Maiden Voyage
Gold™ Member
Muscle weighs more than fat. You may notice a leaner physique while staying the same weight.
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tkscz
Member
Been meaning to post this here but about six months ago I've decided to leave the gym behind and make a home gym. Honestly, it's been working out a lot more as I work out in the morning before I go to work. It's private, I can work out later into the morning so I get better sleep, I'm no longer late for work. And when I'm off work, I can workout whenever without worrying about crowds. The biggest issue I've been having is affording weight plates. The cheapest I've been able to fine them is Walmart, $26 for 25lbs. Other wise, I'd be paying at least $90 for a single 45lb weight, plus shipping. Right now I only have 100lbs in weights do to cost and availability. But I'm still getting good results with just the weight/squat bench (the two in ones are the best), pulley and rope, and power tower.
SpiceRacz
Member
I actually just started building my home gym this weekend. Bought a power rack and dip station for pretty cheap. Prices on new equipment are still crazy, but used equipment is coming back down to earth a bit. Best thing to do is keep an eye on Facebook Marketplace. I find that prices are higher on OfferUp and Craigslist. If you're patient, it will pay off.
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Raven117
Member
You can, but you aren't going to see the gains in muscle AS much. Best way to gain muscle mass is to eat over your calorie requirement...But you can absolutely lose some lbs, and pack on a bit of muscle if you are very mindful of your eating.
Niiiiiiice.
tkscz
Member
There is a store called play it again sports that sells plate weights at $1.45 a pound. They get in used weights at least once a week, but man do they sell out fast. Facebook market place is a good idea though, thanks for that.
JimmyRustler
Member
Great weather here today in Austria so I decided to go out and scout my ultimate running circle. Took me a bit more than 3 hours to walk it off. Got everything. Midway through meadows, through the forrest, around a lake, alongside a river. Shits real baby. Should be around 1,5 to 2 hours when I‘m actually running. Don‘t expect the handle this distance in one go the first time but the goal is to hit that until temperatures cool down in the autmn.
For now, I got damn blisters on my feet… But it‘s only 5pm and I still got some time…. Hmmm…. Another 45 minute run + mobility training afterwards it is.
For now, I got damn blisters on my feet… But it‘s only 5pm and I still got some time…. Hmmm…. Another 45 minute run + mobility training afterwards it is.
Maiden Voyage
Gold™ Member
I wound up messing up my knee & hip on a run last week. I think the root cause may have been the deadlifting & squats I've been doing as they used to trigger pain years ago. I'm going to take it 'easy' while I recover--meaning, I'll stick to upper body & not run. Going to hit up a lake and go kayaking today.
JimmyRustler
Member
Have you ever considered swapping to front squats instead? I also do those instead of the normal ones. Not only because they're suppposed to be better for tall people but also because you move less weight by default and therefore it is easier on hips and knees.
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Maiden Voyage
Gold™ Member
I have been doing front squats. I might just have some weird muscular-skeletal abnormality or something because the issue has plagued me since I was a teen. I always just associated it with skateboarding because that's the activity that brought it to life.
I'm going to keep grinding away and see if I can avoid flaring it up. I just want to get back to running regardless of other activities.
Maiden Voyage
Gold™ Member
I wound up buying the app WorkOutDoors because of the annoyances I am finding with Paddle Logger and Strava for kayaking. PL hides most of the important info behind a paywall of $40/year. It at least lets you download GPX data, which can be read by apps like Strava to give those details. Strava does not have a native kayaking/paddling workout on the Apple Watch app, so I am stuck either using my phone or importing GPX data from PL.
I haven't tried WOD just yet but it looked promising. It tracks just about every metric I care about for the various activities. Each app so far has a shortfall: the native Apple Health app does not save the route, PL does but won't show speed and other metrics without paying monthly, Strava won't track heart rate. I might start using WOD for other activities as well if the data features work well.
I've got a 2-hour window over lunch that I will probably steal some time from to go to the nearby lake to test it out.
