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[Noema]

I've stalled at my bodyweight. I guess deloading is the only option here?

How many times have you stalled?

For SS the rule is: you have three sessions to do your 3x5 with that weight. If you fail to do your 3x5 after 3 sessions you deload 10% and work yourself back up.

If after 3 deloads on a lift you stall again then you move to an intermediate program like Texas Method or 5/3/1.

 

[Petrie]

Any one here do any cardio/walking with a weighted vest?

Bought me a 60 lb one and been using it some this summer. So far I'm really digging it. Prefer it to jogging by a pretty great deal. Did between 5 and 6 miles today over about 2 hours. Any one have an idea on how many estimated calories that would burn?

Talk to Shugun, he's been using one for awhile now.

 

[Deleted member 12837]

Buy the Kindle version from amazon, it's an actual ebook and it works great.

EDIT: I replied a second too late

Haha no worries, I should've searched first anyway. I was only looking at his website, which doesn't give additional info about the ebook format.

I'm assuming grab the 2nd edition though? He must've just retroactively put the other one up at a later date, I'm guessing.

 

[Cudder]

Think I'm gonna go out and buy a foam roller today. Anything I should keep in mind when I look for one?

 

[duxstar]

Incoming progress pictures on Monday after a month of SS, along with pictures along the way ....... feel like I'm making progress, wondering if I should start throwing cardio in along with it to speed up the weight loss thing.

 

[SeanR1221]

Think I'm gonna go out and buy a foam roller today. Anything I should keep in mind when I look for one?

Make sure of two things.

1.) it's foam.

2.) it's rolly.

 

[Zoe]

Might want to consider portability. If I knew I always wanted mine at the gym, I would have gotten one short enough to fit easily in my bag.

 

[Cudder]

Hmm, yeah. Don't think I'm gonna take mine to the gym, I just want it to be part of my every day wake up routine, (as well as some pulls ups, push ups, and ab wheel.

I remember hearing people talk about how different diamaters (how skiny or fat they are) matter in some way. I'm going to Wal Mart so I'll see what they have lol.

 

[SeanR1221]

I had two. Emphasis on had. I donated one to my gym so I could use it there and someone stole it.

 

[SquiddyCracker]

Saw a dude foam rolling at the gym.
I keep meaning do some some foaming and rolling, but I always end up forgetting about it.

What are the benefits now again?

 

[EviLore]

Saw a dude foam rolling at the gym.
I keep meaning do some some foaming and rolling, but I always end up forgetting about it.

What are the benefits now again?

It's a self-administered massage.

 

[thomaser]

Saw a dude foam rolling at the gym.
I keep meaning do some some foaming and rolling, but I always end up forgetting about it.

What are the benefits now again?

It's like getting a deep tissue massage, or like beating up a piece of stringy meat to make it tender. If your muscles hurt when training or going about your day, it might be because they're contracted. In other words, they are not relaxed when they should be. Proper foam rolling will relax them, and this will be beneficial to both the muscle and the joints attached to it.

 

[SquiddyCracker]

Oh, that sounds alright.
I don't really think I need it as I stretch vigorously and very rarely get stiff muscles, but it can't hurt to add this to the routine.

 

[sphinx]

I am ecstatic at how I have improved on my unassisted Pull-ups...

I posted this on page 76 (x50) of this thread on April 10, 2013

so I've reached a plateau with the pull-ups.

I am stuck with the following:

A) 4 sets of 5 reps

or...

B) Pyramid form (1, 1-2, 1-2-3, etc..) starting from 1 up to 6 reps and back to 1 rep

in A), doing 4 sets with 6 reps seems impossible... and in B) I definitely can't go up to 7, which would mean adding 7 more reps to the whole exercise, no way.

is there any way to improve on this move?? maybe go back to doing them assisted and do more reps?

any suggestion regarding how I should approach this exercise in order to keep getting stronger and be able to do more?

today I increased the pyramid to a highest set of 9 reps, for a total of 81 pull-ups and with good form. it blows my mind to read that post from april and see how much it's possible in 3.5 months.

