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[demon]

Is it true that it's good to switch up your routine every now and then? To work your muscles in different ways, "confuse" them? I've been doing roughly the same workout regimen the past couple months and I'm thinking maybe I should switch it up, especially after some of the responses I got last night.

Again this is my current routine. I usually do each one once every 5-7 days.

day 1: Bench press / shoulder press / triceps / dips / fly machine

day 2: Leg press / lunges / dumbbell squats / calf raises / 1 arm bent over dumbbell rows / pullups
(still have trouble with my form on real squats so I tend to avoid them....yeah yeah...)

day 3: deadlifts and bicep curls

And again, inbetween those days I'll do ab work at home and maybe some cardio or rowing machine here and there.

Any suggestions on an alternative routine? I was thinking maybe something more like the one cooter posted:

day 1. legs + back
day 2. chest + biceps
day 3. shoulders + tris + shrugs
day 4. deadlifts

thoughts? How often should you work one muscle group? I usually go no less than 5-6 days.

 

[FallingEdge]

Sorry to hear that dude.

Get well soon.

Injuries suck so bad. You don't usually appreciate what you have before an injury.

Thanks dood. I mean, I think I can still lift, just that I would be extremely limited on what I can do. I have no idea. Just have to wait until Monday.

Squats this weekend. Should still be able to do that lol.

 

[parrotbeak]

My take is that you should continue to challenge your body by progression. Whether this means increasing strength, power, conditioning, endurance, or whatever combination is most valuable to you. The key to knowing whether you are progressing is to have data. This is the value of a program that simplifies number tracking.

So while playing hoops with coworkers today, I tore a tendon in my left middle finger. It is currently in a splint and I'm suppose to see a hand specialist on Monday morning. I have no idea how I am able to workout out. I cant fully grip anything in my left hand. Hopefully the doctor will let me give me some good news/advice. I might be stuck with machines...

*sigh*

This is so very depressing.

Are you left handed?

 

[Ranvier]

A few stats before I get into the question I have.

I'm 25, 5'9, around 165 I've been reading this thread for a while now and just started seriously lifting, like 3-4 days a week in January.

some Bench Marks:

Bench: 160 x 4

Shoulder Press: 105 x 4

Pull Ups: wide grip, currently maxing out at like 7 or 8.

Deadlift: 180 x 4

Squat: 120 x 4

And there's the rub, my squat as you can see is abysmally behind the rest of my exercises. I knew this from the start and therefore started squating 3 days a week to try and catch it up. I started at 95 pounds and I'm up to 120 now so not bad in terms of gains. However, I've been noticing a dull ache in my tail bone. It doesn't really start unless I've been sitting for a long time or if I do some sprints or lunges. I can go for most of the day without feeling it but if I start doing something it flares up. Also if I lift something oddly. It feels like its a bone ache, not soreness from muscles. Could this be because of the squatting? Perhaps my form is off? Have any of you guys had this issue was a strange ache right on the tailbone? I don't get pain anywhere else, nothing with the lower back or knees or hips or anything.

 

[FallingEdge]

Are you left handed?

I am not. I am right handed.

 

[X-Frame]

So while playing hoops with coworkers today, I tore a tendon in my left middle finger. It is currently in a splint and I'm suppose to see a hand specialist on Monday morning. I have no idea how I am able to workout out. I cant fully grip anything in my left hand. Hopefully the doctor will let me give me some good news/advice. I might be stuck with machines...

*sigh*

This is so very depressing.

My story is similar.

My last year as a sports director as a day camp I was playing kickball with the 6th grade boys and a counselor on the other team kicked a huge pop-up and when I went to catch it in the outfield my right ring finger jammed into the kickball.

I didn't think much of it until I went home and realized my finger tip was drooping down. I couldn't lift it. Went to the hospital the next day to realize I tore the tendon at the top of the finger. Was in a splint for 8 weeks straight .. couldn't bend it at all for anything.

Good news is that my doctor was shocked at how well it healed. He said he never had a patient actually keep the splint on the whole time and why I can achieve hyperextension in my finger again. Originally, he told me it would still droop a bit at best.


