tommybringsgiants

The worrying thing is I'm not even surprised...

Dexter's finale was insane! Gutted the next season is to be the last but it should be incredible!

Homeland also pleased me, I was losing interest but the next season is set up nicely now!

Ouch! I love deadlift but its very easy to injure yourself by accident, I find my form goes as I try and grip the bar! Some gyms actually ban deadlift (which is ridiculous!).

A little tip for bench.... After you do your 1 rep max, drop down and do 5 push ups quickly. It helps your fast twitch muscles which in turn helps your acceleration. I pushed through my plateau after a week of doing this.

Loved End Of Watch, outstanding!!!

ah sorry, I'm at work so can't get a bigger link!

It basically is a guy who has been doing cardio saying goodbye to gains - don't get me wrong, cardio is good but you certainly will effect adding muscle mass depending on what you want to acheive. I have cut back loads on cardio as doing exercises like squats, deadlift and military press certainly get the old ticker working overtime!

Also, thanks for the tip about really squeezing the bar on bench, I've added 5kg without wrist pain

Thanks for the advice on the wrist issue, that link was a good read.

Funnily enough I was taught not to grip the bar at all, to keep a 'Y' grip and use all energy to push. However it makes sense so will try gripping from now on, at the worse it should work my forearms and grip (which in turn should benefit my wrists!).

I'm a massive fan of squats, been working really hard in the rack recently, my routine is currently:

Warmup Set of 8x80kg

then:

5x110kg

5x120kg

3x140kg

3x155kg

5x120kg

5x100kg

I have hit a bit of a plateau recently with bench, can comfortably do 3 sets of 8 reps at 90kg, however when I move up to 95/100 my wrists seem to hurt. Think it may be a technique issue although I am generally quite solid.

I have read that certain exercises such as squats and dips encourage actual growth hormones that lots of false supplements promote. Deffo great when cutting, although I don't agree with people who just say compound lifts are all you need. I don't like to neglect small muscle groups and have changed my schedule to include specific days where I will lay off the big compound lifts and concentrate on isolating a small muscle group. Saying that, I hate seeing the kids at my gym who only do arms every day and then wonder why they are getting no gains!

Apologies if this has been posted before, but this youtube channel is not only hilarious, it also contains some really good, easily digestable information (especially for people with not much experience!)

http://www.youtube.com/user/twinmuscleworkout

If your forearms and wrists are hurting, have ou ever considered using straps?

I have got bad wrists from years of skating, and I find using straps helps so much! They are dead cheap, here is an example: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004K1WMYM/ref=asc_df_B004K1WMYM10487449?smid=A3R93BZTZIK0F7&tag=hydra0b-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22242&creativeASIN=B004K1WMYM&hvpos=1o5&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2216177101169137680&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=">straps</a>

I find these especially useful when doing shrugs, deadlifts etc..

Also, recently switched pre workout supplement to Muscletech Neurocore. Not usually a fan of Muscletech products but after reading good reviews I thought I'd give it a chance: Feeling pretty positive about it so far, really good 'pumps' (hate this phrase) and good concentration.

I'm pleased with my progress at the moment:

Bench -

1 Rep Max - 98kg

90kg - 3x3

85kg 3x5

Also got my flies up to 32kg each arm, flat and on incline up to 35kg.

However I am getting incredibly annoyed by the douche who insists on curling in the squat rack EVERY morning, thus taking up valuable rack time

Legs tonight, bring on the DOMS!

Perfectly fine!

I worked in one for 2 years, only differences are what people have already brought up!

Also RE now has compulsary units to undertake dictated by the awarding body (eg. OCR, EDEXCEL), so even Catholic Schools will end up teaching about either Islam or Sikhism as a core unit.

Moss Bros are good value... I think its between them and Next for suits around the £100 - £150 mark!

Saw it last night, loved it! Easily as good as TDK on first watch and fits in nicely and consistently with the rest of the series.

The last twenty minutes are as much fun as I have ever had in the cinema, I'm sure you will all REALLY enjoy it!

Cheers guys, Kai certainly has a bicep peak!

Will give 21's a go, thanks.

I have enjoyed reading this thread, some excellent insight here so thanks!

Next question:

The Bicep Peak.

I have recently started to add mass to my arms, they are actually pretty toned. However my Triceps are very well developed, and although my biceps are defined, there is no 'peak' to speak of. I'm not vein and I understand that the majority of strength in your arms are provided by your triceps, however I was wondering how you would go about working the tip of the bicep? I have a number of friends who don't really work out and their biceps look better, is this down to genetics or am I just doing something wrong?

I have tried variations on rows, curls and even the crappy machine but with very slow if anyresults! Any isolation tips I am missing?

Cheers!

Anyone experimented with any good supplements recently?

At the moment I'm using a pre-work out drink called 'Hemo-Rage' by Nutrex.. To begin with it was VERY potent, deffo got some decent pump in the gym and had a large energy spike. However if I do an evening work out it really effects my sleeping pattern, plus I am finding my body seems to have adjusted to it and they effects are not as strong, so I am looking for an alternative. Have heard good things about 'J4cked' but was wondering what any of you guys use?

