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General Q and A thread
SideSteel
Posts: 11,068 Member
So I totally get that some people might be like "who the F are you and why do I care what you think?"
And I get it! I've seen threads like this totally backfire when someone new comes along and does this.
So with that said, go ahead and troll me if you'd like.
Or, feel free to drop any questions here and I'll take a crack at them since I'll be glued to my computer for a while.
And I get it! I've seen threads like this totally backfire when someone new comes along and does this.
So with that said, go ahead and troll me if you'd like.
Or, feel free to drop any questions here and I'll take a crack at them since I'll be glued to my computer for a while.
3
Replies
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Why are you glued to your computer for a while?0
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why are you starting another brainless thread?-1
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Do you mostly train others and focus on keeping what you have or do you still train for strength/aesthetics?0 -
Perfect. What happened to Sara?0
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Do you mostly train others and focus on keeping what you have or do you still train for strength/aesthetics?
I train primarily for performance in powerlifting. The main complication now is that I can't do a PL meet if I have clients at the same meet because I just can't focus and I'd rather coach them at the meet vs compete.
I've also had a number of random injuries.
But I still train for strength to the best of my ability.0 -
cmriverside wrote: »Perfect. What happened to Sara?
Sara is quite stressed and busy with work, but she's alive and well. She took a break from lifting and she's now getting back into the swing of things. I chat with her regularly.6 -
Actual question:
End of spring i was benching reps of 185 (i could do about 1 set 5). This summer the gym i workout at didnt have benches (i hate p.f. lol). So i was dumbbell benching (typically 50 pound d.b. during the spring i was doing 60/65). This summer i was also doing a routine with a buddy once a week that was 50 pull ups, 100 push ups, 150 body squats.
So to my question. Yesterday i went to bench for the first time since spring and i was able to do 1 set of 5 at 195, after a dtrong set of 5 at 185. I was really surprised because i had been stalled at 185 for a month or more during the spring. Then after a long break from benching or doing heavy chest work i was able to lift 10 pounds more.
Thoughts on what may have caused the improvements? The push ups? Maybe during the spring i just didnt give my muscles enough recovery time? (Also ive been in a deficit all summer do i cant imagine i gained muscle).0 -
I had a DEXA done last week and the report was 36% bf for me. From my reading, it takes getting down to 20% bf to determine if you truly have permanently loose skin or not. So that would be 118 lbs for me, which is way lower than I want to be. Is there any point in going down that low if my ultimate goal is not to be 20% bf or 118 pounds? I feel like 23-25% is a good range and if I get down to 20% it would only be to say "yep, loose skin." Then I would try to add back some fat and that would just go straight to the loose stomach skin, right?0
-
Do you mostly train others and focus on keeping what you have or do you still train for strength/aesthetics?
I train primarily for performance in powerlifting. The main complication now is that I can't do a PL meet if I have clients at the same meet because I just can't focus and I'd rather coach them at the meet vs compete.
I've also had a number of random injuries.
But I still train for strength to the best of my ability.
What kinda surplus (if any) do you run to stay lean while progressing your lifts? Would you mind posting your stats?0 -
No specific question for you, Side Steel, but just wanted to say that I have learned an amazing amount from reading your posts on here on MFP.
Thank you for continuing to share your wealth of knowledge. It's appreciated more than you'll ever know.
17 -
tillerstouch wrote: »Actual question:
End of spring i was benching reps of 185 (i could do about 1 set 5). This summer the gym i workout at didnt have benches (i hate p.f. lol). So i was dumbbell benching (typically 50 pound d.b. during the spring i was doing 60/65). This summer i was also doing a routine with a buddy once a week that was 50 pull ups, 100 push ups, 150 body squats.
So to my question. Yesterday i went to bench for the first time since spring and i was able to do 1 set of 5 at 195, after a dtrong set of 5 at 185. I was really surprised because i had been stalled at 185 for a month or more during the spring. Then after a long break from benching or doing heavy chest work i was able to lift 10 pounds more.
Thoughts on what may have caused the improvements? The push ups? Maybe during the spring i just didnt give my muscles enough recovery time? (Also ive been in a deficit all summer do i cant imagine i gained muscle).
Great question and also interesting.
So there's a number of factors involved in strength production and while I wouldn't be able to go as deep into the topic as some other folks, I am comfortable generalizing it into a few categories -- there's rate coding which is basically the firing rate of neural impulses, there's actual muscle size (hypertrophy) and then there's also technical proficiency (for example a minor change in position can effect performance even though technically that's not strength).
