You have to get stronger

[Biggerp73]

One of the major lessons I have learn over the past 35 years of training. THERE ARE NO ABSOLUTES WHEN IT COMES TO BODYBUILDING. If your training hard enough to put your body in a very uncomfortable state, it's hard to go wrong from there, I believe that why intensity trumps about everything when it comes to training.

I think the necessity for progressive overload is an absolute. The only way to get around the necessity for progressive overload in terms of strength would be to engage in progressive overload in terms of dosage, calories, etc. But that only goes so far. I think it's pretty clear that the guys in this sport who have been the same size for years, could benefit from focusing on a powerlifting routine for a while, and then once they've built new strength, using that new strength to build more tissue when they transition back to a bodybuilding routine.

 

[STUMPY]

Not sure if that reply was directed at my post but,you can warm up as much as you'd like,stretch,etc....you lift heavy long enough and you will injure yourself. Don't know too many guys in this game for 30+yrs who have not sustained an injury lifting.
So to say: it's your own fault you were injured is not very accurate nor fair;shit happens and sometimes it's out of your control. Hopefully it doesn't happen to you.

 

[TheOtherOne55]

Not sure if that reply was directed at my post but,you can warm up as much as you'd like,stretch,etc....you lift heavy long enough and you will injure yourself. Don't know too many guys in this game for 30+yrs who have not sustained an injury lifting.
So to say: it's your own fault you were injured is not very accurate nor fair;shit happens and sometimes it's out of your control. Hopefully it doesn't happen to you.

Stumpy, I agree that sometime injuries are just a part of the game.
But what is heavy....did this person get injured on a 1 rep max or on their last, 10th rep. It seems like when someone says, "well when I go heavy I get injured" the majority of the times it's happening around failure. Failure can happen at the 2nd rep or the 20th...

 

[Mike Arnold]

It's the younger guys who need to read these posts and listen to others experiences and learn from them.
I know when i joined the forum 10+ years ago I would read these posts and make up some excuse or reason why others experiences or knowledge didn't affect or help me. I was young and dumb thinking I knew what was best, fuck everyone else. I'm special and know what I'm doing.

I'm now in my mid thirties and have some injuries/issues I won't recover from. Some days j feel like a old man. I can only imagine how I'll feel in another 10 years.

I really wish i actually read posts like these so I could have avoided alot of issues.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

You'll feel even older. Trust me. You know when you're a teenager and you see people getting out of chairs slowly, with everything looking like it is creaking and needing to be oiled? That's what you have to look forward too.

However, you can help stave off a lot of this by protecting your joints/connective tissue as much as possible when younger, so that you feel younger when you get older. Proper training, diet and even supplementation all play a big role in this.

The problem is that most people don't do anything about their problems until they already feel them. By that point the damage is done, after which the best you can hope to do is stave off further damage and, if you put in the effort, make moderate improvements.

A better idea is to stop the damage from occuring in the first place...or greatly minimize it, so that you don't have to worry about these issues until you're much older.

 

[johnjuanb1]

Not sure if that reply was directed at my post but,you can warm up as much as you'd like,stretch,etc....you lift heavy long enough and you will injure yourself. Don't know too many guys in this game for 30+yrs who have not sustained an injury lifting.
So to say: it's your own fault you were injured is not very accurate nor fair;shit happens and sometimes it's out of your control. Hopefully it doesn't happen to you.

Yep. Very arrogant thinking to assume injuries are always in your control.
They aren’t.
One thing I learned the hard way is certain bp meds lead to injuries.
You can do everything perfectly but if you’re using clonidine HCL you will get hurt.
Finally, after years of being on it and fighting constant injuries I stopped using it and healed. That stuff is bad news. My friend is having the same issues on edarbi.

 

[STUMPY]

Stumpy, I agree that sometime injuries are just a part of the game.
But what is heavy....did this person get injured on a 1 rep max or on their last, 10th rep. It seems like when someone says, "well when I go heavy I get injured" the majority of the times it's happening around failure. Failure can happen at the 2nd rep or the 20th...

Agreed. Although I've never been big on doing 1-rep max's so I can't comment on that.
I was trying to convey that (in my case at least,and many of my old timer gym rat buddies) it's been mostly joints that have just worn out from heavy,repetitive movements continued for 10,20,30yrs over and over again. Shoulder's,elbow's,knee's,etc.

Shit just wears out,not everyone is built the same. After all the years of squatting and heavy leg presses I never suffered any knee or hip injuries. That being said,all those years of squatting super heavy destroyed my spine. Shit just wore out.

