BOF Posted October 3, 2012 Moderator Share Posted October 3, 2012 Stance is slightly wider than shoulder width apart. SL5x5 explicitly warns about going into a 'sumo' (i.e. too wide) stance for squats as you risk pulling a groin. Basically; as Rippetoe so eloquently put it; get far enough that you can get yer balls between your legs. My feet are as near to straight as doesn't matter too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted October 3, 2012 Moderator Share Posted October 3, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted October 3, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted October 3, 2012 Yeah I don't mean that wide Slightly wider than shouler width is fine. Try pointing the feet slightly outwards. Like, 30 degrees I'd say. I always squat like that now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted October 3, 2012 Moderator Share Posted October 3, 2012 Yeah if I had to guess I'd say I'm ~10-15º Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFCDAN Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Just had an email from fitness first saying I'm in the top 15% of regular visitors, no idea if it's bullshit or not but I was happy with it. That is all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted October 3, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted October 3, 2012 The amount of people that gyms must have signed up but who never go, I'd say that's only a minor achievement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidlewis Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 I started a month a go, 15 st 6 with 29% body fat apparently. Gym Tuesday Wednesday Thursday and only have 45 minutes each day. Currently 10 min bike on intervals 15 min run 5 min cross trainer/rower intervals 15 minutes weights on legs and arms. Also play football on Thursday with work, so casual footy but more fitness which is good. Trying the first month without much of a diet change as I want to see if I lose anything by October. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted October 4, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted October 4, 2012 You'd be better off swapping "15 minutes weights on legs and arms" with a proper weights routine. But good work on getting active. Just remember, you can't out train a shitty diet. If you're looking to lose fat, the work you do in the kitchen is more important than the work you do in the gym. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidlewis Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 I only want to do a few weights to begin with. I generally gain muscle quickly a already after three weeks my arms are visibly bigger. Will probably do two days cardio and one day weights as per your recommendation. Will try and cut carbs in the evening, someone at work has done that and nothing else and he's losing a fair bit. Also need to try to have breakfast even if its toast or something. I generally don't eat until 12pm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted October 5, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted October 5, 2012 It's about calories. Work out how many calories you're eating. It takes a bit of work, but it's worth it. Make sure your calroies are c500 below how many calories you need daily (there are calculators online. Google "TDEE calculator" as a base point to start). If you do that, and hit the gym, you'll lose fat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted October 5, 2012 Moderator Share Posted October 5, 2012 Also need to try to have breakfast even if its toast or something. I generally don't eat until 12pm I eat a breakfast bar in the car on the way to work. That way I get some kind of breakfast that doesn't hold me up at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted October 8, 2012 Moderator Share Posted October 8, 2012 So I tweaked my bloody thigh @ 102.5kg squat I'm giving it 2 weeks to properly recover. It doesn't really bother me as I joined for upper-body. Still annoying though. I even went back after the workout and tried 60kg and it hurt. As for the bench, I need to learn how to properly use the rack in my new gym and I can't do that at my top weight; although I will only drop to 62.5kg. I'll be doing that tonight. I broke the 100kg barrier for deadlift. Made all the more cool because the bar ever so slightly bends when you lift it now All in all, the new equipment and surroundings are proving just as much an obstable to my progress as the actual weights are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa_shere Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Just completed by first cycle of 4 weeks on 5/3/1, cannot say impressed so far, i chose the "i'm not doing jack shit" routine as i like to incorporate olympic lifts after rather than the ones suggested. The work out feels quite tame. When using my 1rep max (which i know is correct) i was getting to the 1+ workout and pushing 5reps which surely is too much. I think it cycle the workout til xmas n see if it improves as most articles say it is a long term routine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted October 9, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted October 9, 2012 Same as my Madcow 5x5. I think you've got to trust the routine. None of my workouts feel particularly intense. Not sure if 5/3/1 works the same, but Madcow you deload for a month, and gradually ramp up to hitting your previous maxes in week 4, and then go beyond them after that. So yeah, none of my workouts have been