Its Time!

[AndrewMichael]

Ok, I have heard that a couple people out there weightlift. I happen to be an avid lifter! I don't know why but the sound of plates smashing together and moving steel around for no reason gets me going. SO, for those who do lift, whatcha got?

Bench Max-
Squat Max-
Deadlift Max-

Total-

If you don't do them all thats ok, I'm going now to max out with some friends of mine....I'll let you know the results.

Have fun!:lifting:

[jtucker]

last time i lifted which was around the end of 04 begining of 05 i maxed out on bench at 225, but i guess having only 225 pounds of weights will do that to ya huh?

[NoahL]

I used to lift back when I was about 15.... but I have no clue what my max would be now. I've thought about starting again... but I just never did.

[HotShot53]

I'm afraid I've never even tried to start... I know I'm too lazy to keep it up for long at all ;)

[jtucker]

well if you get into the routine of it you'll do it all the time

[AndrewMichael]

To repeat, I am an AVID lifter!!! I love it!

Bench-315
Squat-365
Deadlift-425

Total- 1105

I thought about giving powerlifting a shot for a while, but never had the time nor effort. Being 6'6" doesn't help much either (long arms, long legs) but I still REALLY enjoy it! I actually tried 320 on my bench (sooo close! lol) and on deadlift I went for 435 and literally felt like I was going to snap in two! That ten pounds made a HUGE difference!

I apologize for my passion in this area, I'm still wondering why I like to lift so much! Have no idea! well, there ya go!

[jtucker]

Don't apologize, no need for it. Just be thankful God has given you an ability to lift anf exercise your body!

[joris]

no... I never done that; me being a somewhat skinny kid, I don't really think that's something for me :confused:

[jtucker]

well it's motivating let me tell you what!

[NoahL]

So where do you lift at? Do you have a gym, or YMCA membership? How many friends do you get together to lift with?

[AndrewMichael]

Well actually I have a lot of options.

I can go to my old high school, since my coach doesn't care because I used to play for him.

Go to my college's weight room.

Or go to one of the two YMCA's weightrooms in Defiance.

I always want at least one more person with me so I can go heavy. If I am by myself, I have to watch myself. Personally I like going with my dad the most because he's the closest to being as strong as me, but I have some guys from work who go with me most of the time, and my good friend Jared (whenever he has time)....I have options since I am the one who knows "how" to lift and can lead them around like stray puppys lol.

[Bradley]

Lifting is pretty fun....I just recently stopped....But, I wasn't in it to lift a lot, I have a passion for martial arts, and lifted light amounts, with many reps, so that I'd maintain my flexability and not bulk up... But, I stopped for a while, and sold all my equipment, so I'd have more time for God:) That's pretty awesome that you can lift that much tho, and you enjoy lifting!

[AndrewMichael]

oh man! I hate reping out weights (only time is when I wanted to see how many times I could bench 225, I got 10). I'm all about maxing out nearly on every exercise, or least go real heavy! Like I have said many-a-time, no one comes up and asks you "how many times can you curl 50 lbs" instead they 99% of the time will ask "How much can you bench?" So I make sure that I surprise them, not looking nearly as strong as I am! Which makes it the most fun!

[Bradley]

Yah, that is true....ppl don't ask that normally...But, like I said...I wanted to stay flexable, and stuff...a lot of weight lifters bulk up...I never wanted to do that...I didn't really lift avidly though, either...Just enough to maintain...I like to be agile...I can to front handsprings, flying crescents, flying side kicks, spin kicks...stuff like that...I just like martial arts...I didn't like weight lifting..but, it's not good to know how to throw a kick/punch w/o strength to back it up....hehe...Do you have any advice on how to maximise strength, w/o bulking up? I love to learn others' strategies on that sorta stuff! Thanks!

[AndrewMichael]

For me, I get a lot stronger but since I am so tall, it gets spread out more, thus I don't bulk up too much. The best is to go heavy like I do, but run a lot to cancel out any massive gains. To be real strong though, you have to allow yourselve to get bigger.

