The ~New~ SWF GYM! Newbies and New Years Resolution Peeps Wanted!

[Grey Belnades]

So I'm done with finals and I have time to relax. I want to take advantage of my new free time and start a new program. I've looked up some programs on Bodybuilding but I don't know if I fit in the beginner or intermediate category. How do I know which one I belong to?

 

[Chinaux]

How long have you been at it?

 

[Grey Belnades]

How long have you been at it?

A year and 6 months.

 

[Chinaux]

You can go back to a routine you've done before... But if you're looking at new ones you want to try, you can try making your own/looking at bodybuilding.com like you said you did.

Sorry if this isn't very helpful.

 

[Grey Belnades]

You can go back to a routine you've done before... But if you're looking at new ones you want to try, you can try making your own/looking at bodybuilding.com like you said you did.

Sorry if this isn't very helpful.

I've gone back and picked a program (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/lee-labrada-12-week-lean-body-trainer.html if anyone's interested).

Already on the third day of it.

 

[deepseadiva]

Bodybuilding dot com is really sweet. I need to sign up.

And I need their TANKS.

 

[Grandeza]

Oh cool this thread is active again.

Been doing a belt less training cycle, probably will continue belt less for the next couple of months and then finally put the belt back on. Likely doing my next powerlifting meet in April, although just doing it to get some more meet experience as I'm more interested in having a great showing at a meet over the Summer.

Weights on all my lifts are lower than before but theyre all beltless PRs so Im hoping they translate into large belted PRs in a couple months. If all goes well, I'd love to compete at Raw Nationals in October. Last year the winner of raw nationals in my weight and age class had a 1094 lb total. I don't think it's unthinkable that I could reach that by October, although it is certainly unlikely. Just hoping all my training goes smoothly for a while.

 

[Chinaux]

My shoulders hurt when I bench
Normal?

 

[Grandeza]

My shoulders hurt when I bench
Normal?

If its muscular pain as in soreness, thats fine. Any other pain is not. The most common cause of shoulder pain from bench pressing comes from flared elbows. Your elbows should be tucked at around a 45 degree angle or more to prevent stress on the rotator cuff. Posting a video can certainly help identify potential issues

 

[Teran]

My shoulders hurt when I bench
Normal?

You're probably hurting your rotator cuffs, switch to dumbbells until you have strong enough supporting muscle groups.

You'll thank me when your shoulders aren't impinged by the time you're 18.

Also what Grandeza said

 

[Chinaux]

You're probably hurting your rotator cuffs, switch to dumbbells until you have strong enough supporting muscle groups.

You'll thank me when your shoulders aren't impinged by the time you're 18.

Also what Grandeza said

I did that and they still sorta hurt. I never can tell if it's muscular pain I'm feeling or what on shoulder day. I just do it anyways.

 

[Teran]

I did that and they still sorta hurt. I never can tell if it's muscular pain I'm feeling or what on shoulder day. I just do it anyways.

Idk drop the weight and check your form? Are you still using high amounts of money?

The best way to tell is muscular soreness isn't actually painful. If you suffer from sharp, nasty pains in your shoulders in day to day when you move your arm in different positions, should definitely reevaluate your training.

 

[Grandeza]

I'd take a video and post it here/elsewhere. There a certainly subreddits related to lifting that could likely give you an in depth form check. Bodybuilding.com is also a good resource for form checks (Im preferential to the powerlifting section).

Example of (bad) flared elbows:

timthumb-425x181.jpg

Example of (good) tucked elbows:

elbows2.jpg

Theres certainly a middle ground but I generally think 45 degrees is a good minimum standard to limit your elbow flare to.

 

[Chinaux]

I definitely have flared elbows. I keep my elbows parallel with my shoulder/chest.

 

[deepseadiva]

So I am totally STOKED for 2015. I got gifted a lot of sweet supplements so I'm going to make this an especially productive year to make the absolute best use of them.

Growth Factor 9: HGH SERUM THING
Bio-Gro: Protein Synthesis Amplifier
GNC Mass Gainer
Creatine Monohydrate
C4 Preworkout Pink Lemonade Flavor

Basically the best kit I would ever want!! I'm most excited for the GF9, even though its only for a month. Can't imagine having the money to do these for like years worth, but this is a nice way to start the year! Gains are expensive.

 

[Grandeza]

I definitely have flared elbows. I keep my elbows parallel with my shoulder/chest.

Thats a surefire way to put lots of pressure on your rotator cuff and lead to shoulder pain. I'd definitely try to fix that.

 

[Genocyde]

I definitely have flared elbows. I keep my elbows parallel with my shoulder/chest.

Yeah...that's a one-way ticket to a shoulder injury.

Keep your elbows tucked, shoulders down and back with the shoulder blades squeezed together. If your front delts feel sore for a few minutes, it's fine but if it's a skeletal pain then you're doing it wrong.

 

[Grey Belnades]

On day 12 of Lee Labrada's 12 week program. Not sure if it's too early to start seeing some results but to me, it looks like my stomach area is a little more "tighter".

I'd take a video and post it here/elsewhere. There a certainly subreddits related to lifting that could likely give you an in depth form check. Bodybuilding.com is also a good resource for form checks (Im preferential to the powerlifting section).

