The UnionVGF Weightlifting/Workout Thread

I recommend the book MASS MADE SIMPLE by Dan John. EAT MORE,Lift heavy. Look the part.

Amazon product

http://danjohn.net/2011/05/mass-made-simple-2/

Gives me the goosebumps just thinking about it.... But i knew cold showers are beneficial for you. Think it may be s little too advance for someone like me but it's definitely rattling around in my head now. Maybe I'll start in the summer! :D

I lost 2 kg's since that last post. At 88 right now and happy with my progress.

BUT i need to switch things up pretty soon cus i don't want to look skinny which I'm currently close to. I do have muscle progress but I'm still doing high reps and low weight. Is it ok to stick with it or should i do some drastic changes?
I just don't want to look boney as sh1t and no muscles.

I'm thinking it's best to drop down to 82-83 then change from caloric deficit to caloric surplus. People keep telling me that's harder to do and i should start right now instead but I still got fat around my waist primarily. Some expert advice would be awesome!
 
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Gives me the goosebumps just thinking about it.... But i knew cold showers are beneficial for you. Think it may be s little too advance for someone like me but it's definitely rattling around in my head now. Maybe I'll start in the summer! :D

I lost 2 kg's since that last post. At 88 right now and happy with my progress.

BUT i need to switch things up pretty soon cus i don't want to look skinny which I'm currently close to. I do have muscle progress but I'm still doing high reps and low weight. Is it ok to stick with it or should i do some drastic changes?
I just don't want to look boney as sh1t and no muscles.

I'm thinking it's best to drop down to 82-83 then change from caloric deficit to caloric surplus. People keep telling me that's harder to do and i should start right now instead but I still got fat around my waist primarily. Some expert advice would be awesome!

I reckon it's best to do a bit of everything, as your body reacts better to variation in exercises/reps.

Maybe do your first couple sets in the exercise low weight but go real slow especially on your extension and then last two sets go heavy, try and keep form but cheat a little on your last couple reps just to get it up.

I think it was Kai Greene or Jay Cutler said he does his first 5 reps real slow, then next 5 explode up but then go real slow on your extension and then last 5 just pump it out, i've been trying that and damn i struggled to finish my workout i was so sore!
 
I lost 2 kg's since that last post. At 88 right now and happy with my progress.

BUT i need to switch things up pretty soon cus i don't want to look skinny which I'm currently close to. I do have muscle progress but I'm still doing high reps and low weight. Is it ok to stick with it or should i do some drastic changes?
I just don't want to look boney as sh1t and no muscles.

I'm thinking it's best to drop down to 82-83 then change from caloric deficit to caloric surplus. People keep telling me that's harder to do and i should start right now instead but I still got fat around my waist primarily. Some expert advice would be awesome!

Sorry for the late reply! I'm not a fan of any drastic change, simply because in my experience, drastic changes never stick for very long. It's better to take a little longer and progress toward your goal slowly, and then you have a better chance of actually keeping it.
Slightly higher protein, lower carb diet will help you to continue to lose body fat, and as mentioned above if you want to gain muscle, you definitely have to use heavier weight. You simply cannot gain muscle by using light weight/high reps. That type of workout has its time and place, but not when you want to gain muscle. That being said I'm a big proponent of HIT training; basically it just follows a few rules: brief (less than an hour), intermittent (usually 2-3 days a week), intense, and progressive. Any work out there falls under those parameters is technically an H I T type of workout. If you want to learn more about it, check out this free FAQ: http://www.steroidology.com/forum/training-forum/3381-hit-training-all-you-need-know.html
And of course, continue to ask questions, and keep us updated on your progress! Obviously there are some people here that have some good experience, and I'm looking forward to hearing everybody's input.
I'm eight weeks into the cold water training, and I just did a 20 second icewater challenge yesterday. The water was 34°, and the air temperature was about 38°, so of course I filmed it :-). Coldwater trading is honestly been one of the most incredibly beneficial things I've ever done! Better sleeping, far more energy throughout the day without coffee, reduce body fat, faster recovery from injuries, and just an overall much greater feeling of well-being! There's also a link in the following article to a study about how cold exposure increases testosterone levels significantly: http://chestsculpting.com/how-cold-...-you-lose-fat-grow-muscle-and-boost-recovery/

And here's my vid for anyone interested:

 
Hurt my knee today. It was weird, it's deload week for me (easy week) and I was doing a deadlift warm up set and just got sharp pains in my knee and had to quit. Luckily it's deload week so don't have much to do anyway, but hoping my knee is good by next week.
 