[Bradley]

Yah, really, I'd like to be as small as Bruce Lee....at 132 pounds, he could bench over 300....that'd be strong enough for me...hehe...Yah, running a lot makes sense...I try to run a good amount anyways. I may pick back up a little lifting again after a while...right now tho, I'm trying to focus on God more than anything, just maintaining in fitness and such right now...not pursuing it strongly yet...I'll prolly pick it up more eventually tho! Thanks for the input!

[AndrewMichael]

Feeling ya there. Don't want to get so obsessed to where it gets in the way of your walk with the Lord. Amen to that.

[Bradley]

Exactly, it's good to keep our priorities straight. That's why I have quit taking martial arts lessons and kickboxing for a while...there were days that I'd practice and hit on punching and speed bags for several hours, but would only pray five minutes...I love martial arts, but I live for God...So, I needed to give up the one for a while.....

[JoeC]

I was an avid weightlifter for 2+ years. I've slacked off since starting college but am looking to start disciplining myself this summer now that I have less days of class.

I'm ashamed to post my lifts though. I've come a long way, but nowhere close to Andrew. :training:

Andrew, how much are you weighing in at?

[AndrewMichael]

Hey man, don't be ashamed, the guys I lift with bench about 135, not even my warm up lol.....but I'm at 225 right now, but I am 6'6", so that I don't really seem as big as I am.

But I just recently got back into it. The way I lift, I get huge gains fast when I focus. My Junior year in high school I was only about 170 and could bench about 205, in two months, I was 205 and benched 285. Now, since I don't have to do all the agilities of football, I focus just on lifting and have been getting huge gains lately, having dropped to about 265 in my bench, and am stronger than I have ever been. Glad to hear someone else out there likes to move steel around for no reason!

[JoeC]

OK then. With my 165 lb frame I can do the following:

Bench: 145 * 10
Dead: 245 * 10
Squat: 245 * 10



estimates. actual reps may vary.

[AndrewMichael]

so are you doing that 10 reps each, or a max out, confused?

[JoeC]

yeah, at about 10 reps on each of those my mucles fail. I haven't done an all-out max on those lifts. Ever. I lift alone. I could only guess at my maxes.

[AndrewMichael]

thats pretty impressive.....especially at 165.

i HAVE to go heavy when I lift, so I dont' go if I don't get anyone to go with me. Bummer though.

[JoeC]

Why do you have to?

btw, the squats are to perpendicular (knees at right angles - what we like to call the right way) and the deads are sumo style.

[AndrewMichael]

Yes! You are an avid lifter!!!

Anywho, I go to parallel, which is quite hard at my height! but deadlifting i'm somewhere in between sumo and regular stance. I have started to tweak it a little bit to see which more fits my body more. My back is really strong, but my legs tend to be lacking, thus I use a higher percentage of my back than I probably should.

Why do I go heavy? Because there the fun in it to me! Just to put some huge weight on and say "I'M GONNA MOVE THAT!" The thrill of maxing out is what I live for!, at least in the lifting sense....

Repping out is just boring to me, even though others enjoy it, and thats fine. The only time I repped out was because I wanted to see how many times I could bench two plates on each side (10 reps) and that was quite an aerobic workout let me tell ya!!

Also, nobody comes up and ask "How much can you bench 10 times?" Its just "How much can you bench?" and I want to throw the biggest number I can out there! Thus I max out constantly!

[JoeC]

Wait. That doesn't sound right. Two plates is 225 - at ten reps? Was this a bench? Or a squat? I'm so confused.

I'm actually a little afraid of deads because I've gotten sciatica numerous times from it (pinched nerve - feels like you leg is asleep whever you walk, but also with a twinge of pain). I need to get someone to work on my form with me. I'm also scared of the bent machine rows - but that's because I really don't know the form.

Oh man! I love going into my rec center and loading up the squat rack, but at the same time I dread it. I love it 'cause I feel like such a monster putting all that weiight on (there are VERY few guys that would even dare try the real squat at my rec center, and of the few that do, very few are my size doing the weight I do).

