*** The 2013 Gym Rats Thread ***

[opethdisciple]

Considering the internet gives a mouthpiece to people with the IQ of an inner-city latrine, and 50% of people in this country don't understand dietary control, you can safely assume that your information posted above is:

1) Utter rubbish.
2) Complete rubbish;
3) Tosh.

You shouldn't ever consume anything you don't understand. So go and find out what caffeine is, how it works and what its risks are before taking advice from either the internet or Bayer.

Ironic post is ironic.

Thats exactly what I'm doing. But it's nce to cross reference and see other people opinions.

 

[tom_e]

Just don't do what a friend of mine did and decide that because I'd bought a bag of caffeine he'd do the same only he didn't bother to buy the scales to go with it so instead took a 5g scoop from MP and just tried guessing.
Funnily enough he only done it once after spending the day feeling like he was going to die.

 

[Captain]

2 months 80KG Bench? WTF??!?! It took me like a year to get to that moving up from 30KG.. And now im just pushing 100kg, and the big guys at my gym are at about 140kg....so I honestly dont get how you managed that in 2 months and no rest. and 80kg as first set!? way to destroy your arms - warm up!

Your rest times are laughable, at least a minute, pref two for the heavy straining stufff.

Also I bench a lot and even I dont do it 3 times a week, why not add dumbell/barbell excerises aswell??

Like i have said in a few posts, i used to go the gym a lot but stopped around 2 years ago so i still have some size in my arms and chest, the most i have ever benched was 105kg, and i only managed one rep. : (

All the videos i have watched on youtube, the guys are having 20 seconds rest in between sets, so that's why i thought it was the norm.

I do dumbbell exercises but normally after BP lol, may have to swap them around!

 

[opethdisciple]

Just don't do what a friend of mine did and decide that because I'd bought a bag of caffeine he'd do the same only he didn't bother to buy the scales to go with it so instead took a 5g scoop from MP and just tried guessing.
Funnily enough he only done it once after spending the day feeling like he was going to die.

Banana's need more bananas!

 

[icecold]

I always do stretches then the big compounds first in any session so I will keep it this way.

This is not good.

Like i have said in a few posts, i used to go the gym a lot but stopped around 2 years ago so i still have some size in my arms and chest, the most i have ever benched was 105kg, and i only managed one rep. : (

All the videos i have watched on youtube, the guys are having 20 seconds rest in between sets, so that's why i thought it was the norm.

I do dumbbell exercises but normally after BP lol, may have to swap them around!

20 seconds is not the norm.

You still haven't explained what else you do in your sessions.

 

[Barks]

This is not good.

Not good?

Hold on I thought slight stretches/cardio was the best thing to do before squatting/deadlifting to reduce risk of injury?

What is the best way to warm up in that case? Surely going in at 7am in the morning and going straight into deadlifts isn't good either.

 

[Captain]

This is not good.




20 seconds is not the norm.

You still haven't explained what else you do in your sessions.

It all depends on what i can use, the gym is not very busy but is quite limited in what it has.

Only has dumbbells up to 25kg.

This is what i done today..

I start with running on the treadmill, get the blood going, 10 pull ups or however many i can do, then go down to the weights room, BP 50kg warm up - 15kg either side + 20kg bar. 8 reps, that't not really heavy for me, so i consider it ok for a warm up. 2 sets of those. 10 pull ups, then back on the BP, 20kg either side now and 20kg bar, 8 reps, 10 pull ups, then 8 reps and no more pull ups.

30 kg either side and 20 kg bar, 6-8 reps, 7th and 8th rep are really pushing it, only done 3 sets today as i just couldn't do anymore.

Moving onto dumbbells, 10kg bells, lying down on bench to work chest, did as many as i could, think it was around 25.

done the same but moved to 12kg bells, done 20, moved up to 15kg and done 15 then final set moved up to 20kg and managed 10.

same routine as above to work arms in seated position.

Then just spent around 20 minutes on random machines doing back and stomach.

