GH Swolenation

[Bevo]

I go to the gym to stare at girls butts

[awakened]

What do you guys think of Crossfit? been contemplating joining a crossfit gym, so I took the crossfit level 1 certification class as an introduction , I learned a lot and suffice to say I completely bombed that exam, super hard. I learned a lot in terms of their dieting plan which seems solid, they cut up everything into blocks and split up how many blocks you can eat in a day etc, It works but you've got to be on point with it. besides that a couple of thinks seemed iffy to me, such as a lot of shoulder work, which I don't like and then Kipping pullups ,.. which I can't do for the life of me! aside from that they have some really intense workouts: I really liked how they transition you into learning all the power lifting moves, sumo dead-lifts  & ease of mind of a workout of the day "WoD" so I could technically stop winging what type of works outs I do in the gym, that being said I was thinking of it more as a complementary type of activity and still going to the gym and lifting etc. Thoughts?

[tigersharkdude]

What do you guys think of Crossfit? been contemplating joining a crossfit gym, so I took the crossfit level 1 certification class as an introduction , I learned a lot and suffice to say I completely bombed that exam, super hard. I learned a lot in terms of their dieting plan which seems solid, they cut up everything into blocks and split up how many blocks you can eat in a day etc, It works but you've got to be on point with it. besides that a couple of thinks seemed iffy to me, such as a lot of shoulder work, which I don't like and then Kipping pullups ,.. which I can't do for the life of me! aside from that they have some really intense workouts: I really liked how they transition you into learning all the power lifting moves, sumo dead-lifts  & ease of mind of a workout of the day "WoD" so I could technically stop winging what type of works outs I do in the gym, that being said I was thinking of it more as a complementary type of activity and still going to the gym and lifting etc. Thoughts?

[theoriginal123123]

What do you guys think of Crossfit? been contemplating joining a crossfit gym, so I took the crossfit level 1 certification class as an introduction , I learned a lot and suffice to say I completely bombed that exam, super hard. I learned a lot in terms of their dieting plan which seems solid, they cut up everything into blocks and split up how many blocks you can eat in a day etc, It works but you've got to be on point with it. besides that a couple of thinks seemed iffy to me, such as a lot of shoulder work, which I don't like and then Kipping pullups ,.. which I can't do for the life of me! aside from that they have some really intense workouts: I really liked how they transition you into learning all the power lifting moves, sumo dead-lifts  & ease of mind of a workout of the day "WoD" so I could technically stop winging what type of works outs I do in the gym, that being said I was thinking of it more as a complementary type of activity and still going to the gym and lifting etc. Thoughts?

It seems to me that it is very much dependent on the gym you go to, as pretty much anyone can get a certification and open a gym. This leads to a lot of 'coaches' not actually knowing about things like bad form and actively encouraging people to do advanced manoeuvres like kipping pullups, without teaching the basics first, leading to injuries down the road.

It seems like a good program if people are given a good progression, but from what I've seen, they just like to slap together a bunch of exercises into a circuit and call it done.

Personally I'd just follow an actual routine instead of 'a bunch of exercises' and progress accordingly. I also think that **** like 'dieting plans' is way overthinking it and you should just eat based on your macros and TDEE requirements, but whatevs.

[Dernubenfrieken]

What do you guys think of Crossfit? been contemplating joining a crossfit gym, so I took the crossfit level 1 certification class as an introduction , I learned a lot and suffice to say I completely bombed that exam, super hard. I learned a lot in terms of their dieting plan which seems solid, they cut up everything into blocks and split up how many blocks you can eat in a day etc, It works but you've got to be on point with it. besides that a couple of thinks seemed iffy to me, such as a lot of shoulder work, which I don't like and then Kipping pullups ,.. which I can't do for the life of me! aside from that they have some really intense workouts: I really liked how they transition you into learning all the power lifting moves, sumo dead-lifts  & ease of mind of a workout of the day "WoD" so I could technically stop winging what type of works outs I do in the gym, that being said I was thinking of it more as a complementary type of activity and still going to the gym and lifting etc. Thoughts?

Crossfit is really great as a program and motivator to get you "in the gym". It goes through a lot of core lifts, works a variety of fitness goals and has a simple, easy to follow program. The community is also encouraging to new people (to the point of zealotry sometimes...) while providing concrete progression for lifts and such. If thats what you want, do it.

