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Cheers all
No Smith machine unfortunately.
Front squats are equally problematic.
Will try the goblet squats again, I tried these but sort of got put off bothering by the lower weights that I end up using.
Do sumo dead lifts isolate the quads more than normal dead lifts?
Pistol squats look like a proper nightmare 😥
Woffle, if you could mail me those workouts it would be wicked annetandianv @ Btinternet . com
Cheers
Ian
Right, you've convinced me.
I'll admit that some of you have used words and phrases that I don't quite know what they mean, but I think I get the jist of it. In the past I have gone for the smaller weights, lots of reps, but generally speaking most of you seem to be recommending bigger/fewer/slower, and focus on technique. Is that right? Given that, I would like to get the upper body strength improved and maybe have arms that don't look like wet spaghetti.
Will report back later....
my mate does weights, right down to a teenth if you are lucky.
Long time weight addict here. Love the precision and repeatability of it, its the ying to MTB's yang.
Squat, bench press, rows, deadlift, overhead press, pullup - is 99% of everything you need for strength training.
Barbell (or dumbbell for upper body) - but no machines. Do for 5 sets of 5, or 3 sets of 10, or similar scheme. Each lift once or twice a week, arrange it however you want.
Routines may need to get more complex when you're squatting double bodyweight - until then the simple stuff is best, done heavy for low(ish) sets & reps.
Learn good form, keep the form tight, and don't worry about what anyone else does
Anything else is window dressing.
Anyone had good luck sourcing a second hand weight bench? Quite enjoy the old powerlifting but not done it for a few years, and now have the space in a new house to accommodate it.
Seems like the type of thing that would be gathering dust in a lot of garages, so could be had pretty cheaply.
I'm still following [url= http://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/dumbbell-only-home-or-gym-fullbody-workout.html ]this[/url] training schedule and it seems to be getting good results. Definitely getting a more defined chest and arms. I used to do stronglifts 5x5 but as I don't have a weights rack at home I found it harder to stick to it, plus 80kg+ squats mess my knees up. I can fit this in whenever I want so I've actually stuck to the 3 days a week.
I do miss doing proper deadlifts though. If there's one thing that makes you feel like a beast it's doing heavy deadlifts 😆
It's a fair assumption that if I looked on the T-Nation forum for advice on what tyres/flats or spds/tyres/coffee machines/tyres to get then I'd be looking in the wrong place.
If you looked on the T-Nation forum for advice on weights you'd be looking in the wrong place.
My housemate was into his bodybuidling, complete with half cow sized steaks for breakfast, the entire catch of the spannish fishing fleet for lunch, most of a turkey for dinner, and lesser animals for snacks, rarely drinking anything except protein shakes or water.
His routine was 6 x 20min sessions a week, doing 1/3rd of the muscles each session and resting one day. He did point out though that you'd have to start at more like 40-60min doing more reps and lower weights and more of the body each session then cutting down to a shorter/harder session over 4 months or so, going straight in at that end would just lead to injury.
Not dissing bodybuilding as a sport/hobby, but it actually has completely different goals than weight training for strength so I really wouldn't worry about what those guys do!
Yes, loads on eBay. However decent equipment is extremely heavy so generally you will want to collect it in person which cuts down the options a bit. I would advise disregarding anything that can also be found at Argos, etc.Anyone had good luck sourcing a second hand weight bench? Quite enjoy the old powerlifting but not done it for a few years, and now have the space in a new house to accommodate it.Seems like the type of thing that would be gathering dust in a lot of garages, so could be had pretty cheaply.
If you're doing barbells you really need at minimum some squat stands or ideally a power rack. I found a couple of racks locally on eBay but decent ones hold their value very well which combined with the logistical problems (you will need a van, plus you will need to disassemble it when you pick it up) meant I ended up getting a new one. Managed to get everything (weights, bench & rack) for approx. the cost of 2 yrs gym membership which I thought was a pretty good investment!
Kettlebells... most gyms will have a class @ 45mins, alternatively you could ask one of the gymstaff to go through a few kettlbell moves with you. A short session gives increased strength / toning but also provides a cardio workout and strengthens core stability too. a winner all round.
I also reccomend kettlebells, most gyms have them, a couple of training sessions should help you with form etc, then just keep adding new routines, there's loads of vids online.
Kettlebells are great, however for them to properly replace barbells as a means of getting strong you will need a progressive program whereas I'm guessing the classes at most gyms are probably more like circuit training. For working out on your own though they could be ideal (once you've learnt/be shown the ropes).
