Weight Gainers: Week 2

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  • musclebuilder
    musclebuilder Posts: 324 Member
    A bulk doesn't have to be massive overeating! Why not just do a clean bulk now? That is what I basically did over the last 3 months. Up about 10lbs and minimal fat increase.

    MMA training involves:
    Mon & Wed: start with kick boxing type stuff, kick shields and thai pads usually. Usually about half an hour of this. We also include things like takedowns, sprawls etc. Then we might do some specific takedown/takedown defence wrestling stuff. This is truly the most exhausting! Then we'll do some jui-jitsu technique stuff. Usually get taught a new sweep, submission or escape and do these drills for half an hour or so. Then we finish with about half an hour of random grappling trying to use what we learnt. Session is usually 1.5-2hrs long.

    Sat is conditioning circuits. Last week we did 2mins on 45sec break. Circuits of tractor tyre flips, sledge hammer on tyre, 25lb weighted step ups, then kickboxing, leg machine, rope climbs 24ft (HARD!), ab wheel roll out, 90lb farmers walks and barbell complex (DL, hand cleans, overhead press, good morning, squat). This workout is pretty bloody hard!

    So basicly what you're saying is you could kick somebody's *kitten*.lol Heck of a weekly schedule cd. Are you looking to compete in MMA?
  • musclebuilder
    musclebuilder Posts: 324 Member
    Sounds like this thread is helping people get even more out of themselves so lets keep this going. Does not matter what your goals are. Be it cut down or build muscle. We can offer support and continue to progress.
  • jdubs1201
    jdubs1201 Posts: 61
    Question for you guys about grips (since YL brought up his grip on squats)... I had a spotter save my neck (literally) at the gym this past week... couldn't quite finish my 5th rep on decline bench press. I was gripping the bar like you'd grip anything - with my thumb wrapped around the bar (like gripping a hammer). The spotter who helped me said I should line my thumb up along side my fingers and let the bar rest on my hands instead of wrapping my thumb around the bar. He said it will help with control and it won't be so awkward when doing bench presses. I haven't tried it yet, but wanted to see what you guys had to say about it.
  • musclebuilder
    musclebuilder Posts: 324 Member
    Question for you guys about grips (since YL brought up his grip on squats)... I had a spotter save my neck (literally) at the gym this past week... couldn't quite finish my 5th rep on decline bench press. I was gripping the bar like you'd grip anything - with my thumb wrapped around the bar (like gripping a hammer). The spotter who helped me said I should line my thumb up along side my fingers and let the bar rest on my hands instead of wrapping my thumb around the bar. He said it will help with control and it won't be so awkward when doing bench presses. I haven't tried it yet, but wanted to see what you guys had to say about it.

    I keep my thumbs wrapped around the bar. This way there is no risk of the bar ever slipping. I know many guys do a thumbless grip on BP but I am not one of them. It could be especially dangerous on a decline press.
  • YeaILift
    YeaILift Posts: 580 Member
    Question for you guys about grips (since YL brought up his grip on squats)... I had a spotter save my neck (literally) at the gym this past week... couldn't quite finish my 5th rep on decline bench press. I was gripping the bar like you'd grip anything - with my thumb wrapped around the bar (like gripping a hammer). The spotter who helped me said I should line my thumb up along side my fingers and let the bar rest on my hands instead of wrapping my thumb around the bar. He said it will help with control and it won't be so awkward when doing bench presses. I haven't tried it yet, but wanted to see what you guys had to say about it.

    I keep my thumbs wrapped around the bar. This way there is no risk of the bar ever slipping. I know many guys do a thumbless grip on BP but I am not one of them. It could be especially dangerous on a decline press.

    Agreed, I don't think it's very safe. Although I do this with other lifts. When you do them without your thumb, it will help take the forearm out of the exercise and work more of the muscle you are targeting.
  • whyflysouth
    whyflysouth Posts: 308 Member
    Question for you guys about grips (since YL brought up his grip on squats)... I had a spotter save my neck (literally) at the gym this past week... couldn't quite finish my 5th rep on decline bench press. I was gripping the bar like you'd grip anything - with my thumb wrapped around the bar (like gripping a hammer). The spotter who helped me said I should line my thumb up along side my fingers and let the bar rest on my hands instead of wrapping my thumb around the bar. He said it will help with control and it won't be so awkward when doing bench presses. I haven't tried it yet, but wanted to see what you guys had to say about it.

    I keep my thumbs wrapped around the bar. This way there is no risk of the bar ever slipping. I know many guys do a thumbless grip on BP but I am not one of them. It could be especially dangerous on a decline press.

