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

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D

despire

Member
thomaser said:
Before someone yells at you: stop what you're doing and start the routine in the first post of the thread. It's much simpler and much better. Here's a simple breakdown:

Day 1:
Workout A
- Squat (with a barbell, NOT the smith machine). Warm-up sets, then 3x5 for the work weight.
- Bench press (with barbell). Same set/rep-routine as above.
- Deadlift (with barbell). Warm-up sets, then one work set of 1x5.
- Go home and eat.

Day 2:
- rest
- eat a lot

Day 3:
Workout B
- Squat. Same routine as above, but add to the working weight.
- Overhead press (with barbell). Same routine.
- Power cleans (with barbell). 3x5 sets for the working weight instead of 5x3.
- Eat.

Day 4:
- rest and eat

Day 5:
- start over. Do workout A again, but add weight on all the lifts.

In addition to those lifts, you can do a few (a FEW, not many) extra exercises. Good ones are pull-ups, dips, rows, lying tricep extensions, leg raises and back extensions.

Summing up: Concentrate on the big lifts that work out most of the body in one go. Squat, deadlift, bench press and so on. They are more than enough as long as you do them correctly (never in the smith machine) AND make sure to add a little weight every time you do them. Do that, and you'll get much stronger than before, much faster. And remember to eat well, rest every other day, and get enough sleep.
Click to expand...

This except you made a typo in the bolded part. It's the other way around.
 
T

TopDreg

Member
So, reading through Starting Strength some more, I'm learning that I should really go for the squat form where the bar rests on my posterior delts, versus my traps. My squat is at 210 where it's starting to feel pretty damn heavy on my back. Should I still progress 5 lbs while learning the new form, or is that too heavy for the better form (Rippetoe suggests it's literally better), or is that just not smart for learning the new technique?
 
B

Brolic Gaoler

formerly Alienshogun
TopDreg said:
So, reading through Starting Strength some more, I'm learning that I should really go for the squat form where the bar rests on my posterior delts, versus my traps. My squat is at 210 where it's starting to feel pretty damn heavy on my back. Should I still progress 5 lbs while learning the new form, or is that too heavy for the better form (Rippetoe suggests it's literally better), or is that just not smart for learning the new technique?
Click to expand...


Work up and see how it feels.
 
A

A More Normal Bird

Unconfirmed Member
TopDreg said:
So, reading through Starting Strength some more, I'm learning that I should really go for the squat form where the bar rests on my posterior delts, versus my traps. My squat is at 210 where it's starting to feel pretty damn heavy on my back. Should I still progress 5 lbs while learning the new form, or is that too heavy for the better form (Rippetoe suggests it's literally better), or is that just not smart for learning the new technique?
Click to expand...

Most people are stronger doing low bar, so if you're changing over maybe just go for a slight deload to give you some breathing room for learning the movement then progress as normal. However, it is worth noting that Rip almost an evangelist when it comes to low-bar. It's a bit more of an awkward movement and for some people it will never feel as 'natural' as high bar; everyone has differing anthropometry and biomechanics. What's important is that you choose a squat and progress it sensibly. Definitely try low-bar though as there are benefits to learning both forms.
 
I

IronBubbles

Banned
sphinx said:
this is NEVER funny.

it's just people having accidents in which they hurt themselves bad and many of them are lucky to be alive.

this is an open forum and I don't get to dictate what gets posted or not but I'd be grateful if this kind of shit stayed away from the thread.
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Some are unfortunate, like deadlift fainting or pull-up bar crashing. Others like bench pressing too much weight without a spotter or using equipment in the wrong way are just stupid and deserve to get laughed at. :p
 
H

HisshouBuraiKen

Member
sphinx said:
to my surprise, Rippetoe considers a thumbless grip a mistake!! :-O it says the bar isn't safe and you are just asking for an accident. I was really surprised because I, the novice, am apparently doing something right and the advanced guys aren't. weird.
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Thumbless grip is awesome for OHP but yeah, I would never do that benching, way too risky. I think it's just how people (improperly) learn to bench and never have anyone to tell them otherwise. One of my friends from work used to do it but he's since stopped.
 
R

RumblingRosco

Member
Speaking of things that seem dumb to me, has anyone ever seen someone intentionally bench press with the weight not evenly distributed? I mean, I've seen on more than one occasion someone put a 45 lb plate on one side of the bar and no weight on the other side, then (try) to bench it. I am 99% sure this is just really fucking stupid and dangerous, but is there any practical use to this besides trying to kill yourself/the people next to you?
 
F

fredrancour

Member
Soka said:
Speaking of things that seem dumb to me, has anyone ever seen someone intentionally bench press with the weight not evenly distributed? I mean, I've seen on more than one occasion someone put a 45 lb plate on one side of the bar and no weight on the other side, then (try) to bench it. I am 99% sure this is just really fucking stupid and dangerous, but is there any practical use to this besides trying to kill yourself/the people next to you?
Click to expand...