The biggest problems with crossfit though is lack of focus and a competitive angle, which breeds a lot of the critisisms of injuries and generally wasting your time. I think those criticisms are fair, and there's a certain point where you really don't want to be rushing lifts or doing ARAP for your progress. This is really going to depend on your box and how they program, which is true for any fitness activity, but in this case its set in place what you're going to do a given day/time.

that being said I was thinking of it more as a complementary type of activity and still going to the gym and lifting etc

If you can afford that, and like having someone provide you with a workout and guidance, go for it. Using it as a supplement is a great way to hit the parts of your body/fitness that crossfit will miss in any given class, and allow you to address muscle imbalances. Again though, it REALLY depends on your box. There are some I would never recommend people to go to, and some that I would recommend even experienced lifters to check out for coaching. Know your limits and your body and lift accordingly.

[awakened]

It seems to me that it is very much dependent on the gym you go to, as pretty much anyone can get a certification and open a gym. This leads to a lot of 'coaches' not actually knowing about things like bad form and actively encouraging people to do advanced manoeuvres like kipping pullups, without teaching the basics first, leading to injuries down the road.

It seems like a good program if people are given a good progression, but from what I've seen, they just like to slap together a bunch of exercises into a circuit and call it done.

Personally I'd just follow an actual routine instead of 'a bunch of exercises' and progress accordingly. I also think that **** like 'dieting plans' is way overthinking it and you should just eat based on your macros and TDEE requirements, but whatevs.

Well its not just a bunch of exercises, they spent quite a lot of time teaching how to program your workouts so that everyone could do it & also one of their biggest points was that all their workouts are scaled so that your grandmother could be able to do it. so they actually do teach the basics, but the dieting plan was more of a way of raising awareness on the harmful effects of complex carbs & basically preaching a keto- type of diet, I'm more of a firm believer in winging it when it comes to eating; maintaining a 1 gram of protein to pound ratio atleast, some fats, wholesome carbs, no glucose. thats been working pretty good for me. Until I decided to bulk  . 

Crossfit is really great as a program and motivator to get you "in the gym". It goes through a lot of core lifts, works a variety of fitness goals and has a simple, easy to follow program. The community is also encouraging to new people (to the point of zealotry sometimes...) while providing concrete progression for lifts and such. If thats what you want, do it.

The biggest problems with crossfit though is lack of focus and a competitive angle, which breeds a lot of the critisisms of injuries and generally wasting your time. I think those criticisms are fair, and there's a certain point where you really don't want to be rushing lifts or doing ARAP for your progress. This is really going to depend on your box and how they program, which is true for any fitness activity, but in this case its set in place what you're going to do a given day/time.

Now thats 100% true. they do so much and they literally have 10 things they want to achieve they preach into being wellrounded in everything, which seems fine and dandy but lets be realistic. we have finite time. The competitive angle is terrible, and the fixed program could mess you up, if you're not feeling 100% but decide to workout because bro-science and herd-mentality.

that being said I was thinking of it more as a complementary type of activity and still going to the gym and lifting etc

If you can afford that, and like having someone provide you with a workout and guidance, go for it. Using it as a supplement is a great way to hit the parts of your body/fitness that crossfit will miss in any given class, and allow you to address muscle imbalances. Again though, it REALLY depends on your box. There are some I would never recommend people to go to, and some that I would recommend even experienced lifters to check out for coaching. Know your limits and your body and lift accordingly.
[/quote]

Well I can afford it, I want to try it out but we don't really have any boxes open here yet! but I'm a firm believer in knowing your limits and not lifting heavy and going fullretard. I'm interested in it as a form of cardiovascular activity( I got bored of stairmasters mayn) and testing my threshold of willpower & perseverance required to finish any AMRAPS/ challenges. I mean 2,000 meters on a row machine in 7 minutes is the type of stuff that's getting me interested, because thats no common feat

[Signature]

You're welcome everybody

[tigersharkdude]

http://tuffntiny.com/

[iamtootallforthis]

This happened today
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEeuxRYEfnL/

[kurplop]

This happened today
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEeuxRYEfnL/

I'm impressed. My C&J's always suffered because I couldn't come out of a deep squat clean.

