What are your targets this year???

You want to increase the weight of your lifts?? Maybe put on muscle....maybe lose weight??? Let us know your ambitions and then maybe we can
check back to see how we go!!

Looking for 6 reps on the incline dumbbell press with the 110 pounders......

Looking to move from 950 to 1000 pounds on the leg press for 6..............

that's basically it really...........can't do deads or squats anymore................

This will be quite difficult to balance but anyway:

80kg bench for 6 reps
100kg squat for 6 reps
120kg deadlift for 6 reps

and...

improve my 100m time by 0.5s
improve my 5k time by 1 minute

Currently 15st...would like to increase to 15.5 / 16

Must keep my fitness levels

Weights:
Bench: Improve from 120kg to 140kg for reps
Military Press: Improve from 100kg to 120kg for reps
Squat: Improve 160kg to about 200kg for 1 rep
Deadlift: Improve 260kg to 300 kg for 1 rep.

And still be able to do 100 burpees on the trot....

Then i can retire to maintenance training

You're an impressive lifter geordie boy...........Obviously more in the powerlifter mould unlike myself who is in the bodybuilding mould.....

Good luck and to you to Slosty.................

theslosty wrote:This will be quite difficult to balance but anyway:

80kg bench for 6 reps
100kg squat for 6 reps
120kg deadlift for 6 reps

and...

improve my 100m time by 0.5s
improve my 5k time by 1 minute

Good all round goals there theslosty, best of luck to you. Nice to see a combination between strength increases and cardio/fitness.

bluestonevedder wrote:

theslosty wrote:This will be quite difficult to balance but anyway:

80kg bench for 6 reps
100kg squat for 6 reps
120kg deadlift for 6 reps

and...

improve my 100m time by 0.5s
improve my 5k time by 1 minute

Good all round goals there theslosty, best of luck to you. Nice to see a combination between strength increases and cardio/fitness.

The main reason I train is to improve my athletic ability in sports, it's a well-balanced combination I suppose, although I am up against the myth that "you can't build muscle and run".

Unfortunately I cannot deceive you that I am not completely vain, hopefully the above will also result in a nice drop in body fat percentage.

Just out of interest - back when I used to go to the gym, there was this big bloke - all he did was about 10 sets of the squats every 2nd or 3rd day - is this something you do once youve got your body shape and to maintain or is this wrong?

overkill...............

ShahenshahG wrote:Just out of interest - back when I used to go to the gym, there was this big bloke - all he did was about 10 sets of the squats every 2nd or 3rd day - is this something you do once youve got your body shape and to maintain or is this wrong?

Sounds a little like the Stronglifts program - for squats anyway. It works more muscles than any other exercise so not a bad one to do although boredom would set in pretty quickly you'd think.

My goals

bench bw 80kg (currently 60kg)
Deadlift 180kg (currently 120kg)
Squat 150kg (currently 115kg)

all for 5*5 reps.

theslosty wrote:

bluestonevedder wrote:

theslosty wrote:This will be quite difficult to balance but anyway:

80kg bench for 6 reps
100kg squat for 6 reps
120kg deadlift for 6 reps

and...

improve my 100m time by 0.5s
improve my 5k time by 1 minute

Good all round goals there theslosty, best of luck to you. Nice to see a combination between strength increases and cardio/fitness.

The main reason I train is to improve my athletic ability in sports, it's a well-balanced combination I suppose, although I am up against the myth that "you can't build muscle and run".

Unfortunately I cannot deceive you that I am not completely vain, hopefully the above will also result in a nice drop in body fat percentage.

I think to a certain degree, it is not possible to drop significant amounts of body fat, and increasse muscle size at the same time, purely because the dietry requirements are so polar. However, there is some nudge room.

Best of luck to you with your lifting!

My own goals for the year:

Increase my bench from 140kg (x3) to 150kg
Increase deadlift from 200kg (x6) to whatever I can!
Squat more often!

Get back to playing rugby again once my shoulder is sorted.

ShahenshahG wrote:Just out of interest - back when I used to go to the gym, there was this big bloke - all he did was about 10 sets of the squats every 2nd or 3rd day - is this something you do once youve got your body shape and to maintain or is this wrong?