I have been taking a mixed approach for this exercise. On one session, I'd go for the pyramid and the next time I alternate doing the same final total amount of reps but divided in sets with the same reps.

So if for example, the longest set in my last pyramid was 8 (meaning I did a total of 64 reps) then next time I have to do as many sets to reach that quantity but the goal here is that is has to feel easy, so I do a total of 13 sets of 5 reps each for a total of 65.

throughout the month, I'd do 2 or 3 times the same pyramid, depending on how I feel, last 3 weeks was 8 for example. In alternating days, I'd add one more rep to the middle 5 sets so that it looks like this: 5-5-5-5-6-6-6-6-6-5-5-5-5, then the next time 5-5-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-5-5 until every set has 6 reps.

6x13=78, near 81, which means I should try 9 on the pyramid next time.

and that was today. it adds 17 reps including a whopping 9 rep set that I had never done before.

My goal is to have such strength doing that move, that I feel like flying up and down doing 4 sets of 13-15 reps each, each and every repetition as easy as the first one. Then and only then, I'll add weight. Adding weight now seems a bit pointless to me now, I'd do what, 3, 4 reps? fuck that. I am too weak for weighted pullups, better get stronger.
.
and the nice thing is that it's all based on suggestions by two fitgaffers I respect a lot: Shogun and MrOogieBoggie. Whoever said this thread doesn't help is out of their minds

(sorry for the complicated explanation but I really recommend taking this approach! it has helped me a lot!)

 

[Petrie]

I need to put pullups somewhere else. I do them on back day after deadlifts and by then my CNS and grip are both toasted. I feel like I should be able to do more and was easily able to on my deload week when I skipped by big 4 compounds.

 

[sphinx]

I need to put pullups somewhere else. I do them on back day after deadlifts and by then my CNS and grip are both toasted. I feel like I should be able to do more and was easily able to on my deload week when I skipped by big 4 compounds.

oh, yes! :O I forgot to mention this!!

People, do not attempt this or any other significant pullup workout the same day as Deadlifts. By the time you reach the 2nd exercise, your grip is already toasted! exactly like Petrie says,

on back days, it's either/or sadly. I don't know if guys wearing gloves or using chalk have a better time putting both exercises together in the same session.

 

[RurouniZel]

Day 2: I'm trying to push myself to at least 60 minutes a day on the elliptical, I couldn't find a box for box squats and the gym closes early on Sunday, so I'll ask next time.

 

[Noema]

I need to put pullups somewhere else. I do them on back day after deadlifts and by then my CNS and grip are both toasted. I feel like I should be able to do more and was easily able to on my deload week when I skipped by big 4 compounds.

I do them on OHP day. Seems to work ok.

The only thing I dislike about doing chinups / pullups is that it takes forever. I'm up to 5 sets of 13 and I need like 6-7 minutes of rest for the last couple of sets and even then it's super hard.

In other news, here's a way to get out of the hole if you think you are going to fail on the squat!

Spoiler

Do not actually do this.

 

[Petrie]

oh, yes! :O I forgot to mention this!!

People, do not attempt this or any other significant pullup workout the same day as Deadlifts. By the time you reach the 2nd exercise, your grip is already toasted! exactly like Petrie says,

on back days, it's either/or sadly. I don't know if guys wearing gloves or using chalk have a better time putting both exercises together in the same session.

I do them on OHP day. Seems to work ok.

The only thing I dislike about doing chinups / pullups is that it takes forever. I'm up to 5 sets of 13 and I need like 6-7 minutes of rest for the last couple of sets and even then it's super hard.

In other news, here's a way to get out of the hole if you think you are going to fail on the squat!

Spoiler

Do not actually do this.

I can't wait to get back to having my own place and having my bar available for regular use. I'd rather just do them regularly that way throughout my days then try to do them after one of my big lifts, though OHP day does seem like it'd be the easiest, even if not ideal.

 

[SquiddyCracker]

Yeah, I do my pull-ups on OHP day (Mondays), as I don't really have anything that tire out my grip that day.

 

[sphinx]

Spoiler

Do not actually do this.

