The Bodybuilders Thread!

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LOL! hehe. Would love to see you squat then :D

Been reading up on proper footwear for both squats and deadlifts...as my running shoes sure as hell ain't cutting the mustard for proper support. I run to gym so I just normally train in them...but stability and support is an issue.

You can look at getting a proper weightlifting shoe with a hard raised heel - or a pure flat hard sole shoe. I'm leaning towards the latter because if you use a raised heel shoe for say bent over rows...the leaning forward can become awkward.

Having proper foot support makes a big difference for those heavy lifts I've only recently learned.


As for squats...Chicken as the right of it. Can place the bar lower on your delts to keep the weight closer to center of gravity. And then there is always going back to basics...drop the weight significantly and word your way back up with perfect form. Had to do this with deadlifts after I saw my form in a vid...and almost raped my back because of it.
 
Agree - having the bar lower might help... I do that for good mornings... (can't have that weight sitting too close to your neck when you bend).
 
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If you're leaning or falling forward, the weights are probably to heavy, or you're coming up to fast. I do deads and squats wearing chucks - but the shoes only really become a problem when you start going heavy, because of the "compresability" and various offsets of running shoes.

I usually end up doing this on my last set, or last couple of reps.

One "trick" is to always make sure your chest is pushed out and forward...it won't be doing that if you're falling forward. another is to pause at the bottom for a second or two, instead of bouncing out of the bottom.
 
Squats and deadlifts with flat soled shoes, not cross trainers or running shoes. I cannot understand why people squat with weights underdeath their heels, and they even wear running shoes then. :confused:
 
Tinuva said:
I must admit, calves are damned hard to work. Recently started to think the standing type calf exercises beginning to become a problem, where the weight go up so much, that I am wondering how my spine must handle it, so instead I now use the standing type for warm up, and then go the seated type to load the weight up on my knees. Only problem is, these 2 different types feel like they work different parts of the calf.
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To quote a forum post at bodybuilding.com

edit:
"Originally Posted by rockhuddy View Post
They hit different areas of the calf.

Standing raises target the gastrocnemius, the ball shaped muscle on the inside of your leg. This is what people traditionally think of when picturing the calf muscle. Seated raises target the soleus, a longer muscle running underneath the gastrocnemius and on the outside of the lower leg.

You need good development in both, so do both. The soleus is underdeveloped on most people, so doing seated calf raises first for a while should give you some good improvement."

I was compelled to Google this when last week a dude told me I had massive calves and asked me what I do for them. I don't do anything for them, it's genetic!! :p To me, my calves seem average but then again I guess that why so many guys wear long pants at the gym cause some of them are invariably embarrassed about their legs :p

Hemps said:
Milks fat content has always been talked about, Whole Milk is 3.25% fat and high in fat soluble vitamin A and D, skim has this removed as far as I know.
Very good source of bio-available protein.

Millk will increase muscle gain and fat loss especially after training, some bodybuilders drink Chocolate milk for extra carbs.
I drink over a 1l or more a day, in my office I'm the milk thief, don't tell anyone :)
In fact I'm drinking milk now!

There's a good article in my latest MuscleMag on milk.
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I'm afraid I cannot drink 1l of milk. Lactose intolerant. I should actually just avoid milk. Especially bad if i forget and have a milkshake on a date :p
 
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ryan411 said:
Guys, is there anything like a "perfect" food source, like easy to prepare "complete" meal? Reason I ask is I am kinda lazy when it comes to food prep, or more so snacks. I currently eat about 5 or 6 times per day and lately it feels like i am eating constantly, sometimes out of boredom. Weight stays steady, but i dont feel so bad when I know I worked hard at gym on the day or the day before.

So for example, easy and complete snack, bulgarian yoghurt and some whey protein? Good or bad?

Should one avoid dairy or does that depend on one's goals?
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This all depends on your dietary requirements:

Are you bulking/cutting?
Are you a fatty/skinny?

The easiest and somewhat cheapest is the whey protein/yogurt option, but I'm a firm believer in variety and I'd choose whole foods over whey any day.

My recommendation (ignoring the assumptions above):

150g tuna
Handful of baby spinach (raw)
1x Avo, chopped
A few tablespoonfuls of Fat-free smooth cottage cheese
Dash of lemon juice
1x cup of Quinoa

Mix together... Nom
 
Thanks for tips- I think moving barbell back a lot will help - makes me sad cause will prob have to drop 20kgs off :'(
 
Slootvreter said:
Squats and deadlifts with flat soled shoes, not cross trainers or running shoes. I cannot understand why people squat with weights underdeath their heels, and they even wear running shoes then. :confused:
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It has something to do with getting your form right... I think it forces you to have a more upright position. Its more a form training exercise than something that should be adopted permanently.

I read something on it quite sometime ago - can't recall exactly.
 
Well the weights beneath the heels can be to help with their range of motion...some people cannot go parallel with flat feet.

And yes...with google comes knowledge on proper training shoes :P (and knowlegable forum members hehe)
 
The weights underneath heals helps a lot when your hamstrings are stiff/tight whatever the word is
 
DrewChan said:
Thanks for tips- I think moving barbell back a lot will help - makes me sad cause will prob have to drop 20kgs off :'(
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good form with less weight > loose form with more weight
I feel ill when I think back to how I've lifted in some movements in the past, because I was stupidly focused on the amount of weight used instead of the form of the exercise.