If I had to guess the short answer is that the DB benching (and to a lesser extent, pushups) influenced the above factors enough to cause an improvement to bench.
It's also POSSIBLE that some amount of hypertrophy occurred even during a deficit, but I can't say that with any certainty. I just wouldn't rule it out unless you're a) advanced and b) shredded.0 -
This content has been removed.
-
Do you mostly train others and focus on keeping what you have or do you still train for strength/aesthetics?
I train primarily for performance in powerlifting. The main complication now is that I can't do a PL meet if I have clients at the same meet because I just can't focus and I'd rather coach them at the meet vs compete.
I've also had a number of random injuries.
But I still train for strength to the best of my ability.
What kinda surplus (if any) do you run to stay lean while progressing your lifts? Would you mind posting your stats?
I actually do not track intake at all. I monitor my body-weight and I use behavioral adjustments to put myself in a deficit or surplus.
I'm 39 years old, 5'11 and 190lbs currently. I typically compete at 190 which is right between two weight classes and so usually I don't manipulate bodyweight before a competition, however last meet I did I went down to 179 to try it out.
I'm not sure if you want lifting stats but my best in competition are:
457 squat
303 bench
457 deadlift
1200 total (the above bests were not all done at the same meet which is why the total is different).
The squat was at 179 but it was a 24h weigh in and so that number is artificially low. Bench/Dead were around 190 BW.
0 -
Do you mostly train others and focus on keeping what you have or do you still train for strength/aesthetics?
I train primarily for performance in powerlifting. The main complication now is that I can't do a PL meet if I have clients at the same meet because I just can't focus and I'd rather coach them at the meet vs compete.
I've also had a number of random injuries.
But I still train for strength to the best of my ability.
What kinda surplus (if any) do you run to stay lean while progressing your lifts? Would you mind posting your stats?
I actually do not track intake at all. I monitor my body-weight and I use behavioral adjustments to put myself in a deficit or surplus.
I'm 39 years old, 5'11 and 190lbs currently. I typically compete at 190 which is right between two weight classes and so usually I don't manipulate bodyweight before a competition, however last meet I did I went down to 179 to try it out.
I'm not sure if you want lifting stats but my best in competition are:
457 squat
303 bench
457 deadlift
1200 total (the above bests were not all done at the same meet which is why the total is different).
The squat was at 179 but it was a 24h weigh in and so that number is artificially low. Bench/Dead were around 190 BW.
Nice. What kind of programming have you played around with for your more intermediate clients for strength? Do you mostly coach them on more conventional programs or is it more efficient to determine their programming needs individually? I'm assuming you do the latter for yourself with your lifts vs bodyweight.0 -
I had a DEXA done last week and the report was 36% bf for me. From my reading, it takes getting down to 20% bf to determine if you truly have permanently loose skin or not. So that would be 118 lbs for me, which is way lower than I want to be. Is there any point in going down that low if my ultimate goal is not to be 20% bf or 118 pounds? I feel like 23-25% is a good range and if I get down to 20% it would only be to say "yep, loose skin." Then I would try to add back some fat and that would just go straight to the loose stomach skin, right?
I can't speak to the loose skin part since I haven't looked into it.
But based on the rest of what you are saying, I would say the following things:
1) Most people under-estimate how much they think they should lose in order to get their body to a place they think they'll be satisfied with.
And honestly, I think it's a combination of simply underestimating how much fat they really have, and in some cases simply not being happy regardless of what they see in the mirror. I'm not suggesting this is the case with everyone, to be clear. It's just that many people have body acceptance issues and when those issues are present I don't think any amount of leanness is going to change that person's self acceptance.
2) More importantly for YOU, I would say that you should diet until you are either very happy with the results, or until the things you need to do in order to maintain the diet are no longer worth the outcome. I see this happen occasionally with a few of my clients and former clients. They are at a healthy weight and pursuing leanness for aesthetic reasons, and that's fine, but if the work required to get the result becomes disruptive to your quality of life then I would highly question it.
So I rambled there, but I would see how you feel about your body and about your diet and let those factors tell you when it's time to stop. Don't let it be about an arbitrary % or about loose skin.0 -
tillerstouch wrote: »Actual question:
End of spring i was benching reps of 185 (i could do about 1 set 5). This summer the gym i workout at didnt have benches (i hate p.f. lol). So i was dumbbell benching (typically 50 pound d.b. during the spring i was doing 60/65). This summer i was also doing a routine with a buddy once a week that was 50 pull ups, 100 push ups, 150 body squats.
