BG Fitness Fanatics II: We Work Out

[Gustave]

I normally go with crown and water short glass. Its my go to cutting drink. Hydration is just a bonus.

[Osede]

Wanted to share one of my white girl recipes with you guys. For those of you cutting like me who still like to drink:

Vodka + large amounts of lemon juice (the shit you put on fish and chips) + club soda = girlyish mixed drink you can sip on. Club Soda and lemon juice both have < 5 cals per serving as opposed to the like 120cal per cranberry juice.

It's a bit rough but it's a pretty good alternative to just taking shots or drinking liquor straight if you're a gigantic pussy like me. Happy Thanksgiving guys!

My issue is i can't resist vietnam or south east asia coffee with condense milk

[Cream Soda]

Unintentionally went to failure, lol

[myreality]

So finally starting getting serious in the gym. After being sick and injured I'm finally putting together a set routine. One thing bothering me though. When I do sit ups I get a rolling sensation in the middle of my stomach, It's paralyzing its so painful. I have gained a bit of weight in the stomach area for the first time in my life and wonder if that is normal and I need to adjust or slow down? This occurs on the third set of 15.

Lost 15 lbs in 3 weeks and getting better.


Edit: Sorry was using phone.

[thetruepandagod]

Learned yesterday that I actually don't have a front delt, i now feel better about my OHP.

[Foxer]

What do you guys think about walking around in 7% bf? I started taking the gym seriously in April, when I hit 225, and my GF told me my stomach popped out more than my chest one day while buying groceries (rofl). I got a membership at a local gym and weighed in at 225.6 with 24.5% BF, 7 months later, I'm 185 (weight dropped within 2 months), and finally got to 10.9% BF as of monday when I checked.

My initial goal was always 192 lbs at 10% BF but ever since I started my new diet, it's been quite easy to drop BF, so I'm wondering if anyone thinks 7% is too low for year-round BF.

Also, I don't post on any BB forums or anything of that sort because I'm a fucking noob to all of this, but my 2 bros have been going at it for years, so it's been pretty easy for me to progress since I get to play catch up.

Stats:
Height: 6'2
Weight: 185
BF: 10.9%
Arms: 15.5
Calves 15.5
Waist: 32.5
IDK the rest

1RM:
Bench: 215
Squat: 265
Dead: 385
OHP: 140

IDK how active the community is here but it'll be a good reason to start using these forums again.

[thetruepandagod]

What do you guys think about walking around in 7% bf?

There are so many different instruments that measure bf% that vary wildly it's hard to say for sure how healthy a long term run of 7% would be. Generally though maintaining lower % will kill your lifts, make you feel fatigued and eventually lead to stress on joints and tendons. Fat in ur diet is super important for joint/tendon health.

[RKenshin]

I had an initial goal of a 'happy zone' around 7-8%, at 180-190lbs (I'm 5'10"). That was set a little over 4 years ago now, starting from 16% BF and ~160lbs.

I've since come to the reality that I'm at a much happier place at ~10% and ~175lbs, which is still pretty damn lean/cut as is for my frame (and about as big as I'd like to be for muscle). It's pretty difficult to keep that extra 2-3% off, and while I've hit those lows a few times it isn't really worth the effort/sustainable to have that be my year-round goal. I'll still try to cut and hit that zone during some cycles/points of the year, but for the most part I'm more than happy with 10% being closer to the maintenance area.

Don't know what my measurements are at this moment or the last time I took them (August), but I know that in May I was at:
Forearm: 12 inches
Biceps: 15
Chest: 42.5
Waist: 32.5
Hips: 41
Quad: 24
Calves: 15

No idea what any of my 1RMs are or ever have been, never got into trying it.

[Kuya]

Biomeasure machine near GNC says i'm at 7% at 151lbs. It's one of those machines that seems to measure your bf using electricity or something. Is that one of the most accurate ones? Anyway, i'm trying to look as shredded as possible for some work i gotta do, but if i'm still not where i wana be at 7% (assuming it's true), i'm not sure it's realistic to expect i'll meet my goal at 5%bf. It just seems genes play a large role on how shredded you look, and if i really have to go lower than 5% to sport a six pack, it might not be worth it.

[Gustave]

I had an initial goal of a 'happy zone' around 7-8%, at 180-190lbs (I'm 5'10"). That was set a little over 4 years ago now, starting from 16% BF and ~160lbs.

I've since come to the reality that I'm at a much happier place at ~10% and ~175lbs, which is still pretty damn lean/cut as is for my frame (and about as big as I'd like to be for muscle). It's pretty difficult to keep that extra 2-3% off, and while I've hit those lows a few times it isn't really worth the effort/sustainable to have that be my year-round goal. I'll still try to cut and hit that zone during some cycles/points of the year, but for the most part I'm more than happy with 10% being closer to the maintenance area.

