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[Jason's Ultimatum]

150-180g is still a lot. A friend of mine from work is about 6'0 tall and weighs 180. He used to weigh 200, very bulky, but lost 20 pounds to cut down. His bench and squats are weigh down, now. When he weighed 200, he was bench 360, squatting close to 400 pounds. Now he can barely squat and bench 315 for 4 reps, but he's happy with how cut he is. He only eats around 80g of carbs a day.

1/2 cup of oatmeal: 25g
Workout shake: 15g
Fage yogurt with honey: 20g
Cinnamon raisen bagel/almond butter: 22g

82g of carbs for the day. That's not including dinner, which I can't ballpark since every night is different. I could do that. Replace some other foods with tuna.

I can try that out. It doesn't hurt. I mean the worst that can happen is body's physique doesn't change. I'll just go back to eating more carbs.

EDIT-I'm already 6'1 and like 165 since I stopped trying to gain 20 pounds. So like I'm saying, I'm not trying to cut as I already am. It's that I just want to more stridation and pronounced muscle if I reduce my carb intake to less than 100g a day.

I'll look into leangains and carb cycle.

 

[Timedog]

Do people know they are not going down 90 degrees when they squat or do they believe they are? How can you not know you're only hitting 45 degrees? Or maybe they do and don't care because they look so cool with 3 plates on each side. I don't get it. I rarely see people going deep when squatting. Is it like that in your gym?

Without I mirror I really probably wouldn't know. I only know how far I'm going down because at light weights (the bar or slightly heavier) I look in the side mirror and adjust my position, then I compare that with markings on the squat rack. As long as I keep the same position with heavier weights and don't bend forward with my back I know I'll be going below parallel when I hit certain markings on the squat rack in the front mirror. Without mirrors for me at least it would be a lot harder.

In my gym probably half the squatters go to approximately parallel or below, but barely anyone ever squats. I rarely have to wait for the rack.

 

[Mr.City]

I have a real problem with flexibility and balance once I get around parallel. I dont know if its just cuz I'm top-heavy or what, but I cant get that low and not feel like I'm tipping over. Its really not comfortable, either. Like it feels like I'm overstretching myself, even just doing a standing squat with no weight.

I definitely get more than 45 degrees, though. I'm still feeling it, but I know I suck at squats. Feels like my body just isn't built for it or something. I'm thinking of getting on the leg press machine instead.

I have a feeling that it could be a few things. Usually, people try to squat with a completely vertical torso, like they're squatting in a smith machine, which causes them to fall back, or they try to squat while keeping their shins vertical, causing them to fall forward.

Mwod is a good site to check out for flexibility and mobility.

Without I mirror I really probably wouldn't know. I only know how far I'm going down because at light weights (the bar or slightly heavier) I look in the side mirror and adjust my position, then I compare that with markings on the squat rack. As long as I keep the same position with heavier weights and don't bend forward with my back I know I'll be going below parallel when I hit certain markings on the squat rack in the front mirror. Without mirrors for me at least it would be a lot harder.

In my gym probably half the squatters go to approximately parallel or below, but barely anyone ever squats. I rarely have to wait for the rack.

Depending if you're going high or low bar, there's going to be a point at the bottom where you feel the tension in your abductors and hamstrings. That's how I can tell "the bottom." I don't think developing a dependency on the mirror is very good for anyone's form since you never learn to "feel the bottom."

 

[Ashhong]

Does anybody have good information for girls that want to start working out? I have a pretty petite friend who wants to get "toned" and I don't know if something like SS or SL would work for her. Are there more girl specific workouts?

 

[fredrancour]

Does anybody have good information for girls that want to start working out? I have a pretty petite friend who wants to get "toned" and I don't know if something like SS or SL would work for her. Are there more girl specific workouts?

Put her on SS. muscular legs on girls can be hot as hell.

Seriously, peoples' bodies work the same way. She won't get as huge as a dude because she is a girl and has girl hormones. She can still put on a meaningful amount of lean body mass with barbell exercises.

