Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by Desvaro

[WTB] Taylor Swift Tickets

Desvaro — Mon, 12 May 2014 10:17:10 +0800

Item(s):
Taylor Swift Red Tour Kuala Lumpur Tickets

Package includes:
Red Zone or Category 1 Tickets

Hi, if any of you have these tickets available, feel free to PM me with the details and price or whatsapp at 012-3794865.

Thank you

Purchasing Foreign Stocks

Desvaro — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 16:22:24 +0800

Hi there, I would like to purchase some US stocks and ETFs, what's the best way to do so? I'm completely clueless here about this.

Any help will be really appreciated. Thanks

My Journey on Pavel's Russian Bear

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 07:30:00 +0800

My Journey on Pavel's Russian Bear

Desvaro — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:44:58 +0800

My Journey on Pavel’s Russian Bear Routine

How I gained 5kg of mass and put on 15kg on my deadlift in less than one month

Acknowledgements
- My dad, for working hard in order for me to be able to afford a gym membership and pay for the gigantic amount of food I consumed.
- My mom, for tirelessly preparing my meals for me and not once complaining.
- Ken86, for the excellent nutrition information he provided us all with, I am particularly grateful for the protein shake recipes.
- Pizzaboy, for sharing his knowledge and expertise with the forum.
- Members of this forum, from whom I have learned from and have helped me to become more knowledgeable.

Background

What I write here will be 99% based on my own experience on this program. Some things might not make sense, or seem unbelievable, but this is about what happened to me. The primary reason I wrote this is to share my experience, and perhaps those of you reading this will have learned something that will help you in your own weight training program. I have a few unanswered questions which I will list at the end, and I hope that those of you reading this will have the answers to them.

Just a quick background on myself. I was a skinny kid, weighing 56kg at 183cm at 16, and until today I am surprised that the wind never blew me over. I got into weight training and managed to put on some weight especially after doing Rippetoes. But after that my progress was relatively poor. I was hovering between 74-76kg at 188cm, and nothing seemed to change much.

I knew I was going to have 3 months of holiday, and was looking for a program to do. A forum member here (I believe it was kotmj) mentioned about Pavel Tsatsouline and his ‘Power to the People’ book. Inside was a chapter titled “How to become a Bear: A Soviet Commando’s Muscle Building Secret”. After reading through the chapter and the book, I decided that this was the program I will be doing over the holidays.

Russian Bear Program

Introduction

The program sounds deceptively simple:

1) Reduce the reps to 4-6 per set to allow for heavy weights;
2) Perform many, 10-20 on average, sets;
3) Terminate all the sets a couple of reps before failure to avoid premature
fatigue which would force the reduction in weights or/and sets.
Using those parameters, what you do is pick a weight you can do 5 times. For example 100kg, do 5 reps. Then take 90% of that number, 90kg, and do another 5 reps, then take 80% of 100, 80kg and do 5 reps. Keep doing 5 reps with 80kg until condition number 3 is fulfilled. Rest has to be short, 30-90 seconds between each set.

You’re supposed to do only 2 exercises. Pavel recommended the Deadlift and the Side Press. The number of days to train was up to you, and I decided to train 3 times a week. The book promised phenomenal results within just 2 months. I was skeptical, but I had nothing to lose.

Part 1

I changed the exercises. Instead of deadlifts, I did Snatch Grip Deadlifts From Deficit (Standing on 15kg Plates). Instead of Side Press (which I could not do at all), I did Barbell Overhead Press.

On Monday I start with SGDL, on Wednesday I start with Overhead Press, then Friday back to SGDL as first exercise etc. The toughest part was the short rest period, doing sets of 5 with just 1 minute rest was such a killer. I tried to increase the weights every 2 or 3 workouts, but the focus was more on increasing the number of SETS. I averaged between 12-14 total sets of deadlifts, and around 6-10 total sets of Overhead Presses.

Some days I felt incredibly strong, and managed 20 sets of Overhead Presses. Other days I felt so-so, even matching the number of sets done the previous workout seemed almost impossible, but I fought through it.

Part 2

After 7 workouts, I decided to get rid of SGDL and used normal Deadlifts instead. This was because my lower back was starting to feel ‘funny’. One week later, I was stupidly trying to push myself too hard on the military press and felt a sharp pain in my right elbow. This spelled the end of the Russian Bear program for me for now.

Nutrition

My nutrition was very simple. Eat like a monster. On workout days:

Breakfast – 2 eggs, 1 cup of oats, bread with meat
After workout (I go to gym right after breakfast) – ON Whey 1 Scoop with Low Fat Milk
Lunch – Rice or Spaghetti with lots of meat
Snack – Ken86 inspired Protein Shake (Mine was made of Whey, Low Fat Milk, 7 table spoon of oats, 2 teaspoons of peanut butter, and 2 teaspoons of flaxseed oil)
Second Snack – Yoghurt and Dutch Lady Milk
Dinner – Pretty much the same as Lunch
Before bed – One scoop of Whey with Low fat milk

My meal plan on non-workout days looked pretty much the same, except that I reduced the amount of carbohydrates I was taking. I ate every 2.5-3 hours.

