I'M STILL LIFTING!!!! Anyone else? (Pics Included)

[DJDAudio]

quick question anyone ever try the super slow reps like 9sec contract 10 sec release? hard as hell and i can only do a fraction of the weight lol BUT works like mad and burns like hell lol

[DJDAudio]

i will try to find an old school pic lol

[LiquidFusion]

Quote: Originally Posted by DJDAudio

quick question anyone ever try the super slow reps like 9sec contract 10 sec release? hard as hell and i can only do a fraction of the weight lol BUT works like mad and burns like hell lol

Yeah that's most of what I do, hard as well, but at least it ensures good form.

[bladehines]

nope, i do the regular ones.

but....... i am trying to do Isometric workouts 2-3 times a week! which is kinda like that but you are just holding the weight at the max effective spot for 10-12 sec. like when you do 2 hand curls, but instead of going from your legs and curling it up to your chest, you would hold the weight at where your arms are starting the curl.

most people use chains for weight.

basically you have a chain attached to the ground so you can't move it. you can set your bar on the chain at certain heights for different workouts. and with the chain attached to the ground you can never lift more then that. So you are against max weight, so your muscles you are using are getting max effect.

as soon as i get a place i am building a setup for me so i can do these.

[AmericanMuscle]

tried it, i saw very little growth with it so i never bothered with it much more, i will do 1x4s(one sec up 4 sec down). but for the most part i just make sure i'm keeping everything under controll and not flailing around.

i am a believer in lift heavy to get heavy on bench, rows, and squats(3-8rep range). for shoulders arms and calves i usually go more for volume(8 to 15 rep range), but i change it up alot. like sometimes i will do a 25rep death set for legs, or run the rack on bi's, tri's, and shoulders.

[bladehines]

you tried isometrics, or holding your reps longer?

iso's help BIG TIME! you won't see a change but over a month or two. but you will get alot stronger, and faster over time.

[PEKO]

I always switch it up. It always good to change and shock the muscles. Always switching from maxing out, to light weight high reps, to negatives etc. Im not really big on getting huge and lifting a ton of weight, just cut.

[AmericanMuscle]

i went through army basic and AIT, trust me i have done isometrics...

but seriously, i have tried them in my normal routiens and they just didnt work for me, slowing down the reps can be good, but iso's did nothing but help me hold things at a certain hight for a longer time.

edit: holding reps longer, like what you were saying with curls, can be good for isolation and great for getting a pump, still not my thing though.

[PEKO]

Anyone using or have used BSN supplements? Ive been taking them for the passed few weeks, just seeing if anyone on here has tried them. Im using NO-XPLODE, Cell Mass protein, Nitrix and Thermonex. Also on an eating and diet schedule.

[AmericanMuscle]

bsn is pretty good but kinda pricy, there syntha-6 protien is the best tasting protien i've ever had. nitrix i used and it was okay, still have half the bottle left from 4 months ago. i have a bucket of NO-explode i use for when i'm feeling shitty, or unmotivated, i dont use it more then once a week though. cell mass is creatine isnt it? its soso, but monohydrate is cheaper and will give you the same result. never tried thermonex, i imagine its about the same thing as thermo gain by muscle tech. its a thermogenic, supposed to rais your metabolism to help you gain muscle or lose fat kinda thing. i used thermo gain and it worked pretty well for me, not bad as long as your not paying full price for it.
i wouldnt bother with the nitrix and i would get monohydrate creatine instead of cell mass, but thats just me, other then that its good stuff.

for the last few months i've only been taking creatine, and whey protien. i just got some amino's and flax seed oil in along with a multi, and thats all i'll be on till december when i start cutting.

the eating and diet schedule will do the most of anything, eating the right food at the right time will do more for your body then any supplement as long as you have a good program to go with it. even Gear does nothing without the diet to build on or cut with and a good training program.