Don't know what my measurements are at this moment or the last time I took them (August), but I know that in May I was at:
Forearm: 12 inches
Biceps: 15
Chest: 42.5
Waist: 32.5
Hips: 41
Quad: 24
Calves: 15

No idea what any of my 1RMs are or ever have been, never got into trying it.

This. I can get down around 7-8% for short spurts of 4-6 weeks but I normally get burned out. For me I have to keep the deficit from mostly exercise and not diet or I lose strength.

[RKenshin]

Biomeasure machine near GNC says i'm at 7% at 151lbs. It's one of those machines that seems to measure your bf using electricity or something. Is that one of the most accurate ones? Anyway, i'm trying to look as shredded as possible for some work i gotta do, but if i'm still not where i wana be at 7% (assuming it's true), i'm not sure it's realistic to expect i'll meet my goal at 5%bf. It just seems genes play a large role on how shredded you look, and if i really have to go lower than 5% to sport a six pack, it might not be worth it.

5% is typically very vascular, and is about where one would fall for competitive body building.

The electrical pulse method is +/- 1.5% or so iirc, which is pretty good (though the difference between 7 and 10% is pretty big). Varies by manufacturer too.

[BerenTebogo]

So I officially hit a wall today. Was doing DLs sets of 5, increasing up to a new high for me of 285. Got to 285 and just couldn't get the bar off the ground. It wasn't too much for my legs, I couldn't keep my hands gripped on it.

I use gloves instead of chalk, and using gloves over nothing has helped tremendously, but at 285 I just couldn't handle the weight. Part of it could be that I did a pretty heavy arm session just last night so my arms, including forearms, are a bit dead, but I think either way I need to do something.

I'm thinking of switching to a cross or mixed grip, but aside from that, what can I do to strengthen my grip? I do try to work forearms into my routine where I can but it's definitely a group I hit less than everything else due to just forgetting.

[RKenshin]

I do a superset inverted bicep curls and forearm curls once a week for forearms/grip strength. Most people don't do anything, usually out of laziness/low priority, but you should at least try to get one set of exercises in each week.

I think pretty much everyone I know switches to mixed grip (unless they use straps) once they get into higher weight deadlifts. Not much else you can do, grip is extremely difficult to keep up with higher DL weights.

[BerenTebogo]

I don't actually understand the concept of superset. Wanna fill me in on that?

[Cream Soda]

Go from exercise A to B w/o rest. For example I do weighted pull ups then lat pull downs in a superset for lats

[RKenshin]

Replacing your rest period with another exercise(s) and/or doing two or more sets of exercises back-to-back without rest (or very shortened rest periods).

So, instead of say:
8x Curls > REST > 8x Curls > REST > 8x Curls > REST > 8x Extensions > REST > 8x Extensions > REST > 8x Extensions

Doing either this:
8x Curls > 8x Extensions > REST > 8x Curls > 8x Extensions > REST > 8x Curls > 8x Extensions

Or this (hard mode):
8x Curls > 8x Extensions > 8x Curls > 8x Extensions > 8x Curls > 8x Extensions > REST

Usually supersets target the same area/muscle group, but you can really do it with anything and call it the same thing. I superset in push-ups, pull-ups, and dips with half of my leg exercises on leg day.

[BerenTebogo]

How is that more beneficial than the first model? Seems like it just adds a cardio or exhaustion element, not really a strengthening element?

[RKenshin]

Oh yeah, it's more for the cardio/time/efficiency benefit than it being some secret way to improve gains/strength. I don't think it matters much past being able to do more in less time + a cardio element, though that is a benefit on its own.

I mentioned it on the forearm exercise recommendation because most people seem averse to spending time on them, so the benefit of supersets is doing more with less time.

Likewise, the only exercises I typically superset (as mentioned in the previous posts) are ones that I don't want to waste time on doing by itself. Spending 5-10m to do 150 push-ups (or dropping it completely) vs using my rest time to do it, being able to spend more time doing better exercises, and getting my heart rate up. I do pull-ups/dips too on leg day because they (were) my weakest movements, and I like to touch on them a few times a week to improve it - but without taking time away from the muscle group I'm focusing on that day.

On the other hand, if I'm trying to get through a workout faster so I can get out/fit more real cardio in, I'll sometimes meld the sets into supersets so I can condense the workout into a shorter time. Often do it on my shoulder day (Friday - so I'm ready to gtfo quick). The difference between my standard shoulder workout with and without superseting is 45m vs 70m, so it can make a difference.

[BerenTebogo]

Ah, my partner bitches to high heaven any time I try to leave in like sub 80 minute territory. Gives me plenty of rest time whether I want it or not.

[Adajer]

@CS or anyone who knows

wth is Mr. Feathers and Mr. Striations?

Was watching a hogde twin video and heard them say and rememebered seeing it in CS's title.

Did a google search and really didnt explain anything. Went to images and CS has the first 3 pics.