GIFt us your lifts! (or other achievements!)

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Replies

  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 11,513 Member
    Yesterday I awoke before my alarm, raring to hit the gym. Today was the opposite: really had to drag myself out of bed. My wife's been dealing with a nasty head cold, but I haven't felt any symptoms myself and I do all the right things to prevent getting sick (sleep, eat well, exercise, daily vitamin-C supplement), so I don't think I'm sick at all. It just took a lot of effort to get up and get out. But it's for days like today why we diligently work on developing discipline, to get the job done even when we don't feel like it.

    Took me until the third working set of my heavy rack pulls before I actually felt like I wanted to be there. Glad I did go anyway, as I busted through my barbell hip thrust plateau and get to increase the weight next week.
  • KickassAmazon76
    KickassAmazon76 Posts: 4,677 Member
    nossmf wrote: »
    Yesterday I awoke before my alarm, raring to hit the gym. Today was the opposite: really had to drag myself out of bed. My wife's been dealing with a nasty head cold, but I haven't felt any symptoms myself and I do all the right things to prevent getting sick (sleep, eat well, exercise, daily vitamin-C supplement), so I don't think I'm sick at all. It just took a lot of effort to get up and get out. But it's for days like today why we diligently work on developing discipline, to get the job done even when we don't feel like it.

    Took me until the third working set of my heavy rack pulls before I actually felt like I wanted to be there. Glad I did go anyway, as I busted through my barbell hip thrust plateau and get to increase the weight next week.

    I get this TOTALLY. I was like that last night. I didn't want to get ready for the gym. Didn't want to go. Put on my jacket wanting to stay home. Sat in the changeroom wanting to GO home. Lol.

    On the treadmill (warmup) didn't feel it. Prepping for squats... didn't feel it. But once I got through that first warm up set... I was like... OK, I am glad I'm here. HAHA

    It's not about being motivated all the time... it's about discipline and commitment. Kudos to you for pushing through and getting there to get it done!

    As for my dad... ohhh yeah. He is pretty awesome!
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 11,513 Member
    @psulemon, when you did your 500lb BB hip thrust, was that a single rep with the actual weight? Based on doing 465x6 today, online calculators claim I should be able to knock out 540 once, but I've not tried hitting anything above 465 yet. Next week I'll try 5x5 at 475, so it may be just a matter of time before actually trying 500.

    May have to figure out a better padding system, though. To date I've been folding up a yoga mat between my hips and the bar, but today I actually felt the bar for the first time in a while, and figure it'll only get worse as the weight goes up.
  • KickassAmazon76
    KickassAmazon76 Posts: 4,677 Member
    nossmf wrote: »
    @psulemon, when you did your 500lb BB hip thrust, was that a single rep with the actual weight? Based on doing 465x6 today, online calculators claim I should be able to knock out 540 once, but I've not tried hitting anything above 465 yet. Next week I'll try 5x5 at 475, so it may be just a matter of time before actually trying 500.

    May have to figure out a better padding system, though. To date I've been folding up a yoga mat between my hips and the bar, but today I actually felt the bar for the first time in a while, and figure it'll only get worse as the weight goes up.

    I got a bar pad off temu for like 15 bucks. It's great. I also used to use a pool noodle cut to length and then slit up the middle. Worked pretty well too. haha
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    edited February 7
    nossmf wrote: »
    @psulemon, when you did your 500lb BB hip thrust, was that a single rep with the actual weight? Based on doing 465x6 today, online calculators claim I should be able to knock out 540 once, but I've not tried hitting anything above 465 yet. Next week I'll try 5x5 at 475, so it may be just a matter of time before actually trying 500.

    May have to figure out a better padding system, though. To date I've been folding up a yoga mat between my hips and the bar, but today I actually felt the bar for the first time in a while, and figure it'll only get worse as the weight goes up.

    My current 1RM is 525lb for 1 with a pause at the top. I was doing reps of 465x5x3. I recently switched blocks from a power to hypertrophy block, so i am doing 3 sets of 10-12. Unfortunately, i had a small tweak in my hamstring, so i didn't do well last week. But previously, my working sets were 365.


    I have a hip thrust pad. I try to find one that is higher foam density at these weights. Although, one of the girls my wife trains with, uses a square foam pad.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,379 Member
    @KickassAmazon76 i love your dad quote.

