(10-16-2018 01:05 PM)the-dream Wrote:  When you guys were newbies, at what point did you start to enjoy going to the gym or get some positive feelings from it? Was it your first session or when you first started to see some results after a few months or what?

Can't remember really. I liked it pretty much from the beginning, especially since early on you tend to be able to improve with every work out because of newbie gains and honing technique.

Nowadays it goes up and down. Some days/weeks/months I am very excited to go to the gym and look forward to it and have a great time while I'm there. Some other times I don't look forward to it but I do it anyway. I think I'm learning that in the latter times, it's best to take a short break.

I always liked it for the kicks (runner's high, confidence, working on myself), but was never too crazy about it.

Until I have had a sequence of shit happen to me - problems at work, personal problems and a period of being seriously ill. I gained 30lbs and couldn't exercise for months due to being very busy, as well as having medical problems.

When I got my life back on track, I became a fucking fanatic about the gym. You get to appreciate something when you no longer have it - I got slightly overweight, weak and lost my confidence.

Now I go to the gym every or almost every day. I'm no bodybuilder, but I'm in decent shape.
Been rebuilding myself successfully ever since.

(10-16-2018 01:05 PM)the-dream Wrote:  When you guys were newbies, at what point did you start to enjoy going to the gym or get some positive feelings from it? Was it your first session or when you first started to see some results after a few months or what?

When I learnt to squat. There's something that terrifies me every time I get under the bar to squat, but the feeling of squatting deep with a heavy weight on my shoulders and pushing myself out of the hole is addictive.

Within the first few weeks for me. Focusing on strength gains and hitting PRs kept me addicted. Now it’s just routine.

Hit the 140 kg deadlift which marks first 3 plates on each side in my short lifting career. Now the next immediate goals are 100 kg (2 plate) squat and 80 kg bench.

At the gym lifting right now listening to Pantera

(10-17-2018 12:57 PM)Horus Wrote:  When I learnt to squat. There's something that terrifies me every time I get under the bar to squat, but the feeling of squatting deep with a heavy weight on my shoulders and pushing myself out of the hole is addictive.

Dude same. Squat is my worst lift, at least thats what I tell myself and everyone who will listen, but the feeling of having that heavy ass weight on your back, tensing up your entire body, then squatting down with deliberate control and standing back up - feels awesome.

Yesterday I was in gym for the first time since last winter. I have been working out only outside.
Recent period I wasn´t working very hard. During summer I focused more on having fun and month ago I got an injury, that prevented me from working out until yesterday. I lost 2-3 kg, so I am heading to reach again 88 kg, which seems to be ideal weight for me. I want to include running and after few months add martial arts (I can´t now because of the injury).

I must say I hate commercial gyms, because it´s full of faggots in their motivational t-shirts with their non-functional bodies, acting like lifting weights is the most difficult thing, even though it´s the easiest thing you can do with you body, just after laying on your sofa.

Genius!

Questions regarding cutting:

I will start cut when I hit 80 kg BW because I noticed aside from muscle gain, a fair bit of fat (situated around belly). Currently I have 78,1 kg. I have experience with losing weight and this process together with gaining weight is something I managed to get of really good control over the years. The problem is, whenever I went to lose weight in the past I didn't do any weight training with it (as I started only this year to lift seriously). Now I am a bit worried will I be able to finish the program I am currently doing.
Program is supposed to last until you hit 140 kg SQ, 100 kg BP and 180 kg DL. I have about 40 kg more on less to put on each of these lifts in order to hit the numbers listed.

Is this doable on a cut or should I be patient and just maintain strength in the gym, making progression whenever I can?

Just lift the weights and see what happens.

If you can gain strength on a cut, great.

If you can't, be glad that you're getting leaner and know that your gains will be that much better when you start eating more.

You're nowhere near your maximum potential so there is no need to get hung up on little details. In all likelihood, you will gain some strength, lose a bit of pump and get leaner.

You might hit your strength goals with the program on a cut, you might not.

Is there some sort of time element with the program or a weekly percentage ramp up you're concerned about?

(10-20-2018 06:51 PM)Hannibal Wrote:  Is there some sort of time element with the program or a weekly percentage ramp up you're concerned about?

No, there is no time constraint or anything similar. It's maybe psychological thing for me as I wanted to enter New Year with achieved numbers I listed haha, but now I don't worry about it.

I have little over 20% BF, is 15% or little under good enough goal for the first time cutting? I don't want to go lower as I am sure I don't have enough muscle mass yet to support such radical cuts.

