August Most Improved Competition [ENTRY OPEN until start]

[almostgone]

I would also perform seated low rows and rear delt row.

Back performance has suffered a lot since joining gym in June, I struggle to perform 10 reps of half the weight I did before, need to redesign the day completely.

Either you need to take a week off or definitely change it up? Throw some Tbar rows or b'bell rows at it maybe. D'bell rows with your chest supported by a bench set on an incline. Maybe even some one handed rows off the low pulley while standing up w/a slight bend in your back? Use the nonworking arm to support yourself. Assisted or non-assisted chinups as well. Just a thought.

[Capebuffalo]

Either you need to take a week off or definitely change it up? Throw some Tbar rows or b'bell rows at it maybe. D'bell rows with your chest supported by a bench set on an incline. Maybe even some one handed rows off the low pulley while standing up w/a slight bend in your back? Use the nonworking arm to support yourself. Assisted or non-assisted chinups as well. Just a thought.

Rows before hoes.

[kelkel]

I've read 1,5-2g is what you should take at most when not supervised by a doc, I checked liver after a while on 1-1,5g values within range (posted earlier in the thread.) Googled life extension foundation can't find anything on niacin, have any link?

Of course.

Using Niacin to Improve Cardiovascular Health | Life Extension

[cousinmuscles]

Of course.

Using Niacin to Improve Cardiovascular Health | Life Extension

Thanks, for some reason I ended up looking at the .org site from Google redirection.

[Windex]

Everyone is chugging along nicely. In other news, has anyone noticed every second thread in the Q&A is someone asking "for a friend".

I'm just asking for a friend of course.

[Charlie67]

Everyone is chugging along nicely. In other news, has anyone noticed every second thread in the Q&A is someone asking "for a friend".

I'm just asking for a friend of course.

A friend of mine was just asking if anyone else noticed that.

[hammerheart]

Either you need to take a week off or definitely change it up? Throw some Tbar rows or b'bell rows at it maybe. D'bell rows with your chest supported by a bench set on an incline. Maybe even some one handed rows off the low pulley while standing up w/a slight bend in your back? Use the nonworking arm to support yourself. Assisted or non-assisted chinups as well. Just a thought.

Yeah already had some time off definitely not overtraining, in fact barely feel I'm training the lats. At home I use to perform just lots of DB and BB rowing, guess I need to take a step back from pulldowns and redesign back day around some serious rowing.

No Tbar at gym, but there's one, one-arm rowing lever machine with a chest pad, tried it only once and felt nice.

[almostgone]

Yeah already had some time off definitely not overtraining, in fact barely feel I'm training the lats. At home I use to perform just lots of DB and BB rowing, guess I need to take a step back from pulldowns and redesign back day around some serious rowing.

No Tbar at gym, but there's one, one-arm rowing lever machine with a chest pad, tried it only once and felt nice.

The lever machine does sound interesting. If the gym management won't dump their guts into their pants, maybe use a V-shaped handle like people use for chinning and low pulley rows? Throw your plates on an Oly bar and use the V handle around the the smaller bar diameter just past the weighted end. Put the unweighted end in the corner of something...a power rack, intersection of 2 walls, etc. Bend forward @ an angle that would be enough so that the plates won't bump the floor at the bottom of the movement, bend your knees a tad to grab the V - handle, straighten the knees back.just a tad, and give it hell with a straight back and good contraction at the top. That's what us poor people do.
That's a very rough description, but if you give it whirl it will all come together.

[almostgone]

Of course.

Using Niacin to Improve Cardiovascular Health | Life Extension

My lipids weren't horrid, but about 3 months before my last labs, I started using the Slo-Niacin @ 500mg/day after reading about it in a thread you started about RYR (if I recall correctly). Sure enough my HDL crept up some. Curious to see what my next labs indicate.

[KittyO1]

Anyone ever uses lever-plate loaded pulldown machine? There's one at gym at never looked into, interested in alternatives as the cable pulldowns are doing nothing for my lats no matter how many diverse grips I've experimented with.

Meadow rows are great for lat growth...
https://youtu.be/AY4YjAHcWrw

The lever machine does sound interesting. If the gym management won't dump their guts into their pants, maybe use a V-shaped handle like people use for chinning and low pulley rows? Throw your plates on an Oly bar and use the V handle around the the smaller bar diameter just past the weighted end. Put the unweighted end in the corner of something...a power rack, intersection of 2 walls, etc. Bend forward @ an angle that would be enough so that the plates won't bump the floor at the bottom of the movement, bend your knees a tad to grab the V - handle, straighten the knees back.just a tad, and give it hell with a straight back and good contraction at the top. That's what us poor people do.
That's a very rough description, but if you give it whirl it will all come together.

