Random Fitness Questions

Black Sheep · 29-04-2021 3:38pm

Jim Wendler has written here and there about running and 5/3/1.

5/3/1 Forever has a lot on it, but there's a synopsis here too: https://www.jimwendler.com/blogs/jimwendler-com/running-lifting-and-becoming-a-marine-officer

I feel like his recommendation to run 'sets' i.e 8x100m or whatever, is not dissimilar to what I'm suggesting above.

It goes without saying that when you're 40+ sprints or hard runs are never all-out, they're 80% as he says, for practical reasons and to save your achilles.

new2tri19 · 30-04-2021 10:38am

Not sure if I'm doing incline bench correctly a couple of questions if someone has time to answer please.

Do you arch your back like flat bench ? Would grip width be the same as flat bench ? And on bar path and starting position I lie down with eyes directly in line below bar , bring the bar down to touch chest just below nipple and return is that correct ? Thanks

Alf Veedersane · 30-04-2021 11:10am

new2tri19 wrote: »

Not sure if I'm doing incline bench correctly a couple of questions if someone has time to answer please.

Do you arch your back like flat bench ? Would grip width be the same as flat bench ? And on bar path and starting position I lie down with eyes directly in line below bar , bring the bar down to touch chest just below nipple and return is that correct ? Thanks

Think of it as a normal bench press that you happen to be doing at an incline. It may touch the chest a bit higher but focus on getting the set up right, as you always would, and it will touch the chest where it touches it.

Bey0nd · 05-05-2021 12:32pm

Question on calorie surplus.

What happens if someone moves from the following:

(a) Little exercise and little strength, a very dirty calorie surplus (junk food and takeaways) and quite overweight as a result

...to...

(b) Doing lots of strength based training, maintaining a calorie surplus - but a good, healthy one with the right macros to build muscle.

Will they just burn fat and build muscle as expected, or is this inefficient? Are they better off losing the weight first on a deficit and then building it back up as muscle via surplus?

silverharp · 05-05-2021 2:49pm

Bey0nd wrote: »

Question on calorie surplus.

What happens if someone moves from the following:

(a) Little exercise and little strength, a very dirty calorie surplus (junk food and takeaways) and quite overweight as a result

...to...

(b) Doing lots of strength based training, maintaining a calorie surplus - but a good, healthy one with the right macros to build muscle.

Will they just burn fat and build muscle as expected, or is this inefficient? Are they better off losing the weight first on a deficit and then building it back up as muscle via surplus?

they are parallel projects but on different time frames, but in the first year the priority is dropping the weight to normal and of course build up fitness and strength as one can. Someone could lose 10-20KG of fat in a year, but someone starting from 0 in the gym might gain 2-4kg of muscle mass in the first year so whatever way someone plays it its going to be a deficit

Alf Veedersane · 05-05-2021 3:18pm

Bey0nd wrote: »

Question on calorie surplus.

What happens if someone moves from the following:

(a) Little exercise and little strength, a very dirty calorie surplus (junk food and takeaways) and quite overweight as a result

...to...

(b) Doing lots of strength based training, maintaining a calorie surplus - but a good, healthy one with the right macros to build muscle.

Will they just burn fat and build muscle as expected, or is this inefficient? Are they better off losing the weight first on a deficit and then building it back up as muscle via surplus?

If you're quite overweight then the primary focus is losing fat. But that doesn't mean you don't do lots of strength training as well. You want to hold onto as much muscle as you can while on a deficit

So (b) except with a calorie deficit as opposed to a surplus

Cill94 · 05-05-2021 4:19pm

Bey0nd wrote: »

Question on calorie surplus.

What happens if someone moves from the following:

(a) Little exercise and little strength, a very dirty calorie surplus (junk food and takeaways) and quite overweight as a result

...to...

(b) Doing lots of strength based training, maintaining a calorie surplus - but a good, healthy one with the right macros to build muscle.

Will they just burn fat and build muscle as expected, or is this inefficient? Are they better off losing the weight first on a deficit and then building it back up as muscle via surplus?

This depends on how much body fat you’re carrying. I’m also assuming you’re fairly new to training?

