What's your favourite lift?

The Magus · #1 July 6th, 2004, 03:03 PM

I was just curious if people had a favourite lift/excercise they do in the gym.

Mine's deadlifts, I think I have to say. My favourite days are deadlift days. There's just something primal about the simple movement of picking something heavy up and then putting it down again. Plus, I always feel like I've worked hard after deadlifts, and I can feel the work in so many muscle groups, it's not funny.

What about everyone else?

Mdlftr · #2 July 6th, 2004, 03:11 PM

I always get a good pump when I work triceps. I especially like seated behind the neck tricep extensions. (Done at the end of a chest-tris workout) I finish it off with bench dips, done to failure.

...Gets me pumped just thinking about it......

Mdlftr

brent · #3 July 6th, 2004, 04:20 PM

traditionally, the bicep preacher curl is my fav. I think it's because my biceps used to be my best group. Lately, that has changed to the bench press (probably since I've been improving rapidly on it lately). Next on the list is the squat, I just love moving over 400 pounds repeatedly!

glammaman2000 · #4 July 6th, 2004, 04:30 PM

i'm SO focussed right now on exercises i don't like(thighs,shoulders)i can't even think about the ones that i do."sob!"

ethernet_jock · #5 July 7th, 2004, 10:06 AM

Favorite Lifts thus far:

1.) Bicep Preacher Curl - because I can watch myself in the mirror as my biceps get all pumped and thick.... It's not that much weight yet (only about 100lbs currently I can curl 7 or 8 times) but I feel like a stud doing it anyway.

2.) Inverted Leg Press.... I think it's called... that machine where you lay at a 45 ( or greater) deg. angle to the ground with your legs in the air and do a leg press. Just because I feel powerful with 4 plates on each side (360lbs total).... again, I realize this isn't jack crap.... but it makes me feel studly, ok? :P

3.) Hammer Strength IsoLat Decline Bench Machine.... because it's positioned in such a way that if you're right in front of a mirror (as it is at my gym) then you have THE BEST angle of your own pecs swelling and flexing through my t-shirt. Again... something that makes me feel stronger than I am (I can only bench about 180 for 7 or 8 on HS Decline). It's very weird for me to see any pec definition at all so doing an exercise that makes my pecs look bigger than they are is major inspiration and a major turn-on for me.

4.) This sounds stupid... but I get a kick out of doing calf raises. That machine where you stand with the bars on your shoulders and your toes on the ledge and push up. I get a kick out of it, because it's the only thing that I'm strong at than most of the guys there. Most of the guys that I normally admire heavily who are bench 2-3x as much as me and on all other lifts too, actually have weaker calves that me. I have no idea why this is, but I love setting the pin to 180 and watching the looks. :P

I've yet to be brave enough to try deadlifts.... I have some lower back issues so the whole dead lift idea scares the crap out of me. I don't wanna be back in phys. therapy for another 6 months where the queen of pain beats on me 3 times a week and out of the gym for that entire time.

brent · #6 July 7th, 2004, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glammaman2000

i'm SO focussed right now on exercises i don't like(thighs,shoulders)i can't even think about the ones that i do."sob!"

Yeah, I'm finding that my back & shoulders have been lagging behind everyone else in the development department. So I've been focussing on them lately, and it is a bit of a bummer. You need to mix in some of you fav.s to keep yourself going sometimes!

EJ, instead of calf raises (standing), try the calf master (sitting) your back will thank you for it. Trust me. Also, my theory is that you have strong calves since you have always weighed a lot being tall. They probably are naturally strong, and so you have worker them out more than most men would theirs, and so you have developed yours into great calves. Be happy, that's the main thing you notice when a guy is wearing shorts (as opposed to most of us here who would notice the butt first, but that's another topic...

)

glammaman2000 · #7 July 7th, 2004, 09:26 PM

in the interests of your increasing volupuosity;here's a back exercise.bend over in a lunge position,like you would for DB tricep kickbacks.grab a low cable with one hand&do rows.i like to start with my palm down in the extended position,palm up as i pull it into my hip.go for 6x15,each side.NO REST between right&left&right&left,etc(ALL single arm exercises should be done this way!)let me know when you can go all the way through with 40 lbs.tell me what you think!

brent · #8 July 8th, 2004, 01:08 AM

Thank you for the suggestion. I will try it on my next back day. By 6 sets, you mean 3 per side, right?

The Magus · #9 July 8th, 2004, 02:28 AM

Re: Calves, two things I've heard over the years...