Finished on the cross trainer for 25 minutes.

I am probably doing everything wrong, but i will never learn what's working for me if i don't try my own ideas.

 

[Muzy]

Cycling can reduce the quality of sperms....

**** this.

 

[grudas]

It all depends on what i can use, the gym is not very busy but is quite limited in what it has.

Only has dumbbells up to 25kg.

This is what i done today..

I start with running on the treadmill, get the blood going, 10 pull ups or however many i can do, then go down to the weights room, BP 50kg warm up - 15kg either side + 20kg bar. 8 reps, that't not really heavy for me, so i consider it ok for a warm up. 2 sets of those. 10 pull ups, then back on the BP, 20kg either side now and 20kg bar, 8 reps, 10 pull ups, then 8 reps and no more pull ups.

30 kg either side and 20 kg bar, 6-8 reps, 7th and 8th rep are really pushing it, only done 3 sets today as i just couldn't do anymore.

Moving onto dumbbells, 10kg bells, lying down on bench to work chest, did as many as i could, think it was around 25.

done the same but moved to 12kg bells, done 20, moved up to 15kg and done 15 then final set moved up to 20kg and managed 10.

same routine as above to work arms in seated position.

Then just spent around 20 minutes on random machines doing back and stomach.

Finished on the cross trainer for 25 minutes.

I am probably doing everything wrong, but i will never learn what's working for me if i don't try my own ideas.

you will achieve tosh all if you all you do is "what's available" change the gym if you can't workout properly.

 

[Captain]

you will achieve tosh all if you all you do is "what's available" change the gym if you can't workout properly.

But to me it feels like a proper workout.

 

[grudas]

But to me it feels like a proper workout.

dude look when I started I thought I knew "it" but after 2 months and wasting time doing nothing I asked here.. got forumraped and started with strong lifts 5x5, couldn't be happier! got a lot stronger, the routine works on me and now that I know what doesn't work or needs adjusting I can just do it because I've "warmed" up to the whole thing.. you going to gym and doing one thing one day and another thing the other day is going to get you nowhere.. you need to have a proper routine and fallow that every day to hit your muscles properly and achieve a full body workout at the end of the week.. otherwise your gains will be minimal! seriously listen to what icecold, lie, steedie, mrthingyx etc tell you

 

[Delvis]

Clovis. What else do you do? Do you have a set body part for each day you train for instance?

 

[tom_e]

Not good?

Hold on I thought slight stretches/cardio was the best thing to do before squatting/deadlifting to reduce risk of injury?

What is the best way to warm up in that case? Surely going in at 7am in the morning and going straight into deadlifts isn't good either.

Light warm up sets, static stretching reduces strength when done right before lifting.

 

[illuz]

Diet was definitely my limiting factor, I made changes about 2+ weeks ago and before then I had been stuck benching 20k DBs, managed 22kg a week ago and I just upped to 24kg again today. Very happy! Thanks for the direction guys.

 

[Phaser]

Has anyone come across AllPro's routine?

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=147447933

Seems to have a huge following on the BB forums and from a quick read it seems OK - mainly compound lifts, built in de-loading so you don't stall too quick etc.

I'm coming back after a few months off and looking for a new routine, don't want to go down the route of SS / SL and I think a cycle of HST would be pointless as I wouldn't be lifting a great deal weight wise.

You will do 3 work outs per week on non consecutive days. The first work out is your heavy work out. The second work out is your medium work out, use 10% less weight for your work sets. The final work out for the week is your lite work out, use 20% less weight.

Do a lite warm up with 1/4 of your work sets weight. Do a medium warm up with 1/2 of your work sets weight. Do 2 work sets with the same weight. Choose a starting weight and start light.

These are the seven exercises you will be starting with.

