Serious Work, Serious Gains [Forum Archive]

Pages: 1

Serious Work, Serious Gains

(CLICK HERE here to view the original thread with full colors/images)

Posted by: Malachor

im turning a new leaf in my training today. with a serious attitude now, i will achieve my highest potential.

Woke up at 5:30am

6:10 Breakfast

4 scrambled eggs with some salt, pepper, and tobasco sauce.
6 protein/4.5 Fat/less than 1g carbs with 70 calories

small apple
celery stick

11:05 Lunch

sandwich
2pcs stone groundwheat 3p/1f/12c with 70 calories
2pcs sargento deli style swiss cheese 5p/5f/0c with 70 calories
7-8 slices manda italian beef

medium apple
large orange

3:20 Post-workout

3pcs Parmesan breadsticks w/ garlic 5p/7f/23c with 180 calories (for two breaksticks)

Tuna salad
chunk light tuna(water packed) 13p/0.5f/0c with 60 calories (2 servings)
kraft miracle whip 0p/6f/2c with 60 calories (2 servings)
sweet relish 0p/0f/5c with 20 calories (1/2 serving)

banana
One Daily multivitamin and mineral cap
1/4 cup Diamond whole almonds 6p/15f/6c - 170 calories

1:05ish Workout

Chest&Shoulders

bench bb
185x8
205x8
225x5(missed 6th)
245x0(couldn't lift)

incline bb
135x8
155x6

military press bb
65x8(warmup)
115x4
115x5
115x5

upright row bb
115x8
115x6

I couldn't lift all that i intended to do, but this was the first day on this new routine so i wasn't sure how i felt, i only missed my target by a set and a few reps total. overall i'm happy.

Posted by: Malachor

4:50 Snack

can of 100% juice sliced peaches 0p/0f/15c with 60 calories (3.5 servings)

Posted by: Malachor

5:30 Snack

peanut butter is so damn good!!!!!!!!

creamy peanut butter 8p/16f/6c with 200 calories (2 tbsp)

Posted by: Malachor

6:30ish Dinner

4 Lance Captain's Wafers 1p/2.5f/9c with 70 calories (2 crackers per package)
Salad w/ tomato, croutons, and rance dressing
16oz T-Bone Steak
medium-large baked potato
2 pieces texas toast buttered

Posted by: Malachor

total for the day

3624cal/214fat/183carbs/241protein

Posted by: Malachor

i believe that was the first time i ever intentionally drank 5 liters of water in one day. i also believe that was the first time i spent the majority of my day in the bathroom. call guiness up, i think i beat the world record!

i'm going to sleep in tomorrow and catch a light breakfast.

it has been one week since i've cut out soda. the real challenge will come in two months, my record for the longest i went without a soda.

i hope i sleep like a baby tonight!

Posted by: Jodi

Hi Malachor - Welcome to IM

Your really should post all your meals in post and with the totals for each day. It would be much easier to follow and read and provide suggetions when its seen per day. Just some advice. Good luck on your bulk.

Posted by: Malachor

hi Jodi

thanks for the advice. doing this stuff the right way is all new to me, it's going to take some time, but it's nice to have the help from the experienced people here! good luck on your goals too!

Posted by: Malachor

Wednesday's w/o and meal

Squat
135x8
135x8
185x6
205x5
225x3

Horizontal Machine Leg Press
100x8
120x8

Standing Barbell Curl
65x8
85x8
85x6

meal 1

banana
1/4 cup almonds

meal 2

doritos king size(so healthy!)
chicken sandwich

meal 3 (postworkout)

banana
tuna salad
multivitamin/mineral cap
small apple
4 scrambled eggs

meal 4

banana
apple
4 onion rings
baked beans
1 1/2 barbequed porksteaks

meal 5 (snack)

orange
2tbsp peanut butter(the bad kind!)
slice of swiss cheese

Totals Cal:3021 Fat:135 Carb:253 Pro:218

5 liters of water

I woke up late and I didn't have time to fix a breakfast so I made due with what I could grab as I was running out the door(almost literally). So my protein was pretty low for the day.