I haven't tried WOD just yet but it looked promising. It tracks just about every metric I care about for the various activities. Each app so far has a shortfall: the native Apple Health app does not save the route, PL does but won't show speed and other metrics without paying monthly, Strava won't track heart rate. I might start using WOD for other activities as well if the data features work well.
I've got a 2-hour window over lunch that I will probably steal some time from to go to the nearby lake to test it out.
Maiden Voyage
Gold™ Member
Did a 4 mile paddle over lunch. WorkOutDoors does everything I need it to. I'll probably just use it for all my exercises going forward. It plays well with Apple Health & Strava both.
Maiden Voyage
Gold™ Member
I went a little crazy yesterday.
mcjmetroid
Member
Where do ye guys fall on SARMS? I'm considering using them but as always want to get advice from people I trust first.
Jasonadream
Member
Whew, tore my bicep on Wednesday.
The cause was a likely a combination heavy deadlifts, bench and pull ups.
Went to a physiotherapist and doctor to get it diagnosed and it came out to be a - distal bicep tear on the elbow.
Got an X-ray and ultrasound done and will find out in a few days on the severity of the tear.
If its a minor tear that can heal in a on its own thats good but if its something that’ll keep me from lifting weights, I’m going to get PRP treatment done.
The cause was a likely a combination heavy deadlifts, bench and pull ups.
Went to a physiotherapist and doctor to get it diagnosed and it came out to be a - distal bicep tear on the elbow.
Got an X-ray and ultrasound done and will find out in a few days on the severity of the tear.
If its a minor tear that can heal in a on its own thats good but if its something that’ll keep me from lifting weights, I’m going to get PRP treatment done.
JimmyRustler
Member
Attempted my first half marathon run (around 20-22 km) on Saturday and it went quite well I think. My glutes started to call it a day after around 15 km but up until that point I was quite happy with my performance. Would have maybe even made the whole distance if it wasn't for the heat. Even with walking large parts of the last third it took me only a bit more than 2 hours. Next Saturday I'll try again. Even thinking already about going berserk once I've done it and attempt 2 laps and therefore more or less the full marathon distance. Maybe already this years until autumn. If not, next year. I can do this.
mcjmetroid
Member
Hey if I post a pic of my body:
Would you guys be able to give some advice on what your first impressions are on where I should work out next? Or general advice?
I'm in a dilmena at the moment. I have a bit of a belly but I'm afraid to lose what muscle I have by losing the weight.
Life was much easier when I knew I just had to gain weight
Would you guys be able to give some advice on what your first impressions are on where I should work out next? Or general advice?
I'm in a dilmena at the moment. I have a bit of a belly but I'm afraid to lose what muscle I have by losing the weight.
Life was much easier when I knew I just had to gain weight
Maiden Voyage
Gold™ Member
I showed you my pecs pls respondHey if I post a pic of my body:
Would you guys be able to give some advice on what your first impressions are on where I should work out next? Or general advice?
I'm in a dilmena at the moment. I have a bit of a belly but I'm afraid to lose what muscle I have by losing the weight.
Life was much easier when I knew I just had to gain weight
Maiden Voyage
Gold™ Member
haxan7
Banned
Let’s see them titsHey if I post a pic of my body:
Would you guys be able to give some advice on what your first impressions are on where I should work out next? Or general advice?
I'm in a dilmena at the moment. I have a bit of a belly but I'm afraid to lose what muscle I have by losing the weight.
Life was much easier when I knew I just had to gain weight
JimmyRustler
Member
Alright, after 4 weeks of more or less light gym training I decided to go all in again yesterday. Started a new creatin cycle (8 weeks prolly) and am going all in with the weights. Start set with 6-8 reps, end with 3-4 reps. Almost shit myself yesterday during the front squats but fuck it. It's time to put on some mass.
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TheContact
Member
Had a fun time in the rain last night did some fun off-roading
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Raven117
Member
Honestly, doing full body workouts and addressing your nutrition will get you evened out. Don't focus on any ONE area (or if you do, just work it out a bit more than the others, don't focus exclusively). It will all balance back out if you work out your entire body and monitor your nutrition.Hey if I post a pic of my body:
Would you guys be able to give some advice on what your first impressions are on where I should work out next? Or general advice?
