Any downside to using dumbbells for shrugs? I keep them at my side and ensure I am lifting with my traps, straight up and holding for sec then letting them down slowly. The heavier weight is tough to hold sometimes but over the past 2 years of doing this I've seen my grip strength just about triple.
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Fitness |OT6| Defying gravity, Quest madness, and Muscle Shaming
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Any downside to using dumbbells for shrugs? I keep them at my side and ensure I am lifting with my traps, straight up and holding for sec then letting them down slowly. The heavier weight is tough to hold sometimes but over the past 2 years of doing this I've seen my grip strength just about triple.
They don't hit your dick.
Seriously though, I don't think there's any downside apart from having to do bigger jumps in weights.
velociraptor
Junior Member
I feel so bad this week, due to work seminars and long ass hours I will only hit the gym 3 days this week.
I've got the MCAT to revise for and it's doing my head in. I haven't done Chemistry or Physics. Arghhh.
ThLunarian
Member
Ummmm this makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong. My bench press is stuck at 160 and has been for 2 weeks. Meanwhile, my overhead press is at 120.
Maybe I should find some way to film myself.
Starting Strength, 5/3/1 (outside the week four pre planned deload), and GSLP are are consistent in when you deload:
1. Try to hit your 3 rep goal. Did you fail? If so, ask yourself:
a. Was my diet today shit?
b. Did I get enough sleep?
c. Was I sick?
If the above was on point, deload:
2. Take the weight you were supposed to hit (for 5/3/1 this would be your one rep weight you're basing your numbers on), drop 10%. If needing to round, round down.
3. Continue with the program.
4. Did you fail your goal again? See 1.
If you're not failing, no need to deload on either of these programs. If you cannot do 122.5 or 125 for the rep goal, deload.
Check your grip is wide enough, that your chest is high and your upper back is pulled back. Basically:
http://stronglifts.com/how-to-bench-press-with-proper-technique-avoid-shoulder-injuries/
Sometimes it's mental. You think you can't add 10 or 20 pounds. Then someone spots you and suddenly you made it.
Host Samurai
Member
Through my experience, I would avoid a cheat meal (day) when you get to a certain BF%. I have stalled out in the past. When I skip the cheat meal (day) the results are so much better. I literally see a day to day improvement. A new cut. Shoulders getting that rounded out look and facial aesthetics are strong and cut. Adding in my 20 min daily treadmill HIIT sessions has sped up the process AND my strength is improving.
Keeping my protein macros at about 170-180 and fat macros 60-80. Carbs are low at about 50-60g
Best I have felt in years. Not going to drink or have a cheat meal till Memorial Day wknd where I should be shredded at least 9% at this rate maybe even less. I think now I am at 12% if I had to guess.
The cheat day isn't worth it. Nothing taste as good as being ripped feels. Its such a mental high that I feel better in every aspect in life.
Keeping my protein macros at about 170-180 and fat macros 60-80. Carbs are low at about 50-60g
Best I have felt in years. Not going to drink or have a cheat meal till Memorial Day wknd where I should be shredded at least 9% at this rate maybe even less. I think now I am at 12% if I had to guess.
The cheat day isn't worth it. Nothing taste as good as being ripped feels. Its such a mental high that I feel better in every aspect in life.
FallingEdge
Member
More of goals than anything. I need a life where I can divulge in the tastiness of the various foods once or twice a week.
Glad to see things are working out for you. Would love to see some progress pics when it is all said and done!
Glad to see things are working out for you. Would love to see some progress pics when it is all said and done!
cuevas. PhD.
Member
No one is saying that systems are shutting off anywhere.
I'm just going by what Layne Norton (and Lyle McDonald if I remember correctly) have talked about. Eating protein increases muscle protein synthesis (MPS) and there is apparently a maximum rate of MPS which we get after eating certain amount of protein (depending on the leucine content of the protein source). If we eat more at that time then it's not gonna increase the MPS further at that time because it can't go any faster. You can try googling about this stuff yourselves because I don't really understand it that well.
Don't get me wrong now. I'm a proponent of IF and I don't think this stuff we are talking about is all that critical. Just trying to clarify the article. I don't think theres any question in science whether your MPS will max out after eating certain amount of protein and the effect lasts several hours. I think the question we are interested in is how much this could affect our gains. And going by Cooter and all the guys doing IF, I don't think all that much..
This pic is pretty good advice on the importance of stuff I think:
Put sleep right there with calories.
Pakoe
Member
Not that i know of, i switch around only because sometimes the barbells are taken.