 

[Ashhong]

I just thought those would be too hard for her, since she's pretty weak and I question whether she can pick up a 45lb bar. I guess she can use dumbbells when possible if the bar is too heavy, like with OHP, right?

 

[opticalmace]

Thats probably about right, and I assume you could offer him less. That bench is kinda sucky but would be fine for a beginner.

Just keep an eye out for a good deal because people buy this stuff, then never use it, and their fat wife wants them to get it out of the garage.

Here are a few from my area that are probably priced similar:

http://cosprings.craigslist.org/spo/2948853945.html
http://cosprings.craigslist.org/spo/2948039353.html
http://cosprings.craigslist.org/spo/2927708999.html

Thanks a lot, I think I'm going to wait for now and do what you said. I have another month left of P90X and then some travelling, so I'll see if anything shows up within the next month or two. The ones you linked seem much nicer!

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

Enough screwing around. Need to change my diet. Need to start working out. Had to quit gym due to intense university schedule, though I am done in 2 weeks so hardcore workout shall begin.

In the course of two years, I have gone from a ribcage to beer belly. I know my eating habits are not that good. My recent partying and drinking isn't help me either. Here's what my physical assessment stated:

Height: 5'10"
Weight: 171lbs (Recommended: 170lbs)
Body fat: 18% (Recommended: 12%)
Fat Weight: 31lbs (Recommended: 20lbs)
Lean Weight: 140lbs (Recommended: 150lbs)

My goal is to come as close to the recommended measurements as possible... by June.

Going to be shit hard, isn't it?
I'll take my time to welcome myself here and follow some tips by reading this thread before I start applying or asking for direct tips. Hi, FitnessGAF!

EDIT: Might as well add this here as per OP:

Age: 25
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 171lbs
Goal: 170lbs
Current Training Schedule: None
Current Training Equipment Available: Weights/Bar/GYM!
Comments: YAY!

 

[rando14]

You can lose 10 lbs by June with strict diet. If I'm reading your post right, you want to also gain 10 lbs of muscle by June.

Unfortunately, that won't happen. Gaining 10 lbs of muscle in a year would be considered a good year. But 2 months is too short, especially if you're trying to lose fat alongside.

I'd recommend reading the OP. Imbue yourself with knowledge of beginner workout programs, then come back with your findings and we can help you finalize a regimen.

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

Thanks for the info. Yeah, I will aim to lose 10-15lbs right now and focus on muscle gain later. Time to read a little about diet that'll work.

 

[IceCold]

I just thought those would be too hard for her, since she's pretty weak and I question whether she can pick up a 45lb bar. I guess she can use dumbbells when possible if the bar is too heavy, like with OHP, right?

Does her local gym have a barbell rack?

 

[Ashhong]

Does her local gym have a barbell rack?

I believe it has that, but all of the bars are those EZ curl bars or whatever you call them. Ok to do big lifts like OHP or pendlay with those?

 

[HarryHengst]

The girl im dating complimented me on my legs. Thank You Based Rippetoe, for making me do all those squats.

 

[Rice-Eater]

I could be wrong but I don't think guys at 145 typically cut 30 lbs. Evil is probably right at around 155-160 for him.

I didn't mean him specifically, I'm just talking about fighters in general. That could include MMA fighters, Boxers, or wrestlers. I've read several stories about how some guy needed to cut 20 or 30+ pounds to make weight for there match and they did it. Of course these were bigger guys though, I can't imagine a 140 pounder trying to cut 30 pounds, but guys have gone from 200 to 170 on occasion. For example a MMA fighter named Joe Riggs told Joe Rogan that he weighed 202 the day of the fight when he fought Nick Dias at the 170 weight limit several years back.

 

[tombur]

I want to run 3 months of a Starting Strength style program after being out for a while with illness and a shoulder injury, but I also want to start training for some mountaineering challenges i'm doing over the summer. Would it be reasonable to squat 2x weekly as opposed to 3x, to enable me to recover from my workouts by the weekend to go do some hard hiking?

