ATAR Notes: Forum
General Discussion => Sport => General Discussion Boards => Fitness => Topic started by: Bhootnike on December 09, 2011, 11:59:03 pm
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Does anyone train here?
If yes what are your best lifts?! And what are your routines? I'm really looking to cutting these holidays, since I've been bulking for a few months now. Become a fat shit :p anyone else trying to cut?! If so, please comment! I need a good program!
I follow Stronglifts 5x5 at the moment, really good program for strength!
My best lifts so far have been :
Squat - 110
Deadlift - 120
Overhead press : 50
Bench : 80 [ dumbell press with 30]
Bent Over rows - 60
Misc - I do lat pulldowns using a biangular machine or whatever it is., - 80
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Was hoping someone would make a thread like this :D
Those are very impressive lifts especially for someone in year 11.
Bench : 80
Incline : 60
Bent Rows : 100
Mech Flies : 75
Lat Pulldown : 100
Squats : 120
Deadlifts : 100 (stopped doing them, did my back in when I was a noob, will get back on it)
Bicep Curls (machine): 80lb
I need to stop using machines soon though. Do a bunch of other stuff for triceps, chest, legs, but cbf posting all of them out so I'll leave it at those.
You look like you've got a similar program as me, I do 5x6 stronglifts too (great for strength progress), but am mainly looking to cut atm anyway.
For cutting HIIT Cardio is great, I'll chuck my program on here when I get to my other computer :)
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Best lifts as in...single lift?
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Well those are at 6 reps (7th is usually failure)
I haven't really gone through and tried everything at one rep best lift though, gym is too crowded to go troll people like that haha
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im new to this, but why do people say to get off machines/
are free weights better?
also do you guys do any cardio, to get rid of the fat first?
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im thinking of going super cardio, to lose the 5 kilos i feel im over, then bulk
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Cutting in all honesty is 70% diet 30% exercise.
The problem is that most diets that are effective for weight loss are horrendous for muscle sparing. You can easily go lose 5kgs in 2 weeks just by crashing on V8 Juice or vegetables, but firstly you'll put it back on when you return to normal diets, and a good portion of your losses will be muscle.
What I try to do is just a combination of replacing carbs with protein intake, and reduce overall calorie intake as well.
So pretty much my only carbs are milk in the morning, and maybe like an apple or something at two, and the rest of my food is tuna, chicken, cottage cheese (night), eggs etc. Obviously when you're out with mates you can't cut out carbs, so just take that into account on a week to week basis and have days where you do go over and have carbs. You might feel guilty for it, but it'll ensure your metabolism isn't shit, and you can still enjoy yourself time to time. I've managed to cut like 15 kgs since the start of the year (gained a fuckload post VCE just mucking around for weeks on end) doing this and interval cardio. If I was more strict on diet I'd have lost a heap more.
Or you can try what Dan (enwiabe) is doing, which is having pretty much 0 carbs (I personally recommend a fibre supplement if you're going to do this otherwise you'll do nasty things in the toilet), high fat high protein intake, which puts your body into ketosis and burns fat like crazy. Downsides are it's expensive, and you will crave things like bread so much haha. It's actually worked really well for him.
For the Cardio Part, Interval training is the best I reckon, keeps your metabolism up for the rest of the day (do in the mroning as abd said), is very muscle sparing in nature, and it saves a lot of time as opposed to steady state cardio.
Weights training is also good for losing calories too, all those compound lifts get your metabolism firing, and any muscular gain you get will result to increased rest calorie burn. I'd recommend anyone starting out to try lose weight to spend a few weeks on weights with less cardio just so you get your lifts and muscle up (happens ridiculously quickly when you're starting for the first time). That will mean that you burn a heap more at rest and general fat loss will be easier.
@abd, you bb.com don't you? :P
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This may be odd joining in this convo 'coz I'm a girl...
But throughout this year I went to the gym regularly (to tone up, not bulk :P) and it was going pretty good, but now that summer is here I don't have easy access to a gym anymore.
So how do you maintain? I run like 3-4 times a week but I fear that my now-toned arms will turn to flab because I don't do the weights anymore... I don't want to gain more muscle, just don't want to lose the definition. How do you maintain whatever muscle you've gained without access to weights/machines?
Haha wow that does sound weird coming from me - I'm not a freaky body-builder chick I swear... :P
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This may be odd joining in this convo 'coz I'm a girl...
But throughout this year I went to the gym regularly (to tone up, not bulk :P) and it was going pretty good, but now that summer is here I don't have easy access to a gym anymore.
So how do you maintain? I run like 3-4 times a week but I fear that my now-toned arms will turn to flab because I don't do the weights anymore... I don't want to gain more muscle, just don't want to lose the definition. How do you maintain whatever muscle you've gained without access to weights/machines?
Haha wow that does sound weird coming from me - I'm not a freaky body-builder chick I swear... :P
(http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT9K36UQi00OJy2Mz4jP2kuVySkAP-fjqXTTcq8AU6rnox65FUEJ_m2rFAPmA)
Wattup 1/cos(c).
Well, first of all, gaining muscle is actually quite good in general, it increases metabolic process/makes your muscles more defined etcetc. So don't be afraid of gaining a little bit of muscle.
Uhm, as for your question.. Everyone actually has 'weights'. Get two 2L milk cartons, fill them up with water.. and bam, that's like 2kg of weight right there! Ghetto it up!
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Muscle doesn't just turn to fat, that's a myth haha. It's more just losing muscle due to lack of weights and gaining fat due to bad eating.
For triceps centred pushups should help you maintain (like normal pushups but arms centred together rather than spread apart.
aand for biceps just like two 5lb dumbells (very cheap), or what I use at home are 7.5 kg rice bags (can fit two on each hand) :P If you are able to do pull ups, then you can do that at a local park and that will work your biceps as well.
There's quite a few things you can do to maintain muscle at home/at a park, especially if you haven't been doing heavy weights. Pushups, squats, lunges, dips, situps (can hold heavy things whilst doing them too) all come to mind as well.
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Was hoping someone would make a thread like this :D
Those are very impressive lifts especially for someone in year 11.
Thanks haha, wish I had more on the bench tho, a lot of my friends can do 100 +, but at the same time there lower body and back are weak!
You look like you've got a similar program as me, I do 5x6 stronglifts too (great for strength progress), but am mainly looking to cut atm anyway.
For cutting HIIT Cardio is great, I'll chuck my program on here when I get to my other computer :)
Yay :) I'm not alone!
Forgot to mention cardio : I do 20 - 30 minutes 7km fast walking with bursts of 8 + 9km/h to get the intervals, and the step machine for 20 minutes,
I should do burpees too!
Best lifts as in...single lift?
