BOF Posted September 19, 2012 Moderator Share Posted September 19, 2012 Yeah on anecdotal evidence it would appear that gym membership in England (Britain?) is way higher than over here. Maybe we just won't join gyms if they're expensive. Either that or it's because Ben Dunne (a renowned Irish businessman) did a 'Ryanair' on gyms a few years back by hugely undercutting the establishment. And most of them have corrected themselves since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted September 19, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted September 19, 2012 I think in the Uk, or where I am anyway, it's overpopulation compared to how many gyms there are. Any gym I've ever gone to that's reasonably cheap (Fitness First, Tudor grange, Council ones etc) that are below £30 a month are very busy. Half the reason people pay the expensive fees for "posher" places is because not as many other people do, so it's quieter. Even though I pay £47 now, I'd happily pay more than that for a gym that was guaranteed to be more or less empty every day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted September 20, 2012 Moderator Share Posted September 20, 2012 Jeez last night I couldn't get anywhere near the 65kg I was supposed to be doing on the bench :? I dunno what happened. It was like someone took my arms and replaced them with someone elses. I think perhaps I overdid it with the flys on Monday which meant those muscles weren't rested properly. Mondays flys were 'better' than usual. But I basically just had to do a few 60kg sets on the bench and leave it at that. Annoying. But in other news I am now officially squatting & deadlifting more than my own bodyweight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante_Lockhart Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 Jeez last night I couldn't get anywhere near the 65kg I was supposed to be doing on the bench :? I dunno what happened. It was like someone took my arms and replaced them with someone elses. I think perhaps I overdid it with the flys on Monday which meant those muscles weren't rested properly. Mondays flys were 'better' than usual. But I basically just had to do a few 60kg sets on the bench and leave it at that. Annoying. But in other news I am now officially squatting & deadlifting more than my own bodyweight Out of curiosity, why are you doing flies (chest) on Monday and bench (chest) on Wednesday? Try keeping all of your chest exercises for the same day, so bench and flies are done on a Wednesday for example. You'll probably find it more beneficial that dotting them about the place. Mon - Chest / Triceps (Bench variations, Wed - Back / Biceps (Rows, deadlift, curls) Friday - Legs / Shoulders (Squats, leg press, overhead presses, shrugs) Easy to keep track of and I find that the rest in between allows me to recover correctly and not be hindered by 'exhausted' muscles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommybringsgiants Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted September 20, 2012 Moderator Share Posted September 20, 2012 Up until now I was doing it that way so that the main exercises i.e. the bench/overhead etc were done on alternating workouts and in between them I'd do a kind of supplementary exercise (flys on non-bench days, shoulder press on non-overhead days) just so that I wasn't ignoring that muscle group altogether. But yesterday was the first time that I think that routine really went against me. Perhaps I'm now getting towards weights where the rest is actually more important to the point of failure, whereas I've been getting away with it until now. I think I'll probably go with your suggestion from now on and merge the same muscle group exercises so that there's complete rest in between. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante_Lockhart Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 Yeah, like I've said before you want to use the main bulk of your energy hitting the high weights on the Squats, Deads, Overheads, Rows and Bench. Those are the priority. The rest are just supplement exercises. If you find that you've gone heavier for a set on the bench and then end up lifting lower on your flies, don't worry about it. You can't lift personal bests on every exercise in a session once you start going heavy. Prioritise. 8) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante_Lockhart Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 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! Nice bench. You're at a similar point to me at the moment. I don't do many flies though (unless you count cable crossovers). Heh, the curling in the squat rack is annoying but I'll admit I sometimes do it. Mainly because our gym doesn't have separate curl bars. We have a bench with a bar and a rack with a bar. If the rack is free then I'll do my curls there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted September 20, 2012 Moderator Share Posted September 20, 2012 Here is a video of the gym I'm going to be joining in October. It scrolls around to the free weight area from the treadmill area. It's a lot bigger than the video makes it look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted September 20, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted September 20, 2012 That looks decent! With regards to the chest workouts on the same day, the workout I'm doing at the moment (Madcow 5x5) kind of blows that our of the water. I'm squatting 3 days out of 3 per