Arkk's Weight Lifting / Fitness Thread

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Shonuff

Mr. Poopybutthole
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Yeah, my chest and shoulder strength are crazy, even I know that. Especially when you consider my height (6'3") and age (45). Now my legs...No matter what I do, I can't gain size on my calves. Rest of my legs are fine, nothing to write home about, but I look proportioned. Nor can I get that same strength as my upper body.
You are Black, like I am, right? They say we can't have good calves (our calves attach too high). Like Rich Piana said, you just got jacked by God in the calf department. I've added some size onto my calves by doing 30-50 rep sets, and light weight. I have no problem using the rack for any calf machine. I have strong calves. I found that under 10 reps doesn't do anything for me. If I rep and rep until the calf is totally engorged, and I can't move my feet more than two inches, that has added inches. 80 pounds for 50 reps give me more results than 500 pounds for 8.
 

Hoss

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This is what I am talking about. Not sure what other exercises there are.

405 FOR 6 MILITARY PRESS. - YouTube
I thought military presses were behind the head. But, I guess as long as the bench is vertical, it's not an incline and I can't think of what else it would be called. It's been too long since I was a gym rat and I took too much time off in between.

Don't know of any machines where I can lift less than free weights, but they do vary greatly from machine to machine at the very least.
I'm going to guess you've always been blessed with new/well maintained machines. The worst one I saw was a rusty creaky castoff. The max weight on it was 2/3 what I knew I could lift, so I put all the weight on and couldn't lock my arms out for even the first rep. It was a good thing though because I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get a good workout.

So there's that, and there's also the fact that often a machine forces you to do a lift at a slightly different angle than what you do with free weights.
 

Brahma

Obi-Bro Kenobi-X
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Christ...I think I will stick with my chicken calves.

If someone is doing behind the head presses of 405, they are not human!
 

Warmuth

Molten Core Raider
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Right. I am going to assume he's being honest and say grats. I thought my military press for 225 for 5 was good.
It is good. Most guys cannot ohp 225 for reps, even among guys who work out. There's someone at every gym, sure , but it's not that common for non advanced lifters. Doable, but not without a lot of time and effort. Its easy to lose perspective if you work out where a bunch of other strong guys also do but that's a very small overall percentage of people.

If you rep 225 you're a strong fucker, no doubt. Brahma is a legit freak. 405 is a very respectable goal.......to squat or pull.
 

Itlan

Blackwing Lair Raider
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Just for semantics, typically a seated press is referred to as seated overhead press or shoulder press, where as standing is just overhead or military.

As for the dudes in that video, he's actually got a decent ROM but he isn't locking out.

Anyway, I'm hoping to squat what Brahma pushes over his fucking head apparently by the summer.

Calves are all genetics.
 

Gravel

Mr. Poopybutthole
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I thought military presses were behind the head. But, I guess as long as the bench is vertical, it's not an incline and I can't think of what else it would be called. It's been too long since I was a gym rat and I took too much time off in between.
Doing press or lat pulldowns behind the head offers literally zero advantage, and will absolutely fucking destroy the shoulders of about 90% of people. There are some people out there that have the flexibility in their shoulders that they'd be okay, but for the vast majority of us you're just biding your time before tearing something and likely ending your lifting career early.

As for Brahma, I'm not sure I buy his numbers, but there are two things from that video that make it look possible. One, it's seated. That right there adds a significant amount that can be lifted, since you have resistance (same reason most people can bench more than they row...you have a bench to push against). Two, the angle the guy is pressing lets him involve a lot of chest; almost like a super incline bench press.

Even still, 405 if fucking insane. The post about 225 military press I don't think impresses how rare that really is. A 225 standing press is stupidly rare. Most people, at best, after working out for 5-10+ years, will be able to do bodyweight for reps. If you see someone doing it (and not a push press), stand in awe because that shit is hard. I'm not sure a 4 plate strict standing press is even possible.
 

Brahma

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As for Brahma, I'm not sure I buy his numbers, but there are two things from that video that make it look possible. One, it's seated. That right there adds a significant amount that can be lifted, since you have resistance (same reason most people can bench more than they row...you have a bench to push against). Two, the angle the guy is pressing lets him involve a lot of chest; almost like a super incline bench press.
My workout numbers or my shoulder press numbers? I don't have any vids now, but I will record my workout or whatever (I hate looking like a tool at the gym and record myself) and post.

On the super incline...ya. That's what it is. I'm confused on what you're saying. That it's not legit because it's not straight back? I know no one that even bothers with shoulder presses like that. What would be the point?
 

Gravel

Mr. Poopybutthole
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I'm not a purist. However the fuck you want to lift the weight is fine with me. And I'd sit there gawking at you for doing 405. Shit, with that much, I'd probably strike up a conversation with you.

My point was that a standing press is mostly a delt movement (with some traps, minor amounts of pecs). What you're doing isn't so much an overhead press as it is a hybrid overhead press/incline press (assuming your form is like his).

Like I said, there's really no right or wrong. As long as you don't hurt yourself, I couldn't give a shit what anyone does in the gym. I was just explaining why "405 overhead press" sounded ridiculous, and then an explanation as to why you're able to do it. If you could do it as a standing overhead press, you'd literally be one of the strongest people to ever live. That's why someone else said .001% (although realistically it'd be much more rare than that).

Edit: Here's Vincent Dizenzo doing 405 legit. He's strong as fuck. 900 lb geared bench press, 605 raw bench. And even he basically has to lean back a shit ton to recruit his pecs.

 

Erronius

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Wizardhawk already has his flex form down

rrr_img_127029.jpg
 

zombiewizardhawk

Potato del Grande
9,920
12,858
Hells yeah. Give me a couple months and i'll be able to give you guys a progress update picture (also i'm much prettier now).