However, I think I finally corrected my hiproll problem when I squat. The only time I felt it was when I did the 185 set. I figured that since I'm tall and i naturally lean forward more so the bar is not directly over my hips that this was causing me to put more support on the balls of my feet. with more support on the balls of my feet, it forces me come up like an escalator rather than an elevator. on the 205 set, i placed my support on my heels and pushed through the floor with my heels and i believe this made all the difference. i also corrected my poor stance that was leading to somewhat of a poor form. now i just have to fine tune my squatting form and i'm set! it's great overcoming a problem that you have been having for a while with your own anaylsis!

Posted by: Malachor

this water thing is becoming a piece of cake. 6 liters today no problemo.

Posted by: w8lifter

Quote:

Originally posted by Malachor

However, I think I finally corrected my hiproll problem when I squat. The only time I felt it was when I did the 185 set. I figured that since I'm tall and i naturally lean forward more so the bar is not directly over my hips that this was causing me to put more support on the balls of my feet. with more support on the balls of my feet, it forces me come up like an escalator rather than an elevator. on the 205 set, i placed my support on my heels and pushed through the floor with my heels and i believe this made all the difference. i also corrected my poor stance that was leading to somewhat of a poor form. now i just have to fine tune my squatting form and i'm set! it's great overcoming a problem that you have been having for a while with your own anaylsis!

How did you fix this?

Posted by: Malachor

the weight was pushing me forward more (balls of feet) as i went down, so i corrected it by "laying" back on my heels throughout the entire movement. it made for a straighter movement and more use of my core.

Posted by: Malachor

i would like to say that i need to give DP praise for helping me with my poor stance and leg plan. i can't thank him enough for helping me when i asked him out of nowhere for help. he desires more respect than i think he gets! very unselfish and great guy!

the rep/weight scheme he gave me helped me achieve a PR as I had never squatted 205 for 5 reps or even attempted 225.

thanks

DP!

Posted by: Dr. Pain

Thank you!

I can see 245 to 275 as soon as we solidify the form......think about the bar placement recomendations to change your center, try it at lighter w8's first

Good Job

Posted by: Malachor

i can't believe the low cable pulley was broke in the weight room, i was pretty mad about it.

pulldown
120x8
140x8
160x6

t-bar row
45x8
90x8
135x8
135x8

power clean
135x5
175x5
175x5

skullcrushers
40x8
65x10
65x8

people were camping out on the machines and the class was over so i didnt get to do pushdowns....

m1

1 cup ham
1/2 cup whole almonds

m2

chicken sandwich

m3

apple
4 cups ham
1/4 cup shelled walnuts
2 pieces wheat bread
2 pieces swiss cheese

m4

5pcs of bread
large salad w/ cheese tomatoes, crutons, and ranch dressing
20oz porterhouse (outback baby!)
baked potato

Totals Cals: 4714 Fat:263 Carbs:168 Protein:412

i wish i could eat a 20oz porterhouse and a baked potato that good everyday.. mmm

their bread is superior as well.(outback)

Posted by: Malachor

BW = 230, i think that's down 5 lbs from when i last checked. it's probably all water though as i got up at least 5 times last night to tinkle!

weekends are great time for sleep... i slept *low voice* 15 hours last night...

Posted by: Malachor

just about all my soreness is gone. i'm feeling a bit groggy today, but i usually do on sunday. i can't wait to get in the gym and throw the weights around tomorrow. i think my entire upperbody looks more solid than it did a week ago especially my chest.

the one thing i hate about having 25 minute workouts on monday and friday is i have no time to pose. it's not that big of a problem, but i like to pose in between sets. however, with this new workout scheme, the intensity is through the roof. i like that in a workout. it keeps me on my toes and i have total body fatigue no matter what muscle group i'm working. if it becomes a problem with people camping out on machines and what not, i might designate another day just for arms, but of course i will give it sometime and see what happens. it still sucks that i didn't get to do pushdowns friday.

even though my diet has improved a great deal, it's still not consistent. i don't expect it to be perfect until i can fiddle around with it and get it setup. i have to get use to getting up earlier and eatting breakfast, something i never even did before. every week i expect it to be in better order with more structure and consistency, but i'm not looking for it to be second nature for a few weeks.

bw = 232

Posted by: Malachor

workout was pretty rough today

bench
185x8
205x8
225x5

incline
135x8
155x6

military press
115x4
115x2

upright rows
115x8
115x8

i will have to lower the military press weight next week so i can hit my rep range.

food will be posted at the end of the day.

time to eat my postworkout meal now

Posted by: Malachor

alright... i've been eatting all day since i got home... im about to go eat again... but it sure doesn't seem like i've ate anything... blah i'm about to go fix something.

