Weightlifting for Kiwis - Discussion and support regarding the art of swole

[Hot Dog]

@Rickenbacker I didn't really answer your question and gave it a bit more thought. If you are concerned with clean bulking in the context of clean eating, try to find food that you don't normally go to and dial in a slight surplus to keep from pulling energy from fat/muscle.

Some example foods to think about and look out for would be steak, salmon, and lean to fuller fat beef, as well as pork. You can also try high protein yogurt or cottage cheese, whole eggs with the yolk, or full fat milk.

If you don't have a calorie tracker like myfitnesspal or macrofactor consider springing for it.

 

[Big Lenny]

gonna try to lean bulk over the cold months (had my fun with the abs in the summer so now I really want to put on the gains) what do you guys normally eat when lean bulking? I already eat the basic chicken and tuna but what else works well that most people look over?

Peanut butter and whole wheat bread is pretty hard to argue with if you're already hitting your macros

 

[VeteranOfTheRetardWars]

I've been trying a thing on Squats where I'll do my normal working set ATG, then immediately do Anderson Squats about a third the way down until I can't move it anymore with good form. It's safer than it sounds, the top part is pretty safe and I know not to just musclefuck it up for no reason.
I've been doing this, and actually my glutes have been sore from it as well as my quads.
Also, pro tip for Leg Day. Hit abs on leg day, it really helps you if you tend to get a stiff lower back from Squats and Deadlifts. Also, just hang from a pullup bar between each set. The lower back is meant to be loaded, but it feels nice to stretch it back out afterwards.

 

[thejackal]

I've been taking AKG in addition to my creatine, collagen and cissus routine and I'm not sure if it was just placebo or what but I absolutely killed leg day this weekend. Ripped off 12x x3 at 225 and 8x, 6x at 275 on trap bar deadlift before moving on to other lifts. Trap bar deadlift is so good for us older lifters that want volume and gains without some of the back issues that can crop up with traditional deadlifts or squats.

 

[anustart76]

Any decent weight benches on Amazon you guys would recommend? Getting tired of the floor. All the ones I'm finding look like they're cheap Chinese crap that might fall apart on me and kill me, based on the reviews.

 

[Big Lenny]

Any decent weight benches on Amazon you guys would recommend? Getting tired of the floor. All the ones I'm finding look like they're cheap Chinese crap that might fall apart on me and kill me, based on the reviews.

Check facebook marketplace and craigslist periodically. For lifting equipment a significant part of the price is shipping costs. You can save a fuck ton of money and get legitimatley good equipment at low prices if your patient and willing to send in offers. Imo, unless you're well off and trying to build a nice, new, up-to-date home gym all with the same brand there's no reason to buy new. Benches and squat racks never really go bad if they're built well to begin with.

Sometimes if your lucky a gym will be selling off old equipment and you can make out like a bandit if you are willing to buy in bulk.

 

[Quantum Diabetes]

I’m finding that holding as long as I can at the top of the last five reps really makes a difference. You gotta feel the burn, then gently and slowly release.

 

[Lord of the Large Pants]

I have managed to dead lift The Beast, a 106 pound kettlebell. Now I'm told that a kettlebell "counts" for more than a "normal" barbell deadlift (which I've never even tried), but it's still probably not that impressive. Still, I couldn't do it when I started 6 months ago. I can also swing a 44 pound kettlebell with some effort, although I don't think I'm ready to do it full time.

 

[Hot Dog]

@CharcoalChkn What testosterone booster are you currently using? I did a bit more reading and if it has Tongkat Ali it might be making a bit of a difference but stuff like saw palmetto or horny goat weed don't really have any studies to back them up. Zinc and Magnesium along with a healthy diet with healthy fats (eggs, grass fed beef, etc), heavy lifting, and sleep seem to be the more main factors for testosterone than supplements (other than gear or whatever).

Nothing big to report, still grinding away and enjoying my novice level progress atm.

 

[VeteranOfTheRetardWars]

I got me two ghetto squat stands for like 80 bucks so I can squat at home without being limited to what weight I can clean.
It's gonna be great, just squatting in the garage and mogging the neighborhood like The Bloatlord intended.

