The Sideshow Freaks Fitness Thread

[Silasya77]

Just keep at it. Analyze your form, look at what some of the top raw powerlifters are doing to improve their squats to get some ideas.

For me the limiting factor on squats is back strength. So I often do some goodmornings with the same stance as my squat in order to strengthen that portion.

I do a lot of core work and avoid my belt as much as possible.

Find a training partner. Having partners who push you and in turn you push them will help you gain much faster. I train squats and deadlifts on tuesdays with two friends and saturdays I do strongman events with a group of 10-12

Yeah I have a ****ty back too apparently. Feels like I'm doing goodmornings when I'm grinding out the last one.

Will definitely have to work on doing more corework. These days I'm usually too worn out by the main compounds to even focus on the isolations lol. Hell, I was so worn out after todays squats I couldn't even complete my deadlifts for a deloaded weight..

Training partner. Yeah that doesn't fly over here in my area. I'm practically the only one who even goes near the squat rack. My friends are all curl monkeys and the really big dudes in my gym think I'm 'strong as hell' with my newb weights.

So yeah, no chance. I often train with my friends but they're off doing isolations.

 

[Snake Plissken]

Insanity destroys you but by the end of the first month if you keep it up you begin to master it. Then it destroys you on the second month and your just happy to finish it ha!

Only done the ab workout for p90x. Always put me off that you needed a chin up bar and we live in a new build which aren't known for strong door frame work.

Oh and as for the abs being visible, they can be if you complete insanity following a strict diet, but I never do. I do it really to keep fit and keep the fat off me now i'm getting older and allowing me to drink! DRINK!

I have a lat machine that I use to build myself up for pullups. And when I start using my pullup bar I have some elastic bands that are made specifically to help you do them until you can do it under your own power.

I don't need Insanity to see my abs, I had plenty showing through with just ab ripper X. I can probably have the same definition from it by February most likely.

 

[Snadinator]

Yeah I have a ****ty back too apparently. Feels like I'm doing goodmornings when I'm grinding out the last one.

Will definitely have to work on doing more corework. These days I'm usually too worn out by the main compounds to even focus on the isolations lol. Hell, I was so worn out after todays squats I couldn't even complete my deadlifts for a deloaded weight..

Training partner. Yeah that doesn't fly over here in my area. I'm practically the only one who even goes near the squat rack. My friends are all curl monkeys and the really big dudes in my gym think I'm 'strong as hell' with my newb weights.

So yeah, no chance. I often train with my friends but they're off doing isolations.

If your squat is turning into a goodmorning, it may also be a matter of form. You can try a wider stance, use heeled shoes like olympic weightlifter shoes (if you are not used to heels, start with a small one), and try toes pointing out slightly.

It could also be because you fall forward. You need to focus on keeping the weight on the heels and push the knees out slightly.

When the bar is across the back, try to grip the bar as close to your body as you can. It will help keep the upper back tight. Your lats and entire upper back should remain tightly flexed throughout to maintain a strong lever.

 

[Silasya77]

If your squat is turning into a goodmorning, it may also be a matter of form. You can try a wider stance, use heeled shoes like olympic weightlifter shoes (if you are not used to heels, start with a small one), and try toes pointing out slightly.

It could also be because you fall forward. You need to focus on keeping the weight on the heels and push the knees out slightly.

When the bar is across the back, try to grip the bar as close to your body as you can. It will help keep the upper back tight. Your lats and entire upper back should remain tightly flexed throughout to maintain a strong lever.

Yeah I do all of that. Had some huge (presumably steroid junky) dude come over and tell me that I should widen my grip so as to not injure myself. He also said that what I lifted, which was 190 lbs at that time, was really heavy for him and dangerous.
It really is just a matter of core strength I guess. For my level I think I'm doing pretty good. Just a sticking point when going up with heavy weights is all. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Snadinator]

If you are just one of those guys with long legs and a short torso, that can make back squats a bit more difficult too (excellent leverage for deadlifting though).

You could supplement with front squats to get more legs into the mix.

 

[Skiman]

[ame]https://youtu.be/9ngJ76QlfbA[/ame]

Ski

 

[Snake Plissken]

Just got done my cardio, pretty tough since my Leg workout was last night and my hamstrings and butt was pretty sore

 

[Skiman]

Just got done my cardio, pretty tough since my Leg workout was last night and my hamstrings and butt was pretty sore

Chest, bi's, 30 minutes fast walk and 20 minutes of HIIT.

Tomorrow I feel your pain of legs though.

Ski

 

[irmoballen]

*** to grass?

For me it's low bar, below parallel, but not a2g as that's extremely awkward for me since it's low bar.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

 

[Skiman]

[ame]https://youtu.be/LhbFWcSUpqY[/ame]

Ski

 

[Snake Plissken]

[ame]https://youtu.be/UHuw_e5xlj0[/ame]

 

[J3D1_KN1GHT]

Good Lord the DOMs!
Tonight is gonna take some working in and plenty of protein powder today!!! Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!

 

[Snadinator]

My entire back, glutes and hamstrings are on fire from Tuesday's deadlift workout.

6 sets of 4, no bounce (dead stop every rep) and no belt.
2 sets of 5 safety bar squats, again no belt
Weighted situps
Pulldowns


Tonight is front squats, bench and incline

 

[Snake Plissken]

My glutes and hamstrings are wrecked too. From one leg squats, and wall squats.

 

[The Chev]

I start 4 months of weight training in January. I have a really bad back and worried about hurting it, but I really need to get in shape and build up muscle which will help in the long run.

Any advice? I'm assuming I should have a back brace of some kind, correct?

 

[Snake Plissken]

I start 4 months of weight training in January. I have a really bad back and worried about hurting it, but I really need to get in shape and build up muscle which will help in the long run.

Any advice? I'm assuming I should have a back brace of some kind, correct?

Yeah I'd think a brace would be good. And you would want to maybe heat it with a heating pad prior to any exercise. You should try to get your hamstrings loosed up with stretching since it should help you any time you need to bend at a 90 degree angle and won't bother your back as much. I don't think you should ice it ever since that would probably only aggravate it since you're only tightening the problem. You want that loose as much as possible.

 

[The Chev]

Yeah I'd think a brace would be good. And you would want to maybe heat it with a heating pad prior to any exercise. You should try to get your hamstrings loosed up with stretching since it should help you any time you need to bend at a 90 degree angle and won't bother your back as much. I don't think you should ice it ever since that would probably only aggravate it since you're only tightening the problem. You want that loose as much as possible.

Ok. Good Advice.

On the issue of ice. I usually only ice my back when I can feel it inflamed in a certain area of my back. I have really bad compression fractures in my spine and sometimes an area of muscle around the spine will be come really inflamed.

 

[Snadinator]

I start 4 months of weight training in January. I have a really bad back and worried about hurting it, but I really need to get in shape and build up muscle which will help in the long run.

Any advice? I'm assuming I should have a back brace of some kind, correct?

Begin every workout with 5-10 minutes of easy cardio like a threadmill or bicycle to warm up.

Begin with light weights. Sets of 10-12, slow and controlled and with proper form.

Focus a lot on core work. Situps, leg raises, sidebends, back raises.

Lookup stretching exercises for the Hip Flexors, Quadriceps, Hamstrings and Glutes. If any of these are tight, it puts strain on the back and affects posture.

If you strengthen your core and work on flexbility daily, you can overcome your back woes. Never stretch cold.

 

[Snake Plissken]

Ok. Good Advice.

On the issue of ice. I usually only ice my back when I can feel it inflamed in a certain area of my back. I have really bad compression fractures in my spine and sometimes an area of muscle around the spine will be come really inflamed.

Well if ice seems to help and you got inflammation then I guess it would be good to do it after a workout. But as I said earlier, heat should be used before you do anything that would involve your back in any way. A brace should help with compression since it will keep your back in proper alignment when you're moving weight around. And take NSAIDS when needed if you aren't already.

 

[Snadinator]

I would also recommend swimming as exercise for a bad back. Nothing really decompresses like swimming.

And I can't recommend hanging leg raises as an ab exercises enough. They decompress the back and open up the spine as you flex your abdominals. I feel it has been a major reason why I can keep lifting as heavy as I do.