*** The 2010 Gym Rats Thread ***

[BennyC]

Just tried my only, and reasonably expensive, suit on as I have my end of year exhibition in 2 weeks and will need to be dressed smart for it.

It was tailored to fit, and was a very nice fit back in August when I last wore it.

It would seem I have out done myself and have now out grown it!

It's tight in most places and my shoulders are broader than the pads now. As for the trousers, the pockets always kicked but dear lord! My quads stand out a mile as does my ass!

Time to break the bad news to mum

 

[Skillmister]

Oh dear

 

[BennyC]

We were hoping it'd last to graduation in Novemember and for a few job interviews...

Luckily I have my other smart trousers up here I wore for work during summer otherwise I'd be royally screwed!

I went halves on that suit, costing me over a weeks pay! Hopefully sell it and get something back for it. This means I have to endure the drama of finding another suit for graduation!

 

[Paramount]

Suit trousers are a right pain, trying to get anything in the pockets is useless.

 

[Freefaller]

I know the feeling - that's why I seldom buy tailored stuff! I just buy biiiig (i.e. 38" waist) and get them tailored down to my waist so that i can fit my legs into them sensibly.

Can you not just find similar coloured trousers and get that done? The jacket is tricker though!

 

[BennyC]

Yeah, the jacket has some room to be let out as we made sure of that but I don't think much can be done in regards to width!

Deffinatley be sticking to cheaper suits in future!

Suit trousers fit me fine providing they have a pleat down the front as my quads are very prominant from the hip and stick out fowards loads. Not so much wide (working on that with the lateral head coming on nicely ). Until I tried it on I was just going to blag a slightly snug fitting suit. Didn't realise my body shape has completely changed again!

Since squatting freeweight my arse has ballooned, noticed it this morning as I was knocking everything over with it lol

OT: I'm catching you up. Thighs shall peak just over 26" soon and chest is knocking on 47" soon, these were your old stats, don't tell me your knew ones please! Don't quite posess the strength you have though, yet Will see how I weigh in tomorrow morning. Back onto c-mono for a bit so expecting to take on some more water.

Still loving smashing calves with high volume too. Donkey calve raises have done wonders for the deffinition right up into the back of the knee.

 

[Freefaller]

hehehe - don't worry I won't post stats. I'm just back on training non-agvt style so it's going to be a bit different! Actually might boost my strength/size a bit more too owing to the change! However, you will catch me up, you're younger, starting training at an earlier age, and I'm now just past my peak test production! So go for it! I still plan on being as strong as I can be though!

My arse is quite chunky thanks to squatting! But I love it... My ATG reps are helping or that though!

Actually, here's a question to all, can any of you NOT squat ATG? I find it almost impossible not to squat ATG, which makes it pants for PBs and progress, because my squat weight has dropped significantly, 140-160kg is now my working set range for ATG as I find it really hard to squat shallow - I just find it really hard to do so! :/

 

[Skillmister]

What kind of angle is your lower leg at when you squat guys? Like how far forward does your knee go?

I realised quite recently that since breaking my right ankle i never got much range of movement back in it at all and need to start stretching again.

 

[Cristian]

Actually, here's a question to all, can any of you NOT squat ATG? I find it almost impossible not to squat ATG

To be honest I find quite weird going too much below paralel, all my working sets stop like an inch or two after hitting parallel.

I can go like 2 inches next to the ground, but I have to somehow lean forward and arch my back, so I'd rather keep my posture nice all the way across and not go as low.

Probably not the most flexible person around I guess.

 

[Freefaller]

What kind of angle is your lower leg at when you squat guys? Like how far forward does your knee go?

I realised quite recently that since breaking my right ankle i never got much range of movement back in it at all and need to start stretching again.

If you've had an injury I guess your calf or achilles may be tight and stopping too much flexibility.

When I do a squat, my hams are resting against my calf, it's the size of them that stops me physically going any lower.

