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Fitness |OT9|...You looked better before

F

FuuRe

Member
Psychotext said:
Did you not adjust your intake to compensate? Everyone gets plateaus, but 2 months tells me that you just tried to stick to what had been working for you, rather than adjusting.
Click to expand...

tbh I started dieting without too much knowledge, didn't even know plateaus were common, so I kept on my then ongoing plan (eating less and hitting the gym) out of ignorance
 
I

Ivan A Nguyen

Member
I have thick ass legs and I don't want to do squats anymore. Any advice for a plan that focuses on just upper body? I know it isn't balanced but I'm tired of my meaty thighs and I want to get that big ole chest.
 
B

BumRush

Member
mdsfx said:
Awesome! Congratulations! Is this #2?

I was a wreck for my first. I could hardly eat I was so worried/anxious. With the second I was eating pizza in the room lol
Click to expand...

Yep! And lol, same. Feels SO different. Amazing but different.

Thanks all! Much appreciated.
 
D

Dead Prince

Banned
First day of W3 was so a fail. Left phone at home.squats were terrible but I done it but when I got to deadlift I didnt know what the set rep and weight I had to do lol.
 
S

Szu

Member
BumRush said:
Bum's a daddy again! :)

Mom and baby doing great!
Click to expand...

Great news!!!

0mE7o.gif
 
K

KillerBEA

Member
Ivan A Nguyen said:
I have thick ass legs and I don't want to do squats anymore. Any advice for a plan that focuses on just upper body? I know it isn't balanced but I'm tired of my meaty thighs and I want to get that big ole chest.
Click to expand...

Most if not all good plans that you find will have both.

You could use a template/progression schematic like the Texas Method, Juggernaut Method, 5/3/1 and use a few upperbody barbell lifts and fill in with accessory work.

So an example would be.
Monday:
Overhead Press 5/3/1
Pause Bench 5 x 3
Shrugs 3 x 10
Row Variation 3 x 10 & 1 x 20+
Dumbbell Overhead Press 3 x 10 & 1 x 3+
Incline Plate Press 3 x 20+
Bicep Curl Variations 80 reps total

Wedensday:
Bench Press 5/3/1
Overhead Press 3 x Amrap
Shrugs 3 x 10
Row Variation 3 x 10 & 1 x 20+
Dumbbell Overhead Press 3 x 10 & 1 x 3+
Plate Press 3 x 20+
Tricep Extension Variations 80 reps total

Friday:
Incline Bench Press 5/3/1
Pause Bench 5 x 3
Shrugs 3 x 10
Row Variation 3 x 10 & 1 x 20+
Dumbbell Incline Bench Press 3 x 10 & 1 x 3+
Incline Plate Press 3 x 20+
Bicep Curl Variations 80 reps total

Pause Bench, Pause in the bottom but don't rest it, support it with your muscles. This increase time under tension and forces your muscles to fire harder instead of relying on stretch reflex.

Don't be afraid to get a LITTLE sloppy with shrugs but don't go overboard with it. Also go heavy. Traps respond well to heavy weight and a good stretch.

For Plate Presses make sure to squeeze really hard. I use 25 lb plates atm for 25 - 30 reps per set. Anything lighter is a waste of time imo.

The 4th set on the 3 Dumbbell Presses is as many reps as possible. You choose the weight based on your goals or if you want to try for a pr. I rotate between using that set as a heavy set or a really light set to push for a pump/hypertrophy. The minimum is 3 reps to allow for a variety of rep ranges to be used.

4th set on Row variation is a minimum of 20 reps for the pump.

For the arm work pick 2 exercises and just get 80 total reps between them. Record your weights and try to beat your total poundage each week (reps x weight). I have been using Deficit curls and Preacher curls for this.

Overhead press 3 x amrap, just do 3 sets with a given weight. All 3 sets should be just short of failure. No set reps to hit just make it 3 hard sets. I aim for sets of 5, you could aim for sets 8 if you want. When I did this on Thursday I went 1st set 7 reps, 2nd set 5 reps, and 3rd set 4 reps. Each set was super close to failure but didn't actually hit failure.

This is similar (condensed) to what I am doing right now and this is the most upperbody gains I have seen in a while. I use a different scheme for the barbell lifts but I would have insane time putting it into words and making it understandable.
 
P

Psychotext

Member
I assume you're not using much rest for all the stuff that isn't 5/3/1? I ask mostly because I know how long the 5/3/1 part can take with 3 minute rest periods (let alone if you use 5 minutes), and that looks like a LOT of time when you factor in all those other lifts.

