Gym And Supplement Discussion

[No Crust Racing]

How is that going to help though, sure it means both sides are doing the same amount but it still means the left side is weaker and the right side is not being pushed as much. I might just have to start using my left arm for more things so it's getting used throughout the day more.

I'll add the planking for now, I'm not sure my back would enjoy reverse crunches at the moment with squats, deadlifts, and barbell rows putting some strain through it, it's pretty weak. Cheers for the ideas.

[Birds]

It will help, your right arm will get used to the reduced number of reps as it's working load and will become slightly weaker, bringing it down to your left arm strength whilst the latter catches up. It's like being able to push 100kg on bench and then dropping the weight to 80kg for a month...by the end of the month you'll struggle to do the 100kg that you used to.

When I was doing concentration curls, I used to do the extra set with my left arm to make up for the reps that I missed out on for the last set. It did even things up a bit, but you will never get it 100% even simply because you are not ambidextrous. Regarding your back issues, I'd be avoiding concentration curls, as even with good technique these exert a lot of pressure on your back - not terribly good for people trying to sort out back problems. Does your back ever feel sore afterwards? Standing hammer curls with a twisting motion are a good alternative - done strictly they should also have a slightly better range of motion.

I've since ditched the freeweights for my bicep curls, in favour of parallel floor pulleys...these keep things very even, my biceps are now close to the same strength. I've also seen better results in terms of strength/size from these than I did with the freeweights.

[Birds]

Question for the protein gurus...is there any harm in using a blender to mix up protein powders? I wouldn't have thought so, but I recently pondered if protein is better for you in slightly thicker/clumped form vs completely liquified...or if it didn't matter at all.

[No Crust Racing]

No back pain from concentration curls that I have found, back got tender a bit when building the weight on squats and SLDL and beginning to go ass to grass in the squats also + doing bent over barbell rows but I felt that was to be expected somewhat and it's not a compounding discomfort if you get me, it's gone before the next session.

[Birds]

Also, add me to the "boooo @ your gf" list. Seems hardly fair, when most would love their partner to be taking as much pride in their appearance!

[No Crust Racing]

I'm sure I make it sound very one sided. She doesn't like big muscly guys or the attitude that many of them have so I'm guessing she's reacting that way because she thinks that's where I'm headed back to.

[Dani Boi]

Question for the protein gurus...is there any harm in using a blender to mix up protein powders? I wouldn't have thought so, but I recently pondered if protein is better for you in slightly thicker/clumped form vs completely liquified...or if it didn't matter at all.

I don't really see the logic behind this question, just mix it up however you want and drink it! Or eat it, I put it in my oats.

Oh and Dan, pics of gf?

Edited February 23, 2012 by Dani Boi

[Birds]

I know it sounds silly, but I'm no chemist, and I'm asking if how it's mixed in any way affects it's contents or what it's supposed to do. On that note, is there such a thing as diluting it too much, with too much milk or water?

[NickR33]

LOL I think that's what she thinks goes on in here Nick, though she has met a few SAUers at DECA and that was all good, she gets along with the likes of Leon and Campbell just fine (even when tanked)so she's no nose up bitch. She's been by my side for 5 years and I'm not exactly the worlds finest specimen in many respects.

I was just taking the piss, she seems cool... I can't stand high maintenance women

seriously though, if obsessing about your appearance is the worst you do I'm sure she'll cope... you WILL cop shit though... my wife is constantly giving me shit for checking myself out in the mirror lol... its a little vain but so is checking out your car or taking pics and posting them etc

plus a lot of us solely rely on the mirror + pics to gauge progress... not many of us are rocking skin fold calipers, measuring tapes, scales etc

[No Crust Racing]

Believe me I know all about the shit you get if you are too vain, another reason I toned it down so much, that and growing up.

Sif post pics of unhappy GF in thread with you lot.

Attend DECAs etc, she comes to pretty much most of them when I go and will be in heaps of photos, though she won't be at this one sorry guys.

Birds I wondered that one before, but resolved myself to fact that the product would have specifics about mixing if it was detrimental to its effectiveness.