Noema, one day you are going to kill me with one of those gifs.

they are like the worst 5 second long horror movies in the history of mankind.

 

[velociraptor]

Spoiler

Do not actually do this.

holy shit.

 

[Deleted member 47027]

Pullups and rows absolutely abuse my elbows. Maybe some kind of form issue? I'm doing it heavy but man, the elbows themselves...really hurt. Not like a sharp pain, just feel battered.

 

[SquiddyCracker]

Pullups and rows absolutely abuse my elbows. Maybe some kind of form issue? I'm doing it heavy but man, the elbows themselves...really hurt. Not like a sharp pain, just feel battered.

Couldn't you do partial pull-ups?
E.g. just the back portion of the pull, not using your arms to hoist yourself up at all.

 

[Imm0rt4l]

I do them on OHP day. Seems to work ok.

The only thing I dislike about doing chinups / pullups is that it takes forever. I'm up to 5 sets of 13 and I need like 6-7 minutes of rest for the last couple of sets and even then it's super hard.

In other news, here's a way to get out of the hole if you think you are going to fail on the squat!

http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view/249705/squat-semi-fail-o.gif[IMG]

[SPOILER]Do not actually do this. [/SPOILER][/QUOTE]

Jesus @ that center of gravity

 

[Noema]

It's not as heavy as it looks though. I thought it was 405lb when I first saw the GIF.

Upon closer inspection, at least 4 of the plates appear to be 5kg Bumpers, and two other are probably 10kg. And the other 2 are probably 20kg. So we are talking about 100kg at most, maybe less.

 

[Imm0rt4l]

It's not as heavy as it looks though. I thought it was 405lb when I first saw the GIF.

Upon closer inspection, at least 4 of the plates appear to be 5kg Bumpers, and two other are probably 10kg. And the other 2 are probably 20kg. So we are talking about 100kg at most, maybe less.

Figures, that would explain why he doesn't fall forward

 

[Deleted member 8095]

Alright, my weight loss journey starts tomorrow. I'm going to do my best to stick to the slow carb diet with 1 cheat day a week as outlined by the diet. I'm going to do cardio every day except my cheat day which I will do no exercise. Half hour on lifting days and an hour on non-lifting days. The weight program I found is a full body 3 day dumbbell workout. I'm excited to get started and will hopefully provide weekly updates to this thread as I feel like it will keep me motivated to document my results.

Start Date Date: 7/29/13
Goal End Date: 1/29/14
Today's Date: 7/28/13
Height: 6'2
Start Weight: 268.2 lbs(fuck) I was at 205 in 2008... what have I done to myself?
Lost to date: n/a
Goal Weight: 200 lbs

 

[BlueScrote]

I had two. Emphasis on had. I donated one to my gym so I could use it there and someone stole it.

Wow that sucks, what a dick.


Finally hit 3x5 250 on squats. I definitely think adding back extensions and hanging leg raises as accessory work helped with stabilizing the bar and not leaning forward when squatting heavy.

 

[Bread]

I've read that foam rolling can help with back issues and also posture, anyone have any experience with this?

 

[BlueScrote]

I've read that foam rolling can help with back issues and also posture, anyone have any experience with this?

I don't want to sound too evangelical but I was skeptical of foam rolling before I tried it, but after doing it once I was sold on its benefits. It feels fantastic on muscles (and as a result most back pain). Can't comment on posture really though.

 

[Deleted member 47027]

Alright, my weight loss journey starts tomorrow. I'm going to do my best to stick to the slow carb diet with 1 cheat day a week as outlined by the diet. I'm going to do cardio every day except my cheat day which I will do no exercise. Half hour on lifting days and an hour on non-lifting days. The weight program I found is a full body 3 day dumbbell workout. I'm excited to get started and will hopefully provide weekly updates to this thread as I feel like it will keep me motivated to document my results.

Start Date Date: 7/29/13
Goal End Date: 1/29/14
Today's Date: 7/28/13
Height: 6'2
Start Weight: 268.2 lbs(fuck) I was at 205 in 2008... what have I done to myself?
Lost to date: n/a
Goal Weight: 200 lbs

Dope, and welcome! If you end up having some trouble staying on the path I'd cut back on the weight training - since you're working to lose weight, I'd keep the cardio and cut the strength training first if your willpower starts to lag. Best of luck! Diet is king!