1st) Most people undertrain their calves. They forget that those muscles handle most of your body weight every day, not to mention the shock that comes with every step. Because of this, calves should react more to heavier loads...it's best to go as heavy as is safely possible when doing calves.

2nd) Apparently calves work on two planes (or whatever that's called), so that if you really want to work them you should do a mix of bent-leg movements (like the sitting calf raise) and straight-leg movements (like the standing calf raise, or the one where you use the leg press machine).

Insert standard disclaimer about me not being a trainer or having any expertise here....

ethernet_jock · #10 July 8th, 2004, 06:26 AM

Thanks guys for the tips on Calves! I definitely have a love for huge swelling calves and can't wait until mine get bigger. I have used the "calf master" before (who knew that's what it was called) and definitely found it to be more difficult. I have used the horiz. leg press machines for calves before too with some success. I guess I should do more different things more often, just like with any other body part, eh?

Thanks again!

oh and...

Quote:

Be happy, that's the main thing you notice when a guy is wearing shorts (as opposed to most of us here who would notice the butt first, but that's another topic..

Yes, when I see a muscular looking guy from behind wearing shorts I tend to first look at calves, and then at back/shoulders, and then MAYBE at ass... which is far less interesting for me. But how did you know?!?! :P

glammaman2000 · #11 July 8th, 2004, 04:27 PM

6x15 means 6 on each side.you'll really start to feel the stretch as you warm up.on all your lat exercises,remember:if your SHOULDER-BLADES aren't moving,you're probably just pumping up your arms.

brent · #12 July 8th, 2004, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glammaman2000

6x15 means 6 on each side.you'll really start to feel the stretch as you warm up.on all your lat exercises,remember:if your SHOULDER-BLADES aren't moving,you're probably just pumping up your arms.

Well, you can't blame me for trying! I will try them out tomorrow at the gym. I would go today, but I only got 4 hours of sleep last night. I need a new job.

glammaman2000 · #13 July 8th, 2004, 07:41 PM

i never think about whether i"feel like"working out.i'll work out when i'm sick.but i won't work out if i haven't had 8 hours sleep!think about it.

massingUP · #14 July 8th, 2004, 09:08 PM

Just to get back to the actual topic here for a second -- *chuckle* -- I have to agree with the Magus and say that deadlifts are my favorite exercise. But that's in part because they're also my most successful. Feels great just lifting 300-400+ pounds up off the ground -- exhililarating.

But my favorite lifting day overall is leg day. I may not be able to push as much weight as Brent -- good work big guy! -- but I can really get focused and psychologically invested in leg day like no other. I think it's because it's so draining and all-consuming that even if I come into the gym having a shitty day, after a few sets of squats or leg presses, I'm suddenly completely in my body and in the moment.

-- James / massingUP

traveller · #15 July 9th, 2004, 01:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glammaman2000

...i won't work out if i haven't had 8 hours sleep!think about it.

I definitely noticed how badly my leg workout sucked when I worked from the early afternoon until morning of the following day, and then went to the gym. I didn't feel that energetic, and I couldn't concentrate that well. Thanks to some unforeseen client demands, I'll work "vampire" hours for the rest of the week and through the weekend. That probably means I'll be lifting lighter than I want to for my next couple of workouts.

It also means my planned romantic dinner on Sunday may be cancelled, since I won't have the time to drive 1.5 hrs (one way) from San Jose, CA down to Monterey (where my new romantic interest is attending a conference). Thankfully I'm not as horny as I've been in the previous few weeks, or I would have been very grumpy.

Traveller

claygrant · #16 July 9th, 2004, 01:56 AM

sorry to move the topic off legs guys, but I have to say my favorite lift is the one-armed tricep pulldown, underhand grip. This one gets my arms burning and my tris feel huge afterwards!! I don't see many people doing them either... too bad. It's great for showing off too (not that I do yet).

The Magus · #17 July 9th, 2004, 02:44 AM

...AAaaand back to legs.

I agree, MassingUp. Squats are my second favourite excercise for those reasons, and more. They're my best (I'm still a lightweight, but I can squat my body weight now, which is nice), and the way our gym is set up I can see my reflection and I get "crazy eyes" (all buggy) when I do 'em.

I've sinced realized that I get those crazy eyes when I'm excited about things, too, which might be why some people back off from me when I try to engage them in a debate...

Edited to Add: Hey, I just noticed that you're in T.O., too, MassingUP! Whereabouts do you work out? (I'm at the downtown YMCA on Grovesnor)

brent · #18 July 9th, 2004, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by claygrant

sorry to move the topic off legs guys, but I have to say my favorite lift is the one-armed tricep pulldown, underhand grip. This one gets my arms burning and my tris feel huge afterwards!! I don't see many people doing them either... too bad. It's great for showing off too (not that I do yet).