I'm pretty sure it was me who brought up the PB and CC. I've been eating that for many years. No question it's a better choice. I eat PB and J when I have room for the carbs.
And yeah, I'll snap a pic next time I have it.
Host Samurai
Member
Its hard as hell and its a battle I have had for years, but after you go 2 weeks in caloric deficit while eating only "clean" whole foods, its hard to look back. This is where the mental toughness comes in.
Host Samurai
Member
I agree 100%. Thats the range where you can maintain that extra all out cheat day and won't effect you.
D
Deleted member 17706
Unconfirmed Member
Are you sure you're doing it right? If 100 lbs is your overhead press, 205 lbs seems like a lot for bench press (to me). Either that or you can probably go quite a bit higher on the overhead press.
Poindexter
Member
So this week I've had a nagging injury. It's not actual painful but it gets sensitive when I turn a certain way or when I stretch it. I don't know exactly what muscle it is (I was hoping someone could help identify that) so I don't know how to rehab it. It's on the lower left side of my back. Really low like right above my left ass cheek. The sensitive feeling I get spreads around to my lift hip sometimes too.
I'm assuming it happened during OHP last Friday because I first felt it Saturday. But none of my exercises seem to irritate it even when I did OHP again today. It seems to be gone in the morning but as I walk around throughout the day I can feel it coming back. It's never intense though and not actually painful. I just get a dull ache sometimes.
I'm assuming it happened during OHP last Friday because I first felt it Saturday. But none of my exercises seem to irritate it even when I did OHP again today. It seems to be gone in the morning but as I walk around throughout the day I can feel it coming back. It's never intense though and not actually painful. I just get a dull ache sometimes.
ohhthegore
Member
this is what I was wondering as well
FitGaf doesn't mess around! Nice work. What are you weighing these days Bish?
FallingEdge
Member
dear sushi and ice cream and pizza from last night,
you are still sitting in my belly and i feel flabby because of you but you are still so delicious and i can never let you go
- FallingEdge
In other legit news, I weighed in under 250 yesterday. I still want to drop another 15 or so lbs and then just chill for a bit before getting back hard on the strength train.
you are still sitting in my belly and i feel flabby because of you but you are still so delicious and i can never let you go
- FallingEdge
In other legit news, I weighed in under 250 yesterday. I still want to drop another 15 or so lbs and then just chill for a bit before getting back hard on the strength train.
Hypereides
Member
Im pissed. My bench 3RM was ruined by an incompetent spotter. He was literally using his hands to ease the weight. I know what unassisted bench feels like. It'll be another 2 weeks before I get the chance to re-atempt it.
RumblingRosco
Member
Had this happen on my 1s week two cycles ago for bench. I was pissed. Got a few reps out but they all felt too light and I could see him pulling up.
Luckily, my most recent 1s cycle was great even with a legit spotter.
Hypereides
Member
You got my empathy bro.
Whats even more irritating is how he kept telling me I could've "easily" done 8 reps. I know my limits and strength, and I am quite certain thats not realistic. I even specifically told him not to touch the bar unless I start struggling. Maybe my instructions weren't clear enough. Still frustrating. I had to politely shake him off to not appear like a dick.
3x5 @ 325lbs deadlifts today! Moving on up. There's this one barbell in the gym that I like best for deads, for some reason it has a way better grip.
Also, my gym is replacing the 2 squat racks we have, interested to see the new ones. Hope it doesn't mean people are gonna flock to it because it's new and shiny.
Also, what's the deal with people deadlifting off the floor in squat racks? I get it if you're doing rack pulls, but off the floor? You can do that shit in any small corner of the gym. GTFO
Also, my gym is replacing the 2 squat racks we have, interested to see the new ones. Hope it doesn't mean people are gonna flock to it because it's new and shiny.
Also, what's the deal with people deadlifting off the floor in squat racks? I get it if you're doing rack pulls, but off the floor? You can do that shit in any small corner of the gym. GTFO
RumblingRosco
Member
I make my instructions a lot more clear now.
"I don't need help with the lift off. Please don't touch the bar unless I ask for help. Don't helpe re-rack unless I've asked for help." Basically word-for-word, although I say it a tad more nicely.
Hypereides
Member
They probably conveniently neglect to inform crossfitters about diet and nutrition or something to that accord. I think the most grotesque part about crossfit is the caricature of rhadomyolyosis.
Always with the bar.
I do OHP on the same day as bench. For OHP, I do one warm up set with less weight then I do 115 lbs 8x3. I feel like my shoulders are weak. I've always been stronger with my chest.