 

[fredrancour]

I've read that foam rolling can help with back issues and also posture, anyone have any experience with this?

I have a spot under one shoulder blade that gets horribly tight sometimes and rolling it does wonders, but for improved posture its the strength exercises that help me more than anything. Deadlifts especially, but also cleans and face pulls. Gosh Ithink face pulls are my favorite assistance lift, they make my upper back feel amazing

 

[thomaser]

I've read that foam rolling can help with back issues and also posture, anyone have any experience with this?

Well, bad posture can be caused by contracted (shortened) muscles that pull on joints and other muscles (causing them to be contracted, which in turn pulls on other joints and so on, until everything is out of whack). Foam rolling those contracted muscles can definitely help loosening up that whole chain, making things "fall into place" again.

Back pain can also be alleviated by foam rolling, depending of course on what the underlying cause is. If the pain is caused by a misaligned pelvic area, foam rolling f.ex. the quads, glutes and hip flexors might help.

I've had great results with foam rolling since I got my roller early last year. It has especially helped me with my squats, letting me go deep without getting pain in my hips like before. I've also had very good results with my neck and shoulders (but I use rubber balls for that, not a foam roller). But those muscles get knotted again right away, so I have to keep "rolling" them regularly to keep the area pain free.

 

[cuevas. PhD.]

Today i attended the Stronglifts seminar in Chicago. It was probably the best thing ive done since i started the program back in the winter of 2011. Having one on one coaching and seeing a bunch of 400lb+ squatters (1 600lb squtter) and people with the same mindset was great. Even the beginners there were valuable just to see how far ive come and remind me of the small things.

I only got a handful of corrections but they will definitely help me move forward.

 

[HisshouBuraiKen]

You know those curlbro pics where the dudes have huge ripped upper bodies and twigs for legs/calves and you say," That must be shopped?" I saw two of those guys at the gym today.

These guys literally did 20+ sets of nothing but biceps (mercifully only 6 or 7 were done in the squat rack) and their lower bodies looked almost untrained.

In related news, the day before I had just finished up and handed the rack over to a young man who inquired how many sets I had left. He proceeded to do bicep curls with the UNLOADED BAR, alternated with push-ups. In the rack. It was IRL BroScienceLife, minus the gains.

 

[A More Normal Bird]

Oh, that sounds alright.
I don't really think I need it as I stretch vigorously and very rarely get stiff muscles, but it can't hurt to add this to the routine.

You may be surprised. Foam rolling and stretching aren't exactly doing the same thing. I've had muscles that had healthy mobility still cause me to burst into tears when I roll them (slight exaggeration).

Also people, make sure to get a tennis ball to go with your foam roller, as it can get into the spots that a roller can't and is also a lot more targeted. I'd also strongly recommend going to the hardcore end of the spectrum and using something like a rumble roller or pvc pipe over the foam roller and a lacrosse ball as well as a tennis ball, though odds are it will feel like torture the first 800 or so times you do it. Or just be like Klokov and use dip bars and a barbell.

 

[haunted_taco]

Haven't been asked about my bench for a long time but it's kind of annoying that people usually assume that your life centers around going to the gym if you have a bit more muscle. A while ago I was on a business dinner with some foreign colleagues and even though I was wearing a business shirt one guy asked me if I was going to attend "some bodybuilding camp" on my summer holiday when we talked about our holiday plans. Earlier this week one colleague also asked if I was going to work out twice a day once my holiday begins... One dude also sometimes starts walking with imaginary lats if he's walking towards me in a hallway....

wow they sound like obnoxious haters.

 

[Bread]

interesting, i will be purchasing a foam roller soon based on all of your reviews.

 

[Stellactic]

Could any of you fine people throw me a good olympic bench/squat station? What do you guys use for home squat and bench? I need something that has a squat rack separate that lowers and can be used for bench press.

 

[FallingEdge]

Dear Deadlifts,

Why are you so good? I love you.