Not for me, I do those for 5 sets 5 reps, however by the 5th set 3rd rep im full of lactic acid haha :p
im new to this, but why do people say to get off machines/
are free weights better?
also do you guys do any cardio, to get rid of the fat first?
" You can lift the heaviest weights using barbells. More weight is more stress, thus more muscle. Dumbbells are great for assistance exercises, but notfor your mainlifts.Stay awayfrom machines.
Safe. Machines force you into fixed, unnatural movement patterns which can cause injuries. Free weights replicate natural motions.
Efficient. Free weights force you to controland balance the weight. This builds more muscle than machines, which balance the weight for you.
Functional. Strength built on machines doesn't transfer to free weights or real life. No machine balances the weight for you in real life.
Versatile. You can do hundreds ds of exercises with just 1 barbell. Saves a lot of money and space, especially if you want to build a home gym. "
And no doing just cardio is bad. You lose muscle in the process so weight training is necessary in conjunction with cardio.
Thank you for the prompt replies all!
My diet is clean now, salads protein and minimum carbs. :)
0 carbs is difficult for me since food in my house is mainly wheat and rice, so i keep them low, no carbs after lunch.
Good luck with your goals too!
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How many of your mates are doing 100kg benches in year 11? o_0 doesn't sound right haha
Quite a few of mine bench in the 120-150 zone, but they've been lifting since like year 10 whereas I only really started with weights this year.
How long ago did you start? I only began with non machine weights recently. What I've found is that a lot of your lift when you start out has to do with your body just getting used to movements. I went from doing 25lb on a machine for flies to 55 in like 3 weeks, wheras since then it has slowed down a heap.
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Lol, 100+ for year 11 is quite a freakin' good effort.. Especially traditional benching (non-machine). You guys must be tanked.
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btw if you're born 1993 or later and don't currently have a gym membership
http://www.fitnessfirst.com.au/community/ffit/holidays
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btw if you're born 1993 or later and don't currently have a gym membership
http://www.fitnessfirst.com.au/community/ffit/holidays
Sweet! Ty
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Lol about 4. One kid in yr 10 does 100 too lol,
But they've been training for ages, like since they were kids! But like I said, they can't squat much or Deadlift much.
Also out of them all, only 2 are ripped, ones fat and another's just bulked.
But if you YouTube like 16 or 17 year old bench press you'll find some freaks!
I started October last year
Dohertys gym woo :p
And yeah taiga, machines are weird hahah, I've been trying shoulder press machine for about 4 weeks now, went from 50 to 75! But there's no way I could do that freeweight.
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Yes!! So glad a thread like this has been started up haha, thanks Bhootnike :)
Wow benching 100kg free-weight in year 11... I only do 60kg of 5 reps :P
I go really light on deadlifts because my lower back has constant problems, do you reckon it would be bad to go heavier?
In my opinion you can cut by just having the right diet, but if your a teenager I don' think keto is too good because our bodies are still developing. Personally I just eat alot of clean foods. So breakfast might be eggs, weet-bix and a bowl of vegies. And throughout the day; chicken sandwich, fruit, nuts, tuna cans, lean meats, cottage cheese (at night for casein) and protein supplements. I try and avoid processed foods as much as possible.
By the way what supplements are you guys using if any? I'm using ON 100% Gold Standard Whey for post-work out. A lot of my friends are using pre-workouts and creatine etc but I'll use those after VCE (Friend had jack3d and his sleeping patterns were wrecked :P)
So are you guys doing if for the aesthetics or strength?
"It's not how big you are, it's how good you look" :P
Who is aware of zyzz?
@taiga Yeah I use that every holidays! They have awesome equipment and my friends mum is part of the staff there so she helps us out. Also do you have a profile on bb.com? I just lurk it, mainly misc haha
@jane1234 Haha don't worry about getting too muscly, no matter how hard you train it is highly unlikely that you would pack on muscle to the point where it's grotesque. Those girls are on dat dere celltech
As for exercises go to this link ( http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/ ), select a body part, then down the left de-select everything except bodyweight.
Here is a picture related, that I found on Tony Frolly's fb page (CEO of Simply Shredded) http://i.imgur.com/pPmtD.jpg
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Yes!! So glad a thread like this has been started up haha, thanks Bhootnike :)
Wow benching 100kg free-weight in year 11... I only do 60kg of 5 reps :P
I go really light on deadlifts because my lower back has constant problems, do you reckon it would be bad to go heavier?
In my opinion you can cut by just having the right diet, but if your a teenager I don' think keto is too good because our bodies are still developing. Personally I just eat alot of clean foods. So breakfast might be eggs, weet-bix and a bowl of vegies. And throughout the day; chicken sandwich, fruit, nuts, tuna cans, lean meats, cottage cheese (at night for casein) and protein supplements. I try and avoid processed foods as much as possible.
By the way what supplements are you guys using if any? I'm using ON 100% Gold Standard Whey for post-work out. A lot of my friends are using pre-workouts and creatine etc but I'll use those after VCE (Friend had jack3d and his sleeping patterns were wrecked :P)
So are you guys doing if for the aesthetics or strength?
"It's not how big you are, it's how good you look" :P
Who is aware of zyzz?
@taiga Yeah I use that every holidays! They have awesome equipment and my friends mum is part of the staff there so she helps us out. Also do you have a profile on bb.com? I just lurk it, mainly misc haha
@jane1234 Haha don't worry about getting too muscly, no matter how hard you train it is highly unlikely that you would pack on muscle to the point where it's grotesque. Those girls are on dat dere celltech
As for exercises go to this link ( http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/ ), select a body part, then down the left de-select everything except bodyweight.
Here is a picture related, that I found on Tony Frolly's fb page (CEO of Simply Shredded) http://i.imgur.com/pPmtD.jpg
No worries, good to see so many people who participate in this! And don't worry, you'll get there :)
Regarding Deadlift, as long as you have proper form you should be good. But if you have an injury take it easy. No point in further injury!
Proper form is crucial to freeweight exercise. You can cause serious injuries by not lifting property. Classic case in Deadlift is when you hyperextend your back on the completion of a rep, or if you don't bend your knees and stick your bum out.
Ask an experienced personal or a pt for assessing your form :)
Protein wise, yeah i use gold standard :) really good stuff! Used international protein but gold standard has given me great gains! I drink milk daily and eat eggs and lentils daily too. But my daily protein intake is like 100 g, should be 180! So im looking into having a shake morning and afternoon for non training days, and morning + post workout on training days.
If I get my hands on ON caesium ill use that for night.
I don't think creatine is suggested for use by minors, so I don't use it. If anything I use international amino recovery whilst I'm training.
Jack3d is meant for 18+ haha, and apparently it just gives you a big kick.
I bulked for muscle and strength, now I want to cut and maintain muscle for aesthetics and strength!