    I got a new PB on leg press 360x10, and could have done more but in a pinch for time, figure 4 leg press upped over 50% too, heel/toe raises on press up 50% as well, and some machine I’ve discovered recently that’s a rear kick machine. I just kept adding weight til I ran out of time. I love that thing. It helps relieve the yoga butt.

    Went straight to Muacle Madness and killed it.

    Was feeling super cocky until I went to the pool last night and the leg and ankle cramps kicked in lol. 🤷🏻‍♀️
  • KickassAmazon76
    KickassAmazon76 Posts: 4,677 Member
    @KickassAmazon76 i love your dad quote.

    I got a new PB on leg press 360x10, and could have done more but in a pinch for time, figure 4 leg press upped over 50% too, heel/toe raises on press up 50% as well, and some machine I’ve discovered recently that’s a rear kick machine. I just kept adding weight til I ran out of time. I love that thing. It helps relieve the yoga butt.

    Went straight to Muacle Madness and killed it.

    Was feeling super cocky until I went to the pool last night and the leg and ankle cramps kicked in lol. 🤷🏻‍♀️

    YOU ARE A BEAST! You are such an inspiration to me! Way to go on the PBs!!!
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 11,513 Member
    Nice, @springlering62! I also love the leg press machine, and used to love loading up the sled. However, it got to the point of being ridiculous how many plates I was using, so I shifted to doing one-leg versions instead, figuring with half the legs I'd just use half the plates. Yeah, not so much. I was doing 12 large plates per side for sets of 10-15 with both legs, but now I'm doing 4 plates per side for sets of 5 with a single leg. Trifle humbling the first time, but I've grown to accept it and embrace it. Probably could go heavier, but I've been really working on increasing my range of motion, which I'm not satisfied with yet. Something about doing it one-legged causes my leg to lock up at a higher point than when I work in pairs.
  • KickassAmazon76
    KickassAmazon76 Posts: 4,677 Member
    nossmf wrote: »
    Nice, @springlering62! I also love the leg press machine, and used to love loading up the sled. However, it got to the point of being ridiculous how many plates I was using, so I shifted to doing one-leg versions instead, figuring with half the legs I'd just use half the plates. Yeah, not so much. I was doing 12 large plates per side for sets of 10-15 with both legs, but now I'm doing 4 plates per side for sets of 5 with a single leg. Trifle humbling the first time, but I've grown to accept it and embrace it. Probably could go heavier, but I've been really working on increasing my range of motion, which I'm not satisfied with yet. Something about doing it one-legged causes my leg to lock up at a higher point than when I work in pairs.

    lol I am stoked about trying for 4 plates a side using BOTH legs, tomorrow. You were doing that much one leg at a time? #faints
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 11,513 Member
    *grins* My legs have always been my strongest feature, far outstripping the rest of me. Whenever I look at various "lifting standards" online, my upper body is typically in the "intermediate" category, where my legs are always either "advanced" or "elite".

    (Except deadlift, where I'm stuck at intermediate. Or was, before I swapped deadlifts for rack pulls.)

    It's one of the reasons I always enjoy leg day, it's such an ego boost to have warmup sets far heavier than my 1RM on upper body days. (I refuse to allow my thoughts to go the other direction, that my upper body is so pathetic I can't even lift warmup weights, lol.)
  • Minion_training_program
    Minion_training_program Posts: 13,437 Member
    @KickassAmazon76 i love your dad quote.

    I got a new PB on leg press 360x10, and could have done more but in a pinch for time, figure 4 leg press upped over 50% too, heel/toe raises on press up 50% as well, and some machine I’ve discovered recently that’s a rear kick machine. I just kept adding weight til I ran out of time. I love that thing. It helps relieve the yoga butt.

    Went straight to Muacle Madness and killed it.

    Was feeling super cocky until I went to the pool last night and the leg and ankle cramps kicked in lol. 🤷🏻‍♀️

    Awesome job on your new PB!
  • Minion_training_program
    Minion_training_program Posts: 13,437 Member
    nossmf wrote: »
    Nice, @springlering62! I also love the leg press machine, and used to love loading up the sled. However, it got to the point of being ridiculous how many plates I was using, so I shifted to doing one-leg versions instead, figuring with half the legs I'd just use half the plates. Yeah, not so much. I was doing 12 large plates per side for sets of 10-15 with both legs, but now I'm doing 4 plates per side for sets of 5 with a single leg. Trifle humbling the first time, but I've grown to accept it and embrace it. Probably could go heavier, but I've been really working on increasing my range of motion, which I'm not satisfied with yet. Something about doing it one-legged causes my leg to lock up at a higher point than when I work in pairs.

