Post: #476

(12-20-2014 03:03 PM)CrashBangWallop Wrote:  

(12-20-2014 11:26 AM)Hades Wrote:  

(12-18-2014 01:20 AM)kosko Wrote:  Well... I finally get to 225 on the Bench Press today. After many efforts, and about now 2 years of lifting. I would of gotten there sooner but, I really don't focus on flat bench. It is a awkward movement for me because of my long arms and I prefer to use dumbbells, and I also prefer the incline as I get better muscle tension that way versus flat. I will say that OHPs greatly pushed ahead my flat bench. I had a golden OHP workout in the rack today getting 155 for reps and decided to try a max on the flat for fun and the 225 was very doable, and did it three times just to make sure.

How long did it take you to get to 155 for reps on the overhead press?
I've been grinding on the overhead press for months and can't seem to add weight to it. My delts and back get bigger and swoler, but the weight just does not go up.

Do you have a spotter?

My best ever OP was 150kg a couple of years back with a strength and conditioning coach. Would never have got anywhere near it without a helper.

Jesus. Three plates? That is one hell of a press overhead!

Post: #477

(12-20-2014 12:35 PM)Foolsgo1d Wrote:  

(12-18-2014 07:35 PM)birdie num num Wrote:  

(12-18-2014 06:17 PM)Foolsgo1d Wrote:  Try and avoid front squatting for many reps. Front squats should really be a staple of maximum strength building which includes low reps 1-3 or 5 ata stretch. If you can do 25 reps with front squats your body is just going through the motions. The way the front squat works is that it tires the muscles involved which help you keep a straight back.

If your back becomes rounded a lot on front squats you can injure yourself.

You can injure yourself just as easily with heavy weight and a 1-5 rep range. It also depends on the type of workout and goals. One of the points of doing front squats is that there is little room for rounding the back, unlike back squats which put greater stress on the spine. You round the back on front squats and you'll dump the bar. I've been doing them for approximately 10 years and have yet to suffer an injury from them.

I haven't suffered from an injury but to say you cannot round your back is laughable. I've done it a few times and so have plenty of others.

When you're at the limit of front squatting your upper back can round if you tire or cannot hold it. You don't dump the bar that easily unless you want too.

That's fine with me. Do them the way you like and I'll do them how I like. Opinions about lifting routines are a dime dozen. Do what best fits your goals, fitness level, and maintain proper form. Just keep pumpin' the iron.

Post: #478

(12-10-2014 07:28 AM)CrashBangWallop Wrote:  

(12-10-2014 12:40 AM)Veloce Wrote:  Guys that are doing arm curls in the squat rack.

There was this couple, the guy was using wrist straps on the lat pulldown machine, and his girl was helping him pull the bar down because he insisted on loading like 3/4 of the entire stack! I wish I had taken a video. What the fuck?! Who does that?

Call me a douche but I've been known to do both these things.

I use the rack for barbell curls; mainly so I can rest the barbell on the safety bars and not have to waste energy/warm up my back for picking an 80kg barbell off the floor. Every time I've injured myself in the gym it is picking up and putting back weights when tired.

Post: #479

I have a problem with overhead press.My right shoulder clicks and doesn't allow me to comfortably go heavy with either barbell or dumbbell overhead press, although dumbbell is slightly more comfortable.

I don't have problems with dumbbell lateral raise, but I haven't found many other exercises to beef up my delts. It's frustrating because I've made a ton of progress everywhere but delts. So two questions:

1. What other exercises for delts other than overhead/military presses do you guys prefer?
2. Should I see a doctor about this? This has been a lingering injury for over a year, and I've gone up to weeks without going to the gym at all, and months without even doing shoulders. I thought I'd be recovered by now, but I tried it yesterday, and no dice.

Post: #480

(12-20-2014 09:58 PM)Kamikaze Wrote:  I have a problem with overhead press.My right shoulder clicks and doesn't allow me to comfortably go heavy with either barbell or dumbbell overhead press, although dumbbell is slightly more comfortable.

