The Bodybuilders Thread!

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Sensorei said:
The lower you bring the dumbell down, the more tension you put on your pectorals. So go low - just watch your rotator cuffs.

Before you start your set pull your shoulder blades together. This will isolate your chest more and take strain off your shoulders. But most importantly GO LOW when you bring the weight to your chest and never bounce the barbell off. To put more tension on the pecs rather pause for a moment at end of the eccentric movement.
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So much of this. I knackered my right shoulder pushing myself. Had to take a break and get myself back into it, starting with only push-ups.

My biggest issue is keeping my shoulder blades together. It is like the weight is pushing my back flat again. The frustrating thing is, I can feel a difference between shoulders pulled in and back nearly flat. Shoulders in and you can really feel your chest is doing some work.
 
thestaggy said:
My biggest issue is keeping my shoulder blades together. It is like the weight is pushing my back flat again. The frustrating thing is, I can feel a difference between shoulders pulled in and back nearly flat. Shoulders in and you can really feel your chest is doing some work.
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That is why you need strong back muscles to help improve your benchpress. If you feel you can't keep your shoulders together, focus more on the back muscles and exercises that will target those specific muscles. I personally do pendlay rows for this. It really made a massive difference. I don't see many other people doing this exercise at the VAs I go to. Pendlay rows is also the exact opposite exercise vs benchpress, which makes it ideal to help improve the benchpress.
 
Good tip Tinuva. Pendlay rows from stronglifts5x5 was the one thing I neglected. When I get started again with stronglifts I'll be sure not to repeat that mistake. Medhi calls them Barbell Rows but executes them like Pendlay Rows if I am not mistaken.
 
thestaggy said:
So much of this. I knackered my right shoulder pushing myself. Had to take a break and get myself back into it, starting with only push-ups.

My biggest issue is keeping my shoulder blades together. It is like the weight is pushing my back flat again. The frustrating thing is, I can feel a difference between shoulders pulled in and back nearly flat. Shoulders in and you can really feel your chest is doing some work.
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If you flatten your back out and flare out your elbows then the benchpress can very easily become predominantly a front delt and triceps exercise instead of a chest exercise. With your shoulder blades together and elbows tucked in you can maximise the support and initial drive that your lats give you. You want to picture yourself resting your triceps on your lats as the bar comes down to your chest.
 
Tinuva said:
That is why you need strong back muscles to help improve your benchpress. If you feel you can't keep your shoulders together, focus more on the back muscles and exercises that will target those specific muscles. I personally do pendlay rows for this. It really made a massive difference. I don't see many other people doing this exercise at the VAs I go to. Pendlay rows is also the exact opposite exercise vs benchpress, which makes it ideal to help improve the benchpress.
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Thanks for that tip. Just found a few videos on them, will definitely add them to my routine.
 
StrontiumDog said:
Good tip Tinuva. Pendlay rows from stronglifts5x5 was the one thing I neglected. When I get started again with stronglifts I'll be sure not to repeat that mistake. Medhi calls them Barbell Rows but executes them like Pendlay Rows if I am not mistaken.
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Stronglifts is a great starter program. Pendlay rows is the strict version of Bent-over barbell rows, either name goes, but I like to use the correct name, which make searching for examples and advice easier.

The thing about Stronglifts program is, it is so perfectly balanced, you should try to not neglect any of the exercises. Both the Pendlay rows and Deadlift exercises are like diamonds.

One thing I don't agree with, is how Mehdi suggests doing the overhead press. It may have changed in the years since I did the program, because I have seen the program have changed over time. Stronglifts suggest using your legs to help push the weight up. While this is a great way to up the weight you can do, it means you are skipping on an important part of the movement, which is to have full control on the way up. It also changes it from overhead press to push press. Variations and all that, but I like everyone has their personal preferences.


thestaggy said:
Thanks for that tip. Just found a few videos on them, will definitely add them to my routine.
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Always a pleasure to help :) Strong back = stronger bench press!
 
My bench press form is shocking.

