Strength Irritating people/things that annoy you in the gym III

[GROTTO]

I don't mind the flat bench and include it once a week but it's probably a bit overrated.

Personally I'd say incline with dumbells works the best and easiest to get the form right.

Definitely overrated in terms of building chest. I would recommend, dumbbells/machine over benching if hypertrophy is your goal.

 

[Kram]

I do incline BB as well on Push Day. Personally I found that doing barbell OHP, helped me a lot with my lifts.

I've never seen anyone else ever do a single bb ohp in our gym in over 18 months, it's even not that common to see a db ohp either. It's all isolation side raises.

Do people not realise how effective they are in building shoulders and pure functional strength?

 

[GROTTO]

I've never seen anyone else ever do a single bb ohp in our gym in over 18 months, it's even not that common to see a db ohp either. It's all isolation side raises.

Do people not realise how effective they are in building shoulders and pure functional strength?

I presume that people dont do the BB OHP because of the systemic fatigue, core strength required and the lack of mobility in their shoulders as primary reasons. Couple this with the fact that you can develop your shoulders with machines and other pushing movements, the OHP becomes a surplus compound exercise to perform in a push day.

Again like BB BP, I do this primarily because I also like the challenge and the motivation it gives me each push day.

However, note I dont do any compound back exercises on my pull day for back. Such as barbell rows, thats because I dont want to tax my lower back. So my preference is for back supported exercises.

 

[GROTTO]

FYI Kram your avatar is of Olympian standard.

 

[phantom13]

I've never seen anyone else ever do a single bb ohp in our gym in over 18 months, it's even not that common to see a db ohp either. It's all isolation side raises.

Do people not realise how effective they are in building shoulders and pure functional strength?

I tweaked a shoulder/neck doing some overhead stuff a little while back (to be fair id upped weights and wasnt really well warmed up) but i reckon oh stuff has a higher injury likelihood (off zero evidence).

 

[The Golden Glenferrie]

All bench makes me realise how weak and lagging my triceps are. They are like king

 

[Kram]

Was thinking the other day in the gym that bicep curls are your classic 'bro' exercise and yeah you see a lot doing it but it dawned on me that people LOVE tricep isolation exercises.

 

[GROTTO]

Was thinking the other day in the gym that bicep curls are your classic 'bro' exercise and yeah you see a lot doing it but but it dawned on me that people LOVE tricep isolation exercises.

In regards to arm size.

 

[phantom13]

Distinctly recall a work function doing an arm measurement comp that I won PURELY on triceps.

 

[The Golden Glenferrie]

Close grip bench press is one barbell exercise i can get around.

 

[GROTTO]

Close grip bench press is one barbell exercise i can get around.

 

[Andre]

Was thinking the other day in the gym that bicep curls are your classic 'bro' exercise and yeah you see a lot doing it but it dawned on me that people LOVE tricep isolation exercises.

If I go the times there's teens - 20 something guys it's bench press, tricep isolation exercises and some DB flat or incline work, as the 'go to exercises'. Only a handful doing dips. The rest is generally various machines, mainly the upper body ones. Seeing a pull up is rare, OHP I could count on one hand how many times I see them done each year by others. It's just my local ZAP, not a heavy lifting gym though.

I can't file any of it under annoying me though, as except for the guys benching, it keeps the racks free. And there's enough places to bench, I've rarely not got access to one of the racks when I want to use them.

 

[The Golden Glenferrie]

As someone who will never be able to do dips due to being a fat campaigner, the close grip is fantastic.

 

[Kram]

I understand their logic and it's probably a good idea for a lot of people but their obsession with telling everyone they should train full body is borderline religious.

 

[GROTTO]

I understand their logic and it's probably a good idea for a lot of people but their obsession with telling everyone they should train full body is borderline religious.

I was close to converting too.

If I had time issues I definitely would just do 3 full body workouts per week.

At the end of the day, the best workout plan is the one that you enjoy and will be most consistent with.

 

[GROTTO]

As someone who will never be able to do dips due to being a fat campaigner, the close grip is fantastic.