I have to say though, the things you take for granted with healthy hands is HUGE when 1 finger can't bend.

 

[demon]

Here's my current routine if this helps.

Chest/bis
Legs
Shoulders/tris
Legs
Back/traps

question about this- how often do you do these? Is that like a one week, mon-fri routine?

 

[BlueScrote]

Pull ups to the nipples are twice as hard standard pull ups. After doing them I don't know how I ever got away with doing them the normal way.

 

[Cheeto]

Thanks dood. I mean, I think I can still lift, just that I would be extremely limited on what I can do. I have no idea. Just have to wait until Monday.

Squats this weekend. Should still be able to do that lol.

Use some straps for deads, I think its acceptable under these circumstances

 

[Ripclawe]

WTF??? What is the advantage over solid ground???

 

[Lasthope106]

Deadlifted 265 lbs today 5x5. Yeah buddy!!!!

Legs will be hurting like hell all weekend amrite?

 

[X-Frame]

Deadlifted 265 lbs today 5x5. Yeah buddy!!!!

Legs will be hurting like hell all weekend amrite?

More like .. your whole body.

 

[MrToughPants]

265x5 pendlays felt pretty good, flat back no hitch full rom.

Only did cgbp and rows tonight my shoulder is still doing some weird shit.

 

[balddemon]

WTF??? What is the advantage over solid ground???

seems to me that the advantage would be fucked up knees and ankles when they slip off the ball or the weight falls or something inevitable happens

 

[Cooter]

question about this- how often do you do these? Is that like a one week, mon-fri routine?

Once a week.

Mon: Chest/bis
Tues: Legs
Wed or Thurs: Shoulders/tris
Fri: Legs
Sat: Back/delts

Pull ups to the nipples are twice as hard standard pull ups. After doing them I don't know how I ever got away with doing them the normal way.

Well, yeah... That's why you don't see many people doing them. It's the only way to do pullups once you work your way up to them.

 

[Trey]

I did something to may back Thursday. After my lift, my lower back got really sore. I thought nothing of it. A little later into the day, I could barely move. The pain was pretty debilitating, but on the whole the injury-whatever it was-didn't seem so bad. I took it easy all day today, but there's still a lot of tightness in the area and I certainly can't bend over comfortably. I could barely squat for form, with no weight on my back.

I highly doubt I'll be able to squat and Deadlift by tomorrow. Should I still go to the gym and complete my OHP routine? Upper body has been a problem area, so some dips and OHP would make for a good workout. Should I even bother?

 

[Brolic Gaoler]

I did something to may back Thursday. After my lift, my lower back got really sore. I thought nothing of it. A little later into the day, I could barely move. The pain was pretty debilitating, but on the whole the injury-whatever it was-didn't seem so bad. I took it easy all day today, but there's still a lot of tightness in the area and I certainly can't bend over comfortably. I could barely squat for form, with no weight on my back.

I highly doubt I'll be able to squat and Deadlift by tomorrow. Should I still go to the gym and complete my OHP routine? Upper body has been a problem area, so some dips and OHP would make for a good workout. Should I even bother?

I would see a doctor. At the minimum I would take a break until it's better. Don't fuck around with your back. If it's not just muscle pain, you're gambling.

 

[Timedog]

Yeah, even after being sick I added 10-20lbs to all my lifts from the last workout. Yeah!

 

[parrotbeak]

I did something to may back Thursday. After my lift, my lower back got really sore. I thought nothing of it. A little later into the day, I could barely move. The pain was pretty debilitating, but on the whole the injury-whatever it was-didn't seem so bad. I took it easy all day today, but there's still a lot of tightness in the area and I certainly can't bend over comfortably. I could barely squat for form, with no weight on my back.

I highly doubt I'll be able to squat and Deadlift by tomorrow. Should I still go to the gym and complete my OHP routine? Upper body has been a problem area, so some dips and OHP would make for a good workout. Should I even bother?