 

[JB1981]

I want to run 3 months of a Starting Strength style program after being out for a while with illness and a shoulder injury, but I also want to start training for some mountaineering challenges i'm doing over the summer. Would it be reasonable to squat 2x weekly as opposed to 3x, to enable me to recover from my workouts by the weekend to go do some hard hiking?

Yes

 

[Mr_eX]

Does anyone else get massages regularly?

I work out 5 days a week and my job requires me to be on my feet for a good portion of the day so I get really sore pretty much all over. Massages help a lot, especially with the leg pain.

 

[Petrie]

Does anyone else get massages regularly?

I work out 5 days a week and my job requires me to be on my feet for a good portion of the day so I get really sore pretty much all over. Massages help a lot, especially with the leg pain.

Ive been thinking about finding a place for a weekly of bi-weekly massage, but that seems like a lot of money I could put elsewhere.

 

[IGotBillySoSpooked]

I just started lifting with a co-worker (not by choice...my employer is sort of forcing me to) and he's got me doing squats where my ass is practically bouncing off the floor on the way down. I usually stop at 90 degrees, but he keeps telling me to go as low as I possibly can.

I thought it was a no-no to go past 90 degrees when you are doing squats...? Won't that tear my knees up eventually?

My back is already starting to hurt (more from the over head presses he has me doing). I've been lifting pretty seriously for three months with no back problems. I lift twice with this guy and my back is already killing me.

 

[kylej]

I just started lifting with a co-worker (not by choice...my employer is sort of forcing me to) and he's got me doing squats where my ass is practically bouncing off the floor on the way down. I usually stop at 90 degrees, but he keeps telling me to go as low as I possibly can.

I thought it was a no-no to go past 90 degrees when you are doing squats...? Won't that tear my knees up eventually?

My back is already starting to hurt (more from the over head presses he has me doing). I've been lifting pretty seriously for three months with no back problems. I lift twice with this guy and my back is already killing me.

You can go past 90 degress if you have the hip flexibility to do it. If you're rounding your back solely to get past parallel... stop it, that's going to destroy your back.

 

[HarryHengst]

I just started lifting with a co-worker (not by choice...my employer is sort of forcing me to) and he's got me doing squats where my ass is practically bouncing off the floor on the way down. I usually stop at 90 degrees, but he keeps telling me to go as low as I possibly can.

I thought it was a no-no to go past 90 degrees when you are doing squats...? Won't that tear my knees up eventually?

My back is already starting to hurt (more from the over head presses he has me doing). I've been lifting pretty seriously for three months with no back problems. I lift twice with this guy and my back is already killing me.

Going to 90 degrees is worse for your knees than going past parallel.

 

[Houston3000]

I was doing Shoulder Presses yesterday and I must of pulled a muscle somewhere... I'm thinking my Rhomboids but I'm kind of feeling it in my Traps as well. As soon as I stopped the exercise I was feeling pain on the inner back part of my shoulders, I continued with some other exercises outside those muscles but I had to stop prematurely because it was so sore (couldn't do crunches, bench press, lat pulls, etc). I had ice on it for a few hours last night, have been taking ibuprofen every 5 or 6 hours and today I rubbed a little pain relief muscle cream on it. At this point it's not too bad, maybe only a small notch above regular post-workout soreness but I think the ibuprofen from the morning is in full effect.

I was wondering what you guys recommend for when this happens to you, if it ever does. I've always been taught ice for the first day and then heat but I haven't been working out that long so I wanted to ask here. I'm debating skipping my workout tomorrow if it's still sore or at the most skipping straight to legs/lower even though it's way off my routine.

 

[FallingEdge]

I just started lifting with a co-worker (not by choice...my employer is sort of forcing me to) and he's got me doing squats where my ass is practically bouncing off the floor on the way down. I usually stop at 90 degrees, but he keeps telling me to go as low as I possibly can.

I thought it was a no-no to go past 90 degrees when you are doing squats...? Won't that tear my knees up eventually?

