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On November 24 2011 23:50 decafchicken wrote: A) that was fucking absurd. That's what 70kg looks like for me, he makes throwing that around weights that would kill people look easy. B) you have the coolest gym in the world.
lol yeah. Sadly Benni doesn't train often in my gym, just once a while for the lulz 
@FFGen: lol good to know...
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ya i will continue going up in OHP and carefully "avoiding" the hotspot that causes it as i have been doing, hope i dont overload my joints by doing so (form is improving tho), play it by ear, and ask about an anti-inflammitory drug i could take.... i have to go back to doctors anyway asap coz she put me on citalopram (antidepressant) and i reacted so bad to it, like 20 hours of wanting to puke after that single first tablet :s NOT good for depression lol (some people on google are suffering for 2-3 weeks with these side effects which is reeeeally stupid, ive been on fluoxitine before and had no problems so will switch to that)
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Around two months ago my left shoulder started getting a very slight ache after bench pressing. I didn't really injure it, but rather it just passively happened. It's hard to go into too much detail about the pain because it's hard to pinpoint and sometimes I feel it at work while just sitting at my desk working on the computer. I really want to emphasize that the pain is very slight. Regardless, I took a one month break and did daily rubber band exercises (basically these). Also, I went to orthopedist who just referred me to MRI; the visit was basically a waste of a 80€ and to me it doesn't make much sense to pay 700€ for the MRI plus potentially more without first trying something else. There's also my lower back which doesn't seem to be very happy about me sitting at work, but it's also something I'm trying to fix.
I'm now taking some steps to hopefully alleviate these problems. Inspired by T-Nation's Deconstructing the Computer Guy article, I've started to properly warmout with drills described in Magnificent Mobility. No more stationary bike bullshit but really get the blood flowing and improve mobility. It will also probably help me improve my crappy posture.
Here's for example the routine I did today: + Show Spoiler + Foam Rolling: -IT Band/Tensor Fasciae Latae -Quads -Hip Flexors -Hamstrings -Adductors -Thoracic Extension -Piriformis/Glutes (tennis ball) -Calves and peroneals (tennis ball) -Pecs, Lats -Infraspinatus (tennis ball) Seated 90/90 Static Stretch 15s/side Kneeling RF/ITB Stretch 15s/side Supine Bridge 1x12 X-band Walk 12/side Birddog 8/side Toy Soldiers 5/side Walking Spiderman 5/side Side-Lying Extension-Rotation 8/side Reach, Roll, and Lift 8/side Levator Scapulae/Upper Trap Stretch 15s/side Scap Pushup 1x15 Squat-stand 1x8 Windmills? 1x15
Also after scouring the internet about shoulder related stuff, I'm considering few changes to my program, at least for now. Just to name a few sources:
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_repair/shoulder_savers_part_i http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_repair/cracking_the_rotator_cuff_conundrum http://jcdfitness.com/2009/05/shoulder-rehabilitation/
- more seated rows, they're good apparently - drop bench or change to DB bench press with neutral grip, possibly on floor for limited ROM - shoulder dislocations with a band or stick - daily thoracic extensions + other foam rolling work - prone cobras - band pull aparts - lots of external rotations - swap back squat to front squat, for now - no overhead pressing, lateral raises, or chin-ups - don't do anything that causes pain, should be obvious, but wasn't to me when I first encountered shoulder pain
I understand that none of this might now even properly address by problems but the best I can do is google, try to make smart decisions and hope for the best. 
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Hey. I have a story for you guys, and especially Eschlow.
yesterday I was at the gym trying to get through my routines and I got really annoyed at this bunch of guys (including the damn trainer) who were chilling and chatting and watching the match-all of which is fine- but LOUNGING on the bench press bench and the power rack, the two stations I needed.
I politely asked them to step back because I was going to be squatting, the guy moved a little and i started. And then I had to stop before my first rep and awkwardly get it back into the rack because the guy had MOVED BACK in the intervening ten seconds. I asked him a little more pointedly this time, telling him he was going to get hurt because I had to move back and the bar is pretty long. He did, and throughout the sessions I had to keep working around these guys who didn't seem to have any routines in mind, but were very fond of hanging out in gym attire.
