Yesterday I smoked a big ass joint, after the peak, the trip started to come down...

I ate a bunch of rice, beans and ground beef with some veggies. Turned on some blues and life was good.

But I had to do arms. I tought it would be a shitty workout, given the circunstances.

Nonetheless, I said fuck it and went anyway, halfway through the workout I realized my arms were about to explode, the pump was crazy, i lifted my sleeves and they were full of veins, veins I never saw before, my forearms looked like a road map, i was strong during all the exercises, then i got home and measured them.

Normally they are 15's. They were 16 after that workout, so much blood.

So if you like weed, don't spend too much money on citruline and other vasodilators. Not a thing to do everyday tho..

Red pepper + dark chocolate are a good alternative for pre workout too.

I'm trying to find that magic mixture of what to eat and when throughout the day to give optimal energy for a workout. There have been a few times where I felt energized as fuck going into the gym and I'm confident it was simply the right amount of certain nutrients at certain times of the day respective to when I decided to hit the gym. On said days I definitely remember eating rice so I think that is an important component for me.

(11-17-2016 02:26 PM)General Stalin Wrote:  I'm trying to find that magic mixture of what to eat and when throughout the day to give optimal energy for a workout. There have been a few times where I felt energized as fuck going into the gym and I'm confident it was simply the right amount of certain nutrients at certain times of the day respective to when I decided to hit the gym. On said days I definitely remember eating rice so I think that is an important component for me.

I'm going to become a bit of an evangelist for sleep here I think, but have you taken care of your sleep patterns yet so that you go to bed and wake up at the same times every day? This simple thing has changed my life, without any exaggeration, and it has had many benefits for my training. If you haven't sorted your sleep, this is the first thing I would do.

Thank for the advice. I certainly have not done that. I'm awful with sleep. I mean, I get a decent amount of it for the most part, but I don't have a regular schedule.

(11-17-2016 03:12 PM)General Stalin Wrote:  Thank for the advice. I certainly have not done that. I'm awful with sleep. I mean, I get a decent amount of it for the most part, but I don't have a regular schedule.

I'm certainly not the first to give it here - I came across it in a post by The Lizard, and thought it couldn't hurt to give it a go. It has been transformative. The last 8 weeks or so that I've been doing it rigorously (I have been in bed by 11 and up by 6 every single day, including weekends), and I am sure I have had a significant testosterone boost as a result. I am libidinous to the point of distraction, and I doubt it is a coincidence that my numbers in the gym have improved considerably in that time too. I also fall asleep almost as soon as my head hits the pillow, and am wide awake, rested, when my alarm goes. It would be well worth a try.

That sounds amazing. The only problem I see with that is juggling life style. If one is a fan of nightlife or really enjoys going out with friends/date then hitting the hay at a reasonable hour is sometimes difficult/impossible unless you forgo such activities.

These sort of things are of course sacrifices one must decide to make for the sake of personal goals and priorities.

I started hitting back the gym after some serious lay off. Had heel injury(plantar fasciitis) and a quadriceps strain. Thigh is good to go but my heel is too stuborn that full recovery is hard to come by.So I compress them with a bandage which helps to a certain level.

Did back + biceps a few days ago and could feel some pain at the heel when I was doing standing biceps curl with an EZ bar. The pain is about 1.5/10. Not serious but annoying. Been having it for more than 1 year.

Leg days was good. But I skipped squats because of my heel problem. No recurring quadriceps pain which is a good sign.

Started eating back clean and getting proper 7 hours sleep per day.

For my heel,the doctor told me to strengthen my calf muscles and do some stretching. Anybody who had plantar fasciitis problem before? What helped in your recovery?

I fixed plantar fasciitis by wearing flat shoes. Try to minimize any heel.

Wear Vibram Five Fingers or go barefoot as much as possible. Then try to get casual shoes with minimal heel, like boat shoes or drivers.

Your foot might hurt a little, but rolling a lacrosse ball under will work miracles.

Do toe curls during the day to strengthen the foot.

This worked for me after I had plantar fasciitis from a severe ankle sprain. I grew dependent on shoe inserts and hated it, so I threw them all out and adopted this procedure. Of course keep working your calves and stretching, but go for long walks, on grass if possible, to really make changes.

^ I'm on the market for a minimalist shoe for lifting and training.

I've been using Chucks with ripped out insoles and slip on Vans for years, but I think I can do better.