I was fat campaigner too a few years back before covid. Its a slow, challenging journey but you can definitely get there.

When gyms shut down in 2020, there was no way I could do dips either in the park. Didnt have the strength, nor the core to achieve it, not to mention the skill.

Today I can do weighted dips, comfortably. Sure it may take time to get there, but you can do it.

 

[GROTTO]

If I go the times there's teens - 20 something guys it's bench press, tricep isolation exercises and some DB flat or incline work, as the 'go to exercises'. Only a handful doing dips. The rest is generally various machines, mainly the upper body ones. Seeing a pull up is rare, OHP I could count on one hand how many times I see them done each year by others. It's just my local ZAP, not a heavy lifting gym though.

I can't file any of it under annoying me though, as except for the guys benching, it keeps the racks free. And there's enough places to bench, I've rarely not got access to one of the racks when I want to use them.

As someone who incorporates a heavy focus of barbell exercises and pull up/chin ups into their weekly workout, I can tell you they are genuinely not needed if your goal is hypertrophy/aesthetics and or "keeping fit/healthy".

I do them because I enjoy the challenge and the satisfaction I get from performing these "strength exercises" However, note when I first performed an OHP, Im pretty sure I struggled to do an OHP with just 1.25kg plates on each side. It took me a few months to even perform a single pull up as well.

Today I can do 10-12 pull ups/chin ups and do 60kg OHP. Its more about practice and executing the movement correctly which is the learning aspect of each of the exercises that can take time.

I still cannot recall the reason why I decided to do these exercises over say machines and or dumbbells.

 

[Andre]

As someone who incorporates a heavy focus of barbell exercises and pull up/chin ups into their weekly workout, I can tell you they are genuinely not needed if your goal is hypertrophy/aesthetics and or "keeping fit/healthy".

I do them because I enjoy the challenge and the satisfaction I get from performing these "strength exercises" However, note when I first performed an OHP, Im pretty sure I struggled to do an OHP with just 1.25kg plates on each side. It took me a few months to even perform a single pull up as well.

Today I can do 10-12 pull ups/chin ups and do 60kg OHP. Its more about practice and executing the movement correctly which is the learning aspect of each of the exercises that can take time.

I still cannot recall the reason why I decided to do these exercises over say machines and or dumbbells.

I'm more functional strength, then hypertrophy. Though very much an ectomorph, no matter what I do, unless I wanted to start taking steroids, I'm never going to be big. Lean and (during summer) ripped is what I try for. Though even that, I want to be (relatively) strong, not just have a decent shape.

I can't squat or deadlift due to a bulging disc, so at 50 years old and around 75kg at 6'1 I've got my various other goals (OHP, Bench, Front Squat, Weighted dips, hip thrusts) working towards. I can finally see getting to 100kg bench press in sight (PB of 97.5kg x 2 this week). Absolutely pointless for needing for growth, but just want to be able to get to doing 2 plates. Warm up weight for some here, but I'll be rapt if can get to it.

 

[GROTTO]

I can finally see getting to 100kg bench press in sight (PB of 97.5kg x 2 this week). Absolutely pointless for needing for growth, but just want to be able to get to doing 2 plates. Warm up weight for some here, but I'll be rapt if can get to it.

Wowee, thats my goal as well 100kg.

I posted earlier I did this week, 90kg and that went rather smoothly. I think I had it in me to go 92.5kg but didnt try. I did do a static hold first of 100kg and damn I could definitely feel the difference when I did the 90kg bench. Highly recommend you do a static hold of say 105kg to 110kg before you attempt PB, as youre a lot closer to 100kg than I am.

If I can get to 95kg before the end of the year, hitting 100kg in 2025 would be a good goal to set.

Keep me posted on your progress.

 

[phantom13]

I was fat campaigner too a few years back before covid. Its a slow, challenging journey but you can definitely get there.

When gyms shut down in 2020, there was no way I could do dips either in the park. Didnt have the strength, nor the core to achieve it, not to mention the skill.

Today I can do weighted dips, comfortably. Sure it may take time to get there, but you can do it.