And then it struck me that every other time I've started the gym in my life? THAT WAS ME. And I quit it, wondering why I wasn't getting any stronger, and telling myself "meh, I look pretty good, and I consider myself more of an intellectual sort anyway". Lazy bullshit.
Coincidentally, that was the same day I finally hit my bodyweight (165 lbs) in the squat after 6 weeks. I know that's nothing to a lot of you guys, but I started at like under 60 lbs. I have a lot more concerns and questions now than when I started, because its getting a lot harder, but I'll save that for the QA thread. This is an appreciation thread.
So...thank you. For your detailed guidance, for the way you motivate each other and myself, for your well-informed support, even if its online. I don't know how far I will go with this, but I know I would never have gotten to even this first step without TL, without Eschlow, and without the regulars, even though some like Decaff and Malinor depress me because holy SHIT.
If its appropriate, I'll repost this in the blogs section. People on this thread already know how awesome it is.
Cheers guys.
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Good post Autofire2 and I feel the same way, although for me it wasn't going to the gym and slacking it was just not going at all. I would not be going to the gym if it wasn't for this thread. I've just finished my 5th week of going and it's crazy how much my body has changed in that time. Can't wait for your or my 6months progress report.
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@Reign: That youtube guy was the most awkward physio I've ever seen.
Link for clarity: + Show Spoiler +
Something wrong about a physio in a shirt + tie...
On topic though, mobility warmup is king. Ever since I started doing them instead of regular "cardio warmup" I've managed to be injury free (for over a year now!!!). While your routine was quite extensive I don't think doing everyone of them in the long run is good just because of the time they take...
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On November 25 2011 07:07 sJarl wrote:@Reign: That youtube guy was the most awkward physio I've ever seen. Link for clarity: + Show Spoiler +http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm7xqu-pOEc Something wrong about a physio in a shirt + tie... On topic though, mobility warmup is king. Ever since I started doing them instead of regular "cardio warmup" I've managed to be injury free (for over a year now!!!). While your routine was quite extensive I don't think doing everyone of them in the long run is good just because of the time they take...
What do you do usually as a mobility warmup? I always do some stretching beforehand, mainly hips/hamstrings etc when squatting, but I feel like I can do a bit better in general with mobility stuff.
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On November 25 2011 07:38 Logros wrote:Show nested quote +On November 25 2011 07:07 sJarl wrote:@Reign: That youtube guy was the most awkward physio I've ever seen. Link for clarity: + Show Spoiler +http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm7xqu-pOEc Something wrong about a physio in a shirt + tie... On topic though, mobility warmup is king. Ever since I started doing them instead of regular "cardio warmup" I've managed to be injury free (for over a year now!!!). While your routine was quite extensive I don't think doing everyone of them in the long run is good just because of the time they take... What do you do usually as a mobility warmup? I always do some stretching beforehand, mainly hips/hamstrings etc when squatting, but I feel like I can do a bit better in general with mobility stuff.
Depends on the workout:
Bench: Shoulder dislocations, general armwaiving with 2.5kg plates (just to warm up delts/rotator cuff muscles) and foam rolling on the back if I'm dying from squatting/deadlifting.
Squats: foam rolling (back/it band), ankle mobility stuff, hip stretches, glute stretches. Repeat until warm and hips stop yelling in pain.
Deadlits: foam rolling (back and it band)
OHP/CJ: basicly bench + squats but often not as much required.
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On November 25 2011 06:47 AndyJay wrote: Good post Autofire2 and I feel the same way, although for me it wasn't going to the gym and slacking it was just not going at all. I would not be going to the gym if it wasn't for this thread. I've just finished my 5th week of going and it's crazy how much my body has changed in that time. Can't wait for your or my 6months progress report.
Its a deal. 6 months, and we'll compare how beastly we've gotten
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Hmmm. if you guys have injury questions post them in the injury thread.
YW Autofire!
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It's been a very long time since I last posted something in this thread with some content and in fact I kind of wanted to wait but I've come to a point where, 1, I want to share my joy with everyone here and 2, I've got some questions that I would love help from some of you to help me with. Be prepared for a long story which I will put into a spoiler just so it doesn't take up so much space for those who scroll through the thread.
