Current Bodybuilding Training Thread 2.0

hmm thanks for your opinion. Obviously I’m not “arguing” or anything, but I really don’t see the involvement of the tendon in DB laterals or machine flyes, nor feel it. Interesting points though and I see what you mean.

Your responses are much appreciated, I would be interested in seeing your split if you wouldn’t mind.

I have thought that a 6ish week type period of no training/totally avoiding anything would work, but it is just too depressing. Silly I know.

Think about the position of your hands at the bottom of the movement.

Depends on the machine. If your forearms are against pads, no. This is why I asked above whether you held handles in your hands (in which case, the movement most assuredly heavily involves the biceps).

yeah i can see how they could be involved/are of course involved, but I dont feel it at all during those exercises.

if i feel it during anything it is pulldowns, DB shoulder press, and cable rows. No other exercises. And for all of those 3 the pain doesn’t really increase much.

But ive had this pain almost daily for 6 months so obviously i am doing things wrong!

You get distal biceps-tendon pain during DB shoulder press? At what point during the movement? Is it related to ‘cleaning’ the DBs to shoulder height as you prepare to commence a set?

Typically yes from cleaning, doesn’t always happen. And yes distal.

I know this means i should stop the cleaning :frowning:

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Wow, thread has been a nice read… it has also inspired and motivated me to start revamping my own training into bodybuilding oriented. After making basically no gains in strength nor physique for several years, I think it’s safe to say that it wont hurt to change mindset…
I too have followed the mindset of: higher frequency, only performance training, “splits” are inherently a waste of time unless you juice it like a boss etc…
Thanks guys.

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This is interesting: AMRAP sets. I JUST learned that this is a thing in powerlifting.

AMRAP (as many reps as possible) sets exist. I thought that was just a normal (non-warmup) set…or, what I call, working set. Fascinating! You learn something new every day.

Amrap is generally a set for time. So like, do as many reps as you can in 10 minutes or something. It’s not just a set to failure.

I have a question about dieting. I have been stabilizing, and even losing weight for about 2 months now, and one of my strategies has been to limit my carbs and calories generally later in the day, especially right before bed. At that time I eat 4 whole eggs. The reason I switched to this number was what I learned about the rate of digestion for the protien in eggs, at about 2 grams per hour, and eggs being about 93% quality protein. So that works about to about 25 grams and about 12 hours.

But, the question is, does your body require more than 2 grams of protein per hour when you sleep?

Good! So by next year you will look like a bodybuilder if you try very hard!

First I need to get this performance-blubber off, luckily its only around 30lbs of it… /sarcasm

But yeah, in 12 months, I hope to have made atleast some visual changes.

Question, what height do you perform rackpulls from in a back workout? Below, at, or above the kneecap? I’ve been thinking of subbing regular dls for rackpulls to better engage the back.

Good work on your weight loss man keep it up! I have no idea about the amount of protein needed per hour and I don’t think there’s any way to know, I think the most important thing is to make sure you get 30-40g protein before bed. I think going “catabolic” and risking muscle loss is far overrated, but getting a good dose of protein before bed will ensure you can keep repairing and maintain. Especially if you’re eating 4 whole eggs, in addition to the protein you’re getting about 20g fat, so I think you’re set there. You could also cut down on the amount of whole eggs and add some egg whites, or work in some Metabolic Drive. I usually have cottage cheese mixed with peanut butter, and Metabolic Drive, for nice slow digestion throughout the night and about 35-40g protein.

I have a question about training for Ab symmetry.

As stated above, I am a long-time lifter, first time cutter. I now have, for the first time, the outline of my abs visible. To my surprise, on the left side, the rectus abdominus and left external oblique form a solid “connection,” if that makes sense. But on the right, there is a gap or space between the right RA and the right EO. When I flex my abs hard, that area “dents.”

I should note that about 6 months ago I displaced my SI joint on the right side. My PT said it was from a lack of ab strength. I have been doing more core work, but the assyemtry seems to persist, and is now visible.

Any suggestions? Anyone encountered something like this? I suspect the left side is stronger from preferntially carrying heavy things on the right side, but that is just a guess.

I suspect that is genetic, Very few people actually have those picturesque, evenly spaced, perfectly matched up 2x2x2 6-pack abs. I generally dont find abs very amenable to hypertrophy either. I mean, sure, you could get them a little bit “bigger” but I dont think they have the growth potential of something like the quads/hams

Congrats on seeing your abs! Woo! I’m not too keen on how that injury would affect your ab symmetry, but I believe that ab symmetry is largely genetic and out of your control. If your PT says your injury was resulting from a lack of ab strength, make sure to incorporate some direct ab training if you haven’t been already. Training abs a couple of times a week similar to the way you would any other muscle group is a good method to start with, and evaluate how it’s working for you. It doesn’t take thousands of crunches, there are a lot of good ab exercises you can find on T-Nation, or maybe ask your PT what he/she recommends.

One additional thought, you may find as you continue to get leaner your abs look more symmetrical than they do now.

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Exactly this. Google pictures of abs, and you’ll soon appreciate the wide variation in muscle morphology that exists.

Okay boys and girls, one last question for the crowd as I head back to work today (had 4 weeks off for baby bonding, wont have as much time to commit to the forums, but I will still be around).

What do you all think of… lets call them “extreme rep ranges” … Sets of 1-3 on the low end, and sets of 20-50 or even 100 on the high end strictly for body building purposes??

Higher rep sets seem to have gained favor in recent years, particularly sets of 50 and 100. For a while there Oly lifting and Power lifting shed new light on the 1-3 rep zone as well.

How do you all like them? How do you use them if you do at all? I’ll chime in as the replies start rolling in.

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I have seen rather unbelievable progress in my delts after running the 500 rep shoulder routine, in which it has 2 exercises done for 100 reps and also one for 50reps, as well as others for 10x10.

I never actually managed to get the full 100 reps in one go without a short rest but was fun trying! The progress in 6 weeks was crazy but obviously it is not really sustainable. I stopped it a few weeks ago and have gone back to normal shoulder routine.

I would recommend it to anyone looking for shoulder width.

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