Man if i could lift that amount I probably wouldn't be motivated to lift any more either. I would be satisfied and just maintain, because at that point unless you are trying to break records or turn coal into diamonds why does one lift or need to lift more than that?
What I don't understand is your squatting as much as your deadlift. i would think if you can squat 405 than you would be able to deadliftt at least 50 lbs more.
You're right, and I had to take a little time off of deadlifting. I woke up one day with a tight back, didn't think much of it, did one deadlift and I was irregularly tight for weeks. Still not sure exactly what caused that, but it made me take some significant time off. If it never happened I'd probably be deadlifting a little bit more these days. I'm not sure why, but squatting felt mostly okay.

I've still got a few numbers in my mind that I want to hit. When you hit the old goals, you just naturally set your sights on new ones.
Could be your programming? Powerlifting style or Bodybuilder style? You should check out Power to the People Professional or 5/3/1. Another option is the Easy Strength or Mass Made Simple routines from Dan John.
This is definitely an issue for me. I know I don't have my training routines down as good as I should, but for whatever bizarre reason, I'm just stuck in my ways. I keep sticking to what's comfortable rather than really pushing myself as I should be. I feel kind of like an overweight person who wants to lose weight, but can't avoid the cookies. It's the same kind of deal. I'd like to snap out of it, but it's been an issue for about a year now.

As I've gotten older my numbers have reduced. I don't eat, nor can my body support, big numbers anymore. At a weight of 175 I've deadlifted 450+ and squatted 425+. Not super numbers but pretty strong numbers for my weight, raw. My bench has always been a week point as 285 has been my max forever. With knee injuries and multiple back injuries I don't see the need anymore. I'm content with having 350 be my ceiling. It took a long time, ego wise, to be comfortable with this mindset. Also, nobody knows how much a shoulder injury affects a squat. I had that two years ago. I couldn't bench or squat for about two months because of a rotator cuff injury.
It's a funny thing, getting older. I see guys twice my age in the gym moving ridiculous amounts of weight, wondering how the hell they're pulling these feats of strength off. I'm certain old man strength is real. You've got that to look forward to.
 
i was up to 215 on bench 3 times just two weeks ago and kind of wrenched my shoulder this past weekend snowboarding. all that sitting down to our your rear bindings on. so now I'm just doing 205 3 times. i haven't tested my max but these #s are what i was doing in college (with a 225 max)so I'm kind of happy with that.
i hope to beat my all time max once my shoulder gets better. Seems like you have to bench more than two times a week to get better/stronger at it. is this true?
 
i was up to 215 on bench 3 times just two weeks ago and kind of wrenched my shoulder this past weekend snowboarding. all that sitting down to our your rear bindings on. so now I'm just doing 205 3 times. i haven't tested my max but these #s are what i was doing in college (with a 225 max)so I'm kind of happy with that.
i hope to beat my all time max once my shoulder gets better. Seems like you have to bench more than two times a week to get better/stronger at it. is this true?

Not at all, but it also depends on how you train; if you are not training too intensely, you might need to lift a little more often. One of the strongest natural guys I've ever seen, Dr. Ken Leistner (at 53 years old and 165 lbs there is a video online of him squatting 405 lbs 23 times...ass to the floor. And be regularly benches more than 2x his bodyweight), recommended only doing bench once every 2-3 weeks!
But again, you'd have to be following the type of work out he recommends. He runs Iron Island gym I'm Long Island, and trains a lot of pro athletes there. There are puke buckets everywhere for people to throw up into :).
That being said, if increasing your bench is your only concern, you can do it more often with lighter weights. At the end of the day it's still an athletic movement, and therefore more repetitions will make your body more efficient at it. In other words, simply practicing the movement will make your body better at doing it, even though this isn't really a strength gain.
 
