page 4!

Yep! I moved up to PA little more than a year ago now.

1/3/2012 11:52:50 AM

I took photos in workout clothes a few weeks ago....they will NOT be posted though lol

1/3/2012 12:54:03 PM

honestly - the best motivation for me last time was knowing that i was determined to post the before pictures with the amazing afterwards photos....

so i don't blame you for not posting yet.

1/3/2012 12:55:12 PM

yeah i don't think i posted until i had two sets to compare with last time

1/3/2012 12:59:15 PM

Quote :

"Back squats: 160x5x3 Bench press: 110x5x3 Dead lift: 255x5x1 Curls: 35x5x3"

i remember seeing this last night and thinking it was really weird.

you're like, super tall right? how much do you weigh?

1/3/2012 1:13:09 PM

there is no such thing as a "back" squat. there is a squat. all OTHER squats have qualifiers. when someone "squats," the weight is on their back.

wash off the n00b, chalk up the bar, and get with the lingo.



[Edited on January 3, 2012 at 7:29 PM. Reason : .]

1/3/2012 7:29:10 PM

there's nothing wrong with calling it a back squat. even the back squat has qualifiers of High Bar vs. Low Bar, Parallel vs. Ass-to-Grass vs. that stupid quarter squat bullshit most people do.

1/3/2012 7:52:07 PM

^^^ Yeah, I'm 6'7" and 185-ish right now (only 165 for most of my life, though). What's weird about it? I'm sure it's probably a bit unbalanced since I'm a beginner.

1/3/2012 8:12:34 PM

post here if your muscles are a bit sore today!

1/4/2012 9:39:27 AM

yeah it was the discrepancy between the squat and the dl that caught me off guard, for a beginner. i guess it's not that bad though. my dl is ~1.25x my squat weight.

i guess squatting deep when you're that tall has to suck.

idk though.

onward and upward!

1/4/2012 10:02:16 AM

Quote :

"i guess squatting deep when you're that tall has to suck."

squatting is one of my weaker exercises still

1/4/2012 10:03:30 AM

Squatting is more about relative body dimensions, less about height.

Generally, if someone has long femurs and a long torso, getting a strong squat position will be more challenging; but they should be able to get in a nice DL position if their arms are long.

It really annoys me when people talk about lifting being harder because of certain body sizes. Fuckin' deal with it, and get stronger. No excuses!

1/4/2012 10:39:31 AM

So this is going to sound weird, but is anyone's forearm larger on he side of their dominant hand? I noticed yesterday my right forearm muscle is significantly bigger than my left, but is weird because I don't jack it or anything >_> it used to be this way in volleyball but hat makes sense to me because I was serving/spiking with my right arm


Btw, I need tips for dodgeball I am playing of a rec team this winter and well.. I kinda suck at it

1/4/2012 10:44:44 AM

Just checking in. I'm still in London. I was running every morning for about 20 minutes and then we would go walking around for hours. Well that worked until some hurricane type storm came tumbling through and I developed a sore throat that won't quit. So running has been nixed the last two days and I'm just watching what I eat. All my clothes fit really well (my fingers are a tad swollen today) and I haven't had any major reactions while here (yay go me). I am hoping I can go run tomorrow morning if the weather is decent.

I haven't weighed myself since I got here but I am hoping it won't be too bad when I get home

1/4/2012 11:55:05 AM

Quote :

"It really annoys me when people talk about lifting being harder because of certain body sizes. Fuckin' deal with it, and get stronger. No excuses!"

i don't get the feeling that this is harder due to height, but lack of regularly performing the squats.

1/4/2012 1:45:43 PM

Quote :

"yeah it was the discrepancy between the squat and the dl that caught me off guard, for a beginner. i guess it's not that bad though. my dl is ~1.25x my squat weight. i guess squatting deep when you're that tall has to suck."

I think it's also a [totally naive] mental thing for me. In my head on the deadlift, I'm like, "Oh, I just pick this shit up. I can do that." Whereas on the squat, I'm like, "Oh, all that shit on my back, ugh." I have ridiculously long monkey arms, but my torso and legs are about in normal proportion to each other, just longer; I'm sure that probably has an impact on the mechanics of the lifts, but I haven't thought about it much. I just started with what felt like a good but challenging weight for me on each lift and have progressed from there.

