[redbeard]

LIFTER'S LOUNGE



I've wanted to have a thread like this for a while. There are fitness posts dropped into the regular forum lounge, but they often get buried among the hundreds of conversations going on there.

The lifestyle lounge exists...but it's barely used and should be more focused on building your lifestyle/bankroll up.

So, use this as an area to post your random gym/fitness/weightlifting thoughts that don't merit their own thread.

I'll start:

I started doing grip training this week. I think my forearms are really disproportionate to the rest of my body and I want them to get bigger. I also think the added strength will help at my job. I've started doing some grip workouts Hulse suggested and in a few weeks I think I'll graduate to these.

Right now I'm researching diet because my eating has been sporadic for years and I want to slim down. Now that I have a full-time job I can make a regimented diet, do meal prep on Sunday, and eat clean all week.

[thedavidgt]

Great idea

Looking to do some neck training soon, ordered a harness off amazon yesterday.

My head is disproportionally large compared to my body, hopefully getting a thicker neck can remedy this a little.

[Foolsgo1d]

If you want thicker arms, including forearms you need to get more pulling movements into your workouts,

[Ensam]

For grip training switch from using an alternate grip to double overhand on the deadlift for as much weight as you can handle. After a while your grip will catch up with your maxes and you should be able to double overhand 80-90% of a one rep max. Personally I switch to a hook grip when I go for my maxes because it's pretty similar to a straight overhand grip.

Recently I did a 6 week regimen of box squats while I was rehabbing from an injury. I came back to full ATG squats the other day and my form is on another level. My entire posterior chain is now super stable. It got rid of my butt wink and stabilized my back.

[TheMan]

Good Idea Mate

here is a great exercise map to help get some people started.
Just click on the part that you wish to workout.

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/MMale.html

[Monty_Brogan]

Quote:

I think my forearms are really disproportionate to the rest of my body and I want them to get bigger

I suggest one of these bad boys for a killer forearm workout:

http://www.amazon.com/GoFit-GF-WFB-Wrist...rm+blaster

[redbeard]

@ensam can you elaborate more on:

"Recently I did a 6 week regimen of box squats while I was rehabbing from an injury. I came back to full ATG squats the other day and my form is on another level."

I'm still coming back from an injury and haven't been pushing it too much on the squats due to limited mobility. this routine you did sounds right up my alley.

[Cyr]

(08-07-2014 03:39 PM)redbeard Wrote:  

LIFTER'S LOUNGE



I've wanted to have a thread like this for a while. There are fitness posts dropped into the regular forum lounge, but they often get buried among the hundreds of conversations going on there.

The lifestyle lounge exists...but it's barely used and should be more focused on building your lifestyle/bankroll up.

So, use this as an area to post your random gym/fitness/weightlifting thoughts that don't merit their own thread.

I'll start:

I started doing grip training this week. I think my forearms are really disproportionate to the rest of my body and I want them to get bigger. I also think the added strength will help at my job. I've started doing some grip workouts Hulse suggested and in a few weeks I think I'll graduate to these.

Right now I'm researching diet because my eating has been sporadic for years and I want to slim down. Now that I have a full-time job I can make a regimented diet, do meal prep on Sunday, and eat clean all week.

Have you looked into fatgripz? They give you a thicker bar to work with and provide an intense forearm workout. Ive been using them for a month and my forearms have noticeably grown.
http://www.dangerandplay.com/2012/10/08/...z-extreme/

[Ensam]

(08-07-2014 05:51 PM)redbeard Wrote:  

@ensam can you elaborate more on:

"Recently I did a 6 week regimen of box squats while I was rehabbing from an injury. I came back to full ATG squats the other day and my form is on another level."

I'm still coming back from an injury and haven't been pushing it too much on the squats due to limited mobility. this routine you did sounds right up my alley.

I had an injury which was likely caused by lack of mobility. I laid off squatting entirely for 12 weeks and did a lot of stretching and deep tissue massage. Then I started squatting on a box right at parallel. The first week I put down some foam pads so I had a bit of a signal before my butt hit the box. The goal was to squat so that I just kissed the box before firing back up. Then over the course of a few weeks I took of the foam pads and lowered the box gradually. Eventually I got it well below parallel and ditched it entirely. The weights I was working with were between 135 and 225 - nothing over that. I was working with a knowledgeable trainer which helped tremendously. The things I had to work on were keeping my knees out and my weight in my heels.

[Vroom]

(08-07-2014 05:37 PM)Monty_Brogan Wrote:  

Quote:

I think my forearms are really disproportionate to the rest of my body and I want them to get bigger

I suggest one of these bad boys for a killer forearm workout:

http://www.amazon.com/GoFit-GF-WFB-Wrist...rm+blaster

I used something similar except instead of paying 20 bucks + postage, I just drilled a hole in a pipe, tied a bootlace through it and tied a weight on the other end.

[JohnKreese]

I've been making progress with my DL max, but have to get my squat up to par. Incorporated these two routines in the last few weeks. Loving (hating) it so far.

Smolov Squat Routine
http://www.seriouspowerlifting.com/3615/...at-routine

Ed Coan Deadlift Routine
http://www.seriouspowerlifting.com/3279/...ft-routine

I've mixed these with my typical CF/olympic/power lifting hybrid. So far, only a minor tweaked hammie

[JohnKreese]

(08-07-2014 03:39 PM)redbeard Wrote:  

I'll start:

I started doing grip training this week. I think my forearms are really disproportionate to the rest of my body and I want them to get bigger. I also think the added strength will help at my job. I've started doing some grip workouts Hulse suggested and in a few weeks I think I'll graduate to these.

