OT: Summer Fitness Thread

[LokiDog]

There is a lot of skill in any lifts. It's funny that you mention breathing but one of things that I found that when the weight load was high enough, the effects of filling your lungs, doing the rep, resetting and then taking a full breath again......when the set was done I felt like I ran a marathon.

I am not the most flexible either but there are things that could be done. And movements can always be scaled. The snatch is a beautiful lift when done properly. To me, she is a fickle mistress. Easily the most complicates of any of the power or oly lifts as it involves so many different things. It is rare that I feel like I have done it correctly.

Most of CrossFit wods that involve weight are exactly as you describe, lightish medium weight for the most part. You just cannot go through one of them with a ton on the bar. I have to take separate time to focus on power or oly lifting

Yeah I’ve done the oly movements in a CrossFit setting but I’ve never felt good enough about them to load the bar significantly. I do think I’d enjoy single, maximal effort oly lifts but I’m not comfortable with my skill and flexibility.

Regarding breathing, you’ll see so many novice “power lifters” doing touch and go reps on deadlift. Even on my warm ups at 135 I completely reset, not just my breath but my entire body before each rep. It only takes a second, I probably finish my set of 10 two seconds slower than someone who isn’t, but it makes me fill my belly with breath, brace, lock my lats, drop my hips and all of the other cues I need to remember when lifting big weights every single time. I don’t perform any reps at any weight as if it isn’t 600lbs. That’s kind of in that conversation of skill. It’s not nearly as involved as a snatch, but doing the deadlift exactly as you would in a competition even when you’re just warming up, every single time, develops that muscle memory and fluency.

 

[True Blue]

Yeah I’ve done the oly movements in a CrossFit setting but I’ve never felt good enough about them to load the bar significantly. I do think I’d enjoy single, maximal effort oly lifts but I’m not comfortable with my skill and flexibility.

Regarding breathing, you’ll see so many novice “power lifters” doing touch and go reps on deadlift. Even on my warm ups at 135 I completely reset, not just my breath but my entire body before each rep. It only takes a second, I probably finish my set of 10 two seconds slower than someone who isn’t, but it makes me fill my belly with breath, brace, lock my lats, drop my hips and all of the other cues I need to remember when lifting big weights every single time. I don’t perform any reps at any weight as if it isn’t 600lbs. That’s kind of in that conversation of skill. It’s not nearly as involved as a snatch, but doing the deadlift exactly as you would in a competition even when you’re just warming up, every single time, develops that muscle memory and fluency.

Yeah, I do the same thing. You can tell that our coaching has commonality. During the wods, it is touch and go. But the weight load is designed so for that purpose. When it comes to the power lifting, I do the same thing you do. Top of the rep, take a deep breath. then do the rep, then exhale when I am back in the starting position. Then reset and take another deep breath. Same pretty much for Oly. If it is in a wod, yeah it's touch and go. But again the workout is designed for that. If it is specifically training on the weights, same take breath, do rep, exhale, drop the weight, reset, take next breath and go. If it is a complex, there may be multiple breaths but I reset and get my cues.

So, using your deadlift example, Diane is a benchmark wod. For time, 21-15-9 deadlifts and handstand push ups. The deadlifts are at 225. I cannot do that at touch and go (last set I usually do it that way). Frankly nor should anyone as it will completely burn you out as you try to finish it. But I can get decent sized sets of touch and go (let's not even discuss the atrocity of my handstand push ups). But when I am doing Strength work, I do my 3 warm up sets the same way that I do my work sets, which is what we described above. That style goes for any of the pure strength work.

 

[darko]

I was getting ready to compete prior to the lockdown; sitting at 195lbs with a 295 bench, 505 squat and 615 deadlift.

I visited my dad on LI this weekend and got to use his old, very defunct basement gym and cobbled together about 335 on the bar and 5 sets of 5 killed me on deadlifts. It’s going to be miserable trying to get back to those numbers after 3, 4 maybe 5 months without access to a real gym.

I have been doing plenty to stay overall fit but there’s no way to simulate that kind of training. My shoulders and upper back have gotten and no amount of pushups is going to save my bench right now. It’s going to be super frustrating finally going back to the gym and maxing out 150-200lbs lower than before, and I probably won’t compete again for at least 12-18 months.

Killer numbers man.