1/4/2012 2:29:56 PM

Weak hips mean weak squats.

And if you think a deadlift is just picking up weight, you'd better just go ahead and call the dr. Learn to do it right, and you'll see you should squat more than you pull.

1/4/2012 2:52:58 PM

^That is doubtful without a suit on. Or unless you are an elite squatter.

1/4/2012 3:03:56 PM

Making blanket statements like "you should squat more than you pull" is another example of why you're rarely helpful in here and should stick to the bodybuilding thread.


[Edited on January 4, 2012 at 3:13 PM. Reason : nicer]

1/4/2012 3:12:52 PM

I can squat a lot more than I can pull. part of that is because I absolutely love squats but don't really enjoy deadlifting. The other big reason is that with a deadlift, I can always just let go if I get stuck and let the bar at worst drag across my knees. With the squat, I'm mentally thinking "you better get this bar back up to the top or else dumping it off my back is going to hurt like hell."

It's probably for a similar reason that my bench numbers are where they are. Being stuck under the bar is not a fun feeling.

1/4/2012 5:22:38 PM

sometimes it's hard when people don't enable you. i'm sorry that my comments about being weak strike you right in the gut, but they're probably right on. some people pat you on the back, some kick you in the ass.

speaking of the ass...that's why your pull is better than your push. if you take just a little time to examine why, you'll probably find that

1) your have weak glutes. they are your strongest muscle, but hideously undertrained. try adding some box squats, assorted straight leg or romanian deadlifts, and most importantly glute ham raises
2) you have weak hamstrings. hamstring curls don't cut it if you want to move big weight. if you want the X physique (screw the V, pencil legs) you have to work both insertions of your hamstrings. when most people pull [incorrectly] their backs come up first taking their hamstrings out of the lift. try pulling upright or with greater than a 45 degree back bend. you'll see that your hamstrings may not quite be what you thought.
3) you have never bodybuilt and hence only use the same muscle fibers over and over. part of a successful plan is making your muscles grow. try a 8-12 week hypertrophy cycle and really concentrate on getting bigger. you'll fire more muscle fibers and AND increase the strength and size of your biggest ones. more fast twitch means bigger gains when you start lifting heavy(er).
4) you pull with your back and traps. since your posterior chain south of the border is weak, but you have been doing pull ups, rows, shrugs, bicep curls, etc, those muscles are ready to work.
5) your form is wrong. i would LOVE someone to ask me, "you know dude, you really move a lot of weight, what is it you do that i am not doing?" "why do you not move your knees forward at all during the lift?" there are about 10 things people who are low bar squatting are doing wrong. they will lead to failure or injury. high bar squatting ain't a real picnic either. there is a lot of knee mechanics in them and you have to have a very strong back to compensate for the increased lever action of your back.
6) your abs and lower back are out of synch. your lower back is probably much stronger than your abs. you wouldn't pry out a stump with a pillow, would you? why would the front of your body be any different?
7) and here's the most important one....you won't listen to people who know. as you are reading the above reasons, you are thinking how you hate me and how i'm not helping. find your crutch and use it.

i have outlined 7 OUTSTANDING reasons that you probably pull more than you push. i hope that you will see them and use them to become a better athlete, and get in better shape.

1/4/2012 7:18:49 PM

You sure got a lot of implied meaning out of one sentence of mine (and please don't get the impression that I hate you; that's absurd), but I'm glad it inspired you to give some constructive criticism and general lifting advice.

1/4/2012 7:37:17 PM

I'm kinda obsessive about working out so I might do this.
Weight: 128 +/- 4 lbs at 5'9 or so. Not really an issue right now.
Diet: Not great but not too bad. Eat lots of soup. Not enough green stuff. Want to stay away from carbs & move more into the paleo diet.
Work Out: Distance running (about 55 miles per week right now), rock climbing, cycling, skiing.
Biggest Vice: Diet coke, coffee, and booze. I really need to cut down on all of these especially as my caffeine uptake has really gotten out of hand.

