Any other gym rats out there?

curlytop said:

Small update I last said I was working on pullups. I was at about 20 or so for a while. Recently I'm able to do 30+ reps working on getting to 40 next

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Impressive. That's a good amount of pull ups. With the capability of doing that many reps, I'd start incorporating weighted pull ups if you haven't yet.

I pick up any free weights I come across. I have a small gym ( free weights only) in an office I've been adding to over the last 10 years. My wife and I use standard plates ( 1" holes) and I recently found these old plates at a family members. They were in such rough shape I didn't notice they were originally gold. The dimples on them were different then what I've seen and figured they were old. After a quick Google search I found a pair of 10's on Ebay for $100. Vintage Billiard plates from the 70's I'd guess. Cleaned up nice and now part of the home gym.

natureboygrower said:

Impressive. That's a good amount of pull ups. With the capability of doing that many reps, I'd start incorporating weighted pull ups if you haven't yet.

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Another thing one can do, as per Arnold.
Divide the Pullup, into 2 different parts. The Initial Pull/Halfway, and Halfway, to the Top of the movement.

And he used weights. 6-8 reps.
Do reps from full extension, to halfway up for x amount of sets. Then do sets from Halfway up, until peak contraction.
Finish off, with full reps. Try and keep reps up to 6-12 for full reps. If you can do more, add weight.

Another tip.
Dont just go up, and down, mindlessly. Say youre doing full reps.
Slightly lean back, and pull your Lower Chest, towards the bar. Stop DEAD-at the top, contract your back muscles, by using your brain, and mind/muscle connection. then try to pinch your scapula together,,,,, SLOWLY, Lower yourself. Stop Dead, pull as hard as possible, to the top of the movement, Stop Dead. Contract Back Muscles. Slowly Lower- Repeat.

Start from a dead hang, Pull as hard as possible, throughout the movement, to the top.
But, all exercises should have a Start, and dead stop portion, to make sure 1000% no momentum, is used. Now, after one cannot move a weight, on certain exercises, if no training partner, one can cheat a bit, to grind out 1-3 more reps, you couldnt do, without, cheating. But, only cheat just enough, to make the complete rep. Curls, are a good example. Dumbbell laterals.
A Bench tip. From Franco Colombu.
Always warm up, with light DUMBELLS.
The reasoning for this is?? The Bicipital Tendon, runs from the Shoulder/front delt, through what is called the Bicipital Groove, down to the elbow joint. This Tendon, is often Not Seated, in the Bicipital Groove, and when one does Barbell Bench. It Potentially Compromises the tendon, and over time, can cause Tendonitis, arthritis, tendon rupture, and other injuries.
Dumbbell warmup, allows the tendon, to become seated, in the groove, as dumbbells provide a much wider range of motion, and is conductive, to seating the tendon properly. 2-3 light warmup sets. 15-20 reps.

Great tips on the pull ups. Lot to be said for body weight exercises. I will look to incorporate some of those. I'm currently working on a new exercise plan. PPLS have been beating me up lately.
Are those db warm ups a curl movement or db bench press? Funny you posted about that, I've got a wicked case of tendinitis in my left elbow atm( which feels like is running up my bicep) I've had to take the last week off from working out, and it doesn't feel much better. I'm not taking much more time off though, I'm just gonna have to work around it. Thanks for the info.

natureboygrower said:

Impressive. That's a good amount of pull ups. With the capability of doing that many reps, I'd start incorporating weighted pull ups if you haven't yet.

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I did start doing weighted pullups ... now I usually mix up my sets of no weighed and weighted together. At the moment I add 70lbs and try to do 8 to 10 reps . Then rest take a break then do no weights. A d see how many I can do .

Some days I focus on one arm pull up training. When I feel good I can do 1 at a time. I want to eventually do 5 or 10 on each side would be a great Improvement.

I have a pulley set up to do one arm pull up training with a rolling handle on the pulley with 5 - 30 lbs added to help me do the one arm pull up and get more reps in .

natureboygrower said:

Great tips on the pull ups. Lot to be said for body weight exercises. I will look to incorporate some of those. I'm currently working on a new exercise plan. PPLS have been beating me up lately.
Are those db warm ups a curl movement or db bench press? Funny you posted about that, I've got a wicked case of tendinitis in my left elbow atm( which feels like is running up my bicep) I've had to take the last week off from working out, and it doesn't feel much better. I'm not taking much more time off though, I'm just gonna have to work around it. Thanks for the info.

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Dumbbell Bench Presses, to seat the Bicipital Tendon, into the Bicipital Groove.