keep the videos coming
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Hey Bono, I see you follow me regularly and like my descriptions. I didnāt mean you of course 
But as the occasion arose to answer, I decided to share other things as well.
I wasnāt aware of the standards in Bench Press competitions /I donāt train to compete/, but yesterday I inquired and found that the maximum allowable distance between the thumbs of both hands is 81 cm /31.88 in/, which means that with at least the thumbs should cover the marks /rings/ on the Barbell if it is manufactured according to the standards. And because of this, in cases where I train with a Wide Grip, I will try to follow this to get used to it. As I have already read, this takes the stress off the Elbow joints, but transfers more onto the Shoulder joints. And indeed, today I donāt feel any tension on the Elbow joints, and I feel them very slightly on the Shoulder joints, but still Iām not used to this Wide Grip. Has anyone who has practiced it had Shoulder complaints afterwards. But if you want to develop the pectoral muscles, it makes much more sense to train the Bench Press with a Wide Grip.
Having mentioned elbows, I want to share that after doing the Shoulder Press a few days ago, I had pain in my Forearms and around my Elbows. And I could feel the pain when I take the position for the exercise and bring my Elbows down. If I raise my Elbows higher in such a way that my palms are at the level of my ears, I have no pain or discomfort. At the moment, nothing hurts, but if it hurts after that, then there is something wrong. Iāve read that a lot of people have this problem and thatās why they donāt do a standard Shoulder Press.
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02.08.2022
Chin-Up - 1,1,1,2,2 Rest 3 min. and 10x2 (pause 1 min.)
My monthly Gym membership expired on the day of my previous workout, and weāre going on a family vacation at the end of this week. It doesnāt make sense to renew my subscription for a few days and then be away for almost a week. And today I didnāt feel fully recovered, especially in my shoulders, chest and legs. Therefore, during the remaining days, I will train at the sports field, which is in close proximity to my home. Today I decided to only do Chin-Up.
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Today I photographed my sons progress. They were critical of the way they looked when they saw the pictures, but I think they are progressing well. I keep telling them that things happen more slowly. They are not fans of showing their abs. But Iām glad theyāre regulars at the gym. They are still tall and their muscles are longer, but if they gain more muscle mass it will be more beautiful.
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06.08.2022
BP-5x40, 5x60, 5x70, 5x80, 2x2x90, 15x60;
SQ-10x40, 5x50, 5x60, 2x6x70;
Bent-Over Row-10x40, 12x60, 12x70;
Shoulder Press (Machine-Plates)-12x30,12x50;
Preacher Curl (Machine-Plates) - 2x12x15;
Triceps Extension (Barbell)-12x17, 12x27.
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08.08.2022
Swimming
Chest Press (Smith)-15,12,12;
Seated Row (Machine)-12,12,12;
Shoulder Peess Dumbbell-2x12;
Curl Dumbbell-1x15;
Triceps Kick Back-1x12.
Swimming.
Iām on a Family vacation, but I found time to visit the Hotel Gym. I went to work out after drinking alcohol, but thatās the way it is
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11.08.2022
Chest Press (Dumbbell)-15,15,21x22 kg (L22 kg.+R22 kgā¦They were the heaviest in the Gym);
Seated Row (Machine - With all the burdens)-12,12,12;
Lateral Raise-2x12x12 kg (L12 kg.+R12 kg.);
Curl Dumbbell-2x15x12 kg. (L12 kg.+R12 kg.);
Triceps Kick Back-2x12x12 kg. (L12 kg.+R12 kg.);
Leg Extension - 25, 20, 15 With progression in weights.
A little swimming before and after training.
The family vacation is over. Starting tomorrow, my sons and I continue in our favorite neighborhood Gym. They couldnāt wait to get home so they could train better in the more equipped gym. Apparently, they love training more than the sea and the beach. I even told them that they havenāt stopped since February and itās okay to take a week without training while weāre on a family vacation, but they donāt agree at all and thatās why we went to the hotel Gym.
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Great Tricep!
