Weightlifting/Bodybuilding Thread V.7 - let's see if more people care about themselves - General

[QUOTE=NixNax123;49887907]I don't know if I'm doing barbell rows right. It seems impossible for me to keep my back parallel to the ground. I've never done that before and it feels awkward. I felt it a lot in my upper back and trap when I was done, is that good?[/QUOTE] The angle of your back is gonna change where they hit. Yates rows are more upright and hit the lower back and lower traps more. But generally, a lot of back movements require a strong mind-muscle connection. You can almost choose which part of the back to utilize during the lift regardless of position. Parallel to the ground is more like Pendlay rows, never really been a big fan of those. Even then, I don't think you're supposed to be that in-line with the ground, since most people begin rounding their lower backs at that point. I personally never angle lower than I do during Romanian deads.

I think I'm finally breaking my chest plateau, woooooooooo [editline]8th March 2016[/editline] My decision to play college football is great for my lifting habits, I love eating and didn't want to have to cut. Bulk erryday till summer

[QUOTE=MaverickIB;49888415]The angle of your back is gonna change where they hit. Yates rows are more upright and hit the lower back and lower traps more. But generally, a lot of back movements require a strong mind-muscle connection. You can almost choose which part of the back to utilize during the lift regardless of position. Parallel to the ground is more like Pendlay rows, never really been a big fan of those. Even then, I don't think you're supposed to be that in-line with the ground, since most people begin rounding their lower backs at that point. I personally never angle lower than I do during Romanian deads.[/QUOTE] yeah, what seems natural to me is about a 25 degree angle from parallel. it's just that i have no experience with these kinds of exercises in stronglifts, so i didn't know if i was doing it right :v:

[QUOTE=PredGD;49888264][t]https://pred.me/pics/chrome_2016-03-08_00-50-33.png[/t] this stuff isn't moving a lot anymore. I think my motivation might be gone since I'm so close to my goal, losing another 3kg sounds like nothing. I'm still not happy with my body though so I wonder if I should just say fuck it and move my goal to 75kg. maybe that'll give me some more motivation, knowing that there is still another 8kg to lose which will definitely make a difference. [editline]8th March 2016[/editline] okay, tips to deal with food cravings by the way? I know I can control the intake if there's no easily accessible food available but I live in a house with 4 other people. I can't control what they buy for themselves which I end up stealing for myself. easily accessible food is stuff like pizza and microwave food. I can rarely be bothered to put any effort into making food just to satisfy my cravings. snacks too of course. the only thing I can think of is to drink something. I usually use Pepsi Max to satisfy cravings but I can't use that when it gets late. I also try to limit my intake to 1 bottle a day since I have issues with too high magnesium levels [editline]8th March 2016[/editline] I just moved my goal to 75kg.[/QUOTE] You should move your goal to "getting ripped as fuarkkkkk" For cravings I find it useful for me to have a few cheat days a week, and then be strict during all other times. And get healthy snacks like granola,fruit, etc Also, I don't know if you are hitting the gym right now or not, but I would reccomend you do since lifting heavy weights is good at burning fat.

Which variant of rows do you guys like best? I'm a fan of T-Bar rows myself, really feel it mid-back.

I like doing t-bar rows and one arm dumbell rows than barbell rows, don't really get much out of them.

[QUOTE=myalt22;49889309]Which variant of rows do you guys like best? I'm a fan of T-Bar rows myself, really feel it mid-back.[/QUOTE] Yates and the seated hammer strength rows. Hammer strength anything + resistance bands is GOAT tier, absolutely love it.

I never remember which one is which but I guess mine is the classic one. just a barbell or dumbbells and positioning the back somewhat parallel to the floor with some bend on the legs. Rows mostly disappeared from my schemes. Not much for backexercises except DL which is my favourite in lifting.