 

[STUMPY]

Yep. Very arrogant thinking to assume injuries are always in your control.
They aren’t.
One thing I learned the hard way is certain bp meds lead to injuries.
You can do everything perfectly but if you’re using clonidine HCL you will get hurt.
Finally, after years of being on it and fighting constant injuries I stopped using it and healed. That stuff is bad news. My friend is having the same issues on edarbi.

Uh oh,didn't know that. I'm currently taking Toprol-XL for BP

 

[Biggerp73]

You can't completely avoid the possibility for injuries, not even by focusing on the pump and training light weight. But you can train smart, do warm ups and stretches, active recovery, protective work, etc, to make heavy training just about as safe as any other form of training.

 

[FrancisK]

You can't completely avoid the possibility for injuries, not even by focusing on the pump and training light weight. But you can train smart, do warm ups and stretches, active recovery, protective work, etc, to make heavy training just about as safe as any other form of training.

I guarantee when you get older you are going to severely regret your line of thinking. You can look good without lifting heavy but you can never reverse the damage done to your body from lifting heavy long term, it will always catch up with you.

 

[maldorf]

I guarantee when you get older you are going to severely regret your line of thinking. You can look good without lifting heavy but you can never reverse the damage done to your body from lifting heavy long term, it will always catch up with you.

I think too that the number of reps you do is significant when figuring the stress and damage you might be doing, lower being more risk of course. Once a lifter gets more experienced though, he is able to lift really heavy weight and manage to do it for higher reps (10 to 20). Does doing 15 reps with 545 lbs in the squat cause no long term damage to the spine and other tissues just because you are not doing low reps? It is still 545 lbs load on the spine after all, and it is lying up there on your shoulders pushing down for that much longer too.

 

[Biggerp73]

I guarantee when you get older you are going to severely regret your line of thinking. You can look good without lifting heavy but you can never reverse the damage done to your body from lifting heavy long term, it will always catch up with you.

I already learned my lesson, which is why I do active recovery, thorough warm ups, and make sure to use absolute perfect form when going heavy.

 

[FrancisK]

I already learned my lesson, which is why I do active recovery, thorough warm ups, and make sure to use absolute perfect form when going heavy.

I warm up, I stretch, I do cals and a light set to warm up before every session without fail and I’ve been told I have very good form i concentrate on it plus I’m on GH and a half dozen preventative supps. Couple months ago I tweaked my back doing heavy deads and it scared the fuck out of me, I’ve never had an injury from working out ever. I’m not competing and lifting weights doesn’t pay my bills, I’m done with that shit. Definitely not going to say those things you do don’t matter but they won’t fully protect you, nothing will, and no amount of prevention changes the stress you are putting on your body each workout.

Something i think people don’t recognize nearly enough is that lifting weights in general isn’t healthy it’s for aesthetics or performance and that’s it, it’s putting unneeded strain on your body that your body sure as shit doesn’t prefer. Going to the gym a few days a week doing some cardio and being active yes that is healthy, what a bodybuilder or athlete in general does to their body is not healthy at all. Marathon runners don’t live any longer than professional golfers, in fact a disproportionate amount of athletes and especially bodybuilders/power lifters die young and suffer for years. I won’t even bother getting into AAS use.

This lifestyle will catch up to all of us, some more than others but what we do has a price. If you’re willing to pay that price so be it but don’t fool yourself into thinking that you won’t pay eventually.

 

[johnjuanb1]

I warm up, I stretch, I do cals and a light set to warm up before every session without fail and I’ve been told I have very good form i concentrate on it plus I’m on GH and a half dozen preventative supps. Couple months ago I tweaked my back doing heavy deads and it scared the fuck out of me, I’ve never had an injury from working out ever. I’m not competing and lifting weights doesn’t pay my bills, I’m done with that shit. Definitely not going to say those things you do don’t matter but they won’t fully protect you, nothing will, and no amount of prevention changes the stress you are putting on your body each workout.

Something i think people don’t recognize nearly enough is that lifting weights in general isn’t healthy it’s for aesthetics or performance and that’s it, it’s putting unneeded strain on your body that your body sure as shit doesn’t prefer. Going to the gym a few days a week doing some cardio and being active yes that is healthy, what a bodybuilder or athlete in general does to their body is not healthy at all. Marathon runners don’t live any longer than professional golfers, in fact a disproportionate amount of athletes and especially bodybuilders/power lifters die young and suffer for years. I won’t even bother getting into AAS use.

This lifestyle will catch up to all of us, some more than others but what we do has a price. If you’re willing to pay that price so be it but don’t fool yourself into thinking that you won’t pay eventually.

