Cmon man. Saying incline and decline benches are not important is rubbish. Of course you can push a lot of weight on normal benches if thats all you do.
Incline decline are great for developing upper and lower chest.
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Fitness |OT4| Squat Booty, Summer Cuts, and Super Swoletrophy
- Thread starter Mr.City
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Incline decline are great for developing upper and lower chest.
How many reps can you do unassisted? When I was a fat kid, I couldn't do any pull ups. The gym I went to was all about arther jones style hit workouts. They had me do negative chins when I couldn't do any more normal chins. I would use a step stool to get to the top of the bar and lower myself down for 10 seconds. Eventually I added weight to it and was able to do tons of unassisted chins
If I start with it, I can do 6-7 unassisted. If I do other shit before, I can only do 3-4. That's for wide grip, for reverse grip I can do more.
Brolic Gaoler
formerly Alienshogun
Jaladinozozo
Banned
Certain types of weight lifting certainly do destroy speed and mobility. Heavy barbell bench press for hypertrophy, bicep curls, isolation lifting (tris, shoulders), all make me, in my own personal experience, slower and kills my cardio. Having a big chest and being able to bench insane numbers does nothing for your boxing and completely destroys your shoulder mobility. Bench press power also has no real life performance conversion to anything you could possibly do, especially from a standing position. That power all comes from mainly core and legs.
Also want to incorporate power cleans into my routine. Is it safe to do power cleans with dumbbells?
Brolic Gaoler
formerly Alienshogun
No problem, the reason for this is that when you're assisted from your feet you're basically a stable platform anyway. Do like Nerdy said too. When you finish, hang there as long as you can. It will help.
About a year ago I could barely do pullups/chins. Now I can do 200 in a day, and regularly do 100+ other shit on the days I plan them.
Should I start with them then? I also do bent over rows, pulldowns, and romanian deadlifts.
Brolic Gaoler
formerly Alienshogun
I would personally start with pullups wherever you decide to put them.
Brolic Gaoler
formerly Alienshogun
Let us know about your progress!
MrToughPants
Brian Burke punched my mom
Always start with compounds.
Rows are your back compound with free weights if you're not doing deadlifts.
RDLs are not a back exercise, the erectors act as stabilizers, hams and glutes should be doing the work.
Brolic Gaoler
formerly Alienshogun
Hmm, are you sure pullups aren't a compound exercise? I'm pretty sure they are.
Also, I think he should do them first or he might find himself not able to do them later.
Personally I do them on bench/press days anyway so I don't have that conflict.
Will do! It feels like it's going to take months and months before any real gains, but even small gains are a great feeling.
Thanks for the tip on the RDL. I do deadlifts, but I do them on my leg day.
This is exactly what's been happening.
Jaladinozozo
Banned
I do pullups, chinups, bent over rows, deadlifts, and bodyweight ring rows in 1 session and I find that it is easier (easier as in getting more reps on both) to do the pulls and chins first and doing the weights after than vice versa.
I agree totally about pull ups being a compound exercise. Forearm, bicep, lat, trap, and shoulder get worked.
Alright, got it. I'll stick with the main routine strictly and work on my form then.
Thanks for the advice!
Will do!
With the talk of chin-ups and pull-ups, I'm currently doing mine on machines too.
I guess I'll switch to unassisted then.
Well he's just starting out. He's only been working out for two weeks. I think he shouldn't worry about bench press variations for a long time, if ever. His main worry should be getting his regular bench press up and not having to worry about some movement variations which are in no way important to him at this point (if ever).
Brolic Gaoler
formerly Alienshogun
Right, and there's no need to do decline at all. There have been plenty of articles on it. As for incline, as I said I do it from time to time, but it's far from "important" hell no specific assistance is "important" since most of the time you will be swapping your assistance work out regularly.
I have a question about weight loss trend. For about 3 or 4 months now I've been Lifting / running and dieting. I've been following a low carb diet, and eating at a caloric deficit (about 250-300 calories under) My weight loss has been noticable, I've gone from 193lbs to 179 lbs with a noticeable decrease in fat, and increase in muscle mass / amount of weight lifted. However my weight loss has followed a trend in which I would lose maybe 3 or 4 lbs very quickly like in a couple weeks, followed by a couple weeks of plateauing, then another 2 weeks of 3 or 4 lbs lost and so on. My weight went from 193 to 189, sat there, then to 186, sat there, then 184ish, and then to 179, and now I feel I'm stuck again.
I am not discouraged, I'm just continuing what I have been doing, but I am curious if this is the normal pattern of weight loss usually, or if I may be doing something wrong, or if there is something I can do to improve weight loss.
I am not discouraged, I'm just continuing what I have been doing, but I am curious if this is the normal pattern of weight loss usually, or if I may be doing something wrong, or if there is something I can do to improve weight loss.
