Gym And Supplement Discussion

[some_cs_student]

I forgot to mention two important factors besides diet.

Stress and sleep both are discussed on the metabolic effect blog

[rev210]

Birds - it's not much different.

just takes longer.

I have a base group movements I do before certain exercises to better manage my aches.

Shoulder dislocates

Hip mobility

Foam roll lower back, butt, ITB and quads (focusing on around the knees)

Calf stretch

achilles stretch

then I sit in the squat position for 60 seconds.

then do a few no weight goblet squats.

After the battle, I ice lower back, knees and elbows

Ahh...yes old-man-itis

You pay for smashing yourself with heavy weights GTST ha ha...

Those are good stretches.

I have found found in the past longer rests between workout days is the ticket (more total rest days) if you are lifting serious. Less sets maybe 1 or 2 tops if the weight is stupid.

No aches at all that way, still get strong.

fight in-activity and keep the diet up are the hard battles as you get older. I'm not winning at the moment ha ha..

Have to get back into squats and things again and see what I can do to represent in the 40's .

[No Crust Racing]

Well had a 60-70% session this morning and changed up a few exercises I knew would hit the elbow too hard. Feeling alright but doom some precautionary icing as we speak.

Something to ad to the list though, nerve above my right butt cheek in my lower back seems to be protesting and no amount of stretching or resting it over the past 2 weeks has done much for it.

Anyone notice this especially when doing stiff leg deads and squats? Regarding squats I am finding that I feel comfortable and go deep I have to have my feet at 45 degree angle.

[rev210]

Something to ad to the list though, nerve above my right butt cheek in my lower back seems to be protesting and no amount of stretching or resting it over the past 2 weeks has done much for it.

Anyone notice this especially when doing stiff leg deads and squats? Regarding squats I am finding that I feel comfortable and go deep I have to have my feet at 45 degree angle.

It's not 'normal'. What you have is fixable at this point. Cut out the loading right away and get a good physio to check it out. Keep going and things will get worse and can take a very long time to fix. Likely the initial cause of it you are still doing wrong.

The likely culprits are sacroilliac joint or sciatic nerve, common with deads and squats.

Don't take this as a harsh criticism but it is a bad form issue. Probably not the lifting bit, the racking and un-racking bit. Yes that's got lots of technique too. It's where most of the injuries will occur once you think you know how to do the key movements . Things like Fidgeting with feet position prior to lifting (whilst holding the bar)or just racking and un-racking improperly.

You will be back at it in no time all said and done.

[TTT]

Dan - go to a sports store and buy a lacrosse ball.

Lie on the floor (when you get home you noob.. not at the store).

get that ball where that nerve is and slowly roll around till you find a sore spot.. you'll know about it when you first hit it.

it's the equivalent of a remedial masseuse person digging their elbow or in the case I had, knee in to it.

May bruise at first (depending on your pain threshold) but it'll get better.

[No Crust Racing]

No offense taken at all Rev, I knew it was going to be my fault and nobody elses, it's feeling sciatic at the moment.

I've got a cricket ball here I can use.

Good news, no soreness in the elbow the day after, so will continue nursing it back. I'd say just over exerted through last weekend and should have avoided curls on the Monday. Now I know what that burning feeling means on Sunday night.

Had a mate over last and he's a big gym junkie, had him spot me for a few light SLDLs, he said my form looked fine but was concerned about the way I racked and unracked so interesting to hear. The bar is also my bench bar and I normally grab it off the bench with a a little bit of weight on it so he reckons I should be sure to fully unload it first. Plus I grab it from the bench side so have to step over so not the most ideal setup, might have to move the bench down so I can grab it easily from the back.

What really struck me as odd though, and we agreed to disagree on this, is that he only squatted to parallel. I thought the best results were seen going ass to grass, this came up as I said I can't go that low without having my feet on a 45 degree angle. If my feet are just off centre from straight like his, I can't go any deeper than about parallel.

[some_cs_student]

Going below parallel is usually a good thing, although its debateable.

There are coaches who advise to only just go below parallel and no lower, others advise to squat as deeply as possible.

Due to my flexibility, I only just get to just below parallel

[Trozzle]

Something to ad to the list though, nerve above my right butt cheek in my lower back seems to be protesting and no amount of stretching or resting it over the past 2 weeks has done much for it.