 

[darko]

I had no idea of how to lift until I made the decision to leave the globo gym and start CrossFit. There I met the guy that started Starting Strength. It is a linear progression. 3 warm up sets (5, 3, 2) and then 3 sets of 5. At least that was the beginning. As I did more and more cycles and the weight went up sometimes I needed to add bridging singles and sometimes the sets went to 3s or to drop sets.

Oly is different as it makes for a lot of complexes.

It's funny, only when I started all of this, I learned that the measure of strength is not how many reps you can do. It is what is the most amount of weight you can do once.

Friggin' miss it right now.

Don't blame you for leaving Globo Gym tbh. White Goodman is an assehole. You should've gone to Average Joe's.

 

[Leetch3]

for the nutrition gurus, is there a good way to 'accurately' measure your BMR/RMR at home? I know if can be done in a lab but any tools at home to measure that are more accurate than the guesstimate calculators that you find online that don't really factor in muscle mass %

 

[darko]

for the nutrition gurus, is there a good way to 'accurately' measure your BMR/RMR at home? I know if can be done in a lab but any tools at home to measure that are more accurate than the guesstimate calculators that you find online that don't really factor in muscle mass %

Not that I know of.

 

[LokiDog]

Pre quarantine to present. There’s a reason my belly isn’t even in the picture. Aside from losing a ton of strength, I let myself get so lazy and let my diet escape me because, in the beginning, I didn’t anticipate the lockdown lasting so long, so I told myself “ya know, I probably could use some time off” and treated it like a month long rest/refeed. I’d been working out 6-9x per week without fail for years. Problem is when a month was up and the gyms didn’t re-open, I just kept on with the vacation. Never imagined it would get this far. It’s really bumming me out, feels like I’m not my normal self without the weight room, and it feels like all my years of hard work, in terms of strength and aesthetics, have been stolen by an unforeseeable act of nature (and my combined ensuing laziness). It’s tough to maintain a good aesthetic while being competitive in the powerlifting world, and I had some pretty decent numbers for my size. It’s been catching up with me lately, borderline depressed about it.

 

[Trxjw]

Pre quarantine to present. There’s a reason my belly isn’t even in the picture. Aside from losing a ton of strength, I let myself get so lazy and let my diet escape me because, in the beginning, I didn’t anticipate the lockdown lasting so long, so I told myself “ya know, I probably could use some time off” and treated it like a month long rest/refeed. I’d been working out 6-9x per week without fail for years. Problem is when a month was up and the gyms didn’t re-open, I just kept on with the vacation. Never imagined it would get this far. It’s really bumming me out, feels like I’m not my normal self without the weight room, and it feels like all my years of hard work, in terms of strength and aesthetics, have been stolen by an unforeseeable act of nature (and my combined ensuing laziness). It’s tough to maintain a good aesthetic while being competitive in the powerlifting world, and I had some pretty decent numbers for my size. It’s been catching up with me lately, borderline depressed about it.

Can't imagine what a stresser that's gotta be for ya, man. Any potential for kitting out something at home now that you know we're in this for the long haul? Obviously if you're power lifting you probably can't justify that many plates for the house but at least something to get you back on track?

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

View attachment 355844 View attachment 355846

Pre quarantine to present. There’s a reason my belly isn’t even in the picture. Aside from losing a ton of strength, I let myself get so lazy and let my diet escape me because, in the beginning, I didn’t anticipate the lockdown lasting so long, so I told myself “ya know, I probably could use some time off” and treated it like a month long rest/refeed. I’d been working out 6-9x per week without fail for years. Problem is when a month was up and the gyms didn’t re-open, I just kept on with the vacation. Never imagined it would get this far. It’s really bumming me out, feels like I’m not my normal self without the weight room, and it feels like all my years of hard work, in terms of strength and aesthetics, have been stolen by an unforeseeable act of nature (and my combined ensuing laziness). It’s tough to maintain a good aesthetic while being competitive in the powerlifting world, and I had some pretty decent numbers for my size. It’s been catching up with me lately, borderline depressed about it.

I don't know what your living situation is, but is there any way you have/can get some other heavy ass shit? Cinderblocks, Tires, etc. I know people are using water jugs filled with sand for farmers carries, it isn't perfect and the handles suck, but it works.

