Yup. That being said, I’m pretty sure that are 20% bodyfat people out there who have somewhat visible abs. They just have a shit ton of muscle.
1 Like
I don’t think you even need a shit ton of muscle. In some lighting I’ve got shadow abs and I’m just at 20%.
2 Likes
Saw you tagged me, so I assume you’d like my 2 cents on what’s going on up in here.
I think your approach to lifting is bad. I have a few suggestions.
The first is that you’re clearly not taking care of yourself. You’re way too young to be suffering the sorts of injuries you have and beating yourself down. Don’t do this. You need to start considering longevity. I saw your log entry where you said you pulled your hamstring, laid on the floor in pain for 15 minutes, then tried to deadlift. That doesn’t make you tough, and it doesn’t make you dedicated. It makes you an idiot. Even if it’s just cramping, lifting under those conditions can cause something far more serious. Hell, you shouldn’t have even made it to the deadlift, because you were suffering from debilitating wrist pain.
You need to be a smarter lifter. When you suffer ANY injury, you need to address it immediately. If you hurt yourself in the gym, you need to end the session RIGHT THEN. Not another set, of anything. You leave the gym, and you start working to heal the injury. That could be mobility work, it could be applying heat, applying cold, whatever method is applicable for the injury. The answer is not lifting more weights.
I’m also going to suggest increasing your salt intake, along with water, probably significantly. I believe every lifter should do this, but particularly lifters who are susceptible to cramping.
On to the bodybuilding style training. I don’t know how much you’ve read my log, but I don’t dedicate much time at all to traditional bodybuilding methods. Most of my training is centered around the big lifts, and generally for low reps. So obviously you can build muscle without going full-bodybuilder. I think direct arm work IS important, as others have indicated, and arm work should be done in the higher rep ranges. At least 8 reps per set, and generally more. I do as many as 25-30 reps sometimes in my arm sets.
2 Likes
Not going to argue with you on that. As for the rest of your advice, I’ll keep it in mind from now onwards. Never really thought of how I was taking care of myself or rather the lack thereof, to be honest.
2 Likes
trust me man, you’re not alone on that. I should have started paying more attention to that sort of thing a loooong time ago. I still do stupid shit. Just less of it.
3 Likes
##1/12/2016
##Greyskull LP bastardized
Press
20kgs x5
25kgs x5
30kgs x5
35kgs x2x5
35kgs x10
Deadlift
60kgs x3
80kgs x3
100kgs x3
120kgs x5
140kgs x1
160kgs x1
##3/12/16
##Greyskull LP bastardized
Barbell Row
supersetted with
Bench Press
20kgs x5
40kgs x5
60kgs x3
65kgs x2x5
65kgs rows x5
65kgs bench x8
Squat
2 pull ups after every set
20kgs x5
60kgs x3
80kgs x3
100kgs x1
110kgs x3x5
120kgs x1
130kgs x1
140kgs x0
Slingshot Bench
60kgs x4
80kgs x5
100kgs x0 LOL
Tricep Pushdowns
did a shit ton with ugly ass form that somehow worked my lats too
SHIT TON, got a sick back pump though so I took a pic when I went to take a piss
Dumbbell Neutral Inclined Bench
roughly 30 degrees-ish
18kgs x4
tried to feel the muscle, tempo etc
22kgs x4
26kgs x4
tried some machine trying to work on chest contractions
Tried to do one dip and nope, wrists aren’t having it. My wrist is weird.
1 Like
##7/12/2016
##Exams finally ended so yeah…
entered the gym at 1150
Front Squats
15kgs x5
20kgs x5
40kgs x3
working on pushing my knees out when I start the descent
60kgs x3
80kgs x3
90kgs x3
Back Squats
80kgs x3
105kgs x1
130kgs x1
finished at around 1240, went for lunch
back in the gym at 130
Press
20kgs x5
30kgs x5
37.5kgs x2x5
37.5kgs x10
fucked around a bit before I could get a bar with some plates, did some overhead squats without my oly shoes, they were harder than expected. maybe i’m just getting too used to having oly shoes on.
