Stupid Questions Thread

[Renascent]

Bands would probably be my last choice, but again, much better than nothing.

Huh? Why? Sitting leg curls with bands are pretty legit.

Because my post was slightly lazy (I'm multitasking rather poorly today).

1. it may be more difficult for some folks to replicate a proper seated variation with whatever equipment might be available.

2. But yeah, I agree with you. Seated versus standing (or lying): flexed hips are probably more desirable if you're working knee flexion for hamstrings.

3. I think the tension with cables is more constant throughout the range of motion, and you can always increase the load.

1. I think seated leg curls with bands are probably the easiest in a home gym of all possible variations. I find setting up for laying leg curls with bands kind of a hassle. I also have to set them up on my foot properly which takes a non trivial amount of time. They're also slightly harder to ensure consistent loading (ensuring the same band tension) because it's way easier to just but your bench or box on the same line you marked (or just leave your box there forever like I do)

2. Yeah. IMO Seated are superior and better compliment typical home gym training. I feel them more which makes them more beneficial for hypertrophy and "warmup" (mind muscle connection before bigger hamstring exercises)

3. Yeah but where the bands get hard is the ROM you're missing from better stuff. I have a machine but decided to just use bands instead of buying an ankle attachment. It's a lot faster to set up, and I can overload it almost as effectively (2 orange, 2 red, 1 black band gives "15 lb" increments up to >100 lbs) with a lot less time. I just start with tension I can get 10 reps at and add an orange band when I get to 20.

1) I may be giving too much consideration to my own setup and home gym experience, in which case I'll amend my original suggestion and just say, "Do whatever is easiest, based on your individual setup."

I'm still reading up on isolating muscles for hypertrophy purposes at shortened lengths, but for now I remain partial to working them at their greatest lengths for a fuller range of motion. I think working them in the shortened ranges is for specialization -- with the exception of Nordic Curls.

So, where hamstrings are concerned, seated position (with flexed hips) and straight legs (bent knees) is probably ideal for the heads of bicep femoris.

2) I agree. When I had access to a proper gym, I took the seated leg curl machine for granted.

3) I'd like to put this assertion to the test. I don't doubt your experience at all; I've been telling myself to try dropping the weight and aiming for the most extreme, acute knee flexion angles possible, within a higher rep range. I'm a creature of habit, though, down to a fault.

On the other hand, I find doubling up with banded loads (for stuff like clamshells and glute bridges) to be a huge pain in the ass, and can't wait to figure out a way to employ cables in a lying position to remedy the problem of tracking load increases. Using more than one band is a hassle, in my experience, but yeah, that's subjective.

[cgeorg]

Do you guys actually read each others logs, or do the logs scream into space, echoing like an immense tomb?

I think we all used to interact more in the logs. Less now. I don’t know why.

I have a handful of logs I 100% follow. Even if I haven’t commented in weeks, I’m still following along.

My own log is “dear diary” therapy where I can spew out my thoughts in real time.

All of this is true for me as well. The logs I follow are usually for people who write interesting things elsewhere on the site, or just ones that have caught my eye when I've browsed during periods of free time. I enjoy the "dear diary" types - a list of sets/reps does not hold my attention. I'll notice outliers and sometimes comment on them, but I'm more likely to comment on a dear diary part.

[5hout]

Do you guys actually read each others logs, or do the logs scream into space, echoing like an immense tomb?

I think we all used to interact more in the logs. Less now. I don’t know why.

I have a handful of logs I 100% follow. Even if I haven’t commented in weeks, I’m still following along.

My own log is “dear diary” therapy where I can spew out my thoughts in real time.

All of this is true for me as well. The logs I follow are usually for people who write interesting things elsewhere on the site, or just ones that have caught my eye when I've browsed during periods of free time. I enjoy the "dear diary" types - a list of sets/reps does not hold my attention. I'll notice outliers and sometimes comment on them, but I'm more likely to comment on a dear diary part.

I randomly check in on logs just to see what other people are doing for ideas or when I see a lot of non-loggee comments (which usually indicates something interesting).

[EggMcMuffin]

Why does doing cardio during the daytime when the sun is out full blast feel like 100000000000000000x harder than running at night W T F

[augeleven]

Why does doing cardio during the daytime when the sun is out full blast feel like 100000000000000000x harder than running at night W T F

Reason # 1,307 why you hafta leave CA.

Any chance you can run in a forest? The canopy can really help.

[Philbert]

Re: Buttwink
My personal experience is that "buttwink" occurs when my hips are stiff and resist going into the acute angle required for a below parallel squat. As I progress through warmup sets the hips become more flexible and the weight becomes capable of forcing the required ROM without me relaxing completely, thus buttwink decreases. Decreased mobility in the low back has nothing to do with it in my case.

[OrderInChaos]

Why does doing cardio during the daytime when the sun is out full blast feel like 100000000000000000x harder than running at night W T F

Higher core body temp, more rapid and voluminous perspiration, higher heart rate at same RPE, generally feels shittier.

