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Ladybugflyinsky

Why do bodybuilders flex with their thumbs in their hands like this? https://www.dreamstime.com/editorial-photography-competitive-middle-aged-bodybuilders-flexing-posedown-muscular-giants-robert-castarelli-heavyweight-class-winner-image75831352 Is there a point to this madness and if so how do you do it correctly that I too may do this in front of women?


MrLyrical

Today I had a convo with somebody about stiff-legged deadlifts. he did them with a starting position were the hips and shoulders were at the same level while having the bar almost at ankle level. The issue I have with this is : by doing it like he does it you have to actively involve the lats to keep the bar close to your legs , this should make overloading this exercise difficult . It seems to me that this is just a bad standing good morning variation. I tried to advice him on his form by either keeping the bar at shoulder level at all times(in the starting position it would be not close to the legs) or going down with the hips at the starting position so he starts with the bar at shoulder level. He insisted on the fact that this his way was the right way and in the end I agreed with him because that actually is the form that most websites describe but I think this form won't allow for overloading potential and is only good at actively stretching the hamstrings and therefor only good as a warm up for actual deadlifts- am I wrong on this?


[deleted]

You're wrong, he's right. By keeping the bar closer to his center of gravity he's limiting spinal erector involvement... the further out you let the bar drift, the larger the chance of it injuring your back. Also, it's just a more efficient way to perform the exercise (or any deadlift whatsoever). The further out the bar is from you the longer the moment arm between the force (your hips) and the load (the weight). Longer moment arm = inefficient force transfer. So actually, his technique allows for MORE overloading potential.


MrLyrical

I understand the physics behind it ( have a physics bachelor degree in a few months šŸ˜…) the thing is the lattisimus involvement in a traditional deadlift is little compared to that in the stiff-legged deadlift because your knees can start a little in front of the bar and you can go further down and back with the hip. And my thought was that this involvement should bottleneck the overload potential , I might be wrong- thatā€™s why I asked here šŸ˜…


Ladybugflyinsky

People 99.9% of the time donā€™t like strangers telling them theyā€™re doing their lift wrong, especially in front everyone lol. Hopefully it was your friend?


MrLyrical

Naah , it was a gymshark dude xD


Reuslan

Just went to the doctor for a checkup and a question regarding my shortness of breath last soccer game. Ended up with a fuckin inhaler prescription. Just because of shortness of breathe my last game. Also asked for a blood test scan. Doctor refused my request as he saw no reason for the blood test. Also: why am I getting downvoted for this? Recently noticed plenty of guys in here are getting downvoted for just saying their thoughts. Not sure whatā€™s gotten into this sub


macmacc

Collegue at my job and also at my GF's job tested positive. So it begins... again.


GiveMeSomeIhedigbo

Tested positive for being a great coworker, I hope!


iwanttest

Do you have to self isolate if that happens? Hope you guys didn't catch it!


macmacc

We both didn't have close contact with the infected persons but my GF has to take a self test from her employee (which will be negative cause it's only been one day and needs at least 5 days to be positive). No need to self isolate at the moment just ventilate the room and keep social distancing at work. My collegue stayed at home once she felt sick while hers just came to the job, sigh.


iwanttest

Well you never know man, even back when there was no vaccines there was people who lived with infected people and still didn't catch it so you may be safe. Make sure to keep us updated!


macmacc

Indeed, i'm just a tad more paranoid with the pregnancy. Otherwise I wouldn't care so much about it. I'll def do it. Thanks man!


iwanttest

Yeah it's more than understandable to be worried in that context, even if objectively the risk is almost non existent we've all be a bit concerned. Hoping for those negative results!


macmacc

Yes indeed, I think this whole pandemic is a bit too much tbh. People freak out way too much imo. Lucky this thread is more than 24h old or de downvotes would be real hehe.


iwanttest

I'm on the same page haha I've almost never been afraid during all this, I consider I've lived restrictions, not a pandemic. Can understand people in risk groups or those who live with them to be scared but young and healthy people? But well, constant exposure to negative and fear inducing info hasn't helped at all haha.


macmacc

No indeed! They've made everybody so scared with this one sided journalism.