Posted by: Malachor

So far my totals today are cals:3078 fat:172 carb:229 pro:180

fats high and protein is low... i need more phuuuuuude.

Posted by: Malachor

my last meal was an hour ago about... i could eat a freakin horse and the jockey that rides on the horse right now! damn 6 liters of water isn't stopping my hunger

Posted by: Malachor

this whole diet thing sucks. when i say that, i mean i want to get it setup so it's like a clock with my body. consistent.

Posted by: Dr. Pain

Quote:

Originally posted by Malachor
this whole diet thing sucks. when i say that, i mean i want to get it setup so it's like a clock with my body. consistent.

If it were easy, anyone could do it!

Posted by: Malachor

meal total today

m1
6 strawberries
1/4 cup walnuts

m2
chicken sandwich

m3
4 scrambled eggs
2 peanut butter toast slices
banana
apple
orange

m4
1/4 cup walnuts
celery

m5
chicken - thigh, leg wing
corn
6 strawberries
2 peanut butter toast slices
2 pieces swiss cheese

m6
two cans of tuna

Totals cals:3372 fat:177 carbs:229 protein:244

Posted by: Malachor

almost forgot water, 7 liters

Posted by: Malachor

well this was a terrible day for lifting/eatting. i was tired as hell all day and i still am, i dont even know why i'm still up... i haven't gotten much sleep in the past few days. i'm lightheaded now.

squats

135x8
135x8
185x6
205x5
225x3

laying machine curls
70x8
80x8

what a pathetic workout. everything felt heavy, but everything was in good form. i experimented with DP's advice of placing the bar lower on my back, but it didn't feel very comfortable and i felt it made me concentrate more on holding the weight instead of executing the exercise in the best form. so for the 205 and 225 set i went back to my normal bar position and i did fine.

my meals were terrible today, i'm not even going to post them.

i've come to the conclusion that i would benefit so much from having a training partner. i need somebody with the drive and willpower i have and with the same goals and interests in the sport. on bench days i lift with two other guys, but for the rest of the time im on my own. no encouragement comes from anything else either. it can be a real downer like today. i didnt feel like doing my workout other than the squats. it shows too.

anyways it's time to go pass out... i hope it feels like i've been sleeping for eternity when i wake up.

Posted by: Malachor

i went to the doctor tuesday and i weighed 238lbs, wednesday i weighed myself at school and i weighed the same. today i weighed myself at home and i weighed 230lbs. obviously my scale must be wrong.

i feel less tired today overall. i'm having mixed emotions on what exactly i want to do right now. i want to continue lifting, but i'm looking for a new approach or something new. i'm not happy with how things are working out now. one thing that has been on my mind is my waist size and my ankle size. it's kind of funny that i'm thinking about my ankles, but i'm not happy with how "heavy" i am right now and they just look like tree trunks. i'm also not happy with the stretchmarks i have. these stretchmarks are from muscle gains as they are on my outer chest around the armpit region and at the pec/bicep insertion point, i pinch muscle and not fat. just in the past 2 months or so is when they began to get bigger on my chest and bicep. i dont want to continue to lift heavy and just have these stretchmarks grow everywhere because there is no stopping them or anything i can do about them unless i stop lifting, and that's most certainly out of the damn picture. i was thinking about maybe cutting up the waist area a little bit and slowing down on the bulk until i do cut my waist size a little bit. i just stopped typing to go measure my waist and i'm at about 39.5 inches. that's fucking pathetic. the first thing i'm doing is dropping down to 34" at least. whatever lbm i lose doing this will be worth it unless there is a way not to lose lbm and lose waist fat/size at the same time. i bet my bf is around 18% too. that's not acceptable either. last year i had 6-8% bf around september. only a filthy pig can put on 10-12%. a few things need to be remedied before i even consider this bulk now. i guess the only way to solve this problem is to get my diet into order now, but i don't even know where to begin. if you're knowledgable and reading this, this is a plea for some advice.

/rant

Posted by: P-funk

I'm reading so here is some advice

Frist you can start by posting your current daily diet. Don;t lie or doll it up. Be tuthfull so that people can give you honest opinions. Just write out a typical day of eating. Try to include meal times as well as total calories and macronutrient breakdown if you can.