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I just do a chest day once every week, and even though my shoulder is never really the same after surgery, i still increase my weights, I feel like I'm hitting a ceiling though I'm at 92kg and so badly want to do 100kg.

On another note has anyone tried creatine? I recommend it i have been having it for two weeks now and can already notice better definition in muscle and a bit more mass.
 
I just do a chest day once every week, and even though my shoulder is never really the same after surgery, i still increase my weights, I feel like I'm hitting a ceiling though I'm at 92kg and so badly want to do 100kg.

On another note has anyone tried creatine? I recommend it i have been having it for two weeks now and can already notice better definition in muscle and a bit more mass.

Definitely. Creatine is the only supplement I recommend/use, besides a little extra protein (since I'm vegetarian). It definitely makes a difference!

Also, I just tried this homemade protein bar recipe and it came out fantastic! I doubled the protein (and used egg protein instead of veggie protein), used 1/4 C peanut butter and 1/4 C almond butter instead of 1/2 C peanut butter, added a little melted coconut oil to the peanut butter mixture, and it worked perfectly.

http://ohsheglows.com/2013/08/29/quick-n-easy-no-bake-protein-bars/

Quick 'n Easy No-Bake Protein Bars
Gluten-free, no bake/raw

These no-bake bars are thrown together in minutes and make the perfect snack to store in the freezer for a quick burst of energy. Feel free to use sunflower seed butter to make these nut-free. I used an unsweetened/unflavoured protein powder, so if you are using a sweetened protein powder, you will likely have to reduce the liquid sweetener (and make up for the lack of liquid by adding some non-dairy milk). Play around with it if necessary and aim for a cookie dough texture. You can also roll the dough into balls and add in chocolate chips if you don't wish to make them into bar form.

YIELD
12
FREEZE TIME
15 MINUTES
PREP TIME
15 MINUTES
COOK TIME
0 MINUTES

Ingredients:
  • 1.5 cups gluten-free rolled oats, blended into a flour
  • 1/2 cup protein powder (I used a chocolate egg protein), and added a tablespoon of melted coconut oil to it...helps firm up the final product
  • 1/2 cup rice crisp cereal
  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, to taste
  • 1/2 cup natural peanut butter, almond butter, or sunflower seed butter
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of choice)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons mini dark chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life)
  • 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
Directions:
  1. Line an 8-inch square pan with a piece of parchment paper. Mix the oat flour, protein powder, rice crisp, and salt together in a large bowl.
  2. Add in the nut/seed butter, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir well to combine. If the mixture is a bit dry, add a splash of non-dairy milk and mix again.
  3. Press into pan and roll out with a pastry roller until smooth. Pop into the freezer.
  4. Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil together in a small pot over low heat. When half of the chips have melted, remove from heat and stir until smooth.
  5. After freezing the bars for about 5-10 minutes, remove from freezer and slice into bars. Drizzle with melted chocolate and freeze again until set. Store in the freezer for a week or longer in an air-tight freezer bag or container.
 
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I just do a chest day once every week, and even though my shoulder is never really the same after surgery, i still increase my weights, I feel like I'm hitting a ceiling though I'm at 92kg and so badly want to do 100kg.

On another note has anyone tried creatine? I recommend it i have been having it for two weeks now and can already notice better definition in muscle and a bit more mass.
Used Creatine for a while. Liked it a lot, but then ran out and was too lazy to buy it again. It may be all in my mind, but I do think it helps.
 
Lost 10 lbs over the past couple of months. Running about 4 miles at 7.30 minute pace three days a week, whilst doing the fitness circuit on my trail on the final lap. Lifting every other day.
Speed work 1 day a week. Rest one day. Feeling like a lean mean fighting machine!
 