Example of (bad) flared elbows:

timthumb-425x181.jpg

Example of (good) tucked elbows:

elbows2.jpg

Theres certainly a middle ground but I generally think 45 degrees is a good minimum standard to limit your elbow flare to.

Oh man. This makes sense. Yesterday I had bench pressing in my routine and I had my elbows flared but I wasn't feeling pain from my shoulders. Moreso from the mid right side of my back.

 

[V_x_I_D]

Looked at the OP and I was wondering if anyone has mentioned the /fit/ sticky yet?

 

[Chinaux]

Got a membership to LA Fitness for Christmas (thanks mom)... It's so nice there, and it has a pool so I can use that for cardio

Looked at the OP and I was wondering if anyone has mentioned the /fit/ sticky yet?

I think I did.

 

[V_x_I_D]

Got a membership to LA Fitness for Christmas (thanks mom)... It's so nice there, and it has a pool so I can use that for cardio

I think I did.

/fit/ sticky is literally the best thing,
just following the basic stuff in that thing helped me lose 40 pounds in 2 months.

 

[Chinaux]

/fit/ sticky is literally the best thing,
just following the basic stuff in that thing helped me lose 40 pounds in 2 months.

Good for you man

 

[SilentBob]

So people actually do read the /fit/ sticky. I'm surprised.

 

[V_x_I_D]

So people actually do read the /fit/ sticky. I'm surprised.

How can you not? there's a freakin' dinosaur on it!

 

[Rᴏb]

How 2 fix shoulder pain:

Get a towel, roll it up lengthwise
Grab the ends of the rolled up towel and hold it in front of you
Raise the towel over your head and behind your back (this can be tricky at first)
Repeat the same motion but in reverse to put your towel back in front of you

Do this 10 times a day and enjoy shoulder day again. My pain went away in a day.

 

[Grandeza]

Gonna try to consistently put videos of my training on youtube once a week. I think it can be a nice way to keep a video log of things you've done. And videos give an unforgiving view of your form so you can see how it improves over time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM36EyagfSs&spfreload=10

/shameless plug

 

[deepseadiva]

Uh oh. I was taught to deadlift with kind of the same shoulder-width stance as like, a squat.

But I saw some guy doing that wide stance just yesterday. Hmm.

 

[Chinaux]

Uh oh. I was taught to deadlift with kind of the same shoulder-width stance as like, a squat.

But I saw some guy doing that wide stance just yesterday. Hmm.

there's two types. the wide stance is the sumo DL and the shoulder width is a regular squat
sumo is more legs
http://www.mensfitness.com/training...ace-off-traditional-deadlift-vs-sumo-deadlift

 

[Grandeza]

Uh oh. I was taught to deadlift with kind of the same shoulder-width stance as like, a squat.

But I saw some guy doing that wide stance just yesterday. Hmm.

Conventional deadlift vs Sumo deadlift

Sumo = more quads, less lower back
Conventional = more hamstrings and more lower back

For the general athlete/gym-goer I think the conventional deadlift provides more to you that the squat does not. Sumo deadlifting has more overlap with the squat, in my opinion. So for most people I'd recommend conventional deadlifting. But I compete in powerlifting and I am oh so much stronger with a sumo stance, so theres no reason for me to prioritize the conventional deadlift.

 

[Chinaux]

Conventional deadlift vs Sumo deadlift

Sumo = more quads, less lower back
Conventional = more hamstrings and more lower back

For the general athlete/gym-goer I think the conventional deadlift provides more to you that the squat does not. Sumo deadlifting has more overlap with the squat, in my opinion. So for most people I'd recommend conventional deadlifting. But I compete in powerlifting and I am oh so much stronger with a sumo stance, so theres no reason for me to prioritize the conventional deadlift.

Or do both and be a trex

 

[Grandeza]

Oh yeah definitely nothing wrong with doing both.

 

[Teran]

Oh yeah definitely nothing wrong with doing both.

 

[Chinaux]

Yo brahs this song is crazy to work out to
Provided that you like rap

 

[Shaq]

Hahaha dis skinny white boy listenin to rap and **** goddamn lmao.

Yo but forreal tho y'all should exercise

 

[deepseadiva]

Let the white boy LIVE HIS LIFE.

 

[Chinaux]

rap only at the gym/playing video games
For some reason I like it while I'm focusing on something. At least I'm not a wigger, that's like beyond scum.

 

[Chinaux]

What day do you guys do shoulders? Someone told me not to do it with chest and triceps.

 

[deepseadiva]

I do shoulders with back and biceps usually. Honestly I've never heard a really good explanation for why people split things the way they do.

"Do biceps AFTER triceps so they'll be fresh!"

"Do biceps WITH triceps so they'll be extra worked!"

???????? I'm at a loss really.

 

[Teran]

I do shoulders on their own day with arms and traps. Really you need to just figure out your own split catering to.what you feel works best.

You will never find any solid convention on anything because the fitness industry is a giant con, that needs to keep itself afloat by constantly changing the theories of exercise and diet to maximise article views/supplement sales.

Eat lots of good food, lift heavy stuff. Close those bodybuilding.com and /fit/ tabs, it's all very very simple.

 

[Chinaux]

Eat lots of food

Can't brah I'm on a 1500 calorie cut