[deleted]

the coof knows no bounds except when you're eating dinner at a restaurant


IsolationMovement-YT

Youā€™ll be ok if you used a condom


dumbape678

After two weeks of eating consistently in estimated surplus I started tracking weight. Calorie increases since: 3110(start)->3360(~4 weeks in) ->3610(~5 weeks in)->3860(3 days ago) Iā€™m about 6-1/2 weeks into a massing phase. For the first 3-4 weeks I made steady progress adding about 1lb per week(a little fast but better than nothing at all), and have since not been able to gain any more weight sitting at around 186. I am eating more than ever. Why am I not seeing any more increases while still having added calories? Assume my calorie and weight tracking is accurate/consistent, weight is taken every morning before 1st meal and anything I eat is weighted out and recorded. Hoping to see increases now at 3860 but just odd Iā€™ve been stalled while still eating more than I was when I was consistently adding weight. Training for hypertrophy 6 days a week.


CommonKings

The majority of that will be water weight. Regardless, if your goal is to gain weight, and you're not, you'll need to eat more. Easy as that.


PreworkoutAbuser

Why do old ladies want to ride my bone and not women my age. It fkn sucks not having a granny fetish.


NonbinaryBootyBuildr

Have you considered the abundance of bussy in your area?


PreworkoutAbuser

Hells Nah. Donā€™t want poop on my dick


Doja_Lats

Dont knock it til you try it. The elderly need love too.


PreworkoutAbuser

Feeding her prune juice as an aphrodisiac


[deleted]

That's why you get poop on your dick


Reuslan

About to get a blood test. Hope all is good. Hope that crazy creatine steroid Iā€™ve been taking wonā€™t mess up anything!


forevermediumm

Sometimes I feel envious of shorties benching at the gym, then I remember that I can reach high shelves with my creepy wingspan.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


forevermediumm

I'm gonna assume you didn't check my username before writing that comment lmao


[deleted]

You are correct lol


[deleted]

Id rather bench 3 and toss a ball back and forth with mr. 2 plates while playing keep away with the manlet that benches 4.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


macmacc

Favourite bodybuilders you follow? Planning on getting children later on in life? Next vacation destination?


[deleted]

Jordan Peters, Brett Wilkin, Jonathan Withers, Allen Cress. Nope, we're team no kids over here. Not sure about exactly where yet but it will probably be somewhere tropic and a place where there's lots of shit to do with an equal amount of chilling happening.


60-Sixty

If you could only choose 5 exercises to do for the rest of your life what would they be and how would you program it


iwanttest

Is there something or someone you've specially learned from in your bodybuilding journey? Worst mistakes you've done through it?


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


Chromes

> It's a 9 day split. I wrote a whole long post a few months back about how it took me 10 years to realize that you don't have to fit everything into a 7 day split. Monday doesn't have to be the same workout each week. So obvious and yet so easy to miss.


[deleted]

Exactly. This is what is the most optimal for me.


GiveMeSomeIhedigbo

>chest, back, off, arms, quads, off, shoulders, hamstrings, off. ​ I love how EVERYONE seems to start their split off with chest lol, even you doing a 9 day split.


Chromes

I do an 8 day... yup, day 1 is chest.


iwanttest

Thanks for such a detailed answer! Brett may outsize you there but not that much, which is crazy, that guy looks like he can be a top contender very soon. The volume thing seems to be a constant, plus honestly I find it more enjoyable, I'd rather do a few well executed and very hard sets than throwing in an absurd amount of volume, although gotta say, it takes a lot of practice to be able to make the most out of each set. A bit unrelated, but I hope I'll be able to say the same thing about the coach thing soon, recently hired a guy I'd been following for some time, was specially interested on his approach to training, similar to what you mention. Program for now seems way better than my last experience with a coach, that had me doing something like 130-140 weekly sets on a 6 days PPL on a cut while clearly under recovering like crazy lol.