My back is already starting to hurt (more from the over head presses he has me doing). I've been lifting pretty seriously for three months with no back problems. I lift twice with this guy and my back is already killing me.

What others have said but I don't know if you mean this in the literal sense but you do not want to 'bounce' your way back up. You want to use your hips and legs to 'push' yourself back to a standing position.

If you don't feel comfortable going past 90 degrees, don't. Hitting parallel is just fine.

 

[IGotBillySoSpooked]

Going to 90 degrees is worse for your knees than going past parallel.

No shit?

I meant to say I go until my thighs are parallel. Not sure why I put it as 90 degrees, as my knee and thigh aren't really at a true 90 degree angle.

That being said, is stopping at parallel worse than going past parallel? What is the effect of WAAAAY past parallel?

What others have said but I don't know if you mean this in the literal sense but you do not want to 'bounce' your way back up. You want to use your hips and legs to 'push' yourself back to a standing position.

If you don't feel comfortable going past 90 degrees, don't. Hitting parallel is just fine.

I meant bouncing figuratively. Just a stupid way of saying that my butt practically touches the floor when he has me do squats.

 

[Poindexter]

I dropped the weights on incline bench press last night. I was doing my last rep at 225 and my wife comes home. I hear the little bell from our home alarm and lose my focus. I managed to get one side up on the rack but the other one began to come down and then all the weight fell. Bah! It was such a good workout up to that point too

 

[Mr.City]

I just started lifting with a co-worker (not by choice...my employer is sort of forcing me to) and he's got me doing squats where my ass is practically bouncing off the floor on the way down. I usually stop at 90 degrees, but he keeps telling me to go as low as I possibly can.

I thought it was a no-no to go past 90 degrees when you are doing squats...? Won't that tear my knees up eventually?

My back is already starting to hurt (more from the over head presses he has me doing). I've been lifting pretty seriously for three months with no back problems. I lift twice with this guy and my back is already killing me.

There's nothing wrong with going below parallel as long as you're not sacrificing form at all to get low. Squats have a bad reputation for destroying knees, which is pretty much unfounded.

What do you mean though by your lower back killing you? Do you mean like a muscular soreness or a soreness that comes from bending your back into a pretzel. What was your previous lifting schedule like?

 

[Natural]

After one month out the game - thanks to my holiday - I got back into the gym today. Feels good man, though OHP kicked my ass, could only do 50kg when I was hitting 60kg before. Time to start the bulk again, I lost 9kgs from December to March so want to get my size back!

 

[Troblin]

Does anyone have a good tutorial video for deadlift form? I think my technique can use some tweeks.

 

[IGotBillySoSpooked]

There's nothing wrong with going below parallel as long as you're not sacrificing form at all to get low. Squats have a bad reputation for destroying knees, which is pretty much unfounded.

What do you mean though by your lower back killing you? Do you mean like a muscular soreness or a soreness that comes from bending your back into a pretzel. What was your previous lifting schedule like?

I have pain in two areas: 1) right down my spine, about 3-5 vertebrae up from the base of my spine and 2) in the muscle area on the left side of my lower back.

I think the first is due to the overhead shoulder press. Admittedly, I was lifting right on the cusp of my comfort level (weight wise) and I have a tendency to start arching backwards to get heavier weights up and over my head. That always messes up my back.

I also did a max rep deadlift with really shitty form, so I attribute the second type to that. I just rushed the lift without bothering to set myself up.

Really, I just need to be more assertive about my comfort level when lifting with others. I generally do a full body workout 3 times a week, focusing almost entirely on compound type lifts.

 

[Timedog]

Since I can't find any HIIT stuff on Fitocracy, I've just been putting in my 10 minute routine as 30 minutes of running. Sound about right?

Also, I think it's impossible for me to do proper deadlifts without the bar literally scraping my shins because my feet are small for my size and the weight should be centered over the middle of your foot. With the amount of weight, if the bar even very lightly touches my shins it cuts the shit out of them because of the weight.

