Alittle constructive criticism please

[barbender]

I was looking for some help here. These pics are from Jan. I have stayed about the same since then. I am not a big guy (clearly) but try to get heavier while staying proporsional. Where am I lacking? Stats: I am natural, 180lbs 10%bf and 5'9". Any help is appreciated. Thanks

[barbender]

Back double bi

[barbender]

Damn I didn't know how to resize. Sorry they are so friggin huge.

[wnabeabeast]

Looking good bro here is your pictures resized.
You have good base just keep doing what you've been doing.
Good shoulders,arms and back chest could be bit thicker but I am sure it'll catch up.

[wnabeabeast]

Pic # 2

[meat12]

lookin solid bro, nice work

[Slashmonay]

lookin good bro....Nice traps/Delts

[BBAddict]

Shoulders and traps look great. I think the back could use some more thickness-do you do much in the way of deadlifts?

[barbender]

Originally posted by BBAddict
Shoulders and traps look great. I think the back could use some more thickness-do you do much in the way of deadlifts?

No I haven't been deadlifting. In your opinion, would deadlift help me to add overall thickness to my torso?
Thanks everyone for the replies.

[BBAddict]

Originally posted by barbender
No I haven't been deadlifting. In your opinion, would deadlift help me to add overall thickness to my torso?
Thanks everyone for the replies.

Deadlifting is essential to adding good thickness to the back. I think your back has good shape and a good base but needs more mass on it--which is where deadlifting comes in. Just don't start too heavy and concentrate on form when you're getting back into it. I've had a bad lower back my entire life and it's something you really don't want to injure!

[Knoxville]

Barbender - drop me a PM and I can help in making sure your technique is right. I know the rights and the wrong ways to do them. I've deadlifted with guys that have pulled 750# raw, so we do know something.

[BBAddict]

Originally posted by Knoxville
Barbender - drop me a PM and I can help in making sure your technique is right. I know the rights and the wrong ways to do them. I've deadlifted with guys that have pulled 750# raw, so we do know something.

Why not post it here? After all, we're all here to learn something, so why keep it private?

[Mick]

Yeah, that would be great. I want to learn correct deadlift form and technique.

[shortz]

Originally posted by Knoxville
Barbender - drop me a PM and I can help in making sure your technique is right. I know the rights and the wrong ways to do them. I've deadlifted with guys that have pulled 750# raw, so we do know something.

THis is quite an odd request. Do you realize we have members that can do that too?

BTW barbender, looking good. Def hit those deads. You don't need to hit them extremely hard every week, but def every other week.

[barbender]

shortz, thanks brother

[Knoxville]

Shortz -

Yes, I assume there are people on the board that can do that as well. However, I don't see them offering advice. I went from being able to DL 225 about 4 years ago to pulling 535 for 4 reps RAW. I asked him to drop me a PM so that I would not have to put up with criticism of everyone else because no two people do anything exactly alike. I'll tell him how I increased my lifts and if he sees just a few things in it that may work for him, great. More power to him.

Knox

[shortz]

Originally posted by Knoxville
Shortz -

Yes, I assume there are people on the board that can do that as well. However, I don't see them offering advice. I went from being able to DL 225 about 4 years ago to pulling 535 for 4 reps RAW. I asked him to drop me a PM so that I would not have to put up with criticism of everyone else because no two people do anything exactly alike. I'll tell him how I increased my lifts and if he sees just a few things in it that may work for him, great. More power to him.

Knox

It's plain in simple to me. If someone has used a techique that works and gives someone else the advice that you have learned, then anyone else can go to hell if they want to criticise. A debate is ok, but not bashing another's technique unless it is obviously dangerous. A 535lbs lift for reps is nothing to laugh at and shows you have the experience to gte a big number. Although I don't usually agree with what the pros do, it's nice to be able to talk to "real life" lifters and I enjoy reading what everyone has to offer.

BTW, I have put about 285lbs on my deads over the period of 4 years. Most styles worked, some worked better than others. I have my preferances now, but know that MANY things will work with good diet and rest.

Who knows, maybe your technique will be something that I am familar with and have tried.

[Primal Instinct]

Please post your DL routine for us, Knoxville. Don't worry about criticism unless of course you're doing DLs on a 2x4 while rounding your back or something, lol.



PS. Who is the hot chickie in your avatar?

[Shibby]

Go for it Knoxville, you never know, you might learn the slightest thing to help yours. I've seen people that have jumped wheight in plenty of exercises, but in the end there not doing it quite right to target what they are trying too. Not saying at all that you do. There is this guy that does 380lb squats at my school. He does it slow, dosn't ever feel sore or tight, but he is not using his legs but for about 30% of the exercise. He dosn't see his mistakes because there are results and there hasn't been an injury.

[Shibby]

If there is anything but polite and constrictive analysis in this thread, it will earn you and immidiate banning with no discussion of return.

[Knoxville]

Deadlifts - How I go to where I am today.

To me, Deadlifts are a great lift to show overall strength. They are also an awesome exercise to increase thickness in your back. Deadlifts are also an awesome exercise to build your traps up.