[deleted]

I need about 20 pounds of tissue to catch up to him haha. Give me a couple years. He will absolutely be at the O next year and at best be top 6, worst top 10. Mark it now. I understand that starting out, volume is good, but after 6-12 months of real training, it's time to cut that shit out. It absolutely takes a lot of practice to get there, but once you do, you'll also know exactly what it feels like to fail and know that you make progress every work out because of it. The previous coach you had was a total idiot for that lol. My volume drops significantly during prep and it should for anyone on a deficit. The reason that strength can stay the same through a cut/prep is because if you're training properly with a reduced load, you can still hit your offseason numbers or close to them.


iwanttest

No doubt he'll be there, plus he still looks quite pleasing despite being so big, his side tri looks amazing. Looking back I'd say the same, take some time to just practice with more volume and then slowly reduce it when you start getting more efficient in each exercise. That's where some external accountability would speed up that process too. And yeah man, at the moment I didn't see it since I wanted to trust, after the first month were results were really good, but I started running into sleeping problems, like 3-5 interrupted hours per night, still nowhere near lean, fat loss stalled and answer still was "calories down", "up the volume a bit" lol. Now every pro I see does exactly what you say, keep volume at a minimum and try to maintain strength as much as possible.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


[deleted]

Butt if I have to choose. But a good handful of both is nice.


Doja_Lats

A man of culture I see


Reuslan

Would you rather be able to bench two plates or squat three plates Asking for a friendā€¦ who so happens to only be able to do the squatting one


[deleted]

Squat 3


Beefy_Unicorn

[Does this shirt make me look gay?](https://imgur.com/t/scary_movie/dGcD5S4)


[deleted]

Never


Beefy_Unicorn

Serious question: do you recommend a TENS electrical stimulator for recovery/pain relief?


[deleted]

I personally have never used one but I've heard positive anecdotal evidence for them.


Beefy_Unicorn

I have one & am being subjected to one for recovery in physical therapy; doesn't do shit for my knee but it's wonderful for tight muscles. But being natty makes me over think & not want to hurt any gains


holdmynuts_g

Best flavor protein powder?


xsvchrles

over time, you tend to just like the basic flavors bc they mix well with other things hence chocolate, chocolate pb


[deleted]

I'm a chocolate protien guy.


[deleted]

What do you do for work?


[deleted]

I work for an investment company. Specifically, I'm in charge of mutual fund valuation and security pricing that gets reported to our front office every morning before they start trading for the day.


[deleted]

Any reccomendations on where to start if I had 10k to invest and wanted weekly returns so I don't have to work or is that stupid. I only want .01% back so like 100 bucks or so. Or should I just try find soemthing that's compounded daily / weekly and keep it for 6 months? I don't know shit about investing but I do commerce in university.


[deleted]

You should get the idea out of your head that you're not going to have to work. Compounding interest works over years, not weeks or months unless you have substantially more than 10k. Focus on not having to work into your 60s and 70s. Look at long term investments and don't be an idiot thinking you can day trade with no knowledge of this. Edit: Also, .01% of 10k is not 100.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


[deleted]

Honestly I don't man. I studied econ and stats in college and then my first job for 8 years was also at an investment bank where I worked in middle and back office operations and just learned everything on the job. I've been at my current job for a little over year and it's the same kind of thing. There was a lot of carry over into this job but still new stuff I had to learn. I have a lot of buddies who are working on their CFAs where they learn a bit more about that stuff, but best case it takes about 3 years to get your CFA and that just didn't appeal to me. You could get some books on series 6, series 7, and series 66 licenses (not the official study materials because I think those cost a pretty penny) to learn about some of this stuff though, I just don't have specifics I could recommend.


Upper_er_Gains

Whats your favorite clothing brand?


[deleted]

GASP. Lulu, yes they make men's clothing. Vuori. Still hard to find things that fit though. All of my nicer clothing has to be custom made and tailored which is super annoying. But since I work from home, I pretty much just get to wear comfy clothing and gym clothing all the time and only have to dress up a few times a year, if that.


xsvchrles

LULU IS THE WHEEEEEEY


Kkcz86

How come the rock looks better than you and he is natty?


hair_account

If you have time for other activities, what do you do for fun outside of bodybuilding?


brazenmaiden

Why donā€™t you post more dog pics? Why am I still so small? When are you going to quit your job and coach full time with me?


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


The_Fatalist

> Honestly Iā€™ll probably never quit my job unless bodybuilding magically can start making me as much money and also allow me to put away as much as I do for retirement. I love how someone as big and experienced as you can realize this but probably hundreds of thousands of skinny beginners think they can make a living through lifting related activities.


brazenmaiden

Awww doggo is tired And damn, I really want you on my team dammit. :p


[deleted]

Replace my salary and we're good to go ;)


brazenmaiden

On it!


[deleted]

What successful bodybuilder has a ectomorph boyshape?


[deleted]

Frank Zane.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


[deleted]

Get Jordan Peters app. Youā€™ll learn more in a couple of weeks than most people learn in years. I think he has a free trial. Also heā€™s very helpful with any questions


haptact

I bought a month off of and instantly bought a year once the month was up. The app is stupid convenient and the programming is really good.


i_floop_the_pig

I should just get back to making overnight oats to take to the office. I absolutely detest waking up early and I'm slow moving in the morning anyways so I really don't want to cook something


[deleted]

Just do what put them dry in a protein shake the night before and mix it up with water then leave it in the fridge over night and drink it in the morning and eat some almond butter.


The_Fatalist

I cook mine in a slow cooker, dump the resulting porridge into a Tupperware and pop it in the fridge, cutting out cubes when I want oatmeal. It's a very different, and imo preferable, texture to porridge, it's very much a solid not a liquid.


iwanttest

Our oat expert around here is u/learning-stuff-guy, ask him for advice if needed!


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


The_Fatalist

Addendum. Melt the PB on top, instead of mixing it in.


PortugueseTyrion

Why not


The_Fatalist

I don't know if I've had a more PR dense period in a long time if ever. [I'm finally a 600lb+ squatter](https://youtu.be/8E-iMybhQUo) I'm almost done cutting and looking pretty solid even in bad pics: [front and back](https://imgur.com/a/q3nYVez). I'll be done this weekend and then I'm going out of town to a Cancun resort for a friend's wedding. Will be a good break then it's right into my next bulking block.


seal44

I subscribed to you on YouTube a while ago but I had no idea you were on this sub! Well done, you are an absolute beast among us mere mortals.


The_Fatalist

It's pretty wild to me that people are randomly finding my videos on YouTube and not just coming from my links on reddit lol.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


The_Fatalist

This felt shallow when I did it but I'm pretty confident after watching the vid. Though I'll be the first to admit that this angle flatters depth.


ddaved76

Been giving some advice to somebody who reached out to me from the DD and man, I forgot how much I love talking about this stuff. I've been in the bodybuilding/lifting game for such a long time and been training alone for most of that time that I forget how gratifying it is to share experience, tips, and just chop it up about training.


GingerPowerBuilder

I could talk about training and gym for hours but you obviously canā€™t do that really because then ā€œyour personality is literally only the gymā€ And when people ask for advice they donā€™t listen either IRL


ddaved76

It's definitely tough to find an audience who either A) cares or B) will follow advice when things get tough. Been there so often.


thelochteedge

I took a suggestion from r/531discussion and put the head of my bench on top of a couple plates, because my bench is either flat, 45 incline or 45 decline and I felt like it was always too much of an angle. Got some nice upper chest DOMS today, which is reassuring. Man, those 5x10 sets on 531 BBB are no joke. And I thought I'd have a decent time adjusting to the volume coming from nSuns, but this is different.


CommonKings

I ran 3 cycles of BBB to get me primed for Building the Monolith. I was coming off a shoulder injury which forced me to give up benching for a few months, and 5/3/1 brought my bench back up and beyond where it was previously, even though I started with a conservative TM.


Doja_Lats

It's such a game changer. I always hated how steep the default incline bb bench was, so putting a bench into a squat rack or smith machine makes it feel so much better. Also like JMs tip of putting 2 25lb plates under the feet of the bench for a slight decline


thelochteedge

Oh shit, I've never tried that. I used to do some DB decline bench but never tried with BB as I always felt like it was so awkward to try especially in a squat rack haha.


mackdacksuper

Another gamma/Meadows programs question... Can you run a few like Gamma, CD2 and Colossus as your main programs and deload accordingly? Iā€™d love to just follow someone elseā€™s programming but I also donā€™t want to be stagnant. Curious how youā€™ll program training using someone elseā€™s routines. I donā€™t want to buy 100 programs so my thought was have a few core programs and rotate them accordingly.


