Born Hunter 17,646 Posted May 7, 2015 Report Share Posted May 7, 2015 No need for compliments me ol son we,re just swapping thoughts on a common interest thats all My philosophy of strength/fitness has changed so much over the years i honestly believe that when you push your ego to the side and forget about numbers you really get a more true understanding of what strength is i see so many lads in the gym using straps for deadlifts,straps for shrugs ive even seen them used for barbell curls !!....Armwrestling changed my whole outlook on functional strength a chain is only as strong as its weakest link and all that....i always liken human performance to car performance and its like running a big powerful v8 engine on cheap crappy tyres yes the power is there but if you have no way of putting that power down whats the use in having it......i see lads deadlift 550 with straps who can barely lift 350 without them !....is that true strength ? did they really lift 550 ? or did they just have a 550 weight tied to their body. A lot of people just train for " a look " i believe in building true real world strength as its a great feeling.......if that lad can deadlift 550 with straps but cant take the lid off the pickled onion jar where does the motivation for strength come from ?.....likewise years ago we would train for sheer brute strength and power with no real thought for cardio or conditioning but whats the point in being strong and healthy if you cant run a few miles without coughing a lung up ! Plenty of lifters dont even train grip/forearms as they feel it gets worked through other lifts but i believe you can have great musculature throughout the entire body but if your grip strength is weak you will never reach your highest potential. Thanks for that, I find that philosophy very easy to agree with. It's reassuring to read that my own young thoughts are at least on the right track. Everyone seems to want to lift with various bits of kit but if you're training to improve your functionality as a human in everyday life I figure strapping up and belt isn't ever an option out of the gym. My grip was the limiting factor on my DLs but I resisted the temptation to strap up, doing drop sets where necessary and tweaking my stance. Result... my grip is now on par with my posterior chain, not limiting it. I guess it depends why you train, as you say. I'm not judging anybody else, just figuring out my own way and testing my thoughts. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gnasher16 29,754 Posted May 7, 2015 Report Share Posted May 7, 2015 (edited) Must admit over the years it's one of the body parts I usually leave out,,, A lot of people do Tomo.......but i guarentee you like a guarentee Tuesday follows Monday that with 6 months grip training your basic pulling movement lifts will go up in weight 10 - 20% Edited May 7, 2015 by gnasher16 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TOMO 24,989 Posted May 7, 2015 Report Share Posted May 7, 2015 Must admit I used all them bits of kit years ago,,,knee wraps,,belt ,,straps ect,,,but you soon figure out the knee wraps are ading lbs to your squat,,,but as you say it's not realy you doing it,,, And the belt won't fit round me now,,lol Quote Link to post Share on other sites
socks 32,253 Posted May 7, 2015 Report Share Posted May 7, 2015 Many moons ago I won the BFG powerlifting competition out of 72 entrants I won .. a year later I was in Kosovo and one of my jobs was part of a team looking after the Dallas cowboy cheer leaders that were visiting the yanks ( b*****d of a job lol ) now the yank camps are amazing and their gyms are as good as any top gym you will find in this country ... I had a Saturday off and they were running a powerlifting comp so I thought yhea why not ... There were 64 entrants from 5 different nations with some huge fellas competing and again I won .... Around 6 months later one of the PTI's was running a strongman event which I entered and thought I would breeze ... All was going well until the carry event where my grip let me down then the forced hold event where my grip let me down again ... I ended up fourth ... That taught me a lesson in how important grip training is ....... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TOMO 24,989 Posted May 7, 2015 Report Share Posted May 7, 2015 Nice story socks,,,,but tell us more about them cheerleaders,,,lol 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gnasher16 29,754 Posted May 7, 2015 Report Share Posted May 7, 2015 No need for compliments me ol son we,re just swapping thoughts on a common interest thats all My philosophy of strength/fitness has changed so much over the years i honestly believe that when you push your ego to the side and forget about numbers you really get a more true understanding of what strength is i see so many lads in the gym using straps for deadlifts,straps for shrugs ive even seen them used for barbell curls !!....Armwrestling changed my whole outlook on functional strength a chain is only as strong as its weakest link and all that....i always liken human performance to car performance and its like running a big powerful v8 engine on cheap crappy tyres yes the power is there but if you have no way of putting that power down whats the use in having it......i see lads deadlift 550 with straps who can barely lift 350 without them !....is that true strength ? did they really lift 550 ? or did they just have a 550 weight tied to their body. A lot of people just train for " a look " i believe in building true real world strength as its a great feeling.......if that lad can deadlift 550 with straps but cant take the lid off the pickled onion jar where does the motivation for strength come from ?.....likewise years ago we would