Gym and fitness (29 Viewers)

[Fint]

When i started out 2 months ago i was squating 30kg, 10 reps by 4.

My knees were quite weak so i was taking things relatively easy.

Now I'm up to 75kg 10reps by 5.
Pretty happy with that progression.

With regards to bench press, im doing 50kg (comfortably) 10 reps by 5.

I know i can do more but ive noone to spot me

#lonewolf

 

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[Ford Prefect]

For core work, bodyweight exercises, moving your way into levers (front, back, flag), + L-sits and V-sits is always good. Pike and Straddle compressions are great too as a way to increase core strength while also increasing active flexibility.

The problem with doing 2+minute long planks is that, yes, this does a lot for core endurance, but it does very little for core strength after that initial strengthening when you first begin.

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If bicep curls are bothering your forearms, some wrist/grip strength exercises might help there. Another option is neutral grip chin-ups, as a neutral, narrow grip chin-up is almost entirely a bicep exercise, while slightly involving the shoulder complex and back muscles. A compound exercise like a chin-up/pull-up is much preferred to a bicep curl anyways for function, though perhaps not for Bodybuilding goals.

Your routine looks good, and it looks like you value cardio a lot. Intervals are fantastic. The only thing I'd suggest as before is adding squats into one of the chest days, Monday would probably work best, only, keep it light. It will help your squats improve by leaps and bounds, even with regards to just better familiarity (motor skills) with the exercise due to doing it more than once per week.

Runs to google

I do so much cardio because i still have a little visceral stomach fat from when i lost 35ks fat a few years ago and because I want to start doing endurance mountain runs next season, i'm not ready for this season.

I do bicep pull ups (close grip) and lat pull ups at the moment on my bicep day. Is the neutural grip just a flat bar? I can use the assist on the squat rack for that i guess. With Bicep curls i get tennis elbow in my left arm, and shooting pain down my right forearm. I can do 14 kgs without issue on my bicep and i'd love to push it more, but it fucks up my forearm. I can do 16kgs on a hammer curl without getting forearm pain but i don't like hammer curls

I'll look at introducing Squats on Monday and move delts to tues.

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When i started out 2 months ago i was squating 30kg, 10 reps by 4.

My knees were quite weak so i was taking things relatively easy.

Now I'm up to 75kg 10reps by 5.
Pretty happy with that progression.

With regards to bench press, im doing 50kg (comfortably) 10 reps by 5.

I know i can do more but ive noone to spot me

#lonewolf

Feel the lonewolf pain, the girl i go with refuses to spot me for anything

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@PostIronic
I found this article for Front levers, does it tally with what you are suggesting?

http://breakingmuscle.com/gymnastics/how-to-build-up-to-the-front-lever

 

[Maddy]

You take pictures when you're pumped? You're only deceiving yourself.

Squated 70 kgs this week and pressed 95kgs, going for 100kgs next week

When I can fuckin row more than you can squat, you really need to shut up. But I bet it's disheartening for you to see I'm not a ugly fat nerd liek you.

hot shit, nice definition there bud

@Maddy

 

[JCK]

Did I miss something? Did Maddy show the goods?

 

[Ford Prefect]

When I can fuckin row more than you can squat, you really need to shut up. But I bet it's disheartening for you to see I'm not a ugly fat nerd liek you.

In sooooooo fat... (this would be during rest not pumped at the gym)

 

[ALC]

you dont even get the fist bump greet in my old gym if you dont bench at least 225 lbs

That's why I don't go to your gym, dawg

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When I can fuckin row more than you can squat, you really need to shut up. But I bet it's disheartening for you to see I'm not a ugly fat nerd liek you.

Daaaamn

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In sooooooo fat... (this would be during rest not pumped at the gym)

Oooh, Kill 'em!!!

 

[Post Ironic]

Runs to google

I do so much cardio because i still have a little visceral stomach fat from when i lost 35ks fat a few years ago and because I want to start doing endurance mountain runs next season, i'm not ready for this season.

