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

[QUOTE=isreal?;47344643]Do protein shakes actually help or is it a bunch of snake oil? I'm too lazy to make steak every night I workout.[/QUOTE] If you're going to do anything with supplementation, do at least whey protein powder. Fish oil and multivitamins are good too. All I do, honestly. I'll occasionally have a pre-workout when I'm feeling the need, but I don't like it much. And creatine has never interested me with its marginal gains.

[QUOTE=isreal?;47344643]Do protein shakes actually help or is it a bunch of snake oil? I'm too lazy to make steak every night I workout.[/QUOTE] Of course they help its basically powdered protein aka a food Obviously you don't need it if you are already getting a lot of protein but it sure as hell is quicker and often cheaper than cooking up a bunch of meat

[QUOTE=Monkey san;47339092]I never use wrist straps - Never had a problem with my wrists. My friends use wriststraps all the fucking time and i keep asking why the fuck are you using them even on light excersises? You should only use them in heavy lifts, shoulder press, bench press etc you get the idea. Otherwise you're just impairing your forearms and wrists from developing lmao. Like if you do 350lbs benchpresses sure, they can be useful because your wrists are gonna kinda hurt. But when you doing light 200lbs i see no reason to use them, absolutely none.[/QUOTE] um i mean wrist straps, not wrist wraps [t]http://media.supercheapauto.com.au/sports/images/zooms/455999-zoom.jpg[/t] they're for helping you maintain your grip

[QUOTE=Mr. Bleak;47338102]Going to failure is alright, I don't really like doing it all the time because I get burnt out before my full workout is over. Try to shoot for hitting failure at lower reps though, think 5-8. [editline]16th March 2015[/editline] Finally making (super slow) progress on my chest. I hit 135 for 2 today which, pathetic as it sounds, is more than I've ever done before. I don't get it, despite my gaps in lifting my chest rarely gets stronger, yet I've increased my deadlift from 200 to 245 in a month and my squats from 180 to 225 in a couple months, yet my BP has stuck around 115 for ages.[/QUOTE] I feel your pain. My lower body progress has been dandy in comparison to my upper body. Squats and deads are 225, whereas bench and OHP have been at 135 and 75 for months, respectively. My BO Rows continue to grow though, up to 150 3x5, soo I dunno. Just a weak upper-front body in general, I suppose. I'm also beginning to stall out all around, so I think it's time to adjust my goals. Speaking of which, I'm routinely ignored here, so I'll try and make this as painless aa possible for you guys. Here's my before and after pics: [URL="http://imgur.com/AVfl5j4"]before[/URL], [URL="http://imgur.com/8APsLej"]after [/URL]. Before pic is October 2014, after is 20 minutes ago. Can't edit it to make it fancy as I'm on my phone at work so hopefully it's sufficient. Weight in October was 165. All lifts started with an empty bar except DL, which I only incorporated in January (long story, improper technique sums it up) at 135. Current stats: 195 lbs, 6'0 Squat: 225 3x5 DL: 225 1x5 Bench: 135 3x5 OHP: 75 3x5 Row: 150 3x5 Pull ups: 3 ;-; Tricep Dips: bodyweight 3x5-8 So, bulk or cut? Agree for bulk, disagree for cut. Feel free to add any opinions though, could definitely use em!

I see you're in the northern hemisphere and so summer is coming up soon, so personally I'd cut (not sure if there are ever any opportunities to showcase your bod in Canada though haha). But what are your goals? Increase strength or aesthetics? I mean if you don't care about how you look you could keep on bulking. If you want aesthetics well yeah it's arguably the time to cut, but that set routine doesn't really look like it's intended for hypertrophy. [editline]18th March 2015[/editline] My body is fucking weird when it comes to some exercises. I can deadlift 90kg with good form (set of 10), but can only maintain good form on my squats at 60kg (also set of 10). And then I can barbell row with good form at 65kg. I can do sets of 8 unassisted chin-ups, but I struggle to do even a few proper pull-ups.