But then I dread it too. Someone explained it too me this way: "It's like I'm back in grade school and the bully tells me he's gonna fight me after school. I feel nervous right up until I get into the fight. Then it's over and I feel like I've done something great."

[AndrewMichael]

That was on bench by the way.

Yeah, I'm afraid of big squats the most.....just don't like squats!! If you didn't notice, they are a little out of preportion compared to my bench and deadlift (only being 50 lbs more than my bench). But I know the fear, but I can kind of remember being in football and having your coach spot you and having the team watching. THAT WEIGHT IS GOING UP!! lol so I can almost get "into the zone" and then I lift my best. And I need a spotter I am comfortable with, definitely on squats! Squats scare me! lol

But ya, there is a high-row machine at my high school and I realized how much stronger my back is now than it was then because I used to be only able to put three plates on each side of it and do that once. Now, I put four one each side and did it seven times! I was like "YES! I'M AN ANIMAL!!" (I'm sure you have had this feeling)

[JoeC]

LOL. Yes, I have had that feeling - just not with that much weight. :taz:

[jtucker]

I haven't lifted in such a long time , i started when i was 9 and stopped when i was in middle school then picked it up in highschool then stopped in 04,

[jtucker]

i'm starting out agian but it's hard for me to get someone to spot me so i have to be careful what i bench

[AndrewMichael]

I hate that feeling though when I'm lifting without a spotter. Sitting on that bench, struggling a little bit to get that rep up saying "I'm not sure if I can get another one" so you are forced to rack the weight, realizing that one rep isn't worth you neck being ripped off! That's why I love having a spotter I can trust who only helps me just enough to get the weight up, or yells at me a little bit to get me to get it up! Glad to hear your back in the game!

[JoeC]

I actually don't have that problem on the bench. My bench weight is low enough that if I can't do another rep I can just lower the bar to my chest, shift it to my abdomen and roll it over my my waist and onto the pelvis. From here I can sit up, stand up, and rack the weight.

[AndrewMichael]

Well, 300 will probably cut your abs in half! lol.....just a thought though!

[JoeC]

Yeah, at that level I'd need a spotter. For sure.

[JoeC]

Well, in about a half hour I'll be in the gym. Wish me well!

[JoeC]

Yah, that is true....ppl don't ask that normally...But, like I said...I wanted to stay flexable, and stuff...a lot of weight lifters bulk up...I never wanted to do that...I didn't really lift avidly though, either...Just enough to maintain...I like to be agile...I can to front handsprings, flying crescents, flying side kicks, spin kicks...stuff like that...I just like martial arts...I didn't like weight lifting..but, it's not good to know how to throw a kick/punch w/o strength to back it up....hehe...Do you have any advice on how to maximise strength, w/o bulking up? I love to learn others' strategies on that sorta stuff! Thanks!

I have to admit, you're way is probably the healthiest. Your flexibility will keep you younger a lot longer than my muscles.

[AndrewMichael]

blah "healthy", who needs it! lol

[JoeC]

Hey. Anybody here keep a six pack on 'em?

[AndrewMichael]

riiiiiiiight......for that I would definitely have to quit my job at Ponderosa! Those 2000 calorie nights make it impossible!

[JoeC]

lol... I guess I have one up on ya. ;)

[AndrewMichael]

I say it knowing we are all men here, why have a six pack when you can have a keg? lol

Ok, I don't have a keg, but I definitely am more rounded off than I was during football. Not running for two hours non-stop for 5 times a week can take a lot of the cardio out of your workout!

[Jezz]

Hey. Anybody here keep a six pack on 'em?

still trying ;)

[JoeC]

Yeah, I know a guy that was doing sit-up every night, just killing himself practically, in hopes of getting a sick pack. One problem though. He was about 40 lbs over wieght. He's probably got a hard set of abs underneath his belly, but I told him he needs to do something arobic to get the fat off - the sit-ups do nothing for that (well, actually, I think 1000 or so sit-ups = a mile walk...lol).

