The Sideshow Freaks Fitness Thread

[Silasya77]

Thanks man! I am trying to bring up my strict press strength. I am a much better push presser. Here I am attempting to push press a 220lbs circus dumbell with a 3" handle. Missed it as it went out of groove.

: most impressive


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[karamazov80]

Really crazy weight lifting there, Snad. Impressive.

I've been off-and-on exercising over the last couple of years, but have been pretty consistently at it since the beginning of the year. I'm focusing on cardio, because it makes me feel good and relieves stress, and is obviously good for my health. But I've been mixing in some weight training when I have some time after finishing a run, focusing on the upper body and back since my legs get a good workout running. I've been running about 6 1/2 miles per hour on a variable incline for 30 minutes, or sometimes 7 miles an hour with no incline. It kicks my ***, but I feel so damn good when it's over! I'm at around 198 pounds, which is the least I've weighed in over a decade. I think I'm in the best shape of my life at the moment.

 

[jimjimmyjones85]

My bicep routine has become stagnant. I am just not feeling it as much as I used to.

Any suggestions?

 

[Skiman]

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Ski

 

[Skiman]

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Ski

 

[Skiman]

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Ski

 

[Snadinator]

225lbs circus dumbell attempt. So close. You can see the dumbell was spinning in my hand when I locked it out. The handle is so huge on this thing that it is also a grip event.

Thursday I hit 385lbs on the push press from the rack. Should be good to do 405 very soon.

 

[Snadinator]

On tuesday,
Did 3 sets of 6 reps with 500 on squats without a belt or wraps, *** to grass. Then 405x5 and 425x5 for 3 second pause squats, again with no belt, followed by a set of 8 with 315 on goodmornings, no belt again.

My legs are fried today. Holy crap. Working on doing 3 sets of 8 to 10 with 500. Plan on squatting 700x1 with belt and wraps soon.

 

[KingGrayskull]

My bicep routine has become stagnant. I am just not feeling it as much as I used to.

Any suggestions?

It depends on your experience and training level. If you feel you are abeginner or even a little advanced, Id suggest to simply switch from machine to freehand. Also you can increase the workout by simply doing it cleaner and much slower. Just 6 repeats per set ultra slow (make them so slow that you wont be able to do anymore after 3 sets). Also dont raise the weight all way up to 90 degress. Stop the way up at 45-60 (at the toughest point), rest for 1-2 seconds and go down all the way. You can also stop on half way up for another 1-2 seconds. This is pretty much the savest way to make a workout more intensive. Pretty sure you will have to take a lower weight if you havent done it this way before.
Also be sure to change your exercises as often as possible.
If you are more advanced, you can also do negative training. Simply work your arm until you cannot lift anymore (see above), than ask a friend to help you lifting it up and do the way down on your own as slow as possible. Repeat 2-3 times in the last set, once a week. Not more, this is very intensive. Attention this can cause injuries!
If you are even more advanced go into a handstand (take your feet off the wall you little girl!) and slowly go down. Not enough for you? Raise one arm while performing the handstand and go down with the other.

Also be sure to train your triceps aswell. A nice biceps doesnt make a big arm.

Personally I dont do that much (isulated) biceps training anymore. I am totally into bodyweight training which is already a great workout for the arms. But if I do, I am doing it the way I have described at the top. Slow and clean with variations and new exercises as often as possible.

Always be careful and stop immediatly when you feel uncomfortable. I wont be reasponsable for your injuries buddy.

 

[jimjimmyjones85]

I like to think I am a little advanced but no pro by any means.

I have done the super slow before but have not in some time. I will give it a shot.

I do triceps weekly as well. Any suggestions there.

 

[Snadinator]

Hypertrophy is not my primary goal but rather an effect of my strength training. Doing compound exercises will build overall mass more than isolation exercises. You can get huge biceps from rowing and huge triceps from pressing.