Essentially if you’re at an unhealthy body fat, you should train to get as strong as you can while in a small deficit, until you eventually get to a healthy body fat.

If you’re only slightly overweight (say around 20% body fat) and new to training, then I would just try to maintain your calories and get stronger and fitter, which will lead to losing fat and gaining muscle (weight may stay constant but body composition should change).

new2tri19 · 05-05-2021 5:30pm

silverharp wrote: »

they are parallel projects but on different time frames, but in the first year the priority is dropping the weight to normal and of course build up fitness and strength as one can. Someone could lose 10-20KG of fat in a year, but someone starting from 0 in the gym might gain 2-4kg of muscle mass in the first year so whatever way someone plays it its going to be a deficit

I remember looking at this before and I think I read a few different articles that said 1kg a month was possible to gain in muscle mass .
I think the problem is it's very hard to tell if your gaining muscle or fat , when I was forcing feeding myself and doing weights I gained a lot of weight I initially thought it was muscle but it was obviously fat aswell . Now eating less but high protein I'm probably losing weight but look like I've more muscle cause I'm shredding a bit of fat .

I think if your overweight, eat more protein 1g per pound of bodyweight a day . Weight train so youll be burn more calories and try do some cardio , run walk or cycle each day .

Bey0nd · 05-05-2021 8:36pm

Thanks all.

I'm certainly on the unhealthy side of things.

An online calculator I used (which accounts for 4 workouts per week with a workout defined as 30 minutes elevated heart level) has my maintenance calories at ~ 2700, and recommends 2200 as my deficit for weight loss. Does that sound about right, or should I up that to maybe 2500 if I want more focus on muscle building but still achieving (slower I guess) fat loss?

new2tri19 · 05-05-2021 9:27pm

Bey0nd wrote: »

Thanks all.

I'm certainly on the unhealthy side of things.

An online calculator I used (which accounts for 4 workouts per week with a workout defined as 30 minutes elevated heart level) has my maintenance calories at ~ 2700, and recommends 2200 as my deficit for weight loss. Does that sound about right, or should I up that to maybe 2500 if I want more focus on muscle building but still achieving (slower I guess) fat loss?

I don't know how accurate they are , it's probably more trial an error . It could be individual. Maybe try 2200 and see if you lose weight after a week if not reduce it ?
I think you could train more to speed things up ? I eat 2500 and train 2 hours a day everyday minimum and weight is not really moving up or down that much.
I think it's trial and error with these things some people need more calories to just function , find something you enjoy doing be my advice could be as simple as walking while listening to a podcast aim to walk 30 mins then build it up to 1 hour .
Set yourself weight lifting targets or walking / running / swimming targets my wife starts and stops so many of these weight loss things on my fitness Pal every few months she loses weight but then puts it back on again .
I've been training since 2007 various different things but have managed at least an hour a day on average since 2007 , the secret is I do something I enjoy till I don't enjoy it , got big into running did marathons then cycling , etc , you get the jist sorry for long waffle basically find something you enjoy and it won't feel like a chore and you'll want to do it each day . Good luck

Cill94 · 06-05-2021 12:41pm

Bey0nd wrote: »

Thanks all.

I'm certainly on the unhealthy side of things.

An online calculator I used (which accounts for 4 workouts per week with a workout defined as 30 minutes elevated heart level) has my maintenance calories at ~ 2700, and recommends 2200 as my deficit for weight loss. Does that sound about right, or should I up that to maybe 2500 if I want more focus on muscle building but still achieving (slower I guess) fat loss?

Definitely aim to lose weight then. Good news is you'll probably be able to gain some muscle and strength while doing this, so long as you don't do a drastic deficit and eat enough protein.

You're unlikely to get an accurate estimate from those calculators. That's fine though, because as long as you've entered accurate info about yourself, it won't be off by a lot.

What you need to do is aim to take in the same amount every day, and make your weigh-ins as similar as possible (e.g. first thing in morning, after using loo, before eating or drinking, same amount of clothes). If your weight doesn't move in the right direction after a few weeks, just adjust the calories.

carrollsno1 · 09-05-2021 7:39pm

Howye? Not sure if its the right place to ask but i suppose its as good a place as any. Re Wim Hof which book is better? The Wim Hof Method or The Iceman Speaks? Will be buying on Audible and the former is not narrated by the man himself thats the only drawback i can find so far. Thanks in advance.