3rd, I was looking for weightlifting shoes to get/ask for at some point since you guys say they need to be really flat. And I found these, but it looks like the sole is a little higher, and the toe comes up, just like my sambas right now.

 

[FallingEdge]

First meal with the crock pot was delicious. Cannot wait to cook up some other healthy meals with this thing. Just gonna pile on the meat and go from there.

Solid workout today and after speaking with a coworker, I'm thinking of getting some beta alanine. Stuff is cheap and will give me some extra energy and whatnot.

 

[Drealmcc0y]

Gonna use jack3d for the first time tomorrow.

5 sets of squats incoming!

 

[Petrie]

Also, I think it's impossible for me to do proper deadlifts without the bar literally scraping my shins because my feet are small for my size and the weight should be centered over the middle of your foot. With the amount of weight, if the bar even very lightly touches my shins it cuts the shit out of them because of the weight.

The bar should be scraping your shins.

 

[CliqWriter]

Does anyone else get massages regularly?

I work out 5 days a week and my job requires me to be on my feet for a good portion of the day so I get really sore pretty much all over. Massages help a lot, especially with the leg pain.

I got really lucky to have a girlfriend who loves to give massages. So probably once or twice a week. I feel bad if she does anymore.

 

[Timedog]

The bar should be scraping your shins.

They cannot unless I want a pool of blood on the floor/saturating my sock. I already have scabs my legs right now from the few times that the bar has accidentally grazed (and I mean a really, really light graze) my shins. I didn't even notice that I was cut until I got into the locker room after my workout. If I let the bar scrape my shins the entire time on every rep it'd be a fucking bloodbath. Now I Rippetoe says it should scrape your shins and I believe him considering I have some balance issues from not letting it scrape my shines, and I think maybe that's what the smooth part of the barbell is for, but because of how wide my body it feels really bad/awkward to have my feet in like that. My normal shoulder width stance has my feet just outside the smooth part of the bar =/

 

[Dark Stalkers]

Why don't you just wear pants when you deadlift?

 

[Petrie]

They cannot unless I want a pool of blood on the floor/saturating my sock. I already have scabs my legs right now from the few times that the bar has accidentally grazed (and I mean a really, really light graze) my shins. I didn't even notice that I was cut until I got into the locker room after my workout. If I let the bar scrape my shins the entire time on every rep it'd be a fucking bloodbath. Now I Rippetoe says it should scrape your shins and I believe him considering I have some balance issues from not letting it scrape my shines, and I think maybe that's what the smooth part of the barbell is for, but because of how wide my body it feels really bad/awkward to have my feet in like that. My normal shoulder width stance has my feet just outside the smooth part of the bar =/

You either need to switch to sumo deadlifts or something, or just find an alternative, because if you are keeping the bar from touching your shins, your form is wrong.

Why don't you just wear pants when you deadlift?

This is also an easy solution.

 

[Bearded Dudebro]

It almost sounds like you're leaning and letting the barbell ride your shins heavier than it need be. Just a slight touch on your shins. Regardless of the weight you're doing, your shins shouldn't be bearing much weight. Maybe have someone check your form.

They cannot unless I want a pool of blood on the floor/saturating my sock. I already have scabs my legs right now from the few times that the bar has accidentally grazed (and I mean a really, really light graze) my shins. I didn't even notice that I was cut until I got into the locker room after my workout. If I let the bar scrape my shins the entire time on every rep it'd be a fucking bloodbath. Now I Rippetoe says it should scrape your shins and I believe him considering I have some balance issues from not letting it scrape my shines, and I think maybe that's what the smooth part of the barbell is for, but because of how wide my body it feels really bad/awkward to have my feet in like that. My normal shoulder width stance has my feet just outside the smooth part of the bar =/

 

[Veezy]

Going to 90 degrees is worse for your knees than going past parallel.

