*** The 2012 Gym Rats Thread ***

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LiE

LiE

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Sounds like things are going well DA, the squat max lift is impressive, I know how hard 200kg is.

Deadlift is one of those lifts where you can over think things and mess it up.
 
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Blerk, been awhile since I've posted here.

Despite my rather dodgy schedule recently, I've still been doing okay.

200KG squat (although I usually do 120- 140)
120KG bench press for about 8 reps (and then 80, 40 as a drop set)

Strength has gone up, and got my deadlifts down. I never was able to use good form for them, then stopped doing them for a few months, came back and got it instantly. Weird....

Impressive squatting fella :D
 
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I'm a gym newbie so sorry if this is a dumb question, but at my gym there's a machine called, "Converging Chest Press", and another, just labeled, "Chest Press". Same for the shoulder press equipment.

What's the difference? :confused:
 
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I'm a gym newbie so sorry if this is a dumb question, but at my gym there's a machine called, "Converging Chest Press", and another, just labeled, "Chest Press". Same for the shoulder press equipment.

What's the difference? :confused:

No idea. Lay down on a bench and use Dumbells instead of the machines isntead, it'll be better for you anyway :p
 
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It means they aren't just back-forth motion machines. It means the "arms" are relatively free motion on other axis too. On the chest press this means out/in (think wide and narrow). Same for shoulder press. It isn't just up/down, but expand/contract as well.
 
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I'm a gym newbie so sorry if this is a dumb question, but at my gym there's a machine called, "Converging Chest Press", and another, just labeled, "Chest Press". Same for the shoulder press equipment.

What's the difference? :confused:

It probably means that they follow a different place of motion.

chest press goes straight out in front of you, converging probably means the more you press the closer it comes when nearing the top of the rep.
 
Soldato
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Sounds like things are going well DA, the squat max lift is impressive, I know how hard 200kg is.

Deadlift is one of those lifts where you can over think things and mess it up.

Impressive squatting fella :D

:o thanks, only managed like 4 or 5 reps.

I have been trying to eye up heavier DB's for chest... but each time I do chest with DB's it's only weedy guys about lol.

My DL on saturday were pathetic (60KG) but first time I'd done them in well, months. Technique is what I care about right now, sod weight. I'll get the technique down, and by which point I should be able to jump up to something heavier than a stack of paper!

BTW, a friend of mine (a woman) is curious how she is doing:

She started working out about maybe 5 months ago.

Her bench press is 40KG (10 reps), and her squat is 90 (11 reps). 1 arm DB row is I believe 18KG (11 or 12 reps). I can't remember her other lifts :p
 
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She's doing well.
I hope you spot her from the right position (not head on) when she is doing DB rows!

Why do you need other people for heavier DB benching? should be easy enough to get them up yourself unless we are talking crazy weights?
 
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She doesn't need spotting for the rows usually... I generally have her doing dropsets right now anyways :p

Spotting because I'm doing 40KG plus, and while I can get them up, I'll be honest and say that my technique getting them down is something I need to work on. I'm fine raising them, but when I'm exhausted I have difficultly being comfy in their 'descent'.
 

LiE

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I've never had a single DB handed to me since training. I pride myself on being able to lift the weight from the hardest part of the movement. I don't do light weights either.

I had to hand a 50 to a chap doing db shoulder press the other week. He wanted the weight handed to him at the top of the range... so I have to roll the weight up my chest then push press it up to put it in his hands. After he completed his set he dropped the 50s from seated shoulder height.. my god the noise! I'm surprised the floor didn't crack.

His form was terrible, you can probably guess how it looked.
 
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everybody knows LiE is a mutant with his bench though.
When you can flat bench 160 no wonder you don't have trouble with the 50s. ;)

For the rest of us mortals (especially people with long arms) getting the dumbbells up is a bit of a pain on our own. For example I can't get the 44s up on the incline, yet I can do 8-10 unassisted reps on a set with decent ROM (arms bent to 90 degrees when down, and then straightened at the top of the movement)

The same for flat, I struggle getting the 44s up, yet I can comfortably crank out 3x8 once I'm there.
 

LiE

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:p
What I mean is, I've always trained with no help off the bottom of the db reps, so over time I've developed good technique/strength to be able to do this.

It's a bit like doing a paused/dead weight rep, because there is no stretch reflex and you are starting from a complete stop. When you start at the top you are essentially bringing in the stretch reflex as you move down. There are merits to lifting the dead weight off your chest/shoulders at the start.
 
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200KG squat (although I usually do 120- 140)

:o thanks, only managed like 4 or 5 reps.
This doesn't make much sense to me.

Firstly, I'd definitely know how many reps of 200kg I'd done :p. In fact I can still recount most of the 200+kg squat sessions I've done.

Secondly, why do you normally squat <140kg when you can do 4-5 reps of 200kg? Are you always going to the same depth?
 

LiE

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Yea DA, those working weights do seem odd considering your repping 200.
I originally thought 200 was your max which would make the working weights seem right, but now they look too light.
 
Soldato
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This doesn't make much sense to me.

Firstly, I'd definitely know how many reps of 200kg I'd done :p. In fact I can still recount most of the 200+kg squat sessions I've done.

Secondly, why do you normally squat <140kg when you can do 4-5 reps of 200kg? Are you always going to the same depth?

Yea DA, those working weights do seem odd considering your repping 200.
I originally thought 200 was your max which would make the working weights seem right, but now they look too light.

It was 5, but the last rep wasn't really deep (a half rep) hence I called it 4 to 5.

I usually don't go that heavy as I prefer volume / super sets (usually regular into hack squats) right now, I'm trying to cut so I'm on a slightly lower carb count, hence I prefer to lift a little lighter.

I should probably squat 150 - 160 regularly, but I'm finding that my legs are responding well at the moment to the lower weight and higher reps, so I'll keep it like that for now and see what happens over the next month I think.
 
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