Bought a workbench and weights...

[Halb]

chris watton said:

I upped the diet a little and concentrated more on heavy compounds and lower reps for those, while keeping the reps higher for the secondary exercises (I did a three day split twice weekly for the first 4 months of this year) - I have done very little to no direct abs work at all this year, I think the compounds help take care of them.

I think that combo of compounds and ancillary is one of the best.
So you trained 6 days a week?

[AndStilliRise]

Good work Chris!

Well done on your change. It changes all aspects of life, you feel better, work better. Success leads to more success.

Again well done.


Ps: there is not much point in hiding tour face when the post before that has them on.

[chris watton]

Halb said:

I think that combo of compounds and ancillary is one of the best.
So you trained 6 days a week?

I did, from January to late April, then I thought I'd try something different, so did a Reg park 3 days per week Power routine for 5 weeks, which really helped with strength, and was a welcome relief from the 6 days routine.

Am now back to a 4 times a week 2 day split, but at some point, I shall go to the 3 day split again, as I would like to have more exercises for legs, and having a back specific day.

As the weight increases, I now find I spend as much time, if not more on low weight warming up sets (Squats and Bench press especially), and increasing the weight at each set, so this current 2 day split takes around an hour and a half to two hours each day.

I have to admit, by the time I am finished, I really am too knackered to waste more time on abs, anyway!

AndStilliRise said:

Good work Chris!

Well done on your change. It changes all aspects of life, you feel better, work better. Success leads to more success.

Again well done.


Ps: there is not much point in hiding tour face when the post before that has them on.

Cheers

It isn't so much I don't want to show my face, I have no problems with that, it's just that, when my wife too the pics, I was knackered and didn't realise I was pulling such gormless expressions!

Edited by chris watton on Saturday 4th July 15:23

[chris watton]

OK, I have been umming and arring about posting this little vid I did, to check form of deadlifts, but I do need to know if what I am doing is OK.

I apologise for my attire, and the state of the back of our garage, it does need a refurbish - but I keep spending too much on my car...

[wc98]

been a fair while since i did any training, it looks to me like your initial starting position is fine but then you raise your hips prior to beginning the lift,using too much back and not enough legs just when the load is at it,s maximum. someone that actually knows what they are on about will be along shortly to help correct it i would imagine !

just read the entire thread,well done on what you have achieved in a relatively short time ,amazing transformation.

[DervVW]

Just read the whole lot...
What a great effort. Well done

[chris watton]

Thank you - and also thank you wc98, you are right, it seems I am using my back more than I should to bring up the weight, no wonder I'm struggling!

I am 72kg this morning (dry weight), I did want to get down to 70, but not sure that's possible now, not without losing any gains...

[Crush]

wc98 said:

been a fair while since i did any training, it looks to me like your initial starting position is fine but then you raise your hips prior to beginning the lift,using too much back and not enough legs just when the load is at it,s maximum. someone that actually knows what they are on about will be along shortly to help correct it i would imagine !

just read the entire thread,well done on what you have achieved in a relatively short time ,amazing transformation.

Agree with this.

http://stronglifts.com/deadlift/

The above link is pretty good for perfecting your form

[chris watton]

Crush said:

Agree with this.

http://stronglifts.com/deadlift/

The above link is pretty good for perfecting your form

Thanks for that - I will work on my form for DL's again next week - I guess this is where a PT could come in handy!

[CrouchingWayne]

Hi Chris, great work.

I think the deadlift form needs a bit of a tweak to be just right. I think your start position is a little off - try get your foot more under the bar. The bar should be directly above the mid foot. Take your grip once the stance is corrected and bend your knee so your shin comes into contact with the bar - this means the bar will travel straight up and down.

If you watch the video your start position is out, but once you begin the pull the weight automatically rolls to the correct point this is part of why it looks like a "2 part" movement as the initial position is not stable enough to lift it off the ground.

I personally prefer a narrower stance with toes a little more outwards than you as well.

Let me know if any of the above helps.

[chris watton]

CrouchingWayne said:

Hi Chris, great work.

