I don't believe it's possible for me to agree more! Well said!!! I made a crucial decision today (and actually was considering this through the last few workouts). I got back to my all time highs on most of my exercises since I started this diet. I was already working toward that direction, but not really dieting. Unfortunately, some of those resulted in re-visiting old injuries over the last few workouts. Both flat barb bench and shoulder press related (what a surprise, right?). I don't want to relate this to age, but parts are wearing out, and even though I achieved higher rep rates over my prior highs on certain moves, the shoulder problems returned this last week. My form is and has always been nearly flawless. I consider that priority one. The things I've seen (and you have too,) in the gym make me cringe, especially when young guys are guaranteeing a short lifting career with reckless form and excessively heavy weights. But at a point, great form doesn't prevent the inevitable. I have decided that certain heavy lifting is a diminishing return (at least for me). I feel like I actually made better gains working with 3 to 4 5ths of my ATH's since I started the latest cycles of increase. Was getting good pumps, and not losing too much size (I've lost almost 15lbs since we started chatting in this thread regarding this diet...hopefully mostly fat!) with the lighter weight. I had backed off the heavy stuff some months back because of certain recurring tendon problems, mostly left shoulder, and had been building back up over the last 4 - 6 months. Anyway, I think the lighter weight (still heavy by some people's standards) gave me better results...because I can go deeper into the range without increased risk of injury (no brainer). I hate having sore tendons, and tonight my left RC and AC joint are asking for ice and are going to cost me several days of certain lifts.(I've had a spur in the left shoulder ball, and tendinitis in my left RC and a little arthritis in my left AC for a couple years already, so problems crop up there first). The decision to reduce was a result of one simple thing. I didn't have any considerable pain until I reached for the highs on the bench and shoulder press in the last week or so. I think backing off is good call for myself. It was great hitting those highs, but if they induce tendon pain, they are history. I know I can get good results, because I was a couple weeks ago...and felt great. All in all, this fat loss diet is a huge success for me so far, though. I just hate it when mind over matter reverses. It has to happen eventually. Got to listen to the body when it speaks, or suffer the result of choosing not to. Like you said, it's about the journey!!! I always joke with my friends, and not just about lifting: If I could have done this thing or that thing 30 years ago, I might have been somebody! Regardless, on with the journey!
WTF! Wow, my joints are hurting just thinking about that. Did you ever have tendinitis or other lifting injuries? My left elbow tendinitis gets flaring at least once a year. I wear a Bauerfein compression brace on my elbow for chest/shoulder/tri days and it definitely helps.
On with the journey indeed. It's interesting that you referred to two exercises I no longer do: the bench press and the shoulder press. Bench press was my ego exercise when I was younger, and I moved a serious amount of weight for my size as a weekend warrior. I was able to do a single rep with just over double my bodyweight in strict form. I know it was strict because the gym where I worked out, in Toronto in the early '90s, had a competition and a judge ensured proper form (butt not off the bench) and cadence (no bouncing). Again, I know I won't go down in history, but we're talking weekend warrior, right? Although I almost never did single max reps because of the risk of injury, I did go heavy for only 5 to 6 reps on my first set after warm up. And I would use body English to get the last rep up. That cost me. I have had shoulder issues for the last couple of decades. Although my shoulder press was not as "notable" it also caused me problems, possibly stemming from my bench press. And so, I no longer do either exercise. I mention this because I have since read, in the last few years, that neither exercise is particularly good for the shoulder, notably the bench. Apparently, the bench press, a mainstay in any chest routine, places the shoulders under unnecessary duress for reasons that I cannot now recall. And so, I now avoid all overhead lifting because it is not worth the grief it gives me, and I do incline push ups with the feet elevated and using the more difficult 1.5-rep sets I described to you earlier. Yeah, it's not as cool as the bench, but with proper form, cadence and pauses, and full range of motion (which I seldom see people do), I am well and truly done by the 10th or 12th (1.5) rep. And I have no pain. (I don't remember why, but there is supposedly a mechanical reason that the push up is not as risky for the shoulder as the bench, all else being equal.) Fortunately, I can still do weighted parallel bar dips with full range of motion and just over half my bodyweight of added weight for 10 reps, so they are an important component of my chest (shoulder/tricep) work and also represent the vertical push. I guess it's all about adaptation, all the more so because of the mistakes I made when I was younger. P.S. Congrats on your progress! I don't think your mind-over-matter will reverse if your dietary regimen is sustainable. And if it is not, then you might want to consider gradually adapting to one that you can continue indefinitely. That helps keep the yo-yos away.
