I LOVE GYM IT'S THE BEST that's all
― Gravel Puzzleworth, Tuesday, 30 August 2016 11:28 (seven years ago) link
Also it's weird is there there some like power-law principle with lifting and bodyweight? Like, when I see normal-build dudes of about my fitness level they generally weigh like 1.4 times as much and can bench probably twice as much as me but can reliably do less than half the number of chin-ups which feels really counter-intuitive.
― Gravel Puzzleworth, Tuesday, 30 August 2016 11:34 (seven years ago) link
Well I'd say it's intuitive that someone who weighs more but is otherwise of ~ the same fitness level, will be able to do less chin ups since they have more body weight to lift up. Bench thing is a bit less intuitive but I will say that bench press (or push ups) are one thing even a lot of otherwise not terribly fit dudes do at gym and may have done for a while.
― One bad call from barely losing to (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 30 August 2016 11:56 (seven years ago) link
otm regarding the bench press. i never really did any kind of lifting when i was younger but it seems like a lot of people at least bench pressed. I can squat or deadlift more than plenty of dudes at my gym but I'm nowhere near anyone on my bench press.
― (•̪●) (carne asada), Wednesday, 31 August 2016 12:58 (seven years ago) link
i refuse to bench press
― jason waterfalls (gbx), Wednesday, 31 August 2016 13:33 (seven years ago) link
bench press is secretly hard
― until the next, delayed, glaciation (map), Wednesday, 31 August 2016 13:49 (seven years ago) link
i think it has the silly tough guy rep because most people can push a fair amount of weight with minimal effort on form.
― until the next, delayed, glaciation (map), Wednesday, 31 August 2016 13:55 (seven years ago) link
it took me as long or longer to find decent form on the bench as it did with squats and deadlifts.
― until the next, delayed, glaciation (map), Wednesday, 31 August 2016 14:00 (seven years ago) link
it's the only exercise that's injured me. too much weight + bad form = so easy to tweak a rotator cuff.
― until the next, delayed, glaciation (map), Wednesday, 31 August 2016 14:11 (seven years ago) link
nb i don't know anything, skip my posts if you want to stay alive
― until the next, delayed, glaciation (map), Wednesday, 31 August 2016 14:13 (seven years ago) link
did bench press for the first time last night, found it really hard.
also did about 30 mins of boxing, for cardio, really enjoyed it as a way to end a session. though at the end trainer had me doing a plank and supporting myself with one elbow while i punched the pad with the other arm, like 20 times. destroyed me but was fun.
have lost more than a stone since starting to do this - feeling good!
― Bein' Sean Bean (LocalGarda), Wednesday, 31 August 2016 14:16 (seven years ago) link
i mean i guess "found it really hard" covers most of the activities i do at the gym apart from the 5 minutes rowing machine at the start and a few of the stretches.
― Bein' Sean Bean (LocalGarda), Wednesday, 31 August 2016 14:18 (seven years ago) link
― until the next, delayed, glaciation (map), Wednesday, August 31, 2016 9:11 AM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
this is why je refuse
i've started incorporating a standing cable press, considering weighted pushups
i've already fucked up my knee, i don't need to give the orthopods any more money for a shuolder repair
― jason waterfalls (gbx), Wednesday, 31 August 2016 15:43 (seven years ago) link
weighted pushups are something i'd like to do but the one time i attempted them it was weirdly stressful trying to get a plate on my back by myself lol.
― until the next, delayed, glaciation (map), Wednesday, 31 August 2016 16:32 (seven years ago) link
i think there's a couple vests at my place
― jason waterfalls (gbx), Wednesday, 31 August 2016 17:11 (seven years ago) link
I got a 'football bar'-type of bar where you grip the bar parallel - it's outstanding for bench press and Pendlay rows.
I get why big gyms don't invest in the many different specialty bars but if you've got access and aren't training for a powerlifting/Olympic competition I see almost no reason to lift with a straight barbell for most things - trap bar deadlifts, the safety-squat bar, parallel grip bars for rows/bench/OHP are all awesome.
