The Bodybuilders Thread: Circuit II

kolaval said:
Any advice on weight lifting shoes?
I have reached a point where I cannot go heavy on DL and squats due to my heels coming off the ground.

It is for crossfit, and I appreciate the hate, but squatting is squatting. And I need more stability.
Click to expand...

I had this issue for as long as I can remember until very recently.

[video=youtube;Dy28eq2PjcM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy28eq2PjcM[/video]

What I did differently was first practice squatting without the bar - using my hands to steady myself on a pole nearby - and keep feet flat / go as far down as possible. Once I'd got that right, I just mount the bar slightly further down / back than usual and I can get far down without falling over.
 
Regarding footwear, saw an interesting video a while back (will post it if I find it again).

For heavy lifts like squats and DL anything other than a shoe with a rigid FLAT sole just won't do. Reasoning behind this is stability when you're moving that much weight. A flat sole has the most surface area, and hard soles won't compress as much as running shoes or cross trainers, which are designed to cushion and absorb impact. I train in converse when I'm doing my 5x5. Ugly af, but I'm going to gym to work, not to look pretty doing it.

The above also counters the barefoot argument, because unless you're genetically prone to it, feet aren't flat underneath, and therefore provide even less surface area.
 
The Voice said:
Regarding footwear, saw an interesting video a while back (will post it if I find it again).

For heavy lifts like squats and DL anything other than a shoe with a rigid FLAT sole just won't do. Reasoning behind this is stability when you're moving that much weight. A flat sole has the most surface area, and hard soles won't compress as much as running shoes or cross trainers, which are designed to cushion and absorb impact. I train in converse when I'm doing my 5x5. Ugly af, but I'm going to gym to work, not to look pretty doing it.

The above also counters the barefoot argument, because unless you're genetically prone to it, feet aren't flat underneath, and therefore provide even less surface area.
Click to expand...

All stars are the only things I wear to the gym.
 
I agree with the recommendations - fix your form and mobility issues first.
Shoes are not going to fix bad form. Otherwise you are heading towards injury.

On the shoe recommendation, I still love Innov-8's f-lite range. I had to replace mine a little while ago, and decided to try a pair of Nike Metcon 2's. Very nice shoes, but they hurt me, so I find myself wearing my Innov-8's again. The have a firm sole, with a very low drop from toe to heel.
 
Yo so I don't usually do this, because generally people already know how to train lol.

But I found this on reddit (apparently its from GH15 which is a private steroid forum I think) and figured I'd try it. I really like this arm workout, it gave me DOMS from hell the first time I did it.

Excuse that it's a bit long; you can skip the first paragraph tbh.

Arm Day!!!

Lets talk about arms, outside of back, it is my favorite body-part to train. Over the years with as many training partners as I have had the one thing they have ALL remained loyal to is the approach to arm training that I will share with you today. Why, it has brought on the best results for just about everyone who has tried this style. This I promise, it will make a difference in size and thickness if followed correctly. But this style is not easy to master and is very painful. It is all about technique not WEIGHT. So put down the synthol bottles, site injection tools, and the cattle prods. You will not longer need them. Just a good ole fashion arm ass whopping is in store for you today.....

I have experimented with just about very combination and training style over the years and the one true constant that has brought about the best results for arms is both super-setting biceps and triceps WITH the all important Piston style of stroke. This works extremely well for two reasons. 1) Helps isolate the blood volume in one given area. This will allow for a deeper full stretch and concise mind to muscle connection. 2) This will in turn also place a very specific and precises load on the target muscle. Think of it like dummy bombs vs smart bombs. Dropping dummy bombs is a very inefficient method, as their explosiveness is spread over a wide area, where as a smart bomb which is smaller and lighter will strike a specific target with ALL the forces focused on a specific spot for the most damage (no collateral damage).

So lets begin....

