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Fitness |OT6| Defying gravity, Quest madness, and Muscle Shaming

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Looking for the best way to add weights to crunches. I haven't isolated abs at all for a while, but I feel like my BF% is pretty damn low but my abs aren't showing as much as they could if worked more.

Weighted swiss ball crunches, I've talked about 'em in the thread before

EDIT: Kneeling cable crunches can work too but you gotta not turn it into a hip flexor exercise
 

Brolic Gaoler

formerly Alienshogun
How-much-can.jpg


lol


Brolic BEAST MODE and Rokkery looking awesome.


Thanks bud, I had two big kings a small fry, a NOS and cookies in your honor following this.

Impressive! It looked like you had one more in the tank.

The safety rails were spotting him :p
No need for spotter if the safety rails are there.

I may have, but with this calorie restriction I'm noticing +5lbs per mini cycle is good enough. and yeah, I always bench in the squat rack.

Your videos are pretty inspiring. Good job.

Thanks man!

With no spotter too, gatdamn

Definitely had rails up, but no spotter to hand off or assist. That's how I like it.
 
There is good amount of news coming out that LDL particle size is much more important than LDL particle numbers. If you are doing any of the high protein/fat and low carbs diet, your LDL numbers will most likely go up. But also your HDL numbers will go up as well and your triglyceride will go down. Read this article from Chris Kresser on why looking at LDL particle numbers is an outdated method to analyze cardiovascular health.
http://chriskresser.com/the-diet-heart-myth-why-everyone-should-know-their-ldl-particle-number

Hah, read the article you linked and it`s sources. Nice, my particle size number is great and so are my HDL and trig levels, so all's great. Onwards to the rest of the tests.

Thanks a bunch for the link, mate :D
 

rokkerkory

Member
Your cut pic is pretty damn impressive too. Any plans to get bigger or are you happy with your size?

Looking good man! Great work. Damn you super lean guys.

@Brolic - Yes definitely want to gain size, will start bulk up cycle again mid summer or so. After the last bulk up, retained about 5lbs. So hoping to see more gains next time. I feel a bit small during cut but I guess that's to be expected. Strength is down a tad too.

@Darth - Thanks man.

You guys all inspire me btw. :)
 

Imm0rt4l

Member
missed these posts earlier, but team sacroiliitis checking in. luckily i took precautionary bloodwork that came back negative for rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.

sumo deadlifts were really awkard for me too, and i felt like i was straining even more so i nixed them after a few sets.

all i do for my SI joint at the moment is take glucosamine, yoga poses (some suggested in this thread like cat/camel/childs pose) lying pelvic tilts (lol), and some stretching of the IT bands in the morning, and try to get a good warmup in. I found i can temporarily alleviate some pressure in my SI joint if i bend at 90 degrees and apply some pressure to the sweet spots in my si joint. my PT used to do this after icing and i would be relatively symptom free for 1-2 hours. i try to do this now before every set of squats and DLs. i do go lighter than i normally would with squats and DLs now. i just don't know if i want to push my si joint too much and risk being out for a long while anymore.

I may have to incorporate yoga, but the thought of living with this for the rest of my life is depressing.
 

Cooter

Lacks the power of instantaneous movement
Well isn't this just one big love fest!

March 31st is progress day from here on out. See ya next year!
 
Haven't posted pics in a long time.

Here's me about 25 pounds heavier than this past fall.

jTStDv4XU1j3B.jpg


Sorry about my shitty mirror and lighting. Had to play around with the brightness so you can see anything. Didn't realize how much bigger my shoulders/traps got until I saw this pic. Maybe I'll take some leg shots since those grew even more than my upper body.

thumbs up dood. huge difference from your previous pics
 

Pete Rock

Member
Does anyone have experiences with body fat calipers? They are pretty cheap and they seem to have a pretty good precision.
Yes but to be accurate you need readings at more than one site, this page is a pretty good guide.

A year ago I bought this pair for ~$9 and I surprisingly enjoy using the little myotape, it has a plug at one end and a catch on the handle body that functions with a tension button, making it easier to measure the diameter of various body parts than a completely loose fabric tape.
 