I don't have problems with dumbbell lateral raise, but I haven't found many other exercises to beef up my delts. It's frustrating because I've made a ton of progress everywhere but delts. So two questions:

1. What other exercises for delts other than overhead/military presses do you guys prefer?
2. Should I see a doctor about this? This has been a lingering injury for over a year, and I've gone up to weeks without going to the gym at all, and months without even doing shoulders. I thought I'd be recovered by now, but I tried it yesterday, and no dice.

If your form isn't perfect on the OHP there can definitely be some impingement, however you should definitely be able to do a dumbell shoulder press.

Are you starting the movement with your palms facing you? You should be doing a full 180 degree rotation as you lift the dumbell above you.

If there's still clicking then best to see a doctor or PT asap. You should have no problems doing a dumbell shoulder press.

Post: #481

(12-20-2014 09:33 PM)Veloce Wrote:  

(12-10-2014 07:28 AM)CrashBangWallop Wrote:  

(12-10-2014 12:40 AM)Veloce Wrote:  Guys that are doing arm curls in the squat rack.

There was this couple, the guy was using wrist straps on the lat pulldown machine, and his girl was helping him pull the bar down because he insisted on loading like 3/4 of the entire stack! I wish I had taken a video. What the fuck?! Who does that?

Call me a douche but I've been known to do both these things.

I use the rack for barbell curls; mainly so I can rest the barbell on the safety bars and not have to waste energy/warm up my back for picking an 80kg barbell off the floor. Every time I've injured myself in the gym it is picking up and putting back weights when tired.

80 kilo curl is pretty impressive. I can do 110# for an angry single.

Post: #482

(12-20-2014 10:03 PM)Veloce Wrote:  Are you starting the movement with your palms facing you? You should be doing a full 180 degree rotation as you lift the dumbell above you.

If there's still clicking then best to see a doctor or PT asap. You should have no problems doing a dumbell shoulder press.

Not sure what you mean by palms facing me. For barbell overhead, I try to replicate this form:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/de...tary-press



For dumbbell, do you mean "arnold" or rotating press, like this?



http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/ma...bell-press

If so, I haven't tried that, I'll give it a shot tomorrow. Dumbbell works fine, but only if I don't go below parallel and keep a somewhat lighter weight, requiring say 70% of what I could really lift for 10 reps. Basically, I don't have a full range of motion, but the rotation might work well.

I guess I'll go to the doc. I'm just assuming they won't do shit. I twisted my ankle badly a few years ago, and I said 'it only bothers me when I play basketball.' Doc said 'well, don't play basketball.' That's one correct, albeit lazy answer, that doesn't correct my problem. Which is why I resorted to asking on this forum, incidentally.

Thanks for the tip Veloce.

Post: #483

I can't stand doctors that say "oh don't play basketball." They aren't athletic, probably don't lift, and probably work out only on cable machines "because it's safer."

Take everything with a grain of salt....and get multiple opinions. Read the RVF PT thread, lots of gold dropped in there.

As for shoulder exercises....I've always loved Arnold press but have apparently been doing it wrong. I'm not able to hit a gym for a few days but will be trying it out as soon as I can.

Check this out....let me know

http://boldanddetermined.com/2011/10/28/...old-press/

Post: #484

(12-20-2014 11:10 PM)Kamikaze Wrote:  For dumbbell, do you mean "arnold" or rotating press, like this?

Yes. Exactly like that.

Post: #485

Today I woke up and had a mug of hot green tea with honey and lemon and a banana and then went to the gym and had a pretty good training session. This is the first time I ever trained in a "fasted" state. Whats the verdict on training on pretty much a empty stomach first thing in the morning?

Post: #486

^Some guys like to lift fasted, I know the Hodge twins on youtube have talked about it. I would only do it for cutting... that's what I used to do when I was a distance runner, early morning jog on near empty stomach, plus the afternoon training session. Great way to get bone dry quick as hell. But never done it to build muscle. Personally I feel weak as hell lifting on an empty stomach.

Anyway, here's a shoulder report. I did some chest first, dumbbell flat and incline bench, went hard. Was feeling good, so I tried the barbell overhead press again just for the hell of it. This time, I tried lower weight, and only did three fifths of the movement... and I got a great burn, no clicking or impinging.