Running is supposed to really work the abs too, while shedding the fat around them. :thumbup:

[AndrewMichael]

Ya, making your abs huge without cardio will only push out that fat even farther.

But I stick to the Godlen Rule
*As long as the chest sticks out farther than the gut*:smarty:

[Angelo]

I love lifting too!
I have approx 50lbs plates as dumbbells only, don't have enough space in the room for a bar. I used to work out with my friend before, he had a set and I combined mine to his. Work out just for the sweat these days but would really like to use a gym.
How do you work out the lower abs? At this point that is what I am working out on.

[JoeC]

Lower Abs:

Bycycles (not a metal bycycle, it an excercise. Google "bodybuilding bycycles", I don't want to offend anyone by posting a link).

Hanging leg raises.

Remember though, the reason why most people don't see the lower abs is because that's the last place the fat leaves. It's usually more of a cardio thing - though the excercises will make a difference once you do get the fat off.

[AndrewMichael]

Sorry bro, I rarely work abs...mainly for the reason that they don't help your bench, squat, or deadlift, and thats the reason I lift. My looks really don't matter to me much, its the bragging rights lol

[JoeC]

hmm, actually abs have a lot to do with you're core strength... something that is really used in squats and deads.

Which is partly my excuse for not working the abs. I figure they get a pummeling on all my other exercises. Though I probably should pay them a little more attention...

[AndrewMichael]

Well, they do act as a stablizer but I have lifted for a couple years and all my stablizer muslces are in tune. There is always that period when we start lifting that you have to acquire stability, but I think I'm pass that stage... and I hate abs anyway lol

[JoeC]

They're painful! Literally gut wrenching!

[BroTrevor]

Hey. Anybody here keep a six pack on 'em?

I gave up Mt. Dew quite some time ago...SO I don't carry it around anymore...

In all seriousness... once schedules get back in order after this baby starts sleeping and such, I'll be going back to the gym again.

I mostly just do cardio/fat burning stuff. Why build my muscles when they're well hidden at the moment?

[JoeC]

Why build my muscles when they're well hidden at the moment?
Ummm, because when the fat leaves... Ba-BOOM!

Oh, and because the more muscle one has the higher their metabolism.

[BroTrevor]

Oh, and because the more muscle one has the higher their metabolism.


I did not know this...

[JoeC]

Yeah, that's why "they" say that the most successful weight lost programs include both aerobic and anaerobic workouts.




- Who's they? :confused:

[Angelo]

They're painful! Literally gut wrenching!
I love it when it hurt but to a certain degree. I made it my routine to work on it since I don't have enough plates to lift on and its really fun to maintain. I never counted yet on my seat ups but I think a 50 is not so difficult. :training: I'll check on it later...

[jtucker]

the soreness is a blessing! means your being broken to be built up stronger

[Angelo]

I did not know this...
That is one of my purpose in improving the abs, to avoid and prevent big bellies in the future.

[Angelo]

the soreness is a blessing! means your being broken to be built up stronger
Indubitably!

[NoahL]

Speaking of muscle soreness... I didn't lift weights, but on Saturday I played softball for about 6 hours. I definitely used muscles I'm not used to using... I feel it today:wheelchai

[HotShot53]

Speaking of muscle soreness... I didn't lift weights, but on Saturday I played softball for about 6 hours. I definitely used muscles I'm not used to using... I feel it today:wheelchai

Lol, yeah, when I play softball once a month at the Elkton, MD picnics, I feel it for sure the next day...

[jtucker]

I'm getting in to golf, and my side aches like no other the next day lol

[AndrewMichael]

WOO HOO!!!

Got 435 in my deadlift, without a problem! That's more than I have ever done!!! Next step, 455!! It was probably the best deadlift in my life... Sorry, but it was sweeeeet!

[Angelo]

Now that's what I call powwweerr!:training: