WFH Superthread

Alf Veedersane · 13-02-2021 12:41pm

Black Sheep wrote: »

If you want to go a bit unconventional I would also mention that you can use a dining bench as a bench if you are stuck. I used an IKEA bench for several months at one stage and although they are not as comfortable they are totally adequate. Remember that these are made to bear the weight of a number of adults, so you lying on them and benching with dumbbells is not a big deal.

Aka Rippetoe's bench

Black Sheep · 13-02-2021 12:48pm

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Aka Rippetoe's bench

Ha ha. Yes, the notorious butcher's block.

For those wondering: https://texasstrengthsystems.com/collections/starting-strength-line/products/starting-strength-bench

Alf Veedersane · 13-02-2021 1:29pm

Gymless on Adverts just put up a heavy duty flat bench for €110

13-02-2021 2:18pm

Black Sheep wrote: »

If you can stretch your budget a little bit you have the following options:-

Strength Shop flat bench - 116 GBP (this is VAT free, you might have to pay on the way in but I ordered a bench from them lately and did not ever get asked for the VAT in the end..)
https://www.strengthshop.co.uk/new-flat-bench-with-low-front-foot-75x75x3mm.html

Again Faster Team Flat Weight Bench - 133 euro (Including VAT, you might need to double check to make sure this isn't coming from the UK)
https://againfaster.eu/en_gb/strength-equipment/strength-training/benches/again-faster-flat-bench.html

Blk Box Utility Flat Bench - 127 GBP / 145 euro (Including VAT but they're in NI so this is the real price)
https://www.blkboxfitness.com/products/blk-box-utility-flat-bench

If you want to go cheaper you could wait for a restock of this from Decathalon...

https://www.decathlon.ie/ie_en/ba-530-fold-down-weight-bench-en-s10799.html

If you want to go a bit unconventional I would also mention that you can use a dining bench as a bench if you are stuck. I used an IKEA bench for several months at one stage and although they are not as comfortable they are totally adequate. Remember that these are made to bear the weight of a number of adults, so you lying on them and benching with dumbbells is not a big deal.

https://www.ikea.com/ie/en/cat/benches-22660/

My final suggestions for anyone looking for a bench who can't find one...

- Remember you can always floor press. It's not quite the same but it's a valid horizontal pushing movement.
- Floor flyes are also another legit chest movement that can work, and you can team them up with floor presses either as supersets or a way of pre-fatiguing (Door the floor flyes first before you do your work sets of floor presses)
- Push-ups, of all kinds... Feet elevated... Close grip... Clapping... Tabata push-ups... There are a million ways of using push-ups.

Wow, you're a legend! Thanks for this!

dastardly00 · 15-02-2021 10:54am

I'm looking to buy a 20 kg kettlebell (cast iron).

Decathlon has them in stock. Has anyone bought kettlebells from Decathlon before? Are they any good?

I don't need a competition kettlebell and I don't want a vinyl kettlebell. D8 Fitness, McSport, Fitness Equipment Ireland are all out of stock. Very little on Adverts/Done Deal and they won't delivery anyway (to Galway).

Black Sheep · 15-02-2021 12:46pm

dastardly00 wrote: »

I'm looking to buy a 20 kg kettlebell (cast iron).

Decathlon has them in stock. Has anyone bought kettlebells from Decathlon before? Are they any good?

I don't need a competition kettlebell and I don't want a vinyl kettlebell. D8 Fitness, McSport, Fitness Equipment Ireland are all out of stock. Very little on Adverts/Done Deal and they won't delivery anyway (to Galway).

The Decathalon one would work but the squared handle does not appeal to me as much as more conventional designs. It’s showing as sold out for me. Decathalon also seems to take ages to arrive...

You just missed a restock of cast iron KBs in Strength Shop.

I would enquire if Gymless has any in stock (Adverts / FB).