(I'm actually tempted to drop all my lower body work later in the year / before my events as it gets in the way of my cycling training)
 
K

KillerBEA

Member
Psychotext said:
I assume you're not using much rest for all the stuff that isn't 5/3/1? I ask mostly because I know how long the 5/3/1 part can take with 3 minute rest periods (let alone if you use 5 minutes), and that looks like a LOT of time when you factor in all those other lifts.

(I'm actually tempted to drop all my lower body work later in the year / before my events as it gets in the way of my cycling training)
Click to expand...
Considering I do my lowerbody stuff after my upperbody stuff I just go when ready for everything besides my main strength work or i would be there forever. Some sessions end up being 2.5 hrs if i get through everything. Today i skipped a few things because i just wasnt up to it. Sometimes i just do 1 all in set for the extra stuff to save time or i am just not that into it.

Like the other day i didnt feel like doing 3 sets of 10 with 325lbs for Shrugs so i just did 315 for maximum reps and went onto the next thing.

I do get bored doing my exact current setup but it certainly is effective.
 
K

KillerBEA

Member
My current workouts are more like:

OHP/ Flat Bench/ Close Grip Bench/ Incline DB Bench
Pause Bench / OHP / Pause Bench / OHP
Shrugs
Above the knee Rack Pulls (If I feel up to it, this is optional)
DB OHP / DB Flat Bench
Incline Plate Press / Plate Press
Rows
Curls
Glute Bridge
Leg Curl
Leg Press
Leg Extension
Abductor
Back Extensions

Order can change depending if someone is hogging equipment or not... like I said this can get dull. but my traps, glutes, and chest really like this set up.

I workout everyother day and have a 2 days rest before each cycle begins.
 
mdsfx

mdsfx

Member
Feck. That was a week from hell. Felt like the flu + bronchitis. I'm at about 75-80% now. Definitely showing up for the indoor tri tomorrow. Will probably turtle my way through the swim though.

Haven't lifted in over a week! That's changing Monday.
 
K

Kieli

Member
Been reading that it's better to not train a body part more than once a week. E.g. no need to benchpress x 3, as it gives you better recovery. Also read that you should keep the workout to less than 1 hour, otherwise you'll start to build up the catabolic hormone cortisol.

My workout consists of 3x week, but training upper body + core + lower body + aerobic exercises. Usually takes me ~1.5 - 2 hours to finish. Wonder if I'm doing too much?
 
P

Psychotext

Member
If that was true, half the lifters here wouldn't have had any progress at all. Also, if I only spent three hours a week training, I'd look utterly awful.

That said you can definitely go too far with high intensity work.
 
S

SilentSoldier

Member
lol, all my workouts are at least 2 hours long which includes warm up reps, stretching, and a bit of cardio at the end. I try to find ways to cut time, but that means cutting out exercises, and I'm not about that. Time is super critical for me because of rotations, but dammit, I don't want to take out anything.
 
R

Randolph Freelander

Member
Kieli said:
Been reading that it's better to not train a body part more than once a week. E.g. no need to benchpress x 3, as it gives you better recovery. Also read that you should keep the workout to less than 1 hour, otherwise you'll start to build up the catabolic hormone cortisol.

My workout consists of 3x week, but training upper body + core + lower body + aerobic exercises. Usually takes me ~1.5 - 2 hours to finish. Wonder if I'm doing too much?
Click to expand...

Bro Science Weekly?
 
S

StrawberryJam

Member
Hey guys was just looking for some advice.

I've got a history of knee problems (ACL tear) which has affected my exercise and my motivation is pretty low as of right now. I used to do yoga most days of the week but I'm looking for something to do alongside that, cos after years of doing it I'm starting to get a little bored of it.

Have any of you guys experienced a similar injury that you've had to work around? If so, how did you tackle it? Would something like a knee brace be helpful when training?

Also, are there any good online resources for programs to follow?

Sorry for the million questions here. Any answers are much, much appreciated!
 
K

KillerBEA

Member
Kieli said:
Been reading that it's better to not train a body part more than once a week. E.g. no need to benchpress x 3, as it gives you better recovery. Also read that you should keep the workout to less than 1 hour, otherwise you'll start to build up the catabolic hormone cortisol.

My workout consists of 3x week, but training upper body + core + lower body + aerobic exercises. Usually takes me ~1.5 - 2 hours to finish. Wonder if I'm doing too much?
Click to expand...

Yeah I would avoid whatever site wrote that body part splits are better as they are inferior.