ThunbergsAreGo · 11-05-2021 1:53pm

What are people opinions on shrugs?

Doing WSFSB3 at the moment and they are in for twice a week, but they feel like an exercise in which time would be better used doing something else

Black Sheep · 11-05-2021 2:01pm

ThunbergsAreGo wrote: »

What are people opinions on shrugs?

Doing WSFSB3 at the moment and they are in for twice a week, but they feel like an exercise in which time would be better used doing something else

Shrugs are a great movement from a physique point of view. If you do heavy shrugs once a week, as they are programmed in WS4SB, and then add in some more direct neck work with a harness, then your neck will grow, assuming there's a good bit of indirect stimulation going on as well from benching, deadlifting, rows etc.

In terms of the time involved and whether it's good bang for buck...

The way WS4SB and other programmes where you might be doing shrugs work is that they are done way after your main lift of the day and the important assistance work. Typically I would do work at the end of my accessories. If you have the time you do them... If you don't, then you don't.

On a lower body day maybe calves are analogous, or maybe direct arm training fits too. It's not that important for health or your overall performance, but if you want to bring along a specific body part then direct training works.

Last workout I did with shrugs, for example:-

Bench 6x6
Press 4x8-12
Pull ups 3 x max
Push ups 3 x max
Shrugs 3 x 15 (I actually did 5 sets in the end)

If I didn't do shrugs then anything I subbed in would have to be in a similar category (Maybe neck curls or something else very specific), I'd blasted myself pretty comprehensively with the preceding stuff.

In terms of performing them the most common errors I see are not using full ROM and simply using too light a weight. Using a pair of 30kg DBs is not going to do it for adult males, it needs to be up around 2/3 of your deadlift 1RM weight probably. Sometimes I will use a slightly lighter load and hold the top position for a pause.

Cill94 · 11-05-2021 8:11pm

ThunbergsAreGo wrote: »

What are people opinions on shrugs?

Doing WSFSB3 at the moment and they are in for twice a week, but they feel like an exercise in which time would be better used doing something else

Personally not a fan. Traps are a muscle group that get a lot of indirect work as it is. I'd only see a need to do them if you particularly want bigger traps.

People like Ed Coan liked them a lot for building his deadlift, but that's probably not really applicable unless you're pulling biggg weights.

Reps4jesus · 12-05-2021 9:37am

ThunbergsAreGo wrote: »

What are people opinions on shrugs?

Doing WSFSB3 at the moment and they are in for twice a week, but they feel like an exercise in which time would be better used doing something else

my traps were my only muscle that group that always looked big, never trained them directly when doing heavy deadlifts but after a bicep tear i kinda ditched deadlifts and just did heavy shrugs with a pause at the top and they stayed big. If you are deadlifting I wouldnt bother doing them, if you arent then i would throw them in, they are a relatively quick and easy exercise to do

paw patrol · 12-05-2021 1:15pm

i got the best results with shrugs from holding each rep for 3secs (long count) at the top. set to failure.
you'll probably need to drop the weight , go slow and feel every bit of it.

i do heavy shrugs too - believe all rep range important - but I find the hold each rep worked v well for me.

will do again come 7th june

Patsy167 · 12-05-2021 1:27pm

Depending on your program or goals, Farmers walks might be a good alternative to shrugs. Much better bang for your buck with more big muscles worked.

Black Sheep · 12-05-2021 2:15pm

Yeah, but the point is that you don't always want compound lifts / exercises that work more big muscles.

Accessories programmed at the end of a workout tend to be an isolation movement for good reason. Direct training of a relevant muscle group to target it, and isolation rather than just another compound because it's less likely to interfere with recovery and the main lifts of your next workout. As it is heavy shrugs flirt with being more than an isolation movement.

new2tri19 · 17-05-2021 10:30pm

The YouTube algorithms have lots of lifting videos showing on my feed now . Nearly everyone I see doing squats has some kind of straps on their knees. Is this something everyone should be doing or only those that have issues ? I don't currently have any knee problems , is it harmful to lift long term without knee protection thanks ?

