The Weightlifting Thread

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I've also recently moved to a upper/lower split focusing on hypertrophy. I was doing 4 days PPL in a lower rep range before.

I'm liking it, seeing more growth and I'm losing weight pretty quickly right now (also losing muscle mass according to the fancy scale at the gym but I can get that back later) coupled with the keto-style diet I've gone on. Speaking of the fancy scale, when I first started at the gym it recorded my visceral fat at a level of 26. This week I hit 12 which is the very end of the "healthy" scale.

The two days of lower are a bit of a killer but I did add deadlifts on my second lower day, something which I didn't think I'd ever do as I was scared that I'd throw my back out. Haven't had any problems and I think it might actually be my favourite lift right now, there's something really satisfying about it even if it ruins me because of how taxing it is on the whole body.

[Ben]

I could never get away with straps for deadlifting. Had to go mixed grip but never found it hindered max attempts anyway. Thumbless grip is the way to go but it hurts too much and I’m a fanny.

[Kikó]

I used to do mixed grip for deadlift and since I've started to do it again I'm just over hand grip (?). Deadlifts are basically satisfying, similar to squats in that it's really hard and really manly.

[Dquincy]

It's a bit of a change to move from mostly HIIT to hypertrophy but I think I'm enjoying the slower workouts. Ideally I'd get a barbell but I just don't have the space.

Is Hypertrophy workouts essentially weight lifting but with heavier weights and less reps? If so, does your form suffer due to the heavier weight?

[Lewis]

Farmfoods are doing twelve Grenade bars for a tenner.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Is Hypertrophy workouts essentially weight lifting but with heavier weights and less reps? If so, does your form suffer due to the heavier weight?

Hypertrophy training is less weight more reps.

It leads to the increase in the size of muscles.

[Kikó]

Yep exactly. Lower weight, (generally) more reps, focus on proper form.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

My gym was closed today as they're doing a FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND POUND renovation which will take a month (they will open a temp gym in the buildings by the outdoor pool) so I went to another gym the next town over. It's run by the same company and they've already had a renovation.

I knew our one was dated but I didn't realise by how much, the difference was obscene.

SIX squat racks (we have only one) and about loads of various barbells of different lengths/configurations (we have two, one of the squat rack and one on the bench press) and there were loads of different machines.

Tried all the different upper body machines today and most weren't amazing/probably need more time on but the rear delt and chest fly machine is absolutely heavenly. If we don't get that in the refurb I'll be seething.

They even had 4 Theragun Pros free to use so that was a nice way to end my session.

[Waffdon]

YESWHEY

Code for myprotein at 8pm. £1 if you’re quick enough

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

So the gym is back open.

It looks really nice, a lot more useable stuff and finally more than 1 squat rack and 3 benches.

The problem, as was pointed out to me by another gym goer, is that all the new standard length barbells are 21.5kg and not the standard 20.

Why would they do that? It's lunacy.

I could understand having one or two for people who want to load up weight (I haven't seen anyone that would do more than a 20kg bar could handle) but all of them?

[Kikó]

What difference does it really make other than being a little heavier?

I went for a long run yesterday and it seems my lower back has decided it didn't like it. Managed to do a reasonable gym session today but I can still feel it pinching.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

1.5 is an awkward jump as the lowest increment jumps you can do with plates at our gym is 2.5kg so there will be weights you can't mathematically do now.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Like I was doing 102.5kg deadlifts last week. I can't do that weight now.

I'll have to do 101.5kg or 104.

Weightlifting for me is very mental especially deadlifts so I struggle to break through walls. I can do X weight for reps and then I push the weight up a bit and can't even get 1 rep.

[Ben]

Sounds like some smart arse decided it would be good to get Olympic bars and also cheaped out in the process. It's not even a round pound number. I've only ever heard of odd bar weights like this with copycat brands, or when it's a specialty bar like trap.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Even someone who works there didn't understand why they chose them.

[Spikey M]

You could ask the gym to get some 0.5kg fractional plates, 'how. They're pretty cheap. Failing that, a 4 pack is about a tenner, just chuck them in your gym bag.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Sounds like some smart arse decided it would be good to get Olympic bars and also cheaped out in the process. It's not even a round pound number. I've only ever heard of odd bar weights like this with copycat brands, or when it's a specialty bar like trap.

Jordan fitness , no idea how reputable they are.

[Ben]

Ha, I almost said “bet it’s Jordan”

[Pepe]

I'll have to do 101.5kg or 104.

Thoughts and prayers through these trying times, mate.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Ha, I almost said “bet it’s Jordan”

The bearings spin so much too.

