Random Fitness Questions

Alf Veedersane

I hate straps on deadlifts. They're just off-putting.

coffee_cake

I lose the deadlifts close to the ground and feel like it's strength when I haven't put on chalk (for absolutely no reason) and it's grip fail
You have ordered chalk now so should make a massive difference between that and the mixed grip. What I mean is I would imagine it won't be an issue anymore

Cole

new2tri19 wrote: »

Thanks again for putting me on the right path I'll order liquid chalk now online , never heard of that stuff before and I'll try the reverse grip ðŸ‘

You'll wonder how you ever lifted without it...essential stuff.

With the mixed grip, I find having my underhand grip slightly wider than the overhand works well for me.

Black Sheep

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

I hate straps on deadlifts. They're just off-putting.

I only like quick release ones, I don't like the proper ones.

Alf Veedersane

Black Sheep wrote: »

I only like quick release ones, I don't like the proper ones.

Quick release being the figure 8 ones?

I could see how they might be a lot less of a nuisance.

Black Sheep

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Quick release being the figure 8 ones?

I could see how they might be a lot less of a nuisance.

The ones I have from Ironmind are even more minimal, but I guess they work the same way: https://www.ironmind-store.com/Sew-Easy-Lifting-Straps153/productinfo/1437/

the baby bull elephant

https://youtu.be/kb8GUnqmiks

Timely video from Alan Thrall.

new2tri19

the baby bull elephant wrote: »

https://youtu.be/kb8GUnqmiks

Timely video from Alan Thrall.

Excellent video thanks for sharing

SmashingPilot

Hey, does anyone know of somewhere I can pick up a 10KG kettlebell this week?

Acey10

SmashingPilot wrote: »

Hey, does anyone know of somewhere I can pick up a 10KG kettlebell this week?

mr price have some in stock in Artane, not sure about size though.

paw patrol

Cill94 wrote: »

Using straps is a bit like social smoking; You start off with good intentions but then it becomes a nasty habit.

Then you're the guy who can pull double bodyweight, but can't open a jar of pickles.


(Straps are actually grand if you don't get carried away)

but i can do both :pac:
I use straps on any deadlift over 120kg , I don't like the mixed grip ,so straps it is.

If you do other exercises to a decent degree of intensity like farmers walk or even pull ups/rows , I think your grip will be fine.

Mellor

paw patrol wrote: »

but i can do both :pac:
I use straps on any deadlift over 120kg , I don't like the mixed grip ,so straps it is.

If you do other exercises to a decent degree of intensity like farmers walk or even pull ups/rows , I think your grip will be fine.

I think “decent degree of intensity” is all very relative though.

Cill94

paw patrol wrote: »

but i can do both :pac:
I use straps on any deadlift over 120kg , I don't like the mixed grip ,so straps it is.

If you do other exercises to a decent degree of intensity like farmers walk or even pull ups/rows , I think your grip will be fine.

It just depends on your goals.

I want a strong grip, but I care more about deadlifting as much as possible. So I occasionally put straps on when my grip becomes a limiting factor (usually just high rep sets). Hook grip for heavy sets of 5+ is a bad time.

paw patrol

Mellor wrote: »

I think “decent degree of intensity” is all very relative though.

isn't is always !
I probably meant hard long sets close to failure.

Cill94 wrote: »

It just depends on your goals.

I want a strong grip, but I care more about deadlifting as much as possible. So I occasionally put straps on when my grip becomes a limiting factor (usually just high rep sets). Hook grip for heavy sets of 5+ is a bad time.

For sure! Whatever works.
I tried hook grip once....fcuk that...no interest in getting used to it.

calfmuscle

In relation to the deadlift, I've small hands and my fingers slip regardless of grip once over 90kg. I find using the 15 kg bar much better. The more narrow width let's my fingers wrap right around it. Straps are OK but the skinnier bar is the easiest for me.

Cill94

paw patrol wrote: »

isn't is always !

I tried hook grip once....fcuk that...no interest in getting used to it.

I found a big difference in grip strength once I got used to it. I'd never go back.

Not without its drawbacks though. Temporarily lost feeling at the top of one of my thumbs after a heavy set of 5 a couple years ago.

Alf Veedersane

Cill94 wrote: »

I found a big difference in grip strength once I got used to it. I'd never go back.

Not without its drawbacks though. Temporarily lost feeling at the top of one of my thumbs after a heavy set of 5 a couple years ago.