I'm in a dilmena at the moment. I have a bit of a belly but I'm afraid to lose what muscle I have by losing the weight.
Life was much easier when I knew I just had to gain weight
Platinumstorm
Member
I've been hitting exercise very hard since mid December. I have lost a total of 5 lbs. My patients and coworkers are commenting on how much slimmer I look. Hitting PRs for mtb times when I was 30 lbs lighter
Maiden Voyage
Gold™ Member
I started an Excel log of my runs & walks. I noticed almost all of my runs are in HR zone 4. I am going to dial it back and start working more in zone 2, as it's supposed to be the most helpful for increasing performance, or so I've read.
Overall, I've been going hard as hell on my body the past 2 weeks. I can definitely feel it. Took it easy yesterday with 45-mins of yoga, a 15-min light jog, and then an hour walk. Going to dial it back up this weekend, as I will be traveling for work this next week and won't have the time or resources to go HAM. I'll use this as recovery time and then starting July 2nd it's all out until the 5th.
Overall, I've been going hard as hell on my body the past 2 weeks. I can definitely feel it. Took it easy yesterday with 45-mins of yoga, a 15-min light jog, and then an hour walk. Going to dial it back up this weekend, as I will be traveling for work this next week and won't have the time or resources to go HAM. I'll use this as recovery time and then starting July 2nd it's all out until the 5th.
JimmyRustler
Member
Holy crap... I just realized how much of an idiot I was for ignoring heavy weights so long. Did my first chest workout aiming for 3-5 reps instead of the 8-15 (my usual) yesterday and a day later my chest feels like it's falling off. It's been soooooo long. Damn it... It's funny how hitting my muscles to get the burn in gym does barely give me any muscle fatigue later but now just hitting them with weights as high as possible and next to no muscle burn in the gym gives me insane muscle fatigue the morning after.
Weight it is now brothers. My body has spoken. It demands it.
Weight it is now brothers. My body has spoken. It demands it.
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TheContact
Member
Longest ride so far. Could have gone longer but it was getting late.
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Maiden Voyage
Gold™ Member
Requested.
AeonGaidenRaiden
Member
Damn my area is total lockdown again. Any YT recommendation, ive tried a few HIIt channels, you really sweat it out like a motherfucker. Just looking for something to keep me active.
Maiden Voyage
Gold™ Member
It's not HIIT but Yoga with Adrienne is awesome. She does monthly routines every Jan & has 'em on playlists for easy tracking.
JimmyRustler
Member
Did another crazy run yesterday. It's not really clear on Google but it was somewhere around 22-24 kilometers. Took me around 2:30 hours, of which I walked probably around 15-20 minutes. Felt super sick afterwards. Barely made it through my streching routine without throwing up.
Shit man, doing this again next Saturday. Goal is to make the whole distance in one go without stop and sub 2 hours.
Also noticed something quite strange. Not just yesterday but in general. I have no appetite whatsoever after my training. Literally had to force myself 2 hours post training to eat my dinner.... BUT once I ate that appetite came back in full force. Very strange...
That being said, if I wasn't before, now I'm pretty sure my diet is top notch. Did 3,5 hours home workout on Saturday and all together 3,5 to 4 hour workout yesterday but (after being dead yesterday evening) I already have the energy again to do another workout today. Monday is my rest day so I won't but still. I'm kinda impressed of myself.
Shit man, doing this again next Saturday. Goal is to make the whole distance in one go without stop and sub 2 hours.
Also noticed something quite strange. Not just yesterday but in general. I have no appetite whatsoever after my training. Literally had to force myself 2 hours post training to eat my dinner.... BUT once I ate that appetite came back in full force. Very strange...
That being said, if I wasn't before, now I'm pretty sure my diet is top notch. Did 3,5 hours home workout on Saturday and all together 3,5 to 4 hour workout yesterday but (after being dead yesterday evening) I already have the energy again to do another workout today. Monday is my rest day so I won't but still. I'm kinda impressed of myself.