Shade, hydration, ventilation… you get the same or a better training effect if you’re running, so as long as you can hang with the suck…

[mouse]

Why does doing cardio during the daytime when the sun is out full blast feel like 100000000000000000x harder than running at night W T F

The exact same reasons that doing anything in scorching heat is worse than not doing that same thing in scorching heat...

[DCR]

I’m still trying to work out this right shoulder/scap that I fucked up a few weeks back. The good news is that it no longer hurts. The bad news is that my uneven bench press, which I think contributed to (but wasn’t directly responsible for) the injury remains. The frustrating part is that I can’t tell. I started over on bench, concentrating on making sure (or so I thought) that the center knurling hits my sternum exactly even on every rep. After a few sessions I was feeling good about my progress despite the light weights. Then I got a spot from a highly trusted spotter, who told me that I still was uneven - my left hand/arm is closer toward me (toward my face) and my right hand/arm further away (toward my abdomen), and the bar is crooked at my touch point. Again, the problem is that I can’t tell - neither by feel, nor, apparently, by sight. Short of a mirror on the ceiling (not an option), I have no idea how to work this out and make sure that I’m building back up with the correct pattern. Ideas?

As a last note, after being told of the crookedness, in real time I moved my right hand/arm back an inch, and it immediately became clear why I’m naturally slanting the bar - because the right shoulder is weak where the bar ought to be placed. I guess I could use that feeling as some sort of marker, but “hold the bar where it feels like shit” seems like a bad cue.

[OverheadDeadlifts]

@DCR Sounds similar to what I dealt with recently. I was unknowingly benching with my right arm more internally rotated than my left. Could only really see the crookedness from above.

If you bench in a power rack you can put something long and flat on top of the rack to place your phone on and film from above. I used a Swiss/football bar since it has a flat edge and then balanced my phone on it. It’s not real time feedback but it’s better than nothing.

[Renascent]

I’m still trying to work out this right shoulder/scap that I fucked up a few weeks back. The good news is that it no longer hurts. The bad news is that my uneven bench press, which I think contributed to (but wasn’t directly responsible for) the injury remains. The frustrating part is that I can’t tell. I started over on bench, concentrating on making sure (or so I thought) that the center knurling hits my sternum exactly even on every rep. After a few sessions I was feeling good about my progress despite the light weights. Then I got a spot from a highly trusted spotter, who told me that I still was uneven - my left hand/arm is closer toward me (toward my face) and my right hand/arm further away (toward my abdomen), and the bar is crooked at my touch point. Again, the problem is that I can’t tell - neither by feel, nor, apparently, by sight. Short of a mirror on the ceiling (not an option), I have no idea how to work this out and make sure that I’m building back up with the correct pattern. Ideas?

As a last note, after being told of the crookedness, in real time I moved my right hand/arm back an inch, and it immediately became clear why I’m naturally slanting the bar - because the right shoulder is weak where the bar ought to be placed. I guess I could use that feeling as some sort of marker, but “hold the bar where it feels like shit” seems like a bad cue.

I still deal with something that sounds similar to this periodically, but I remember one particular episode that went on for a few weeks. Felt like a lat was stuck in contraction near the armpit, and my right arm was excessively internally rotated -- moreso than the left, which is normally the problem when it arises. Ended up benching sets of 185 for as many reps as I could manage for a few weeks, and could only get about two or three reps at 225 because the bar tilt was so extreme.

This might've been the impetus for introducing face pulls into my repertoire, but can't remember for sure. I just remember feeling really humble and excited once I could finally bench a set of 10 at 225 again (that was my arbitrary rehab goal, for whatever reason).

Even though I suspect the degrees of rotation in both shoulders were never "even" -- not even deceptively so -- prior to my gym hobbying, I remember the left shoulder issue became more pronounced around the time I started dealing with piriformis syndrome. Before that, I wondered if my short stint using a mixed grip deadlift setup was a possible culprit, but I (now) suspect the issue is/was something further downstream, where the lats and ass meet.

With that said, pain aside, I see plenty of "good" bench pressers who regularly exhibit some uneven bar movement -- not that such an observation makes the case for not trying to fix it, especially since there's pain. In my own experience, I've learned to try to tighten one lat more than the other before unracking. Way back when, I used to think my gym's bench frame was somehow crooked until I realized that it wasn't the bench.

Anyway, yeah, this sounds familiar.

[Hardartery]

I’m still trying to work out this right shoulder/scap that I fucked up a few weeks back. The good news is that it no longer hurts. The bad news is that my uneven bench press, which I think contributed to (but wasn’t directly responsible for) the injury remains. The frustrating part is that I can’t tell. I started over on bench, concentrating on making sure (or so I thought) that the center knurling hits my sternum exactly even on every rep. After a few sessions I was feeling good about my progress despite the light weights. Then I got a spot from a highly trusted spotter, who told me that I still was uneven - my left hand/arm is closer toward me (toward my face) and my right hand/arm further away (toward my abdomen), and the bar is crooked at my touch point. Again, the problem is that I can’t tell - neither by feel, nor, apparently, by sight. Short of a mirror on the ceiling (not an option), I have no idea how to work this out and make sure that I’m building back up with the correct pattern. Ideas?

