The Official Gym & Fitness Thread

Well, I should defend "my people" a little. The goal is to lift as much as possible within the rules. And rules is rules, and this guy followed them. The arched back technique definitely helps you move a lot more weight. Everyone else is following the same rules, and aren't able to achieve these results, so he deserves some (edit: a lot of) credit.

You can call this guy fat if you want, but know he could definitely snap you in half if he wanted.

 

I agree 100%. I was talking to @mightytacoman about that a while back. I know it's standard for competitions, but I don't believe they should be able to say they benched 600 lbs when their back is so arched that they're only having to come down a few inches. It's the equivalent of quarter-squatting 405 and bragging about it. No doubt, he's strong, but that's not an accurate assessment of his chest strength.

x2. I do flat bench to make my chest bigger and stronger. Doing all those techniques (driving from your feet, arching the back, etc) don't help with that. Sure, they help to move more weight, but doing all that is no longer an isolated movement and doesn't help anything but the ego. If you want a bigger, stronger chest, isolate the chest. I guess this is where us aesthetic brahs split paths with the strong men.

I'm also with you on looks > strength. My workout partner is a naturally big and strong guy, but you could never tell he lifts because he's 20+% bf. We were at a party last weekend and a friend's wife commented on how broad my shoulders were and how define my arms were (I know I'm not shredded, but to non-lifters, I'm a god lol). My workout partner got all butthurt and was talking about how much stronger he was than me and I said, "well, I'm not in the business of lifting cars. I work behind a desk and my goal is to look good naked." Everyone laughed at him. Anytime he or anyone else does that shit, I say this: when is the last time you were on a beach and some hot chick came up to you and said, "oh my god, I bet you can bench 1000 lbs!" Never. Bitches like aesthetics. Of course, I'm married and don't care what bitches think, but if my wife could sculpt me the way she wanted, I'd be 180 lbs and 4% bf, not 260 lbs, 25% bf.

 

lol - I'm not knocking him or saying what he is doing isn't impressive. I'm just not sitting here jealous that I can't do that. Like I said, he fat...

But seriously, it is like that video I posted a few days ago with the world's strongest man vs. the world's fittest man (and I'm not lobbying crossfit here). I would rather look fit and be strong. I'm 160# and can lift heavy weight for my size. I wouldn't go up to that dude and challenge him to a fight, I can respect what he is doing, but I would welcome a # for # lifting challenge and probably be able to give him a run for his money, and I would extend that challenge to anyone here or anyone who is a fellow lifting brother because what else is the point of all this?



Besides standing in front of a mirror

 

Facts of Life

 

Fuck whatever they were talking about in the debate, these are the issues that are tearing our country apart - strengths vs aesthetics, conventional vs sumo dead lift, hook grip vs switch grip, low bar vs high bar squat.

 

The "getting bitches" argument is dumb. Never lifted to get girls, or to change what others think about me. I do it because I want to be strong, for myself, and for the challenges it presents and the discipline it requires. Also, it keeps me out of bars and strip clubs.

 

Yes.

 

There are 2 types of lifters:

1. those who lift to impress women
2. liars

 

Speaking of hook grip...and a bit off topic, but we always have time to bash crossfit...

I play in a co-ed softball league on Sundays. They require 4 girls on the field or we have to bench a guy (so only field 8 people). We picked up this new girl this year. She does crossfit . Before the game she was talking about her most recent workout and doing some snatches and mentioned having to go hook grip to finish the set. Idk, it sounded like jibberish to me...

So she was playing catcher and the batter hit the ball pretty much straight in the dirt in front of her. She ran out and grabbed it and gave it a heave to first. It went maybe half way there and just died.

Me standing in center field watching



how's that hook grip snatch working again?

She also can't catch. I hit her with 2 throws from center when someone was tagging from 3rd and she bobbled them both letting them be safe. We lost by 2 (first loss of the season)...

 

I NEED THAT HAT. I AM ORDER ONE RIGHT NOW. IF YOU SEND ME YOUR ADDRESS, ASSUMING THEY ARE NOT PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE, I WILL SEND YOU ONE AS WELL.

YES I MEANT TO TYPE THIS IN ALL CAPS I AM THAT EXCITED.

 

If you pull sumo, you like butt stuffs

 

Get a broscience shirt too

 

I don't pull sumo, but I do like butt stuffs. Do they have to be mutually exclusive?

 

Alright...decided to go get checked out for this rib issue. Fuck.

Most of you know the story already; Tried to do chest yesterday, could barely get 135 off the rack without wanting to scream. Once I got it off it was fine. Got a buddy to help me get 185 off the rack, replied it 10 times, but it hurt like a bitch. Decided to skip to back/biceps.

Pull downs hurt, but not unbearable. DB rows hurt, but not unbearable. Reverse grip pull downs....couldn't even do 1 at 140 lbs. stopped working back at that point and just did 3 or 4 bicep exercises. Called my ins agent to make sure that stupid woman's ins is still liable if I go, he said yes, so I'm gonna leave work early this evening and go to the walk in clinic and see what they say.

I expect "take it easy for a few weeks. Lose all your gains". Fuck.

I did shoulders Sunday and nothing hurt, so I'll hit those tomorrow probably, then hit legs Saturday, which I did on Tuesday. Throw some tris and bis in with some of that too. No pushing or pulling



Fuck.

 

That right there is where you fucked up.

I've been out for 4 days already, I'm having issues with my delts. Chiro said no lifting until issue is resolved. Who knows how long it will take to fully heal.

 

I was out Wed-Sun, missed Mon, legs Tues, and a pointless session yesterday. Freakin sucks. I've never really had an injury that prevented me from lifting. At least not since high school, and I would do anything to get out of Weight training class back then.

 

Do you guys have any of those people that go in to workout and they have all this intensity and look like they're going to lift a shit load then they end up half repping everything super quick with no attention to form? I saw two of those last time. One a small petite female like thinks she's a bad ass or something taking up 2 or 3 machines at a time, doing 10 push ups in between sets.
It just annoys me. I get it. You took 2 scoops of no xplode thinking its mr hyde and you're trying to be intense. But c'mon, I'm not impressed.
I respect the ones who are focused taking their time to do complete reps thinking about muscle contraction making an effort.

If I see anyone 1/2 or 1/4 repping, I will judge you with my judgy eyes.

 

Until someone catches you 1/2 repping then you're like bro my knee can't handle it or my elbows messed up right.

 

Exactly what I told everyone she'd say. I missed 30 mins of work and wasted another 45 at the dr office to hear exactly what I knew I would. Damn it.

"Take it easy for 2-4 weeks. Nothing is broken. It's either a deep contusion or something else muscular. No clinical symptoms of a break, maybe a micro-fracture if anything. Either way, there's no treating it, you just have to let it heal. "

Then, she got me in the feels:

"The only reason you're Doing as well as you are is because you're obviously strong and in very good shape. You have full range of motion, you're good."