Gym Routine

[ArteSuave]

Did anyone see the Panorama investigation in regard to protein shakes?

I saw that documentary and to be honest, they didn't really focus on protein shakes.

Wash your mouth out. Panorama is about as much a documentary as Jeremy Kyle is a debating society.

Today on Panorama we've decided something is bad and we'll be flying round the world on licence payers money to interview several people with a chip on their shoulder and not even attempt to use relevant scientific research or give a balanced report.

RE Supplement Shakes - Hitting your macros is what is really important. Ideally you can do it with food but shakes are essentially fine. If buying hand reared quail scrotum fillets makes you happy then do that, most people can't be arsed.

Just do your research, don't buy products with wankerish names like Synthamatic or Pumpmax pro, whey isolate and oatz bro.

[Stevo985]

RE Supplement Shakes - Hitting your macros is what is really important. Ideally you can do it with food but shakes are essentially fine. If buying hand reared quail scrotum fillets makes you happy then do that, most people can't be arsed.

Exactly.

The reason they don't work for the "normal" person is because they're just taking them for the hell of it as opposed to taking them as part of hitting their macros.

On a food related note. I'm about to add 800 calories per day to my diet starting next week. I'm half excited, half nervous!

[Stevo985]

BOF, my only suggestion for your wrist thing is to maybe try barbell curls instead of DBs. Using two arms at once might help take the strain off the wrists a bit.

That's only a guess though, might not work.

[Dante_Lockhart]

You want to keep your wrists 'locked' as well when curling. If they start bending as you're lifting try a lighter weight. You want to be lifting with your biceps, not your wrists.

[BOF]

I looked around and will try

on Friday. Plus he's only using 14kg for that exercise at his size. I was using 18kg on set 1 & 20kg on set 2 & 3 for mine and my wrists were killing me albeit for a short time.

[Stevo985]

That's some heavy curling.

I can barely manage a set of 5 reps curling 17.5kg DBs

[BOF]

Yeah that's the peripheral workout stuff that I basically decided upon off my own bat. I probably haven't done it right. I'll find what works eventually. I still think I'm too weak (and heavy) to start on pullups etc.

[Dante_Lockhart]

I'm only curling 18kg on DBs myself and I've been gyming for a while. I'd lower the weight BOF. Give the 12/14's a go.

[Shillzz]

Christ, that really is some heavy curling.

When curling, I find it helpfull to hold the dumbells using a more neutral grip. I think most people assume that when doing a bicep curl it's good practice to have the dumbell facing across your body (i.e. right to left), but it seems to be much easier on your wrists if you hold it facing away from your body (i.e. front to back).

[BOF]

I was working off the premise that only heavier weight will make you stronger and if you can lift it then lift it. But I s'pose definition doesn't necessarily require weight, just repetition and I'll get the strength from the 5x5 stuff.

[Dante_Lockhart]

Form > Weight

ALWAYS.

[Stevo985]

That ^^^

Lower weight with perfect form will see much bigger gains that lifting a higher weight with poor form.

[Stevo985]

Christ, that really is some heavy curling.

When curling, I find it helpfull to hold the dumbells using a more neutral grip. I think most people assume that when doing a bicep curl it's good practice to have the dumbell facing across your body (i.e. right to left), but it seems to be much easier on your wrists if you hold it facing away from your body (i.e. front to back).

That's a hammer curl and it is easier, but it's easier for a reason as it won't fully engage the bicep at the top.

If you tense your bicep now in front of you as if you were doing a curl with your hand in that hammer position (i.e palm facing left or right). Then feel your bicep with the other hand.

Now whilst still feeling your bicep, twist your hand outwards so that the palm ends up facing up and feel how much more your bicep contracts just by twisting.

That's the extra bit to the curl that you'll miss by doing a hammer curl.

So yeah they might work to help alleviate the wrist pain but they'll also be a less effective exercise

[Wainy316]

Does thinking about food intake and what you are eating interfere with your everyday life.

Plus, how do you know when you have perfect form? Through a second opinion or do you just feel it?

[BOF]

My diet doesn't interfere. The only thing that makes it awkward is that I don't give myself the option of fast food.

And as for form. If you know how to do the exercise then you'll know yourself when you're taking shortcuts or cheating. But you may need an instructor initially to get it right. Or study the YouTube stuff.

I failed on my 5x5x60kg bench yesterday. I got first 2x5 sets and I got 4 lifts in the next 2 sets, having to do the 5th lift on it's own. Then I got 3 of the 5th set. So I'll have to do that weight again on Wednesday :-/

[regular_john]

5x5 is too much volume once you start lifting heavier weights. Stick to 3x5 and you'll progress much faster.

[Stevo985]

BOF are you doing 5x5 of the same weight?

The 5X5 routine I'm starting next week ramps up the weights. So you start lighter and ramp up to a final heavy set.

Basically, any exercise you're only doing one set of your heaviest weight. 5 sets of 5 reps of your heaviest weight is too much so I'm not surprised you're failing in the middle sets if that's the case

[BOF]

That's what the stronglifts program is. OK I probably started the program off too heavy initially. We'll see how I get on.

[Stevo985]

Ah ok fair enough.

[BOF]

Treated myself to a pair of Adidas Apelido today. The Air Pegasus were getting too unstable squatting. Looking forward to Monday now