[quote]paulwhite959 wrote:
Can you go back in time 10 years and tell my 18 year old self that? [/quote]
I look back and am still amazed at the general lack of productivity in my studies during college. I also know why I became a scratch golfer and managed to put on 85 lbs over 4 years. That’s what time does for you.
[quote]paulwhite959 wrote:
Can you go back in time 10 years and tell my 18 year old self that? [/quote]
LOL he’s not that old …
gotta say, that’s horrible advice. also, not doing rows just because you prefer pullups. a) doing wide grip rows/pulldowns will help address rear delt development, doing sets of band pull aparts takes no time, you can easily incorporate face pulls and reverse flyes on your shoulder or back days, b) rows =/= pullups. pullups don’t put any stress on your erectors, posterior chain, etc. like heavy sets of rows.
it’s one thing to say “don’t be that little guy who keeps doing wrist curls”. right, you won’t have to do wrist curls if you do heavy rows/pulls without straps. it’s quite another to leave out developing smaller body parts entirely and then suggest to catch up after 3 years of lagging development. that’s an incredibly asinine point.
train EVERYTHING. don’t lag ANYWHERE.
[quote]fr0IVIan wrote:
gotta say, that’s horrible advice. also, not doing rows just because you prefer pullups. a) doing wide grip rows/pulldowns will help address rear delt development, doing sets of band pull aparts takes no time, you can easily incorporate face pulls and reverse flyes on your shoulder or back days, b) rows =/= pullups. pullups don’t put any stress on your erectors, posterior chain, etc. like heavy sets of rows.
it’s one thing to say “don’t be that little guy who keeps doing wrist curls”. right, you won’t have to do wrist curls if you do heavy rows/pulls without straps. it’s quite another to leave out developing smaller body parts entirely and then suggest to catch up after 3 years of lagging development. that’s an incredibly asinine point.
train EVERYTHING. don’t lag ANYWHERE.[/quote]
you missed the point of what I was saying, and since you did, OP may have as well. I’m not saying ‘let things lag’. It’s quite the opposite. Have you seen my pictures? I have NOTHING lagging on my upper body, because my compound exercise choices have covered everything. You think pull ups, with all their variations, can’t cover most of what rows do? and did I say I never do rows, or did I say I prefer pull ups and do them MORE OFTEN. My rear delts, traps, upper back are well developed. Without much specific work on them.
The key here is giving OP the advice he needs to see big results. You’re forgetting that he’s seen NO results. The situation dictates my advice. You think what I told him WON’T help? I didn’t want to leave the door open to misinterpretation.
I think it’s naive to tell him NOTHING should lag. That never happens. Nobody develops their body perfectly, you make adjustments later. But right now, it’s silly to even mention weak points. His weakness is EVERYTHING.
I’m also very much on board with what LM said. He’s absolutely right about attitude and patience.
very funny. you specifically said “if things are lagging, say, 3 years later, then address them.”. that isn’t open to misinterpretation at all.
yes, I think pullups/pulldowns and rows are totally different animals. you do BOTH, not one preferentially over another unless you need to focus as such. I’ve never done a pullup/pulldown that stressed my entire posterior chain the way heavy rows do.
yes, OP should focus on the big lifts. he should also have plenty of time to address everything else.
[quote]LiquidMercury wrote:
I normally stay out of the beginners section (because I come off as an asshole like I’m about to do):
First and foremost, your issue isn’t just the weights you do or don’t lift, the foods you eat; no the issue is simply yourself, your mind, your work ethic and your dedication. If you want to stop looking like shit then be committed to it. Stop missing training sessions, stop going off and on because you’re not magically transformed overnight. You’re in college, you have more time now than you ever will again. Let me say that again - you have more time now to dedicate to yourself then you ever will again. “I have school to study for”, “I have a part time job”, “I want a social life”. Seriously? There are plenty of older and wiser people here that have managed to hit the gym consistently 3-4 times a week for years on end, when they have full-time jobs, families, and all the various bullshit that you have to deal with as an adult.
Now, the things you need to do:
Start training every week 3-4x per week. It doesn’t matter if it’s finals week and you somehow think that cramming 16 hours straight will make you do better on the test (chances are it won’t and the stress relief you get from training might - that doesn’t mean don’t study).
Start eating higher quality foods - more protein/quality fats and carbs when you need them such as around your training.
Start having some patience. It’s not going to happen over night. It’s not going to happen in a few weeks. But the slight progresses you make will add up and in time you’ll have something you can be proud of.
Just start. Don’t stop.
[/quote]
This. If you cant make 5 or less hours a week to get in and out of the gym you don’t want it bad enough. The thing I have learned over the past year is that the more patient I am, the quicker I progress. I “settle” for 5 lbs a month on a lift and sooner or later it just turns out that I made some significant progress.
If you are busy, I would recommend 5/3/1. It allows you to have an absolute shit day while you are studying or whatever and still make progress from week to week. It is simple, you wont fuck it up, and you will make gains. Just pick your assistance correctly. (If you dont know how to do that, then just make a post in the beginners section here, someone will either help you or tell you to fucking google it like they did.) I am a med student, still have a social life, and have gained 45 lbs since the first of the year doing exactly this.
