What training are you doing/have you done today? (Vol.3)

[MC Bodge]

mcelliott said:

Very very difficult to get shoulders to heal

I landed on my shoulder at judo last January. Minor separation with everything bruised and in spasm for a few weeks. It has only been almost normal for the past couple of months and still catches a bit occasionally.

I can recommend Indian clubs and maces for rehab. I now use them a lot.

[Halb]

biggbn said:

Thinking of giving up weight training after all these years, I am not enjoying not being strong, and do not feel I can dedicate enough time to get strong again. Not enjoying the weight training I have been messing about with, so it all feels a little pointless just now. Thinking of giving up gym membership and going over to cardio/running/bodweight stuff...

I can emphasise with this. For number people (who are the gym heads...I think there's something in being mildly ocd/ZXer about those who are good at t'gym) the realisation that the numbers are different, and not going in the right direction can be surprising/annoying/irritating/whatever. I gave up pure strength ages ago, and when I tried to get back into it I hurt myself. It can affect one's mind, and it took me a long time to get back into a decent program. I know I'll not do big (for me) numbers again, but I am enjoying the dedication of a set program and similar to Mark Felix I like being strong at a higher rep range. 1RM are too dangerous/stupid for me to pursue, but being able to mix it up with bodyweight/weights/running and GPP stuff is great.

THis guy just released good video on making sure all bases are covered.
Why I Started Endurance Training
AlphaDestiny
https://youtu.be/8R5CAlKGcog

[biggbn]

Halb said:

I can emphasise with this. For number people (who are the gym heads...I think there's something in being mildly ocd/ZXer about those who are good at t'gym) the realisation that the numbers are different, and not going in the right direction can be surprising/annoying/irritating/whatever. I gave up pure strength ages ago, and when I tried to get back into it I hurt myself. It can affect one's mind, and it took me a long time to get back into a decent program. I know I'll not do big (for me) numbers again, but I am enjoying the dedication of a set program and similar to Mark Felix I like being strong at a higher rep range. 1RM are too dangerous/stupid for me to pursue, but being able to mix it up with bodyweight/weights/running and GPP stuff is great.

THis guy just released good video on making sure all bases are covered.
Why I Started Endurance Training
AlphaDestiny
https://youtu.be/8R5CAlKGcog

Thanks man, it may just be a phase am going through but am nursing an elbow injury which precludes any pressing motion and most curling ones, ramping up cardio seems only way back into gym just now. And catch 22 being what it is if I ramp up the cardio with little weights I will lose more muscle mass/mass in general

[Mothersruin]

Halb said:

biggbn said:

Thinking of giving up weight training after all these years, I am not enjoying not being strong, and do not feel I can dedicate enough time to get strong again. Not enjoying the weight training I have been messing about with, so it all feels a little pointless just now. Thinking of giving up gym membership and going over to cardio/running/bodweight stuff...

I can emphasise with this. For number people (who are the gym heads...I think there's something in being mildly ocd/ZXer about those who are good at t'gym) the realisation that the numbers are different, and not going in the right direction can be surprising/annoying/irritating/whatever. I gave up pure strength ages ago, and when I tried to get back into it I hurt myself. It can affect one's mind, and it took me a long time to get back into a decent program. I know I'll not do big (for me) numbers again, but I am enjoying the dedication of a set program and similar to Mark Felix I like being strong at a higher rep range. 1RM are too dangerous/stupid for me to pursue, but being able to mix it up with bodyweight/weights/running and GPP stuff is great.

THis guy just released good video on making sure all bases are covered.
Why I Started Endurance Training
AlphaDestiny
https://youtu.be/8R5CAlKGcog

A decent military based system where you look at strength, power, explosiveness, circuits and endurance can be extremely effective - you really need to be able t o program well and it really works if you do have someone else pushing you.

Hate to say it, but cross fit isn't that far off, but done with a very different mentality and mind set.

[MC Bodge]

Mothersruin said:

A decent military based system where you look at strength, power, explosiveness, circuits and endurance can be extremely effective - you really need to be able t o program well and it really works if you do have someone else pushing you.

Quite.

On here, it is usually all about big lifts, though.

[gregs656]

Back in the gym today after my couple of weeks off. Felt good to be back.

Conversely my short bike commute after the same break felt like quite hard work!

[ORD]

MC Bodge said:

Quite.

On here, it is usually all about big lifts, though.

There’s a lot more science behind resistance training, to be fair. A lot of other ‘modalities’ have much less evidence of benefits.

[RTB]

Getting stronger is a bit like getting richer, you adapt to your level of strength (income) without ever feeling a lot stronger (richer).

Most on here would kill to be able to move the sort of weight that Ben moves, but by the same token, even an average gym-goer like me is far stronger than an average untrained person and yet none of us will feel especially "strong" as we're all just used to how we feel.

[ORD]

RTB said:

Getting stronger is a bit like getting richer, you adapt to your level of strength (income) without ever feeling a lot stronger (richer).

Most on here would kill to be able to move the sort of weight that Ben moves, but by the same token, even an average gym-goer like me is far stronger than an average untrained person and yet none of us will feel especially "strong" as we're all just used to how we feel.

It all depends on your social circle, too. Everyone I know in the real world is weak, but pretty much everyone I chat to online is much much stronger than me. Reddit, in particular, has lots of extremely good lifters.

[didelydoo]

biggbn said:

Thinking of giving up weight training after all these years, I am not enjoying not being strong, and do not feel I can dedicate enough time to get strong again. Not enjoying the weight training I have been messing about with, so it all feels a little pointless just now. Thinking of giving up gym membership and going over to cardio/running/bodweight stuff...