I like them too, but underhanded hurts my wrist so I switch to overhanded in the second set. The tri's still get huge.

AAaaand back to LEGS!!!

I love feeling how huge and pumped my legs feel after squats, you can almost see the change! I love squats lots and lots! However, I can't talk about great squatting, I believe that's MassingUp's turf. I remember last summer when you talked about no being able to get both legs on the scale! I think of that every time I do squats, or step on a scale. In fact, that's the reason I now want to do squats every time I pass a scale! However, this isn't the thread about my mental illness, so I'll let the last word in it be: LEGS.

The Magus · #19 July 9th, 2004, 07:56 PM

Quote:

I love feeling how huge and pumped my legs feel after squats, you can almost see the change!

Oo, yeah. It's like legs are thirsty for it. Since I've been doing squats (around December), it seems like I have a brand new pair o' wheels each week. I'm just beginning to see that horseshoe shape where my quads reach my knee...

brent · #20 July 9th, 2004, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Magus

Oo, yeah. It's like legs are thirsty for it. Since I've been doing squats (around December), it seems like I have a brand new pair o' wheels each week. I'm just beginning to see that horseshoe shape where my quads reach my knee...

Legs are the largest muscle group, so it figures they would be the easiest to build quickly. I love legs, leggy, leggy, legs...

massingUP · #21 July 9th, 2004, 10:03 PM

Just to continue the leg-thread for a moment...

One of my favorite things to do with any of the pressing movements (squats, leg press, etc) is to make sure that I do NOT get any rest at the end of the rep. ie, don't pause, don't lock out, don't stop. It gives an INCREDIBLE pump and that's when I can't get both legs on the scale at the same time. Woohoo!

But I can typically only do that if I'm working lighter and with higher reps. And I need to make sure that the reps stay controlled and focused and that I'm not just bouncing up and down. Still, it's a great way to put a little extra juice in your squats.

-- J.

p.s. Magus, I just moved bcak to TO from NYC, and I'm currently training at Epic, 'cause they had a cheap 3-months/$99 special. It's not very busy there these days, which means I can get my work done without too much waiting. And the squat-rack is rarely busy... <g>

brent · #22 July 10th, 2004, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glammaman2000

in the interests of your increasing volupuosity;here's a back exercise.bend over in a lunge position,like you would for DB tricep kickbacks.grab a low cable with one hand&do rows.i like to start with my palm down in the extended position,palm up as i pull it into my hip.go for 6x15,each side.NO REST between right&left&right&left,etc(ALL single arm exercises should be done this way!)let me know when you can go all the way through with 40 lbs.tell me what you think!

OK, I tried it, but I don't think I got it right. do you rest your knee on a bench, like a kick back, or your knee on the floor like a lung? Do you pull your elbow almost straight back, like a row, or off to the side more? I assume the cable does not cross your body. I promise that I will keep trying this (even if it's only with 10 pounds) every day until I get it right!

Brent.

glammaman2000 · #23 July 10th, 2004, 03:36 PM

i'm impressed!i don't have my knee on a bench when i'm doing kickbacks.non-working forearm(i.e.no weight in hand)rests on front thigh(lunge)extend working arm all the way foreward;to,or just short of where weight"clicks"pull weight directly into hip(kind of like a DB row,or 1-arm lat pulldown)hope this is clear.

brent · #24 July 10th, 2004, 09:48 PM

Glammaman, yes that clears a lot up. Thank you, I'll try that tomorrow as well. Maybe one day I will be able to pull the handle off a cup too!

And now back to legs:

Quote:

Originally Posted by massingUP

Just to continue the leg-thread for a moment...

One of my favorite things to do with any of the pressing movements (squats, leg press, etc) is to make sure that I do NOT get any rest at the end of the rep. ie, don't pause, don't lock out, don't stop. It gives an INCREDIBLE pump and that's when I can't get both legs on the scale at the same time. Woohoo!

Thank you! Now I know how you did it! I will try this tomorrow.

Glammaman, yes that clears a lot up. Thank you, I'll try that tomorrow as well. Maybe one day I will be able to pull the handle off a cup too!

jco2007 · #25 July 11th, 2004, 12:09 AM

For me the deadlift is my favourite exercise (only because), I’m making faster than expected progress. The next day after heavy deadlifting my whole body feels thicker, heavier and stiffer – I love that feeling.

