The following
are some of the outstanding informative posts on the forum.
If you have a favorite post, or one you find particularly instructive, email the
webmasters.
Posting of workouts
Belts
More on belts
Viewing posts on multiple computers
Gyms
Gyms Part II
Exertion Levels
Squat and Deadlift auxillary work
Day before the meet
Learn better deadlift form
Points to ponder
Answers for women
Old school training
Choosing a Deadlift Style
More on the sumo style
RDC offers general advice
The Importance of Training Partners
Getting cut
Practical Application of Getting Cut
Question on Getting Cut Answered
Proper Squatting Technique
Improving one's deadlift
How to put on a bench shirt
Declines... Do the Following...
Bench arching and pvc pipe
Why Suits?
Coke vs. Water
My thoughts and conclusions on creatine
Posting of Workouts
In Response To: Posting of Workouts (Howard Gutnick)
: I have a question for the rest of you. Many of
: us (I certainly am included and probably one
: of the first to do it on this board) post
: our workouts, whether there is anything
: remarkable about them or not.
: Should you or I post our every workout, only
: when we really achieve something out of the
: ordinary, or when we have a question that
: arises from the workout (for example
: Gabrielle's question about her sticking
: point)?
: HNG
I am all for posting them all. When I post mine I am hoping that lifters more advanced than
I, as well as my peers, will make suggestions, and lifters less advanced will get ideas.
The more different people who post them, the more variety we can all find to add to our training.
In order for this to work, we need more than just outstanding workouts posted.
Gymrat
M-F eating plan, you might like.
Posted By: Felix the Cat (Mike J)
Date: Monday, 22 October 2001, at 1:37 p.m.
Here is another example of a way to eat to insure your fiber, protien, carbs, minerals, vitamins, etc... in an easy to prepare and easy to stick to guide for eating whole foods properly and clean. I do my best to stick to this M-F and of course the obvious junk food on the Weekends. You will NOT like this if you are lactose intolerant, or cannot eat the same things everyday. Over the years I have made my mind up to look at food as "fuel" and not as "food". I do not count calories but I do shoot for over 3500 per day. Here goes:
Slice up the following:
2 carrots
1/3 cucumber
1 small tomatoe
1 apple
Then mix with:
2 cans of tuna
2 servings of cooked pasta
1 cup of apple sauce
mayo
canola oil
sunflower seeds
raisons(optional)
and mix well.
After breakfast (usually oatmeal and milk) I munch on the above mix all day and drink 1 gallon of skim milk from morning until night. This gives me approximately 3600 calories and a little over 1 gram of protien per lb. Add in a vitamin in the morning and walla!
Felix the Cat (Mike J)
Posted By: Gymrat <gymrat45@home.com
Date: Wednesday, 26 September 2001, at 8:16 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Machine Hack Squats (dian in spokane)
: Heck no...I wouldn't even know what to do with
: one, nor when to find one. Maybe I'll ask
: that PT if I can still do squats if I use a
: belt.
: What's the deal with belts? I have always kind
: of thought belts and gloves and such
: were...hmmmm...cheating. Not that I care
: that much, I DO use gloves..just to keep
: down the calluses. And, it's not like I am
: likely to compete.
: Do I need a whole new topic on this to hear all
: about belts?
: dian
Not now :) Visit Crain's site, click on his logo at the top of this page. Get yourself a
good belt.
The deal with belts is they protect your back. A lot of young bucks like to do all of thier
training beltless. The theory is that training with a belt trains around your lower back and sets you up with a
weak link for injury. Thats what I used to think. Until beltless training lead to a back injury that put me out
of squatting and deadlifting for 5 months. Face it Dian, you and I are not spring chickens. Our backs have a lot
of miles on them. Most back injuries are cumulative. For us in particular the bulk of our squat and deadlift training
should be done with the belt on. I even use it to help my back stabilise me when doing curls.
Posted By: rickey dale crain <rcrain@charter.net
Date: Thursday, 27 September 2001, at 9:10 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Belts (Jonny)
: I never use a belt, just good form. Belts don't
: seem to help much and they can give a false
: sense of security. I bet around 9/10 pro
: bodybuilders are against weight belts.
read dave drapers newsletters.....
every single true bodybuilder i know uses a weight belt........every single athlete i know who trians heavy uses one..........they are for protection as well as to handle heavier weight to help you get stronger faster.....
rdc
Posted By: mike h
Date: Sunday, 28 October 2001, at 10:22 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Bench Press Problems (Roger Broeg)
: I am in awe of your double bodyweight bench.
: That has been a goal of mine for some years.
: In 1977 I benched 150, now on a GOOD day I can
: bench 250 without my shirt. Thats 100lbs in
: almost 25 years. That is an average of 4lbs
: per year.
It was also a goal of mine for several years and i finally done it last year for the first time.I have hit a double body weight bench four times now.I am the kind of lifter who uses my mind to my advantage.If i know i have done it in the past i know i can do it again.I like to shake my routine up about every 5-6 weeks to keep my mind and body guessing what it can do.Try this routine for about 5to6 weeks and see if it helps your bench.I am known to be an animal when it comes to lifting so drink a pot of coffee and go for it.
This routine is based on a 1 rep max(RAW).
40% 12 reps
75% 6 reps
100% or new max pr
95%-100% 1 rep
95%-100% 1 rep
85%-90% 4 reps
65%-75% 8 reps
65%-75% to failure
Your first heavy max will feel heavy but you WILL have the strength to push the weight up.Try
it and see what it does for you.Let me know the results?
Stay strong and keep lifting...........Mike
Re: Max lifts
Posted By: Donna
Date: Thursday, 6 December 2001, at 8:32 a.m.
In Response To: Max lifts (Howard N. Gutnick)
: I was just wondering what the rest of you
: thought about your personal max lifts and
: the max that can be achieved by a human.
Hi Howard,
I think it is a case of "what the mind can believe, the body can achieve". I know
with myself, what I "believed" when I first started lifting had to seem pretty farfetched to everyone
but myself. I was a whopping 110 lbs. or so at 5'7" (think preying mantis :^)). I couldn't even bench press
an empty bar (45 lbs.)! I was definitely the most physically weak person you ever saw. After training for a while,
and making little if any progress I might add, I set some goals for myself. Goals of a 200 lb. bench press, 400
lb. deadlift, etc. Goals that were too ludicrous to even mention outloud but goals that I felt I could personally
reach nonetheless. Keep in mind this was a long time ago, back when benching 200 was done by very few women and
not something I had ever personally seen. Back when the most popular gym in my state didn't even allow women to
lift there. I was quite aware when I made those goals that I didn't have a good body structure to lift for strength
with, I couldn't add a hint of muscle if I tried, I tended to be a bit on the fragile side, I had non-existant
strength to start with, etc. What I did know was that I'd have to be patient and try to learn as much as I could.
