Cheers dude. I actually wish I edited my post out. I was extremely ranty after a string of poor bench sessions. I am still very grateful for the videos though and will watch them tonight (it aligns with a lot of the stuff I’ve been reading). The desk working thing and also sleeping on a mattress that was too soft for too long. Collapsed chest does not equal a big open ribcage.
Bench actually went a lot better today. I’m cueing my chest up to the bar which seemed to work better than “keep everything tight”. Chest up kind of did thoracic extension, scapular depression, and retraction all in one and my body didn’t try to revert to the shrugging pattern at all. Hopefully over the next few weeks it will start to feel more natural again.
This is a big one. I’ve learned a lot recently that my posture has a huge influence on my anxiety. I also have the rare ability to fuck up in both directions - I can get in the habit of over-flaring my ribcage and that’ll take my diaphragm totally out of my breathing mechanics. Puts a weird stretch on my intercostals and will directly lead to chest pain. I can also collapse my ribcage so that I don’t have room to fill my chest and feel like I can’t catch my breath. Best thing for it is distance running and lots of band pull parts with a strong focus on neutral spine. My ribs also move a lot thanks to loose joints overall (ADHD comorbidity) and my chiropractor has to move an average of 6 at my monthly adjustment.
Damn dude, 6 ribs! You must be sore after an adjustment.
The breathing/anxiety thing is awful!
I’ve been more aware of the neutral spine position and breathing, but I’m So Weak in the correct alignment that it’s easy for me to slip back into extension and flared ribs if I try to push anything too hard.
1 arm lifts and Alternating DB moves have helped, but progress is slow.
The “good” part is that staying aligned eliminates a lot of the never ending knee, hip, shoulder and elbow tightness and pains that I used to get.
I’m 54 now. I started weightlifting with the goal of becoming being a pro bodybuilder at just 14 years old believe it or not. My Mom bought me a Flex magazine when I was 13 and from that day on I wanted one thing. To look like the guys I saw in that magazine. I got even more motivated because Rich Gaspari was all over that magazine and he was from Edison NJ, 10 minutes from where I grew up!
At 16 I joined Diamond Gym in Summit NJ. I couldn’t until 16. Before that I used weights in the basement. If anyone knows Diamond Gym is , still, the most famous bodybuilding gym on the East Coast of the US. I didn’t know that when j joined it was just close. I found out quickly though. You see a bunch of pros and top amateurs walking around and your a skinny 16 year old you understand quick. I was surrounded by guys like Gaspari, Guy Duccase, John Kemper, Bo Matlock ECT ECT ECT. I was determined to fit in though. I more than did. I competed for the 1st time at 18 and won the NJ teenage state championship. At 19 came in second at the Teen Nationals. None of this was me, I had no clue, it was these older bodybuilders who got me ready to go up to the day of the show, for free. Not like now a bunch of selfish people who don’t even know a 10th of what these guys did.
At 20 everyone told me take a year off but I wanted to compete so I entered the NJ state mens open as a middleweight. This was 1991 when the NJ state was better than the JR USA now. I was laughed at more than I can remember. But , even though I was the smallest guy in the top 5 I won the class at 20. Beating older guys from the same gym was kind of embarrassing but I was in shock. My goal was to Just to not embarrass myself. From there I started doing national contests until I turned pro in the early 2000s.
Now I’m 54 and 5 months ago decided to go back to the gym. I had no idea what was coming. I had to learn an entirely different way to train. Mostly stable machines, limit on free weights, no squats, always conscious of any ache it pain. It took me 3 months to be able to go two days in a row! My body was destroyed from heavy lifting from such a young age. I had bad arthritis that had to be managed and at one point I almost just quit discouraged and beaten down.
Because if my mom I stuck with it and now, 4 months in, I’m Finally hitting a stride where I don’t dread going to the gym. The older you are and the more you did at a younger age will make it hard but not impossible.
Oddly enough, not at all. But the last 4 times my heart rate has been 10-20 BPM lower leaving the office than when I get there. I do feel a little flu-ey the next day though
Exactly! Is it easy to remember or do in stressful situations? Absolutely not. But once you make it a habit you totally change your stress response.
I think a lot of the world has things backwards, people push it so hard in youth, they do things that cut back the longevity.
See, right now for me I’m having the time of my life. I didn’t know how to train and get bigger in my 20s. After 27+ years of lifting I finally figured things out for me.
My goal is be my biggest and strongest at whatever age I make it to, 70 etc? Whatever that is.
I don’t want to be a guy who says “well I used compete in strongman” and now I’m just an old man who trains for general fitness.
I want to say “I used to compete in strongman and well I don’t do that anymore but look I’m a beast and I’m more of a beast now, than then”.
I found out something………
Full Zercher Deadlift from the floor, the kind where you get down and lift the bar with the elbows from the floor (not the deadlift, sit on your knees kind, no no).
This exercise is KING! And I found out 2-reps is the ultimate for both strength and muscle size!
For me, No need to even really do super heavy deadlift, Zercher squat etc etc as long as I try to add 2.5 to this lift for 2-reps (sometimes 1-rep) I can do that for the rest of my days and get HUGE! AND strong!
Of course I will train light pump stuff the inbetween.
The full Zercher works everything, it’s incredible.
I don’t care about every kid on the tube trying to break the record either.
I did my full Zerchers from the floor two days ago, my top sets of 2 were 265 x2 and 275 x2 for a 2.5# all time PR.
My body is still in a state of AWE-Phoria from them!
Basically while I still need to recover at the same time I feel more athletic from this!
I can’t explain how great this lift is!
Like it isn’t the typical “I feel like I got hit by a truck” thing from deadlift/squat and other strongman lifts. It’s im kinda wrecked but I actually move better.
My theory is because it’s more natural way to lift. The hips actually “protect” your lumbar area unlike a conventional squat and deadlift which actually temporarily near cripple people when fully maxed.
This lift I can fully max and feel damn good and worked at the same time.
Builds flexibility and the stretch reflex is awesome then doing a negative to hit another rep!
I see guys on the tube do 1-rep and ditch the negative, I wouldn’t promote doing that all the time. The negative is really good!
