The official gym & weightlifting thread! rep #3

[6jase5]

I just started crossfit, it's great and kicking my butt. My wife and I both hate going to the gym or running, even when we were disciplined with routines.

I would have to say that not all crossfit gyms/trainers are created equally and you have to find the one that works for you even if it's not the most convenient. My coach is amazing, emphasizing form over reps. Friends that have been doing it for 6mos to a year in his gym could not be happier and have really made great improvements in lean muscle and flexibility. I go at lunch, and there are maybe 3 of us so it's like having a personal trainer.

Personally, I've never been more sore as I'm doing lifts I would have never done due to lack of knowledge (cleans, deadlifts, etc.). Without a doubt it's for me.....and my wife who is also enjoying the workouts.

 

[crustychef]

I just started crossfit, it's great and kicking my butt. My wife and I both hate going to the gym or running, even when we were disciplined with routines.

I would have to say that not all crossfit gyms/trainers are created equally and you have to find the one that works for you even if it's not the most convenient. My coach is amazing, emphasizing form over reps. Friends that have been doing it for 6mos to a year in his gym could not be happier and have really made great improvements in lean muscle and flexibility. I go at lunch, and there are maybe 3 of us so it's like having a personal trainer.

Personally, I've never been more sore as I'm doing lifts I would have never done due to lack of knowledge (cleans, deadlifts, etc.). Without a doubt it's for me.....and my wife who is also enjoying the workouts.

Nice! Keep it up!

 

[jp58]

So, I'm officially 40 lbs lighter than I started 2012. If I can lose another 30, I'll be absolutely thrilled with myself. I plan on really cracking down on my diet over the next few months and controlling my portions and eating habits better than I have been, because the last month or so has been one big cheat day.

I'm planning on making meals ahead of time and taking them to work/school with me in 4-500 calorie portions. I'm trying to get back out of the habit of having soda too, cuz I'm leaning on diet drinks as pretty big crutch.

The staying active thing really isn't the problem for me. The problem has always been what I ate. It feels good to have identified a problem area and to be taking the steps needed to fix it.

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Part of the problem with not losing as fast as I wanted is the info on the internet is often plain wrong. A lot of the sites I went to, including some of the ones linked to here, stated that, to maintain weight, the person should multiply their weight by 12 to determine the daily caloric intake. First, it's 50% higher than the trainer told me and her info matches what their site shows. Might be toeing the company line, but I can't see any way I would possibly need 3700 calories, no matter what I do (and marathons, Tour de France, digging my way to China aren't gonna happen). I'd have to eat a tub of lard to get that much. They have a calorie tracker and I have used it since Monday- makes me really conscious of how much I eat and what's in it. I ate enough to not be hungry yesterday and I only hit 2/3 of the 2700 needed. I haven't come close to that pace today and I think I may drop a few by week's end. I lost more than 2 between Monday and yesterday, but that had to have been from eating like a pig over the weekend. I definitely did my chest fly exercises right, though- I'm done with the cable machine for that. My pecs are pretty sore today. It's about time! My endurance was very good and I cycled my butt off during cardio intervals. I'm thinking of doing the Ride for The Arts after Memorial Day, but I'll have to take my bike out to see if I can sit on it for that long beforehand.

I started low on the weights to avoid tearing/straining anything and my leg extensions/hammy pull-downs are up over 50%, to 110lb, my tricep pull-downs went from 60lb to 100lb, seated pull-downs went from 90lb to 135-160lb and I stopped using the machine for leg presses, going to body weight squats, instead. I'm still over 280, so it's a lot more than the 150 I had been using. Upright/bent over rowing with cable machine went from about 100lb to 140-150lb, same reps for each exercise as before and I'm not as tired as when I started, even though the weights have increased. I like the body fat loss but I know it's not good, structurally, to carry around too much weight regardless of the fact that I'm 6'-2".

I expect to be a total rock by the 4th of July.

TBH, for calorific consumption I tended to go with the standard (2500 for men) and then try to work out roughly where I actually sit (which, during the season is a fair bit higher than that).

More 'specific' calculators nearly always throw up really high numbers. Also, when you say multiply by 12, do you mean their total weight or their lean weight? While having more bodyfat will mean you burn slightly more calories (as you have to carry it around with you), having more muscle mass requires greater quantities of energy to conserve that muscle (aside from carrying the extra muscle weight).

Say you weight 220lbs, the energy your body needs to maintain a lean mass of 198lbs and an additional 22lbs of fat (10% bf) is going to be more than if you are a lean 165lb carrying 55lbs of fat (25% bf).

