500 kg is beastly.
I was excited to surpass 500 lbs this week my 4th week in on SS.
De-Lurking to express my thanks for this thread giving me impetus to try something new.
Foam Roller. Awesome thing. I've been using my gym's as part of my warm-up, and I think it helps. My acquaintance from urbanevo.com loves the foam roller for myofascial whazzitz.
It particularly feels awesome on my shins/calves, because it hurts the first few rolls but then they're loosened up and feel great.
I really need to get a small roller for at home and to use on my chest/shoulders/arms more easily. I hear also a tennis ball makes a good replacement.
Thus ends my first week at the gym. Didn't put any weight on squats today but I went quite a bit deeper than the last couple times. Put 5 more kilos on my bench too which felt good.
What's the general opinion on pullup/chinup assist machines? Is it ok to use it while I'm still too girly to lift myself?
I think they're perfectly fine as long as you just practice good form and muscle use. Keep your shoulders squeezed back and down throughout. Reduce the assistance every workout that you can.
One of the main tricks about pull-ups/chin-ups is to focus on just your elbows, and bringing your elbows down as if your elbows were on the bar. Really helps gets the lats working correctly, in my experience.
Chin-up assist things are great for learning to do chin-ups. If you don't have access to them, do negatives. Those work just as well IMO (although there is more of a risk of hurting yourself I suppose).
God damnit, I've had 2 pieces of bread, some apple slices, and a couple of whole grain triscuits today on top of a million grams of lean protein. I am desperately feening for carbs.
So what happens? I come across a hidden tub of ice cream I somehow missed when I was clearing out my bulking food.
Since my gym lacks a barbell, should I use dumbbells or the smith machine for bench pressing? I know the smith machine gets a lot of flak for what it is, but at the same time I feel like I can only go so far with dumbbells. With the smith machine I can steadily increase the weight, but with the dumbbells I've been benching with 55lbs in both hands for over a month. Moving up to 60lbs in each hand just seems like such an ordeal since it's a helluva time getting into proper benching position with them heavy-ass weights in hand.
I can't speak to the relative merits or demerits of benching with dumbbells...
But I haveta imagine it's much less cumbersome going with a barbell.
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webguy20I spend too much time on the InternetRegistered Userregular
edited November 2010
chin-up assist machines are great, especially if your really overweight like me. I wish my current gym had one, only piece of equipment I'd really like that it doesnt have.
I’m often asked if the dumbbell bench can be used as a core exercise (to replace barbell benching or military), and the answer is no. If you want to know why, you obviously haven’t been lifting weights very long.
(no offense to you with that last part, Tube, but I agree with his view overall.)
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DynagripBreak me a million heartsHoustonRegistered User, ClubPAregular
I don't have anyone spot for me barbell benching either. It's not necessary.
I suppose that barbell vs dumbbell does depend to some extent on your goals, but if your primary goal is strength and mass gain, I believe dumbbell bench can only be an accessory lift. Besides, there are plenty of gyms in Vancouver, and I hear that most of the Gold's chain is good.
Hmm, ninja, I see what you mean about no good nearby gyms. Are you at that Fitness World? what area do you work/go to school in? Might be one near there.
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FrankoSometimes I really wish I had four feet so I could dance with myself to the drumbeatRegistered Userregular
I don't have anyone spot for me barbell benching either. It's not necessary.
Depends how much you're benching.
Yeah, I wouldn't want to be in doing anything less than 5 reps without a spotter on the bench. I've definitely gotten stuck a few times on a single or double. Close grips tend to fail faster than regular grip.
But I've been doing flat bench as an assistance exercise for a while now also.
I weighed myself for the first time in a while yesterday. Nine months ago, before I started lifting, I weight 204 lbs. Now I'm at 224 lbs.
I honestly didn't think I'd gain much weight when I started out. Looking back on it, I was pretty flabby and weak. Now, I'm not surprised at all that I've gained this much.
At higher weights of dumbbell benching not only is it a pain in the ass to get up and down, but if you fail on a rep, bailing involves some unpleasant shoulder strain.
Spotting is good.
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webguy20I spend too much time on the InternetRegistered Userregular
edited November 2010
yea, I mean even on a failed bench you can get yourself out from under the bar, but it sucks doing it.
Me and my buddy have a rule, no hands on the bar until one of us asks. It has worked out pretty well so far. even if its just a grunted "help".
Hmm, ninja, I see what you mean about no good nearby gyms. Are you at that Fitness World? what area do you work/go to school in? Might be one near there.
I live pretty much on Granville Island and go to the False Creek Community Centre's gym. At this point, it's purely for convenience because it's literally 2 minutes away. I go to school at Capilano, so I don't get home until way later, and when I do I gotta have dinner/do homework/etc, which leaves me not a lot of time to travel to a gym. I've checked out Capilano's gym but it's like the size of a locker room.
yea, I mean even on a failed bench you can get yourself out from under the bar, but it sucks doing it.