[iamtootallforthis]

This happened today
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEeuxRYEfnL/

I'm impressed. My C&J's always suffered because I couldn't come out of a deep squat clean.

I haven't really tried to C&J and I should. I just like Powerlifting more

[kurplop]

This happened today
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEeuxRYEfnL/

I'm impressed. My C&J's always suffered because I couldn't come out of a deep squat clean.

I haven't really tried to C&J and I should. I just like Powerlifting more

It's likely that you would be good at it. I never had the flexibility to become exceptional in the Olympic lifts. My best jerk from a rack was 335 but I could never clean over 295.  You might be better off staying away from them.I think that the power lifts are probably safer; too much can go wrong suddenly and the body is forced into awkward positions.

I haven't followed competitive weight/powerlifting in many years. Have they made powerlifting an olympic sport yet?

[iamtootallforthis]

This happened today
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEeuxRYEfnL/

I'm impressed. My C&J's always suffered because I couldn't come out of a deep squat clean.

I haven't really tried to C&J and I should. I just like Powerlifting more

It's likely that you would be good at it. I never had the flexibility to become exceptional in the Olympic lifts. My best jerk from a rack was 335 but I could never clean over 295.  You might be better off staying away from them.I think that the power lifts are probably safer; too much can go wrong suddenly and the body is forced into awkward positions.

I haven't followed competitive weight/powerlifting in many years. Have they made powerlifting an olympic sport yet?

Thanks for the insight. I still want to try light C&J if anything to help with shoulder strength.

Powerlifting is not an Olympic sport yet but hopefully in the future. Too many federations and not a solid enough set of rules amongst all the federations. There has been a movement to get it into the Olympics though or at least get it considered.

[kekman]

reviving this thread


starting to see results of bodyweight training around 3 months in (more realistically 2 due to 1 month holiday). need to work on eating more...

[tp4tissue]

Tp4 has been eating more Chicken for the summer,  because don't want to eat rice, because the carbs make me hot...

[Fiery]

I thought I'd chime in here quickly. So today I did legs. 10x10 squats doing 10 reps no matter what. And seeing how I haven't hit legs in the gym in a while it was tough. but I did 10 every set. Right now I need to work on my eating habits and my plan is to try being a vegetarian for a week starting today and doing intermittent fasting. It feels good getting back to the gym and working out after exams and all the stress that comes with school and work. Still not on break but I have more free time nonetheless.
I also have started doing kickboxing which gives me some cardiovascular training and bodyweight strength.
So here is to getting fit! 

[Niomosy]

Hot damn, a thread for me!

Bench today.

235 2x5, 2x3.  I was planning on 4 sets of 3 at a minimum, 5 max so it was pretty solid to hit 5 reps on the first two sets.  Of all things, my left bicep noped out of the extra reps on the 3rd and 4th set.  Need to work on bicep strength as I've not given them much attention in quite some time due to the pain involved in anything bicep related.

On that note, 25 lb curls for 4x12.  My left bicep was definitely done after that.

85 lb dumb bell rows for 2x8, 1x5 (arms were shot and I just couldn't get the reps on the last set).  I think I'm sticking with dumb bell rows and may add in barbell rows at times.  Less painful on the forearms/elbow area.

[iamtootallforthis]

Might have some tendinitis flaring up if your elbows are buffing you. Try playing around with grips.

[Niomosy]

Might have some tendinitis flaring up if your elbows are buffing you. Try playing around with grips.

Yeah, I've been worried about elbow tendinitis and golfer's elbow.  Some foam rolling of the forearms has helped tremendously.  After the initial round, I've just had to roll once or twice a week to keep things better.  Right now it's just trying to carefully build the biceps back up as they're a definite weak point in my bench right now.  I widened my grip slightly which seems to have helped.  I still need to work on my speed on bringing the bar down to my chest in single reps, though.  I'm faster after the first rep but in competition, you get three singles and that's it.

[iamtootallforthis]

Might have some tendinitis flaring up if your elbows are buffing you. Try playing around with grips.