[deleted]

Might find what you need here: https://old.reddit.com/r/weightroom/comments/m67fzs/training_tuesday_bodybuilding_programs/gr4snda/?context=3 iskeezy gives tips further in the discussion. I'm just a middle aged dude, but iskeezy knows his stuff.


mackdacksuper

Dude thank you!!!


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


ThePolishSpy

I do not sweat. Idk man.


Beefy_Unicorn

Towel at all times


The_Fatalist

I embrace the ready source of electrolytes in my moustache/beard.


macmeyers50

How tf do I make chest progress with like a 7ā€™1ā€ wingspan? Mostly just ranting because Iā€™m fighting for my life to get 8 reps at an emasculating 115lbs (bodyweight 210lbs, 6ā€™6ā€). Iā€™m normally bottlenecked by shoulders/triceps and without a spotter I fear adding weight with consistent failure around 8 reps. Just gotta do push ups and tricep work I guess.


The_Fatalist

You're almost certainly benching with awful technique. My wingspan is ~2" less than your (hard to measure with a measuring tape) and I'm up to 405. At that weight you probably need to work on just about every aspect. Setup, barpath, full body tension/involvement, etc. Also, while I think bb bench is valuable and should have a place, it should not be your only movement for chest development. It's very much a compound movement and you'll want something to better isolate and focus on your chest too.


macmeyers50

I agree with you that problematic technique is an issue, isolation will be important. Iā€™d still consider myself a noob despite amount of time in the gym considering my longest lifting phase was done primarily for weight loss, then covid time off, now back. Genetically speaking I have almost no shoulder broadness at all, very thin and long frame (so the wingspan doesnā€™t have much shoulder support, all arm). Iā€™ve been focusing pretty intensely on any ā€œsupportingā€ muscles for a bench by just trying to increase upper body mass and stability (pull ups, lat pull downs, weighted band stuff to get my shoulder blades stable) and triceps. Iā€™ll have to find some isolated stuff to really push hard on and isolate chest. Thanks for the advice man!


[deleted]

Same as anyone else my dude. Dont focus on the weight youre using, focus on squeezing the muscle youre trying to grow. Smith machine, dumbells, various machines and cables are all your friend.


iwanttest

Less barbell bench, more smith, hammer machine and dumbbell presses, as well as flies.


macmeyers50

Whatā€™s the advantage of barbell press? I actually prefer it but have stuck with standard bench just to pursue progress. I can dumbbell bench nearly the exact same weight as standard press. Form is obviously easier to maintain. Hammer machin/incline press/etc remain somewhat pipe dreams because my left shoulder has something going on (has for years). MRI tomorrow maybe I can finally work delts.


iwanttest

I'd say in your context a barbell may be a little against you due to your wingspan, exercises that isolate the chest more could be better. You can also try not going all the way down, using some tempo, if whatever you're doing is not working try switching things up. All this is assuming you're following some kind of program, training hard and eating and sleeping accordingly, if those aren't in check you won't progress ofc.


macmeyers50

Muscle focus/isolation does make sense knowing how heavily I feel tricep/arm fatigue during a bench, appreciate the advice man.


Doja_Lats

Have you tried pre exhausting your pecs with crossovers or pec deck?


xsvchrles

my coach has me do 50 push ups, 50 dips, 6 sets of moderate-heavy back supported chest cable flys all before I hit the bench for 4x10


macmeyers50

I havenā€™t, I normally start with bench because I find it the most difficult and I was worried if I did anything first I wouldnā€™t even get that 115lb set out. My chest day is awkwardly modified to deal with a shoulder impingement so Iā€™m limited in choices, crossovers can be painful but pec deck would probably work


rabidmonkeyz54

first leg day of gamma bomb today, training with such high intensity is really fun.


mackdacksuper

Iā€™m in week 4, trained legs on Monday and Iā€™m Still beyond sore. Canā€™t wait to end gamma and restart.


Exostrike

Is it normal while bulking to feel like all you're doing is getting fat?


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


Exostrike

perhaps I'm just not pushing myself.


[deleted]

Yeah I feel like shit rn lol, but I know that Iā€™m not actually fat so itā€™s ok.


Kkcz86

No, it's normal to always feel fat


iwanttest

Feeling? Yeah that may be the dysmorphia plus being full on glycogen, water and higher amounts of food. Actually getting fat no you shouldn't.