[bladehines]

i don't like bsn no-xplode. it has been said earlier in the thread about it haveing NO in it and caffiene

[Mys10isbetter]

ya dont take it,,, if you want a decent creatine based supplement take cell mass. or phospagen hp. As far as reps and sets go,, ive learned a lot from this study that went on at our school. This is to "GET BIGGER" 6-8 sets of one muscle group a day,, 45 sec between sets (body releases most amount of gh, IGF-1 is maximized) ,, sets of 8-12, each set should take 40 sec,, so if ur doing sets of 8 reps make each rep 5 sec. "GET STRONGER" 1.5-2 min between sets. 10-14 sets per muscle group a day. 5 reps per set. You plateau more often with this get stronger method,, so its good to pyramid every 2 day of that corresponding muscle group. Also NEVER do the same order of lifts for that day.. I know its hard because we all get in a routine but its will definitely help you out. Especially for chest i always start flat, incline, dumbell flys, cable flys. its hard to change.

[Mulisha Troop]

Best creatine out at the moment is Green Bulge CEE by Controlled Labs.
House can also vouch for it as I turned him on to it as well.

Perfect for preworkout on lifting days.
Then buy a cheap bulk CEE to maintain on off days.

[HouseOfAtlas]

Quote: Originally Posted by Mulisha Troop

Best creatine out at the moment is Green Bulge CEE by Controlled Labs.
House can also vouch for it as I turned him on to it as well.

Perfect for preworkout on lifting days.
Then buy a cheap bulk CEE to maintain on off days.

You gotta stop changing names

The product I'm going to try from Controlled Labs is Black Hole. Supposedly, it "gives you the munchies", just like marijuana does (except getting high). But then I remember that part from the movie Seven when the guy ate himself to death

[Mys10isbetter]

Quote:

Seven when the guy ate himself to death

i guess there is a point where you can get too many calories. that was a messed up movie,, but not as bad as hostel II.(im embarrassed to say i watched it) Have any of you guys gone on a creatine supplement stacked with a pro-hormone like animal pack. I was thinking about doing it but it seems like you would have no energy and your adrenal gland would be shot. Plus the stress on the liver. so i guess i could add milk thistle or some other liver support.

[Mulisha Troop]

Quote: Originally Posted by HouseOfAtlas

You gotta stop changing names

The product I'm going to try from Controlled Labs is Black Hole. Supposedly, it "gives you the munchies", just like marijuana does (except getting high). But then I remember that part from the movie Seven when the guy ate himself to death

I know, I know. I'm just making all my forum names the same. Here, sackthis, offtopic.com, bodybuilding.com the same. I hated having a different username at each forum.

I have a bottle of Black Hole right now.

From my experience, start with a half dose for a few days to see how your body reacts. After a week or so I took the recommended dosage, and noticed very little change. Only take as much as needed for it to work. Stay consistent.

As far as how it works, I don't get hungry more often persay, but I can eat more in a meal without feeling super full or gross. I'm pretty much hungry all the time as it is. So it's hard for me to tell if it makes me "hungrier," but I can definitely eat more.

[HouseOfAtlas]

Quote: Originally Posted by Mys10isbetter

i guess there is a point where you can get too many calories. that was a messed up movie,, but not as bad as hostel II.(im embarrassed to say i watched it) Have any of you guys gone on a creatine supplement stacked with a pro-hormone like animal pack. I was thinking about doing it but it seems like you would have no energy and your adrenal gland would be shot. Plus the stress on the liver. so i guess i could add milk thistle or some other liver support.

Isn't Animal Pak a supplement that has a bunch of vitamins, digestive enzymes, and plant extracts in it? I heard its good, but didn't know it had "pro-hormone" qualities.

I don't see creatine hurting you if using Animal Pak. And yes, milk thistle is always a good thing. Its pretty cheap if you buy it in bulk. Tastes like crap, but well worth it.

Quote: Originally Posted by Mulisha Troop

I know, I know. I'm just making all my forum names the same. Here, sackthis, offtopic.com, bodybuilding.com the same. I hated having a different username at each forum.

I have a bottle of Black Hole right now.

From my experience, start with a half dose for a few days to see how your body reacts. After a week or so I took the recommended dosage, and noticed very little change. Only take as much as needed for it to work. Stay consistent.

As far as how it works, I don't get hungry more often persay, but I can eat more in a meal without feeling super full or gross. I'm pretty much hungry all the time as it is. So it's hard for me to tell if it makes me "hungrier," but I can definitely eat more.

