Bodybuilding - Exercises and Supplements

aZa · 19th March 2009, 22:00

has anyone checked out the Talwalkars in Noida ?

harry10 · 19th March 2009, 22:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by pranavt

Over a hundred years old, so probably the oldest chain in India. Gold's gym is probably the most famous fitness chain in the world, so the trainers must be relatively good, compared to other gyms.

Well all the reviews i have read on net for gold gym seems to be negative though.

Aza- Where in noida its located - is that the TGIP mall one?

Gagan.js · 19th March 2009, 22:21

I've heard guys in golds gym give attitude when you ask them to spot heavy. They don't want to "put the effort" in spotting 300lb+ bench presses(just an example of something heavy). But they are alright with spotting something light since it requires no effort on their part.

But Paying that ~20k per year can be worth it since you get the peace of mind of not waiting for people to finish with the machine and plus more machines and plates so overall more convinience.

However no matter where you go, you find idiots who don't remove plates and dont re rack dumbells and leave their sweat all over the benches.
Mainly I see women who think their too high class to remove plates...I should leave a few hundred pounds on the leg press one day to piss them off

Lets have people review the gyms they go to?

pranavt · 19th March 2009, 23:03

Hmm well I was wrong, it seems to have started in 1932, Talwalkars that is...

As for a review, I go to the Malad W branch. The trainers are good, never took personal training from anyone. If you have a good rapport with them, they will go so far as giving you a personal workout if there are few clients on that day. The spotting is good too. I'd give it a 3.5/5 just because they don't have dumbbells heavier than 85lbs and in some exercises, I have to improvise. Don't use machines except on a couple of days a month so I'm not in a position to review that aspect.

harry10 · 19th March 2009, 23:25

Ya everyone here should give a review of the gyms they go to so people can be educated which to join and which to avoid. Am starting from 1 april so will point down my review in couple of months later.
I seriously hate those women and their attitude!

revtech · 20th March 2009, 02:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by pranavt

I'd give it a 3.5/5 just because they don't have dumbbells heavier than 85lbs and in some exercises, I have to improvise.

what exercises do you use 85 lbs or more for ? whats your body weight ?

rev

Gagan.js · 20th March 2009, 10:31

revtech, I'm sensing that you think 85lbs are too high but actually there are quite a few exercises that you can go real heavy without noticing.

db shrugs
1 arm db rows
lunges
deadlift
leg press
lat pulldowns

One will be surprised how heavy he/she can go in those exercises, mainly because some are compound movements and some target bigger muscles.

Quote:

I'd give it a 3.5/5 just because they don't have dumbbells heavier than 85lbs and in some exercises, I have to improvise.

Oh yes resorting back to the good old plates when you run out of dumbells.

Remember dumbells were once just very very short barbells with plates on either side, then the companies started making the dumbells we see now

bblost · 20th March 2009, 11:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gagan.js

I've heard guys in golds gym give attitude when you ask them to spot heavy. They don't want to "put the effort" in spotting 300lb+ bench presses(just an example of something heavy). But they are alright with spotting something light since it requires no effort on their part.

Yeah that is heavy all right.

Since it sounds like personal experience, you deserve this:

jassi · 20th March 2009, 11:43

I normally don't interact much with trainers, as I feel they don't really understand my requirements and the limitations of my body. I am a unique case with past ligament/joint injuries in the wrists, back, knee, ankle, etc. These can be attributed to a couple of bike accidents 8-9 years back and then subsequent bad workout techniques recommended by some trainers in my old gyms which worsened my injuries. I took a 1 year break at that time, as the ortho told me, I can never workout again - infact I couldn't even write my engineering exams without taking breaks every 5 mins due to wrist pain.
I did a few months of yoga and slowly started wrist curls with empty bottles and then slowly graduated to dumbbells and then 50 reps of full fledged wide grip pullups. Healed my lower back with controlled exercises (very lil abs) and also got knee and ankle back to state to do squats, etc. This is when I decided to go back to gyms, but never really found a trainer who could understand my past. Hence I normally do my own thing to achieve my goals. Ofcourse if you are a newbie you can't be on your own.