Agree! Great suggestion!




“We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.” Acts 15:11‬ *NLT‬‬

[PeanutbutterDC]

The lever machine does sound interesting. If the gym management won't dump their guts into their pants, maybe use a V-shaped handle like people use for chinning and low pulley rows? Throw your plates on an Oly bar and use the V handle around the the smaller bar diameter just past the weighted end. Put the unweighted end in the corner of something...a power rack, intersection of 2 walls, etc. Bend forward @ an angle that would be enough so that the plates won't bump the floor at the bottom of the movement, bend your knees a tad to grab the V - handle, straighten the knees back.just a tad, and give it hell with a straight back and good contraction at the top. That's what us poor people do.
That's a very rough description, but if you give it whirl it will all come together.

Just saw a guy at my gym do that and made mental note to give it a try myself

[almostgone]

Meadow rows are great for lat growth...
https://youtu.be/AY4YjAHcWrw


“We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.” Acts 15:11‬ *NLT‬‬

Most definitely!! If you have access to the landmine type setup for the unweighted end of the bar as shown in the video, it makes it super easy to knock out either version of rowing.

[almostgone]

Just saw a guy at my gym do that and made mental note to give it a try myself

I hadn't done them in ages and one day after I posted up a back session Kel mentioned they are good to throw into the mix and they've pretty much become a regular lift for me. Now I have to add in the Meadows rows Ms. Kitty posted up because the stretch looks phenomenal! Ran across another YouTube video of the exercise just a minute ago.
LOL, a few of the other guys in maintenance grabbed some pizzas from just up the road(pizza smelled really dang good) and it was either choke them out and steal their pizzas or retreat to the machine shop and eat my lunch/skim the Internet.

https://youtu.be/eTn3QFAEhhU

[tarmyg]

FOMO
Gotta keep up with this thread

Made me think of this one: How Social Media Creates a Fear of Missing Out (And What To Do About It) https://personalexcellence.co/podcast/fomo/

[KittyO1]

I hadn't done them in ages and one day after I posted up a back session Kel mentioned they are good to throw into the mix and they've pretty much become a regular lift for me. Now I have to add in the Meadows rows Ms. Kitty posted up because the stretch looks phenomenal! Ran across another YouTube video of the exercise just a minute ago.
LOL, a few of the other guys in maintenance grabbed some pizzas from just up the road(pizza smelled really dang good) and it was either choke them out and steal their pizzas or retreat to the machine shop and eat my lunch/skim the Internet.

https://youtu.be/eTn3QFAEhhU

Thanks for finding that one! I was in a rush and just picked one! Lol

John Meadows has some great exercises that are just a bit out of the ordinary! The meadow rows, Db pullovers, and rear delt destroyers are some of my favs!



“We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.” Acts 15:11‬ *NLT‬‬

[Charlie67]

Made me think of this one: How Social Media Creates a Fear of Missing Out (And What To Do About It) https://personalexcellence.co/podcast/fomo/

I love podcasts that offer a transcript, much easier to skim through.... Anyway, the points they make ... Reduce social media use, don't follow people who are toxic, stay out of Facebook's walled garden... It's crazy how simplistic the solutions are, yet it seems painfully hard for people to actually do it. I've never considered the prevalence of high-speed internet as such a contributing factor... But it makes perfect sense.

When i was a kid, I played with the kids who, by geography, I had access to. Whether or not our families were the same socially, religiously, or politically. I was forced to deal with different opinions and ideas. The internet has removed the distance barriers and now we're able to surround ourselves with people who only think/believe/behave exactly as we already do. The ultimate form of confirmation bias.... I think this is one of the primary reason we've because so "thin-skinned" and touchy. No one knows how to carry on a polite and civil conversation about differing opinions, because we've never been forced to deal with that kid down the street who you really hated but you had to play with anyway for lack of other options.

"The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function."

-F. Scott Fitzgerald

Happy Saturday everyone,
C-

[almostgone]

Thanks for finding that one! I was in a rush and just picked one! Lol

John Meadows has some great exercises that are just a bit out of the ordinary! The meadow rows, Db pullovers, and rear delt destroyers are some of my favs!



“We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.” Acts 15:11‬ *NLT‬‬

Thank.you for posting the exercise up! I'm going to check out his IG and YouTube videos this weekend.

[almostgone]

I love podcasts that offer a transcript, much easier to skim through.... Anyway, the points they make ... Reduce social media use, don't follow people who are toxic, stay out of Facebook's walled garden... It's crazy how simplistic the solutions are, yet it seems painfully hard for people to actually do it. I've never considered the prevalence of high-speed internet as such a contributing factor... But it makes perfect sense.