Does anyone have suggestions under US$100 and without Vibrams exposed fingers?

Maybe wrestling shoes?

Related, Pendlay Do-Wins are amazing lifting shoes for guys with wide feet. Highly recommend

This was a good workout. 3x180 kg and 2x3x170 kg on squats. 6 singles with 125 kg on bench, 90 second rests and 2x10 with 100 kg to finish it off (felt really good, I think I'll do this one again). Then a bunch of supersetted assistance. I love the fact that in January I was struggling with 100-120 kg in squats.

Do any of you guys know a good groin workout?

All I can think of is using a resistance bands. Any other ways to target them?

(11-22-2016 07:24 PM)realologist Wrote:  Do any of you guys know a good groin workout?

All I can think of is using a resistance bands. Any other ways to target them?

Hip abductor/adductor machine, just make sure you put a towel on your lap so guys don't stare at your vag.

Seriously tho, why do you want to do isolation for your groin ?

Usually single legged or exercises that need stabilizing strength use those muscles.. Side lunges/skater lunges are good options too.

(11-22-2016 07:37 PM)Mjölnir Wrote:  

(11-22-2016 07:24 PM)realologist Wrote:  Do any of you guys know a good groin workout?

All I can think of is using a resistance bands. Any other ways to target them?

Hip abductor/adductor machine, just make sure you put a towel on your lap so guys don't stare at your vag.

Seriously tho, why do you want to do isolation for your groin ?

Usually single legged or exercises that need stabilizing strength use those muscles.. Side lunges/skater lunges are good options too.

Have had groin strains before while playing sports. It hasn't been a while since I did it but I always knew it was a weak point it my legs.

Probably will do the side lunges.

Just finished my first week of workout restart. Did 5 days of lifting and some 10-15 mins cardio at the end on certain days.

Day 1 - Back and biceps+ cycling
Day 2 - Legs( heavier weight, each sets around 8 -10 reps)
Day 3 - Shoulders and abs+ cycling
Day 4 - Chest and trcipes+ cyling
Day 5 - Legs(light weight, each sets around 15-20 reps)

I do 2 leg days as my legs tend to grow slower and to make them stronger. I also have skinny legs while my upper body looks big. Any body who do legs twice a week?

How do you rotate? Do you target different muscles on diff days or do you do it like me( high reps+low weights on one day and low reps+ heavy weight on another)?

Which one has helped you the most and are there any other suggestion that had made your legs strongers?

This pose will hit the groin if you hold it for 30 second. To make it more intense on the groin, rotate the upper body so that the arm over the bent leg is downward, and the other is straight up. Look at the upward arm. Hold the position for 30 minutes.

(11-23-2016 09:51 AM)brokinetic Wrote:  Any body who do legs twice a week?

How do you rotate? Do you target different muscles on diff days or do you do it like me( high reps+low weights on one day and low reps+ heavy weight on another)?

Which one has helped you the most and are there any other suggestion that had made your legs strongers?

I do heavy squats on Monday and Friday, deadlifts on Wednesday. Three workout days, full body workouts. I rotate based on the Greyskull program (Squats on mon/fri, deads on Wed, bench/OHP varying every other training day, assistance accordingly). I firmly believe there is no other way to make your legs stronger than to lift heavy. Then again, I love simplicity, so I only squat and deadlift for my legs. The only downside in this approach is that I can't do deadlifts as heavy as I could without the heavy squats on Monday. When I stall, I add 3-5 sets of 10 reps with 3-4 min rest with medium weight after my heavy triples. It's living hell, but works wonders. Also, mobility matters.

(11-23-2016 02:50 PM)Merris Wrote:  

(11-23-2016 09:51 AM)brokinetic Wrote:  Any body who do legs twice a week?

How do you rotate? Do you target different muscles on diff days or do you do it like me( high reps+low weights on one day and low reps+ heavy weight on another)?

Which one has helped you the most and are there any other suggestion that had made your legs strongers?

I do heavy squats on Monday and Friday, deadlifts on Wednesday. Three workout days, full body workouts. I rotate based on the Greyskull program (Squats on mon/fri, deads on Wed, bench/OHP varying every other training day, assistance accordingly). I firmly believe there is no other way to make your legs stronger than to lift heavy. Then again, I love simplicity, so I only squat and deadlift for my legs. The only downside in this approach is that I can't do deadlifts as heavy as I could without the heavy squats on Monday. When I stall, I add 3-5 sets of 10 reps with 3-4 min rest with medium weight after my heavy triples. It's living hell, but works wonders. Also, mobility matters.

