First week back in the gym after 6 months following an injury.

Longest time off since I started lifting weights almost 10 years ago. Ended up puking in the bathroom after my second exercise from how exhausting it was haha.

Ah well, back to the iron. Those PRs aren't going make themselves.

(04-24-2016 06:20 PM)General Stalin Wrote:  Cool and informative video on body fat % and measuring using hydrostatic weighing.





They have a center right in my town... may check it out.

There is one in my town too, nay need to go check it out.
But damn, all the girls but one were basically old or fat.

Trying to only drink water from now on except for special occasions. I was trying to for a while but was tired of always having to refill my water filter.

I bought water bottles instead and it's helping a lot. Since I started doing that I've been pretty successful although the length of my success is limited.

(04-22-2016 11:01 AM)Oz. Wrote:  The American Open Olympic Weightlifting competition is December 8th, the qualifying period ends on October 23rd. I checked the totals needed to qualify and I can definitely make it. I was thinking of jumping up a weight class and competing what do you guys think?

Go ahead and do it. Hell, you might end up meeting me there.

What's your best total?

Great PR day in the garage gym.

Front Squat - 5 singles @ 170 I could have pushed maybe 175 but wanted to have solid form.

Deadlift - 2 singles @ 255 and 3 @ 260 I still had gas left at 255 but 260 is definitely my 1RM.

I was graying out hard on lockout at 260, it felt better than busting a nut while being choked out.

After 2 months of foundational training, I have my base-level 1 rep maxes.

Bench Press: 230 lbs (~104 kg)
Squat: 275 lbs (~125 kg)
Dead Lift: 315 lbs (~143 kg)

I'm taking the next week off from lifting and will start a strength training program next week working around the 8 rep range then down to the 5 and 3 rep ranges. I will be retesting my maxes about every 12 weeks/3 months.

After I get to a point where I am satisfied with my strength gains and I'm going to focus more on building mass and doing more body-building routines in the higher rep ranges.

My long term goal is to put on 20-30 lbs while remaining lean. Basically seeing how big and strong I can get naturally. See what my genetics are capable of.

^ Did you lift before and quit? Muscle memory can be a beautiful thing.

If you started out 2 months ago as a complete newbie, then that's some phenomenal strength genetics you got there. Top 5% level. Took me over a year 'n a half to get hit a 225 bench.

What strength training program do you have in mind?

Anyone else get the feeling that the stronger you get or the more you lift, the weaker you feel?

Or am I the only little bitch please let me know

I'm not sure I feel weaker. But despite multiple comments I get from random people about being bigger than the average dude I know when I look at myself I can't help but feel the need to get stronger. Not that I even consider myself to be all that big to begin with.

Better than this issue plaguing the world.

As an experiment, I've combined two training styles that I've advocated in the past.

These would be the Steady State protocol combined with the 50/20 (aka "Have it All!" routine).

Steady State is where you stay at the same rep/set scheme with the same weight for 8-12 weeks. This progression achieves this form of loading scheme with no thought whatsoever :



As you can see, you pick an intensity level that is challenging, but not an "all out" effort. Over the next 8-12 weeks, the intensity level will slowly climb down from (for example) 85% to 70%, at which point you bump the weight up a bit and start over.

50/20 is where you take a timer, set it for 20 minutes, and try to achieve 50 repetitions in an exercise in that time. You do it twice a week with a given exercise. I picked a dip and chinup superset. This is more challenging than it sounds because I'm sitting at 200 lbs.

I've been doing it for 5 weeks already and in spite of the relatively low volume, my back and shoulders have filled out a bit and I pressed a 65 lb dumbbell with my left hand with relative ease - a feat I could not do five weeks ago due to the instability in my left shoulder. I get one hell of a pump after the workout and I am getting stronger, injury free.

In any case, it is a very enjoyable program. You don't have to count rest between sets, number of sets, weight percentages of your one rep max, or vary four or five different exercises. Just set the timer and do work.

I've been trying a new workout.... work on my biggest muscles (Quads, chest, shoulders, back) once a week and do my smallest muscles (biceps, triceps, hamstrings and calves) twice a week


I am 5'8 sitting at 180lbs at 15.2% body fat

Bench - one rep max 230 lbs
Deadlift - one rep max 345lbs
Squat - one rep max - 225lbs

Trying to get stronger legs... it's been a struggle

hit a new 1rm on my bench at 265

(04-26-2016 05:31 PM)CaptainChardonnay Wrote:  hit a new 1rm on my bench at 265

Just a piece of unsolicited advice as you go higher, just make sure you warm up right and protect your joints, etc. Good technique, etc.

I jacked myself up trying to max 315. I don't bench anymore, gone to more barbells and reps. I feel like I build a lot of the smaller supporting muscles from this. I was super stubborn though and the transition was a slow one. It was an ego thing ever since highschool football, "what do you bench?"

