The Bodybuilders Thread!

[Archer]

My local gym has done... I dont know what... Everything has been replaced, which is amazing for the cardio bunnies (TV's, music all built in etc) but the new "strength" equipment is interesting to say the least. Rubber weights, 1 squat rack (down from 2) and a bunch of multipurpose machines. The squat rack also only has 3 heights for the bar, one just too high, the other way too low. The bars I swear are thinner than standard olympic bars so I cant grip them very well either. Basically, I doubt I can carry on with SL5x5 because its too awkward now, and 1 squat rack means it simply wont be available often enough.

So, any suggestions for a routing of some kind for overall strength using as few machines as possible (preferably zero) please?

 

[APoc184]

Ever thought about cancelling the gym membership and investing in your own bench, bar, weights?

 

[Necropolis]

I must say at the VA that I go to the Squat rack and deadlift area are the quietest spots in the gym.

The cables and smith machines seem to be where all the cool kids workout.

 

[Archer]

Ever thought about cancelling the gym membership and investing in your own bench, bar, weights?

Many a time, but the gym is walking distance from the office (so I gym during an extended lunch break) and R80/month. Home would have to happen outside work hours plus the initial setup

 

[APoc184]

Many a time, but the gym is walking distance from the office (so I gym during an extended lunch break) and R80/month. Home would have to happen outside work hours plus the initial setup

Yeah R80 is nothing. Good deal.

Unfortunately my advice will be of no use then.

 

[Batista]

My local gym has done... I dont know what... Everything has been replaced, which is amazing for the cardio bunnies (TV's, music all built in etc) but the new "strength" equipment is interesting to say the least. Rubber weights, 1 squat rack (down from 2) and a bunch of multipurpose machines. The squat rack also only has 3 heights for the bar, one just too high, the other way too low. The bars I swear are thinner than standard olympic bars so I cant grip them very well either. Basically, I doubt I can carry on with SL5x5 because its too awkward now, and 1 squat rack means it simply wont be available often enough.

So, any suggestions for a routing of some kind for overall strength using as few machines as possible (preferably zero) please?

Yes, kettlebells.

 

[Batista]

This is nonsense. Nutritech were accused falsely and independent testing proved that their whey is very good quality. In order to be eligible to be sold in chains like Dischem and PnP pharmacies etc they had to pass testing for iso 22000 and they have been confirmed as WADA safe supplements. USN are just scared of the competition.

Source pls.THere is no such thing in RSA.Anyone can sell anything without any verification or have things changed in the recent years?

 

[Batista]

Is my local pharmacist smoking his products or is this advice real?

He obviously saw that I am working out or me browsing around the supplement section was a dead giveaway. But he asked if I am taking anything pre-workout... I said just BCAA pre and then whey shake with creatine post. Nothing else at the moment.

He then told me that I should take a serving of CitroSoda before hitting the gym because when you work out your muscles form an acidic layer to protect themselves. This slows down muscle growth and the CitroSoda will break that layer down and help with even more muscle growth.

My initial reaction is calling BS because I've never heard or read about this at all. But I've known this pharmacist for years and he always seems to know his stuff and is a nice guy. No reason for him to BS me.

Go raid his methlab at the back of the shop lol
This is nonsense.Muscle growth occurs at night while you sleep, muscle breakdown occurs in the gym while you train.You want to break down your muscles as much as possible in the shortest period of time - to initiate growth later.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_bicarbonate

 

[Picard]

After a lengthy 1 and a half hour gym session (yes I did read Batista's post above - but I work out all parts of my body in one session, including cardio) I did a quick 5x20 push up session at home. I weigh 80kg and have VERY spindly arms with VERY bony shoulders. I'm so bony that if I remove my shirt anyone seeing me would exclaim, "Dude, you've got no deltoid muscles!!!"

Reason for this post ... I'm quite proud of myself and I want to tell people to keep my motivation going.

Thanks

Carry on.

 

[StrontiumDog]

Picard, what subject(s) do you teach?

On another note regarding Nutritech, I finally opened my mint choc pure whey 3.2kg container. Surprisingly yummy

 

[Slootvreter]

Well Durbanville Virgin Active has now replaced all their equipment and is now about as hardcore as Curves. There are only about 5 or 6 20kg plates, the only remaining squat rack is situated in front of a wall with no mirror, and the legpress machines can not hold nearly enough weight. but that doesn't matter, there aren't enough 20kg plates anyway. Pathetic

 

[Picard]

Picard, what subject(s) do you teach?

On another note regarding Nutritech, I finally opened my mint choc pure whey 3.2kg container. Surprisingly yummy

Afrikaans, History, Computer Skills.

 

[Picard]

After a lengthy 1 and a half hour gym session (yes I did read Batista's post above - but I work out all parts of my body in one session, including cardio) I did a quick 5x20 push up session at home. I weigh 80kg and have VERY spindly arms with VERY bony shoulders. I'm so bony that if I remove my shirt anyone seeing me would exclaim, "Dude, you've got no deltoid muscles!!!"