JimmyRustler
Member
Yet again some weird experience...
Went in hard yesterday on my shoulder workout. After doing 8-12 rep range for so long, going for that 3-4 reps feel so strange and I have troubles getting used to it. Not least because I'm scared shitless every time on certain moves training with high weight only - especially with squats and leg press.
What is weird is that my body seems to be responding really well to this. Not only when it comes to muscle fatigue but also when it comes to recovery. While doing classic Arnolds I didn't pay attention during one rep and my right shoulder took a hit again. Was already expecting the worst but after some streching exercise at home later I woke up feeling just fine today...
That is sooooo weird. Before every time I made such a mistake during training my shoulder used to ache for a few days at least.
Have I been ignoring high weight training for too long or what is going on???
Went in hard yesterday on my shoulder workout. After doing 8-12 rep range for so long, going for that 3-4 reps feel so strange and I have troubles getting used to it. Not least because I'm scared shitless every time on certain moves training with high weight only - especially with squats and leg press.
What is weird is that my body seems to be responding really well to this. Not only when it comes to muscle fatigue but also when it comes to recovery. While doing classic Arnolds I didn't pay attention during one rep and my right shoulder took a hit again. Was already expecting the worst but after some streching exercise at home later I woke up feeling just fine today...
That is sooooo weird. Before every time I made such a mistake during training my shoulder used to ache for a few days at least.
Have I been ignoring high weight training for too long or what is going on???
Raven117
Member
Interesting. Maybe your body is just responding to a different flavor of stimuli?
I know I do better when I change things up.
JimmyRustler
Member
Must be. Curious to see about the effects on my body over the coming weeks. I‘m just kinda stunned at what is happening. Not only do I have muscle fatigue again but I also find myself really looking forward to my training and, probably the most important of all, after almost 2 years I am sleeping properly again. Last night was the first one I was able to sleep more than 6 hours in almost 2 years (think I already mentioned my sleep deprivation in this very thread multiple times). Must be either because of the heavy weight training or the regular stretching. Started with both last week so I‘m not really sure. Anyway, lets see what the coming weeks bring. Wish me luck bros. I do love the training I do as much as I possibly can but I‘m sick of training like a maniac and not being able to see this pay off…
Raven117
Member
Wow! Interesting
Jasonadream
Member
Building a home gym is always fun, the trap bar and adjustable are solid addition. Perhaps a few kettlebells wont hurt, they’ve done wonders for my bad rotator cuffs.
Jasonadream
Member
So it turns out that it wasn’t a torn bicep, my doctor turned out to be a quack.
Its a lipoma, which is a benign tumour thats below my bicep, completely out of the way of my ROM so ill get that removed later on.
I think I’m almost done with my gym set up.
I got 150 sqft in stall mats, 6 pairs of 45 plates, pair of 10 and 25.
Debating on if i should get a folding reverse hyper for my set up.
Its a lipoma, which is a benign tumour thats below my bicep, completely out of the way of my ROM so ill get that removed later on.
I think I’m almost done with my gym set up.
I got 150 sqft in stall mats, 6 pairs of 45 plates, pair of 10 and 25.
Debating on if i should get a folding reverse hyper for my set up.
SpiceRacz
Member
Also looking at a reverse hyper. Some people swear by them. If you grab one, let me know how it works for you.
Jasonadream
Member
I used the reverse hyper on a regular basis before and after my squat or deadlift days.
It pretty much made my posterior chain bullet proof for those lifts.
I’ve been eyeing the rogue westside barbell reverse hyper for space saving purposes (it folds up)
Other than that if i want to splurge big for an investment piece, I’d get the rogue donkey - which is a GHR+Reverse hyper combined
RoyalLaFlame
Banned
So guys, after being away from gym for a while, I've been looking into some routines I should be doing. Before this, I was an avid gym goer (around 2 years) and at the time I was in the best shape I've ever been. Now I got fatter, but I still got the moves, I still know how to do all the movements correctly. My diet is still a work in progress, since I'm in a place where its really hard to follow the diet I want (and because of my gf), but I'm already supplementing it with some vegan protein (i can't drink whey).