    Oh wauw! 12 plates per side for that many reps...
    I can do 3 plates per side for 3x10 on single leg, but no way i come near 12 plates per side.
    My total is 14 plates in total for 3x12 and 16 plates total for 4 reps.

    I love training my legs though, i do not like training upper body, and never really cared for it, untill i started doing the Big 3 of powerlifting.
    I neglected them for years, and it's actually not very benificial for bowling to have great upper body strenght, since it's all about having a relaxed swing, and not use the muscles so much
  • Minion_training_program
    Minion_training_program Posts: 13,437 Member
    Did deload day 2 yesterday, benchpress and some accessory work with superset hammer curl and sitting DB curl, with bench at 75 degree incline and superset cable flyes with cable laterual raise.

    When i wrote my program down for yesterday, i had it set on 4x10 on the bench for 72% of 1RM
    When i was laying down and did first set, i didn't remember if it was 10 or 12 reps per set.
    So i just pushed, and squeezed out 12 reps.
    Rested, did set 2, rest and set 3 and then rest and last set, which i failed at rep 12, so stuck at 11.

    Then i wrote down, and noticed i was supposed to do 10 reps, so was pretty satisfied that was able to do more reps on each set, and really training to failure
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 11,513 Member
    Despite getting terrible sleep last night (ok, decent sleep, just way less than enough!) I was up and rarin' to hit the gym. Need to reassess whether to keep incline bench press in my upper-body hypertrophy day, as it hasn't felt quite right to my shoulder the last couple sessions. Not painful, just "not right," if you know what I mean. Don't know if the problem is the angle forced on me by the gym's incline station, which I can lower by using the squat rack and an adjustable bench, or if I need to swap the BB for DB's. I don't have this problem with flat bench.

    My knee's been feeling fine all week so far, so here's hoping I'll be able to do my normal leg routine tomorrow. Though if I want to pump up the weight, I'd better make sure to get more sleep tonight!
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,223 Member
    nossmf wrote: »
    Despite getting terrible sleep last night (ok, decent sleep, just way less than enough!) I was up and rarin' to hit the gym. Need to reassess whether to keep incline bench press in my upper-body hypertrophy day, as it hasn't felt quite right to my shoulder the last couple sessions. Not painful, just "not right," if you know what I mean. Don't know if the problem is the angle forced on me by the gym's incline station, which I can lower by using the squat rack and an adjustable bench, or if I need to swap the BB for DB's. I don't have this problem with flat bench.

    My knee's been feeling fine all week so far, so here's hoping I'll be able to do my normal leg routine tomorrow. Though if I want to pump up the weight, I'd better make sure to get more sleep tonight!

    Similarly, flat bench hasn't ever really given me problems but if I do any semblance of volume on incline or overhead press with a barbell my shoulders get cranky. I've almost entirely switched to dumbbells for those two lifts and those issues went away.
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 11,513 Member
    I neglected them for years, and it's actually not very benificial for bowling to have great upper body strenght, since it's all about having a relaxed swing, and not use the muscles so much

    *Ninja Turtle Michaelangelo's voice* Ah, a fellow BOWLER, huh? *starts swinging nunchuks, I mean bowling ball*

    Man, I need to get back into bowling again. Started bowling age 8, was borderline good enough to think about going pro by the time I graduated, opted to go to university instead. Played in multiple leagues through college and early military career with my wife, until we moved to a new assignment in 2005.

    Within a week of moving here, our garage was broken into. Thieves stole DVD's from my wife's truck, and my bowling ball bag from my car. I mean, really? What possesses a thief to grab an enormous bag weighing over 50 pounds (3 balls, shoes, etc), filled with equipment which is highly personalized and utterly useless to either sell or have anybody else use? True, it cost me over $1k to collect it all, but they didn't know that!

    Due to having a mortgage and ever-growing family, we couldn't afford to replace the stuff, and I refuse to do league using "house" equipment. (Grudgingly consented to a couple family bowling nights over the years, shocking how badly I scored between lack of practice plus using unfamiliar equipment.)

    Some day I'd love to rejoin a league with my wife, it was a great weekly date night out of the house. At the time I stopped, my average was well over 200, with multiple 279 games (always left a ten-pin in the 9th, dang it).