If you want to pay a tiny bit more then Rogue EU has them in stock. Shipping should be €20 or so.

https://www.rogueeurope.eu/rogue-kettlebells-eu?locale=en

dastardly00 · 15-02-2021 7:22pm

Black Sheep wrote: »

The Decathalon one would work but the squared handle does not appeal to me as much as more conventional designs. It’s showing as sold out for me. Decathalon also seems to take ages to arrive...

You just missed a restock of cast iron KBs in Strength Shop.

I would enquire if Gymless has any in stock (Adverts / FB).

If you want to pay a tiny bit more then Rogue EU has them in stock. Shipping should be €20 or so.

https://www.rogueeurope.eu/rogue-kettlebells-eu?locale=en

Thanks for the reply Black Sheep.

D'oh! It was in stock earlier this morning. Oh well. I agree that the handle is a bit funky alright.

Thanks for link to Rogue. I had looked it up yesterday. It's fairly pricey, but then on the other hand it will last for the rest of my life :pac:, so I don't think it's a bad investment. Plus our gym is always short on 20 kg kettlebells so I'll be able to bring it in there to use when gyms re-open. Okay I have convinced myself to get the Rogue kettlebell

seefin · 17-02-2021 7:25pm

Vowel Movement wrote: »

Quick question for anyone who may of experienced this but I fractured the radius bone in my wrist mid November. I was in a cast for 4 weeks and since then it has healed well in my opinion and I have near full range of motion and can do things such as pullups and work with dumbbells without any pain as such.

When I try to do pushups this is were I can feel it, two or three pushups and I have to stop. Is this pain likely to go away? any tips. Thanks

Not radial bone, but broke scaphoid a few years ago. I had to avoid pushups for ages after, bench press wasnt too bad but pushups were the last thing to come back.

paw patrol · 19-02-2021 9:34am

i bought no fitness gear for home. I prefer the gym even if I had a shed with a full rack , Db , bike and a bag I'd prob pref getting out of the house.

so anyway , I kept saying....it's only a few weeks.....it's only a few weeks.....
well it's nearly a year...if i'd known

I'd probably have bought stuff.
a year of bodyweight stuff bar a few weeks in the gym :mad:

gah!

i'm just having a moan

Alf Veedersane · 19-02-2021 11:11am

paw patrol wrote: »

i bought no fitness gear for home. I prefer the gym even if I had a shed with a full rack , Db , bike and a bag I'd prob pref getting out of the house.

so anyway , I kept saying....it's only a few weeks.....it's only a few weeks.....
well it's nearly a year...if i'd known I'd probably have bought stuff.
a year of bodyweight stuff bar a few weeks in the gym :mad:

gah!

i'm just having a moan

I'd be the same in that I think I'd prefer the gym even if I had a shed fully kitted out.

I'd honestly swear by my bands and push up handles though. I've really been able to feel like I do get a workout from it

dinky earnshaw · 24-02-2021 12:59pm

Rather than start a new thread I'll ask in here if that's OK.
Currently trying to lose fat and possibly build, but at least hold on to as much muscle as I can. Diet is decent floating between 1500-1700 calories of which 35- 45 % is protien.Doing intermittent fasting 18/6 purely as a way to help with the deficit (I like big meals ).Have lost 23lbs since the beginning of January.
Bought some bands at the beginning of February and began a full body Hiit workout 3 days a week. I'm happy enough with the progress but wondering if I'm missing anything. The plan is to rejig the work out next week. Increase work time by 10 seconds add other excersize's. Could add another day if needs be though I'm fairly wrecked by the 3 I'm doing so maybe something different for the 4th day. Any opinions ?

3 sets work 40secs/Rest 20secs.
1 min between sets.

Bent over rows
Plank(no band)
RDL
Shoulder press
Press up (no band)
Prisoner squat (no band)
Static Lunge(no band)
Bicep curls

Thanks

Black Sheep · 24-02-2021 5:50pm

You're effectively doing a high intensity, whole body workout three days a week. If you're feeling 'wiped' it is likely because of the intensity and because you're in a calorie deficit. That's all good, it's in line with your goals.