Higher frequency means extended muscle protein synthesis, which means more gains. Less work on that muscle per day but it's stretched out over several days. This is essential for natural trainees as they don't have artificially extended muscle protein synthesis like steroid users do.

The less than an hour is not a hard fact. You don't automatically get a huge cortisol spike after 1 hour. It's more about the fact of the amount of volume and the level of intensity that you are accumulating in your workout rather than the time itself.

As long as you are getting enough sleep and eating right/enough it won't be much of an issue. You recovery is probably really good since 4 out of 7 days you're not training. So don't sweat it too much.
 
mdsfx

mdsfx

Member
Indoor triathlon #3 was a success, even though my lungs are still recovering.

I glided through the swim and turtled right by the others gasping for air 5 minutes in. I didn't even care about time. I kept my cadence high on the bike and hit 10 miles at the 30 minute mark. Running is where my lungs really held me back. Got through 2.65 miles in 20 minutes and I know I could do way better than that, but my lungs were on fire and I started hacking.

Overall I'm glad I even showed up, but mostly happy that I conquered the excitement/anxiety during the swim.
 
P

Psychotext

Member
mdsfx said:
Thanks. You were in my head all week lol, "you'll be fine by next Sunday, you'll be fine by next Sunday..." I'm at about 75-80% so close enough!
Click to expand...

Psychologically sometimes it's worth gutting it out. There will always be harder days, and knowing you manned the fuck up and got on with it can do wonders for you in the future when you're feeling low.

I still draw on some of my hardest ever events to say to myself "this is fucking nothing, get on with it".

I'm also known to shout at myself when I'm particularly struggling. lol. Thankfully no-one has ever been around to notice yet. :D
 
A

Aurongel

Member
Many of the stories in this thread are inspiring to say the least, thank you to those that shared them.

Regarding jogging on a treadmill, is there any sort of way to minimize or eliminate side cramps when jogging? I was told breathing patterns can help with this but my 3x inhale 2x exhale technique doesn't seem to eliminate it entirely.
 
P

Psychotext

Member
The short answer is "get fitter". I used to cramp all the time... I haven't had one in literally years now. Thank god, because the last major cramp I had played a part in my DVT.

There's a degree of nutrition / hydration that comes into it... but all the stuff relating to eating bananas etc is broscience.
 
N

Natural

Member
ACE 1991 said:
Since your bench is pretty ludicrous, any general barbell bench tips? I'm sitting at about 190 x 5 and my #1 goal this year is to hit 225lb for 2+ reps by the end of the year. I'm 5'8'' 173lb.
Click to expand...

How often are you benching a week in your program?

In terms of tips, beside your technique I can suggest what I did at the start really in terms of actual lifting.. I'd always try to increase the weight where possible, so say my max was 1x5 70kg - after warming up with the bar etc, i'd do 1x5 50kg, 1x5 60kg, attempt 1x3-5 72.5kg. If I couldn't get 72.5kg for the full 5, next set i'd drop and do 1x5 for 60kg again. But at least with that attempt at 72.5kg I know how heavy the bar is for the lift at that weight. So i'd do the same setup until I do hit 72.5kg for 5, then next time I do bench i'd increase my set weights, so 1x5 50 kg -> 1x5 55kg, 1x5 60kg -> 65kg etc. I'd then try 1x5 at 75kg - then repeat the process.

I also alternated between dumbbell bench press and barbell bench press every now and then.

Having a strong upper body (back) / shoulders also helps as it gives a stable base, so as your top half gets stronger overall you should see benefits in your bench.

Like I said though I do change my routine every so often so how I trained at the start isn't how I train now so if you still find yourself stalling it might be worth changing your routine slightly.

I'm sure some of the other guys here can give some more tips/advice too and what they did to improve their lifts.

StrawberryJam said:
Hey guys was just looking for some advice.

I've got a history of knee problems (ACL tear) which has affected my exercise and my motivation is pretty low as of right now. I used to do yoga most days of the week but I'm looking for something to do alongside that, cos after years of doing it I'm starting to get a little bored of it.

Have any of you guys experienced a similar injury that you've had to work around? If so, how did you tackle it? Would something like a knee brace be helpful when training?

Also, are there any good online resources for programs to follow?

Sorry for the million questions here. Any answers are much, much appreciated!
Click to expand...

Is it a bad tear? I did a slight tear to the ACL in my right knee at Uni playing sport. I still manage to do most leg exercises but I am always quite wary that my knee could go at any time if I go at a wrong angle etc. I get a shooting pain through my knee when I do things like squat, leg press and sometimes leg extensions. So at that point I either drop the weight drastically or stop the exercise altogether.

