It’s annoying not being able to get back to a gym, I went to a few around here but either too many show offs hogging the free weights or just too busy and not COVID safe.
I really want to know what my squat and deadlift is atm. But I only have the kettlebells at home. Once I have finished the program I’m on atm I’m keen to find a safe decent gym. Then push the main lifts back up to 1.5bw.
In the mean time I’m sticking with upper body stuff I can do at home (chin up pull ups shoulder press etc) with split squats, goblet squats Romanian deadlifts etc with the kettlebells.
I did used to do tonnes of calf raises when I was younger, don’t do anything for them now, but most throws/practice movements with the martial art are finishing with the weight 80% over one leg. Knee bent and pointed out. Guess that does enough for them atm.
If your calves are at 90% then you’re good to go already, and I’d be looking elsewhere to invest training time in, which you are. For your upper body I would guess it depends whether you prefer to focus on aesthetics and/ or strength & power?
As it sounds like you have a pull up bar already then you could buy a pair of gymnastic rings to hang off them (space etc allowing) and that means you can do chest dips, ring press ups, and ring rows which are all great upper body compounds.
Its sounds like I’m your physical opposite - all upper body and short legs (hence perfect body type for gymnastics). I was good at boxing but not so much at martial arts (apart from hand speed in sparring). My squat and deadlift have never been anywhere near what they should be based on bodyweight multiples.
Pinch test or visual, it’s usually easy to spot c10% bf, and also 20%, and somewhere in between. There are visuals online I’ve seen which help you to estimate.
I wish! What it’s telling me is that I have potential to add 31 pounds of muscle and remove about 16 pounds of fat (at 10% bf).
That’s about right as I have a good idea of my overall size and weight when I was a gymnast.
My goal for this year is to remove 7-8 pounds of bf and add 3-5 pounds of lean muscle, which is why my next cycle is going to be a mini cut whilst trying to keep the gains I’ve just made.
As an 18 year old I probably got to 90% of my potential lean muscle mass at 5-6% bf. But then I was full of raging natural testosterone and training as a gymnast 6 days per week to stimulate the growth.
As someone close to 50 I’m not going to have the natural non enhanced benefit of having the Test’ levels of an 18 year old (unless you go the Doucette et al route…) so the rate of gain to eat up that potential is likely to be much longer than the 2-3 years it took me over 30 years ago.
Did 3 sets of bench press 3x15 @ 40kg yesterday to test it out, judging by my current pain I suspect washing my hair in the shower tomorrow may be interesting.
Yeah, that’s sensible. Definitely wise to take it easy.
I typically say if someone can’t do 20 strict bodyweight squats then they have no business underneath a loaded bar - same for mobility required to go deep etc.
Also WTF is a gym doing getting rid of a power rack, unless they’re closing!
Well week 12 of this cycle hasn’t gone to plan at all. Was hoping as it was the last week that I’d be able to push much harder and go to failure and push for higher loads etc, on the basis that I was going to have a deload/ cruise week afterwards.
Nope, have had stiff and sore back and hips which has only just eased off so it looks like it might be wiser to deload now and begin planning my workouts for the next 8 week cycle of fat loss and metabolite training from next week.
Yeah, listen to your body. I started my training week yesterday after a quicker recovery due to stopping when I felt my back during my last squat session.
Glad I did. Last night I increased the squat weight and did 3 x 10 no problem.
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and cheap
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