Gym Etiquette - Was I Wrong Here?

[ChristopherA]

Answer the question did you start the cycle yet YES or NO?

Bump for an answer. I don't have any "beef" with you Matt. You got your sticks yesterday so you obviously did your first shot right?

[Phantom Spunker]

https://www.instagram.com/tv/Ceu2iJgAyiP/

Matt, they let people train in the gym w/ out a shirt?

Some HS kids came in recently, took off their shirts, etc. Owner came over, told them to put them back on. (dudes weighed about a buck-20)...
And then he hung some signs in the gym about wearing them at all times.   (Just curious).

LOL, Matt, what the HELL are you doing? Put a bloody T-shirt on! Hahaha.

[Hulkotron]

So are you still putting dumbbells on benches?

x2 this thread seems to have gotten sidetracked from the central question.

[Grape Ape]

x2 this thread seems to have gotten sidetracked from the central question.

Yes, but it DID give Matt the opportunity to post 450 pics of himself in the same pose, so there's that.

[wes]

only 3 more back shots on this page today

[wes]

Matt, on those pec-deck flyes, your body shouldn`t move at all,back should remain flat against the pad.... and you should be getting a better stretch,you are not going all the way back in the stretched position.....FULL RANGE OF MOTION.....also, try holding each rep in the FULLY stretched position for two seconds before starting the next rep......this will make a vast difference in your pec development in my opinion, though it will more than likely cause you to reduce poundages but it will be harder to do and will isolate more pec as opposed to involving the shoulders too much, this may be one reason why you are shoulder dominate and complain of lagging chest development.....go heavy, but keep perfect form.....think stretch and squeeze as opposed to just thoughtlessly moving the weight.......link the mind to the muscle......go heavy, but use textbook form.

[Gym-Rat]

The #1 problem I see in gyms, is folks trying to go too heavy, especially on machines.

Our place has lots of guys who put 4-plates on Hammer Decline machine, and basically move the bars about an inch. (Top range).
Stuff like that.  They also have zero development.

The most developed folks in gyms, lighten the weight and work the intended muscle...

Save the heavy-weight for the multi-joint barbell movements...

[Grape Ape]

The #1 problem I see in gyms, is folks trying to go too heavy, especially on machines.

Our place has lots of guys who put 4-plates on Hammer Decline machine, and basically move the bars about an inch. (Top range).
Stuff like that.  They also have zero development.

The most developed folks in gyms, lighten the weight and work the intended muscle...

Save the heavy-weight for the multi-joint barbell movements...

I have a t-bar attachment for my landmine.  I recently tried halving the weight and doing a full contractions and holding, rather than the typical "momentum" row.  I actually feel a difference only after a few weeks.

[Gym-Rat]

I have a t-bar attachment for my landmine.  I recently tried halving the weight and doing a full contractions and holding, rather than the typical "momentum" row.  I actually feel a difference only after a few weeks.

Yup, noting wrong with throwing in a heavy set using momentum here and there (last set, etc), I just dont see many folks training correctly these days.
(Other than the few Powerlifters and few competitive BB's we have locally).

When the 140 lb old guy (with zero muscle), has more plates on the Hammer than the 230 lb BB, something isnt right..

[Grape Ape]

Yup, noting wrong with throwing in a heavy set using momentum here and there (last set, etc), I just dont see many folks training correctly these days.
(Other than the few Powerlifters and few competitive BB's we have locally).

When the 140 lb old guy (with zero muscle), has more plates on the Hammer than the 230 lb BB, something isnt right..

Those hammer chest machines get so abused with extra weight, especially the decline one.

4 plates per side, 1/5 reps of peace

[Gym-Rat]

Those hammer chest machines get so abused with extra weight, especially the decline one.

4 plates per side, 1/5 reps of peace

LOL, yup, for sure...

[MCWAY]

I made a slight error, that I corrected/edited in my previous post - 2,275 calories is roughly 2x my current intake.

Again, my cycle diet will comprise:

200g protein, 200g carbs, and 75g fats daily, to start.

I hate eating, and I have no interest in eating that much in the long term. I will do it solely for this cycle.

You seem to think that I don't know how I need to eat to maximize natural gains - I know how...it's that I HATE IT. And I'm not going to eat that much and make gains at a snail's pace. That's why I'm a competitive lightweight Strongman, because I didn't need to shove protein and calories down my throat to make gains.

Again - it's not that I don't know what I need to eat - it's that I don't WANT to be a natural bodybuilder. I want to just to this cycle, and maximize all my nutrition EXCLUSIVELY for this cycle.

And then go back to eating like a bird, and be ready to compete at u-80kg for the Fall or new year Strongman season.

I have no interest in spending a year making the gains you say I can get doing this naturally, because I have lightweight Strongman contests to compete in, during the time that I would be natural bulking, on your plan.

I'm not a bodybuilder, MCWAY. I'm just doing this for the summer. The. It's back to lightweight Strongman competition, which I've done for years.

Perhaps you are forgetting that I'm not a bodybuilder, nor do I want to be - it's just for this summer. And I can't do it on that timeline without PED's.

I'm not wasting a year on this project.

I never claimed you were a bodybuilder. And it really doesn't matter. This idea that you're going to eat and train appropriately ONLY while you're using steroids is categorically absurd.

You're going this for one summer; go off the 'roids in the fall; lose nearly everything you've gained.....by reverting to haphazard training and poor nutrition. Then, you're going to spend the next nine months, blubbering about how "Natural bodybuilding sucks"

Plus, if you're going to be "ALL IN" on the anabolics and actually eat and train as if you have some sense, WHY ARE YOU STILL A MIDDLEWEIGHT?? Why not keep the gains and go to the light-heavies or even the heavyweight class for your strongman competition, especially since you say they all use PEDs anyway?