Sweet! Thanks for the help

[bladehines]

animal stack2 has a test booster. animal pak is just a multi vitamin etc...

[Mys10isbetter]

ya i meant animal stack.. m stack or 2 ,, they are both pro hormones. but back to the no-xplode thing,, i have a old container and didnt feel like working out today,, so i took it and i love the feeling you get when lifting but now im tired as hell and just want to sleep.

[AmericanMuscle]

yeah, you end up pretty dead after you use energy you never really had.

[bladehines]

I did bench yesterday, i went up alot! did 4 sets of 6 at 135. i guess i should have went up to over 135 pounds. so come next chest day i will go up on that. went up on decline. found out i was doing them slighlty wrong. i had the bar above my nipples so i was using alot of shoulder which was hurting me going up in weight. so after figureing that out next time i do bench i should be able to do more.

also i am still on the UP and UP on my weight. weighed myself at the gym yesterday i weighed 144.25 pounds. 1 pound up from friday! (i weigh myself at the same time every day at the gym, so i know i am gaining or losing)

then i left the gym and ate dinner BIG salad with grilled chicken, 4 rolls, and a coffee muffin. mmmmmmm carbs!

[AmericanMuscle]

sweet man its always great to see progress, i would say stick with 4sets of 6 or try out 5x5, its always been one of my favorites.
keep in mind this is a routien for getting stronger, if you want to gain alot of size i would stick with 4x6 or 3x8, 3x8 is supposed to be the best thing for size, but i've always had good luck with 6s and 8s for getting bigger.

[Mys10isbetter]

ya if you want strength 5x5 has always been the best for me.. but if your going for size i would stick to 3x8 or even 3x10.. And thats good that you found you were doing decline wrong,, always want to hit below the pecs. it put a lot of stress on your shoulder and it turn the humoral head in so it causes excessive rubbing

[bladehines]

yea that is what my buddy said about the declines. he told me no wander i was only doing 135 on decline instead of more.

so after yesterday i will be doing them different.i got this week left of my 2 months, then next week i will take off and start back on the 10th full force.

i like to take a week off every month so my body can't get use to working out hard all the time.

[AmericanMuscle]

a full week? hmm, i would only do that every 2 months at most, every now and again i'll just take an extra rest day but i think a week a month would do more harm then good. just my .02

[TruStinger]

so im under 190 and have hit a plateau. me and my buddies worked out for about 4-6 months straight for like 5 days a week. as soon as i stopped, cuz summer came around which meant basketball/soccer season, i lost 20 lbs(was at about 210). ive been stable at 190 no matter what i did, ate or drank so im assuming this is my bodies holding weight atm. im thinking about taking the month off from lifting, ive started getting back into 4-5 days a week, and do cardio in hopes of getting down to like 170-180. what do you guys think?

[AmericanMuscle]

i would do weight lifting then cardio right after it, keep your weights to about 40-45 minutes and then do 30 minutes of cardio. also make sure you do legs, and do high reps of them, and for your cordio do running or the row machine.

if you have the time do one cardio session a day, of 45 minutes of low level cardio as soon as you wake up or right before you go to bed. then lift 5 or 6 times a week and do cardioo right after your workout one day and an abbs routien the next. each one should last you 20 -25 minutes.

[AmericanMuscle]

oh also make sure your diet is clean, no sodas or simple sugars, keep the fat somewhat low, carbs are good but only have them with breakfast and lunch and maybe a little with dinner. stick to oatmeal, rice, whole grain breads ect for your carbs, also fruits, and mainly lean meats for your protien. also try to break each meal in 2, so you have 6 small meals instead of 3 big meals. you end up with the same amount of food, but your body will store less and burn more with some food all the time rather then 3 big lumps.

[bladehines]

well if i may make a suggestion. if you want to gain weight you will need alot of fat too.

and it's ok to have fat as long as you are getting alot of protien, and carbs.

fat will help you produce more testosterone too.