Squats are my next favourite, (but I’m not so good at them, due to poor symmetry. If I was good at them, they’d be my favourite). I remember training with this guy – his name is Craig. We were doing high reps, using the smith machine and it was his turn. He did 50 reps, when he went past 35, his whole body blew up (while squatting), you could see the veins come to the surface of his traps, and his traps and back went a maroon colour.

The intensity and aggression of the guy was electrifying. Ever since then, I still stick with them, in the hope that one day, I can get those affects.

Magus, Brent - you’re lucky, lucky men.

brent · #26 July 11th, 2004, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jco2007

For me the deadlift is my favourite exercise (only because), I?m making faster than expected progress. The next day after heavy deadlifting my whole body feels thicker, heavier and stiffer ? I love that feeling.

Being 6'5, I bet you can blow-up huge! Keep doing those deadlifts, and you'll be too thick to reach around soon!

Quote:

Originally Posted by jco2007

Squats are my next favourite, (but I?m not so good at them, due to poor symmetry. If I was good at them, they?d be my favourite) .... Magus, Brent - you?re lucky, lucky men.

Jerome, just keep working on the squats, they will come around. Good form is a must on squats, so you may want to lighten them for a week or two to work on your form. I am sure that you will get enormous soon, your frame can support a LOT more than mine every will! You should consider yourself lucky: you can lift until you are bigger than me, but no matter how much I lift, I can never get as tall as you.

massingUP · #27 July 11th, 2004, 09:34 PM

Hey JCO,

Your post reminds me very much of myself. Being tall as well (but only 6'3", not 6'5"), I find that the physics of the pushing lifts like bench and squat work against me (damn those long limbs!) but that the physics of the big pulling lifts like deadlifts work for me, cause I wind up leveraging those same long limbs to pull more weight.

So I'm stronger on deadlift than I think I should be (got up to pulling mid-400s without too much work/time) but my bench and squat languish no matter how hard I seem to work on them (best ever bench was a mere 240 for a single and best ever squat was 310)...

But we just have to do what we can. My lower back is very strong cause of all the deadlifting, and I get some good overall thickness from it. I just have to work harder to get my chest and shoulders to develop.

Anyways, just goes to show that any BBer of any height has some advantages and some disadvantages. And it's no surprise that our favorite lifts tend to be the ones from which we get the best results...

Keep growin' y'all....

-- James

brent · #28 July 11th, 2004, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by massingUP

Hey JCO,

Your post reminds me very much of myself. Being tall as well (but only 6'3", not 6'5"), I find that the physics of the pushing lifts like bench and squat work against me (damn those long limbs!) ...
-- James

I remember someone tall a couple months ago complaining about being too big for a standard benchpress (I think he was 6'3 too). Someone else suggested using dumbells, instead of the barbell, and that helped him. I'm too lazy to search for the thread tonight, but my point is that maybe with slight alterations, you can do as well as the rest of us at pushing exercises. It's just a thought. I mean why should that hot height ever be a disadvantage for anything??? That's just wrong! I hope there is something here useful.

ethernet_jock · #29 July 12th, 2004, 07:50 AM

Quote:

best ever bench was a mere 240

not to relish in your pain... but it feels good at least to know that a fellow tall person (as me) has an incredibly hard time with bench. Good luck bro! Keep pushin!

incidentally - doesn't it drive you fucking insane to see some guy about 5'5" and maybe 150lbs benching 250+ like it was easy?

jco2007 · #30 July 12th, 2004, 08:32 AM

Brent, Massing UP
Thanks for your gracious repsonses.

Its a matter of experimentation , learning and being tenacious.

After having witnessed the effects of squatting on Craig (an ex-workout buddy), I'll keep at the squats.

If you can crack squats, then your well on your way to muscle gain

Mdlftr · #31 July 12th, 2004, 09:21 AM

Ethernet, Massing Up,

" ...not to relish in your pain... but it feels good at least to know that a fellow tall person (as me) has an incredibly hard time with bench. Good luck bro! Keep pushin!

incidentally - doesn't it drive you fucking insane to see some guy about 5'5" and maybe 150lbs benching 250+ like it was easy?....'

As someone who is 6'3" myself, I know EXACTLY what you mean!

Mdlftr · #32 July 12th, 2004, 09:24 AM

To continue....

Because I'm tall and have lousy BP leverage, AND I'm at the age where Ibuprofen is my friend, I find the incline DB presses work really well for me to get my strength up. Flat BPs Do help the mass, because they seem to stimulate more chest fibers, but I can't go very heavy on them.

And yes, those "Mr. 5 By 5s" (Short and stocky) types with the thick chests and big benches drive me crazy! But I overlook that...