Sorry dude but you should go to the doctor. Take a break from training. You could make it worse if it's something serious. Hopefully it's just a minor strain or something.

 

[Jaladinozozo]

No more weights for me. Switching to a body weight + weighted vest routine only. My new equipment and only equipment from now on.

 

[parrotbeak]

Homemade door frame pullup bar? Very nice!

 

[Trey]

I would see a doctor. At the minimum I would take a break until it's better. Don't fuck around with your back. If it's not just muscle pain, you're gambling.

That's the thing: something like this happened before, but the pain subsided the next morning like it wasn't even there. It's certainly something different though, which is reason enough to exercise caution. Thanks for the feedback, guys.

 

[Acid08]

WTF??? What is the advantage over solid ground???

Wow, that seems incredibly stupid.

 

[Jaladinozozo]

Homemade door frame pullup bar? Very nice!

Thats not mine in the pic but its similar, had my building super weld it for me lol.

 

[FallingEdge]

My story is similar.

My last year as a sports director as a day camp I was playing kickball with the 6th grade boys and a counselor on the other team kicked a huge pop-up and when I went to catch it in the outfield my right ring finger jammed into the kickball.

I didn't think much of it until I went home and realized my finger tip was drooping down. I couldn't lift it. Went to the hospital the next day to realize I tore the tendon at the top of the finger. Was in a splint for 8 weeks straight .. couldn't bend it at all for anything.

Good news is that my doctor was shocked at how well it healed. He said he never had a patient actually keep the splint on the whole time and why I can achieve hyperextension in my finger again. Originally, he told me it would still droop a bit at best.


I have to say though, the things you take for granted with healthy hands is HUGE when 1 finger can't bend.

Sounds like you and I have the same injury. Did you do any lifting? Or did you just wait it out?

 

[reilo]

Just looked at some pictures of myself from last June and I looked deathly ill. I'll take another picture come this June for shits and giggles comparison. Time to put in the extra work the next three months and make myself proud.

 

[Enco]

WTF??? What is the advantage over solid ground???

:lol this pic gets posted every now and then.

Anyone who thinks this is fine shouldn't go near a gym.

Thanks dood. I mean, I think I can still lift, just that I would be extremely limited on what I can do. I have no idea. Just have to wait until Monday.

Squats this weekend. Should still be able to do that lol.

As long as you take it easy you should be fine. Don't wanna screw it up even more haha

 

[nick nacc]

Gaf can you tell me what's going on with my body.

I am addicted to soccer. Sometimes when I play for up to 3 hours my body gets goosebumps and i feel funny sometimes. Should I be drinking Gatorade instead of water? Am I getting ion deficient?

 

[nick nacc]

Okay so I just googled it like a normal person. Turns out I get dehydrated. Hmmm I dOnt like slurpIng a ton of water from the fountain while playing because it slows me down and give me cramps. Maybe drink a lot before Playing

 

[reilo]

Okay so I just googled it like a normal person. Turns out I get dehydrated. Hmmm I dOnt like slurpIng a ton of water from the fountain while playing because it slows me down and give me cramps. Maybe drink a lot before Playing

Water slows you down and gives you cramps?

And yes, drinking water not just before and during a game, but throughout every day will keep you hydrated. It takes time for your body to consume the water, so don't think you need to drink water only to keep hydrated while being active. Drink plenty of water every single day.

 

[Mecha_Infantry]

My story is similar.

My last year as a sports director as a day camp I was playing kickball with the 6th grade boys and a counselor on the other team kicked a huge pop-up and when I went to catch it in the outfield my right ring finger jammed into the kickball.

I didn't think much of it until I went home and realized my finger tip was drooping down. I couldn't lift it. Went to the hospital the next day to realize I tore the tendon at the top of the finger. Was in a splint for 8 weeks straight .. couldn't bend it at all for anything.

Good news is that my doctor was shocked at how well it healed. He said he never had a patient actually keep the splint on the whole time and why I can achieve hyperextension in my finger again. Originally, he told me it would still droop a bit at best.


I have to say though, the things you take for granted with healthy hands is HUGE when 1 finger can't bend.