+ Show Spoiler +So, to start I guess I should go back to August the 12th. That was the day when I made my very first attempt at a snatch. Being the idiot that I was, I had no idea how much balance it took and what it would feel like. Apparently, 0.45x body weight was a little too much to start with and I fell on my ass like a boss, but the thrill of it was indescribable. It was amazing. Before this, I knew I loved doing the clean and jerk more than any other lift but the snatch sealed the deal. I wanted to focus on Olympic lifts. From that point on, I kept up with anything DimSum and decaf posted (related to Olympic lifting) religiously while watching videos, reading what I could find and practicing whenever I had the chance.
This continued throughout the month of October and I saw steady progress in both developing form and strength. Unfortunately for me, my good ol' school believes in having a fitness centre rather than a gym so there was no one there to guide me and no one I could talk to about Olympic lifting. Thankfully there were powerlifters I could communicate with at least. They were great support and encouragement. On the other hand, I had no one to point out my flaws and no one to teach me face to face. (I've complained about it at least 3 times now but cameras and recording is a no-no where I train).
Past halfway through November, so much has happened and changed my perspective on all this. I normally train Monday, Wednesday and Friday but because I'm a genius, I forgot my shoes on Friday the 4th. No lifting occurred for MeShiet that day. Luckily for me, this happened to be a good thing. Strolling in on the next day, ready to max my snatch. This bigger guy with purple hair dye in his hair squatting next to me happened to be watching. I thought something was weird. I mean, I've seen people watch and give me this "what the hell is wrong with you" look but he watched without that surprise and shock. Instead, he spoke up and for the first time since my first snatch, I received advice on how to get a more efficient lift. He taught me how to correct my 2nd pull and instantly, my next lift was a PR and it felt easy. Needless to say, I was all ears whenever he said something to me. Turns out he himself was an Olympic lifter. I don't know much about him and to be honest, I couldn't find anything about him on the internet but before the day ended, he suggested that I contact his coach so I could get access into another gym located within my school as well as get some coaching. Before he left, he took down my email and said he'd email me some more information.
I honestly didn't think much would happen after that, after all, he didn't even ask for my name before he left. Regardless, I was still pretty excited about getting help and finally meeting someone who not only criticizes my form but taught me how to be better in about 10 minutes. I just assumed the whole thing would be forgotten by the guy and continued on with life. Two weeks later, on the 21st. I just finished hell week with papers and projects being due. Opened up my email and to my surprise, I see an email titled "Olympic lifting", this was when I learned his name but for confidentiality reasons I'll call him "Mr.L". I must've had the dumbest banana grin on my face while I was in the computer lab of my faculty. In the email, I was offered a chance to lift with him at a different university in the city where he himself would be able to coach and provide programming for me. In addition to that, Mr. L gave me contact information for his coach, (who I will call Mr.R) who works at the gym (not fitness centre) at my school. After some consideration, I responded to him, letting him know that I am interested in his offer but at the same time will contact his coach to see if that could lead to anything. Immediately after, I sent an email to Mr. R telling him how I got hold of his contact information as well as who referred me to him.
Throughout today, Mr.R and I exchanged emails to arrange for a meeting and to discuss getting me access to the gym and maybe some lessons or coaching. Ultimately, I am supposed to see him on Monday sometime from 8-10AM at the gym. I have no clue what he looks like and have no clue how I'll find him but according to his email, I just need to get to the front desk and let them know I'm looking for him. That's gonna be super fun. Regardless of what happens after this, I think it's gonna be worth it. The chances of me getting into the gym are pretty slim and it seems like I'll have to fork out quite a bit of money each month to be able to use that gym, but I am determined to make it work even if it means finding a part-time job to support this hobby. I kinda need money for shoes to begin with because I've been doing everything in Converse Chuck Taylors and I guess a pair of shoes would be a good investment if I'm to practice this sport seriously.
Holy crap this is over 1000 words, I didn't think my story would be that long. In anycase, to the experienced people (DimSum, decaf off the top of my head), what should I be looking for when I go to see this guy? Are there any specific questions I should ask to determine if the place is right for me?
Thanks for reading this, I promise I'll post an update after Monday regardless of the outcome.