Basically, I'm all chest. Biceps and triceps are small. My back, while it's coming along, isn't that strong. My lat pulldown is at 140 lbs, I can do 7 pullups in a row x3 and my deadlift is pitiful (135 lbs 5x3). I've been doing this for a year now, lots of improvement but still a ways to go.
Ok so starting out with this program this week I did this today:
Squat 30kg
Bench Press 23kg
Deadlift 25kg
Bent Over Rows 25kg
Just like with the machines before my chest seems to be the weakest.
I also saw someone do curls today in the squat rack. I am still new to this but it still made me angry.
ohhthegore
Member
I was taking a chemistry class with this one guy who was all about crossfit, he would always make jokes and stuff about how I have big arms. If you work out you SHOULD have some decent size arms
D
Deleted member 17706
Unconfirmed Member
115 lbs for 8 reps in a row for OHP is no joke from my perspective. That seems more in line, for sure.
I don't think that deadlift can be your true 5 rep max, though. Do you just have trouble getting comfortable with the exercise? Do you do squats at all?
Brah, easy fix. Laxative, then do squats. Clean you out in, like, five minutes.
FallingEdge
Member
It is some carry over effect from previous days for me. I don't get it either. In any case, drink water and poop it out.
Lol!!
Add some black coffee in there.
I'm excited for tomorrow. I'm going back to my old college to give a talk at a conference. Bringing a change of clothes and I'm going to deadlift at the school gym after.
For the first time ever I'll get to use a deadlift platform
That's the thing though. I've been really good since Easter. Nothing outside of the usual chicken, tuna, eggs, brown rice, green vegetables, cottage cheese, etc. Weighed myself today and I'm up three pounds from last week? The fuck? The weight lord is cruel. Whatever I'm so over how fast I can gain/lose.
Christoff Yurievich
Member
Alright, gonna put my toes in the water here.
I currently do cardio. A lot of cardio. Like, ride-my-bike-to-work-14.5-miles-one-way cardio.I also started running once or twice a week for 3 miles and I'm going to be ramping that up as I get stronger (haven't run since the military 15 years ago). I've been riding to work since February or so and yet I'm stuck at the same weight. I've reduced my portion sizes and have started eating tangerines instead of chocolate at work and I still weigh over 200lbs. Should I add something? Something that I can do at home i.e. I am too poor for a gym? I also do push-ups and situps, sticking to about the same regimen that I learned in the military (which is probably out-dated, I admit that).
Thanks in advance.
I currently do cardio. A lot of cardio. Like, ride-my-bike-to-work-14.5-miles-one-way cardio.I also started running once or twice a week for 3 miles and I'm going to be ramping that up as I get stronger (haven't run since the military 15 years ago). I've been riding to work since February or so and yet I'm stuck at the same weight. I've reduced my portion sizes and have started eating tangerines instead of chocolate at work and I still weigh over 200lbs. Should I add something? Something that I can do at home i.e. I am too poor for a gym? I also do push-ups and situps, sticking to about the same regimen that I learned in the military (which is probably out-dated, I admit that).
Thanks in advance.
FallingEdge
Member
lol I feel ya. There been days where I eat random foods like Taco Bell, sushi, fried chicken,etc. Weigh myself and hey, lost a few lbs even if I feel that I am bloated. Then my mind thinks that I lost muscle. Who knows. I just attribute it to Lyle Mcdonald's "woosh" effect.
Any idea what your daily calorie intake is?
True. And the good thing is I don't feel like I'm dragging ass at the gym anymore. Workouts are going very smoothly and I'm
Back to breaking rep PRs
D
Deleted member 47027
Unconfirmed Member
I'm no expert, but it sounds like you're swapping one sugar for another. Try eating sugar-free foods with few carbs at work and see how that works for you.
I have a lot of mental issues with deadlifting and squatting but I'm forcing myself through them. My squat is downright pathetic, 115lbs, same as my OHP.
I got injured on my right wrist on a OHP set a while ago and ever since I haven't been able to do press moves at a decent weight or with any sense of progression so I am just trying exercises and see if they trigger the pain.
Dips feel perfect but Bench press feels bad even at lower weigths. Curls and random arm work feel ok as long as I warmed up.
these are dark fitness days.
on the other hand, I am much better at doing a (leg) split... yaaaay... >_>..
Dips feel perfect but Bench press feels bad even at lower weigths. Curls and random arm work feel ok as long as I warmed up.
these are dark fitness days.
on the other hand, I am much better at doing a (leg) split... yaaaay... >_>..
Hypereides
Member
Hang in there mate. Your chest will eventually improve exponentially.
How did that injury happen? What weight was it at?
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