Very odd in my opinion, but if he was a big guy, then something must be working!

People are all made differently I guess.

I'm giving up weights, stopped enjoying it.

It just doesn't feel like a work out when you compare it to the sprint/boxing training I'm used to. Also like getting myself out for some pretty long bike rides and they don't really compliment each other.

I'd maybe like to lower my body fat, currently at around 11%, maybe get it down to 8%.

Fair enough Lumbering_Jack. Everyone needs a change now and then. Hopefully at some point, you'll regain the passion for some lifting, but in the mean time, enjoy your change. I sort of understad where you're coming from. I very much try to train for functional strength, and don't want my weightliting to get in the way of enjoying playing squash, tennis, golf, or swimming, for instance. There are so many big guys that sacrifice so much for their size.

What sort of biking? Mountain, road, downhill?

For me, I'd love to get my 5k time down to 21 minutes. I wasn't far off at one point but now I'm back at 23:50 having not done much running of late.

Weights wise...just maintain as I really don't want to put on any size.

I'm a roady... In fine on the flat as I've powerful legs so can keep up with the lighter guys but put me on a hill and it all goes wrong. I'm too heavy to be a decent hill climber. Still enjoy it mind...

5k in 21 minutes is certainly achievable fists, just need to keep pounding the pavement. Do you enjoy running? Find it boring myself.

Eddie,

Like you ultimately the weights are to assist in my sporting interests...not the other way round...so yes Trussman as you say more power targeted than bodybuilding.
The problem i have reaching these targets though will be time training. I have limited time for weights (only do weights 2 days per week) and will probably struggle to increase those weights without putting another weights day in...but dont have an extra day to add as all my boxing / kickboxing training take up the rest...

And Sunday is recovery / hangover day

Busy schedule GF!

And of course, at this time of year, saturdays are dedicated to the Six Natios rugby too!

Absolutely...

And friday nights up at Kingston park for the Falcons...mean Saturday morning doing circuits, tabata and boxing can often be a struggle...especially on Ale nights

OHP - 120 for more than a single
Power clean - 140 for one or two
DL - 260 for reps - GF's starting weight! Yikes...

Oh....but I'd like to do this at the same time as losing weight, (just over 20 clem at the mo'), unlikely with the 6 nations going on right now!!

Ultra

I love the Power Clean...and particularly the full Clean and Jerk...i think this is one of the most underused exercises in the gym...and yet one of the best...going heavy is pure power training...but if you up the reps to 15+ like we sometimes do its an ultimate a$$kicker...that'll help you drop the weight but keep the power going!

GeordieFalcon wrote:Currently 15st...would like to increase to 15.5 / 16

Must keep my fitness levels

Weights:
Bench: Improve from 120kg to 140kg for reps
Military Press: Improve from 100kg to 120kg for reps
Squat: Improve 160kg to about 200kg for 1 rep
Deadlift: Improve 260kg to 300 kg for 1 rep.

And still be able to do 100 burpees on the trot....

Then i can retire to maintenance training

Your the man
Weights, wouldnt have a chance. Probably be able to bash out 100 burpees but would be fooked. Might try it this week.

Interesting that you mention 'maintenance training'.

Is there such thing? Can you maintain muscle mass and body fat % by doing a reduced workout from what got you there in the first place? That's quite intriguing.

Fists of Fury wrote:Interesting that you mention 'maintenance training'.

Is there such thing? Can you maintain muscle mass and body fat % by doing a reduced workout from what got you there in the first place? That's quite intriguing.

I would think once you hit your goals you can maintain it by not increasing the weights or the reps, the muscle isn't going anywhere & there is no reason that your body fat would increase.

I'd heard that if you keep your diet good you could train at 75-80% of max and maintain it but I'm not sure where I heard it.

What's 75-80% of your max...........?????

You talking reps or what........Higher reps/lower reps!!........Or You don't give your best??? What is 75% 0r 80% of your max...

Everybody trains to failure unless they are stupid..............

Some days I do 90 pounders x 12 reps and sometimes I do the 100 pounders x 8 on the incline dumbbell press..

Still training to my max...