Zyzz? Nup
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how the hell can you bench 80... i only do 50 max :( on the up side I only weight 55kg so I don't have to do much cardio :P
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Cheers guys for the replies, and Hutchoo I can't believe you got such an accurate picture of me! ;)
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This is what I do:
Monday:
pec deck 15x4
Flat bench BB 12x3
Incline DB press 12x3
Dips (assisted) 15x3
Triceps Pushdowns 12x3
Overhead triceps extension 8-10 x 3
8pm - go for a run (NOT ON A TREADMILL!!!!!!!)
Tuesday:
DB incline lateral raise 12x4
DB shoulder press 12x3
Rear Raises 12x3
front raises 12x3
shrugs 15x4
Wednesday:
Cardio/abs
Thursday:
Leg Extension 15x4
squats 12x3
Incline Leg press 12x4
Leg curls 12x3
Calf raises on Leg Press 15-20 x 3
Seated Calf Raises 12x3
Friday:
1 set pull ups, 1 set chin ups, 1 set lat pull down
one arm row 12x3
seated row 12x3
machine pull overs 10-12x3
Biceps BB curls 12x3
2 sets DB curls, 1 set Cable curls with drop sets.
Weekend - rest!
But Its SUPERRRRRRR IMPORTANT to eat right! this is my usual eating plan:
breakfast (9am) : Coffee + low fat milk + 1 tb of carnitine + cinnamon.
train: 10am-11am (roughly)
get home at 11.30, half cup of oats + water, microwaved, AFTER YOU MICROWAVE IT, put in your protein powder (I like Horley's ripped factors, keeps me slim =] ). If you put the protein in before you microwave it, you'll destroy it (you cant cook whey protein).
2pm: 200g of tuna + vegetables (especially broccoli) + 1 whole egg and 2 whites
5pm: 200g of tuna + half a cup of rice + veggies + 1 egg and 2 whites
7-8 ish: Go for my cardio (if i feel like it)
8.30: 1 cup of yoghurt or some type of white meat
10pm: RED MEAT (takes ages to digest, and require energy to digest, so red meat at night helps you burn calories during a time which would otherwise be very low energy usage)
Go to sleep, and repeat.
EDIT: rest between sets = 2mins, with the exception of squats/leg press, 3 mins for these big ones :)
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Oh and i forgot to say that I dont count my weight, but its significantly less than what you guys are posting. but its because of the technique, if i forced the same technique onto you guys, im quite sure that the weight you lift would be seriously cut down...
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Yeah hopefully :P
The guys that do 100, is their form correct? A lot of people tend to arch their back during the rep which enables heavier weights to be lifted but it's bad for the back.
Gold Standard is great value for money, i get 5lbs for $85 which is decent, I've seen it at GNC for way higher. Seriously guys if you are buying supplements don't go to GNC, they rip you off so bad.
Did you use the ammino charged WPI? Looks pretty decent, why did you switch?
I only use protein supplements at the moment, I might explore glutamines, recovery supps etc after school.
And zyzz was king of aesthetics, he's dead now, partly because of anabolics. check his fb page out and just youtube him haha
Pretty sure you are supposed to arch your back.
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if you guys looking for a good routine/program, give p90x a shot
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if you guys looking for a good routine/program, give p90x a shot
Basic compound workouts + light cardio are better than p90x
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btw if you're born 1993 or later and don't currently have a gym membership
http://www.fitnessfirst.com.au/community/ffit/holidays
They don't check for legitimacy. as long as you don't have a full grown moustache, you should be fine. Give a fake name if you've been going to one FF too often. Though FF is a bit shit weights-wise
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You niggas have some ridiculous squats. Here's the most I've done on the big 4
Squat: 80
Bench: 80
Deadlift: 120 (Done 130 but ridiculously shit form)
OHP: 50
Still working on Power Cleans. Not sure if getting the technique right
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For cardio how does everyone feel about running? In particular the Couch to 5k program? I've just finished week 3 and I'm getting started with a weight program that I've adapted from one off of bb.com, if I keep up with it hopefully I'll see some results in the next month or two.
Any sort of cardio would be great and running is good. 5km is too much, if you want to perserve your hard earned Muscle mass. Do Cardios that are like a 45 minute brisk walk or a 30 minute jog. Weight training will help turn on your furnance (BMR) to burn more calories.
Well say I'm only trying to lose weight for the moment, would building up to the 5km + weights work? And once I get to uni I'll have access to a gym so I'll be able to create a more solid routine and be able to use some cardio equipment.
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Yeah hopefully :P
The guys that do 100, is their form correct? A lot of people tend to arch their back during the rep which enables heavier weights to be lifted but it's bad for the back.
Gold Standard is great value for money, i get 5lbs for $85 which is decent, I've seen it at GNC for way higher. Seriously guys if you are buying supplements don't go to GNC, they rip you off so bad.
Did you use the ammino charged WPI? Looks pretty decent, why did you switch?
I only use protein supplements at the moment, I might explore glutamines, recovery supps etc after school.
And zyzz was king of aesthetics, he's dead now, partly because of anabolics. check his fb page out and just youtube him haha
Pretty sure you are supposed to arch your back.
Are you sure about that? Maybe you mean retracting the shoulder blades. From what I've read/heard you shouldn't be doing it all the time, maybe just for that last rep or so is ok though. Form > Weight :)
@ Hodgeyhodgey If you have access to a rowing or elliptical machine use that for cardio, it's much easier on the joints and incorporates the whole body :) You could use these as a warm-up before lifting weights, and do HIIT as cardio as mentioned above.
Also a high protein diet is key to losing fat.
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Kenoy is spot on - retract your shoulder blades so that your shoulders are forcibly kept back, and don't ever bring them forward! If you arch your back, you can push a lot more weight, because you can bring your lats into it - but you kind of don't want that...
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Re: Bench press. Just keep your chest up and upper body tight and naturally, your lower back would arch. You don't really need to worry about it. The emphasis on back arch is, I believe, for powerlifting where the bar has to touch the chest before it counts as a rep
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Kenoy is spot on - retract your shoulder blades so that your shoulders are forcibly kept back, and don't ever bring them forward! If you arch your back, you can push a lot more weight, because you can bring your lats into it - but you kind of don't want that...
I believe it is a common misconception, even by 'trainers' that you are not supposed to arch your back. This is what I mean by arching your back:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUcjOIZc80c
Also take a look at this video from 2:15
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJX5MKacR6M
I'm not saying that I'm definitely right just because a few youtube videos say so, but this is just how I've always known it to be. But you're working out your body so it's up to you to decide what you think is the best way.
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Do you even lift?
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Oh I know this sounds like a weird question but I happen to have a pot belly but slim, is this something to be concerned about? WTF a paradox maybe?
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Decrease your sodium intake :)
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Decrease your sodium intake :)
If that was the answer to my question then interesting, I wouldn't of thought of that.
