Bodybuilding/Powerlifting

[ahimoth]

i was told by 2 different power lifters that streching before training was a bad idea, because it releases certain chemicals and prolongs the muscle rebuilding process

Mmm many people don't like to do static stretching but there's plenty of other ways to go about it.
Rugby players (personal experience) will do dynamic stretching, exercises which mimic what we're about to do on the field, lot of like sprints, bounds, lunges etc. Lifters will stretch through the lifts. Imagine someone who squats over 300kg you're warming up for a very long time before you've peaked and ready to squat that kind of weight. All the time you're squatting you're stretching your hips to open up and allow you to squat lower. Or you're warming up yours knees, ankles frankly there's so much that goes into it. But for example maybe just getting 40kg on your back and just getting into the bottom position of your squat and trying to open up your hips, push your knees out wide and really activate your stabilizers as you drive up out of the hole a few times is all the stretching you need.

Pure and simple to be strong you need to be flexible. If you can't get into a correct position you'll struggle to hit depth you won't have the correct lifting path, every inch you're out in your lift will just make it all the harder. I can't stress that enough, foam rolling is also another great way to help massage deep muscle tissue.


Today I did 160kg deadlifts off of a 10cm+ block, I've gained some more weight so the belt basically made it impossible to get down. My warm up for that was as follows.

Edit: I ended up taking the belt off

20kg 5 reps of stiff legged, Romanian, partials and full
40kg Same
60kg Same expect with 4 reps
80kg Same with 3

Moved to the 10cm block
120kg 5
140kg 5
160kg 2x5

 

[ShaunB-91]

I suppose what ahimoth said makes sense actually. Warming up going through the sets but not indivdually stretching/warming up. Good point ahimoth!

 

[maniac]

Ok so I made some major changes to my lifestyle/training routine to see how I manage with it.

First things first, I am upping my fat intake level, I using peanut butter more frequently, eating more egg yolks and using some olive oil instead of the low calorie spray thingy.

Also dropped reps on most exercises from 8 reps x 5 sets to 5 reps x 5 sets, making more efficient workouts like slow reps and better form.

Also decided something most of you probably won't agree, I'm now training biceps everyday. My bicep are highly lagging all the other body parts, my legs are decent and my torso is quite thick, my arms are half the thickness of my torso. So I'm having one arm day per week(bi's and tri's) and doing 4 reps x 5 sets of bicep curls on all the other days.

Also re did my workout plan from a 6 day split (7 including cardio) to a 4 day split, doing cardio if I only have the time to (and feel like it), having a part time job and being a full time student isnt exactly easy...

 

[MrKambo]

Ok so I made some major changes to my lifestyle/training routine to see how I manage with it.

First things first, I am upping my fat intake level, I using peanut butter more frequently, eating more egg yolks and using some olive oil instead of the low calorie spray thingy.

Also dropped reps on most exercises from 8 reps x 5 sets to 5 reps x 5 sets, making more efficient workouts like slow reps and better form.

Also decided something most of you probably won't agree, I'm now training biceps everyday. My bicep are highly lagging all the other body parts, my legs are decent and my torso is quite thick, my arms are half the thickness of my torso. So I'm having one arm day per week(bi's and tri's) and doing 4 reps x 5 sets of bicep curls on all the other days.

Also re did my workout plan from a 6 day split (7 including cardio) to a 4 day split, doing cardio if I only have the time to (and feel like it), having a part time job and being a full time student isnt exactly easy...

Not a bad way to go, i changed from doing 10 reps to 5, i can push a hell of alot more weight now as well!

Biceps, right that's a bad idea, its a crappy muscle to begin with and isnt really that big, what i suggest you try is doing biceps twice a week and make sure the sessions are atleast 3 days apart, also im sure you know the tri is a much bigger muscle and will make your arms look bigger than training your biceps heavily will. Make sure you really really push the biceps, on my arms day i do 6 biceps exercises and 4 triceps, as triceps also get worked on chest day and concentrate on hammer curls, they get you that little head on the biceps, and mix it up, the biceps adapt very quickly to exercises.