    Please tell me you're a traditional bowler with all three fingers in holes, not one of these modern fingerless bowlers I've seen on television lately. Makes me want to throw something at the TV, every time I see them contort through a "swing".
  • Minion_training_program
    Minion_training_program Posts: 13,437 Member
    nossmf wrote: »
    Despite getting terrible sleep last night (ok, decent sleep, just way less than enough!) I was up and rarin' to hit the gym. Need to reassess whether to keep incline bench press in my upper-body hypertrophy day, as it hasn't felt quite right to my shoulder the last couple sessions. Not painful, just "not right," if you know what I mean. Don't know if the problem is the angle forced on me by the gym's incline station, which I can lower by using the squat rack and an adjustable bench, or if I need to swap the BB for DB's. I don't have this problem with flat bench.

    My knee's been feeling fine all week so far, so here's hoping I'll be able to do my normal leg routine tomorrow. Though if I want to pump up the weight, I'd better make sure to get more sleep tonight!

    This sounds like the angle is wrong.
    I always do my incline bench with bb in the squat rack, and take a lot of time to setup properly, because i have hurt my shoulder in the past, by setting it up wrong
  • Minion_training_program
    Minion_training_program Posts: 13,437 Member
    nossmf wrote: »
    I neglected them for years, and it's actually not very benificial for bowling to have great upper body strenght, since it's all about having a relaxed swing, and not use the muscles so much

    *Ninja Turtle Michaelangelo's voice* Ah, a fellow BOWLER, huh? *starts swinging nunchuks, I mean bowling ball*

    Man, I need to get back into bowling again. Started bowling age 8, was borderline good enough to think about going pro by the time I graduated, opted to go to university instead. Played in multiple leagues through college and early military career with my wife, until we moved to a new assignment in 2005.

    Within a week of moving here, our garage was broken into. Thieves stole DVD's from my wife's truck, and my bowling ball bag from my car. I mean, really? What possesses a thief to grab an enormous bag weighing over 50 pounds (3 balls, shoes, etc), filled with equipment which is highly personalized and utterly useless to either sell or have anybody else use? True, it cost me over $1k to collect it all, but they didn't know that!

    Due to having a mortgage and ever-growing family, we couldn't afford to replace the stuff, and I refuse to do league using "house" equipment. (Grudgingly consented to a couple family bowling nights over the years, shocking how badly I scored between lack of practice plus using unfamiliar equipment.)

    Some day I'd love to rejoin a league with my wife, it was a great weekly date night out of the house. At the time I stopped, my average was well over 200, with multiple 279 games (always left a ten-pin in the 9th, dang it).

    Please tell me you're a traditional bowler with all three fingers in holes, not one of these modern fingerless bowlers I've seen on television lately. Makes me want to throw something at the TV, every time I see them contort through a "swing".

    Yes on going bowling again Mike! Just do it. Sign up for a league, buy 2 balls, strike and plastic spareball, shoes and go for it man!
    It's so much fun.

    My high score after 25 years is still stuck at 299
    Last year came close again a few times with 9 times a 279 and 1 280 game
    And i did throw 18 strikes in a row 3 years ago, unfortunatly it was spread over 2 game, with 10 in game 1 and 8 in game 2...

    My current average in house league is 193 (we are playing a sport pattern atm)
    And my average in regional league is 190

    Scored a 246 this week, after 2 bad games, but still averaged 203 scratch.

    And yes, i am a traditional bowler with thumb and fingers, altough i have tried the 2handed style for 2 seasons (during covid period). But spares were hard, and that is actually my strong point. Last season i had a spare conversion rate (except splits) of 93%, and that was for over 300 games.

    I mainly did the 2handed style, because i am also a certified ETBF level 2 coach/trainer. So wanted to know the basics of it.

    In today's game, it does give high scores, and it's just a way of playing the current oil conditions, and i have to say, Jason Belmonte is a excellent bowler, very consistent, but i prefer the 1 hand with thumb.

    Altough i am a low rev rate player (somewhere between 300-370) and would definatly like to have more revs and being able to snap at the bottem position, it's something i will probably never able to do, because of my Hyper mobility in my hand.

    My idol to this day are still Walter Ray Williams (GOAT), Norm Duke, Pete Weber and Parker Bohn III

    The last one i have met 2 times now during a clinic. First clinic was with Sean Rash, John van Hees and Jason Sterner as well (awesome guy that Jason) and last time, which was in 2023, just Parker Bohn with his son (who is a 2hander as well).
    Learned a lot from him, and got complimented on my style and balance (lots of bowlers have poor foul line stance) and my accuracy for the 7 and 10 pin.
    We played a low game together, and i beat him with a score of 32 against 39 of him
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 11,513 Member
    Re: the incline bench, I'll try the lower angle next week. The incline bench station is stuck at 45 degrees, where when I do the DB incline I prefer 30 degrees or lower.