Think it is time to drop the weight drastically and work on getting my form nailed down.
 
@Tinuva and anybody else willing to help.

If I film my form on all exercises and upload them to Youtube or whatever. Will you give pointers/advice?

I gym on my own in my garage so have nobody to correct me or help me. Form now is even more important.
 
APoc184 said:
@Tinuva and anybody else willing to help.

If I film my form on all exercises and upload them to Youtube or whatever. Will you give pointers/advice?

I gym on my own in my garage so have nobody to correct me or help me. Form now is even more important.
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No problem at all.Lets see where we can help.
 
in my mid 30's I got stuck at 99kg Im 44 now,to get past 100kg I had to go really heavy on squats, bench and lats, was told not to do more than 4 reps. I now 116kg and still eat all day and back to doing 10 reps and but not as heavy. got personal best on arms last week 75kg with z bar 8 reps, to gain wieght you have to go heavy and ask where is the pain
 
bradguy said:
in my mid 30's I got stuck at 99kg Im 44 now,to get past 100kg I had to go really heavy on squats, bench and lats, was told not to do more than 4 reps. I now 116kg and still eat all day and back to doing 10 reps and but not as heavy. got personal best on arms last week 75kg with z bar 8 reps, to gain wieght you have to go heavy and ask where is the pain
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What lift are you referring to?
 
APoc184 said:
@Tinuva and anybody else willing to help.

If I film my form on all exercises and upload them to Youtube or whatever. Will you give pointers/advice?

I gym on my own in my garage so have nobody to correct me or help me. Form now is even more important.
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Sure can do. I am no expert but maybe can see a few things that you are not aware of.

I personally feel I still have form issues on Deadlift, I know what they are and trying to work on them.
 
Batista said:
No problem at all.Lets see where we can help.
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Tinuva said:
Sure can do. I am no expert but maybe can see a few things that you are not aware of.

I personally feel I still have form issues on Deadlift, I know what they are and trying to work on them.
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Thanks guys.

I will film majority of exercises on Saturday and upload them. Then share here while I put on my flamesuit...

I am a complete noob and have never seen the inside of a gym. 4 months back was the first time I ever started exercising with weights in my whole life. Before that (school and a bit after) it was always just tennis, rugby, cricket, squash and badminton.

Everything I think I know, I have learned from Bodybuilding.com articles and videos, Youtube videos and from here. I just try to replicate what I see/read on the interwebs but I have no way of telling if I'm doing anything right. No injuries yet doesn't necessarily mean I'm doing things right.
 
Usually when the weight start getting heavy, in relation to your strength, is when the weak points start to show, at least in my experience that is usually when I realize, uh oh. Then try to fix it before I get hurt, and most injuries I have avoided like this, with a few exceptions where I just had really bad weak points.
 
I find that I do not go as heavy as I possibly can because I play it safe. Mainly because I am on my own and I am afraid of injuries. And of course because I am a noob.

And I rather stop at 4 or 5 reps when I feel I might fail on my final rep.

Since I built that PowerCage I do feel a bit safer and progressed in weight quite a bit with most exercises. But still not going crazy heavy. The cage has saved me 2 or 3 times now. Especially when I have to do Close Grip Bench at the end of my workouts and I'm really fatigued.
 
APoc184 said:
I find that I do not go as heavy as I possibly can because I play it safe. Mainly because I am on my own and I am afraid of injuries. And of course because I am a noob.

And I rather stop at 4 or 5 reps when I feel I might fail on my final rep.
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I am the same. I sometimes feel like I have one more rep in me, but rolling a fully-laden bar down your chest and into your lap to sit up is not fun.

Also, I think doing something to a point of fatigue is stupid as that is when poor form creeps in and the risk of injury increases. Your body will naturally attempt to compensate if it feels it is in trouble, so your ass comes off the bench, your shoulder lifts up, elbows pop out, etc and suddenly your chest is doing nothing while every other muscle in your body is having a go at pushing the bar back up.
 
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