 

[CharcoalChkn]

@CharcoalChkn What testosterone booster are you currently using? I did a bit more reading and if it has Tongkat Ali it might be making a bit of a difference but stuff like saw palmetto or horny goat weed don't really have any studies to back them up. Zinc and Magnesium along with a healthy diet with healthy fats (eggs, grass fed beef, etc), heavy lifting, and sleep seem to be the more main factors for testosterone than supplements (other than gear or whatever).

Nothing big to report, still grinding away and enjoying my novice level progress atm.

D Aspartic Acid
Trimethylglycine
L Carnitine Tartrate
Dodder Seed
Stinging Nettle Root
Fenugreek
Zinc Picolinate
Vitamin E

Ingredients ^^

I've been super quiet and tried to take a break from thinking about lifting at all for a week and a half so I could mentally reset from the frustration. My 1RM was interesting, did about 20kg more than I thought I was capable on DL and 5kg more than I thought I could for bench.

I have to retrain squats from zero though so I'm sad. (My form is very bad)

 

[Hot Dog]

D Aspartic Acid
Trimethylglycine
L Carnitine Tartrate
Dodder Seed
Stinging Nettle Root
Fenugreek
Zinc Picolinate
Vitamin E

Ingredients ^^

I've been super quiet and tried to take a break from thinking about lifting at all for a week and a half so I could mentally reset from the frustration. My 1RM was interesting, did about 20kg more than I thought I was capable on DL and 5kg more than I thought I could for bench.

I have to retrain squats from zero though so I'm sad. (My form is very bad)

@CharcoalChkn I got bored this morning and have mild autism. Results below:

D Aspartic Acid = Results are limited to men only and are mixed. Does not increase strength or performance, and does not have an effect on women. Potentially helps dudes with issues "down there".

Trimethylglycine = Amino Acid derivative, can be found in leafy greens like spinach and qunoa. Good for your heart and protein synthesis. If you can get it through food, eat that food instead of dumping money on pills.

L Carnitine Tartrate = Produced naturally by the body, helps with soreness. Not necessarily needed for supplementation. No conclusive effect on testosterone or weight loss.

Dodder Seed = Maybe helps kidneys. Most likely does nothing.

Stinging Nettle Root = Reduces inflammation.

Fenugreek = Initial studies show that it does help with testosterone in men. Helps women make more milk but no results on testosterone boost. Not proven with conclusive research.

Zinc Picolinate = High absorption form of Zinc. Helps with immunity, which keeps you from getting sick/missing gym days. Does help testosterone in women.

Vitamin E = Potentially reduces testosterone in women.

Sources: Drugs.com and https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

I'll DM you some form stuff for squat if that's ok with you.

As an aside I signed up for my first powerlifting meet and will be competing early next year. Oh boy.

 

[CharcoalChkn]

I'll DM you some form stuff for squat if that's ok with you.

Happy to hear it, my ankle flexibility is completely fucking me, I've been doing some stretches daily to help, but I may as well have no mobility there at all. It's going to take a while to fix sadly.

 

[Harambe]

Hit the gym today for an extra day on the bench. I've been underwhelmed with my results lately.
Up to 32.5kg per side, like 2 reps or so today. Every time I went for a set I was crapping out around 5. Really hit muscle exhaustion earlier today. I've got a weird old injury, really fucked up my shoulder in high school so my right middle deltoid is smaller than my left one. It's a noticeable difference in strength that makes a big difference in stability on the bench.

Starting this week going to start doing some at home stuff, alternating days of pushups (to improve my muscle endurance) and shoulder workouts with a dumbbell to try and improve my shoulder strength quickly. Besides lateral and front raises at home, any other exercises anyone can recommend for improving my shoulder strength and symmetry? At home or in the gym both work. At home I'm limited to just dumbbells and no bench pretty much.

 

[Big Lenny]

Hit the gym today for an extra day on the bench. I've been underwhelmed with my results lately.
Up to 32.5kg per side, like 2 reps or so today. Every time I went for a set I was crapping out around 5. Really hit muscle exhaustion earlier today. I've got a weird old injury, really fucked up my shoulder in high school so my right middle deltoid is smaller than my left one. It's a noticeable difference in strength that makes a big difference in stability on the bench.

Starting this week going to start doing some at home stuff, alternating days of pushups (to improve my muscle endurance) and shoulder workouts with a dumbbell to try and improve my shoulder strength quickly. Besides lateral and front raises at home, any other exercises anyone can recommend for improving my shoulder strength and symmetry? At home or in the gym both work. At home I'm limited to just dumbbells and no bench pretty much.