Yeah, I've been worried about elbow tendinitis and golfer's elbow.  Some foam rolling of the forearms has helped tremendously.  After the initial round, I've just had to roll once or twice a week to keep things better.  Right now it's just trying to carefully build the biceps back up as they're a definite weak point in my bench right now.  I widened my grip slightly which seems to have helped.  I still need to work on my speed on bringing the bar down to my chest in single reps, though.  I'm faster after the first rep but in competition, you get three singles and that's it.

Pause reps, floor presses and just doing lots of singles helps a ton.

[Niomosy]

Might have some tendinitis flaring up if your elbows are buffing you. Try playing around with grips.

Yeah, I've been worried about elbow tendinitis and golfer's elbow.  Some foam rolling of the forearms has helped tremendously.  After the initial round, I've just had to roll once or twice a week to keep things better.  Right now it's just trying to carefully build the biceps back up as they're a definite weak point in my bench right now.  I widened my grip slightly which seems to have helped.  I still need to work on my speed on bringing the bar down to my chest in single reps, though.  I'm faster after the first rep but in competition, you get three singles and that's it.

Pause reps, floor presses and just doing lots of singles helps a ton.

Trying to get some more pause work in.  I've been trying to pause more of my warmup sets and maybe a rep or two on my first working set.  I may try to add in a few heavier paused reps on my volume day as well.  Floor presses (standing shoulder press), I do once a week as well.  Weight's decent there but I've still got some work to do.  Trying to get that built up.

[tp4tissue]

Might have some tendinitis flaring up if your elbows are buffing you. Try playing around with grips.

Yeah, I've been worried about elbow tendinitis and golfer's elbow.  Some foam rolling of the forearms has helped tremendously.  After the initial round, I've just had to roll once or twice a week to keep things better.  Right now it's just trying to carefully build the biceps back up as they're a definite weak point in my bench right now.  I widened my grip slightly which seems to have helped.  I still need to work on my speed on bringing the bar down to my chest in single reps, though.  I'm faster after the first rep but in competition, you get three singles and that's it.

Pause reps, floor presses and just doing lots of singles helps a ton.

Trying to get some more pause work in.  I've been trying to pause more of my warmup sets and maybe a rep or two on my first working set.  I may try to add in a few heavier paused reps on my volume day as well.  Floor presses (standing shoulder press), I do once a week as well.  Weight's decent there but I've still got some work to do.  Trying to get that built up.

I talked with a few of the older guys at the gym.

They basically say, all the little things you do amount to very little difference in the long run.

The majority of the gain is simply attained through Consistency which takes years and years.

Then they went on to how, if you see anyone get big fast,  Steroids, 100% of the time.

[iamtootallforthis]

These have helped me it too.

[tp4tissue]

These have helped me it too.

steroids?

[iamtootallforthis]

These have helped me it too.

steroids?

Edited my post.

[Niomosy]

Might have some tendinitis flaring up if your elbows are buffing you. Try playing around with grips.

Yeah, I've been worried about elbow tendinitis and golfer's elbow.  Some foam rolling of the forearms has helped tremendously.  After the initial round, I've just had to roll once or twice a week to keep things better.  Right now it's just trying to carefully build the biceps back up as they're a definite weak point in my bench right now.  I widened my grip slightly which seems to have helped.  I still need to work on my speed on bringing the bar down to my chest in single reps, though.  I'm faster after the first rep but in competition, you get three singles and that's it.

Pause reps, floor presses and just doing lots of singles helps a ton.

Trying to get some more pause work in.  I've been trying to pause more of my warmup sets and maybe a rep or two on my first working set.  I may try to add in a few heavier paused reps on my volume day as well.  Floor presses (standing shoulder press), I do once a week as well.  Weight's decent there but I've still got some work to do.  Trying to get that built up.

I talked with a few of the older guys at the gym.

They basically say, all the little things you do amount to very little difference in the long run.

The majority of the gain is simply attained through Consistency which takes years and years.

Then they went on to how, if you see anyone get big fast,  Steroids, 100% of the time.

Consistency is the key, yes.  That said, there are ways you can help things along quickly at times and under certain circumstances.  That generally involves specialty lifting routines that you run for a certain amount of time, then move back to more general or block routines with the goal of gradual progression.  Such routines exist for the three major powelifting lifts and aren't uncommon to run.  It's just that they're not really designed to run all the time but more for pushing through plateaus or in the quest for some magic number you're trying for (and relatively near).

