[Veloce]

My gym is full of retards. I might have to start doing a weekly video series.

Trainers on massive gear, with pronounced gyno and acne-wrecked faces, who get new members doing weird shit on yoga balls? Check

skinny weakling dudes doing cardio? Check

Fat chick in background doing arm curls? Check

Dudes doing deadlifts in the smith and bouncing the barbell off the ground? Double check

There are a few dudes who are solid and know their shit. They make up about 1% of my gym

[cool]

There is a crossfit room at my gym. This past week i was in there doing deadlifts. Two guys were doing a crossfit circuit which included doing a half jump half pullup type movement.

I was between sets watching. All you need to dismiss crossfit is to watch someone do their wod.

[Hencredible Casanova]

Ditto Ensam's post. We have the same numbers. No belts, straps, identical OH grip with both hands though. Been doing calisthenics lately though. My massage therapist been encouraging me to stretcha lot more. That and drinking a ton of water everday

[RexImperator]

^^^those are pretty much my goal numbers...how long did it take you to reach them?

[WesternCancer]

Nothing

I hurt my back in the summer and my DL never got back up. I could barely move 365 when a few months prior I nearly hit 455 (technically not a real lift since I hitched it), squatted 350, OHP 145(push pressed 185), got my bench up to an alright # (185 when I couldn't crack 115 months prior).

Above everything though I just lost the motivation to lift heavy all the time. Lifting is way more mental than one might realize. Once I get set up in a new city I'll start all over again with a round of starting strength.

Right now I've been doing convict conditioning. (or at least trying to hit the standards of every level). I'm liking the high reps and am getting way more volume in (at the gym you lift for 45 minutes then leave, now I'm pounding out pushups whenever I'm bored)

[Hencredible Casanova]

For squats and deadlifts, maybe three months (?). Not too sure as I wasn't measuring my progress. I just followed a good diet and did the compound exercises 2-3x week, increasing gradually, but also knowing when to rest for growth. My goal was never to get as big as possible and I'm comfortable where I'm at right now. A lot of my friends have gotten injured pretty bad because they let their egos get the best of them.

I've always had a bench from 245-295, around the lower number right now. I started strength training in high school and stayed working out all through college, so I always had a foundation even when, at 25 yrs old a few years ago, I stepped away from the gym for a while because I let my other responsibilities take over. Been back at it again now though, but physically, my prime was actually high school haha.

[Ziltoid]

Thinking about replacing traditional deadlifts/squats with a trap bar, anyone have any experience with them?

[Veloce]

Mad respect for you guys that can do heavy OH press. For me, that's the lift that feels the most impossible, if you know what I mean. I've rechecked my form a million times and I think it's solid, got my elbows in front of the bar, I just went 30 years without doing any strenuous upper body exercise and now I'm paying for it. The heaviest I've done for reps is 135 so I could probably do a 1rm of 145 or so. For a bodyweight of 215 that's pretty sad but progress is progress I guess...

I've deloaded on a few but these are my max weights for reps:
Squat 255
Bench 195
Row 175
Oh Press 135
DL 325

1rm on some of these are prob higher but I've never bothered to figure it out. My goals are Ensam's stats more or less, I'll be happy when I can crank out 225 bench 315 squat and 405 dl for reps. At that point I might do some crossfit to shed some bodyfat and get that 6 pack I've heard girls like so much because god knows we're all doing it for the girls.

[Agastya]

Yesterday's chest day:
DB bench 70's 5 sets of 6 reps
Decline db bench 65's 3 sets of 8 reps
Incline DB bench 50's 3 sets of 8 reps

If I'm DB benching 70's, how much would I be pressing if I used a barbell? I'm aware that DB bench is, generally speaking, a better and more isolationist exercise than barbell bench, which is largely why I never weaned myself off of dumbbell press. I don't really plan on using the barbell, but I'm curious as to what I might put up.

Also, would you guys recommend hex bar deadlift? I have long arms and legs but a short torso, so I find regular BB deadlift very awkward to perform.

[WanderingSoul]

(12-22-2013 12:28 AM)Agastya Wrote:  

Yesterday's chest day:
DB bench 70's 5 sets of 6 reps
Decline db bench 65's 3 sets of 8 reps
Incline DB bench 50's 3 sets of 8 reps

If I'm DB benching 70's, how much would I be pressing if I used a barbell? I'm aware that DB bench is, generally speaking, a better and more isolationist exercise than barbell bench, which is largely why I never weaned myself off of dumbbell press. I don't really plan on using the barbell, but I'm curious as to what I might put up.

Also, would you guys recommend hex bar deadlift? I have long arms and legs but a short torso, so I find regular BB deadlift very awkward to perform.