MrToughPants
Brian Burke punched my mom
Pendlay rows will hit your entire back without other muscle groups assisting in the lift unlike pull-ups, which is why they're so easy. IMO rows should take priority over pull-ups in a back routine. You will get a rounded back from fatigue or have to use less weight, that would make pendlay rows pointless. I never had a problem doing pull-ups at the end of a workout to exhaust the lats on back day and if I did my back wasn't at a disadvantage for the lift from prior exercises.
Brolic Gaoler
formerly Alienshogun
The issue here though is that he can't do pullups, and he's wanting to do more. I understand your point, but I was addressing his concern.
I think once he gets up the ability to do pullups more easily he might change up his priorities.
Personally I do pullups (60 of them) about 30-45 minutes before I hit the gym, the super set the remaining 40 with my bench/press. After that I do my remaining rows. Then I do my other assistance work. I don't have a "back day" per se.
Are you on a BB routine? I'm just curious since you're posting more again. There's a lot of guys in this thread that could use your input since you've been doing this a while.
After deadlifts, I think pull ups trump all other back exercises. I've been sticking to deads, pullups, and one arm rows and have gotten great results. Mind you, that I'm 36 so the gains don't come as quickly as they used to but I can dead 405x5 easily now and do 20 chins at a time just by working on those three lifts. My one arm row I've been doing for high reps since I have a home gym and use Olympic adjustable dumbbells with a max of 105 on the bar possible
MrToughPants
Brian Burke punched my mom
Oops didn't notice the first part about that poster...though I guess like you've said you can always do them on separate days or at different times so you're not wrecked by the time you do different exercises rows/pullups.
I don't have access to anything for proper pull-ups right now, but was thinking of getting a power rack soon for safety and practical reasons. Almost killed myself benching a few times in the last four years since I roll the bar on the pegs and having anything over 1lbs falling on your neck is not good, the guards fall short 6 inches on my rack.
Right now I'm getting back into after it minimal lifting and bad diet for about a month. No specific routine compounds with some isos, I squatted 3 times this week and twice last week so I'd like to remain consistent from here on out. Up to 198lbs from 192 last week, bodyfat visibly lower but weight gain is mostly hydration.
BlueScrote
Member
Had a fantastic day at the gym after such a crappy prior workout. Finally going up again in Press and making progress in chinup endurance.
I am astounded at how much a difference keeping extremely tight has on the last couple of Press reps.
I am astounded at how much a difference keeping extremely tight has on the last couple of Press reps.
I might have missed that, heh. Much obliged.
chrisisawesome
Member
Thats awesome!
As for getting "stuck", if you think about it, as you become lighter, the 5 (for example) pounds that seemed to just "melt off" when you were 279 now represent a much greater percentage of your weight at 179lbs. Keep at it, in my experience, its really all about what you are eating at this point. Just keep the calories low.
Brolic Gaoler
formerly Alienshogun
Good to hear, are you intentionally avoiding gyms or are you in a place where they just aren't viable?
Regardless of your routine, you've been doing this longer than most people here, so your input/participation is great anyway.
I hope you remain injury free this go around, that shit sucks.
Did MJ just do a drive by?
Get used to it. I can't wait till this shit is done. A whole week of vacation with a grandma who is carb happy is gonna have my strength back in full force after this cut. Sucks I still have to wait a little over 3 weeks for that though.
I've been doing a zero equipment workout routine from Al Kavadlo's website for a week now. Any input on whether this is a good routine?
I took the beginner routine and made some adjustments to fit my own capabilities since some of them were too easy:
Jumping jacks – 50
Squats – 10 (arms stretched out in front of me, holding a 3,5kg dumbbell)
Push-ups – 10 or to failure
Stationary lunges – 20 each leg
Front plank – hold for 30 seconds
Side plank – hold for 30 seconds each side
I go through the cycle three times (takes half an hour). I do this three times a week.
Am I doing this right or should I make any changes?
I took the beginner routine and made some adjustments to fit my own capabilities since some of them were too easy:
Jumping jacks – 50
Squats – 10 (arms stretched out in front of me, holding a 3,5kg dumbbell)
Push-ups – 10 or to failure
Stationary lunges – 20 each leg
Front plank – hold for 30 seconds
Side plank – hold for 30 seconds each side
I go through the cycle three times (takes half an hour). I do this three times a week.
Am I doing this right or should I make any changes?
Where is the plan for progression?