I didn't actually do any barbell work today but it seems strange.

[Kikó]

Thoughts and prayers through these trying times, mate.

Got to say I'm struggling to see the issue as well

I think if an extra 1.5kg is mentally blocking you from lifting heavier then you're not ready to lift heavier and should stay lighter.

[Spikey M]

If you don't want to use fractionals (you're welcome 'how, you cunt), you just drop the weight to the closest you can get to your max and increase the reps until you're able to step up.

That said, assuming you're not doing 1 rep max's for everything, you should be able to add 1.5kg to your lifts without there being too much of an issue, even if it costs you a rep.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

If you don't want to use fractionals (you're welcome 'how, you cunt), you just drop the weight to the closest you can get to your max and increase the reps until you're able to step up.

That said, assuming you're not doing 1 rep max's for everything, you should be able to add 1.5kg to your lifts without there being too much of an issue, even if it costs you a rep.

I have ordered fractionals, thank you Spikes.

I think with most things adding 1.5kg wouldn't be an issue but with deadlifts I think it will be. I've only been doing them for 2 months and for most of that time I wasn't doing them with amazing form (someone at the gym gave me some pointers a few weeks ago) and every time I go up in weight I struggle to get it off the floor.

Admittedly they were 2.5kg jumps but I could do 5 reps and then not be able to do 1 the new weight jump.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Got to say I'm struggling to see the issue as well

I think if an extra 1.5kg is mentally blocking you from lifting heavier then you're not ready to lift heavier and should stay lighter.

Clearly it's not just an issue for me though as I wasn't the first to bring it up in the gym and the three of us who were talking about it were all miffed at the decision.

[Spikey M]

I think the issue most will have is that it kicks them out of autopilot. When you know the equipment you just walk up, shove on whatever you normally warm up with and go from there. If the bar weighs the wrong amount, you have to stop and think. Or atleast that's what they think. I'm not too sure it'll actually make any real difference and if nobody had mentioned it, I doubt anyone would have noticed.

In reality, the weight plates probably don't weigh exactly the same amount anyway, so you'll be lifting slightly more / less each time you load the bar with different plates anyway.

[Kikó]

Clearly it's not just an issue for me though as I wasn't the first to bring it up in the gym and the three of us who were talking about it were all miffed at the decision.

I still think you're all making it bigger than it needs to be. From what you described above, it sounds like you should stay at the lower weight for a bit longer, there's no rush to rapidly move up on the deadlift as form is key.

[Ben]

Got to say I'm struggling to see the issue as well

I think if an extra 1.5kg is mentally blocking you from lifting heavier then you're not ready to lift heavier and should stay lighter.

I didn’t see it as a mental block. It’s more the fact that a lot of serious lifters follow a program where the weights are predetermined and usually in 2.5/5kg increments. Loading fractionals just to hit the number would get infuriating very quickly.

There’s a reason all reputable brands calibrate their bars to 20/25kg.

[-james-]

They should have weighted 6 months before announcing the new barbells were 21.5. You probably wouldn't have noticed.

[Pepe]

He's just reached that level we all reach at some point in our hobbies. Like the people who swear they can tell the difference if their bicycle wheels weigh 30 grams less.

[Baz]

They should have weighted

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

They should have weighted 6 months before announcing the new barbells were 21.5. You probably wouldn't have noticed.

The weight of the barbells are printed on the end.

[-james-]

Good grief.

[-james-]

The weight of the barbells are printed on the end.

They should have put a sticker on the end of the barbells.

[-james-]

I'm with you that it's a weird thing to do, 'how. I use two gyms so if one of them started using 21.5kg barbells I would bin them off.

[Lewis]

Just put some clips on and call it an even twenty-two.

[Waffdon]

Can’t be many brands, if at all, that have a better protein to calorie ratio than the Get Pro yogurts and pouches. 15g for less than 90kcal for the yogurts and 25g for 138kcal for the pouches. Taste good too

[Ben]

By pure coincidence the wife picked up some of those yoghurts while shopping yesterday. Very creamy considering the protein content.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I was struggling with deadlifts (both traditional and trap bar) recently as I kept feeling my lower back tighten.

It didn't hurt but I would get it at the end of the 4th/5th set and sometimes during a rep (if it was during a rep I'd just let go of the bar so I didn't actually fuck my lower back), realised my form was probably wrong so dropped the weight and watched some more Youtube videos.