    Agreed, I don't think it's very safe. Although I do this with other lifts. When you do them without your thumb, it will help take the forearm out of the exercise and work more of the muscle you are targeting.

    +1. I keep my thumbs wrapped too. You want to minimize risk of injury above everything else. Sometimes I find myself having a better grip without my gloves when doing the bb bench, but I always keep the thumb wrapped. As for not finishing the last rep, that's totally cool that means you really worked to failure, maybe you could've gotten it through if you changed your thumb position, but you could've just as likely had that thing slips down and crush your ribs or something.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    Musclebuilder: haha pretty much :p it's just so much fun! Not really looking to get in the cage but I like to compete in jiu jitsu comps. 

    Re bench grip. Wrap thumb for me. Only thumbless one i do is squat. 
  • jdubs1201
    jdubs1201 Posts: 61
    Awesome!! Thanks for the advice guys! Tomorrow is bench press day again... hopefully I'll hit that 5th rep on the decline this time!! =)
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    BTW if you are trying to add weight to the bar each workout, going to absolute failure isn't always a good thing. I will try to leave 1 rep left. When you reach failure it puts a lot of stress on central nervous system so depending on the type and frequency of training it can hinder your recovery. And recovery is when you grow. This is the premise behind the workout program I am doing which is detailed here by Christian Thibaudeau. http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/look_like_a_bodybuilder_perform_like_an_athlete
  • whyflysouth
    whyflysouth Posts: 308 Member
    BTW if you are trying to add weight to the bar each workout, going to absolute failure isn't always a good thing. I will try to leave 1 rep left. When you reach failure it puts a lot of stress on central nervous system so depending on the type and frequency of training it can hinder your recovery. And recovery is when you grow. This is the premise behind the workout program I am doing which is detailed here by Christian Thibaudeau. http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/look_like_a_bodybuilder_perform_like_an_athlete

    In that case, when is it ever good to lift to failure? I ask b/c up until now the lift to failure has always been the mantra (though I agree it delays recovery quite a bit)
  • musclebuilder
    musclebuilder Posts: 324 Member
    BTW if you are trying to add weight to the bar each workout, going to absolute failure isn't always a good thing. I will try to leave 1 rep left. When you reach failure it puts a lot of stress on central nervous system so depending on the type and frequency of training it can hinder your recovery. And recovery is when you grow. This is the premise behind the workout program I am doing which is detailed here by Christian Thibaudeau. http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/look_like_a_bodybuilder_perform_like_an_athlete

    I agree Cd..I pick and choose my spots to go to failure. Most lifts I stay a rep or so a way from failure. As my peak cycle of training starts nearing the end I will take more lifts to absolute failure because I have a recovery cycle coming. You can only go so many weeks at training to failure before your NS is cooked.
  • whyflysouth
    whyflysouth Posts: 308 Member
    Wow, makes a lot of sense now. I tend to always go to failure, then be sore for another two days and I got good progress for 6 weeks or so but then seemed to develop slight tendinitis in the arms, a persisting sinusitis and less energy than I used to have. These days I still go to the gym but follow that hyper/power routine you suggested and limit my sets to 3 per muscle group.

    I still try to get to failure on the last set of each exercise but considering now it might be best to hold back.
  • musclebuilder
    musclebuilder Posts: 324 Member
    BTW if you are trying to add weight to the bar each workout, going to absolute failure isn't always a good thing. I will try to leave 1 rep left. When you reach failure it puts a lot of stress on central nervous system so depending on the type and frequency of training it can hinder your recovery. And recovery is when you grow. This is the premise behind the workout program I am doing which is detailed here by Christian Thibaudeau. http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/look_like_a_bodybuilder_perform_like_an_athlete

    In that case, when is it ever good to lift to failure? I ask b/c up until now the lift to failure has always been the mantra (though I agree it delays recovery quite a bit)

    You have to train in cycles, Recovery cycles, peak cycles..After a recovery cycle I begin increasing intensity each week until I am back up to my working weight. Once I reach that point I start training to failure on my heavy days. I usually can maintain a peak cycle for about 8 weeks. But that is me. Everybody is different.. On my higher rep days I will not train to failure until my peak cycle starts nearing the end. Because I have a recovery cycle coming after that so at that point I can leave it all out there. My higher rep days are more of a higher volume approach. Certain exercises on my higher rep WO's I may take to failure if I am working on a specific goal with that lift. But I balance it out so I am not bomarding my NS day after day. This way I can continue to make steady progress through my microcycle. I use some form or another of undulating non linear training. Varying training intensity and volume from day to day
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