Then I tried dumbbell arnold overhead, but only 3/5 of the motion as explained in this video (props redbeard, this is a very good video):





Honestly it felt kinda awkward, but I did feel a burn and no clicking or impinging. It's a good movement though, I gotta practice it some more.

This triggered a memory in the shower... I remembered the Hodge twins training chest with Kali Muscle and explaining that he does the 3/5 thing, which helps keep "tension on the muscle" throughout the entire set. No rest between reps. Little did I know they also did shoulders. Edit: Kali does 125 lbs on DB overhead(4:40 in the vid), goddamn





Given I had the first good shoulder workout in at least a year because of this, and also seems like a good way to avoid injury, I'll be trying more of this 3/5 stuff in the future.

Thanks for the tips, Veloce and redbeard. Gotta get them shoulder gainzzzz

Post: #487

(12-20-2014 11:26 AM)Hades Wrote:  

(12-18-2014 01:20 AM)kosko Wrote:  Well... I finally get to 225 on the Bench Press today. After many efforts, and about now 2 years of lifting. I would of gotten there sooner but, I really don't focus on flat bench. It is a awkward movement for me because of my long arms and I prefer to use dumbbells, and I also prefer the incline as I get better muscle tension that way versus flat. I will say that OHPs greatly pushed ahead my flat bench. I had a golden OHP workout in the rack today getting 155 for reps and decided to try a max on the flat for fun and the 225 was very doable, and did it three times just to make sure.

How long did it take you to get to 155 for reps on the overhead press?
I've been grinding on the overhead press for months and can't seem to add weight to it. My delts and back get bigger and swoler, but the weight just does not go up.

I've suspected that me favoring the incline press has helped. I do also a lot of suicide presses for the upper chest. My upper chest has always has a advanced layer of strength there simply just from me putting more focus on it.

For the OHP I am just aggressive in a smart way in pushing up weight. I don't ever cheat on reps by using my knees to 'kick up' the weight. If it isn't a clean rep I know it instantly, and I either "feel it" or "don't". I try to do OHP twice a weak, at least once. It may just be as simple as working up by 10lbs each week. Sometimes it nay take me a third workout to get comfy but you notice little by little the weight move up each time. Even just getting that one clean rep over your head is enough to spike the memory into your muscles and nerves for the next time down the road.

I was stuck on 95lbs for a while at the very start, but adding 5-10lbs on per week and in no time I got to 155. My goal is my body weight so for me it is still a long way to go. I want to do 175, and I want to do that by spring.

Basically my programming is to go twice per week and switch between a heavy OHP day and light.

* One day OHP is my sole workout. This is usually when I am tight for time and 35 mins is just for OHP. I go heavy on these days starting with 65 and working up to whatever my max is I can get up to. Sometimes its a bit under my max, some days you feel good and push ahead. Being rested from a prior push exercise of course helps.

* The second OHP is molded into push day. I focus mostly on getting more volume in. I typically only will go as high 115 and do burnout pyramid sets.

Form:
As far as form, I feel this is key. My OHP didn't start to take off until I cleaned up my form and this video from OmarIsuf helped a lot, I highly recommend it for folks stuck on their OHP:





Getting the back stiff and in place with proper bar placement is key. My OHP from setup to lift is 5 steps: Lock back - Lock in w/ Bar & Lift - One step left - One Step right - Push. From this point on once your form is sound you get all your push potential free. No weird shit or jerk shit is going to happen since you are locked and fused so its either you can get the weight up clean or not and you know very very quickly if its doable and can avoid injury by trying to froce it with shit form.

Post: #488

I don't like training in a fasted state or while doing super low-carb. I prefer just cutting calories overall, nothing fancy with meal timing, and it seems to be working so far...hopefully it continues.

I'm experimenting with fasting one day a week on Sunday, where I skip breakfast and lunch. Seems to be OK since Saturday allows for recovery from Friday's session.

If you're going to train (lift) while fasted those workouts need to be very short.

Post: #489

(12-22-2014 12:27 AM)RexImperator Wrote:  I don't like training in a fasted state or while doing super low-carb. I prefer just cutting calories overall, nothing fancy with meal timing, and it seems to be working so far...hopefully it continues.

