half human/half machine - downloading training data...

[startinfromscratch]

aawsum will c u there and say hi...tonight was surprisingly busy as, u wont like mondays its full

is there much foot traffic mid arvo? if i join il be there 1.30-200pm daily.

Mondays leg day, no need for a bench :grin:

[Android]

aawsum will c u there and say hi...tonight was surprisingly busy as, u wont like mondays its full

is there much foot traffic mid arvo? if i join il be there 1.30-200pm daily.

Mondays leg day, no need for a bench :grin:

It's good midday after lunch, but not quiet...half the people there don't do their legs so you'll be sweeeet :-)

[Android]

Less is more...less is more

This is what Iwas telling myself last night after the shortest Back workout I've done in a while.

I was a bit disappointed I allowed myself to engage in gym-conversation and waste precious time tbh.

Had a great heavy Back workout, just last week or the week before I was doing 30-100 rep sets and last night it was back to 8 reps maximum.

Short and sweet...

We started with lat pulldowns, the stack goes to 300 and my final set was 6 reps at 240, and about 10 reps at 195 - ye hah!

And I felt really strong on deadlifts and adding 40kg each time got up to 180kg and pounded out 8 good strict reps.

Got a bit dizzy, felt the stomach contents coming up afterwards but felt good knowing that I could have done a 200kg lift easily (I wouldn't do a 1RM, 6-8 reps is the lowest I am going this year).

Had a belt on and double-loop straps (new straps so cutting into the skin nice and deep).

Lastly (yeah I know, just 3 exercises!) we did seated rows on a machine. I concentrated on keeping the lats turned on coming back and stretching forward as well to give them a good working.

Like I said, I got distracted at this point and that was Back :-|

Less is more...less is more, I think it's working I am convincing myself it wasn't a wasted workout.

Just to be sure I will hit my middle and lower traps either on Friday before Arms, or in the weekend then I'll be happy :-)

Went to a free workplace physio checkup yesterday.

First thing the guy said to me was bodybuilders always have tight lats and I thought "wtf, you're a tosser"...but I kept my thoughts to myself :-)

Well he had me tuck my elbow in, face palm of my hand towards me, and see how far I can lift my elbow over my head without the elbow going sideways (outwards). Turns out I have tight lats haha.

he showed me him doing it and this skinny dude could raise his elbow vertical keeping it aligned and palm facing the body always - doh!

Then he said my right hip was lower than my left by 1cm. Got me to lie down and reckoned it might be 2cm difference and asked me "is my hip flexor tight?".

Actually I can't lift my right leg as high as my left leg and it does ache when I tie my laces but I thought I was just getting fat.

He dug his hands into my hip and relaxed it out a bit saying it was tight for some reason. He also said my left chest minor muscle is tight as it appears smaller than the right and he tried to dig that out but i stopped him. My chest is aching from the workout a few days ago and it still hurts like hell when I try and reach to put a seatbelt on etc.

He explained that most of us that lean against a wall and stretch the chest are only stretching the shoulder tie-in and major muscle, not the minor.

The way to stretch this out was to put an arm on a swiss ball and stretch downwards.

Interesting guy with the most knowledge of the human muscle system I've heard from in a long while despite my initial thoughts (well he's still a tosser, but a knowledgeable tosser).

He didn't sell me anything, didn't suggest weeks of therapy with him or anything like that but it has made me contemplate the benefits of stretching when you hear that one chest appears smaller then the other just because it's tighter, or that hips aren't even just due to tightness...that was definitely a "woah" moment.

[1day]

hrmmmm! ahahaha i tryd the elbow thing too, and i cant get much past vertical, lol but feels like shoulder stops me rather than lats?

[Android]

Legs, wonderful Legs

I am starting to like Legs now. 2 years ago I had thin athletic legs.

Until 2 years ago, for the previous 8 years I was (at my peak) leg pressing 480kg for 1 or 2 reps trying hard to get them to grow.

Wasn't doing Squats, I thought they were too hard to do and a heavy bar on my shoulders was bad of my back...that was my excuse anyway I put alot of effort into leg extensions and some into leg curls, hack squats I did as well facing the mirror not the position like you're in a scrum.

