Gaining Muscle and Losing Fat (2015)

[Frederick Foresight]

I wouldn't consider that stupid. I would actually consider that the opposite!:eek: I would consider that applying a safety mechanism. Besides, I don't think two plates on each side is enough to flip the bar if you take two off one side first (depending on the width bar over the rest, of course)...3 is more likely (unless maybe the absolute inside edge of the bar is at the rest on the remaining weighted side). I've had to roll a couple hundred pounds off my lap, so I don't blame you for giving yourself a safety out. I don't generally use collars either, with the exception of deadlifts or bar curling on smaller bars. In any case, after letting plates slide of one side, you are still holding that side, so the bar won't become a giant whacking stick.

Regarding stupid: Going into the gym, and for no other reason than ego, putting 100's of lbs of more weight on a bar that one's never even come close to lifting, just to impress one's friend(s)...that's when I would apply the word. That was the situation we witnessed. Seriously, this dudes legs had wings!

Regarding pulling plates off one side, though: A smith machine was damaged at one gym I had frequented when someone took 450 off one side while leaving 450 on the other. The machine was never right after they repaired it.

Well, when I was doing bench press and wanted to go close to the limit, I should have waited for a spotter. But the impatience of teenagers being what it is...

As for your reference to the guy who bent the Smith machine, what was he doing with 900 lbs. of plates on it?

 

[wjk]

Well, when I was doing bench press and wanted to go close to the limit, I should have waited for a spotter. But the impatience of teenagers being what it is...

As for your reference to the guy who bent the Smith machine, what was he doing with 900 lbs. of plates on it?

It was probably 5 plates on each side for a total of 450. My mistake. I wasn't there when it happened. I had asked my training buddy why the machine was out of order one day.

Speaking of Smith machines...Did the gym you worked out in during your younger days have smith machines (or your current gym)? When I want to go heavy on bench or squats without spots, I would go to the smith machine, and use the safeties on the heaviest stuff. I know you take out the stabilizers some using smiths, but it's nice to know you can survive a failure and not worry about your spotter paying attention to the hot babe walking by just as you need him (or in my case, worry if my wife is strong enough to get me through that failure enough to return the bar with the assist). She's not standing behind me right now.

I've also use(d) smith machines for tricep presses, shoulder shrugs, and a few types of bicep curls.

We've talked about our shoulders. Let me ask you this? How are your knees holding up? I'm guessing pretty good if your still doing pistols.(?)

 

[Frederick Foresight]

It was probably 5 plates on each side for a total of 450. My mistake. I wasn't there when it happened. I had asked my training buddy why the machine was out of order one day.

Speaking of Smith machines...Did the gym you worked out in during your younger days have smith machines (or your current gym)? When I want to go heavy on bench or squats without spots, I would go to the smith machine, and use the safeties on the heaviest stuff. I know you take out the stabilizers some using smiths, but it's nice to know you can survive a failure and not worry about your spotter paying attention to the hot babe walking by just as you need him (or in my case, worry if my wife is strong enough to get me through that failure enough to return the bar with the assist). She's not standing behind me right now.

I've also use(d) smith machines for tricep presses, shoulder shrugs, and a few types of bicep curls.

We've talked about our shoulders. Let me ask you this? How are your knees holding up? I'm guessing pretty good if your still doing pistols.(?)

Okay, that sounds more reasonable. I didn't even think the Smith machine bar could fit 900 pounds of plates. Yes, there's a Smith machine in my current gym, and I only use it for supinated inverted rows with my feet elevated to bar height. Again, I use the 1.5-rep set for about 12 reps, depending on cadence and pauses. In the previous gym I went to, I used it for bench press because I could no longer do the free weight version due to my shoulders. But, as I mentioned recently, I no longer do that exercise.

When I did barbell squats I used a squat rack/cage with the horizontal safety bars set just below the bottom of my movement. That saved me a few times. Even so, since I tended to go all out, I figured the squat would eventually do me in one day and so I dropped it and only did leg press for years as the upper leg compound movement. I still did extensions and leg curls at the time. Further, although I recognize the myriad of benefits to be derived from barbell squats, I don't think spinal compression is one of them.