My best advice to you is that the loudest people in the room (often the people with the least time under the bar) aren’t the only people with opinions, and it definitely doesn’t mean they are correct. If they are strong as fuck or significantly larger than you, then you need to try to learn from them. Nobody is gong to give you a handout either. Start a log, move some weight, make progress, and it is inevitable someone will start helping you.
[quote]fr0IVIan wrote:
very funny. you specifically said “if things are lagging, say, 3 years later, then address them.”. that isn’t open to misinterpretation at all.
yes, I think pullups/pulldowns and rows are totally different animals. you do BOTH, not one preferentially over another unless you need to focus as such. I’ve never done a pullup/pulldown that stressed my entire posterior chain the way heavy rows do.
yes, OP should focus on the big lifts. he should also have plenty of time to address everything else.[/quote]
not funny. you’re still not getting it. You think OP is going to train for 3 years without adjusting his training no matter what I say? Of course not. It’s an exaggeration. I said that to help drive the point of focusing on compounds. You act like he’s going to get 2 years into his training, have a tiny upper back and say, “no face pulls yet, flipcollar said I have another year.” I’m giving him the advice he needs NOW. Understand?
The rows/pullups thing is debatable. Everybody responds to different back training differently. I also use 50-90 lbs on my pullups as added weight when I do weighted pullups for lower reps, so yes, it stresses everything. Personally, rows have never added the muscle that pullup variations do. to each his own on this.
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
[quote]fr0IVIan wrote:
very funny. you specifically said “if things are lagging, say, 3 years later, then address them.”. that isn’t open to misinterpretation at all.
yes, I think pullups/pulldowns and rows are totally different animals. you do BOTH, not one preferentially over another unless you need to focus as such. I’ve never done a pullup/pulldown that stressed my entire posterior chain the way heavy rows do.
yes, OP should focus on the big lifts. he should also have plenty of time to address everything else.[/quote]
not funny. you’re still not getting it. You think OP is going to train for 3 years without adjusting his training no matter what I say? Of course not. It’s an exaggeration. I said that to help drive the point of focusing on compounds. You act like he’s going to get 2 years into his training, have a tiny upper back and say, “no face pulls yet, flipcollar said I have another year.” I’m giving him the advice he needs NOW. Understand?
The rows/pullups thing is debatable. Everybody responds to different back training differently. I also use 50-90 lbs on my pullups as added weight when I do weighted pullups for lower reps, so yes, it stresses everything. Personally, rows have never added the muscle that pullup variations do. to each his own on this.[/quote]
you don’t get my point. this is Beginner’s, where your message can be misconstrued easily. yes, your main point was good. however, your message was incomplete and contained some assumptions, such as you assuming that OP would evolve his training over the next few years, if he stays committed that long.
don’t post advice to newbs without covering all the bases.
God, the inspiration I get while reading some of your posts is mindblowing.
What I’ve gathered from the past few posts is to be consistent, no matter what and I’ll see results. I’m going to make my desktop wallpaper, probably. Thank you guys, so much. 
Can’t wait till gym opens today.
And you know what I’ve noticed? No one in my gym does any squats or deadlifts. Of course, everyone’s doing bench-presses and bicep curls but hardly anyone who I actually see struggling under a heavy barbell like I’ve started doing. And I get looks when I pull out the biggest barbell there to do some deadlifts. Kinda discouraging. :\
I’m kinda tired of skinny fucks who weigh about 50kg-roughly over 100lbs- coming to me and telling me how I should lose weight and concentrate more on cardio instead of all the weights Im lifting because they don’t see me running on the treadmill all day long like they do.
[quote]LiquidMercury wrote:
I normally stay out of the beginners section (because I come off as an asshole like I’m about to do):
First and foremost, your issue isn’t just the weights you do or don’t lift, the foods you eat; no the issue is simply yourself, your mind, your work ethic and your dedication. If you want to stop looking like shit then be committed to it. Stop missing training sessions, stop going off and on because you’re not magically transformed overnight. You’re in college, you have more time now than you ever will again. Let me say that again - you have more time now to dedicate to yourself then you ever will again. “I have school to study for”, “I have a part time job”, “I want a social life”. Seriously? There are plenty of older and wiser people here that have managed to hit the gym consistently 3-4 times a week for years on end, when they have full-time jobs, families, and all the various bullshit that you have to deal with as an adult.
Now, the things you need to do:
Start training every week 3-4x per week. It doesn’t matter if it’s finals week and you somehow think that cramming 16 hours straight will make you do better on the test (chances are it won’t and the stress relief you get from training might - that doesn’t mean don’t study).
Start eating higher quality foods - more protein/quality fats and carbs when you need them such as around your training.
Start having some patience. It’s not going to happen over night. It’s not going to happen in a few weeks. But the slight progresses you make will add up and in time you’ll have something you can be proud of.
Just start. Don’t stop.
[/quote]
Thank you. And no, I really needed this. I’ve been putting up way too many excuses and I’m tired of not being able to stick to whatever I set my mind to. I need to change things for good.
I think I’ll give myself the liberty of missing one gym session every month, no more.