A knee brace/support would help but I wouldn't recommend using it all the time as you want to build the muscles around so they compensate for the injury.
 
L

Lkr

Member
what do you guys do when sick lol

i've taken two nyquils in the past 36 hours and been asleep. wake up and feel decent and first thing i wanna do is get my power OHP day going...not a good idea i imagine but im gonna need to be talked out of it

Edit: a quick Google told me that working out with a cold should be fine...hmmm
 
R

RSP

Member
FuuRe said:
You know what, fuck it

awLpMmv.jpg


I shared this on r/loseit and forgot to share it in here

2015: 215lb
2016: 233lb
2017: 170lb

I'm 5'9'' btw

Few things I learned during this transition:

- There's no way to outweigh a shitty diet (Told in here several times but I learned it the hard way)
- You can lose steadily without hitting the gym, for the most part of my weight loss I didn't go to the gym nor did any kind of exercise, and I'm not currently doing any exercise (save for some sporadic bodyweightfitness) either but I'm planning to go back to the gym in a couple months
- Track your calories with MFP (This was game changing for me) and be honest to yourself, there's no need to lie by adding less amounts of food to a tracking app
- Do keto if you can, at least for me it did wonders so I highly recommend it to everyone

And don't give up! I experienced a 2+ month plateau and that really made me want to send everything to hell, shit WILL be hard, but it's the only way.
Click to expand...

Great job!

I decided to get my GF and myself a Fitbit for her birthday. I've been using it since to track what I eat, drink and how I sleep. It became really obvious that I don't move enough (I get like 5K steps on a good day), but I think I can improve.

My goal is to lose weight, so I set a goal for a 750 cal deficit, which I adjusted to a 1000 cal deficit about a week ago. I'm down 5 Kg (11 lbs) since January 3rd, but it might be more because I didn't do a fresh weigh-in when I started. I got a Fitbit scale this weekend, so I'll be able to keep better track of my weight from now on.

Long way to go. I need to lose another 45 Kg (99 lbs). My goal is to do it in about a year. I should be able to work out some around spring. I'm currently turning my garage into a fitness area.
 
R

RSP

Member
Psychotext said:
Garage gyms are the best gyms.
Click to expand...

Too hot in the summer, too cold in the winter.

Don't really care tho, because I can use it whenever I want.

Any suggestions for a big thick fitness mat? I've been using a Yoga mat so far, but it's not really comfortable as the floor underneath is just concrete.
 
B

BobTheFork

Member
Final Stretch!

I was at 265 in January of last year and it's taken me this long to get all the way down to 208.

It dropped easy at first but to get these last 20 pounds off I had to up my workout time and cut 90% of Carbs from my diet. Lots of Yoga, walking, and upper body work. My muscle density has grown quite a bit in that time to so I don't look anything like the last time I was near this weight.

I did discover in this time I have gynecomastia and will need surgery to get rid of the rest of my moobs. I do have a genuine medical lean I can use to hopefully get that covered by insurance but I'll have to see after a consultation.
 
mdsfx

mdsfx

Member
Well this Friday I find out how shitty my swim stroke is. Scheduled an analysis where they use underwater cameras and I found out that the woman I'm scheduled with is an Olympic Silver Medalist lol.

Psychotext said:
No pressure!
SHE'S JUDGING YOU AND FINDING YOU LACKING.
Click to expand...

"Lacking" will be the nicest thing she could say. She won't even know where to start. "Are you just flailing your limbs around??"
 
I

Ivan A Nguyen

Member
KillerBEA said:
Most if not all good plans that you find will have both.

You could use a template/progression schematic like the Texas Method, Juggernaut Method, 5/3/1 and use a few upperbody barbell lifts and fill in with accessory work.

(Clip: More information than I deserve)
Click to expand...

Thank you very much!
 
E

ExplodingKetchup

Member
Week 4 day 1 of Candito went very well. I definitely needed to lower my max a couple weeks ago, otherwise today would have been impossible/blood vessel bursting level.

Kinda sad that my max has decreased, but I guess that's what happens after Smolov, since you're not doing the same volume anymore.
 
T

Teggy

Member
Finally back to 3x5 chin-ups, that felt really good. I really fattened myself up good. I'm sure I was over 210 for the first time in my life, but it's coming off slowly but surely. 205 now.
 
V

vypek

Member
I was looking to try Boost shakes for some extra calories quickly. Unfortunately looks like they have quite a strong helping of sugar :/

Guess I will probably rule that out. Gonna look around for something comparable if possible.
 
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