I do bicep pull ups (close grip) and lat pull ups at the moment on my bicep day. Is the neutural grip just a flat bar? I can use the assist on the squat rack for that i guess. With Bicep curls i get tennis elbow in my left arm, and shooting pain down my right forearm. I can do 14 kgs without issue on my bicep and i'd love to push it more, but it $#@!s up my forearm. I can do 16kgs on a hammer curl without getting forearm pain but i don't like hammer curls

I'll look at introducing Squats on Monday and move delts to tues.

Try these wrist conditioning/stretching exercises a couple times a week, and see if it helps with the tennis elbow and forearm pain. I've found that poor wrist strength and flexibility can often contribute to elbow and forearm pain.

I found this article for Front levers, does it tally with what you are suggesting?

http://breakingmuscle.com/gymnastics/how-to-build-up-to-the-front-lever

That's pretty much what I was suggesting for front levers. Here's a torrent for a book that is excellent for core strength training. Chapters 4 and 8 are the relevant ones for core work, and both give progressions for things like levers and leg raises and l-sits and the like, along with difficulty ratings for each. You'll likely be able to start mid-way through the progressions for many exercises. http://thepiratebay.se/torrent/7666460/Building_the_Gymnastic_Body__The_Science_of_Gymnas tics_Strength_

 

[Dostoevsky]

Good stuff Maddy, looking sexy there.

 

[Ford Prefect]

Try these wrist conditioning/stretching exercises a couple times a week, and see if it helps with the tennis elbow and forearm pain. I've found that poor wrist strength and flexibility can often contribute to elbow and forearm pain.


That's pretty much what I was suggesting for front levers. Here's a torrent for a book that is excellent for core strength training. Chapters 4 and 8 are the relevant ones for core work, and both give progressions for things like levers and leg raises and l-sits and the like, along with difficulty ratings for each. You'll likely be able to start mid-way through the progressions for many exercises. http://thepiratebay.se/torrent/7666460/Building_the_Gymnastic_Body__The_Science_of_Gymnas tics_Strength_

Thanks for this man, really appreciate it. I managed three 10 second tucked front levers, I couldn't support my core any further out. I'll check the materials and incorporate what I can.

 

[JCK]

So pistol squats, I can go all the way down but I can't seem to find my way up. What to do?

 

[Post Ironic]

So pistol squats, I can go all the way down but I can't seem to find my way up. What to do?

Try holding a weight out in front of you. I know it seems at first that this would make it harder, but it actually allows your weight to stay a little more balanced forward, making it easier to go up. 10-15kg is usually good to start. Other than that, using exercise bands to give a tiny bit of assistance works.

 

[JCK]

Try holding a weight out in front of you. I know it seems at first that this would make it harder, but it actually allows your weight to stay a little more balanced forward, making it easier to go up. 10-15kg is usually good to start. Other than that, using exercise bands to give a tiny bit of assistance works.

You might be right with the weight because I found myself leaning backwards a tad too much. I will try it tomorrow at the gym.

 

[Post Ironic]

You might be right with the weight because I found myself leaning backwards a tad too much. I will try it tomorrow at the gym.

It's how I finally made progression with pistol squats. You can lower the weight needed until it's easier to get back up without any extra weight and then start adding a bar and actually doing heavily weighted pistol back squats. Good luck tomorrow!

 

[Quetzalcoatl]

A lot of you guys do 5x5 sets, why, as opposed to say 10-8-6?

 

[Ford Prefect]

A lot of you guys do 5x5 sets, why, as opposed to say 10-8-6?

Strength instead of definition/toning.

 

[Post Ironic]

A lot of you guys do 5x5 sets, why, as opposed to say 10-8-6?

Some people prefer strength and power gains to hypertrophy. 5 is a decent medium that allows one to gain some size due to volume, while not being so high volume that strength gains are significantly reduced.

Sets of 1-3 with 90+% of 1RM allow for CNS training in the sense of better neural excitation and fast-twitch muscle fibre recruitment alongside reducing the inhibition of the CNS towards this rapid recruitment of muscle fibres. This leads to massive gains in Explosive Power. Maximum power and strength expression improve without a large increase in muscle mass, which keeps an athlete's power to weight ratio high.