I’m going to train harder than I ever have, eat healthier than I ever have and take care of myself like I never have. And I’m going to put those results up here and won’t rest till I do.
Don’t even give yourself that liberty. Because one turns into two turns into a week etc. etc. Shit does happen in life, sometimes gym sessions do have to be missed. When that happens you try and reorganize your schedule for that day and get it in or something in at another time. If you can’t you can’t but don’t already go off “allowing” yourself to miss one a month because undoubtedly shit will happen and you’ll have to miss it anyways.
Do my absolute best at making it a priority to get your training in. I said my best, not your best. Your best currently sucks. Hold yourself to a higher level of accountability and standards then what you currently are. Find role models that you look up to and ask yourself if they would skip on training or if they would bitch out on something that sucks. Until you can raise the level of yourself simply hold yourself to the level of people who have been there and succeeded.
[quote]LiquidMercury wrote:
Don’t even give yourself that liberty. Because one turns into two turns into a week etc. etc. Shit does happen in life, sometimes gym sessions do have to be missed. When that happens you try and reorganize your schedule for that day and get it in or something in at another time. If you can’t you can’t but don’t already go off “allowing” yourself to miss one a month because undoubtedly shit will happen and you’ll have to miss it anyways.
Do my absolute best at making it a priority to get your training in. I said my best, not your best. Your best currently sucks. Hold yourself to a higher level of accountability and standards then what you currently are. Find role models that you look up to and ask yourself if they would skip on training or if they would bitch out on something that sucks. Until you can raise the level of yourself simply hold yourself to the level of people who have been there and succeeded. [/quote]
Agree with this. I have squats scheduled on Friday every week. My wife schedules stuff for me on Friday evenings and weekends on a regular basis. If I can make it Friday, I do, if not, I’ve got the weekend to find a time to get to the gym. You definitely have to figure out what schedule works for you, and not just say ‘fuck it I’ll make it next week’ if you miss a lifting session.
I missed my Friday 20rep squat workout. I did it at 1:30am Sunday morning, after stalling all of Saturday, and sleeping. I was well rested before I did it though. And I did it anyway.
You can give yourself the liberty to miss a workout at it’s specified time, but get it in asap. Don’t actually skip the workout.
x1356 on that. I’ve been pretty busy with seeing photographers, videographers and DJ’s for my wedding in the past month and it makes it harder to eat and get in my second session of the day, and still be free to spend time with my fiancee when she gets out of work?
solution? wake up at 5 on my days off and start the day earlier. if I don’t have the time, I might cut out some isolation work but I make sure to hit my big lift/s and at least some isolation work for more volume and a pump.
I’ll give it the best. Not just my best.
I’ve been getting weird looks from my friends when I say I’m heading to the gym at 11pm even when I’ve been out all day. I don’t care. I’m not going to let anyone else weigh me down.
Spend back-day concentrating on deadlifts, lat pull downs, close-grip, seated rows and barbell rows.
Lower back felt so pumped after the deadlifts, it’s not funny.
I’m at a constant 76 kg but I’m not particularly bothered about my weight as long as I get bigger/stronger. Should I be monitoring my weight to measure progress?
Weigh yourself every couple of weeks to make sure you’re moving in the right direction. Adding muscle means adding weight at the end of the day. Your weight can fluctuate so don’t get too obsessed with the scale by any means, once a fortnight is enough. Weigh-in first thing in the morning, on the same day and with an empty stomach. Aim for about 2-3lbs a month in the newbie stage. Maybe more if you’re not gaining too much body fat.
Also keep a log book so you can look back and make sure everything is improving. Looking in mine i can see that in the last 12 weeks I?ve added 5lbs and all my lifts have improved, with no noticeable fat gain. So I?ll probably add a bit more food each day and recap again in another 12 weeks. If you notice you’re body weight is shooting up but the weights you move are stalled, then you know that something needs to be addressed.
This sports a marathon, not a sprint! It doesn’t happen over night!
I shall keep that in mind. I’m eating clean and big to put on some muscle, still stable at 76 kg.
I read up about the 5/3/1 program someone was talking about and its combination with “The Boring But Big” assistance work is kinda confusing.
Anyone care to help me out with that?
:S
[quote]muppet101 wrote:
I shall keep that in mind. I’m eating clean and big to put on some muscle, still stable at 76 kg.
I read up about the 5/3/1 program someone was talking about and its combination with “The Boring But Big” assistance work is kinda confusing.
Anyone care to help me out with that?
:S[/quote]
It’s an extremely simple template. You use 50%-60% of your calculated training max (which is 90% of your one rep max) for the lift of the day and do 5 sets of 10. For example:
Sets Reps
Bench Press * 5/3/1 (whatever week you’re on)
Bench Press 5 10 (50-60% calculated training max)
DB Row 5 10
Either way, if you’re going to use 5/3/1, buy the book. 2nd edition e-book is available at jimwendler.com.
[quote]muppet101 wrote:
I shall keep that in mind. I’m eating clean and big to put on some muscle, still stable at 76 kg.
:S[/quote]
Just make sure in a years time you’re not still 76 kilos!