I used to goto Talwalkars behing MG road in bangy 2 years back. It was a good experience (at 16k per annum) and as mentioned before by others if the trainer is interested and motivated enough, he will give you personal attention and help in keeping your workout interesting. This was the good part about talwalkars, 'some' of their trainers hear you out and your issues/goals/etc and make workouts as interesting as possible. For me that was the only reasons to interact with the trainers there and it was all a different way to shock my body into growth as compared to what I normally do to shock. So I would recommend talkwalkars (mg road, bangy) becuase of some of its trainers. The equipment is good and well maintained and there are enough weights.

Nowadays i am pretty much on my own, saving money due to recession

although fitness one koramangala has been calling me a lot, I haven't budged. I visit my ill-equipped society gym and for heavy days goto office gym.

I do have an office colleague who goes to golds gym in bangy. She paid 50k per annum (??) and barely manages to make it

due to increased workloads. From what she told me, its a good place, I am guessing more of the socializing business heads vs real people, although i could be wrong.

pranavt · 20th March 2009, 15:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by revtech

what exercises do you use 85 lbs or more for ? whats your body weight ?

rev

1 arm rows
Incline db press (hate incline benchpress for some reason)
Wide squats
Overhead triceps extension or whatever it's called. Resort to a few sets of skullcrushers after a warm-up set.
Shrugs (I use a barbell now, around 180 lbs or so, don't remember)
etc

In those, my first sets are at 75-85lbs or so, and after that, I move on to different exercises like t-bar rows (can do 160-180lbs right now), bar squats (my max is 300 lbs but I haven't been working out my legs for the past month) and so on. You can easily get your muscles worked out in pretty much the same form and with much higher weights.

I currently weigh around 86kg. Went from 127 kg to 77kg and then started bulking up. Bulked up to 90 and now will reduce to around 82.

godog · 21st March 2009, 00:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gagan.js

revtech, I'm sensing that you think 85lbs are too high but actually there are quite a few exercises that you can go real heavy without noticing.

db shrugs
1 arm db rows
lunges
deadlift
leg press
lat pulldowns

One will be surprised how heavy he/she can go in those exercises, mainly because some are compound movements and some target bigger muscles.

I dont know about powerlifting/olympics, but in bodybuilding they say....

... You can't paint a masterpiece with a big brush.

Gagan.js · 21st March 2009, 09:45

...and using a smaller brush will just get you there slower.

If you can go heavy, why bother training light

pranavt · 21st March 2009, 15:14

My goal was never to look huge. For me, the trainers in the gym were benchmarks. If I could lift heavier than them and look better, I was better than most. Getting into single-digit bodyfat figures sounds attractive, but I was never interested in it.

I always get a big smile on my face when I see a "bodybuilder" (not targeting anyone here, there are a few tards in my gym who do this) squatting some 120-140lbs and having a hard time while my warm-up sets start at 200lbs.

vikram18 · 21st March 2009, 15:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by godog

I dont know about powerlifting/olympics, but in bodybuilding they say....

... You can't paint a masterpiece with a big brush.

The more I read your posts, the more I believe we've been reading the same books

godog · 21st March 2009, 23:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by vikram18

The more I read your posts, the more I believe we've been reading the same books

Exactly what i thought when I read your first!

19th March 2009, 22:00	#1051
aZa Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Noida / Delhi Posts: 1,595 Thanked: 25 Times View My Garage	has anyone checked out the Talwalkars in Noida ?
	() Thanks

19th March 2009, 22:21	#1053
Gagan.js BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 227 Thanked: Once	I've heard guys in golds gym give attitude when you ask them to spot heavy. They don't want to "put the effort" in spotting 300lb+ bench presses(just an example of something heavy). But they are alright with spotting something light since it requires no effort on their part. But Paying that ~20k per year can be worth it since you get the peace of mind of not waiting for people to finish with the machine and plus more machines and plates so overall more convinience. However no matter where you go, you find idiots who don't remove plates and dont re rack dumbells and leave their sweat all over the benches. Mainly I see women who think their too high class to remove plates...I should leave a few hundred pounds on the leg press one day to piss them off Lets have people review the gyms they go to?
	() Thanks

