If any of you are wondering whether to start on Bill Starr's...fucking do it. I've been seeing increases across the board (bench/dead/squat).
ANYWAYS, the good part. I'm doing squats. I follow a standard set of weights that increase linearly. These are kept in a log that I bring with me whenever I workout.
As I finish one of my sets and begin to change the weights, a girl who was near me says, "Are you doing your homework while you're working out?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You're writing."
"Oh, I'm just recording my reps on my log so I can keep track of my lifts."
"I was about to say, you're a machine!"
"Yeah, at a certain point you have to keep track of all your lifts if you want to keep on progressing."
I'd start on rippetoes. I made the mistake of starting directly with split routines. Looking back I should've started on 5x5s then switched to splits. (earl probably had a few laughs at my expense from this)
You definitely need to do squats. Just do it with a bar first and work your way up. If you don't know the form, ask a friend.
I've never really been approached until recently. Like, this time sophomore year I didn't get diddly squat. Chicks are talking to me now though, which is good.
it's a simple program that focuses on making linear progression on heavy, compound lifts. it's completely scalable so you don't need to worry about squatting 315 right off the bat. really, it's an incredibly the fastest way to get strong and put on size. you'll also need to commit to massively boosting your caloric intake. rip recommends drinking a gallon of whole milk every day for the first several months of the program, and at least 5000 calories or so a day in general.
dont waste your time with faggy bodybuilding "split" programs.
Date: October 3rd, 2008 5:22 PM Author: rose address
I can. Actually, my legs are pretty strong (hiking/biking) but they aren't flexible so my form always sucks.
I've tried to do a squat workout before (on one of those guided vertical bar things) and I only gain like 20 lbs, after which I get back pain and my form goes to complete shit.
I think I'd benefit from more controlled exercises.
Date: October 3rd, 2008 5:40 PM Author: adventurous alcoholic whorehouse
get the idea out of your head that you can get strong or in shape from machines.
you can do squats properly. study the technique and consider getting a single session with a personal trainer (or even just a friend who knows the lifts well).
Date: October 3rd, 2008 5:22 PM Author: adventurous alcoholic whorehouse
you can start doing squats with just the bar. the movement is very natural. if you can't even do a bodyweight squat, then i'd recommend spending a couple of weeks doing pushups, pullups/chinups, leg presses and some weighted core work.
you should not have any use for machines (except for remedial leg press shit). do not listen to people who tell you otherwise. the idea of spending 2 months on a body machine to condition your ligaments is lulzy.
if you want to be "normal" sized but all muscle, you're giong to have to work hard and probably for a period of time put on weight. this means EATING (which helps you recover from previous workouts more quickly and puts on size) and possibly later cutting fat (which you'll find to be much easier than adding muscle).
Date: October 3rd, 2008 5:31 PM Author: rose address
Doing sit-ups is a quick way to get stronger abdominal muscles. However, they must be done properly to avoid any possibility of injury to your spine and the neck and head muscles. In addition, sit-ups are about using the abdominal region (the abs). Therefore, close attention must be paid to ensuring that you are not compensating by using other parts of your body to perform as sit-up, as this will diminish the effectiveness of the sit-up and may cause injury to your body. It is not as harsh as it sounds - always, always focus on the abs and you are most of the way there.
Date: October 3rd, 2008 5:38 PM Author: adventurous alcoholic whorehouse
then you need to work at it. believe me, dude, if you eat a lot (start drinking a gallon of whole milk a day) and WORK hard, you will make progress. it happens. don't tell yourself you can't.
if flexibility is an issue, then work on it. if you can't do proper pushups, then work on them. but make sure you give your body rest and food for proper and optimal recovery.
interestingly, my flexibility has drastically improved from lifting.
Date: October 3rd, 2008 5:41 PM Author: rose address
Maybe I'll start on some remedial situps and pushups, then find a better workout. I wont be able to do pullups until I am diesel, so I'm not even going to try.
I can't drink milk.
Should I drink whey? I bought it once but it had like 50g of sugar per serving and I threw that shit out.
Date: October 3rd, 2008 5:44 PM Author: adventurous alcoholic whorehouse
this must be flame. honestly, i'd love to help you here, but you are making things too hard.
you can't drink milk? lolwut?
80% of the protein in milk comes in the form of whey. the other 20% is from casein. coincidentally, this is the breakdown recommended by many of nutritionalists and exercise physiologists.
there's nothing really wrong with whey, but you can get plenty of protein from food sources and milk.
Date: October 3rd, 2008 6:54 PM Author: adventurous alcoholic whorehouse
dood.
the "program" i've been telling you about is NOT complex. it consists of three compound exercises for several sets, three times a week. that's it. you work hard, eat hard, and you see results.
read the fucking book i linked in this thread. it explains everything you'll need to be as strong as you want to be.
Date: October 3rd, 2008 5:18 PM Author: adventurous alcoholic whorehouse
dude you really should read rip's book. it goes much further than just outlining a workout routine (which it actually barely does). it give a very detailed and well-reasoned analysis of the major lifts and how/why we do them. the technique instruction is absolutely superb. i'd give you my copy if i were in nyc, but oh well.
anyway, you don't absolutely have to do olympic style ATG squats. going to just below parallel is more than sufficient for building strength and mass.
Starr's strength program is excellent for getting big and strong, but is very much an intermediate program. i'm not sure that you're an intermediate yet.
Date: October 3rd, 2008 5:07 PM Author: flesh swollen meetinghouse
bill starr's is the 5x5 workout, right? I got my bench up to 5 reps of 200 when i did that. benched yesterday for the first time in 2 months, and only got 185 up 3 times
Date: October 3rd, 2008 5:15 PM Author: flesh swollen meetinghouse
i feel like getting enough food everyday is the most annoying part about lifting. thats the only thing keeping me from getting back into a hardcore program right now, i'm lazy about eating, and it just fucks up my stomache and makes me sluggish when i try.
Date: October 3rd, 2008 7:38 PM Author: Talking Lettuce Lay
yeah the thing by the window. I was doing that with a 35 pound weight and my back was prety sore (in a good way) after 10 reps and felt all swole after.
Date: October 3rd, 2008 7:44 PM Author: Talking Lettuce Lay
i promised myself I would take off two weeks totally. So next week I will see if I can get 225 okay and do that for two weeks. then maybe try 275 or 315 again.
I have to remember that, even though I feel fine now, I fucked up my back horribly on September 1 and couldnt walk for a week. Need to go slow.
Date: October 3rd, 2008 11:10 PM Author: adventurous alcoholic whorehouse
i'm starting to wonder if there's something wrong with your general approach to heavy spinal loaded lifts in general. how frequently do you deadlift/squat? for how many sets/reps?