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Random Fitness Questions

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  • Registered Users Posts: 219 ✭✭Acey10


    Brian? wrote: »
    What Alf said about the squats. But also, are you squatting too narrow?

    For the shoulders: every deadlift or when your are going close to your 1rm?

    I'll try put my feet wider next time.
    It's every deadlift... Maybe I should lower the weight.
    Thanks


  • Registered Users Posts: 24,537 ✭✭✭✭Alf Veedersane


    Acey10 wrote: »
    I'll try put my feet wider next time.
    It's every deadlift... Maybe I should lower the weight.
    Thanks

    On squat its more likely to happen if I widen my stance more so just play around with stance width but work on screwing tour feet into the ground to exert the force that should keep them out. But also could do with strengthening hip muscles.

    As for deadlift, drop back the weight and see when it starts and take it from there


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,693 ✭✭✭Deano7788


    I am a bit paranoid about my warm ups for squats. Possibly overdo it even. Would be interested to hear from others on that front!

    I would be lifting the same as yourself or close enough (1RM is 100 so typically working around the 70-85kg mark) I would usually do

    No bar:
    10 wide stance, 5 tempo
    10 medium stance - 5 tempo
    10 narrow stance
    Glute bridges x10, frog pumps x 10, glute bridges single leg amrap, glute kickbacks x 10


    Bar x8 - usually do these at a very slow eccentric tempo and pause at the bottom and explode up
    40 x8
    50 x5
    60 x5
    70 x3

    Working sets

    I’d do about 15 minutes of mobility work beforehand but in terms of warm up sets I try to find a balance between warming up enough and not wasting energy, with most of them being only singles. Normally the jumps decrease as I go up in weight and normally have my last warm up @0-12.5kg below my top or working sets.

    Typical example would be what I did last night working up to a top single.

    Bar x8
    70 x5
    120 x3
    160 x1
    195 x1
    220 x1
    237.5 x1

    Then my top single was 247.5kg. Up to 160 generally wouldn’t change and then I’d tweak the last few depending on what I’m working up to.

    Bench would be roughly similar in number of sets, give or take a set depending on the weight, just with smaller jumps, while deadlift would be fairly minimal with big enough jumps until I’m over 200, but will have always squatted beforehand so not exactly cold going in.


  • Registered Users Posts: 24,537 ✭✭✭✭Alf Veedersane


    Deano7788 wrote: »
    I’d do about 15 minutes of mobility work beforehand but in terms of warm up sets I try to find a balance between warming up enough and not wasting energy, with most of them being only singles. Normally the jumps decrease as I go up in weight and normally have my last warm up @0-12.5kg below my top or working sets.

    Typical example would be what I did last night working up to a top single.

    Bar x8
    70 x5
    120 x3
    160 x1
    195 x1
    220 x1
    237.5 x1

    Then my top single was 247.5kg. Up to 160 generally wouldn’t change and then I’d tweak the last few depending on what I’m working up to.

    Bench would be roughly similar in number of sets, give or take a set depending on the weight, just with smaller jumps, while deadlift would be fairly minimal with big enough jumps until I’m over 200, but will have always squatted beforehand so not exactly cold going in.

    Thinly-veiled "look at how strong I am" :D


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 20,651 Mod ✭✭✭✭Brian?


    Acey10 wrote: »
    I'll try put my feet wider next time.
    It's every deadlift... Maybe I should lower the weight.
    Thanks

    If it's every deadlift you need to drop back the weight and work purely on form for a bit. You could probably do with a feck load of upper back work as well.

    they/them/theirs


    And so on, and so on …. - Slavoj Žižek




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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,693 ✭✭✭Deano7788


    Thinly-veiled "look at how strong I am" :D

    :pac:. I always have my bench to bring me back down to earth :pac::o.


  • Registered Users Posts: 226 ✭✭Reps4jesus


    getting shoulder pain on one side when doing chin ups, any thoughts on whats most likely causing it and how to clear it up?