I never even tried squats using the Smith machine. I saw, and continue to see, other people do it, but it just never appeared natural to me for some reason. Just a personal observation (and one without even a trial to back it up).

My knees are great. They are perhaps the only joints in my body that have never suffered an ache or pain. If anything, I think the weighted pistols have strengthened them. At first I wondered if the ATG full range of motion would put them at risk, but it has been over three years and the knees are singing. I have to tell you, doing them weighted and slowly (not as slowly as Baron does his exercises!) is as hard a leg movement as I have ever done. And it seriously works the core.

You should give pistols a try. When I decided to do them, it took about 2 weeks for me to be able to do it without holding on to something. But I was determined because it just seemed so right. And once you get it, it's like riding a bicycle. If your legs are in good shape, and I assume they are, you'll find that doing them unweighted is not much of a challenge. But add enough weight and it changes the dynamic entirely, more so than just adding double the weight to a bar for a regular squat.

The videos you see on the Internet show people doing weighted pistols with dumbbells held in front of them. You can only do that with very light weights. Since I go heavier, I hold the dumbbells down at my sides and move them only slightly forward at the bottom of the movement to prevent them from touching the floor. (And here's a little secret. I still occasionally wobble when I do them unweighted. But the dumbbells act as a bit of an anchor, and counterweight as you ease them forward at the bottom, keeping you upright and stable. But don't tell anyone.)

 

[Frederick Foresight]

Just a quick thought on food. I know some of you guys are low-carb in general and avoid grains in particular. I like my carbs, and I lived for bread when I was younger. For whatever reason, and thankfully, it never appeared to have an ill effect on me. I'm much more circumspect about my bread consumption now, and pretty much the only bread I eat with any regularity (and in small quantities) is this one:

http://www.foodforlife.com/product/breads/genesis-129-sprouted-whole-grain-and-seed-bread

It's made by a company that cites religious scripture, which I am not a fan of, so you can imagine I must really like the bread. It is a grain and seed bread. Since it is not made with flour (and that is the principal reason why I buy it), its effect on insulin levels should be muted. It has no preservatives, so it is sold frozen. I'll tell you, a slice or half-slice of this bread toasted with some almond butter spread on top is about as good as it gets.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

...(And here's a little secret. I still occasionally wobble when I do them unweighted. But the dumbbells act as a bit of an anchor, and counterweight as you ease them forward at the bottom, keeping you upright and stable. But don't tell anyone.)

Just to clarify, by "upright" I don't mean that your torso would be vertical. You would be leaning forward as you would when doing a barbell squat when ensuring that your knees don't get ahead of your toes. (As a point of reference, you would be leaning more forward than the people on the Internet who are holding their arms straight out in front of them.) Rather, I meant you won't topple. Another aspect of the pistol is that your lower back will bend. You cannot maintain a full arch at the bottom of the movement without falling backward. (At least I can't.) However, because the weight you would be holding is very light compared to what you would be using for a barbell squat, there is little to no risk of hurting your back when using proper form.

 

[wjk]

Just a quick thought on food. I know some of you guys are low-carb in general and avoid grains in particular. I like my carbs, and I lived for bread when I was younger. For whatever reason, and thankfully, it never appeared to have an ill effect on me. I'm much more circumspect about my bread consumption now, and pretty much the only bread I eat with any regularity (and in small quantities) is this one:

http://www.foodforlife.com/product/breads/genesis-129-sprouted-whole-grain-and-seed-bread

It's made by a company that cites religious scripture, which I am not a fan of, so you can imagine I must really like the bread. It is a grain and seed bread. Since it is not made with flour (and that is the principal reason why I buy it), its effect on insulin levels should be muted. It has no preservatives, so it is sold frozen. I'll tell you, a slice or half-slice of this bread toasted with some almond butter spread on top is about as good as it gets.