I think theres a distinction to be made between bodybuilding - building muscle mass for its owns sake and bulking up, and weight training - doing specific exercizes to improve your ability in a given sport / discipline. I will do the latter but I can't see any use [ as a cyclist - ] in the former as all you do is make yourself heavier when for our discipline you need a good strength to weight ratio .better to do high reps of low weight and strengthen the muscles you need , including, as said earlier your core and balance which are vital
Yep, dead right.I think theres a distinction to be made between bodybuilding - building muscle mass for its owns sake and bulking up, and weight training - doing specific exercizes to improve your ability in a given sport / discipline. I will do the latter but I can't see any use [ as a cyclist - ] in the former as all you do is make yourself heavier when for our discipline you need a good strength to weight ratio
Nope, dead wrong. This is actually what bodybuilders do to get massive (sarcoplasmic hypertrophy). If you want to get as strong as possible without putting on too much extra mass then you need to concentrate on myofibrillar hypertrophy which basically means lifting as much weight as you can for low reps (e.g. 4-6)..better to do high reps of low weight and strengthen the muscles you need
Do some people just not really put muscle on ? When I do cardio I can quite often see my fitness improve from run to run or ride to ride. I've never really seen anything like this with gym/lifting weights and I do now try to lift heavier weights not just do lots of reps.
I can put on some muscle on my legs and occasionally if I do enough push ups I can put a bit of muscle on my chest.
I've never been able to put any much muscle on my arms and any small amounts I put on will just go with in say 2 weeks if I stop.
Its not like Im totally skinny naturally and Im quite fast sprinting in footy but my arms just dont like muscle and I return to my natual shape straight away.
Some people (generally those with a [i]very[/i] fast metabolism) do find it harder to build muscle. In the weight-lifting world they're called "hardgainers". However they're really quite rare. People often [i]think[/i] they're hardgainers but in reality they're just either not working hard enough - or more likely - not eating enough.Do some people just not really put muscle on ? When I do cardio I can quite often see my fitness improve from run to run or ride to ride. I've never really seen anything like this with gym/lifting weights and I do now try to lift heavier weights not just do lots of reps.
To build muscle you need to eat a lot. Lots of protein to stimulate new muscle growth, and lots of calories (starchy food like (sweet) potatoes, rice, veg, etc) to actually build the muscle. You need to be eating above your maintenance level of calories. Of course you also need to be lifting heavy enough to shock your system into building new muscle but it sounds like you're doing that already.
Don't just 'Do' weights. If you are a competitive rider or w/e warrior you’ll compliment your cycling efficiency by training the antagonistic groups that your body needs/uses as a ‘platform’ from which to ‘fire’ those legs. Additionally, and prob more so with MTB I would say, is flexibility and core strength. With core, I’m not talking about the ability to pick up a biro with you sphincter muscle but the type of system/chain needed to say, perform a ‘clean & press’ in standing (which incidentally is a fab core exercise btw).
If anyone would like professional advice re this subject, pm or email me.
LT
PS: Yes,of course your performance will improve by training the agonists, but it's not as simple as banging out the squats...it takes time to transfer 'bulk-gains' into 'on-tap' sport-specific power/endurance/etc etc...............................
Found gyms incredibly boring so started going to the local indoor climbing wall a few years back. Not great for building up leg strength but you probably won't find anything better for core strength and i can't half death grip those bars these days 😀 Oh and its fun as well, particularly the bouldering stuff. Might be worth a try if there is one local.
To build muscle you need to eat a lot. Lots of protein to stimulate new muscle growth, and lots of calories (starchy food like (sweet) potatoes, rice, veg, etc) to actually build the muscle. You need to be eating above your maintenance level of calories. Of course you also need to be lifting heavy enough to shock your system into building new muscle but it sounds like you're doing that already.
This is probably where I go wrong. Although I go through periods where I eat quite alot I also tend to go through periods where I really cut back. I often find my fitness/energy often seems to improve if I almost fast some times, I seem to use the food/calories more effectively if I only have small amounts. If I eat alot I often feel less energetic.
Ever seen anyone do a one-finger pull-up before? That is some serious strength-to-weight.Found gyms incredibly boring so started going to the local indoor climbing wall a few years back.
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Lifting weights in a fasted state is popular with a lot of people (e.g. leangains.com). Of course the other key thing about building muscle is to get lots of rest (and sleep) as this is when the gains are actually made.This is probably where I go wrong. Although I go through periods where I eat quite alot I also tend to go through periods where I really cut back. I often find my fitness/energy often seems to improve if I almost fast some times, I seem to use the food/calories more effectively if I only have small amounts. If I eat alot I often feel less energetic.