Post: #4526

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.

Post: #4527

(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.

Post: #4528

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

Post: #4529

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.

Post: #4530

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).

Post: #4531

(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.

Post: #4532

(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.

Post: #4533

The examples that you give of edging up a deadlift and turning a squat into a good morning are incorrect form and have nothing to do with mind muscle connection. If the technique is correct then the target muscle is working full stop. Poundages are everything when it comes to results and people that get caught up in mind muscle connection usually get stuck using light weights slow and controlled and never build any real strength or muscle. Do you think that you can bench 315 with correct technique (shoulders back, slight arch, leg drive, touch bar to sternum, then get the bar back and press in a J-curve) without the pecs, delts and triceps working? Do you think that by focusing on the chest the training response will somehow be better?

I can go in the gym and rep 100kg with perfect slow and controlled technique, squeezing the muscle, and get an amazing pump, but it won't do fuck all for me compared to using everything I've got to press 130kg up reasonable technique (this is very heavy for me), in an explosive manner, taking advantage of the stretch reflex at the bottom, even if I don't feel the muscle working as much as I would with light weight.

I've been there and tried all that mind muscle connection stuff and it does nothing for results (it feels effective though). Train the movement not the muscle and focus on poundages is my advice.

Post: #4534

I'm saying getting good form can look like muscle concentration to some people, and like I said earlier and you confirmed: that sort of thing gets difficult with heavy weight. Practicing the technique with lighter weight and during every warmup will ensure it is ingrained into you when you perform top sets.

I'm not arguing that mind/muscle connection is necessary to move weight with good form, but for some people it is a technique that helps. It's helped me.

Post: #4535

We're probably on the same page then I'd say. Just wanted to emphasise the importance of increasing poundages and not getting too caught up in trying to feel the muscle at the expense of weight on the bar (presuming form is acceptable).

Post: #4536

I just experienced an interesting illustration of how importance sleep is for performance. On Thursday, I went to the gym after only sleeping 4 hours the previous night. I didn't feel like it, but I forced myself to go. After doing some warm up squats, I started with 110kg intending to do 5 reps, something I know I can do comfortably. When I reached the bottom of the squat, I had no strength to even attempt to lift the weight, and the barbell ended up on the safety bar. Strange I thought, since I have really lifted that weight many times recently. So I tried again with the same result. I ended up giving up and going home. Then today I tried again after a full 8 hours of sleep. This time, 110kg seemed ridiculously easy, and I then worked up to 120kg for five reps, equal to my personal best. It's true what they say about sleep being one of the most effective performance enhancers.

Post: #4537

Yeah man, same thing has happened to me with food. I've failed submaximal lifts on an empty stomach, but hit the same weight for easy triples after a good day of eating.

Post: #4538

After months of squatting with narrow, feet parallel stance I attempted yesterday to squat with regular/mainstream stance (shoulder width feet, 30 degrees feet). I stopped squatting like that several months ago because of left hip pain and that is why I squatted with narrow stance all this time.
Regular stance felt fine and weight was a bit easier and I could utilize hip drive more easily. I had no hip pain, why is that so, I don't really know. Anyway, I will continue doing them like this.

Post: #4539

(11-03-2018 05:36 AM)sterling_archer Wrote:  After months of squatting with narrow, feet parallel stance I attempted yesterday to squat with regular/mainstream stance (shoulder width feet, 30 degrees feet). I stopped squatting like that several months ago because of left hip pain and that is why I squatted with narrow stance all this time.
Regular stance felt fine and weight was a bit easier and I could utilize hip drive more easily. I had no hip pain, why is that so, I don't really know. Anyway, I will continue doing them like this.

You probably had a muscular inbalance when your first started that was being exposed by the wider stance that has been strengthened with the more limited movements and is now holding up.

It's amazing how delicate the body can be to things like that and pain is its way of letting you know.

Post: #4540

Core excercises:

https://www.self.com/gallery/core-exerci...s-swear-by

I did #4 and 5 yesterday after a HIIT workout and I swear I can see an improvement in my obliques already. I much prefer #5 to using a cable machine. Anyway, on to leg day today

Post: #4541

That's an it in that self article Repo. I think its a woman, but those muscles look like a guy. Planks, side planks are great too. Also hanging sit ups or what ever its called when you raise your legs up straight, ideally from a roman chair device. Don't forget to work out the rhomboids too, its in the core and is responsible for posture.

Post: #4542

^^^ Thanks, yup doing all of those already. Hanging leg raises I've started to strap a belt on so I can hang weights from it. Either that or grab a dumbell with my feet. For rhomboids I'm doing light weight face pulls with a hold at the end. It feels very refreshing when I'm done. . . I treat it as more like a stretch than a lift though.

Post: #4543

Hey, any brand of workout bands that you guys would recommend? Looking online and I see alot which seem priced too good to be true, I suspect many of the cheaper bands wont hold up well or arent true to the stated resistance weights

Post: #4544

Rubberbanditz is great, I used to use them for assisted pull ups.

https://www.rubberbanditz.com

Post: #4545

crossover symmetry is a pretty good band system for shoulder workouts. Expensive though. I use it at pt.

Post: #4546

What do you guys think of nutrobal? From what I was reading it's pretty effective with few side effects. Anyone have personal experience with it or a friend?

Post: #4547

Are you talking about MK-677? I looked up “NutrobAl” (emphasis on the a) and a vitamin product came up.

MK-677 makes me hungry all the time, and always makes me sleep well after about the first week. I’ve used it a few times in conjunction with LGD-4033 and never had a negative side effect, aside from some difficulty falling asleep the first week or so.

Post: #4548

Nutrobal is interesting. I don't think it does much other than make you hungry. It isn't a true substitute for GH. It is a hunger-inducing peptide IIRC.

I used it for a few months. I didn't find it useful for much other than making me hungry.

Post: #4549

So these things are basically legal steroids without unpleasant experiences sometimes associated with them? Sounds awesome I must admit.

Post: #4550

(11-09-2018 12:13 PM)sterling_archer Wrote:  So these things are basically legal steroids without unpleasant experiences sometimes associated with them? Sounds awesome I must admit.

No, just like everything that's still legally available once it's popular, they will potentially give you a slight boost but you won't be able to hulk up like real gear.

"I'd hate myself if I had that kind of attitude, if I were that weak." - Arnold