The Bodybuilders Thread!

[Ondier]

No, start your own girly spinning thread somewhere else. This is for okes who klap gym hard strictly.

Talking about klapping gym
http://slicktiger.wordpress.com/2010/02/09/the-slicktiger-guide-to-klapping-gym-boet/

 

[Nick333]

Talking about klapping gym
http://slicktiger.wordpress.com/2010/02/09/the-slicktiger-guide-to-klapping-gym-boet/

Lol. Read it before. Funny *****.

 

[StrontiumDog]

Hi Ryan

Rest for 30 - 60 seconds between sets. You don't want to rest "completely". Break the muscle down as fast as possible. Your arms will get accustomed to your new training regime and they will catch up. If you train chest and your arms get lame your form is probably not right. Check some youtube videos on form. There's also a guy called Scooby like posted above- check for his youtube account / videos. He has got good form and training techniques

A question I'd ask as well is if the "lame arms" are just triceps. I agree with Ondier that your arms will catch up, but on a large pushing motion like bench, triceps will play a vital role.
If it's your whole arm (whole being Bi's and tri's) then there is something else that needs investigating.

Another thing to try is to put your mind "in" the muscle you're training. When you're doing bench for example, 'think' about the muscle you're trying to excercise....

THanks guys. Its just my triceps that go lame. Like today after gyming y/day my tris feel like i have had a good workout but my chest only feels slightly worked. I did mostly dumbbell work y/day. I started with 5 sets of dumbbell flat bench presses. I weigh 66kg. I did a warm up set with 10kg dbells. Then i did 2 sets of 8 with 20kg dbells. Then i did 2 sets using 18kg dbells (losing strength) and then down to 2 sets using 16kg.

Then i did some incline dbell presses using 14kg dbells, then down to 12kg, constantly losing strength, arms getting lamer. Then i did some flat bench barbell presses going quite light (no spotter) stacking on only 10kg (2 x 5kg) onto the big bar. This seemed quite light as i could do easily 10 reps, but i also didnt want to fail as no spotter. After about 3 sets i went back to some dbell presses and then i was done. This all took about 45minutes as i only had 1 hour in total before the gym closed.

Comments on where i am going wrong?

p.s. One guy i asked about how to work chest well, said some people prefer decline bench press as it works chest better and no stress on shoulders as flat bench puts too much stress on shoulders?

 

[Ondier]

Sounds fine to me Ryan. Your triceps will hurt with bench. If you can't press heavy it is because your triceps are not strong enough. Just check your grip as well. Must put your thumb around the bar and place your hands about shoulder width apart. If your grip is too narrow you concentrate more on the triceps than chest. You can even go a bit wider than shoulder, but your strongest push will be on shoulder width. This is a very nice article on bench form
http://animalpak.com/html/article_details.cfm?section=training&id=522

 

[Mila]

No, start your own girly spinning thread somewhere else. This is for okes who klap gym hard strictly.

 

[Bobbin]

Hey Ryan I am exactly the same at the moment as I recently started gym again. Bench kills my arms and I feel nothing on chest even though I try to do form correctly.

Just keep practicing. If memory serves back in the day for me this problem went away after a while.

 

[xrapidx]

Why not add some tricep exercises to your routine? Dips, skull crushers, etc?

I took a week off while in Jhb... and suffered today, I struggled with 100kg I'm hoping it was the bad dieting last week, and all the travelling yesterday (500km drive, and then a flight to Cape Town). I can also still feel this damn tennis elbow, which isn't helping.

Going onto a 3,100 calorie diet this week - so hoping to make some decent gains - following this program: http://stronglifts.com/madcow-5x5-training-programs/

 

[Nick333]

So, whats your question. I for one am willing to discus your future ass.

 

[PhreeMe]

THanks guys. Its just my triceps that go lame. Like today after gyming y/day my tris feel like i have had a good workout but my chest only feels slightly worked. I did mostly dumbbell work y/day. I started with 5 sets of dumbbell flat bench presses. I weigh 66kg. I did a warm up set with 10kg dbells. Then i did 2 sets of 8 with 20kg dbells. Then i did 2 sets using 18kg dbells (losing strength) and then down to 2 sets using 16kg.