As for supplements, ON Whey Protein, Universal Nutrition Creatine, Multivitamin and Fish Oil. That’s all.

Results

One week after my injury, while still not yet 100% fit, and having only slept 5 hours the previous night, I decided to do a 1 Rep Max test on my Deadlift and found that I had shattered my previous personal best by 15kg. I’ve also put on 5kg of mass. I weigh myself every morning after I take a sh!t. When I started the program on November 13th I weighed 75kg, on December 13th I weighed 80kg in the morning. My shoulders were broader, traps were larger, chests slightly bigger, shirts fitted tighter. I didn’t put on much fat at all, as my pants still fitted the same around the waist. My program only lasted 3 weeks due to my injury, but still, I’d say that’s pretty good progress in 3 weeks.

But not all was good. My lower back constantly felt ‘funny’, but that is expected when you’re doing 200+ deadlifts every week, and I haven’t even counted the Overhead Presses in yet. I also hated the time I spent at the gym, because the program is incredibly boring (doing the same thing over and over again). The short rest periods left me very breathless on the deadlifts, which I hated. Every morning when I got up, I had to drag myself to the gym, rather than going happily, the gym became a chore.

I also had to make sacrifices. While everyone is out partying and going out since it was the holidays, I had to stay home the whole time. I didn’t want to go out because that would mean missing a meal, or not eating enough outside. I didn’t go out partying because that would mean I’d come back late and I wouldn’t get enough sleep for the muscles to grow. My whole life revolved around this. I’d wake up, eat, train, sleep, eat, sleep. I guess you could say I was obsessed. But I guess it was all worth it, I’m very happy with the results.

Observations and Questions

Now that you’ve seen my results on the program, you’re probably thinking of doing it yourself. But before you jump into this program, here are some things to think about:

- If you have not been deadlifting for more than one year, and if your technique is not solid, chances are you will mess up pretty badly on this program. You will be deadlifting when you’re tired and breathless, the likelihood if injury is very high. This is NOT a beginner’s program for sure.
- I’ve noticed that quite a few forum members here have lower back problems. Again, deadlifting more than 200 times a week probably isn’t the best thing to do
- You have to be mentally tough to will yourself through the program. It is a tough program, no doubt about that. This program doesn’t say do 10 sets, you’re supposed to do as many as you’re capable of. It is very easy to sell yourself short and not work as hard as you should.

I now have some questions that I hope you guys have the answers to, because I sure as hell don’t:

1) I did not feel sore AT ALL on this program. Not even on the first day. This is despite the relatively high volume. How is this possible?

2) Not so much a question but an observation: My arms, especially biceps hardly grew on this program. Yeah I know I didn’t do any direct arm work, but with the heavy lifting and pressing I expected to put on at least some size in my arms. My biceps still look small when my arms are straight.

3) If you were me, what would you do differently from what I have done? What would you have changed or tweaked? Perhaps you have some way of making this program not as boring as I make it to be. Do share.

4) Is there such a thing as tasty flaxseed oil? Because the one I’ve bought taste horrible.

5) Ever since I started this program, I have not been able to sleep well at night. I take more than an hour to fall asleep, I wake up 2-3 times in the middle of the night to urinate. I thought I would fall asleep faster considering the fact that the weight training would tire me out. But no, instead the opposite happened.

Conclusion

This program brought me very good results. 5kg of mass, 15kg on my deadlift in one month. However, unlike Rippetoe’s, I will hesistate to recommend it to anyone else. I suggest you evaluate the program (PM me your email address if you want the ebook), and make your own decisions. If you have any questions, ask away.

Questions and Answers

Desvaro — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:31:42 +0800

I wrote this article by myself, mainly due to the fact that the amount of stupid things that go around the gym and forums has finally gotten to me. I hope you guys enjoy it, and maybe learn a thing or two. Please feel free to leave constructive feedback regarding both the writing and also about the content itself. If the feedback is good, I might continue with this. Thank you.

Questions and Answers

1) The human body only has chest muscles, ab muscles, and bicep muscles.
- Wrong

2) You mean there’s more than chest abs and biceps?
- Just because you can’t or don’t see something, it does not mean that it does not exist. Which is why if you ran the red light, and a police officer stops you, telling him ‘Sorry saya tak nampak’ does not get you out of a ticket. However, saying ‘Ada cara lain kita boleh settle?’ might yield different results. Back to the topic, I suggest you get an anatomy book.

