The Exercise Thread

[Stanley Rainbird]

current ipod shuffle playlist
Radio Tokyo - Hookworms
Disorder - Joy Division
Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) - Kate Bush
Heartbeats - The Knife
Deceptacon - Le Tigre
Roadrunner - The Modern Lovers
Dress - PJ Harvey
53Rd & 3Rd - Ramones
Husbands - Savages
On My Radio - The Selecter
Tunic (Song for Karen) - Sonic Youth
Caligulove - Them Crooked Vultures
I Am The Fly - Wire
Mosquito - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

[this_is_the_one]

Music is key, although i sometimes feel the wiresdistract me from completing the exercises. Ideally i would have wireless earphones and an mp3 player that i could put in my pocket without worrying out smashing it with a weight. But yeah ill go for something melodic and high energy. Dance music is good for that

[diplodocus]

Originally Posted by DisappearHere

Cheers for the advice Dip! I do weight training also, lifting to exhaustion - so usually around 8-10 reps with my chosen weight. The press ups are just a supplementary thing, but you're right, I probably could do with varying it up a little. Hadn't heard of archers before either, so I'll give em a go

Aww my bad just thought when you said 'Yeah it sounds good but I'm still pretty puny tbh' you were disappointed that the high rep press ups weren't giving you much growth

800 reps, that's still some serious supplementary work!

[Appear]

^^^ Running Up That Hill is one of my favourite workout songs!

If I'm not listening to my own stuff, I tend to stick on Radio 1 Dance Anthems on the iplayer radio thing or if I'm after something a bit more alternative there's an internet station called Amazing Radio and their Amazing Beats show is great for more obscure and up-and-coming dancey stuff.

[Appear]

Originally Posted by diplodocus

Aww my bad just thought when you said 'Yeah it sounds good but I'm still pretty puny tbh' you were disappointed that the high rep press ups weren't giving you much growth

800 reps, that's still some serious supplementary work!

Haha not at all Dip, all advice is heartily welcomed

I'm a bit of a novice really; I've never had a formal training session or anything, and just do most of it at home, so tbh I just make it up as I go along (with the help of google and youtube of course). And I'm far too lazy to read up on it all - there's so many conflicting methods and such, it just confuses me.

[black_mamba]

^Because that sort of advice - lift big and eat well - is too simplistic and people like to overcomplicate things to made up for their shortcomings and inability to stick to simple advice. hehehe

[black_mamba]

Originally Posted by DomyDarko

Very true. Also I think there's a lot of conflicting info out there. Many sites and books about diet and exercise that all completely contradict each other. Makes people think it's more complicated than it is.

"lift big and eat well" - I like that!! You should release that as a one page book

hahah! I heard someone else put it far better, in terms of diet anyway, it went something like this: Eat whole foods, mostly green ones, but not a lot.

[diplodocus]

Finally got an unassisted bar muscle up tonight, 2 in fact. Not quite strict had a bit of a kip on it but I'm well happy. Especially considering I'd only just managed a few using the light band yesterday. My technique probably looks like dog shit but it took 2 months to get it so I'm made up

[this_is_the_one]

Nice one dip. Those are tough. I can barely do a single pull up although it's basically the last of the missing pieces of the puzzle especially now as ive lost some weight.

[ShayM]

If you want to improve your pull-ups my recommendation would be to do negatives:

• Place a chair under your pull-up bar.
• Grab the bar, then by placing your legs on the back of the chair, lift yourself all the way up so that your chin is over the bar.
• Take your legs away from the chair so that your entire bodyweight is supported by your arms, with your elbows still bent and your chin still over the top of the bar.
• Lower yourself as SLOWLY as possible. The slower, the better.
• Repeat as many times as you can muster.

After a week or two of these, your pull-up strength should be greatly improved. It's how I got started and nowadays pull-ups are some of my favourite exercises.

[this_is_the_one]

Thanks for the advice brisco. Do you have a pull up bar at home? Id like to get one of those ones that fit above the door frame, although in my flat the thickness from edge of doorframe to the wall is probably less than a cm. You think itll still work?

[ShayM]

I do have one at home, but it's bolted into the wall because I tend to pull up fairly heavy weights.

As to whether your door frame would be strong enough, the answer is "probably, but I couldn't say for certain". The size of the lip shouldn't be an issue because door frame pull-up bars are counterlevered (meaning your weight is transferred horizontally), but the strength of the frame may be an issue depending on how well built it is. Try hanging off it with your fingertips if you can, and see if it it bends or gives at all.