You guys think I should go back to a initiate type of workout routine (usually full body type), or should I just go to a more muscle focused one (one muscle group per day)? I looked into one called GZCL and I tried yesterday, but I think I didn't put enough weight, so it kinda felt like a light workout. It's my first time doing a full body workout - those 2 years that I talked before I focused into one muscle group per day, but trying to work them out two times a week.
EDIT: I hate running for the sake of running (I love it when playing football or any other sports), so I've been doing swimming two times a week. You think it's enough? I usually do around 1-2 hours.
You guys think I should go back to a initiate type of workout routine (usually full body type), or should I just go to a more muscle focused one (one muscle group per day)? I looked into one called GZCL and I tried yesterday, but I think I didn't put enough weight, so it kinda felt like a light workout. It's my first time doing a full body workout - those 2 years that I talked before I focused into one muscle group per day, but trying to work them out two times a week.
EDIT: I hate running for the sake of running (I love it when playing football or any other sports), so I've been doing swimming two times a week. You think it's enough? I usually do around 1-2 hours.
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Raven117
Member
Hmmm, I mean, don't let the enemy of perfect be good. Do what you want?
I'd probably do some full body stuff mixed in with some 1 to 2 times cardio (so working out 5 days a week) for three months of so, and see where you are at.
Maiden Voyage
Gold™ Member
Animal Protein versus Plant Protein in Supporting Lean Mass and Muscle Strength: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Although animal protein is usually considered to be a more potent stimulator of muscle protein synthesis than plant protein, the effect of protein source on lean mass and muscle strength needs to be systematically reviewed. This study aimed to examine potential differences in the effect of...
www.mdpi.com
Abstract
Although animal protein is usually considered to be a more potent stimulator of muscle protein synthesis than plant protein, the effect of protein source on lean mass and muscle strength needs to be systematically reviewed. This study aimed to examine potential differences in the effect of animal vs. plant protein on lean mass and muscle strength, and the possible influence of resistance exercise training (RET) and age. The following databases were searched: PubMed, Embase, Scopus and CINAHL Plus with Full Text, and 3081 articles were screened. A total of 18 articles were selected for systematic review, of which, 16 were used for meta-analysis. Total protein intakes were generally above the recommended dietary allowance at the baseline and end of intervention. Results from the meta-analyses demonstrated that protein source did not affect changes in absolute lean mass or muscle strength. However, there was a favoring effect of animal protein on percent lean mass. RET had no influence on the results, while younger adults (<50 years) were found to gain absolute and percent lean mass with animal protein intake (weighted mean difference (WMD), 0.41 kg; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.08 to 0.74; WMD 0.50%; 95% CI 0.00 to 1.01). Collectively, animal protein tends to be more beneficial for lean mass than plant protein, especially in younger adults.
poodaddy
Member
Been meaning to post here for a while but I keep forgetting to do it. I got a few minutes so I figured I'd pop some thoughts down that have occurred to me lately.
Being lean is nice, but an obsession on it can hold back strength big time. I was a fat kid growing up, so when I lost weight it was very important to me to keep it off. For the longest time I was huge on caloric deficits, but still trained very hard, yet I found accruing strength past a certain point to be very tricky. I'm 5'11, and for quite a while my deadlift stalled at 365, my overhead press stalled at 130, my bench stalled at 225, and my squat stalled at around 240, with wildly varying numbers based on how tired or sore I was; I now know this was because I didn't want my bodyweight going past 190, where I was quite lean. Enter the caloric surplus. Every strength coach advocates a controlled caloric surplus to gain strength steadily, and goddamn are they right. Without getting into specifics, I'll just say I've been eating more, though still eating clean, and I now weight 220 and some change, but my lifts are thanking me. Bench 315, deadlift 445, over head press 170, and I don't know what my squat is but I do 315 for five reps. Suffice to say, things are going well.