― Kiarostami bag (milo z), Wednesday, 31 August 2016 17:19 (seven years ago) link
i love to bench press! can't do much though bc i'm a girl
― assawoman bay (harbl), Thursday, 1 September 2016 01:25 (seven years ago) link
this girl begs to differ
http://static2.fjcdn.com/comments/10+10+would+lift+again+_a04ecfcb80de5d7aff5ec5dd84c82f54.jpg
― until the next, delayed, glaciation (map), Thursday, 1 September 2016 01:31 (seven years ago) link
sorry everyone
― until the next, delayed, glaciation (map), Thursday, 1 September 2016 03:01 (seven years ago) link
hahaha
asuka got sw0le
― clouds, Thursday, 1 September 2016 15:04 (seven years ago) link
The two most helpful form things for me with bench were (1) realizing it was ok and even preferable to use a narrower grip, so that my forearms stayed closer to parallel, (2) realizing that the lift path shouldn't be totally straight but diagonal, sort of from the top of your ribs at the bottom of the lift to over your chest at the top, depending in part on your arm length and torso length.
― the last famous person you were surprised to discover was actually (man alive), Thursday, 1 September 2016 15:12 (seven years ago) link
back after two weeks off (vacation plus bad work schedule) and numbers are down significantly, but I feel like they'll come back fast.
― the last famous person you were surprised to discover was actually (man alive), Friday, 9 September 2016 14:55 (seven years ago) link
Also saw old friends last week that I haven't seen in like a year and they were all "Whoa, your muscles are big!" which was kind of a good feeling.
It's kind of amazing that you can dramatically change your body by lifting heavy objects three hours a week.
― the last famous person you were surprised to discover was actually (man alive), Friday, 9 September 2016 14:56 (seven years ago) link
"Listen to your body" is such weird advice, like my body is full of sensible advice like "don't do pushups they feel awful just do more dips we like doing dips add some more weight or something" but at the same time it just does not want to eat ever, I've been lifting for almost six months now and eating a third meal every day is still a conscious and tiresome effort.
― Gravel Puzzleworth, Thursday, 29 September 2016 00:38 (seven years ago) link
Lifting is great though I love this thread!
i've been consistent now for 3.5-4 months, probably my longest stretch.
― savvinesslessness (map), Thursday, 29 September 2016 01:03 (seven years ago) link
i will go four days in a row and then suddenly stop for 2 weeks. need to work on that.
― clouds, Thursday, 29 September 2016 15:28 (seven years ago) link
today i saw these two boys doing close-grip benches with their thumbs touching. i thought about telling them that was too close, they could hurt their wrists, but then thought 'they only have 25-lb plates on they aren't going to hurt anything' lol oh snap.
― do i look sexy today 564 (map), Wednesday, 12 October 2016 20:51 (seven years ago) link
though i did not go heavy today and felt a little slow and old i still did a lot of pull-up sets to super-good tunes 😎
― do i look sexy today 564 (map), Wednesday, 12 October 2016 20:56 (seven years ago) link
I've been doing 3 sets of 8-10 front squats lately and I think I hate it. Really missing heavier back squats right now.
For the hell of it, I've also experimented with overhead squats — it's made it clear that I have some mobility issues, because halfway down I pretty much /have to/ tilt my torso a bit and let the bar drift forward.
― Rimsky-Koskenkorva (Øystein), Wednesday, 12 October 2016 21:22 (seven years ago) link
been out of the gym for two weeks now d/t sickness and then work stuff and then, the indignity, showing up at the gym w/o my gym bag
:(
― jason waterfalls (gbx), Wednesday, 12 October 2016 21:31 (seven years ago) link
ugh forgetting clothes or shoes or yr entire bag is the worst
― do i look sexy today 564 (map), Wednesday, 12 October 2016 21:40 (seven years ago) link
i felt pretty stupid
― jason waterfalls (gbx), Wednesday, 12 October 2016 21:45 (seven years ago) link
it happens to everyone. i forgot all my stuff just yesterday.
― do i look sexy today 564 (map), Wednesday, 12 October 2016 21:48 (seven years ago) link
on the advice of a PT i'm doing some more *whispering* isolation work. i have a severed right lat from a lung surgery i had as a kid. nothing ever feels out of balance in motion, but after rehabbing some weirdness in my right hip, apparently some things are a little cockeyed. and my flexibility is measurably different L to R.
so i'm doing dumbbell bench presses to save some lower back stress, and 1-arm dumbbell rows to work that twisting stabilization. ngl it's pretty fun.
― goole, Thursday, 13 October 2016 15:43 (seven years ago) link
i love both of those things and you don't have to wait for some douche to stop using the flat barbell bench to finish quarter-benching 225
― assawoman bay (harbl), Thursday, 13 October 2016 22:40 (seven years ago) link
lol otm
― The times they are a changing, perhaps (map), Thursday, 13 October 2016 22:46 (seven years ago) link
i muddled that sentence bc sick but you can understand
― assawoman bay (harbl), Thursday, 13 October 2016 22:48 (seven years ago) link
ugh that sucks, the sick part not the sentence part
― The times they are a changing, perhaps (map), Thursday, 13 October 2016 22:49 (seven years ago) link
yeah no gymming for me until sometime next week prob. so weak feeling.