The low bar position should have it rest across the tops of your shoulder blades. If you're picturing this and thinking "but you can't stand up straight like that", that is correct, you'll be bent slightly forward at the top of the movement. At the bottom your back angle should be about 45 degrees to the floor. Chest up and out throughout as suggested.

And apparently squatting with plates or boards under heels (intended to involve more front quads) is a good way to go if you like knee problems...
 
Hey guys, I seriously don't feel like going through all 270+ worth of pages so excuse me if this has already been asked before. I randomly came across an routine called Crossfit. On paper it seems to be "better" than going to traditional gyms though I'm don't know how beneficial Crossfit actually is. Anyone got some experience in this?
 
DrewChan said:
Thanks for tips- I think moving barbell back a lot will help - makes me sad cause will prob have to drop 20kgs off :'(
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Don't move it too far back, is one of the mistakes I made. In fact, I found it hard to find information on the net on exactly how to know where to place the bar for the low-bar squat. High-bar positioning is easy, low-bar not as easy, but should be.

That said, low-bar squats are far easier than high-bar squats, once you find the correct position, you can probably go a few kgs up immediately, but before you do, find the right spot for the bar.

ryan411 said:
is that a$$ to ground? So no chance is that bad for knees?

What's a good number to aim for squats, bench press and deadlifts as a % of bodyweight?
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ATG I learned as ass to grass with grass being the same as ground, just greener :P

As for squats bad for knees? If you do it wrong maybe, but I found after starting squats about year and half back, my legs including knees feels better than they ever have in the last 10 years. Much like deadlifts made my back feel better than it ever has in that same 10 years.

As for weights to aim for, I aimed to get bodyweight for each of bench press, squat and deadlifts. After than I started working on going over bodyweight, and I am mostly stuck now just above bodyweight on most of these.
 
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Mystic Twilight said:
Hey guys, I seriously don't feel like going through all 270+ worth of pages so excuse me if this has already been asked before. I randomly came across an routine called Crossfit. On paper it seems to be "better" than going to traditional gyms though I'm don't know how beneficial Crossfit actually is. Anyone got some experience in this?
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I haven't done Crossfit, so my opinion is based on what I have seen on youtube and read about.

I think crossfit is awesome. Is it better than traditional gym? Depends on which aspect you look at.

- I can't get crossfit via vitality, which is a huge money saver for me, since my medical aid is a benefit
- Crossfit includes training sessions, which you would have to pay extra for at VA ect. on top of normal monthly fees
- Most Gyms have more equipment than Crossfit gyms, but then again Crossfit gyms have what you require/need

Would I got to crossfit if money wasn't an issue? Definitely yes.
 
xrapidx said:
I already have bad knees - you can hear them when I walk up stairs, the thing about it being bad for you is a BS, but then again, it depends on who you believe.

Here's a guide you can use:
http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards.html
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It depends on the person, some people have ligaments that tend to stretch more than others - my brother is one. More than once he's had his leg fold out sideways at the knee because the ligaments are a bit stretched... I know this happens to taller people more often than short. He's about 6:3
 
Tinuva said:
I haven't done Crossfit, so my opinion is based on what I have seen on youtube and read about.

I think crossfit is awesome. Is it better than traditional gym? Depends on which aspect you look at.

- I can't get crossfit via vitality, which is a huge money saver for me, since my medical aid is a benefit
- Crossfit includes training sessions, which you would have to pay extra for at VA ect. on top of normal monthly fees
- Most Gyms have more equipment than Crossfit gyms, but then again Crossfit gyms have what you require/need

Would I got to crossfit if money wasn't an issue? Definitely yes.
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IMO Crossfit is what it says - it's mainly functional strength which is good for your health. It's packed full of cardio and core exercise and mostly compound high rep movements. It's middle of the road to poor on form, because you're moving fast, form takes a knock.

Some people have the wrong impression of it... for example, you can't compare a guy doing XX pullups on Crossfit (Kipping) with a guy doing a controlled set in the gym to build muscle mass. This video says it all.

[video=youtube;tAZaHzd6qAY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAZaHzd6qAY[/video]

It's a totally different exercise with different goals. Crossfit will leave you well in control of your body mass - the kind of thing that's useful for parkour, rock climbing, etc. You're not necessarily going to look like a dedicated bodybuilder. It's less about asthetics and proper form and more about functional strength and general fitness. I still think it's pretty awesome.
 
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WoDotNant? said:
IMO Crossfit is what it says - it's mainly functional strength which is good for your health. It's packed full of cardio and core exercise and mostly compound high rep movements. It's middle of the road to poor on form, because you're moving fast, form takes a knock

...

It's a totally different exercise with different goals. Crossfit will leave you well in control of your body mass - the kind of thing that's useful for parkour, rock climbing, etc. You're not necessarily going to look like a dedicated bodybuilder. It's less about asthetics and proper form and more about functional strength and general fitness. I still think it's pretty awesome.
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The technique in the video looks rather unorthodox to what a "pull-up" normally entails. Well maybe I'll give it try and post back in a few months time.
 
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