Mini Cut Vlog

9bred4 · 21-07-2015 10:46pm #1

How's it going guys, just going to start a thread about my current vlog I have going. I'm trying to do a small cut in 3-4 weeks to drop a bit of excess weight. All advice is appreciated and taken on board. Be it advice regarding my form or that of my nutrition or just all around tips.

Anyway, here's the video from today which of sort of the real starting point for nice gym footage:

If you want to follow this thread by all means go ahead and get involved!

9bred4 · 22-07-2015 10:09pm

My deadlift form is just way off today. Don't know what it was about. Anybody have any deadlift cues to make note of?

Also my squat was a bit off. Not a good gym day overall!

deadybai · 23-07-2015 11:52am

Whats your weekly workout schedule?

Caliden · 23-07-2015 11:57am

I wouldn't do lunges before deadlifts, your legs will be in bits. I do them straight after squats otherwise my form breaks down.

For cues, I take a good bit of time to setup and stay tight until finished.
When over the bar initially I take a big breath, get my core tight and keep it that way for every rep. Taking a breath at the top only.

Flex your lats and imagine trying to 'tuck them' into your pockets, this keeps the upper back tight and prevents rounding.
Pull any 'slack' out of the bar so that my hips don't shoot up before the bar even gets off the ground.

Your negative is a bit slow too, don't be too shy of making noise. Your stance also seems a bit wide.

MightyMandarin · 23-07-2015 7:03pm

You have some 'buttwink' going on in your squats, which is usually caused by tight hamstrings so I'd try and get them looser and warmed up better before you start squatting. I'd also change out of running shoes for squats and get a flat soled shoe (or even better, a weightlifting shoe if money's not an issue) as running shoes are very bad for squats in my experience.

Even though the angle is poor I can see that your stance is too wide for deadlifts. Your setup is also quite bad and your hips are shooting up before you pull which means you're lifting almost exclusively with your back. There's also a lot of rounding going on there.

For cues, I'd usually get my feet narrow enough to hang my arms straight down by my sides, and aim to have the bar cutting right across the middle of my feet. Then I bend my knees to just before they touch the bar. Then I lower my hips just to where I can grab the bar, and straighten out my back before I pull.

If you still have problems with back-rounding trying to stick your arse out is a cue I found useful when I started deadlifting. If you still can't get it, a snatch grip deadlift might be useful in forcing your back to get straight. There are hundreds of youtube videos explaining proper setups and form aswell, so they're probably better to explain what I just said but whatever.

9bred4 · 24-07-2015 12:10am

deadybai wrote: »

Whats your weekly workout schedule?

Monday - Arms & Shoulders
Tuesday - Chest & Back
Wednesday - Legs
Thursday- Arms & Shoulders
Friday - Chest & Back
Saturday - Legs
Sunday - Off

9bred4 · 24-07-2015 12:12am

Caliden wrote: »

I wouldn't do lunges before deadlifts, your legs will be in bits. I do them straight after squats otherwise my form breaks down.

For cues, I take a good bit of time to setup and stay tight until finished.
When over the bar initially I take a big breath, get my core tight and keep it that way for every rep. Taking a breath at the top only.

Flex your lats and imagine trying to 'tuck them' into your pockets, this keeps the upper back tight and prevents rounding.
Pull any 'slack' out of the bar so that my hips don't shoot up before the bar even gets off the ground.

Your negative is a bit slow too, don't be too shy of making noise. Your stance also seems a bit wide.

God damn deadlift! Y u so difficult. Thanks for the solid advice.

9bred4 · 24-07-2015 12:13am

MightyMandarin wrote: »

You have some 'buttwink' going on in your squats, which is usually caused by tight hamstrings so I'd try and get them looser and warmed up better before you start squatting. I'd also change out of running shoes for squats and get a flat soled shoe (or even better, a weightlifting shoe if money's not an issue) as running shoes are very bad for squats in my experience.

