Stevo985 Posted January 19, 2016 VT Supporter Share Posted January 19, 2016 People in our office are doing a weight loss challenge thingamajig. I signed up because I figured I'm used to cutting and know that in 8 weeks I can probably cut 10 pounds without even trying that hard and they're all idiots who do things like drink a glass of cold water with honey before you go to bed because it increases your metabolism (no I'm not joking). Anyway, I was alarmed when we weighed in last week on the super special "wellness" machine at work for our starting point and I was 236 pounds and 23% bodyfat! I haven't weighed myself over christmas so I was thinking "**** hell, I've gone too crazy on the bulk! WHAT HAVE I DONE?!" Checked again on Friday because I convinced myself it couldn't be right. I'd gone down to 232 pounds (in 4 days) and down to 22% bodyfat. Weighed in again today and I'm down to 227 pounds and up to 24% body fat So in a week I've apparently lost 9 pounds but put on 1% bodyfat Needless to say I think the machine is ****. Used my own scales on Sunday, which I know are at least consistent, and I was 224 pounds and 16% bodyfat. Which is much more in the region I was expecting!! So yeah, the post christmas detox moral of the story is, make sure 1. You have decent quality scales and 2. They are at least consistent! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexbelowsound Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Can anyone explain to me why on a seated shoulder press cable machine my PR is 50kg for 8 reps and on the plate loaded variant I can do 90kg? Something makes me think the plates at my gym might be a tad suspect or the angle of the the two machines differ slightly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 19, 2016 VT Supporter Share Posted January 19, 2016 90kg is pretty heavy for a shoulder press! It might be to do with pivots and that. If you're not lifting the weight directly (like you would be with Dumbbells or barbells) then it being "90kg" probably isn't realistic as there may be levers or pulleys acting on it. Doesn't really matter though, as long as you progress on whatever it is. Weight is just a number. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexbelowsound Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Yeah, Which makes me thinks its bullshit. I'm not too fussed about the number, I was just wondering if anyone else had come across something like this where the cable/plate loaded variants differ. It might also be to do with the constant tension the cables put you under. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante_Lockhart Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Since using free weights (DB and BB) I can't ever go back to machine weights. But yeah I'd probably say it was something to do with the machine assist on the cable version? 90kg is monstrous for a shoulder press though in any shape or form. You animal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexbelowsound Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Thing is, I'm really not, which is why i'm questioning it. I definitely had 90kg on there because I started off at 60kg with 2, 15kg plates on either side, then I added another 15kg plate to each side. Something must have gone really wrong I think because as I said, I really, really struggle to do 50kg on the cable version. I have done 5x5 @ 60kg for OHP Barbell press before though so maybe its just one of my stronger movements? Who knows, I'm not convinced though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexbelowsound Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 25 minutes ago, Dante_Lockhart said: Since using free weights (DB and BB) I can't ever go back to machine weights. But yeah I'd probably say it was something to do with the machine assist on the cable version? 90kg is monstrous for a shoulder press though in any shape or form. You animal. It was the plate loaded variant that I did the 90kg on. The cable variant I've only ever managed 50kg for 8 once and usually just stick to 40kg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YGabbana Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Thing is, I'm really not, which is why i'm questioning it. I definitely had 90kg on there because I started off at 60kg with 2, 15kg plates on either side, then I added another 15kg plate to each side. Something must have gone really wrong I think because as I said, I really, really struggle to do 50kg on the cable version. I have done 5x5 @ 60kg for OHP Barbell press before though so maybe its just one of my stronger movements? Who knows, I'm not convinced though. Sounds about right tbh, cables have alot more resistance. If you 5x5 60kg then 90kg as a PB is manageable. Strong lifting mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted January 19, 2016 Moderator Share Posted January 19, 2016 Yep 60kg OHP as a working weight is no mean feat. I'd like to get to that some day but I'm not sure I will. I'm back up to 80kg bench as a working weight (5x5) from yesterday which is just approaching what I was doing at my peak (82.5 -> 85.0). Might start to eye up my 1RM soon (92.5kg) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexbelowsound Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Let me just clarify. When I did do it I almost shit out all of my internal organs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted January 19, 2016 Moderator Share Posted January 19, 2016 Oh so that's what you meant by it being one of your 'stronger movements' 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexbelowsound Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Sorry, I meant shoulder exercises. Not specifically that one movement. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villaglint Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 I've found something similar with seated row machine vs plates huge difference in weights I do. Always put it down to a different angle but maybe it is the cables. As Stevo says it's just a number but it did make me curious too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexbelowsound Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 4 hours ago, BOF said: Oh so that's what you meant by it being one of your 'stronger movements' Woooooosh. This one went right over my head! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted January 19, 2016 Moderator Share Posted January 19, 2016 I'm often under-appreciated 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Pangloss Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Slightly scary moment today bench pressing, trying to churn out a final rep (8th) one, started to fail but tried extra hard to drive it up, result of that was I instantly went light headed and pretty much dropped a 42kg dumbell on my chest, the other one I thankfully dropped on the floor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexbelowsound Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 1 minute ago, Dr_Pangloss said: Slightly scary moment today bench pressing, trying to churn out a final rep (8th) one, started to fail but tried extra hard to drive it up, result of that was I instantly went light headed and pretty much dropped a 42kg dumbell on my chest, the other one I thankfully dropped on the floor. I've had something similar before with a 40kg dumbbell doing pullovers. Got to the top of the motion with the dumbbell right above my face and as I went back down with it my hand slipped. Thankfully it just missed my head. Didn't do them for quite some time after! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 20, 2016 VT Supporter Share Posted January 20, 2016 I've been stuck under the bar on a bench press before. Not seriously, I manoeuvred out of it without anyone even noticing. It does scare you a bit though, I can see how people get in trouble by doing it. It's one of the reasons I don't bench anymore (I do DB press instead of BB). Not out of fear, but I find benchpress is one of those lifts where one rep I'll feel fine, and the next rep I'll fail. There's no warning. So without a spotter I find it quite difficult to really push myself on bench because I'm always wary that I might hit that failure rep earlier than expected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted January 20, 2016 Moderator Share Posted January 20, 2016 I've had a few different spotters comment on my bench progression. I don't know whether they're right, as I've never checked other people's lifts out, but seemingly I'm stronger at the part of the lift where others would tend to struggle and vice versa. For me, when the bar is at its lowest, if I can get it even a third of the way back up i.e get the lift started, then I will never fail. My strength is in the part after the initial lift. If I'm going to struggle then it will be at the bottom when my arms are bent. Whereas if others are going to struggle, it seems they'll tend to be able to get 'lift off' easily and then they struggle to straighten their arms. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 20, 2016 VT Supporter Share Posted January 20, 2016 2 minutes ago, BOF said: I've had a few different spotters comment on my bench progression. I don't know whether they're right, as I've never checked it out, but seemingly I'm stronger at the part of the lift where others would tend to struggle and vice versa. For me, when the bar is at its lowest, if I can get it even a third of the way back up i.e get the lift started, then I will never fail. My strength is in the part after the initial lift. If I'm going to struggle then it will be at the bottom when my arms are bent. Whereas if others are going to struggle, it seems they'll tend to be able to get 'lift off' easily and then they struggle to straighten their arms. Yep, I'm certainly the latter anyway. Getting it off the chest is usually fine, but if I'm struggling it'll be the last part of the extension that will catch me 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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