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,933 ✭✭✭SuprSi


    I can't seem to progress my bench press, either dumbell or barbell, incline or flat. I made a small increase around 2 months ago, around the time I started taking creatine and eating more, but have completely plateaued again. Prior to that, I was stuck on the same weight for probably 4 - 5 months. I'm making gains in everything else, but my chest is really stubborn.

    I train my chest once a week, switching between dumbells and barbells. I mix it up with flys, pushups, drop sets, and other exercises. I keep a log, take my creatine, watch my ratios, eat a calorie surplus and have a training partner so am able to push to failure, yet no progress. I've watched a few videos lately focusing on technique, and have started really focusing on pulling my shoulder blades down, pinching them together, yet it hasn't helped (so far). It's very frustrating.

    The odd thing is that I still get DOMS in my chest, so I'm clearly working the muscles, I'm just not able to lift any heavier. Any suggestions?


  • Registered Users Posts: 24,537 ✭✭✭✭Alf Veedersane


    SuprSi wrote: »
    I can't seem to progress my bench press, either dumbell or barbell, incline or flat. I made a small increase around 2 months ago, around the time I started taking creatine and eating more, but have completely plateaued again. Prior to that, I was stuck on the same weight for probably 4 - 5 months. I'm making gains in everything else, but my chest is really stubborn.

    I train my chest once a week, switching between dumbells and barbells. I mix it up with flys, pushups, drop sets, and other exercises. I keep a log, take my creatine, watch my ratios, eat a calorie surplus and have a training partner so am able to push to failure, yet no progress. I've watched a few videos lately focusing on technique, and have started really focusing on pulling my shoulder blades down, pinching them together, yet it hasn't helped (so far). It's very frustrating.

    The odd thing is that I still get DOMS in my chest, so I'm clearly working the muscles, I'm just not able to lift any heavier. Any suggestions?

    Have you increased your pressing volume?


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,933 ✭✭✭SuprSi


    Have you increased your pressing volume?

    As in the number of reps?


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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,693 ✭✭✭Deano7788


    SuprSi wrote: »
    As in the number of reps?

    Overall sets and reps.

    FIrst thing I’d suggest would be to increase frequency to be honest, pressing tends to respond well to that and it would also allow you increase overall weekly volume.

    You mention traning to failure, do you that every set/workout? What would a typical workout look like?


  • Registered Users Posts: 24,537 ✭✭✭✭Alf Veedersane


    SuprSi wrote: »
    As in the number of reps?

    I'll put it like this: if you're doing the same sets and reps once a week with much the same weight, then how would you be developing the ability to press more weight.

    More pressing across the week will allow for increased volume (sets by reps).

    And like Deano asked, what would a typical bench workout be?


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,933 ✭✭✭SuprSi


    My typical barbell/dumbell workout consists of 4 sets of up to 8 reps - if I hit 8 reps with the last set, I increase the weight. I usually do flat, incline and decline, followed by flys or some other variation. With the barbell I'm currently unable to get beyond 4 reps in the last set, whereas with the dumbells I'm getting around 6 - 7, but stuck there. To be fair, I don't think I've changed the 4 set/8 rep combination in ages, though will throw in occasional drop sets. And yes, I will always go to failure with support being provided once I fail.


  • Registered Users Posts: 24,537 ✭✭✭✭Alf Veedersane


    SuprSi wrote: »
    My typical barbell/dumbell workout consists of 4 sets of up to 8 reps - if I hit 8 reps with the last set, I increase the weight. I usually do flat, incline and decline, followed by flys or some other variation. With the barbell I'm currently unable to get beyond 4 reps in the last set, whereas with the dumbells I'm getting around 6 - 7, but stuck there. To be fair, I don't think I've changed the 4 set/8 rep combination in ages, though will throw in occasional drop sets. And yes, I will always go to failure with support being provided once I fail.

    So you've been trying the same weight on the bar and can't get past 4 reps on last set for a couple of weeks?

    How many more will you get next week given that you'll have done little more pressing in the meantime.