Even though the angle is poor I can see that your stance is too wide for deadlifts. Your setup is also quite bad and your hips are shooting up before you pull which means you're lifting almost exclusively with your back. There's also a lot of rounding going on there.

For cues, I'd usually get my feet narrow enough to hang my arms straight down by my sides, and aim to have the bar cutting right across the middle of my feet. Then I bend my knees to just before they touch the bar. Then I lower my hips just to where I can grab the bar, and straighten out my back before I pull.

If you still have problems with back-rounding trying to stick your arse out is a cue I found useful when I started deadlifting. If you still can't get it, a snatch grip deadlift might be useful in forcing your back to get straight. There are hundreds of youtube videos explaining proper setups and form aswell, so they're probably better to explain what I just said but whatever.

I get what you mean, going to make a note of this and the other advice and try compile some sort of "deadlift and squat notes" so I know what to look out for and all that. Thanks for that!

9bred4 · 24-07-2015 12:14am

With regard my close grip bench press. Is it right? How close is too close and should I be tucking my elbows in more? I think the other exercises are relatively alright. Doing dips at 15 stone ain't easy!!

Alf Veedersane · 24-07-2015 8:22am

9bred4 wrote: »

With regard my close grip bench press. Is it right? How close is too close and should I be tucking my elbows in more? I think the other exercises are relatively alright. Doing dips at 15 stone ain't easy!!

Grip looks a bit wide - shoulder width will do. Too close only puts unnecessary stress on your elbows.

Try keeping the elbows tucked more or you lose a little bit of the tricep hit. The bar will touch your chest a bit lower than where it does for normal bench. Your elbows will want to flare if you touch too high up your chest to stop it becoming a tricep extension.

But my 2 cents are worth just that

9bred4 · 24-07-2015 9:05am

I noticed that if I went to tuck that it hit my chest lower, wasn't sure if that was correct or not! Thanks for that!

deadybai · 24-07-2015 9:41am

9bred4 wrote: »

Monday - Arms & Shoulders
Tuesday - Chest & Back
Wednesday - Legs
Thursday- Arms & Shoulders
Friday - Chest & Back
Saturday - Legs
Sunday - Off

And you do rugby training to is it?

9bred4 · 24-07-2015 10:10am

deadybai wrote: »

And you do rugby training to is it?

Indeed. Wednesday also, only once a week for the moment. Gym at 8 in the morning, work, rugby at 7!

9bred4 · 25-07-2015 12:00am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1vaSuBjEUY

Again just looking for feedback mostly, particularly the barbell row. My back doesn't look right, felt right at the time though.

MightyMandarin · 25-07-2015 12:43am

9bred4 wrote: »

Again just looking for feedback mostly, particularly the barbell row. My back doesn't look right, felt right at the time though.

It's a bent over row, so bend over

9bred4 · 25-07-2015 12:55am

The more I bend over the more... wrong... it feels? Not sure if wrong is the right word there ha

MightyMandarin · 25-07-2015 1:00am

9bred4 wrote: »

The more I bend over the more... wrong... it feels? Not sure if wrong is the right word there ha

It's harder to hold your back lower, but try to get close to parallel to the floor and just keep the lower back straight. I usually find starting with a deadlift and stopping halfway up works.

Maybe try something like a pendlay row if you really can't hold your back there while rowing.

9bred4 · 25-07-2015 1:06am

Yeah thank God I set up this forum anyway ha, coming in fierce handy with all the advice. Can't wait to bulk ha

9bred4 · 25-07-2015 8:28pm

Legs day form critique. Have away at me!

9bred4 · 25-07-2015 8:40pm

Also when I squat, why does the bar be so uneven on my shoulders?

Hanley · 26-07-2015 6:49pm

9bred4 wrote: »

Also when I squat, why does the bar be so uneven on my shoulders?

IT's either off centre, you've some shoulder or pelvic issue, or your grip's all eff'd up.