The last time I did dead lifts I tore my left lat insert. That was a decade ago and I never did that shitt again. In my opinion, dead lifts aren’t a bodybuilding exercise. If you play college football or power lift then cool. If you’re in it for looks and you’re over 35 then fukk that shitt.

 

[Elvia1023]

I haven't experienced it yet (just have a fucked up lower back) but guys are right even if you exercise with perfect form it's simply the years of lifting heavy weights. Look at all the old people you know most of them have issues (arthritis etc) and most have never stepped foot in a gym. Guys who train hard with heavy weights simply accelerate the process regardless of form. We also get injured which causes additional issues. It doesn't matter how perfect your form is if you push strength you will eventually get injured even if it's just minor things. I am generally very good (warming up, stretching etc) but I always pick up minor issues due to pushing the weights.

At the same time most of us could do better. Many bodybuilders lift heavy but they do very little of anything else. Most bodybuilders probably can't even sprint down the block without pulling something Most have no flexibility and I barely see anyone stretch. Many are getting into ART and other protective work which is good though. I was telling myself the other day I must do more because I have been rushing my flexibility and recovery work recently and it definitely shows in the long run.

 

[Steroidify Rep]

You will never see a truly massive bodybuilder who can't lift heavy ass weight. Period.

You don't think Dexter is massive?

 

[LATS]

You don't think Dexter is massive?

True.. but dexter is strong... years ago dexter had a training video... he just turned pro.. I still have it.. but even at his bodyweight he pyramid up to 405 on the bench press and got 6 or 7 perfect reps.. so even dexter who trains very moderate can get " freaky when he wants...

 

[LATS]

This is a much smaller dexter in 2000 slinging some good weight... it reminds me when I saw dillet train.. very light for his size.. but when he was pushed he could sling weight.. you dont get his size without some decent strength..

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I3fjpbHTnTA

 

[Biggerp73]

Oh I agree with yall that bodybuilding will catch up with you eventually... And i think thats true whether you do lots of drop sets and intensity techniques with lighter weight, or if you focus more on progressive overload and getting stronger....and I think both styles have their place, but one without the other isnt going to be optimal... Get STRONG... Then use that new strength to pump and grow the muscle... Repeat .... And yeah, Dexter can lift some heavy ass weight too!! Nobody with world class muscle size isnt going to be able to..

 

[method2madness]

From my first day lifting through at 13 years old all the way through my mid 30's I trained heavy as possible (6-12) reps while using a wide variety of techniques and an arsenal of exercises, and this allowed me to build crazy thickness, strength and impressive size. I'm now in my early 40's and am retaining the thickness and still adding a little mass when I eat for growth but have transitioned to a higher rep range. I'm a mesomorph with no injuries and great genetics but this is what i believe to be the best approach for those looking to learn from their (ahem) "elders"

 

[FrancisK]

I haven't experienced it yet (just have a fucked up lower back) but guys are right even if you exercise with perfect form it's simply the years of lifting heavy weights. Look at all the old people you know most of them have issues (arthritis etc) and most have never stepped foot in a gym. Guys who train hard with heavy weights simply accelerate the process regardless of form. We also get injured which causes additional issues. It doesn't matter how perfect your form is if you push strength you will eventually get injured even if it's just minor things. I am generally very good (warming up, stretching etc) but I always pick up minor issues due to pushing the weights.

At the same time most of us could do better. Many bodybuilders lift heavy but they do very little of anything else. Most bodybuilders probably can't even sprint down the block without pulling something Most have no flexibility and I barely see anyone stretch. Many are getting into ART and other protective work which is good though. I was telling myself the other day I must do more because I have been rushing my flexibility and recovery work recently and it definitely shows in the long run.

100% agreed it’s like running a sports car in the red all the time, it may look good, perform well, handle great and drive fast but eventually that car is going to have some problems because of it, some might have major problems some not but there will be problems. But hey you had fun with it right? Was it worth it? That’s for you to decide, but make no mistake that 4 door sedan driven normally every day will still be on the road doing fine when that sports car is ready for the junk yard.

I know full well what I’m doing is going to cost me down the road, I can do things to help but nothing I do will completely prevent it. I was an athlete since I was in my early teens up through college but never used AAS then subsequently lifting really heavy until my late twenties. My friend I spoke of earlier has been using AAS and lifting heavy since his late teens so he’s got about 10 years of more mileage on him. We’re the same age and he has all kinds of overuse issues, horrible joints, an enlarged heart, high blood pressure, non stop nagging injuries and who knows what else. But hey he looks great and still lifts heavy, says he can’t help it and that’s the only way he “feels it”. Guy is going to drop dead on his kids one day and all he does is bitch that he’s not big enough because at some point he was bigger than he is now....