I agree. When I wrote, "if they have to use them...," I was thinking about that type of situation.

Exactly as it should. That's a good sign that nothing is wrong (you don't mention pain...just burning) and that your forearms are simply getting worked.

Kind of. But, if you simply can't do a heavy barbell row or a deadlift right now solely due to grip strength, straps are okay for the heaviest sets. You'll still get grip work on the lighter sets (and grip-specific work). But, your goal at this stage of your training should be to limit their use and to develop your grip strength.

Interestingly, as you get more advanced, straps will reappear. Many advanced lifters -- even those who don't regularly train traps directly -- can shrug more than their grip can handle. Heavy rack pulls and Yates rows can challenge even a strong grip as well. The trick is to use them as a tool and not as a crutch.

Yes, that is generally true. Again, you wouldn't want a weak grip to hold everything back, but don't think you can't get your grip up in line with everything else. It's just another muscle group to train.

All that being said, you didn't really say anything having about a poor grip. You just said it burns, which is perfectly normal. I've been at this for a long time and my forearms burn if I'm doing farmer's walks or heavy shoulder shrugs (an underrated grip movement IMO once you shrug more than you can grip). Aiden's strongman meet includes a farmer's walk, 95kg a hand, 40m with a turn. Aiden is a strong dude, but you don't think his forearms will burn after that? Mine would. I'd have a crazy pump and feel like Popeye. In other words, again, what you describe is perfectly normal.

What are the best water weight cut strategies? Looking at a two hour weigh in.

I have used this strategy and have gotten great results. This is a long article though as it goes into a bunch of different things narrowing down to the one he found works. Basically: during training cycle you should drink 1 gallon of water a day. Monday of meet week up it to 2 gallons a day. Stop drinking water 12 hours prior to weigh ins and eat a whole lemon (peel not included, think of it like eating an orange). Start eating and drinking after weigh ins.

Thanks!

If someone hasn't logged in a couple of days it means that they have died from overeating and lack of exercise, right?

Lifting belt recommendation? Have never used one and figure its time to pick one up, powerlifting movements fwiw.

This is the gold standard right here

Definitely not cheap, but it's thickest and most secure belt I've ever used by far (and I usually am not a fan of lever belts at all). Feel like I could deadlift a truck. One annoying thing is that the inside is red suede, which will bleed into any light colored clothing if you sweat a lot.

Probably can't go wrong with a good old Inzer forever belt as well, but they take at least a month to make and ship out to you.

Inzer 10mm forever single prong imo. But the guys here really like the sbd. But buy once cry once, my inzer will outlive me. Don't cheap out.

I'll also plug Best Belts, but I think their lead time is long as well. Easier to break in than the inzer

I recommend Best Belts too. That's where I got mine. Took about 4wks from order submission to product receipt.

I've had a Schiek double prong since 2012. I bought it because it was the only one I could find in thailand. I think anything that's reasonably thick and the same width all the way around will be sufficient for casual squatting and overhead pressing. I've always gone beltless on deadlifts. I've found it harder to get in the starting position with a flat back with a belt and since have read articles suggesting to use a 2-3" wide belt specifically for deadlifts.

3" or even a 2.5" might suit you for deadlifts. My wife has a 3" one and it just works.

I have in Inzer Forever 4" 13 mm lever belt and would recommend it to anyone. Thickness is a personal thing, so be sure if you prefer a 13 mm or a 10 mm before buying it, because 'Forever' means forever. It will last a lifetime.

I prefer a lever, but many prefer the easier adjustability of a single prong belt. I don't see the need for a double prong belt myself. It's just harder to put on, and it's not like a belt this sturdy will rotate a whole lot. But, I'm sure some prefer it.

For break-in, I wore it for all lifts the first week I had it, storing it in the box it shipped in (which will keep it wound pretty tight). Once it was easy to put in the shipping box, I started storing it in a smaller box (for a tighter coil). It broke in pretty quickly.

If getting a basic black belt (lever or buckle), Inzer generally keep a bunch stocked, and they ship right out. Lead time is longer for different colors, though. They do warn of this on the website, which is good.

I called them with a question when I ordered mine and they actually have actual people answering the phones, so it's easy to find out what's in stock.

True. My 4" belt is okay for conventional deadlifts, but 2.5" or 3" would probably be better. 4" is good for me for everything else, including sumo deadlifts. But, someone shorter may prefer 3" as a regular belt, and probably most everyone else would prefer it for the conventional DL.