I swear by heavy kettlebells training and bodyweight stuff, you can maintain or even improve your aesthetics with these but its a lot harder to design something at home for powerlifting purposes. Its one of the few instances where you really need that heavy ass weight, be it actual plates or something else.

 

[LokiDog]

Can't imagine what a stresser that's gotta be for ya, man. Any potential for kitting out something at home now that you know we're in this for the long haul? Obviously if you're power lifting you probably can't justify that many plates for the house but at least something to get you back on track?

I don’t really have the space. We’re on the second floor so unless I was storing everything in the parking lot, I don’t want to risk damaging the floors with any big weight up here, even if it was a smaller kit around 300lb. I’ve got 125lb of plates and a barbell so I can do something, and have only myself to blame for not doing a better job with maintenance. It’s just so unsatisfying and only gets me so far. Even when I clean the bar and do front squats, it just doesn’t scratch the itch. I could certainly do some front squats, overheard press, etc. and at least clean up my diet and start getting lean again, but there’s no amount of pushups or 125lb bench press, or 125lb rows, that’s going to really help me rebuild strength or mass. I was rowing 125lb dumbbells, now that’s the absolute maximum I can put on a barbell.

I’m partially just venting. I could get creative and get hungry and push myself to do a cut with the weight that I do have. It’s just... so hard to get in that headspace standing in your living room with such limited equipment. In order to push myself to do 100 cleans, 100 front squats, 100 push press, pushups, shoulder flies, etc. and start getting a good functional workout with a serious sweat, I need to be able to get into a headspace that I just haven’t been able to achieve when the weights are in my living room. To really get the pace and intensity necessary, I need some kind of separation, some dedicated space. Like a sanctuary to blast some music, throw some chalk on the floor, get committed. I know it’s nothing but excuses, but I just can’t get myself there.

Partially, I guess, it’s because as bummed as I am, I know that when the gym does eventually open I will be able to get back to where I was. I’ve never had a problem with that, so I guess I’ve convinced myself I’ll just bide my time. I need to buy a pull up bar. The one I had counterweighted itself against the door frame but it started to pull the french trim so I had to stop using it. I need to buy a permanent one and just anchor it into the frame.

 

[LokiDog]

I don't know what your living situation is, but is there any way you have/can get some other heavy ass shit? Cinderblocks, Tires, etc. I know people are using water jugs filled with sand for farmers carries, it isn't perfect and the handles suck, but it works.

I swear by heavy kettlebells training and bodyweight stuff, you can maintain or even improve your aesthetics with these but its a lot harder to design something at home for powerlifting purposes. Its one of the few instances where you really need that heavy ass weight, be it actual plates or something else.

I really want to do some 5g water jugs full of sand and do carries in my parking lot. That I’d feel comfortable storing outside. Being on the second floor, I’m not comfortable bringing anything too heavy up here, especially since the floors are all hard wood and even with rubber mats I’m worried about damaging them.

With the water jugs I could do straight farmer carries, single leg lunges and even use the jug like a circus dumbbell from strong man. It’s the best idea for me to, because the parking lot is a decent size and empty and I could definitely get outside, take my shirt off, spread some chalk everywhere (you know, rub it on your chest and face for no reason, sprinkle some on the floor for good measure) and blast some music. That would allow me to get in the mindset to push the pace a bit.

 

[True Blue]

I’m partially just venting. I could get creative and get hungry and push myself to do a cut with the weight that I do have. It’s just... so hard to get in that headspace standing in your living room with such limited equipment. In order to push myself to do 100 cleans, 100 front squats, 100 push press, pushups, shoulder flies, etc. and start getting a good functional workout with a serious sweat, I need to be able to get into a headspace that I just haven’t been able to achieve when the weights are in my living room. To really get the pace and intensity necessary, I need some kind of separation, some dedicated space. Like a sanctuary to blast some music, throw some chalk on the floor, get committed. I know it’s nothing but excuses, but I just can’t get myself there.

So possible solutions are to get a cart. For over a month, I have been meeting with one of my weightlifting coaches and he brings a barbell and plates and we meet at a park. One of my other CrossFit cohorts invested in a bar and plates as well and I was actually out with him this morning, also at a park. Those carts are a bit unwieldy but they work.