- FallingEdge

 

[Fallen_Hero]

Could any of you fine people throw me a good olympic bench/squat station? What do you guys use for home squat and bench? I need something that has a squat rack separate that lowers and can be used for bench press.

I just picked this up recently; someone else has it in this thread as well.

PowerLine PPR200X Power Rack

Assembling it is fairly easy and I have had no problems with it so far.

 

[ToxicAdam]

Saw a dude in my gym doing sets of power cleans with what I do for max bench (255).

/feltpuny

 

[SquiddyCracker]

4 weeks on cut, and I've not really dropped a significant % of BF, and actually gained weight.
I might have overestimated by BMR or TDEE or whatever, but it looks like I'll need to start over.

So I'm going to give 4 weeks of keto a go, even though I know it will be an absolute pain in the ass (Unless you guys tell me it's a bad idea, which you should, please):
http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/

Inputted the following:
79kg male at 179cm, 24 years old and 20% BF.
Selected the lightly active option, as I on my cut up until now had been going with the moderately active activity level to not avail. What I actually do is 4xlifting sessions a week, as well as 2-3x light cardio sessions.

That gives me a TDEE of 2467kcal.
Went ahead with the 25g daily amount of net carbs, perhaps I should go lower?

I am lost as to how much protein I might possibly need, as I realize I've been going quite high up until now (170-200g daily), which might have been the reason my cut was unsuccessful (as excess protein was converted to glucose, and suppressed fat burning, perhaps?), so I went with a moderate amount of 132g - 2.1g/kg, or 0.95g/lbs.

Picked the moderate calorie deficit of 20%, which gave me the following guideline:

If you stick to 25g of carbs, 132g protein, and 149g fat, you will eat 1973kcal and lose 1.9kg (4.1lbs) in a month. Keep in mind that your body weight can fluctuate by ±2kg (±4lbs) on any given day from water weight and what's in your stomach. Recalculate your macro ratio once a month, because changes in body composition have a large influence on the recommendations and weight loss.

 

[despire]

4 weeks on cut, and I've not really dropped a significant % of BF, and actually gained weight.
I might have overestimated by BMR or TDEE or whatever, but it looks like I'll need to start over.

So I'm going to give 4 weeks of keto a go, even though I know it will be an absolute pain in the ass (Unless you guys tell me it's a bad idea, which you should, please):
http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/

Inputted the following:
79kg male at 179cm, 24 years old and 20% BF.
Selected the lightly active option, as I on my cut up until now had been going with the moderately active activity level to not avail. What I actually do is 4xlifting sessions a week, as well as 2-3x light cardio sessions.

That gives me a TDEE of 2467kcal.
Went ahead with the 25g daily amount of net carbs, perhaps I should go lower?

I am lost as to how much protein I might possibly need, as I realize I've been going quite high up until now (170-200g daily), which might have been the reason my cut was unsuccessful (as excess protein was converted to glucose, and suppressed fat burning, perhaps?), so I went with a moderate amount of 132g - 2.1g/kg, or 0.95g/lbs.

Picked the moderate calorie deficit of 20%, which gave me the following guideline:

I'm interested in this as well since I might do CKD at some point in my cut if needed. Got similar numbers from that calculator few weeks ago but I'm not sure about the amount of protein.

Anyway it's almost been a week on Lyle's RFLD and it's going smoothly. Already down one notch (the last one) in my weight lifting belt and I need to take it to a leatherworker to get some more holes drilled to it. Been eating around 1150kcal a day and lifted yesterday with not strength loss (I think, I got less reps on bench but I upped the weight so dunno..). Also had my first refeed yesterday, with ~415g of carbs of top of my usual foods. So a bunch of rice and 6 pretzels of 26g carbs each

 

[twofold]

Inputted the following:
79kg male at 179cm, 24 years old and 20% BF.
Selected the lightly active option, as I on my cut up until now had been going with the moderately active activity level to not avail. What I actually do is 4xlifting sessions a week, as well as 2-3x light cardio sessions.