My buddy and me were shaking our heads at how much time people spend doing a variety of curls in the gym. They spend no time squatting, deadlifting, rowing. Just benching and curling. They then wonder why they do not have 20"+ arms or 33"+ legs. Compound exercises are simply more anabolic. Squatting, deadlifting, rowing and pressing build mass throughout the whole body.

That said, there is nothing wrong with isolation exercises. I like to do skullcrushers for triceps as an example. Just that for maximum mass, hit the compound exercises the hardest. More volume spent there will pay big time.

 

[KingGrayskull]

Same as for biceps. If you are going for isolated exercises switch a little between weights and cord machine. The key is to give your muscle as many variations as possible. If your muscle gets used to an exercise you wont have any effect anymore. Variations are so easy however. Just change the grib or raise the weight to the front instead of side.
My favorite exercise for triceps is dibs. Its simply an honest exercise because you cannot really cheat yourself. Either you get yourself raised or not. (variation would be different heights, or doing it between two rings hanging on a chain)...
There is nothing wrong with pushups aswell. Just keep your arms tight at the body, do it on your fists and give at a go. If its too easy lift your feet. Advantage: this is also training the rest of your body and the variations are endless (fe only one arm, lift a leg etc), so you can always adjust to your level.

 

[KingGrayskull]

I like to think I am a little advanced but no pro by any means.

I have done the super slow before but have not in some time. I will give it a shot.

I do triceps weekly as well. Any suggestions there.

Just sittig in the train on my way to university and Im bored. Edit: well, I started writing this in the train and finished in my break lol.

Here is a nice workout for you. Credit goes to Mark Lauren as it is based on his very first beginner workout. However this was so intensive, that I have decided to just change it a little and keep it in my regular schedule. When I really dont want to go to the gym and had a bad day (I tend to be very impulsive), this workout helps to come down. It is not only for the arms but also for chest and shoulders. You will never see me doing a workout just for the arms. See your body as a whole. Do not train just parts of it. I go even further and say if you just train the suggested big muscles as they tell you in most gyms, you will sooner or later have massive problems not only with your appeareance, but also with your physique, shape and overal condition. You need to focus on every part and every muscle equaly.
You can either do it as a regular workout or just do it as a special when you feel you want to do something different (this is what I do). If you want to do it as a regular workout, do it for max 4 weeks, twice a week with at least 2 days rest between the two workouts. Best would be to do it on Monday and Thursday while you do the second workout for back and legs on Tuesday and Saturday. If you feel the need to do sports a fith day in the week, you can always have a 45min run in the forest on Sunday morning.
My friend and I call the workout the "Schlampen Nummer". Translated it is losing a little the fun because it is a double meaning in German: 1) ***** number (this is the origin as my friend got the number of a nameless girl after we did this workout back last summer); 2) ***** performance (because this workout is always good before you meet your exgirl, because you will look like a beast for the rest of the day; that was obviously my part that particular day...).

Anyway heres the workout:

All 4 exercises are executed as "pyramid". In case you dont know what that is: you start with 1 rep, rest 1 sec; than 2 reps, rest 2 secs; 3 reps, rest 3 secs; etc. Move on until you wouldnt be able to perform 1 more rep. This is usually for a normal guy like you and me between rep 8 to 12 reps (for push ups). Than you go all the way down to 1 rep (eg. 9 reps, 9 secs rest; 10 reps, 10 secs rest; 9 reps, 9 secs rest; 8 reps, 8 secs rest; etc.). When you are back at 1 rep., start your way back up again. You dont need to reach the reps you have done max in the forst pyramid. Its perfectly allright if you stay in the low reps. The only important thing is to not completly weaken your muscles. The aim is to survive the exercise for 8 mins. If you cannot do the next step (eg after 9 reps you fail to perform 10), you have gone too far (in the example you should have started to go down at 9 and performed 8 in the next move). After the 8 minutes, rest for 90 seconds. Not more, this is a mensworkout and nothing for little girls.