week (although the middle day is light squats), Benching on the first 2 days and rowing on the first and last. But I fully agree with making sure your energy goes into the big compound lifts. Ohter things like flies and curls etc, are all accessories to the big lifts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted September 25, 2012 Moderator Share Posted September 25, 2012 Fairly tweaked a shoulder muscle yesterday On the 25th of 25 lifts I failed on the bench. I knew I wouldn't be able to lift it. I had no power left but I wasn't giving up after 24 successful. So I got pinned under and had to roll the weights off, but in doing so, I just over-stretched my right shoulder. It's annoying but I don't think I'll be able to attempt the overhead tomorrow now. Best to listen to the body. The other exercises should hopefully still be OK. I was sooo close to getting the 25 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa_shere Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Fairly tweaked a shoulder muscle yesterday On the 25th of 25 lifts I failed on the bench. I knew I wouldn't be able to lift it. I had no power left but I wasn't giving up after 24 successful. So I got pinned under and had to roll the weights off, but in doing so, I just over-stretched my right shoulder. It's annoying but I don't think I'll be able to attempt the overhead tomorrow now. Best to listen to the body. The other exercises should hopefully still be OK. I was sooo close to getting the 25 Probably worth getting a spotter for the last set. I'm trying the 5/3/1 out and the last set is always to failure so u need a spotter. Thing with spotters is that you have to explain to them how you what them to support you, Wprst thing is to assume they know how and they go end up ruining your set or worse injuring you 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted September 25, 2012 Moderator Share Posted September 25, 2012 Yeah I don't like spotters. If I have one, I WILL fail because psychologically they are a safety net. Plus as you say, most don't know how to spot. If I've no net, I've a better chance to succeed and I don't mind having to roll the weights off. I tweaked my shoulder because there was a bench sitting too close to me and I had to further tilt the bar back for the weights to roll off freely. A consequence of having too small a gym - which will be resolved next week :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted September 25, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted September 25, 2012 I'm the opposite. If I have a spotter (on Bench anyway)I'm more likely to push harder and make that last rep, because I know if I fail then he'll catch the weight. before I had one, I was always scared to even attempt the last rep for fear of hurting myself. On a side note, I'm on week 4 of the Madcow 5x5, so about to start breaking my previous 5 rep maxes on my lifts. And I can tell I'm going to smash them as well as I'm hitting my previous maxes this week and they feel comfortable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Back in the gym tonight after precisely 2 weeks off. I cannot be bothered and have no motivation for it. I find that the additctiveness of progress is what keeps me interested and motivated. Having had 2 weeks off, I know I wont be up to scratch and I can see myself ducking out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFC_Hitz Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NurembergVillan Posted September 25, 2012 Moderator Share Posted September 25, 2012 I've just signed up to 20 sessions with a personal trainer in a bid to save me from being the guy above. Session 3 is tonight so it's still early days but I'm enjoying it. Even if I feel like puking up after each session so far! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted September 25, 2012 Moderator Share Posted September 25, 2012 Back in the gym tonight after precisely 2 weeks off. I cannot be bothered and have no motivation for it. I find that the additctiveness of progress is what keeps me interested and motivated. Having had 2 weeks off, I know I wont be up to scratch and I can see myself ducking out. Surely you won't have slipped much; if at all; in 2 weeks. You might surprise yourself. If you can see yourself 'ducking out' then I'd worry that you've decided that you already have if you know what I mean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted September 25, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted September 25, 2012 2 weeks is about the upper limit to the time you can take off without losing strength. If anything, you might feel stronger if you've recharged your batteries in that time. Shillz, you should write stuff down. set goals for each session. That way if you "duck out" then you're actually missing something. It's not just a trip to the gym, you're going there to achieve a goal, and if you duck out then you're failing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante_Lockhart Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 I had a leg session Monday. I have found a new favourite exercise. Barbell Lunges. The DOMS in my ass the next day were mental. Squats, lunges, calf raises (where you hang over a step and lift with your tip-toes) all with the barbell. Then leg press afterwards. I was jelly afterwards. Shoulders tonight. Feel the burn! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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