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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Is it just me or does anybody else get anxious/nervous before lifting heavy?

I'm doing a 5x5 squat program today and today was the heaviest I've taken it. On the way there I was incredibly anxious/nervous and felt a bit sick. By the time I got out the changing rooms and had done a quick warm up I couldn't get the weight on the bar quick enough! God knows where it came from but I had plenty of drive and focus but just 10 minutes before I felt the completly opposite.
 
I always need to get myself worked up, but that prob 'cos im training 1st thing in the morning.

5*5 is reaping real rewards for me, I did 75kg on the squats on friday,I think my form was off though, its my own fault tho Ive been adding more weight than I should really. Im struggling with the bench press side of it tho,70kg was hurting my shoulder and elbow a bit.Pull ups have been hard aswell, they've been hurting my neck a bit on the following day, but at least I can do 15/10/10 now.

Gotta say I've got to thank FF for recomending the SL routine, since Ive started doing it properly ive felt so much better and im dropping 2lb a week easy without being on a stupid faddy diet, im not even doing that much cardio, 15-20 mins a session.Just gotta keep at it.
 
wohoo said:
I always need to get myself worked up, but that prob 'cos im training 1st thing in the morning.

5*5 is reaping real rewards for me, I did 75kg on the squats on friday,I think my form was off though, its my own fault tho Ive been adding more weight than I should really. Im struggling with the bench press side of it tho,70kg was hurting my shoulder and elbow a bit.Pull ups have been hard aswell, they've been hurting my neck a bit on the following day, but at least I can do 15/10/10 now.
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Well if you squat 75kg then benching 70kg is likely to be a bit of a task, they are way out of proportion :confused:
 
Yeah I guessed as much, but I racked up the weight on the bench and it felt good so every session I kept banging some on. Looking at the routine, by now, with a squat at 75kg the bench should only be 47.5, I think I'll deload for my next sessions.Sometimes its difficult to stop yourself getting carried away after a few sessions:p
 
fonzee said:
aye a bit odd that. I still can't bench 70 3x8 with good form yet can comfortably squat 100-110... :confused:

edit: ahh 47.5, slightly off eh ;)
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Squats are completely new to me, Ive done some pretty boy weights before (ie not doing proper weights and in a poncy gym), so i was able to rack up the weight on the bench quite quickly.
 
wohoo said:
Yeah I guessed as much, but I racked up the weight on the bench and it felt good so every session I kept banging some on. Looking at the routine, by now, with a squat at 75kg the bench should only be 47.5, I think I'll deload for my next sessions.Sometimes its difficult to stop yourself getting carried away after a few sessions:p
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What? Don't start benching less than you are able to, just start working more on your squat!
 
Disco Boy said:
What? Don't start benching less than you are able to, just start working more on your squat!
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So is it worth stalling my benchwork,ie just stick to what im doing until the squat catches up? or should I just add a bit a week rather than the 7.5-10kg ive been adding so far?
 
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I wouldn't stall anywork. Just work on the other as you need. Switch to a strength program for your weaker lift. My squats been lagging quite a lot but I haven't stopped deadlifting of benching. No real point in waiting for the other to catch up unless it was something like clean and press and one part of the lift was considerably weaker.
 
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Well just got back from my skiing holiday! Legs are knackered, and I have aches in odd places! Knees are a bit sore, but damn if it's not a good workout. Every day I did a 10km descent (pretty much red but with a bit of black and off piste sections depending on where you go) which really gave you wobbly legs by the end of it, problem is form and technique starts to go. However, it just showed me how much fitness I have, as despite not having the best technique (it's been 10yrs since I've been and ski technology has changed dramatically!) - and I was able to keep up and ski my arse off for 6hrs a day and still do a 10km run. Legs are looking awesome! The apres ski and the food in Austria did probably mean that I haven't really lost much fat as a result, but hey it's the holiday! Time for the gym will be with me soon enough! :D
 
I've been looking at switching to some GVT training to change things up a bit, a lot of people on here seem to like it so I thought I'd give it a bash.