 

[1958Bassman]

TBH, for calorific consumption I tended to go with the standard (2500 for men) and then try to work out roughly where I actually sit (which, during the season is a fair bit higher than that).

More 'specific' calculators nearly always throw up really high numbers. Also, when you say multiply by 12, do you mean their total weight or their lean weight? While having more bodyfat will mean you burn slightly more calories (as you have to carry it around with you).

Say you weight 220lbs, the energy your body needs to maintain a lean mass of 198lbs and an additional 22lbs of fat (10% bf) is going to be more than if you are a lean 165lb carrying 55lbs of fat (25% bf).

Right- a lot of factors affect what someone actually needs. Large people need more because of the effort of hauling our butts around. Bird-like people can nibble all day and not gain or lose weight. People with more fat need less than someone who has a lot more muscle because the muscle uses muscle that the fat doesn't. I think that calculator that showed high cal intake is for maintaining at existing weight and even at my highest, I would have a hard time eating that much.

I was wondering about the fat %- it's the percent of weight vs volume, right?

The number I was told is determined by multiplying the goal weight by 10% so, if I want to be 220 lb, I should consume 2200 cal to reach & maintain that weight once I get there but if I want to lose more to get there, I can take in less. I ate a lot yesterday and didn't crack 1700 cal. It'll be interesting to see my weight later today.

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Fat % is weight of fat as a proportion of total weight (as far as I'm aware?)

Though this can be calculated using weight vs volume (as fat is much less dense than muscle (and pretty much everything else in the body).

(I also see that I managed to think a sentence and not actually write it in that original post! Added and corrected!).


I think systems like those which you've seen on the net are primarily guff, not only do you have different energy requirements which you could attribute to physical size, but you have different metabolic rates too (which you could look at as efficiency, you could have two cars which are identical, but have different engines. Each engine is 2L, but that doesn't mean they will pump out the same power).

 

[jmattbassplaya]

Fat % is the amount of fat (in lbs) you have on your body. For example, I have about 9-10% body fat, and my total weight is just around 162-165lbs. That means that about 15lbs of my body weight is fat and the rest is muscle, skeletal tissue, brain matter, etc... (I did the math at the top of my head, so feel free to tell me I'm off because I probably am ).

For some great, free material to help calculate the amount of calories you need in a day check out this site:
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

For a cheap and excellent way to calculate your BF% get a caliper and check out this site:
http://scoobysworkshop.com/body-fat-calculator/

I'm not an endorser of this guy or anything. I just happen to find him to be the best source of nutrition and weightlifting information for people just looking to live healthier lives and get into the sport of weightlifting.

 

[EricF]

After being away from any kind of regular exercise for about 7 years, I stared going to the gym regularly at the end of last year. My typical rountine is to run for 30-40 minutes and lift weights for 30 minutes. Unfortunately, my schedule only allows me to go once during the normal work week. If I get a chance to do anything during the weekend, it's usually a run in my neighborhood.

I'm not trying to lose a bunch of weight in a hurry, but establish an exerise rountine and make minor adjustments to my eating habits that I can maintain long term.

Since the start of this year, I'm down 12 lbs. My target is another 13.

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Fat % is the amount of fat (in lbs) you have on your body. For example, I have about 9-10% body fat, and my total weight is just around 162-165lbs. That means that about 15lbs of my body weight is fat and the rest is muscle, skeletal tissue, brain matter, etc... (I did the math at the top of my head, so feel free to tell me I'm off because I probably am ).

For some great, free material to help calculate the amount of calories you need in a day check out this site:
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

For a cheap and excellent way to calculate your BF% get a caliper and check out this site:
http://scoobysworkshop.com/body-fat-calculator/

I'm not an endorser of this guy or anything. I just happen to find him to be the best source of nutrition and weightlifting information for people just looking to live healthier lives and get into the sport of weightlifting.

Scooby is a good guy, def not one of the BS merchants out there!