I don't know, but db bench isn't a better exercise than bb bench. Maybe better for building your chest, but that doesn't make it a better exercise. Barbell bench is the cornerstone upper body lift for a reason. You can use significantly more weight with a barbell thus building strength and power much quicker.

If I were you if make bb bench your main exercise on chest day, and use db for your assistance. I wouldn't be surprised if your assistance exercises go up much quicker after switching to barbell bench.

[Showtime21]

Do belts and strap help with muscle gains since more weight equals more muscle? Never used them befor

[birdrussell]

(12-22-2013 06:20 AM)Showtime21 Wrote:  

Do belts and strap help with muscle gains since more weight equals more muscle? Never used them befor

I don't use belts simply because I don't feel like they do much for me and I was doing 455 squats at one time. I like estraps to really push the limit of various BB snd DB lifts but remember that it comes at a price. The difference between my best straped/unstrapped deadlift is about 20 lbs but in those wieghts that's kind of a big deal. the differencee between my best strapped/unstrapped shrug is about 100. Alright, right? Well kind of. When you use the strap what you are doing is eliminating your forearm. Sometimes it's good to put all that weight on a targeted muscel group but don't do it all the time because you're stealing from yourself, your forearms and your grip/hands. Often I'll throw a SR max at the end of my big lifts with the straps on. That way I get the best of both worlds, but hey man it's your lift. hope this was informative.

[The Lizard of Oz]

(12-21-2013 08:10 PM)Ziltoid Wrote:  

Thinking about replacing traditional deadlifts/squats with a trap bar, anyone have any experience with them?

Ziltoid, have you tried doing dumbbell deadlifts? You might find them a better alternative to traditional DLs/squats than using a trap bar. They're a great exercise. The following is the best demo I could find on youtube as far as form goes:

What you want to do is go a little deeper than this guy goes and stay back more/not lean forward quite as much. Just always make sure you're going back a little when you're coming up.

It's an excellent exercise in many ways and I've always found it to be more cardio-intensive than any other weight training exercise -- my heart is beating like crazy at the end of a good set of these.

Check them out and see if you like them.

[Ensam]

(12-22-2013 06:20 AM)Showtime21 Wrote:  

Do belts and strap help with muscle gains since more weight equals more muscle? Never used them befor

There are a few reasons to use straps and belts. The most common is that people just want to lift the most weight possible for their own reasons. This is why there're things like bench shirts and squat suits.

Some people use straps and belts when working through an injury. If you've hurt your back or forearms you can still keep your other muscles strong by using straps/bands/whatever to work aroundyour injury.

The final reason is that sometimes there's a weakness in a compound movement, like the clean, that can be corrected by doing heavier deadlifts or rack pulls than your grip can accommodate.

Personally I prefer not to use it unless there's a specific goal I'm working towards that requires it. I would like to lift more weight, but only for my own sake. I'm not competing so there's no time crunch to get my numbers up fast. Also if not using straps and belts to train takes 20 lbs off my maxes I'm not going to be too broken up about it. I'd much rather develop the ancillary forearm and grip strength - it's far more useful in my daily life.

[Veloce]

(12-22-2013 11:11 AM)Ensam Wrote:  

I'd much rather develop the ancillary forearm and grip strength - it's far more useful in my daily life.

This right here. You'll hear guys talking about grip strength failing before anything else, hence the straps. Not denying that, but on a philosophical level I like compounds for the very reason that they work the full range of your musculature. That includes grip strength and forearms.

[RexImperator]

(12-22-2013 01:52 AM)RioNomad Wrote:  

I don't know, but db bench isn't a better exercise than bb bench. Maybe better for building your chest, but that doesn't make it a better exercise. Barbell bench is the cornerstone upper body lift for a reason. You can use significantly more weight with a barbell thus building strength and power much quicker.

I've read in a few places that DB bench presses are actually healthier for your shoulders, because they allow for a fuller range of motion. I'm guessing that probably doesn't come into play until you've progressed past the novice and intermediate stage and have been lifting for years.

[velkrum]

(12-22-2013 05:10 PM)RexImperator Wrote:  

I've read in a few places that DB bench presses are actually healthier for your shoulders, because they allow for a fuller range of motion.

False...greater range of motion means greater potential for injury.
Dumbbells are not kind to people with long arms.

[cool]

(12-22-2013 09:57 AM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  

(12-21-2013 08:10 PM)Ziltoid Wrote:  

Thinking about replacing traditional deadlifts/squats with a trap bar, anyone have any experience with them?

Ziltoid, have you tried doing dumbbell deadlifts? You might find them a better alternative to traditional DLs/squats than using a trap bar. They're a great exercise. The following is the best demo I could find on youtube as far as form goes:

What you want to do is go a little deeper than this guy goes and stay back more/not lean forward quite as much. Just always make sure you're going back a little when you're coming up.