train for sheer brute strength and power with no real thought for cardio or conditioning but whats the point in being strong and healthy if you cant run a few miles without coughing a lung up ! Plenty of lifters dont even train grip/forearms as they feel it gets worked through other lifts but i believe you can have great musculature throughout the entire body but if your grip strength is weak you will never reach your highest potential. Thanks for that, I find that philosophy very easy to agree with. It's reassuring to read that my own young thoughts are at least on the right track. Everyone seems to want to lift with various bits of kit but if you're training to improve your functionality as a human in everyday life I figure strapping up and belt isn't ever an option out of the gym. My grip was the limiting factor on my DLs but I resisted the temptation to strap up, doing drop sets where necessary and tweaking my stance. Result... my grip is now on par with my posterior chain, not limiting it. I guess it depends why you train, as you say. I'm not judging anybody else, just figuring out my own way and testing my thoughts. Perfect....good for you .....i used to f**k about with all different sorts of equipment to hit certain spots but 8 times out of 10 found myself coming straight back to bars and plates !......A bar you might find useful is the trap bar.....or shrug bar whatever you want to call it.......i found it great for heavy deadlifts as its a more natural stance and grip,your palms are facing in as opposed to backwards on a barbell and the weight is not in front of you like it is with a barbell........................its also the best bar ive ever used for shoulder pressing as you can take it a lot lower than a barbell while again having that natural inside grip. Might not be for you but all these things are worth trying Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Born Hunter 17,646 Posted May 7, 2015 Report Share Posted May 7, 2015 No need for compliments me ol son we,re just swapping thoughts on a common interest thats all My philosophy of strength/fitness has changed so much over the years i honestly believe that when you push your ego to the side and forget about numbers you really get a more true understanding of what strength is i see so many lads in the gym using straps for deadlifts,straps for shrugs ive even seen them used for barbell curls !!....Armwrestling changed my whole outlook on functional strength a chain is only as strong as its weakest link and all that....i always liken human performance to car performance and its like running a big powerful v8 engine on cheap crappy tyres yes the power is there but if you have no way of putting that power down whats the use in having it......i see lads deadlift 550 with straps who can barely lift 350 without them !....is that true strength ? did they really lift 550 ? or did they just have a 550 weight tied to their body. A lot of people just train for " a look " i believe in building true real world strength as its a great feeling.......if that lad can deadlift 550 with straps but cant take the lid off the pickled onion jar where does the motivation for strength come from ?.....likewise years ago we would train for sheer brute strength and power with no real thought for cardio or conditioning but whats the point in being strong and healthy if you cant run a few miles without coughing a lung up ! Plenty of lifters dont even train grip/forearms as they feel it gets worked through other lifts but i believe you can have great musculature throughout the entire body but if your grip strength is weak you will never reach your highest potential. Thanks for that, I find that philosophy very easy to agree with. It's reassuring to read that my own young thoughts are at least on the right track. Everyone seems to want to lift with various bits of kit but if you're training to improve your functionality as a human in everyday life I figure strapping up and belt isn't ever an option out of the gym. My grip was the limiting factor on my DLs but I resisted the temptation to strap up, doing drop sets where necessary and tweaking my stance. Result... my grip is now on par with my posterior chain, not limiting it. I guess it depends why you train, as you say. I'm not judging anybody else, just figuring out my own way and testing my thoughts. Perfect....good for you .....i used to f**k about with all different sorts of equipment to hit certain spots but 8 times out of 10 found myself coming straight back to bars and plates !......A bar you might find useful is the trap bar.....or shrug bar whatever you want to call it.......i found it great for heavy deadlifts as its a more natural stance and grip,your palms are facing in as opposed to backwards on a barbell and the weight is not in front of you like it is with a barbell........................its also the best bar ive ever used for shoulder pressing as you can take it a lot lower than a barbell while again having that natural inside grip. Might not be for you but all these things are worth trying I'll try all sorts just to see how it feels. I often try simple bodyweight stuff as well, front levers, tuck planche etc, just to keep a bit of variety and enjoyment in. I don't know what you think to the sumo stance but I've found that more 'optimal' for me than a traditional stance with a barbel at least (not tried a trap bar). My stance is far from the finished product but when I'm hitting squats and DLs every session it gives my lower back a break and as I've said I've found the stance optimal for lifting heavy. f**k knows why as it apparently favours squaters and I'm a shit squater. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bird 9,601 Posted May 7, 2015 Report Share Posted May 7, 2015 No need for compliments me ol son we,re just swapping thoughts on a common interest thats all My philosophy of strength/fitness has changed so much over the years i honestly believe that when you push your ego to the side and forget about numbers you really get a more true understanding of what strength is i see so many lads in the gym using straps for deadlifts,straps for shrugs ive even seen them used for barbell curls !!....Armwrestling changed my whole outlook on functional strength a chain is only as strong as its weakest link and all that....i always liken human performance to car performance and its like running a big powerful v8 engine on cheap crappy tyres yes the power is there but if you have no way of putting that power down whats the use in having it......i see lads deadlift 550 with straps who can barely lift 350 without them !....is that true strength ? did they really lift 550 ? or did they just have a 550 weight tied to their body. A lot of people just train for " a look " i believe in building true real world strength as its a great feeling.......if that lad can deadlift 550 with straps but cant take the lid off the pickled onion jar where does the motivation for strength come from ?.....likewise years ago we would train for sheer brute strength and power with no real thought for cardio or conditioning but whats the point in being strong and healthy if you cant run a few miles without coughing a lung up ! Plenty of lifters dont even train grip/forearms as they feel it gets worked through other lifts but i believe you can have great musculature throughout the entire body but if your grip strength is weak you will never reach your highest potential. spot on Gnash , ive did have when younger, and even now older a natural strength , my old man and his father were the same strong blokes, not big blokes like your self but strong for there size. when I trained weight/karate for 3 years I was benching 260lb , and rep 4x 200lb , curling 70lb . these weights nothing to you and suppose other big lads lol, but for me at 13 st when I trained , I though it was good lifting well over my bodyweight. and even now at 62 I am still quite strong I don't train in the gym no more , but do loads of walking day+night with my dogs , lamping at 3-4 hours regular and I keep at just over 12st and I am just under 6ft not bad I think , my only prob his my back its fooked trough my work id did back them hand stacking 3000 kegs a day at a local brewery , finished work then back no good .!! . I was quite good at pull ups wide grip 3x 8 reps and the shoulder/ biceps (dips) 70 rep s. as you say matte I seen blokes 5-6 st heavier than me couldn't do what I could, and even lifting ok they lift more but in comparison to my size , they didn't lift that much over there own body weight, as where I did Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gnasher16 29,754 Posted May 7, 2015 Report Share Posted May 7, 2015 I'll try all sorts just to see how it feels. I often try simple bodyweight stuff as well, front levers, tuck planche etc, just to keep a bit of variety and enjoyment in. I don't know what you think to the sumo stance but I've found that more 'optimal' for me than a traditional stance with a barbel at least (not tried a trap bar). My stance is far from the finished product but when I'm hitting squats and DLs every session it gives my lower back a break and as I've said I've found the stance optimal for lifting heavy. f**k knows why as it apparently favours squaters and I'm a shit squater. I dont train super heavy anymore so i cant give the best opinion but from trying it at say % power i can tell it doesn fit me......but thats just me.....im just a fraction under 6 foot and for taller guys i think its harder pushing the hips through as you dont have as much force pushing through the big muscles quads/glutes etc i think it places more strain on your knees.......but ive heard many shorter lads say they do well with it so each to their own. I first used a trap bar to train around a lower back injury and i never looked back with it.....everybody has different strengths i dont have particularly great muscular strength but i have excellent anatomical strength so my core is strong meaning when you " feel " a weight is too heavy your confidence is not effected by thinking tendons are going to snap and things so you attack the weight much more.....people with a weaker core dont do that they can pretty much tell just by feeling a weight that their body wont take it,even though they may be physically able to lift it......dont get me wrong ive blown out tendons even had them torn right off the bone.......but good anatomical strength is such an advantage to the mindset in my opinion. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gnasher16 29,754 Posted May 7, 2015 Report Share Posted May 7, 2015 (edited) spot on Gnash , ive did have when younger, and even now older a natural strength , my old man and his father were the same strong blokes, not big blokes like your self but strong for there size. when I trained weight/karate for 3 years I was benching 260lb , and rep 4x 200lb , curling 70lb . these weights nothing to you and suppose other big lads lol, but for me at 13 st when I trained , I though it was good lifting well over my bodyweight. and even now at 62 I am still quite strong I don't train in the gym no more , but do loads of walking day+night with my dogs , lamping at 3-4 hours regular and I keep at just over 12st and I am just under 6ft not bad I think , my only prob his my back its fooked trough my work id did back them hand stacking 3000 kegs a day at a local brewery , finished work then back no good .!! . I was quite good at pull ups wide grip 3x 8 reps and the shoulder/ biceps (dips) 70 rep s. as you say matte I seen blokes 5-6 st heavier than me couldn't do what I could, and even lifting ok they lift more but in comparison to my size , they didn't lift that much over there own body weight, as where I did I dont get too wrapped up in numbers anymore Bird id rather see someone curl 50 lb slowly and correctly on the positive and negative than see someone throw a 200 lb barbell up and drop it down again......the key to growth is the feel of the muscle not big numbers.....The older i get the less weight i need to get that feel,without going all spiritual on you i can virtually concentrate the blood to a muscle these days even with a relatively low weight......far as im concerned weight training should be enjoyable,when you get too obssessed with numbers it quickly becomes a chore and who needs that. Edited May 7, 2015 by gnasher16 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
neems 2,406 Posted May 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2015 spot on Gnash , ive did have when younger, and even now older a natural strength , my old man and his father were the same strong blokes, not big blokes like your self but strong for there size. when I trained weight/karate for 3 years I was benching 260lb , and rep 4x 200lb , curling 70lb . these weights nothing to you and suppose other big lads lol, but for me at 13 st when I trained , I though it was good lifting well over my bodyweight. and even now at 62 I am still quite strong I don't train in the gym no more , but do loads of walking day+night with my dogs , lamping at 3-4 hours regular and I keep at just over 12st and I am just under 6ft not bad I think , my only prob his my back its fooked trough my work id did back them hand stacking 3000 kegs a day at a local brewery , finished work then back no good .!! . I was quite good at pull ups wide grip 3x 8 reps and the shoulder/ biceps (dips) 70 rep s. as you say matte I seen blokes 5-6 st heavier than me couldn't do what I could, and even lifting ok they lift more but in comparison to my size , they didn't lift that much over there own body weight, as where I did I dont get too wrapped up in numbers anymore Bird id rather see someone curl 50 lb slowly and correctly on the positive and negative than see someone throw a 200 lb barbell up and drop it down again......the key to growth is the feel of the muscle not big numbers.....The older i get the less weight i need to get that feel,without going all spiritual on you i can virtually concentrate the blood to a muscle these days even with a relatively low weight......far as im concerned weight training should be enjoyable,when you get too obssessed with numbers it quickly becomes a chore and who needs that. spot on Gnash , ive did have when younger, and even now older a natural strength , my old man and his father were the same strong blokes, not big blokes like your self but strong for there size. when I trained weight/karate for 3 years I was benching 260lb , and rep 4x 200lb , curling 70lb . these weights nothing to you and suppose other big lads lol, but for me at 13 st when I trained , I though it was good lifting well over my bodyweight. and even now at 62 I am still quite strong I don't train in the gym no more , but do loads of walking day+night with my dogs , lamping at 3-4 hours regular and I keep at just over 12st and I am just under 6ft not bad I think , my only prob his my back its fooked trough my work id did back them hand stacking 3000 kegs a day at a local brewery , finished work then back no good .!! . I was quite good at pull ups wide grip 3x 8 reps and the shoulder/ biceps (dips) 70 rep s. as you say matte I seen blokes 5-6 st heavier than me couldn't do what I could, and even lifting ok they lift more but in comparison to my size , they didn't lift that much over there own body weight, as where I did I dont get too wrapped up in numbers anymore Bird id rather see someone curl 50 lb slowly and correctly on the positive and negative than see someone throw a 200 lb barbell up and drop it down again......the key to growth is the feel of the muscle not big numbers.....The older i get the less weight i need to get that feel,without going all spiritual on you i can virtually concentrate the blood to a muscle these days even with a relatively low weight......far as im concerned weight training should be enjoyable,when you get too obssessed with numbers it quickly becomes a chore and who needs that. that competition with mates of a similar level brings a lot of young lads on imo just started training with my younger cousin and at first he was just saying he wants to get a bit fitter and stronger,2 weeks later he's nearly killing himself to beat me on runs and get more reps in circuits etc. he's only 11 stone and im 16 so the ral stength training isnt competetive....yet. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TOMO 24,989 Posted May 7, 2015 Report Share Posted May 7, 2015 Just got back from the gym,,, did shoulders ,,,then went and did the circuit class again,,,I'm flat out on the sofa now,,,I'm budgeted,,,lol Still i'll be shredded in another month.. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
paulf 820 Posted May 7, 2015 Report Share Posted May 7, 2015 been every day for the last 6 days and loving it ,though i'm only doing cardio and not much weights ...plenty of pussy to keep me motivated Quote Link to post Share on other sites
socks 32,253 Posted May 7, 2015 Report Share Posted May 7, 2015 been every day for the last 6 days and loving it ,though i'm only doing cardio and not much weights ...plenty of pussy to keep me motivated Those machines should be immacately clean by now then foley lol ........ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.