 

[crustychef]

I just used Scooby's calorie calculator to see how it stacked up against what I prescribe people. It said I need around 3300 calories a day to loss fat and gain muscle. What I actually consume is between 2100-2600 depending work load that day. I and those who I have helped get excellent results with this lower calorie approach. That being said I'm sure scooby's way works for a lot of people too. I know that if I ate the 3300 calories I'd be a fat ass again. I do have cheat days every month or so where my calorie intake can go over 3300 but it's usually a celebratory event like a bbq with drinks and such. Then I go back to my normal 2200ish a day routine. I am pretty sure my nutrient ratios of 45% fat, 20 % carb and 35% protein have something to do with my lower caloric needs. When I was doing the Zone diet with the same amount of calories but following the 30/40/30 ratios I felt hungry all the time and my performance was poo. If I had a desk job and didn't crossfit then I think it would work well. Plenty of crossfitters Zone but they do 2x fat blocks or even 5x-10x fat blocks. To me it doesn't seem like they really doing the Zone any more but just using it's methodology to track their food. Some people like to say a calorie is a calorie but it just isn't so. I get far more sustained energy out of fat than out of carbs and I feel much more even through out the day. No crazy insulin spikes or cravings. When I do have a lot of carbs in one sitting, like on a cheat day, my head is buzzing like I just ate cup of sugar and a red bull. Then I crash, big time.This happened to me on Tuesday when I went for teriyaki with my wife and I ate 2 cups of white rice. No teriyaki sauce on top of my meat mind you, just what it was marinated in. If any of you are having these highs and lows of energy after you eat you might want try dialing back your carb intake and up your fat a little and see how you feel and perform in the gym. Here is some typical meals for me.
4 poached eggs
4 slices of uncured bacon
1 cup asparagus, sauteed in bacon fat
1 cup cauliflower, sauteed in bacon fat
1/2 onion, sauteed in bacon fat
1 grapefruit

or

Protein shake smoothie
2 scoops whey
1 cup frozen mixed berries
1/2 banana
2 Tbs. coconut milk
water

or

8oz. grass fed flank Steak
2 cups roasted organic brocoli
1/4 cup garlic aioli, home made with olive oil
1 roasted organic yam with pasture butter and sea salt
2cups coconut water

or
a big ol' sashimi platter, heavy on the mackerel
Spinach ohitashi
Sunomono
various japanese pickles
...hey I'm a sushi chef.

In case you couldn't tell I eat barely minimal to zero grains, unless on a cheat day. Even then I'd rather have my carbs in wine instead. Oh, and complex carbs don't really make any difference 'vs' simple carbs in your insulin spikes. It's marketing bunk. Don't worry about fiber. If you eat your veggies like a good boy should you will poop just fine, your bum won't forget how.
Read this if you want go more this route
http://robbwolf.com/

 

[crustychef]

Anyone ever do sled pulls? I've been incorporating them into my training more. Today I dragged a metal sled loaded with 165lbs 50 yards x 6 sets across a gravel parking lot. In between every other length I would walk 50 yards and then sprint 50 yards back. Holy smokes was this a beast. I was fighting to just keep it moving at a steady pace and then in the middle of the parking lot was a lot of chunky gravel. I had to build up speed and "run" with the sled to make it through it. Almost puked twice. Sled pulls are an awesome posterior chain strengthener and a great supplent to deadlifts. This is a good way to get a glute/hamstring/core workout.
This is a great video on it.

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Never with a sled, have done pulls with tractor tyres though. We do some resistive running with the rugby too.

 

[Chebass88]

I wanted to see how effective my training has been recently, so I tested my maxes on the 3 powerlifts (Squat, bench, dead). I did it similar to a powerlifting competition (three attempts, ~ 3-5 minutes between attempts). These are not official competition numbers, just me getting it done in my garage. All numbers in pounds.

Squat: 445, 465 (F), 465 (knee wraps & belt)

Bench: 295, 305, 315 (raw)

Dead: 495, 505 (F), 505 (F) (raw)

On the 2nd squat - I was not sufficiently mentally prepared for it, and had too long of a pause at the bottom. Hundredths of a second make a huge difference. I cleared my mind and got it. I'm only 35lbs from my goal from this year. I'm currently training with heavy singles ~90% 1RM, with backoff sets at 405, 315, and 225.

Bench - My lift at 315 would not have passed competition rules. I had a full 3 count pause at the bottom, but racked it as soon as it came up - not waiting long enough to hear "rack" command. There were no judges present, but I need to train within the rules. Currently training with 8 sets of doubles, adding one rep at a time to get to 8 sets of triples, with backoff sets at 80% working set weight. First time breaking the 300lb barrier. I'm benching what I struggled to squat 14 months ago.

Deadlift - I need to work on my deadlift much more. My plan is to drop back to 80% (395lb) for doubles and triples in 8 sets, followed by backoff sets at lower weight. This and power cleans worked when I got a 515 deadlift a month or so ago.