[diplodocus]

Originally Posted by this_is_the_one

Nice one dip. Those are tough. I can barely do a single pull up although it's basically the last of the missing pieces of the puzzle especially now as ive lost some weight.

Thanks
Briscos suggestion of negatives is good one. They can be frustrating sometimes as it can seem you get stuck. There is one method that works really well to build up numbers in your pullups and that is to use bands. In my view the fastest way to increase pullup numbers even if a person can't do one.
You can get them on eBay http://www.ebay.com/itm/140980785050. I'd recommend the green band for yourself if you weigh less than 200lbs (90kg).

[Appear]

Seems like some great advice guys - I've been thinking of getting myself a pull up bar for a while but not been too sure about it. Any recommendations for the bar itself or are they all just of a standard type? I know you have to make sure it will fit your door but are there certain things I should look for - i.e. a particular material, shape etc?

I wasn't aware of bands before either, I think I'll definitely be getting some of those to start me off.

[ShayM]

That doesn't look too bad. Maybe put a bit more focus on upper back and make sure you're not doing too much volume. You shouldn't really be doing more than about 100 reps per workout day.

I'm personally only maintaining on a schedule of 2 sessions a week, 4 exercises per session. As long as you lift heavy, less is most definitely more.

I'm not a fan of HIIT myself but if you enjoy it, and it doesn't hurt your gains, keep it up.

[ShayM]

Originally Posted by DomyDarko

That's good advice, thanks!!

I think I am doing a bit too much each session. It's almost like I'm scared to do less lol.

I think you're right about upper back too. Any exercises you recommend?

I only recently started doing HIIT because I thought it would effect my gains less than the long, endurance cardio I used to do.

What kind of cardio do you do?

I used to know a guy who aside from his weight-training, the only other exercise he did was walking. I used to think he was nuts (I was doing martial arts and 10k running at the time). I am beginning to think he might've been right all along. Certainly in terms of bodybuilding/strength building.

I appreciate your advice man, thanks!!

For upper back exercises, I think weighted pull ups are your best bet if you're doing them on deadlift day. You could do bent over rows but I once injured my back doing them right after DLs. If there's one bodypart you don't want to risk overworking, it's the lower back.

I don't bother with cardio anymore, but I do have some iso holds in my regime with get the heart pumping. My body fat levels and resting heart rate are fairly low so I don't see the point in it at the moment. My workouts are designed to be time efficient, so I tend to just throw out anything more than the bare minimum... that's not to say I think it's best idea for everybody though!

[diplodocus]

A good alternative for barbell rows which are much easier on your lower back if you have a rack are fat boy pullups. You could do them with a barbell across two chairs as an alternative. They are the same motion as a press up but you pull to the bar while lying underneath. It's a nice way to add some horizontal pulls into your routine.

I always found barbell rows or pendlays as they seem to be called now really tired out your lower back before you felt it in your upper back.

[this_is_the_one]

im currently giving kettlebells a try as I feel I can do multiple exercises in the same short space in the gym, and because I'm not faffing about waiting for certain weights/benches to be free I end up keeping my heart rate up/I sweat plenty. My goal is to lose weight while gaining some strength and muscle. I tend to split my workout days between upper body and lower body

Upper body

1) Double kettlebell clean and press
2) Kettlebell swing
3) Press ups
4) Bent over kettlebell row
5) Single arm kettlebell swing

(going to try and incorporate pull ups into this day, probably instead of the single swing)


Lower body

1) Double kettlebell goblet squat
2) Double kettlebell lunge
3) Kettlebell swings
4) Kettlebell clean


I'll do this as a circuit x3 with short breaks as required.

in between days I work on strenghtening my left rotator cuff which I injured several months back

[this_is_the_one]

Originally Posted by DomyDarko

What kind of exercises do you do to help your rotator cuff?? I've got a lingering shoulder injury too (and a hip-flexor one but that's a whole other story!)

I'd like to do more kettlebell stuff. Don't really feel like I know what I'm doing with them yet though. I guess I need to watch some videos.

I do three different things for the rotator cuff:
1) dumbell cuban press http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyQKP48F5kY
2) external/internal rotation lying down http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYk06TuTslg (similar type of thing can be done standing up using cables)
3) turkish get up

For all exercises use light weights

I've only started doing these exercises to be honest, but they are tried and tested and so far I am feeling good.

Also, before I do any workout I first stretch my shoulders by standing against a wall and mimicing a shoulder press movement (without any weights) with my arms in contact with the wall at all times. Also, I'll do a cuban press as mentioned above.

You should definitely give kettlebells a try, but do be careful. The kettlebell swing and kettlebell clean are two really great exercises, but you need good form for them, although once you master it, it's simple.