Me and my buddy have a rule, no hands on the bar until one of us asks. It has worked out pretty well so far. even if its just a grunted "help".
That's how I did it with my friend back at school. It worked well.
Now my new gym is pretty darn empty when I go (which, for the most part, is great, I never have to wait to use equipment, it is fantastic), but like, that also means there are very few people to ask to spot me. And the 2 times i did the dudes hands were all over the bar, so I am hesitant to ask people. Also I am back near 100 for bench, though need to make sure my form is good, it was wobbly a bit today. When I last stopped lifting in December I was at like 125 I think? Almost at big boy plates... so, getting back there.
Knee is still pissing me off, alas.
Also, tried doing dips again, even with the advice, still get that horrid pain just above my collarbone. Don't know how to fix that. So I didn't do more dips. Hm. What do I doooo?
Edit:
Found this...
This can be a real problem with poor form (I'll explain this) and trying to add too much weight too soon.
One of the keys to dipping safely is not allowing your shoulders to slump which puts more pressure on joints that connect the sternum to the collarbones along with the sternum itself. Keep the shoulders back by pushing the chest out and don't descend on a deflated chest. Breathe properly.
Here are some tips that have worked well for me (dipping 4 plates for reps @ 255 bw) and a list of where injuries can occur:
* don't dip below parallel (until you've got the flexibility)
* breathe in as you descend to avoid lowering yourself on a deflated chest
* keep your chest out and don't slump your shoulders
* lower yourself under control and avoid dipping "to failure"
* take your time increasing the weight and listen to your body (back the weight off or take a break from the exercise if you're experiencing soreness)
Sternum. This involves the cartilage where the ribs connect to the sternum. Everyone experiences this one at some point, especially when starting out. Keep the chest filled with air on the way down, shoulders back, only dipping within the limits of your flexibility (for some this will be to parallel). Ease off the weight or put the exercise on hold if it persists.
Sternoclavicular joints. Pain in the collarbone area, specifically below the neck. Once again, chest filled with air and shoulders back so you're not dipping on a caved in chest which puts more stress on these joints. Go to a safe depth. If there's persistent pain there, back off the weight or drop the exercise for a while.
AC joint. This will feel manifest itself as persistent pain or tenderness in the front delt area. I've experienced it from dipping heavy for long periods without backing off. If you push it too hard a separation can occur. This is a common pressing injury and when it's serious it can put your training on ice for a long time.
Pec tendon. Pain at the front of the armpit. This is where the pec tendon inserts into the humerus. Pain there means "back the f*ck up." Very common on bench but also applies to dips, especially if you train them heavy at low reps. If it feels tender, you need to take a break from heavy pressing involving the chest. If you keep pushing it, the damage could range from a strained pec to a full rupture of the tendon, the latter usually requiring immediate surgery and you could be sidelined for 6 months.
When I first started trying (and failing) dips, some guy was nice enough to point out that you wanna exhale on the way up and inhale on the way down. That helped me a lot early on. Now, though, I'm not sure it's much better than just holding in a big gulp of air all the way through -- though it can get sketchy when I'm going to higher reps.
And it's definitely impractical to continue doing dumbbell bench (without a spotter) once you get past your newbie gains period and are benching 185+, imho.
We've already been over the spotter-vs-no spotter thing, so I won't dredge that up again.
And it's definitely impractical to continue doing dumbbell bench (without a spotter) once you get past your newbie gains period and are benching 185+, imho.
And it's definitely impractical to continue doing dumbbell bench (without a spotter) once you get past your newbie gains period and are benching 185+, imho.
?
I just picked a number. So sue me.
Don't sue me.
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Metzger MeisterIt Gets Worsebefore it gets any better.Registered Userregular
edited November 2010
you know what i totally love? kettleball. kettleball fucking owns.
And it's definitely impractical to continue doing dumbbell bench (without a spotter) once you get past your newbie gains period and are benching 185+, imho.
?
turns out Ham doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about.
So you're saying, then, that it's perfectly practical to grab a couple of 90+ lb. dumbbells (or have someone hand them off to you) and bench them versus just racking a couple of plates on a barbell and benching that (while choosing to use a spotter or to forego one) ...?
I didn't make any comparison to barbell bench. Ronnie Coleman benches 200lbs in each hand without a spotter. People in my gym bench 45kg in each hand every day without a spotter. I understand that maybe you can't, but then I've also come to understand that you are deeply mentally defective.
I was under the impression that we were discussing things like adults, and not resorting to petty childish insults.
In any event, let's follow the chain of events:
1. Guy says he doesn't have access to a barbell, and whether he should go with the Smith machine or dumbbells.
2. psyck0 says he should find a better gym.
3. You say dumbbell benching is fine.
4. psyck0 posts the Jim Wendler quote.
5. adytum mentions that dumping the dumbbells can be a strain on shoulders.
Now while it's great that really strong guys can bench really heavy weights with dumbbells... that doesn't mean dumbbell = barbell bench press for everyone.