^ Good stuff. Yeah I always start with a bar, then work my way up in a way that doesn't interfere with actual working sets. A few weeks ago I was feeling joint discomfort but started taking a multivitamin (Orange Triad if anyone is wondering) with joint support so that all went away.

315 is pretty dam impressive. The biggest guy at my gym is doing 3 sets of 8 at 315 on the incline and makes it look easy. The Bench has never been my strongest lift I think because I started with starting strength. My legs are disproportionately bigger than the rest of my body haha

(04-26-2016 07:54 PM)CaptainChardonnay Wrote:  315 is pretty dam impressive. The biggest guy at my gym is doing 3 sets of 8 at 315 on the incline and makes it look easy. The Bench has never been my strongest lift I think because I started with starting strength. My legs are disproportionately bigger than the rest of my body haha

It was a few years ago and I tried and failed.

I have been told I naturally big legs (not sure if true) but I can never get good numbers with squat and DL. Always a little embarrassed that I could bench more than I could squat

(04-26-2016 12:40 AM)Anabasis to Desta Wrote:  ^ Did you lift before and quit? Muscle memory can be a beautiful thing.

If you started out 2 months ago as a complete newbie, then that's some phenomenal strength genetics you got there. Top 5% level. Took me over a year 'n a half to get hit a 225 bench.

Thanks man!

to answer your question; yes and no. I lifted in Highschool for a year or two very casually and lifted in college off and on, but never really this "seriously." Never worked off of a real routine, never stuck to a diet, didn't really know proper form, and really never had any kind of real structure.

My trainer has been telling he thinks I'll go far because I've been responding very well to training. Making quick gains and adapting quickly. Give me a lot of confidence so thats good.

(04-26-2016 12:40 AM)Anabasis to Desta Wrote:  What strength training program do you have in mind?

I'm going to have my trainer write some programming for me so whatever he gives I'm going to stick to and work off of. I will post it in here or maybe even make my own progress thread.

He mentioned working in the 8 rep range then going down to a 5x5 then a 3x5. Focus on high weight/low rep for Bench, Squat, Dead, and OHP. His idea is likely to get me to lift more weight as fast as possible to get my one rep maxes up quickly.

Whatever is program calls for, if he doesn't include it, I will create a day where I come in and focus on fiteness/strongman and maybe some accessory work. I want to be strong but I want to be functional too.

(04-26-2016 07:54 PM)CaptainChardonnay Wrote:  Yeah I always start with a bar, then work my way up in a way that doesn't interfere with actual working sets.

Warming up before going for a max is very important. If you just go for big weight when cold you will at best not get as high of a lift as possible and at worst really hurt yourself. I also helps you dial in your form before you go for a lift that will likely cause you to want to break form. For some reference, here was my work up to each of my 3 maxes:

Bench:
1 x 5 x 45 (empty bar)
1 x 4 x 95
1 x 2 x 135
1 x 1 x 185 (w/ belt)
1 x 1 x 230 (w/ belt)

Squat:
1 x 5 x 45 (empty bar)
1 x 3 x 135
1 x 1 x 185 (w/ belt)
1 x 1 x 225 (w/ belt + knee sleeves)
1 x 1 x 255 (w/ belt + knee sleeves)
1 x 1 x 275 (w/ belt + knee sleeves)

Dead Lift:
1 x 3 x 135
1 x 1 x 185
1 x 1 x 275 (w/ belt)
1 x 1 x 315 (w/ belt) - took 2 attempts

I always warm up with little to no weight on the big 3 before I work, at least to get my form tight if nothing else.

There's an iPhone app called Starting Strength Warmup that has Rippetoe's warmup recommendations for each lift/weight.

Everytime I strained a muscle on bench, it was when I didn't warm up enough. I also recommend some rowing on the C2 prowler to get the blood flowing.

(04-27-2016 12:11 AM)General Stalin Wrote:  

(04-26-2016 07:54 PM)CaptainChardonnay Wrote:  Yeah I always start with a bar, then work my way up in a way that doesn't interfere with actual working sets.

Warming up before going for a max is very important. If you just go for big weight when cold you will at best not get as high of a lift as possible and at worst really hurt yourself. I also helps you dial in your form before you go for a lift that will likely cause you to want to break form. For some reference, here was my work up to each of my 3 maxes:

Bench:
1 x 5 x 45 (empty bar)
1 x 4 x 95
1 x 2 x 135
1 x 1 x 185 (w/ belt)
1 x 1 x 230 (w/ belt)

Squat:
1 x 5 x 45 (empty bar)
1 x 3 x 135
1 x 1 x 185 (w/ belt)
1 x 1 x 225 (w/ belt + knee sleeves)
1 x 1 x 255 (w/ belt + knee sleeves)
1 x 1 x 275 (w/ belt + knee sleeves)

Dead Lift:
1 x 3 x 135
1 x 1 x 185
1 x 1 x 275 (w/ belt)
1 x 1 x 315 (w/ belt) - took 2 attempts

I always warm up with little to no weight on the big 3 before I work, at least to get my form tight if nothing else.

