Recent content by Wills

+1 for weighted pull-ups, especially if you can't involve legs. I do a 5x5 style scheme, but modify it by changing grip over the 5 sets. e.g: 1st set = really wide overhand 2nd set = moderately wide OH 3rd = medium/narrow OH 4th = underhand 5th = neutral (palms facing inwards) Keep the...

205lbs at 10% bf: 20.5lb fat, 184.5lb lean body mass 185lbs at 10% bf: 18.5lb fat, 166.5lb lean body mass So you'd need to lose 2lb fat and 18lb muscle. Possible, but seems like a backwards step.

I guess I'm a similar weight/build: Height 5'9" Weight 175lb Bench 1RM: 285lb (5RM 255lb) Deadlift 5RM: 365lb (never tried 1RM) so about 110lb or 40% extra on deads.

To save time I interleave the work sets for one exercise with the warm-up sets for the next... e.g. bench work set 1 squat warm-up set 1 bench work set 2 squat warm-up set 2 bench work set 3 squat warm-up set 3 bench work set 4 squat warm-up set 4 bench work set 5 squat warm-up set 5 Then...

Not sure what others think of this but here's how I do it: Say I'm benching 5x5 at 110kg (last weeks workout). Since this is my first exercise, and since I once had a rotator cuff niggle (due to lazy warm up), I tend to warm up bench thoroughly: bar x 20 slow and controlled reps 60kg x 10 80kg...

I used to find that my biceps held back my pull-ups. I never really did any direct bicep work, figuring that they were being worked well by deads, rows, pull-ups etc. By including 2-3 sets of reverse curls at the end of my pulling workout I really improved bicep strength and now when I do...

How does this affect arm/shoulder/back development when used for deads? Should I be swapping grip sometimes to stop asymmetries developing? Mark

Back squats, front squats, jumping squats, squat with different stances, squat in different rep-ranges (say a 'heavy' day with <5 reps/set, and a 'light' day with 8-12+ reps/set). Squat, squat, squat! Also good-mornings and hyperextensions will keep the lower back strong without using shoulders.

For a new-ish lifter I think it's more than possible to both lose fat and gain muscle in moderation. Fair enough - neither process will be optimised, but I have had noticeable muscle/strength gains during short (few days -> few weeks) periods of calorie deficit. For an experienced lifter who...

The gym I'm using at the moment has a king of '3D' Smith machine - instead of a strict up-down motion, the bar is free to travel up/down and forwards/backwards (i.e. the side bars are mounted on rollers at the top and bottom). Anyone ever seen/used these? The bar is still constrained so that it...

It helps me if I break up the set in my mind: I'll go for a 10, then rest for a few breaths (if I need to), then go for a 5, then a 3, and finish with a 2 or two singles: 10 +5 +3 +2 = 20, but it feels like less! I try to get the whole lot out in one go if possible, but this scheme gives me...

I don't really want to wade into this, but I should point out that there are a lot of people on this board who will disagree with this statement, myself included. Since I started introducing a controlled arch into my bench press I have improved chest strength and size, and I feel MUCH more in...

Back: Wide grip Weighted Pull-ups (palms out). Also one-arm bent-over DB rowing (I consider Deads a total body exercise). Chest: flat bench, mixed in with low incline bench occasionally. Pull-overs are great, but more of a supplementary exercise to a heavy press. Shoulders: Lateral DB raises...

Cheers Guys, I ended up doing something like this (missed the comments as I left early for the gym, but I'll take them into account next time). warm-up sets: plenty of rest and nowhere near failure (obviously) but from the comments above this is clearly too much! bar x 10 88 x 8 110 x 7 132...

Hi Guys, I'm hoping to go for a bench max single tonight. I'm aiming for 275 for 1. Last week I did my normal workout (several warm-ups at 10,10,8,8,6,6,5; and then 3x8 at 210), and was then tempted into going for a max. I hit 255, but obviously the effort of all the previous sets had tired me...