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Yes, visually it looks good, but otherwise the muscle mass is not very large. For now, training is mostly on machines, and barbells and dumbbells are used only for Arms. They are tall and their muscles are long. To achieve big laps they need to build up a lot of muscle mass. But I canāt say that they follow a strict diet, eat as much as they want and consume meat at almost every meal. They train the Full Body 3 times a week. 3x10-12 for each muscle group. The important thing is that they want to, but hopefully they donāt get bored.
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13.08.2022
BP-10x40, 3x60, 12x70, 10x70;
Incline BP- 12x50, 10x60, 8x60;
Fly (Dumbbell)-3x12x12 (L12+R12 kg.);
BP Close Grip-12x50;
Push-Down-15x50, 2x12x64 (Two Reels);
Triceps Extension Kneeling - 2x10x50 (Cable-Two Reels);
Triceps Concentration Extension (Cable) -1x12 (L+R);
Treadmill-10 min.
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14.08.2022
SQ-5x40, 3x60, 5x5x70 kg.;
Lat Pulldown-12x50, 12x55, 12x60 kg.;
Biceps Curl Dumbbell-1x12x12.5 kg. (L12.5 kg.+R12.5 kg.)
During the 6 day Family vacation, I gained 6.6 pounds. Interestingly, I havenāt increased the waist circumference, which is usually where it shows up the most. I hope itās some kind of water retention. I will have to take extreme action to lose the first 7-8 pounds in 2-3 weeks. After that, Iāll be more moderate.
Otherwise, I end the barbell SQ because it doesnāt work well for my problems. Thereās no point in bothering. I feel like if I start lifting weights it will get worse. And if Iām not trying to progress, thereās no point. I also put the DL in the bin. After all, I want to be healthy and not have any pain. And these two exercises have not brought me any benefit. I will train in a way that makes me feel good and gives me pleasure.
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the main thing imo is to have fun. if doing nothing but the big basics intrigues then do nothing but the big basics, what is the first that could happen? you reach your genetic ceiling slightly later.
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Are you saying thereās no point in training this way? And you mean youāre progressing fast, right?
Genetic potential is one thing, but what matters is whether you choose the right path to reach it. Maybe you mean youāll get stuck with the weights quickly, not that youāll reach your genetic potential quickly. Or?
Congratulations on your progress
My idea was that there are two theories and schools. One is that you need to strip away everything superfluous and train only the basic three lifts. Many of the Russians and powerlifters from Eastern Bloc countries espouse this view and have trained this way. And they succeed. Americans are on the opposite side - they have a lot of support work and are also successful. And so I asked if anyone here has done just the three lifts and had success.
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that is quite the opposite to what i said.
in terms of muscle gains - zero, also iām 54 y and not in a caloric +
in terms of strength gains - some, but much smaller than i would like
in terms of joy and wellness, yes i think i do some significant gains, which are very important to me
it might be hard to know which plateu you have hit. but genetic limit in terms of muscle mass for a natural bodybuilder that has actually been established, itās correlated to wrist circumference and height, but unfortunately i canāt remember the link, i recall dr israetel and renaissance periodization (RP) but i might be wrong.
and also, i think i got that too from RP, with a decent training scheme and diet you will build 90 % of your genetic muscle limit in 3 years. So, that is what i mean, if you employ a less efficient training scheme you will build 90 % say in 4 years instead, and to me that is not a big deal because my main focus is fun. all respect to anyone who wants to take fastest lane and who is happy with all the other consequenses that entails, like feeling sore and crappy perpetually, which was my experience when i pushed DL and squat for hard 5x5 as a 50+.
and, the same source also said, that building the last 10 % is very difficult, so unless you do something very right you will plateu at 90 % of your genetic limit.
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Sure, Bono. Thanks for the comprehensive answer.