It's an excellent exercise in many ways and I've always found it to be more cardio-intensive than any other weight training exercise -- my heart is beating like crazy at the end of a good set of these.

Check them out and see if you like them.

Problem with DB deadlifts is finding dumbbells that challenge you. Most gyms only go up to 100lb DBs. I think it would be a good movement for weighted cardio however.

[WanderingSoul]

(12-22-2013 05:10 PM)RexImperator Wrote:  

(12-22-2013 01:52 AM)RioNomad Wrote:  

I don't know, but db bench isn't a better exercise than bb bench. Maybe better for building your chest, but that doesn't make it a better exercise. Barbell bench is the cornerstone upper body lift for a reason. You can use significantly more weight with a barbell thus building strength and power much quicker.

I've read in a few places that DB bench presses are actually healthier for your shoulders, because they allow for a fuller range of motion. I'm guessing that probably doesn't come into play until you've progressed past the novice and intermediate stage and have been lifting for years.

I've read the opposite. Not sure which is true, but I know sometimes doing incline db fucks with my left shoulder.

[Mentavious]

Trying to round my shoulders out but I'm having problem with the back of my shoulders (sorry but Anatomy class was 6 eats ago) so can anyone advice me on a few workouts?

I'm picking up some steam doing over head press. I can't believe I forgot about them.

[Bushido]

Aren't belts primarily used for spinal safety? Why would you go without them for heavy sets?

[velkrum]

(12-23-2013 12:46 AM)dreambig Wrote:  

Aren't belts primarily used for spinal safety? Why would you go without them for heavy sets?

Belts are used for abdominal support while executing the valsalva maneuver. (you are suppose to take a deep breath; hold it and push your abs against the belt)

They UN-intentially provide support for the lumbar disks but that is not what they are designed for.

Belts also alter technique and change which muscles are affected during lifting.

People use belts for heavy sets because their core is the weakest link on a specific lift with a specific weight. A belt is no longer necessary once the core is strengthened for that particular lift/weight.

[scorpion]

Anyone who isn't using a belt when squatting their heavy work sets isn't going to be lifting long-term. It just takes one small break in your technique with heavy weight on your shoulders to fuck your lower back up real good.

Not using a weight belt because it "strengthens your core" is sort of like not using an oven mitt when pulling a pan out of a 400 degree oven because it "strengthens your hand".

Don't be fucking stupid. No one else is going to protect your body, you have to do it yourself. Also, no one else gives a shit about how strong your core is, and frankly, I bet you don't either. But you'd certainly give a shit if the discs in your lower back are fucked up and you can't even squat two plates without massive pain.

This does not mean you need to wear a belt on every set. But if you're starting to squat heavy weight and are pushing yourself hard on those last few reps like you should be, you NEED the support of the belt. There's a reason that the vast majority of strongmen, powerlifters and bodybuilders use belts when they are going heavy. It's not just for the look, and it's not because they have "weak cores". It's because they want to be in the game long-term, and they realize that the belt is helpful in this regard.

[The Lizard of Oz]

(12-22-2013 05:30 PM)cool Wrote:  

(12-22-2013 09:57 AM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  

(12-21-2013 08:10 PM)Ziltoid Wrote:  

Thinking about replacing traditional deadlifts/squats with a trap bar, anyone have any experience with them?

Ziltoid, have you tried doing dumbbell deadlifts? You might find them a better alternative to traditional DLs/squats than using a trap bar. They're a great exercise. The following is the best demo I could find on youtube as far as form goes:

What you want to do is go a little deeper than this guy goes and stay back more/not lean forward quite as much. Just always make sure you're going back a little when you're coming up.

It's an excellent exercise in many ways and I've always found it to be more cardio-intensive than any other weight training exercise -- my heart is beating like crazy at the end of a good set of these.

Check them out and see if you like them.

Problem with DB deadlifts is finding dumbbells that challenge you. Most gyms only go up to 100lb DBs. I think it would be a good movement for weighted cardio however.

cool, it depends on how much you weigh / how strong you are, obviously, but I've seen guys who are quite strong plenty challenged to execute sets of 8-10 reps of dumbbell DLs with 100lb dumbbells with perfect form (perfect form being the key). It's taxing for your core, your grip and pretty much your whole body to get up and down with strict form never leaning forward too much. I agree that there is a ceiling and you don't want to have it as your primary compound motion for too long. But if someone is looking to change things up for a while like Ziltoid was saying, I think it's an excellent exercise to try out.

[betterthanyou]

I'm going to switch to calisthenics for 30 days. I've been putting up higher numbers on squat/bench/deadlift but I'm getting stronger and weaker at the same time if anyone has ever experienced this. As in heavier weight going up but my body feels like its breaking down, certain joints (shoulders, knees) have pain that I've never felt before.