Working Out....

[Genevieve]

Adding 11 lbs to last week's deadlift tomorrow (more fun to say than 5 kgs)

I WILL ROCK DIS SHIT.

Last time I did deadlifts had the biggest smile ever when I was done <3

Well, I did rock that shit, but the last 2 reps were sloppy as fuck because hurrrrr MY GRIP WASN'T CUTTING IT. I may just go down to 33,75, hoping my grip can handle it.

Making steady progress, lost over 2kg in 3 weeks despite the fact my diet hasn't been that great and haven't been working out as much as i should.

Congrats dude. That's still dope.

without, i have a pull-up bar but thats about it.
id be willing to buy shit though

Yeah especially as a novice, bodyweight should do just fine. Though I think checking out ebay for a cheap power rack, bench, olympic bar and a bunch of plates covers all bases. Add a mirror you can see your whole body in.

I did a similar routine I'm doing now with a bench/rack, bar and dumbells in my room years ago. Got me result.

[Molzie]

Really? Squats for me. Since I've been going ass to the grass and reaaally breaking parallel they're awful to do.

Opposing grip, though I try to keep that to a minimum to improve grip strength. I follow my deads up with bent over barbell rows and then bicep curls, though. So my forearms really take a beating that day and it's hard to only use overhand for the entire exercise.

You're into straps, right?

I only use straps to tie little plates in the middle of a barbell when I want to add weight by a smaller increment haha. It works.

I use straps. I never have them overly tight where my wrists are taking the full load. I only really use them because my hands get so frick'n sweaty and our new bars tear my soft office hands to shreds (and i'm not wearing gloves). Plus, it allows me to focus 100% on my form and not worrying about letting the bar slip.

What rep range do you DL?

What about belts.. yay or nay?

[Laszlo]

No belts, no straps, no gloves.

Reps range five or six.

[Genevieve]

5x5 myself. You did 5x5 too, right? I do everything 5x5 except crunches (3x12) or if a weight becomes too light at 5x5, but I can't add and still do 5x5, I may do the new weight at 5x3 and work my way up.

But yeah, deadlifts are 5x5.

I don't think I'm far enough into my new program to even consider a belt. Gotta work dem core muscles m8.

[Molzie]

I've always DL 3x8. maybe I need to add a little more weight and start doing 5x5.

[Genevieve]

5x5 is my favorite thing in general. Only thing I don't like about it are the long resting periods between sets. But in between each set I get so hyped I walk around the room to blow off steam haha.

I'm the only one that seems to be doing that. Everyone just chills.

[Molzie]

I pace around as well (watching myself in the mirror out of the corner of my eye haha). Have the same thing at my gym though. Everyone seems to just sit around between sets.

[Genevieve]

That's when you know you're lifting right!

It's at its worst after my first set of the day. One set of deadlifts and it's like I'm getting manic.

I must look sooooooo menacing at 148 lbs (today.. probably a bit of water, doubt I gained 2.5 lbs in a week) pacing around the room in my baggy workout clothes.

[Laszlo]

5x5 is my favorite thing in general.

This. There's a certain psychological aspect to it, imo - you feel like you're doing a lot so your body responds. This isn't based on any science, just my own feeling. People respond differently to different rep ranges though, so if you're responding to 3x8-12 then continue with that!

[Genevieve]

Yeah though nothing wrong with trying new shit. After 6 - 9 months of 5x5 I may try a 4x8/10 hypertophy type program. I doubt I won't grow and it's worth seeing how much more/less I will grow.

[Laszlo]

Well, the program i've been using (Baby Got Back) uses pretty much all the rep ranges - 5x5, 3x8 and 3x12-20. When I bulk i'm going to follow the plan you posted, Gen - the MT Bulk one. That's all 5x5 iirc.

[Genevieve]

You mean the Frankie NY 5x5?

The thread that started it all! Ten years ago haha

[Laszlo]

Ha! Yeah that's the one - I just have it saved as 'MT Bulk', so I guess it's Muscle Talk..

[Genevieve]

Yeah man, def keep us posted on how you like it! It has all the awesome lifts.

I gotta stress doe. Take plenty of rest between sets. I went in taking 90 second rests the first time. I stalled so quickly. Like, I take 2 and a half minutes of rest after my first squat, and 4 - 5 before my last. That's for squats, though. I'm like 2 - 3:30 for deadlifts and 2 - 3:30 for rows, etc. But that's really individual. Just don't go too low.

[Laszlo]

I've decided to cut for a month first but i'm going straight into that Muscle Talk plan after, so yeah, i'll keep you updated. I usually rest between two and three minutes with 5x5s, any longer and I can feel the other gym goers watching me because they want the machine/bench/weights i'm using

[Genevieve]

You're really, reaaally gonna need that extra time late in the workout and definitely for squats haha. It's a rough program, man. I feel my body getting worse and worse at recovering in my 11th week. No way I could keep up with minimal rest.

[Laszlo]

I can imagine! With the plan i'm following atm there's only two exercises that involves 5x5 per workout so two-three minutes rest seems sufficient... Then again, maybe i'm not exercising as intensely as I should..

Edit - just had a quick look at that bulking plan and it says eight-twelve weeks max. What do you do after that, just rest for a week or so and start again?

[Genevieve]

Well, when you do 3 consecutive exercises 5x5, the last one will be relatively more draining because you've tired yourself out quite a bit already. On day one, you know what I rest for the most? It's not the deads; it's the curls. Because they're at the tail-end of my workout and they follow 5x5 rows. I'm already struggling with the last rep in my second or third rep.

Yep, take a week off and only do cardio (2 days). Continue eating like you normally would. You're recovering from all that intensity.

You should always take a week off or lift way less every so often.

[Laszlo]

Right, and I have Frankie's plan down as four exercises per session, or am I reading it wrong?
I'm also worried there is no rear delt involved and i'm very partial to pull-overs which there is also none of. Must I resist the temptation to add them in?

[Genevieve]

Right, and I have Frankie's plan down as four exercises per session, or am I reading it wrong?
I'm also worried there is no rear delt involved and i'm very partial to pull-overs which there is also none of. Must I resist the temptation to add them in?

Hmm did you save the right program? You do 3 exercises on one day. One of them CAN be pull-ups (I do bentover barbell rows now, doing pull-ups instead in the next phase).

Besides, deadlifts and squats work rear delts too! I've just noticed my doms in them from deads/rows/curls today.

But yeah, when you're done in your first 12 week cycle, take a break, you return doing other exercises (listed in frankie's post).

Edit: fuck. Yeah I forgot. He just calls them 'widegrip chins' and he later qualified that they're overhand. So that's pull-ups.