When I started, I was building strength. As for my current goals, I don't really know. I wanna look good for summer (plenty of opportunity to show off, it gets quite hot here) but I wanna continue building strength. I had originally set out to acquire a 2x bodyweight squat, 2.5x DL and a 1.5x bench before cutting but now that I've put on so much weight and gained some strength I'm thinking I'll cut down to 175~. I'll cut for summer and try to maintain my current lifts, and continue bulking once Fall begins to roll around. By then I'll hopefully have my current lifting issues resolved, as I don't want to increase the weight while injury is a possibility. Quick question: what can I substitute squats with? I want to continue doing them but not every workout. I'd like to do squats one day, deads the other. Should I just shuffle my workouts around a bit, add an entirely new workout to replace squats on B, or just continue with my current routine until I begin another bulk? Routine for those curious (modified SL with 3x5 rep scheme): A Squats OHP Rows Dips 3x8 Lat PD/pullups 3x8/3xF B Squats Bench Deads Lat PD

[QUOTE=BuDSpOoNce;47345453]um i mean wrist straps, not wrist wraps [t]http://media.supercheapauto.com.au/sports/images/zooms/455999-zoom.jpg[/t] they're for helping you maintain your grip[/QUOTE] Oh shit nigga.

[QUOTE=blerb;47345971]When I started, I was building strength. As for my current goals, I don't really know. I wanna look good for summer (plenty of opportunity to show off, it gets quite hot here) but I wanna continue building strength. I had originally set out to acquire a 2x bodyweight squat, 2.5x DL and a 1.5x bench before cutting but now that I've put on so much weight and gained some strength I'm thinking I'll cut down to 175~. I'll cut for summer and try to maintain my current lifts, and continue bulking once Fall begins to roll around. By then I'll hopefully have my current lifting issues resolved, as I don't want to increase the weight while injury is a possibility. Quick question: what can I substitute squats with? I want to continue doing them but not every workout. I'd like to do squats one day, deads the other. Should I just shuffle my workouts around a bit, add an entirely new workout to replace squats on B, or just continue with my current routine until I begin another bulk? Routine for those curious (modified SL with 3x5 rep scheme): A Squats OHP Rows Dips 3x8 Lat PD/pullups 3x8/3xF B Squats Bench Deads Lat PD[/QUOTE] Leg press maybe? A PT recommended I do unilateral (one leg at a time) leg presses to fix up an imbalance he noticed when I do squats, so I guess maybe standard leg press might be an alternative.

st paddys was so good it reminds me of why i lift. on the other hand, like NO ONE i totally fucked my gains. as for you blerb, weighted lunges (with dumbells in each hand) and leg curls worked as a squat replacement for me when I somehow inextricably hurt myself doing them.

The hip flexors in my right leg are fucking killing me and it's leg day god dammit. Why do I always end up hurting myself as soon as I get into a good groove? I've never posted my routine here and some input would be nice. Trying to gain mass, bulking currently. Since I've stopped fucking around and go to the gym regularly, I've climbed from 162 to 170. Push Alternating sets of chest, triceps, and shoulders eg. Bench press 4x5-8 Bodyweight dips 4x8-10 OHP/Military press 4x4-6 Cable crossovers 4x6-8 Skullcrushers 4x5-8 Lat flyes 3x8-10 Incline DB Flyes 4x5-8 Pushdowns 3x6-10 (I see most people doing more reps with shorter ROM, might try this) Tricep kickbacks 3x10 Pull Deadlift 1x8 (warmup bar) 1x8 (warmup w/ weight), 1x6, 1x5, 1x5 depending on the day and weight, mostly grip failure limitations Seated Rows 4x6-8 Lat pulldowns 4x6-8 Bent over rows 4x6-10 BB Curl 3x6 DB Concentration curl 3x8 DB negative curls Min. 5 second hold per arm until failure until I have to progress below a certain weight Legs Squats 1x12 (bar) 1x8 (warmup) 4x5-8 Leg Press 4x6-8 (thinking of lowering weight and going 3x15-20) Leg curls 4x10 Single leg squats on a squat machine 3x5 superset with calf raises 3x12 Seated Calf Raises 3x12 [editline]18th March 2015[/editline] Oh and I run through PPL, then take 1 day off, and repeat. God damn my push day looks long as hell now that I'm looking at it. 33 sets is nuts