Im sure others will have input

 

[ShaunB-91]

Hey Maniac, I'd say doing biceps for now is a good move. You're using the priority principle which is basically picking a weak area and working it more, and/or before you train any other muscle.

After time though, maybe even straight away you may find it's doing nothing for you. I find for me, doing only three exercises, 4-5 sets each works best for me once a week. Everybody is different.

Give it a try and take note so in the future you know it wasn't your best move so look at trying something else, obviously only if it doesn't work much.

If you go on www.flexonline.com there are a few winter bulking articles/diet articles and there is some useful info on fat on there and eating more to build more but don't go crazy.

 

[maniac]

yep guys I'm not planning on keeping training biceps everyday forever, I'll just give it a couple of months till they start catching up to the other muscle groups, triceps are pretty solid, its the width and some height that are lacking.

Edit: So today is a push day and I was feeling pretty good so I tried hitting a PR on my bench, first went for 95kg which is my previous PR, then added 6kg as I wanted to break the 100kg mark, failed miserably But then I noticed I had added 2kg to the base weight of 50kg, so technically I did hit a new 97kg PR

 

[ahimoth]

Get some big ass arms man

 

[ShaunB-91]

Been doing Z's workouts all Christmas, for the first time I'm really into them, one of my new years resolutions is to get abs, so I've got a full year to get ripped as best as I can, another is to go vegetarian...that will help but that will be hard, vegetarian...in other words become the vegie monster!

 

[maniac]

Been doing Z's workouts all Christmas, for the first time I'm really into them, one of my new years resolutions is to get abs, so I've got a full year to get ripped as best as I can, another is to go vegetarian...that will help but that will be hard, vegetarian...in other words become the vegie monster!

will you survive without chicken??

yea for me its a better year too, last winter was a mess in bulking and I gained a lot of weight which made it hard to get in shape by summer. This year was much more controlled and a 12 week cutting season should get me exactly where I want to be I'm already cutting back on sweets and prepping my meal plan!

 

[ShaunB-91]

I hate meat accept beef/steak. I can eat small amounts but the smell/look knocks me sick so I decided to go vegetarian and clean up my diet that way.

 

[ahimoth]

I'm in so much pain guys. Today's squat session. 1x5 120kg, 3x10 120kg and finished with 1x6 120kg. Omg so much pain. Like I was dialed in to do 130kg today and build up 10kg a week for the next 8 weeks to finish on 200kg 3x3 for that ~210+ squat at states. But damn lol. I was just so fatigued from not squatting for like a month.

Earlier in the week though I benched 130kg with the slingshot and then 5x5 or 6x5(6x4) can't remember on 85kg. Deadlifts were 180kg 3x3 and felt really heavy but I feel that after this first week. The shock is over and now I can start working hard. I'm really pumped to pack some weight on the bars and see where I end up after my 2nd and 3rd training cycle.

I have a comp in March and May so they'll build onto one another. This will be my first year of full comps so I'm super keen.

My goals:
2014 245kg squat, 130 kg bench and 250kg deadlift.
2015 275kg squat, 150 kg bench and 280kg deadlift.
2016 300kg | 170kg | 300kg

 

[ygohome]

Deadlifts and Squats are, by far, the most brutal. I like them the most because they workout the entire body... arms, legs, back, core/abs, shoulders... everything. It is always agonizing to get back into them if away for any length of time. Good job and good luck in your comps

My maximum is 106kg on squats, so you are way ahead of me ahimoth. I need to work on strengthening my legs. Slowly but surely.

 

[Zoot]

The soreness in my chest was so bad today I was having a little bit of a hard time changing gears in my car whilst driving to and from work today.