The first thing I would do is invest in a good heavy belt. I'd recommend a lever belt. There are many sites out there that sell them. Make sure you leave room for expansion as you grow....
If you have a strong grip, you will never need wraps. If you do not have a strong grip, work on it. I'm not sure of good exercises to improve your grip because no one in our lifting group ever had a problem. All that we ever used is your bare hands and chalk. If the gym will not allow you to use chalk, buy some liquid chalk. It is in a spray bottle and keeps your hands tacky for about a minute. Plenty long enough to get a good pull in. Do not use gloves. They rescrict your grip. I figured this out when I first started doing deads. I went from about 315 to around 365 all because I took my gloves off. Develop some caluses.

I have tried the sumo stand and the narrow stance. I stayed with the sumo stance for about 2 years. It worked great, but I found it limited my strength. I never went over 500# until I went to the narrow stance. The narrow stance will make you use your hamstrings a lot more. Try both, but people who pull large weights on DL's almost always use a narrow stance. As a narrow stance, I mean you heels no farther apart than the inside of the power strips on the bar. Typically I go 10-12 inches between my heels. Point your toes at about 2 o'clock and 10 o'clock. Anothe thing to remember is to either lift barefoot, with a set of water shoes, or you can spend the cash and get deadlifting shoes. You need your feet flat on the ground. The added arch of some shoes will make you lean forward a little bit.

When you set your stance, grab the bar with an alternating grip. One hand in and one hand out. Roll the bar and weight to you keeping it as close to your shins as possible. Keeping it close will keep the weight going up in a straight line, causing it to go up easier. You need to keep your ass very low to the ground. You should almost kind of be in a catchers stance. Crank up the music and start pulling. You should always concentrate and pull with your legs. You should FEEL the pull in your hamstrings, then you lats, and all the way up your neck. ALWAYS keep your head up. Look straight ahead or up a little bit. When you get the weight up, DO NOT kick out your hips. I've seen a lot of people do it and I have not a clue why they want to. All that you NEED to do is stand up straight. Some people just drop the weight when they get it up. Don't. Negative training is awesome for the back and traps. Up slow and down slow. When I'm doing a set of DL's, it's not uncommon for my shins to bleed from keeping the bar so close. They make socks to protect your shins, or you could wear some thick socks.... Or you could just let people think you're crazy. Your choice.

As far as a routine, it all depends how we feel when we workout.

Some days we go heavy, some days we do light reps and once in a while, we will do heavy sets.

Here is a typical day

Warm up first, withi something like 135 x 10
225 x 8
315 x 8
405 x 6
450 x 4
495 x 3
Then we do singles til we play out 515 x 1 525x1 it changes
After you topped out, go backwards
405 x failure
315 x failure
225 x failure
3 sets of heavy shrugs 75# dumbells or 100# dumbells - failure
You can incorporate some pull downs or some seated rows for your lats if you have time.

If you do a routine like that, you should be sore as hell the next day and walking like an old man. If anyone has questions or comments, feel free to add. Sticking with this information, I've had some awesome lifts. I won several power lifting trophies and a lot of bragging rights.

Knox

[shortz]

Good post. I agree with mostly everything. The only thing I found that I never had to do to make gains is after my heaviest set, I don't go back down. If I do, it's only for one lighter set to fatigue, then I'm done. IMO, if you have enough energy to do 3 more lower sets to fatigue, then you didn't push yourself hard enough on the heavy sets. When I perform my heavy sets, I get dizzy, want to vomit and I have nothing left in me. If I do, I hit one lower set and that's it.

Do you go this heavy every week. I mean, hitting those triples and singles?

[Knoxville]

I do not lift heavy every week. I kind of alternate each week between heavy squats and heavy dead lifts. On the week where I do heavy squats, we will just pick an amount of weight for deads and do it for high reps. For instance, if we did heavy squats on Mon, then on Thur, we will work up to 315 and then do high reps with that. Depends on how froggy me and my buddy is on how many we do. It also depends on who's watching. If there's a hottie checking us out, of course we will push it that much harder. I agree on the vomiting and passing out. I've been light headed so many times in there doing deads that I thought I would literally pass out. I never have, but man it's felt close. However, I have popped 2 vessels in my eyes from doing deads. When I say to failure, I mean to where your legs are shaking and it just won't go no more.

Knox

[barbender]

Knox, holy hell, youre a machine bro. I tell you what, you took the time to write it all out, I'll take some time and give it a go. Looks like it's gonna be hell, but we live for this shit right? I sure appreciate the advice, I know it took some time to do. I'll post my workout later today, just so happens its back day anyhow, here we go....

[BBAddict]

Knox, How many of the lifts do you use the belt for? I've always felt like if I use a belt too much I may lose core strength that would be important for translating gym strength to real-world strength. I've basically just used it for my heaviest lifts. Do you agree with this or what do you do?

[Knoxville]

I use my belt when I get over 315. I wish I had a good belt 3 years ago. If you kick your hips out at the top, you can easily herniate a disk in your lower back. I know because I did so. That's why I would emphasise just stand up straight and have that belt good and tight. If you use a cheap belt, the belt can actually give and injury could occur.