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

[Freefaller]

I obvioulsy need to up my game - 2.5x bodyweight is immense...

Hmm let me see that would be 250kg squats. Surely I can do that no?! Why is it so difficult? I feel weak now It's not THAT heavy... ok it is a little, 1/4 of a tonne... but dammit....

 

[Freefaller]

It's very impressive but you have to remember we all have a lift that we excell at. Whilst we regulary look at the big three there are plenty of other lifts like powercleans and military press which require large amounts of power/strength that somebody who can squat/bench/dl might not excell quite so well at. I remember a video of you powercleaning that looked effortless, whilst im not too far behind you on the deadlift I lack the explosive power to throw 100KG's up into the air!

Great lifting DS

I need to find a gym with a squat rack, the smith machine is killing me!

It's a good point - there are some things that we are just powerfully good/better at. Also I think it's an exponential scale in terms of effort when the weights get big. 200kg starts to be a lot tougher, but I wonder if that's psychological or not?

 

[Freefaller]

there is a huge difference between weighing 70kg and doing 2.5BW squat and when you weigh 100kg and want to do the same.
the latter is MUCH harder, i'm sure there was an explanation somewhere.

another example is when you see people that are like 5 ft 6 benching with a very wide grip and a barrel chest, their ROM is like 10-15cm while i have to move the bloody bar for half a meter.

Physical leverage is always going to be different I agree. A barell chested chap doing bench will always be easier than a short armed short person doing deadlifts.

However I'm conflicted, I do agree with what you're saying in your 1st paragraph, but also I agree with what Ben90 says about it just being a percentage.

However it comes down to power:weight, lighter people invariably tend to have better power:weight.

I were to shed 10% of bodyfat I'd drop to low 90s - however my strength would/should (hopefully) stay the same but suddenly my lifts become a larger percentage of my bodyweight - does it mean I become stronger? Nope not at all, however relative to my bodyweight I have. However, it may mean I can do more chins/dips as my muscles having been used to shifting my original weight will be able to do so at my lighter weight with more ease.

The way I see it (and I'm not expecting everyone to concur) is that no matter how much you weigh, lifting 200+ kg is always going to be impressive and strong. 200 or 300 or whatever, doesn't change it's constant. It'll always be 1/5 of a tonne or more as you go heavier. However, this would be in conjunction with power:weight for other exercises.

I'd never compare a 100kg man being able to DL 200kg for reps weaker than a 70kg man DLing 140kg even though they are both double bodyweight.

However a 70kg man being able to do 20 chins, will always be more impressive than a 100kg man being able to do 2.

That's where the grey area lies - it's a funny cross over.

 

[Freefaller]

I think it's more likely to do with the fact you're getting stronger. When I was a lot lighter I could do lots and lots of dips, but strapping weight round my waist I couldn't do much more than 20kg or so for 1 or 2 reps. I can now do 40kg around my waist whilst weighing close to 100kg (so 140 in total) and do 5-6 reps. So it agrees with your statement, but purely owing to the fact that I'm a lot stronger now rather than anything else.

 

[Freefaller]

My gym's closed

 

[Freefaller]

I actually love when the gym is empty - gives me the opportunity to train shirtless I know I know, it's really vain, but sometimes you need that ego boost!

 

[Freefaller]

LOL!

 

[Freefaller]

Merry Christmas gymrats! May you be ever more beefy and strong next year!

 

[Freefaller]

Mine isn't :/

 

[Freefaller]

I'm off skiing tomorrow - so the gym will have to wait till next year!

 

[Freefaller]

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!

 

[Freefaller]

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?

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.

 

[Freefaller]

Sorry dude but its gonna take a few years to get that size naturally.

Indeed. That's the biggest plight we face in this game - time. IT's worth it though... but you have to want it enough to be happy to wait for it.

 

[Freefaller]

Its great to have a goal mate and I wish you the best of luck but depending on what you are like now I'm afraid its going to take a hell of a lot longer than 5 months to get anywhere near that level. The only person who said he isn't that big is FF, who is probably the biggest sub 20% bf guy on here so...

When I said he isn't big, of course I'm comparing to my targets goals and aspirations. As you say it is great to have a goal and it's important to have something to compare your progress to. But just in terms of stats VD isn't that big a chap - however If you're a 150lb 6 footer then of course he'll appear chunky. IT's all relative I guess.

 

[Freefaller]

After my other ski holiday I'm hitting AGVT - hard. Get nice and fat before summer

 

[Freefaller]

I was "cutting" not that I believe in such methodology, before Christmas hols, i.e. increasing intensity, doing more cardio/HIIT but still hitting heavy weights. Lost an inch around my waist, and not lost anything around my legs or arms or chest so it's all good.

Put on a couple of pounds after my Skiing holiday (mainly owing to eating my own bodyweight every day! ).

But I'm back in it. Can't wait for the start of March Mass monster I reckon - I'm tempted to (although it's very contrary to my style of training) just go for it (i.e. uber bulk) it'll help me reach my 600kg totals... but not sure if I can be bothered with it. I quite like being sub 18% BF and strong as I am.

 

[Freefaller]

Just fail for that set. It's a good indication of your progress. If you don't fail next week, you've improved. If you still fail, it might be too heavy, or you're still developing.

With AGVT for example I often managed 8 sets of 5 and the last 2 would be 3 or 4. Then as the weights got harder I might only succeed on 6 sets. However as strength increases over the weeks, by the 3rd week on the same weight (owing to how the program works), where I would have been at 6 FULL sets, I'm now able to do 8 FULL sets, with the other 2 being failed sets. It's a very good for hypotrophy and strength improvement.


As for abs, I do lots of big exercises which hit the core - but I do hanging leg raises, DB pull ins, to name but a couple.

 

[Freefaller]

Anyone else ever felt light headed after DLs?

http://failblog.org/2010/01/07/weightlifting-fail-2/

LOL! Served him right for rubbish form and weight and for dropping the weight.

Looked painful though


16st this evening, though this was after dinner... hmmm I was meant to be going back down! Bloody Christmas and skiing holidays and too much apfelstrudel! Well I needed the fuel to keep me warm you see, and and and........

 

[Freefaller]

and you needed to live a little Sounds like you had a great time. A favorate of mine was eating apple Strudel 10000 feet up. Plus I was in a Village where every hotel contained a gym.

Hehe - yeah you need to have fun, still my waist measurement hasn't increased which is good and not looking too bad, and still sub 18% so happy with that. Still need to get back to my body conditioning program before AGVT in March! I was hopping to get to 15%, which I know I can do. Problem is, skipping, hill sprints etc... are quite hard to do in the snow and ice!

 

[Freefaller]

Woop! Hadn't done weighted chins for a while so a week ago I stuck 20kg on and did it for reps, surprised me cause my weight's been going steadily up recently. Tried again yesterday's sessions and did 40kg for 1 strict rep from hanging dead (puts me at a bit over 19 stone altogether). Absolutely stoked and definitely going to keep pushing that in the coming weeks and months.

Apologies for the pointless post but I'm over the moon

40kg + BW chins are great work! Well done mate. To get to over 19st I just need 20kg round me but I know how hard it is, so you should be chuffed!

Come on mate, just think of Rocky IV