I think I take for granted that I’ve always been pretty fit and healthy.

I’ve always been able to dips, I remember doing a decent length policeman’s walk then ripped off 10 full depth dips training with a mate once, he was ****ing shook, I honestly thought most people could do it.

 

[GROTTO]

I think I take for granted that I’ve always been pretty fit and healthy.

I’ve always been able to dips, I remember doing a decent length policeman’s walk then ripped off 10 full depth dips training with a mate once, he was ****ing shook, I honestly thought most people could do it.

If you have been pretty fit and healthy for most of your life, its a by product of being consciously and subconsciously aware of doing the right things, most of the time.

When I first thought about doing a pull up. I though this cant be hard, I can do a lot of weight on the lat pulldowns. However I was shocked I couldnt do a single one when I first started. It was only through educating myself on youtube, that I learnt about the reasons why and it then motivated me to do my first one. I mean I even struggled with negative pull ups, where you get yourself up and slowly let yourself down. I couldnt even hold myself up for 10 seconds.

Dips look easy to do, but I can see how they can be challenging for some. I also think its an exercise you shouldnt randomly do without first learning how to execute the movement correctly. You can potentially really screw up your shoulders, elbows and chest.

 

[Kram]

I was close to converting too.

If I had time issues I definitely would just do 3 full body workouts per week.

At the end of the day, the best workout plan is the one that you enjoy and will be most consistent with.

Was thinking this morning if I trained only 3 times a week how I would structure it.

I just hate legs on the same day as arms and it would be worse now with a more lower volume higher intensity way I do it atm.

Would probably go upper, a tough lower session and then upper maybe supplemented with some moderate squats.

Could almost get away with training legs once as long as it's hard, as Sean Nal says just because something isn't 'optimal' doesn't mean it still can't work well enough.

 

[GROTTO]

Was thinking this morning if I trained only 3 times a week how I would structure it.

I just hate legs on the same day as arms and it would be worse now with a more lower volume higher intensity way I do it atm.

Would probably go upper, a tough lower session and then upper maybe supplemented with some moderate squats.

Could almost get away with training legs once as long as it's hard, as Sean Nal says just because something isn't 'optimal' doesn't mean it still can't work well enough.

I think the key with training just 3 days per week, would be carefully working out an exercise plan and also selecting the best exercises for bang for your buck.

If your training only 3 days, you definitely need 60mins training time in the gym. I dont think you could get away with doing less, thats for sure.

At my gym, the vast majority train 3-4 days per week which makes Fridays, generally a lot quieter day. I think I may be the only guy (definitely at that particular time at least) trains 6 days a week.

The only time I have had fatigue issues is when I attempt my one rep PB for a lift. It does fry my CNS. With that said I will be attempting a 92.5kg lift this week, because as of Monday week, I will be going through a cutting phase so with that I know I will lose some strength. I like that Andre did 97.5kg, not that I will get there any time soon, but its motivated me to at least attempt 92.5kg.

 

[The Golden Glenferrie]

I like eating and I like gym.

 

[Andre]

I think the key with training just 3 days per week, would be carefully working out an exercise plan and also selecting the best exercises for bang for your buck.

If your training only 3 days, you definitely need 60mins training time in the gym. I dont think you could get away with doing less, thats for sure.

At my gym, the vast majority train 3-4 days per week which makes Fridays, generally a lot quieter day. I think I may be the only guy (definitely at that particular time at least) trains 6 days a week.

The only time I have had fatigue issues is when I attempt my one rep PB for a lift. It does fry my CNS. With that said I will be attempting a 92.5kg lift this week, because as of Monday week, I will be going through a cutting phase so with that I know I will lose some strength. I like that Andre did 97.5kg, not that I will get there any time soon, but its motivated me to at least attempt 92.5kg.

Cutting phases suck when you get close to a goal. I work my strength up autumn and winter, then see it go down spring on my ‘ready for summer’ cut. This time will leave a bit later to start, as want that 100kg bench and that’s the lift that always tanks the most by a fair amount every cut phase.