Does anyone have experiences with body fat calipers? They are pretty cheap and they seem to have a pretty good precision.

I would take the resulting BF% calculations with a grain of salt, but if you measure the same sites with a consistent technique calipers can definitely tell you if you're gaining or losing fat.
 
I may have to incorporate yoga, but the thought of living with this for the rest of my life is depressing.

i feel you, bro.

i heavily considered cortisone shot(s) when the pain was like a 8/10 for a few days when i first got hurt, but i think the long term risks trump the short term relief.
 
So I'm thinking about moving to a hypertrophy focused routine, at least for a few months. It will give me a nice break from powerlifting (my knees have been really sore of late) and I think focusing a bit more on hypertrophy could be fun. I've been doing powerlifting routines for so long!

Any suggestions? I AM concerned with losing my strength, so I'd like for there to be the opportunity to lift heavy some of the time. A friend of mine recommended Doggcrapp to me and I think a few of you guys have tried it out. Any thoughts on it, or other choices?
 

Brolic Gaoler

formerly Alienshogun
So I'm thinking about moving to a hypertrophy focused routine, at least for a few months. It will give me a nice break from powerlifting (my knees have been really sore of late) and I think focusing a bit more on hypertrophy could be fun. I've been doing powerlifting routines for so long!

Any suggestions? I AM concerned with losing my strength, so I'd like for there to be the opportunity to lift heavy some of the time. A friend of mine recommended Doggcrapp to me and I think a few of you guys have tried it out. Any thoughts on it, or other choices?


Just be sure to hit 90% of your 1rm for reps every few weeks and strength loss should be minimal IMO.

Personally the closest I'll ever come to a hypertrophy program is 5/3/1.
 
So I'm thinking about moving to a hypertrophy focused routine, at least for a few months. It will give me a nice break from powerlifting (my knees have been really sore of late) and I think focusing a bit more on hypertrophy could be fun. I've been doing powerlifting routines for so long!

Any suggestions? I AM concerned with losing my strength, so I'd like for there to be the opportunity to lift heavy some of the time. A friend of mine recommended Doggcrapp to me and I think a few of you guys have tried it out. Any thoughts on it, or other choices?

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/a-look-at-some-popular-hypertrophy-programs.html

If you want to kinda give yourself a break but maintain strength you might like an HST approach. 3x week full body but only 2 work sets / exercise and you max out (in the rep range) every 2 weeks.

I'm doing Lyles Generic Bulk right now and it has been nice to just go in and do a more traditional program that's actually programmed to make sense.
 
Couldn't get full depth on my squat max today. Was a few inches too high. Was going for 1@380. Will get it again in a few weeks. I try to watch my squat closely because its so easy to cheat. Anyone else have this problem or is it just something everyone struggles with?
 

Cooter

Lacks the power of instantaneous movement
Ok, I know it's been discussed many times before so I apologize but I'm going to finally invest in shoes and shoot for a 2.5x bw squat. Tell me what I need and if possible the cheapest place to find them. Also, do they run big or small? Thanks guys.

Bonus points if anyone has suggestions on good knee sleeves! :)
 

Irobot82

Member
Ok, I know it's been discussed many times before so I apologize but I'm going to finally invest in shoes and shoot for a 2.5x bw squat. Tell me what I need and if possible the cheapest place to find them. Also, do they run big or small? Thanks guys.

Bonus points if anyone has suggestions on good knee sleeves! :)

Hah I just asked that question and I have found out TK Knee sleeves are good and Rehband knee sleeves are best (but cost twice as much).
 

ACE 1991

Member
It seems like i have an incredibly difficult time gaining strength or muscle. I watch what I eat and get in about 3k cals a day with enough protein at 170lb. Sure, my diet could probably be a bit tighter but im just so frustrated at this point watching so many guys my age take up lifting and explode within 3 months. I'm sure if I keep at I'll get somewhat bigger but at this point the snails pace at which I progress makes me want to bag it all together. Chalk it up to shit genetics, I suppose. I've been lifting for a little over a year now.
 

