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

[Freefaller]

Hey all, trying to see if anyone can recommend some kit for me....I basically want to get some extra weights...Barbell/dumbell...

It's only going to be like 50kg's worth no doubt, only thing I'm contemplating over is the fact I only have a little bench at home to do exercises on, and their is no self spotting rig implemented....Would it be worth investing or? As I won't be benching 50kg's for a while yet.

I've seen a relatively cheap bench at a catalog store, that has a spotting type apparatus on it, but I'm not sure if it's worth purchasing...

Any insight would be appreciated

50kg is just not worth it IMO. Is this to replace the gym or to do some exercise at home?

 

[Delvis]

50kg is just not worth it IMO. Is this to replace the gym or to do some exercise at home?

Stuff at home....I don't have the money to go to the gym sadly.

You have to bear with me, my weight limits are god knows how much less than everyone elses here ...So 50kg's is a lot to me really.

I would buy a decent 100kg set or something if I had the cash, but I don't sadly.

 

[Euro_Hunter]

Hey all, trying to see if anyone can recommend some kit for me....I basically want to get some extra weights...Barbell/dumbell...

It's only going to be like 50kg's worth no doubt, only thing I'm contemplating over is the fact I only have a little bench at home to do exercises on, and their is no self spotting rig implemented....Would it be worth investing or? As I won't be benching 50kg's for a while yet.

I've seen a relatively cheap bench at a catalog store, that has a spotting type apparatus on it, but I'm not sure if it's worth purchasing...

Any insight would be appreciated

If you're serious I would invest in a powerrack & decent incline bench.

I have been training at home for many years and gone through numorous cheap benches / multi gyms etc.

I have had my powerrack for 2 years now and never looked back, well worth the cash imo.

 

[Ironic Namesake]

If you're serious I would invest in a powerrack & decent incline bench.

I have been training at home for many years and gone through numorous cheap benches / multi gyms etc.

I have had my powerrack for 2 years now and never looked back, well worth the cash imo.

Do you have the PowerTec by any chance? Any problems with the chin up grips?

Also agree , well worth spending cash on a rack and a proper bench (although I don't have the leg attachment so can't do decline)

 

[Delvis]

If you're serious I would invest in a powerrack & decent incline bench.

I have been training at home for many years and gone through numorous cheap benches / multi gyms etc.

I have had my powerrack for 2 years now and never looked back, well worth the cash imo.

Again....Money.

And space for that matter, if I lived in my own place it wouldn't be a problem really.

It's something I'd do when I move out really

 

[Euro_Hunter]

Do you have the PowerTec by any chance? Any problems with the chin up grips?

Also agree , well worth spending cash on a rack and a proper bench (although I don't have the leg attachment so can't do decline)

No I have the Powerline PPR200 and just recently bought the lat attachment which is great.

 

[Euro_Hunter]

Again....Money.

And space for that matter, if I lived in my own place it wouldn't be a problem really.

It's something I'd do when I move out really

So what is your budget atm?

 

[Delvis]

So what is your budget atm?

Well....I 'could' spend a couple of hundred, so If I was to buy a rack I'd rather save up and get a decent one, like yourself....But I can't really set anything up that is big anywhere, or relatively heavy....Hence why I only have a little bench and some weights. (Although light in comparison)

I just don't want to get a set of heavy weights, try and bench press them (for example) and fail and hurt myself due to having no supports. Although I wouldn't do some silly weight straight off anyway, I'd work myself up. But still, the damage factor is still there

 

[Ben M]

Hey guys, no pics at the mo, but will get some up soon. Just though that I'd post about my state + goals

At the moment I'm 75kg 6', pretty skinny, with some belly fat.
My plan is to bulk now until I'm at a reasonable size, then to cut, finishing by September. My overall goal is to be lean mass, so to be ripped, more than stacked

I'm home for a month now, so the plan is to kickstart my bulk. I've paid for a month's pass at my local gym (I am a member of the gym at uni as well)

As far as lifting is concerned, I've got quite a bit of time, as all I've got on this hols (other than the odd trip to see friends, and night out) is revision. So I can be in the gym more-or less any/every day. So I was thinking:
Biceps & back
Triceps & chest & shoulders
Legs & abs
Rest
Biceps & back
Triceps & chest & shoulders
Legs & abs

As you can see, that's 7 days' worth

Diet should be easy for this month. I weigh 165lb, so I need around 3kcal a day (formula from Gordy's stickie) which is easy, I have an insatiable appetite, I'll probably be going over (which won't matter until I come to cut)

Protein intake wise, I'll try for 200g a day (that's the middle of Gordy's recommendation)

Each day I'll aim for:

9:00 Breakfast: Cereal with skimmed milk, whey shake* with skimmed milk
10:30 Snack: Piece of fruit or something
12:30 Lunch: Usually something like a couple of sandwiches
14:00 Snack: Something small like a yoghurt or some fruit
15:00 Training, then a whey shake with oats
18:00 Evening meal, normal square evening meal which my mum makes
20:00 Fruit/ yoghurt or whatever during the evening
22:00 Whey shake with skimmed milk before bed

* 2 scoops of unflavoured whey protein from MP

I have an absolutely insatiable appetite, so that list is probably an underestimation.
Food will be a bit more of an (expensive) issue in a month's time when I'm back at uni, and fending for myself

Any comments/ criticism would be greatly appreciated. I'll put pics up a bit later on.