Squats
Bench Presses
Bent-Over Rows
Overhead Barbell Presses
Stiff-Legged Deadlifts
Barbell Curls
Calf Raises

You will be running this program on a five week cycle as follows:
The first week do all 4 sets for 8 reps.
The second week do all 4 sets for 9 reps.
The third week do all 4 sets for 10 reps.
The fourth week do all 4 sets for 11 reps.
The fifth week do all 4 sets for 12 reps.
If you got all of the required reps on the fifth week then increase the weight by 10% and repeat the cycle. If you didn't get all of the reps on the fifth week then repeat the cycle with the same weight. You shouldn't need more than one minute rest between the warm up sets and you shouldn't need more than one minute thirty seconds between the work sets.

Do some cardio and abs work on non weight training days.

Thoughts?

 

[Barks]

How come so many strong lifts regimes only involve one set of deadlifts. Doesn't seem much for what is probably the best strength building compound.

 

[Captain]

dude look when I started I thought I knew "it" but after 2 months and wasting time doing nothing I asked here.. got forumraped and started with strong lifts 5x5, couldn't be happier! got a lot stronger, the routine works on me and now that I know what doesn't work or needs adjusting I can just do it because I've "warmed" up to the whole thing.. you going to gym and doing one thing one day and another thing the other day is going to get you nowhere.. you need to have a proper routine and fallow that every day to hit your muscles properly and achieve a full body workout at the end of the week.. otherwise your gains will be minimal! seriously listen to what icecold, lie, steedie, mrthingyx etc tell you

What exactly is stronglifts?

Clovis. What else do you do? Do you have a set body part for each day you train for instance?

Ye mon and wed top half, bottom half on fridays

Nah i have muscly legs atm so only really do those once a week.

 

[illuz]

http://www.muscleandfitness.com/wor...s/get-jacked-shredded-stronglifts-5x5-program

 

[icecold]

Not good?

Hold on I thought slight stretches/cardio was the best thing to do before squatting/deadlifting to reduce risk of injury?

What is the best way to warm up in that case? Surely going in at 7am in the morning and going straight into deadlifts isn't good either.

Proper static stretching before a workout actually increases the chance of injury.

Perform mobility exercises where necessary (in general, this means briefly moving into end range of a joint or tissue), and warm up with an empty bar and then at LEAST another light weight with high reps.

My warm up for squats today:
bar x20x2 (I was really stiff!)
60x10
100x5
140x3
180x5

It all depends on what i can use, the gym is not very busy but is quite limited in what it has.

Only has dumbbells up to 25kg.

This is what i done today..

I start with running on the treadmill, get the blood going, 10 pull ups or however many i can do, then go down to the weights room, BP 50kg warm up - 15kg either side + 20kg bar. 8 reps, that't not really heavy for me, so i consider it ok for a warm up. 2 sets of those. 10 pull ups, then back on the BP, 20kg either side now and 20kg bar, 8 reps, 10 pull ups, then 8 reps and no more pull ups.

30 kg either side and 20 kg bar, 6-8 reps, 7th and 8th rep are really pushing it, only done 3 sets today as i just couldn't do anymore.

Moving onto dumbbells, 10kg bells, lying down on bench to work chest, did as many as i could, think it was around 25.

done the same but moved to 12kg bells, done 20, moved up to 15kg and done 15 then final set moved up to 20kg and managed 10.

same routine as above to work arms in seated position.

Then just spent around 20 minutes on random machines doing back and stomach.

Finished on the cross trainer for 25 minutes.

I am probably doing everything wrong, but i will never learn what's working for me if i don't try my own ideas.

So you worked your chest and arms, with some pull ups too. Oh, plus some "random machines".

That part I've highlighted is just, to be blunt, never going to work. You think you can work out for yourself what many people have spent years perfecting?

I'm not going to tell you again that what you're doing is wrong, either take some of the advice given (by grudas, for example) or don't ask for advice.

I know you were originally asking about how to increase your bench, but believe it or not the answer isn't to have bench as your primary movement every day.

 

[icecold]

What exactly is stronglifts?

Fair enough, seems you're listening.

Ye mon and wed top half, bottom half on fridays

Nah i have muscly legs atm so only really do those once a week.

:/