If only I could get this level of soreness after every time I hit the gym and not after a two week break (xmas). ^_^

 

[Dicehunter]

Currently a smidge under 99KG and at a nice fat percentage of 12-13% at the moment, Going to get it back down to 8% for summer
Since last summer I've put on a solid 8 pounds and kept the same BF% so I'm happy as hell with that ^_^

 

[ahimoth]

Currently a smidge under 99KG and at a nice fat percentage of 12-13% at the moment, Going to get it back down to 8% for summer
Since last summer I've put on a solid 8 pounds and kept the same BF% so I'm happy as hell with that ^_^

Nice I'm just a rolly polly at the moment. ~120kg +|- 2kg

 

[maniac]

I am going to buy some more protein this week and might get some creatine monohydrate with it as I'm being fairly tired these few weeks.

Also the bicep curls everyday seem to be working, increased the dumbell weight by 3kg and been curling them fairly easy, now it hasn't been a daily thing, more like 4 times a week. Also seems to be helping with my benchpress although I haven't been able to hit a 100kg on free weights completely alone, but I'm close, very close

Also I've been deadlifting and squatting a 100kg for quite some time now, It's getting fairly easy now, 6 reps in squats and 8 reps in deadlifts without much effort, I might get a couple of 5kg plates to get to 110kg

In the beginning of February when I finish my exams I will start cutting properly with a meal plan and more regular cardio sessions, need to get pretty cut before June preferably as now even my friends are calling me fat after the work "accident".

 

[Dicehunter]

I am going to buy some more protein this week and might get some creatine monohydrate with it as I'm being fairly tired these few weeks.

Also the bicep curls everyday seem to be working, increased the dumbell weight by 3kg and been curling them fairly easy, now it hasn't been a daily thing, more like 4 times a week. Also seems to be helping with my benchpress although I haven't been able to hit a 100kg on free weights completely alone, but I'm close, very close

Also I've been deadlifting and squatting a 100kg for quite some time now, It's getting fairly easy now, 6 reps in squats and 8 reps in deadlifts without much effort, I might get a couple of 5kg plates to get to 110kg

In the beginning of February when I finish my exams I will start cutting properly with a meal plan and more regular cardio sessions, need to get pretty cut before June preferably as now even my friends are calling me fat after the work "accident".

Sounds like your making good progress, Just remember try not to work the same muscle more than 2-3 times a week, Personally my preference is hitting the same muscle no more than twice a week otherwise your progress will be slower than if you let yourself recover a bit more.

Just remember no matter what the "bro's" in the gym say, Your human and can hurt yourself.

A lot of my clients make this mistake and eventually burn themselves out and/or wonder why they are not making the gains they should.

 

[maniac]

Sounds like your making good progress, Just remember try not to work the same muscle more than 2-3 times a week, Personally my preference is hitting the same muscle no more than twice a week otherwise your progress will be slower than if you let yourself recover a bit more.

Just remember no matter what the "bro's" in the gym say, Your human and can hurt yourself.

A lot of my clients make this mistake and eventually burn themselves out and/or wonder why they are not making the gains they should.

Yea yea I know I usually stick to doing biceps twice a week, but biceps are highly lacking behind my chest and back and look stupid, so I'm training them as hard as I can until they catch up with the other muscle groups.

 

[Dicehunter]

Yea yea I know I usually stick to doing biceps twice a week, but biceps are highly lacking behind my chest and back and look stupid, so I'm training them as hard as I can until they catch up with the other muscle groups.

Yeah yeah ? Bit rude isn't it.
I'm just offering free advice, Just remember just because your training your biceps 4 times a week doesn't mean they will grow faster, Give them time to rest and grow.

 

[maniac]

Yeah yeah ? Bit rude isn't it.
I'm just offering free advice, Just remember just because your training your biceps 4 times a week doesn't mean they will grow faster, Give them time to rest and grow.

Didn't mean to be rude, I'm sorry if it came out like that, just saying that I completely agree with you and I fully understand what you're saying, I just find it that it works for me if I hit a body part hard for a limited amount of time. It's just that in my main language it's considered as if you're continuing the discussion but putting your own input into it, anyway didn't mean it that way