To be honest I find quite weird going too much below paralel, all my working sets stop like an inch or two after hitting parallel.

I can go like 2 inches next to the ground, but I have to somehow lean forward and arch my back, so I'd rather keep my posture nice all the way across and not go as low.

Probably not the most flexible person around I guess.

It's a flexibility thing I guess, I just really struggle to stop myself going loooow, I find it too much effort to stop the ROM!! I need to get used to going less low to help me push through plateaux.

 

[Paramount]

Actually, here's a question to all, can any of you NOT squat ATG?

I would actually rather squat ATG than dawdle around parallel... it's easier! Less straining, more comfortable, and easier to keep good form. Plus you don't need to worry about how far down you've gone, just that you've hit the bottom and it's time to go back up again.

Love it when a guy clearly bigger than me (chest and arms at least!) finishes off some half squats then I pop on a bit more and do some ATG!

 

[Freefaller]

Oh I agree entirely - I much prefer ATG - I just wish I could do regular // squats occaisionally to help get some 200+kg squats out of me, but I find the effort to stop and change direction of the bar much harder for some reason!

 

[Skillmister]

If you've had an injury I guess your calf or achilles may be tight and stopping too much flexibility.

When I do a squat, my hams are resting against my calf, it's the size of them that stops me physically going any lower.

I guess your knee does go quite a bit forward then, i end up falling over backwards when i go down too far

 

[Freefaller]

When doing front squats my pack is pretty straight and quite upright, when doing back squats I try and keep as upright as possible, I try not to rotate around my hips as I don't really want to be doing a good morning type of lift. However, yes my lower leg tilts forwards, but I drive through my heels, so they are not at a ridiculous angle either!

 

[-Ad-]

Managed a cheeky 35min workout before the gym closed last night. Normally take over an hour, but WOW shortening the breaks and hitting it hard and fast really does knock you

Starting to write everything down now so I can keep a record. Not the most amazing gains since joining the gym in October, but I'm fairly happy except for my high bf%. Into June is the day I hit a HIIT + spinning routine to drop my flab for the summer, something I've been wanting to do since uni finished nigh on 3yrs ago.

So far June09 vs May10 and weights are going up pretty quickly since a few weeks ago!!! (lets say 3sets / 6reps):

Bar Bench = 40kg vs 65kg
DB curl = 20kg vs 32kg
Squats = 0kg vs 90kg
Closegrip/widegrip pull downs = 40kg vs 65kg

Just a few exercises really, but have yet to really hit my legs hard. Although I can feel the need to put on more which I can feel as I'm going up the upper body weights scale and they feel a little weak. Not a disaster though as I was a rower so my quads are a fair size anyway.

Also sorted out my diet and have started being able to drink milk, cut down bread/poatoes and am snacking better on nuts, fruit, cholocolte (NOM NOM) and packing in shakes PWO and before bed.

Need to get some pics up, but will do after my cardio burn during June/July

 

[N19h7m4r3]

almost impossible not to squat ATG, which makes it pants for PBs and progress, because my squat weight has dropped significantly, 140-160kg is now my working set range for ATG as I find it really hard to squat shallow - I just find it really hard to do so! :/

I find it damn near impossible to go ATG on the smith's machine with anything over 120.

It's like those slider things, what ever they are, just get stuck. Since your body can't just go up and down in a straight line it makes it really tuff.

I actually ger more strain on my lower back with the smiths and 100kg, than Deadlifting 190kg.

Damn joke that machine is.

 

[Freefaller]

Yeah that's why I keep away from them. You can stick your legs further forwards, but it makes it less natural IMO.

 

[N19h7m4r3]

The smith's is better than nothing sadly. Although it's a bad substitute for free weight squats.

 

[Hayt]

Dear all, just found this thread, looks like a wealth of advice. I was hoping people could give my routine a glance over, I have been an active kind of guy for a long time and despite a few periods of complete laziness have kept up good fitness. I used to think I had a good idea about the kind of routines that I was doing and what worked for me but over the years I fear I may have lost my way a little.