Perhaps I should have said "mind over amount of matter". I'll continue changing things up for variety, but for the chest and shoulder routines, a more permanent change is it hand, if nothing else, lighter weight during my various types of routines. Many use lighter weights and various rep amounts, and are intended to help me graduate into heavier routines, but can stand on their own ground as reasonable, effective, and safer routines. I like your form descriptions. They are spot on. I see bouncing more than anything. It's one thing to use body english on some lifts (like standing curls) to get an extra rep in (personally, I would do a partial instead), but bouncing does nothing but invite injury. And the butt leaving the bench...I have a story about that: A few years ago, a friend of mine (he happens to be a trainer) and I watched a person in his late teens or so get on the flat bench. He had one guy on each side (the only smart thing he did), and proceeded to try to bench 315 (6 plates + bar), with no warm up, of course. None of the 3 guys had any muscle. Almost immediately, his butt and feet were almost vertical, feet flailing, and his friends battling to lift the bar back to it's rest. The 3 of them could barely do it. It looked comical (we would have come to the rescue if needed). Man, the lecture your judge friend would have given them!!! I would have paid to see that! The worst part of the entire episode, which lasted 5 or 6 seconds, is after replacing the bar, some other bystander nodded his head with a grin as if too say "good lift, it's all you"! My pal and I just looked at each other and shook our heads. I asked him if he was going to go over and school them. He said with a laugh: "No. They're not going to listen to me. Their teenagers". Who could argue with that? Here's another one for you. Ever see someone who is strong enough to have 315 or 405 on a flat bench take all the plates off one side first?
Can't say that I have. But I remember when I was in CEGEP (which comes between high school and university in Quebec) I'd occasionally be the first guy in the gym in the morning so I had no one to spot me on the bench. At the time, my first (and best) set after warm up was 225, so 2 plates on each side. (I don't recall, but my butt was probably off the bench at least towards the end of the first hard work set.) What I did was not put the collars on so that if I miscalculated and couldn't get the bar off my chest, I'd lean the bar one way, the plates would slide off and then the bar would seesaw onto the other side. I remember that saving me a couple of times. Yes, that was stupid.
Since I am officially cheating (TRT), I'll share my progress. Recent bloodwork came in at 275 ng/dl total testosterone. GP prescribed Androgel @ 5 grams a day (1%). On day 6? now. Not much new to report. Will take some time to kick in, so I hear. Much rather be on shots (Test Cypionate @ 200mg/week). That's a good TRT dose. New research confirms low testosterone is associated with a shorter lifespan, and all sorts of diseases (CVD, kidney disease, metabolic syndrome, anxiety, diabetes etc). Something to be aware of guys. Testosterone and higher levels of testosterone ARE NOT evil. They are necessary for good health. I would add there's a huge stigma in the medical and legal community AGAINST men and testosterone, in general. HRT for women is encouraged. TRT for men is frowned upon, and in many countries, difficult to get. Endocrine disruptors (estrogen mimickers) are plentiful. Bisphenol-A and other chemicals mimic estrogen, which suppress natural testosterone production. Long-term study out of Boston shows men ~20 years ago had >20% higher testosterone levels then today. There is a war on Men, and testosterone, imo. Low T and All-Cause Mortality Low testosterone appears to increase long-term risk of death https://www.endocrine.org/news-room/press-releasearchives/2008/lowtestosteroneappearstoincreaselongtermriskofdeath Low serum testosterone levels are associated with increased risk of mortality in a population-based cohort of men aged 20-79. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20164245 Low serum testosterone and mortality in older men. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17911176 Endogenous testosterone and mortality due to all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer in men: European prospective investigation into cancer in Norfolk (EPIC-Norfolk) Prospective Population Study. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18040028 Prevalence, incidence and risk factors of testosterone deficiency in a population-based cohort of men: results from the study of health in Pomerania. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20504090 Welcoming low testosterone as a cardiovascular risk factor. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19536127 Low T & Health Problems Prediction of metabolic syndrome by low serum testosterone levels in men: results from the study of health in Pomerania. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19581420 Prospective association of low total testosterone concentrations with an adverse lipid profile and increased incident dyslipidemia. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20562628 Low total testosterone is associated with increased risk of incident type 2 diabetes mellitus in men: results from the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP). http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21039324 Low testosterone concentrations in men contribute to the gender gap in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23182129 Inverse association between total testosterone concentrations, incident hypertension and blood pressure. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21087174 Low serum testosterone is associated with increased mortality in men with stage 3 or greater nephropathy. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21335966
I know next to nothing about the subject, but it does sound a bit like a double edged sword. http://www.webmd.com/men/features/low-testosterone-therapy-risks-benefits http://www.healthline.com/health-news/men-hearts-could-be-at-risk-with-testosterone-therapy-020414 https://www.google.ca/search?q=risk...fe_rd=cr&ei=cxC5VdT9HubE8gfo77zoAQ&gws_rd=ssl I suppose everyone makes their own trade-off. Perhaps I am mistaken, but don't you have to remain on TRT for the rest of your life once you begin using it? I don't mean to minimize your issue, and perhaps they might provide little more than rounding error, but are there any natural means that might help you along? http://www.webmd.com/men/features/can-you-boost-testosterone-naturally http://www.healthline.com/health/low-testosterone/natural-boosters#Basics1 https://www.google.ca/search?q=natu...&gfe_rd=cr&ei=1RG5VdbjBeLE8gfO5Icg&gws_rd=ssl
Thanks for that. In a subset of men who have preexisting CVD, TRT increases the likelihood of a heart attack. Yes. For men with no preexisting CVD, there is no increased risk. Now the risk of having low testosterone is established. Higher risk of CVD, all-cause death, diabetes etc. So if a person doesn't have heart disease or a history of it, with low T, TRT is the way to go. Otherwise, low T presents great risk alone. As for natural cures, I tried all that stuff for years (spent thousands of dollars). Nothing worked. Well, one herbal product worked amazing, but I could never replicate the effect or isolate the active ingredients. You also have to consider quality of life. Does a man want to spend the rest of his life (3-4 decades?) walking around with a floppy dick, no sex drive, no energy, shit mood . Is that how a person wants to live? I don't. I've wasted 9 years already. No more. I'll take my chances.
Fair enough, so long as you have already incorporated all of the lifestyle changes suggested in the links, which are good for everyone anyway. And I suspect any gains from that would be modest. Good luck! I hope it all works out.
I wouldn't consider that stupid. I would actually consider that the opposite!:eek: I would consider that applying a safety mechanism. Besides, I don't think two plates on each side is enough to flip the bar if you take two off one side first (depending on the width bar over the rest, of course)...3 is more likely (unless maybe the absolute inside edge of the bar is at the rest on the remaining weighted side). I've had to roll a couple hundred pounds off my lap, so I don't blame you for giving yourself a safety out. I don't generally use collars either, with the exception of deadlifts or bar curling on smaller bars. In any case, after letting plates slide of one side, you are still holding that side, so the bar won't become a giant whacking stick. Regarding stupid: Going into the gym, and for no other reason than ego, putting 100's of lbs of more weight on a bar that one's never even come close to lifting, just to impress one's friend(s)...that's when I would apply the word. That was the situation we witnessed. Seriously, this dudes legs had wings! Regarding pulling plates off one side, though: A smith machine was damaged at one gym I had frequented when someone took 450 off one side while leaving 450 on the other. The machine was never right after they repaired it.