I try and go for 16 sets minimum, up to 20-22 if I have more time. 33 is a bit much. It's probably better to just split that routine in half and focus one week on one thing and the next week on the other exercises. You really don't need an insane number of exercises to get good results, there are a lot of programs out there that focus on doing only 3-4 movements (but doing them really thoroughly) and they work well. I'm pretty convinced at this point after seeing what some of my friends do that just having a crazy 1.5-2 hour long session is more or less a waste of time, and that you get almost all that you can get out of working out a couple of muscle groups within the first hour. They do these crazy long sessions and eat right, but don't look all that better than the dude who spends 45min-1hr doing 3-4 movements really solidly. Here's a helpful video on PPL: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2p4S1gRHSY[/media] I like what one of the commentors said in that he focuses on strength for 3 weeks then hypertrophy for 3 weeks vs putting it all in one routine. That sounds like a good way to go about it too. PPL is so nice because its so modular and you can really work a ton of different things into it to fit your needs.

Do you figure splitting my push into a day of chest/triceps and then a day of shoulders would be a good idea or would working chest once every 8ish days not be enough? I already have a weak ass chest so I don't know how I feel about it. [editline]18th March 2015[/editline] That video is pretty cool, I'll have to try that today with the primary and assistance stuff, I feel like it's more beneficial than just doing a bunch of arguably random shit. I looked up a few PPL routines on BB.com and mine is pretty similar to a few of the stickied ones on there, just more exercises that I could probably cut out. Seems to me that my problem isn't necessarily the exercises I pick, it's more the order, reps, and intensity that I do them in. I'll work on that.

I've been trying to take better care of myself since around December. Basically I'm working out for the first time in my life. I started out doing really ghetto improvised shit, sit-ups and push-ups and lifting my ~12-pound jar of change. But I started lurking this thread, and my brother gave me his old weight bench, and I'm learning a lot. The whole thing about only shooting for 5-8 reps was a surprise to me. But easily the hardest thing for me is just getting enough to eat. I get this weird feeling almost every day where I WILL be hungry, but every food I can think of just sounds disgusting to me. Smoothies and shakes and protein drinks help with that a little, but I know they're not filling the gaps entirely. It sucks because I'm 5'11", and a year or two ago I weighed a comfortable 150-155 lbs, but now I'm struggling just to maintain 140, and I have no idea where all the weight went. I hate havin skinny-ass wrists, and sometimes even seeing a couple ribs if i inhale too deep.

[QUOTE=Loofiloo;47347930]I've been trying to take better care of myself since around December. Basically I'm working out for the first time in my life. I started out doing really ghetto improvised shit, sit-ups and push-ups and lifting my ~12-pound jar of change. But I started lurking this thread, and my brother gave me his old weight bench, and I'm learning a lot. The whole thing about only shooting for 5-8 reps was a surprise to me. But easily the hardest thing for me is just getting enough to eat. I get this weird feeling almost every day where I WILL be hungry, but every food I can think of just sounds disgusting to me. Smoothies and shakes and protein drinks help with that a little, but I know they're not filling the gaps entirely. It sucks because I'm 5'11", and a year or two ago I weighed a comfortable 150-155 lbs, but now I'm struggling just to maintain 140, and I have no idea where all the weight went. I hate havin skinny-ass wrists, and sometimes even seeing a couple ribs if i inhale too deep.[/QUOTE] Hey me too, what you're doing wrong is that you're eating the wrong food. Look at 3000 calorie diets, eat alot and your dinners should be high in protein. Think meats/seafood. Yesterday I had: 4 eggs and toast Protein/nature valley bar Oatmeal with brown sugar and frozen blackberries Protein bar A hearty beef soup Pan cooked halibut with butter/lemon sauce and veggies. plus milk and a gatorade G2. I weigh 160, have ribs showing but I'm slowly getting there. Yesterday I had some more interesting french toast for breakfast and a medium rare steak and salad combo for dinner. All this "calories make you fat" shit is bullshit when you're working out, calories = energy. Eat every 3 hours and be healthy, my elementary school principal always taught me to EAT when you're hungry and eat until your satisfied.