Second, yes you can lose waist size with out compromising LBM if you diet properly. And NO losing LBM in an effort to reduce the size of your waist is not worth it. The LBm is going to help you take weight off and keep it off. Don't try anything drastic here, be smart about this. I, you, we (meaning the others on this board) work to hard to try and gain LBM. I, you, we, fight and claw for every little pound of muscle we gain to just say "oh well" and throw it all away. 80% of the game is diet and it will greatly affect your gains in the gym, your wasit size and your overal mental and physical well being. So please post your diet so that everyone here can lend a hand and help you reach your goals and possibly (more often than not) exceed them.

peace,
Patrick

Posted by: Malachor

i agree that i should not sacrifice lbm for waist size. that's crazy talk and i was ticked. i've worked hard to get where i am in the weight room, but the kitchen is where i lack. it's not exactly easy to eat the same things every day and to eat quality meat when you're not even 18 yet. i don't pay for any of my meals nor do i have the money to, so in essence, i'm at my parents mercy. i can still eat a lot of the things that i need, but once you start talking about 15-20 different things all the time or whatever it adds up and i can't put them in that position nor will they compromise really *cough*dad*cough*

one thing i think i need to get immediately is some sort of protein shake. i cant eat one of my meals at school when i need to so i would need a shake. my diet for the past few workout days is posted in this journal.

thanks for the encouraging words and help p-funk.

Posted by: P-funk

Yes, it can be difficult to get all your needed macros when relying on mom and dad. Fortunatly my mother was always, and still is when ever I come home for a weekend, helpful in making me special dinners (be it cooking me a chicken breast and sweetpotato for dinner while the rest of the family feasted on pasta ot whatever). But you are 18yrs old. You are not really at their mery. Also, no matter what they have or make you can usually take it and make it healthy in some way. Also, you can use your new knowledge to help educate them on the benefits of a healthy balanced diet which will come back around in your favor when they start purchasing and preparing different foods etc..

You don't have to eat the same things everyday either. I keep a journal with pages and pages of meal ideas (like a meal bank). Then when it is time to eat I just look in the journal and pick a meal that I feel like eating, keeping in mind that sometimes the meals need to be tweaked a bit to reflect the phase I am in (cutting or bulking).

Even if your parents aren't purchasing lean red meats or tons of chicken breast you can usually talk them into buying a bunch of tuna fish and eggs, which will help you out tremendously. Just keep at it.

Posted by: Malachor

my mom is actually very understanding of the whole thing and she too wants to eat better and whenever i find out new information she i glad to here it and she tries to changed, but my dad is the problem. He's old school all the way. But enough on harping on my family.

Tuna and milk were my main sources of protein before i ventured on IM. I've been eatting tuna for about a year now. I was eatting 4-5 cans a day and 6-8 glasses of milk. Now i only drink water (i've only had two glasses of milk in two weeks) and i cut out soda almost three weeks ago (three weeks this monday). I eat bananas, oranges, strawberries, apples, and other healthy fruits and vegetables more often now and at least one of each a day. I've started to cut back on my portions at meals and i've tried to keep snacking down. and when i snack, it's healthier than a soda and some chips. i've been eatting a lot more bread lately though as i guess it's healthier than the garbage i was eatting, but apparently it's not as healthy as it seems to be.

tonight i had the choice of eatting fast food like taco bell or jack in the box, but i opted to eat at a salad type place called sweet tomato, i had two plates of caesar salad, more fattening than regular salad, but i felt that it was more allowable than the other garbage i was going to eat. i had fresh sliced tomatoes and egg whites on it and a bowl of soup. i think that's better than 6 tacos at taco bell or two double cheeseburgers and a large fry at some fast food place.

i'm trying to make healthier decisions and i actually enjoy it. i feel more "clean" and vibrant. getting up in the morning isn't as tiring as since i've been drinking 5-7 liters of water a day. overall, my diet has greatly improved in these past 2-3 weeks, but i'm far from being where i should be.

my friend just asked me if i wanted to get ice cream, something i wouldn't have turned down before. he was paying too.

thanks again p-funk

Posted by: P-funk

keep up the good work.

Posted by: Malachor

todays workout

lat pull
120x8
140x8
130x8

dropped the weight as it was very hard to stay in good form, but i managed to.

bent over rows
135x8
135x8
135x8

power cleans
135x5
155x3

skullcrushers
65x8
65x8
65x8

pushdowns
60x6
60x6

overall good workout, stayed in strict form.