So to my question. Yesterday i went to bench for the first time since spring and i was able to do 1 set of 5 at 195, after a dtrong set of 5 at 185. I was really surprised because i had been stalled at 185 for a month or more during the spring. Then after a long break from benching or doing heavy chest work i was able to lift 10 pounds more.
Thoughts on what may have caused the improvements? The push ups? Maybe during the spring i just didnt give my muscles enough recovery time? (Also ive been in a deficit all summer do i cant imagine i gained muscle).
Great question and also interesting.
So there's a number of factors involved in strength production and while I wouldn't be able to go as deep into the topic as some other folks, I am comfortable generalizing it into a few categories -- there's rate coding which is basically the firing rate of neural impulses, there's actual muscle size (hypertrophy) and then there's also technical proficiency (for example a minor change in position can effect performance even though technically that's not strength).
If I had to guess the short answer is that the DB benching (and to a lesser extent, pushups) influenced the above factors enough to cause an improvement to bench.
It's also POSSIBLE that some amount of hypertrophy occurred even during a deficit, but I can't say that with any certainty. I just wouldn't rule it out unless you're a) advanced and b) shredded.
I didnt think about technical proficiency. I think you may be onto something with that. Thanks for the rely, i appreciate the insight.0 -
Do you mostly train others and focus on keeping what you have or do you still train for strength/aesthetics?
I train primarily for performance in powerlifting. The main complication now is that I can't do a PL meet if I have clients at the same meet because I just can't focus and I'd rather coach them at the meet vs compete.
I've also had a number of random injuries.
But I still train for strength to the best of my ability.
What kinda surplus (if any) do you run to stay lean while progressing your lifts? Would you mind posting your stats?
I actually do not track intake at all. I monitor my body-weight and I use behavioral adjustments to put myself in a deficit or surplus.
I'm 39 years old, 5'11 and 190lbs currently. I typically compete at 190 which is right between two weight classes and so usually I don't manipulate bodyweight before a competition, however last meet I did I went down to 179 to try it out.
I'm not sure if you want lifting stats but my best in competition are:
457 squat
303 bench
457 deadlift
1200 total (the above bests were not all done at the same meet which is why the total is different).
The squat was at 179 but it was a 24h weigh in and so that number is artificially low. Bench/Dead were around 190 BW.
Nice. What kind of programming have you played around with for your more intermediate clients for strength? Do you mostly coach them on more conventional programs or is it more efficient to determine their programming needs individually? I'm assuming you do the latter for yourself with your lifts vs bodyweight.
It's more efficient to use conventional programs if we define "efficient" as "less work for the coach", but I don't go that route because it feels wrong to me. I HAVE had clients who PREFER to run a conventional program and I'm totally fine with that as there are some really good ones out there depending on the individual and their goal.
I customize all programs individually for clients although there are definitely trends that I follow and so I may have a couple of clients on similar (certainly not identical) programs if they happen to have the same goals - main differences would be accessory movements, absolute loads, and volumes adjusted for their tolerance/recovery capacity.
I tend to favor daily undulating periodization with intermediate clients. For powerlifting clients I tend to favor some sort of block periodization model where early on we focus on volume accumulation and hypertrophy followed by an intensity block where volume goes down (reps per set decrease) and load goes up. Followed by a taper+deload into the competition.
For clients who do not compete in powerlifting but want to build strength I tend to use a similar model but I would modify how the intensity block goes because some people don't want to test 1rms -- they might want to use an AMRAP at 90% or something similar. I also may opt for a linear model instead of a block model depending on absolute strength levels.
0 -
tillerstouch wrote: »tillerstouch wrote: »Actual question:
End of spring i was benching reps of 185 (i could do about 1 set 5). This summer the gym i workout at didnt have benches (i hate p.f. lol). So i was dumbbell benching (typically 50 pound d.b. during the spring i was doing 60/65). This summer i was also doing a routine with a buddy once a week that was 50 pull ups, 100 push ups, 150 body squats.
So to my question. Yesterday i went to bench for the first time since spring and i was able to do 1 set of 5 at 195, after a dtrong set of 5 at 185. I was really surprised because i had been stalled at 185 for a month or more during the spring. Then after a long break from benching or doing heavy chest work i was able to lift 10 pounds more.
Thoughts on what may have caused the improvements? The push ups? Maybe during the spring i just didnt give my muscles enough recovery time? (Also ive been in a deficit all summer do i cant imagine i gained muscle).
Great question and also interesting.
So there's a number of factors involved in strength production and while I wouldn't be able to go as deep into the topic as some other folks, I am comfortable generalizing it into a few categories -- there's rate coding which is basically the firing rate of neural impulses, there's actual muscle size (hypertrophy) and then there's also technical proficiency (for example a minor change in position can effect performance even though technically that's not strength).