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I watch a lot of youtube videos of people doing bench press and many of them don't touch their chest but I do, which one is right? More importantly though, I "bounce" the weight off my chest when doing bench press is this a bad or good thing?
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Posts like autofire and andyjays warm my heart Not trying to depress you autofire, trying to motivate! I used to squat 45 pounds at one point in my life ya know. You can be smashing 400 lbs too with a bit of hard work and a good attitude.
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On November 25 2011 12:05 MeShiet wrote:It's been a very long time since I last posted something in this thread with some content and in fact I kind of wanted to wait but I've come to a point where, 1, I want to share my joy with everyone here and 2, I've got some questions that I would love help from some of you to help me with. Be prepared for a long story which I will put into a spoiler just so it doesn't take up so much space for those who scroll through the thread. + Show Spoiler +So, to start I guess I should go back to August the 12th. That was the day when I made my very first attempt at a snatch. Being the idiot that I was, I had no idea how much balance it took and what it would feel like. Apparently, 0.45x body weight was a little too much to start with and I fell on my ass like a boss, but the thrill of it was indescribable. It was amazing. Before this, I knew I loved doing the clean and jerk more than any other lift but the snatch sealed the deal. I wanted to focus on Olympic lifts. From that point on, I kept up with anything DimSum and decaf posted (related to Olympic lifting) religiously while watching videos, reading what I could find and practicing whenever I had the chance.
This continued throughout the month of October and I saw steady progress in both developing form and strength. Unfortunately for me, my good ol' school believes in having a fitness centre rather than a gym so there was no one there to guide me and no one I could talk to about Olympic lifting. Thankfully there were powerlifters I could communicate with at least. They were great support and encouragement. On the other hand, I had no one to point out my flaws and no one to teach me face to face. (I've complained about it at least 3 times now but cameras and recording is a no-no where I train).
Past halfway through November, so much has happened and changed my perspective on all this. I normally train Monday, Wednesday and Friday but because I'm a genius, I forgot my shoes on Friday the 4th. No lifting occurred for MeShiet that day. Luckily for me, this happened to be a good thing. Strolling in on the next day, ready to max my snatch. This bigger guy with purple hair dye in his hair squatting next to me happened to be watching. I thought something was weird. I mean, I've seen people watch and give me this "what the hell is wrong with you" look but he watched without that surprise and shock. Instead, he spoke up and for the first time since my first snatch, I received advice on how to get a more efficient lift. He taught me how to correct my 2nd pull and instantly, my next lift was a PR and it felt easy. Needless to say, I was all ears whenever he said something to me. Turns out he himself was an Olympic lifter. I don't know much about him and to be honest, I couldn't find anything about him on the internet but before the day ended, he suggested that I contact his coach so I could get access into another gym located within my school as well as get some coaching. Before he left, he took down my email and said he'd email me some more information.
I honestly didn't think much would happen after that, after all, he didn't even ask for my name before he left. Regardless, I was still pretty excited about getting help and finally meeting someone who not only criticizes my form but taught me how to be better in about 10 minutes. I just assumed the whole thing would be forgotten by the guy and continued on with life. Two weeks later, on the 21st. I just finished hell week with papers and projects being due. Opened up my email and to my surprise, I see an email titled "Olympic lifting", this was when I learned his name but for confidentiality reasons I'll call him "Mr.L". I must've had the dumbest banana grin on my face while I was in the computer lab of my faculty. In the email, I was offered a chance to lift with him at a different university in the city where he himself would be able to coach and provide programming for me. In addition to that, Mr. L gave me contact information for his coach, (who I will call Mr.R) who works at the gym (not fitness centre) at my school. After some consideration, I responded to him, letting him know that I am interested in his offer but at the same time will contact his coach to see if that could lead to anything. Immediately after, I sent an email to Mr. R telling him how I got hold of his contact information as well as who referred me to him.