If you're still heading towards your target weight I wouldn't necessarily be inclined to change anything.

If you want to change something up then as you identify increasing your working time is an option.. You could also cut your rest time instead.

If boredom is the driver of you wanting to change things up, another option for you would be to go away from doing full body days and do two upper and two lower days. Or do an upper day, a lower day, and a whole body day.

If you want to build a dedicated upper body day and you just have the bands and body weight exercises, you could do things like deficit pushups, close grip pushups, wide grip pushups, bent over banded rows, table pull-ups (or better yet get a real pull-up bar), face pulls, band pull aparts, bent over band pull aparts, curls, tricep pushdows, overhead tricep extensions and chair dips.

Lower body is always harder to load effectively but you've got the exercises you mentioned and could consider things like pistol squats, bulgarian split squats, step ups, single leg box squats, roman chairs, high rep bodyweight calf raises, hip bridges and single leg hip bridges.

This is exactly the kind of training I hate, for what it's worth. So tiring and very hard to keep making progress week to week, because each time you're pushing past that lactic acid threshold to get those few extra reps. I think there's a reason this type of training is normally done in a group setting, where the peer pressure and peer support help you along.

Alf Veedersane · 24-02-2021 7:16pm

Black Sheep wrote: »

This is exactly the kind of training I hate, for what it's worth. So tiring and very hard to keep making progress week to week, because each time you're pushing past that lactic acid threshold to get those few extra reps.

Stubbornness ftw

dinky earnshaw · 24-02-2021 8:24pm

Black Sheep wrote: »

You're effectively doing a high intensity, whole body workout three days a week. If you're feeling 'wiped' it is likely because of the intensity and because you're in a calorie deficit. That's all good, it's in line with your goals.

If you're still heading towards your target weight I wouldn't necessarily be inclined to change anything.

If you want to change something up then as you identify increasing your working time is an option.. You could also cut your rest time instead.

If boredom is the driver of you wanting to change things up, another option for you would be to go away from doing full body days and do two upper and two lower days. Or do an upper day, a lower day, and a whole body day.

If you want to build a dedicated upper body day and you just have the bands and body weight exercises, you could do things like deficit pushups, close grip pushups, wide grip pushups, bent over banded rows, table pull-ups (or better yet get a real pull-up bar), face pulls, band pull aparts, bent over band pull aparts, curls, tricep pushdows, overhead tricep extensions and chair dips.

Lower body is always harder to load effectively but you've got the exercises you mentioned and could consider things like pistol squats, bulgarian split squats, step ups, single leg box squats, roman chairs, high rep bodyweight calf raises, hip bridges and single leg hip bridges.

This is exactly the kind of training I hate, for what it's worth. So tiring and very hard to keep making progress week to week, because each time you're pushing past that lactic acid threshold to get those few extra reps. I think there's a reason this type of training is normally done in a group setting, where the peer pressure and peer support help you along.

Thanks for the detailed reply. From what you've said I seem to be heading in the right direction. I'm just trying to make sure I'm not missing anything major. The main reason for changing it up is some of exercises are a little to easy for example the plank and squats. Ill use try some of the ones you've mentioned above. Thanks again.

Black Sheep · 24-02-2021 8:56pm

If the plank and the squats, or any other exercise, are becoming too easy it could be because you're becoming more adapted to performing them.

If you can't increase loading (for example, by doing weighted planks) then you're going to have to find a more difficult exercise variation. In lieu of the planks you could buy an ab wheel and do roll-outs, for example, or you could stick with planks but pre-fatigue yourself first by doing some other ab training before you do your planks.

In the case of the squats, same thing ... Pistol squats are probably the hardest variation available to you without some kind of external loading. Bulgarian split squats to a deep range of motion would be another good and probably safer option.