Whats your split?

 

[Harambe]

Whats your split?

I do alternating weeks, basically a bro split
A Week
Monday Legs, focusing on back squat
Tuesday Cardio, Rows and Lat Pulldown + Abs
Wednesday Bench and accessories
Thursday Cardio + Shoulders + Abs
Friday Deadlift

B Week
Monday Legs, lighter on back squat, work in split squat and front squat
Tuesday Cardio + Lighter bench + Abs
Wednesday Overhead press and some light chest work
Thursday Cardio + Arms + Abs
Friday Rows

I'm hoping to make faster progress to 2 plate on bench, so I'm working in Saturdays for bench and some other exercises me and my gym buddy didn't hit or wanted to try

 

[Ahriman]

Big fan of this guy's channel, straight and to the point, also shares pretty good advice.

As for me, I haven't hit the gym in over a month since I had some personal businesses to attend to, but should be going back within this week or the next. Looking forward to get back in the saddle and restart that 6 months program by MythicalStrength, albeit with an eye on my macros - I am kinda tired of my "love handle", it needs to go.

I've already used MyFitnessPal previously for tracking my food macros, we'll see how it goes this time.

Edit: an example of what I'd consider a clean bulk, taken from r/weightlifting years ago

Meal 1 – 10 oz cod, 2 whole eggs, 2 cups oatmeal
Meal 2 – 8 oz cod, 12 oz sweet potato, 1 cup veggies
Meal 3 – 8 oz chicken, 2 cups white rice, 1 cup veggies
Meal 4 – 8 oz cod, 2 cups rice, 1 cup veggies, 1 tbsp fish oil
Meal 5 – 8 oz steak, 12 oz baked potato, spinach salad
Meal 6 – 10 oz cod, 2 cups rice, salad
Meal 7 – 30 grams casein protein, 10 egg-white omelet, 1 cup veggies (onions, peppers, mushrooms), 1 tbsp fish oil

Calories: 5390, Carbs: 533g, Fat: 97g, Protein: 430g

I don't think I'd change anything (maybe brown rice with chia seeds but that's just my preference), looks pretty clean so I'll probably follow this "blueprint".

Edit 2: I got curious and tineye'd the image, turns out it's from a redditor who tried running this meal plan, taken from The Rock. So this is basically how The Rock eats (it's missing the two cups of oatmeal next to the first tupperware with the cod and 2 eggs):

I’m eating and training like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson for 30 Days, and just made it half-way through (37/M/6’3”/207lbs). Here’s my lessons learned so far. : Fitness

redd.it

With this plan, my scale weight hasn't moved. I'm getting bigger while getting leaner. Maybe I'm not optimizing both ends of cycles, but if you're not competing, seems a better approach for a normal guy.

My Real-Time Response To Learning What The Rock Eats Every Day -The Toast

A willing foe, and sea room.

the-toast.net

This dad is spending an entire month eating like Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson

He's eating 5,000 calories a day and most of them are cod.

www.businessinsider.com

One thing that definitely made me think (as well as what other commenters pointed out), is the amount of FISH in the diet; I am sure someone like The Rock gets his blood work done religiously, otherwise the mercury buildup would turn you into Aquaman... either way, I'll be sure to definitely look into it. Meal prep, like the redditor OP says, must be a bitch, but can't argue with those results.

 

[Johnny Salami]

I know I'm late to the party; but do you do face pulls for rear delts? Such a great lift for shoulder health.


Hot take but if you are waiting 30 minutes on a piece of equipment thats generally the gyms fault for not having enough to begin with. Especially if its for something as universal as a squat rack.

Yeah this is why I've switched to a home gym. while I don't have fancy machines I make it up by going HAM and just lots of compounds

 

[No Batty Boys in Jamaica]

Anyone get an adrenaline rush immediately after an injury?

I’ve been working on increasing my box jump height. A few days ago I tried to PR at 50”, but didn’t quite make it. I landed on my wrist. Right after the fall, I got up and tried to jump again, and actually landed it.

I then went to go bench press, but realized that the pain in my wrist was going to get worse, so called off the workout and applied ice.

 

[Iron Jaguar]

Ripped off 12x x3 at 225 and 8x, 6x at 275 on trap bar deadlift before moving on to other lifts..

Wait, do you mean kilos or pounds?