19th March 2009, 23:03	#1054
pranavt BANNED Join Date: May 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1,704 Thanked: 852 Times View My Garage	Hmm well I was wrong, it seems to have started in 1932, Talwalkars that is... As for a review, I go to the Malad W branch. The trainers are good, never took personal training from anyone. If you have a good rapport with them, they will go so far as giving you a personal workout if there are few clients on that day. The spotting is good too. I'd give it a 3.5/5 just because they don't have dumbbells heavier than 85lbs and in some exercises, I have to improvise. Don't use machines except on a couple of days a month so I'm not in a position to review that aspect.
	() Thanks

19th March 2009, 23:25	#1055
harry10 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Faridabad/Delhi Posts: 2,743 Thanked: 4,100 Times View My Garage	Ya everyone here should give a review of the gyms they go to so people can be educated which to join and which to avoid. Am starting from 1 april so will point down my review in couple of months later. I seriously hate those women and their attitude!
	() Thanks

20th March 2009, 11:43	#1059
jassi BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Melbourne Posts: 980 Thanked: 12 Times View My Garage	I normally don't interact much with trainers, as I feel they don't really understand my requirements and the limitations of my body. I am a unique case with past ligament/joint injuries in the wrists, back, knee, ankle, etc. These can be attributed to a couple of bike accidents 8-9 years back and then subsequent bad workout techniques recommended by some trainers in my old gyms which worsened my injuries. I took a 1 year break at that time, as the ortho told me, I can never workout again - infact I couldn't even write my engineering exams without taking breaks every 5 mins due to wrist pain. I did a few months of yoga and slowly started wrist curls with empty bottles and then slowly graduated to dumbbells and then 50 reps of full fledged wide grip pullups. Healed my lower back with controlled exercises (very lil abs) and also got knee and ankle back to state to do squats, etc. This is when I decided to go back to gyms, but never really found a trainer who could understand my past. Hence I normally do my own thing to achieve my goals. Ofcourse if you are a newbie you can't be on your own. I used to goto Talwalkars behing MG road in bangy 2 years back. It was a good experience (at 16k per annum) and as mentioned before by others if the trainer is interested and motivated enough, he will give you personal attention and help in keeping your workout interesting. This was the good part about talwalkars, 'some' of their trainers hear you out and your issues/goals/etc and make workouts as interesting as possible. For me that was the only reasons to interact with the trainers there and it was all a different way to shock my body into growth as compared to what I normally do to shock. So I would recommend talkwalkars (mg road, bangy) becuase of some of its trainers. The equipment is good and well maintained and there are enough weights. Nowadays i am pretty much on my own, saving money due to recession although fitness one koramangala has been calling me a lot, I haven't budged. I visit my ill-equipped society gym and for heavy days goto office gym. I do have an office colleague who goes to golds gym in bangy. She paid 50k per annum (??) and barely manages to make it due to increased workloads. From what she told me, its a good place, I am guessing more of the socializing business heads vs real people, although i could be wrong.
	() Thanks

21st March 2009, 09:45	#1062
Gagan.js BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 227 Thanked: Once	...and using a smaller brush will just get you there slower. If you can go heavy, why bother training light
	() Thanks

21st March 2009, 15:14	#1063
pranavt BANNED Join Date: May 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1,704 Thanked: 852 Times View My Garage	My goal was never to look huge. For me, the trainers in the gym were benchmarks. If I could lift heavier than them and look better, I was better than most. Getting into single-digit bodyfat figures sounds attractive, but I was never interested in it. I always get a big smile on my face when I see a "bodybuilder" (not targeting anyone here, there are a few tards in my gym who do this) squatting some 120-140lbs and having a hard time while my warm-up sets start at 200lbs. Last edited by pranavt : 21st March 2009 at 15:15.
	() Thanks