DopeItUp Member

Some lifting straps would help with the pulling movements when you're having trouble too. I would say the biggest thing for me was avoiding the exercises that really hurt like the push-ups. It just kept re-aggravating the issue even though it didn't hurt TOO badly at the time. Try your best to keep your wrists as straight…

I've had my best success (and enjoyment) from doing this and slightly modified versions (keeping to the basics of the program still). You're hitting everything 2x a week which is great for strength and size.

It's not a big deal either way. I've never found colds to hinder my performance in the gym. I once hit a big PR while sick in fact (about two years ago).

I've had carpal tunnel for years, I have to use wrist rests at the computer, sleep with the wrist braces, etc.. Numb hands pretty commonplace regardless. Is the pain when pushing or pulling? I assume the former. Wrist wraps are a godsend for me. Over the past few years I've done all my warmups without wrist wraps, only…

Some good advice in here, I would definitely take a hard look at your setup since it seems you may be sacrificing several important technique factors just to get your torso a little more vertical - which isn't necessarily the smartest thing. You'd have to post a video from the front to analyze the initial setup a little…

I too would like to see a video. I used to have similar issues with the deadlift and it turned out that my form was crap. It looked pretty decent at a glance (even on video) but a close analysis of technique quickly cured me of any problems.

My 545 dead is still my crowning achievement. Someday it will be 600...

That might be the most broscience thing I've heard all year.

Just a suggestion, why not put some focus into making squats work? Hire a trainer, post videos for critique, do lots of research into technique variations and cues that might work for you, etc.. I understand the pain, it has taken me nearly 5 years to get a workable squat (due to a variety of factors including stubbornness…

Uhhh, negative. Your routine looks nothing like Starting Strength. For starters, the basis of SS has you squatting 3x weekly, you are squatting 0x weekly. You are doing sets of 12, SS is sets of 5. And 75% of the exercises you are doing aren't in SS at all. Totally different programs. Just do SS, or SL, or ICF or something…

If your main lifts doubled by dropping accessories, you're probably doing too much and/or eating/resting too little and thus not recovering enough between workouts. By reducing overall volume your strength shot through the roof because you were able to fully recover from workout to workout. Having said that, if you're…

Where do people come up with this garbage anyway?

A couple years or so, I'd say?

Wrist wraps are fine and are commonly used. I have trouble with mine as well, wraps are a savior of heavy push exercises for me.

I have some similar pain/soreness/inflammation similarly where my brachialis is too. The best thing I've found is just direct soft tissue manipulation (choose your method). I just dig my thumb in where it hurts the worst and loosen everything up. It's amazing how much it can help and how quickly. Common with pressing…

How much can you curl, brah?

I don't think I've ever skipped the gym because I was sick. Unless you're bedridden you'll be fine. A little cold isn't going to hurt you.

It's just gonna take trial and error. Try feet straight ahead, all the way to feet pointed out 45 degrees. You can have a stance that's super narrow, all the way to having your feet at the edges of the power rack. Just play with it.

There's only one way to find out.

Perfect.

If I didn't workout when I was tired, I'd never workout. I've got to the gym at 1AM before.

Is there a reason you can't use a barbell? You can get them incredibly cheap at say, Walmart. They are $60-70 for a CAP bar. Seems like it would be the simplest solution. Barring that (no pun intended), what about stacking some plates in your lap? Doesn't sound fun but...

So long story short, you didn't get your 3 minimum reps? I'm assuming that's the case, you didn't really say it but here we are... Drop to 90-95% of your current training max (Wendler recommends 90% if I remember in the book), recalculate the program and keep going from there. It doesn't really matter if you do your 5/3/1…

Don't stop working out then.

Just keep it simple, take ~5g a day and call it good. No cycling required. If you get an extra gram from C4, no biggie either. You may or may not gain weight, I know I didn't but I know some people that do.

Precisely. Lower frequency/volume tends to become a necessity eventually but keeping the intensity the same is paramount to strength/muscle retention, IMO. Doing lots of reps with lower weight is more of a hypertrophy (bulking) thing really. So you're absolutely correct when you say it's really the opposite of what was…

Flagged this post as "Inspiring"

Exactly. Working out at home is a luxury and a great one at that.

Bingo.

Post a video from the side and back/front if you really want a proper assessment. Talking about the cues isn't really going to tell us anything.