Gym And Supplement Discussion

[r31slpr]

They should change once you reach them? Or do you mean before then?

[L33SH]

Many people here find that their goals have changed over time?

Nope, had the same goals for 11 months and no closer to achieving them

[Birds]

Nope, had the same goals for 11 months and no closer to achieving them

FYI, let's take a look at the last 2.5 months, let alone the last 11 months

12/07/13 (59kg bw) to 30/10/13 (57kg bw)

Deadlifts

40kg x 10

50kg x 10

50kg x 10

60kg x 10

60kg x 3

60kg x 10

70kg x 10

80kg x 10

90kg x 3

100kg x 1

Squats

20kg x 10

30kg x 10

30kg x 10

35kg x 10

40kg x 10

42.5kg x 10

45kg x 3 (failed on 4th)

35kg x 10

40kg x 10

45kg x 10

50kg x 5

50kg x 5

55kg x 5

60kg x 2

Flat Bench

25kg x10

30kg x10

30kg x10

35kg x 10

40kg x 1

25kg x 10

30kg x 10

35kg x 8

40kg x 4

45kg x 2

47.5kg x 1

Close Grip Lat Pulldown

30kg x 10

30kg x 10

40kg x 10

40kg x 10

50kg x 10

50kg x 10

55kg x 5

30kg x 10

40kg x 10

45kg x 10

50kg x 10

55kg x 10

60kg x 6

65kg x 3

Seated Row

25kg x 10

25kg x 10

30kg x 10

35kg x 10

40kg x 8

40kg x 8

30kg x 10

35kg x 10

40kg x 10

45kg x 10

50kg x 5

55kg x 5

Standing Shoulder Press

15kg x 10

15kg x 10

15kg x 10

15kg x 10

20kg x 7

20kg x 6

15kg x 10

15kg x 10

15kg x 10

20kg x 10

20kg x 8

25kg x 5

Bicep Curls

10kg x 10

10kg x 10

10kg x 10

10kg x 10

15kg x 10

15kg x 10

15kg x 10

15kg x 10

15kg x 10

20kg x 6

20kg x 5

20kg x 4

20kg x 4

Captains Chair Knee Raises

10

10

10

10

10

30

25

20

20

25

[L33SH]

You've chosen a date where I was actually making some progress. Compare the first date to my last sessions and you will understand what I'm talking about.

[Birds]

You've chosen a date where you are encumbered with injuries - this does not mean you have instantly lost muscular strength or progress, or that you have accomplished nothing in the way of your goals. Progress isn't always a step forward. Sometimes it is rest and recovery in order to tackle the weights again safely. You are your own harshest critic in this and that is a big speed bump in terms of attitude towards achieving said goals.

[L33SH]

You've chosen a date where you are encumbered with injuries - this does not mean you have instantly lost muscular strength or progress, or that you have accomplished nothing in the way of your goals. Progress isn't always a step forward. Sometimes it is rest and recovery in order to tackle the weights again safely. You are your own harshest critic in this and that is a big speed bump in terms of attitude towards achieving said goals.

Progress is going backwards either.

I don't know where you've got those dates and exercises from. 47.5kg bench press has only been achieved once for me on the 12/8. You have put 30/10 in your above post, which is totally incorrect. I didn't even train on the 30/10 as my training logs are all in my phone.

[Birds]

They are all copied and pasted from your build thread. And it's simply a date range logging your best lifts over 2.5 months versus what you started with - nowhere does it state you are doing the lifts on the same day.

[L33SH]

okay

Edited November 17, 2013 by L33SH

[Mitcho_7]

If your that unhappy with your progress, change your program?

Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is kinda silly. You can always come back to the program you have now.

[Birds]

How is she doing the same thing over and over again?

[rev210]

Mitch, whilst the strength gains aren't impressive relatively speaking .Birds has said before that this program isn't about getting stronger (big lifts). It's an asthetic program. So in fairness the volume is probably more relevant when you are looking at numbers.

[Mitcho_7]

Im not criticising the program by any stretch but it just seems like shes not happy with how its going, so rather than talk about how shes not happy with it again and again, change it.

Thats all I was suggesting.

I also think that if she can lift x amount for 10 reps as her third and/or fourth set and all the previous sets are lighter why not start on the heavier weight and do the same amount of sets?

Edited November 17, 2013 by Mitcho_7

[rev210]

I agree with you but, maybe its about whats more fun to do as well.

[No Crust Racing]

First question: 40-60mins 3 times a week, it was consistently an hour plus but since my back has been playing up it's cut down to 40 or so mins, which probably suits my lifestyle better anyway as it's been busy around here with a new bub and things going on (shed/cars etc).

As for goals, yeah they've changed. I had the goal of removing curls and no more squat dodging, which I'd started doing and was going OK, Leg issues threw a spanner in the works and squats and deads have been an issue as my hip and leg mechanics are fairly uneven now. Many visits to chrio, myo, physio, podiatrist etc and I'm not sure how even they will get but others with similar injuries say not to expect so much in the first 2 years after but it does continue to slowly get better. So, goals have shifted from wanting to have a decent squat/dead and balanced strength, to just trying to stay in shape for now.