You're going eat and 'roid up to 215 then starve nearly FORTY POUNDS off your body....and then lament about how weak you've become again. I thought you were concerned about your health. Going up and down in weight, the last time I checked, ain't the healthiest thing in the world to do.

[Grape Ape]

You're going this for one summer; go off the 'roids in the fall; lose nearly everything you've gained.....by reverting to haphazard training and poor nutrition. Then, you're going to spend the next nine months, blubbering about how "Natural bodybuilding sucks"

I believe I covered this somewhere between pages 2 and 5.

Or, in units of Matt measurement:

About 3,356,120 words ago

About 326 back double biceps ago

About 750 calories consumed ago

[wes]

LOL 

[Matt]

Answer the question did you start the cycle yet YES or NO?

I picked up the needles on Sunday! As it turns out, I have no rubbing alcohol / alcohol swabs in the house.

Yes, I know I'm subconsciously delaying things on purpose due to pre-cycle butterflies...but it's going to happen...

[Matt]

Matt, they let people train in the gym w/ out a shirt?

Some HS kids came in recently, took off their shirts, etc. Owner came over, told them to put them back on. (dudes weighed about a buck-20)...
And then he hung some signs in the gym about wearing them at all times.   (Just curious).

I purposely train at a "dungeon" style gym, in addition to the big facility with the track, Olympic pool + sauna, etc [the Canada Games Complex].

I can train shirtless at the dungeon gym - but I generally only do it when I'm alone there. They would not let me train shirtless at The Complex.

[Matt]

only 3 more back shots on this page today

That's literally my only good shot.

[Van_Bilderass]

I picked up the needles on Sunday! As it turns out, I have no rubbing alcohol / alcohol swabs in the house.

Yes, I know I'm subconsciously delaying things on purpose due to pre-cycle butterflies...but it's going to happen...

There is no need for presterilizing skin prior to injection injection. There a a shitload of data. Just make sure the skin nsn't visibly dirty. WHO recommendation.

I do use them on the rubber stopper though, if not,  I make sure not to touch it and put a band aid on it for next time.

Getbig juicers: do you mess with acohol swabs?

[Matt]

There is no need for presterilizing skin prior to injection injection. There a a shitload of data. Just make sure the skin nsn't visibly dirty. WHO recommendation.

I do use them on the rubber stopper though, if not,  I make sure not to touch it and put a band aid on it for next time.

Getbig juicers: do you mess with acohol swabs?

So sanitize the juice vial only...but not the muscle I'm injecting in?

[wes]

So sanitize the juice vial only...but not the muscle I'm injecting in?

I`d use alcohol if for nothing else just my own peace of mind and the fact that I have always done so.

[Matt]

I`d use alcohol if for nothing else just my own peace of mind and the fact that I have always done so.

I can't see any issue with it, as long as you give the alcohol a second to dry. I just worry about pushing any bacterial that may be on my leg, into my leg.

But I guess the literature refutes that concern, according to Van.

The more you know, I guess.

Though, given I am one to wear the same pants a few days in a row...I still wonder if there would be any bacterial issues.

This will be the first time I've injected anything in 16 years. 

[wes]

I can't see any issue with it, as long as you give the alcohol a second to dry. I just worry about pushing any bacterial that may be on my leg, into my leg.

But I guess the literature refutes that concern, according to Van.

The more you know, I guess.

Though, given I am one to wear the same pants a few days in a row...I still wonder if there would be any bacterial issues.

This will be the first time I've injected anything in 16 years. 

You`re worrying too much and overthinking it..........no need to sweat such minutia, just do what you did 16 years ago if it worked for you.

[Matt]

You`re worrying too much and overthinking it..........no need to sweat such minutia, just do what you did 16 years ago if it worked for you.

Well...there's ONE last thing, wes:

I can't eat for sh*t!

Man, especially now that I have two TSH/thyroid tests five years apart, both showing elevated TSH...and now that autoimmune disorders have been ruled out...it means WITHOUT A DOUBT eating 1,000 calories a year causes my reversible thyroid issue...

So yesterday, I ate 1,800 calories and drank 5L of water [~1.3 gallons] - and let me tell you...IT WAS TORTUROUS!!

I did it, but that was almost double my usual caloric intake, and more like 5x my usual water intake.

No point in denying that - my TSH results prove how little I eat.

So now I'm trying to maximize a cycle by drinking 1 to 1.5 gallons of water daily + 2,200+ calories daily [of which, 200g protein daily will be MANDATORY].

I hit 160g protein yesterday, and THAT was a struggle.

I think I can meet these minimum protein/calorie and water requirements.

It is the ONLY thing still making me reconsider going through with the cycle...

God, I HATE eating. I wish I could just train twice as long, rather than eat more!

I love training hard.

I think maybe I'm going to do 1,000 calories a day [including 120g protein powder] from shakes every day. I just don't see myself eating over 2,000 calories a day...

But if I drink 1,000 calories from protein shakes, I can see myself hitting 2,500.

Eating is the fun part to most people! Yet I literally hate it!!!

[Matt]

So are you still putting dumbbells on benches?

x2 this thread seems to have gotten sidetracked from the central question.

LOL!!!

Well...the gym owner doesn't mind, so yes, I still do it.

However, when the one big Gym-Rat who complained when I did it is there - I don't do it.

Otherwise - yes. 

[wes]

Matt use shakes,not exclusively of course, and simply add small amounts of food over time.