I’ll give you a little insight then. I keep a very detailed training log. I have rep PR’s and weight PR’s in pretty much everything. One of the most, if not the most effective tools, for progressing in the gym has been striving to set PR’s everytime I go into the gym. I change up everything every four weeks. There is no way that i could keep track of all this information without writing it down.
Simply lifting heavy weights works to a point but if you don’t keep track of what’s working and what isn’t, you will end up doing a lot of work for nothing. The body adapts to your training very quickly. I’m constantly taking notes about my form and where my sticking points are at a given time.
I see so many people in the gym just going through the motions. They go in and do their flat bench every week and wonder why they are still only benching 315lbs. What they don’t realize is if they were to just examine that bench press and determine where their weakpoints are, then they would really make some progress. For example, I see guys doing their full ROM bench press every week. They will pyramid that weight up and then they will eventually go to failure. The next week i will see them do the same damn thing. What they need to do is really take a look at that bench and determine why they are failing. Is their form crap? Are they going to failure too often? Has their body adapted to that same damn movment and is refusing to grow? Do they have a weak muscle group that isn’t getting overloaded?
I totally understand where you are coming from. I thought that way for wayyy too long. And that’s why all my lifts were mediocre at best. Once i started paying attention to the details and doing some research, my lifts went through the roof. To give you another example- I competed in bodybuilding for many years and I was pretty damn good at it. Although compared to my strength levels now, I was weak as piss. I really wish i had known then what i know now. I would have been twice as big. Up until I was 30 years old, I couldn’t bench more than 315. I couldn’t squat more than 405. In 4 years, my bench climbed into the low to mid 500’s, squat 700 and deadlift 700 all raw. And i owe it all to the day the light bulb went off in my head and i realized that lifting hard wasn’t nearly enough. You have to lift smart and pay attention to everything.
I’m off my soapbox now. I really wish i could get through to most of you that being your best means not dismissing anything. Soak it all in. Try it all. Also, don’t get wrapped up in what others are doing and how stupid they look or what the hell they wear. This past week we had the Hooter’s girls come into our gym for some promotion. I had NO IDEA that they were even there until one of my teammates told me. I don’t see people in the gym anymore. I only see what i’m doing. I don’t hear the music, I don’t see the douchebag curling the bumper plates in the squat rack.
[/quote]
Great post.
I for one can not see how keeping a detailed log could be detrimental to progress. If someone is the kind of guy that somehow cheats himself to “beat” the log, he is not the type to be making progress in the first place.
[quote]maraudermeat wrote:
GDI Inc wrote:
MM,you move some sick numbers, thing is, I’ve never seen anyone move close to those weights keeping a log. I can see how that information over time can be valuable to a powerlifter.
My numbers are decent, not great…and between being away from it for 15 years and a blown out pec I’m not looking for any arguments. But the log books aren’t helpful if the effort isn’t there. And I haven’t seen anyone putting in hard work keeping a log.
I’m definitely not here to argue. there’s no point in it. It’s a waste of time. But so many people revel in it.
Pretty much all the elite level lifters that I know keep detailed logs. [/quote]
Not to mention a lot of the big guys over at intensemuscle.
To be honest, this was a pretty stupid discussion to begin with. In my mind, if someone with a log book isn’t making progress, their problems probably go a tad deeper than whether or not they are obsessive about their record keeping. In those cases, the log might be a symptom of the problem, not the cause.
[quote]Tex Ag wrote:
markdp wrote:
Tex Ag wrote:
HolyMacaroni wrote:
Tex Ag wrote:
But now years later I do have 15+ inch arms. I do not think they are big and I do not give advice on how to get bigger arms. But while I understand the point you are trying to make, I have grown tired of this dismissive measurement (15") as if that could in no way represent achievement of any kind. I know my experience may be an exception (though not exceptional) I have to think there is a decent sized population here starting with much smaller arms than you assume.
Congradulations on making progress.
however, this is T-Nation.com. look what it says right up top “the intelligent and relentless pursuit of muscle”
if you don’t even look like you work out when you have a shirt on, how do you expect us to praise you?
where does this come from?
TexAg, seriously man, we’re not here to praise you. It might be cool and all that you’re sporting 15’ guns but I mean cmon man, enough is enough, please quit all the bragging. lol
I am assuming this is a joke.
If not, what part of “I do not think they are big and I do not give advice on how to get bigger arms” is going misunderstood.
At what point is praise asked for? [/quote]
Sorry man, I should have used the sarcasm tags.
lol… I just thought that the whole [quote]how do you expect us to praise you?[/quote] was pretty funny
I for one can not see how keeping a detailed log could be detrimental to progress. If someone is the kind of guy that somehow cheats himself to “beat” the log, he is not the type to be making progress in the first place.