2 yeas ago I did club physical bodybuilding show and saw photos of how athletic I looked and thought....oh this isn't cool I want to be a bodybuilder, I want to be able to call myself a bodybuilder.

So I started squats, ended heavy leg presses, and hit new leg machines and exercises. Only once muscle started to develop and I was able to squeeze real leg muscle did i start to enjoy it and here's why I'm mentioning this....I noticed the same love/hate thing with my abs. When I didn't have any I hated working abs. As soon as I got some abs and could squeeze them and feel them I started to enjoy abs. Ab workouts now give me a rush and I swear squeezing the muscle gives of some 'good feeling' hormone or something strange like that is going on.

Oh my Leg workout...well lets jsut say I started with about 150 reps of leg extensions over 5 sets, then smith machine squats, then a glute exercise, lastly heavy leg curls...that was it :-) will do calve in the weekend, promise

[laurasaur]

Legs are awesome. Haha. NICE 150 SETS. The man.

[Gym rat]

I like training legs plus the fun of walking out of the gym and thinking could someone please get me a zimmer frame asp well done 150 reps ouch.

[Android]

Legs are awesome. Haha. NICE 150 SETS. The man.

nice to see u around again laurasaur :-) new job going ok?

[Android]

I like training legs plus the fun of walking out of the gym and thinking could someone please get me a zimmer frame asp well done 150 reps ouch.

cheers GR, legs are great ay!

Did triceps tonight, one of the best tri workouts ever ever...one of them anyway.

big numbers all exercises were standard.

seated pullover machine we just repped out 30 per set for 4 sets to warm up and expand the tricep, sets to failure but was to painful failure not muscle failure.

skull crushers next I did french-style where the ezycurl bar goes behind the head instead of down to the forehead. we repped out 20+ reps and then close-grip press. some sets I went back to skull crushers after the press to really exhaust, wicked pump!

then it was onto my first 100 rep cable pushdown set, 50 at medium weight, next 50 at heavier weight with rest-pauses at 80.

we probably did 250 reps in total for cable pushdowns easily, did a 40+ rep set to finish off :-) my triceps went blue and just a big lump. last set my shoulders hurt which tells me I was using them to move the weight cause the tricep was spent.

lastly cable kickbacks for 20 rep sets and we were done.

[1day]

:clap: love that 'pain failure' feeling ahe, lol. at least u know ur doin sumthing right when that happens :pfft: gud stuff :clap:

[Android]

Well today was Arms with calves at the end.

One of the best Arm,s days ever I am on a roll with great workouts.

In the last week I've made a change...I love change for growth!

I started to take a single-serve shake with my protein meals when I can. Happens at night mostly but during the weekend I can do it more often and I take a double-serve to work and drink half two times in the day.

If you've seen my protein question in the Diet section I am exploring the 'actual' time protein is in the body being absorbed rather than the usual 'digestion time'.

Because...if I eat every meat 3 hrs, then once digested (takes 3 hrs) it is absorbed like any other amino acids(rapidly), then at the 4 hr mark I'm low on amino acids, and even eating meat again 3 hrs later is leaving a 2 hr window open where I don't have any muscle building blocks available in my system.

Timeline looks like this:

0900 eat meat #1

1200 digested #1

1200 eat meat #2

1300 absorbed #1

1300 - 1500 lacking amino aicds

1500 digested #2

1600 absorbed #2

Okay, back to Arms I'll post up my new weight in another week.

We started with straight bar curls, I'd been reading about how easy the ezy-curl bar is for biceps because the wrist isn't supinated enough. And I need a peak so it was straight bar. I worked through pain but it was always pain that stopped my sets of 15 reps. By the final set my bicep was numb and I cranked out 25 reps with rest-pauses for the final 10 reps - ouch!

Next we did incline alternate supinating dumbbell curls. 10kg dumbbells getting 12 reps a set each arm squeezing like hell. Final set I went all out and after exhausting the bicep I dropped one and did 4 reps with one arm, then dropped that dumbbell and did 4 reps with the other arm....4 times, then picked both up again and went for it. Must have done 30 each arm and blew up the arm hard.