Yesterday was bonkers I probably should have kept count of what I was eating. iirc: - two pieces of cafe thickness raisin toast with margarine, fuckload of peanut butter and a bit of jam - two protein shakes, 250mL each with full cream milk - chicken breast - a pear - bowl of oats with full cream milk - two fried eggs on two pieces of wholemeal bread - meat pie - pork forequarter chop fried in olive oil - two potatoes, also fried in olive oil I swear on me mum I will stab someone if I didn't put on weight. Was push day so hopefully I get big man tits. [editline]19th March 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=Mr. Bleak;47347220]Do you figure splitting my push into a day of chest/triceps and then a day of shoulders would be a good idea or would working chest once every 8ish days not be enough? I already have a weak ass chest so I don't know how I feel about it. [editline]18th March 2015[/editline] That video is pretty cool, I'll have to try that today with the primary and assistance stuff, I feel like it's more beneficial than just doing a bunch of arguably random shit. I looked up a few PPL routines on BB.com and mine is pretty similar to a few of the stickied ones on there, just more exercises that I could probably cut out. Seems to me that my problem isn't necessarily the exercises I pick, it's more the order, reps, and intensity that I do them in. I'll work on that.[/QUOTE] If you want to split your push day, how about have a chest day and a shoulders and triceps day? There's simply too many different chest exercises out there, and I suppose having a day for just chest means you can hit it from every single angle. I should probably check out that video, but yeah my routine is similar to yours. I have the compounds but I add accessories to work other portions of muscles (I also rotate between chest, shoulders and triceps): Chest: Bench press (15, 5,8,10,12) Dips (8-12x3) Cable crossovers (8-12x3) Incline cable fly (8-12x3) (I seriously recommend doing this instead of with dumbbells) Shoulders: Overhead press (5,8,10,12) This exercise where you lay on your side, legs facing the pulley and you raise your arm to pull the cable - like a lat raise but one arm at a time (work out medial head) (8-12x4) Triceps: Cable pushdown (8-12x3) I'd add another triceps exercise but the above runs dangerously close to one hour long and I'd rather not go over that.

So, as much as I didn't want to, I did leg day today with my aching ass hip flexors and... it hurt like fuck. I managed to do 3 sets of squats, 3 sets of leg press superset with calf press, and 3 sets of leg curls before I said fuck it and went to have dinner with a friend. Some people talk about accessory exercises as different than isolation. Is an accessory exercise just an isolation that benefits a compound lift that you do immediately following a compound lift?

I've always been under the impression that an accessory is just an exercise which focuses on what compound exercises, the main exercises, might not hit that hard, and yeah you'd do them after your compounds. Barbell rows and pull-ups would somewhat hit biceps, but then you'd do barbell curls and hammer curls to hit them properly. I don't think they have to be isolation exercises, but I think they mostly are.