[QUOTE=MaverickIB;49890053]Yates and the seated hammer strength rows. Hammer strength anything + resistance bands is GOAT tier, absolutely love it.[/QUOTE] so fucking jelly of hammer strength machines because my gym (walking distance and cheap as fuck) doesn't have them cable rows (one armed when the stack on the double cable machine gets too light) and db rows did wonders for me though

[QUOTE=Valon Kyre;49883454][thumb]http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/u423/Lawblind/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsfs5jkqli.jpeg[/thumb] 222 @ 6'4, pictures are around 2.5-3 years apart, crazy how so much has changed!!! Pretty good for all natural, but where I want to be I don't think can be obtained naturally. [editline]7th March 2016[/editline] The paper bag is because it looked like I was gonna shit myself[/QUOTE] Its hard to say accurately from camera pictures for a variety of reasons, but I'd say you're bigger now than I ever was on roids, although at one point i was LMAO JUICY because of low bodyfat and roid's obnoxious hardening effect on your appearance. you'd look joocy right now without roids if you focused on getting super lean, say a proper 8% bodyfat. mirin ur forearms, i can see you've been jerking off with both hands.

Could I replace barbell rows with sitting machine rows for Stronglifts? The one where you pull towards you. Seems I get the same motion and I physically cannot do barbell rows the way the video showed me.

[QUOTE=dilzinyomouth;49896355]Its hard to say accurately from camera pictures for a variety of reasons, but I'd say you're bigger now than I ever was on roids, although at one point i was LMAO JUICY because of low bodyfat and roid's obnoxious hardening effect on your appearance. you'd look joocy right now without roids if you focused on getting super lean, say a proper 8% bodyfat. mirin ur forearms, i can see you've been jerking off with both hands.[/QUOTE] Thanks!! I want to hit 240 at the same body fat. I feel like I'm just not proportional enough, just a little more. Its like I'm big enough that I look like I lift, but small enough that I don't appear huge? If that makes sense? You cant really tell when I wear regular clothes, I want to look big all the time. Maybe its just muscle dysmorphia

[QUOTE=Valon Kyre;49896798]Thanks!! I want to hit 240 at the same body fat. I feel like I'm just not proportional enough, just a little more. Its like I'm big enough that I look like I lift, but small enough that I don't appear huge? If that makes sense? You cant really tell when I wear regular clothes, I want to look big all the time. Maybe its just muscle dysmorphia[/QUOTE] You're looking pretty juicy bro(no homo), impressive even more so considering you're 6'4

[QUOTE=NixNax123;49896396]Could I replace barbell rows with sitting machine rows for Stronglifts? The one where you pull towards you. Seems I get the same motion and I physically cannot do barbell rows the way the video showed me.[/QUOTE] yes, but you're missing out on the core stabilization aspect of bb rows try dumbbell rows also

[QUOTE=lexus04;49891925]so fucking jelly of hammer strength machines because my gym (walking distance and cheap as fuck) doesn't have them cable rows (one armed when the stack on the double cable machine gets too light) and db rows did wonders for me though[/QUOTE] Cable rows are awesome. I prefer single arm variations and like that you're able to adjust the angle of your arm with respect to your torso with the cable. Easy to transition into face pulls to hit the rear delts because the setup is the same. I feel like you don't lose much in the way of core development if you're doing other compound lifts. Might just be me, but I feel like the mind muscle connection is easier to establish with unilateral movements in general.

thanks dudes, i'll try db rows friday today's deadlifts and overhead press should be fun! [editline]9th March 2016[/editline] also gonna do some pullups and corework after i'm scared to jump up to the pullup bar though [editline]9th March 2016[/editline] How the FUCK do you do deadlifts? I tried 25 lbs on each side and I didn't really know what to do. I can't bend my knees and pull something up without bending my back. It's almost impossible for me. I tried 5 reps and I felt like I looked so awkward. I also didn't feel anything except lower back pain afterwards. I'm 5'5, am I too short for them? [editline]9th March 2016[/editline] Not to mention how hard it is put the weights on the bar and get them off. I had to do an awkward backward shuffle off the bench seat while I had the bar in my hands. Then I spent like 5 minutes figuring out how to get the weights off.

anyone else bruteforce their power cleans? I have shit technique and end up rowing the weight up still have decent numbers somehow tho lol