3) Yeah whatever, but chicks dig chest and biceps and of course a six-pack. The rest of the muscles are useless.
- Chicks do not dig muscles, they dig big cocks or money, preferably both (Mark Rippetoe).

4) Okay so you might be right, but I jog and play football/tennis/badminton, so I don’t need to train my legs.
- That’s equivalent to saying ‘I shower with my clothes on, so I don’t need to do my laundry’. Even professional football players playing at UEFA Champions League level squat more than 200kg (Hoff & Helegerud, 2004), and the last time I checked, you probably won’t make it into my kampung team. Here’s a hint: If you can fit into skinny jeans, then having legs that are ‘too big’ is probably the last thing you should worry about.

5) Why would I need to train my back? Not like I can see it anyway.
- Refer to question 2. Additionally, training your back muscles will lead to gains in bench press and also help put on mass on your arms.

6) Speaking of arms, bicep curls build big arms, so obviously doing more curls will give me better results, also known as HUGE ARMS?
- If I were to hit you on your head with a stick once, you would feel a certain level of pain. If I were to hit you on your head with a stick twice, you would feel double the amount of pain. However, if I were to hit you on your head 10 times, you would not feel 10 times the amount of pain. Conversely, you would feel no pain at all, because you would be dead. Huge arms are built FIRST by compound exercises. Squat, deadlift, bench, overhead press, chinups, and rows are just some examples. When you can move a respectable amount of weight in those exercises, then only it is time to focus on bicep curls.

7) Oh I see, hmm let me see…squat. Is that the exercise where you put the barbell on your back and go down 6 inches?
- The exercise you have just described would not be a squat, it would be called ‘an attention-whore pu$$y in the squat rack’. The barbell squat is an exercise where you’re supposed to go down as deep as possible. If possible, you’re supposed to go down all the way until your butt touches your calves. However, at the very minimum you should go BELOW PARALLEL.

8) How many times should the bar touch the floor while deadlifting? Any variations you care to share?
- A set of ‘deadlifts’ where the bar only touches the floor at the start of the first rep and at the end of the very last rep is not deadlifting. At the very least, the bar should touch the floor at the end of every rep, also known as the ‘touch and go’ style. A variation that is beneficial: If you train at a gym where the aunties talk and laugh as if the place belongs to them, use one of them as a substitute for the barbell. I would advise you to render them unable to speak first before beginning your set. Don’t afraid to be rough.

9) Is the bench press a 2 person exercise?
- Contrary to what usually passes for a ‘bench press’ in most gyms, a proper bench press is not a two person exercise. The person behind the bench is there as a ‘spotter’, which means he’s there to make sure that when you fail, the bar does not slam onto your throat. Unfortunately, many have used the spotter as a helper instead, which makes the bench press look like a 2 person exercise, where one person pushes and the other pulls throughout the entire set, while the person pulling keeps telling the person pushing that ‘ITS ALL YOU MAN! COME ON!’

10) One last question for now, is grunting on every rep and making a constipated face mandatory?
- If your intention is looking like a fool, then yes. If you grunt on the last few reps of your last set, then it’s perfectly natural. Grunting as if tomorrow is 2012 while you’re on your first rep of your first set of wrist curls however, is not.

11) Oh wait wait one more question sorry. Is it cool to drop dumbbells onto the floor so that it makes loud noises?
- Let me put it to you this way. If I could magically go through your monitor and enter your room, do you think it would be cool if I dropped your monitor onto the floor so that it makes loud noises? Yeah, I didn’t think so.

Jeans Recommendations for Athletic Guys

Desvaro — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:24:18 +0800

Hi, I'm hoping you guys can recommend me where to get jeans that is suitable for someone with an athletic build.

Just a little information: I'm 188cm tall, and I've been having problems with buying jeans for as long as I can remember. As a football player and someone who goes to the gym, I've always had to buy jeans 2 sizes too large to accommodate my legs.

Anyway, I hope to get a couple of jeans that would give me something like this kind of look:

The one on Bush, not on Blair.

My budget is around rm150, I've read that Daniel Craig wears straight cut in that picture. Can someone please explain the difference between straight cut and slim jeans?

Thanks in advance.

EDIT: The second image is this http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fiOqQcVJP_g/SlIY.../blairbush7.jpg

Don't know why it can't show on the post.

Acting Like A Gentleman

Desvaro — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 21:26:43 +0800

I know this is "Men's Style & Fashion", but think about it, those of us who take the initiative, the time and the effort to dress up well, would want all that to be reflected in our actions as well. Think about how you usually judge others, first you look at the way they dress and then the way they act. Clothing takes care of the first part, but without the second part, I'm sure you will agree that your efforts and being well dressed will be simply wasted.

While I am flattered when someone says I look good in what I'm wearing, to me the greatest compliment is when a female calls you a gentleman.

