Fitness Checkin

[RAMA]

Just wanted to give a heads up to both lifters and cardio demons. I replaced my gymteknik app from bberry with Jefit for Android (and Iphone). Its a comprehensive workout app that you can use for your entire workout...no more using pen and paper to log info. Auto 1 rep max calc, auto sets and reps if you want to. Hell, you can even time your rest between sets! You can sync it with the website and have the info available everywhere and to anyone.

http://www.jefit.com/feature/

 

[hamudm]

TONIGHT: Playing ball hockey tonight
THURSDAY NIGHT: P90X Chest/Back
FRIDAY NIGHT: Playing Ice Hockey
Saturday: Yoga
Sunday: Rest

 

[TheSeeker]

Just wanted to give a heads up to both lifters and cardio demons. I replaced my gymteknik app from bberry with Jefit for Android (and Iphone). Its a comprehensive workout app that you can use for your entire workout...no more using pen and paper to log info. Auto 1 rep max calc, auto sets and reps if you want to. Hell, you can even time your rest between sets! You can sync it with the website and have the info available everywhere and to anyone.

http://www.jefit.com/feature/

Sounds pretty cool. I'll have to check it out.

I'd also like to say how surprised I am that most people don't seem to plan out and record their workouts. At least they don't seem to at my gym.

 

[Shatnertage]

Just got a Powertec Workbench that I set up in my garage--with a new kid on the way I know I won't have time to make it to the gym, but I figure I should be able to squeeze in 20 minutes or so of weight after my run in the mornings.

I've got a 7' Olympic bar and a 300# weight set to go with the bench, which adjusts for bench, decline, and incline positions. I'm still figuring out the right angle for the incline press, though.

I worked my arms a little this morning, mostly by doing curls w/ the Olympic bar, which was a little ungainly.

Anyone know any good biceps/arm exercises I can do with the set-up I've described?

 

[John O.]

I think you pretty much just called it there - the main thing you can do with a bar is curls, awkward as it is. You can also do reverse forearm curls and ordinary forearm curls, though, and you can do laying down tricep skull crushers (what I call em, Idk if they have a more official name) so at least you can hit the whole arm.

@ the workout app - I might try that, looks neat.

I recorded my workouts for a very very long time, but in the end I decided that it was more of a phase on the road to fitness discipline, not an end. It's tremendously helpful to track your progress, but IMO it's only necessary for awhile, until you get a solid enough set of personal expectations of your body that you can figure out on the fly what is, and isn't, a challenging workout for yourself. Beginners who can't keep track of what muscle groups they've done recently, what type of set/rep structure they've been doing or want to do, or how much weight they max out on, can definitely get quite a bit of discipline and organizational efficiency out of recording their workout in real time.

Eventually though, I felt a little trapped by it. I felt tied to my notebook, and less flexible in my routines and my speeds by being obligated to stop and record everything. It most definitely serves a purpose, I just no longer believe that one cannot enjoy a productive, efficient and disciplined workout without it. In fact, I felt a little liberated by ending my use of it, because any time I feel like I'm going too easy on myself, I just say "screw it, I'll do quads and calves today too", or, "I'll sprint between chest workouts", or "I'll do a crossfit abs routine until I curl up and cry like a little girl" and I didn't feel that kind of flexibility lent itself to a notebook-recording workout mentality.

 

[RoJoHen]

I have made the decision to quit my second job so I can better focus on my fitness. I've been working 16-hour days every Monday, and it completely throws off my sleep schedule, which I usually don't recover from until about Thursday.

I got in a car accident today, which I used as an excuse to skip my second job, and it was awesome having the night off to exercise. My roommate and I played racquetball for 2 hours.

 

[TheSeeker]

16 hours is a bit much for one day. I can see why you'd want to ditch that job. Although oddly I seem to get good workouts in when I'm tired. Case in point, last night I had a great chest/arm workout even though I was still tired from the wedding I went to over the weekend.

Hockey tonight.

 

[John O.]

New decline bench max, 190.

 

[TheSeeker]

Got a great back and shoulder workout last night. Finally feel like I'm getting back into a routine.

 

[John O.]

Pushed by bench max up to 210, up over 200!

Anyone know enough about muscle groups to tell me what it says about my musculature that I am always lifting more on Decline Bench than ordinary bench, and even less than ordinary bench on incline bench?

 

[Shatnertage]

^ I've got no idea. I go regular bench>decline>incline, but that's mostly because I don't do decline much and feel awkward.

I got my bench up to 195 again this week, which is good for me. Did 4 sets of 10, too, and it felt pretty good.

 

[RoJoHen]

Pushed by bench max up to 210, up over 200!

Anyone know enough about muscle groups to tell me what it says about my musculature that I am always lifting more on Decline Bench than ordinary bench, and even less than ordinary bench on incline bench?

Well, the chest is divided into two main muscles: upper and lower. It's possible your lower chest is stronger than your upper chest. There could be any number of other reasons, too, though.

I never do declines. I think they're really awkward.

 

[TheSeeker]

I save decline for the last exercise in my chest routine so I always look pathetic lifting so little.

 

[John O.]

I save decline for the last exercise in my chest routine so I always look pathetic lifting so little.

Yeah, I think my lower chest is stronger then, bc I feel really awkward doing incline bench and I feel the most comfortable doing decline bench when I let the bar come down low on my chest, like over my diaphragm. I think part of it is that the seat doesn't go high enough to put me where I should be under the bar (on the actual incline bench station), cuz I'm rather short, only 5'7. Every other adjustable machine there is fine, but incline for some reason, the seat just doesn't go high enough so I have to sort of half-stand to get the bar off the pegs and then bring it over my chest. But beside that, I even do less weight when it comes to incline with dumbbells on a regular incline bench.

