The Official Gym & Fitness Thread

My low bar squat is way better in flats than heels. High bar, heels all day for me. The increased shin angle of a high bar squat brings my lack of ankle mobility into play. The more vertical shin in the low bar squat takes my ankle mobility out of the equation. I feel it easier to keep my weight distribution correct in flats so that’s what I do.

I say all that to say I think it’s all highly individualized.

 

Interesting. I have good ankle mobility, but regardless of low bar vs high bar I love squat shoes. I cannot stand flat sole for any lift but a deadlift.

Like you said, its all personal preference I suppose.

 

Agree. Squat shoes saved my life. Also I always deadlift in just my socks, but one time I deadlifted in chucks lol. I never anticipated deadlifting and a buddy said to try it out and I said fuck it and maxed out.

Edit - it's a video click if you care

 

I squat in vans, the Raised heels throw my balance off. I can squat to where my thighs are fully against my calves in flats with no butt wink, so there’s no point in me putting the raised heels back on.

I did use them while I worked on my ankle mobility and got better in flats. 90% of us will never need them. The guys who do are those that compete in oly and you see them in the bottom of a clean or snatch with a quarter inch between their ass and the ground and a straight upright torso.

 

Smooth.

I use to DL in socks but once the weight got heavier I felt more secure in a thin/flat sole. It gives me a feeling of something grippy to push off of. I think its all a psychological thing, but it works for me.

 

Yep! I got use to them doing Olympic lifts and just never stopped using them. I really love them when doing stones, since they allow me to sit really low with the stone before jumping up to load it.

In strongman there is a lot of overhead pressing and Oly shoes provide a lot of stability for that as well.

 

I’m supposed to deadlift today and forgot my shoes . I hate pulling in just socks, so looks like I’ll end up pulling in my squat shoes again. Better than the soft adidas I’m wearing at work.

 

pretty. Don’t think that was a max effort pull though. Sandbagger.

 

My 465 attempt before that was a joke - made it look like 315.

 

Im going to be like you when I grow up.

 

Started cutting after a year bulk. Before last bulk I was around 11% bodyfat @205#. I've been going hard and eating hard for a year. My starting weight before this cut was 230#, I'm down to 225#. Last time I cut, I lost muscle and about 10% off of my 1RMs all around. Too much cardio and not tracking macros enough.

Tracking macros, holding ~1.1g protein per lb., HIIT and LIIT only (no running) and a slow defecit and I'm in a volume phase right now. Looking forward to what's under the fluff.

My maintenance + slow bulk calories were somewhere around 3500-4000, I'm targeting just under 2900 per day now for defecit.

 

“Too much cardio” and “LIIS”...


Does not compute

 

What doesn't compute? On my last cut I lost muscle because I was running too much, like 15 miles a week on top of strength training.

This go around, it's HIIT and basically walks for cardio, no extended cardio periods.

 

Cardio alone does not result in LBM loss. And I LOL at 15 miles a week being “too much”.

In all my years I’ve never heard of LIIT. I mean I’ve heard of long island iced teas but not LIIT. Thats just LISS. If its not triggering post exercise O2 consumption or mitichondrial biogenisis its LISS. Walking is LISS. Aerobic exercise is LISS.

It does not eat away gains. It is an incredible way to burn extra calories and not interfere with recovery from a high training load.

Having a poor caloric intake can result in gains loss but thats has to be a pretty whacked up diet or serious caloric deficit.

 

Vans are the best. I finally switched back to them after my old Nike’s needed replacing. Not going back again.

 

How are the runs to the beach going?

 

I thought HIIT was the best until I just buckled down and did LISS. Its no fun, but for me steady cardio on a rowing machine or bike works wonders for fat loss.

 

Well I imagine for you HIIT on top of your routine is rough. Whereas peddling away on a bike is relaxing and aids recovery.

 

Pretty much, its nice to just unwind and peddle away.

 

They are not! I had planned to do them during my lunches, but my projects are fucked and I have been working through lunch so I don’t have to work past 5 so I can still get a lift in before the girl gets home from work. Maybe in a week once my change requests are done I will be able to start.