Anyone here bench, lift weights, etc?

[sage]

Sweet niblets, please tell me we're not recommending sniffing ammonia to high school students.

From the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety regarding ammonia:

Inhalation: VERY TOXIC, can cause death. Can cause severe irritation of the nose and throat. Can cause life-threatening accumulation of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema). Symptoms may include coughing, shortness of breath, difficult breathing and tightness in the chest. Symptoms may develop hours after exposure and are made worse by physical effort. Long-term damage may result from a severe short-term exposure.

Just lift the weights. If you can't lift the weights, work out with a long term plan to be able to lift the weights. Inhaling ammonia so you can maybe put up an extra 10 lbs is dumb. It means that you couldn't have done it without the ammonia, so it's meaningless anyway.

 

[sage]

Also, if your coach is really pushing for this 1RM of 330lbs on the bench, you might do well to remind him that, in football, if you're lying on your back trying to heave 330lbs off your chest, you already lost that play.

 

[Harry]

Yet again, do some squats where the bar is on your back or your clavicles.

If you're talking about front squats, the bar is NOT meant to be on your clavicles That would mean your elbows are too low, bad racking technique.
The elbows should be higher with the bar sitting across the shoulders

 

[Infamous Impact]

If you're talking about front squats, the bar is NOT meant to be on your clavicles That would mean your elbows are too low, bad racking technique.
The elbows should be higher with the bar sitting across the shoulders

Slipped my mind, my bad.

 

[soliloquy]

have any one of you tried something called the 'burn set' where you constantly drop weights after every set without any rest for 4-5 sets in total; then rest for a bit, and go for 2-3 more sets of just 8-12 reps?

ie:



also, if you haven't seen him, the things this guy can do are quiet impressive. kane sumabat:

 

[gunshow86de]

If you're talking about front squats, the bar is NOT meant to be on your clavicles That would mean your elbows are too low, bad racking technique.
The elbows should be higher with the bar sitting across the shoulders

Ahhh the front rack, my old nemesis. I am so inflexible in that area. I finally learned to hook grip, but it's still a struggle to get my elbows up and forearms parallel to the floor. I pretty much have to hook the bar with just my index and middle fingers. Transitioning from that hook to a jerk/pushpress is terrifying when you are first learning. It get's easier and more comfortable as you work with it.

So, last week, I picked up some rings from Rogue fitness. Did my dips on those instead of the usual bar dips. If you're still doing bar dips, you're doing it wrong. I can't remember the last time my tri's and chest were so sore (in a good way).

Had my second go-around with the ring dips on Friday. I can't recommend them enough. I know some of you guys will shy away because they are for the "trendy crossfitter set," but I promise they are worth your time. Best analogy I've read, "The ring dip is to the bar dip as squats are to leg press (ouch!)." They engage the lateral and medial heads of your tricep in a way that bar dips just can't. Accurate analogy is accurate.

 

[TRENCHLORD]

have any one of you tried something called the 'burn set' where you constantly drop weights after every set without any rest for 4-5 sets in total; then rest for a bit, and go for 2-3 more sets of just 8-12 reps?

That's just a drop-set (which I've mentioned about 100 times on this thread alone lol).
You can extend it to any degree but honestly more than a triple will put you more into the aerobic zone.

Also, for drop sets start on the heavy side at about your 5 rep weight, that way the total set length after the double or triple drop will still be in the 60-90 second range, or less.
When you drop just take off 20lbs on barbells or 10lbs with dumbells, so that each successive weight only takes 5-8 reps to fail (or less even).

 

[Murmel]

After getting a fair hang of hang-cleans, I decided to attempt a full clean today. So much more difficult than doing it from a hanging position.

 

[gunshow86de]

After getting a fair hang of hang-cleans, I decided to attempt a full clean today. So much more difficult than doing it from a hanging position.

Hardest part for me is catching in the front rack. It's so hard for me just to get past a 45 degree angle. I watch real Olympic lifters and their forearms are perfectly parallel to the floor. How the .... do they do that? At least Squatting and Jerking (giggle) are easy for me.

 

[Infamous Impact]

Hardest part for me is catching in the front rack. It's so hard for me just to get past a 45 degree angle. I watch real Olympic lifters and their forearms are perfectly parallel to the floor. How the .... do they do that? At least Squatting and Jerking (giggle) are easy for me.

There's a couple videos on California Strength's YT channel which should help you with getting the rack.

 

[Captain Shoggoth]

Hey guys, I'm training with my best friend over this summer so he can build up some strength and I can increase mine (not to mention fitness) over summer for rugby season, but he's reaaaally thin and weak (like 6'1, 135lbs).