Next was preacher and I couldn't get a squeeze at the top if you paid me to. Which is good cause we just wanted the lower part worked!

Finally we did 21's with a straight bar, finished off with close grip curls on the last set and the biceps were looking huge for me.

Did about 4 high rep sets of calf raises, then single-legged calf raises holding a dumbbell. Just to keep them tight as tomorrow is Leg day.

During the week my workouts finish at 8pm.

My post workout meals (after my post-workout shake) are baked beans and chicken. Then after eating that I prepare another chicken and rice meal for before bedtime. I'm also downing a Casein shake for overnight. This is working wonders for my mass and energy levels the next day and I don't have to prepare lengthy dinner meals after a hard workout I just open a can of beans and fry some chicken - easy!

[gazza]

you must really have a grudge against those arms of yours big fella, that's a mean sounding workout.

love the meal plan at night, so simple but sounds effective for you. i'm looking for a few alternatives at the moment might have to give some of your tricks a go.

are you still doing those angled shrugs? how are they working out?

[Android]

Yes I am still doing those angled shrugs and I am really happy with how they feel, cheers mate ;-)

Someone also showed me that using a shrug machine, picking it up by the lowest set of handles and bent-over rows is also good for Back detail.

Manipulating food is my thing 8) I'll weight myself tonight and post it up after my leg workout...can't wait!

[Android]

Legs, wonderful Legs tonight!

Switched it up by doing Hack Squats first then Leg Extensions, that'll trick them!

No really I usually do Leg Exts first as a warm-up or to exhaust them first depending on whether I am going for a heavy weight workout or a light high rep one.

5 sets of Hack Squats trying to reach 20 reps, final set reached 24 with rest-pauses to get me there. The Quads went numb and I had trouble standing up but didn't feel sick so all good :-) I squeezed at the top of each rep pretty hard its the onyl way to get deep cuts to come through so I want to get these sorted...although it take years I've heard, so better late than never.

Leg Extensions, these I did single-legged for 15 rep sets, then more with both legs. Squeezing is a must, for one set I squeezed and held for a sec or two and by 10th rep it was over for my Quads.

Next up single-legged leg curls, nothing important here just trying to get 20 reps out and squeezing the hammy like a bicep.

Lastly I did lying leg curls with a relatively heavy weight for 8 - 10 reps, 3 sets and it was over.

Average workout in terms of intensity, first 2 exercises were intense but it faded from there and just went through the motions. Will catch-up with Legs again later in the week and trash the parts (hammies) that got let off lightly this time...ohh and do calves then too.

I weighed in at 111kg today, gains are slowing down and as I am committing to the CNIs I have 4 and 1/2 months to go.

I will start dropping excess fat in 2 weeks time, starting my contest preparation 16 weeks out, which will be 18 weeks out from the Nationals. This will allow me to come in as low b.f as I will have ever been without leaving excess skin around and without stressing in the last few weeks about my body fat....that's the plan.

My first move for fat loss will be no carbs after dark....excluding the post-workout shake glucose which will only go straight into the muscle anyway.

[Android]

Chest tonight and we started with my favourite, the incline dumbbell press.

Warmed up 30+ reps with 15kg, 20+ reps for 25kg, this got the blood into the chest without tiring my arms and I went straight to 35kg, stopping at 12 reps. Then 50kg for 8 reps, finally 55kg for 8 reps, all me. They didn't have 60kg else I would have done those instead of 55kg, they have 62.5kg but I wasn't confident enough. In hindsight I could have I'm sure.

Next up was seated incline press machine, we did medium weight for 20 reps and it was hard to reach 20 with muscle pain. Different to the previous exercise where the heavy weight exhausts the muscle, no pain at all the muscle jsut can't lift anymore, this one hurts at 20 reps. 4 sets of these painful ones.

Next up cable crossovers...I think. Well I start fully out-stretched which already hurts to do from the previous exercises and pull the cables forward and up and squeeze. No crossover happening just bring the cables together in the middle. This one hurts too for 15 reps, it hurts when I stretch back, especially my biceps which hurt from a workout in the weekend. And also hurts when I squeeze forward and pump the chest up, really felt endorphine rush as the upper chest area from outer to inner swelled up.