I just went back and checked. I ordered my Inzer Forever belt on a Thursday and received it the following Thursday, just using their standard shipping (UPS ground).

Oh nice...good to know!

It’s been a few years since I’ve ordered from Inzer...awesome that the time from ordering to arrival has been cut down so much. That really makes them hard to beat considering quality and price.

Yes, it's definitely a big difference in price. The Inzer Forever 4" 13 mm lever belt is $97 + tax and shipping, while the SBD counterpart is $227.50 + tax and shipping. The SBD is worth it to plenty of people, while plenty others are very happy with Inzer (and other) belts. OP may want to at least see examples from a few brands.

I have 2 Inzer single prong belts and like them both. One I got a bit big (ended up punching a few holes in it to tighten it up as I got into shape) and is thinner (10mm). The second is a size or so smaller and thicker (13 mm). I use the 10 mm for deadlifts as I move it around a bit different than squats. I use the 13 mm for squats and press when needed. The 13 mm belt is super stiff (which is good for my squats) and the 10 mm is definitely broken in and more pliable (which is why I like it for DLs).

This is from the Inzer website. I appreciate their honesty:

And, Inzer's recommendation for smaller belts:

Question:
What is the view on aerobics (as in the dancey stuff girls do following those videos on youtube) in terms of effect and also compatibility with lifting weights? The weather is rubbish here at the moment and the swimming pools are closed due to coronavirus. I'm doing weights (see below) on M/W/F but have been neglecting cardio a bit on the off days and looking for something like that which can easily be done in the office and at home.

TL;DR Progress report:
Have now increased dumbbell weights to 17.5 kgs so approaching the limit of the current 2.5-20 kg set. Rather than buying extra weights to put on it I am considering getting another 2x 20 kg set exactly the same, then putting the heavier weights on the same pair - so I could go to max 27.5 kg and 12.5 kg - the smaller ones could be used for biceps etc. Am still 102 kg - so presumably some of the fat has been replaced by muscle as I'm way stronger and feel better - thanks a lot for the advice so far.

Not really part of the post but for reference this is my current program in case it's relevant:

Current program is (2 sets of about 10 reps)
1) Dumbbell stair climb - four storeys-worth of stairs. (basically take the elevator down four floors and go back up, two stairs at a time so the legs are at the 90 degree step angle. Come to a stop after each step. Sometimes need a break at halfway, sometimes just get all the way to the top. Unfortunately this has to be done wearing a mask at the moment as the stairs are a public area.

2) Bent-over dumbbell rows.

3) Dumbbell suitcase squat.

4) Sit-ups holding two 5kg plastic dumbbells by my head. Sometimes 60 seconds plank.

5) Dumbbell floor press

When I can do 12 reps as part of each set then I move up to the next weight.

At the end - one set:
6) Biceps - I do kind of weird bicep curls with a single 17.5 kg dumbbell holding it at either end on the part of the shaft that protrudes. Obviously getting some smaller individual ones would be better.

Not sure what your question really is.

I guess the view of aerobics in combination w/ lifting weights would depend on what your goals are. But for the most part there's nothing wrong with it.

If you're a power lifter whose goal is to lift the most weight possible in your 3 lifts, then it's probably largely a waste of time and at the elite levels slightly detrimental. Mostly due to taking time and energy away that could be spent on more effective things for those goals.

For general fitness and the purposes of moving your body and burning calories it's completely fine.

Again, it would only be a negative in so much as it would relate to your specific training goals. i.e. there are other activities that might be more optimal, etc.

Generally you're going to want to have some separation between the 2 activities as well. But it's not like your body is going to explode if you do aerobics with some dumb bells.

For your example I'd probably do the stair climb after the weigh lifting portion.

Sorry. What I mean is doing it on the "off" days. I'm doing the dumbbells on Mon / Wed / Fri only as I've been told you shouldn't do it every day - the muscles need time to recover and I should do cardio on the other days.

Thing is, the swimming pool is closed and the weather is yucky so looking for some cardio to do in the office. How about this kind of thing:



My question about compatibility with weight training is more about if it is an ok thing to do on the off days, not whether to do aerobics while holding weights or straight after.

Yeah nothing wrong with doing that on your off days.

If you want ongoing support, better to start a log. This isn't really the place.

No, it's just different questions. I hear you though; I'll cut the TL;DR background stuff next time I have a question.

Can anyone recommend adjustable dumbbells? I hear bow flex ones are decent but good lord the price gouging