The only problem with such training is one must be much more cautious with overtraining, as CNS fatigue can cause severe training problems. So periodization is key, with heavy CNS style training only occurring for several week cycles. Also rest between sets needs to go up into the range of 4-6 minutes, and 48 hours between CNS training sessions needs to occur for proper recovery. Most athletes training in this fashion incorporate two workouts a day on such training days, generally a weightlifting session (power cleans/snatch; front/back squats; bench press; + a few auxiliary lifts and core work if needed), and a plyometric session. Recovery days between often involve active recovery with a light exercise session and stretching.

Tudor Bompa's book Periodization Training For Sports is a very good source for information on this type of training, along with a lot of Soviet era research from behind the Iron Curtain.

 

[JCK]

A lot of you guys do 5x5 sets, why, as opposed to say 10-8-6?

I do 12 12 12.

 

[Quetzalcoatl]

Strength instead of definition/toning.

Some people prefer strength and power gains to hypertrophy. 5 is a decent medium that allows one to gain some size due to volume, while not being so high volume that strength gains are significantly reduced.

Sets of 1-3 with 90+% of 1RM allow for CNS training in the sense of better neural excitation and fast-twitch muscle fibre recruitment alongside reducing the inhibition of the CNS towards this rapid recruitment of muscle fibres. This leads to massive gains in Explosive Power. Maximum power and strength expression improve without a large increase in muscle mass, which keeps an athlete's power to weight ratio high.

The only problem with such training is one must be much more cautious with overtraining, as CNS fatigue can cause severe training problems. So periodization is key, with heavy CNS style training only occurring for several week cycles. Also rest between sets needs to go up into the range of 4-6 minutes, and 48 hours between CNS training sessions needs to occur for proper recovery. Most athletes training in this fashion incorporate two workouts a day on such training days, generally a weightlifting session (power cleans/snatch; front/back squats; bench press; + a few auxiliary lifts and core work if needed), and a plyometric session. Recovery days between often involve active recovery with a light exercise session and stretching.

Tudor Bompa's book Periodization Training For Sports is a very good source for information on this type of training, along with a lot of Soviet era research from behind the Iron Curtain.

Yeah, that's what I figured. I'm thinking of trying that, but only for bench presses and squats, because I feel it could help me break through the 225lb/100kg barrier.

How much muscle growth would you say is lost that way?

I do 12 12 12.

For endurance and to stay light, as you're a runner right?

 

[Post Ironic]

Yeah, that's what I figured. I'm thinking of trying that, but only for bench presses and squats, because I feel it could help me break through the 225lb/100kg barrier.

How much muscle growth would you say is lost that way?

It's definitely the preferred method for making strength gains on the heavy compound lifts. Once you're done a hypertrophy cycle of sets in that 8-10 range, drop into a cycle of power/strength training starting at 5 reps and over the course of about 6 weeks drop to 3 reps. You should make large strength gains in so doing.

Muscle growth is often very conditional on what you eat, alongside the number of reps you're doing, within that 3-10 range. 3-5 will slow it down certainly as you're not doing the volume needed to really damage your muscles with micro-tears and have them rebuild bigger, quickly. However, if your caloric intake and protein intake are adequate you are doing enough that you should continue gaining size, assuming you aren't nearing Ronnie Coleman size already.

The other benefit of occasionally doing strength cycles, is that it gives your body and muscles a rest from the continuous trauma of hypertrophy cycles, and when you do return to it after several weeks, you'll probably see fast gains again at the start of a new cycle.

 

[Quetzalcoatl]

It's definitely the preferred method for making strength gains on the heavy compound lifts. Once you're done a hypertrophy cycle of sets in that 8-10 range, drop into a cycle of power/strength training starting at 5 reps and over the course of about 6 weeks drop to 3 reps. You should make large strength gains in so doing.

Muscle growth is often very conditional on what you eat, alongside the number of reps your doing, within that 3-10 range. 3-5 will slow it down certainly as you're not doing the volume needed to really damage your muscles with micro-tears and have them rebuild bigger, quickly. However, if your caloric intake and protein intake are adequate you are doing enough that you should continue gaining size, assuming you aren't nearing Ronnie Coleman size already.

The other benefit of occasionally doing strength cycles, is that it gives your body and muscles a rest from the continuous trauma of hypertrophy cycles, and when you do return to it after several weeks, you'll probably see fast gains again at the start of a new cycle.

I think I'm ready to start it this coming week