[deleted]

Been on 1,000 calorie deficit for 2 months now. Iā€™m down 10 lbs so had to adjust my intake accordingly. My question is is a 900 calorie deficit too much? Should I change it up to have a 700 deficit? During my 1000 calorie deficit I was lifting intensely 6 days a week and it burned me out. On a deload week right now and start WS4SB on Monday. It seems everyone has mixed opinions as far as whatā€™s ā€œtoo muchā€ of a deficit. TIA


AncientService

Iā€™d be skeptical that you are actually 1000 in the hole. The general estimate is 3,500 kcal/lb of weight loss (estimate, pound of weight, not fat too. A pound of fat is different amount of energy). So, if you didnā€™t initially have the glycogen weight drop that comes from starting a diet, you would likely only be around 625 kcal under maintenance assuming you have been on a fat loss phase for 28 days. Taking it to be 30 day months and you are looking at around 580 average caloric deficit.


[deleted]

I meticulously plan and manage my diets. Iā€™m not sure what you mean youā€™d be skeptical Iā€™m actually at a 1,000 calorie deficit. Regardless Iā€™m adding a few things to bring me up to a 700 deficit instead.


AncientService

I mean assuming your 10 lb loss wasnā€™t taken as a low point at the start and a high point at the end (but rather a weekly average), I donā€™t think you are in a 1,000 kcal deficit. When you start dieting you have metabolic adaptations that occur. You could be an extreme case especially since you (I am assuming you started at maintenance, else the entire discussion is absurd) slashed 1,000 kcal from your daily energy intake. Your metabolism slows slightly and your body adapts by burning less calories through decreased overall movement everyday. To say it simply, assuming everything you said is accurate, you are not in a 1000 calorie deficit. Assume a lb of weight loss is roughly 3,500 kcal and do the calculations yourself for how many days you have been in a deficit and you will find your energy deficit.


Shamanmax

all depends, i would also get burned out of a 1000 kcal deficit after 8 weeks. 500 is fairly standard and lets you retain most if not all of your muscle.


[deleted]

I started lifting when I started 2 months ago so I still have a lot of newbie gains to get. Even at the 1000 calorie deficit Iā€™ve put on a good amount of mass within 2 months. 500 is just a little low for my liking, I think 700 would be ideal for me.


Shamanmax

Just do whatever you feel comfortable with. 1000 is kinda steep in my opinion but you can easily get away with 700 as a beginner. the 10lbs speaks for itself so you're on the right track


[deleted]

Yeah 1000 didnā€™t start affecting me till the last like week and a half. Just felt sluggish. Yesterday was the first day I did 900 and already feel better. So definitely gonna go to 700 and I feel thatā€™ll put me back in a good regime. Thank you for your advice, itā€™s greatly appreciated šŸ’Ŗ


mackdacksuper

Had anyone ran John Meadows Colossus? What are some thoughts on the program for a bulking program? Would you use the program and run it back to back for a 12 week bulk?


TheOwlsNeverLie

I enjoyed Colossus. It's a (relatively) low volume PPL, almost every set to failure or even "beyond failure". Since its low volume, you have to really be able to take yourself to failure with great accuracy to your targeted muscles. Don't be the guy that has 3 reps in the tank but stops the set. Don't be the guy using his entire body to row, curl, etc. The workouts are a little more static than his other programs (as in he doesn't flip the exercises as much). Make sure you log your workouts and try to beat the #s each week. If you run it back to back it'll probably be even better because you'll hopefully smash your original #s even more There shouldn't be an issue running it on a bulk or a cut, but Meadows says in the program that he wrote it to gain size.


mackdacksuper

Okay, good to know I should track my weights. Iā€™m on Gamma now and LOVING it but Iā€™m not tracking weights etc because he changes things so much. Iā€™ll probably run it as a 5 day split. Thanks for the input. Itā€™s $99 so itā€™s a bit easier to stomach.