For post workout I am using Synergy Iso 7 and I'm a big fan. Decent mix of Protein and Creatine, however if anyone has some advice on an alternative I would be grateful.

Finally I am taking ZMA before bed which has really helped recovery but I was wondering should I cycle on this or continue taking?

Cheers!

Squat DOMS are hilarious when going downstairs or trying to get into a car!

I have always been a 3x10 man, but after taking the advice of a PT friend I have moved to sets of 5. Deffo noticed size increase and less DOMS, so I am sold!

Killer Joe was glorious!

This is my favorite video about Educational Reform, Sir Ken Robinson has everything spot on in my opinion!

Lisa Lampanelli is the only female comedian I enjoy, but how she gets away with some of the stuff she says is crazy (especially on the Hasselhof Roast).

If you enjoy Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy etc. You need to check out Aries Spears. Very clever and is excellent at impressions!

Oh dear:

"

Former Aston Villa defender Carlos Cuellar is worried that the club's austerity drive could harm the club in the long term after they slipped from the top six to a relegation battle in two seasons.

Fan favourite Cuellar, released by Villa on Wednesday after his contract ran down, was a key player under former boss Martin O’Neill as Villa were genuine challengers and competing in Europe.

O’Neill quit two years ago when the club’s American owner Randy Lerner embarked on a cost-cutting drive, selling the likes of James Milner without allowing the Northern Irishman to replace him, and Cuellar feels this strategy left him isolated too.

"I’ve been on holiday for the past week as I needed to relax and clear my head after a stressful couple of years," Cuellar told Eurosport from Madrid, where he is visiting family.

"My first two years at Villa were brilliant as I was playing regularly and we were challenging for the top four. We were a really strong team, and I still love the club.

But in the last two years something changed, both for the club and me – we lost many of our top players, and had constant problems with managers.

"We had no stability, and we became weaker because of the change in economic direction. Also, I was not in the first XI. So a combination of the club’s troubles and my own lack of playing time made me quite stressed, professionally."

Lerner’s cost-cutting measures saw Milner and Ashley Young among the major departures from the club as he sought to reduce a high wage bill.

That had a major impact on the American’s last managerial appointment, with ex-Birmingham boss Alex McLeish only lasting one season as Villa finished just above the relegation zone.

Cuellar, 30, is reluctant to blame McLeish for the troubles, insisting that internal politics was the overriding negative factor at Villa Park.

"I don’t think the manager wasn’t giving me a fair chance. Obviously as a player you want to play, but I had more of a problem with the way the board were dealing with me and others.

"Had the board come to me and said ‘listen, we are not going to offer you a new contract because of your wages, or because you are not playing well enough’, I would have accepted that and looked for another solution.

"But they said nothing. And yet in the past I had turned down offers to leave because I was told I would be given a new contract and would play!

"The problems at Villa are political – you can’t blame the coaches because they have to deal with the same things too."

Despite his negative experience in the last few years, Cuellar is keen to stay in the Premier League. As an experienced free agent who can play as a full-back as well as a centre-half, the Spaniard should not be short of offers, although none have come in yet.

"I haven’t got any strong ideas about my future because I went away and forgot about football for a few days," he admitted. "The plan is to spend a few more days in Madrid then go back and speak with my agent. But the first option is to stay in the Premier League.

"As a youngster it was always my dream to play in England because of the style of play. I had the opportunity and I want to keep it.

"Of course after five years abroad I miss my family and friends, so sometimes when I go back for holidays my heart tells me maybe I should return. But my head tells me to stay in England, and I know this is the best for me.

"Obviously it depends on if I get any offers, but this is my priority. I enjoy my sporting life in England."

Cuellar came into English football via a season at Rangers, who he joined from Osasuna in 2007. He was linked with a return to the Glasgow club last summer but an injury scuppered the transfer.

Rangers’ problems since then have been well-documented and, while Cuellar has gone on record as saying he would gladly play for the club again, he is not holding out any hope at the moment.

"Rangers will always be in my heart even though it was just one year of my life. But it was probably the biggest year in my life and I have a close emotional contact with the fans.

"I would love to play there again but there are a lot of problems and I believe they can’t sign senior players. But that year was amazing and all my memories of Rangers are good memories.

"They haven’t called me to express their interest though so I can’t say. Even if things clear up for them I don’t even know if they are interested, as things change from year to year, coach to coach."

Link: http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/24052012/58/premier-league-cuellar-villa-cost-cutting-forced.html

Saw an advanced preview of 'The Raid' at Cineworld last night...

Wow, just wow! The fight scenes are just incredible, brutal but without being 'over the top'. Lots of tension throughout the movie and an excellent score (by Mike Shinoda from Linkin Park, I'm not his biggest fan but he did a great job with this).

Also saw a new extended Dark Knight Rises trailer, looks immense!