2012 Goals are mostly climbing related: Do long big routes in the mountains, break into 5.11 trad climbing. Need to increase my grip strength and power endurance climbing.
For running I want to run a ~1:20 half marathon. Maybe do a full but I can't see myself having the time and willpower for that amount of training. Need to get back on the track.

1/4/2012 9:13:38 PM

ok so my first bodypump class earlier this week proved to me how weak I am.

So I'm going to post what weights I used to track my progress.

warmup- 10lbs
squats- 12lbs
chest- 12lbs
back- 10lbs
triceps- 5lbs
biceps- 5lbs
lunges- 12lbs
shoulders- 2.5lbs

1/5/2012 9:52:20 AM

i havent hit the gym this year yet....i am disappoint

1/5/2012 10:08:19 AM

the Y has been ridiculously crowded this week.

1/5/2012 10:11:18 AM

^ luckily it hasn't been that bad up here

1/5/2012 10:12:45 AM

Quote :

"I can squat a lot more than I can pull. part of that is because I absolutely love squats but don't really enjoy deadlifting. The other big reason is that with a deadlift, I can always just let go if I get stuck and let the bar at worst drag across my knees. With the squat, I'm mentally thinking "you better get this bar back up to the top or else dumping it off my back is going to hurt like hell." It's probably for a similar reason that my bench numbers are where they are. Being stuck under the bar is not a fun feeling."

Just curious, how do you bail on a squat if it hurts?

1/5/2012 10:28:47 AM

I hate being sick and not being home. I want to go for a walk outside because it helps my sinuses to move around but my fiancee doesn't want me on my death bed while we fly home tomorrow.

In other news i found a scale and it looks like after this trip I'll be right around the same weight that I was when I left. Considering how much bread and desserts I ate and how little I've been able to work out the last few days, I'm pleased. I'm just ready to start working out again.

1/5/2012 11:02:24 AM

You squat in a rack. Or you let it roll off your back. The gym gets membership fees. They can deal with broken weight. Your broken ego, that's another story.

1/5/2012 11:14:46 AM

That is what I was thinking. I have bailed in both a rack and without (with bumpers where I just ditched it behind me and shoot forward) and haven't really had any trouble with it.

1/5/2012 11:17:15 AM

i believe i will participate in this thread this year. anyone recovering from acl reconstruction in here? still trying to get quad mass back. getting near full strength as far as hamstring strength and presses go, and did increased weight/resistance leg extensions without pain for the first time since the injury the other day

1/5/2012 11:44:26 AM

i blew the shit out of my leg last year and they had to take apart my knee and put it back together last year if that counts. quite different though.

this week i've started out on the leangains early morning fasted training schedule, and man... on lifting days i have been struggling to stay awake past like 830 pm.

granted, i'm stuffed with food and have been up since 5am, but i feel like an old man getting ready for bed before 9.

1/5/2012 12:08:46 PM

the bar doesn't really roll off your back when you get stuck in the hole; it drags down your back and the knurling on the bar tries to take your shirt and skin with it. After all that, it hits you in the tailbone and knocks you forward.

I've been doing some ring training this week since the crossfit I'm going to has plenty of rings, and I really like them. I did a lot of pullups and rows with them on Tuesday, and my back is extremely sore today. I'm really wanting to try out flye exercises with rings today for a chest/shoulder workout.

1/5/2012 12:12:15 PM

I don't think I'd attempt a heavy squat outside of a rack. Wouldn't want to pull a Dracoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBoMpa85Cvg

1/5/2012 2:35:34 PM

that looked weirdly intentional.

1/5/2012 2:41:49 PM

So much wrong with that video.

1/5/2012 3:04:32 PM

I prefer to squat heavy outside of a rack. racks are good for if you need to get stuck under the weight, but if you ever suffer a hip/knee/leg injury and buckle under the weight, being inside a cage is going to make things extremely dangerous.

1/5/2012 5:22:28 PM

^ agreed, I felt a bit uncomfortable squatting heavy outside a rack at first but now I prefer it as long as I have bumpers so I can bail without breaking things

1/5/2012 5:44:27 PM

I'm trying to lose weight. Should I be doing squats?