I had also bought a belt in November and decided to use it this week. On Tuesday I used it with the trap bar (I found the belt to be too big so I ended up ordering a new one which came yesterday and will return the larger one). No tightness felt and I was able to hit 110kg (plus whatever the bar weight is) for 2 reps with my previous PB being 105KG for 1. Although the week prior I only managed 95 for 2 as my best before my lower back tightened.

In the conventional deadlifts I had done a PB of 105KG for 3 reps a few weeks ago (I did this on set 3 of 5 and then I was fucked for sets 4 & 5) to hitting 109KG for 4, again with no lower back tightness. The 105 also made my low back tighten and it caused me to drop like 10KG for the next couple of weeks.

I think the belt has helped with what I feel was my biggest weakness before, which was bracing my core. I find it hard to really brace if I'm not touching my abs and I can also just forget at times. The belt gave me the connection and made me always remember to push out hard. Also feel like I wasn't using my legs enough and relying too much on my back. Still think there are improvements, especially with my hip hinging and wedging but I'm happy that things are progressing after they stalled a bit.

[Ben]

Keep going with it. Obviously stop if you feel actual injuries, but the belt takes some getting used to. Even as a "seasoned" belt user, I'd still often throw it down because I wasn't feeling the full body brace with it on. A lot of people talk about the core getting lazy with a belt and it's a real phenomenon, but the advantages are brilliant once you get to know it.

On that note, I'm back at the lifting on Monday after a few years off (couple of years laziness after our daughter was born, then the knee injury). Can't wait.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Also, in my quest to improve the left side of my body I did step ups on the smith machine for the first time today.

Christ on a bike are they a killer.

I have also managed to get a lot better at Bulgarians the last couple of months. Using a box rather than a bench has helped a lot with stability.

[Foe]

Been going quite regularly to start 2025 to try and get less fat.

Surprised myself that shockingly, if you go regularly, you can be strong.

Managed 2 reps of 112.5kg on bench, after having a 1RM of 122.5kg ice been nowhere near for about 4 years.

Deadlifted 175kg too, which is close to my 182.5kg max.

Went yesterday and did incline before flat and worked my way up to 95kg on incline bench as a 1rm, so I should be able to hit 100 on that sometime I think.

If I keep going this year I might actually manage some pbs.

Still weak as shit at squat though. 130kg today and felt like I was going to blow out a knee. Risking benching heavier than squatting.

[Kikó]

Man posting ridiculous numbers after not working out for ages and saying he's weak. You're either doing terrible partial reps/bad form or you're very modest.

[Ben]

Started back on Monday. Not lifted in years so I'm going with the Starting Strength 5x5 method to see how much I can gain back quickly. Nothing fun to report, really low weights to allow for the progression. It calls for squats every session (3 times per week; 2 heavy, 1 light) but I've knocked one of those on the head because of my knee.

Last night (rest day) I had to haul my new fence from the front drive to the back of the house (26x 3m fence posts, 1200m of battens, 150m of 4x2). Now I'm absolutely fucked. Deadlifts tonight.

[Kikó]

The hotel I usually stay in for work had a gym revamp so I've had a fun couple of days exploring their new equipment (actually mostly still just used the dumbbells and barbell). Did a really good RDL session and can feel the hamstring tear on it. Need a day off though as I had two back to back full body sessions, a HIIT the day before and 5k plus interval training on the Sunday.

[Spikey M]

Internal training? My man is doing Kidney curls and Liver presses?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Legs are absolutely destroyed today.

Unilateral leg press into Bulgarian Split Squats (which I persisted with and can do fairly well now) in the 8-12 rep range is a fucking killer.

[Waffdon]

I finally quit smoking and it really does make a huge difference to probably absolutely no one’s surprise. It’s also bee ridiculously easy to give up. If only avoiding bad food was as easy. I didn’t go to the gym (mostly bc banantyne’s is utter shite and they weren’t letting me leave so I froze the account. Have now just cancelled it after being told it has no impact on your credit score) for about 3.5 months and piled on 2st over the winter months

[Kikó]

Internal training? My man is doing Kidney curls and Liver presses?

Interval, you big twat.

[Spikey M]

Interval, you big twat.

You've edited that. I see you.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Today I decided to do a Long Term gym goal.

I want to deadlift more weight than I weighed when I first started my weight loss journey. I was at 165.6KG. The lowest over that weight which I can do with the bar/plates at my gym (plus the 2 0.5s I bought, thanks Spikey) is 167.5KG.

It's quite some way from my current max (today I did 99 x5, 101.5 x5, 106.5 x 5, 111.5 x5 and 119 x 2) but I think I can do it this year.

Still need to play around with my starting position too as I'm squatting down too much into it as I'm hitting my knees on the way up.