Plus, this should probably be in the training log forum

9bred4 · 26-07-2015 8:59pm

We will see which it is!
Jesus to be honest I didn't even realise there was one!

JJayoo · 27-07-2015 12:24am

On deadlifts you need to stop trying to 'squat' the bar. By this I mean you don't have to break parallel when deadlifting which is exactly what you are doing. You stance is also crazy wide, gonna assume it's the same width as your squat stance, wide stance = wide grip= not strongest grip.

And screw Bent over rows, awkward feckers, just hit dumbbell rows instead.

And finally if you are doing a cut you really need to have some before/after pics/videos

9bred4 · 28-07-2015 10:05pm

MightyMandarin · 28-07-2015 11:02pm

Your form's looking better, but you might want to get more of an arch in your bench and squeeze your legs and glutes more to get better leg drive; you'll be able to push more weight that way.

Mellor · 29-07-2015 3:52am

You are doing more of a Yates row I think. That's fine if that's what you are aiming for, but not so much if trying to bent over row.
I'm thinking more about having good perception of movement and position (proprioception), rather than being anal about the correct name being used.

9bred4 · 29-07-2015 10:39am

MightyMandarin wrote: »

Your form's looking better, but you might want to get more of an arch in your bench and squeeze your legs and glutes more to get better leg drive; you'll be able to push more weight that way.

Might try that the next day

9bred4 · 29-07-2015 10:43am

Mellor wrote: »

You are doing more of a Yates row I think. That's fine if that's what you are aiming for, but not so much if trying to bent over row.
I'm thinking more about having good perception of movement and position (proprioception), rather than being anal about the correct name being used.

So I'm still not bending far enough? Christ! It feels like I'm bending too far when doing it. Must bend more so next time

Mellor · 29-07-2015 11:06am

9bred4 wrote: »

So I'm still not bending far enough? Christ! It feels like I'm bending too far when doing it. Must bend more so next time

When I do it my back is parallel to the floor.
Which means by shoulders are at hip level, and the weight lightly touches the ground each rep

Caliden · 29-07-2015 11:16am

Ed Coan shows his technique for the bent over row.
Might suit you, might not. He does say not to bend over too far.

https://youtu.be/-febRoO0gG0?t=167

Alf Veedersane · 29-07-2015 11:17am

9bred4 wrote: »

So I'm still not bending far enough? Christ! It feels like I'm bending too far when doing it. Must bend more so next time

Before you do it, hinge forward until the bar is at knee level. The bar is 6" shy of that.

Have a gander at this for an idea

9bred4 · 29-07-2015 11:34am

Okay, so you don't need to be looking ahead either? In that Hanley video he is staring at the ground.

Alf Veedersane · 29-07-2015 11:38am

It's just keeping the neck pretty neutral.

Sugar Free · 29-07-2015 11:41am

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

It's just keeping the neck pretty neutral.

Something to keep in mind for RDL/SLDLs as well imo.
I find they can tighten up my traps badly if I keep my head up, the way one might do for a regular DL.

Alf Veedersane · 29-07-2015 11:56am

Sugar Free wrote: »

Something to keep in mind for RDL/SLDLs as well imo.

Definitely. I was always really guilty for trying to look straight ahead. Since I've made a much more conscious effort to keep neck neutral (thanks to COH pointing it out a couple of times) it's definitely helped.

JJayoo · 30-07-2015 1:45pm

I have also found the the narrower my stance the better my barbell BORs feel

9bred4 · 30-07-2015 1:59pm

I'll have an ol video up today but BOR not until tomorrow, I'll try it out though.

Used a split stance today for Shoulder press. That's alright I assume is it? I mean it probably takes away some core benefit but it is aimed at shoulders so..

MightyMandarin · 30-07-2015 2:08pm

It doesn't make much of a difference, just probably means you're more stable.