With respect, I used to do a similar routine and I had deficiencies. I humbly recommend adding at least lunges, or maybe some single legged leg presses. A little more, but still simple as I agree with that philosophy.

(11-22-2016 08:18 PM)realologist Wrote:  

(11-22-2016 07:37 PM)Mjölnir Wrote:  

(11-22-2016 07:24 PM)realologist Wrote:  Do any of you guys know a good groin workout?

All I can think of is using a resistance bands. Any other ways to target them?

Hip abductor/adductor machine, just make sure you put a towel on your lap so guys don't stare at your vag.

Seriously tho, why do you want to do isolation for your groin ?

Usually single legged or exercises that need stabilizing strength use those muscles.. Side lunges/skater lunges are good options too.

Have had groin strains before while playing sports. It hasn't been a while since I did it but I always knew it was a weak point it my legs.

Probably will do the side lunges.

Cossack squats - a little deeper and with different foot placement than side lunges:





Start slow, focusing on mobility, opening up the inner thigh (you'll feel the stretch like a mofo).

Over time, add resistance with barbell, DB or KB.

I posted these two post in some yoga thread... but only dirty hippies actually open a thread about yoga. But I'm super excited about yoga and want to share it with fellow iron lifters..... so I copied my post and I'm going to paste them in here.

After taking two months off of the gym because I tweaked my shoulder last time i lifted... and living a pretty inactive lifestyle for my two months off. I joined a new gym and have had four Hatha Yoga classes in the last two weeks, each class is a hour an a half. Now I'm officially sold on Yoga, its something I have been wanting to get into for the past 5 years or so but never pulled the trigger aside from doing yoga as part of p90x years ago and also doing some YouTube yoga with my girlfriend for a month (also years ago)

I'm pretty strong guy, been lifting a lot the over the past few years and have always been pretty athletic throughout my life. But in Yoga class I'm shaking and shivering trying to hold some of these poses while the (extremely sexy) Ukrainian girl beside me is holding the same pose with ease. It's quite a humbling experience. Flexibility has never been one of my strong suits. I'm actually pretty excited about getting into yoga and seeing how I can change my flexibility. It's a fresh new challenge that really holds my interest.

Another thing about yoga is after I have finish the class and I am walking around living life... my body just feels like its in tune, like its working and moving the way it should. It's kind of hard for me to put into words but I really believe yoga is super beneficial to the body and the mind. So you can call me a feminine, tree hugging, gluten free taco eating, homo if you wish..an I shall simply respond with "Namaste"

ps. yoga is sexy as fuck for girls.... these fine young Ukrainian gals in their yoga pants and sports bras doing all these flexible poses... it truly tingles my spidey senses.



Post 2:

Namaste
My whole life I have never been able to touch my left foot with my left hand... not sitting or standing or anyway. I was always like 2 or more inches shy of contact. However I could always touch my right foot with my right hand. I couldn't touch both feet with both hands at the same time either. I thought maybe my damn right arm was longer or my body is just out of balance. Today in my yoga class I tried to touch my left hand to left foot during one of the stretches without using this little band I usually use and BAM contact. Then I realized I could touch both of my toes with both my hands at the same time... I was probably more excited about this then I should have been. But it has shown me that after 6 yoga classes my body is getting to some kind of balance that it has never been in.

Also to the people who are just doing yoga on their own by watching youtube videos or something... I highly recommend taking a class if possible. I will be in a pose after watching our instructor do it and it feels like its right. Then the instructor will come by and make 2 minuscule adjustments and it feels like I'm in a totally different pose. Also a lot of times she will come over and pull me into a pose farther then I can do it on my own. It's like my body can move that way cause she puts it in place and its fine. But I can't physically put my body in that pose without help....

Also I'm not 100% sure if its due to the yoga but I Monday I had my first push day in the gym where I didn't have shoulder pain in years.

(11-23-2016 09:05 PM)Hallasan Wrote:  

(11-23-2016 02:50 PM)Merris Wrote:  

(11-23-2016 09:51 AM)brokinetic Wrote:  Any body who do legs twice a week?

How do you rotate? Do you target different muscles on diff days or do you do it like me( high reps+low weights on one day and low reps+ heavy weight on another)?

Which one has helped you the most and are there any other suggestion that had made your legs strongers?