I guess what I'm after is some advice on whether my approach is good for my goals or if I am falling between two chairs here:

Couple of notes:
- I am fairly dedicated to my Tae Kwondo and as such this forms part of my workout, I teach but don’t compete currently but I need my gym workout to compliment
- I want to keep the BF down (I have a slow metabolism so diet and nutrition I have always found difficult to manage)

Program:

So I gat in 4hours of the TKD a week at various stress levels - generally I would not say this is 'energetic' it won’t leave me wiped out and cant really be considered cardio - though its great for stretching.

I use free weights where I can but the gym I have has no bench so its dumbbells only.
I try and stick to a max of three sets and set the weights so I can manage 10 in the first, 8 in the second and usually struggling for 6 in the third. If I can do more then I increase the weights...

a) Warmup - 2k run (1.5% incline)
Chest (dumbbell flys) - 28kg
Bicep Curls - 22kg
Chest Press (Machine) 60kg
Chin-ups (set of 10 then whatever I can manage)
Weighted stomach curls
Weighted V-Sits

b)Warmup - 2k row
Seated row (Machine) - 75Kg
Shoulder Press (Machine) - 60Kg
Lat Pull-down (Machine) - 55Kg
Squats (Machine) - 130Kg
Tri-cep (Dumbbells) - 14Kg
Tri-cep dips (unwieghted)

I try and get a boxercise or body fitness class in each week as well just so its a bit more general.

I was worried that my gym was more of a building routine and would be counterproductive to the classes. I guess I want to gain strength and definition whilst keeping trim.

Nutrition is pretty much out of the window - I can't imagine I am getting more than 1800cals a day but am not struggling to find energy. I try and keep up the protein and keep down the fats but the carbs often loose out. I know I could get more fruit/veg.

Typical day will be:

Cereal (Rice Crispies + Skimmed milk)
Chicken sandwich (White bread - no spread)
Apple/Banana (Sometimes both)
Muller Rice
Grilled chicken, New potatoes, veg.
Additional Cereal before bed.

Not a lot in there really. In general the past month I have seen some great weight loss and good gains on the weights as I get into it. I alternate between workouts (a) and (b) around my classes. However I have started to find the gains harder to achieve (no great surprise) and finding it harder to get that gym ache the following day in the major muscle groups.

If you can comment/review let me know if you think I am on the right track for my goals or can suggest any improvements i would welcome some experienced help. I fear I know more about this than the staff at the gym so not much help coming from there...

 

[Dalziban]

food wise.. your not eating enough to start with, few people can build muscle when in a cal deficit (in fact you will lose some) might want to try going up to 3k cals to build muscle (which burns that fast even when resting, yes you will gain a bit of fat as well) then cycling down to 2k and try to maintain muscle while losing the fat.

no such thing as a slow metabolism, try interval training its quick,will speed up your metabolism for hours after and is great for fat burning and increasing V02 Max.

would lose the rise crispies, get some scrambled eggs down you on brown bread (change that chicken sandwich to brown as well).

instead of that Apple/Banana how about an apple (or banana) and a oat cake with peanut butter on (try and get some protein every meal). would relay go for a yogout instead of the cereal you don't need the carbs at that time of night and the proton in the yoghurt will give your muscles what they need over night.

your body gets used to workouts so you need to change them up with new exercises(!!!) / sets / reps and remember to take the correct rest for that ever you are doing.

on (A) your doing Biceps, chest a bit of back and abs
on (B) your doing triceps,legs, shoulders,back

with only 2 a week I would a full body exercise and hit everything each time leaving 2-3 days rest in between. if you can fit a third one in then you could do something like chest/triceps/abs, legs/shoulders/abs, back/biceps/abs leaving at least a day in-between, which would be much better.

rep wise your doing it strangly.... 1-8 reps = strength, 8-12 = build muscle, 15+ endurance, pick what you want.