Edit: Brahma, as far as protein, i'm usingBody Fortress Advanced Protein Vanillaat the moment but that stuff you linked has me thinking about switching to that. I just grabbed one from wally world that looked good and it actually tastes really good with the way I make my shake currently so that's a plus for it, but it doesn't have anywhere near as much in it.
 

Rezz

Mr. Poopybutthole
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If you already have some protein shake shit, there's not really any reason to grab something else before you use it up. You're in the beginner stages of lifting; your gains are going to be good pretty much regardless of your macro/micro intake. If you are getting 60g from the shake (theoretically) then you just need to eat some meat/legumes/something with protein at another meal to basically come to where you'll be at your reasonable rate for each day. It sounds silly, but don't just try to replace meals with shakes (you can, but at your stage I would highly recommend against it) and instead look at it as something that supplements meals. Unless all you are eating is like, sugar or crisco or something, you're most likely going to get proteins throughout the day from normal meals. At your size, 100g of protein a day is plenty (and most likely overkill) so knocking 60 out with a workout shake leaves a lot of leeway in what you consume.

In before the keto-kids chime in, but if you are strictly looking for gains, don't skimp on carbs. Don't eat a basket of white bread rolls a day, but don't go super-carb deficient either. Those carbs, especially early on, will give you the energy you need to push your limits much easier.

You're roughly 160lbs right? You want 80ish grams of protein a day (at least) and probably 1800 calories (at least) total. On your lifting days, you'll probably want more like 2200 calories (protein stays the same) and spacing them out doesn't matter because you aren't really trying to control hunger. Your goal is to eat enough, and enough of the right shit, to grow. As much as I like 7-Layer Burritos from Taco Bell, they have a bunch of shit that you don't really need to build muscles with. I'd recommend looking into some extremely basic cooking concepts (pan cooking chicken/fish, steaming vegetables, etc) and try to hit your numbers with those types of foods as opposed to what builders would call "dirty bulking" (eating whatever as long as you have enough carbs/calories/protein/whatever) especially as you are starting out. This builds good eating habits, and keeps you from becoming strong-fat.

The key, that needs to continue to be stressed, is you don't want to be eating at deficit if you are trying to put on mass. You gotta eat, and eat fairly "right," and hit the weights routinely each week. You will get gains by doing sporadic lifting and half-assed eating methods, but getting that shit into order will make your progress immensely more noticeable, which is a huge help in the motivation area.
 

Warrian

╰⋃╯ლ(´ڡ`ლ)
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This is what I am talking about. Not sure what other exercises there are.

405 FOR 6 MILITARY PRESS. - YouTube
Is that really proper form for seated overhead presses? With the way he's arching his back and how far forward he's sitting on the seat, it looks like he's using a lot of his upper chest. Looks a combination of incline bench and overhead press. It's still a lot of weight but it doesn't look like true overhead presses to me unless I am missing something here. Take a look at this nonsense:Branch Warren and Johnnie Jackson - Training shoulders !!! - YouTube
 

Brahma

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It's almost impossible not to arch your back with that weight. I use the belt attached to the bench to help some, but that mostly keeps me from sliding forward. Maybe if the seat on the bench had more of an incline or locked you in....

You absolutely use a lot of your upper chest, but it's hitting the shoulder more so than chest. But even the machines are built to use your upper chest.

All the heavy gyms I go to almost everyone hits shoulders this way. I will see who is hitting shoulders today and look at their technique. Though most people just use the machines.
 

Ambiturner

Ssraeszha Raider
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If you're using a barbell and you don't puff your chest out you'll be slamming the bar down on your head
 

Warrian

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It's almost impossible not to arch your back with that weight. I use the belt attached to the bench to help some, but that mostly keeps me from sliding forward. Maybe if the seat on the bench had more of an incline or locked you in....

You absolutely use a lot of your upper chest, but it's hitting the shoulder more so than chest. But even the machines are built to use your upper chest.

All the heavy gyms I go to almost everyone hits shoulders this way. I will see who is hitting shoulders today and look at their technique. Though most people just use the machines.
Don't get me wrong, it's certainly a lot of weight. Maybe it's like you said - once you hit a certain weight, you have to arch your back otherwise you risk compressing your spine? Personally I don't use the machines for shoulders and only use barbell for this specific workout. Right now I probably max out at 275 for OHP but curious to see how much I actually arch my back compared to that video you posted. I may ask my workout buddy to record to see for myself.
 

Shonuff

Mr. Poopybutthole
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It's almost impossible not to arch your back with that weight.
On any weight over 185 on militaries, I move my hips forward a couple of inches to protect my lower back. If I leave my back totally straight, it hurts like a mofo.

Most people that are sticklers on perfect technique look like shit. You have to accept that as the weight goes up, you have to do things to protect yourself. I used to be a perfectionist, but found I made better gains by loosening a little.
 

Brahma

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Went to my buds gym today and looked at everyone that got on the shoulder press machines and the shoulder press bench. No one used both. I thought that was strange. Dudes either went straight free weights or machines only. This gyms bench doesn't even have the hooks for the belt, and it is straight up and down. Bad combo IMO. Everyone put the weight behind their neck on the bench. One dude got 225 up for 6 behind his head.

That same dude that did the 225 seated press, he did standing military presses @ 185x10 behind his head. He was not a big guy, nor me looking at his circuit for 30 minutes was he particularity strong. But not much you can judge on 1 quick look obviously.

My bud says that he does behind the head simply to hit his rear delt better and that is the way he has always done it.

So what I am going to do is start doing both standing and sitting behind the head in my routine and report. I THINK my gym has a 90 degree bench. May need to just slide that under smith machine.