Exercises to perform in chronological order:

- Pushup (you can do a variation by put your hands close together or go wider. As you will need your arms later too I suggest to just perform a normal pushup with the hand positioned shoulder wide)

- military press (basically a pushup with wide hands and the butt raised up) - this will already be tough after the pushup exercise. Enjoy the pain! If you dont know the exercise, please google it.

- reversed push up (you will need a table or whatever on that heigth. Lay down on the groung put your hands on the table and raise yourself up. Your body keeps straight line from feet to head while performing)

- dips (this will totally kill your triceps as a final exercise)

While you rest you are allowed to drink. I drink very much during this workout because it is just so intensive. During the first 30 seconds however I keep pushing blood into the used muscles. Some people say this helps, some say it is not working, but I have the impression that my muscles recover faster for the next set and I perfrom a little better. And yes, you look like RedHulk afterwards.

Once again, credit goes to Mark Lauren. Buy his book, it has become my Bibel. I even bought the ladies edition for my girl, but it is such a great addition that I keep working with it too.

 

[Snadinator]

Almost managed a 405lbs push press last night. Would have been a new PR

 

[KingGrayskull]

That is pretty amazing man!

 

[Snadinator]

That is pretty amazing man!

Thank you. I should be able to hit that weight soon. Need a little more tricep strength it seems.

 

[5x10]

Almost managed a 405lbs push press last night. Would have been a new PR

View attachment 103425

damn man, sick strength
How much do you weigh?
I've never really push pressed, just do seated military barbell press, did 315 once

 

[Snadinator]

damn man, sick strength
How much do you weigh?
I've never really push pressed, just do seated military barbell press, did 315 once

How much I weigh? A lot hahaha.

I don't do any seated presses because in competition you have to do it standing. It's harder but it builds a lot of core and upper back strength. There are 3 kinds of overheads one can do, Jerks, Push Press or Strict presses. I also press with giant circus dumbells, 2-3" diameter bars and logs for strongman.

My legs are on fire right now. Tuesday I did squats with 500 for 3 sets of 8 with no belt or wraps, then pause squats (again no belt) with a 3 second pause in the hole for each rep with 405x5 and 455x5 and then goodmornings. I should be good to squat 700lbs again now. Next time I go for a max I will film it. Training without a belt or wraps to build core strength.

Still go a ways to go. I am competing at the Arnold Strongman Amateur world championships in March of next year. Hopefully can really get my lifts way up there by then.

 

[5x10]

How much I weigh? A lot hahaha.

I don't do any seated presses because in competition you have to do it standing. It's harder but it builds a lot of core and upper back strength. There are 3 kinds of overheads one can do, Jerks, Push Press or Strict presses. I also press with giant circus dumbells, 2-3" diameter bars and logs for strongman.

My legs are on fire right now. Tuesday I did squats with 500 for 3 sets of 8 with no belt or wraps, then pause squats (again no belt) with a 3 second pause in the hole for each rep with 405x5 and 455x5 and then goodmornings. I should be good to squat 700lbs again now. Next time I go for a max I will film it. Training without a belt or wraps to build core strength.

Still go a ways to go. I am competing at the Arnold Strongman Amateur world championships in March of next year. Hopefully can really get my lifts way up there by then.

Good luck on your comp, I admire your raw lifts

 

[KingGrayskull]

Due to health issues I wasnt able to do sports for over a year. I lost almost all my fitness but I still have a good body feeling. So I looked for something to get back in shape and started with pilates to rebuild the core and "inner" muscles (they are called like this in German). I am going to do this in personal training for the next 3 months (no Kato suits for me anymore). After that I will move into the group. I always thought it was nothing for me because it wasnt a real "challenge" in my eyes. After the first two lessons I habe to admit that I was wrong. We are working exactly at my weak parts. My muscles keep shaking while performing and it is highly intensive. Completly new feeling and a great feeling to finally get the next step back into my normal life. I am so looking forward to restar working out and I hope to reenter the good old squared circle by the beginning of next year.