There's no reason you can't continue to lift heavy in to your twilight years, you just have to adapt- accept that things take longer- recovery, strength gains, injury is more likely, you can't push like you used to.

Adjust, adapt, continue- you can gain, and maintain strength without killing yourself in the gym. The past few months you seem to have hopped around various programs and plans, without settling, and the result has been that you've lost strength. I mentioned a while back that the best way to maintain strength on a cut, is to keep doing what got you strong in the first instance- you've been doing the opposite- high rep stuff, GVT and similar. Connective tissue in older people just won't take that, and injuries will appear- which seems to be what's happened. As a result, you've become disheartened, to the point you want to stop.

Just go back to basics, do what you used to enjoy, what made you strong- build back up, be consistent and enjoy it again!

[markcoznottz]

RTB said:

Getting stronger is a bit like getting richer, you adapt to your level of strength (income) without ever feeling a lot stronger (richer).

Most on here would kill to be able to move the sort of weight that Ben moves, but by the same token, even an average gym-goer like me is far stronger than an average untrained person and yet none of us will feel especially "strong" as we're all just used to how we feel.

Ben who?

[Halb]

markcoznottz said:

Ben who?

Smiffy...or DD

[Halb]

Mothersruin said:

A decent military based system where you look at strength, power, explosiveness, circuits and endurance can be extremely effective - you really need to be able t o program well and it really works if you do have someone else pushing you.

Hate to say it, but cross fit isn't that far off, but done with a very different mentality and mind set.

I think so. I've liked CF for a while (though it has issues), always considered it to be like lil/light strongman.
I think of that fight pentagram thing, where the rankings of a fighter in different areas are strengths/weaknesses. ONe can't hit 10 on all things, one needs to bargain with oneself on the give and take. I'd been hopping from circuit to circuit for a few years, no real goal. After I decided to settle down into the PPL thing I've seen appreciable changes, some have commented, which is good.

---

biggbn said:

Thanks man, it may just be a phase am going through but am nursing an elbow injury which precludes any pressing motion and most curling ones, ramping up cardio seems only way back into gym just now. And catch 22 being what it is if I ramp up the cardio with little weights I will lose more muscle mass/mass in general

I think it's just a phase. I just recalled, I actually wasn't able to curl for half of last year. I think we were discussing plate flips, and I added them in to my stuff went too far and something happened. Really painful at the start, even just driving was awkward. Couldn't curl the lightest DB, yet I could do chin-ups. Checking my logbook I started back on the curls sometime in Sep. I just worked around it, did what I could, and eventually got through it.

[MC Bodge]

ORD said:

MC Bodge said:

Quite.

On here, it is usually all about big lifts, though.

There’s a lot more science behind resistance training, to be fair. A lot of other ‘modalities’ have much less evidence of benefits.

It depends upon your aims. There being little benefit to a 500kg deadlifts to many people.

[Halb]

MC Bodge said:

It depends upon your aims. There being little benefit to a 500kg deadlifts to many people.

THat's a rather extreme example. I agree with regards to 1rm, at least, if hitting 1rm or taxing your cns is your job, 1rmaxing once in a while probably isn't a bad thing. But the more muscle you have, and the thicker your bones from stress exercise (within reason, revoery accepted of course) is better for your healthspan.

[MC Bodge]

Halb said:

But the more muscle you have, and the thicker your bones from stress exercise (within reason, revoery accepted of course) is better for your healthspan.

Up to a point, yes.

General physical preparedness, mobility and agility/skills are also beneficial.

[V8mate]

MC Bodge said:

Halb said:

But the more muscle you have, and the thicker your bones from stress exercise (within reason, revoery accepted of course) is better for your healthspan.

Up to a point, yes.

General physical preparedness, mobility and agility/skills are also beneficial.

Absolutely.
Sure, we all know that weight training is great. But could you imagine the benefits to society if everyone achieved a good, base level of general fitness? The societal benefit would far exceed anything gained by getting everyone to the stage of squatting their bodyweight and deadlifting a bit more.

All I have done is weight training for the last 2 years and I have become *so* unfit. I urgently need to do more mixed isometric/cardio activity.

Chaps like mcelliot are good role models for broad, balanced training.

[popeyewhite]

MC Bodge said:

Halb said:

But the more muscle you have, and the thicker your bones from stress exercise (within reason, revoery accepted of course) is better for your healthspan.

Up to a point, yes.

General physical preparedness, mobility and agility/skills are also beneficial.

The function of skeletal muscle is to allow movement of bones. As we age muscle atrophies and therefore moblity declines. Resistance training slows muscle atrophy down, allowing for a less sedentary lifestyle as we get older. There are obvious knock on beneficial effects to the cardiorespiratory system. Without healthy working muscle physical preparedness, mobility and agility would all be impossible. On the other hand Crossfit will actually shorten your life, don't try it kids!

[Halb]

MC Bodge said:

Halb said:

But the more muscle you have, and the thicker your bones from stress exercise (within reason, revoery accepted of course) is better for your healthspan.

Up to a point, yes.

General physical preparedness, mobility and agility/skills are also beneficial.

Yes, most of which come from exercise. YOu had a shoulder injury right? Heavy deadlifts combined with shoulder girdle exercise may have prevented this?
tendons, mobility, proprioception, balance are all enhanced with what we're talking about.

[ORD]

I’m not aware of any health benefits to mobility and skill work. The evidence is only really there for CV fitness (and a fairly low level - not super fit) and resistance training (also to a fairly low level - not super strong).

As long as you’re not horribly unfit or weak, the reality is that you’re training because you like being and feeling fit and strong. It’s not going to make you live forever or anything like that.

My personal bias is that mobility is dramatically overrated. I’ve felt vastly better since I became less stretchy.