So I have a 'total' of 1275, at a bodyweight of 263. I have a while to go before I am ready to compete, as my bodyweight is too high & lifts are too low. I'm currently working on leaning (had a reduction of 5-6 lbs in two weeks), with the objective of being less than 242. I'm training 4X/week, and recovery is adequate to continue meeting daily training objectives. Training consists of 3 major lifts + overhead pressing (power-cleaned to shoulders). Assistance lifting includes sledge hammer levering (for wrists) and barbell curls (currently at 110), with pullups/chins when possible.

 

[crustychef]

You ever try speed/dynamic training? If going raw do 60% 1rep max for 3 reps x 20 sets only 60-90 seconds between sets. Put a pad under your shirt for bench day. Check out Westside barbell for tons of info on it.

 

[Gaius46]

I wanted to see how effective my training has been recently, so I tested my maxes on the 3 powerlifts (Squat, bench, dead). I did it similar to a powerlifting competition (three attempts, ~ 3-5 minutes between attempts). These are not official competition numbers, just me getting it done in my garage. All numbers in pounds.

Squat: 445, 465 (F), 465 (knee wraps & belt)

Bench: 295, 305, 315 (raw)

Dead: 495, 505 (F), 505 (F) (raw)

On the 2nd squat - I was not sufficiently mentally prepared for it, and had too long of a pause at the bottom. Hundredths of a second make a huge difference. I cleared my mind and got it. I'm only 35lbs from my goal from this year. I'm currently training with heavy singles ~90% 1RM, with backoff sets at 405, 315, and 225.

Bench - My lift at 315 would not have passed competition rules. I had a full 3 count pause at the bottom, but racked it as soon as it came up - not waiting long enough to hear "rack" command. There were no judges present, but I need to train within the rules. Currently training with 8 sets of doubles, adding one rep at a time to get to 8 sets of triples, with backoff sets at 80% working set weight. First time breaking the 300lb barrier. I'm benching what I struggled to squat 14 months ago.

Deadlift - I need to work on my deadlift much more. My plan is to drop back to 80% (395lb) for doubles and triples in 8 sets, followed by backoff sets at lower weight. This and power cleans worked when I got a 515 deadlift a month or so ago.

So I have a 'total' of 1275, at a bodyweight of 263. I have a while to go before I am ready to compete, as my bodyweight is too high & lifts are too low. I'm currently working on leaning (had a reduction of 5-6 lbs in two weeks), with the objective of being less than 242. I'm training 4X/week, and recovery is adequate to continue meeting daily training objectives. Training consists of 3 major lifts + overhead pressing (power-cleaned to shoulders). Assistance lifting includes sledge hammer levering (for wrists) and barbell curls (currently at 110), with pullups/chins when possible.

A three count on the bench is excessive. You're supposed to get the call as soon as the judge is satisfied that the bar is stopped on your chest.

Might I ask why you're pausing on the squat? Unless the rules have changed since I competed and judged (both in the ADFPA in the 90s) you don't have to pause on the squat, you just have to break parallel.

Are you constantly training at this intensity? Hitting max attempts once a month is a lot, even or young guys. You might want to think about backing off to 60-70% for a spell.

 

[Chebass88]

A three count on the bench is excessive. You're supposed to get the call as soon as the judge is satisfied that the bar is stopped on your chest.

Might I ask why you're pausing on the squat? Unless the rules have changed since I competed and judged (both in the ADFPA in the 90s) you don't have to pause on the squat, you just have to break parallel.

Are you constantly training at this intensity? Hitting max attempts once a month is a lot, even or young guys. You might want to think about backing off to 60-70% for a spell.

On the squat - it was just a moment of mental doubt. I started thinking about the weight & wasn't tight enough on the way down, or went too deep. I couldn't make it, so I dumped it on the safety bars. I cleared my mind, focused on getting it, and got it, down & up.

Regarding the bench, I just want to make sure it is legit for competition. When I trained last night, I made sure I locked out every rep prior to re-racking it.

Intensity - I have recently been doing doubles/triples at 80% and singles around 90%. It has been working pretty well, but dropping back to sets of 5 at 70% wouldn't be a bad thing either. I am considering doing 4 sets of 6 for a while, as a change of pace (at 350).

I am also trying a new schedule, lifting every other day. I had been lifting 4x/week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday), but this is a bit much, and possibly impacting my recovery.

