[quote]Bill Roberts wrote:
krazykoukides wrote:
I should really get some micro plates. It’s just damn. No local carriers and shipping is too expensive for my liking off of online stores. And it annoys me how expensive they are compared to other plates. I have some 2.5’s… but who doesn’t? I should really buy some though. I have been stuck on incline benchpress for weeks.
If you have a sufficiently large local hardware store, they may have 2" fender washers. Much cheaper.[/quote]
[quote]Bill Roberts wrote:
krazykoukides wrote:
I should really get some micro plates. It’s just damn. No local carriers and shipping is too expensive for my liking off of online stores. And it annoys me how expensive they are compared to other plates. I have some 2.5’s… but who doesn’t? I should really buy some though. I have been stuck on incline benchpress for weeks.
If you have a sufficiently large local hardware store, they may have 2" fender washers. Much cheaper.[/quote]
[quote]countingbeans wrote:
Bill Roberts wrote:
krazykoukides wrote:
I should really get some micro plates. It’s just damn. No local carriers and shipping is too expensive for my liking off of online stores. And it annoys me how expensive they are compared to other plates. I have some 2.5’s… but who doesn’t? I should really buy some though. I have been stuck on incline benchpress for weeks.
If you have a sufficiently large local hardware store, they may have 2" fender washers. Much cheaper.
You seriously are a genius (& a gentlemen.)[/quote]
Thank you, but there was no genius on my part, as it’s not original to me.
The concept to gaining size and strength is simple.
I have a log book, I write down what lift I did, how much weight it was, and how many reps I did.
The next time I go to the gym I look to either add 5-10lbs to that lift and bang out as many reps as possible, going to muscular failure, or staying with the same weight and getting 1-3 more reps then the last time.
It works. Stop over thinking this stuff.
Go to the gym and start working.
If you stop making gains, eat more food.
If you stop making gains, switch exercises, and apply the same principles above and you WILL get stronger and bigger.
The concept to gaining size and strength is simple.
I have a log book, I write down what lift I did, how much weight it was, and how many reps I did.
The next time I go to the gym I look to either add 5-10lbs to that lift and bang out as many reps as possible, going to muscular failure, or staying with the same weight and getting 1-3 more reps then the last time.
It works. Stop over thinking this stuff.
Go to the gym and start working.
If you stop making gains, eat more food.
If you stop making gains, switch exercises, and apply the same principles above and you WILL get stronger and bigger.[/quote]
I just started doing pretty much exactly this too. If I feel burned out and can’t progress for 2-3 workouts, I try to eat/sleep more and/or change exercises/volume/rep ranges around a little.
I’ve made more progress during the last 2 months doing this than I did in my first half year of training.
It’s just so mind numbingly simple. I can’t understand wtf I was prior to this.
[quote]utHAUS wrote:
jehovasfitness wrote:
Am I the only one that doesn’t like this comment?
For one, if you are putting on more weight EVERY workout, you’ll be able to lift a dump truck in due time.
I agree that over time your strength should be going up, but how can you expect to increase EVERY workout?
Some of the big guys on here advocate it, and I try to adhere by it, but I sometimes find that I sacrifice quality over quantity here.
I used to carry a log to the gym so that I could either beat my weight and/or reps on every exercise I performed. It got to a point where I was pissed off after every session because I was not increasing every single time.
I quit carrying the log and focused a little more on how it felt. I still add weight once I reach the top of whatever weight range I’m working in, but it is by no means evey time.
[/quote]
The log book didn’t hold you back, you held yourself back. Plus, I highly recommend noobs to carry a log book around, so I highly recommend you start using one again.
[quote]prospa7 wrote:
utHAUS wrote:
jehovasfitness wrote:
Am I the only one that doesn’t like this comment?
For one, if you are putting on more weight EVERY workout, you’ll be able to lift a dump truck in due time.
I agree that over time your strength should be going up, but how can you expect to increase EVERY workout?
Some of the big guys on here advocate it, and I try to adhere by it, but I sometimes find that I sacrifice quality over quantity here.