If your goal is 140kg on the squat, and you're 40kg from that now, keep in mind that it's a LONG journey from 100 to 140. Keep lifting regularly, cut the fat when you get too chubby, and you'll be there eventually.

This might sound noobish but I'm having a bit of trouble with 'mind muscle connection' on some of the compound lifts.

Can anyone elaborate on the subject?

It's a real hard thing to explain. Has to do with concentrating on the prime movers while performing the lift. Easy to do with light weight, harder with heavier weight.

(10-24-2018 11:21 PM)General Stalin Wrote:  It's a real hard thing to explain. Has to do with concentrating on the prime movers while performing the lift. Easy to do with light weight, harder with heavier weight.

Actually, it's often hard to do at light weight and easier to do at moderate to heavy weight. Shortcuts are very easy at light weight and can lead to developing bad habits.

Might depend on the lift and the individual. I know what you are saying, though. For example: when I perform a deadlift with 135, the weight comes off the ground before I even start to perform the lift when I actually focus on contracting and flexing the muscles that need to be primed for the lift. 225 is a better weight for me when doing this. Bench is the easiest lift for me to have a strong mind muscle connection with super light weights, but as the plates stack on it gets more difficult. I've missed a few presses in my day just from mechanical failure. Something that I think even veteran lifters need to regularly maintain.

EDIT: A lot of the cues that fitness dudes on youtube try to impress upon you are sort of like "hacks" to trick you into making a mind muscle connection. Like "pushing the floor away" when you deadlift, "sliding your body back" on the bench press, "tossing the bar off your back" on the squat, and a number of others. Lots of guys create cues for themselves that trigger them to focus on using the correct muscles to get the most efficacy for a lift.

MyProtein US is a having a sale.

Just picked up 3x2.2lbs of Isopro lactose free whey (over 50% discount) and 1.1lbs of creatine (35% off) for US$60, shipping included.

The whey is already discounted and the creatine needs the coupon "gains".

Regarding mind-muscle connection I noticed that bench and stiff legged deadlift, both in any weight done are easy for me to implement mind-muscle connection. Other lifts such as conventional deadlift, curl, squat not at all. Don't know why that is.

(10-25-2018 11:38 AM)Ringo Wrote:  MyProtein US is a having a sale.

Just picked up 3x2.2lbs of Isopro lactose free whey (over 50% discount) and 1.1lbs of creatine (35% off) for US$60, shipping included.

The whey is already discounted and the creatine needs the coupon "gains".

I am frequently using My Protein products here in Croatia because they are most affordable protein here and I dare to say, most delicious and quality I have tried. I wonder why MP is not more popular.

Btw, today My Protein liquid chalk arrived in my mail.

^ When I was in Europe I alternated between MyProtein and Bulk Powders - I'd highly recommend both companies.

MP is killer. Best prices around and I think they make a pretty quality product. I can't speak for their other stuff, but whey protein and creatine mono... kinda hard to fuck that up.

I wouldn't worry too much about mind muscle connection. If your form is correct, then the target muscles will be working (they can't not).

(10-25-2018 01:20 PM)General Stalin Wrote:  MP is killer. Best prices around and I think they make a pretty quality product. I can't speak for their other stuff, but whey protein and creatine mono... kinda hard to fuck that up.

Yeah, forgot that. I am also using MP 500 g creatine monohydrate.

(10-25-2018 01:26 PM)Kieran Wrote:  I wouldn't worry too much about mind muscle connection. If your form is correct, then the target muscles will be working (they can't not).

Part of having your form correct is this mind muscle connection, though. For example, someone can lift heavy weight on the deadlift platform by snaking it up with their lower back. Someone can squat up heavy weight by doing a good morning out of the hole. While these methods do move the weight to lockout, the incorrect muscles are being used.

For some people it just "clicks" but not for everyone. Some people need to be conscious about how they are performing the movement.

Believe it or not, I have taken videos of myself performing sets of the main three movements while thinking differently about the lift while performing it. The lift looks about the same in the video, but the way it felt when performing it (and the muscles that felt sore afterward) were different. I've deadlifted and after wards I felt the most soreness in my glutes and hamstrings, and I've also deadlifted and felt the most soreness in my mid and lower back. I know the latter times that I was not engaging my posterior chain properly and was just ripping the weight up without concentrating on "pushing the floor away."Rolling back the tapes, the lifts don't look bad, but the way they looked didn't paint the whole picture.