I'm experimenting with fasting one day a week on Sunday, where I skip breakfast and lunch. Seems to be OK since Saturday allows for recovery from Friday's session.

If you're going to train (lift) while fasted those workouts need to be very short.

I only went without breakfast this morning because of time constraints. I was pretty impressed that I didn't notice and fatigue and had a great workout.. Specially since I have had some kind of sinus cold for 3 or 4 days...

An I was in the gym for almost 2 hours in a fasted state... I ate a 1/4 Chicken and some rice right after my work out.. which I pretty much do every day

Post: #490

When you go low carb, the workouts will suck until your body has fully adjusted. In my case it took 1 week for my lifts to go back to normal and 2 weeks to feel really in the groove again. I would tend to do less volume though, as most of my attention is on strength.

That said, I wouldn't work out during a full 24 hour fast. That's just asking for fainting mid-set or some such trouble. Even when on low carb, I'd still get my meal in before working out.

Post: #491

Yeah for fasting once your body has adjusted it is not a big deal. Only on some leg days would I feel a little dizzy and overwhelmed but then you just drop the weight down and push out more reps in and your fine.

I still always has the best workouts at night after all my mwala though. Training fasted is doable but nothing beats running on a full tank of gas.

Post: #492

Sometimes I wish I had that inherent douchebag attitude with people.

Some scrawny moron approached me today in the gym after a set of deadlifting and asked me if I could please not let the bar drop on the floor like that.

Motherfucker, this thing weights more than you do and you are asking me to put it down gently?

Post: #493

(12-22-2014 07:23 PM)FretDancer Wrote:  Sometimes I wish I had that inherent douchebag attitude with people.

Some scrawny moron approached me today in the gym after a set of deadlifting and asked me if I could please not let the bar drop on the floor like that.

Motherfucker, this thing weights more than you do and you are asking me to put it down gently?

Troll him next time and ask him to bar spot you on the DL. Let him try and play catch and grab with 400 pounds.

Post: #494

@Kamikaze

I tried the "correct" Arnold Press today and had similar results. I got a good pump in my rear delts but am still on the fence as to if this is truly the "complete" shoulder exercise.

I think I'll keep doing it for a few weeks. I need to slow my reps down, I was definitely pushing the pace as I did it towards the end of my workout and wanted to go home and eat the NY Strip that I got at Whole Foods.

Great share about the hodge video! I think if you combine the 3/5 range with 3 negative, 1 positive timing, the pump will be astronomical.

If anybody has Arnold's Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding, which is referenced in the original article, and they post the pages about the Arnold Press, it would be an instant +1 from me.

Post: #495

I was going to post this in NBA thread but I think it's more suiting here....

Vince Carter is 37 years old.





Even if our gainz are lagging, or we injure ourselves, or can't get to the gym for a few weeks...we have to remember that we are exercising for much more than how we look, or how much we can lift.

"Health is Wealth."

Post: #496

Christmas came early this year. Put up 360lbs on the bench yesterday. My squat is still stuck at 400lbs... so the next half year it's gonna get all my love. Want to get the fucker up to 500lbs. Deadlift is at 450lbs, and I want to get that to 600. Hope to reach that goal in a year. I've also dropped 10lbs since mid-nov. Hoorah!

Post: #497

I feel like I'm moving in the right direction. RVF and you guys help a lot in getting me motivated and helping me look at life in a positive way again. THANKS!
Coming off a real rough two years where I let my athletic body go to shit after a back injury...I really started drinking too much and that didn't end well. So, 7 months ago I stopped drinking, 3 months ago I started walking every morning and getting my diet in order, and dropped 20 lbs of fat.
Signed up at a good local gym and been going everyday for the past week and a half.
I just signed a contract for personal training 4x a week, 16x/month, for the next year. Was expensive, but very professional (training includes strength, cardio, nutrition, etc etc) and the gym I work out at provides a good platform (lots of new equipment, great weight section, etc etc).
Turns out my trainer will be this Dominican guy who really knows his shit. We just had our first session today, and I didn't tell him I spoke Spanish until the end, and he got a kick out of that. Should be a cool guy to keep me on the good path.
Anyway, shit's getting real. No more excuses. No more looking at the past instead of the future. Alea jacta est.