I'm training him a beginner's 5/3/1 with no cardio (initially), and telling him to eat big high-protein, high-carb meals and drink 2 litres of whole milk a day.

Is there anything else he should be doing that I may have missed?

 

[Infamous Impact]

Hey guys, I'm training with my best friend over this summer so he can build up some strength and I can increase mine (not to mention fitness) over summer for rugby season, but he's reaaaally thin and weak (like 6'1, 135lbs).

I'm training him a beginner's 5/3/1 with no cardio (initially), and telling him to eat big high-protein, high-carb meals and drink 2 litres of whole milk a day.

Is there anything else he should be doing that I may have missed?

Put him on a linear progression, 5/3/1 isn't the best for beginners because progression is monthly, and small increases at that. He won't be able to take advantage of the massive strength and size gains a beginner gets with a periodization routine.

 

[Captain Shoggoth]

Put him on a linear progression, 5/3/1 isn't the best for beginners because progression is monthly, and small increases at that. He won't be able to take advantage of the massive strength and size gains a beginner gets with a periodization routine.

I was thinking of doing the Boring But Big template, but with just 5 reps and weight increase every week. Cheers

 

[UnderTheSign]

I was thinking of doing the Boring But Big template, but with just 5 reps and weight increase every week. Cheers

Why 5 reps instead of 10? I found the 10 reps are a great growth stimulation and you're already doing lower rep work on the 5/3/1 sets so I don't see the use of adding another couple sets of 5.

edit: unless I'm misunderstanding and you want to replace the 5/3/1 sets by 5x5 or 3x5, which I think would be a better choice in this guys case. So 3x5 followed by 5x10, then some accesory work.

 

[Captain Shoggoth]

Yeah the latter, so 3x5 followed by 5x10, then accessory work

 

[Kaickul]

Any ectomorphs here could share what workout program have worked out for you?

 

[Ironbird]

Liquid Rage,

I was underweight (56.5kg / 125lbs) in early Jan, and was sick of being skinny all my life. Some people don't understand this, but being called scrawny is just as bad as being called fat.

So I decided to do something... 4 months before turning 30. 6 months into my regime (details below) and I'm progressing steadily toward my first goal: to hit 68kg / 150 lbs by end December. I'm 63kg / 139lbs now.

Workout routine
Day 1: Chest + biceps
Day 2: Core
Day 3: Back + triceps
Day 4: Legs + shoulders

I try to rest after Days 1 & 2, but it's a personal preference. I try not to work out 3 days in a row.

Diet/supplements
Meal 1 (9am) - Protein shake (Muscletech Mass Tech - half serving)
Meal 2 (11am) - 2 slices whole wheat bread, 2 tbsp sugarless peanut butter, 1 serving almonds OR 6 tbsp oats, 1 serving almonds
Meal 3 (1pm) - 2 slices whole wheat bread, half can tuna, 2 tbsp olive oil
Meal 4 (3pm) - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 1 green apple guava
Dinner - I eat whatever is available but try to keep it clean: white rice, chicken, vegetables, milk etc
Before bed - Protein shake (Muscletech Mass Tech - half serving)

Supplements: multivitamins, fish oil.

This seems to be working really well for me, I am gaining 1kg / 2.2lbs muscle mass each month without fail. I am glad to be able to share this, and I really hope this helps you. Just a note, I also stopped drinking completely, and I feel that this has played a big part too.

Good luck!

 

[UnderTheSign]

Any ectomorphs here could share what workout program have worked out for you?

I think the most important factor to us ectomorphs is diet. Eat big and eat relatively clean and growth will follow - or at least, that's what I experienced. Workout programming depends a lot on personal preference and finding out what works for you as I've heard different stuff from a lot of guys.
Some recommendations include 5/3/1 with Boring But Big accessory (progress is slow but steady) and HRT solo. The first being a good combination of strenght/size, the latter is a great hypertrophy program.

 

[Forrest_H]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this, but...

I've been beating the crap out of my abdominal muscles for awhile, and I can feel the difference, but not see it. At least, not as much as I want to. Can someone recommend me a good cardio exercise? Would HIIT work well?

 

[UnderTheSign]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this, but...

I've been beating the crap out of my abdominal muscles for awhile, and I can feel the difference, but not see it. At least, not as much as I want to. Can someone recommend me a good cardio exercise? Would HIIT work well?

Because abs don't show purely by exercising. Also, keep in mind they're still muscles and shouldn't be trained daily.
Diet and HIIT cardio should help you. Read through the other recent threads in this forum