[/quote]
I’ve seen HIT-ites do it for years. They will talk about how all of their numbers are going up and how they are finally having success and have simply made AMAZING progress…but then you look at them and they look like untrained sedentary people.
That is how praising tiny number increases can hold you back if you aren’t really pushing your own limits.
People who have never reached their limits have no fucking clue where they are. Their perception of intensity will then be skewed greatly.
They may actually THINK they are training as hard as they can…but they aren’t.
Yes, some people need to put the books away.
Those who actually benefit and push their limits have nothing to worry about.
I’m a noob with 15+ inch arms. Been seriously training since Thanksgiving. And when I mean “seriously”, I mean it in the sense that I have owned a power cage and 300+lbs of olympic plates/bars for the past 5 years barely even touching them except to move them from one house to another. However, I have a goal, one that has inspired me to sweat each and every time I train. It actually feels good to me, like a drug of sorts.
My fiance (the goal of course is to look good in a tux for our upcoming wedding) is starting to understand that feeling too. Before she really didn’t understand why I wanted to keep the weights and cage. OR why I wanted to spend money on a membership with a brand named gym. Now she does.
Do I subscribe to pussy-itis? Sometimes. If i am not feeling it that day, I still train and I still sweat, just might not finish those last 2-3 reps or make that PR for squat. Yet, I’ll slap all the plates on the bar and do 5-6 good deadlifts before I leave the garage.
[quote]chimera182 wrote:
Avocado wrote:
chimera182 wrote:
eggowned wrote:
chimera182 wrote:
I was doing Bulgarian split squats today, and when I was switching legs a guy on my rugby team came up to me. He said I should take a break because I looked like I was “working too hard”. I told him I didn’t think that was possible, and he replied with “Well, what if your bicep explodes”. I guess he’s right, if my bicep explodes from split squats I might have been doing something wrong.
No exercise on this earth is worse than Bulgarian split squats. I finished my leg day with these and had to lay down on the floor for ten minutes for fear of puking when standing up.
I had someone ask me if I needed an ambulance…
I really do detest split squats, other than the fact that they’re incredibly challenging.
On the last set of this shit I just kinda lean forward till the DB’s are on the floor and then lay down face first between them. I have no idea why I fancy doing them in sets of 8/leg. WTF was i thinking when i wrote that shit.
-chris
I was going for 10 reps, and on my last two I was only holding onto the dumbbells with two fingers and couldn’t reset my grip.[/quote]
HO HO HO. That is the number one reason why I use straps for DB Bulgarian Sp Sq. There is no way I want to be worrying about my grip when I have to concentrate on balancing and pushing with only one leg.
I used to be fairly strap avoidant but now i have come to the conclusion that dedicated grip work is essential for many athletes. and for those that dont need it, the straps help them get the most out of each set without grip being the limiting factor.
7" arms? Jesus…my dick is almost 5" in circumference…are you saying most normal grown men have arms that are only 2" bigger than my dick is around?
This thread started out medium dumb/medium smart, went to kinda dumb, then got real dumb, then was real smart then reiterated the ‘do you keep a log book’ thread that also started out medium dumb/medium smart, went to kinda dumb, then got real dumb, then was real smart.
Now this thread has been saved and rescued by my 5" wide cock.
[quote]sen say wrote:
7" arms? Jesus…my dick is almost 5" in circumference…are you saying most normal grown men have arms that are only 2" bigger than my dick is around?
This thread started out medium dumb/medium smart, went to kinda dumb, then got real dumb, then was real smart then reiterated the ‘do you keep a log book’ thread that also started out medium dumb/medium smart, went to kinda dumb, then got real dumb, then was real smart.
Now this thread has been saved and rescued by my 5" wide cock.[/quote]
[quote]markdp wrote:
Tex Ag wrote:
markdp wrote:
Tex Ag wrote:
HolyMacaroni wrote:
Tex Ag wrote:
But now years later I do have 15+ inch arms. I do not think they are big and I do not give advice on how to get bigger arms. But while I understand the point you are trying to make, I have grown tired of this dismissive measurement (15") as if that could in no way represent achievement of any kind. I know my experience may be an exception (though not exceptional) I have to think there is a decent sized population here starting with much smaller arms than you assume.
Congradulations on making progress.
however, this is T-Nation.com. look what it says right up top “the intelligent and relentless pursuit of muscle”
if you don’t even look like you work out when you have a shirt on, how do you expect us to praise you?
where does this come from?