Of course, I'm not out to get big as a primary goal.  My main focus is on powerlifting so I'm after bigger numbers on the squat, bench, and deadlift specifically.  That said I do like to add in some bodybuilding accessories to my powerlifting main lifting.

These have helped me it too.

Well ****, I was thinking overhead press with floor press for some odd reason.  Yeah, I've not really done those given we only have a single power rack and I'd always feel a bit guilty doing that there.  I might consider it at times, though.

[iamtootallforthis]

Might have some tendinitis flaring up if your elbows are buffing you. Try playing around with grips.

Yeah, I've been worried about elbow tendinitis and golfer's elbow.  Some foam rolling of the forearms has helped tremendously.  After the initial round, I've just had to roll once or twice a week to keep things better.  Right now it's just trying to carefully build the biceps back up as they're a definite weak point in my bench right now.  I widened my grip slightly which seems to have helped.  I still need to work on my speed on bringing the bar down to my chest in single reps, though.  I'm faster after the first rep but in competition, you get three singles and that's it.

Pause reps, floor presses and just doing lots of singles helps a ton.

Trying to get some more pause work in.  I've been trying to pause more of my warmup sets and maybe a rep or two on my first working set.  I may try to add in a few heavier paused reps on my volume day as well.  Floor presses (standing shoulder press), I do once a week as well.  Weight's decent there but I've still got some work to do.  Trying to get that built up.

I talked with a few of the older guys at the gym.

They basically say, all the little things you do amount to very little difference in the long run.

The majority of the gain is simply attained through Consistency which takes years and years.

Then they went on to how, if you see anyone get big fast,  Steroids, 100% of the time.

Consistency is the key, yes.  That said, there are ways you can help things along quickly at times and under certain circumstances.  That generally involves specialty lifting routines that you run for a certain amount of time, then move back to more general or block routines with the goal of gradual progression.  Such routines exist for the three major powelifting lifts and aren't uncommon to run.  It's just that they're not really designed to run all the time but more for pushing through plateaus or in the quest for some magic number you're trying for (and relatively near).

Of course, I'm not out to get big as a primary goal.  My main focus is on powerlifting so I'm after bigger numbers on the squat, bench, and deadlift specifically.  That said I do like to add in some bodybuilding accessories to my powerlifting main lifting.

These have helped me it too.

Well ****, I was thinking overhead press with floor press for some odd reason.  Yeah, I've not really done those given we only have a single power rack and I'd always feel a bit guilty doing that there.  I might consider it at times, though.

Definitely great to push through plateaus.

[muon]

Anyone have any tips maintaining muscle on an extended trip? I'm travelling for over a month for business and would like to maintain my physique but it doesn't look like it's gonna be easy

Packing a jar of protein powder and I'm planning to keep hitting 160g protein every day but without consistent access to a gym I'm worried I'm gonna lose all my gainz...

[kekman]

Anyone have any tips maintaining muscle on an extended trip? I'm travelling for over a month for business and would like to maintain my physique but it doesn't look like it's gonna be easy

Packing a jar of protein powder and I'm planning to keep hitting 160g protein every day but without consistent access to a gym I'm worried I'm gonna lose all my gainz...

depending on how much time you have, you can fit 20min-1hr of bodyweight training most days which should keep you decently fit

[muon]

Yeah, any suggestions? Assume that I'll be pretty much limited to whatever you might find in a hotel room

Hoping that maybe I can hit up a park but I always feel weird doing pullups and **** on a kid's playground lol, even if it's empty

[kekman]

Yeah, any suggestions? Assume that I'll be pretty much limited to whatever you might find in a hotel room

Hoping that maybe I can hit up a park but I always feel weird doing pullups and **** on a kid's playground lol, even if it's empty

I manage to get a decent workout in my bedroom through a bunch of planks, hollow holds, floor l-sit practice, handstand practice, pushups, pistol squats, leg raises and whatnot. if your form is good you can really get the blood pumping

[muon]

I feel like that might not be enough load on me - would be a decent aerobic workout though. Guess I'm gonna have to get creative here 

[kekman]

I feel like that might not be enough load on me - would be a decent aerobic workout though. Guess I'm gonna have to get creative here 

it depends on the progression you are at. for me, regular pushups are hard enough. however, if you're stronger then you could try diamond pushup, uneven pushup etc. much like how you can add weight to make workouts harder, you can change the way you perform workouts to make it harder for yourself

[theteam]

Did you check if your hotel have gym access?

