***The 2020 Gym Rats Thread*** ᕦ( ͠°◞ °)ᕥ

[reiyushin]

Almost had an accident last night! Didn't quite make the catch on the rerack! Got it back in the end, probably going to grind off a lot of those catches at the weekend

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Easily done! You had some bros come to your rescue too

I quite liked watching you drive some of those last reps. I'll be doing the same in a few weeks. It's all still a little comfortable at the moment, but we're getting close to a tidy working weight.

 

[tom_e]

Squeaky bum time!

 

[B&W]

Very nice reiyu. I had awful squat session today. Usually it's 80x7. 90x5. 3 sets. Then one set of 95x3/4.

Today it was 90x4 90x4 90x3. 95x1.

Then I did 60x8 pause squats, I liked them.

 

[Somnambulist]

Thoughts on going to the gym 5 days per week when doing a workout A / workout B type routine?

I'm currently doing the Ice Cream routine which is every other day but I'm working from home until way into next year and going to the gym every weekday gets me out of the house without me spending hideous amounts of money whilst relieving some boredom.

I was thinking of doing cardio / mobility stuff on non workout days, I just don't want to hinder weightlifting progress too much.

As long as you’re not doing long runs or really high intensity stuff like hill sprints you’ll be fine. Rest is just as important as training so any activity should be low-impact, enough to get your heart-rate up a bit but still hold a conversation. I can stick a podcast on and incline walk for a bit but it’s always a last resort if I haven’t got many steps done that day, being stationary for ages is not my thing!

Doing some properly structured mobility work would be good if that’s an area that’s lacking, it’d just be a matter of choosing a program to follow, of which there are a lot (specific to resistance training individuals I’m thinking of Pavel T, callisthenics guys like Tom Merrick, GMB, the guy who people link to a lot on r/Flexbility whose name I forget). Or you could just do a couple of yoga classes, although again there’s a lot of content out there and only a selection of it is what I’d describe as effective/good.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Very nice reiyu. I had awful squat session today. Usually it's 80x7. 90x5. 3 sets. Then one set of 95x3/4.

Today it was 90x4 90x4 90x3. 95x1.

Then I did 60x8 pause squats, I liked them.

We all gets days like that. There's not always an obvious reason either. Obviously if it continues you'll need to adjust something in your prep/program.

 

[reiyushin]

Random bad days are just a part of it, just gotta roll with the punches I guess.

 

[Skidder]

Sorry man, there is a lot of notes to be added.

Max is the most you've done (with fair form to a standard you can hold yourself to)
Once you input those the sheet will calculate the weights you're going to do for each set.

RPE in this case is just used as reps in reserve (RIR) it's out of 10 so a 9 would mean you have one left, an 8 would mean 2 left. An 8.5 eould mean definitely one and maybe a second.

2ct is a 2 count, in your head count to 2, for most peope with weight on them this is roughly a 1 second pause.

Thanks a lot for the google sheet. I'm going to start in earnest with it tonight. Does the comment on adding 2-5kg per week apply accross the board where poss, or just to the squat?

 

[B&W]

We all gets days like that. There's not always an obvious reason either. Obviously if it continues you'll need to adjust something in your prep/program.

Not sure if it's a bad day or fact I've changed routines since last week. For the last 6 weeks it was upper lower rest upper lower rest etc. Then last week changed.

Now it's Tue chest/Tri. Wed. Back/bi. Thu. Leg/shoulders

Saturday upper. Sunday lower. I'll see what happens on Sunday.

 

[kaptainmarc]

Not sure if it's a bad day or fact I've changed routines since last week. For the last 6 weeks it was upper lower rest upper lower rest etc. Then last week changed.

Now it's Tue chest/Tri. Wed. Back/bi. Thu. Leg/shoulders

Saturday upper. Sunday lower. I'll see what happens on Sunday.

changing program up always takes a couple of weeks for your body to adjust to the different work loads.

every new block for me the first week or 2 is hell and then it becomes the norm.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Having cleanly completed multiple sets of 3 reps of 50kg lying overhead tricep extensions last week I moved up to 52.5kg this week having stalled when I last tried these (and no elbow pain in sight). Managed 55kg for clean bicep curls for reps too. My arms are the biggest they've been I think and they are growing quickly. Completely pain free on my forearms too that seem to be adjusting well.