Etrian Oddity
Member
fuckfuckfuckfuck
Chafing is a bitch. Never wearing boxers for cardio again
FFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
Chafing is a bitch. Never wearing boxers for cardio again
FFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
What are my options? I was thinking of something like this:
Jumping jacks: increase amount
Squats: increase dumbbell weight -> jump squats -> pistol squats
Stationary lunges -> jumping lunges
Pushups: increase amount of reps -> plyo push-ups -> one arm push-ups
Front and side planks: hold for a longer amount of time -> plank with one leg
And of course I will find other more challenging workouts I could add in. I'll be adding dips and pull-ups for sure.
Either way I only aim to gain a little mass and strength, I don't want to get ripped. With that goal in mind, is this routine okay?
I'm an expert
Formerly worldrevolution. The only reason I am nice to anyone else is to avoid being banned.
Haha..this happens randomly to me like once every hundred work outs. But when it does..ugh.
You're not going to get ripped, so you don't have to worry about that.
spandex.
A
A More Normal Bird
Unconfirmed Member
It could just be the way you're phrasing things but it seems like you have a few misguided ideas about training. Weightlifting does not = endless bench and curls for the pump, but I think you know this. I'd suggest reading some of the stickies in this forum if you're looking for information about training with a focus towards combat sports. It seems quite common that people in your situation conflate strength training with conditioning and sometimes agility/balance training, leading to the creation of somewhat bizarre routines. Needless to say, proper strength training will not make you slow, bulky and inflexible.
If you're limited to just dumbbells you won't have a lot of choice in terms of power movements. Dumbbell power cleans are a bad idea and ineffective regardless (google for why). One arm snatches are better, but you need to pay attention to your form and have healthy shoulders to begin with. A2G goblet squats would probably be best for leg strength if you have enough weight. Just some thoughts. EDIT: Forgot to mention that olympic style movements should only be done on olympic equipment, ie revolving sleeves, thick handles. Using a regular dumbbell will probably cause issues.
By the by, almost every training thread/forum on the internet will have accusations of elitism and bad attitudes thrown its way if the members are knowledgeable approach the topic with an inquiring/scientific mind. If someone is asking why you're doing something, what your progression plan is or outright telling you they don't think much of your routine, it's because they're taking the quickest and most direct route to a helping you make a more effective plan, not because they want to trash you.
Brolic Gaoler
formerly Alienshogun
Man, this cut is almost going too well (aside from being hungry as fuck at night).
I'm down to 226 with still 3 full weeks to go not including this week.
I'm already a pound from my initial goal and down 20 lbs from my heaviest/strongest (246).
I'm down to 226 with still 3 full weeks to go not including this week.
I'm already a pound from my initial goal and down 20 lbs from my heaviest/strongest (246).
Darren870
Member
So you have details of the cut you are doing? Did you post it? maybe I missed it.
Id like to read up on it.
Thanks!
-D
Brolic Gaoler
formerly Alienshogun
Nothing complicated, running at a hard calorie deficit and monitoring my macros/calorie intake like a hawk. Low carb high protein etc.
Brolic Gaoler
formerly Alienshogun
If that's all you can do it's better than nothing.
Some of my lifts are plateauing quite hard and progress has been extremely slow with press movements of late. Might be time to start considering 5/3/1 again.
I'm just not sure what to do with accessory movements. I'm planning on doing BBB with bench press and deadlift. Was going to go BBB with the press also but I decided I want to do dips instead. With squats I'm trying to avoid too much extra hypertrophy work since my thighs are already quite big especially when compared to my shoulders and chest. I believe they will grow enough as is with the main strength work and I don't really need any hypertrophy for them.
Press 5/3/1
Dips 5x15
Chins 5x10
Deadlift 5/3/1
Deadlift 5x10
Leg Raise 5x15
Bench 5/3/1
Bench 5x10
Dumbbell Row 5x10
Squat 5/3/1
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Romanian deadlift 5x12 (?)
So I want to get this thing figured out before it's time to switch. What should I do in regards to assistance lifts for squats? I was thinking of doing RDL but I also need another assistance lift for the day. Should I just do leg raises?
I'm just not sure what to do with accessory movements. I'm planning on doing BBB with bench press and deadlift. Was going to go BBB with the press also but I decided I want to do dips instead. With squats I'm trying to avoid too much extra hypertrophy work since my thighs are already quite big especially when compared to my shoulders and chest. I believe they will grow enough as is with the main strength work and I don't really need any hypertrophy for them.
Press 5/3/1
Dips 5x15
Chins 5x10
Deadlift 5/3/1
Deadlift 5x10
Leg Raise 5x15
Bench 5/3/1
Bench 5x10
Dumbbell Row 5x10
Squat 5/3/1
- (?)
Romanian deadlift 5x12 (?)
So I want to get this thing figured out before it's time to switch. What should I do in regards to assistance lifts for squats? I was thinking of doing RDL but I also need another assistance lift for the day. Should I just do leg raises?
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