I can't ben the ring finger on my right hand, I had a joint replacement due to a broken joint. It's debilitating, but I'm learning how to survive again.

Can anyone verify the lean gains IF routine for cutting if you want to preserve muscle? Seems like it only benefits those looking to lose fat and muscle, then rebuilds you. Don't know if it makes sense if you have muscle mass already

Also if anyone can recommend some good reading on cutting and preserving muscle mass. I've got a plan in hand but that's because it's the reverse of what I did to gain weight: weight gainer, cut cardio, increase carbs and fat, protein was always high and reintroduce a BB lifting routine

This cut I am looking at getting to the 10-15% bodyfat, then sub 10 for competition time, but that's another story.

 

[gdt]

Ugh. Can't run my 1.5 in the park . Super cold today and it's gonna snow soon.

 

[X-Frame]

No more weights for me. Switching to a body weight + weighted vest routine only. My new equipment and only equipment from now on.

A quality weighted vest is the next thing I want for my home equipment as well. When you decide on buying one, let us know because all the ones I've found were ridiculously expensive for anything over 20 pounds. 60 pounds would be insane.

Sounds like you and I have the same injury. Did you do any lifting? Or did you just wait it out?

At the time it was after my 2nd shoulder injury but before my 2nd shoulder surgery -- so I wasn't lifting for about a year.

Remember, worry about what you CAN do now and not what you can't do. If you can't grip pull-up bars then don't worry about not doing them. It's not the end of the world as you can still do other things.

For example, in your situation I likely would be a Hill Sprints champion by the time I got my splint off.

 

[Blazed]

Hey all!! Glad to see people working hard in here =)

So i've been skinny all my life and I finally decided to step it up and start working out,

been a month now since i've started. I've been on the stronglift 5 x 5 routine which

consists of two workouts alternating throughout the week. The first one consists of

squats, bench press, and power clean, while the other one has squats, overhead, and

deadlift. I've gained 5 kgs since i've started and things are progressing well so far. I've realized though that if i continue this way my biceps will most likely be left behind, since if i'm not mistaken the only exercise that i'm doing that works them is the powerclean, and i do them 5x3, which means purely for strength and not size.

So my question is should I add an extra exercise that work them? If so, will pullups be a good option, or should I do something else?

Any help is appreciated =)

 

[Brolic Gaoler]

I regret ever taking LTEs out of my routine. Added them back and now my triceps are sore in the areas I noticed felt "smaller."

Won't make that mistake again.

 

[Chittagong]

Is 5 exercises a week too much? Here is my this week

Mon - Circuit train with log + core - vigorous - 60min - with PT
Tue - Row + Run - moderate - 40 min
Wed - Spinning - moderate - 45 min
Fri - Boxing/Sparring + core - vigorous - 60 min - with PT
Sat - Body Pump - moderate - 60 min

These are more cardio and HIIT than max weight training.

Also, what's the verdict on CLA here?

 

[SeanR1221]

Today is the day I squat 200. Wish me luck!

 

[Jaladinozozo]

A quality weighted vest is the next thing I want for my home equipment as well. When you decide on buying one, let us know because all the ones I've found were ridiculously expensive for anything over 20 pounds. 60 pounds would be insane.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ZFO-60LB-WE...414?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4cf2b4bc26

I got mine from this guy on ebay. 85$ with shipping which I think is a good deal. Also the vest itself is good. Fully loaded to 60lbs it fits really flush and snug on your torso...if you aren't use to the weight you do feel it a lot at first in your shoulders. Right now though I am just starting with 20lbs in it and working my way up and so far doing things like pullups, pushups, and squats in it has been pretty comfortable, and I dont even wear a shirt with it either.

 

[ezrarh]

So my question is should I add an extra exercise that work them? If so, will pullups be a good option, or should I do something else?

Any help is appreciated =)

Do chinups and pullups if you're not already doing them. And if you want, add curls at the end of a workout. Also, do dips for your triceps if you're not already doing them. You get plenty of arm workout from bench/rows/cleans and deadlifts for forearms but there's nothing wrong with adding one or two accessory exercises at the end. I don't really focus on arms, but from the compound exercises/dips/and chinups, they've grown to a decent size.

