[alpha1]

1. Has anyone tested how fast they lose their strength? In other words: has anyone tested and recorded the duration of period of non-lifting after which they find it impossible to replicate the earlier load & reps achieved?

2. Has anyone tested whether partial reps are indeed inferior to "full range" reps. As a supplementary reading exercise (to be backed up by practicals at gym): all compound movements essentially are partials. Does your pectorals undergo full stretch to full contraction while doing bench press? Do those quadriceps complete their range in squat? Ever wondered about rows? Dips?

[Samurai]

Aamir Khan's fitness coach refuses to admit or deny use of Steeroids.

http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainmen...dangal-2281110

[ach1lles]

Originally Posted by alpha1

has anyone tested and recorded the duration of period of non-lifting after which they find it impossible to replicate the earlier load & reps achieved?

How exactly do you "perform" that experiment? In a bid to make sure that you're not able to lift at the same capacity, you might go sedentary longer than necessary. On the other hand, if you take a gap of let's say 15 days and are able to lift to the same capacity, do you repeat the experiment with 16 days, effectively increasing your sedentary period to a month?

As with other sports involving intense and precise physical movements, usually 10 days is a good measure to understand that performance will begin to be affected. It is totally CNS driven.

Originally Posted by alpha1

Has anyone tested whether partial reps are indeed inferior to "full range" reps.

Partial reps are inferior to full range reps directly in only one way: full reps enhance strength performance along the entire range of motion. This is in turn improves overall stability and functional cohesion of the body. The CNS adapts to imposed demands. If the imposed demand is only in a specific range of motion, only that range of motion in the joint action will be compensated. 'Partials' do not affect hypertrophy, if that was the gist of your question.

Originally Posted by alpha1

all compound movements essentially are partials.

No, they're not. If performed correctly to movement ROM, they are not partials. "Compound" movements are how the human body was created to move. It is only the bodybuilding community that has classified movements into compounds and isolations, and that has incorrectly trickled down to the average fitness enthusiast.

Originally Posted by alpha1

Does your pectorals undergo full stretch to full contraction while doing bench press? Do those quadriceps complete their range in squat? Ever wondered about rows? Dips?

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. (Full stretch to full contraction is not exercise ROM. The limit of eccentric in exercise ROM is just shy of joint ROM. However, for the concentric or lockout, the full "lockout" is the exercise ROM).

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by ach1lles

"Compound" movements are how the human body was created to move.

Um, human body evolved to the current form by doing these compound movements. Our evolutionary cousins like chimps are even better at compound movements because they kept on doing it forever, unlike humans who mostly gave it up.

[ach1lles]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Um, human body evolved to the current form by doing these compound movements. Our evolutionary cousins like chimps are even better at compound movements because they kept on doing it forever, unlike humans who mostly gave it up.

Yup. Evolved is more contextual than created. Which compound movement did humans "give up"? Which compound movements are chimps better at?

[Samurai]

Swinging from trees. Our bio-mechanics allow that because our ancestors evolved to do it. But most humans don't do it anymore. Acrobats like gymnasts, free runners, etc., still do it though.

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by ach1lles

1. How exactly do you "perform" that experiment? In a bid to make sure that you're not able to lift at the same capacity, you might go sedentary longer than necessary. On the other hand, if you take a gap of let's say 15 days and are able to lift to the same capacity, do you repeat the experiment with 16 days, effectively increasing your sedentary period to a month?

As with other sports involving intense and precise physical movements, usually 10 days is a good measure to understand that performance will begin to be affected. It is totally CNS driven.


2. Partial reps are inferior to full range reps directly in only one way: full reps enhance strength performance along the entire range of motion. This is in turn improves overall stability and functional cohesion of the body. The CNS adapts to imposed demands. If the imposed demand is only in a specific range of motion, only that range of motion in the joint action will be compensated. 'Partials' do not affect hypertrophy, if that was the gist of your question.


3. No, they're not. If performed correctly to movement ROM, they are not partials. "Compound" movements are how the human body was created to move. It is only the bodybuilding community that has classified movements into compounds and isolations, and that has incorrectly trickled down to the average fitness enthusiast.


4. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. (Full stretch to full contraction is not exercise ROM. The limit of eccentric in exercise ROM is just shy of joint ROM. However, for the concentric or lockout, the full "lockout" is the exercise ROM).

1. So you've never encountered situations where you were away from the iron for long to observe the typical rate of decline of your strength? Very regular to gym huh?

2. Well yes you are right, the question was more about hypertrophy since "demostration of strength" is CNS honing to a great extent and it makes sense that you will be more strong in the path you practice.

3. & 4. Reimagine how one does bench press. And compare that with how one does dumbell flyes. You may click photos while doing them in real and compare the elbow movements. Bench press has less deep elbow stretch) as well as less vertical elbow (= less contraction). OF course if one has thick joints with low tendon flexibility he will never notice this difference.

The only way to replicate a fly movement on press is to grip the bar pretty narrow (about shoulder width).

If the body has evolved to benefit from compound movements - then our isolation movements also need not be full range.

[ach1lles]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Swinging from trees. Our bio-mechanics allow that because our ancestors evolved to do it. But most humans don't do it anymore. Acrobats like gymnasts, free runners, etc., still do it though.

Swinging isn't a compound movement. It is an isolation movement about the anterior deltoid only.

Anyway, chimps are better at it because they need to do it. We don't. Part of our population that needs to do it, the gymnasts or maybe some tribals, I can assure you, they won't be biomechanically inferior to chimps. Also, we didn't give it up. We just didn't need it anymore. We're still capable. We built tools and we're bipeds, something the chimps aren't capable of.