[ANightOnCloudNine]

since i've been in a bed for almost a month now and i have a leg that doesnt work well at all i've been lifting all my weight only with my arms and i've been gaining some much needed arm muscle, i'm stronger in the arms than when i didnt have cancer LMAO

EDIT: also i have been using my abs a lot more so i have a way more toned core. once i get standing and walking again all i need to do is get some fat on me and i need to do legs once i can then i'll be ****in fit again for the first time in 2 years

[Niomosy]

So today was good... until it sucked.  Finished my back squats of 390 lbs 3x5 without problem.  Did a 405 single, then moved on to front squats.  On the last rep of my 225 warmup set.... muscle pulled.  I could feel it.  It still hurts.  Ugh.  I managed 245 for 3 reps but ran out of time and didn't push it further.  Still, tomorrow will likely suck.  Stupid me, I tightened up my gut rather than filling out the belt on that last rep like an idiot.

Looks like I'll be icing that when I get home.

[Niomosy]

Good news is that today's benching went well and with no problems.  That pull yesterday sucked but looks like it was pretty minor as I was feeling solid today and was above my goals for the day even with a 2am bed time and 4:30 wakeup call (thanks, work!)

[Niomosy]

Haha!  No back problems today with squats/deadlifts.  Very happy to be avoiding problems with that.

[kekman]

tfw feeling happy with progress and you go and see people working out for the same amount of time with 2x the gains 

[Niomosy]

tfw feeling happy with progress and you go and see people working out for the same amount of time with 2x the gains 

Heh.  Yeah there's one guy at the gym that makes everyone else feel small and weak.  No worries.  We just need to keep doing our thing and progressing.

[iamtootallforthis]

tfw feeling happy with progress and you go and see people working out for the same amount of time with 2x the gains 

Heh.  Yeah there's one guy at the gym that makes everyone else feel small and weak.  No worries.  We just need to keep doing our thing and progressing.

Yeah everyone is different just keep pushing to better yourself. Don't worry about others.

[romevi]

My gains don't gain as much the older I get.

[iamtootallforthis]

My gains don't gain as much the older I get.

Yeah that is what sucks about getting older.

[Niomosy]

My gains don't gain as much the older I get.

Yeah, that's the crappy part about getting older.  Still making strength gains for now, at least.  The bummer is that I apparently missed the window for the mass of late spring / early summer powerlifting meets.  Looks like the next decent one is October. 

[Niomosy]

Well damn.  Deadlifts did not like me at all today.  Really, my lower back didn't like me at all today.

Did squats for 400 lbs 3x3, 425 x1.  Deadlifts were supposed to be 430 lbs 2x5.  I managed one set of 5 and at that, the 4th and 5th reps took a bit before bringing them up.  Ended up just doing a single for 455 after that as I couldn't at least make it a double.  Ugh.

I think I'm probably going to have to trim squat volume down a bit on my deadlifting days, at least once the weight gets heavier.  Last week wasn't so bad.  395 3x5 then 415 x1 for squats, 415 3x5 for deadlifts.  Next week's just 1x5 at 445.

[noisyturtle]

Apparently lost about 15lbs since the last time I weighed myself 3 months ago. Didn't even do anything, in fact I've been more sedentary the last few months.

Pretty sure it's from having a ridged meal schedule due to my job and not getting the chance to get hungry an hour later or travel to the kitchen for snacks all day. Been drinking a boatload of soda recently though, so I dunno man.

[kekman]

hit the 3 second mark for my tuck l-sit, crazy to think that just 2 weeks ago i couldnt even get my feet off the ground

[KingRama]

I go to the gym to stare at girls butts

Bevo is swolelord

[tp4tissue]

What are The expert's thoughts on pork dumplings..  it's been the traditional asian, -getting bulk- food..

[iamtootallforthis]

What are The expert's thoughts on pork dumplings..  it's been the traditional asian, -getting bulk- food..

Gotta worry about salt and fat intake with them.