Then i did some incline dbell presses using 14kg dbells, then down to 12kg, constantly losing strength, arms getting lamer. Then i did some flat bench barbell presses going quite light (no spotter) stacking on only 10kg (2 x 5kg) onto the big bar. This seemed quite light as i could do easily 10 reps, but i also didnt want to fail as no spotter. After about 3 sets i went back to some dbell presses and then i was done. This all took about 45minutes as i only had 1 hour in total before the gym closed.

Comments on where i am going wrong?

p.s. One guy i asked about how to work chest well, said some people prefer decline bench press as it works chest better and no stress on shoulders as flat bench puts too much stress on shoulders?

Agree with Ondier again. The thing to keep in mind with dumbells is that you are generally doing more "work". You are always having to stabalise and something as little as your negative will take more focus. If you go down to narrowly (or even to far apart), you will place a higher workload on your arm/shoulder than your chest - it will still work your chest though.

Do you have a large gap in strength between your left and right side? The reason I ask is if you are fairly even in strength, perhaps stick to bar excercises for a while where the focus can be on form.... once you're happy your form is perfect, try dumbells again?

Seems like this is the only "gym" thread?
Can we ask non Bodybuilder questions for you guys?

I hear murmurs you be a ginger Mila
It's cool though....

What question did you have?

 

[StrontiumDog]

PhreeMe, I have a huge gap in strength and size between left and right arm. So u saying maybe better to stick to dbells till left arm catches up? I can live with big arms as a by product of trying to get a big chest

edit: What about doing dumbbells for first few sets till arms go lame and then hitting seated bench press machine to isolate chest afterwards? Or the other way around?

 

[Mila]

So, whats your question. I for one am willing to discus your future ass.

I'm doing something that hurts my knees. ( squats and power yoga)I do make sure it does not buckle in or out. I do not have problem knees.

I have been going to the gym 5-6 days a week since feb, is it possible that I'm over doing it?

Yes my ass is starting to be fine , if I may say so myself but I sure as hell has worked for it.

 

[Nick333]

I'm doing something that hurts my knees. ( squats and power yoga)I do make sure it does not buckle in or out. I do not have problem knees.

I have been going to the gym 5-6 days a week since feb, is it possible that I'm over doing it?

Yes my ass is starting to be fine , if I may say so myself but I sure as hell has worked for it.

If you're doing squats or a variant 5-6 days a week then yes you're over training. You want at least a days rest between training a muscle group and more is probably better.

Cut out squats all together for a while. Thats assuming you're doing yoga three or more times a week. But, seriously, as much as I admire your dedication, I just don't see the point in training that often unless you're training for a marathon or something.

Congrats on the fine ass, now pics or GTFO.

Edit: Some more thoughts on squats: Even unweighted full squats are something you should build up to, unless you want to get kif massive and don't give a fcck about your joints and k@k.

Have a look at Convict Conditioning (google) for a body weight squat progression that will strengthen joints and tendons as you build up to a full squat.

 

[D3x!]

Congrats on the fine ass, now pics or GTFO.

this Mila

 

[PhreeMe]

I'm doing something that hurts my knees. ( squats and power yoga)I do make sure it does not buckle in or out. I do not have problem knees.

I have been going to the gym 5-6 days a week since feb, is it possible that I'm over doing it?

Yes my ass is starting to be fine , if I may say so myself but I sure as hell has worked for it.

Aside from what Nick333 had to say, you may want to have someone look at the way you're squatting..... you may be leaning too far forward in your motion (I had to take a break there.... the mind is a wonderful place ) thereby placing a LOT more pressure on your knees! It's the same with lunges.

How deep do you squat Mila? Technically going juuuust below 90degrees is counted as a good range of motion, unless you're doing it to gain a larger range of motion. Again though, if your knees are sore, stop a little higher?