I think I overexerted my left shoulder.

 

[Archer]

Well Durbanville Virgin Active has now replaced all their equipment and is now about as hardcore as Curves. There are only about 5 or 6 20kg plates, the only remaining squat rack is situated in front of a wall with no mirror, and the legpress machines can not hold nearly enough weight. but that doesn't matter, there aren't enough 20kg plates anyway. Pathetic

/wonders if I've ever seen Sloot at the gym...

But come on Sloot, now you are liking to be watching TV on the cardio machines, BEST EVER!! Amiright? Of course I am

 

[Slootvreter]

/wonders if I've ever seen Sloot at the gym...

But come on Sloot, now you are liking to be watching TV on the cardio machines, BEST EVER!! Amiright? Of course I am

That place is now pretty much a gym for crossfit bunnies. It's a joke. I pissed my pants yesterday when the lady at reception told me it's going to be R1007 to cancel my membership. So I went to Cape Gate, which was packed beyond capacity, did leg press and left

 

[Tinuva]

Well Durbanville Virgin Active has now replaced all their equipment and is now about as hardcore as Curves. There are only about 5 or 6 20kg plates, the only remaining squat rack is situated in front of a wall with no mirror, and the legpress machines can not hold nearly enough weight. but that doesn't matter, there aren't enough 20kg plates anyway. Pathetic

Best advice I can give you, is to complain and complain, and let all the others that miss the squatracks also complain.

VA Tygervalley did the same thing. Downgraded from 2 to 1 squat rack back about a year ago. You will see my posts complaining earlier in this thread. Everyone else also kept on complaining.

After a while, they couldn't take it anymore, caved in, and Virgin Active Tygervalley now has 2 squat racks again.

That said, I currently go to VA Wembley square, they still have 2 squat racks, proper dips rack, 3 benches, loads of 20Kg plates, so very happy there still.

 

[Archer]

Apparently they are getting more weights in still, but with only one rack its not going to help much. I'm going to check out the kettlebells (looked like they have a proper selection now) and figure out a workout using those.

 

[Orihalcon]

That place is now pretty much a gym for crossfit bunnies. It's a joke. I pissed my pants yesterday when the lady at reception told me it's going to be R1007 to cancel my membership. So I went to Cape Gate, which was packed beyond capacity, did leg press and left

Yup. Cape Gate is very packed

Even the morning sessions from 5 to 6:30 are getting maddening.

However I do find they have some of the best staff and the regular gym crowd are all friendly

 

[Salt]

I am on a mission to build my chest.

I've been gyming for 7 months now, wanting to gain muscle and of course weight and loose some around my stomach. I started using only a Protiene shake the first 3 months, the next 4 I used a bulk shake and the last two months pure L-Glutamine with the bulk shake. Last week I started using the USN hyperbolic mass which has everything in - creatine too.

I probably gained 1kg in this time, but I've lost quite a bit around my stomach. I've had some decent gains in muscle.

My chest is the weakest part, so I am now in a mission to really push my chest. I've been doing a lot of reading on how to better activate my pecks when doing bench. Even though my chest has def grown the past 7 months, I still feel only my shoulders burn when I do flat and incline bench. So I know I am not activating my chest.

I've learned that the pecks really work to bring your arm across the chest (there is some word for it) - so when doing bench I need to focus on that instead of pushing the weight straight up. I've also learned to keep my shoulder blades tucked back and my chest out when I bench. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/benching-with-the-pecs.html/

At the moment I will do something like this on a Monday:

Warm up my rotator cuffs and do a few push ups.
4 sets of flat bench with barbell - 10 reps each - increasing the weight making sure I fail on the last set.
4 sets of incline bench with dumbbell - 10 reps each - increasing the weight making sure I fail on the last set.
I hold a weight in each hand - palms facing each other, arms straight ahead for 15secs after each set.
3 sets of peck deck - 10 reps each.
If I have time (normally do) - incline dumbbell flyes - 4 sets - 10 reps each - increasing as I go making sure I fail on the last set.

I end on about 57kg on the flat bench now. I weigh 84kg now - 1.87cm tall. My aim is 95kg.

Any other advice?

 

[HDS]

^^The article is 100% spot on. When going down you should stop when your front arm is perpendicular to your chest. That way you will put more pressure on your pecs and the workload will move from your front delts to your pecs.

2 other things that might help you :

-Change your rep range. Even though the common optimal rep range to build muscle is 8-12, it might be different for you. Maybe by changing the rep range to 15 reps per set, you can put on more mass. You will never know unless you try.

-Start with isolation exercises first, like the flyes. Many times when doing bench presses your triceps fail first, and while your pecs are still ready to churn out more reps, you can't. Start with cable crossovers (they do work your delts a bit)/dumbbell flyes/peck-deck machine first, and then do the bench presses.

Not saying any of that will work for you, but it won't hurt to try and see if it does.