Posted by: Malachor

bench
205x6
225x3

incline
135x8
185x3

military press
65x8
85x8
85x8

upright rows
85x8

for the past few weeks i've been having a little chest pain after my workout. it's a bruise from benching and having the bar laying on my chest (great spotter!) so I decided to take it easier today and not work my chest as hard. chest felt good today with less volume. we'll see how i feel next week if i want to go back to the regular chest workout.

things still aren't going great with the meal situations. it's the hardest part to deal with. i had fast food one day and i haven't been keeping track of my daily intake. i'm still eatting practically the same as i was a week ago, but i haven't had any set schedule. i'm going to take this all slow because i don't want to rush into doing something i'm not accustom to like i did at first. it was too much of a drastic change. as i educate myself, i'll try and make slight changes. so far, my water intake has remained the same and i'm very happy about that as it is a big accomplishment to drink 4-6 liters a day and not touch any other fluid.

Posted by: P-funk

Quote:

for the past few weeks i've been having a little chest pain after my workout. it's a bruise from benching and having the bar laying on my chest (great spotter!) so I decided to take it easier today and not work my chest as hard. chest felt good today with less volume. we'll see how i feel next week if i want to go back to the regular chest workout

Get a new spotter or drop the weight down to were you can control it better. The bar should never just rest on your chest.

Quote:

things still aren't going great with the meal situations. it's the hardest part to deal with. i had fast food one day and i haven't been keeping track of my daily intake. i'm still eatting practically the same as i was a week ago, but i haven't had any set schedule. i'm going to take this all slow because i don't want to rush into doing something i'm not accustom to like i did at first. it was too much of a drastic change. as i educate myself, i'll try and make slight changes. so far, my water intake has remained the same and i'm very happy about that as it is a big accomplishment to drink 4-6 liters a day and not touch any other fluid.

Tking it slow and making small changes is a great idea. But, fast food is NEVER an option. There is always something better when you are hungry. You shoud have done to a deli and got a salad with some grilled chicken or tuna fish. Even a tuna fich or chicken breast sandwich on whole wheat bread is better that fast food. Or just keep some protein powder on you and if you need to mix it with some water and buy a small bag of peanuts and an apple and that can be a good meal in a pinch. Slight changes are good but fast food is not good at anytime, don't give into that stuff.

Posted by: Malachor

yeah, i know having the bar rest on my chest is never a good idea.

as you said before, diet is 80% of the game, and that's definitely where i'm lacking. i really need to figure out what protein powder i need to get because i can't have all my meals and i need that quick protein. until i figure this out, my diet is going to be sloppy, so i'm not going to post my daily meals for a week or two, i just want to work it out better before i begin to start posting it again.

thanks for the comments p-funk, they're always appreciated!

Posted by: P-funk

get optimum nutrition whey protein. It is my favorite. Chocolate tastes great and mixes well in a shaker bottle with just water.

Posted by: Malachor

which one do you get? i'm at their website and i'm seeing several options. http://www.optimumnutrition.com/

also, do you get it in town or do you order it?

Posted by: P-funk

I always get mine at GNC or vitamin shoppe here in NYC. But if you want the one I use go to the top of that web page were it says product search and type in whey protein. Then a picture of the stuff I use will come up. I recommend getting chocolate flavored 100% whey because I think the vanilla tastes like shit.

Posted by: Malachor

do you get the natural 100% or just the 100%?

Posted by: Malachor

wednesday

Superset:
3 sets standing barbell curl 65x8
3 sets skullcrushers 65x8

rest

Superset:
2 sets laying curls 70x8
2 sets pushdowns 70x8

rest

laying curls 70x8
pushdowns 70x8

then i dide forearm work to failure both supinated and pronated. i finished off with slooooooooow reverse preacher curls about 8 reps.

