Methods for gaining muscle and losing fat

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Quote from TRS:

Baron, how did you go with your 21st September goal?

I've been using your 6 on 1 off workout plan for couple months now.
Alternating workout A (conventional) with workout B (matrix).

Working well with nice synergy.
No signs of overtraining or plateauing of results.

Two months being up might switch things for bit of muscle confusion.
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I definitely came in leaner but I felt like I could have used an extra few weeks to get my bodyfat down a little bit more. It seems like my body fights really hard to get those last couple of pounds off.

Usually what I do each year is take October off, meaning that I do basic maintenance workouts - none to failure - and pretty much just eat normally as a way to reset and recharge so I can start up again at full force in November. However, I'm not going to do that this time for two reasons:

#1 - I'm so close to achieving the look I want and I'm not quite there yet. And at this point I'm definitely not interested in going backwards for a month.

#2 - If I take time off this year, it will probably be from December 15th - January 15th. One thing I'm discovering is that living in Florida means there really isn't much of an "off-season" here. I mean, people are boating, going to the beach, and doing other outside activities about 10 months out of the year. This past Christmas it was in the 80's. So I figure that if I take off from Mid-December to Mid-January, I can enjoy the holidays like a normal person but still have a month or so after that to get things reeled back in before the weather heats up again.
 
How do you guys get up 70+ pound dumbbells on bench?

I injured my left, front deltoid trying to get up 80's a couple weeks ago. And now its painful to put up 60's. My first injury. Super.
 
Quote from achilles28:

How do you guys get up 70+ pound dumbbells on bench?

I injured my left, front deltoid trying to get up 80's a couple weeks ago. And now its painful to put up 60's. My first injury. Super.
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I don't bother with DBs at all. I used to be able to "kick" up the 80s, but usually I'd do DBs with a partner.
 
I hope this isn't too far off topic for this thread, but it has to do with exercise, so here goes.

Does anyone experience a general state of anxiety / insomnia when working out regularly? It seems that when I am exercising frequently, I have these symptoms.

Exercise definitely does reduce anxiety, especially while exercising, but can it cause it as well. I have read online about 'exercise induced anxiety', particularly after taking a week off after having exercised regularly for a while.

Can it be testosterone related, as working out increases testosterone levels in men, supposedly. I wonder because (don't judge), I did take steroids for a short time back in high school and felt the same type of anxiety I do now when regularly working out (no 'roids now though)
 
Quote from achilles28:

How do you guys get up 70+ pound dumbbells on bench?

I injured my left, front deltoid trying to get up 80's a couple weeks ago. And now its painful to put up 60's. My first injury. Super.
More...

I don't do flat dumbbell every really, but I do incline db regularly. I have gotten the 110's up but that's a lot to lift. Use your knees and biceps and just throw it up with your knees. I can pop the 95's up easy just using my legs to get it up there then lean back and get adjusted.

On flat pop them up with your knees the same way and just start leaning back as soon as you pop them up.

Be careful with db's though. It's a good way to strain something as you already learned!
 
Quote from Brabed:

I hope this isn't too far off topic for this thread, but it has to do with exercise, so here goes.

Does anyone experience a general state of anxiety / insomnia when working out regularly? It seems that when I am exercising frequently, I have these symptoms.

Exercise definitely does reduce anxiety, especially while exercising, but can it cause it as well. I have read online about 'exercise induced anxiety', particularly after taking a week off after having exercised regularly for a while.

Can it be testosterone related, as working out increases testosterone levels in men, supposedly. I wonder because (don't judge), I did take steroids for a short time back in high school and felt the same type of anxiety I do now when regularly working out (no 'roids now though)
More...

Adrenaline. I wouldn't worry much about it or it will become self-fulfilling. Take some valerian immediately before your workout if you're lifting at night. It's similar in MOA to valium (allosteric reg of GABA) simply weaker (and safer).
 
Quote from atticus:

I don't bother with DBs at all. I used to be able to "kick" up the 80s, but usually I'd do DBs with a partner.
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Thanks. I'm going back to incline barbell bench, for now. Pulled or tore a delt. Dumbbells are tricky. Push off too hard with the legs and they fly way back and the rotater cuff gets screwed. Don't push hard enough and the shoulders come in way too much and a delt rips. Factor in different weight and exhaustion levels for each set, and fuck, I don't know how hard to kick off!! I could push 80's if I could get them off my knees. I did three sets of 70's for 8-9 reps but couldn't get the 75's off my knees. Frustrating. I'll take a break on my shoulders, do barbell, and get a trainer. Hats off to Baron and the rest that can do 90's or whatever. That's phucked. What shoulder exercises should I do to prepare for dumbbell incline?
 
The reason why I like dumbbells so much is because it allows a me to control the path of motion based on my own body's geometry. So for me, benching with dumbbells just feels so much better than using a straight bar because I feel nothing but the front of my shoulders getting worked out when benching with a straight bar.

The problem is that most guys are too focused on putting up big numbers on the bench. Working with dumbbells strips all of that ego away because you will always use way less total weight with dumbbells since they are much harder to lift and control than using a straight bar.

There is nothing in the world wrong with benching 40 or 50lb dumbbells.
 
I am limited when going heavy to drops or working with a partner. I have a 1/2" rubber mat, but sold my DB racks. I think they're necessary, but I've gone to compound lifts with a bar to simplify.

I have some Ironmaster DBs with the add-on, but rarely use them.

Achilles -- just do some warm ups with overheads.
 
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