I was wondering if anyone that has some experience in GVT could post up what their routine looks like. I've come up with the following routine:

Day 1: Chest and Back
Bench Press 10x10
BOR 10x10
Incline Flies 3x12
Pullups 3x12

Day 2: Legs and Abs
Squats 10x10
Calf Raises 10x10
Hamstring Curls 3x12
Hanging leg lifts 3x12

Day 3: Shoulders and Arms
Dumbbell Press 10x10
Upright Rows 10x10
BB curls 3x12
Skull crushers 3x12

What are your thoughts on this? I've always done a 4 day split as I feel it's too much to squeeze it into 3 days, but the vast majority of routines I've seen on the net are 3 day splits. I think this is also a bit more quantity than some of the examples I've seen.
 
Thats more or less exactly what I did :)

Although I did 10x10 on leg curls and sometimes switched to leg press over squats.

I also used a BB for shoulder press.

I'd swap the 10x10 on calf raise to leg curls or SLDL.

Just double checking you are aware that the first two exercises for each day you've put are to be supersetted with 90 seconds rest.

I didn't want to do this for legs so I did each 10x10 compound with 60 seconds rest.

The last two exercises I didn't do (don't think you're supposed to) as supersets so used 60 second rest intervals.

You want to begin failing sets around the 4th set so use the correct weight. Remember no forced reps. So if you fail just rerack the bar, don't get spotted to the end of each set.

Most importantly the rep tempo should be 4-0-2 though I found sometims I did 4-0-1. Ideally in seconds, if you can't get a 4 second negative the weights too heavy.

DOMS for me lasted around 3-4 days :eek: seriously. I never did my chest/back session the day before the shoulders and arms, you shouldn't be able to!

I also swapped to underhand grip for B.O.R's and Incline bench 5 weeks in.

It's quite a togh routine mentally and got a bit boring towards the end but it works.

Hope this helps.

Edit: Sometimes I switched Upright Rows for raises, front/back/side ( sets -3/3/4 or 4/3/3 or 3/4/3)
 
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Thanks Benny, that's very useful.

Sounds like a plan, I'll switch the calves for SLDL and then do the calves for 3 instead of the hamstring curls.

I didn't know they were to be super-setted, I obviously didn't read that hard! How important is this? It's fine for day 1 and 3, but on leg day that will mean switching the weight over for the 2 exercises as there is only 1 oly bar at my gym :( which either means getting exhausted as swapping the weight will mean no proper rest, or taking a longer rest, which isn't ideal.
 
That's why certain exercises I just did on their own with shorter rest. As I'd take up the smith and olympic bar as we have no squat rack. The leg curl machine was across the room and it just wasn't practical.

I did this when I switched to incline too.

There's some articles on T-nation about it. I think it's pritty important as it really fatigues the fibres which means they're all be recruited which is the whole point (I think).

Supersets should give you a bigger pump as well as being more difficult with blood going all over the place. Although thinking about it doing them not as supersets wil make it tougher as you've not had the extra 60 seconds (while you perform one of the two exercises) to recover.

It's quite CV I found I was sweating bucket loads after the first bench/row supersets which takes half an hour!

I had a stopwatch with lap intervals in front me. The good thing is each set takes 60 seconds exactly if you're going at the correct tempo so you can guage if your lifting too fast or slowly if you strugle to count seconds and reps.

When you're fatigued just go as slow as you can with a nice big R.O.M but try to stick to the tempos until you begin to die.
 
Do your push ups and eat your greens. Alternatively read the sticky...
Unfortunately though not even the sticky can help you pick out a random celebrity and build a mirror image physique :)
 
Infam0us said:
Any ideas on how to look like Vin Diesel from Chronicles Of Riddick in terms of bodybuilding with specific routines? Or just general bodybuilding will do it along witha good diet?
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Not that difficult he's not that big really, and just has decent bodyfat on him - he's not particularly big and I don't think his physique is that impressive.

Just train hard and eat well.
 
Hehe thanks for the advice guys but, and I know this may sound like a "Oh here we go post" but I was just watching the film and thought that I would like to achieve something similar in terms of my own bodyshape :) So following the sticky and keeping a good diet after 4-5 months should be similar? I've been training since October last year but want to increase the intensity, but if you guys are saying he's not that big maybe its gonna be easier than I thought!
 
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