Anyone interested in a group fitness challenge?

[Professor Diet Butcher]

I'm usually OMAD on my day off. But I pig out on that one meal... at the buffet, or all-u-can-eat sushi or hot pot or BBQ places. I used to be able to down 5 plates no problem, but not anymore. We don't produce as much stomach acid as we age, so I get full after 3 or 4 plates now.

[Anastasios]

Last nights workout
Yellow band side kicks x 25,25,25
Deadlifts 205kg x 8, grip fail, speed was almost 0.3m/s last rep, and left glute pain was mild considering intensity so all seems to be going forward

Starting a new cycle next week. I have to up my discipline in small exercises, start doing wide grip pullups with extra negatives for teres minor, and back to HIT style for pretty much everything except bench squat and deadlift.

Training:
Monday.
Banded side kicks for rehab, 3 sets.
Squat OR deadlift, top set to failure

Wednesday
Banded side kicks, 3 sets
Bench press, top set to failure
Cambered bar bench press, triple drop-set or rest-pause
Wide grip pullups, sets to technical failure plus negatives

Friday
Banded side kick, 3 sets
DB Split Squat OR DB Single leg deadlift, triple drop-set or rest-pause
Leg press calf raise, triple drop set

Saturday
Wide grip pullups, sets to technical failure plus negatives
Two bicep exercises, undecided, HIT style
Two overhead triceps exercises, HIT style

When the teres minor is better I'll add back standing barbell press on Saturday and switch Wednesday pullups with rows.

Squats and deadlifts +10kg per session and deadlift I will try to add reps then increase by 2.5 et.c. until I can rep 160

Diet as usual,
chicken in corn tortillas, oatmeal brownies
chicken/duck with rice or noodles
chicken/duck/salmon with rice or noodles
250g burger with sweet potato fries

[Luigi]

I saw a youtube video saying that when you squat you should hinge your hips first before your knees bend at all. I tried this yesterday and on the one hand it felt like I had a lot of control so it seemed like it was good advice. But as the weights got higher it started to hurt my lower back a little bit and now today I have pain all along my spine. Maybe this is just a sign that I was under-utilizing my spinal erectors before and now they are really sore, but Im a bit worried my back might just have gotten fucked up. What are your opinions on the hip hinging? Should it be done maximally or minimally? Should it be done before the knee bend or at the same time?

[Anastasios]

I saw a youtube video saying that when you squat you should hinge your hips first before your knees bend at all. I tried this yesterday and on the one hand it felt like I had a lot of control so it seemed like it was good advice. But as the weights got higher it started to hurt my lower back a little bit and now today I have pain all along my spine. Maybe this is just a sign that I was under-utilizing my spinal erectors before and now they are really sore, but Im a bit worried my back might just have gotten fucked up. What are your opinions on the hip hinging? Should it be done maximally or minimally? Should it be done before the knee bend or at the same time?

Honestly it is difficult to know. When you change technique your joints are pressured in new angles, which will cause pain.

I'd say think less of "breaking" hips or knees. It should go smooth as if they're both bending. Think of bar position when you are looking from the side. If the bar is above your toes at the bottom then you are good. There are two ways. One is where you start by leaning forward a bit before you squat down so the bar is above your midfoot/toes and goes in a straight up and down line. The other is starting with the bar in a neutral spot and leaning just slightly over during the descent until the bar is above midfoot/toe, then going back to the same stance, so the bar path has a slight angle -- BUT -- the bar path must be the same both on the descent and the ascent.

Apart from the above, I don't like youtube technique videos. They just confuse you because they are not giving the correct technique for your leverages, unless you are the lucky viewer who happens to have the correct leverages for whatever way they used. I have just few principles, one is the bar position from the side view. The other is that you have to just squat as it feels natural and where you are strongest, just have two pressure points, one is under your front/midfoot, so you press your legs on that spot before your toes, and the other is neck/spine area where the bar is so you push the bar with your traps. That's the image you must have in your brain - press your feet in the ground and press your traps on the bar. Inbetween these details there are infinite correct ways.