that intense. But I'm now in week 6 and I've breezed past my old personal records, and the sessions are still not feeling that intense. I feel like I can still go significantly heavier on every lift, whereas 7 weeks ago I'd be lying on the floor after doing 3 personal bests in one session. So yeah, I'd stick with it and trust in the routine. They're proven, so they must work. Just requires a bit of patience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa_shere Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Thats the thing with this one, you dont hit your 1rm weights until the end of cycle 6 which is 24 weeks in total. which feels like awful long time to find out how well (or bad) the workout has been. http://www.allthingsgym.com/2011/09/531-spreadsheet-download/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted October 9, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted October 9, 2012 I can see how that's frustrating. I was getting frustrated too. I wanted to just push on in every session and lift as heavy as I could rather than sticking to the lower weight. But everyone said to just stick to the routine. I think they do work, mine certainly has. Although I'd say the lack of intensity isn't great for keeping fat off. I've been eating on a bulk diet and certainly added a few pounds of fat as well as muscle (3lbs and 4lbs respectively, by my calculations) but yeah, you have to battle with your conscience telling you you should be lifting heavier and sweating buckets by the time you finish your session. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omariqy Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 After not going to the gym for a year to concentrate on running, football and cricket, I have decided to join my black label fitness first. I want to start toning up and getting leaner. I am not fat but not toned at all. Anyone got any good recommendations for either a weights routine or exercise routine. Still gonna carry on playing footy once a week and running 5k once a week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regular_john Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 After not going to the gym for a year to concentrate on running, football and cricket, I have decided to join my black label fitness first. I want to start toning up and getting leaner. I am not fat but not toned at all. Anyone got any good recommendations for either a weights routine or exercise routine. Still gonna carry on playing footy once a week and running 5k once a week. With all that cardio (footy and running), you're going to be burning calories (in the form of fat AND muscle) by the bucketload. The reason you're not toned is because you have little muscle bulk, probably because you burn it all by running so much. Your best bet is too take up a resistance routine that will preserve (and expand) your muscle mass and give you that 'toned' look you're after. Weightlifting routines needn't be complicated, there's no need to do the 50 secret bicep exercises that Men's Health recommend every month. Construct a basic routine based around the big compound lifts, add a little more weight each time, and you'll develop muscle in no time. This is my routine ('Starting Strength' with differences due to bad wrists): Workout A - Squats (3 x 5), Bench press (3 x 5), Deadlifts (1 x 5), Chin ups to failure Workout B - Squats (3 x 5), Press (military, not bench. 3 x 5), Pendlay rows (3 x 5), Pull ups to failure I alternate between these workouts and add a little weight each time, normally 2.5 - 5 kilos. Hope that helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted October 10, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted October 10, 2012 What John said. "Toning" is down to muscle and bodyfat. There isn't special exercises that tone the muscles that you already have, it doesn't work like that. If you're not fat, but you're not toned, it's because you don't have much muscle (can be called "Skinny fat"). You need to add some muscle before getting rid of any excess fat. I would, as John suggested, go for a bulking weights routine. Starting strength is an excellent place to start. Google around for it, and I believe that's what BOF is doing so I'm sure he'd give you some pointers. Get your diet right. Read http://www.muscleandstrength.com/expert-guides/muscle-building (how do you do short links on the new site?!)for tips on the diet (and everything else about muscle building). basically, you need a high protein diet (1g per pound of bodyweight is fine) and be eating more calories per day than you burn. As John said, you're burning a lot playing all that football and running, when your body needs excess calories to build muscle. it's fine to keep playing football and running, but bear in mind you might need to eat more, and also your body builds muscle when it's resting, so it might tire you out a lot to be doing everything. Depends on your time scale, but I would spend a good few months bulking, and then spend a couple of months cutting (weights routine can be the same, just lower your diet to 500 calories per day less than you burn) to get rid of any excess fat you've inevitably gained on the bulk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baselayers Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 Ha it's amazing how quickly you turn into a fat sack of shit after a bit of injury induced non exercise time. I hate myself right now!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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