This is probably where you went wrong. Most people overestimate their activity, which leads to them using an incorrect TDEE. I, personally, was having shitty results on my cut until I went from lightly active -> sedentary. I currently lift 3 times a week and do 3 sessions of fasted walking for 30 minutes.

Drop your activity level to sedentary and monitor your weight for a few weeks. If you're dropping weight at a rate of 1lb/0.5kg a week, then you've found your sweet spot. If you're losing more than that, then start eating more. If you're losing less than that, well, go see a doctor since something isn't right.

 

[(._.)]

I just picked this up recently; someone else has it in this thread as well.

PowerLine PPR200X Power Rack

Assembling it is fairly easy and I have had no problems with it so far.

anything like this that's cheaper? like $200 max?

 

[SquiddyCracker]

This is probably where you went wrong. Most people overestimate their activity, which leads to them using an incorrect TDEE. I, personally, was having shitty results on my cut until I went from lightly active -> sedentary. I currently lift 3 times a week and do 3 sessions of fasted walking for 30 minutes.

Drop your activity level to sedentary and monitor your weight for a few weeks. If you're dropping weight at a rate of 1lb/0.5kg a week, then you've found your sweet spot. If you're losing more than that, then start eating more. If you're losing less than that, well, go see a doctor since something isn't right.

Yeah, I went ahead and did that, going on a 1.6k daily calorie intake, 25g carbs, 120g of protein, and 115g of fat.
That's on a 25% deficit, but it's just mostly because I want to see if it's actually working, I'll go back to a 20% calorie deficit after two weeks if results are showing.

Am I going to low with the protein?
The calculator suggests 90g, but that seems awfully low.

What I'm having today food-wise thanks to this:

Breakfast - 6 boiled eggs
Pre-workout - Creatine+BCAA (I assume these are 0 calories, but even if they're not it's a matter of 7.5g total)
Post-Workout - Protein shake (150ml of skimmed milk, 40g of 82% whey)
Lunch/snack - Peanuts
Dinner - Omelet with bell peppers and broccoli, and some whipped cream for dessert.

Boring as heck, but I guess that's the cost of being a vegetarian.

 

[despire]

Still looking at routines to switch to when my cut is over. Been looking at Westside for Skinny Bastards, like I posted, and Lyle's Generic Bulking Routine (both in the OP btw).

Lyle's Generic Bulking Routine (Modified)

A: Upper
Flat BB bench: 2-3X6-8 / 3'
Row: 2-3X6-8 / 3'
OHP: 2-3X6-3 / 3'
Pulldown: 2-3X10-12 / 2'
LTE: 1-2X12-15 / 1.5'
Curl: 1-2X12-15 / 1.5'

B: Lower
Deadlift: 1X6-8 / 3'
Leg press: 2-3X10-12/2'
Weighted Hyperextension: 2-3X10-12 / 2'
Abs: 2-3X10-12 / 2'

C: Upper
Incline BB bench: 2-3X6-8 / 3'
Chin-ups: 2-3X10-12 / 2'
DB shoulder press: 2-3X10-12/2'
Row: 2-3X6-8 / 3'
CGBP: 1-2X8-12 / 1.5'
Curl: 1-2X12-15 / 1.5'

D: Lower
Squat: 2-3X6-8 / 3'
RDL: 2-3X6-8 / 3'
Calf raise: 2-3X6-8/3'
Abs: 2-3X10-12 / 2'

Here's my attempt of a version of his routine. Upper days are closer to the original but I made some changes in the lower days, taking away leg curls and switching SLDL's to RDL's. Nothing major. Also reduced the volume range by one set in every exercise (3-4 ->2-3 sets).

What I like about Lyle's routine is that it's a bit less complicated than the Westside routine. Does anyone have any comments on the changes I made?

 

[HarryHengst]

anything like this that's cheaper? like $200 max?

Look around for a secondhand one. I dont think you are going to find anything that has any quality below $200 new.

I need to put pullups somewhere else. I do them on back day after deadlifts and by then my CNS and grip are both toasted. I feel like I should be able to do more and was easily able to on my deload week when I skipped by big 4 compounds.

Place a pullup bar in your kitchen and do pullups while cooking swole food.