Author Topic: Ripsnort (Read 1160 times)

Shuckins · « **Reply #30 on:** July 24, 2002, 12:53:02 PM »

Ripsnort,

The last time I did any serious lifting was in high school a little over 30 years ago. Never realized any serious muscle growth from it.

Fooled with it for a couple of months about 20 years ago. I weighed about 165 pounds at that time and was working up to 200 pounds before I quit. I found that I was having trouble with the strength of my wrists. My arms could handle the weight but not my wrists. I'd like to get started lifting again but do not wish to have the same problem. Are their any specific exercises that you know of that I could use to strengthen my wrists before I begin a weight lifting program (No wisecracks please!)?

Regards, Shuckins

midnight Target · « **Reply #31 on:** July 24, 2002, 12:56:04 PM »

I had a buddy who would drive screws into a pine board as his wrist workout. Both hands even number of screws.... made sense to me.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #32 on:** July 24, 2002, 01:16:47 PM »

Awe! Why'd you have to add that last line Shuckins!?

They make gloves that have built in wrist wraps, many folks are in the same boat as you, that's what they make these "wrist wrap" gloves for.(Not the kind of wraps that you'd use for dead lifts, but one that is attached to the glove itself, for better wrist support)

Go to a big sporting goods outlet (I say big, because the bigger, the better selection) Your wrist strength will naturally increase with weight lifting, or you can do "wrist ups" which is just holding a dumb bell and and rotating the wrist to its extremities up and down.

Here's the link to the gloves:
http://www.efitnesswear.com/catalog/wrist-wrap_gloves_1161112.htm

Hangtime · « **Reply #33 on:** July 24, 2002, 01:17:07 PM »

Quote

I had a buddy who would drive screws into a pine board as his wrist workout.

Using his forehead?

batdog · « **Reply #34 on:** July 24, 2002, 01:46:08 PM »

Hey Rip... 35 yrs old here. My max is 365. I've never had a strong top end bench really. I have rep'd 225 22 times. I use to squat 315 for reps of 10's BUT my knee's bother me so I single legged press and dead lifts (rep 225 for about 10 or so).

Somebody posted that squats are dangerous. Just put a crash bar down... work w/the bar till your form is good. Look up/arch back and drive your hips foward like your screwing the air in front of you.

If you wanna get strong you gotta do squats. They place your body in a "fear" state and release alot of hormones. They work the entire body as well. Dead lifts are bit more dangrous. I'd find someone whom you see compete or get a trainer to show you proper form.

Anyway..been lifting 15yrs. Its a way of life for me. its my temple of iron.

xBAT

Kieran · « **Reply #35 on:** July 24, 2002, 01:51:20 PM »

Here's a decent wrist exercise:

Take a standard bar (olympic, 45lbs) and add a 10lbs to both sides. Sit on a bench, pick up the bar with palms up, then rest your wrists on your knees. The hands should be able to extend over the knees. Now, allow your wrist to drop toward the ground, and slowly uncurl your fingers until the weight is suspended by your fingertips. Curl back up, and repeat. Do 20 of these, rest 1 minute, then do it again. Do this for three sets and see how you feel.

This can be the final exercise in your routine every single day. The wrists and forearms are high-density muscle (like your calves) and are accustomed to stress every day. Do this for a while, raising the weight when you are able, and you will soon have very strong wrists.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #36 on:** July 24, 2002, 01:53:42 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by batdog
Hey Rip... 35 yrs old here. My max is 365. I've never had a strong top end bench really. I have rep'd 225 22 times. I use to squat 315 for reps of 10's BUT my knee's bother me so I single legged press and dead lifts (rep 225 for about 10 or so).

Somebody posted that squats are dangerous. Just put a crash bar down... work w/the bar till your form is good. Look up/arch back and drive your hips foward like your screwing the air in front of you.

If you wanna get strong you gotta do squats. They place your body in a "fear" state and release alot of hormones. They work the entire body as well. Dead lifts are bit more dangrous. I'd find someone whom you see compete or get a trainer to show you proper form.

Anyway..been lifting 15yrs. Its a way of life for me. its my temple of iron.

xBAT

365!? Thats impressive if your 200 lbs. in body weight (Remember the formula, 1.5 times your body weight should be your minimum max bench)

Agree with you on squats, or legs, that and your body will not "grow" beyond a certain point because of the imbalance...however....

I worked my legs for 4 years, heavy weights, squats, got up to 425, didn't gain 1 single inch in diameter, sure they got "cut" but I didn't gain ANY muscle weight in them....its genetics, my Mother had chicken legs, her father (whom I take after genetically) had chicken legs., etc .

I still work legs, but I don't bulk lift with them anymore, mainly because it NEVER did me any good (Worked with a personal trainer that couldn't believe that he couldn't put weight on my legs, now HE'S a believer in the "genetic" theory) and the fact that my knees can't handle the heavy weights anymore.

funkedup · « **Reply #37 on:** July 24, 2002, 01:59:57 PM »

WRIST WORKOUT LOL
Most of us perfected that during Jr. High...

PS I ATE A BABY

Kieran · « **Reply #38 on:** July 24, 2002, 02:00:01 PM »

I maintain squats are dangerous, but not in the way you think I meant. Squats are very high stress, and require a strict discipline in form. The knee is probably the most poorly designed and injury prone joint in the body. Here's what typically happens...