If I had to guess the short answer is that the DB benching (and to a lesser extent, pushups) influenced the above factors enough to cause an improvement to bench.
It's also POSSIBLE that some amount of hypertrophy occurred even during a deficit, but I can't say that with any certainty. I just wouldn't rule it out unless you're a) advanced and b) shredded.
I didnt think about technical proficiency. I think you may be onto something with that. Thanks for the rely, i appreciate the insight.
A good way to think about it is that the person who can bench the most weight isn't necessarily the person with the strongest chest (and/or shoulder/tricep). It's the person who can lift the most weight at the skill of bench pressing.1 -
-
Do you mostly train others and focus on keeping what you have or do you still train for strength/aesthetics?
I train primarily for performance in powerlifting. The main complication now is that I can't do a PL meet if I have clients at the same meet because I just can't focus and I'd rather coach them at the meet vs compete.
I've also had a number of random injuries.
But I still train for strength to the best of my ability.
What kinda surplus (if any) do you run to stay lean while progressing your lifts? Would you mind posting your stats?
I actually do not track intake at all. I monitor my body-weight and I use behavioral adjustments to put myself in a deficit or surplus.
I'm 39 years old, 5'11 and 190lbs currently. I typically compete at 190 which is right between two weight classes and so usually I don't manipulate bodyweight before a competition, however last meet I did I went down to 179 to try it out.
I'm not sure if you want lifting stats but my best in competition are:
457 squat
303 bench
457 deadlift
1200 total (the above bests were not all done at the same meet which is why the total is different).
The squat was at 179 but it was a 24h weigh in and so that number is artificially low. Bench/Dead were around 190 BW.
Nice. What kind of programming have you played around with for your more intermediate clients for strength? Do you mostly coach them on more conventional programs or is it more efficient to determine their programming needs individually? I'm assuming you do the latter for yourself with your lifts vs bodyweight.
It's more efficient to use conventional programs if we define "efficient" as "less work for the coach", but I don't go that route because it feels wrong to me. I HAVE had clients who PREFER to run a conventional program and I'm totally fine with that as there are some really good ones out there depending on the individual and their goal.
I customize all programs individually for clients although there are definitely trends that I follow and so I may have a couple of clients on similar (certainly not identical) programs if they happen to have the same goals - main differences would be accessory movements, absolute loads, and volumes adjusted for their tolerance/recovery capacity.
I tend to favor daily undulating periodization with intermediate clients. For powerlifting clients I tend to favor some sort of block periodization model where early on we focus on volume accumulation and hypertrophy followed by an intensity block where volume goes down (reps per set decrease) and load goes up. Followed by a taper+deload into the competition.
For clients who do not compete in powerlifting but want to build strength I tend to use a similar model but I would modify how the intensity block goes because some people don't want to test 1rms -- they might want to use an AMRAP at 90% or something similar. I also may opt for a linear model instead of a block model depending on absolute strength levels.
Do you drink alcohol? If so do you consciously plan when you're willing to drink in order to limit impact on recovery, or do you find it's not as important to do so in the long run as long as the consumption isn't regular or excessive?0 -
Do you mostly train others and focus on keeping what you have or do you still train for strength/aesthetics?
I train primarily for performance in powerlifting. The main complication now is that I can't do a PL meet if I have clients at the same meet because I just can't focus and I'd rather coach them at the meet vs compete.
I've also had a number of random injuries.
But I still train for strength to the best of my ability.
What kinda surplus (if any) do you run to stay lean while progressing your lifts? Would you mind posting your stats?
I actually do not track intake at all. I monitor my body-weight and I use behavioral adjustments to put myself in a deficit or surplus.
I'm 39 years old, 5'11 and 190lbs currently. I typically compete at 190 which is right between two weight classes and so usually I don't manipulate bodyweight before a competition, however last meet I did I went down to 179 to try it out.
I'm not sure if you want lifting stats but my best in competition are:
457 squat
303 bench
457 deadlift
1200 total (the above bests were not all done at the same meet which is why the total is different).
The squat was at 179 but it was a 24h weigh in and so that number is artificially low. Bench/Dead were around 190 BW.
Nice. What kind of programming have you played around with for your more intermediate clients for strength? Do you mostly coach them on more conventional programs or is it more efficient to determine their programming needs individually? I'm assuming you do the latter for yourself with your lifts vs bodyweight.