I can only assume it was a bad time in your life when you hated yourself that you decided to try hook grip... :pac:

Just out of interest, did you ever have an issue with mixed grip strength on deadlift?

Cill94

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

I can only assume it was a bad time in your life when you hated yourself that you decided to try hook grip... :pac:

Just out of interest, did you ever have an issue with mixed grip strength on deadlift?

Yeah I missed a few max attempts due to grip strength when I was using mixed. Added about 30kg to my pull since then and it's never been an issue since.

I also saw a few video compilations of deadlift bicep tears that made the thumb pain a much easier pill to swallow.

new2tri19

Hi guys hope your training is going well got some great advice here and packed on some muscle and fat ( let's not talk about that !) But yeah I gained alot of weight got up to 86kg . The side said to me I looked better before I started to look pudgy.

So did some research and got on my fitness Pal and it was an eye opener tracking everything I'm still tracking and have been on a cut for the last 5-6 weeks I got a bit aggressive with it starting at 1750kcal and doing cardio 2 hours a day on top of weights . Dropped fairly quick to 81kg so bumped my calories up to 2500 and losing about 0.5kg a week currently at 77-78kg. Fearful of losing muscle so eating protein at 1gramme per pound of body weight a day. I'm happy with how it's going starting to get some good definition and realising you don't have to be huge to he ripped.

Anyway long post there just wondered should I take creatine ? Negatives seem to be hair loss and thirst issues , positives muscular endurance ? Also on a cut some days lifting I feel low energy I see people talk of taking caffeine pre lift or coke zero or monster energy , do these work ? Are they worth it ?

Thanks

the baby bull elephant

new2tri19 wrote: »

Hi guys hope your training is going well got some great advice here and packed on some muscle and fat ( let's not talk about that !) But yeah I gained alot of weight got up to 86kg . The side said to me I looked better before I started to look pudgy.

So did some research and got on my fitness Pal and it was an eye opener tracking everything I'm still tracking and have been on a cut for the last 5-6 weeks I got a bit aggressive with it starting at 1750kcal and doing cardio 2 hours a day on top of weights . Dropped fairly quick to 81kg so bumped my calories up to 2500 and losing about 0.5kg a week currently at 77-78kg. Fearful of losing muscle so eating protein at 1gramme per pound of body weight a day. I'm happy with how it's going starting to get some good definition and realising you don't have to be huge to he ripped.

Anyway long post there just wondered should I take creatine ? Negatives seem to be hair loss and thirst issues , positives muscular endurance ? Also on a cut some days lifting I feel low energy I see people talk of taking caffeine pre lift or coke zero or monster energy , do these work ? Are they worth it ?

Thanks

Stronger by Science has really good long form articles on both caffeine and creatine.

Creatine I would always advise people to take. As far as I'm aware the hair loss thing is based off of one not so great study. It is the best legal supplement.

Caffeine is more personal preference. I think it does make a small difference for me. Mostly around endurance. I'm not taking any at the moment without access to a gym. Again personal preference but it's probably cheaper to get it through coffee or a tablet.

Cill94

the baby bull elephant wrote: »

Creatine I would always advise people to take. As far as I'm aware the hair loss thing is based off of one not so great study.

Yeah, the hair loss thing is completely unfounded. I wasn't aware of this being a thing that people believed until a client asked me about it. I did some research and it does indeed stem from a single 2009 study on rugby players.

However the study did not measure hair loss at all. It only measured increases in the androgen DHT, elevations of which is related to hair loss.

The funny thing that everyone seems to have missed is that training itself also increases DHT (quite a bit). So either training makes you go bald or creatine is probably fine.

new2tri19

Cill94 wrote: »

Yeah, the hair loss thing is completely unfounded. I wasn't aware of this being a thing that people believed until a client asked me about it. I did some research and it does indeed stem from a single 2009 study on rugby players.

However the study did not measure hair loss at all. It only measured increases in the androgen DHT, elevations of which is related to hair loss.

The funny thing that everyone seems to have missed is that training itself also increases DHT (quite a bit). So either training makes you go bald or creatine is probably fine.

Is it possible to get in good shape without taking creatine ? Will I notice a big difference in taking it ? Are most lifters taking it ? I'm on the fence with it , I'm not far off aesthetically how I'd like to look ,getting good definition but not ripped or a 6 pack , just wondering would creatine make that much difference? Thanks

Cill94

new2tri19 wrote: »

Is it possible to get in good shape without taking creatine ? Will I notice a big difference in taking it ? Are most lifters taking it ? I'm on the fence with it , I'm not far off aesthetically how I'd like to look ,getting good definition but not ripped or a 6 pack , just wondering would creatine make that much difference? Thanks

Of course you can yeah. Even a supplement like creatine with a huge amount of evidence behind it will actually only add a small amount to your results.