[QUOTE=Valon Kyre;49896798]Thanks!! I want to hit 240 at the same body fat. I feel like I'm just not proportional enough, just a little more. Its like I'm big enough that I look like I lift, but small enough that I don't appear huge? If that makes sense? You cant really tell when I wear regular clothes, I want to look big all the time. Maybe its just muscle dysmorphia[/QUOTE] 2 words bruh. Tight shirts. They will save your life. Behold, the power of baby gap. [img]http://i64.tinypic.com/2vc7td3.png[/img]

question about starting 5x5's: i've been lifting for a little over a year. i've been strictly 3x10 except for in squats and deadlifts. i'm going by the 5x5 spreadsheet/app calculator as i've never done that set/rep range and can only estimate where i'd start out. but, my DL is at 3x6 ~265 LBs. why would i start at 1x5 135 lbs and keep adding? seems like while helpful in other exercises, starting well below what i can do in other exercises would waste time at the gym. is there a science behind starting ridiculously low? or should i start where i already am? also i think the calculations might be skewing my recommended weights. it gives you the option to change the number of reps for your "max" in order to calculate the weight, but like I said i've never really done anything but 3x10 so i just consider a set of 1x10 my 10 rep max(usually can't bust out more than 10 reps per set on most weights on most exercises). might that be contributing to my confusion?

[QUOTE=NixNax123;49899489]thanks dudes, i'll try db rows friday today's deadlifts and overhead press should be fun! [editline]9th March 2016[/editline] also gonna do some pullups and corework after i'm scared to jump up to the pullup bar though [editline]9th March 2016[/editline] How the FUCK do you do deadlifts? I tried 25 lbs on each side and I didn't really know what to do. I can't bend my knees and pull something up without bending my back. It's almost impossible for me. I tried 5 reps and I felt like I looked so awkward. I also didn't feel anything except lower back pain afterwards. I'm 5'5, am I too short for them? [editline]9th March 2016[/editline] Not to mention how hard it is put the weights on the bar and get them off. I had to do an awkward backward shuffle off the bench seat while I had the bar in my hands. Then I spent like 5 minutes figuring out how to get the weights off.[/QUOTE] Look up videos, you want to keep your back straight, move the bench out of the way and put the bar on the two *beams" (i cant remember what they're called) and pick the weight up and deadlift it on the floor after loading it up. If two 25's are too hard do down to a ten and five on each side. Being short (unless your arms are really short too) is an advantage, look at lamar gant's deadlift videos. Find someone that is good at deadlifts and get them to help you if all else fails.

[QUOTE=MaverickIB;49902583]2 words bruh. Tight shirts. They will save your life. Behold, the power of baby gap. [its a trap][/QUOTE] goddamn traps on point brah, your physique looks extremely well proportioned too [editline]10th March 2016[/editline] also was bodybuilding day today, the pump I get from this pre-workout I only take once a week is insane and sometimes I can't take out my headphones because I can't lift my hands that high

I've been pretty skinny my entire life and I thought it might not be bad to change something about it. I signed up for a gym with an awesome coach, it's so enjoyable right now. The biggest challenge is to adapt your diet, the amounts of food I have to take in is quite ridiculous. I've got a diet plan but it isn't really well designed. It just shows me some meals that I can vary from time to time. How do you guys manage your diets? Is there a way to really plan in an efficient way?

[QUOTE=junker154;49917822]I've been pretty skinny my entire life and I thought it might not be bad to change something about it. I signed up for a gym with an awesome coach, it's so enjoyable right now. The biggest challenge is to adapt your diet, the amounts of food I have to take in is quite ridiculous. I've got a diet plan but it isn't really well designed. It just shows me some meals that I can vary from time to time. How do you guys manage your diets? Is there a way to really plan in an efficient way?[/QUOTE] Just have a rough idea of what your macros need to look like, and plan accordingly. Having the ability to mix and match ingredients is pretty useful. X amount of chicken, X amount of oil, X amount of carb source brings me to my target. Some foods are considerably easier to prepare than others, and planning ahead helps. Oatmeal soaked overnight in yogurt is pretty good. Crockpots are useful, and you can freeze bags of pre-prepared ingredients. Eating large meals gets easier with time as your body adapts. Snacking will make it easier to hit your target in the meanwhile. Nuts are a good choice. One of the hardest parts of clean eating is having enough variety that you don't fall off of track. Learning how to properly use spices is one of the most effective ways of improving your food. [img_thumb]http://i.imgur.com/DCd0syb.png[/img_thumb]

So a year ago I was able to make my abs visible at ~150 LBs. One year and a few months later, I can keep my abs and be at ~170LBs.

