Get VS Dynamos. I like mine a lot.

So basically, once I stop being a fatty, I'll have to raise my protein intake?

How do the sizes compare to chucks/regular shoes?

I wear them in the same size as my chucks (11). I wear Nikes as my regular sneakers which fit large, so I don't want to refer to those.

Link to my log

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/85...11/index6.html


Questions

1. Because I will be taking out rows, can i do 2 sets to failure of pull-ups and 2 sets to failure of chin-ups in place of the 3 sets of chins im doing now (at least while my power cleans are still at a low weight)? I just wanna get some upper-back/lat work that im gonna lose taking out rows.

2. I posted earlier about having increasing rounding on deadlifts and was unsure whether to repeat 285 or move up. Is a reasonable solution to do 1x5x285 and then throw in like 1x3x285 after? I think in one of the example programs in Practical Programming Rip suggested something like this when there was too much rounding on deadlifts.

so, the injury to my left forearm/elbow has returned. i originally hurt it doing PCs, and it was my brachioradialis, probably because i was reverse-curling. i haven't done PCs since. just trying to rest it.

well, the last couple of times i did squats, my left elbow was re-aggravated. today i couldn't complete my bench press because of it. the pain is dull, in the same muscle, but spreading up and down my arm. i am guessing this is because of my shoulder/elbow flexibility issues. i kind of fixed my low bar position, but my wrists are still very much not flat, and close to a 90 degree angle.

help. please.

Just on a protein/pound basis, so its not like it will go from 250 to 350 or something, its more likely it will stay relatively constant. In lean people (especially bodybuilder <10% BF types) they need more protein because they have so little fat left to burn and their body is more likely to start breaking down muscle than for people like you or I with plenty of fat to use; to counter this, they require a higher protein intake.

sylar, it's the squat causing it. do you have any videos of you squatting?

sylar,

try a really wide grip as shown by e.g. pkrplyrx in his log and make sure to push elbows up and scaps together.

nothing from today, but here's something from a week and 5 days ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCdPNJwDC3k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC6dwRLLq4E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zS4QwHK3zdI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8JL4eKScwA <--- first attempt at 175, failed on the second rep of second set. finished the workout with this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0jzghXkkFI

my grip is pretty wide. some say too wide actually. i tried even wider, but safety was an issue while racking at the end. my fingers are almost in the hooks.

OK, thanks that makes sense.

yeah, you're trying to grip it with your fingers, which is all wrong. rotate your foreams so that the heel of your hand is touching the bar and your thumb is above the bar. i said above the bar and not on top of the bar, because it doesn't even need to touch the bar. my thumbs are the farther than any of my fingers are from the bar.

video showing my grip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfGIGsCMqKI

sylar,

If you have SS, in the squat chapter there is a side-by-side picture of a wrist with a piece of tape on it illustrating this exact issue. Basically you want to keep the back of your hand in line with your wrist.

i have a copy of that. it's not happening for me.

miles, i've tried that, and i'll try again, but it won't happen soon, if it works at all. besides, how does that relieve stress on my elbow?

Gonna stick to 300 today, see how it goes.

it effectively shortens your forearms, so at the same width you should have less trouble taking a grip like mine than one like yours. you also can't support the weight of the bar as easily with most of your hand above the bar vs. having your thumb around the bar and palms under the bar. and lastly, and i don't know if this is a factor but think it should be, my grip has my forearms more at mid-ROM with respect to rotation. without the bar there, i could rotate them quite a bit in either direction. if i were to grip like you, my forearms would be basically maximally internally (?) rotated.

Myles it looks like you have a very wide stance too. Any reason for that? I had to narrow mine yesterday due to some pain around hip flexor and didn't feel like I could move as much weight with the new stance even though I still got 3x5 fairly easily.

discussed it quite a bit in my log. mainly it's just an effort to somewhat limit knee travel to lessen the stress on my quads. it's not super wide, anyway. any more than 4" narrower and i'd have a "narrow" stance.

Hi guys I just got the SS book today and I am planning on getting bigger and stronger, my current weight is 145lbs and I am 5ft 8. I want to get everything ready before I start the gym so I need help on the diet, I know I need to eat a lot and I am going to attempt GOMAD. The times I can eat are 7am I have 1/2 hour to eat before I go to work so I need something quick, then I have a 1/2 hour break at 10am and a another 1/2 hour at 1pm so I need something I can make and take to work. I finish at 5pm then I will get to the gym at 5:30pm what should I eat before and after the gym? Also I will be drinking protein shakes how many shakes and scoops a day should I be drinking and do the count towards the GOMAD if I mix them with milk? Then I will go home and cook some dinner. I know this is a lot of questions but can someone just give me a general idea of what to eat and then I can adapt it to suit my needs thanks Betpot.

Betpot,

as has been discussed a decent amount in this forum it's generally not adviced to go full GOMAD starting out, unless you don't care about fat gains at all. Especially starting out you don't need all those extra calories, and if you're lifting by yourself chances are you will lose some progress nailing down form.

Just aim for 1-1.5 g/lbs of protein and fill in the rest however you feel like. You'll feel the need to start eating a ton soon enough.

For pre-workout nutrition, see Alan Aragon's guidelines.

Posted in my log as well, would really appreciate some suggestions on the questions.


4 Week Update

Weight: 158 to 168

5RM's

Deadlift: 225 to 285
Squat: 185 to 225
Bench: 155 to 175
Press: 100 to 120 (maybe started 5 pounds light here)


Overall im fairly happy with my progress. Deadlift, Bench, and Press have gone well and i cant say im very surprised im reseting Squats first. I went from 145 to 185 worksets doing squats as a major part of my workouts for the first time in january so the fact that im reseting this early in SS isnt as surprising as it looks. Weight gain has gone well except for one weekend (close friend's 21st birthday weekend) where I dropped like 1.5 pounds. I certainly look a bit bigger and dont have much more noticeable fat. I surprisingly (gay comment coming up) can see my abs when flexing as much now as I could a month ago, I guess the fat gain and LBM gain are balancing each other out (not sure if this is whats happening but seems like it might make sense).


Questions

1. I am currently having about 4200-4600 calories and about 220-240 grams of protein per day, should i continue with these amounts?

2. Is it reasonable to think I should begin adding a light day of squats wednesdays if the reset does not work well?

3. Because I had more rounding at 285 for deadlifts, is it reasonable to do 1x5x285 and then 1x3x285 on friday, and then continue 10 pound jumps next week?

4. For rows I think im going to do 3x8 (which Rip says is an option because you dont want the weight to be so heavy its hard to hold the position, which i think might have been happening on my last row workout at 3x5x155) what are thoughts on this?

Can you find a local park and do some pull ups/dips/push ups? Then just do some dumbbell stuff like DB snatches and overhead presses etc in the crappiest gym ever.

1. That seems fine. Were thinking of eating more or less?
2. Sure. Maybe go an intermediate program for squats if you stall.
3. I would stay at 285 until you can finish 5 reps with good form. If you are having a hard time moving up in weight with good form maybe move up 5 lbs a week.
4. don't know

Eagle, I do not yet know the answers to your questions, but I am only about a quarter thru PPST. You need to consult that book.