As a last note, after being told of the crookedness, in real time I moved my right hand/arm back an inch, and it immediately became clear why I’m naturally slanting the bar - because the right shoulder is weak where the bar ought to be placed. I guess I could use that feeling as some sort of marker, but “hold the bar where it feels like shit” seems like a bad cue.

Switch to DB's for a while until it works itself out. Use the Swiss Bar occasionally if you feel the need to use heavy weights, a neutral grip will be more forgiving on the shoulder. But seriously, just switch to DBs for a while until it works itself out. You can even use a lighter weight on the weak side as long as you don't get too crazy with the difference. Aside from that, you are also allowed to just decide to bench where it feels comfrotable without concern for whether or not it's exactly 90 degrees to the body because that literally doesn't matter. There is no rule against it in any federation. The only uneveness to be concerned with is uneven extension which shifts the load to one side or the other and is a bad habit.

[DCR]

Thanks for the responses, @OverheadDeadlifts, @Renascent, and @Hardartery.

Hardartery, I take your point regarding the lack of necessity for perfect form. That said, in this case the difference of an inch or so is so dramatic that I feel like I need to “fix” this. I also take your point re: DBs. I actually did relegate myself to them for a few weeks before I began trying to bench with a barbell again. I probably needed more time.

Renascent, imagine if that 185 was 95 and you’d have my session today. Somewhere around 6 weeks ago I had a 285 single anytime I wanted it. Fuck me.

Today could have been worse. I kept the bar much further “up” my body than usual, thinking that my usual habit of drifting low likely was not helping the lack of stability, and it did appear to make a positive difference, at least per the opinions of those whom I asked to take a look. However, per my exchange with Hardartery in my log, I for sure was too high, and feel it now in both shoulders. Looking forward to trying again later this week with a happy medium (actual balance).

[Renascent]

Renascent, imagine if that 185 was 95 and you’d have my session today. Somewhere around 6 weeks ago I had a 285 single anytime I wanted it. Fuck me.

It's hard on the ego, and hard on morale, but if 95 is manageable, it's always better than nothing at all.

Today could have been worse. I kept the bar much further “up” my body than usual, thinking that my usual habit of drifting low likely was not helping the lack of stability, and it did appear to make a positive difference, at least per the opinions of those whom I asked to take a look. However, per my exchange with Hardartery in my log, I for sure was too high, and feel it now in both shoulders. Looking forward to trying again later this week with a happy medium (actual balance).

For the sake of clarity, was the bar over your eyes at the bottom of each rep with a straight-line bar path? I took your original description to mean you were starting each rep with the bar in line with your eyes, then a J-path, and back above the eyeline at the top of each rep, but maybe I read it wrong.

[DCR]

For the sake of clarity, was the bar over your eyes at the bottom of each rep with a straight-line bar path? I took your original description to mean you were starting each rep with the bar in line with your eyes, then a J-path, and back above the eyeline at the top of each rep, but maybe I read it wrong.

You read it exactly right.

Even with the J path, touch point ended up being a bit higher than my usual, which probably is why my shoulders are unhappy this evening.

[dw]

Not a question but...

I've noticed dropping flavored protein powder directly into your mouth and washing it down with water is surprisingly easy and inoffensive.

[ChasingCurls69]

Not a question but...

I've noticed dropping flavored protein powder directly into your mouth and washing it down with water is surprisingly easy and inoffensive.

I've seen the youths dry scoop their pre-workout, but I'm intrigued and impressed by the protein dry scoop.

[James]

How does that even work? Adding just a little liquid to whey seems to turn it into glue.

[dw]

How does that even work? Adding just a little liquid to whey seems to turn it into glue.

I didn't think it would but saliva seems to do a good job of turning it into something consumable..

Tbh I'm not sure the water is even necessary. I may go without it next time.

I should add though that I've been doing small scoops, like 15g of powder at a time maybe. I wouldn't try this with the full double scoops i normally use for a shake.

[lehman906]

How does that even work? Adding just a little liquid to whey seems to turn it into glue.

I didn't think it would but saliva seems to do a good job of turning it into something consumable..

Tbh I'm not sure the water is even necessary. I may go without it next time.

I should add though that I've been doing small scoops, like 15g of powder at a time maybe. I wouldn't try this with the full double scoops i normally use for a shake.

Do people usually only use 30 gms in a shake? I usually do two scoops of Optimum Nutrition in mine, which is 48 grams. That, and a scoop in my overnight oats, makes me go through the bag a lot quicker, but it's hard to get around 200 grams a day without really packing in the calories otherwise.