Posted by: Malachor

i forgot to comment on the workout.

i don't superset much because i find it totally kills me and i can't use much weight at all, but today.... whoa.

i haven't felt discomfort like that in a while. usually, i'm just whipped and i know i have a good workout, but today was an awesome workout. the intensity was through the roof. on the last set of the first superset, my traps and rear delts were on fire from doing the the curls. i don't know why they were agitated, because i was in perfect form. my arms ballooned up after i was done with that first superset. they felt so pumped, almost to the point of the forearm pump i get.

my muscles were shaking violently on the pushdowns too! i loved it. nothing is more satisfying than going through a gutbusting workout that takes mental control.

i stood just over the bench when i did my curls so all i had to do was change my hand position then lay down to do the skullcrushers.

i took a two minute rest before i hit the second superset.

the benefit to doing laying curls and pushdowns is it's all on the same machine. i just get up from the bench turn around and i'm good to go.

i let a blitzkrieg assault go on my muscles. i swear they are still pumped some. they will never recover from that, their only option is to grow.
--

my schedule got kind of switched around this week so im going to do legs tomorrow with back. usually i do legs and biceps on wednesday and then back and triceps on friday. i really dont want to do back tomorrow, so i might just set that for friday and do it at home. it would probably work out better because i have a mirror and i need to watch my form on bent over rows. i think i still am getting a arched back.

anyways, i'm going to remember today's workout for a long time. the low weight wasn't even a factor. i'll have to repeat it sometime in a month or two.

i also took a 3 hour nap today, damn good.

off to bed now!

great day!

Posted by: Malachor

leg day

squats

135x8
135x8
185x6
205x5
225x3

my squat form is still terrible, i think it all has to do with my center of gravity now. i have to figure out a comfortable way to put the bar lower on my back so i'm more straight when i ascend/descend. the shoulder-width stance DP told me take has definitely helped my form, but im still hiprolling some and leaning forward way to much when i go to the basement. im not getting any heel push because the weight is so far foward it's impossible to use heel power to push back up. it's very taxing mentally and physically like this. i'm out of ideas right now on what to do.

Posted by: P-funk

Quote:

i let a blitzkrieg assault go on my muscles. i swear they are still pumped some. they will never recover from that, their only option is to grow.

lol....I think you have been reading flex magazine to much

Sounds like a great workout

Careful on the squats, expecially when your pelvis starts starts tilting, the last thing you want to do is to put all that weight on your erector spinae muscles. They are not able to hold great amounts of resistance like that and you may really mess up your lower back.....use caution. Sit back into it so that your heels don't come off of the ground and only go down as far as you can control (as far as YOUR flexiblity allows, 90degrees is not for everyone, until you are flexible enough to take it down that far with out a pelvic tilt.) A personal trainer that I work with (who also has a masters degree in exercise science) explained it to me that you should go down as far as you can control with out raising up on your toes or rotating your upper body forward. He said that your when you are down in the "hole" your chest should be at the same angle as you shins.. I don't know if that makes any sense to you, it really helps to see someone do it properly.

Posted by: Malachor

i've never read a muscle magazine in my life.

well, if it's the case that my chest should be at the same angle as my shins, then one, without any weight they are, and with weight, i might as well not do squats.

someone 6'3" with a long truck and legs, is going to have to lean way forward when squatting. what benefit will i get out of doing half squats? not nearly as much as donig full squats. their has to be a way to correct this problem without not sacrificing ROM.

Posted by: P-funk

Well, as a personal trainer I can tell you first hand that ROM is different for everyone. Yes I understand that being a tall person getting down to 90 degrees is difficult with good form but the point is that you don't do partial reps and stay satisfied. Do the ROM that you can control and continue to work on you flexibility........you will see, as I have seen in many people that I train everyday, that as your flexibility improves your ROM will improve also. Even if that means dropping the weight a bit, or even dare I say it, doing body squats with no weight at all to work on your form, flexibility, ROM and control. Usually stuff like that can be a problem for most peoples egos but what can I say we have all been there and doing poor squats is not something that is going to help you out in the long run. I would rather limit my rangeof motion and resitance and concentrate on form and flexibility now rather that just saying "fuck it" and end up breaking my back...make sense?

Side note: A freind of mine that I train with happens to be a bodybuilder and a nutrition scientist. Aside from the fact that he is really tall and can execute perfect squats he also has trained pro bodybuilders for shows and told me of one in particular that happens to be a taller guy who broke his back doing sloppy squats.

just trying to help....sorry.

Posted by: Malachor

i appreciate the help but (a lot actually!), flexibility is not the issue. i've been a believer in stretching ever since i took kenpo many years ago when i was young. i'm very flexible. the only time i have a problem with the squats is with heavier weight. when i do 135 it doesn't bother me, but when i get to 185 or so it starts to become a problem. i guess my legs/hips/glutes aren't strong enough to stabilize me and drive me back up in perfect form. remember, i use to be your typical upper body type guy until i kicked my own ass and admitted how important legs were and that i can't neglect them. so my legs are relatively weak i guess. maybe i just need to hang out with the super low weights until i'm stronger, i would like opinions on this of course!

