Gym "fashion"

Genetically I am gifted more for strength then for pure size. I also started out training with elite powerlifters so I learned how to lift early and tried to avoid major mistakes...ie benching incorrectly and getting shoulder injuries. One thing I would change earlier in my career would be to not worry about going quite so heavy and concentrate on higher reps. Once I hit a 2000lb total I should have realized that I dont need to move these types of weights anymore and should have dropped down a bit a concentrated on reps ie 15-20 on squats, nothing less then 8-10 on bench. Pushing the limit for so long lead to more injuries I could have avoided. My training now is quite different because i no longer strive for strength...I work towards total muscular isolation and failure...an evolution you could say. Guys my age who have trained as long as I have run into similar issues...one I have learned alot from is John Meadows. I want to continue to train well into my 50's so i needed to evolve or run the risk of career ending injuries.
Unfortunately Youtube and the entire internet for that matter never existed when i was lifting my heaviest around 1993-95. I remember training at Venice Golds and guys staring at us thinking we were nuts.

When i was young we looked up to guys like David and Peter Paul the Barbarian Brothers who did 315lb cheat curls weekly. Dr Fred Hatfiled Dr Squat first 1000lb squat. Anthony Clarke 700lb reverse bench.

P

Thanks for sharing this Ted! I have a question about going to failure, as you know I do your method and goes to failure on every set on the hard week, I really give everything and most of the time I'm really close to black out/barf on almost every set of chest/back/legs, my training partner says I have blue lips when I do bench press, I breathe ok I think and I have kinda a good 'wind' since I do free-diving, but also sometime I have to go the chiro because a rib to be realign, other time I have chest pain after a huge set (might be a rib again), but all that make me wonder if I'm too old for pushing that much... Any thoughts on that/do you experience any of those things sometime ?

Thanks

Eric

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Originally Posted by TT Eric

Thanks for sharing this Ted! I have a question about going to failure, as you know I do your method and goes to failure on every set on the hard week, I really give everything and most of the time I'm really close to black out/barf on almost every set of chest/back/legs, my training partner says I have blue lips when I do bench press, I breathe ok I think and I have kinda a good 'wind' since I do free-diving, but also sometime I have to go the chiro because a rib to be realign, other time I have chest pain after a huge set (might be a rib again), but all that make me wonder if I'm too old for pushing that much... Any thoughts on that/do you experience any of those things sometime ?

Thanks

Eric

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Holy Eric! Your lips are turning blue when your bench press? Wow, how much to do you bench?? The worst I get is throwing up every once in while but the stuff you're doing sounds really intense/dangerous!

Stay safe man!

-Primal

Yes on bench press, but it's even worse on leg press when grinding more reps. Actually flat bench press is my ultimate weaknesses and I'm not proud of my numbers, not sure why it's that weak, but for sure I've benched the wrong way 11-12 years and shoulders took a toll, only since last year I corrected my form. When I was benching incorrectly I was doing 295lbs, with the corrected form I do now 255x4, 235x6, 210x9, 190x12, DB incline press 110x4, 100x7, 90x9, 80x13... I'm nowhere near a freak like Ted.

Eric

I still train all out intensity...its just measured differently. I get broken capillaries in my eyes all the time from squatting or leg pressing...thats normal doing sets of 20. As we age we can still keep intensity high we just have to be a bit smarter and watch the higher risk exercises and not worry too much about PR's when it comes to strength. Lets put put it this way...ive pulled 705lb deadlift...now is trying for a 800lb dead going to help my back development much or would doing 500lbs for 3 sets of 6 be better and hold less risk? Getting stronger is great as a BB when you are beginning and in the intermediate phase but it becomes a limiting factor once you develop serious mass and have years of training you will need to adapt to other forms of intensity to stay healthy.

In my current chest workout I do incline barbell bench last...that way I am pretty fatigued and I dont need to use 500lbs anymore...i can get by with 315 for reps and save my shoulders. Same with leg day....Ill work hams first and really exhaust them...then do squats and do higher reps say 405 for 10-15 and 315 for 20...instead of doing 600 for 5 where its all about just moving the weight.

P

Thanks Ted, I understand your point, in my case, pretty much because I took a break of almost 20 years and basically had to re-start all over like a newbie 3 years ago, I have neither the strength nor the serious muscle mass to consider myself advance enough switch to sarcoplasmic training like you, I'm still trying to build decent strength and mass with your -10% method starting with a 3-5 reps for 1st set instead of starting with 2-3 reps. But even though I would switch to a higher rep range I think the 'blue lips', fainting/barfing would be even worse, cause it's actually more present at the 3rd and 4th set then the 1st/2nd ones.

One thing that is really annoying is the ribs moving, have you had that problem ? Almost every month I have to see my chiro so he can put them one or more in place.

Eric

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Originally Posted by Praetorian

I still train all out intensity...its just measured differently. I get broken capillaries in my eyes all the time from squatting or leg pressing...thats normal doing sets of 20. As we age we can still keep intensity high we just have to be a bit smarter and watch the higher risk exercises and not worry too much about PR's when it comes to strength. Lets put put it this way...ive pulled 705lb deadlift...now is trying for a 800lb dead going to help my back development much or would doing 500lbs for 3 sets of 6 be better and hold less risk? Getting stronger is great as a BB when you are beginning and in the intermediate phase but it becomes a limiting factor once you develop serious mass and have years of training you will need to adapt to other forms of intensity to stay healthy.

In my current chest workout I do incline barbell bench last...that way I am pretty fatigued and I dont need to use 500lbs anymore...i can get by with 315 for reps and save my shoulders. Same with leg day....Ill work hams first and really exhaust them...then do squats and do higher reps say 405 for 10-15 and 315 for 20...instead of doing 600 for 5 where its all about just moving the weight.

P

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Wow, I can really see why you stress on me to get my numbers up first before the reps. Jeez the only time I've seen someone with eyes like that is Kai Greene... Eric your numbers are really good for starting back up again just 2 years ago. 255 lbs is heavy!

-Primal

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Originally Posted by Primal

Wow, I can really see why you stress on me to get my numbers up first before the reps. Jeez the only time I've seen someone with eyes like that is Kai Greene... Eric your numbers are really good for starting back up again just 2 years ago. 255 lbs is heavy!

-Primal

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Thanks, in a GL it's good, but here it's pretty much laughing stock I have no illusion.

Eric

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Originally Posted by TT Eric

Thanks, in a GL it's good, but here it's pretty much laughing stock I have no illusion.

Eric

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^GL?

Goodlife, the walmart equivalent to gym.

Eric