One last thing How far apart are your feet when you squat?

EDIT: And grats on the fine ass

 

[xrapidx]

I have no idea how some guys do full squats.. I can do a normal squat to where my hips are just below my knees....if I went any further I think my knees would pop.

I think anything less than what I'm doing is a waste of time.... basically, this movement .

I saw a guy put 220kg on the rack the other day, and basically moved about 10cm for 10 reps with the weight - was quite impressed with himself.

 

[PhreeMe]

I have no idea how some guys do full squats.. I can do a normal squat to where my hips are just below my knees....if I went any further I think my knees would pop.

I think anything less than what I'm doing is a waste of time.... basically, this movement .

I saw a guy put 220kg on the rack the other day, and basically moved about 10cm for 10 reps with the weight - was quite impressed with himself.

If we weren't in different provinces, I would've sworn we saw the same person!! Those thundercats annoy the hell out of me.
I go with the same range as you, for the same reason bud.

 

[Mila]

If you're doing squats or a variant 5-6 days a week then yes you're over training. You want at least a days rest between training a muscle group and more is probably better.

Cut out squats all together for a while. Thats assuming you're doing yoga three or more times a week. But, seriously, as much as I admire your dedication, I just don't see the point in training that often unless you're training for a marathon or something.

Congrats on the fine ass, now pics or GTFO.

Edit: Some more thoughts on squats: Even unweighted full squats are something you should build up to, unless you want to get kif massive and don't give a fcck about your joints and k@k.

Have a look at Convict Conditioning (google) for a body weight squat progression that will strengthen joints and tendons as you build up to a full squat.

Thanx. Will google that.
Its difficult to cut it out as it is part of the warm up in Yoga.

Aside from what Nick333 had to say, you may want to have someone look at the way you're squatting..... you may be leaning too far forward in your motion (I had to take a break there.... the mind is a wonderful place ) thereby placing a LOT more pressure on your knees! It's the same with lunges.

How deep do you squat Mila? Technically going juuuust below 90degrees is counted as a good range of motion, unless you're doing it to gain a larger range of motion. Again though, if your knees are sore, stop a little higher?

One last thing How far apart are your feet when you squat?

EDIT: And grats on the fine ass

Thanx
I have asked the instructor and he said I'm doing fine.

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/album.php?albumid=706&attachmentid=11544
This is the starting point.
Then you have to go down to:

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/album.php?albumid=706&attachmentid=11546
( I can go down but not keep it for 4 min... not even one )

My feet are wider than shoulder width.
I'll stop going down. Strange is that for the first 8 months I never had an issue, it must be something I'm doing wrong recently.

 

[xrapidx]

If we weren't in different provinces, I would've sworn we saw the same person!! Those thundercats annoy the hell out of me.
I go with the same range as you, for the same reason bud.

You have to hear my knee... it sounds like I'm 90 A few people have said I should see a doctor, but there really isn't much discomfort. I'm entering the +150kg for 5+ reps now - so will probably get knee straps as a safety precaution. My girlfriend is currently my spotter, and she can left a bench press off me when I get stuck, but there's no way she'll be saving me from under 150kg if my knee does give way.

Next year I'll see if I can work in seeing a specialist, but I really do not want an operation...

 

[xrapidx]

Thanx. Will google that.
Its difficult to cut it out as it is part of the warm up in Yoga.

Thanx
I have asked the instructor and he said I'm doing fine.

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/album.php?albumid=706&attachmentid=11544
This is the starting point.
Then you have to go down to:

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/album.php?albumid=706&attachmentid=11546
( I can go down but not keep it for 4 min... not even one )

My feet are wider than shoulder width.
I'll stop going down. Strange is that for the first 8 months I never had an issue, it must be something I'm doing wrong recently.

I'm no expert, but I'd imagine the wide stance could put pressure on certain parts of your knee.

 

[Ondier]

I'm no expert, but I'd imagine the wide stance could put pressure on certain parts of your knee.

Safest stance is shoulder width.