    Going to failure isn't an issue if you're training bench once a week. It's more important if you're training bench more than once a week where going to failure one day may reduce what you can do the second bench day that week. You probably need to increase your frequency. It doesn't have to be a second day of normal benching. It can be variations, e.g. wide grip or close grip and not to failure on either day.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,693 ✭✭✭Deano7788


    Just in addition to what Alf said, do you do much back work during the week?


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,933 ✭✭✭SuprSi


    So you've been trying the same weight on the bar and can't get past 4 reps on last set for a couple of weeks?

    How many more will you get next week given that you'll have done little more pressing in the meantime.

    Going to failure isn't an issue if you're training bench once a week. It's more important if you're training bench more than once a week where going to failure one day may reduce what you can do the second bench day that week. You probably need to increase your frequency. It doesn't have to be a second day of normal benching. It can be variations, e.g. wide grip or close grip and not to failure on either day.

    Yes, but more than a couple of weeks. Next week, considering recent form, I'm not expecting to get more. I've always worked under the assumption that as long as I'm pushing myself, even if it's just once a week, I should see improvements, and I thought the fact I keep getting DOMS suggested I'm doing something right, but building extra strength or size doesn't seem to be one of those things.

    As for a back workout, like with chest, I do it once a week. I usually do 3 days of weights (2 cardio), covering all the major muscle groups, similarly with 4 sets of 8 reps.


  • Registered Users Posts: 17,469 ✭✭✭✭Mr. CooL ICE


    Thing is, compared to other movements like squat and deadlift, the muscles used for bench are smaller and are able to recover faster. While novices can still make gains from benching once a week, lifters all the way from intermediate up to elite level, generally bench 2-5 times per week, depending on the individual and what works for them. For example, I'm not aware of any high level powerlifter that benches once per week.

    What you're doing right now seems far from optimal. It seems like you've exhausted all other options so upping the frequency seems like an obvious solution.


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 20,651 Mod ✭✭✭✭Brian?


    SuprSi wrote: »
    My typical barbell/dumbell workout consists of 4 sets of up to 8 reps - if I hit 8 reps with the last set, I increase the weight. I usually do flat, incline and decline, followed by flys or some other variation. With the barbell I'm currently unable to get beyond 4 reps in the last set, whereas with the dumbells I'm getting around 6 - 7, but stuck there. To be fair, I don't think I've changed the 4 set/8 rep combination in ages, though will throw in occasional drop sets. And yes, I will always go to failure with support being provided once I fail.

    So you do flat, incline and decline bench in one session, all to failure? Then flyes?

    That’s way too much in one workout. You’d be much better off splitting that out over 2 days and varying the reps. Do 3x8 one day and pyramid up to working sets of 3x3 the other day.

    Are you doing 4 different back exercises in one day?

    they/them/theirs


    And so on, and so on …. - Slavoj Žižek




  • Registered Users Posts: 17,822 ✭✭✭✭silverharp


    Doing 3 full body workouts per week and with a good mix of compound exercises might be a way to get more balanced results?

    A belief in gender identity involves a level of faith as there is nothing tangible to prove its existence which, as something divorced from the physical body, is similar to the idea of a soul. - Colette Colfer



  • Registered Users Posts: 6,933 ✭✭✭SuprSi


    Yes, similar programme for all major muscle groups, to failure, once a week. And yes, I do those 3 big lifts in one session.

    So the general consensus seems to be that I should do a smaller group of exercises per muscle group, but more than once a week, with different combinations of set/reps on each day? I very much appreciate the advice :)


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  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 20,651 Mod ✭✭✭✭Brian?


    SuprSi wrote: »
    Yes, similar programme for all major muscle groups, to failure, once a week. And yes, I do those 3 big lifts in one session.

    So the general consensus seems to be that I should do a smaller group of exercises per muscle group, but more than once a week, with different combinations of set/reps on each day? I very much appreciate the advice :)

    As a matter of interest, where did you get your workout from?

    they/them/theirs


    And so on, and so on …. - Slavoj Žižek




  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Politics Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 81,310 CMod ✭✭✭✭coffee_cake


    There was some study out about ho the same vol over more days was better than 1 day. Uh iirc. Anyway yes do more days


  • Registered Users Posts: 17,469 ✭✭✭✭Mr. CooL ICE


    bluewolf wrote: »
    There was some study out about ho the same vol over more days was better than 1 day. Uh iirc. Anyway yes do more days

    Norwegian Frequency Project


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,933 ✭✭✭SuprSi


    Brian? wrote: »
    As a matter of interest, where did you get your workout from?