I'd have to outwork and be smarter than those that perhaps were better suited. Those things were all within my
control so in my eyes, why couldn't I lift what I wanted to lift? Anyway, after a gazillion years (patience I have
:^)), I benched the 200. I had wondered whether I was going to lose my drive after I did it. It was such a major
goal of mine for many, many years. It was the number that meant I had accomplished all I had set out to do. Fortunately,
I found myself thinking like you said, if I can bench 200, why not 205, etc.? Lifting did take on a new perspective
for me though. I've always had a tough time enjoying my accomplishments. I was so focused on my larger goal that
I refused to let myself enjoy all the mini-accomplishments I made on the way to the larger goal. Now, while I still
have a hard time with that, I find myself in kind of a warmer, fuzzy place where I can just see how far I can take
myself. I don't have those numbers in my head that are my measure of whether I've failed or not.
I definitely believe people will be squatting over 1100 very soon. The 800+ lb. bench will also fall very, very soon as well. While I believe it may take a bit longer for the 900+ deadlift record, it'll also fall.
D.
Viewing posts on multiple computers
Re: For Gabrielle...or someone as smart as her
Posted By: dian newell
Date: Friday, 21 December 2001, at 12:17 p.m.
In Response To: Re: For Gabrielle...or someone as smart as her (gabrielle jayde)
: And I can easily see any new posters so I
: can quickly check for spam and stuff.
: Since the color of the posts change as I read
: each one, its easy to see where I left off
: on the same computer. When I'm on another
: one, I can usually pretty remember where I
: last read was.
: does that help?
: Gabrielle
Well..you are better than ME than. LOL! When I was reading the board from portland, I was
using two differnt computers, and it was HELL trying to figure out which ones I had already read. I can't tell
you how many posts I opened that I had already done.
Fortunately, I usually stick to my laptop, and the color change helps. Still...I wish they would
just disappear after I read them.
dian
Reply:
Posted By: rickey dale crain
Date: Friday, 21 December 2001, at 12:40 p.m.
the people or the posts??????
rdc
Gyms: a very long post
Posted By: Howard N. Gutnick
Date: Sunday, 23 December 2001, at 7:35 p.m.
In 1997, because of my wife’s health, we had to downsize our home and now live in a smaller
house that is part of a condo community. Therefore, even if I wanted to, I could not develop a workout room. There
is just not enough space. But even if I had enough room, I am pretty sure that I would not want to work out alone
at home. I’d like to share my thoughts on this topic.
There are a number of gyms in Virginia Beach from the spandex and glitter of a Bally’s to
more hard core gyms. Flex gym probably is more (maybe the most) hard core gym in the area. It is about 10,000 square
feet of free weights, Hammer Strength equipment, two power racks, two powerlifting platforms/stations with hydraulic
lifts, two reverse hyperextension stations, etc etc. There are no bands or chains for Westside type training, however.
There are 10 aerobics machines but no special room for aerobics classes.
I think there are some significant advantages that I get from going to a gym, and especially
Flex. Technically, there is far more equipment for specialized training than I could ever afford or make room for
at home. I know many of you are now thinking that one needs no more than a power rack and some free weights to
achieve what you need. That may be the case, but I appreciate the variety of equipment so that I don’t get bored
and so that I can vary my workouts.
Working out with and being motivated by other people has real value to me. I am able to learn
from those who are better than me as well as learn from the mistakes of others. Maybe more important is the coaching
that I receive for just the price of membership. One of the owners of the gym, Al Walke, is a bottomless pit of
knowledge. He has been in the "fitness" business for most of his life and at one time was both a professional
football and baseball player. I have seen him train overweight beginner housewives, experienced PL’ers, and wannabee
professional bodybuilders with equal effectiveness. He simply knows this stuff, from lifting mechanics to nutrition
to supplements to lifting routines.
A few weeks ago, I was in my squat suit and was preparing for a meet with a few other PL’ers.
We were getting ready for some max squats on a Thursday night. A back spotter, two side spotters, and someone to
judge depth were necessary. They were immediately available. Guys to help me get into my squat suit were necessary.
They were there. This isn’t easy for the person who helps. Essentially, he has to hold on to the material while
a 180+ guy (me) literally drops his weight into the suit. This is hell on the fingers and knuckles. I don’t know
how you would be able to prepare for a PL competition in a home gym without help. I can get help just by asking.
And of course I’ll help when asked.
Back to this Thursday night I mentioned. I wrapped my knees, someone helped me stand up,
someone pulled the shoulder straps up on my suit, someone helped me put on my lifting belt, and I chalked my hands.
As I approached the bar, my lifting partners and others were trying to motivate me with "it’s light, go deep,
you can do it". The activity in the rest of the gym literally paused and everyone looked over to the squat
platform as I squatted. This often happens when someone is pushing their envelope on squats. I must admit that
it is ego gratifying to be the center of attention. It also helps you get used to what happens at a PL competition.
I got the lift, a gym PR for me.
A gym is more than a place to use exercise equipment for a few hours a week. A good gym has
a positive (this isn’t the best word as it doesn’t convey the full wealth of meaning that I want to suggest) social
atmosphere. The racial mix of Flex is probably close to 50/50 white to black and probably 70/30 men to women. This
gym is a microcosm of what I think we all would like our world to be (not the men to women part). People are judged
on what they do, not on who they are. There is healthy competition but mutual support. I have yet to see any racial
"business" take place. This past Saturday, I asked a black guy I had never met to spot me while I squatted.
He did it without hesitation. There is a wide variety of workout partner mixtures. For example, two Greek white
guys workout with a black cop. A 50+ white woman body builder who wins regional contests has a 27 yo black guy
as a workout partner who is interested in Jewish Kaballah (mysticism). The owner, Al Walke is black. His co-owners
are a 50 year old white woman and a 30 something white guy. When I converse with Al, I see Al. I don’t see a black
guy. A few weeks ago I kidded a black guy because he had grown an afro. I have asked both white guys and black
guys to help me get into my lifting gear, I have spotted both black guys and white women, and I have had interesting
conversations with blue collar fed ex delivery men and professionals. There are some people I don’t particularly
like and others to whom I am indifferent. But like Cheers, a gym is a place where someone knows your name.
So, to close. I know many of you have exercise equipment at your homes and are very satisfied
with your situation, which is fine. I certainly do not mean to demean your choice. I have realized, however, that
my gym is not just a place I go to stay fit, build muscle, and get stronger. There are other gyms closer to my
home (two within walking distance) and so far more convenient. But a gym should be much more. I have been lucky
to have found a good one. If you haven't, keep on looking. They are out there.