Lastly we did seated press machine for 110 reps...took me 5 sets to do it as the arms got tired around 20 - 30 reps each time....but we made it!

Great chest workout, 5 exercises, less than an hour in the gym

[gazza]

Chest tonight and we started with my favourite, the incline dumbbell press.

Warmed up 30+ reps with 15kg, 20+ reps for 25kg, this got the blood into the chest without tiring my arms and I went straight to 35kg, stopping at 12 reps. Then 50kg for 8 reps, finally 55kg for 8 reps, all me. They didn't have 60kg else I would have done those instead of 55kg, they have 62.5kg but I wasn't confident enough. In hindsight I could have I'm sure.

Next up was seated incline press machine, we did medium weight for 20 reps and it was hard to reach 20 with muscle pain. Different to the previous exercise where the heavy weight exhausts the muscle, no pain at all the muscle jsut can't lift anymore, this one hurts at 20 reps. 4 sets of these painful ones.

Next up cable crossovers...I think. Well I start fully out-stretched which already hurts to do from the previous exercises and pull the cables forward and up and squeeze. No crossover happening just bring the cables together in the middle. This one hurts too for 15 reps, it hurts when I stretch back, especially my biceps which hurt from a workout in the weekend. And also hurts when I squeeze forward and pump the chest up, really felt endorphine rush as the upper chest area from outer to inner swelled up.

Lastly we did seated press machine for 110 reps...took me 5 sets to do it as the arms got tired around 20 - 30 reps each time....but we made it!

Great chest workout, 5 exercises, less than an hour in the gym

ouchy what did your chest ever do to you :-s nice workout mate :nod:

[luv.me.oats]

Keen to join us at RPM?

[Gym rat]

Chest tonight and we started with my favourite, the incline dumbbell press.

Warmed up 30+ reps with 15kg, 20+ reps for 25kg, this got the blood into the chest without tiring my arms and I went straight to 35kg, stopping at 12 reps. Then 50kg for 8 reps, finally 55kg for 8 reps, all me. They didn't have 60kg else I would have done those instead of 55kg, they have 62.5kg but I wasn't confident enough. In hindsight I could have I'm sure.

Next up was seated incline press machine, we did medium weight for 20 reps and it was hard to reach 20 with muscle pain. Different to the previous exercise where the heavy weight exhausts the muscle, no pain at all the muscle jsut can't lift anymore, this one hurts at 20 reps. 4 sets of these painful ones.

Next up cable crossovers...I think. Well I start fully out-stretched which already hurts to do from the previous exercises and pull the cables forward and up and squeeze. No crossover happening just bring the cables together in the middle. This one hurts too for 15 reps, it hurts when I stretch back, especially my biceps which hurt from a workout in the weekend. And also hurts when I squeeze forward and pump the chest up, really felt endorphine rush as the upper chest area from outer to inner swelled up.

Lastly we did seated press machine for 110 reps...took me 5 sets to do it as the arms got tired around 20 - 30 reps each time....but we made it!

Great chest workout, 5 exercises, less than an hour in the gym

Ouchy is right that is mean chest work out.Very nice workout

[Android]

Pulled myself away from the gym tonight.

I had it booked to do Back but instead chose to REST as I feel borderline over-trained. When I wake up in the morning and my head is cloudy until well into the working day ... it means my CNS is fried (well I guess it is as I kinda can tell when it might come). Last week was 4 workouts then 1 rest day, then 3 workouts, all extremely intense.

I've had a container of Glutamine and container of BCAA powder set aside for cutting phase but I've cracked the top of the Glutamine tonight and will start using it.

So I BK'd it tonight with a double whopper cheese burger, large coke and soft serve cone LOL.

[Android]

Supreme workout tonight, the REST I took off yesterday has bumped me up to 112kg :-)

I dropped a Panandol as we had done Chest 2 days ago and I wanted to work past pain and go to muscle failure instead...it worked.

