Post: #376

I mean there must be slightly different muscle activation for each one.

Post: #377

Another good day.

7x280lbs on the bench, 5x185lbs on OHP.

Squats are not so hot at 5x350lbs, but deadlift was good at 10x350lbs with plenty of room for more. Have dropped 6lbs in 3 weeks, so I really need to get on top of this dieting thing.

Post: #378

I was so proud when I hit 3 sets of 5x350 on the squat. Took me 14 months.

Post: #379

Just did a coffee and cocoa powder pre workout drink and had the best workout I've had in several months.

Gonna keep up with it and see how it goes, but I felt great. I did just coffee yesterday and felt pretty good, but today I killed it.

Post: #380

I'm having a conflict with my back and legs day I usually do something like this:

Monday chest, Tuesday back, Wednesday legs, Thursday shoulders, Friday arms

My problem is when I do back and deadlift my legs the next day are not up for squatting as much as I normally can, if I do the reverse then my deadlift is not as strong as it normally is. How can I change up my split to fix this? Or should I not worry about it too much and just keep doing it like this?

Post: #381

(11-27-2014 02:46 PM)ElJefe Wrote:  Another good day.

7x280lbs on the bench, 5x185lbs on OHP.

Squats are not so hot at 5x350lbs, but deadlift was good at 10x350lbs with plenty of room for more. Have dropped 6lbs in 3 weeks, so I really need to get on top of this dieting thing.

Must be something very wrong with my bench mechanics or technique. I can do 5 x 176lbs ohp but only 5x220lbs bench.

Post: #382

I still can't pass my best on bench which is at 135. I have no problem dumbell pressing 70 pounds and going higher still but i am hitting a dead end in the bench press

Post: #383

(11-28-2014 04:21 PM)KC4 Wrote:  I still can't pass my best on bench which is at 135. I have no problem dumbell pressing 70 pounds and going higher still but i am hitting a dead end in the bench press

are you gripping the bench wide enough?

lots of gyms have shitty benches that aren't wide enough for broad built men.

Post: #384

(11-28-2014 04:21 PM)KC4 Wrote:  I still can't pass my best on bench which is at 135. I have no problem dumbell pressing 70 pounds and going higher still but i am hitting a dead end in the bench press

Sounds like a form issue if you can press more with DBs than bench.

I remember when I would struggle with 135lbs, and even less, as a full grown man. Now I can press 225+. So don't worry. Keep with it and you will get there. Definitely get on a legit strength program though to get you there.

Post: #385

My collar bone has started hurting when I bench press. I should probably find an alternative exercise to do in the mean time, can changing the incline of the bench help with this?

Post: #386

Don't know what possessed me to watch this, but here it is.

You haven't deadlifted until you get a nosebleed. Incidentally, deadlift world record is now at 1155 lbs.





World record:

Post: #387

(11-28-2014 04:21 PM)KC4 Wrote:  I still can't pass my best on bench which is at 135. I have no problem dumbell pressing 70 pounds and going higher still but i am hitting a dead end in the bench press

I was terrible at benching until I learned how to activate my pecs and got coaching on my form.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqzVVl6cPAI

I did 2 sets of 15 reps of the exercise in the video above while focusing on feeling my pecs contract to activate my chest before I benched and I went from struggling with 165 to doing 225+ in a couple months.

This style of training worked really well for me too: http://fabfitover40.com/2014/05/09/do-yo...le-fibers/

Post: #388

(11-28-2014 04:21 PM)KC4 Wrote:  I still can't pass my best on bench which is at 135. I have no problem dumbell pressing 70 pounds and going higher still but i am hitting a dead end in the bench press

As a few guys above mentioned, try to make sure you're gripping wide enough; narrow grip on the bench press is death. When I switched from bench press to dumbell press, I was benching ~135 and dumbell pressing maybe 45 in each hand. Now, I can dumbell press more than I bench, but my bench has gone up a bit too. The hardest part at first was just stabilizing my shoulders to not spin out.

Also, note that 135lbs vs 140lbs (70 each hand I'm guessing) isn't a huge difference either. Have you been making a lot of progress in the dumbell press?

Post: #389

(12-02-2014 12:05 PM)RDF Wrote:  As a few guys above mentioned, try to make sure you're gripping wide enough; narrow grip on the bench press is death.

Unless you are trying to hit the triceps in particular.

Post: #390

(12-01-2014 02:35 AM)britchard Wrote:  My collar bone has started hurting when I bench press. I should probably find an alternative exercise to do in the mean time, can changing the incline of the bench help with this?

Depends how much pain you're talking.