[AmericanMuscle]

consuming fat helps with testosterone especially fats from red meats. having some fat fat(8%ish-18%ish) can help with keeping test in your system, anything over 20%for most people is harmful to test levels, high bf% will make your body produce more estrogen. also lifting and how you work out plays a large part in the production of test, compound lifts(ei:bench,squat,deads,rows, ect) help with test levels because of the amount of muscle worked and the stress it puts on your body. also the intensity at which you work plays a big part in it. along with test you would want to bring up your gh levels, once again this is done with compound lifts and intensity, but also how long you rest between sets, rest for 45 sec to a minute between sets to help bring up gh levels. also you can do supersets, drop sets and circuits to help with gh production.

[bladehines]

^^^^^^^^ well put!

i rest right at 1min between sets. i do alot of compound exercises and i eat pretty good, and i don't consume alot of fat, but i do get more then my daily % requirment. but i have been dropping in bf%. and going up in weight at about 1-1.5 pounds weekly. so i guess i am eating right and working out right.

and for most people it is hard to find a happy median. I have been working on my diet and exercise for about 1 1/2 years and i finally found what works, but i have tried ALOT of different stuff.

now i am working on finding the right vitamins ad supplements. i have been taking animal pak. which i need to get some more cause i am out.

anyone want to suggest some supplements? i would like a preworkout pump, not noxplode, but somethine better. and an after workout supplement.

[AmericanMuscle]

best supps are
-creatine
-a multi(i'm not a fan of animal packs, a gnc or vitamin world multi will do fine)
-fish oils and flaxseed oils(omega's)
-whey protien
-aminos
-cassien protien(before bed shake)


a good postworkout is supposed to be waximayz(sp?) and whey, i usually just have whey and a bowl of instant oats, or cup of lowfat yogurt. seems to work well for me.

pre workout, i dunno, most ot the stuff out there is a version of noxplode(caffine and akg) personally i like to stay away from regular use because you get dependant on it for energy in your workout. i usually eat a meal 1.5 to 2 houres prior to working out, then will drink 20-25 grams of protien just before the workout, if i'm craving carbs i'll grab a granola bar or the like something small, sometimes i'll grab a gotorade or the like for during.

protien just before a workout and just after is really the best thing, 20-30 grams before, and 40-60 grams after preferably whey because it absorbs very quickly. there is also a big thing about if you should have your creatine before or after you workout, i like to take it before, but its all opinion.

[bladehines]

normally i can't eat anything within an hour before i workout i feel sluggish. unless i eat 20-30 grams of simple sugars like jelly beans.....

i have tried eating good protein and carbs but i feel so exhausted before i even workout it sucks!

[AmericanMuscle]

different things will work for diffferent people, the most i can have is a small oats bar and little protien, on the other hand though, if i workout on an empty stomach then i'm out of energy by the time i'm done with my first lift.

[AmericanMuscle]

so there was a bench comp at my fob today, i had on old flyer and showed up late

oh well, i know i could do 350 and might have hit 365, but the guy in my weight class hit 375. overall winner hit 405 and only wieghed 193. he was like 5'6'' with my muscle mass. *cough*shortassholeswithshortarms*cough*

oh well, i'll see what i can do later in the week, i'm off to do legs now.

[HouseOfAtlas]

If anyone cares, this is what I do before and after a workout. My workout is from 5:30am - 6:30am, about 1/2 hour after I get up. I usually drink some tea and take a hot shower to get my body warmed up before hitting the gym. No food is eaten before I workout and I actually feel alright.

During my workout - 20g of BCAAs mixed in a quart of water
Right after my workout - 60g of Waxy Maize and 20g of BCAAs
30 minutes later - 20-30g of Waxy Maize, 30-40g of Dextrose, and 40-50g of Whey hydrosylate
30 minutes after previous shake - 10 egg whites, 1 cup of rice and an apple

I'm getting Beta-Alanine in the mail on Wednesday. Suppose to be great supplement. I'll keep you guys posted

Studly - 350 is still a hell of a lot of weight. Did you use a bench shirt? Just curious. Or was it a raw competition?

[droppedss]

just got back from the gym. ran ran ran and did upper body. I'm gonna feel that one tom..and...right now. yep..

[HouseOfAtlas]

Pulled/strained something in my lower back! Damnit!! I warmed up and felt great before going to the gym, too.

I guess this type of stuff just makes me realize (again) that I need to make everyday and every workout count!

[jimmything08]

All of you guys gaining weight... im cutting down for my next fight haha.