Deadlifts
60kgs x3
100kgs x3
130kgs x5
was supposed to hit 125kgs x5 but meh, was lazy to load the weights plus guy sharing with me was already using 130 so why not.
Overhead Squat
27.5kgs x3
tried 40kgs and nope, not an issue with me. the bar doesn’t spin whatsoever so I can’t even get it up without tipping back
practiced some snatch with an empty bar
Couch to 5K
Day 1, missed last round cause I didn’t hear the buzzer
1 Like
Your traps are thick af
you forgot the #nohomo bruh haha. I think they’re just ok, maybe it might make up for my lack of chest and guns and abs though.
Why did you assume I forgot? 
Just kidding.Absofknlutely #nohomo
2 Likes
Just wanted to say i really like your log man! Nice to see someone my age here with similar strenght levels. (I think your squat atleast is stronger tho, also i’m heavier than you so theres that)
2 Likes
##8/12/16
Squats
60kgs x2x3
80kgs x3
100kgs x2
110kgs x1
120kgs x1
130kgs x1
120kgs x1 paused, I literally vibrated my way up like a damn dildo.
Cleans technique stuff
60kgs x3 clean pulls
60kgs x2 clean pulls + 1 clean
100kgs x2x2 clean pulls
60kgs x2 clean pulls + 1 clean
Thanks man, really appreciate it! I’ll be sure to take a look at your training log too.
1 Like
Very similar boat as @Koestrizer. Depression, anxiety disorder, OCD.
Another voice echoing the treatment pattern of counseling/therapy and medication if necessary.
I’m another option if you’d like someone to talk to.
2 Likes
Thanks man, I really appreciate. Things are getting better for the most part so far, way lesser flare ups and such.
1 Like
I have a feeling that an unproportionally large amount of people suffer from mental health issues in the weightlifting community. On the other hand I might have this feeling because I am part of that community and thus more aware to it…
3 Likes
##9/12/16
entered the gym at 1145am
Barbell Row
supersetted with
Bench Press
20kgs x5
40kgs x5
60kgs x3
67.5kgs x2x5
67.5kgs x5 rows
67.5kgs x10 bench, didn’t pause
Squat
60kgs x3
90kgs x1, had to readjust, grip was off
100kgs x1
115kgs x5
was supposed to get 3 sets of 5 but eh… It felt horrible
130kgs x1
left the gym at 130pm-ish?
entered gym at 7pm
Snatches
did some technique work
50kgs x10 singles
Clean and Jerk
did some technique work and tried to work on my jerk position due to my shitty wrists
60kgs x10 singles
left at 9pm
1 Like
I think it’s fairly proportional. There’s just a lot more people with issues than you realize, and people in the community are probably more open.
Except maybe bodybuilding, there’s some weird stuff, and people associated with bodybuilding. Eating disorders, body dysmorphia, gay for pay, depression, massive amounts of recreational drug use (I don’t mean the anabolic kind), and a bunch of other stuff that immediately pops up into my head.
2 Likes
##11/12/16
Front Squat
2 pull ups after each set
20kgs x5
40kgs x3
60kgs x2
80kgs x1
90kgs x1
95kgs x1
Squat
1 pull up after each set
95kgs x1
115kgs x1
130kgs x1
Press
2 pull ups + 5 back leaning leg raises after each set
20kgs x5
30kgs x5
40kgs x2x5
40kgs x7
Deadlift
100kgs x2
130kgs x3
Hammer Curls
superset with 20 reps of tricep rope pull downs of varying weights
7.5kgs x10
10kgs x10
12kgs x3x10
5kgs x3x reverse 30s
reverse 30s = full rom 10 + top half rom 10 + bottom half rom 10
Tricep Rope Pull Downs
some random light weight for 100 slow reps
Reverse Grip Barbell Curl
7.5kgs x10, slight wrist irritation
Machine Curls
some, tried to feel the contraction, wrists felt mostly ok
2 Likes