The first two exercises to be performed are standing dumbbell curls super-setted with standing straight LONG bar triceps cable push-downs. But before we begin, technique must be addressed. How to actually curl the dumbbells. This is where one of the MAJOR changes will occur in your understanding of biceps. I DO NOT want under any circumstances the dumbbells to supinate. This is the key, that goes against everything you have seen or have learned. I want the stress and loads to be constant. Supination causes the dissipation of that said load up the arms allowing you to move more weight (dumb bomb). What you will do is this. Stand in front of a mirror and first grip both your dumbbells HARD and let them hang or float at the OUTSIDE of your hips. I do not want them to relax or sit on your hips. The palms of your wrists ALWAYS facing the mirror and the inside of the dumbbells not touching your body. YOU DO NOT GET TO ROTATE your palms and relax them by facing your thighs ever. So begin the curl one dumbbell at a time while the other is facing STRAIGHT forward. Do not let it turn in. Lower the arm all the ways down with palms continuing on a horizontal path to the floor. Once floating and facing forward then begin curling the second arm to a top point you can squeeze the muscle. The other arm remember is facing forward. So there is a constant static force on the arm that is not being curled. Our goal is 12 perfects reps....Practice the movement in front of the mirror first with no dumbbells to get a feel for the new stroke. Once ready you do not stop and rest and any point. You go to complete failure. What you will notice is the immediate load placed on the hanging arm. Even though it may be resting as your curling the other arm it is actually in contraction. This increases time under tension exponentially...

As you curl the dumbbells up, in order to ensure the front delts aren?t taking over, keep your chest and head high, and this time contrary to other advise on this exercise I will allow the elbows to travel forward just a bit as your contract the bicep. The emphasis on the biceps will be even greater.

Now rest for 5 seconds or so and move straight to triceps push-downs. I would prefer you to use the long straight bar that is utilized for back pull downs for this one, not the short straight one. Now where and how to grip the bar. Use a thumbs OVER grip and the distance is where when you can contract the triceps muscle, with your thumbs barely touch the outside of your thighs at the bottom. So I want you standing closer to the apparatus. Strokes are constant piston like all the way up and down to a brief contraction. No partial ego based reps in this house. Again 12 perfects reps performed to FAILURE!!!!. Give yourself 5 to 10 seconds and then back to standing dumbbell curls.

To summarize the first two, alternate both with minimal rest 3 sets each to failure. You will at this point understand what pain is. And we have not even began!!!

On to the next exercise. This time you will super-set standing straight barbell curls with one arm cable push downs. If you are having issues with your wrists and elbows, you may use the french bar curl instead of the straight bar. I am not going into detail with the straight bar curls, but keep it light enough where there is NO body English, or momentum based reps. Chest and head remains up and squeeze the biceps at the top. Again piston style with no stopping at any point during the set especially at the bottom. So pick a weight light enough to get 12 perfect straight reps.

Now to a very interesting version of the one arm cable push-down. The reason for this in particular is the DEEP contraction it gives if done correctly and since it is one arm at a time, it will allow you to work on the imbalances. On all cable pushdowns their will be a rubber ball right above the attachment clip. That is what you want. Take a small towel and place it over the ball for increased surface hand area. The small towel is critical. The increased surface area will recruit more of the nervous system for a deeper contraction. Grip the towel OVER the ball and squeeze it tight. Then begin the set of push downs, one arm at a time. No need for any attachment just that rubber ball over the clips. Stand slightly to the side of the cable and move the arms down to your hips in a straight line and to the outside of your hips again. But this time at the bottom contraction your knuckles will be facing the floor. Then switch arms. You will notice the imbalances and control issues with one dominant arm over the other. I could not find any picture on the net to help me with this movement. So I will use the pictures below just so that you can see the black rubber ball right above the attachment clip. A member at my gym was kind enough to let me take me take a quick picture to demonstration the towel and arm positioning.

Again 3 sets to failure, minimal rest......back and forth. Now the pump is mind blowing. You can't even take the head phones off your noggin to wipe your face.... (evil laugh again)

The third set of sequence exercises is one arm dumbbell curl on the preacher bench, super-setted with your choice of any triceps exercise you like. Again on this arm movement, keep the wrist PERFECTLY flat and or horizontal to the floor. All the way down and up, no stopping or pausing. 12 reps to failure for each arm. Then off to your own personal favorite triceps exercise. Just make sure its done clean and in Piston style. 3 sets to failure back and forth...