I do heavy squats on Monday and Friday, deadlifts on Wednesday. Three workout days, full body workouts. I rotate based on the Greyskull program (Squats on mon/fri, deads on Wed, bench/OHP varying every other training day, assistance accordingly). I firmly believe there is no other way to make your legs stronger than to lift heavy. Then again, I love simplicity, so I only squat and deadlift for my legs. The only downside in this approach is that I can't do deadlifts as heavy as I could without the heavy squats on Monday. When I stall, I add 3-5 sets of 10 reps with 3-4 min rest with medium weight after my heavy triples. It's living hell, but works wonders. Also, mobility matters.

With respect, I used to do a similar routine and I had deficiencies. I humbly recommend adding at least lunges, or maybe some single legged leg presses. A little more, but still simple as I agree with that philosophy.

Can you elaborate, where did you get the inbalances, how'd they manifest, how did the lunges fix them? Just curious as I've racked on quite a bit of plates recently with no adverse effects (yet) and I'd like to keep it that way.

(11-24-2016 11:14 AM)Cr33pin Wrote:  Another thing about yoga is after I have finish the class and I am walking around living life... my body just feels like its in tune, like its working and moving the way it should. It's kind of hard for me to put into words but I really believe yoga is super beneficial to the body and the mind. So you can call me a feminine, tree hugging, gluten free taco eating, homo if you wish..an I shall simply respond with "Namaste"

This^^^

Downward facingdog is one of the best things you can do. I try to practice it in the morning to get some blood flowing. With everybody sitting on laptops all day, we need a pose that lengths the back, opens the shoulders, and stretches the hamstrings. Down dog is that stretch, and it can be performed anywhere.

I love yoga hippy chicks. They all know about ACV, juicing, coconut oil.

"Namaste, bitches!!!"

(11-25-2016 05:17 AM)redbeard Wrote:  

(11-24-2016 11:14 AM)Cr33pin Wrote:  Another thing about yoga is after I have finish the class and I am walking around living life... my body just feels like its in tune, like its working and moving the way it should. It's kind of hard for me to put into words but I really believe yoga is super beneficial to the body and the mind. So you can call me a feminine, tree hugging, gluten free taco eating, homo if you wish..an I shall simply respond with "Namaste"

This^^^

Downward facingdog is one of the best things you can do. I try to practice it in the morning to get some blood flowing. With everybody sitting on laptops all day, we need a pose that lengths the back, opens the shoulders, and stretches the hamstrings. Down dog is that stretch, and it can be performed anywhere.

I love yoga hippy chicks. They all know about ACV, juicing, coconut oil.

"Namaste, bitches!!!"

I agree. Combine that with a few sets of hindu pushups and you have a great way to waky up in the morning.

(11-24-2016 01:34 PM)Merris Wrote:  

(11-23-2016 09:05 PM)Hallasan Wrote:  

(11-23-2016 02:50 PM)Merris Wrote:  

(11-23-2016 09:51 AM)brokinetic Wrote:  Any body who do legs twice a week?

How do you rotate? Do you target different muscles on diff days or do you do it like me( high reps+low weights on one day and low reps+ heavy weight on another)?

Which one has helped you the most and are there any other suggestion that had made your legs strongers?

I do heavy squats on Monday and Friday, deadlifts on Wednesday. Three workout days, full body workouts. I rotate based on the Greyskull program (Squats on mon/fri, deads on Wed, bench/OHP varying every other training day, assistance accordingly). I firmly believe there is no other way to make your legs stronger than to lift heavy. Then again, I love simplicity, so I only squat and deadlift for my legs. The only downside in this approach is that I can't do deadlifts as heavy as I could without the heavy squats on Monday. When I stall, I add 3-5 sets of 10 reps with 3-4 min rest with medium weight after my heavy triples. It's living hell, but works wonders. Also, mobility matters.

With respect, I used to do a similar routine and I had deficiencies. I humbly recommend adding at least lunges, or maybe some single legged leg presses. A little more, but still simple as I agree with that philosophy.

Can you elaborate, where did you get the inbalances, how'd they manifest, how did the lunges fix them? Just curious as I've racked on quite a bit of plates recently with no adverse effects (yet) and I'd like to keep it that way.

Currently doing Smolov, trying to get my squats to a good level. I do Backsquat 4 times a week: monday, wed, fri and saturday.

it sucks, its too much, but im getting pretty good results.