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So how do you guys keep motivated whilst lifting, I just listen to "Eye of the Taiga", but that gets boring :(
Sorry Taiga
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I usually train with my friends so I don't really need motivation while I'm actually training, but to keep motivation up over a years period, I just look at the progress that I've made. Also like all us guys are competing to see who can get the best body :P
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I train in front of my hot girlfriend.
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I train in front of my hot girlfriend.
Good for you
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Very good indeed. ;)
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Perhaps you're trying to hint that she isn't hot and you use her as motivation to get fit and get a better looking girl.
just saying
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Regarding bench press:
You dont actually arch your back on purpose, it just happens naturally.
Retracting your shoulder blades is right, and that results in the natural arch.
Powerlifters who arch their back do it for their own reasons, similar to why they hyperextend their back in deadlifts... :S - for adjudication
I googled eavylyn faye, didn't find anything :/
GNC is like a big supplement chain, as if you havn't seen them around haha. I either go to Australian Sports Nutrition or use http://thesupplementden.com.au/
I wouldn't think using a different supplement would change the way you put on muscle mass. Supplements make up like less than 10% of a difference and in the end, protein is protein. Maybe it was different water levels in your body at the time?
Yeahh boy
(http://i.imgur.com/GKcT2.jpg)
sorry i spelt it wrong. evelyn faye* their website is http://www.completehealth.com.au
quality of whey protein and BCAA's was different. synergy 5 has whey concentrates, which are pretty crap and low amounts of wpi. maybe if i used amnio charged it'd be a different story, but thats my fault :p and well , i think using diff. proteins can make a difference, because before international protein i used musashi. i found differences then, just found another difference in ON :p
Gonna try get an ATARNotes discount code on some supplement websites. (Srs)
woooooooooooooo ! plz do!
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You niggas have some ridiculous squats. Here's the most I've done on the big 4
............
Still working on Power Cleans. Not sure if getting the technique right
Correct form is crucial. otherwise you'll bust your knees and hence weight will not increase. i just some pts and bodybuilders to help me correct my form and i got on my way to squatting 100..
Powercleans just involve a deadlift and a big jerk to get it up! ive copy/pasted from stronglifts.com:
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All sports need power. More power means more strength. More power means you can achieve higher speeds faster. Olympic lifts develop power. They teach you to explode under the bar. Power Cleans are an Olympic Lift.
Olympic lifts are more technical than Squats or Deadlifts. If you want to become an Olympic Lifter, you'll need a coach. If you don't have access to a coach, use this beginner's guide to learn how to Power Clean.
What's a Power Clean?
The Clean starts in a position similar as for the Deadlift. Clean the floor from the barbell by pulling it on your shoulders. Catch the bar in the Front Squat starting position. Variations of the Clean:
Squat Clean. You Squat under the weight. Hips go below parallel. You can lift more weight as you don't have to pull the bar as high.
Split Clean. Cleans done with a split, like Lunges. Popular before 1960. Improves single-leg strength & stability and hip mobility.
Hang Clean. Cleans with the bar starting around knee level instead of on the floor. The bar "hangs". Powerful movement.
Power Clean. Hips don't come lower than parallel. You need to pull the bar higher & accelerate as much as you can.
This article will teach you the Power Clean. Here's a video of the Power Clean. Notice the hips never come lower than parallel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JPijtqdT9c&feature=player_embedded
Benefits of Power Cleans.
Box Squats, Plyometrics & Olympic Lifts develop power. Power Cleans are the easiest Olympic Lift you can learn. Benefits:
Power Development. You achieve higher speeds faster. More power and more speed means more strength.
Muscle Development. Power Cleans work your posterior chain hard: calves, hamstrings, glutes & lower back but also upper-back & traps.
Racking the Bar. Power Clean the bar on your front shoulders for Front Squats & Overhead Presses if you don't have a Squat Rack yet.
The Power Clean Movement.
The Power Clean consists of 2 pulls. You'll spend most time working on the technique of the 2nd pull which is trickiest to learn.
1st Pull. Pull the barbell from the floor to your knees. The 1st pull is similar to a Deadlift and is a slow movement.
2nd Pull. Pull the barbell from your mid-thighs to your shoulders by extending your hips. The 2nd pull is an explosive movement.
Necessary Flexibility for Power Cleans.
Lack of flexibility will make it harder to learn how to Power Clean with correct technique.
Wrists. Stretch your wrists & triceps. Warm-up with some Front Squats using the clean grip so you get used to the rack position.
Hips & Ankles. You need flexible hamstrings for the 1st pull and mobile ankles for the 2nd pull. Improve your hip mobility & ankle mobility.
Upper-body. Keep your chest up and shoulder-blades back & down at all times. Improve upper-body posture by doing shoulder dislocations.
Power Clean Learning Procedure. The Power Clean starts with the bar on the floor. You'll learn it the other way around.
Romanian Deadlift.
Teaches you proper hip extension. Pull the barbell from knee to thigh level using your hip muscles.
Rack Position. Lack of wrist & triceps flexibility makes it impossible to rack the weight correctly. Practice the rack position.
Hang Power Clean. Pull the weight from mid-thigh level to your front shoulders. You'll spend most time practicing this one.
Power Clean. Clean the floor from the barbell by pulling the bar to your shoulders. Piece of cake once you master Hang Power Cleans.
Power Clean Setup. The setup is always the same, whether you're doing Romanian Deadlifts, Hang Power Cleans or Power Cleans.
Shoulder-width Stance. Keep the weight on your heels. Curl your toes up if necessary. Jump up a few times, use that stance for Power Cleans.
Hook Grip. Use the hook grip so you can relax your forearms and avoid pulling with your arms. Grip width should be about 54cm/21".
Chest Up, Shoulder-blades Back & Down. Prevents your back to round. Make a big chest, lift it up. Keep your shoulder-blades back & down.
(http://stronglifts.com/wp-content/uploads/hook-grip.jpg)
The Hook Grip
Step 1: The Romanian Deadlift. Teaches you to bring the bar from knee to mid-thigh level using your hip muscles. Unlike Deadlifts, Romanian Deadlifts starts from the hang position, not from the floor.
Straight Arms. Keep your arms straight at all times. Do not bend them. Use the hook grip & relax your forearms.
Straight Legs. The goal is to bend at the hips, not at the knees. Keep your legs as straight as possible. Unlock your knees to avoid stress.
Hips Back. Key to Romanian Deadlifts & Power Cleans. Lower the bar by bringing your hips back as far as you can. Hamstring stretches help.
Squeeze Your Glutes. Bring your hips forward to get the bar up. Push from the heels & squeeze your glutes hard. Don't pull with your back.
Bar in Contact with Legs. The bar must touch your upperlegs at all times. Don't let the bar go away from your body.