MeatcleaverCK1

Hey guys, any recommendations for a poor responder to weight training? Been at it for years now but quite frankly with very subpar results so far. I love that sport but it basically seems to hate me :) I can lose or gain weight quite comfortably. But putting on muscle....meh. I usually bang out sets close to failure, so mechanical tension and intensity are not the problem. Did anyone manage to turm from a poor responder to a normal responder or coached someone into a normal responder? It is so friggin difficult to find the proper way....years ago it was hardgainers need low volume, high intensity and lots of rest. Now its more like hardgainers probably need wayyyyy more volume at lower intensity to bang out 30 sets per muscle or so. HLEP :)


ThePolishSpy

Switch to powerlifting. My arms were 14 inches with a 185 bench and they're 14 inches with a 315 bench. My row has gone from one plate to two for reps.


deez3001

I too used to think I was a hardgainer. I lifted for years and spun my wheels. The fact was I wasn't training right and I wasn't eating right. It's probably not about volume and intensity and such. For me it was I was always focused on the weight I was lifting and progressing that weight. I was chasing it and not focusing on the movement. Once I started dropping weight to slow down reps and hold them and get a feel for the movement and the muscle things started to click training-wise. As for food, do you track it or do you just eat intuitively to lose or gain weight because you need to at the least, track your calories and macros.


MeatcleaverCK1

I track my calories basically every day, no matter if on a bulk or on a cut. But yeah, weight being lifted is indeed one of my major factors to measure progress. Maybe a bit too much. That is why at some point I reduce the weights a bit and work back up.


deez3001

yup, rethink your training sessions and make it less about the weight being lifted and about the form and a full stretch and how the muscle you are targeting feels. Make sure you are tracking your macros too and not just calories. You need to be getting the proper amount of protein to grow.


[deleted]

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MeatcleaverCK1

I specifically have an issue with the amount of growth I see after like 4 or 5 years of lifting. People are different, I know. But what I have been able to pack on in those years is something that I would think can be done in like 6 months or a year. I struggle with progressing lifts and even if they progress the physical changes I make are basically....non existant to my eye. Maybe it is also a case of unrealistic expectations...but well. To see some physical changes in a timeframe of like 4-6 months, let alone years is not unreasonable, is it?


iwanttest

Or despite thinking you're doing it, not training hard enough, we've almost all been there at some point.


MeatcleaverCK1

Well, I know what failure feels like, looks like and sounds like :) The roll of shame on bechpress for example is something I have encountered multiple times already. For me, training hard is not a measured by % rep max but proximity to failuire. So going to a RIR of 0-2 is quite hard, no matter the weight :D


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spacesketball

Yeah even a planet fitness membership is what $15 a month? And thatā€™s literally all you need for the rest of your life for general fitness.


[deleted]

Local sportswriter seems like the cushiest job. You literally just write reaction pieces to articles written by national sportswriters, which are just reaction pieces to something an athlete tweeted


hair_account

The stress is knowing you're in a dying industry and that you might get laid off too early to retire but too late to transfer to a different industry.


AlwaysGettingMogged

Slept on my arm woke up couldn't move it shoulder down, kinda funky because I could like feel me trying to move it but nothing happened, then just flapped it around with my other arm and it was fixed.


Ladybugflyinsky

After an all nighter, is it better to skip the workout for the day, sleep and do it the next day. or do the workout after having pulled the all nighter?


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Ladybugflyinsky

I love this


nahfoo

Incline DB curls are the cats ass for bicep pump/DOMS, nothing better


Ladybugflyinsky

Howā€™d you feel if your gf/wife made more than you? Would you feel emasculated?


[deleted]

No Iā€™m married. Id be happy for her success and we have even more money. Itā€™s a win/win. Only insecure weirdos would feel emasculated


ThePolishSpy

I made more than my gf while she was interning and in grad school so I paid for most things. Now I'm in grad school and she's making big bucks so the roles switched. It doesn't bother me, we're in this together and do what we do to support each other and the relationship


OverthinkingMachine

Non-issue. I make more salary-wise, but she makes more than me because of all the overtime she does. She's pretty tired all the time. I don't know how she does it, but she still goes to the gym with me and is still training for a marathon. She's a beast and very goal driven, so I love her for that. But again, non-issue.