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Break out the Ale! These men are thirsty!
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Awesome guys. I am currently training to take and pass the 3 day Strong First Girya course (Russian Hardstyle kettlebell coach)

Sounds pretty cool...what are the specifics?

I got a little bored and have been trying some old-time strongman stuff for fun, so I'm working on a one-handed barbell deadlift (no straps!). Pretty fun so far.
 
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Awesome guys. I am currently training to take and pass the 3 day Strong First Girya course (Russian Hardstyle kettlebell coach)
i do kettle bell swings and other things i got fron the Pavel dvd once while i used to do them all the time but i worry so much about those swings throwing my back out. I did Turkish getups one time and couldn't stand up straight for a week! So now i just do swings and bell lifts (palm lifts are my favorite) about once every other week.
 
I like kettlebells. I've got a few of them. My old barbells took up too much space. Kettlebells are so much more space efficient.

I got the 106lb bell recently. I use it mainly for shrugs, but I do swings and whatnot as well from time to time.
 
I like kettlebells. I've got a few of them. My old barbells took up too much space. Kettlebells are so much more space efficient.

I got the 106lb bell recently. I use it mainly for shrugs, but I do swings and whatnot as well from time to time.

King swinger?
 
King swinger?

The one I got was from Kettlebells USA. I heard good things about them. I have other brands as well like Dragon Door and Lifeline kettlebells. It was hard to find a good deal on a 48kg (106lb) kettlebell.

I found a good deal on their ebay site. I don't know if it's still available (look up 48 KG - 106 Lb Kettlebells USA Metrixx E-Coat Kettlebell). It had a better price than their store since it had free shipping (which is very expensive for something this heavy).
 
A quick question guys, how far should I go when I push weights? I have a huge problem with this because how much I can take seems to change almost every day which causes stagnation. General advice would be appreciated.
 
A quick question guys, how far should I go when I push weights? I have a huge problem with this because how much I can take seems to change almost every day which causes stagnation. General advice would be appreciated.
I'd follow a plan, and lift based on what that says. The reason I say this is because a lot of guys at the gym will try to do basically their max effort every day and that doesn't work out well for anyone. If you have some routine you're specifically following you'll often take a couple weeks before you get up to a max effort, then you'll usually have an "easy" week, then you'll drop your weights a bit and work back up. Doing something like this will allow you to keep it fresh every day (not lifting the same amounts every day), and will help with your motivation because you'll be doing a little bit more every day.

Example plans:
5/3/1
5x5 StrongLifts
Westside

All of these plans follow a similar approach as what I outlined above. There's plenty more out there.
 
A quick question guys, how far should I go when I push weights? I have a huge problem with this because how much I can take seems to change almost every day which causes stagnation. General advice would be appreciated.

The answer to that depends more on what you are trying to achieve. What is your goal?
 
Working my squats back up.
Hit 5 x 5 on 245 lbs and 275 for 3 and 315 for 2.
 
A quick question guys, how far should I go when I push weights? I have a huge problem with this because how much I can take seems to change almost every day which causes stagnation. General advice would be appreciated.

Just do some lighter weights and concentrate on doing good form keeping everything symmetrical. I mix it up between heavy and light and feel good, it also depends what kind of exercise you do as well, with shoulders yesterday i wouldn't go heavy at all on side raises but when doing shoulder dumbell presses i start of fairly light then try max it out. Changing your workouts is also a must doing the same exercises definitely causes stagnation in progress which i found out very fast.
 
Sounds pretty cool...what are the specifics?

I got a little bored and have been trying some old-time strongman stuff for fun, so I'm working on a one-handed barbell deadlift (no straps!). Pretty fun so far.

Sorry man I missed this post.

Basically its a 3 day course where you learn and teach the basic 6 core KB movements in the

www.strongfirst.com system.

Swing,Clean,Snatch,Get up,Press, Squat both single and double KB work.
Its about being Strong first and foremost and safe.