― assawoman bay (harbl), Thursday, 13 October 2016 22:51 (seven years ago) link
i've bene so spotty w/ the gym over the last few months. I tried to read Starting Strenght but bcz i have v v limited range of motion in like all of my joints I can't bend my arms or wrists or things far enough to get the proper grip for a squat or a clean & jerk. I feel discouraged! I guess I have to stick to machines and dumbbells and find something that works for me? I might also get a trainer and be like "ok look help me figure out what i want and also help me achieve it with this unconventional body that i have"
― laraaji p. henson (Stevie D(eux)), Wednesday, 19 October 2016 20:56 (seven years ago) link
still torn btwn:a) lose belly fat and get some abs by idk a mix of limited food intake plus weight and cardiob) gain muscle mass by eating a lot and working out really hardc) doing (b) followed by (a) to like build muscle and then "shrink wrap" it
― laraaji p. henson (Stevie D(eux)), Wednesday, 19 October 2016 20:58 (seven years ago) link
― Rimsky-Koskenkorva (Øystein), Wednesday, October 12, 2016 4:22 PM (one week ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I've been doing light weight overhead squats as a warmup to back squats, in part to improve mobility and form and activate support muscles and I have a similar issue, very hard for me not to tilt forward at least a little, although I can get pretty good depth.
I've been finding longer warmups before squatting helps, including both mobility/stretching and active stuff. One mobility warmup I find really helpful is to sort of do punter kicks, swinging my leg all the way forward/up and then all the way back/up while keeping my leg relatively straight. My squat is still weak compared to my other lifts and has progressed less quickly, mostly because of the mobility issues.
― the last famous person you were surprised to discover was actually (man alive), Wednesday, 19 October 2016 21:01 (seven years ago) link
A trainer told me I had tight IT bands and I suddenly became super aware of my IT bands and could really feel how tight they were, so I've been doing a lot of stretches focused on those on my off days. It has definitely helped. There is still some weak link in my squat that I can't quite identify that causes the slight fall-forward.
― the last famous person you were surprised to discover was actually (man alive), Wednesday, 19 October 2016 21:02 (seven years ago) link
choose c) stevie
i seem to be doing b) indefinitely with no intentions of doing a) so far
― clouds, Wednesday, 19 October 2016 21:24 (seven years ago) link
I started working out interested in something closer to a) but now I'm more in the b) camp. I'd say my goal is to gain as much muscle mass as possible without getting much fatter and overall looking better. Going for strength gains but not doing what I'd probably have to to max them out in terms of calorie intake and workouts. On the whole I definitely look better and have bigger muscles now, and am maybe a little bit fatter but can still p much wear my old clothes.
― the last famous person you were surprised to discover was actually (man alive), Wednesday, 19 October 2016 21:30 (seven years ago) link
ok opinions coming
steve you should definitely do what works for you. dumbbells and machines are great. hack squats, leg extensions and leg curls will give you thighs. dumbbell lunges are hard as fuq. my very personal opinion is if there's one barbell lift that's really worth learning it's the squat. clean and jerk, bench, even deadlift (gasp), who cares. if you do some sessions maybe just ask the trainer to teach you how to squat. you don't even need to do them with a barbell. it's probably a good way to judge if a trainer is worth their salt maybe.
the more i lift weights, and to be clear i'm just an amateur with passable form on squats, presses and deadlifts, the more i feel like it's basically window dressing to the ability to move, carry myself and inhabit my body that even the most basic yoga routine gives me. i have no idea if you've tried it steve but if you're at all interested i would totally recommend giving it a shot. it will give you strength and abs and muscles and all that plus work with your body as it is wrt flexibility. if you want to add in weights too, those two things are completely synergistic ime.
― The times they are a changing, perhaps (map), Wednesday, 19 October 2016 21:39 (seven years ago) link
another opinion is, it really doesn't matter so much what exactly you do, just as long as you do it consistently or establish a routine of doing it, so you might as well do something you know you can enjoy doing.
― The times they are a changing, perhaps (map), Wednesday, 19 October 2016 21:43 (seven years ago) link
also re: yoga, it's the only fitness thing i do that makes me better at sex, so that's another plus.
― The times they are a changing, perhaps (map), Wednesday, 19 October 2016 21:53 (seven years ago) link