Well you see, if it's suddenly the middle ages and you're laying siege to a castle on short notice, sometimes improvised catapults must be relied upon..

But seriously it's beyond dumb. If you want to work the two sides of your body independently there are many many exercises without the potential for collateral damage.
 
M

Mark1

Member
I've said this before, but how easy would it be to get an athletic body such as Darren Criss' if you're an ectomorph? I know it's harder for us to build muscle (and fat while at it, NOTE: I do have a slight belly even though I'm 15% bf) but easier for us to cut as a trade off.
 
B

BlueScrote

Member
HisshouBuraiKen said:
Thumbless grip is awesome for OHP but yeah, I would never do that benching, way too risky. I think it's just how people (improperly) learn to bench and never have anyone to tell them otherwise. One of my friends from work used to do it but he's since stopped.
Click to expand...

I guess I can't comprehend how you can learn to bench with thumbless grip and not think it awkward as hell.
 
C

Cooter

Lacks the power of instantaneous movement
BlueScrote said:
I guess I can't comprehend how you can learn to bench with thumbless grip and not think it awkward as hell.
Click to expand...
I used to do it for years. Like anything, with repetition comes comfort. It's not bad. I still use it for CGBP.
 
C

Chocobro

Member
Noema said:
You don't get to choose. You only do conventional deadlifts in this program. Get your deadlift to 405lb and then fiddle with deadlift variations.

No front squats. Do back squats 3 times a week. Start with 95lb and add 10lb every session. This means you should be squatting 135lb in your 5th session. If not you're doing it wrong. You should be squatting 185lb 3x5 in about a month.

Don't do pull-ups. Do chin-ups, which are easier and will lead to pull-ups. If you can already do 1 chin then just try to do as many singles as you can between sets of the other lifts. As in, do 1 reps while you rest between squat sets, etc.

Get your squat to 225lb. Then worry about accessories.

Worry about your main lifts. I'd stop doing those while doing the linear progression.

Honestly you are overthinking this. Just do your lifts, add weight to the bar every workout and eat and rest. It's not that complicated.
Click to expand...

Thanks Noema! I guess I am overthinking it; thought there would be some flexibility room and not set in stone & follow as is.
And a follow-up question in regards to the pull-ups/chin-ups: what's a good indication that I can start doing pull-ups?
 
T

thomaser

Member
roosters93 said:
Pulled/strained/did something to my neck this morning doing OHP. :/
Gonna be a loooong day. Hope it's gone by tomorrow.
Click to expand...

I did that too a couple of weeks ago. Something happened right in the area where the neck meets the shoulder on the left side (usually a place with tons of muscle knots for most people). Couldn't turn my head sideways for a day or two, but it went away after some rest and trigger point pressure.
 
M

MrToughPants

Brian Burke punched my mom
#ForeverTripleBy-PassBulk

P4mrlFL.jpg
Click to expand...
 
B

BronzeWolf

Banned
Teggy said:
Form check?

http://youtu.be/eX95GWziWl8

(yes, I know it is light weight, I'm very early on in my program)
Click to expand...

Your hands must be in line with your forearms. Try rotating the bar forward a little bit more so they are in alignment. Your wrist must not bend.

Try driving your hips instead of pushing your chest up. Great squats otherwise

Mark1 said:
I've said this before, but how easy would it be to get an athletic body such as Darren Criss' if you're an ectomorph? I know it's harder for us to build muscle (and fat while at it, NOTE: I do have a slight belly even though I'm 15% bf) but easier for us to cut as a trade off.
Click to expand...

This is a weird question. How hard is it? I don't know, kind of hard? Somewhat hard? over 9000 hard? It's all relative.

I don't believe in ectomorphs or hard gainers. Use GOMAD, then lose fat, then be happy.
 
T

Teggy

Member
Fallen_Hero said:
Good depth. Initiate with your hips not knees.

Also, you can bring the safety bars a couple of holes up. This way, if you fail, the bar will not have to fall very far.
Click to expand...

BronzeWolf said:
Your hands must be in line with your forearms. Try rotating the bar forward a little bit more so they are in alignment. Your wrist must not bend.

Try driving your hips instead of pushing your chest up. Great squats otherwise
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback. I will keep those tips in mind next workout.

I do normally have the safety bars higher but this was my "light day", so I didn't bother moving them from where they were when I got there.
 
M

Mark1

Member
BronzeWolf said:
This is a weird question. How hard is it? I don't know, kind of hard? Somewhat hard? over 9000 hard? It's all relative.

I don't believe in ectomorphs or hard gainers. Use GOMAD, then lose fat, then be happy.
Click to expand...
Are you aware of the type of body he has? Haha he doesn't have too much muscle, just wondering if it would take much work (or time) to get to that state? A year at least ( 6 or 7 months of bulking, then another 6 or so cutting) would be fine with me.
 
