduction of fat is not possible. Is the best way to increase "definition" to simply do a whole-body cardio type excercise (once sufficient mass has been built)?

I've heard these rumours about high rep, low weight excercises "toning" individual muscles, but my BS sensor was going off.

It's a dirty word because it doesn't mean anything. Toned to most people means low bodyfat and toning a muscle just lowering bodyfat more.
You can build muscle and cut fat, and spot reduce fat, just not at the level you are concerned with at the moment.

Muscle tone actually refers to the natural level of tension in a relaxed muscle. The misconception is that people don't want to build muscle, just tone what they have. If they had any muscle then they would already be able to see it providing they had low enough bodyfat. Build mass and lower body fat like you said



So you're one arm rowing an EZ bar?

B.O.R's don't target your lower back. It'll be used as a fixator to hold your trunk in position. They work your upper back, rhomboids, traps and lats (dependant upon grip). Biceps are involved too as an assisting muscle. If you're feeling it in your lower back I would imagine you're not doing it right or are rounding your back.

You should be tiring. If your not tiring by the end of your set you aren't using enough weight.

Yup

High rep low weight is a fitness / endurance exercise, not a mass building one.

Debatable. What works for some people doesn't for others, as we all know. Take legs for example, many people respond well to much less weight but higher rep ranges. Too oversimplified for me to agree fully but again at this level probably true.

 

[BennyC]

Had a good chest session today.

Pec Dec Warmup:

75KG x 6
82KG x 6
89Kg x 6
96KG x 6

Incline DB Press: Slow negs

30KG x 8
32.5KG x 8
35KG x 8
37.5 X 6 and half a 7th

Flat DB Press:

35KG x 8
32.5KG x 8
32.5KG x 7
30KGKG x 9

Incline Cable Flies: 4sn, either arm:
11KG x 8
13KG x 8
13KG x 8

Flat Cable Flies: 4sn, either arm:
11KG x 8
13KG x 8
13KG x 8

CGBP: Slow negs
60KG x 8
70KG x 8
60KG x 7 (Short rest between second and third sets)

Lying Tricep Extension BB: 4sn

25KG x 8
25KG x 8
25KG x 8

Cable Tricep Push downs: /\ Handle: 4sn:
26KG x 8

Cable Reverse Grip Tricep Pushdown:

26KG x 8
26KG x 8

5 Minutes interval training on the rower.

Tricep pump was good. Having had the first part of my gym instructor course I have now learnt to rotate my elbows for lying tricep extension and has stopped my elbows coming out to the side completey. Felt it much more on my outer tricep head near the elbow.

I've upped the frequency a bit. Normally I would train Tuesday to Friday, Cardio on Saturday (Boxing) and rest Sunday with some H.I.I.T on Monday.

From now on it's going to work on a 5 day cycle. 4 Days training with a days rest on the 5th day. So everything will be trained twice every 10 days as opposed to every 14 days. Do you think a days rest is enough providing the workouts aren't too intense? Chest, Back, Legs, Shoulders, Rest. Repeat is the order. Thoughts please

 

[Pigeon_Killer]

Chest session for me as well tonight. I'm currently in the sixth week of a winter bulk and although I've put on no weight, despite upping my calories by 100kcal a week, I'm finally starting to feel stronger.

Bench Press
85K x 5
95K x 5
105K x 5
115K x 5
125K x 5

Incline Dumbbell Press
75K x 10
80K x 10
85K x 10
90K x 10
95K x 10

Parallel Bar Dips
5K x 5
15K x 5
25K x 5
35K x 5
45K x 4

Hyperextensions
35K x 10
35K x 10

Crunches
10K x 10
10K x 10

 

[Freefaller]

Benny, you seem to like the pec dec - any reason? I really don't get on with it and find it a really unnatural movement, and find it aggravates shoulder issues, but also I just don't find it an effective exercise. Not saying you shouldn't do it, but curious as to why you are doing it. Or do you just do it for a warm up?

 

[Makunouchi]

winter bulk
upping my calories by 100kcal a week

100kcal a week extra doesn't seem like much, at your level does it make that much of a difference? I really have no idea, which is why I'm asking ^^

 

[Freefaller]

100kcal a week extra doesn't seem like much, at your level does it make that much of a difference? I really have no idea, which is why I'm asking ^^

I'd agree but it depends what his base level was. If it was 2500 cals, that's a 4% increase... not really a huge amount unless PK means 100cals extra week on week incrementally? But we don't know what he was starting on.

 

[Makunouchi]

I said 'at your level' cos i seem to remember PK being pretty big, I thought maybe as you get bigger you get more from a smaller increase in energy or something.