When i was a kid, I played with the kids who, by geography, I had access to. Whether or not our families were the same socially, religiously, or politically. I was forced to deal with different opinions and ideas. The internet has removed the distance barriers and now we're able to surround ourselves with people who only think/believe/behave exactly as we already do. The ultimate form of confirmation bias.... I think this is one of the primary reason we've because so "thin-skinned" and touchy. No one knows how to carry on a polite and civil conversation about differing opinions, because we've never been forced to deal with that kid down the street who you really hated but you had to play with anyway for lack of other options.

"The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function."

-F. Scott Fitzgerald

Happy Saturday everyone,
C-

Well said, Charlie!

[hammerheart]

Interesting link I've found on another forum

Prostate‐induced orgasms: A concise review illustrated with a highly relevant case study

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/....1002/ca.23006

[cousinmuscles]

I love podcasts that offer a transcript, much easier to skim through.... Anyway, the points they make ... Reduce social media use, don't follow people who are toxic, stay out of Facebook's walled garden... It's crazy how simplistic the solutions are, yet it seems painfully hard for people to actually do it. I've never considered the prevalence of high-speed internet as such a contributing factor... But it makes perfect sense.

When i was a kid, I played with the kids who, by geography, I had access to. Whether or not our families were the same socially, religiously, or politically. I was forced to deal with different opinions and ideas. The internet has removed the distance barriers and now we're able to surround ourselves with people who only think/believe/behave exactly as we already do. The ultimate form of confirmation bias.... I think this is one of the primary reason we've because so "thin-skinned" and touchy. No one knows how to carry on a polite and civil conversation about differing opinions, because we've never been forced to deal with that kid down the street who you really hated but you had to play with anyway for lack of other options.

"The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function."

-F. Scott Fitzgerald

Happy Saturday everyone,
C-

Charlie, when I grew up I had two options, interact with kids in the ghetto (a ghetto with 99% immigrants) and internet. The fact that the kids had different religion etc was always given, but on the internet the differences were always greater. I had to become proficient in both English and learning to understand what someone means (and their intentions) from their written messages at a very early age, and learn psychology. When it went wrong they could infect my computer so that I had to format everything lol but once you knew the game and some computer skills I'd become part of groups where we shared several GB of music, games, apps etc. I also learned how to educate myself and get a different version of history and my own theory of knowledge apart from that given in school. The internet is definitely way more different. You had to cooperate hard to make things work, and learn how to gain trust and who to trust. Nowadays none of that is valued nor is friendship over the net (yes there is such a thing) and people use it to troll others/channel their aggression due to their miserable lives... It was difficult to make it happen back then. Nowadays it's all instant, in your face, Google search engine optimized 100% confirmation bias, but that's how you get the general population using it.

[BG]

I would also perform seated low rows and rear delt row.

Back performance has suffered a lot since joining gym in June, I struggle to perform 10 reps of half the weight I did before, need to redesign the day completely.

I do a two week split.

week1- pro row 4-5 rows exercises with 2 pull down
week2-pro pull down 4-5 pull down 2 row

Works very well for me, keeps width and thickness

[almostgone]

I do a two week split.

week1- pro row 4-5 rows exercises with 2 pull down
week2-pro pull down 4-5 pull down 2 row

Works very well for me, keeps width and thickness

I like that rotation! I might could work with that.

I'm not strong enough to do like Kel and load up the barbell in the Smith machine, lock it in place, and one arm row the whole dang thing.

[BG]

I like that rotation! I might could work with that.

I'm not strong enough to do like Kel and load up the barbell in the Smith machine, lock it in place, and one arm row the whole dang thing.

I know, since he talked about that I always wanted to try it but always girls hawking the smith so I never tried it

[hammerheart]

Charlie, when I grew up I had two options, interact with kids in the ghetto (a ghetto with 99% immigrants) and internet. The fact that the kids had different religion etc was always given, but on the internet the differences were always greater. I had to become proficient in both English and learning to understand what someone means (and their intentions) from their written messages at a very early age, and learn psychology. When it went wrong they could infect my computer so that I had to format everything lol but once you knew the game and some computer skills I'd become part of groups where we shared several GB of music, games, apps etc. I also learned how to educate myself and get a different version of history and my own theory of knowledge apart from that given in school. The internet is definitely way more different. You had to cooperate hard to make things work, and learn how to gain trust and who to trust. Nowadays none of that is valued nor is friendship over the net (yes there is such a thing) and people use it to troll others/channel their aggression due to their miserable lives... It was difficult to make it happen back then. Nowadays it's all instant, in your face, Google search engine optimized 100% confirmation bias, but that's how you get the general population using it.

LOL it was ridiculously easy to program a virus back then.

[cousinmuscles]

LOL it was ridiculously easy to program a virus back then.