I must be stupid then, Truss

I just look to do around 5 different exercises that focus on the same area of the body. So for example flat bench, incline dumbell press, cable crossovers, dips, pressups for chest. I don't train to failure on any of those, although I do often throw in one 'burnout' set at the end of the whole workout where I decrease the weights after each set of 8 until I can't carry on. That is training to failure, but I certainly wouldn't do that at every set of every exercise.

"If you train to failure then you fail to train"- my first coach told me this and his words ring true even today.

Arnold, Yates were all wrong then..

Pity your trainer was around at then..

Golden Rules - Overload the muscle.......rest...eat properly.........

Overload the muscle...........Have to train to failure..........

Personally prefer Mike Mentzer HIT program......

Then again he only finished 2nd in the Olympia.........

Don't wanna put the cat among the feathered birds here, but I'm fairly sure training that arnie and dorian were, ahem, assisted in their training. The rules change a lot then! I've just come from shoulder pressing the 50kg, (110), db's. Just a coupla sets of four reps.....failure training wouldn't allow me to do this cos my shoulders would be fried.......and soon injuries pop up. Overload deffo, last week I did the 47's for 6, this week 'overload' by upping the weight and down the reps.....but I rarely 'fail' mostly because I generally want my shoulders for the other pressing movements and even for deads and rows...

Re maintenance training: surely it's mostly down to diet? I mean you keep up with your training which goes without saying, but as long as you don't eat more calories than you need (or less) and get the required balance of nutrients then you'll maintain what you already have.

I hear people saying things like 'lifting heavy for bulking up' which is surely a bit of a myth. If you don't eat enough, you won't gain whether you lift heavy, light or nothing at all.

GeordieFalcon wrote:Currently 15st...would like to increase to 15.5 / 16

Must keep my fitness levels

Weights:
Bench: Improve from 120kg to 140kg for reps
Military Press: Improve from 100kg to 120kg for reps
Squat: Improve 160kg to about 200kg for 1 rep
Deadlift: Improve 260kg to 300 kg for 1 rep.

And still be able to do 100 burpees on the trot....

Then i can retire to maintenance training

Some strong lifts. Have you entered any powerlifting shows?

liverbnz wrote:Re maintenance training: surely it's mostly down to diet? I mean you keep up with your training which goes without saying, but as long as you don't eat more calories than you need (or less) and get the required balance of nutrients then you'll maintain what you already have.

I hear people saying things like 'lifting heavy for bulking up' which is surely a bit of a myth. If you don't eat enough, you won't gain whether you lift heavy, light or nothing at all.

Bang on

So what If they were assisted!!.A natural guy that goes to failure will get more muscle than a steroid user that doesn't!!

Overloading your muscles....That's how they grow bigger.

theslosty wrote:This will be quite difficult to balance but anyway:

80kg bench for 6 reps
100kg squat for 6 reps
120kg deadlift for 6 reps

and...

improve my 100m time by 0.5s
improve my 5k time by 1 minute

are you the 150lb guy? If so thats pretty beastly lifting, good luck to you

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:So what If they were assisted!!.A natural guy that goes to failure will get more muscle than a steroid user that doesn't!!

Overloading your muscles....That's how they grow bigger.

Huh? You think a natural will build more muscle than someone who's running grams upon grams of drugs simply by going to failure?

Ultra is correct. Someone who's training naturally shouldnt imitate the training programmes and methods of a pro bodybuilder who's on all kinds of artificial enhancements.

Regarding training to failure, I think you should just go on how you feel. I usually stop a set when the final rep becomes noticeably difficult and form is difficult to mantain.

You can spot the googlers a mile off. Search: Arnies work out.....A coupla mates of mine have been doing this for a while now....they got arnies book, pored over it and decided if its good enough for him......Lo and behold after their initial strength and size gains stopped, they've not altered physically in months and today, after they'd bench pressed from every conceivable angle, ended with forced and partials to failure.....flyed, crossover'd etc etc, one of 'em pulls up with a shoulder tweak.
Truss is right in one respect, 'overload' but that's not failure for the aversage Joe.....Just my opinion tho'

incontinentia wrote:

theslosty wrote:This will be quite difficult to balance but anyway:

80kg bench for 6 reps
100kg squat for 6 reps
120kg deadlift for 6 reps

and...

improve my 100m time by 0.5s
improve my 5k time by 1 minute

are you the 150lb guy? If so thats pretty beastly lifting, good luck to you

Ah but don't you see, I shall not be 150lbs by the time I have hopefully achieved these targets!