I actually hit THREE new maxes today, on no sleep no less. literally none, I was up all night doing homework. I got sick of looking at it about 6:30 am and went and worked out for 2 hours. 155 on two-hand cable curl (with the metal triangular grip), 420 leg press (up from 380) and 75 lb overhead skull crusher, the tricep lift. Up from 65.

it's gotta be this new preworkout mix. jack3d+gatorade+creatine, before and during workout. Gives me loads of energy.

 

[RoJoHen]

But beside that, I even do less weight when it comes to incline with dumbbells on a regular incline bench.

If your inclines are substantially weaker than your other chest workouts, I'd recommend starting your chest day with them. And while you're naturally going to do less weight with dumbbells, I'd stick with them.

it's gotta be this new preworkout mix. jack3d+gatorade+creatine, before and during workout. Gives me loads of energy.

My new pre-workout mix is Jack3d mixed with an NO-X supplement, and it rocks my world.

 

[RoJoHen]

Ooh, also, do triceps. Kick your triceps' ass with heavy weight! My presses improved dramatically when I started dedicating an entire workout to triceps.

 

[TheSeeker]

My new pre-workout mix is Jack3d mixed with an NO-X supplement, and it rocks my world.

What exactly do those tow supplements do?

So it looks like my strength is increasing again after getting back into a routine. I was forced to use some heavier weights yesterday when the dumbbells I wanted to use weren't available and to my surprise I was able to get almost as many reps off as with the lower weight.

 

[John O.]

My new pre-workout mix is Jack3d mixed with an NO-X supplement, and it rocks my world.

What exactly do those tow supplements do?

I'd roughly consider Jack3d and NO-Xplode to be in the same category but on a really specific pharmacological basis they could be different, I don't know.

You can read online what they "claim" but I'll tell you how my workouts feel different. I feel confident that the feeling is genuine and not related to outside factors because a couple times I've run out of Jack3d and had to workout without it and I notice a day-to-day difference. It's not like a slow building supplement that has to get into your system, it's THAT DAY, that moment-results.

Anyway how's it change my workout? If I don't take it, sometimes I get tired or bored after 2 or 3 groups of 3-4 sets (different workouts), but not if I take it. When I take it the only thing that ends my workout is when I look at the clock and realize I've been there 2 and a half hours. It sounds strange to describe but sweating feels more like a cooling process, which could have something to do w/ the fact that it's 10x easier to catch my breath when I take jack3d - whether it's heavy lifting, aerobic lifting or cardio. It makes me feel like there's always a little more umph in the muscle to finish off that last rep...I get kind of a rush from each pump and burnouts seem delayed, if they happen at all. Basically, I feel like Superman

But beside that, I even do less weight when it comes to incline with dumbbells on a regular incline bench.

If your inclines are substantially weaker than your other chest workouts, I'd recommend starting your chest day with them. And while you're naturally going to do less weight with dumbbells, I'd stick with them.

it's gotta be this new preworkout mix. jack3d+gatorade+creatine, before and during workout. Gives me loads of energy.

My new pre-workout mix is Jack3d mixed with an NO-X supplement, and it rocks my world.

That's interesting - I never would've thought to mix NO-X and Jack3d just since they're both preworkout stims but it works well huh? I used to use NO-X and I remember enjoying it, it was just so long ago I can't really compare it to Jack3d, I can't remember the feeling well enough.

Ooh, also, do triceps. Kick your triceps' ass with heavy weight! My presses improved dramatically when I started dedicating an entire workout to triceps.

That's good advice, triceps are probably supporting muscles in a lot of presses.

 

[RoJoHen]

My new pre-workout mix is Jack3d mixed with an NO-X supplement, and it rocks my world.

What exactly do those tow supplements do?

I'd roughly consider Jack3d and NO-Xplode to be in the same category but on a really specific pharmacological basis they could be different, I don't know.

You can read online what they "claim" but I'll tell you how my workouts feel different. I feel confident that the feeling is genuine and not related to outside factors because a couple times I've run out of Jack3d and had to workout without it and I notice a day-to-day difference. It's not like a slow building supplement that has to get into your system, it's THAT DAY, that moment-results.

Anyway how's it change my workout? If I don't take it, sometimes I get tired or bored after 2 or 3 groups of 3-4 sets (different workouts), but not if I take it. When I take it the only thing that ends my workout is when I look at the clock and realize I've been there 2 and a half hours. It sounds strange to describe but sweating feels more like a cooling process, which could have something to do w/ the fact that it's 10x easier to catch my breath when I take jack3d - whether it's heavy lifting, aerobic lifting or cardio. It makes me feel like there's always a little more umph in the muscle to finish off that last rep...I get kind of a rush from each pump and burnouts seem delayed, if they happen at all. Basically, I feel like Superman

If your inclines are substantially weaker than your other chest workouts, I'd recommend starting your chest day with them. And while you're naturally going to do less weight with dumbbells, I'd stick with them.


My new pre-workout mix is Jack3d mixed with an NO-X supplement, and it rocks my world.

That's interesting - I never would've thought to mix NO-X and Jack3d just since they're both preworkout stims but it works well huh? I used to use NO-X and I remember enjoying it, it was just so long ago I can't really compare it to Jack3d, I can't remember the feeling well enough.

Ooh, also, do triceps. Kick your triceps' ass with heavy weight! My presses improved dramatically when I started dedicating an entire workout to triceps.

That's good advice, triceps are probably supporting muscles in a lot of presses.

NOX isn't really a stimulant, though. It increases blood flow to allow more nutrients to enter your muscles.

 

[Roger Wilco]

I'm not convinced any of those (legal) supplements really do much, I'm not even sure protein powder is necessary, at least my muscle soreness and training progress is indistinguishable whether I drink protein after a workout or not.