Step 2: Rack Position. Skip this step if you already do Front Squats using the clean grip. Put the empty bar on your shoulders like in the picture below. How you put the bar on your shoulders doesn't matter yet.
Bar Against Throat. Make a big chest & open your hands. Put the bar on top of your shoulders, behind your clavicels, against your throat.
Elbows High. Catching the weight with low elbows stresses your wrists & elbows. Put your elbows high. The higher the better.
Elbows Pointing In. Easier on your wrists and builds a firmer base for the bar to sit on. Some don't need to do this, so experiment.
Power Clean Rack Position
Rack Position by Yuan Aijun.
(http://stronglifts.com/wp-content/uploads/rack-position.jpg)
Step 3: Hang Power Clean. Start in the Romanian Deadlift position with the bar at mid-thigh level. Arms stay straight, hips back. This is your starting position.
Jump. Catch the bar in the rack position. If you hesitate, just jump up. Your body will figure out how to rack the bar.
Stomp. Your body coordinates stomping with racking. The harder you stomp, the faster you'll rack. Stomp your feet back into your footprints.
Elbows High. Racking with low elbows will hurt your elbows and wrists. Rack the bar by throwing your elbows as high as possible.
Video of the Hang Power Clean
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSm8XMlo198&feature=player_embedded
Step 4: Power Cleans. Practice Hang Power Cleans a lot before switching to Power Cleans. 2 tips.
Pull Slowly from The Floor. Jerking the weight causes bad technique in the 2nd pull. Pull slowly from the floor. Accelerate once above the knees.
Put Your Hips Higher. Hips are higher on Power Cleans than Deadlifts. You'll feel tension in your hamstrings when putting your hips correctly.
Common Power Clean Errors.
Chest up, shoulder-blades back & down, weight on heels, looking forward & engaging your hips will fix most Power Clean errors. Other things you can do wrong:
Pulling with the Arms. Your traps & upper-back pull the weight, not your arms. Use the hook grip and relax your forearms.
Low Elbows. Focus on throwing your elbows higher. Do lots of Front Squats to learn the Rack Position. Stretch your wrists & triceps.
Pulling Back. Power Clean by throwing your hips forward, not by pulling with your lower back. Use your glutes. Do glute activation exercises.
Falling Forward. Keep the weight on your heels and the bar in contact with your legs. Pull once the bar reaches mid-thigh level. Try to touch your chest on the way up.
Practice.
Each movement eventually becomes 2nd nature if you keep doing it. The more you practice, the better your technique will be.
3x a Week. 5x5 or 8x3. You can also practice the Romanian Deadlift on rest days at home using the broomstick.
Focus on Technique. Forget about the weight. Start light, focus on quality and add weight progressively.
Persist. Can't do Hang Power Cleans correctly? Go back to Romanian Deadlifts. Do 20 sets of 5 reps. Then go back to Hang Power Cleans.
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Going to buy one of these for our school gym :D
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/New-Tricep-Rope-Home-Gym-Weights-Training-RRP-59-95-/150690049551?pt=AU_Strength_Training&hash=item2315d3ae0f#ht_1592wt_1185
You see here there are 2 different 'heads' of the triceps (there are proper names for each part of the tricep). And apparnly the only way to work the back part is with one of these tricep ropes. Does anyone have this back tricep head going? I've just got the regular one you can see from side angle, and want to build the second head.
http://news.slnutrition.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/lee-priest-tom-platz-biggest-triceps.jpg
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i haven't gymed before, but i'm looking to go next year to bulk up / slim fat a bit; where do i start?
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@Bhootnike: Thanks for the link. I have read the SL link but I might need to ask some of the oly lifters at the gym, if I can ever muster enough courage to.
i haven't gymed before, but i'm looking to go next year to bulk up / slim fat a bit; where do i start?
Look up these programs:
Starting Strength
StrongLifts 5x5
BillStarr 5x5
Westside for Skinny Bastards
The first three are essentially the same. The fourth is designed more for those playing a sport where there is a smaller load on leg work.
Clean up your diet, eat a lot of protein; calculate BMR rate, eat 500cal above that to bulk, 500 below to cut.
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Bazza you have a pretty good build to start off with, you should pile on/get toned pretty quickly with stronglifts 5x5
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@Bhootnike: Thanks for the link. I have read the SL link but I might need to ask some of the oly lifters at the gym, if I can ever muster enough courage to.
no worries, - yep best to get first hand experience! and ask the p.t's if you have one, they wont charge you or anything :) if you go to dohertys gym, ask anyone really.. their members are the besttttt :p
Bazza,
stronglifts 5x5 is where i started. began 70kg body weight , bench - 50kg, squat 60kg, deadlift 60kg, overhead press 30kg. 1 year later, with considerations of a vce student!, and a crappy gym nearby,( but ive changed now:p) , to benching 80kg freeweight, squatting 100+, deadlifting 100+, overhead pressing 50kg, and to a body weight of 80kg. so pretty much, id say about 8-10kg muscle in 1 year. which is average for a teenager but ay, i wasnt a full on gym junkie.
i stand by stronglifts, its really been a good beginning to resistance training. time to change now though, temporarily.. :)
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lol. I do have excess fat, though it hides away quite nicely :D. But ideally i wanna drop 5 kiloes of fat and add 5 kiloes of muscle. I mean specifically, what weights and reps and excercises should i do
Most important thing for losing fat is to train in the morning, on an empty stomach with a bit of carnitine in your system, ive been doing this for the last 2 weeks, and ive dropped a little under 3 kgs! i feel awesome :D
I have a coffee in the morning + cinammon + carnitine, the caffeine +carnitine seriously help with the fat burning, and the cinnamon masks the carnitine's flavour. give it a go :)
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lol. I do have excess fat, though it hides away quite nicely :D. But ideally i wanna drop 5 kiloes of fat and add 5 kiloes of muscle. I mean specifically, what weights and reps and excercises should i do
Most important thing for losing fat is to train in the morning, on an empty stomach with a bit of carnitine in your system, ive been doing this for the last 2 weeks, and ive dropped a little under 3 kgs! i feel awesome :D
I have a coffee in the morning + cinammon + carnitine, the caffeine +carnitine seriously help with the fat burning, and the cinnamon masks the carnitine's flavour. give it a go :)
yeah and as you do it you feel less hungry :p just make sure you have protein afterwards.. i had a shake this morning after my AM cardio session.
I really need to invest in boxing equipment. so darn expensive. does anything know if a good quality bag would be able to hang off plastered ceiling hhaha?!
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When you are lifting weights and such, do any of you wear protective equipment (gloves, belts, etc)? I'm thinking of picking up a pair of gloves because my hands have begun to peel a bit, which I'm guessing is caused by sweat + friction.
