Essential Random Gym Thoughts Revisited...

The ADD

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oh ok and what weight did you start seeing changes in your arms and chest
That's hard to answer because it's been a lot of yo-yo. I dropped down to as low as 170 and was super skinny fat. I don't know that the change you are looking for is going to be there on the initial drop. That said I ran all my weight off and burned through a lot of muscle. The approach you are doing is going to be a better route. Add to that everybody carries weight differently. I don't have a ton of mass since I am shooting to be lean but my arms and chest don't carry much fat at all, it all is positioned in my mid to lower abs and obliques now.
 

jilla82

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People are using the major compound lifts because of elite athletes and pro body builders, if you go into the ideal physique thread it's nothing but athletes being posted, so me bringing up Gymnasts and Boxers is no different, people are using athletes/body builders as their targets.


The target is simply to look better for the vast majority of people lifting, and truthfully speaking if they knew better, starting out the majority would be doing isolation work instead of the compound lifts. That video above by Elliot is from the perspective of someone that competes in Strongman competitions, stabilizers for him are paramount to success....they aren't necessary for the dude that wants to look better at the beach and works in an office. And if stabilizers were really key, nobody would touch the barbell bench over the DB bench, even though it's one of the compound lifts.
but why wouldnt you want functional muscle?
Plus...w/ compound movements you can be in and out of the gym a lot faster than someone doing isolation work.

The guys I see in the gym who stick to ISO moves dont have a full look.
I cant quite explain it...but they dont look complete. They have big arms and chest...but it all doesnt come together right.

Im on my first cut ever...I can already see ill have crazy abs...and ive never done any ab work.
 

AquaCityBoy

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I've seen enough naked old cacs to last several lifetimes :scust:

I might not even use the locker room anymore, I'm about to start running out to my car the second I'm done working out :mjcry:
Worse is when they come out of the shower with the towel draped over their shoulder like it's the goddamn WWE championship belt. :gag:
 

PortCityProphet

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@diggy you in the supplement game so imma ask you...why the fukk they only fill the protein powder containers half way up? Not even 3/4 just straight up half. Im paying for air here :damn:
 

tripleaamin

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I've done rows on them at the very end of upper body day. The assistance helped keep the form strict when I was pretty gassed.

I mean if you do correctly that could work too. But honestly the more I think of it, if I were introducing somebody into lifting, I would have them use Dumbbells for their press, ohp, squats and rows. Not sure how you could get someone into conventional deads Tho.
 

CrimsonTider

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IDK, there are other alternatives. I just bought a leg press machine for my house, and Im also looking into getting one of this hip squat belts. Squats are dangerous enough as is, seems even worse to try and fix your knees/hips/upper back to move in a rigid plane. But back squats are technical AF and dangerous for someone who has no desire to master them. I guess Smith machine squats can be OK.

I would suggest front squats on the smith machine
 

diggy

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@diggy you in the supplement game so imma ask you...why the fukk they only fill the protein powder containers half way up? Not even 3/4 just straight up half. Im paying for air here :damn:
When we got whey samples in, we had a standard 2.2 tub of protein filled with all 100% whey isolate and no filler, it was almost 6lbs of actual weight product. Each scoop was about 60+ grams. I was like wtf.
 
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