[this_is_the_one]

Originally Posted by DomyDarko

Cool. Thanks for the info. Very useful!!

no problem. How did you injure your shoulder if I may ask? My rotator cuff got inflamed a day after I was doing barbell back squats. The previous day I was doing upright row. So probably a combination of both things did it for me. Lesson learned though

[diplodocus]

Originally Posted by this_is_the_one

no problem. How did you injure your shoulder if I may ask? My rotator cuff got inflamed a day after I was doing barbell back squats. The previous day I was doing upright row. So probably a combination of both things did it for me. Lesson learned though

Horrible exercise. It encourages masses of internal rotation of the humerus, big extension of the shoulder. The shoulders will come way forward as a result. Basically the best recipe for shoulder impingement there is. Only someone with masses of internal rotation mobility can get away with doing these without pain.

Originally Posted by DomyDarko

I first injured my shoulder doing dips. A few times now I've got to the stage where over time it's feeling fine so stupidly I try doing dips again and the pain is back instantly. I honestly don't think my form is bad. So I've just decided that I won't be doing dips, long-term. Which sucks because they're such a good exercise.

That's a shame. Dips often mess people up. The reasons are the same as the upright row, lack of internal rotation while going through shoulder extension. But it's easier to reach the level of mobility needed to perform these safely.

Most people think or are told to strengthen the rotator cuffs in order to stop any problems with shoulder impingement. However, this is only part of the solution and I would argue a small part.

One of the biggest issues with shoulder impingement is lack of internal rotation of the humerus. If you don't have the ability to rotate your humerus internally without your shoulders having to come forward in their sockets then the end of your humerus will crush the crap out of all the soft tissue in between it and the acromion (the bony outcrop at the front outer edge of your shoulder). And that's why we always feel that pain deep in the front of the shoulder.

You need to lengthen/stretch the large internal rotators: the pecs (especially pec minor), the lats as well as strengthen the external rotators. You also need to free up the scapula/shoulder blades because this is the anchor point which your external rotators attach to. If your scapula movement isn't free then it will really inhibit your ability to get your shoulder back safely in the socket.

What to do about it? Well definitely strengthen the external rotators but also work on getting more internal rotation and free up that scapula. If you don't have access to a lacrosse ball then you can use a small med ball or a rubber dog ball or maybe a cricket ball if you are brave! (it hurts!)

First video deals with increasing internal rotation. Do the 3 day mobilisation and you will be astounded with the results.

For thoracic extension, freeing up the scapula

[this_is_the_one]

intrigueing dip

[this_is_the_one]

gettin all kinds of protein shakes delivered the mora :D

[this_is_the_one]

Originally Posted by DomyDarko

Where do you get yours from? monstersupplements.com have never let me down yet.

I'm loving QNT Meta Pure at the moment. Quite like PhD stuff too. What do you use?

got some stuff from myprotein.com. Cookies and cream, and banana Probably the cheapest protein out there gram for gram, and tastes quite good. I used to use some phd stuff (diet whey and iso7), and I know monster is a great site with free delivery etc.

[chocolatechip]

Wow there is a lot of exercising going on my questions sems a bit to small...

I do 50 crunches a day, which defines my abs but is there anything i can do at home to get them more defined like more solid?

[diplodocus]

Originally Posted by DomyDarko

diplodocus, really interesting stuff!! I'm going to start putting some of this into my stretching routine. Thanks!!

No problem

Originally Posted by chocolatechip

Wow there is a lot of exercising going on my questions sems a bit to small...

I do 50 crunches a day, which defines my abs but is there anything i can do at home to get them more defined like more solid?

You could do v ups, they are part of a gymnasts training and are pretty difficult. To make them easier bend your knees, then they become v tucks, still challenging though.

[chocolatechip]

Thanks diplodocus will try those!

[Rick Sanchez]

Just done 165 kilos x 4 with my deadlift, which is a new PB. Also done my 1 rep max. That's me done for today, methinks!

[JS]

Gym going really well. Weights is going up each week.

[diplodocus]

Originally Posted by Lord Flashheart

My hamstrings are too tight to do v ups, fail.

You could do some L-sits, they are pretty taxing but you don't need great flexibility just good ab strength or try body saws, they are quite vicious. You can just put carrier bags under your feet.

Originally Posted by chocolatechip

Thanks diplodocus will try those!

Hope it goes well

Originally Posted by Godfather

Just done 165 kilos x 4 with my deadlift, which is a new PB. Also done my 1 rep max. That's me done for today, methinks!

Good lifting Goddy