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only belts for when deadlifting, squatting 100kg+.
no gloves for me, if needed i use chalk for more grip and less calluses, but ay, its inevitable that you'll pick up some calluses. They're honourary marks i spose:p
i think when you mean peeling you mean calluses? like on the base of each finger, on your palm?
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only belts for when deadlifting, squatting 100kg+.
no gloves for me, if needed i use chalk for more grip and less calluses, but ay, its inevitable that you'll pick up some calluses. They're honourary marks i spose:p
i think when you mean peeling you mean calluses? like on the base of each finger, on your palm?
I'm not sure how to describe it, they're not exactly calluses. It's just where the dumbells/barbell rub against my hand so yes, palms and parts of my fingers. I figure getting some gloves will help prevent it from happening, went to rebelsport today and was in a rush so I accidently picked up some gloves that could be used for weight training but are actually for boxing (probably sparring or something) so I'll go and exchange them tomorrow :)
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oh ok, just to make sure, are they anything like:
(http://a1.img.mobypicture.com/8d90f0237d9aea803d8ec8562b02ddad_view.jpg)
oo haha, bad luck.
i had a shot at weight lifting gloves - the ones which you wrap around the bar, i figured that they prevented the reverse hand grip for deadlifts, and for bench decreased my grip .. :s
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I lost most my weight through rowing, so I have permanent calluses now. I'll probably get some gloves.
I have a really cheap boxing bag, but it moves too much from low-ish impact unfortunately. There's a boxing circuit at my gym though so that's good enough.
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oh ok, just to make sure, are they anything like:
(http://a1.img.mobypicture.com/8d90f0237d9aea803d8ec8562b02ddad_view.jpg)
oo haha, bad luck.
i had a shot at weight lifting gloves - the ones which you wrap around the bar, i figured that they prevented the reverse hand grip for deadlifts, and for bench decreased my grip .. :s
Yeah kind of like that! But bigger patches on my palms, so I've picked up a pair of gloves from rebel again today and I'll see how they go :)
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I use a pair of gloves I bought from Rebel so I dont get those :)
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i dont think itd be anything serious, unless you have actually injured yourself! but give it a day or so, if it eases then thats a good sign, recovery is going well, if not, you've probs. injured something, go to a doctor!
I don't think you need to take any tablet or joint pain medication, because it could become a habit after your workouts to ease off pain.
the only advice i can say is deal with it.. :p its a part of the game i guess! unless ofc, you have injured yourself, or have weak joints to start off with! in that case, a health professional would be the best person to approach!!!
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i dont think itd be anything serious, unless you have actually injured yourself! but give it a day or so, if it eases then thats a good sign, recovery is going well, if not, you've probs. injured something, go to a doctor!
I don't think you need to take any tablet or joint pain medication, because it could become a habit after your workouts to ease off pain.
the only advice i can say is deal with it.. :p its a part of the game i guess! unless ofc, you have injured yourself, or have weak joints to start off with! in that case, a health professional would be the best person to approach!!!
Should i also make my leg workouts less tense?, i'm thinking about taking out my squats and making all of my other leg excercises rep ranges over 20.
would that be okay?
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Stacked on 500 lb on leg press to troll enwiabe who was doing 60lb, quads been burning for days.
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Just out of curiosity, what does your leg regime consist of ? and whats your routine, 10x10? 5x5? or... ?
if you're doing a strength training workout for like 2-3 weeks, e.g. 10x10 , then maybe make it less intense yeah, your legs probably aren't coping, yet!
with squats, i think after a week or so, the stiffness and soreness goes away, and as you increase the weight, it doesn't usually come back to haunt you.
Squats are the best, so dont take squats out unless you have serious knee pain, - which if, is happening cause of squats, means your form is not right, and you're on the way to busting your knees for goood!
Stacked on 500 lb on leg press to troll enwiabe who was doing 60lb, quads been burning for days.
lol. karma!
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Just out of curiosity, what does your leg regime consist of ? and whats your routine, 10x10? 5x5? or... ?
if you're doing a strength training workout for like 2-3 weeks, e.g. 10x10 , then maybe make it less intense yeah, your legs probably aren't coping, yet!
with squats, i think after a week or so, the stiffness and soreness goes away, and as you increase the weight, it doesn't usually come back to haunt you.
Squats are the best, so dont take squats out unless you have serious knee pain, - which if, is happening cause of squats, means your form is not right, and you're on the way to busting your knees for goood!
Stacked on 500 lb on leg press to troll enwiabe who was doing 60lb, quads been burning for days.
lol. karma!
i do 6 sets of 8, its close to a strength rep range (3-6), but or more so this is more of a muscle hyperthophy (size), yeah i do increase the weight sometime a while, i am making okay strength gains in my squat and also the bench/deadlift. I know theres strength programs that are like ripptoes starting strength and Smolov those weight training regime is done by squatting three times a week, which sounds a bit crazy lol :P
Next season like autumn and winter (I would probably do a strength training program, i would cut out this hypertrophy stuff).
Good strength=Good physique.
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With barbell squats, do any of you get sore on the back of the neck where the barbell is resting? How do you stop this?
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With barbell squats, do any of you get sore on the back of the neck where the barbell is resting? How do you stop this?
Do you the place bar on the top of your trapezius muscles? if you do then it will hurt, but you will get used to it for once while, perhaps use a neck pad if your gym has it
I think its better to place the bar under your trapezius muscle, you get hurt that much as the top par trapezius muscle :)
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With barbell squats, do any of you get sore on the back of the neck where the barbell is resting? How do you stop this?
Do you the place bar on the top of your trapezius muscles? if you do then it will hurt, but you will get used to it for once while, perhaps use a neck pad if your gym has it
I think its better to place the bar under your trapezius muscle, you get hurt that much as the top par trapezius muscle :)
I'm not quite sure the *exact* location, but it rests probably in line with my shoulders? I dunno.
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With barbell squats, do any of you get sore on the back of the neck where the barbell is resting? How do you stop this?
Do you the place bar on the top of your trapezius muscles? if you do then it will hurt, but you will get used to it for once while, perhaps use a neck pad if your gym has it
I think its better to place the bar under your trapezius muscle, you get hurt that much as the top par trapezius muscle :)
I'm not quite sure the *exact* location, but it rests probably in line with my shoulders? I dunno.
bottom of the trapezius
(http://stronglifts.com/wp-content/uploads/squat-bar-position.jpg)(just at parallel, it could either be a little lower or higher)
top of the trapezius
(http://thisiswhyyourejacked.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/mm.jpg)-(this is useful for full squats or ATG (Ass To Grass)
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^ from those pictures it appears I'm resting the bar on the top of the trapezius, because I've been doing full squats.
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Right now I think I can deal with it but once I start adding more weight to the bar I think it'll only make sense to get some padding, rather than bruise/hurt myself. Thanks!