TexAg, seriously man, we’re not here to praise you. It might be cool and all that you’re sporting 15’ guns but I mean cmon man, enough is enough, please quit all the bragging. lol
I am assuming this is a joke.
If not, what part of “I do not think they are big and I do not give advice on how to get bigger arms” is going misunderstood.
At what point is praise asked for?
Sorry man, I should have used the sarcasm tags.
lol… I just thought that the whole how do you expect us to praise you? was pretty funny[/quote]
markdp:
I figured it was. I might have thought the “praise” question was funny if it showed any sign of reading comprehension.
[quote]sen say wrote:
7" arms? Jesus…my dick is almost 5" in circumference…are you saying most normal grown men have arms that are only 2" bigger than my dick is around?
This thread started out medium dumb/medium smart, went to kinda dumb, then got real dumb, then was real smart then reiterated the ‘do you keep a log book’ thread that also started out medium dumb/medium smart, went to kinda dumb, then got real dumb, then was real smart.
Now this thread has been saved and rescued by my 5" wide cock.[/quote]
[quote]sen say wrote:
7" arms? Jesus…my dick is almost 5" in circumference…are you saying most normal grown men have arms that are only 2" bigger than my dick is around?
This thread started out medium dumb/medium smart, went to kinda dumb, then got real dumb, then was real smart then reiterated the ‘do you keep a log book’ thread that also started out medium dumb/medium smart, went to kinda dumb, then got real dumb, then was real smart.
Now this thread has been saved and rescued by my 5" wide cock.[/quote]
But seriously…does your dick ever get pussy-itis?
Do you ever sit around thinking, “I could hit that…but I am soooooo tired!”.
Do you ever drive up to a vagina and then decide to not enter and go back to bed for more sleep?
Do you ever quit before reaching climax in order to “avoid failure”?
I’m sorry to say this thread was doomed from the start. Basically asking people whether they are a pussies and saying (however true it is) that 90% of peoples work ethic sucks is nothing new or exciting. Everyone is going to say how much they hate those people and how hardcore they are themselves. The responses are too obvious and well trodden ground. On a lighter note i had my frist experience of a guy curling in the squat rack today!
DJ
[quote]Professor X wrote:
Do you ever quit before reaching climax in order to “avoid failure”?
[/quote]
When and if I do, I make sure to note it in my log. It would look something like this:
3/25/09:
Warm-up: Tonsil Ticklers - 3 sets of 8 (got off on the wrong foot here…think I tweaked something in my frenulum…oh well…gonna push through it.)
Oil Riggers: ME 5 sets of 3 (dammit…slowed down on the 4th set…fucking pizza for lunch is sitting right in my gut)
Rusty Trombones: I hate these. Cranked out 3 sets of 10 and then one for 11 (PR !!! YAYYYYY ME !!!)
Running Doggie Pentrators: Forgot my knee pads so had to take it easy…where’s my fucking mind? Man…3 sets of 12…I must be overtrained…need to deload with a lighter pussy I guess.
Jerk it and Clean to the Chin: Planned on doing 20 sets of singles with 60 seconds rest in between sets…couldn’t finish…called it a day.
[quote]sen say wrote:
Professor X wrote:
Do you ever quit before reaching climax in order to “avoid failure”?
When and if I do, I make sure to note it in my log. It would look something like this:
3/25/09:
Warm-up: Tonsil Ticklers - 3 sets of 8 (got off on the wrong foot here…think I tweaked something in my frenulum…oh well…gonna push through it.)
Oil Riggers: ME 5 sets of 3 (dammit…slowed down on the 4th set…fucking pizza for lunch is sitting right in my gut)
Rusty Trombones: I hate these. Cranked out 3 sets of 10 and then one for 11 (PR !!! YAYYYYY ME !!!)
Running Doggie Pentrators: Forgot my knee pads so had to take it easy…where’s my fucking mind? Man…3 sets of 12…I must be overtrained…need to deload with a lighter pussy I guess.
Jerk it and Clean to the Chin: Planned on doing 20 sets of singles with 60 seconds rest in between sets…couldn’t finish…called it a day.[/quote]
Everyone is being a pussy sometimes. Today I left the gym halfway in my strenght training because I forgot my mp3. I can’t focus with the fucking loud pop-rock they play at my gym.It just irritate me alot. Now I plan to go to the gym in 2 hours after eating.
[quote]jasmincar wrote:
Everyone is being a pussy sometimes. Today I left the gym halfway in my strenght training because I forgot my mp3. I can’t focus with the fucking loud pop-rock they play at my gym.It just irritate me alot. Now I plan to go to the gym in 2 hours after eating.[/quote]