9bred4 · 30-07-2015 2:13pm

Yeah, I found that if I don't split the stance I tend to really arch my back which provides more negatives than positives I assume!

MightyMandarin · 30-07-2015 2:23pm

Back bend is just a measure to make it easier to get the bar over your head. Most people will lean back a bit, but lads in the olympics used to take it really far, like this guy:
attachment.php?attachmentid=7102&stc=1&d=1207682262

attachment.php?attachmentid=7102&stc=1&d=1207682262

9bred4 · 30-07-2015 6:37pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwVrmPGrBro

Felt it in my hammies while deadlifting. Assuming that is normal/good? Felt good anyway and no back pain or anything either.

Alf Veedersane · 30-07-2015 11:33pm

Have you tried the OHP with a narrower grip...bit outside shoulder width?

9bred4 · 31-07-2015 8:58am

I actually thought my grip was pretty narrow! I'll try a bit narrower on Monday!

Alf Veedersane · 31-07-2015 9:08am

9bred4 wrote: »

I actually thought my grip was pretty narrow! I'll try a bit narrower on Monday!

Little finger is out at the rings so it's like a benching grip. You want it just outside your shoulders so your arms are more vertical when you lockout.

When you set up, stand against the bar and position your hands just outside shoulder width.

9bred4 · 31-07-2015 9:16am

I get what you mean. Sitting at my desk acting it out, getting a few stares.

9bred4 · 01-08-2015 5:10pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_etj79Q6y7M&feature=youtu.be

Not sure which bent over row is better. 1 or 2.

Also why are my squats still lopsided!! I'm trying not to do it but still just happens. Bastards!

JJayoo · 01-08-2015 6:46pm

I think the lopsidded squats could be down to shoulder mobility/flexibility, I think if you tried a thumbless grip in which you aren't >really gripping the bar more clamping it onto your back==> someone will be along shortly with a pic/vid/better explanation of what i mean

In regards to your BOR, both are much nicer than in the first video BUT the bar should be pretty much dragging along your legs, you want the bar to be as close to your centre of gravity as possible so the bar should finish right in your hip crease and travel as close to your legs as possible. The bar bath you are using at the moment looks like it would hit the upper back but you will never be able to increase the weight that much as you will lose balance and be pulled forward. It would also be good to try a much much narrow stance. I find a narrow stance is the strongest for me but obviously everyone is different and it may not suit you but it's good to try all options.

MightyMandarin · 01-08-2015 6:47pm

Your rows are looking better than before, but I think your pulling with your arms too much. Personally I found this video brilliant for showing me how to row with my lats rather than my arms, and who better to show it than one of the strongest people in history

. Starts at 2:45.

Are you squeezing your traps together and resting the bar on them? I assume your going with a highbar squat, and it looks like the bar is wobbling a bit through your reps. The bar needs to sit on the traps, and you need to grip the bar hard to stop it moving.

You're also squatting a bit high on some of your reps, and you seem to slow down at the bottom which is making it much harder for you. Are you hesitant when you squat? A lot of people have this problem when squatting. If you use a stretch reflex it'll make your squats much easier as you'll bounce out of the bottom like a spring and you'll hit good depth. Bear in mind it takes time, better mobility and concentration, to get it right.

9bred4 · 03-08-2015 8:40pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLJbLqwO34E&feature=youtu.be

Deadlift is questionable..

JJayoo · 03-08-2015 10:42pm

On OHP don't lower the bar so much. You want your forearms to be perpendicular to the floor at all times. On each rep you lower the bar too low on your upper chest and this causes your forearms to drift forward = your initial push the bar isn't travelling straight up so you are leaking power.

Alf Veedersane · 04-08-2015 9:27am

You're not pulling the slack out of the bar before you lift. It's almost like there's a slight downward movement before the pull and you can hear the bar clink off the hole in the plates as it hits off it. You should be pulling the bar up into the plates before you start the pull.

Mini Cut Vlog

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