I really like the BUFF Dudes Youtube Channel. It's a great combination of real training value along with good production quality and humor.

My back and calves are weak points 100%

After four months of not lifting, I am not starting to get back into the groove of things, slowly. After starting back up the weak parts of my body are so glaring now. My back especially just never wants to groove and it used to take a significant amount of work to get a good workout into it. It would get some definition but size, very difficult. I think this might need a particularly dedicated program in the new year. I was wondering if anybody has seen or had any success with specific programs for the back?

Calves?

Well, I have just to work them each time I am in the gym, previously I worked calves with biceps and abs on the 4th day which was mostly just free day to tone and such, but I think just putting in work on them every time I workout will be the best strategy.

For back: Pullups, seated rows, upright rows, RDLs (lower back and hamstrings), one armed rows, lat pulldowns, more pullups.

Keep doing pullups, vary the grip, do a lot of them. If you are really serious, do 50 of them every day (no matter what your workout is for that day) and no set should include less than 5 reps. Pullups will take time and discipline.

Jack up more weight than you think you can do with the one armed rows and do low reps. Then on other days take slightly lower weight but crank out seriously fast (but full motion) reps for 40 seconds, rest for twenty, then crank out another 40 seconds with the other arm. Repeat.

Deadlifts will also help your back, but it's the RDL's that will seriously help your dead lift. Correct form (reverse arch) is critical.

Make sure to stretch the hamstrings.

I probably haven't utilized the T bar rows as much as I should, so you should try that too.

Calves: I have pretty good calves and I've trained them similar to you. I use a 25lb plate and do single leg calf raises on it (hits the decline). I do calves/abs on random days and squeeze them between heavy compounds for other bodyparts. My rep scheme is 100 total reps for each leg and it often takes 5-10 sets to get there. I keep track of my reps and always try to hit 100 with less sets than my previous workout.

An alternative approach is DC training. I posted a link a few posts up. Rotate between 3 calf exercises. For each workout do a triple pause set with 5sec negative and 10sec hold at bottom. Journal your reps/weights and attempt to beat it next workout. It's hard to not grow
bigger when you get substantially stronger.

Tl;dr: Journal your calf lifts, focus on strength and/or increase your current training frequency to 2/3 times/week

So my gym now has a sledge and a couple of tracks to go with it in addition tot he thick rope we had.

Not sure if friction will allow 200KG on it but its pretty tiring if you do it at speed with plenty of weight on it already. A lot of people stare at you too.

I dare you to watch this video with your volume up to 11 and NOT run to the gym to throw weights around like you're training to go 1v1 with Ultimate Warrior

I know this probably has been answered countless times, but does Convict Conditioning, i.e. bodyweight workouts build mass when paired with good diet? When compared with free weight is it inferior method.

Just something I was thinking about to do next year if I don't have time nor financial access to gym.

Is this program good:
3x per week
- Squat progressions
- Push ups progressions
- Leg raises progressions
- Pull ups progressions
- Bridges progressions
- Handstands progressions

Bodyweight paired with a good diet will build strength and mass. Gymnasts are an excellent illustration of what, in extremis, one can do with BW training. Overall, you will probably build less mass and less strength than you would with barbells, though you can go a very long way with either.

Program I listed wouldn't be a priority, more like a substitute for gym. My new job will have 3 shifts and sometimes over 5 days per week work. Combine that with my studying, exams and work around the house and I have harder time fitting gym into schedule.
BW training would be possible for me to do at home at any time, so its better choice I think in this situation.

You can do pretty well with just chins, dips and pistols. They're easy to add weight too when necessary too.

I have purchased the ab wheel and will incorporate it into my workouts for core training. I also want to work my way into the standing ab wheel roll out. I can roll down to a prostrate position slowly but I cannot get back up again (Humpty Dumpty Syndrome). It's a challenge!

I thought I was bullshiting on working out ,so I Decided to play a game of "how heavy can ya go" .i have a new record from 190 to 220.

My back has the good sore this morning.

Happy lifting.

Does anyone own a dip stand for home use?

(12-24-2016 06:52 PM)Ringo Wrote:  Also purchased Gymnastic Bodies' Fundamentals course as a Christmas gift for my kid sister, which I think she'll love. If she doesn't... well, I was gonna use it anyway.

So far so good with this course. It's very basic stuff. But I'm liking the mobility exercises and it only takes a couple of minutes to do. Glute strength and wrist flexibility could definitely be improved.

I'm doing these a few times a week. On other days I do calisthenics, KB swings and ring work. Physique is a bit puffier than usual thanks to the holidays, but I think this type of training is giving/will give great results.

(01-03-2017 12:24 PM)Ringo Wrote:  

(12-24-2016 06:52 PM)Ringo Wrote:  Also purchased Gymnastic Bodies' Fundamentals course as a Christmas gift for my kid sister, which I think she'll love. If she doesn't... well, I was gonna use it anyway.

So far so good with this course. It's very basic stuff. But I'm liking the mobility exercises and it only takes a couple of minutes to do. Glute strength and wrist flexibility could definitely be improved.