    I workout with a Polish guy who's quite a bit bigger (and stronger) than me, and this is what he's always done. I'll have a chat with him on Monday though, see if we can ring the changes :D


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 20,651 Mod ✭✭✭✭Brian?



    Their 2nd album was a real let down.

    they/them/theirs


    And so on, and so on …. - Slavoj Žižek




  • Registered Users Posts: 13,385 ✭✭✭✭D'Agger


    So I did a good deadlift set yesterday (for my standards), I did plenty warm up but the set was essentially:

    1x8 60KG
    1x8 80KG
    2x5 120kg
    1x8 80KG
    1x8 60kg

    That's a new best for myself weight wise doing 120KG, previously had only hit 110kg but wondering if people think I should perhaps be doing more reps before going to that max weight I can hit, or add one set of 5 at 100kg maybe? My upper back is pretty sore today, from googling this is apparently normal when lifting heavier weights and I'd imagine my problem may be that I wasn't engaging my lats enough, though I do but would be interested to hear what folks here recommend, perhaps I should be sticking do doing 4x8 80KG to get form better before looking to push past the 100KG mark again to get form down, I haven't had this type of upper back pain previously so perhaps my form just let me down on this occasion?

    Finally, if I run through the movement, my back is actually sore putting the imaginary weight down, perhaps this may have caused it


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Politics Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 81,310 CMod ✭✭✭✭coffee_cake


    I go 60x3 80x2 100x1 110x1 120x whatever
    So yes i think do a couple reps at 100

    No idea about the back


  • Registered Users Posts: 24,537 ✭✭✭✭Alf Veedersane


    D'Agger wrote: »
    So I did a good deadlift set yesterday (for my standards), I did plenty warm up but the set was essentially:

    1x8 60KG
    1x8 80KG
    2x5 120kg
    1x8 80KG
    1x8 60kg

    That's a new best for myself weight wise doing 120KG, previously had only hit 110kg but wondering if people think I should perhaps be doing more reps before going to that max weight I can hit, or add one set of 5 at 100kg maybe? My upper back is pretty sore today, from googling this is apparently normal when lifting heavier weights and I'd imagine my problem may be that I wasn't engaging my lats enough, though I do but would be interested to hear what folks here recommend, perhaps I should be sticking do doing 4x8 80KG to get form better before looking to push past the 100KG mark again to get form down, I haven't had this type of upper back pain previously so perhaps my form just let me down on this occasion?

    Finally, if I run through the movement, my back is actually sore putting the imaginary weight down, perhaps this may have caused it

    Whatever works but my own experience is that the top sets don't move as well if there hasn't been enough warm-up volume. There's a balance because you don't want to use up too much energy warming up but you don't want to be going at your top sets relatively cold. There's room for a set with 100kg there.

    Without seeing what you're doing its hard to say what the upper back pain is from.


  • Registered Users Posts: 507 ✭✭✭shutup


    During my last few work outs I have had to stop half way through because I’m getting very heavy, dull head aches centred around forehead and front of head.
    I’m doing body weight circuits and feeling great other wise and had being improving reps etc until the headache kicks in. It feels like I’ve bust a blood vessel and my head is filling up!
    Is this common enough or a sign for anything?
    Thanks


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  • Registered Users Posts: 12,696 ✭✭✭✭Dtp1979


    shutup wrote: »
    During my last few work outs I have had to stop half way through because I’m getting very heavy, dull head aches centred around forehead and front of head.
    I’m doing body weight circuits and feeling great other wise and had being improving reps etc until the headache kicks in. It feels like I’ve bust a blood vessel and my head is filling up!
    Is this common enough or a sign for anything?
    Thanks

    It’s a sign you should go to the doctor,
    Seriously


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