Deano7788 · 17-05-2021 10:43pm

new2tri19 wrote: »

The YouTube algorithms have lots of lifting videos showing on my feed now . Nearly everyone I see doing squats has some kind of straps on their knees. Is this something everyone should be doing or only those that have issues ? I don't currently have any knee problems , is it harmful to lift long term without knee protection thanks ?

Probably either sleeves of wraps.

Wraps are typically used in certain powerlifting federations, will increase the amount you could lift as they increase your bounce out of the hole. Not at all needed outside of that and are not comfortable to have on (they're taken off and put back on for every set). They're also very difficult to put on on your own, especially if not experienced with them. And they don't offer any protection, in fact a few high level lifters refuse to wear them as they claim they increase their chance of injury.

Sleeves can vary from just keeping your knees warm and feeling nice to giving potentially a bit of an extra bounce at the bottom (I do get a performance boost from mine) . They're also used a lot in some powerlifting federations, including the one a few of us lift in where wraps aren't allowed. Not needed as such but a lot of people just find it nicer to wear them. I wouldn't really worry about them yet but at the same time they also won't do any harm really.

new2tri19 · 17-05-2021 10:53pm

Thanks Deano , that covers it . I'm only competing with myself so not too bothered in performance benefits. If its safe to squat without them I'll continue as I am.

Deano7788 · 17-05-2021 11:01pm

new2tri19 wrote: »

Thanks Deano , that covers it . I'm only competing with myself so not too bothered in performance benefits. If its safe to squat without them I'll continue as I am.

Perfectly safe, I did it for years before I took up powerlifting properly.

Black Sheep · 18-05-2021 9:27am

new2tri19 wrote: »

The YouTube algorithms have lots of lifting videos showing on my feed now . Nearly everyone I see doing squats has some kind of straps on their knees. Is this something everyone should be doing or only those that have issues ? I don't currently have any knee problems , is it harmful to lift long term without knee protection thanks ?

(Edit: sorry, threw this up before I saw Dean’s very good answer)

Short answer - no, carry on as you are.

Long answer: Someone with a previous knee injury might wear something for a little bit of compression, warmth etc I’ve dislocated my knee and torn ligaments from BJJ, and on some max effort days I’ll do this.

Some competitive lifters will properly wrap for major support and compression, but that’s even more niche.

The average gym goer with healthy knees will never need any of this and if their squat form is ok it will never arise. To be honest even if their form is not ideal chances are they are not squatting a weight where it matters that much anyway.

Alf Veedersane · 18-05-2021 12:03pm

new2tri19 wrote: »

Thanks Deano , that covers it . I'm only competing with myself so not too bothered in performance benefits. If its safe to squat without them I'll continue as I am.

I only got a pair before I did my first comp. Just on the off-chance it might add that 1%.

You don't need them at all.

Now, I mostly use them to muffle the sound of my knees crackling.

Mr. CooL ICE · 19-05-2021 2:17pm

Whatever you do, don't start wearing wraps for leg press

Dtp1979 · 19-05-2021 2:26pm

Mr. CooL ICE wrote: »

Whatever you do, don't start wearing wraps for leg press

Why not? That way he can load 84 plates and 4 of his buddies onto it.

silverharp · 19-05-2021 2:30pm

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Why not? That way he can load 84 plates and 4 of his buddies onto it.

oil right you guys

Brian? · 20-05-2021 7:32am

new2tri19 wrote: »

The YouTube algorithms have lots of lifting videos showing on my feed now . Nearly everyone I see doing squats has some kind of straps on their knees. Is this something everyone should be doing or only those that have issues ? I don't currently have any knee problems , is it harmful to lift long term without knee protection thanks ?

I have had multiple knee surgeries and don't wear knee wraps squatting. I don't need them.

Wraps give a slight advantage in competition. But people on YouTube wear them to look hardcore, mainly.

If someone is wearing them to compensate for knee issues, they should spend time fixing the issues.

Dtp1979 · 20-05-2021 11:20am

silverharp wrote: »

oil right you guys

I wonder how many folks get that one

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