This isn't actually entirely true. From personal experience, I can tell you that the majority of my knee pain, caused by the shape of my patella, is due to the depth of my squats (spoke with multiple doctors about this). What is true is that the ACL and the PCL injury potential isn't any worse than, and may possibly be less than, going to 90 degrees.

However, if you review "Knee biomechanics of the dynamic squat exercise" in Med Sci Sports Exerc 33, what you'll find is that the compressive force within the patellofemoral joint can stress the articular cartilage on the undersurface of the patella, which can lead to chondromalacia and eventually osteoarthritic changes. In another article "patellofemoral joing kinetics while squatting with and without an external load" in J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 32, it is discussed that stress through out the patellofemoral joint was higher in weighted trials than not weighted trials (which explains why I can air squat with no issues but having so much as a bar on my back feels like a knife in the knee). (FYI, the patellofemoral joint is the joint created by the kneecap, patella, and your thigh, femur.)

In plain English, deep squats probably won't hurt, and may help with, ligament issues. However, deep squats are going to apply additional pressure to your kneecap that could lead to some pretty bad damage to the cartilage. If you're interested in more information, you can read the most recent edition of the Strength and Conditioning Journal. (Volume 34, Number 2, April 2012).

Side Note: There's data that suggest the higher percentage of osteoarthritis in Eastern populations versus Western populations can be attributed to the repetitive deep squatting that is more common in those cultures.

@Timedog: The bar has got to be very close to the shin. You don't need to drag it along like sand paper, but the bar should remain in a straight lie over the center of the foot for the whole movement. Unfortunately, the center of your foot is right in front of the shin. If you're keeping your chest up and not pulling your back up too soon the the path should remain straight.

 

[kylej]

They cannot unless I want a pool of blood on the floor/saturating my sock. I already have scabs my legs right now from the few times that the bar has accidentally grazed (and I mean a really, really light graze) my shins. I didn't even notice that I was cut until I got into the locker room after my workout. If I let the bar scrape my shins the entire time on every rep it'd be a fucking bloodbath. Now I Rippetoe says it should scrape your shins and I believe him considering I have some balance issues from not letting it scrape my shines, and I think maybe that's what the smooth part of the barbell is for, but because of how wide my body it feels really bad/awkward to have my feet in like that. My normal shoulder width stance has my feet just outside the smooth part of the bar =/

 

[Veezy]

Timedog, some thick softball socks (completely with matching headband while wearing shorts) should help a lot. However, I cant stress this enough, if you're putting pressure on your shin to the point it's bleeding, and you're not at a meet, you're probably not going up in a straight line.

 

[diamondstar]

Quick question..I am thinking of switching my workout to this:


Monday
Squat - 3 sets of 5
Bench Press - 3 sets of 5
Deadlifts - 1 set of 5
Pull-Ups - 3 sets of 8-15

Wednesday
Squat - 3 sets of 5
Overhead Press - 3 sets of 5
Power Cleans - 5 sets of 3
Abdominal work

Friday
Squat - 3 sets of 5
Bench Press - 3 sets of 5
Deadlift - 1 set of 5
Bent Over Rows - 3 set of 5
Arm work, if desired

Question I have is with the bench press. Am I only doing standard bench press for months? Is there no real need for incline or decline press?

I have been starting to take working out seriously for about a month and while I am currenly satisfied with my current routine because I am seeing gains every week, I think I want to simplify it and stop "shooting from the hip" with my exercise choices. My focus right now is strength and technique.

Current split:
Biceps/back
Shoulders/legs
Chest/Trcicep

I usually do that 3-4 days a week, cardio one days and rest the others.

 

[Diatribe1974]

Leg day today!

No matter how much I stretch out pre-workout (and during), I'm always screwed the next day in post-workout soreness. I figure I'll feel like I was beaten by an ogre tomorrow or so.

Man...been learning so much the last 2 months. Been finding ways to improve/tweak how I do things (and started taking supplements) and am just now starting to see some minor physical improvements via both building muscle and losing weight. The real (noticeable) gains have been in the strength department.