I get some pain around there too but it's gone by the end of the day. I frequently get little spasms and cramps during my workout but I just think "pain is weakness leaving the body". I was an inactive sloth for most of my life, it only makes sense that your body is going to experience some discomfort as it adapts to these new stresses that you put on it.

If it's pain that lasts more than 48 hours, chances are it's a form issue. Try deloading a little and bring the bar more over your sternum instead of directly over your collarbone.

In other news I hit a 200lb flat bench today for 3 reps, last time I did that was about 6 months ago and I was 215lb, now I'm 195. Not having a job is going to be amazing for my workout routine...I'm currently hitting 6 days in the gym with zero issues recovering. I spend all day sleeping and eating and reading to hit it hard the next day. I wish I could do this for like a year.

Post: #391

(11-28-2014 02:07 PM)Oz. Wrote:  I'm having a conflict with my back and legs day I usually do something like this:

Monday chest, Tuesday back, Wednesday legs, Thursday shoulders, Friday arms

My problem is when I do back and deadlift my legs the next day are not up for squatting as much as I normally can, if I do the reverse then my deadlift is not as strong as it normally is. How can I change up my split to fix this? Or should I not worry about it too much and just keep doing it like this?

Easy, just switch Mon and Tues routine. I wouldn't do Squats or DL back to back, I always make sure there's a day in between them (for me it's chest/shoulders)

Post: #392

Does anyone have tips for avoiding stretch marks? I have been hitting the gym hard and all of a sudden 3 stretch marks appeared on my quads and glutes. Would cutting fat loosen up the skin so that increases in muscle size don't make marks? I'm currently at ~17% body fat so I have fat to lose, I just wasn't planning on it for a few months..

Post: #393

Goddamn, I had just about the best recovery meal for lunch today. Leg day at the gym. Went straight home and made:

Leftover tomato soup my girl made...shit was baller, made with a touch of cream. I had some leftover chicken so I pulled it and added it to the soup and finished with a swirl of olive oil. Ate it with a slice of gluten free toast with a thick ass layer of fresh goat cheese on top.

After that I ate a grassfed filet mignon, basted with plenty of brown butter at the end (I just use the butter as a sauce too) and a cup of organic Chemex brewed coffee. I feel like a golden god.

Post: #394

Blew a couple of PR attempts this week.

Gotta refocus on getting enough sleep and not drinking on nights before workouts.

The good news is my latent injuries are all in pretty good shape so I should be able to ease back into higher intensity workouts during this next cycle. Next PR attempt in 12 weeks.

Post: #395

Fuck man this has not be my past couple of weeks....

my wrist is at about 90%. I did some light rows, pulldowns, DB bench, arnold press yesterday and today I wake up with a cold. Feeling like shit.

This is a good time to remember how improving your body is a long term process. I always remember that Arnold started lifting when he was 15 years old and it took him years of consistent lifting to get where he is.

Keep it up guys.

Post: #396

What is everyone's general gym routine over the winter?

I lift weights 3-4x a week, considering making adding at least 1-2x of cardio as well.. Nothing too intense though, some exercise bike and incline walks at moderate intensity.

Post: #397

I lift Mon-Wed-Fri, and alternate between light and heavy day. Sometimes I run before workout, but no more than 2 miles.

Light day:
Squat
Bench Press
Clean
Pullups

Heavy day:
Squat
Press
Deadlift
Chinups

More here.

Post: #398

Right now I'm going 3 days on, 1 day off. On my rest day I go hiking or other cardio, maybe sprints etc.

So a week looks like this

Mon-Back
Tues-Chest/shoulders
weds-legs/arms
thurs-rest
fri-back
sat-chest/shoulders
sun-legs/arms

I always do at least 1 compound lift plus some BB exercises. So back day I do deadlift plus any combination of lat pulldown, dumbell rows, Pendlay rows, yates rows, upright rows, etc.

Chest/shoulders I do any combination of bench, incline bench, military press, db bench, db flies, arm raises...etc.

Legs/arms I do squats, leg press, leg extensions, all kinds of curls for girls, and tricep extensions

Post: #399

Day 1: Push - Chest, triceps, shoulders
Day 2: Pull - Back, biceps, traps
Day 3: Legs, obliques
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Repeat
I think next week I am going to switch to Push, Pull, Legs, Push, Pull, Legs, Day off. Then repeat

I also do Pilates on Tuesday and Thursday and Yoga on Monday,Wednesday, Friday
I really dont do any cardio...

Post: #400

I passed ny best on bench had a guy I grappled with show me the right form and i benched 160. Now my main problem is gaining weight. It's super weird how I am becoming bigger but at the same time not gaining any weight. I fill the 3500 calorie quota almost everyday.