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With barbell squats, do any of you get sore on the back of the neck where the barbell is resting? How do you stop this?
Squat more. I used to have bruises from the bar but not anymore.
Pssh, down with your fancy equipment. Gloves and belts and shit. Just do them raw, you aren't competing in powerlifting contests
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I squatted 100 without any padding - if you wear a necklace, i suggest you take it off ;p just have to move the bar around until it is comfortable. It's not meant to be on the back of the neck but rather :
(http://stronglifts.com/wp-content/uploads/squat-bar-position.jpg)
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I go parallel, sometimes i go lower, depending on how much energy or 'vibes' im feeling haha.. on my 5th set, 4-5th rep, i may go partial but yeah , most of the time parallel. i cant do ass to grass squats, but for those who can... wow.
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I go parallel, sometimes i go lower, depending on how much energy or 'vibes' im feeling haha.. on my 5th set, 4-5th rep, i may go partial but yeah , most of the time parallel. i cant do ass to grass squats, but for those who can... wow.
Yeah, everyone does cheat on there last few reps lol :), and i personally do cheat on my last few reps on the barbell curls and squats.
The ATG squats are better with high reps. Perhaps, the weight of squat should be lowered a bit and from there it can be more easily done.
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The ATG squats are better with high reps. Perhaps, the weight of squat should be lowered a bit and from there it can be more easily done.
Hehe maybe it should be lowered considerably :p if i squatted 100kg ATG i'd get crumbled by the bar!!!!!!
yeah cheating on last few reps seems to be the norm :p
cant cheat bench press tho :p
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Best Lifts:
Bench: 90kg
Squats: 100kg
Deadlifts: 150kg
Currently on a rippetoes based program :)
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Best Lifts:
Bench: 90kg
Squats: 100kg
Deadlifts: 150kg
Currently on a rippetoes based program :)
strong account name/10
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Best Lifts:
Bench: 90kg
Squats: 100kg
Deadlifts: 150kg
Currently on a rippetoes based program :)
strong account name/10
Thank you haha :)
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not sure if srs
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Bench: 102.5
Squat: 145
Deadlift: 155
Hang Clean: 70
DB Shoulder Press: 30's
Max Chins: 17
And your year 11 this year? holy shit that's huge
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Hate it when dudes 2-3 years younger than me can lift so much more :(
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Weird gym today guys, it was legs/Abs/Calves day.
Had a guy today @ the gym that stole my squat rack today in the middle of Barbell squatting session (I only squatted 2 sets and had 2 more to go) and he than racked off the weight i was using during the time i was talking to a co gym owner (A young guy thats age 22), i than walk back to my squat rack he decided to do barbell curls lol I then asked him that 'i had two sets to go' he said "yooou rest to long" (because i rested 3 minutes between each sets because i was squatting 110kg for 6 reps) and then i said okay "i'm sorry" (realizing how rude he was lol like wtf), so i just said 'okay' and walk off I didn't wana start to a fight with that guy curling 5 kilos each side lol... so i then proceeded to the leg press and added my two sets to it.
If theres an common gym idiot lurking around in your slot time, thats taking your equipment and using them. change your time (srs).
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Lol just leave a towel or something on the bar after a set, might prevent people from taking over :P
I really need to squat and deadlift more, problem is there is no rack at school gym or my house. The only time I can do it is at fitness first during the holidays when it's free.
Got back from Japan 3 days ago, I went to the gym that my grandparents go to. The maximum DB weight was 22kg so I was benching that and felt like a boss haha. Everything seemed really light-weight there
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Lol just leave a towel or something on the bar after a set, might prevent people from taking over :P
The guy knew I was using the squat rack and his rude enough to say "you rest to long" he obviously used that excuse so he could go do his improper barbell curls lol.
22kg is really good man keep it up, you will get into the 30's in two months if you train hard and eat good :).
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Ah well, there will always be those kind of people around.
When I do DB bench press, I think I am damaging my back because when I get them up, I use a kind of jerking motion and it could have a negative impact. Usually I pick them up, sit both of them down on my knees while I as sitting up right on the bench, and then jerk with my back and pull up with my biceps while leaning back to assume starting position.
Maybe my biceps are not strong enough for my chest?
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Ah well, there will always be those kind of people around.
When I do DB bench press, I think I am damaging my back because when I get them up, I use a kind of jerking motion and it could have a negative impact. Usually I pick them up, sit both of them down on my knees while I as sitting up right on the bench, and then jerk with my back and pull up with my biceps while leaning back to assume starting position.
Maybe my biceps are not strong enough for my chest?
Grab the dumbells, walk it back to the bench, place the dumbells in your knees, rest it in your knees, grab the dumbells tightly kick the dumbells to your rib cage position, rest it in your rib cage for a quick sec, and press the dumbells.
I don't really do the flat DB bench press. On my chest day I'd do the barbell bench press first and after that i would a incline dumbell bench press.
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Ah well, there will always be those kind of people around.
When I do DB bench press, I think I am damaging my back because when I get them up, I use a kind of jerking motion and it could have a negative impact. Usually I pick them up, sit both of them down on my knees while I as sitting up right on the bench, and then jerk with my back and pull up with my biceps while leaning back to assume starting position.
Maybe my biceps are not strong enough for my chest?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AM5Nw_QBA9A
I saw a guy do biceps curls on the deadlift platform today. Also, wrap a towel on your equipment every time you leave it alone.
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Haha you can do both!
I can one rep a 100 kilos, but can't do a set of 6 even =\
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Ah well, there will always be those kind of people around.
When I do DB bench press, I think I am damaging my back because when I get them up, I use a kind of jerking motion and it could have a negative impact. Usually I pick them up, sit both of them down on my knees while I as sitting up right on the bench, and then jerk with my back and pull up with my biceps while leaning back to assume starting position.
Maybe my biceps are not strong enough for my chest?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AM5Nw_QBA9A
I saw a guy do biceps curls on the deadlift platform today. Also, wrap a towel on your equipment every time you leave it alone.
Thanks for the video JellyDonut :)
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Hey guys you seem to know your stuff, I want to get started lifting basically for both aesthetics and for general strength for things like self-defense etc.
I'm 17, about 175cm(I think...) and weigh about 65kg. I'm pretty fit but have slacked off a bit lately since I've given up footy and cricket (I'm really injury prone, I've taken up golf now haha) I'm probably carrying about 5 kg excess but still in reasonable shape.
Um, I can't really tell you how much I can bench/squat etc because I don't know, all I can say is that I can do ~50 pushups. I eat loads but my nutrition is good, I can't remember the last time i had take-away or confectionary/junk and I like meat and salad.
I think we have some dumbbells in our shed and my dad has one of those all-in one machines but I'd rather not use that because it's in his office.