HNG
Gyms, Part II (long post)
Posted By: Kate
Date: Tuesday, 25 December 2001, at 6:20 a.m.
Working out has always been very important to me. It was a way to relieve stress and to feel better about myself. I always worked out religiously, but was much more into aerobics and machine work.
When I first moved to SC 6 years ago, one of the first things I did was find a gym. The one I found was a true hole in the wall. It was a big change for me since I was used to work out in a World’s Gym which catered to the weekend warrior type. I picked this gym because it was close to my house and very convenient to get to.
At this point, I had no clue what a powerlifting was. A few times when I was working out I noticed some rather strange individuals putting on even stranger clothing such as shirts that took at least 2 large men to help put them on the wretched person. Being the nosy person that I am, I just stood there staring and staring.
Several weeks laterI was working out and one of those men came up to me and asked me if I had ever powerlifted before. I said no, but I would be willing to try. That was six years ago. I have made many friends in that gym and they all know my name. I became part of a team. I also finally began to feel like I belonged.
I still lift in that small, dark, hole in the wall sometimes. Many people have come and gone since then, but one thing stays the same. The bench where it all started. I remember looking at that bench and thinking "Damn, if I could only bench 135, I would be sooo happy". I did. I was. But now I think, "If I could only bench 200, I would be sooo happy".
When I am feeling frustrated, I go back to that bench in the gym where it all started. I know that bench will always be a constant in my life. It may not always be first and foremost in my head, but it is always lurking in the background, waiting for me to conquer yet another weight.
Merry Christmas!
K
Exertion Levels
Posted By: Howard N. Gutnick
Date: Saturday, 12 January 2002, at 3:43 p.m.
On several workouts, I've posted an exertion level. For instance, today I posted that my exertion level for the deadlifts was 7/10. Started to think about this and came up with the following scale. It may be interesting to use this or a similar scale to let everyone else know how hard a particular lift was:
1. Still sleeping.
2. Good for warmups, but nothing else.
3. Heavy warmup weight.
4. Won't break a sweat.
5. Good for 15 reps, if wanted.
6. Good for 10 reps if wanted.
7. Got my attention, but with good velocity.
8. Very heavy, but still doable.
9. Glad this wasn't a 10.
10. Maximum effort. Wouldn't have gone with another pound.
Ok, what do you think folks?
HNG
In Response To: Dan Marbes (Gary)
: -Thanx for the Auxillary help Dan.....
: -Its some good advice that i will start
: using....
You're welcome.
: -Just one more question though, do u know of
: any good auxillary workouts for the deadlift
: and squat...
: -Please keep in mind that i have a very basic
: gym in my town, (nothing fancy!!)
: Thanxx
Well, I'm going to assume that you mean aux. exercises again, not whole routines.
Some different things you might want to try:
Different stances: By making your stance narrower or wider you will change the degree to which certain muscles are hit. Just make sure that whatever stance you use, your knees track over your toes.
Box Squats: Doing a box squat forces you to be more explosive out of the bottom of your squat (you lose the stretch reflex and momentum). Some people do them to a box that is below parallel to build more power in the hips, some to parallel (I do these on my aux day to work on form and speed), and some people do them to a high box (2-3" above parallel) and use it as an overload exercise. If you don't have one, they're easy to build. I put mine together for about $30 using 2x4 and 5/8" plywood.
Pause Squats: They work kinda like box squats, except that you don't get to release any muscle tension at the bottom. The pause is between one and three seconds. Most people seem to agree that this exercise was sent from hell to destroy mankind. Must work. :)
Deadlifting off a plate or box: Basically a regular deadlift, but you stand on a box that's 1-4 inches high. This might help if you have difficulty with the beginning of a DL (getting it off the floor).
Pin Pulls: The opposite concept. Place the barbell on the safety pins in a power cage (knee level or lower). Like a hi-box squat, this will allow you to overload to stress the hams and glutes and low back. One thing people do not like about this exercise is that it will often take you out of your normal DL groove.
Good Mornings: One of my personal fav's. Place the bar on your shoulders like you would for a squat, then bend over at the waist until your torso is near parallel with the floor. Your knes will bend a little, but it shouldn't turn into some sort of funky partial squat. I've done them both arched back and flat back. Start light and practice the form until you feel comfortable with it. Works hams, glutes, and low back.
Romanian Deadlifts: Deadlift a bar (conv. stance) to the "up" position. Let the bar glide down along your legs as you push your butt back as far as you can. Somewhere around knee level, you'll feel like your hamstrings want to rip off. Pull back up to starting position. Works hams. I also get a good traps workout from these.
Straight-Leg Deadlifts: Pretty much what they sound like. Instead of assuming your normal DL start position, bend over at the waist and lift the bar. These can also be done off a plate/box for extra range.
Pull-throughs: Uses a low cable setup with a leather tricep strap. Stand facing away from the machine, bend over at the waist, reach between your legs, and grab the tricep strap. Pull your torso back to an upright position. Works hams, glutes, and low back.
Leg Curls: You need a leg curl machine for this one. Works hams.
You can also do calf work, but I've got no idea what's available in your gym.
If your normal squat stance is narrow, you may want to throw in some aux work for your quads.
Also, don't forget to work your abs, both front and obliques. Go heavy, and for sets of 6-10 reps. I use weighted decline situps, standing ab pulldowns, and kneeling cable crunches.
I hope this is helpful. Again, I am by no means an expert, and I'm sure other members of the board will have some good ideas too.
Dan
Day before the meet
Posted By: Roger Broeg (24.4.255.97)
Date: Friday, 18 January 2002, at 9:01 a.m.
And all through the house :)
Just kidding. I am barely a class II powerlifter but I have a lot of experience. So I thought
I would share my thoughts. They may be helpful to some of you considering your first meet.
This morning I weighed 146. I like to get a little under the limit before a competition.
You never know if there is going to be a variance between scales. I don't like sweating off pounds to make weight.
So far everytime I have weighed in at a meet with a scale which was certified in the passed 24 hours, it has matched
mine. But I have also gotten on scales that had not been certified in a while and been up to 3lbs heavier than
mine says.
I took the night off of work. Personal Leave day so I get paid. I will be laying around watching
tv all night. Hopefully I will be able to fall asleep by midnight. Not because I need the sleep for the meet. But
because I need the sleep for the drive. The amount of sleep one gets the night before a competition does not seem
to affect one's performance. It is the amount of sleep one gets 2 nights before the meet which does. Most powerlifters
that I have talked to rarely get a good night sleep the night before. They are too keyed up. I remember sitting
up with Jason Burnell talking till 3 AM at the 1999 USAPL senior nationals. He got up at 6 and performed beautifully.