Well If you are there will be something wrong.......

I could squat more than I could deadlift believe it or not when I was younger..

Could Squat 400 for 6..........400 for 2 Deadlift...........

Always had big legs..

Everyone has their own strengths Truss...my chest is probably my weakest body part...

Personally i dont tend to train to failure with regards my weights...but im probably trying achieve a different goal...im just working my strength to benefit another sport. I do however do alot of circuits with weights where im pretty much going till i drop...so i guess its similar.

Get Bench to 1.5x body weight
Currently 100KG at 72 KG bodyweight

Get my vertebrae to fuse (I have a completely degenerated disc) so I can Squat and Deadlift properly again!!

Lose this xmas excess weight/fat

Did squats for the first time in a while on sunday...Have to be careful with my back...

Managed 18 x 318 good form .....Which I was well happy with considering I usually do smith hack squats...Always had strong legs...

Can't do deadlifts anymore.........

Incline bench managed 8 x 115 kg yesterday.........Can't do flat bench either anymore

Always struggled with my chest....

Currently 15st...would like to increase to 15.5 / 16

Must keep my fitness levels

Weights:
Bench: Improve from 120kg to 140kg for reps
Military Press: Improve from 100kg to 120kg for reps
Squat: Improve 160kg to about 200kg for 1 rep
Deadlift: Improve 260kg to 300 kg for 1 rep.

And still be able to do 100 burpees on the trot....

Then i can retire to maintenance training

Have I achieved the results since Feb 2013?

Well im currently 16.5 so I have put some weight on since this was done...

Bench: Improve from 120kg to 140kg for reps - No change - I hate my feckin chest!
Military Press: Improve from 100kg to 120kg for reps - Achieved this for 1 rep
Squat: Improve 160kg to about 200kg for 1 rep - Achieved
Deadlift: Improve 260kg to 300 kg for 1 rep. - Increased to 280 but did not make 300

And still be able to do 100 burpees on the trot....Yes I continue to make this one.

I hit my targets but don't go that heavy anymore...just too many damn injuries, and I also believe when your doing as much cardio / boxing based training its difficult to go any further than certain points.

Happy with where I got though....

Apologies instead of writing a thread just bumped an old one..

Geordie very few bodybuilders like their chests...It's like a form of anorexia...

You must be a monster with those lifts..

You weigh 231 ...I'm currently 222 but have looked better...Two weeks overindulging in L'espagne...

Keep up the good work..

I want to total 650 next year.

230 squat
150 bench
270 deadlift

Haven't tried one rep maxes in a while but I am about 70 or 80 kg off.

Geordie's deadlift seems way out of kilter with the rest of his lifts...

Strong back...

Me I was a strong squatter and my dead and Squat poundage were very similar..

Unlike Geordie though I never did one rep max's. .

My deadlift has improved but it isn't great. Geordie can you lift that without straps and hitching?

If you can then that back is iron.

Yes mate just old fashioned chalk.

Truss,
Ah I just cant do anything with my chest its so frustrating...but ah im not fussed anymore
My deadlift is quite disjointed to the others but I always enjoyed them...and pull ups with weights attached.

Ive always worked on low reps because I get my endurance or rep work in my circuits and boxing...so I always focused on just getting my strength up.

Two weeks overindulging in L'espagne...

The body needs that now and again...to completely relax and recover....did you have a good time...

I would love to get my deadlift up to near 300kg. When My squat goes up, my deadlift follows.

Geordie get that squat up to about 230 and you will deadlift over 300 easy. It will help you from the floor and your strong back will finish the lift.

Ah I think im game over now mate going heavier

39 in 2 months and trying to keep things steady and keeping up with the thai boxing.
Ive struggled with a few injuries over the last few years as well which haven't helped.

Id like to drop down a stone...back to around a lean 15.5