I used to carry a log to the gym so that I could either beat my weight and/or reps on every exercise I performed. It got to a point where I was pissed off after every session because I was not increasing every single time.
I quit carrying the log and focused a little more on how it felt. I still add weight once I reach the top of whatever weight range I’m working in, but it is by no means evey time.
The log book didn’t hold you back, you held yourself back. Plus, I highly recommend noobs to carry a log book around, so I highly recommend you start using one again.
[/quote]
We seem to have a few too many people in this thread calling others weak or undisciplined just because they KNOW it’s not possible to add weight each and every workout.
You don’t know that guy and you don’t know me…so don’t use the Courage Wolf lines in real life.
The concept to gaining size and strength is simple.
I have a log book, I write down what lift I did, how much weight it was, and how many reps I did.
The next time I go to the gym I look to either add 5-10lbs to that lift and bang out as many reps as possible, going to muscular failure, or staying with the same weight and getting 1-3 more reps then the last time.
It works. Stop over thinking this stuff.
Go to the gym and start working.
If you stop making gains, eat more food.
If you stop making gains, switch exercises, and apply the same principles above and you WILL get stronger and bigger.[/quote]
[quote]hawaiilifterMike wrote:
Does fast food count? (to make gains)
[/quote]
To an extent. Yes. But it has to be actual FOOD. There is nothing wrong with a hamburger and fries here and there, but it sorta depends where you get it. If you go to mcdonalds and get a big mac meal with a super sized fries, there isnt much FOOD in there. But if you go to a local burger joint, or even something like IN and Out, where they are using real FOOD, then go for it.
Its like the difference between making a burrito at home or at a good mexican restaurant vs. going to Taco Bell.
[quote]hawaiilifterMike wrote:
Does fast food count? (to make gains)
[/quote]
It makes no difference what you use to make gains, as long as you are gaining. BUT the goal is to gain muscle and strength, not fat; even though, yes, some fat accumulation is inevitable and not to be altogether avoided in order to make any appreciable gains. So you need to take that into your consideration with your diet to maximize muscle growth while striving to minimize fat accumulation (of course there is the health factor as well). Everyone is different and has to find their own balance.
[quote]forlife wrote:
The body grows in spurts, not linearly. If you’re adding more weight on literally every workout, you aren’t pushing yourself hard enough.
Obviously you need to be adding more weight over time, but doing it every workout isn’t realistic.[/quote]
You can by cycling you workout in 12 or 16 week cycles. Start with 55 -60% and add five to ten pounds a week by lowering reps as well then start over the next cycle ten or twenty pounds higher. Each cycle you should exceed your last. Add the weight and you’ll grow bigger and get stronger.
We seem to have a few too many people in this thread calling others weak or undisciplined just because they KNOW it’s not possible to add weight each and every workout.
You don’t know that guy and you don’t know me…so don’t use the Courage Wolf lines in real life.
[/quote]
You can [add weight every workout, except where starting a new cycle] by cycling you workout in 12 or 16 week cycles. Start with 55 -60% and add five to ten pounds a week by lowering reps as well then start over the next cycle ten or twenty pounds higher. Each cycle you should exceed your last. Add the weight and you’ll grow bigger and get stronger.[/quote]
Yes, this is a great method. For example starting at 60% RM for 9 reps (if that’s what is the case for you) and adding say 5% of the 1RM and dropping 1 rep each week till ending at for example 90% 1RM for 3 reps. Then starting again at a higher figure for the 9 reps.
Or for example the Wendler 5/3/1.
But this is not what most – not all – of those saying “add weight every workout” mean. They don’t mean add weight but drop a rep every week.
And also, since comparisons should be to comparable things rather than having another thing change at the same time, it really is adding weight every cycle, rather than every week. (That is why it is doable.) For the same number of reps, it is only every 4 weeks, or 8 or however long the cycle is, that weight is added.
[quote]Bill Roberts wrote:
From time to time I make a point of it on this, but my doing so never gets anywhere, so usually I leave it alone so as not to be too repetitive.[/quote]