I had one HECK of a time driving home from St Louis that afternoon :)
As far as eating, I am going to try to eat as much like I do when I go to work as I possibly
can. Protien shake for breakfast, dinner will contain almost all the carbs I get for the day. Cottage cheese at
5PM. Milk and fish at 8PM. Will avoid a midnight snack.
In the morning I will drink my usual coffee on the way to the meet. All the rest stops that
causes will aid me in making wieght :) I will wait until I am there and have weighed in before I drink my usual
shake. I am going to pack a cooler so I don't eat anything at the meet that I don't normally eat. I want peak performance.
It is not the time to discover I have digestional problems with something new. I will also take a gallon of water
with me. Lots of water during the meet helps me keep my energy levels up. I will also take some chocolate covered
espresso beans. Better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them.
The trip should take 3.5 hours. I will leave myself 4.5 hours to get there. This will allow
for stops to pick up and drop off coffee, give me time to find the venue, and generally keep stress levels down.
Today I will mentally rehearse my lifts a few times. But mostly try not to think about the meet
tomorrow. Getting to keyed up about it wastes energy. And breaks me down mentally so I won't be able to get a good
psyche.
I will be double checking my gymbag to make sure I have everything I need. And will be loading
the car with my directions to the meet (Thankyou AMY MORROW)and a few other things I don't want to forget in the
morning.
Well...thats about it. I hope some of it will help those who have never been to a meet before.
Gymrat
Re: Can't do them deadlifts
Posted By: dian newell
Date: Tuesday, 29 January 2002, at 9:49 a.m.
In Response To: Can't do them deadlifts (Roswell)
Roswell,
Be sure to check the thread up higher on the board entitled "Dead Lift Form".
I think sometimes, no matter how many times we look at videos, unless we've been coached on form, it won't help. And...we already know we don't hold out much trust for your trainers
I am fairly new to lifting, and haven't been deadlifting for long. But here are a couple of things that helped me. I am sure if I misinform you or mistate anything, one of the GREAT deadlifters on the board will jump in and correct me.
Line up like roger told you, when you look down from above, the bar should be above the toe joint. When you grasp the bar, your back will be slightly rounded..take the slack out of your arms by pulling slightly, then square your shoulders. THEN, drop your hips down just far enough to flatten your back. Your weight should be back on your feet.
Now..PUSH the floor away from you with your feet, your eyes should be looking forward. Your hips and shoulders should both move at the same time. As soon as your bar crosses above your knees..PUSH forward with your hips, and look up. The bar should drag along your thighs.
What helped me a lot was to think of this as a 'pushing' exercise instead of a pulling one. Push the floor away, push your hips forward.
Another thing...I am not sure if you are deadlifting off the floor, but it helps to have the bar up as far as it would be if it had the 45lb plates on it...so..8 inches up from the ground.
Good luck! I've come to love the deadlift, hope you do too!
dian in spokane
: I had posted before about how a trainer showed
: me straight-legged deadlifts, and several
: people here suggested I learn regular
: deadlifts. So I found a video of it on the
: web yesterday, then I hit the gym and had a
: trainer show me. Well, we worked at it for
: some time, and I just couldn't do the
: movement properly. I think we discovered the
: reason was that I didn't have enough
: flexibility in my hamstrings. I guess I
: should point out that normally, I can't even
: touch my toes - in fact, I can barely get
: below my knees. As I was doing the motion, I
: also felt a lot of strain on the front part
: of my lower leg - in the shin area.
: So how can I overcome this? Obviously it will
: involve doing some stretching every time I
: go to the gym.
Posted By: mike
Date: Sunday, 3 February 2002, at 12:25 a.m.
Should I spend more time on the internet or in the gym?
Should I go out and buy all the latest and greatest equipment or work a little harder in the gym?
Should I go by the latest supplement or eat a nice healthy meal?
Should I go out and party all night or get 8 hours of sleep?
Should I enter a contest or wait until my lifts are up to par?
Should I work hard with what I have or cry about what I don´t?
Just a few points to ponder! Train hard, eat good, get lots of sleep! Don´t let anybody tell you what you can´t do! Enter the next contest in your area, no excuses! Weigh the cost of all the books, videos and equipment vs. the actual benefit. You wouldn´t get a degree at Harvard to work as a janitor! Beginner´s, enter a meet and lift RAW or with just a basic suit, belt and knee wraps. If, over time, you decide it´s worthwhile then upgrade your equipment. I´m all for equipment, in the right hands it can work miracles!
Build a good strength base and eat good! Push your body and mind to the limit and then rest! Be intense, when you go to the gym...hit it and quit it! One hour to a hour and a half max!
I only send this because over the past few years I´ve got a few lifters into Powerlifting! I urge them to do two things, get a lifting suit and belt! Before long they´ve amassed an arsenal of equipment: deadlift shoes, squat shoes, expensive bench shirt! After a meet or two, I´ve had these same individuals say, I´m not going to compete anymore!!! Why, why invest so much into something when you don´t even know if you will do more than 1 or 2 contest?
My personal arsenal consist of 4 sqt/deadlift suits, 1 bench shirt ($100), 2 pairs of deadlift shoes (color coordinated), a nice power belt, a singlet, 2 pairs of knee wraps and wrist wraps! This doesn´t include the 3 bench shirts and 3 pairs of knee wraps that I gave away! So, I´m definitely pro gear! Just don´t make any expensive mistakes!!!
Set a goal:
-Break a personal best
-Be the strongest in your gym
-Place in the top 3 in your weight class
-Be the strongest in your city
-Set a state record
-Finish 1st in the State Championships
-Qualify for Nationals
-Compete at Nationals
-Place in the top 3 at Natls
-Win the Nationals
-Compete at Worlds
-World Champion (There´s one out there!)
Answers for women...
Posted By: gabrielle jayde
Date: Saturday, 2 February 2002, at 10:24 a.m.
In Response To: Re: something humorous (phred)
Phred, you'll very likely be answering a lot of questions pertaining to women and weightlifting- something I know a bit about. Obviously, others here know more about lifting in general, but there are a lot of practical reasons why women SHOULD be lifting (and why they should NOT be using the smith machine).
1. Women, being naturally weaker than men, should try to be strong to be less dependent on
a man to move, lift, or carry something.
2. Women often have lower back problems from carrying kids, groceries, carrying vacuum cleaner,
standing over an ironing board, or carrying a heavy purse. Build their abs and obliques and strengthen their lower
back will help that- the smith machine won't help their stabilizers.
3. Women will not 'bulk up' like men- we don't have the testosterone. Real bulk on a woman is
usually just too much bodyfat, which will go DOWN as their muscle mass goes UP. Meaning... cardio is ok, but weights
are necessary!
