Arkk's Weight Lifting Thread

[Tuco]

Biggest thing that you can do is get a pull up bar. This is a much better bicep exercise than preacher curl, because it's much more natural. Preacher curl will probably give you better guns, but pullups will improve your overall strength for pulling.

Tuco's instructions on how to make a pull up bar:
1. Find an old shovel
2. Break handle off.
3. Find some rope.
4. Drill holes in your garage's rafters.
5. Run rope around everything.
6. Pull!

I had to use a steel pipe instead of a shovel handle, but you can use whatever.

The real problem is if you don't have a garage like mine, in which case you can either make something in your basement / other room and have to pick up your legs probably.

[arkk123]

[Tuco]

You have a problem with legos there pal? I've got my treasure I collected from ages 1 to 13 in that box.

[dFiend]

That's the most ghetto-ass pull up bar I've ever seen. Awesome work! Seriously, you could probably buy a decent bar for ~$25. I guess buying one doesn't really show off your arts and crafts skills though.

[Tuco]

That's $25 more than I was willing to spend.

[Snugglebear]

Tuco's house is like the Millenium Falcon with all that jury-rigged shit. Except he didn't win it off Lando Calrissian in a card game. And it will kill him one day.

[HiroYagyu]

I started a 5x5 program couple weeks ago. Really liking it so far. Its linear progression based based on a 5 rep max. You drop that weight a certain % to start week 1 doing 5 reps for 5 sets. By week 4 you should hit your 5RM as your last set of 5 reps, and then continue progressing by a set % week after week. All big compound moves, squats, deadlift, bench press, barbell row. Supplementary stuff like curls etc can be added as you see fit.

[PapaShlapa]

I went out to home depot and put together a set of chains for bench and squat a couple weeks ago and I've gotta say, I fucking LOVE chains. Benched 245+2 chains per side for a single today. Chains weigh 30 lbs total. Felt good. Tried 250 and got crushed. Oh well, next time.

[Cathan]

I finally started back with legs yesterday after Arkk was givin me a hard time. I hate you ARKK!!! I did ridiculously light weight on leg extensions, curls, squats with nothing but the bar, lunges with 20s... and my god my legs are sore.

Biceps: Anyone got a good workout routine for biceps? I never seem to be able to make mine sore. I have tried drop sets with higher reps, lower reps,
8X8's made them a little sore but not what I was looking for. I've tried really slow light weight, preacher curls, dumbells, barbells, machines... I try to push myself as hard as my arms can take it and I work biceps once a week like everything else.

[Tuco]

You don't have to get your muscle sore for a good workout, btw. What you're doing is fine, but be sure you're doing pullups.

[niteflyx]

Originally Posted by dFiend

That's the most ghetto-ass pull up bar I've ever seen. Awesome work! Seriously, you could probably buy a decent bar for ~$25. I guess buying one doesn't really show off your arts and crafts skills though.

If you're not an expert artisan like Tuco, check out the Iron Gym Bar, only $30, and if it fits in your doorway, it works like a goddamn charm.

[Cathan]

I can't wait for the pics when Tuco's shovel shatters into splinters and he breaks his ass fallin on the floor.

At least Tuco used a shovel though, if he'd use a bat it would be epic fail...

[Tuco]

It's not a shovel, it's a steel pipe. I doubt it's going to shatter

[arkk123]

Originally Posted by Cathan

I finally started back with legs yesterday after Arkk was givin me a hard time. I hate you ARKK!!! I did ridiculously light weight on leg extensions, curls, squats with nothing but the bar, lunges with 20s... and my god my legs are sore.

Biceps: Anyone got a good workout routine for biceps? I never seem to be able to make mine sore. I have tried drop sets with higher reps, lower reps,
8X8's made them a little sore but not what I was looking for. I've tried really slow light weight, preacher curls, dumbells, barbells, machines... I try to push myself as hard as my arms can take it and I work biceps once a week like everything else.

Just do anything that doesn't cause you pain. You could try German volume training with extensions and curls. Basically it's 10x10 with 4 second negatives and I believe 1min rest between sets. Not only that, your workout is over in like 20min tops, if u don't include calves. Just get creative, some work is better than no work.

As for biceps, mine don't ever get sore either unless i do something radical. But as tuco said, soreness isn't an indicator of much. In the winter if I'm eating a lot and my protein is high, I rarely get very sore. I just do 1 rest pause set of barbell curls, and then 2 more exercises with higher reps like ez bar curls with higher reps, and the 3rd one usually varies.

I usually just use 1 main exercise per bodypart as my progress indicator and change the others cause I get bored. If you benched 225 for 8 reps and then 11 reps the following week...you progressed, regardless of DOMS.

[Zeste]

For biceps, we used to get on a preacher bench and basically only do negatives, where you start at the top, and just hold it has hard as you can and have a friend pull the bar down with their body. Unbelievable bicep workout.