HelloDan Member

I wouldn't. IMHO the hip extension power developed from the hang clean would be very relevant to the sprinting and acceleration required in lacrosse. I would drop the isolation stuff like the curls. Replace the ab work with general core work, both for stability and resisting rotation, like planks and roll outs, and…

What kind of athlete? A marathon runner, NFL lineman, weightlifter and rugby player are all athletes, but they train in completely different ways.

People seem to get the idea that the difference is extreme, and that low reps (1-5) means 90% strength and 10% size and higher reps (8-12) means the opposite. In reality the difference is not so pronounced. It's more like 60%/40%* and vice versa. *Not actual figures, but just a guideline

I haven't used one, and probably don't plan to, but I am interested to hear what people say about this. I remember when jaw alignment was the next big thing in sports performance, so interested to see where things have gone with this topic.

If you're going on holiday, you'll probably have to go back to where you started when you return, but no reason not to do it. Use that week to get the form nailed. Then when you come back, you're ready to start the program for real, and can add weight straight away as you are comfortable with the form. For the zumba, just…

What kind of budget do you have for the equipment? Just asking, as it gives a clue what to recommend.

I'm all about improving performance, no real interest in aesthetics or losing weight. I already have some cool friends here who are similar, but can always appreciate more, especially people who want to talk about lifting and everything related.

Only 3 decades Si? Here was me thinking you looked in decent nick for 85!!! ;-)

lol, knew it was only a matter of time before you popped up!

Just to go against the flow - Stilettos or platforms, clearly not stable and a big no, but 1-2" heel, that's stable rather than spiked, no problem at all. In fact there is a reason weightlifting shoes are designed this way.

If the plates solve it for you, it's either ankle mobility, or related to your upper\lower leg and torso proportions. The best squatters tend to have relatively long torsos and short legs, particularly relatively short upper legs. This is the same reason weightlifters wear heeled shoes.

Edit, wrong pic. Looks like a serious party animal!

I'm assuming by the laughter that you're not taking it too seriously, but just in case you were, it wasn't an attack, just my opinion (read - sales pitch) on both why I think a beginner could be doing them, and that they are an underrated lift. :laugh:

It depends on the end goal though. If you're going to be a powerlifter, or just do some basic weight training, then yeah, pretty unnecessary*. If you're going to snatch, then they pretty much are a step 1 fundamental, because if you can't overhead squat, you can't snatch! *Even then, I'd still say they are awesome for a…

Wow, there is some really impressive lifting here. Mostly I see women barely eating on here, and only the guys lifting, so it's really cool to see some ladies working hard with the free weights and putting up big lifts.

Bummer plates :-\ (I know it's a typo, but it amused me!) No problem mixing bumpers and irons, as long as you use bigger bumper plates. Having a 100kg bar and just 2 x 10kg bumpers for example is a bad idea, but as long as your sensible, it's fine. If you're doing power cleans though, you can probably get away without…

I'm glad someone finally said it. DOMS has no correlation to progress. usually I get DOMS when I do something after a long period away, or if I suddenly increase volume or intensity, rather than do it progressively. Once I'm into a routine, I rarely get DOMS at all. I've just got back lifting after some weeks off due to an…

I was going to write that in my post, but didn't. Even in that situation, I only understand it at the absolute top level, where money and career is riding on it, in a small local competition, it still puzzles me.

Synthol makes me sad. I can understand AAS and GH, but why someone would use synthol puzzles me.

Actually weightlifting shoes have a heel. The heel creates artificial ankle dorsiflexion, allowing a much more upright torso and deeper squat. LOL - Su Dajin you're doing it wrong! I bet he wished he'd listened to everyone here, then he would have a gold medal instead of a silver at the world championships! EDIT - Just…

I was surprised this didn't come up earlier. If we're talking 6" spike stilettos, of course this isn't a great idea, but if you're talking a fairly wide heel and only an inch or so high, it's not really much different from a weightlifting shoe. In fact, I'd even go as far as to say that a women dress shoe with a solid,…

I'm not a particularly big deadlifter, never really go much over 200kg, as I can't clean or snatch that much, so not a problem for me. That said, I've trained with guys that have lifted well over 800lbs with a hook grip, and I don't think their thumbs were close to getting crushed. I'm sure there is a point where it…

Maybe you're just lucky. My advice comes from my weightlifting coach, but is commonly repeated by most top level weightlifting coaches.

I think many people confuse extending the hips, and extending the spine. In my experience\opinion: If your hip range of motion means that when they are fully extended you are slightly leaned back, no problem. If your hip range of motion is less than this, but you've seen other people who have greater ROM and you extend…

As the above few posters have said, take care of the callouses. No point leaving them as a badge of honour, as all that will happen is that eventually they will tear off, diminishing your lifting ability. Some consider thick callouses and ripping them and bleeding the ultimate badge of honour, but I'm more concerned with…

Only in the beginning. I've used it so long, I now grip nearly everything hook, just as a habit, and its so natural, I don't even notice, definitely no pain.

In response to both replies that quoted me, I made no mention of Smolov or Sheiko in my post. Regarding true Bulgarian weightlifting volume, no Bulgarians did it without gear, and the program was designed around juiced up lifters, and finding the best lifters with no regards for the rest or injury costs. In that sense Ivan…

Whilst I don't disagree with the premise of what you say, you can't compare strong lifts and Bulgarian programs. Especially as (I hope) most newbies aren't taking anywhere near as much (or any at all) gear as Bulgarian weightlifters.

I thought the inaccuracy was because the HRM used heartrate to estimate oxygen uptake, which it then used to calculate calories. In steady state cardio, the oxygen uptake and heartrate are fairly correlated, but with weightlifting, this is not the case, as the primary cause for heart rate change is not for oxygen uptake.…

WOW, what a necrobump! I find these topics fascinating, for multiple reasons. 1) The I wouldn't date\marry a steroid user crew - Yet the same people will be drooling over movie\pop\sport stars who are all taking steroids like they're going out of fashion. Not to mention, apart from an obvious abuser, or an elite BB'er, how…