Earlier in the week managed 80kg OHP for 3 reps which I haven't done since before lockdown. Just a tiny bit of drive on the last one.

Going for a 225kg deadlift today as cleanly as possible. I think that would put me just 12.5kg off one of my most recent bests before lockdown. Can't say I'm pushing deadlifts as much as I used too, perhaps being more cautious.

Getting there slowly. What I'm most pleased about is that while I take the exact figures with a pinch of salt, the trend from my scales is fat down, muscle up (not hugely surprising, but encouraging to see).

 

[B&W]

Having cleanly completed multiple sets of 3 reps of 50kg lying overhead tricep extensions last week I moved up to 52.5kg this week having stalled when I last tried these (and no elbow pain in sight). Managed 55kg for clean bicep curls for reps too. My arms are the biggest they've been I think and they are growing quickly. Completely pain free on my forearms too that seem to be adjusting well.

Earlier in the week managed 80kg OHP for 3 reps which I haven't done since before lockdown. Just a tiny bit of drive on the last one.

Going for a 225kg deadlift today as cleanly as possible. I think that would put me just 12.5kg off one of my most recent bests before lockdown. Can't say I'm pushing deadlifts as much as I used too, perhaps being more cautious.

Getting there slowly. What I'm most pleased about is that while I take the exact figures with a pinch of salt, the trend from my scales is fat down, muscle up (not hugely surprising, but encouraging to see).

Is that barbell overhead tricep extensions?

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Is that barbell overhead tricep extensions?

Yup. Lying down, arms 45 degrees - gives the chest/lats a workout keeping it locked in too. Other than CGBP my favourite tricep exercise (other than a cable, but I don’t have one and had maxed it out anyway). My elbows never used to like it, but I’ve tightened the whole movement up and it’s working well.

This storm is pushing my gazebo gym to the limit. Still dry though somehow. Dehumidifier is working overtime

Edit: the great thing about a home gym - war cry - 225kg for deadlift sets ticked off. Quite enjoying Dwayne Johnson’s Spotify playlist.

@reiyushin i love your haribo tip

 

[Somnambulist]

Is that barbell overhead tricep extensions?

This sort of thing:

Some people make it more explosive on the way up and finish with the arms vertical but it's differentiated from a skullcrusher because you allow the elbows to drift back and the bar to go behind the head. My grip is usually more narrow than this guys when I do them but it depends on your mobility, structure, etc.

 

[B&W]

May try it next time, am doing CG BP and OH standing dumbbell extension at the moment am happy with both as weight is at 65KG and 34KG respectively.

This looks difficult so probably worth trying!

 

[SideWinder]

Deadlift PB of 90kg 5x5. As for 1RM, maybe 110kg...unsure.

I think i will need to get up some before and after photos of myself for you guys.

Also down to 10% bodyfat this morning according to my renpho. I am at 59kg but there is this last pouch of lower belly fat that neeeeeds to go. Guessing it'll be around the 9.5% mark.

 

[mrthingyx]

Deadlift PB of 90kg 5x5. As for 1RM, maybe 110kg...unsure.

I think i will need to get up some before and after photos of myself for you guys.

Also down to 10% bodyfat this morning according to my renpho. I am at 59kg but there is this last pouch of lower belly fat that neeeeeds to go. Guessing it'll be around the 9.5% mark.

Yeah... The belly pouch is always last. I have obliques and vasc, but still the gut.

Maybe life is telling us to go full power lifter?

 

[B&W]

a lot better squats today. Managed 95 X5 no problem compared to Thursdays 95x1...

Also I'm adding 2-4 second pause squats for the last set with a lighter load, helps form and mobility. I want to increase weight for this slowly too.

 

[SideWinder]

Yeah... The belly pouch is always last. I have obliques and vasc, but still the gut.

Maybe life is telling us to go full power lifter?

What is full power lifter?

 

[tom_e]

Dem feels when you're having a pathetic leg day and the girl behind you is repping at least 2.5x bw 160kg deads like she's just warming up