4. As people age, they sag. building muscle combats that.
5. A stonger woman will have an easier time with childbirth and general surgery recovery.
Gabrielle
Re: 2/14 DL day
Posted By: rickey dale crain
Date: Friday, 15 February 2002, at 8:37 a.m.
In Response To: Re: 2/14 DL day (Jeff McVicar)
: No man! I didnt. I dont know about 90% of the
: things going on here. Me workouts, speed
: day, ect. I seem to train VERY old school
: I'm finding out. I learned from people in
: the gyms and muscle and fitness in the late
: eighties. There are a lot of theories and
: neat stuff going on. I'm listening and
: figuring out what neat little things I can
: use to shock my cns. My routine I have now
: is a split between a routine I got from
: Robert Wagner I got third hand and the
: theories I have compiled over the last 14
: years.
: Right now the speed day theorie seems to be the
: most likely thing I will add to my next
: cycle. I remember in 95 I did a whole 8
: weeks of training real fast and explosive.
: It seemed to really work well. But then I
: let a bigger guy talk me out of doing it
: like that. I got stronger anyway but it
: seems to be the ticket.
: In short..when it comes to all the new tricks
: and tweaks in weight training, Guys Like
: Rickey, and John Bott are the men to watch.
: My attitude seems to be the thing that gets
: me by.
: Jeff
really i use the what you termed old school training...it is just i constantly work to perfect form..style and technique as i consider it to be more important than the routine......also much of the way we incorporate "spped" work into our training we have been doing since the 70's...it is part of the regular workout..not seperate from it...thus constantly using the squat to improve the squat.....i think to see if something is working you have to see if it is working for teh general lifter...and/or if it works for a lifter using the same type gear (i.e. single ply)tha lifters have used for the past 25-30 years.....if i squatted 700 pounds in 1980 in single ply using workout A and squatted 725-750 in 2000 using 2 ply gear and using workout B.....i think there is no improvement even though the numbers are bigger.....since we could attribute ate least that gain to the suit or more...the workout would be considered to not be effective (putting it nicely-in layman's terms...worthless..)
so look at the 700-800-900-and even the few 1000 pound squats in the 80's and 90's and then look at the same max squats of today ...in better gear (i.e lots of two ply and canvas products and supposedly "advanced routines...etc" and you have only a general rise in the bigger squats than you had many years ago....and this could easily be attributed to better nutrition and a larger population of lifters to get the results from.......i.e. logically you could deduce the "new training methods" floating around are no better and in many cases not as good as the old ways.....
rdc
Choosing a Deadlift Style
Posted By: rickey dale crain
Date: Thursday, 21 February
I AM GOING TO PUT THIS POST TO BED.....
A LOT OF THINGS ARE NEEDED TO DETERMINE WHICH STYLE IS BETTER.....
IN GENERAL...AND GENERAL ONLY..........SHORTER PEOPLE FIND SUMO
BETTER...TALLER PEOPLE FIND CONVENTIONAL BETTER.....
LENGTH OR ARMS IS NOT RELEVANT EXCEPT IN THE CASE WHERE YOU HAVE VERY
EXTREMELY SHORT ARMS...
THEN SUMO WILL NOT BE PRACTICAL......SO CONVENTIONAL
WILL BE BETTER......STRONGER HIPS/LEGS ARE BETTER FOR SUMO...STRONGER
BACK/HIPS ARE BETTER FOR CONVENTIONAL.....
LONG BACKED PEOPLE WILL FIND CONVENTIONAL BETTER...SHORT BACK EITHER IS
OKAY.....LONG UPPER THIGH WILL FIND
CONVENTIONAL BETTER AND SHORT DOES NOT MATTER...
RDC
Re: 2/21 DL day
Posted By: rickey dale crain
Date: Thursday, 21 February 2002, at 11:36 a.m.
In Response To: Re: 2/21 DL day (Kirk Roy)
add these two things........one sumo is very much a more technical lift and almost always needs an experienced sumo lifter to teach it correctly...second a beginning lifter should always start with conventional no matter what he thinks he might do later...
rdc
info
Posted By: rickey dale crain
Date: Wednesday, 27 February 2002, at 10:01 a.m.
good day to all.....
...let me offer some advice and info that might help.....
as you look at gear...routines.....form and style....take the following into consideration......
1. age of the person
-extremely young lifters under the age of 12-13-14 need to be careful and work on form ...style and technique before going very heavy
-the older lifter..over 40 needs to keep the routines very simple also and stick to basics.....they are more susceptable to injuries....
-younger lifters will make gains because of the age...on any type of routine with or without gear.....as they reach and go into puberty and beyond the males have an increase of testosterone and growth hormone production which enhances their gains......the female to a much lesser degree has a similar type of advantage over the older lifter but not near anywhere the advantage the male has....
the older lifter has less testosterone and growth hormone production so this will start to limit their gains....and the injury recuperation factor is a lot slower....
2. sex of the person
-form and style can be dictated by ones sex also
-and as mentioned before the gains becasue of different hormone production levels...
3. length of time trained
-newer lifters need to keep to the simple routines
-more experienced lifters can do more and take on more training in their routines
-also newer lifters need to train ligament and tendon strength....as their muslce strenth will lag behind that...so to avoid injury take everything at it's own pace......think long term.....
4. location training (types and kinds of equipment)
-home hard core gyms have more opportunity for gains as they have what one needs
-home gyms not well equipped are harder to make needed gains in
-fitness/fluff gyms are hard to train in all together and gains are very minimal
-hard core gyms for athletes are one of the best places to make the gains you need... they have the atmosphere...equipment..and the peopole...spotters....etc.....but these are becoming like dinosaurs.....
5. training partners
-good training partners will speed up training momentum and gains...they will help encourage.....pushing each other is the name of the game to getting better.....
6. supplementation
-vit-min/protein/etc......everyone needs these.....if you are not using they will limit your gains
-steroids and other egrogenic aids.....these must be taken into consideration when looking at some people's routines..as they were written by people using this type of advantage
7. gear
-all types of supportive and injury protection equipment as well as the style and makeup of each....the basic to the more scientifically advanced....
8. time of day training
-if you are training hard the evening is the best time...this is not always a viable option because of job...family...etc..
9. location
-if you have to travel a long distance this can also cut into training
10. genetics
-this plays an important part in how fast one can make gains....
11. height, weight, and joint length and size (somewhat included in genetics)
-this will determine some what form..style..and technique may be needed as well as potential
12. personal life
-ones personal life ...good or bad ...hard or easy has a lot to do with gains...some are controllable...some are not
13. bad habits/good habits...
