Strength Weight Training: Anything and Everything II

cptkirk

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I guess I feel I probably could use my lats more, and definitely strengthen my weak arm (although dumbell press is the obvious way to do this). everyone has a stronger/weaker side and it depends on the difference between them whether it will be a limiting factor bilaterally...a weaker arm is usually a neural thing (poor neural drive from posture etc)

I don't do bicep work either, so that may be an area that can improve my bench. nuh

In terms of my first question - I guess I'm a little bulkier than I'd prefer at the moment, can I slim down while improving strength? easy to do if you focus on diet to trim down rather then training...most blokes dial diet down slightly and then think that training like a madman will get the job done which it can but it leaves you too tired to function for anything else...so maintain activity level and drop cals a little (basic diet clean up cutting out sweets, grog etc)...next up hold those cals and increase activity slightly and so on
 

Prem87

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What are people's thoughts on building some mass from pushups, pullups, chin ups, dips v lifting heavy at the gym?
 

cptkirk

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push ups are better in then going to the gym but...

push ups = 70% of your bodyweight

if you can't bench 70% of your own bodyweight then you might just get a better workout with push ups but after that, unless you're gonna load the push ups (which is a bitch really) then move to bench press variations
 
Jul 22, 2010
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They'd be different muscles used doing pushups rather than benching though, right? I've never been a gym person, nor done any benching but i'm short with naturally broad shoulders (trapezius muscles? think Jake King) which makes pushups a breeze. But I wouldn't have thought that this particular muscle area would be one of the main muscle areas used for benching?
 

cptkirk

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same muscles and should be the same action if technique is perfect for both...the only difference is that you're pushing an object away from you during bench and pushing you away from an object (floor) for push ups
 

cptkirk

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different machines have different lines of pull, axis to go through etc...my cable machines have 200pds on them and their piss easy - i could do 100 cables in a row with it easily if i didn't get bored first...wouldn't worry about it
 
Apr 29, 2012
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cheers. it was daunting not being able to do f all
The only time you should ever consciously care about what weight you are doing is Bench, Row, Dead, Military, Squat and various dumbbell work.

Otherwise just use a weight that you almost fail on at your desired rep range for all cable crap
 

ablett

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Jan 27, 2006
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I did some Isometric training this arvo, anyone here experimented with it or current do it on occasions?

Holding the seated row position close to chest for 5mins is a challenge!
 

ablett

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why 5mins?

A few articles mentioned minimum 2mins , 5-10mins Is preferred so I thought I'd start at 5 mins , back n forearms are sore today!
Look at the physiques of a gymnast , rock hard muscle dense arms who's training would be mainly isometric n static holds I presume.
 

cptkirk

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but what will a 5min isometric hold do for you? besides making you better at holding isometric positions...

the positions of poor leverage they hold create tension

but if you hold them for 30secs a day you won't look they do...hold the for 5hrs a day for 10 yrs and you will though
 

cptkirk

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isometrics for 10secs and under can be used for strength but not any longer then that

extra load under tension is fine but there's a trade off between holding time and the load you can use...generally once you hit about 60% or less of your max then hypertrophy adaptations are hard to come by so if you can hold 60% for time then go for it but anything lighter and it might just be a waste of time of energy really

variety is fine too but will it get you closer to your goals?
 

ablett

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Jan 27, 2006
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isometrics for 10secs and under can be used for strength but not any longer then that

extra load under tension is fine but there's a trade off between holding time and the load you can use...generally once you hit about 60% or less of your max then hypertrophy adaptations are hard to come by so if you can hold 60% for time then go for it but anything lighter and it might just be a waste of time of energy really

variety is fine too but will it get you closer to your goals?

Good point.
 
Sep 19, 2007
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Kirk i just did the jump from 85kg 3x3 to 90 3x3 on bench as suggested but i decided on 2x2 and rightly so as i squeezed home last rep with s**t form. Its a huge jump even with a modest starting 1rm
i might do the 3s next week.
 
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