Throughout today, Mr.R and I exchanged emails to arrange for a meeting and to discuss getting me access to the gym and maybe some lessons or coaching. Ultimately, I am supposed to see him on Monday sometime from 8-10AM at the gym. I have no clue what he looks like and have no clue how I'll find him but according to his email, I just need to get to the front desk and let them know I'm looking for him. That's gonna be super fun. Regardless of what happens after this, I think it's gonna be worth it. The chances of me getting into the gym are pretty slim and it seems like I'll have to fork out quite a bit of money each month to be able to use that gym, but I am determined to make it work even if it means finding a part-time job to support this hobby. I kinda need money for shoes to begin with because I've been doing everything in Converse Chuck Taylors and I guess a pair of shoes would be a good investment if I'm to practice this sport seriously.
Holy crap this is over 1000 words, I didn't think my story would be that long. In anycase, to the experienced people (DimSum, decaf off the top of my head), what should I be looking for when I go to see this guy? Are there any specific questions I should ask to determine if the place is right for me?
Thanks for reading this, I promise I'll post an update after Monday regardless of the outcome.
That is so awesome man! I wish there was an oly lifting coach at my uni guess you will finally overtake my snatch then (and probably leave me way behind). Best of luck to you and keep us posted about your progress!
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On November 25 2011 13:52 Kamais_Ookin wrote: I watch a lot of youtube videos of people doing bench press and many of them don't touch their chest but I do, which one is right? More importantly though, I "bounce" the weight off my chest when doing bench press is this a bad or good thing?
It should always touch chest but you shouldn't bounce it up.
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On November 25 2011 13:52 Kamais_Ookin wrote: I watch a lot of youtube videos of people doing bench press and many of them don't touch their chest but I do, which one is right? More importantly though, I "bounce" the weight off my chest when doing bench press is this a bad or good thing? Touching the chest and locking out means full ROM = good. Bouncing is using your ribcase not your muscles; you might get a baller ribcase but you're cheating your muscles out of work = bad.
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On November 25 2011 20:00 Crawler wrote:Show nested quote +On November 25 2011 13:52 Kamais_Ookin wrote: I watch a lot of youtube videos of people doing bench press and many of them don't touch their chest but I do, which one is right? More importantly though, I "bounce" the weight off my chest when doing bench press is this a bad or good thing? It should always touch chest but you shouldn't bounce it up.
Some people limit the ROM to be safer with their shoulders. So it's not necessarily bad.
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On November 25 2011 21:26 rEiGN~ wrote:Show nested quote +On November 25 2011 20:00 Crawler wrote:On November 25 2011 13:52 Kamais_Ookin wrote: I watch a lot of youtube videos of people doing bench press and many of them don't touch their chest but I do, which one is right? More importantly though, I "bounce" the weight off my chest when doing bench press is this a bad or good thing? It should always touch chest but you shouldn't bounce it up. Some people limit the ROM to be safer with their shoulders. So it's not necessarily bad. Some people limit the ROM of squats to be safer with their shoulders, but their reasoning is retarded. Full ROM is less hard on the shoulders or knees. They aren't supposed to do halfway movements.
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On November 26 2011 00:25 NeedsmoreCELLTECH wrote:Show nested quote +On November 25 2011 21:26 rEiGN~ wrote:On November 25 2011 20:00 Crawler wrote:On November 25 2011 13:52 Kamais_Ookin wrote: I watch a lot of youtube videos of people doing bench press and many of them don't touch their chest but I do, which one is right? More importantly though, I "bounce" the weight off my chest when doing bench press is this a bad or good thing? It should always touch chest but you shouldn't bounce it up. Some people limit the ROM to be safer with their shoulders. So it's not necessarily bad. Some people limit the ROM of squats to be safer with their shoulders, but their reasoning is retarded. Full ROM is less hard on the shoulders or knees. They aren't supposed to do halfway movements.
The same logic doesn't apply to squats obviously.
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Regular bench press you shouldn't be trying to touch chest in my opinion. You see the bigger guys touching their chests because they're larger and arch their backs a lot.
When you go all the way down you start putting weight on your shoulders, not your chest, so overall you wont be getting a larger chest with that movement, it just promotes injury. Another reason going not going all the way down can be good for a beginner is it forces them to go in a slow and controlled motion so they don't bounce the bar off their chest, Stay 3-5 inches away from your chest for best results, this was a big topic of discussion for me for a while.
In the end, it's not about where the bar is opposed to your chest, it's what angle your arms are making, I find going a couple degrees below parallel is the best way to go about it.
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