We eat the 7 grain sprouted, and my wife also likes the raison. I grill fish a lot, and I'll take the 7 grain bread, spray olive oil on it with a misto can (or you can baste it on there, maybe with some olive oil that has been heated up with garlic chunks in it), sprinkle some ground up chives on it (almost dust, or they fall off), some garlic salt, and grill it until it's lightly toasted each side (not very long over hot coal.)

It than becomes 7 grain garlic toast. I usually cook it first...my grill is clean, and it seems to work best when the fire is at it's hottest. Never tried it over a gas grill, but should get the same result.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

We eat the 7 grain sprouted, and my wife also likes the raison. I grill fish a lot, and I'll take the 7 grain bread, spray olive oil on it with a misto can (or you can baste it on there, maybe with some olive oil that has been heated up with garlic chunks in it), sprinkle some ground up chives on it (almost dust, or they fall off), some garlic salt, and grill it until it's lightly toasted each side (not very long over hot coal.)

It than becomes 7 grain garlic toast. I usually cook it first...my grill is clean, and it seems to work best when the fire is at it's hottest. Never tried it over a gas grill, but should get the same result.

That sounds pretty good! I don't much like raisin bread, though, because I find it too sweet. However, I do add a few raisins to my trail mix of walnuts and pumpkin seeds to round out the flavor.

The thing about this bread is that it has no sugar and is not made with flour. Until I came across it, I also went with a 7-grain or "ancient grain" bread, both of which had added sugar and came from flour. If you ever come across it, give it a try. It's denser and so packed with grains and seeds that it crumbles if you slice it. That's a good thing. It's in the freezer of the health food section of the supermarkets that carry it. It's about $5.50 a loaf here in Canada, so I imagine it's less expensive in the US. I'd be curious to know what you think. I will say, however, I've never gussied up a slice of bread in quite the way you describe it. I am taking notes.

 

[wjk]

That sounds pretty good! I don't much like raisin bread, though, because I find it too sweet. However, I do add a few raisins to my trail mix which comprises walnuts and pumpkin seeds to round out the flavor.

The thing about this bread is that it has no sugar and is not made with flour. Until I came across it, I also went with a 7-grain or "ancient grain" bread, both of which had added sugar and came from flour. If you ever come across it, give it a try. It's denser and so packed with grains and seeds that it crumbles if you slice it. That's a good thing. It's in the freezer of the health food section of the supermarkets that carry it. It's about $5.50 a loaf here in Canada, so I imagine it's less expensive in the US. I'd be curious to know what you think. I will say, however, I've never gussied up a slice of bread in quite the way you describe it. I am taking notes.

I just want to make sure we're talking about the same bread. This is the stuff.

My wife's fave.

I learned about the Ezekiel bread in...you guessed it...Muscle Mag (no longer in circulation.)

 

[Frederick Foresight]

I just want to make sure we're talking about the same bread. This is the stuff.

Oh, okay. Then you use the good stuff. So you know what I mean. I've tried a few of their different breads, enjoyed every one of them, but I stopped experimenting once I tried their Genesis loaf. Now I must insist that you try it.

 

[wjk]

Oh, okay. Then you use the good stuff. So you know what I mean. I've tried a few of their different breads, enjoyed every one of them, but I stopped experimenting once I tried the Genesis loaf. Now I absolutely insist that you try it.

Should be in the same place at the store, right? I'll give it a try.

A couple notes on the toast we make with this bread. I like it on the grill instead of regular bread because it takes a little longer to toast. The coals are so hot that when I use my other favorite bread (thin slice Chicago style Italian) that I can barely turn them fast enough to prevent burning. The Ezekiel is "high heat friendly". Also, I should have clarified "dried chives", the kind that come in little bottles. I use a coffee grinder to turn them to dust, or near dust. Tastes good on other stuff too, like boiled spuds with a little smart balance on them. I like to add dill dust to those, as well...once in a while. And speaking of boiled spuds, I always put some fresh avocado under the potato.

Grilled catfish, grilled green squash, Ezekiel toast, and a boiled potato (sweet or red) over avocado, and your in business.

Now I have to survive the next two hours to my food window.