Finally the last sequence. We are now in the stretch positions. And ohhhhhh this will hurt. By this point your arms are completely saturated with blood and fluid. The perfect opportunity to really physically stretch the biceps the old fashion way. You will need an incline barbell bench for this. The angle on these benches are ideal. Back to alternate dumbbell curls but done on the seated incline barbell bench. The key is your head positioning. I will need your head to ALWAYS lay against the padding with the arms hanging straight down. Reminder, the head never comes off the pads. Palms facing forward just like in the first exercise, never and I mean NEVER turn your writs in to relax the arm, the resting arm still always faces forward. But this time your will notice extreme stretching forces that occurs up the biceps. Yes it is painful. Get use to it..... you can do both arms together, but I prefer you to do one at a time just like the standing version.

Follow this up with standing over the head triceps extensions. Any variation is possible. Seated with one dumbbell, standing or even on an incline bench. Make sure the elbows are up and you get that deep stretch when it comes down behind the head.

Couple of end notes for arms if they are your priority. Finding that ideal weight for each exercise will take a couple of weeks. Lower the weights you normally are accustomed for those 12 clean reps to failure. Because arms are involved in just about every upper-body exercise to one degree or another take the following day off. Train both back and chest the days PRIOR to arms. Keep arms to their own day.

DrX
Click to expand...
 
Although I believe more in discipline than motivation.... Sometimes a nice motivational quote/pic still hits the spot.

67101c060ea7c30be024998a8443e987.jpg
 
Aye. Some days it's just so hard. 1.5km swim today, and yesterday was a 6km hard run. I am not feeling very disciplined. Missing weight training too.
 
InternetSwag said:
Yo so I don't usually do this, because generally people already know how to train lol.

But I found this on reddit (apparently its from GH15 which is a private steroid forum I think) and figured I'd try it. I really like this arm workout, it gave me DOMS from hell the first time I did it.

Excuse that it's a bit long; you can skip the first paragraph tbh.
Click to expand...

Supersetting will do that :)
 
Heavyonthemagick said:
Supersetting will do that :)
Click to expand...

Huh, true dat.

My entire training style since I started has always been a strength approach, with longer rest periods in between sets to try to put up the weight again.

I should try supersetting on chest day to see if I get the same reaction.
 
So I started cutting on Feb 1st. I weighed in at around 80-81~ depending on what I've drank/eaten etc. I honestly thought I'd weigh more, but my weight's been floating around that since November lol (maybe minus a kg or two). So I thought I'd start a cut instead.

I hate cutting. It's boring and I don't care about abs at all. But I want to cut down to 74, see what I look like and then take it from there.
 
He looks like a buff elf from Lord of the Rings.
 
yesterday I somehow managed a weighted muscle up, stjooe what a difference 5kg's makes, fried my cns after that and I called it a day
 
Anyone have any opinions on a Bowflex?
The Bowflex Extreme SE to be exact. Less noise and hassle than a Trojan gym but essentially the same thing?
 
airborne said:
Anyone have any opinions on a Bowflex?
The Bowflex Extreme SE to be exact. Less noise and hassle than a Trojan gym but essentially the same thing?
Click to expand...

Nah, not a fan. Mostly because it's not an exact science an resistance on one machine to the next is almost guaranteed to be different IMO. Maybe not so much, I'm not sure. That said, for circuits and HIT training they can be useful. Certainly good for women.
Now I'm not a huge Trojan fan either, but I have one at home - well not Trojan but Maxxed. Pulleys tend to add to the strain and again, it's all relative so you can't really put actual numbers to the workouts unlike free weights. If you're going to go for one of those, try to get fewer pulleys and a simpler machine - There's a certain amount of tension that the cable takes that affects the overall workout so anything done at full range may / may not incorporate a bit of slacking off - e.g. lat pulldown / chest press.

The one bowflex product I'll take tomorrow if I could find one locally is the adjustable dumbell. They are super cool.

https://www.amazon.com/Bowflex-SelectTech-Adjustable-Dumbbell-Single/dp/B00ODFCCJK
10-90lb in 5lb increments.
 
Hey all - some advice. I just bought some Scitec attack 2.0 pwo. Its says mix 10g with 500ml water. But it tastes pretty crappy and weak that way. Think its OK if I mix with less water same dosage?
 
Salt said:
Hey all - some advice. I just bought some Scitec attack 2.0 pwo. Its says mix 10g with 500ml water. But it tastes pretty crappy and weak that way. Think its OK if I mix with less water same dosage?
Click to expand...

Of course. Just make sure to stay hydrated during the workout.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X