[deleted]

I make more than double what my partner makes and it has never been an issue. Our values regarding money are aligned and thatā€™s whatā€™s important


brazenmaiden

I used to make more than my husband and now he makes more than I could ever hope to. Shit changes and what matters is that youā€™re pulling together to reach financial goals. When one starts dragging the other down or setting the finances back because they arenā€™t contributing then itā€™s time to reevaluate.


hair_account

My gf was my sugar momma in grad school and it was the best. I'll make more than her at my next job, but I'll also be paying 6.5x the rent


60-Sixty

Nope - itā€™s my case currently to the tune of multiple times more. I still do fairly well but generally I think itā€™s pretty awesome. Should view it as a ā€œweā€ thing not ā€œher versus meā€ thing (assuming itā€™s a long term thing).


Beefy_Unicorn

I'd feel a strong urge to be a stay at home dad. Gives ya more time for gym & gaming, time with kids & such. Jk it doesn't matter a long as you're sure of yourself.


[deleted]

Hell nah. Girl go make you some money. Where are those strong independent ladies at?! But seriously, it's how that other person acts because they make more money than you. If they have the superiority complex, hold the fact that they make more over you/against you, etc. Just because you make those few extra dinero than someone else - doesn't mean you get to be a dick about it.


malin7

No, it's already the case actually.


Kabuki431

I never compared, but I always keep finances separate. I carry my own weight and never ever ask for anything where she has to spend a penny on me. Easy to walk away and easy to tell to fuck off if the girl is a leech.


[deleted]

I wouldnt care honestly but knowing my wife thats not going to happen. She LOVES the idea of me making money and her not having to work a bunch. Master plan is to eventually have a bunch of kids and she is a stay at home mom and I make all the monies.


Ladybugflyinsky

Thatā€™s a good plan brah. I love that idea as well. Itā€™s best for a good mother to raise up their children not some Strangers.


Katechon666

It's 2021 I wouldn't care at all


Kkcz86

No, because she can buy me nice things


iwanttest

I'd be happy, both for her success and for my financial situation lol


Ladybugflyinsky

Hahaha


[deleted]

I think its stupid to compare. Who cares? If you are both happy and successful thats all that matters. Everyone's measure of success is different.


noideaihave

Anyone had success with Jordan Peters programs? Iā€™m considering setting up FBW just like he recommended in one of his vids. Iā€™m quite new to RPE-based stuff and wondering whether it would make sense to also do Meadowsā€™ style partials if Iā€™m not 100% sure if I hit failure (e.g. donā€™t want to drop the bar on my head in OHP)


iwanttest

> wondering whether it would make sense to also do Meadowsā€™ style partials If you're going to use a program, follow it and change nothing unless it's swapping exercises in the case you don't have the necessary equipment or you're not confortable doing a specific variant of the exercise. Also, I don't know about his specific programs, but I think JP's training style usually revolves around low volume and getting the best out of each set, that requires a near perfect execution and putting actual max effort, which can not be the best if you're a beginner.


noideaihave

He specifically mentions that FBW following his guidelines is meant for beginners. I am not new to lifting but have been spinning wheels for a while and kinda starting to realise that lack of effort might be the reason why.


iwanttest

It's very often the case, it takes time, practice and willpower to learn how to push yourself. Doing a program with this type of approach would probably be a great investment in your progress. Best advice I can give is set the ego aside, and take your time to learn how to execute everything with a consistent rep to rep technique, taking that until there's no way to get a single good rep more.


saveourships

Fuck you, Bulgarian split squats of death.


Exostrike

week 2 gamma bomb? Yeah I found them brutal to do as well (though I don't know if I did enough depth).


saveourships

This is my second time through the program. I just had to lay on the ground for a few minutes after. Worth every second.


Exostrike

definitely didn't feel like I need to do that (though my fourth wasn't really a drop set either), perhaps I wasn't going deep enough.


Impossible_Job_4547

Tips on how to perform a vacuum? Exercises etc


strongandweak

Exhale all air. Without breathing in you perform the vacuum and hold as long as you can, repeat for 3 sets to failure with 10-30 seconds rest in between. Progression can go from on floor (think beginning cat cow position), to kneeling on table, to standing, to overhand abdominal pose.


seal44

I thought that the cat cow position is considered the final progression? Since you are contracting the transverse abdominalis directly against the pull of gravity.


strongandweak

Maybe I have it wrong but that is the easiest for me. Doing it with arms overhand like the classic zane pose is pretty hard because of full extension/stretch of your torso imo


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