I really like having bigger muscles, but I have a lot of fat to burn and that goal should come first because my health depends on it. I feel great, but I have diseases that may get complicated after time if I donāt lose weight. And because of that, I can hardly build muscle. Next year, according to the will of the Creator, I will turn 50 years old. Iāve been training since 6 and the body has adapted even though Iām not very strong. And when you add to these things that I have to eat in deficit, there is no way to increase muscle mass. At best, I can maintain the existing one or reduce it very slightly. For this reason, I donāt know what the point is in putting a lot of effort into increasing strength or building muscle. Personally, Iāll get very angry if Iām sweating hard over the bar and my strength doesnāt increase, or worse, if it starts to decrease. Because of this, Iām not serious about training, Iām constantly changing my workout routines, and I go to the Gym for fun. Not because I think the next routine will be better, but because I get bored quickly.
And since Iām writing this review, Iāll share what I did today:
15 min Yoga.
I ended the day with about 1600 calories, of which 140 gr. P, 50 gr. F and the rest Carbohydrates. There are about 3 hours left until bedtime. I donāt go to bed earlier than 00:00-00:30. /12.30 AM/
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i concluded that a couple of years ago. iām no longer following any program that will grind me down and actually make me weaker rather than stronger despite excruciating effort. i just do what i enjoy at a whim more or less, which in my case means dead lifts most of the time.
but if you need to build muscle for health at your current age and health state maybe you have to consult a professional. random but well meaning dudes on the internet might point in the wrong direction.
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I think 5/3/1 is a great program for our case, but I canāt stick to the same thing for long. I have been able to last no more than 3-4 cycles on this program with a lot of effort. Iām impatient and thatās my main problem. If Iām ever going to follow a program, itās going to be something for 10-12 weeks with a little more aggressive weight gain compared to the 5/3/1. For example, Madcow 5x5, where the weight goes up in each set, you have no failures, rep max, etc /And the weight gain is on a weekly basis and in the beginning you also start lighter/. However, I donāt know to what extent such programs work well if you simultaneously want to lose weight /mainly reduce fat/ and eat in a mild or moderate deficit. Many people express the opinion that people like me who are over 30% body fat will not have a problem because they have a lot of stored energy in the body. I donāt know if itās true, but personally, when I donāt eat well / I want to say abundantly and feel fed / I have the feeling that my strength suffers.
In addition, I also have some health problems that, under certain circumstances, relapse again and I have to take them into account. This also stops me from doing strength programs, especially when the SQ and DL weights start to increase more seriously and the effort I have to put in is greater. Therefore, I train in a way that I enjoy and at the same time do not have health problems. To some people, this may seem like a no-brainer, but it is much better than lying on the sofa in the living room.
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i say this is the way to goā¦ canāt say you will muscle on that though.
have you considered trt?
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What is TRT for me? I think that for now I do not have any serious problems that require the intervention of TRT. It is unlikely to cure my hypertension or my higher blood sugar in the morning /not yet in the diabetic range/ which I easily regulate when I stop drinking alcohol and eating desserts. I also have some concerns about such therapy and would do it if things are already very bad. Some time ago I wanted information about how things are in my country from Eastern Europe, but people who are well acquainted told me that this therapy is not very widespread in my country and there are no good specialist doctors who can do it qualitatively and monitor my health. Which means that in addition to the other risks of this therapy, I have to take the risk of things getting worse due to incompetent doctors. Or, more correctly, by doctors who are not specialists in this field. Just like I mentioned, TRT is not very common and most doctors have not specialized in it. Otherwise, we have excellent doctors, but in other areas.
At first I was surprised when I read that men in the USA who are over 40 years of age use TRT en masse. I personally have not come across comments in my country that some 40-year-old man has such problems that should be solved with TRT. There are certainly such people, but the reason will be some disease, alcoholism and other similar cases. Most normal healthy men do not need such therapy at this age. Or they have, but they are not familiar. But they donāt complain that they donāt have an erection or other problems.
In fact, there is another point that I am obviously not taking into account. There is no disputing that men in their 40s are not like men in their 20s, and they admit it. But maybe in some countries they accept it as normal and put up with this situation. However, people from other countries who do not have health problems do not accept their age and want to feel like they are 20 years old and for this reason resort to TRT. In that way, itās normal. Not that some have worse health than others. You simply want the optimum for you and your performance in every possible aspect of life.
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