-smoking...drinking....etc....amount of hours of sleep...sleep environment..etc
14. recovery
-how and what you use for help in recovery after the workout......
i.e..supplements...steroids....massages....hot tubs.....all sorts of different therapies are
available......
15. mindset
-how you handle stress....hard training.....the ability to focus.....the ability to take nervousness and channel it towards your workout and meet......
well guess this hits about everything......
again i apologize for my over zealous actions.......i must realize the more experience one has the easier it is to take all of these things in account when making decisions.....good luck and always willing to answer any questions.....
rickey dale crain
What ever your goal is I suggest you get and use a training partner. Find someone who is at your level of fitness,although your goals may be different you will benefit in the long run. The advantage of having a partner are.
1.You will train safer(a spot is necessary)
2.You will secretly compete with each other, making for a more intense work-out
3.You will have more motivation to train.
4.On those days you don't feel like training you know your partner is waiting for you, you will
not blow off your partner or your work-out.
4.You can discuss different methods of training.
Male or Female it makes no difference, if you are unable to find a partner then ask someone
at the Gym for a spot, just the idea of someone watching you complete a set will add intensity to your work-out.
If no one is training at the same
time ask the desk person for a spot, he has an obligation to help you, they will not refuse
to help you weather it may be a question on how to perform an exercise or assist you in your
training. If they do refuse, which I doubt, you should not re-new your membership.
Re: help w/ gettin cut
Posted By: Paul (bodybuilder)
Date: Saturday, 23 March 2002, at 9:58 a.m.
In Response To: help w/ gettin cut (jim)
Long post, but it's something I have done several
times.
Most bodybuilders can't get that "ripped" look without some degree of carb restriction.
Almost every bodybuilder I’ve ever met uses some sort of low carb diet getting ready for competition
You have to take into account your body type,
Why does dropping your carbs help you lose more fat? There are several reasons, but to avoid
getting into a complicated terms let’s just say that eating less carbs forces your body to burn
fat for fuel instead of sugar. Reducing carbs and increasing protein accelerates fat loss by
controlling your insulin and blood sugar more effectively. The high protein in these diets
also speeds up your metabolism because of the "thermic effect"(HEAT)of protein food.
It also helps eliminate water retention, giving you the "hard" and "dry" look you need onstage
to win contests.
In my opinion, a moderate carb diet, with slight carb restriction (especially at night) is
the most effective (and most "sane") way
for bodybuilders to get ripped. For example,if Iwas to enter a contest my diet is about 175
-200 grams of carbs with most of the carbs eaten early in the day. Every 4th day, I have a high carb day (350 grams)
to replenish my depleted glycogen stores. my off-season diet would be 350 - 450 grams of carbs. With 175 - 200
grams of carbs, that is just enough fuel to provide the energy I
needed to train hard and prevent me from losing muscle.
Would dropping carbs even further to 30 or 50 grams a day get you more ripped or get you ripped faster? MAYBE. But the problem is, without carbs, you’ll have no energy to train hard. Sure, tuna fish and water will get you ripped alright, but if your workouts suffer because your diet is killing you.
Another big problem caused by very low carb diets is loss of lean body mass. The lower you drop your carbs, the more likely you are to lose muscle along with the fat.
A third problem with very low carb diets is the rebound effect. The lower you drop your carbs,
the faster you will rebound and
gain the fat back.When I experimented with a very low carb diet, (about 40-70 grams a day) I
drove right by the GYM I was foggy carbs are brain food
Nutrition is a highly individual issue. Some people can’t seem to lose weight unless they
reduce their carbohydrate intake. Other
people can eat bagels and pasta all day long and they have six pack abs. How many carbs you
eat therefore, depends on your body type. Are you an endormorph or an ectomorph? Do you have a fast
metabolism or a slow metabolism? Are you naturally lean or naturally heavy? Depending on your
genetics,
The only way to determine how many grams of carbs is right for YOU is to experiment until you
find your bodies level." If you start dropping body fat rapidly at 200 grams a day, then don't
change a thing you subject yourself to the torture of going even lower and doing one of those
30-40 grams . Why kill yourself?
There is no diet that works for everyone.
If you want to get ripped, natural, unprocessed carbs like vegetables, oatmeal, yams, rice,
potatoes, etc. low GI index food The bottom line is that it’s not correct to say, "carbs are fattening,"
but there IS some truth that a low carb diet will get you leaner compared to a high carb diet – Remember train
for a contest don't diet...PHEW LONG POST
im 18 and started liftin about 9 months ago. im
: 6'1 185 lbs. and i bench 230. im extremely
: satisfied with my gains, but i also put on
: some fat, which i expected. but now its
: spring and i wanna get cut up. ive been
: readin posts on this board for a few weeks
: and you guys seem to know alot so i was
: wonderin if u got any advice for me to get
: cut. i plan on droppin my carb and sugar
: intake and startin to run. im not sure if i
: should stop using creatine. any advice or
: comments would be greatly appreciated. thanx
Practical Application of your diet
Posted By: Steve Horton
Date: Saturday, 23 March 2002, at 11:26 a.m.
In Response To: Re: help w/ gettin cut (Paul (bodybuilder))
Jim, Paul is right on the money. Don't believe the myth that fat makes you fat. Not true. As a matter of fact fats are anabolic, the right fats are healthy, and you're not looking to suck grease out of a friar. Most of your fats should come from flax and olive oils, nuts, and meats,as these are naturally existing and efficiently utilized by your system. Dietary Fat has been wrongfully targeted by ignorant “experts”. Your anabolic hormones will increase and this is what you are after.
In practical application for your diet, follow these guidelines:
* Meal Frequency: Eat every 2 1/2 to 3 hours for 6-7 meals per day. MRP shakes like Met-Rx will help with this. Don't utilize more than two a day though.
* You are looking at a breakdown of roughly 50% protein, 25% fats, 25% carbs.
* Protein: 1.5 - 2 grams of Protein per lb. of bodyweight (Eat as much as you want)
* Carbs: below 150g on training days (most following workouts), under 125g on other days. Low glycemic only. No refined carbs= bread, pasta, cereal, candy, cookies, chips etc The body does not recognize these foods sources and creates metabolic havoc. Eliminate them and there will be no more cravings. Eat as much green vegetables as possible except peas. Oatmeal, sweet potatoes and wild rice are the best choices. You can see a listing of low glycemic foods http://www.alphanutrition.com/diabetes/glycemicindex.htm
* Fats: 2 tbspn olive oil and vinegar salad dressing each day with a salad or green vegetable, real butter and real mayo, avocado and mixed nuts (watch portions) are good fat choices as well. You will want at least 2 tbspn of flax oil each day, best done with MRP shake like Met-Rx to balance the meal.