1/5/2012 5:48:53 PM

Quote :

"I'm trying to <insert anything here>. Should I be doing squats?"

Yes

1/5/2012 5:59:09 PM

5k this morning on the treadmill. Surprisingly easy considering how little I've done these last couple of months.

1/5/2012 6:07:38 PM

The real answer is that you're not actually trying to lose weight, you're trying to lose body fat. Weight is just a number. You most likely want to lose body fat while also putting on lean mass.

Squats are a full body exercise. In terms of efficiency in building strength, there aren't many movements that come close. Obviously the squat hits the quads/hams/glutes, but it hits a lot more:



[Edited on January 5, 2012 at 6:08 PM. Reason : ]

1/5/2012 6:08:04 PM

Today in a fit of rage I threw away all sweets in my house

And I'm playing dodgeball tonight

1/5/2012 6:17:13 PM

Nothing spectacular-

walked dogs, biked to work, ran around work- 1st time this year, ~ 3 miles, some stairs, no ankle pain, hooray

then power yoga class. That's gonna hurt.

Weights tomorrow, long ride Sat., cyclocross race Sun. 30 min of Cat 4 fun.

Yay fitness.

1/6/2012 12:40:16 AM

So apparently, New Year's is not only the time for gym tourists, it's also the time for officious personal trainers wandering the floor giving bad advice. I got approached by a big guy who's not even a trainer at my gym, but was wearing a personal training shirt, who stepped in to give me advice on my squat. He insisted multiple times that I should try to stay as upright as possible. After he stepped in to do a set to show me by example, I saw that he was doing high-bar squats whereas I was doing low-bar; he still said I should be upright after I pointed out that difference. Having had back problems in the past, it's probably what I'm most conscious of when squatting, so I know for sure that I was not bent too far over.

How do you deal with over-solicitous people like that? I didn't want to offend him or directly contradict him since we were sharing the rack and didn't want to have a bad tone for the rest of my workout.

1/6/2012 2:18:28 AM

I'd ask him "why?"

A simple reason for the change of back angle is to maintain the center of mass of the system (you + barbell) over the most stable position, which is over the mid foot.

With the bar placed lower on the back, a more horizontal back angle is required to push the hips back and stay balanced. This hips back position allows more posterior chain recruitment in the movement.

When asked why, most people will bibble babble some bull shit. It's usually the easiest way to figure out if they know wtf they are talking about.

1/6/2012 7:45:37 AM

Got a weighted jump rope for Christmas...anybody got any creative ideas to incorporate it into a workout other than the mundane "jumping rope"?? I did some intervals with it yesterday (a minute jumping rope, 20 seconds rest), switching it in and out with raised hands push-ups. Felt pretty good. Calfs and feet were a little shocked from not having jumped rope in about 15+ years.

1/6/2012 8:04:29 AM

i was going to say tabata but you're doing something similar already

i went through a jump roping phase back in 08 while playing through GTA 4, I'd go into the garage and jump rope for a minute everytime i died. Wear supportive gear

1/6/2012 8:17:15 AM

Quote :

"The real answer is that you're not actually trying to lose weight, you're trying to lose body fat. Weight is just a number. You most likely want to lose body fat while also putting on lean mass."

for most people that's true. I'm just trying to maintain lean muscle while i drop fat, but my overall goal is a smaller body shape all over (I'm a naturally stocky person), but medically I need to physically get smaller. (sleep apnea, and a host of other reasons)

I used to do squats all the time and do know the benefits... my favorite cartoon about weightlifting i saw was these two guys, one fairly small in descent shape and a huge ripped athlete. The smaller guy was talking about all of these lifts and routines he goes through weekly... when he asked the larger, stacked guy what he did all he responded with was "Squats."

Anyway, i'm sure my logic is flawed, but i feel like my legs are getting a pretty decent workout while i walk/run/elliptical/etc.

[Edited on January 6, 2012 at 8:29 AM. Reason : ]

1/6/2012 8:29:28 AM