Rest between sets has been dropped, weights lowered a touch, tempo increased, keep the heart rate up etc, empty bar squats added back in, empty bar deads added back in, just to keep the ROM in joints where possible, and doing broken down exercises, so instead of squats, doing lunges and calf raises which I can manage.

Goals are always shifting

As Rev said, I'm focusing on what's more fun as I was getting a bi bummed trying to lift heavier and just ending up hurting due to bad form/bad mechanics etc.

Edited November 17, 2013 by ActionDan

[Kenna802]

On a different note I have been trying to bulk and have cut all cardio out of my training. I have also come to the conclusion that trying to eat right all the time is a recipe for disaster ( last 2 weekends I have been travelling and staying at relatives and doing a lot of shopping blah blah.. ) Everytime I previously did this I always under ate and lost weight. This time I thought stuff it and ate what ever ( carrot cake, wagu beef burger, sushi etc ) and surprisingly all my lifts have gone up and I have not gotten any fatter

[Trozzle]

I found that the increased intensity and volume of my workouts almost managed to entirely counter the silly amounts of average food I was eating during my loldirtybulk....I can only imagine how much better it would've been if I just went all out on exclusively "cleaner" foods lol

[Birds]

On a different note I have been trying to bulk and have cut all cardio out of my training. I have also come to the conclusion that trying to eat right all the time is a recipe for disaster ( last 2 weekends I have been travelling and staying at relatives and doing a lot of shopping blah blah.. ) Everytime I previously did this I always under ate and lost weight. This time I thought stuff it and ate what ever ( carrot cake, wagu beef burger, sushi etc ) and surprisingly all my lifts have gone up and I have not gotten any fatter

Why is that surprising? Energy comes from calories; you increased your caloric intake and had more energy at your disposal during the workout

Albeit an extreme example, there's a simple reason body builders go from this to this in their off season

[Kenna802]

The reason I have found it surprising Birds is after a lot of the different Meds I have been on I usually just balloon up. That included when I was going to the gym during that time. At the moment I am still force feeding myself in order to gain and its hard for me to do so. I used to have oats for breakfast and tuna and fruit for smoko and a salad sandwich for lunch and always have no energy and very poor work outs. Now I have oats and a shake for breakfast, Chicken and brown rice/sweet potato and cottage cheese for smoko, lunch and arvo lunch or a carb/protein shake if I run out of food followed by post workout shake and than dinner. By the 3rd meal I just feel fat/stuffed but work mates and gym buddies have said that they have noticed me grow more since I have been doing that than the last 8 months of training put together.

[jangles]

The reason I have found it surprising Birds is after a lot of the different Meds I have been on I usually just balloon up. That included when I was going to the gym during that time. At the moment I am still force feeding myself in order to gain and its hard for me to do so. I used to have oats for breakfast and tuna and fruit for smoko and a salad sandwich for lunch and always have no energy and very poor work outs. Now I have oats and a shake for breakfast, Chicken and brown rice/sweet potato and cottage cheese for smoko, lunch and arvo lunch or a carb/protein shake if I run out of food followed by post workout shake and than dinner. By the 3rd meal I just feel fat/stuffed but work mates and gym buddies have said that they have noticed me grow more since I have been doing that than the last 8 months of training put together.

So you were eating nothing and now eating normal.... once you learn the caloric values of food you realize how little you were really eating, it's crazy to think back on what you once thought was a lot.

[jangles]

As for goals, yeah they've changed. I had the goal of removing curls and no more squat dodging, which I'd started doing and was going OK, Leg issues threw a spanner in the works and squats and deads have been an issue as my hip and leg mechanics are fairly uneven now. Many visits to chrio, myo, physio, podiatrist etc and I'm not sure how even they will get but others with similar injuries say not to expect so much in the first 2 years after but it does continue to slowly get better. So, goals have shifted from wanting to have a decent squat/dead and balanced strength, to just trying to stay in shape for now.

I take it you're referring to your hamstring troubles.... It won't get better on its own, it also won't get better chopping and changing between therapists trying to find a cure, unless they all suck of course. Give it time, a real amount of time. I'd choose physio as its muscle related, I went to chiro for 12 months before switching to physio, chiro doesn't fix the tight muscles that's causing the misalignment in the first place.

2 years before it even starts to slowly get better seems absolutely ridiculous. It should be better after the first session and continually improve with rehab and subsequent sessions that may last a long time, more so than a handful of 'many visits'.

To put it into perspective, I have frequented my physio and massage therapist for over 3 years now, it's an on going procedure, not something that I can sit round and hope it gets/stays perfect...as it doesn't, you just learn to live with the discomfort, as I did for the 6 years prior.

I would of thought strengthening your lower back and legs would only improve your imbalances if doing it right.

I can only suggest not to give up and do everything you can to fix it now, not avoid it and hope it goes away.