I hope this helps. I know I've spent a great deal of time on this in the past, and the irony is right now I've modified this myself to add weight and a little fat for my training. I've always successfully used this to get down between 6-8% bodyfat though, beyond that takes a lot of specialization. If you want to have a real expert help you out, talk with Scott Mendelson of Infinity Fitness Systems www.InfinityFitness.com, (smendel@columbus.rr.com ). He's a great guy and does this for a living.
Re: Practical Application of your
diet
Posted By: Steve Horton
Date: Sunday, 24 March 2002, at 8:52 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Practical Application of your diet (sandy)
: Hi Steve,
: would you base this on 10-12 cals/bodyweight,
: maybe starting on the higher end of that and
: slowly drop the cals every week or so until
: you get where you want to be body fat wise?
: And just out of curiosity, how much cardio
: (along with lifting) would you thrown in
: there per week on average, 4-5 times?
: Sandy
Hi Sandy. Actually I use the 12-14 range for weight loss, 15 for maintenance, and 16-18 for weight gain. In this case, starting at 14 and walking back approximately 200 calories a day until you reach 12 is a safe bet. Obviously monitoring the loss to be sure it's not too quick. Regarding Cardio, I personally don't do any, letting the diet spike my metabolism. The key here is to continue lifting heavy enough to add muscle, which will burn more fat even in a rested state. Together you create a fat-burning machine. Make sure your cardio doesn't impede your lifting, so keep it around 3 times a week and don't overdo it.
Have a great day!
In Response To: Re: how to do a squat 'perfectly? (Ivana)
: What I remember is that she said that by
: pointing the toes outwards, I would put too
: much stress on my knees. The exercise puts a
: lot of strain on my shin now as this is
: nearly vertical.
There should be no strain on the shin or knee.
The feet should be more than shoulder/hip width apart and the toes should
point outwards.
The knees should point in the same direction as the feet.
The movement should start with the hips. If you start with the knees they
will travel too far forward.
If you sit back correctly, the shins should be nearly vertical and the
stress should be on the hips, a much stronger joint.
: Is there some URL for a web site that shows a
: 'perfect' squat in slow motion?"
: I just did a search in Google but haven't come
: up with a suitable site yet, albeit one
: seemed promising but I can't get it running
: http://www.corecomm.net/~frank416/squat.html
The squat in this shot is not being done correctly. The knees are bending
first and too much.
Notice that, as the knees bend, they are lower and lower. This means that
the squat finishes far above parallel.
The stress in this picture is almost all on the knees. The shins are
certainly nowhere near vertical.
Ironic, because the description of the squat that follows says something
completely different.
In Response To: Sumo question (Ant.)
> What muscles are involved in the bottom part
> of the lift?
The same muscles that are involved the rest of the way up...trunk extensors and the hip extensors.
> The past couple weeks, I have
> been having a whole lot of trouble breakin
> the floor on my deads. I had 355 2x3 my last
> workout and they were hard to get off the
> floor but flew up like an empty bar once i
> got them up. I know that sumo is harder off
> the floor but 355 should just be all around
> easy.
I completely disagree. At the beginning of the lift the sumo has a trunk angle that is significantly closer to vertical that conventional lifters. Sumo lifters were also found to have much larger hip and knee angles at the start of the lift. This style shifts the bulk of the load on the hips and knees. While the conventional lifter with a more stooped-over trunk position at liftoff utilizes more low back muscles to get the weight moving off the floor. Thus, it is easier to get the weight moving off the floor.
Because the sumo keep the weight closer to the centerline of the body, lever arm distance is shortened, thus significantly reducing the resistive torque making the levers more efficient. In fact, research looking at the difference between the two styles found half of the sumo lifters had a sticking point somewhere in the second half of the lift where only 15% of the conventional style lifters got stuck here.
>I feel overtrained or something.
More than likely this is the problem. Trying to nitpick muscle groups will do NO good. You need to probably take a break. Then come back and incorporate some type of speed training into your workouts.
As we all are very aware, a good maximal lift is often determined by the amount of explosion we generate out of the hole. If the momentum is great enough, we will generate enough speed to get through our sticking point and be able to lock out the lift. Therefore, the dynamic effort method is very useful in training the explosive strength necessary for getting those new personal records. By training with intermediate loads, we are able to move the weights quickly, thus improving the rate of force development and explosive strength. Dynamic effort training is best done in the 55-82.5% range, with controlled eccentrics and very explosive concentric lifting. While the loads are intermediate in weight, maximal efforts should be used in moving the weights.
Now this can be encorporated into you normal periodized routine. You don't need to make a special day of it. When we normally start a training cycle we generally start at about 55%. So when you warm up and train in the 55% to 85% range, do all lifts as quickly as you possibly can...pretend every lift is a max lift. Down the road when you start to peak for a contest in the 90-100%+ ranges, this extra speed off the floor or out of the hole should translate to a bigger max.
> I
> havent had a decent workout on all three
> lifts since before my meet. Thanks, Ant.
Sounds like you pushed it to far and over trained.
Re: How to put on 1st Bench Shirt?????
Posted By: Roger Broeg
Date: Thursday, 20 June 2002, at 12:47 a.m.
In Response To: How to put on 1st Bench Shirt????? (Brian Propst)
> I just bought my first Bench Shirt, Crain's
> new shirt and need advice on putting it on.
> It looks impossible to get on but I know
> people do it all the time.
> Any advice would be appreciated.
> Thanks
> Brian Propst
STEP 1: Roll the shirt up a little at the bottom from inside out.
STEP 2: Put your arms through the sleeves.
STEP 3: Have your helper pull the sleeves up into place. Hole your arms straight but crossed as he does so.
STEP 4: Have your partner pull the shirt over your head
STEP 5: Have your partner pull one armpit into place as you make a forward "swimming" motion with your arm to seat the shoulder.
STEP 6: Repeat this process for the other arm
STEP 7: Have your partner pull the shirt down into place
STEP 8: Hold your arms up and lean sideways toward your partner so he can help you seat the shoulder once again
STEP 9: repeat step 8 for the other side
STEP 10: Have your partner pull the shirt down into place all over.
STEP 11: take a light warmup weight to stretch the shirt out
STEP 12: Repeat steps 8 through 10
One VERY important nuance. Always pull on the material as close to the area you are trying to seat as you possibly can. The farther away from the area you are trying to seat you pull, the more you fight the material instead of seat the shirt.
To get the shirt back off, pull the bottom up a little bit so your partner has something to get ahold of. Then lean toward your partner, put your hands on thier quad, and have them peel you like skinning a catfish...just make sure the neck comes over the back of the head first as it comes off.
Declines... Do the Following...