It's more efficient to use conventional programs if we define "efficient" as "less work for the coach", but I don't go that route because it feels wrong to me. I HAVE had clients who PREFER to run a conventional program and I'm totally fine with that as there are some really good ones out there depending on the individual and their goal.
I customize all programs individually for clients although there are definitely trends that I follow and so I may have a couple of clients on similar (certainly not identical) programs if they happen to have the same goals - main differences would be accessory movements, absolute loads, and volumes adjusted for their tolerance/recovery capacity.
I tend to favor daily undulating periodization with intermediate clients. For powerlifting clients I tend to favor some sort of block periodization model where early on we focus on volume accumulation and hypertrophy followed by an intensity block where volume goes down (reps per set decrease) and load goes up. Followed by a taper+deload into the competition.
For clients who do not compete in powerlifting but want to build strength I tend to use a similar model but I would modify how the intensity block goes because some people don't want to test 1rms -- they might want to use an AMRAP at 90% or something similar. I also may opt for a linear model instead of a block model depending on absolute strength levels.
Do you drink alcohol? If so do you consciously plan when you're willing to drink in order to limit impact on recovery, or do you find it's not as important to do so in the long run as long as the consumption isn't regular or excessive?
I don't drink only because I feel crappy even after 1 or 2 drinks. My main concerns with drinking being incoporated into a powerlifters regimen would probably be training performance related due to hangovers.
I wouldn't bat an eye at moderate recreational drinking provided that it's not interfering with performance or causing people to YOLO the diet too often.1 -
I had a DEXA done last week and the report was 36% bf for me. From my reading, it takes getting down to 20% bf to determine if you truly have permanently loose skin or not. So that would be 118 lbs for me, which is way lower than I want to be. Is there any point in going down that low if my ultimate goal is not to be 20% bf or 118 pounds? I feel like 23-25% is a good range and if I get down to 20% it would only be to say "yep, loose skin." Then I would try to add back some fat and that would just go straight to the loose stomach skin, right?
I can't speak to the loose skin part since I haven't looked into it.
But based on the rest of what you are saying, I would say the following things:
1) Most people under-estimate how much they think they should lose in order to get their body to a place they think they'll be satisfied with.
And honestly, I think it's a combination of simply underestimating how much fat they really have, and in some cases simply not being happy regardless of what they see in the mirror. I'm not suggesting this is the case with everyone, to be clear. It's just that many people have body acceptance issues and when those issues are present I don't think any amount of leanness is going to change that person's self acceptance.
2) More importantly for YOU, I would say that you should diet until you are either very happy with the results, or until the things you need to do in order to maintain the diet are no longer worth the outcome. I see this happen occasionally with a few of my clients and former clients. They are at a healthy weight and pursuing leanness for aesthetic reasons, and that's fine, but if the work required to get the result becomes disruptive to your quality of life then I would highly question it.
So I rambled there, but I would see how you feel about your body and about your diet and let those factors tell you when it's time to stop. Don't let it be about an arbitrary % or about loose skin.
Thank you for responding.
0 -
What are you eating for lunch these days SS?
PS: Good to see you!0 -
Whats the min time frame to see results for a female client begining strength training, while eating at a deficit? Carries most of her fat in her belly.
6 months, a year 2 years?
Or is it all in your genetics?1 -
I got bursitis (or something) in my right hip two years ago while running. I've been through several doctors and several rounds of PT. It gets better for a while, then it comes back. 2 weeks ago, it was feeling good, I was able to go running without any pain, I thought I might be better. Then the husband came back from a work trip and we got it on, and suddenly my hip's in a ton of pain again. Something about how I spread/rotate my leg open during sex is aggravating the injury. My PT discharged me a month ago and I don't want to go back and spend more money unless I have to, so I'll ask on here:
-Are there specific exercises I can do to strengthen my hip through that rotation? I'm already doing clams and leg raises with a band, but is there something else I can add that might be more effective?
-All of this has left me with a sloppy hip that over-rotates and doesn't support its share of the weight during squats, so I've stopped squatting. How do I build back into having good squat form?0 -
hey @sidesteel, long time no see. No questions. Just wanted to say hello.1
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Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »What are you eating for lunch these days SS?
PS: Good to see you!
It varies but generally speaking I eat a very large lunch and dinner. It's often grilled chicken or steak sliced up and served in a bowl over rice with some vegetable in it. Sometimes with a gigantic salad.
Certainly not always but I've been doing that a lot lately.
I'll grill a buttload of chicken (marinated) so I have leftovers, and I have a rice cooker so it's super convenient and also tastes good AF.1
This discussion has been closed.
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