Alf Veedersane · 24-02-2021 9:21pm

dinky earnshaw wrote: »

Thanks for the detailed reply. From what you've said I seem to be heading in the right direction. I'm just trying to make sure I'm not missing anything major. The main reason for changing it up is some of exercises are a little to easy for example the plank and squats. Ill use try some of the ones you've mentioned above. Thanks again.

Black Sheep has pretty much covered everything but just to add that a lot of squat variations are going to be easy with no loading so doing single leg versions and involving tempos and/or pauses.

An ab wheel would definitely be a good addition but try things like hollow holds.

Dtp1979 · 25-02-2021 12:16am

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

An ab wheel would definitely be a good addition but try things like hollow holds.

Personally I wouldn’t get an Abwheel. I bought one and every single workout I go looking for it and it disappears, like it rolls away into a corner.
The odd time I do find it, it gives me incredible pains in my stomach, 2-3 days later, and sometimes longer. Terrible invention, the wheel

Alf Veedersane · 25-02-2021 12:50am

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Personally I wouldn’t get an Abwheel. I bought one and every single workout I go looking for it and it disappears, like it rolls away into a corner.
The odd time I do find it, it gives me incredible pains in my stomach, 2-3 days later, and sometimes longer. Terrible invention, the wheel

I have kept it involved...I'm stuck now.

Black Sheep · 25-02-2021 9:43am

I did an upper body workout this morning that I think would translate pretty well into anyone with a home training set-up, as long as they have access to a kettlebell or a pair of dumbbells. It's based around pre-exhaustion mainly. I did 5x5 on a bench and 3x5 with a barbell bench and overhead press, but you could sub for these. The point is after the deficit push-ups you're shaky and anything is challenging.

1. Deficit push-ups, 5 x 15-20 ... Elevate your hands slightly to increase ROM and go deep on these. 2 minutes rest between sets.
2. DB bench or DB flyes on the floor or on anything bench-like ideally, 5 x 5-15 depending on the weight you have access to. 1 minute rest between sets. These are going to be harder than you think, having been pre-exhausted by the deficit push-ups.
3. DB overhead press, 3 x 5-10. 1 minute rest between sets. Same story, should be pretty fried at this stage.
4. Pull ups or table pull-ups or whatever pulling exercise you can do, 5 x max effort. 1-2 minutes rest.
5. Bent over single arm row or whatever other pulling exercise you can do, 2 x 15-20. 1 minute rest.

Pre-exhaustion is underrated as a means of increasing difficulty when you only have access to light weights. Another way of setting up the above would have been to do several sets of DB floor flyes and then progress into push-ups or DB benching. If the focus of the session was going to be overhead pressing then you could pre-exhaust with several sets of DB side raises and then progress into DB overhead pressing.

Strikes me, as usual, that the real game-changer piece of equipment which you do require is a pull-up bar. Failing that I think TRX straps or a ring set up probably get you closer to being able to do decent pulling variations. It's hard to train the back properly otherwise.

wersal gummage · 25-02-2021 9:20pm

This question probably doesn't belong here really.... But I am working from home and sneaking in some work outs!

Up to maybe ten years ago I was doing a lot of lifting and was in very good shape, probably doing 5 days a week, very structured etc... Anyway... At some point I developed an issue with my left shoulder, which presented as pain when doing overhead raises / pushing overhead... I went to the physio and after a few sessions she diagnosed it as something that I have no recollection of, but basically I needed an operation to correct this...(this required a gp referral to get an mri to officially confirm, which I never did, but everything she said was bang on and I am certain she was correct). Now, once I stopped pressing, I was fine, no issues at all, but as soon as I'd press again I'd have this pain fairly quick...

So ten years later, never another problem as I haven't been lifting... But I'm doing some regular workouts now, these days I am more focused on cardio and the weights is an afterthought rather than the main thing. So I'm doing maybe 4x 40 mins a week, I am doing everything bar shoulders basically. I'm not lifting heavy, and I'm not looking to bulk up, just get some decent strength back and get into shape...