 

[BennyC]

Benny, you seem to like the pec dec - any reason? I really don't get on with it and find it a really unnatural movement, and find it aggravates shoulder issues, but also I just don't find it an effective exercise. Not saying you shouldn't do it, but curious as to why you are doing it. Or do you just do it for a warm up?

The pec dec we have simulates straight(slightly bent) arm flyes, so is'nt an old scool one where the back of your upper arm is parralell to the floor with the elbow at 90 degrees.

I used to use it as an exercise but on chest days now I only use it as a warm up. I used to favour it as it was similar to cable flyes and required less setting up. I didn't have to wheel a bench about and adjust the cable pulleys etc. I get a really big R.O.M and can come quite far back so find its good for warming up my chest.

As you can see I'm using cable flyes and I feel it working even more and the fact its simulating free weight means stabilising muscles are being recruited which aren't on the pec dec. So for now its strictly WU territory, although it didn't used to be. I've learnt a lot in the 2 and a bit years I've been training which is why it's no longer a major exercise for me.

On the topic of flyes I've never been a fan of DB flyes at all. I find that the force needed to use a reasonable weight generates momentum and theres also no tension once the arms come up past 45 degrees. Holding the weights up above my head at the top of the rep I don't like with my shoulder issues. DB flyes I just never got on with and has always felt unnatural for me.

Cable flyes however, I love as there's constant tension right they way through the entire ROM, even as the hands meet at the top. Also a lot safer. If something goes, snaps, tears, splits, I can let go and the cable whips the handle in. If it were a DB it'd be straight in my face or pulling me off the bench perhaps worsening the injury.

My views

 

[Pigeon_Killer]

I said 'at your level' cos i seem to remember PK being pretty big, I thought maybe as you get bigger you get more from a smaller increase in energy or something.

Started at 2200 calories, which is all my body needs to keep it ticking over, and have been upping them by 100 a week. I find smaller increments help to keep fat gains to a minimum because my metabolism increases at the same time. If I up them too quick I just gain fat.

 

[Freefaller]

As I thought it was incremental. Very sensible way of increasing calories, minimises the body's natural reaction to harvest calories. How high are you going to go? Up to 2700? That would be a 500 cal increase over 5 weeks which should see you gain 0.5 a week or so if you're doing it right.


Benny, that makes sense - I love cable flies, they're brilliant, unfortunately we don't have that in our gym But you're right, the key is tension at all times. Great exercise!

 

[^TANK^]

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa 110kg standing military press now.

 

[semi-pro waster]

Benny, that makes sense - I love cable flies, they're brilliant, unfortunately we don't have that in our gym But you're right, the key is tension at all times. Great exercise!

You could put one of the benches in the cable machine and do it like that couldn't you? Although I don't think the new benches fit having tried it but the old blue bench might.

 

[BennyC]

Benny, that makes sense - I love cable flies, they're brilliant, unfortunately we don't have that in our gym But you're right, the key is tension at all times. Great exercise!

Absolutley wicked exercise. Takes a bit of setting up but well worth it. I end up making a small fort

2 stepper boxes with the bench on top to allow me to come far enough back for a good range.

The cable machine we have isn't a cross over more of a courner unit with each pulley arms width apart. You get a bit of tension back but not much. Back home doing them in a proper cable crossover is brilliant.

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa 110kg standing military press now.

Monster. Congrats I wonder what you could clean and jerk. It's a bit more about the technique but still a degree of strength must be involved.
*I take no responsibility for tank throwing 200KG's through the roof of his garage!

 

[Freefaller]

You could put one of the benches in the cable machine and do it like that couldn't you? Although I don't think the new benches fit having tried it but the old blue bench might.

Oh no you can set it up easily, it's just the pulleys and cables are crap as you know.

 

[Pigeon_Killer]

As I thought it was incremental. Very sensible way of increasing calories, minimises the body's natural reaction to harvest calories. How high are you going to go? Up to 2700? That would be a 500 cal increase over 5 weeks which should see you gain 0.5 a week or so if you're doing it right.

I'm currently eating around 2600-2700kcals so I'll just keep upping them until I see an acceptable weight increase. Once that happens I'll just monitor my weight each week and adjust my calories accordingly to maintain that increase.

That's the plan until New Years at which point the sensible diet goes out the window and it's all about getting strong again

 

[Freefaller]

\o/

 

[^TANK^]

Monster. Congrats I wonder what you could clean and jerk. It's a bit more about the technique but still a degree of strength must be involved.
*I take no responsibility for tank throwing 200KG's through the roof of his garage!

xD.

 

[-Ad-]

Stayed away from the gym today, feeling a bit off.

Also found out today one of our friends who popped along to the house party on sat (and left after an hour feeling crap) most likely has TEH SWINE.

Fingers crossed

 

[^TANK^]

I done my session tonight with an ear infection, you big girl.