Right now I'm researching diet because my eating has been sporadic for years and I want to slim down. Now that I have a full-time job I can make a regimented diet, do meal prep on Sunday, and eat clean all week.

As far as grip training is concerned, I have found that non-traditional/outside-the-box training has been great! Do something like toes-2-bar and notice how quickly your forearms tire before your abs do. Same with any hanging exercise.

[Tiguere]

I've been starting a couple of workouts a week with half deadlifts. You can do an insane amount of weight with half deads and it sets the tone for the rest of my workout. I feel like a beast after I do them.

Maybe it's just the positive feedback loop, but I tend to have better workouts after 4-5 heavy sets.

[RexImperator]

Anyone doing reverse hyperextensions to help with their back squat form? I do have some butt wink when I squat.

^^^ was thinking of posting that in the ass thread but why not kill two birds with one stone...

[weambulance]

^ You mean rack pulls or starting on the ground?

I've been considering rack pulls and holds, but really I'm better off doing deficit deadlifts because if I can get the bar up 2-3 inches it's coming all the way up. If I ever fail it's right off the ground.

[davyjose]

(08-07-2014 04:14 PM)thedavidgt Wrote:  

Great idea

Looking to do some neck training soon, ordered a harness off amazon yesterday.

My head is disproportionally large compared to my body, hopefully getting a thicker neck can remedy this a little.

Hey man,

I'm in the same boat with my neck.

Got a link for that harness?

[TheFinalEpic]

(08-07-2014 09:19 PM)JohnKreese Wrote:  

I've been making progress with my DL max, but have to get my squat up to par. Incorporated these two routines in the last few weeks. Loving (hating) it so far.

Smolov Squat Routine
http://www.seriouspowerlifting.com/3615/...at-routine

Ed Coan Deadlift Routine
http://www.seriouspowerlifting.com/3279/...ft-routine

I've mixed these with my typical CF/olympic/power lifting hybrid. So far, only a minor tweaked hammie

With my experience in smolov, focus solely on one routine for a cycle and then switch. They are specialized routines for a reason and combining them will yield less than optimal results. Remember, deadlift and squat both incorporate large portions of the posterior chain, and overlapping them generally causes you to burn out quicker. Could you post your routine if you don't mind? Maybe you're splitting them up well enough to promote gains. (I used to oly lift and squat 4 times a week, I'd be interested to see a fellow weightlifters routine)

[thedavidgt]

(08-07-2014 10:56 PM)davyjose Wrote:  

(08-07-2014 04:14 PM)thedavidgt Wrote:  

Great idea

Looking to do some neck training soon, ordered a harness off amazon yesterday.

My head is disproportionally large compared to my body, hopefully getting a thicker neck can remedy this a little.

Hey man,

I'm in the same boat with my neck.

Got a link for that harness?

http://www.amazon.com/Body-Solid-MA307N-...28-6994816

[Roosh]

Anyone doing relatively high reps around the 10 range?

I've been doing 5x5 for a while, but injury in squat and deadlift is holding me back. I'm trying 10x3 now with 90 second rests.

[redbeard]

if I increase to high rep I'll do the reps much slower.

the count is either slowly both ways, say four seconds each, or explosive style, six negative one positive. these techniques are great for busting through plateaus, building form, or if you're bored.

mikeCF talks about his slow leg presses a lot. I can vouch that they work.

[thedavidgt]

Just out of curiosity, aside from Mike, is anybody else very experienced in lifting? (3+ years, good physique or strong lifts etc)

It would be helpful to know who to consider a real authority and whose opinions to take with a grain of salt.

[Ensam]

(08-08-2014 05:36 PM)Roosh Wrote:  

Anyone doing relatively high reps around the 10 range?

I've been doing 5x5 for a while, but injury in squat and deadlift is holding me back. I'm trying 10x3 now with 90 second rests.

I do high reps two days a week and go heavy three days a week. Go slow and focus on form. I use the high rep days as a time to learn my body. When the reps get sloppy I do a drop set with perfect form for 20 reps (or as many as I can do before the form slips).

High rep days are 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps @ 50-60% of my one rep max.

Also, I don't do high reps of deadlifts. Instead I do 4x12 glute ham raises.

[Saweeep]

(08-08-2014 05:36 PM)Roosh Wrote:  

Anyone doing relatively high reps around the 10 range?

I've been doing 5x5 for a while, but injury in squat and deadlift is holding me back. I'm trying 10x3 now with 90 second rests.

It really helps to switch up your routines every 8-12 weeks.

There's also nothing wrong at all with high rep training once you have a good strength base.

An old maxim an ageing bodybuilder once said to me; something that I think applies to you right now is:

"always listen to your body"

Yours is telling you to take it easy on the heavies for a cycle.

[The Reactionary Tree]

@Roosh I am doing a 5x5 style workout but I just got back into working out recently. Usually main exercises I do 5x5: squats, military press, bench press, close grip bench, bent over rows. for deadlifts i actually perform 10 single reps. I find my one rep max for the day, then I end up doing 10 single reps of around 85% of my one rep max.

[LeBeau]

For the guys looking to do more neck training, have you considered head bridges or headstands?

My neck has definitely gotten thicker doing these, and it works other muscles in that area as well.

I have some links if people are interested.