Anyway, my question is whether I risk any major imbalances developing?? As I say, I'm not lifting heavy... But I know its not a great idea to neglect an area, I don't want to start the pain again in my shoulder, but was wondering if a bit of light shrugs, side and front raises might be sufficient? Is completely leaving out shoulder press going to give me any issues down the road???

Thanks if anyone has taken the time to read that yarn

Alf Veedersane · 25-02-2021 9:56pm

wersal gummage wrote: »

This question probably doesn't belong here really.... But I am working from home and sneaking in some work outs!

Up to maybe ten years ago I was doing a lot of lifting and was in very good shape, probably doing 5 days a week, very structured etc... Anyway... At some point I developed an issue with my left shoulder, which presented as pain when doing overhead raises / pushing overhead... I went to the physio and after a few sessions she diagnosed it as something that I have no recollection of, but basically I needed an operation to correct this...(this required a gp referral to get an mri to officially confirm, which I never did, but everything she said was bang on and I am certain she was correct). Now, once I stopped pressing, I was fine, no issues at all, but as soon as I'd press again I'd have this pain fairly quick...

So ten years later, never another problem as I haven't been lifting... But I'm doing some regular workouts now, these days I am more focused on cardio and the weights is an afterthought rather than the main thing. So I'm doing maybe 4x 40 mins a week, I am doing everything bar shoulders basically. I'm not lifting heavy, and I'm not looking to bulk up, just get some decent strength back and get into shape...

Anyway, my question is whether I risk any major imbalances developing?? As I say, I'm not lifting heavy... But I know its not a great idea to neglect an area, I don't want to start the pain again in my shoulder, but was wondering if a bit of light shrugs, side and front raises might be sufficient? Is completely leaving out shoulder press going to give me any issues down the road???

Thanks if anyone has taken the time to read that yarn

You don't need to overhead press so there are certainly alternatives. You just need to assess how viable some are.

You could try an incline bench press with a higher incline so a bit more shoulder involvement but not where its causing an issue. Landmine press is another. Front raises, lateral raises and the usual stuff for shoulder health (face pulls, band pull apart, etc).

wersal gummage · 25-02-2021 10:36pm

Thanks, funny you should say that as I've been googling ways to get a landmine going the past few days, but was more interested in it for swinging sort of core work, had forgotten I used to do presses like that..thanks! My set up isn't ideal so a corner landmine won't work and an attachment to my Wendy house decathlon squat rack doesn't appear to be an option, so I think one of the ones that sit into the weight plates is the one for me. Anyway, thanks again, very helpful

Black Sheep · 01-03-2021 9:43am

Some posters may recall that I got a bench from Strength Shop UK about a month ago. I bought it ex VAT. I wasn't asked to pay any VAT or import fees upon receipt of it...

Well, as I mentioned was a possibility, I received a letter in the post this week from UPS invoicing me for what they paid and I now owe them.

I'm not put out about it, although admittedly I would rather have been given that bill upon delivery, but thought people might like to be aware.

01-03-2021 12:04pm

Black Sheep wrote: »

Some posters may recall that I got a bench from Strength Shop UK about a month ago. I bought it ex VAT. I wasn't asked to pay any VAT or import fees upon receipt of it...

Well, as I mentioned was a possibility, I received a letter in the post this week from UPS invoicing me for what they paid and I now owe them.

I'm not put out about it, although admittedly I would rather have been given that bill upon delivery, but thought people might like to be aware.

That's good to know as I'm eyeing up benches, how much was the invoice

Black Sheep · 01-03-2021 1:57pm

Waylon Moldy Registration wrote: »

That's good to know as I'm eyeing up benches, how much was the invoice

The bench was €334 ex vat plus shipping and handling (€20).

I got a €50 refund from SS because of missing screws (No big deal, got in local hardware store).

The bill from UPS was for €104 and I haven't got a breakdown of that yet but I suspect it's correct.

As long as the price paid when ordering from the UK is ex VAT I feel like it is sometimes going to be worth it, but it'll depend on the item.

WFH Superthread

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