You've got your main exercises which are generally compounds and they hit areas that you want to focus on most. Then you've got accessory exercises, which can be either compounds or isolation, which focus on areas that are not as important, or which will help you improve your main lifts. Thats the way I've always seen it.

fucked up my shoulder somehow rip bench, rip OHP hello leg day

ordered my first batch of protein, opted for impact whey smooth chocolate thx to everyone in this thread, some of you have been somewhat inspiring and helped me get motivated, hopefully nothing goes wrong as i've had slight wrist pain for a year now (had an mri, had an ultrasound, doctors said there was absolutely nothing there) and not gonna let it hold me back right wrist seems a little sore today but it always is, perhaps it's just my bench form

I too made the mistake of buying chocolate protein, shit tastes disgusting. Shoulda gone with vanilla.

i intend on mixing it with milk so should be fine

People must think I'm fucking weird when I walk around the uni the day after legs, can really feel the pain in those glutes. Somehow when I get to work though I'm able to power walk everywhere and kneel down somewhat normally. [editline]20th March 2015[/editline] Oh yeah just saying I personally wouldn't workout with a friend. For one, it might end up to the point where you'll rely on your friend to be motivation for you to go to the gym, and that's not good if your friend doesn't want to on a particular day. And two, going by the groups of people that go to my gym, you'll be spending way too much time talking and hogging equipment instead of actually doing sets. Gym should just be get in, do your thing, get out.

Going to the gym with someone on or above your level is great, otherwise it just feels like baby sitting. Still, everyones gotta start somewhere.

Anybody got a link to a place for good low carb and low calorie food options?

[QUOTE=Over-Run;47357150]Anybody got a link to a place for good low carb and low calorie food options?[/QUOTE] Nah but I mean if you Google around and find articles with references you'll be good. I assume you want to lose fat? In terms of carbs it's not 'this has less carbs than that', it's more about 'this has complex carbs while that has simple carbs'. Generally avoid things with simple carbs, like pretty much things with sugar added such as soft drinks and lollies (fruit is okay though). You should still get some carbs, but focus on complex ones like vegetables (sweet potato yay), grains including wholemeal bread and oats. Complex carbs take much longer to break down. As for low calorie I mean just keep it simple and go for things like skim milk, light margarine and just don't eat like a horse. Count your calories and adjust what you eat if need be. Make sure you get plenty of protein and workout to maintain muscles so you lose fat instead of muscle. [editline]20th March 2015[/editline] Oh yeah interesting thing I noticed at the gym today. Doing curls with a cable instead of a barbell seems to isolate the biceps much more, as doing barbell curls seems to put more stress on my forearms (am I doing it wrong?). However, I don't feel that stress on the forearms when doing it with a cable and straight handle. Also it's much more exhausting as the weight doesn't release at the top of the rep. But still I felt bad for hogging the cable machine just to do fucking curls lol.

[QUOTE=isreal?;47354904]I too made the mistake of buying chocolate protein, shit tastes disgusting. Shoulda gone with vanilla.[/QUOTE] Depends on the brand, the chocolate protein I have tastes really good while the Vanilla taste of the same brand is still good but it's so fucking sweet to the taste that it kinds of get you nauseous after a while.

[IMG]http://www.nutritionexpress.com/images/products/E1/E1-02414-X500.gif?F3EE2742[/IMG] Worst shit ever. "Extreme milk chocolate" tastes like puke.

[video=youtube;wWLS7f_uWAA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWLS7f_uWAA[/video] I thought this was pretty interesting. Is there a name for that type of snatch at 4:40?

[QUOTE=isreal?;47357894][IMG]http://www.nutritionexpress.com/images/products/E1/E1-02414-X500.gif?F3EE2742[/IMG] Worst shit ever. "Extreme milk chocolate" tastes like puke.[/QUOTE] You're doing something horribly wrong, I drink this in milk like I used to Mountain Dew at LAN parties. I assume you aren't properly mixing it, use a real blender and puree the shit out of it. Putting peanut butter in it also makes it taste exactly like a peanut butter ice cream, but when thinking about the fact you'd be drinking peanut butter ice cream you get somewhat nauseous.