Posted By: Rickey Dale Crain
1...FIRST IT IS A SPORTS SPECIFIC MOVEMENT..AS IT IT IS VERY SIMILAR TO A REGULAR BENCH........AND IN FACT IS TEH
IDEAL POSITION YOU SHOULD TO EMULATE WHILE ON A FLAT BENCH........
2....SECOND IT WORKD TEH BOTTOM OF THE CHEST.....AND THE FRONT/SIDE SHOULDERS......WITH HEAVIER WEIGHT THAN YOU
CAN USE IN ANY OTHER EXERCISE....
3...YOU CAN USE HEAVIER WEIGHT ON IT THAN IN THE REGULAR BENCH...ALLOWING FOR THE USE OF HEAVIER WEIGHT TO STRENGTHEN
THE STABILIZER MUSCLES AND GET A FULL RANGE OF MOTION FEELING TO A HEAVIER WEIGHT .......WHICH YOU CANNOT GET ON
LOCKOUTS OR BOARD PRESSES....
Bench arching and pvc pipe
Posted By: Jeff McVicar
Go to home depot and get a peice of 4" and a peice of 3"
The tube will help DEVELOPE an otherwise lacking arch.
Start with a three inch unless you are flexible enough to use a 4" from the get. I'd get the 4"first
because you will need it eventually anyway. If you cant wrap around it get the three. if thats too small wrap a
towle around it ect.
Put it in the small of your back and do all your warmups. Your back WILL cramp when using leg drive with this form
especially in the preliminary stages of developing your arch....very painfull and hard to get off the bench........just
lay on the cold floor and put one or both legs on a bench to relax the muscle. 30 seconds it will be gone till
your next set it'll come right back hahaha. The good thing is it really comes on during sets. so it gets less and
less the further up the cycle you go and the fewer the reps are. At the meet you have no problem except getting
off the bench occasionally. Keep it under there and stare at the bar making sure you bring the bar down to the
highest part of the body that is sticking up Chest , sternum, stomach, the lower the better. And just get used
to it. Dont use the tube for your heavy sets. Too many variables to have under anything after 75%.
I take a tube with me to the meets to do my warm ups too. it gives you the perfect stretch to ste you up for the
big lifts.
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Why suits?
Posted By: Bob Mann
Date: Monday, 18 November 2002, at 2:30 p.m.
In Response To: Why suits? (Chad Tower)
> Okay, I understand safety equipment like
> belts and wraps. What I don't get is... why
> suits? Why shirts? What is the difference,
> aside from the number, between squatting 600
> raw or 650 with a suit? What don't I know
> about this?
In the old days, guys would use a very tight cotton t-shirt and wrap thweir elbows.
The lifting suit was tight and they still wrapped their knees but some would use a tennis ball behind the knee for more spring.
I guess after a while someone discovered that a tight poly t-shirt would give more support than a tight cotton shirt. The if you brought the arms out the front of the shirt it would give more support. These things generally follow a natural progression.
Not totally unlike the improvements in pole vault poles and sprint shoes. You don't need spikes to run a sprint but without them youare giving the rest of the field a 10 yard head start.
You could use an aluminum, or before that - bamboo, pole or you could use the same carbon fibre poles that everyone else is using.
If you really think about it, you don't need wraps or a belt in order to compete either.
A bench shirt helps protect the shoulders an also adds to the weight you can lift. Sometimes one happens because, in part, the other happens.
Same in the squat. People with bad knees or hips can continue to be competitive in spite of their injuries but also, eveyone gets to lift more.
This doesn't mean that the equipment is doing the work. Far from it.
In order to make the equipment work for you it is important to train for it and with it. It changes the lifts. It becomes more difficult to reach depth or maintain a pause because the groove changes. Unless you have prepared for this and changed the way you perform the lift.
The equipment makes the lifts a bit more technical.
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Coke vs. Water
1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.
3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.
4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University
of Washington study.
5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain
for up to 80% of sufferers.
7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing
on the computer screen or on a printed page.
8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast
cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.
And now for the properties of COKE:
1. In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of coke in the truck to remove blood from
the highway after a car accident.
2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of coke and it will be gone in two days.
3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the "real thing" sit for one
hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous China.
4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum
foil dipped in Coca-Cola.
5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the
corrosion.
6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.
7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake.
Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous
brown gravy.
8. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through
a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains.
9. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.
For Your Info:
1. The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about 4 days. Phosphoric
acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis.
2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous material place cards
reserved for Highly corrosive materials.
3. The distributors of coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years!
Now the question is, would you like a coke or a glass of water?
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My thoughts and conclusions on creatine
Posted By: energizer
Date: Thursday, 28 August 2003, at 3:42 p.m.
Over the past year, I have been conducting an experiment on myself to determine what effects (if any) creatine
supplementation had on my body. My first trial started september 2002 and ended a week before my first meet (Jan
25th, 2003). I had been training for 1.5 years prior to taking creatine so I could rule out any possible gains
from "being a novice lifter" and getting my muscles used to lifting weights.
I worked out 4 days per week and weighed myself each day. During that 5 month period, I estimated that I gained
about 6 pounds due to water weight which mainly happened in the first 2 months of taking creatine (diet stayed
the same as well as workout routine and level of activity). My doseage was roughly 5 grams per day. I did not do
a loading phase. After 2.5 weeks of supplementation, I noticed that my muscles did not burn as much after doing
a heavy workout but my strength did not improve. The 4th week, I noticed that my strength had noticably improved
especially in the incline and flat bench. I don't know if it was the creatine or not but my workout routine stayed
the same and when I got off of creatine, I felt weaker.
After 5 months on creatine, I started having hamstring and shin problems. Did some research and a few other people
had the same type of hamstring problems. So I stopped taking it and my hamstring felt better in about 2 months.
Took 6 months off of creatine and started taking it again about 3 weeks ago. Took roughly 5 grams per day in the
morning with juice on an empty stomach. Felt no effects the first week. At 1.5 weeks, I noticed that I was able
to lift extra reps before the lactic acid buildup became severe. At 2 to 2.5 weeks, I was able to lift to muscle
failure without lactic acid buildup. Now at the end of week 3, I notice my strength increasing. Again don't know
if the increase is a result of the lifting or the creatine. So far, I have gained about 4 pounds since taking it
again.
In the beginning, I was trying to determine if creatine supplementation had an effect on my body. So far, I conclude
that I will gain between 4 to 6 pounds of water weight. I will be able to work out to complete muscle failure roughly
3 weeks after I start taking it. Lastly, I think it also makes me stronger but I can not prove it yet. As for the
cons, I do not know if I will have more hamstring problems a few months down the line. Time will tell. Just wanted
to share my findings. The research continues....