I like seeing the objective feedback that strength training provides, rather than training for time or reps. You can't argue with the weight going up, it's satisfying in a way that few things are. Also, more strength means more bone density, and that's great for long term health and fitness, as well as reducing the chance of injury when doing other things. For those of you who are at all interesting in training heavy, I highly recommend it. I've been lifting for over ten years on and off, but I only recently truly dedicated myself to lifting heavy, and I'm so glad I did. It's an incredibly rewarding experience.....and humbling too.
Being lean is nice, but an obsession on it can hold back strength big time. I was a fat kid growing up, so when I lost weight it was very important to me to keep it off. For the longest time I was huge on caloric deficits, but still trained very hard, yet I found accruing strength past a certain point to be very tricky. I'm 5'11, and for quite a while my deadlift stalled at 365, my overhead press stalled at 130, my bench stalled at 225, and my squat stalled at around 240, with wildly varying numbers based on how tired or sore I was; I now know this was because I didn't want my bodyweight going past 190, where I was quite lean. Enter the caloric surplus. Every strength coach advocates a controlled caloric surplus to gain strength steadily, and goddamn are they right. Without getting into specifics, I'll just say I've been eating more, though still eating clean, and I now weight 220 and some change, but my lifts are thanking me. Bench 315, deadlift 445, over head press 170, and I don't know what my squat is but I do 315 for five reps. Suffice to say, things are going well.
I like seeing the objective feedback that strength training provides, rather than training for time or reps. You can't argue with the weight going up, it's satisfying in a way that few things are. Also, more strength means more bone density, and that's great for long term health and fitness, as well as reducing the chance of injury when doing other things. For those of you who are at all interesting in training heavy, I highly recommend it. I've been lifting for over ten years on and off, but I only recently truly dedicated myself to lifting heavy, and I'm so glad I did. It's an incredibly rewarding experience.....and humbling too.
Jasonadream
Member
Cool, were the same height and I weigh 195.
Just from reading out your numbers off the 4 lifts from before and after it seems that caloric deficit was a factor and overtraining was as well - one of the early signs of gassing out from overtraining/ overstimulated CNS = where your training routine lacks variety/accessory compounds/supporting mobility/ deloading.. etc the list goes on.
In the past when my training hit a plateau, I would always pinpoint what was weak in certain lifts
For ex.
Squat - Shoulder Stablity, Lack of lat engagement, hip hinge, bracing, imbalances in posterior chain, difficulty getting out of the ‘hole’
I pin point out the weakness in the chain and work on accessory movements/ variations to address the issue.
So after a week or two, my squats would feel more stable and move more quickly and thats where you can add on more weights to get stronger.
- side note
I ended up getting the Rogue Westside Scout Hyper, saves a ton of space and lots of value behind it.
poodaddy
Member
I'm real bad about not deloading properly, but I've taken steps to address that. I agree completely on addressing the weaknesses in the kinetic chain for the movement. I bought a GHR specifically for that, but for whatever reason I still get more glute and hamstring hypertrophy and stretch reflex training out of RDL's, so I've started programming 3 sets of moderate RDL's in every week to aid in the glute and hamstring development. I'm also hoping that addresses some grip issues that I've been noticing cropping up. Hook grip has helped protect me despite grip weakness my last three deadlift PR's, but I think I need additional grip work or I'm gonna miss a PR here soon, as my last PR attempt was, well, let's just say I was surprised I got it, as I missed a warm up lift, but then still got the PR lol. Weird stuff. Recently started adding more face pulls and accessory tricep work in as well to aid in bench progression, and it's helped a good bit. To be frank, I need a bit more upper and mid back musculature for my squats, and I'm hoping the face pulls and some additional pulling work will help there. It's tricky, because I don't want to add in too much ya know?
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SpiceRacz
Member
How's the scout hyper? Stable enough? I'm looking at one from Titan. Really hoping this can alleviate my back pain as this is turning into a pretty regular occurrence.
Jasonadream
Member
The easiest way to gauge it is by noting down your strength condition and fatigue level.
Typically its 5-8 weeks in where I start to feel the fatigue setting in and when that happens
I go over my current numbers/ weaknesses and scale back to 40-55% of my working load for deloading.