Cooter

Lacks the power of instantaneous movement
It seems like i have an incredibly difficult time gaining strength or muscle. I watch what I eat and get in about 3k cals a day with enough protein at 170lb. Sure, my diet could probably be a bit tighter but im just so frustrated at this point watching so many guys my age take up lifting and explode within 3 months. I'm sure if I keep at I'll get somewhat bigger but at this point the snails pace at which I progress makes me want to bag it all together. Chalk it up to shit genetics, I suppose. I've been lifting for a little over a year now.
Eat 3500
 

rage1973

Member
Why not just gain some weight to help gain strength.
You can cut weight later if you are not happy with the weight gain.
For some people it's much easier to cut weight than to gain muscle.
 

Pete Rock

Member
what are the risks?
More importantly, any honest doctor will tell you that "5 years out" the levels of pain reported by people who get shots, do pt, or do alternative therapy are basically the same. If you can parse this correctly, it means you are better off fixing yourself instead of having synthetic cortisone injected.

It is also incredibly painful and only serves to mask localized inflammatory symptoms, it generally does nothing to fix the actual problem. Source: two cortisone shots in my spine directly above the tailbone for two different herniated discs, one shot on each side about eight months apart. The shots also made me violently ill both times, about eight hours afterwards. If they hadn't prefaced me with this knowledge I probably would have gone to the hospital as I thought I was going to die. The second time I thought "oh yeah, this again"... I wouldn't wish it upon anyone honestly. At the time I was playing a lot of Halo 3 and the only way I could describe it in my mind was after they give you the local anesthetic shot, they get the needle in position and as soon as they start to push the plunger it feels like a Spartan Laser is charging up, by the time they are done it's fired down your nerve pathways. Alternatively if you are more mechanically inclined imagine a car battery being hooked up to these very sensitive nerves that are already overloaded with pain signals. Truly amazing.

If you find yourself on the table face down it should really make you think twice that they have to record you saying "yes, I understand I am about to receive a fluoroscope assisted cortisone injection at xyz location" as part of the procedure, for their own protection should anything go wrong, of course.
 

Cooter

Lacks the power of instantaneous movement
My work environment makes it damn impossible to cut. There is so much pizza here. Free lunches every week. GAHHHHHHH
Whaaa! You are stuck being the healthy in shape guy around a bunch of out of shape people. Such is your plot in life...
 

rokkerkory

Member
It seems like i have an incredibly difficult time gaining strength or muscle. I watch what I eat and get in about 3k cals a day with enough protein at 170lb. Sure, my diet could probably be a bit tighter but im just so frustrated at this point watching so many guys my age take up lifting and explode within 3 months. I'm sure if I keep at I'll get somewhat bigger but at this point the snails pace at which I progress makes me want to bag it all together. Chalk it up to shit genetics, I suppose. I've been lifting for a little over a year now.

hahaha I am in same boat, over a year here too. I am getting stronger but doesn't really equate to size. It's just genetics and everyone is different.

I will be stuck with a slim body it seems.
 

Imm0rt4l

Member
More importantly, any honest doctor will tell you that "5 years out" the levels of pain reported by people who get shots, do pt, or do alternative therapy are basically the same. If you can parse this correctly, it means you are better off fixing yourself instead of having synthetic cortisone injected.

It is also incredibly painful and only serves to mask localized inflammatory symptoms, it generally does nothing to fix the actual problem. Source: two cortisone shots in my spine directly above the tailbone for two different herniated discs, one shot on each side about eight months apart. The shots also made me violently ill both times, about eight hours afterwards. If they hadn't prefaced me with this knowledge I probably would have gone to the hospital as I thought I was going to die. The second time I thought "oh yeah, this again"... I wouldn't wish it upon anyone honestly. At the time I was playing a lot of Halo 3 and the only way I could describe it in my mind was after they give you the local anesthetic shot, they get the needle in position and as soon as they start to push the plunger it feels like a Spartan Laser is charging up, by the time they are done it's fired down your nerve pathways. Alternatively if you are more mechanically inclined imagine a car battery being hooked up to these very sensitive nerves that are already overloaded with pain signals. Truly amazing.

