How is everyone's training going?

[damnromulans]

Unless you gained about 50 pounds since that yoga pic you put up I don't think you're anywhere close to 40%, LOL.

LOL that wasn't me. I'm not at 40%, but probably high 20s or something. I can still make a butt out of my middle flab.

Weird fever/fatigue that I don't understand, so I took the morning off and cooked myself a really awesome lunch because I felt sorry for myself.

 

[King Richard]

I can still make a butt out of my middle flab.

Oh Laura.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

LOL that wasn't me. I'm not at 40%, but probably high 20s or something. I can still make a butt out of my middle flab.

Dat... ass?

Did a mile today wearing a 45lb vest. Time - 7:39. Probably could have gotten under 7:30 but I had no idea how to pace and was too conservative for the first two laps.

 

[divine_torture]

Busted out a complete bi/tri/calf workout in an hour today. Felt hella good. #YOLO

 

[rms]

Did deadlifts for the first time ever..think i'm in love with a new exercise.

I need something different for my back though..tried barbell rows/pullups and deadlifts and I think I neeed something more for the middle of my back, Lat pulldowns? Not sure

 

[SomeGuyDude]

Put the work in on the pullups and rows and you'll have plenty. Show me someone who can row 315 and do a set of 40 pullups and I'll show you someone with one HELL of a back.

 

[divine_torture]

Did deadlifts for the first time ever..think i'm in love with a new exercise.

I need something different for my back though..tried barbell rows/pullups and deadlifts and I think I neeed something more for the middle of my back, Lat pulldowns? Not sure

T-Bar rows work for me.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

I sometimes think new lifters are worrying waayyyy too much about things that are the kind of concerns reserved for advanced lifters. Unless your back is well developed enough that you can look at it and say "well clearly the middle is lagging", don't worry about it. Just work your "back".

 

[divine_torture]

But it helps to get all of your back in a workout even as a beginner. So focusing on finding the appropriate exercise for a part that feels like it's not being worked out properly is perfectly acceptable for any level lifter...

 

[SomeGuyDude]

But can you honestly say that your "middle back" isn't getting worked enough? And how do you know the problem is exercise choice and not exercise performance? If you do your chins and rows right that's plenty. Sure, mix things up just for variety, but I can guarantee you aren't lacking in "middle back" work from those two.

 

[Dak]

If bent over rows and pullups aren't working your entire back youre doing it wrong.

 

[King Richard]

You should do more bicep curls bro.

 

[divine_torture]

But can you honestly say that your "middle back" isn't getting worked enough? And how do you know the problem is exercise choice and not exercise performance? If you do your chins and rows right that's plenty. Sure, mix things up just for variety, but I can guarantee you aren't lacking in "middle back" work from those two.

You can honestly say any part of your body is not being worked enough because, I dunno...they aren't sore, they aren't bigger, they aren't stronger, they lack endurance...And I'm just assuming he has his form down correctly so he still feels something is lacking. It's ok to incorporate a little more to get the results you want...Maybe? I know you are like some sort of expert lifter and the rest of us are clearly extremely new and know absolutely nothing about this. Probably.

Also, rms, do you mean your lats in the middle or your traps? If you mean lats, I'd say stick with rows, pull ups, do some lat pull downs, and I personally like t-bar rows. If you mean traps, include upright rows and that will do quite a bit for you.

 

[damnromulans]

RENEGADE ROWS today. My obliques are shouting at me and I like it. I am going to make a new routine that involves every single exercise I find miserable and terrible. Like mountain climbers and burpees and Turkish get-ups. Ughhhh

What's everyone's least favorite exercise?

 

[Dak]

Mountain climbers would def make my list.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

Burpees. End of story. Even worse when they're things like burpee box-jumps or burpees for distance.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

You can honestly say any part of your body is not being worked enough because, I dunno...they aren't sore, they aren't bigger, they aren't stronger, they lack endurance...And I'm just assuming he has his form down correctly so he still feels something is lacking. It's ok to incorporate a little more to get the results you want...Maybe? I know you are like some sort of expert lifter and the rest of us are clearly extremely new and know absolutely nothing about this. Probably.

I'm not saying I'm some big expert (far from it), but I do know a few things and one that I wish I'd believed when I was newer was not to microanalyze.

Unless you have a HUGE back, or your definition is phenomenal, it's hard to know if your "middle back" is lacking. Soreness doesn't mean a goddamn thing. As for stronger, how the hell would you know something like that? You can't isolate your rhomboids.

My point is that, really, for 99% of us there's no need to comb through magazines and try to concoct these elaborate routines to target different areas of different muscles. I keep hearing kids (not calling anyone here a kid!) asking how to improve their rear delts, or the sweep of their quads, or the horseshoe of the triceps, when the problem is that the entire LIMBS are small.

By all means, switch things up if you want, I do it all the time, but trying to target such overly specific areas is unnecessary unless you're a pro bodybuilder. The middle of your back should be doing PLENTY in ANY row. T-bar, cable, dumbbell (one or two armed), barbell, underhand, overhand, chest-supported, free standing.

 

[divine_torture]

What's everyone's least favorite exercise?

I fucking hate squats.

I'm not saying I'm some big expert (far from it), but I do know a few things and one that I wish I'd believed when I was newer was not to microanalyze.

Unless you have a HUGE back, or your definition is phenomenal, it's hard to know if your "middle back" is lacking. Soreness doesn't mean a goddamn thing. As for stronger, how the hell would you know something like that? You can't isolate your rhomboids.

My point is that, really, for 99% of us there's no need to comb through magazines and try to concoct these elaborate routines to target different areas of different muscles. I keep hearing kids (not calling anyone here a kid!) asking how to improve their rear delts, or the sweep of their quads, or the horseshoe of the triceps, when the problem is that the entire LIMBS are small.

By all means, switch things up if you want, I do it all the time, but trying to target such overly specific areas is unnecessary unless you're a pro bodybuilder. The middle of your back should be doing PLENTY in ANY row. T-bar, cable, dumbbell (one or two armed), barbell, underhand, overhand, chest-supported, free standing.

I liked your response much better this time, even though I both agree and disagree with various points here, but I'm too busy to respond. I will say that I agree about reading things about targeting specific areas in magazines and such that are based on straight up bodybuilder physiques is stupid. None of us have the time, money, or steroids to get those bodies anyway.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

LOL yeah, I apologize for coming across kinda blockheaded before. Sometimes I'm bad at picking my words. I'm all about mixing it up to keep things fresh, but worrying about targeting super specific areas of muscles is bogging yourself down in details.

 

[King Richard]

Marine Corps "conditioning" hikes. Some of the ones we did in infantry lasted literally all day. It was fucking horrible.