Essentially it can help you get a few extra reps than you usually would. How many extra is likely going to vary from person to person. Is it worth buying creatine to maybe get 6 or 7 reps on a weight that you’d usually only hit for 5? I say yes but it’s your call. For what it’s worth, there is also evidence to suggest creatine has additional health benefits.

Unknownability

I recently bought the band in the below link.

Would anyone be able to link to a 20/25 min Upper body excercise circuit that I could do with that? There are hundreds on YouTube and all trying to sell stuff.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01LZXVNC2/ref=cm_sw_r_wa_apa_fabc_MCSA0XC19GA3EDGD5QHS

bladespin

Unknownability wrote: »

I recently bought the band in the below link.

Would anyone be able to link to a 20/25 min Upper body excercise circuit that I could do with that? There are hundreds on YouTube and all trying to sell stuff.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01LZXVNC2/ref=cm_sw_r_wa_apa_fabc_MCSA0XC19GA3EDGD5QHS

AthleanX - loves those bands.

D'Agger

Unknownability wrote: »

I recently bought the band in the below link.

Would anyone be able to link to a 20/25 min Upper body excercise circuit that I could do with that? There are hundreds on YouTube and all trying to sell stuff.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01LZXVNC2/ref=cm_sw_r_wa_apa_fabc_MCSA0XC19GA3EDGD5QHS

I use the same bands and find them very handy, few below which are handy - for some of them you'd need a pole, I'm starting an indoor/outdoor split this week with the evenings stretching

Pull aparts
Push ups
Wood Choppers
Deadlifts
Bicep Curls
Rows
Face pulls

remember finding this video quite useful when first starting out - guy seems to be a bro but it's a good whip through of exercises to play around with.

the baby bull elephant

new2tri19 wrote: »

Is it possible to get in good shape without taking creatine ? Will I notice a big difference in taking it ? Are most lifters taking it ? I'm on the fence with it , I'm not far off aesthetically how I'd like to look ,getting good definition but not ripped or a 6 pack , just wondering would creatine make that much difference? Thanks

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.strongerbyscience.com/creatine/amp/

Will answer pretty much any question you may have.

the baby bull elephant

Unknownability wrote: »

I recently bought the band in the below link.

Would anyone be able to link to a 20/25 min Upper body excercise circuit that I could do with that? There are hundreds on YouTube and all trying to sell stuff.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01LZXVNC2/ref=cm_sw_r_wa_apa_fabc_MCSA0XC19GA3EDGD5QHS

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DpjeudmtmEU4&ved=2ahUKEwjZ0ZDt-_3uAhVTaRUIHX-xB2kQ28sGMAB6BAgbEAc&usg=AOvVaw2HPUXOLaY7_j91LwQwzXgh

Alf Veedersane

D'Agger wrote: »

I use the same bands and find them very handy, few below which are handy - for some of them you'd need a pole, I'm starting an indoor/outdoor split this week with the evenings stretching

Pull aparts
Push ups
Wood Choppers
Deadlifts
Bicep Curls
Rows
Face pulls

remember finding this video quite useful when first starting out - guy seems to be a bro but it's a good whip through of exercises to play around with.

Just looking at your list, I just listed out the banded exercises I've done this lockdown and last. They're so versatile!


Curls (obvz)
Pallof press
Single-arm reverse flys
Push ups
Front raises
Lateral raises
Shrugs
OHP
Rows
Tricep pulldowns/kickbacks
Straight arm pulldowns
Wide-grip banded rows (with brush handle)
Overhead tricep extension
Face pulls
Curls (obvz)
Chest flys
Leg extensions (though its a bit awkward trying to keep it from sliding up your foot to the shin)
Hamstring curls
Good mornings
RDLs

Unknownability

the baby bull elephant wrote: »

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DpjeudmtmEU4&ved=2ahUKEwjZ0ZDt-_3uAhVTaRUIHX-xB2kQ28sGMAB6BAgbEAc&usg=AOvVaw2HPUXOLaY7_j91LwQwzXgh

Thank you, that's exactly what I was looking for, so much rubbish on YouTube.