I'm doing these a few times a week. On other days I do calisthenics, KB swings and ring work. Physique is a bit puffier than usual thanks to the holidays, but I think this type of training is giving/will give great results.

Forgot to add - the female instructors give me rock hard boners, even the snaggletoothed one.



Grace Rockwell https://www.instagram.com/zaolife/


Elyssa Brown https://www.instagram.com/lysssbliss/

Anyone recommend good neck exercises that don't involve outside equipment or doing bridges?

I have been really focusing on my neck over the last month and so far I'm just doing weighted neck curls. I'm taking it very easy so I don't pull anything, but so far the results have been satisfactory. I've gained about 1/2 inch in a month. I started easy with a 5lbs plate and I have moved up to now doing 25lbs. I'm scared to move up to anything higher than that now (even though it's getting easy each session) so I'm just increasing my reps with it. I would really like to gain another 2 inches or so before summertime.

(01-04-2017 04:18 PM)graffix13 Wrote:  Anyone recommend good neck exercises that don't involve outside equipment or doing bridges?

I have been really focusing on my neck over the last month and so far I'm just doing weighted neck curls. I'm taking it very easy so I don't pull anything, but so far the results have been satisfactory. I've gained about 1/2 inch in a month. I started easy with a 5lbs plate and I have moved up to now doing 25lbs. I'm scared to move up to anything higher than that now (even though it's getting easy each session) so I'm just increasing my reps with it. I would really like to gain another 2 inches or so before summertime.

I heard blowjobs are effective for next strength.

But seriously, farmers walk helps along with what you do already. Why not bridges though?

2.5" is a lot of growth in a neck. Are you trying to put on neck size for a sporting reason? Or is it just for aesthetics? If its the latter, you can reduce the "long skinny neck" look greatly by working on your upper traps with lots of heavy barbell shrugs. It'll create a better overall look than just having an artificially thick neck on skinny shoulders.

I haven't noticed much of a difference in size, but these were recommended to me a while ago (the whole series) by a forum member, and they have certainly made a noticeable difference to the strength and stability of my neck. I like them, they don't take long to do, and I feel they help. How big is your neck now? I don't know what your reasons are for not bridging, but they are very effective for increasing strength and neck girth. Front and back bridges took my neck from 14.5" to 16.5" over the years. My neck hasn't grown in a long time, but it's not a priority of mine now as I want it to look good with a shirt and tie. Neck harnesses are also effective for building strength and size. With all neck training, start light and focus on lots of reps - think 50-100 rep sets. Personally I wouldn't recommend any heavy neck training without at least 6 months of careful, high rep/light weight preparation.

Purely aesthetics. I'm at 15 1/2 inches now...and I do hammer my traps already. I do 2x20 @ 85lbs dumbbell shrugs and 2x25 @ 135lbs barbell shrugs, as well as 3 sets of face pulls, and another set of shrugs 4x30 with a 45lbs plate in each hand to finish up.

No real reason to avoiding bridges other than just hearing about easy injury doing bridges. But if it is a fast way for growth, I may check it out. Also was looking to buy maybe one of those neck harness things that you can hook a plate to. But I was wanting to avoid spending any unnecessary $$$ if I can do similar exercises in the gym for free.

In the meantime I'll start focusing on higher reps. Thanks for the advice guys.

Bridges are one of the main movements described in Convict Conditioning. I am really interested how that will turn out, as I am pretty sure by now I am going to do BW.

(12-31-2016 06:25 AM)sterling_archer Wrote:  I know this probably has been answered countless times, but does Convict Conditioning, i.e. bodyweight workouts build mass when paired with good diet? When compared with free weight is it inferior method.

Just something I was thinking about to do next year if I don't have time nor financial access to gym.

Is this program good:
3x per week
- Squat progressions
- Push ups progressions
- Leg raises progressions
- Pull ups progressions
- Bridges progressions
- Handstands progressions

For the most part hammer the pushups, pullups, and squats. Treat bridging as the stretch it is and the leg raises as accessory work.

When you can do handstand pushups it wouldn't be a bad idea to add in some form of bodyweight row.

Since you already have a pullup bar I recommend either working up to one handed BW rows (which are a strange lift but they do work) or working on front lever progressions.

Thanks to the internet you don't really have to buy a book to figure out front lever progressions, just google them.

Two presses and one pull do not well balanced shoulders make.

My form of workout would look something like this.

Workout A
Pushup progression
Pullup progression
Squat progression
Light bridgework

Workout B
Handstand pushup progression
Front lever or one handed row progression
Ab progression
Sprints, carries, sled drags, or some form of improvised odd object lifting. This is where I put T handle swings.

I'd do them every other day, x3 a week. So week 1 would be A B A and week 2 would be B A B.

Thank you. Btw, so you don't do free weights anymore?

I do them when I can or feel like it, but I don't make any special effort to go to the gym anymore.

The way my housing situation looks I might be able to get a lifting platform and a barbell going in a month or two, which would make legwork a lot easier to actually do.

What about handstand pushups, did you struggle in your progressions? Seems like hardest exercise in existence.