I completely get the "space" view. I have continued going to office every day and we actually have a small gym there. Nothing that I would typically do, but at least there are 30 pound dumbbells. I ordered a 53 pound kettle bell, a 70 pound kettle bell, a 20 pound vest, 20 pound wall ball speed rope and an ab mat. That enabled me to put together real wods (and get creative like lying on a treadmill and doing inverted rows as opposed to pull ups). Not as good as being back in the box clearly, but between that and doing Olympic lifts in a part is managing to tide me over. And helps with the mental state of things.

Some more things that you can do with jugs are Bulgarian squat splits.

Note, I needed to go on a wait list from Rogue to get the kettles.

 

[LokiDog]

So possible solutions are to get a cart. For over a month, I have been meeting with one of my weightlifting coaches and he brings a barbell and plates and we meet at a park. One of my other CrossFit cohorts invested in a bar and plates as well and I was actually out with him this morning, also at a park. Those carts are a bit unwieldy but they work.

I completely get the "space" view. I have continued going to office every day and we actually have a small gym there. Nothing that I would typically do, but at least there are 30 pound dumbbells. I ordered a 53 pound kettle bell, a 70 pound kettle bell, a 20 pound vest, 20 pound wall ball speed rope and an ab mat. That enabled me to put together real wods (and get creative like lying on a treadmill and doing inverted rows as opposed to pull ups). Not as good as being back in the box clearly, but between that and doing Olympic lifts in a part is managing to tide me over. And helps with the mental state of things.

Some more things that you can do with jugs are Bulgarian squat splits.

Note, I needed to go on a wait list from Rogue to get the kettles.

Yeah, part of it is the limited availability of kits as well. I think my best bet is to get the jugs and go prison style in the parking lot. The privacy of it is nice, but the ability to separate it from the living space is also helpful mentally. And there’s something to working out on pavement in the sun versus working out on hard wood and carpets while your couch and dog are staring at you. I could bring my barbell down to the lot and keep it in my shed and, while the weight I have itself is limited, supersetting some shoulder press and bent over rows between rounds of carries and lunges would hit the spot, to an extent.

Part of it intensity. Regardless of whether I’m lifting heavy or not, there’s an aspect of the gym that for me is about savagery and release. For example, I believe in a controlled descent on the deadlifts, but as I go up in weight and push the intensity, sometimes I just enjoy being able to hit the lockout and then slam the bar down in satisfaction. Even if I’m not going that heavy, the idea of the parking lot workouts just creates this mental permission to tap into that mental place, which translates (for me) into a better sense of urgency and purpose and also therapy. Being able to pace the parking lot, not worry about chalk, having open space versus the confines of the living room. All of it would go a long way to “freeing” me for a primal workout, which is the only way I really ever “get there”. I’m not sure why but for me, it’s either a half assed workout, about 50-60% exertion and a sense of dissatisfaction or it’s a savage workout where I give 110%. In order to get to that place, I can’t be in my living room. It just doesn’t work.

On a side note, what are you guys listening to in the gym, while we’re on the topic? I listen to a whole different category from my normal when I’m working out, but it’s part of that mindset.

 

[True Blue]

Part of it intensity. Regardless of whether I’m lifting heavy or not, there’s an aspect of the gym that for me is about savagery and release. For example, I believe in a controlled descent on the deadlifts, but as I go up in weight and push the intensity, sometimes I just enjoy being able to hit the lockout and then slam the bar down in satisfaction. Even if I’m not going that heavy, the idea of the parking lot workouts just creates this mental permission to tap into that mental place, which translates (for me) into a better sense of urgency and purpose and also therapy. Being able to pace the parking lot, not worry about chalk, having open space versus the confines of the living room. All of it would go a long way to “freeing” me for a primal workout, which is the only way I really ever “get there”. I’m not sure why but for me, it’s either a half assed workout, about 50-60% exertion and a sense of dissatisfaction or it’s a savage workout where I give 110%. In order to get to that place, I can’t be in my living room. It just doesn’t work.

Oh, I get it. I love the "savage" aspect with sweat flying around. And, when in a park, I can do that. I will almost always drop the weight on the ground and at times have a feral grunt or two.

On a side note, what are you guys listening to in the gym, while we’re on the topic? I listen to a whole different category from my normal when I’m working out, but it’s part of that mindset.