[Som-Pong]

Warmed up
Squats
Bar 1x10
60kgx5
100kgx5 130x2
Then my back felt wonky and I decided call it quits.

[Luigi]

Benched today, I went for my 3 sets of 7 and absolutely smashed them. I then did 5 fully paused extra reps and that was also easy. So I went to get a snack and thought "what if I increase the weight, then smash another 3 sets at that weight?" An audacious proposition, but one knows when boldness is calling, so I did just that. On the first set it didnt feel that heavy, but something was wrong. I wasnt positioned properly and I was basically holding the bar improperly as a result. It put off my leverage and on the final rep I had to fight for it and the strain of doing so actually gave me a leg cramp. This is normally where one might be disheartened, have their confidence shaken. But I had done so well thus far, and I knew I had the strength, and I refused to be disheartened, because I saw this glorious day before me and I knew my goal would not defy my steadfast grasp. I focused on recovering, focused on efficiency. The middle set would not only be harder in the sense that it comes later, but I also increase the number of pause reps as I go, so I needed to be confident enough that I could not only do what I had to fight for before, but also more. The challenge dared me to back down, to let my confidence falter, in that moment before the lift I looked up and thought of my God, I knew he was with me and giving me strength, I could feel the power flowing through my body, I could see the face of my God flashing before and I knew the weight stood zero chance of defying me. I smashed it and the final set too. Both easier than the first. Truly a day of glory. A gift to reward my ongoing work.

The 3 days rest did me some good. The right bicep has no pain, though the left does still have some. Definitely not as bad though. My left delt seems to be healing, but it seems now my right delt is starting to feel some strain. Im trying to do the presses perfectly balanced to not allow one to compensate for the other and start an injury chain, I have to remember this to make sure the right delt doesnt become injured. This weekend I will test my 1rm.

[Anastasios]

Benched today, I went for my 3 sets of 7 and absolutely smashed them. I then did 5 fully paused extra reps and that was also easy. So I went to get a snack and thought "what if I increase the weight, then smash another 3 sets at that weight?" An audacious proposition, but one knows when boldness is calling, so I did just that. On the first set it didnt feel that heavy, but something was wrong. I wasnt positioned properly and I was basically holding the bar improperly as a result. It put off my leverage and on the final rep I had to fight for it and the strain of doing so actually gave me a leg cramp. This is normally where one might be disheartened, have their confidence shaken. But I had done so well thus far, and I knew I had the strength, and I refused to be disheartened, because I saw this glorious day before me and I knew my goal would not defy my steadfast grasp. I focused on recovering, focused on efficiency. The middle set would not only be harder in the sense that it comes later, but I also increase the number of pause reps as I go, so I needed to be confident enough that I could not only do what I had to fight for before, but also more. The challenge dared me to back down, to let my confidence falter, in that moment before the lift I looked up and thought of my God, I knew he was with me and giving me strength, I could feel the power flowing through my body, I could see the face of my God flashing before and I knew the weight stood zero chance of defying me. I smashed it and the final set too. Both easier than the first. Truly a day of glory. A gift to reward my ongoing work.

The 3 days rest did me some good. The right bicep has no pain, though the left does still have some. Definitely not as bad though. My left delt seems to be healing, but it seems now my right delt is starting to feel some strain. Im trying to do the presses perfectly balanced to not allow one to compensate for the other and start an injury chain, I have to remember this to make sure the right delt doesnt become injured. This weekend I will test my 1rm.

Great work mate. This is what goes through my head every time I am going for my top set. It is a much needed form of catharsis of the body, the mind and the spirit, and brings us closer to the Gods.

[Vutulaki]

Diet

Protein drink pre made garbage
Banana
Bowl of ramen for lunch

Im such a scumbag


Who here uses preworkout? I got two tubs for free, I train at night and would rather not take it close to bed, whats the half life like on that shit?

[Som-Pong]

Had a cup of tea pre workout.

[Anastasios]

Diet

Protein drink pre made garbage
Banana
Bowl of ramen for lunch

Im such a scumbag


Who here uses preworkout? I got two tubs for free, I train at night and would rather not take it close to bed, whats the half life like on that shit?

What's in it?