Originally Posted by alpha1

1. So you've never encountered situations where you were away from the iron for long to observe the typical rate of decline of your strength? Very regular to gym huh?

Haha. No, far from it. I gave you a typical rate but your query came across as far more specific in its demand.

Originally Posted by alpha1

2. Well yes you are right, the question was more about hypertrophy since "demostration of strength" is CNS honing to a great extent and it makes sense that you will be more strong in the path you practice.

It is actually more to do with the "all or none" principle of muscle fibre recruitment. The range of movement does not affect the number of or rate of fibres recruited.

Originally Posted by alpha1

3. & 4. Reimagine how one does bench press. And compare that with how one does dumbell flyes..

The function of the pectoralis major is to adduct the humerus in the transverse plane. In simple language, the main function and purpose of the chest muscle is to bring the upper arm closer to the mid line of the body.

While doing flyes, the only thing different in the motion is you take elbow extension (triceps) out of the movement, and add instability as the weight goes quite a bit out of the base of support.

Do this exercise and maybe you'll be able to understand better: stand in front of the mirror and using only 1 arm (to help you focus better), mimic the movement from the press and the fly alternatively. You'll notice that the upper arm moves identically in each case.

Originally Posted by alpha1

If the body has evolved to benefit from compound movements - then our isolation movements also need not be full range.

I don't understand this. The body hasn't evolved to "benefit" from compound movements, the human body does not move in any other way naturally. Taking the same example from above, in the real world, there are only rare cases where you'll need to make a movement akin to the fly, but we push things, akin to the press, every single day.

[srishiva]

Some fatal examples of supplements.

http://www.outlookindia.com/magazine...b-blast/298310

Even in the gym I go, people are taking the protein, creatine supplements in a rush. They later tell others to take and I fear that the industry might grow fast and get flooded with fakes.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by srishiva

Some fatal examples of supplements.

http://www.outlookindia.com/magazine...b-blast/298310

Ugh, why did have an Amway spokesperson give opinion at the end?

Meanwhile, Ranveer whose video on Aamir's fat to fit went viral, has come up with one more informative video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECHSvbKbxhU

[fine69]

Surprise Surprise!!

Last time I tried to do a pull-up, I couldn't. This was a few months back. Given the injuries I'd sustained, including one in shoulder, I decided to never do it.

I could easily do 3 sets of 8 chinups though. However, yesterday I decided to try pull-ups and voila, there I was doing 6 pull-ups with total ease! <insert hot emoji>

Since I've only been doing compound movements for a while, I think deadlifts did the trick. I'm not doing any back exercise specifically but to be able to do this, I can't attribute the progress to anything except deadlifts.

Deadlift comes a close second after my favourite Squats!

Originally Posted by Samurai

Aamir Khan's fitness coach refuses to admit or deny use of Steeroids.

The guy is a moron to think if his refusal means anything. Anybody with common sense knows what happened there. His particular statement is only meant for press because they can't publish anything until he explicitly accepts it.

Not to mention, when you don't do something, you usually deny it instead of "refusing to accept or deny".

Originally Posted by srishiva

Some fatal examples of supplements.

http://www.outlookindia.com/magazine...b-blast/298310

I've said this before. Spend a thousand bucks and get your fav supplement tested! There are many food labs available in every city who can do tests.

Basic nutritional info tests are available from 800 onwards and if you wish to get the heavy metal etc. test incorporated it'd go upto 2k max.

There is absolutely no merit in taking whey or creatine but if someone thinks there is, the least they can do is test what they are putting inside their body.

[TaureanBull]

I am a total noob as far as bodybuilding is concerned. However I have been a fitness freak and play lots of sports and resort to cardio exercises. I was contemplating getting a toned body. However I don't have any coach. Can someone help out on how to start? Exercises and diet. Gym is available

[nvldvr]

Originally Posted by fine69

Awesome!!

But how did you go about testing its load bearing capacity. Specially the steel bars that are going to have 150 or 200 kgs dropped on them in case of failure.

Decathlon doesn't have a power rack at all, just a squat cum bench rack else would've purchased it already. Maybe its good that they didn't have one coz if I can get a power rack in about 13-14k then nothing like it!

That (Load bearing capacity of the bars) was again based on the online research that I did while designing the rack.

I was confident of the design as a number of people had got racks made with similar design. Of course now that I am using the rack, I am very confident that it would handle the loads that I would subject it to.

To give you a perspective, I bench around 93 kgs now. The rods take this weight with not a hint of trouble at all. I am sure even if i load them to 3 times this weight, they would withstand.

Hope this helps.

[srishiva]

Originally Posted by TaureanBull

I am a total noob as far as bodybuilding is concerned. However I have been a fitness freak and play lots of sports and resort to cardio exercises. I was contemplating getting a toned body. However I don't have any coach. Can someone help out on how to start? Exercises and diet. Gym is available

Join a Gym and get a instructor to teach the right postures. Just dont get carried away by any supplements that they suggest.

Based on the results, you will learn on whats working and what you need additionally in terms of diet. Reduce sugars and carbs. Dont overdo initially and always try to be injury free.

[fine69]

Originally Posted by nvldvr

Hope this helps.

It sure does, many thanks!

So how do I go about getting myself one? Did you procure the raw material separately before going to the fabricator. Where exactly in Delhi did you get this made? I stay in South Delhi so it its far off maybe I should I get it made nearby instead.

Lastly, any learning after making this rack or are you totally happy with what you've got. I would definitely want to get a pull-up bar provision because what I currently have is the Iso Solid pull-bar bolted on the wall.

Anything else you feel you could've gotten done to make the rack even more versatile in its use?