When in the confines of the box, it is usually whatever the stereo is playing. But every now and then I get access to it and throw stuff on. For example, Blind by Korn has become very much a "Trying to hit a PR" song. Were it up to me, a mixture of older metal and hip hop would be playing. So the 3 Ms (Metallia, Megadeth, Maiden) along with Cube, 2Pac & Biggie. But also mixing in other stuff including Korn and Bizkit from 90s. Foo fighters. VH. New age rock or hip hop does not really do it for me during wods.

 

[LokiDog]

Oh, I get it. I love the "savage" aspect with sweat flying around. And, when in a park, I can do that. I will almost always drop the weight on the ground and at times have a feral grunt or two.

When in the confines of the box, it is usually whatever the stereo is playing. But every now and then I get access to it and throw stuff on. For example, Blind by Korn has become very much a "Trying to hit a PR" song. Were it up to me, a mixture of older metal and hip hop would be playing. So the 3 Ms (Metallia, Megadeth, Maiden) along with Cube, 2Pac & Biggie. But also mixing in other stuff including Korn and Bizkit from 90s. Foo fighters. VH. New age rock or hip hop does not really do it for me during wods.

That’s funny, I don’t ever listen to Korn anymore in real life, but in the gym I do. 5FDP, Slipknot, Limp Bizkit, Disturbed. None of it ever comes on outside of the gym but when I want to “go there” that’s what works. A few Eminem tracks as well. But the funny thing is Twist, by Korn, is my PR song. Especially since in powerlifting it’s that one rep max the fact that the song is barely 90 seconds doesn’t matter but that song works wonders.

 

[True Blue]

That’s funny, I don’t ever listen to Korn anymore in real life, but in the gym I do. 5FDP, Slipknot, Limp Bizkit, Disturbed. None of it ever comes on outside of the gym but when I want to “go there” that’s what works. A few Eminem tracks as well. But the funny thing is Twist, by Korn, is my PR song. Especially since in powerlifting it’s that one rep max the fact that the song is barely 90 seconds doesn’t matter but that song works wonders.

Makes sense. Oddly enough, hip hop to me is good for complexes and wods. 1 rep max songs are very specific. Blind, Leper Messiah, Beautiful People, For whom the Bells toll, Number of the Beast, etc.

 

[Thirty One]

My ultimate pump up song is Kiss From a Rose by Seal.

 

[NYSPORTS]

My ultimate pump up song is Kiss From a Rose by Seal.

a Mets fan fav “never gonna give you up” from Rick Astley for my heavy sets.

 

[Thirty One]

a Mets fan fav “never gonna give you up” from Rick Astley for my heavy sets.

That with "Together Forever" following it up.

 

[NYSPORTS]

That with "Together Forever" following it up.

YES!! I sing that gem to the exercise bike so we can get through Level 5 together.

 

[LokiDog]

Makes sense. Oddly enough, hip hop to me is good for complexes and wods. 1 rep max songs are very specific. Blind, Leper Messiah, Beautiful People, For whom the Bells toll, Number of the Beast, etc.

Get chalked up, throw this track on, have my buddy give me a good sharp slap on the back, take a hit of ammonia salts and 600lbs (used to) come right off the floor

 

[Trxjw]

Any recs on a good bar and squat stand for a home gym? I know Rogue is the standard but with the delays and the price it's probably not worth the investment for me. Probably not going the power lifting route but I can only do so much with the adjustable dumbbells I have. Finally think I've gotten my hips loose enough that I can actually squat with at least some semblance of proper form.

 

[LokiDog]

An older video of a 425 squat for a triple


585 deadlift no straps, no belt


615 deadlift no straps, no belt but failed the lockout

 

[True Blue]

615 deadlift no straps, no belt but failed the lockout

Straps for us are considered a "no rep". The no bellt stuff is impressive. One I cross 300 pounds, the belt is a must. Also dead lift with no shoes.

 

[True Blue]

Any recs on a good bar and squat stand for a home gym? I know Rogue is the standard but with the delays and the price it's probably not worth the investment for me. Probably not going the power lifting route but I can only do so much with the adjustable dumbbells I have. Finally think I've gotten my hips loose enough that I can actually squat with at least some semblance of proper form.

Depends on how much room you have ( building out of a garage or a spare room?) and how much you are willing to spend.

Look at HulkFit on Amazon. Capbell is pretty easy to assemble and cheap (just depends how much weight you want to do). BalanceFrom is good bang for the buck.

If I did not live in an apt in NYC, I probably would have ordered one already.