In contrast to that I’ve also worked with heavier loads with less sets/reps @ 65-70% for deload.
Gotta play it by ear/ how you feel at the end to know when you should deload because everyone’s built differently.
Its best to set a PR date where you test all your numbers once or twice a year and train up to 80~90% to master the weight load/speed/technique the rest of the time. That way you’ll be more well rounded in strength/endurance/knowledge of your physical capabilities.
As for hook grip, as it is the optimal way to train if you want to have a training PR or a competition PR..
I personally use the double over hand, always have it just feels natural and mitigates imbalances IMO.
I use straps on days when I’m doing high volume/rep work so i can save my grip for heavier weights.
Perhaps do bar hangs, pinch carries, heavy farmers walks with kettlebells and cleans to build up your forearms and grip strength.
Scout hypers badass, its stable it doesn’t creak or fumble around and it saves so much space compared to a full set up.
I load it with 50% of my squat-225 and goto town.
Lower back pain might be attributed to tight glutes/hamstrings so make sure you do some lacrosse balls mobility work to open up your glutes and hams.
poodaddy
Member
I absolutely agree that double overhand is the best way to train. I should mention that I always do double overhand up to 400, but for whatever reason I just cannot hold the bar at anything over 400. I definitely have a grip weakness to contend with. I love farmer walks, used to do it all the time with my trap bar, just haven't been doing them lately as I thought they were interfering with my recovery. The most difficult thing for me personally with all this is trying to program optimally. I used to do Starting Strength for a while, and it's how I train novices, but I found that when you get to the intermediate stuff it just simply doesn't facilitate enough recovery time. Thought about the Texas Method for a bit, but I just decided against it as I have a business and a family, and I'd like to see them every once in a while lol. As it stands, I've found a great deal of success with the following split, which we just kind of made up lol, and I play it fast and loose as business concerns keep us from ever nailing down an extremely specific split commitment, but this split has been working for us for some time. We bench or overhead press sometime early in the week, typically Monday or Tuesday, we deadlift Thursdays, and we almost always squat Sunday, but sometimes Saturday. We used to hike a lot as well on the weekend, but we took some time away from that as it started to mess with our squats. When I say we I mean me and the wife by the way, she's my training partner. I have a hard time placing accessory work optimally in there, but here's what I've been trying, and so far it seems to be working.....somewhat. We do RDL's at 40% 1rm deadlift for 3 x 8 around an hour or two after heavy squats on Sunday. We do high rep tricep accessory work after heavy bench or overhead press, whenever that may be. I try to do very light face pulls daily, maybe around two to four sets, nothing crazy, focus on the rear traps and mid back, really try to feel it. Trying to find somewhere to program additional T bar row work, but not sure where it fits right now, as I'm absolutely smoked to shit after my deadlifts. Miss having a pull up bar, but it broke my door frame and I came down hard on it and the pull up bar broke around the same time my noggin hit the ground lol. I was getting great additional work out of the pull ups though, hoping T bar row can supplant it for now.
I should mention we train at home, I converted my garage into a weight room, spent an obscene amount of money on Elitefts, Kabuki Strength, and Rogue equipment just to finally have no need for the gym anymore lol. I love this, but it also means that our accessory work is somewhat limited compared to commercial facilities, but I have tons of bars, specialty bars, bands, strongman equipment, a prowler, around 500 lbs of plates, a rogue squat rack, an Elitefts GHR and an Elitefts Collegiate bench. We've got a nice set up, but I'm still considering getting that reverse hyper you were speaking with the other poster about. I just don't seem to get the work out of our GHR that my wife does for whatever reason, probably a form deficiency on my part, but I'm definitely wanting another way to hit my posterior chain without the GHR. Question though, is additional posterior chain work redundant/overkill when I'm doing the RDL's? Or do you think it'd still be helpful? Also, do you have a good recommendation for a quality pull up bar other than me just building my own out back in the yard? Thanks for the advice brother, always enjoy picking the head of a fellow lifter.
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