Weight Loss Thread

Itlan

Itlan

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Tenks is basically on point. He's a ripped beanpole, and you really don't need to track macros unless you're trying to do something specific (like carb cycling, keto, etc.).

Want to gain weight? Eat more faggot. Want to lose weight? Eat less fatty.

I used to drive myself insane weighing everything. Fuck it, I just shove shit in my mouth. 405 squat is sooooo close.
 
T

Tenks

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For some reason I have an easier time adding weight to my bench than to my squat. Its really weird because my upper body seems fine with packing on muscle but my legs seem to not respond the same way. You'd think playing hockey year-round from ages 9 - 20 would have made my legs like tree trunks. But I won't lie and say I've never skipped leg day. I hate doing squats I just force myself to do it.
 
Khane

Khane

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Tenks_sl said:
For some reason I have an easier time adding weight to my bench than to my squat. Its really weird because my upper body seems fine with packing on muscle but my legs seem to not respond the same way. You'd think playing hockey year-round from ages 9 - 20 would have made my legs like tree trunks. But I won't lie and say I've never skipped leg day. I hate doing squats I just force myself to do it.
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Almost everyone has the same issue until you actually start to focus on legs. We tend to follow regimens that focus on upper body 4 of the 5 days a week so even on non chest days you're still doing some amount of engaging your chest. Yet we only spend 1 day focusing on the entirety of our lower body.

Plus squats are just gnarly when you're trying to advance past current 1RMs. It's so much easier for squat form to break down than most other exercises. I can actually bench more than I can squat right now. It's sad.
 
Warmuth

Warmuth

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Genetics determine a lot of that. Some people require good coaching to be able to squat. I cannot squat for shit, my mechanics are terrible. I had to stop because I was ruining my lower back. Once I can find the time I'm going to have to be taught and I'll still probably always struggle with it.
 
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Tenks

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I've never 1RM'd my squats but I'd imagine I can bench more than my squat. At least I rep higher at the bench as well. I'm currently repping on 205 on the bench and only 185 on the squat. Though I do more sets and higher reps on the squat than the bench generally. Like you said I have problems going higher on squat because I'm nervous about breaking down my form and when my form breaks down it starts hurting my hips and knees. I probably will unify the weights next week and do 205 for both, though.

Also the bar pad at my gym is fuck-all bad. I should just buy one for myself. Going higher weights is like putting the bar directly on my back and it hurts my shoulders.

-edit-

I never actually thought about bringing my own bar pad. I just ordered one off Amazon. That should at least fix that issue.
 
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I can squat slightly more than I bench now. But I usually squat for volume on leg day and do the inclined leg press for strength. I can do 4 45's on each side + a 25 on that shit and feel like I'm about to pop my asshole out. But when I try to go heavier on squat I always just feel back pain.
 
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Tenks

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I found the inclined leg press was doing nothing for me. It felt like the Smith machine for doing bench. I could do a ton of weight but it never really felt like I was accomplishing what I wanted. Already moving to a squat routine my wife has commented my legs are looking a bit thicker.
 
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Tenks_sl said:
I found the inclined leg press was doing nothing for me. It felt like the Smith machine for doing bench. I could do a ton of weight but it never really felt like I was accomplishing what I wanted. Already moving to a squat routine my wife has commented my legs are looking a bit thicker.
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I dunno man when I do 3 sets heavy on the leg press I feel dizzy and exhausted. I probably feel more exertion doing that than any other exercise in the gym. Like my entire body is spent when I'm done with it.
 
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Tenks

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Yeah if it works for you then go with it. I've just always preferred free weights and not really using machines. Probably because I started working out just in my basement so I'm not used to actual equipment.
 
taebin

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Leg press is a weird thing. Dunno if it has to do with blood flow or your head being almost equal to your heart, but I get really light headed too. I've done the Hack Squat machine the past two weeks instead of leg press, and my quads felt like they were going to fall off last night.
 
Khane

Khane

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If you're getting light headed it's probably because you're not breathing during the exercise.
 
Khane

Khane

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Speaking of legs it's leg day for me today and I am currently trying to push 1 RMs in all my big lifts (Bench, Deads, Squat, OHP). Squats are the worst not only because of things that have already been mentioned but because

1) Nobody knows how to spot a squat so you have to show them
2) Once you show them they basically have to hump your ass which is fine amongst friends, but weird with strangers
 
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Tenks

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Breath control during the workout also (for me at least) has the ancillary benefit of taking my mind off of the mindless action. So I'm no longer focused on the rep and how much my muscles hurt I'm focused now on my breathing. When that stops working I start singing along (silently) to my music. Basically anything other than thinking about lifting the weights.
 
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Tenks

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Khane_sl said:
Speaking of legs it's leg day for me today and I am currently trying to push 1 RMs in all my big lifts (Bench, Deads, Squat, OHP). Squats are the worst not only because of things that have already been mentioned but because

1) Nobody knows how to spot a squat so you have to show them
2) Once you show them they basically have to hump your ass which is fine amongst friends, but weird with strangers
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Does your squat rack not have bars on it incase the weights drop? It isn't ideal, obviously, but if you're down in your position and you know it isn't going to work out you can just drop the bar.
 
Khane

Khane

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Tenks_sl said:
Does your squat rack not have bars on it incase the weights drop? It isn't ideal, obviously, but if you're down in your position and you know it isn't going to work out you can just drop the bar.
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I use the safety bars but that doesn't help me complete the lift and you can hurt yourself anyway.
 
Itlan

Itlan

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Khane_sl said:
Speaking of legs it's leg day for me today and I am currently trying to push 1 RMs in all my big lifts (Bench, Deads, Squat, OHP). Squats are the worst not only because of things that have already been mentioned but because

1) Nobody knows how to spot a squat so you have to show them
2) Once you show them they basically have to hump your ass which is fine amongst friends, but weird with strangers
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No you don't lol, I spot my friends simply by grabbing their lats and pushing up. I don't dryhump them up and down, they're not busting out 1RM PR every session.

As for your upper body/lower body dilemma Tenks, there's a number of things that could be the problem. Mobility, form, or just general lack of strength in your legs. I personally do upper/lower split so my upper body is lagging actually (as someone kindly noted previously).

As for 1RM, these aren't true 1RM as I do daily maxs but I'm currently at 375/275/435. I rarely deadlift anymore at this point, maybe once a week with submaximal weights for motor pattern.
 
Dandai

Dandai

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DickTrickle_sl said:
Well, he adheres to his given philosophy
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Like Khane, I'm weary of trusting any one source too much, especially when they have increasing financial/academic investment in convincing others they are correct (which they may be), especially in any human research related field. In the spirit of appreciating Norton dissecting others' work, I hope you still seek out other sources than him at times (you've mentioned him like five or six times now in a short period of time so it really stands out). While it's not really practical or worthy of your time to read every study and do as much research as someone who devotes their life to this work, it would also be a bit of perversion to the scientific process you admire to hold up one person as so authoritative that no other sources are required (or to, for example, only listen to his rebuttals of something instead of getting the opposing view's best arguments).
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I agree that using a single source when it comes to exercise and nutrition generally isn't a good idea. Do you have a recommendation for someone else I should be paying attention to as well?
 
Khane

Khane

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Dandai_sl said:
I agree that using a single source when it comes to exercise and nutrition generally isn't a good idea. Do you have a recommendation for someone else I should be paying attention to as well?
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Just stick to your plan, it will work and it seems like you like it so why change something that will work for you? There's too much information out there, and it's hard to separate the chaff from the wheat. Sensory overload and all that.
 
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