Posts
Got back in the gym after damn near a month out. I am a weak and pathetic thing. Feels good to be exhausted though.
I was excited to surpass 500 lbs this week my 4th week in on SS.
De-Lurking to express my thanks for this thread giving me impetus to try something new.
Monday is 2 big boy plates on the DL. Excited!
It particularly feels awesome on my shins/calves, because it hurts the first few rolls but then they're loosened up and feel great.
I really need to get a small roller for at home and to use on my chest/shoulders/arms more easily. I hear also a tennis ball makes a good replacement.
What's the general opinion on pullup/chinup assist machines? Is it ok to use it while I'm still too girly to lift myself?
One of the main tricks about pull-ups/chin-ups is to focus on just your elbows, and bringing your elbows down as if your elbows were on the bar. Really helps gets the lats working correctly, in my experience.
Chin-up assist things are great for learning to do chin-ups. If you don't have access to them, do negatives. Those work just as well IMO (although there is more of a risk of hurting yourself I suppose).
I am back in the game
Squatted 275 for 3 sets of 5.
Pressed 130 for 3 sets of 5
Power Cleaned 165 for 5 sets of 3
Did 60 tire flips in 270 seconds.
I will be weighting more than 200 on Monday. Can't wait
I used one when I first started. Only took about a month or so to get to where I could do an unassisted. I like 'em.
So what happens? I come across a hidden tub of ice cream I somehow missed when I was clearing out my bulking food.
I have so much willpower.
Pretty excited about this one.
But I haveta imagine it's much less cumbersome going with a barbell.
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
it's better in some ways.
for one, you don't have to have some jerk spot for you that is just so antsy to get on in there and help out.
I suppose that barbell vs dumbbell does depend to some extent on your goals, but if your primary goal is strength and mass gain, I believe dumbbell bench can only be an accessory lift. Besides, there are plenty of gyms in Vancouver, and I hear that most of the Gold's chain is good.
Hmm, ninja, I see what you mean about no good nearby gyms. Are you at that Fitness World? what area do you work/go to school in? Might be one near there.
I been thinkin' bout getting sum
Depends how much you're benching.
Yeah, I wouldn't want to be in doing anything less than 5 reps without a spotter on the bench. I've definitely gotten stuck a few times on a single or double. Close grips tend to fail faster than regular grip.
But I've been doing flat bench as an assistance exercise for a while now also.
I honestly didn't think I'd gain much weight when I started out. Looking back on it, I was pretty flabby and weak. Now, I'm not surprised at all that I've gained this much.
Spotting is good.
Me and my buddy have a rule, no hands on the bar until one of us asks. It has worked out pretty well so far. even if its just a grunted "help".
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
I live pretty much on Granville Island and go to the False Creek Community Centre's gym. At this point, it's purely for convenience because it's literally 2 minutes away. I go to school at Capilano, so I don't get home until way later, and when I do I gotta have dinner/do homework/etc, which leaves me not a lot of time to travel to a gym. I've checked out Capilano's gym but it's like the size of a locker room.
That's how I did it with my friend back at school. It worked well.
Now my new gym is pretty darn empty when I go (which, for the most part, is great, I never have to wait to use equipment, it is fantastic), but like, that also means there are very few people to ask to spot me. And the 2 times i did the dudes hands were all over the bar, so I am hesitant to ask people. Also I am back near 100 for bench, though need to make sure my form is good, it was wobbly a bit today. When I last stopped lifting in December I was at like 125 I think? Almost at big boy plates... so, getting back there.
Knee is still pissing me off, alas.
Also, tried doing dips again, even with the advice, still get that horrid pain just above my collarbone. Don't know how to fix that. So I didn't do more dips. Hm. What do I doooo?
Edit:
Found this...
I'm going to be benching 200 pounds at the end of this next mesocycle.
I am EXCITED.
When I first started trying (and failing) dips, some guy was nice enough to point out that you wanna exhale on the way up and inhale on the way down. That helped me a lot early on. Now, though, I'm not sure it's much better than just holding in a big gulp of air all the way through -- though it can get sketchy when I'm going to higher reps.
And it's definitely impractical to continue doing dumbbell bench (without a spotter) once you get past your newbie gains period and are benching 185+, imho.
We've already been over the spotter-vs-no spotter thing, so I won't dredge that up again.
?
I just picked a number. So sue me.
Don't sue me.
turns out Ham doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about.
I was under the impression that we were discussing things like adults, and not resorting to petty childish insults.
In any event, let's follow the chain of events:
1. Guy says he doesn't have access to a barbell, and whether he should go with the Smith machine or dumbbells.
2. psyck0 says he should find a better gym.
3. You say dumbbell benching is fine.
4. psyck0 posts the Jim Wendler quote.
5. adytum mentions that dumping the dumbbells can be a strain on shoulders.
Now while it's great that really strong guys can bench really heavy weights with dumbbells... that doesn't mean dumbbell = barbell bench press for everyone.