I think you might be overdoing it with the warm ups (interfering with working sets). I use to do that a few years ago but now I try to keep warm up sets as light and quick as possible. Before every session however I'll do active stretching, something that my olympic weightlifting coach taught me.

This is the youtube channel my coach recommended:
https://www.youtube.com/user/smartstretch

I'm in my mid 20s so this might also be different for you but when I first stated lifting I got really bad pains all over from imbalances in my body so then I looked for a oly coach above. He pointed me towards an osteopath and she fixed me. After that my numbers doubled. I saw her maybe 2 times until I started seeing results. She would move things around and then give me some trigger point therapy homework and show me how to foam roll.

Here is how I warm up and transition to working sets

Bench:
1 x 6 x 45 (empty bar)
1 x 2 or 3 x 135
now i do working sets
3 x 5 x 225
or i tested my 1rm the other day so i do it the same way you would at a meet
1 x 1 x 225
1 x 1 x 245
1 x 1 x 265 no belt

Squat:
1 x 6 x 45 (empty bar)
1 x 3 x 135
1 x 1 x 225
work sets
3 x 5 x 315 no belt

Dead Lift:
1 x 3 x 135
1 x 2 x 225
1 x 1 x 315
tested my 1rm the other day so did
1 x 1 x 410
1 x 1 x 420
1 x 1 x 435 no belt

My last DL 1rm was 400 but I used this program to bump it up to 435:
https://www.t-nation.com/training/simple...ft-program

Does anybody find that one arm locks out a different length in pushing exercises?

I noticed when I was overhead pressing that my left arm is a bit longer at lockout than my right arm.

I'm not sure that the arm itself is actually longer but maybe it has to do with my shoulders/attachment points.

In any case, I found that if I take a slightly wider grip with my left arm I have an easier time pressing.

The shit you learn every day...

^ might be because another muscle is tight, reducing your right arm's ROM. Could be your right lat. When I was benching I had a tight left lat and it was giving me shoulder pain as I was benching.

The whole point of bodybuilding is to add mass and figure out all these "imbalances" and sort them out

VV-My friend used to do something similar, when he would lock out, the bar was uneven. Oddly, we found that his right arm was trying to push up to the right. So his elbow was still not fully out, but it felt like he was locked out. Ill try to draw a diagram later, but because he wasnt totally locking out with his right arm, his right tricep was underdeveloped slightly.

Always had overdeveloped traps and weak rhomboids because I've never really "felt" a rhomboid burn. Pretty sure weak rhomboids affect OHP strength as well.

But I tried out high rep reverse cable fly's for the first time this morning. Possibly the only time I've ever felt my rhomboids fired up. Intense scapular retraction is key here. Also imagine your rhomboids doing the retraction instead of your forearms or shoulders. Planning on doing 10 sets of 12 of these on back days to bring up that rhomboid definition for the next 6 weeks.

(04-27-2016 10:22 AM)CaptainChardonnay Wrote:  I think you might be overdoing it with the warm ups (interfering with working sets). I use to do that a few years ago but now I try to keep warm up sets as light and quick as possible. Before every session however I'll do active stretching, something that my olympic weightlifting coach taught me.

The warmup vs working sets are not as much as you think. Since this was my first 1RM test, I did more working sets than usual to see where I would top out. Allow me clarify:

Quote:Bench:
1 x 5 x 45 (empty bar)
1 x 4 x 95
1 x 2 x 135
1 x 1 x 185 (w/ belt)
end of warm-up
1 x 1 x 230 (w/ belt)

Squat:
1 x 5 x 45 (empty bar)
1 x 3 x 135
1 x 1 x 185 (w/ belt)
end of warm-up
1 x 1 x 225 (w/ belt + knee sleeves)
1 x 1 x 255 (w/ belt + knee sleeves)
1 x 1 x 275 (w/ belt + knee sleeves)

Dead Lift:
1 x 3 x 135
1 x 1 x 185
end of warm-up
1 x 1 x 275 (w/ belt)
1 x 1 x 315 (w/ belt)

I probably did too much warmup on bench which likely cost me some gas for a bigger PR, but I think 2-3 warm up sets is not too crazy. Again I also don't claim to be some expert, but I defer to my trainer who has been power lifting for 20 years. Not saying he's the best in the game, but he certainly didn't get where he is by dumb luck.

I know shrugs are mainly for building traps but are they also effective for making your neck wider? Some people suggest wrestling bridges for neck growth.