Post: #498

(12-22-2014 12:22 AM)kosko Wrote:  

(12-20-2014 11:26 AM)Hades Wrote:  

(12-18-2014 01:20 AM)kosko Wrote:  Well... I finally get to 225 on the Bench Press today. After many efforts, and about now 2 years of lifting. I would of gotten there sooner but, I really don't focus on flat bench. It is a awkward movement for me because of my long arms and I prefer to use dumbbells, and I also prefer the incline as I get better muscle tension that way versus flat. I will say that OHPs greatly pushed ahead my flat bench. I had a golden OHP workout in the rack today getting 155 for reps and decided to try a max on the flat for fun and the 225 was very doable, and did it three times just to make sure.

How long did it take you to get to 155 for reps on the overhead press?
I've been grinding on the overhead press for months and can't seem to add weight to it. My delts and back get bigger and swoler, but the weight just does not go up.

I've suspected that me favoring the incline press has helped. I do also a lot of suicide presses for the upper chest. My upper chest has always has a advanced layer of strength there simply just from me putting more focus on it.

For the OHP I am just aggressive in a smart way in pushing up weight. I don't ever cheat on reps by using my knees to 'kick up' the weight. If it isn't a clean rep I know it instantly, and I either "feel it" or "don't". I try to do OHP twice a weak, at least once. It may just be as simple as working up by 10lbs each week. Sometimes it nay take me a third workout to get comfy but you notice little by little the weight move up each time. Even just getting that one clean rep over your head is enough to spike the memory into your muscles and nerves for the next time down the road.

I was stuck on 95lbs for a while at the very start, but adding 5-10lbs on per week and in no time I got to 155. My goal is my body weight so for me it is still a long way to go. I want to do 175, and I want to do that by spring.

Basically my programming is to go twice per week and switch between a heavy OHP day and light.

* One day OHP is my sole workout. This is usually when I am tight for time and 35 mins is just for OHP. I go heavy on these days starting with 65 and working up to whatever my max is I can get up to. Sometimes its a bit under my max, some days you feel good and push ahead. Being rested from a prior push exercise of course helps.

* The second OHP is molded into push day. I focus mostly on getting more volume in. I typically only will go as high 115 and do burnout pyramid sets.

Form:
As far as form, I feel this is key. My OHP didn't start to take off until I cleaned up my form and this video from OmarIsuf helped a lot, I highly recommend it for folks stuck on their OHP:





Getting the back stiff and in place with proper bar placement is key. My OHP from setup to lift is 5 steps: Lock back - Lock in w/ Bar & Lift - One step left - One Step right - Push. From this point on once your form is sound you get all your push potential free. No weird shit or jerk shit is going to happen since you are locked and fused so its either you can get the weight up clean or not and you know very very quickly if its doable and can avoid injury by trying to froce it with shit form.

Relevant question, what was your bench press starting out? Had you been benching for a while and then started military pressing?

Reason I'm asking is that my old lifting buddy could bench in the neighborhood of 210-225#, started pressing at just 85#, but his triceps were strong enough that he was quickly pressing 145-155#.

Also so you're saying if I want my overhead to grow, mixing in incline bench would be a good idea? I haven't done much benching in the last few months but will give it a shot again.

Post: #499

So last night I went to the gym for a bit and did:

Leg Press Machine- 350lbs(9 reps) 370lbs(9 reps) and 400lbs (7 reps)
Shoulder Press- 110lbs (9,7 and 6 reps)
Row machine- 170lbs (9,7, and 5 reps)
Back Extension Machine- 290lbs (10, 10 ans 10 reps)

I go 3 times a week and one of those days I slow burn, basically timed set till failure, max weight.

The other 2 times I go to the gym pretty much looks like what I listed. The other day where I am not slow burning, I'll do Pulldowns, Dumbbell chest press, calves, abs, curls. All 3 reps.

Post: #500

Been cutting for 6 months and decided to eat at maintenance for December. Gained about 5lbs right away but I think it's stabilized now. Tons of energy in the gym though. I'll start another 3 month cut in January and that should get me to 12% bf by March.

How much weight do you guys usually gain when you go from cutting back to maintenance?