A person decides to do squats. They put some weight on, then proceed. They want to do it right, so they take the weight all the way down to the haunches, way past parallel on the thigh (this means the thigh is parallel to the ground). Nothing wrong- yet. As the person comes back up, the thighs shake, and the knees flex in or out. The person probably doesn't even notice this, so focused on pushing the weight back up.

Now the patellar tendon is very thick, and quite capable of bearing a great deal of stress. The cruciate ligament (inside the knee) is not. Once the emphasis shifts off the patellar tendon and onto the cruciate, you have a potential disaster. Anyone who has ever blown a knee can tell you you won't always see it coming. Pop, it's gone. And once it's gone, it's gone.

So, the more important use for a spotter on squats isn't for support- you're right, the bar can do that- it's to help you watch that form and tell you when it is time to put the weight down. Squats are utterly unforgiving of bad form, and if isn't the knees that blow, the lower back will get you. It is too easy to get permanently hurt to go it alone when you are new and don't know what to watch for.

batdog · « **Reply #39 on:** July 24, 2002, 02:06:28 PM »

Yea... I was a verrrrry skinny dude. I started lifting in the army. I was obessesed w/my legs for several years. I trained them like a manic. I got to a point where I could fit in anything but pretty baggy jeans. They've shrunk SOME but I workem enough to keep some size. I'm pretty tall as well. 6'2 and wiegh from 205-220 depending on my goals. That makes it important to build legs.

I think alot of people also forget that a muscule has both a slow moving cell and a fast one. In order to max thier potential you need to train both. Quick explosive movemments and slow controled ones.

Its cool talking shop w/another muscule head though

xBAT

P.S. Hey Rip... you do HACKS? Sometimes hard leg gainers focus on quads and forget all about that huge muscule behind thier leg. Stiff legged dead lifts, hacks and yes.... hill sprints will often do it.

batdog · « **Reply #40 on:** July 24, 2002, 02:11:24 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Kieran
I maintain squats are dangerous, but not in the way you think I meant. Squats are very high stress, and require a strict discipline in form. The knee is probably the most poorly designed and injury prone joint in the body. Here's what typically happens...

A person decides to do squats. They put some weight on, then proceed. They want to do it right, so they take the weight all the way down to the haunches, way past parallel on the thigh (this means the thigh is parallel to the ground). Nothing wrong- yet. As the person comes back up, the thighs shake, and the knees flex in or out. The person probably doesn't even notice this, so focused on pushing the weight back up.

Now the patellar tendon is very thick, and quite capable of bearing a great deal of stress. The cruciate ligament (inside the knee) is not. Once the emphasis shifts off the patellar tendon and onto the cruciate, you have a potential disaster. Anyone who has ever blown a knee can tell you you won't always see it coming. Pop, it's gone. And once it's gone, it's gone.

So, the more important use for a spotter on squats isn't for support- you're right, the bar can do that- it's to help you watch that form and tell you when it is time to put the weight down. Squats are utterly unforgiving of bad form, and if isn't the knees that blow, the lower back will get you. It is too easy to get permanently hurt to go it alone when you are new and don't know what to watch for.

I agree Kieran. If you want your LEGS to grow... stop at parralel. If you want your bellybutton to grow... go to the floor. Power guys goto the floor. I use to until I was told what I was doing... check the above quote/post.

Dont forget flexiablity as well. A non flexiable muscule is nice to look at but pretty useless. Oh.. and warmup too....

xBAT

Kieran · « **Reply #41 on:** July 24, 2002, 02:12:10 PM »

Runners understand fast twitch/slow twitch very well. Sprinters are fast twitch, endurance slow twitch. You can guess I am slow twitch, as I excelled at the longer distances.

The only real application I see to this in weight lifting is periodization. One could set a rotating 8-week cycle up that shifts emphasis from fast twitch to slow twitch, or something similar. Other than that, power lifting is about explosion, not endurance.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #42 on:** July 24, 2002, 02:14:30 PM »

Well, I don't know if "muscle head" describes me, I do it more for strength and the "feel good" endorphines than physical looks.

I'm currently 196 lbs. with 11% body fat. The worst part is, old age slows ya down, what I used to do all night, now takes me all night to do!

(Edit, incidently, I began at age 33, serious lifting that is, and I weighed 155 lbs. It took 4 years to get up to 215, which was my peak weight...then I've since slowly dropped to 195 lbs)

batdog · « **Reply #43 on:** July 24, 2002, 02:18:47 PM »

Well.... in order to lift a heavy wieght you need explosion to over come inertia right? The slow twitch gives you the power needed to "support" the wieght I quess. I'm no expert... but I have trained for along time and I've seen it work. I good thing to imporve your bench is do 3 reps of 65 percent of your max w/ 1 min rest inbetween. Do this for several weeks. The try your max and see if it improves. This is for a twice aweek body part. One day do that..next your normal bench/sqaut whatever.

xBAT

batdog · « **Reply #44 on:** July 24, 2002, 02:21:48 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Ripsnort
Well, I don't know if "muscle head" describes me, I do it more for strength and the "feel good" endorphines than physical looks.

I'm currently 196 lbs. with 11% body fat. The worst part is, old age slows ya down, what I used to do all night, now takes me all night to do!

(Edit, incidently, I began at age 33, serious lifting that is, and I weighed 155 lbs. It took 4 years to get up to 215, which was my peak weight...then I've since slowly dropped to 195 lbs)

Thats damn good Rip. I personaly feel better at 200ish than 220. I'm not as strong but I'm more cut which the wifey likes....

Oh..and starting at 33 is a hell of a thing to do as well. Most quite after a couple of months... very cool bro

xBAT