Methods for gaining muscle and losing fat

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Quote from atticus:

I can do 5x5 with squats to near failure and not be able to walk the next day. This talk of failure seems more hypothetical than practice. Just lift! If you're sore the next day you accomplished the goal. If you're too sore to lift on day 4 you're overtraining. It's a fine line. Conversely, the skinny guy in the gym doing 20lb DB curls at 20 reps is going to stay skinny and weak.

It doesn't require a lot of talk. You will know your limitations and how hard you need to push yourself. I like to get in 2x sessions when possible, so I pair bench (am) and squats (pm) as they're complimentary and don't involve the same groups.

Don't you love climbing stairs the next day?:eek:
My Son used to make fun of me for climbing the stairs at home one step, moan, rest, one step, repeat. Lol
 
Quote from atticus:

Failure is not necessary. You can always drop the weight if need be, but it's hard on equipment. I only go to failure occasionally on bench and biceps.

If you're getting DOMS you're working hard enough.

Okay. Another thread you recommended atg to failure for weight loss, which is why I asked.

A buddy met Jay Cutler who said the best way for newbs to pack on muscle is to train one day on - one day off, and go to failure on each set....
 
Quote from LEAPup:

I'm a former competitive bodybuilder. I will NEVER, EVER give someone advice to squat to failure inside a squat rack. When probability of injury outweighs potential gains, you don't do it.

Those of you who are serious, and train to failure, you need a spotter on each side of the bar. When I switched up my routine to HIT, I ALWAYS had two spotters when I did my set of 20.

I didn't say you can't go to failure, for example, bench pressing in a power rack. You can (hopefully), slide out from under the bar if it's stuck on the safety. For squats, no way I'd even try. Getting stuck with the bar resting on the safety in squat position is begging for an injury.

Okay, thanks. That's good advice. I tried atg to failure without a spot with light weight, but couldn't fall back on the safety rods (set even lower) without getting a nice twinge in my back and neck. I don't even wanna think what would happen with heavy weight.
 
Quote from Brass:

There you go with the balancing act again.

As for the movement being too laid back, the same guidelines are followed as for regular ATG squats: butt to heel, heel on the ground, knees not beyond toes. Also, you may recall that I don't do them as you may have seen it done on Youtube. I don't hold the dumbbells out front, but rather at the sides, since holding them out front makes the shoulders the bottleneck rather than the legs, and perhaps alters the posture in the way that you find troubling.

I understand you can't give them a go because of your ankle, but I wish you were able to try them in order to make a proper hands-on comparison for yourself. And as I have said before, it is as hard a leg movement as any I have ever done when properly weighted. Despite our disagreement, I guess that's good enough for me. Regarding crossfit training, I don't know anything about it, as the only exercise I ever did in my adulthood was weights and cardio. And since June, bodyweight+added weight and no cardio.

To each his own, eh?

They look hard as hell as you are unloaded when ATG (pistol), while still under tension a bit when performing a standard squat. I don't go ATG any more as it's not necessary for hypertrophy or strength. Looks like a good quad stretch, however.
 
Quote from LEAPup:

Don't you love climbing stairs the next day?:eek:
My Son used to make fun of me for climbing the stairs at home one step, moan, rest, one step, repeat. Lol

haha yes.
 
Quote from achilles28:

Okay. Another thread you recommended atg to failure for weight loss, which is why I asked.

A buddy met Jay Cutler who said the best way for newbs to pack on muscle is to train one day on - one day off, and go to failure on each set....

Guys with no real lifting experience will likely be too sore to complete a 4-split by training to failure early-on.
 
My negative (capacity to expand the muscle under control) only fails 2-3-4 reps (depending on weight and exercise), after my positive (capacity to contract the muscle). How do you avoid having a spotter(s) to help you on those key 3 reps after your positives have failed?.

The rack and the safeties on the bench only prevent you from injury. Is there a special rack or bench that with a motor or something, will lift the weights for you, so that you can complete the remaining 3 negatives?.

I would like to fire my spotters and simplify.

Also wtf is DOMS?
 
Quote from LEAPup:

I'm a former competitive bodybuilder. I will NEVER, EVER give someone advice to squat to failure inside a squat rack. When probability of injury outweighs potential gains, you don't do it.

Those of you who are serious, and train to failure, you need a spotter on each side of the bar. When I switched up my routine to HIT, I ALWAYS had two spotters when I did my set of 20.

I didn't say you can't go to failure, for example, bench pressing in a power rack. You can (hopefully), slide out from under the bar if it's stuck on the safety. For squats, no way I'd even try. Getting stuck with the bar resting on the safety in squat position is begging for an injury.

I've been squatting inside power racks for decades. Safety bars are set lower on light reps and higher on heavy reps. I squat deep, below parallel for glute - hamstring tie on the light & medium weights, safety bars set accordingly.

For the heavy sets, I stop just above parallel to avoid stress on knees and safety bars are set at parallel. I've dumped the bar many times at failure and never had an issue. Just set it down on the keepers with a crouch and stand up out from under it.

Personally speaking, I would not squat anything but warm-up reps at most outside of a cage. I've seen guys stumble and I have stumbled before when squatting. Bad things can happen if you crumble with a loaded bar out in open space.
 
Quote from achilles28:

Fair enough. So what's the verdict on atg versus sissy squats (parallel)?
A sissy squat is not a parallel squat. Quite different.
 
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