.. and go about my workouts!

Mdlftr

massingUP · #33 July 12th, 2004, 09:35 AM

Re this thread about height and favorite exercises...

Years ago, when I'd only been lifting for a few years, I was at the McGill University gym where they had two squat racks side by side. I was using one, and this shorter, bigger guy (probably in the 5'7"-5'9" range) next to me was using the other. He had way more weight on that I did, but I was hufffing and puffing like a steam engine in between my sets.

Anyways, at some point we were both resting at the same time, and sorta staring off into space towards each other. And he sorta looked at me and then said "Man, I do not envy you your legs. You gotta a long way to go down, and then a long way back up again." *chuckle*

Now I'd never say that being tall is a disadvantage, and I'm not trying to do the woe-is-me thing here. It's just that the physics of lifting (admittedly, this is only based on my rudimentary undersatndign of newtonian physics) means that greater force has be supplied by the muscles in the legs to push my big ass up from parallel when it's hanging out on the end of a longer lever. The further away it is from the point of rotation, the greater force required. And almost every lifter I've talked to has pointed out that that can pose a challenge.

But that challenge doesn't mean that it can't be done. There's a guy at my old gym in NYC who is a about 6 or 6'1" who weighs a full 295 and has legs that must be at LEAST 30". I'd actually suspect they'er closer to 31 or 32. And while he's clearly got great genetics and a massive juice habit, he's also had to contend with being taller than the avg. bodybuilder. And he has clearly triumped...

So to those of us who may despair over our bench presses or squats due to the challenge of height, just stick with it! After all, it's the challenges that make it interesting, and everyone who lifts faces some kidn of challenge. So I WILL have big thick legs and I WILL have big thick pecs... it may take a little longer, but I'll get there. <g>

Okay. Back to work...

-- J.

glammaman2000 · #34 July 12th, 2004, 02:08 PM

i believe I suggested that tall guys try DB instead of BB for bench press.you won't be able to lift more weight,but you should get more muscle.i'm not so crazy about squats as a leg builder(makes your hips spread).what do you tall guys think about leg presses?

Mdlftr · #35 July 12th, 2004, 02:12 PM

I'm with Glam here,

DB inclines for chest and leg press for legs.

Works for me.

Notbigenuff · #36 July 12th, 2004, 08:25 PM

Oh my, who knew that tall guys had such problems--tell you what I will gladly trade anyone 50 lbs of my bench for two (or more) inches of your height

.

Just kidding, I guess every size has it's advantages and disadvantages. But, having said that, I think in my case it's a toss up. I like the bench press and the leg press both!

I personally think that nothing beats the "big" moves (bench, squat, deadlifts) for packing on the size and strength!

ethernet_jock · #37 July 13th, 2004, 06:59 AM

Quote:

I will gladly trade anyone 50 lbs of my bench for two (or more) inches of your height

This is an excellent point... you will never catch me saying that being tall is bad. There's nothing bad I can find about being tall except maybe the occasional stairwell support iron in an old building that hangs too low. *ouch* If someone gave me the choice today to gain 100lbs on my bench press and 50lbs on my preacher curl and I would only have to give up 3" of height.... the answer would be a resounding no. I'll get there eventually anyway, and I love being tall.

Thanks! :P

I, too, love leg presses. They just make me feel huge.

brent · #38 July 17th, 2004, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mdlftr

I'm with Glam here,

DB inclines for chest and leg press for legs.

Works for me.

Don't incline movements just work the upper chest? Aren't most of the fibers in the lower part? Wouldn't you want to emphasize the flat/decline movements? I'm just curious here.

glammaman2000 · #39 July 17th, 2004, 05:20 PM

on most people,the lower pec is the easiest to develop.if not for the disorientation of being upside-down,many people would be strongest on the decline press(easier to incorporate lat&tricep strength)most people are strongest on flat benches because they concentrate on it,but you will notice that when they are straining on a lift;they arch their backs(turns it into a decline)it's usually a good idea to do your incline(weakest)work first....p.s.i had a friend who could easily bench 315 on inclines,but not on flats.he said it was because when he 1st started training,all the"big guys"were using the flat benches&the incline was all that was available!all a matter of where you put your effort.

brent · #40 July 20th, 2004, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glammaman2000

....p.s.i had a friend who could easily bench 315 on inclines,but not on flats.he said it was because when he 1st started training,all the"big guys"were using the flat benches&the incline was all that was available!all a matter of where you put your effort.

Wow, his pecs must have jetted right out there. It seems that the incline movements really make you pecs go POP!