Remember that software that you only had to send to someone, and get full access to their computer (Windows)? Like mouse control, HDD access, could view their desktop et.c. LOL! Do that today and you'll spend years in prison.

[cousinmuscles]

Last nights training:

Seated BB press 90x7,5 +1 rep PR
Pullups +15x15 +1 rep PR, close grip underhand +15x10
Seated DB lateral raise 20x23 +3 rep PR drop 12x10 drop 8x10
Standing calf raise 115x30 +2 rep PR RP 8 RP 8
Seated calf raise 40x50 +5kg PR RP 12 RP 12

[Charlie67]

Evening all,

Shoulders tonight:
Warm up: random front/side/rear raises
Shoulder press machine x4
Rear cable flys x3
Standing Side laterals x4
DB presses x4
Bent over DB rear raises x3
Superset with changing weights 3 sets:
Seated side laterals 10,8,6,4,4,6,8,10
Seated front raises 10,8,6,4,4,6,8,10

20 mins on the elliptical.

Not much else to report. I'm headed to Texas end of this week for 5 days... It's really hard to stay on track while traveling, especially when you're surrounded by exquisite BBQ.

Book report: I'm about halfway through Arnold Schwarzenegger's biography "Total Recall". I like it so far. Pretty sure I'm ready for the Olympia.

Sleep well my friends,
C-

[almostgone]

Evening all,

Shoulders tonight:
Warm up: random front/side/rear raises
Shoulder press machine x4
Rear cable flys x3
Standing Side laterals x4
DB presses x4
Bent over DB rear raises x3
Superset with changing weights 3 sets:
Seated side laterals 10,8,6,4,4,6,8,10
Seated front raises 10,8,6,4,4,6,8,10

20 mins on the elliptical.

Not much else to report. I'm headed to Texas end of this week for 5 days... It's really hard to stay on track while traveling, especially when you're surrounded by exquisite BBQ.

Book report: I'm about halfway through Arnold Schwarzenegger's biography "Total Recall". I like it so far. Pretty sure I'm ready for the Olympia.

Sleep well my friends,
C-

Surely you can have a little brisket?

[guitarzan]

Surely you can have a little brisket?

I did, some Boston butt too! The butt was so tender, I hard time getting off the grill without it falling apart.

[PeanutbutterDC]

How's everyone doing? We're about midway through the competition.
My update: not much improvement. My weight has held steady. I guess that's good seeing as I came off my first cycle. Holding onto gains but not getting any leaner.
It's been hard to motivate myself this competition. At least for diet.
Keeping up with my workouts but miss the anavar pump. Cardio plan is easy rn (30 min LISS 6 days/week). Took a break from HIIT bc burnt out, tired, and in pain a lot lately (fibromyalgia flare up)

So, in a word: meh

Hoping to turn things up for the second half

[cousinmuscles]

From the last training session, got some other pics but no time to clean up EXIF and cut out face for now

[hammerheart]

Not much improvement on my side either, weight is stalled, and gyno flared up in August.

[Charlie67]

Surely you can have a little brisket?

There's no such thing as 'a little brisket'.

[Charlie67]

How's everyone doing? We're about midway through the competition.
My update: not much improvement. My weight has held steady. I guess that's good seeing as I came off my first cycle. Holding onto gains but not getting any leaner.
It's been hard to motivate myself this competition. At least for diet.
Keeping up with my workouts but miss the anavar pump. Cardio plan is easy rn (30 min LISS 6 days/week). Took a break from HIIT bc burnt out, tired, and in pain a lot lately (fibromyalgia flare up)

So, in a word: meh

Hoping to turn things up for the second half

Keeping chugging PB!

[Charlie67]

From the last training session, got some other pics but no time to clean up EXIF and cut out face for now

Looking tight and hard as always CM, good work!

[Charlie67]

I did, some Boston butt too! The butt was so tender, I hard time getting off the grill without it falling apart.

How long did you smoke it? I don't see any sauce in there, just a dry rub?

[guitarzan]

How long did you smoke it? I don't see any sauce in there, just a dry rub?

Smoked around 8 hrs, then wrapped in foil and cooked another couple in with marinade in with it, then another 30 mins or so without the foil
And yes, dry rub, besides a little mustard

[bethdoth]

From the last training session, got some other pics but no time to clean up EXIF and cut out face for now

Looking good cousin! Solid and thick!

[cousinmuscles]

Thanks guys

[hammerheart]

It's back day, posterior chain has yet to recover, again can't do both deads and heavy leg work on same week, so I'll be skipping deads tonight.

Focusing on rowing instead, leaving pulldowns for last if anything.

This is the sort of seated row machine we got at gym (not as fancy and much older), is it worth using?