Edited February 23, 2012 by ActionDan

[Dani Boi]

I know it sounds silly, but I'm no chemist, and I'm asking if how it's mixed in any way affects it's contents or what it's supposed to do. On that note, is there such a thing as diluting it too much, with too much milk or water?

I don't think it would effect it in anyway, but I'm only taking a guess here.

[Birds]

Ace, cause, I cbf with shaking anymore. I'll do a 6 set, 6-7 exercise session, but I refuse to shake another container of protein. Blend ahoy.

[R31Nismoid]

DW Dan.

You come down tomorrow night to Shepp... You get into pool, i'll sneak shots and then post them up - voyeur styles.

That'll fix up Kate!

[No Crust Racing]

My god that sounds creepy as hell lol

It rubs the lotion on its skin...

[Tangles]

I have no idea how you do leg shit with no knees. kudos to you.

awesome feeling doing freeweight angled leg press. Smashed legs today again, weights gave gone up for hamstring curls and leg extension. Doing the leg press in the Panatta rack is the hardest thing I've done at the gym; takes all my effort to push it up (knees start at my chest) and knock out some good sets, loving it! Best thing is I haven't had patella-tendon soreness afterwards whereas they'd be sore after cable leg press.

Finding it hard to end my sessions - just want to keep on going, energzer bunnylike.

Body is starting to respond to my 5x 90min workouts. Give me a few years, and........

[TM7GTR]

Question for the protein gurus...is there any harm in using a blender to mix up protein powders? I wouldn't have thought so, but I recently pondered if protein is better for you in slightly thicker/clumped form vs completely liquified...or if it didn't matter at all.

Funnily enough I've actually heard that you should just shake it up and drink it immediately... apparently blending it/letting it sit too long ruins the protein (just like you wouldn't mix it up then stick it in the fridge). Either way though protein is protein and if there is any difference it would be utterly minimal lol, as long as you're consuming heaps per day it shouldn't matter what way you do it.

[TM7GTR]

In terms of evening out arm size and strength (biceps in particular), focus more on the compound movements that include bi's. Little bit of advice here, ditch the curls lol. So many people doing curls but not realising isolation movements don't build size and strength, they just tone and chisel the muscles (e.g. preacher curls will give you awesome biceps peaks, but they won't necessarily grow the muscles). If you want to increase the size of your biceps do all sorts of chin up variants, focusing on close and neutral grips. Stick to 8-12 reps when trying to increase hypertrophy, and 4-6 for strength. Add weight plates on a belt when your bodyweight becomes too easy to lift. Another thing you may/may not realise is that the size of your arms relies heavily on grip strength and forearm development. I guarantee most people will have a slightly bigger or stronger arm on their dominant side (duhh) because you use that arm daily to grip things. If you want to even out your arms, you have to even out your forearms and grip strength on both. By the way, focus on your triceps and your biceps will follow in growth... do weighted upright dips.

[Birds]

The whole reason I got into gym was from doing nothing but bicep curls with a set of dumbells when I was about 15...they definitely got bigger (it's funny how much people notice muscles when the rest of the muscles in your body are still small) and I definitely added plates to the dumbells over the period that I did them. Isolation can and does increase the size and strength of a particular muscle group!

I think there are too many people doing nothing but isolation movements, neglecting major compound movements and expecting their whole body to get big and wondering why they aren't packing on the kg. I have a friend who does 3 different exercises each for biceps and triceps, whilst the deadlifts and bench press are secondary for him...then bitches about weighing less than 70kg...he never listens though

[GTR_JOEY]

ok been a few more weeks since ive started my strict diet...

first is 96 second is 92kg and 3rd pic is 91kg

I reckon theres a bit of difference, main thing i was worried about was losing muscle mass though i think ive managed to at least keep most of it

seems to be going well

[Birds]

Good work, though 1kg is marginal and can be the difference between dropping the kids off at the pool or skipping a meal, does look better in the second. How much more are you planning to lose? You will probably lose a tiny bit of muscle mass and strength, but not that much and it's definitely worth the trade off.