[AmericanMuscle]

it was raw, no shirt no wrist supports and with a full grip.

[HouseOfAtlas]

Quote: Originally Posted by jimmything08

All of you guys gaining weight... im cutting down for my next fight haha.

When is it? And what weight class are you trying to drop to?

[HouseOfAtlas]

Quote: Originally Posted by studly350

it was raw, no shirt no wrist supports and with a full grip.

Nice, man

[jimmything08]

Quote: Originally Posted by HouseOfAtlas

When is it? And what weight class are you trying to drop to?

I fight in October, November, and December.

I fought in the 155 lb class last time, but now Im droping down to 145.

[AmericanMuscle]

thanks house, hey i've never seen any pics of you up on here, any reason for that?

i tried to get 365 today, just didnt happen, got stuck 3 inches up, my spotter told me all he did was touch, but i wont count it till i have no help besides unracking it, even then i pause before going down.

if i were having a better day then i prolly could have gotten it, but i wanst feeling it too much, 335 was easy, but i didn't have much energy. i'm happy i got to 350, my bench has gone up 50lbs in the last 4 months, and i had been stuck at 295 for 6 months before that. i need to bring my legs up now, i've been having a hell of a time gaining anything on legs, so i'm switching up my workout to focus on them.

this is a summery of what i wrote up for myself.
day 1:legs
day 2:chest
day 3:back
day 4:legs
day 5:arms & shoulders
rest
repeat

i wanted to get an arms & shoulders day in cause i haven't been gaining much at all on them with my last split, it was a good strength routien, but left my arms smaller then the rest of me, my chest looks like it could bench 350+ but my arms sure dont . plus in my new split i will be doing more volume to gain some size now that my strength is up, i'll be mostly in the 4x8 rep range with some 10s, 12s, and pyramids thrown in. legs i will be slaughtering with either 3 sets of 20 or 4 sets of 15 on squats, then doing 20-30 rep death sets on leg press and walking lunges. i might even try a few 10x10 set ups since i'll be hitting them twice a week. also gonna be doing more cardio, and being better about doing abbs every other day. i'm gonna start cutting in another month, i was going to wait till christmas but i've gained too much fat with the muscle. i'll drop 20ish lbs then try a cleaner bulk.

[AmericanMuscle]

hey jimmy what kind of fighting you do?
i got a buddy who won state (in az) for amature kickboxing in the 135(i think) weight class, he did his first cage fight last month but i haven't heard from him in a while.

[HouseOfAtlas]

Quote: Originally Posted by studly350

thanks house, hey i've never seen any pics of you up on here, any reason for that?

Because everytime things seem to be going well, something messes it up so bad that my progress stops and I feel like I have to start over (like with my back going out yesterday).

But, don't worry, maybe sometime during the winter, I'll post a picture of me and then do an "after" picture of getting lean.

As for current workout plan, it'll look something like this:

Day 1: Chest and Bis
Day 2: Legs
Day 3: Shoulders and Biceps
Day 4: Back
Day 5: Rest
Day 6: Repeat or Active recovery

I like keeping chest and shoulders separate and legs and back separate. Also, I like the feeling of doing chest and Biceps together.

[jimmything08]

Quote: Originally Posted by studly350

hey jimmy what kind of fighting you do?
i got a buddy who won state (in az) for amature kickboxing in the 135(i think) weight class, he did his first cage fight last month but i haven't heard from him in a while.

Muay Thai and MMA. Between 145-155 lb weight class.

[bladehines]

well i am still doing good on weight. i took off last week and started back monday my weight is still around 145 or so. this will make my 3rd month of working out.

but now i have a good question for all you guys that lift and take supplements.

when i start my fourth month i plan on taking animal pak ( i am out now or i would be taking it) and animal pump for a preworkout supplement, plus eating 4500-5500 cals a day.

what kind of results should i see with taking these two supplements with what i am doing now?

[jimmything08]

Blade, I have any idea... You can have the extra 10 pounds I have to lose... Cool?

[bladehines]

sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

that was easy!

i want to be 160+ by christmas, if i can do that i should be able to get to 170+ pretty easy. i am going to keep going till it gets too hard to gain and figure out what my next step is then