 

[Gaius46]

On the squat - it was just a moment of mental doubt. I started thinking about the weight & wasn't tight enough on the way down, or went too deep. I couldn't make it, so I dumped it on the safety bars. I cleared my mind, focused on getting it, and got it, down & up.

Regarding the bench, I just want to make sure it is legit for competition. When I trained last night, I made sure I locked out every rep prior to re-racking it.

Intensity - I have recently been doing doubles/triples at 80% and singles around 90%. It has been working pretty well, but dropping back to sets of 5 at 70% wouldn't be a bad thing either. I am considering doing 4 sets of 6 for a while, as a change of pace (at 350).

I am also trying a new schedule, lifting every other day. I had been lifting 4x/week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday), but this is a bit much, and possibly impacting my recovery.

Much of the sport is mental. Can't tell you the number of times I've blown lifts that I should have made because my head wasn't there.

Recovery is the key to everything. Best of all possible worlds would be to listen to your body and only train a lift when you feel recovered and not based on the calendar. Usually means shifting a workout a day or two either side of what you planned but even that's still tough for a lot of people to do because of work, family, the needs of your training partners etc. I typically found that when I was above 85%, about a month out from a meet, I could only effectively bench once every 4-5 days, squat once every 7-8 days and often wait as much as 10 days between deadlift workouts (I was in my mid 30s at the time).

Are you familiar with Prilepin's chart? Good rule of thumb guide for estimating reps per set and total reps based on percentange of max.

Also google Tudor Bompa. He's done alot of work in the area of periodization.

 

[Chebass88]

Much of the sport is mental. Can't tell you the number of times I've blown lifts that I should have made because my head wasn't there.

Recovery is the key to everything. Best of all possible worlds would be to listen to your body and only train a lift when you feel recovered and not based on the calendar. Usually means shifting a workout a day or two either side of what you planned but even that's still tough for a lot of people to do because of work, family, the needs of your training partners etc. I typically found that when I was above 85%, about a month out from a meet, I could only effectively bench once every 4-5 days, squat once every 7-8 days and often wait as much as 10 days between deadlift workouts (I was in my mid 30s at the time).

Are you familiar with Prilepin's chart? Good rule of thumb guide for estimating reps per set and total reps based on percentange of max.

Also google Tudor Bompa. He's done alot of work in the area of periodization.

Thanks for the tips. I have three quotes on post-it notes on my computer monitor at work. Prilepin's chart is one of those quotes. The others are:

Christopher Hitchens: "My own opinion is enough for me, and I claim the right to have it defended against any consensus, any majority, anywhere, anyplace, anytime. And anyone who disagrees with this can pick a number, get in line, and kiss my ***."

Joseph Curtis Hise: "When you are born, you are set forth to die. The fact that you live or don't live between these two dates depends solely on your own will, opportunities, and desires. The weight exerciser, of course, indicates that he chooses to live.

I'll check out the Tudor Bompa work. I read about him in Ken Leistner's History of Powerlifting articles.

 

[Gaius46]

Thanks for the tips. I have three quotes on post-it notes on my computer monitor at work. Prilepin's chart is one of those quotes. The others are:

Christopher Hitchens: "My own opinion is enough for me, and I claim the right to have it defended against any consensus, any majority, anywhere, anyplace, anytime. And anyone who disagrees with this can pick a number, get in line, and kiss my ***."

Joseph Curtis Hise: "When you are born, you are set forth to die. The fact that you live or don't live between these two dates depends solely on your own will, opportunities, and desires. The weight exerciser, of course, indicates that he chooses to live.

I'll check out the Tudor Bompa work. I read about him in Ken Leistner's History of Powerlifting articles.

I love that Hitchen's quote


btw - I forgot to mention that I recently picked up a copy of Bompa's "Periodization Training for Sports - 2nd Edition."

It's a good primer on the subject though it's not primarily geared towards weightlifters and powerlifters but more for athletes in other sports. Still he emphasizes weight training as the primary means of strength building along with "technical training" (i.e. sport specific work) so the principals are directly applicable to powerlifting.

 

[jp58]

Whenever I started losing weight back in HS, a friend of mine told me that a calorie calculator is a tool and to use it as a starting point. If it says to eat 2500 cals a day, and you're losing more than 2 pounds a week, you need to eat more. If you're not losing weight at all, you need to either eat less or stick to the plan better.

So far, that advice has worked for me flawlessly. I need to really get back on track, but I've made some awesome progress this year.

Edit: Scooby's calculator is +100 cals from what I've been targeting a day, and I've been melting weight off since New Years.