I think the deadlift form needs a bit of a tweak to be just right. I think your start position is a little off - try get your foot more under the bar. The bar should be directly above the mid foot. Take your grip once the stance is corrected and bend your knee so your shin comes into contact with the bar - this means the bar will travel straight up and down.

If you watch the video your start position is out, but once you begin the pull the weight automatically rolls to the correct point this is part of why it looks like a "2 part" movement as the initial position is not stable enough to lift it off the ground.

I personally prefer a narrower stance with toes a little more outwards than you as well.

Let me know if any of the above helps.

Thank you very much! I shall do as you suggest and work on form, starting light and progress from there. I shall post another vid when I 'think' I have it cracked.

I have got up to 160kg, but I feel I should be doing better, perhaps the wrong stance and using my lower back too much is the reason.

[CrouchingWayne]

You probably won't need to deload much, but often better safe than sorry. It is very back dominant so that won't change. I recently had an issue where my back angle wasn't flat enough which I think is what you are thinking you want. I found correcting that has helped the weight go up again.

[Shinobi]

Well done mate, excellent progress and if your enjoying all the better.

Would you mind posting a few pictures of the gym as a whole? Moving into a new house soon and I'm gonna convert the garage into a gym and need as many examples as possibly.

[lord trumpton]

well done and good for you

at nearly 42 I've just rdered a heavy bag and a rope and looking for a bench and some free weight.

I think its my MLC but hey, its better than going out and trying to pull young birds and risking my marriage

[J4CKO]

Yes, and I find my weights dont say "fk off grandad" either

[chris watton]

CrouchingWayne said:

You probably won't need to deload much, but often better safe than sorry. It is very back dominant so that won't change. I recently had an issue where my back angle wasn't flat enough which I think is what you are thinking you want. I found correcting that has helped the weight go up again.

Cheers, I shall start from 80kg and go up 10kg each set, concentrating on correct posture and movements, as you state.

Shinobi said:

Well done mate, excellent progress and if your enjoying all the better.

Would you mind posting a few pictures of the gym as a whole? Moving into a new house soon and I'm gonna convert the garage into a gym and need as many examples as possibly.

Thank you These are posted in previous pages

This was taken last September; it hasn’t changed much apart from more weights and more flooring:

And this was taken late last year, when I bought the cable attachment for the cage. I don’t use the Preacher Curl bench so much (Now prefer standing BB/DB Curls and Chin Ups), but I guess it’s nice to have and still do a set once per week. I did also buy a pair of longer 18” dumbbells, so I could use more weight for the DB Rows – also more pulley attachments.

I am thinking of buying another large barbell and a pair of 25kg plates, so I can leave one bar on the cage and one on the floor – or is that just lazy?

lord trumpton said:

well done and good for you

at nearly 42 I've just rdered a heavy bag and a rope and looking for a bench and some free weight.

I think its my MLC but hey, its better than going out and trying to pull young birds and risking my marriage

Thank you!

I would say go for it, as I have said before, it is one of the best decisions I have made. It had nothing to do with MLC, I just didn't want to be seen as fat anymore, I wanted to gain a little more self respect - I couldn't do that sitting on my fat arse all day and scoffing pork pies for dinner!

[chris watton]

J4CKO said:

Yes, and I find my weights dont say "fk off grandad" either

I am still called 'Chicken legs' and 'Turkey neck' by the kids!

[doosht]

wow, great transformation. Im 43 and thinking of having a go. Did you change your diet much?

[chris watton]

doosht said:

wow, great transformation. Im 43 and thinking of having a go. Did you change your diet much?

Thank you, and yes, diet changed completely, and for good. It cannot be a temporary change. I took advice from some good people on this very forum, downloaded My Fitness Pal and went from there. The four months in the run up before last Christmas was hard, as I was on 1200 calories per day, plus training. It worked, though, and I made every one of those 1200 calories count, all good nutritious food (and protein shakes...). First things I cut out after reading advice and doing a little research was bread and sugar.

You can still 'cheat' now and again, I had a cheeseburger and chips the other night, and have an Indian sometimes at weekends, but it's all about moderation and keeping an eye on daily calorie intake.

[doosht]

Brilliant, thanks for the reply.