I guess one consideration is that my shoulders are dodgy (hypermobile joints) and get quite painful, but they are getting a bit better.
I think that's about all the information I can give haha :)
TL;DR - help a noob get started lifting.
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If you can do that many pushups you should be in a decent position to start up.
Do you have good endurance with other home exercises like situps, dips, or centered pushups? That lot coupled with squats and lunges will actually work to help you with muscle a fair bit. Your diet sounds pretty clean to me, just start counting how much protein you have each day on average, and try and make it meet 1.5-2x your lean mass. I'll assume you're 55 kgs lean mass to be conservative, so try take in 83-110 grams of protein a day.
I'd recommend simply starting up a gym membership and starting to read up more, it's too hard for someone to sit down and give you a quick fix on everything. Gaining knowledge before you start is the greatest too you have, because you see dudes pulling all kinds of wizardry in the gym that simply have no clue what they're doing, and don't understand why they aren't seeing results.
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Hey guys you seem to know your stuff, I want to get started lifting basically for both aesthetics and for general strength for things like self-defense etc.
I'm 17, about 175cm(I think...) and weigh about 65kg. I'm pretty fit but have slacked off a bit lately since I've given up footy and cricket (I'm really injury prone, I've taken up golf now haha) I'm probably carrying about 5 kg excess but still in reasonable shape.
Um, I can't really tell you how much I can bench/squat etc because I don't know, all I can say is that I can do ~50 pushups. I eat loads but my nutrition is good, I can't remember the last time i had take-away or confectionary/junk and I like meat and salad.
I think we have some dumbbells in our shed and my dad has one of those all-in one machines but I'd rather not use that because it's in his office.
I guess one consideration is that my shoulders are dodgy (hypermobile joints) and get quite painful, but they are getting a bit better.
I think that's about all the information I can give haha :)
TL;DR - help a noob get started lifting.
If I were I would try and join a good gym with a wide selection of free weights as well as machines, try and find a gym which gives you access to a squat rack and find a workout program which seems to fit your goals. A good workout program should be based on linear progression, especially if you are just starting to workout, this means find out how much you can do in 'x' lift, record it, and ideally each workout increase the weight moved.
If you are unsure of lifting techniques dont hesitate to ask one of the instructors at your gym they will be more than happy to help. I suggest staying away from machines if you can and basing the workout regime you choose around free weights, they have many advantages over machines. If you are looking for strength then choose a routine that stays within a low rep range, ie. 3 - 5 reps, it sounds like rippetoes starting strength would be ideal for you, but i am biased towards strength training over training for aesthetics.
Supplements wise a basic creatine monohydrate and whey protein would be great. Make sure to keep that diet in check as it sounds like you are atm, diet is just as important as the training itself.
Lastly, if your shoulder is bugging you, see a doctor/physio before you begin training and get the go ahead from them. Good luck :)
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taiga, you know how you were talking about trying to get AN members supplements for cheaper (somehow?), is that still happening? D; I wana get me some good ol' protein.
Also, what are your thoughts on back extensions? I want to get a stronger lower back, but I don't want to do deadlifts (for a few reasosn that I cbb explaining atm), should I stick to back extensions. Can you even get a stronger lower back, lulz?
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If I were just starting out I would actually only use machine weights for a month or so. I think you should get your body used to resistance training with machine weights and then gradually add in free weights. You can injure yourself if you are not using proper form. Instructors won't be available for the whole time your working out so that is why I say gradually introduce free weight exercise, maybe learn a new one each time you go there.
Read lots or articles, knowledge is key
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If I were just starting out I would actually only use machine weights for a month or so. I think you should get your body used to resistance training with machine weights and then gradually add in free weights. You can injure yourself if you are not using proper form. Instructors won't be available for the whole time your working out so that is why I say gradually introduce free weight exercise, maybe learn a new one each time you go there.
Read lots or articles, knowledge is key
A trainer does not need to be there all the time, they need only to teach the lifts relevant to the program undertaken, this can easily be done within a one hour session. Machines are and probably will always be inferior to free weights, they force the body into unnatural movements which are more likely to cause injury, on top of the fact they are far inferior for gaining strength and mass.
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Yeah I agree that free weights are much better, they are also better because your body needs to recruit stabilizing muscles, in turn putting on more muscle.
I don't really think machines force you into unnatural motions either, depends on the maker I guess.
I was just suggesting using machine weights to start off with to just get used to lifting heavy things, because that's what I did :)
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Yeah I agree that free weights are much better, they are also better because your body needs to recruit stabilizing muscles, in turn putting on more muscle.
I don't really think machines force you into unnatural motions either, depends on the maker I guess.
I was just suggesting using machine weights to start off with to just get used to lifting heavy things, because that's what I did :)
Yer i can see what your getting at, but just lift lighter free weights, it doesn't make sense to use a machine to get stronger at doing the task of free weights when you should just be doing the task in the beginning. Additionally, getting used to the movements with lighter weights will be much more beneficial to your safety than trying to get strong on a machine and then trying to transfer it over to free weights .
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@kenoy: There are machines for your lower back?
xD. I go to the gym with my dad and he used to be a personal trainer back in the day =)
He's still fit as well, low BF %, 6 pack etc. I also used to go the gym a lot, and I know a lot of things as well :P I was just wondering what people on VN would think about lower back exercises :D.
btw. I am used to resistance training.
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taiga, you know how you were talking about trying to get AN members supplements for cheaper (somehow?), is that still happening? D; I wana get me some good ol' protein.
Also, what are your thoughts on back extensions? I want to get a stronger lower back, but I don't want to do deadlifts (for a few reasosn that I cbb explaining atm), should I stick to back extensions. Can you even get a stronger lower back, lulz?
Yeah I'm having a chat to these guys in the near future (they're already pretty much the cheapest on the market), so I'll see if I can get you fellas a little bit more of a discount off what's there.
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@kenoy: There are machines for your lower back?
I have seen one at fitness first, like this
(http://treadmillscentral.com/images/2008%20The%20Peterson.jpg)
And also, all that stuff about starting out was directed at fletch-j haha, sorry.
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Deadlifts can build your lower back (or erector spinae). It's a really good excercise. Yes, you guys are right that deadlifts are dangerous the more dangerous the better it is to build more amounts of muscles mass e.g. standing military press, clean/jerk, power cleans, squats, bench, bent over rows, but it can strengthen your lower back to a whole new level unlike those lame lower back extensions or machine.
Deadlifts gives you that lower back thickness also. It should be implemented to any resistance routine, in my opinion.
Pic of doing deadlifts ~ lower back.
(http://skinnybulkup.com/wp-content/uploads/erector-spinae.jpg)
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+1 on deadlifts, great exercise
not dangerous if you can do it properly
also works your whole body and feels great when you lift a heavy ass weight off the floor like that imo