    Re: last week's light-squat day of only 225, turns out it was just what the doctor ordered, as my knee never gave even a twinge today and I was able to bang out 4x15x365, with only muscular fatigue to worry about towards the end of each set. Rawr!

    Re: bowling, I have only hit 279 a couple times, though I like you have also recorded 18-20 strikes in a row, just across two games. Coincided with my high series of 803, THAT was a good night, lol. Have no clue what my rev rate was, but must have been pretty good considering how strong a hook I was routinely cranking out. Never met a pro, but my coach growing up who owned the local bowling alley was good enough to go pro if life circumstances were kinder...man had multiple 300 games with each hand!
  • danjbadassery
    danjbadassery Posts: 90 Member
    Hey all, new here and looking for some fitness chat and whatnot. I lift, run, ride(not so much recently), rock climb and yoga. I just started getting into swimming and hope to do a Tri this year.
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 11,513 Member
    In other words, you're here to show us all how it's done! Welcome, @danjbadassery!
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,379 Member
    I’m laughing to myself about your bowling tales.

    We bowled for several weeks every year in HS PE. They turned us loose with no instruction whatsoever, except how to keep score. I bowled an 18 one day, 20’s most others. My best ever was a 57.

    Imagonna duck now in case y'all start throwing bowling balls.

    What was even better was square dancing month, where we had to (ew, shuffle, blush) hold hands with random male PE students.

    Don’t ask me how they made their PE choices.
  • KickassAmazon76
    KickassAmazon76 Posts: 4,677 Member
    Hey all, new here and looking for some fitness chat and whatnot. I lift, run, ride(not so much recently), rock climb and yoga. I just started getting into swimming and hope to do a Tri this year.

    Welcome to the group!
  • Minion_training_program
    Minion_training_program Posts: 13,437 Member
    Tonight's session was awesome. 2 rep deadlifts at 290lb! (5 at 275, too!) and three sets of 10 leg press with 4 plates a side (500lbs total)! Felt like a beast tonight!

    hh3e6htso2d4.gif


    What's even cooler is that I had a FB memory pop up from ten years ago saying I had benched and squatted 65lb and deadlifted 110lb and didn't feel like I could call myself a lifter yet... But I knew I would feel like I could one day.

    Today... I call myself a powerlifter! 😁

    WOOHOO!!!!

    High five!
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 11,513 Member
    No wonder you lifted like a beast...you were wearing your bionic pants! (Make it look like your human legs have been replaced by robotic ones.)
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 11,513 Member
    My final set of bench I decided to toss on another 5#, banged out a new 5RM of 265 (with spotter). Not sure how much of that lift was due to getting stronger, and how much was still feeling like I was buzzing with energy after the absolute carb-fest of pizza, wings and soda during the Super Bowl the other day, lol.
  • KickassAmazon76
    KickassAmazon76 Posts: 4,677 Member
    nossmf wrote: »
    No wonder you lifted like a beast...you were wearing your bionic pants! (Make it look like your human legs have been replaced by robotic ones.)

    Haha indeed! I love this pair! :smiley:
  • KickassAmazon76
    KickassAmazon76 Posts: 4,677 Member
    nossmf wrote: »
    My final set of bench I decided to toss on another 5#, banged out a new 5RM of 265 (with spotter). Not sure how much of that lift was due to getting stronger, and how much was still feeling like I was buzzing with energy after the absolute carb-fest of pizza, wings and soda during the Super Bowl the other day, lol.

    Awesomeness! Way to push!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    edited February 13
    Oh goodness, i got dragged into a chitchat thread. There goes my streak.


    Either way, i am ona hypertrophy block. Unfortunately, i can't do chest work until after my MRI and some PT, but that just means extra shoulder and back work. Gotta get those caps!!

    Hip Thrust were 385x12x3 last week, squat was 225x12x 3 (post hamstring injury) and 195x12x3 dead row. Last deads were 315x5x3, but haven't had much emphasis on those. 90% of my workouts are dumbbell.


    Pro tip, don't get old. I am working on fixing all my crap 😂.

    Foodporn for fun. Peanut butter oreo protein ice cream! Boom..

    smyfwhaz0vb6.jpg