Today is the day I squat 200. Wish me luck!

Good luck! You'll hit that no problem.

 

[Natural]

Today is the day I squat 200. Wish me luck!

Good luck bro! YOU GOT THIS!

 

[Blazed]

Ty ezrarh for the reply. I guess i will start adding extra arm exercises at the end of each workout then.

 

[X-Frame]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ZFO-60LB-WE...414?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4cf2b4bc26

I got mine from this guy on ebay. 85$ with shipping which I think is a good deal. Also the vest itself is good. Fully loaded to 60lbs it fits really flush and snug on your torso...if you aren't use to the weight you do feel it a lot at first in your shoulders. Right now though I am just starting with 20lbs in it and working my way up and so far doing things like pullups, pushups, and squats in it has been pretty comfortable, and I dont even wear a shirt with it either.

Err .. eBay. I never bought anything from eBay because of ridiculous stories I've heard of people's shopping experiences. Though if you got one from him that's better than nothing.

 

[Brolic Gaoler]

Today is the day I squat 200. Wish me luck!

More motivation, that's also spot on.

Keep progressing bro!

 

[Jaladinozozo]

Err .. eBay. I never bought anything from eBay because of ridiculous stories I've heard of people's shopping experiences. Though if you got one from him that's better than nothing.

ebay is pretty good for buyers. Most of these sellers are companies/retailers anyway. Very professional - this is their business/job. You have little to worry about as a buyer between ebay protection and paypal protection.

 

[kylej]

Damn... the dumbbells at Gold's feel heavier than my previous gym. Signed up last week to a local Gold's on my deload, so this was my first time working at my regular weight... almost snapped some shit up on dumbbell shoulder press. Gonna have to reevaluate my 5-3-1 weights.

 

[X-Frame]

ebay is pretty good for buyers. Most of these sellers are companies/retailers anyway. Very professional - this is their business/job. You have little to worry about as a buyer between ebay protection and paypal protection.

Well, the vest seems worth it. I need to make an eBay account and then make a PayPal account and hopefully I can simply link my CC with PayPal and do it that way? Never done this before.

 

[Mr.City]

No more weights for me. Switching to a body weight + weighted vest routine only. My new equipment and only equipment from now on.

What's the story behind this?

deadlift. I've gained 5 kgs since i've started and things are progressing well so far. I've realized though that if i continue this way my biceps will most likely be left behind, since if i'm not mistaken the only exercise that i'm doing that works them is the powerclean, and i do them 5x3, which means purely for strength and not size.

So my question is should I add an extra exercise that work them? If so, will pullups be a good option, or should I do something else?

Chins ups are always good, and if you can do a lot of them, add some weight to them. Or there's always curls.

 

[lazybum131]

And there's the rub, my squat as you can see is abysmally behind the rest of my exercises. I knew this from the start and therefore started squating 3 days a week to try and catch it up. I started at 95 pounds and I'm up to 120 now so not bad in terms of gains. However, I've been noticing a dull ache in my tail bone. It doesn't really start unless I've been sitting for a long time or if I do some sprints or lunges. I can go for most of the day without feeling it but if I start doing something it flares up. Also if I lift something oddly. It feels like its a bone ache, not soreness from muscles. Could this be because of the squatting? Perhaps my form is off? Have any of you guys had this issue was a strange ache right on the tailbone? I don't get pain anywhere else, nothing with the lower back or knees or hips or anything.

Sounds like it may be the psoas if you feel it from sitting too much. I do the kneeling stretch and add in the arms as shown here to really stretch it out.

 

[Oxx]

Rinsing the shaker with vinegar and water did get rid of the majority of the smell.

A good thing to know, but I think I'm just going to make sure I wash it regularly.

 

[Bay Maximus]

Quick question musclebound GAF. Weighted vests: Yay or Nay?

Edit: More specifically, does it help with core strength or what?