B

BronzeWolf

Banned
Mark1 said:
Are you aware of the type of body he has? Haha he doesn't have too much muscle, just wondering if it would take much work (or time) to get to that state? A year at least ( 6 or 7 months of bulking, then another 6 or so cutting) would be fine with me.
Click to expand...

A plan for 14 months lifting and 3 month cutting is more realistic I think
 
S

SeanR1221

Member
Mark, I've told you before man, just get into the gym, lift, eat and give it 100%.

Worry about looking like Darren after you've established a solid strength base.
 
M

Mark1

Member
SeanR1221 said:
Mark, I've told you before man, just get into the gym, lift, eat and give it 100%.

Worry about looking like Darren after you've established a solid strength base.
Click to expand...
The plan is for me to go on a bulk for a good while, how long would it take to add like 40lbs of muscle?
 
B

Brera

Banned
GAF, I need your help.

I was doing really well, losing flab, getting ripped. Ran into girl problems and now work problems and my gym routine has fallen apart in the last 3 months. I'm off with stress right now. I need to get my head and body sorted.

How do I get out of this rut?
 
D

Derwind

Member
Hey so I'llbe joining fitGAF starting september, me and my roomie signed up for a gym membetship near us. Best of all my roomie used to be a personal trainer, so he's a wealth of knowledge for me. I haven't had a serious excercise routine for nearly 9 months now.

Anyways just dropping by to say high and going to post updates on this thread. Wish me luck.
 
S

seattle6418

Member
Alienshogun said:
You're the very definition of a beginner. The fact you're in a gym for 6 days a week does not change that fact.

Kind of goes with the saying "Being in a church makes you no more a christian as being in a garage makes you a car."
Click to expand...

Yeah, it came out wrong. I was thinking of beginners as the dozens of soccer moms and regular joes lifting 20-30lbs as the beginners, that's why i said i was not on that group.

I started in may of last year, so it's still all new to me. I'm mostly a lurker in this thread, but there's a lot of people in here who are very serious about this.

It's just funny because it looks like most of you guys are really interested in bodybuilding, as opposed to "men's health cover boy body", which is actually the opposite of most guys i know in real life.
 
C

chrisisawesome

Member
Really rough and unfulfilling workout today. Not sure what the cause was. I had a protein shake a bit before going. Did my squats which were deadly, and at least I was able to do my 3x5@ 185 along with my warmups. But after that my body just wasn't having it; did some other back exercises and had to call it a day after 45 mins. Felt like crap. Maybe blood sugar was low? Hungry? Meh, had some salmon for lunch and didn't feel good until I had a few bites if Ben and Jerry's ice cream :)
 
N

Noema

Member
Teggy said:
No, low bar squats. Bar sits on the shoulder blades, back is at a 45 degree angle and the bar lines up with the middle of the foot. Not sure how much lower it could be otherwise it would fall off my back! :)
Click to expand...

It's too high. You should raise your elbows to support the weight on your rear delts so that the bar doesn't fall when you place it lower.
 
T

thomaser

Member
seattle6418 said:
Yeah, it came out wrong. I was thinking of beginners as the dozens of soccer moms and regular joes lifting 20-30lbs as the beginners, that's why i said i was not on that group.

I started in may of last year, so it's still all new to me. I'm mostly a lurker in this thread, but there's a lot of people in here who are very serious about this.

It's just funny because it looks like most of you guys are really interested in bodybuilding, as opposed to "men's health cover boy body", which is actually the opposite of most guys i know in real life.
Click to expand...

When people in this thread define a "beginner", it's something like this: If you do a linear beginner's program* and come to a point where you can no longer add weight to the bar every workout, you stop being a beginner and become an intermediate lifter. So you are still a beginner because you have yet to get everything you can out of a linear program (or even start one).

*A linear beginner's program is one where you lift a little bit heavier every time you work out. Like Starting Strength.

Also, those guys you see on the cover of Men's Health didn't get to where they are by starting out with lots of small isolation exercises. They had to squat and deadlift for years to become strong, and THEN start fine-tuning.
 
V

velociraptor

Junior Member
sphinx said:
Well today was 65 kgs/143 lbs on bench and it went as good as it could have been, considering it was the first time and no spotter. A couple of bad half-reps but an otherwise o.k 5x3 first attempt.

I just realized I may have nearly lifted my own weight today because I have always counted my weight with clothes as the official one but I shouldn't count those extra 2 or 3 pounds right? it's not like the shirt and the shoes help me lift anything.

these are my numbers as of today.

(Deadlift missing because it needs work, it's been a very rocky road with the DL...)

lifts_zps2dc6945b.jpg
Click to expand...
What website is that?
 
C

Cooter

Lacks the power of instantaneous movement
There's been an influx of strong dudes at my gym. They train differently though so it's hard to really get a handle on exactly how powerful they are. Guy did 225 8 times in a push press over his head. Being that I do a strict OHP with as little movement as possible I have no idea where I compare to these guys who are swinging and using momentum to get their lifts up. They are built like a house though so I know they are strong.
 
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