If you find yourself on the table face down it should really make you think twice that they have to record you saying "yes, I understand I am about to receive a fluoroscope assisted cortisone injection at xyz location" as part of the procedure, for their own protection should anything go wrong, of course.

Well, shit. Thanks for the insight. In the long term has it only mitigated your pain, or is it totally gone?

Post yours and I will post mine.

okay, I'll do that either tonight or tomorrow morning. Feeling kinda small right now, but not really lean either. I should probably eat some rice.
 

Chocobro

Member
Ok, I know it's been discussed many times before so I apologize but I'm going to finally invest in shoes and shoot for a 2.5x bw squat. Tell me what I need and if possible the cheapest place to find them. Also, do they run big or small? Thanks guys.

Bonus points if anyone has suggestions on good knee sleeves! :)

Wei-Rui Warriors. $69.99 + $7.95 S/H [link]
- Heavy because they use a solid rubber heel
- Low cost
- Well made
- Might have to worry about resoling down the line
- The customer service rep told me that the Wei-Rui Warriors are true to size so you can get your normal shoe size. The CS rep is extremely helpful and responds fairly quick so you can send them shoe size questions and they would assist you in finding the proper shoe size.

Adidas Adipower. $199.99 + Free Shipping** (from Adidas website) [link]
I just noticed they have a new black/red color :F
- Lightweight
- Breathability, very flexible forefoot
- Narrow fit (problem if you have wide feet)
- Expensive
- They're true to size to Adidas shoes, find the shoe size that fits nicely (not loose) and choose the same size for the Adipower.
** You can probably get the shoes from Eastbay as they usually have some sort of 15% (arbitrary number) off coupon you can use. However you have to pay for shipping.

I would have listed the Adidas Power Perfect 2 and Nike Romaleos but they're both discontinued. The Power Perfect 2 would've been a nice middle ground between the two. Romaleos is a good choice if you have wide feet.

As for knee sleeves, I second Irobot82's post. However it is based on reviews and YouTube videos I happened to watch, not from personal experience.

I hope this helps.
 

Cooter

Lacks the power of instantaneous movement
Wei-Rui Warriors. $69.99 + $7.95 S/H [link]
- Heavy because they use a solid rubber heel
- Low cost
- Well made
- Might have to worry about resoling down the line
- The customer service rep told me that the Wei-Rui Warriors are true to size so you can get your normal shoe size. The CS rep is extremely helpful and responds fairly quick so you can send them shoe size questions and they would assist you in finding the proper shoe size.

Adidas Adipower. $199.99 + Free Shipping** (from Adidas website) [link]
I just noticed they have a new black/red color :F
- Lightweight
- Breathability, very flexible forefoot
- Narrow fit (problem if you have wide feet)
- Expensive
- They're true to size to Adidas shoes, find the shoe size that fits nicely (not loose) and choose the same size for the Adipower.
** You can probably get the shoes from Eastbay as they usually have some sort of 15% (arbitrary number) off coupon you can use. However you have to pay for shipping.

I would have listed the Adidas Power Perfect 2 and Nike Romaleos but they're both discontinued. The Power Perfect 2 would've been a nice middle ground between the two. Romaleos is a good choice if you have wide feet.

As for knee sleeves, I second Irobot82's post. However it is based on reviews and YouTube videos I happened to watch, not from personal experience.

I hope this helps.

A ton! Greatly appreciated. Thank you. Looks like I'll be ordering the black and red ones tonight!
 

Brolic Gaoler

formerly Alienshogun
Ok, I know it's been discussed many times before so I apologize but I'm going to finally invest in shoes and shoot for a 2.5x bw squat. Tell me what I need and if possible the cheapest place to find them. Also, do they run big or small? Thanks guys.

Bonus points if anyone has suggestions on good knee sleeves! :)

Buy good first. I'd recommend adipowers. They are 200 though. Knee sleeves rehband or metal. I have rehband elbow, knee sleeves and compression shorts.

Metal sleeves are at elite fts.

I've done that, I put on way too much body fat too quickly.

Eat a deficit days you don't train 3k+ on days you do.

Currently I'm still getting stronger AND reducing body fat doing about 1800 on off days with restricted carbs and 3k plus on training days.
 
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