It was Shoulders and we started with seated dumbbell press. 12 reps per set, 5 sets, 15, 20, 25 and 2 at 30kg. Even at the low weights I squeezed the delts and did controlled presses as this isn't a heavy weight. The front delts were hurting but we persevered through it.

Dumbbell side raises, seated and super strict. This was the most stupid I have ever gone with this exercise. 8kg dumbbells is light...right. Yeah well set after set of 20+ reps makes them blow up and if I wasn't on Panadol they would have hurt. The final set was 20 reps, then one at a time reached 30, then dropped to 5kg for 10, then partner behind with arms on mine and pressing outwards against his resistance for 5-10 I forget as this is like a 50-rep set! Totally got a rush off this when it was finished but doing it was agony. I made him pay for that don't worry with his set.

Next up, was funny...front raises with the plates. I grabbed a 20kg plate and gave him a 15kg plate. We did this for 2 sets and then I picked up my plate plus his....that's 35kg, and did 8 strict reps before dropping his plate and continuing with my 20kg plate for another 8-10 reps. Awesome set totally exhausted me muscle-wise and outta breath too. big weight for me to be doing 35kg front raises like that and hard to hold the plates together too.

Finally, well not quite, I did rear delts with an incline bench and squeezed out 3 sets each arm. This exercise is a good isolation one that needs a light weight and relies on strict form and squeezing.

Finally now! Shrugs. I'm doing Back tomorrow but wanted to get the upper traps done and dusted so tomorrow I have time to lower traps. Shrugs blew up my traps something good and I was pleased with the look in the mirror.

That was Shoulders! Awesome workout great pushing past boundaries. Meals now are 2 cans of baked beans and 2 cans of tuna...tinned food I know but I have enough chicken for tomorrow and have to go shopping again for meat.

Will post up a meal plan switch soon as I switch from bulking to cutting soon. Will be nothing amazing just limit carbs after dark to my post-workout glucose and some new amounts that's all.

[Gym rat]

Nice shoulder train Android.

[startinfromscratch]

Android, just thought id share a thought i had the other day - i am sick of beef, had it twice a day for ages without change, so i bought some chicken mince which got me thinking...

would chicken mince be digested/absorbed quicker than chunks? minces have a huge 'surface area' to be broken down by stomach acid..

just food for thought about your recent meat absorbtion q's!

[Android]

Android, just thought id share a thought i had the other day - i am sick of beef, had it twice a day for ages without change, so i bought some chicken mince which got me thinking...

would chicken mince be digested/absorbed quicker than chunks? minces have a huge 'surface area' to be broken down by stomach acid..

just food for thought about your recent meat absorbtion q's!

yeah god thinking, I don't know.

The difference is the fibres have all been chewed up for you which we do a little bit with our mouths and then the rest gets broken up in the stomach which takes time. Dunno about the digestion times and can't find anything on the 'net about the difference, will keep looking

[Android]

Big Back workout tonight.

We were already psyching ourselves up for this after last weeks great deadlifts.

So tonight we started with deadlifts, jumping from a set of 60kg right up to 140kg and then onto to 200kg, this set was 7 strong reps! After my training partner did some 180s I did a single at 203.5kg just to get a PB in, but I was already way to tired to rep....so just one.

I tweaked my shoulder, it hurts like it used to when I was doing 1RM bench presses a few years ago for a comp. *sigh* will take it easy and back off the heavy lifts for a while.

Pulldowns next, leaned right back and we did 15-20 rep sets, still on a high from the deadlifts and wanted to hit inner back so leaned right back rather than sitting upright which hits lats a bit more.

Next up was seated machine rows, close grip and squeezed the lats hard on th epull and kept them hard on the release. Really good sets here could have done more but we moved on.

Next was incline shrugs, 20kg dumbbell shrugs on an incline bench. 4 sets and final set dropp 20s for 15kg when tired, then did 100 with no weight just squeezing and this took forever! wanted to stop at 50 but thought...why stop if I can do more? ... and so more I did :-)

That was Back, hit everything that I wanted to but will do more rows next time rather than deadlifts.

Stopped carbs after dark now, cooked 500gms of steak and will eat it in 2 meals before bedtime.

[1day]

how come u stopin afta dark carbs alredy?