Posted by: P-funk

I think it would be a good idea using lower weights and strengthening your stabalizer muscles. Also you can use the low weight and do partial reps in what ever part of the repetition that your stabalizers are weakest in as a way to strengthen them and break through sticking points. One thing that i like doing that helps me out with the form is to use low weight and take the weight all the way down with good form and when i am in the hole i pause for a 3-4count, then I explode back up. This not only helps with my strength in the bottom part of the rep but also helps me to create a motor pattern in my memory for how proper form feels at the bottom of the exercise. Make sense?

Posted by: Malachor

yeah, it makes perfect sense. coming out of the hole is where i see most of my trouble. i'll work with lower weights for a while and continuing to go to the basement with the movement. my only question is should i keep the same rep/set scheme as i have been or should i use more reps and less sets?

Posted by: P-funk

I would do the same amount of sets and a higher rep range and not pyramid my weight. I would keep it constant and just work on getting the form good. Describe your form a little bit. Are your legs shoulder width apart? are your feet turned sligthly outwards or are your toes straight ahead? When you go down do you shift your hips back and bend at your waist? Describe your biomechanics a bit, it is hard for me to get an idea of your form becuase there are som many things that can go wrong with squats as far as joint motions are concerned. I really believe that it is biomechanically the most difficult exercise to master. Be patient.

Posted by: Malachor

it's hard to say exactly what i do since it's such an involved exercise.

first things first, when i step out of the rack, i look down make sure my feet are shoulder width apart and toes pointed slightly outwards. then i look up and make sure the bar is in a comfortable position and best for me to control. before i start going down i begin to inhale and i continue to inhale until i reach the hole. all this time i try and keep my back straight as possible and to keep the legs with equal work. when i come out of the hole, i try and keep everything straight as possible and to stand up. now that i think about it, i'm not sure if i really drive up, i think i'm just trying to stand up. anyways, as i'm coming up, i will exhale when it starts to get hard at the sticking point which is usually pretty quick. once i'm up i lock out or close to lock out take a breath or two depending how much i think i need and then go again.

Posted by: P-funk

this is so hard to figure out with out a picture....lol.

Posted by: Malachor

yeah, i know what you mean. i'm just going to stick with 135 for 8 reps for 5 sets. i figure with this weight it's enough to at least help me maintain if not build a little mass and it is light enough for me to control and also heavy enough that it will feel like i am using some weight. it will help build my muscles and figure out my form problem. i have a few ideas to try wednesday on leg day now.

Posted by: Malachor

also, i'm going to experience different depths. i'm going to go down as far as i usually do, and then sometimes not as far at about parallel. i figure this will help strength my muscles at different points of the lift too like you said.

Posted by: Malachor

today i got my body fat done, but first i'm going to post my results from 2/26.

2/26

6'3
229lbs
BF 9%
207lbs LBM
22lbs Fat

5/12

6'3
233lbs
BF 8%
214lbs LBM
19lbs Fat

Overall, I'm happy. It means I'm losing fat and gaining lbm so that's usually always a good thing. Over summer i plan to tighten up on my diet and lose some more fat and continue to raise my LBM. I really need waist work as that's where most my fat is. It would be nice to tighten up my ass too, instead of having a big ass. ha!

Posted by: Malachor

Also, when we do BF and all that stuff, we do other tests like bench press test (muscle endurance), standing long jump, vertical jump, etc.

my bench press went down, which i'm not too happy about, but i was probably having a bad day, my strength has continued to go up so who knows.

2/26

i benched 135x34

vertical jump of 21"

5/12

i benched 135x28

vertical jump of 29"

it's nice to know my leg work is finally paying off though on some results!

Posted by: Malachor

i'm still alive! just busy with end of the school year stuff. im going to take next week off and then start fresh for summer with focus on getting proper form on all exercises. stay tuned folks!

Posted by: Malachor

welp, today was my last day lifting at school for this year. now on my break before i start up again.

(CLICK HERE here to view the original thread with full colors/images)

Serious Work, Serious Gains

Article Archives

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60