 

[demon]

Ok so I kinda dun fucked up today on my SL workout.....for some reason I thought I was supposed to move up to 160 on my bent-over rows when it should have been 155, and I got 5,5,4,4,3. I should probably just forget that happened next monday and go back down to 155...

Almost got 150 on my BP, second attempt, but the last rep was extremely half-assed. I think I should be able to get it next time. Kinda disappointed there.

 

[Veezy]

Quick question..I am thinking of switching my workout to this:


Monday
Squat - 3 sets of 5
Bench Press - 3 sets of 5
Deadlifts - 1 set of 5
Pull-Ups - 3 sets of 8-15

Wednesday
Squat - 3 sets of 5
Overhead Press - 3 sets of 5
Power Cleans - 5 sets of 3
Abdominal work

Friday
Squat - 3 sets of 5
Bench Press - 3 sets of 5
Deadlift - 1 set of 5
Bent Over Rows - 3 set of 5
Arm work, if desired

Question I have is with the bench press. Am I only doing standard bench press for months? Is there no real need for incline or decline press?

I have been starting to take working out seriously for about a month and while I am currenly satisfied with my current routine because I am seeing gains every week, I think I want to simplify it and stop "shooting from the hip" with my exercise choices. My focus right now is strength and technique.

Current split:
Biceps/back
Shoulders/legs
Chest/Trcicep

I usually do that 3-4 days a week, cardio one days and rest the others.

So long as you're recovering pretty safely from deadlifting twice a week, it looks good. I'd swap the bent over rows for one arm dumbbell rows (easier on the back, easier to keep proper form with, helps with individual arm weakness) and alternate the pull ups with neutral grip and chin ups.

As for your question about the bench, yes you'll just do flat bench. Since you're doing OHPs, you're going to get better shoulder development than you would with an incline press. Eventually, you'll probably reach a point where you'll cut back to squatting twice a week and deadlifting once a week. When that happens, should your wish, you can add some assistance exercises to the mix to kinda fill in the gaps (something like GSLP).

On your endurance day, make sure you're doing short and intense sessions. Like a brutal ten minutes session. Long slow distance running doesn't assist in muscle gains while a barbell complex will assist in strength, endurance, and hypertrophy while making you exhausted.

 

[Brolic Gaoler]

Some enlightenment written by Dave Tate.

The Secret to Increasing Strength & Conditioning

http://articles.elitefts.com/traini...increasing-strength-conditioning-rachel-edit/

 

[demon]

Some enlightenment written by Dave Tate.

The Secret to Increasing Strength & Conditioning

http://articles.elitefts.com/traini...increasing-strength-conditioning-rachel-edit/

No offense to the author but I still have no idea what the fuck 'work capacity' even is. Your "ability to perform work"? Eh?

 

[Brolic Gaoler]

No offense to the author but I still have no idea what the fuck 'work capacity' even is. Your "ability to perform work"? Eh?

It's the ability to do more work and have it not adversely effect your body.

It's something you have to work up to, otherwise you risk overworking your body. It's also something you have to consider as you train if you want to progress. As you get "bigger/stronger" etc, you're going to increase work load.

 

[Timedog]

Like I said, I have small feet for my height. In order for me to have the bar do a straight line it needs to put a lot of pressure on my shins. I have been using bad form by keeping the bar super close but not touching the shins, but the weight is more over my toes than I should be doing this. While I haven't hurt anything or feel any pain, I can tell the leverage is bad and I could do more weight if it touched my shins.

Think I might try these though: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003IZ8HW2/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[balddemon]

Depending if you're going high or low bar, there's going to be a point at the bottom where you feel the tension in your abductors and hamstrings. That's how I can tell "the bottom." I don't think developing a dependency on the mirror is very good for anyone's form since you never learn to "feel the bottom."

lol so i did light squats today for the start of my deload (280lbs), and i made sure i went just below parallel. boy that makes a difference. it felt like my hips, i don't know, "engaged" or something. i'm going to have sore legs tomorrow lol