Anyone notice this especially when doing stiff leg deads and squats? Regarding squats I am finding that I feel comfortable and go deep I have to have my feet at 45 degree angle.

I HAVE EXACTLY THE SAME THING FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

I'm actually really happy you brought this up, since I've just put mine down to the fact I don't pay enough attention to squats and deadlifts, and therefore those muscles become used to not being abused.

[some_cs_student]

It's not 'normal'. What you have is fixable at this point. Cut out the loading right away and get a good physio to check it out. Keep going and things will get worse and can take a very long time to fix. Likely the initial cause of it you are still doing wrong.

The likely culprits are sacroilliac joint or sciatic nerve, common with deads and squats.

Don't take this as a harsh criticism but it is a bad form issue. Probably not the lifting bit, the racking and un-racking bit. Yes that's got lots of technique too. It's where most of the injuries will occur once you think you know how to do the key movements . Things like Fidgeting with feet position prior to lifting (whilst holding the bar)or just racking and un-racking improperly.

You will be back at it in no time all said and done.

I would advise that the feet on the angle thing is probably not a major issue. Except 45 degrees is quite a lot of angle.

Any pain towards that area is possibly a problem rathern than a weakness . Also consider seeing a chiropractor, my last issue ended up to be alignment in the back, if your in Victoria, Jason Mawby is a long way to go to see a chiropractor but he's excellent

[TM7GTR]

Any opinions on a good late night meal (2nd last meal before bed) when bulking?

Recently starting smashing down a bowl of sultana bran at around 10pm. The only downside is the ungodly urge to poo as soon as I wake up lol

Last meal is a gainer shake 10min before bed, which is even more carbs so that may not help my cause..

[some_cs_student]

Type of cardio, don't know what types there are but begin with a good 3 km jog / 100m sprints. Then followed by weight training, 4 times a week, 1 day breaks in the middle.

http://blog.metaboliceffect.com/2012/03/30/beginner-weight-trainer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=beginner-weight-trainer

Here's a potential workout for you...

[TTT]

Squat - The exercise = deep squat.

Squat - The event = hip crease below knee height.

If you are not a competing lifter lifting a massive weight for 1 single rep - squat all the way down

Do a test.

load up your bar with whatever you squat for 10 reps and do 3 sets of 10 reps to parallel.

next session to the same weight and sets x reps but squat deep.

It will be harder and you will feel soreness you didn't with the parallel squats.

Foot position is not so important.

what ever makes your knees feel OK.

generally, they will point outwards.. probably closer to 30 degreese that 45.

stretching and foam rolling helps.

[some_cs_student]

Squat - The exercise = deep squat.

Squat - The event = hip crease below knee height.

Foot position is not so important.

what ever makes your knees feel OK.

generally, they will point outwards.. probably closer to 30 degreese that 45.

stretching and foam rolling helps.

+1

[No Crust Racing]

OK I'll keep that in mind.

As for flexibility, I am pleased to report that after a week of leg/back stretching I was able to bend over and touch the ground straight legged, the first time I've been able to do that in around 6-7years. Great success.

[NickR33]

you should only squat as deep as you can while maintaining an arch/flat lower back... you can obviously improve depth by improving your mobility but you shouldn't be powering out of the hole with a rounded lower back

Dan/Troy this is a good video regarding lower back pain... I get it a bit too... the fault isn't caused by your lower back it's most likely an issue with the Psoas muscle which is a hip flexor that runs down the front/inside of your thigh and connects to your lower back

[NickR33]

Dan I bet you stretch your hamstrings/lower back but not your hip flexors?

[No Crust Racing]

Dunno, I'm not super savvy with all that but Kate gave me a bunch of her stretches from physio that supposedly related to the hips so I've been doing those. If you know of something specific feel free to share.

[TTT]

if you are a desk jockey you will have tight hip flexors.

[NickR33]

if you are a desk jockey you will have tight hip flexors.

quoted for truth

Dan just youtube 'hip flexor stretch'

[TTT]

easiest one I can describe is this.

take one step forward like a lunge.

back leg knee down to the ground.

upper body upright.

push your hips forward and you'll feel a stretch around your hips on the leg that has a knee to the floor.

then swap.

lots of people suggest doing the stretch where you have the foot of the leg that has the knee to the ground, up against a wall.

basically it stretches it more than when it's on the floor.

but it's harder.

especially if you haven't been stretching it.