Yo guys, i got a quick question on nutrition. my family's dinner diet is almost always white rice with other stuff (since we asian) and I tend to eat quite a lot of it. White Rice has a pretty decent amount of carbs and I've basically heard that eating carbs without doing any physical activity after is bad (I usually workout right after school before dinner). Should I try to eat more carbs in the morning/lunch instead and basically eat only a little at dinner time? i dont really know what im doing yet with this diet stuff

[QUOTE=thefreemann;49945502]Yo guys, i got a quick question on nutrition. my family's dinner diet is almost always white rice with other stuff (since we asian) and I tend to eat quite a lot of it. White Rice has a pretty decent amount of carbs and I've basically heard that eating carbs without doing any physical activity after is bad (I usually workout right after school before dinner). Should I try to eat more carbs in the morning/lunch instead and basically eat only a little at dinner time? i dont really know what im doing yet with this diet stuff[/QUOTE] Carbs are alright if you're eating a reasonable number of calories with respect to your [URL="https://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/basal-metabolic-rate"]maintenance requirements[/URL]. Are you trying to lose weight? Are you getting enough protein? Brown rice would be more nutritious. Keep track of how much it is that you're eating. Timing matters much less than volume.

[QUOTE=Biotoxsin;49945792]Carbs are alright if you're eating a reasonable number of calories with respect to your [URL="https://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/basal-metabolic-rate"]maintenance requirements[/URL]. Are you trying to lose weight? Are you getting enough protein? Brown rice would be more nutritious. Keep track of how much it is that you're eating. Timing matters much less than volume.[/QUOTE] Right, that calculator says i need 2712.62 calories with my current activity to have no weight change. I don't really think I'm overweight, I'm 5'7" and 155 pounds which is normal but leaning towards the fatter side. I'm really trying to get more definition and build more muscle. I'm actually a competitive swimmer but you don't get very muscular from swimming. So I guess I need to maintain my weight and just need to get rid of the fat and build more muscle? Now that the seasons over I really want to focus on getting """ripped""". As for protein, I really don't know, I do eat a lot of meats but it's not like I keep track of it. And with the timing vs. volume, that's more of what I'm talking about. I usually have a lot of carbs at dinner because of the rice, and I'm not going to be active afterwards.

The easiest way to change the composition of your body is to keep track of what you're taking in. The adage "you are what you eat" is one of the few fitness sayings that holds value. The timing of your "macros" (carbs, fats, protein) is overstated in importance. The ratio of those macros is more important. Amino acids broken down from a variety of protein sources (legumes, nuts, soy, dairy, eggs meat, etc) are either used as energy or as the building blocks for new proteins, such as muscle. Your body is going to use carbohydrates and fats as energy preferentially. If you eat at a caloric deficit, you can still build muscle mass, though you won't recover from your workouts as quickly. By keeping track of your energy intake, you can improve the rate that you progress at. Provided you have a balanced diet and enough calories, you can still see progress by eating as you are. Give tracking your diet a try for a bit to be on the safe side. There are several smartphone apps for this purpose. If you have a fair bit of muscle mass already you can start strength training while eating at a deficit and see improvements in appearance. If you already have a strength foundation from swimming, you might emphasize the aspects of your physique which are involved in your swimming movements, e.g. lats. Learn your compound movements with good form. Squat, Deadlift, pull-up/chin, bench press, push-up, and overhead press and you'll be a new man. Run a routine like starting strength or stronglifts and read the materials they come with. The latter has an app for recording your progress.

I work now, and I hate how I just don't feel like working out after work sometimes. Sometimes I have so much all at once that I miss entire workouts. Ever since I got a job I've been able to eat properly, so I've gone 130->138 in 3 months (everything I do always feels slower than the internet :((( ), but motivation is way down. Do you guys find that delaying a workout by a day cuts into progress significantly? I feel like people find me more attractive this semester, I'm officially not-underweight, I'm at 3x4 dips (from 0 in January), and I'm doing 3x12 unmodified pushups now (should move to 5x12 yeah?), but it always feels like I could do it faster.

In my eyes a workout where you're a bit down is better than none at all, it will build habit and discipline. You're not gonna always be motivated, so you have to make yourself do it.