 

[BennyC]

Snip

4 Shakes a day seems to be quite a lot! You may want to revise this number. One in the morning, one before and after training should be plenty?

Also triceps, chest and shoulders all on one day is a bit much. Especially If you want to hit your shoulders properly, without spenidng 3+ hours there?

Perhaps try dropping Tricep and Bicep Isolation mid week and getting a proper shoulder session in. How about this?

Back
Chest
Legs & Abs
Rest
Shoulders
Triceps & Biceps
Legs & Abs

It doesn't seem to me that you'll be hitting each group effectively, if you plan of having enough juice left in them to hit them twice a week. My two cents

 

[Ben M]

4snip

Thanks for the fast reply. I hadn't realised that it was 4 I'll drop the shake from the morning snack.

I tried biceps shoulders and back today, but decided that triceps shoulders chest would be a better split, because those three are used together more, also because my biceps were so shagged (they're definately my weakest point) that they were holding back when I was trying to do shoulder exercises.

The reason why I decided on a three day split is because I keep my sessions are relatively short, my muscles get tired pretty quickly, and I'm flagging majorly by the end. So I think that two shorter sessions on each thing per week will definately be more beneficial than one long one. What do you think?

 

[Andr3w]

Went to the gym today for an hour for the first time in about 9days (been playing a lot of golf / busy at work ) anywhoo


OMFG THE BURNNNNNNNNNNNNN

OHHHH THE FEELS SOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD


*has a little moment to himself*

oh yeah

 

[Morba]

Freefaller, what exact brand of Cissus do you use, please? Do you think it's likely to help with a rotator cuff injury that came up when benching?

Thanks

start doing some exercises that will work the rotator cuff more specifically.

 

[Buffman]

how often do you guys do ab work?
I got a program the other week, 3 day split
Chest/triceps
Back/biceps
Legs/shoulders
and abs every one of those routines too, the instructor suggested doing ab work every weights day as it's hard to train abs as you can't really do weighted exercises. Is this a load of wollocks and is it worth doing them 3x a week?

 

[Pigeon_Killer]

I do 2 sets of weighted crunches twice a week on my chest (Monday) and back (Friday) days. I do heavy squats and deadlifts on Wednesdays and that works my core far harder than any direct ab work.

 

[Buffman]

I do 2 sets of weighted crunches twice a week on my chest (Monday) and back (Friday) days. I do heavy squats and deadlifts on Wednesdays and that works my core far harder than any direct ab work.

I do squats on leg days using smith machine but got no barbells in the gym for deadlifts.

 

[Ironic Namesake]

I hardly ever do any ab work, always manage to leave abs out somehow - but have been doing them again recently on chest day.

 

[Buffman]

I hardly ever do any ab work, always manage to leave abs out somehow - but have been doing them again recently on chest day.

I don't mind doing them, I prefer to have a slightly longer session in the gym as it takes ~30 minutes to walk there so makes it seem more worthwhile, although at the same time if its not worthwhile then I'd leave em out.

 

[Mundu]

I've been struggling to increase the amount of weights I'm lifting. A 2.5kg increase can throw my form off completly on the last set of bench press and some other exercises.

I'm currently on a three day split: chest/triceps/shoulders - back/biceps - legs

I also think it could be that I'm not eating enough but I keep eating more and more and haven't been able to increase my bench press in months without losing form. It's not as if I'm lifting heavy weights either, only 37.5 kg for bench press. Deadlifts and squats increase at a steady rate while keeping good form. It just seems to be my upper body.

 

[chrisd]

I've been struggling to increase the amount of weights I'm lifting. A 2.5kg increase can throw my form off completly on the last set of bench press and some other exercises.

I'm currently on a three day split: chest/triceps/shoulders - back/biceps - legs

I also think it could be that I'm not eating enough but I keep eating more and more and haven't been able to increase my bench press in months without losing form. It's not as if I'm lifting heavy weights either, only 37.5 kg for bench press. Deadlifts and squats increase at a steady rate while keeping good form. It just seems to be my upper body.

What exercises are you doing for upper body and for how many reps?

I personally wouldn't do chest, triceps and shoulders all in one day.