Strength Weight Training: Anything and Everything II

[Contra Mundum]

Re: Weight Training: Building Muscle

To be honest, I have totally neglected leg work thus far. Basically just in it to look good. Bit of a surprise to the girlfriend who has gone over to America to study for 6 months.

So purely in terms of shaping the upper body, leg work doesnt seem overly essential to me?

Please excuse my obvious ignorance!

The testosterone and growth hormone come from working the biggest muscles - which are all in your legs and arse. If you are not working legs you are ******ing your gains.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Themanbun]

The testosterone and growth hormone come from working the biggest muscles - which are all in your legs and arse. If you are not working legs you are ******ing your gains.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

I've always been big on working legs, but is the slight gain in test and GH from working legs really anything more than negligible considering its far from a supraphysiological increase?

 

[Contra Mundum]

I've always been big on working legs, but is the slight gain in test and GH from working legs really anything more than negligible considering its far from a supraphysiological increase?

When I was a kid I did the whole light bulb thing - when I started working legs and doing dead’s every week I noticed the gains in the upper body - might be in my head


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Aeglos]

I've always been big on working legs, but is the slight gain in test and GH from working legs really anything more than negligible considering its far from a supraphysiological increase?

Iirc it’s also an extremely short lived increase (30-60 minutes).
Unless you’re squatting 7 days a week, 3 times a day probably not something you’ll benefit from!

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

And this is why we bench on monday, otherwise known as International Day of Chest, and not friday.

By friday you're so hammered physically and mentally that percentages go out the window, and you'll be lucky if you can do flyes with the pink dumbells in the ladies gym.

I shifted push day to Sunday night.

Nobody in the place for hours. It was fantastic.

No pulling for me today, as the place will be a nightmare. Might rest up and go for a walk

 

[Gralin]

For me the main reason to work legs is because I don't want to end up being one of those people that struggle to walk down stairs or get out of a chair

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

For me the main reason to work legs is because I don't want to end up being one of those people that struggle to walk down stairs or get out of a chair

Only time i wanna end up one of those people is like today...2 days after leg day and i can barely move (Y)

 

[EasternTiger]

I shifted push day to Sunday night.

Nobody in the place for hours. It was fantastic.

No pulling for me today, as the place will be a nightmare. Might rest up and go for a walk

Smart move.

After a lazy weekend on the couch, I feel all stiff and Monday-itised out.

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

Smart move.

After a lazy weekend on the couch, I feel all stiff and Monday-itised out.

I shifted my weekend training to 6am Saturday and 7pm Sunday.

Absolute godsend. Friday night is good too. I am a fat ass so i need to work when everyone is showing off their good work.

 

[demondavey]

I’ve been doing a heap of trap work recently and following this format;



I’ve also been doing my shrugs with KB and following the technique in the video. Up and back and squeeze.

As well as what is in the video I’ve been doing seated rows but with the U shaped grip (not sure the name of it) but you can get the bar right into your midriff and really squeeze the mid traps.

It’s definitely added to my physique. My traps have come up well and just made me look a lot bigger. I don’t do any chest work these days, just all back, arms and lower body.

 

[EasternTiger]

I don’t do any chest work these days

I have reported your post. Enjoy your ban.

John Meadows (mountaindog1 on youtube) is also really good on back work.

 

[demondavey]

I reckon big traps are heaps better than big lats and a big chest. Big traps and arms makes you look like a bull. For me it’s hard, my chest and lats just explode when I hit them with anything. Also being a swimmer really built them.

 

[demondavey]

I have reported your post. Enjoy your ban.

John Meadows (mountaindog1 on youtube) is also really good on back work.

My chest just explodes mate, and I can’t fit into clothes! Seriously! When I train chest I have to get 2-3XL shirts.

I can keep up my swimming regime (not much these days) and that keeps my muscle mass on my chest. I want arms and shoulders like James Frawley. He looks like a gorilla. I rate it.

 

[EasternTiger]

My chest just explodes mate, and I can’t fit into clothes! Seriously! When I train chest I have to get 2-3XL shirts.

I can keep up my swimming regime (not much these days) and that keeps my muscle mass on my chest. I want arms and shoulders like James Frawley. He looks like a gorilla. I rate it.



View attachment 670105

That's a good problem to have.

if you train chest like most people, you'll only hit shoulders and triceps anyway.

 

[demondavey]

That's a good problem to have.

if you train chest like most people, you'll only hit shoulders and triceps anyway.

Nah I know how to hit it! And I’ve done a lot of DB press over the years, and the one exercise that really blew me up was the incline DB press.

My elbow is shot these days so getting good triceps work in is hard. Skull crushers with a bar really irritates it. I do a lot of cable work and that’s pretty decent.

 

[demondavey]

With Easter and a bye meaning no footy the past couple of weekends it's meant I've managed to get in some weight training that is more akin to what I was doing when I was powerlifting (albeit with less weight and volume than I was doing previously).
Sounds funny given we're only a game into the season but I'm looking forwards to lifting "full time" once the season is done. Having a good year or so where I've been lifting more for shits and giggles has been good for motivation, and having dropped some volume which was masking a few weak areas I've managed to become more dialed in on what I need to work on (and therefore should make my training more efficient)

Week 1


Week 2


Even just from the last two weeks it seems obvious that for my squat and deadlift if I can't get to the midpoint of the lift with a bit of momentum and the position I do standing good mornings in (I've done 140kg x 5 on them previously) I struggle (quad/glute limitation) and that my chest is probably the biggest weak point of my bench (in the past 2 months I've discovered that I actually seated OHP more than I incline press and bench more in a close grip than a regular comp grip lol)

Hey can you explain the benefit of the seated shrugs?

 

[demondavey]

That's nuts^

I've finally managed a 180kg deadlift, no straps. A little over 2x bodyweight. Going to be happy all day.

That’s a good lift. And that was my best ever! Completed around September 2014 and weighing pretty similar. Just couldn’t get above that though.

 

[demondavey]

Am I the only one who exclusively benches with dumbbells?

Dumbbells are the best. The absolute best. I don’t do chest anymore but I shifted the 45kg once and that was when I was my strongest. I was pushing people around at footy training who were benching 120-130kg.

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

I am a poor bencher, so i am going to focus on the dumbbells.

 

[demondavey]

I am a poor bencher, so i am going to focus on the dumbbells.

Good decision.

 

[Aeglos]

Hey can you explain the benefit of the seated shrugs?

You can lean forwards to target a bit lower down on the neck/back than a standing shrug.
If I use a barbell my feet will be in front of it.

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

Good decision.

Tried an incline bench with 20kg dumbbells (good for me) and for the first time, i really felt something in my chest.

So for the moment i am going to scale back the barbell bench (maybe just high reps to get the blood flowing) and try dumbbell varieties.

I struggle with a poor grip, so its hard to hold them sometimes

 

[Aeglos]

I have reported your post. Enjoy your ban.

John Meadows (mountaindog1 on youtube) is also really good on back work.

I use the split Meadows outlined on T-Nation years ago for my accessory work when I’m eating enough to be gaining weight (which has been a while haha).
For “back” I’d do my lighter day of squats and deadlifts followed by single arm rows, pull downs, shrugs then a lower back movement

 

[Themanbun]

I really miss pumping heavy weights. Ever since the knee it's been light weight work. Miss ripping a massive deadlift or hitting a huge bench.

 

[Aeglos]