Probably one of the best written works on this topic is by Emily Post http://www.bartleby.com/95/

While it is written in 1920 and some parts are indeed not suitable anymore, I believe it is a very good read.

So yes don't be afraid to discuss or ask questions, and let us all help each other to be better men.

I'll get the ball rolling with this question:

When you are walking with a female and the door in front of you is a pull door, obviously you pull the door, and let her in first. But what if it is a push door? Do you open the door and take the lead into the room before holding the door open for her? Or do you let her open it herself? Or anyone else has a different opinion?

Desmond's Journal

Desvaro — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 22:43:05 +0800

Hi guys, I think it's time I start keeping a training log here. Just some stats first:

Height: 188cm
Weight: 75kg

All weights below are 5 Repetition Maxes (except pullups)

Front Squat: 65kg
Incline Barbell Bench Press: 45kg
Row: 50kg
Deadlift: 90kg
Overhead Press: 40kg
Bodyweight Pullups: 6

I will be going on the Bill Star 5x5 program (not the Madcow 5x5), this is the original written by Bill Starr himself, however I have made a couple of changes to the exercises (which I will explain later why)

Day 1
--------
Front Squat: 5x5 (Ramping up)
Incline Bench Press: 5x5 (Ramping up)
Rows: 5x5 (Ramping up)
Pullups: 5 sets

Day 2
---------
Front Squat: 5x5 (Final set will be 80% of Day 1's last set)
Overhead Press: 4x5 (Ramping up)
Deadlifts: 4x5 (Ramping up)
Chinups: 5 sets

Day 3
---------
Front Squat: 5x5 (Final set will be 90% of Day 1's last set)
Incline Bench: 3x5
Rows: 3x5
Pullups: 5 sets

I've suffered a rotator cuff tear in my right shoulder, and my left shoulder is a little dodgy as well, this was back in 2007 due to the fact that I was playing a lot of tennis at high level (Roger Federer is feeling very relieved that I won't be making a comeback).

Therefore, I cannot do back squats and also flat barbell bench press, which is why I've opted for Front Squats and Incline Bench Press respectively. I will most probably lift on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with Monday being easy day (aka Day 2), Wednesday being maximum day (Day 1) and Fridays being moderate day (Day 3). The reason for this is because I usually have football matches on Saturday/Sunday (I play for a football club) so Mondays I have to take it easy a little.

Feel free to post any comments/critiques/questions/insults and if you feel the need to tell me that my face is ugly, please do not hesitate. However, should you feel the urge to say "DUDE YOU HAS NO CURLS WAN? MUST CURL FOR BICEPTS", I strongly suggest you press alt-f4 and smash your face into your palm (or palm into your face).

I start on Monday, thanks for reading!

Contact Lenses and Rollercoaster Rides

Desvaro — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 17:19:00 +0800

Hey guys, I know this might be a silly question, but it's something that I need to clarify.

Has anyone here ever took a rollercoaster ride while wearing contact lenses before? Were there any problems with your eyes after the rides?

The reason I ask is because I'm afraid that the G-Force produced might somehow force the contact lenses out or something.

Or am I just worrying too much?

Why Squatting Deep is Beneficial To You

Desvaro — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:46:32 +0800

Nothing sickens me more than seeing someone not squatting deep enough. Actually something sickens me more than that, it is when stupid personal trainers allow their clients to get away with partial squats.

Just a short story, in Fitness First Wisma Consplant, there is a trainer named Fendi that you should stay the hell away from. Just the other day, I saw him with a client, probably a college student and is quite skinny. First he was doing lunges, and clearly the weight was too heavy for him, and even after his form broke down the trainer just kept pushing him down into a 'lunge' position. At the very end of the workout, guess what happens? Fendi makes a big scene, takes his client up to the Smith Machine and loads up 3 20kg plates each side, so that's a total of 120kg (Smith Machine bars don't weight jackshit do they?). All you have to do is take one look at this guy and you will highly doubt he can squat even half the weight with his skinny legs, and I decided that I have to watch this. What happens next made me wish I never had eyes, or that I blacked out for a moment. With the client preparing to squat at the Smith Machine, Fendi stood right behind him helping him to 'support the weight', and then THEY proceed to do a quarter squat. I'm being generous here by calling it a quarter squat, the range of motion was probably, 2 inches, with the trainer helping him ON A SMITH MACHINE. After about 5 half assed reps or so where it looked like the trainer was humping the client, they call it quits and high five each other. WOW OMG HE SQUATTED 120KG WOWWWWWWWWW.

Anyways back to the topic, I came across this article by someone who attended Charles Poliquin's seminar. To those of you who do not know him, he is without doubt amongst the best strength coach out there. He has trained numerous Olympic athletes and is very sought after, and when he talks, you better listen.

http://www.athletic-preparation.com/2008/0...nd-half-squats/

QUOTE

I’m just back from a fitness convention where I attended three lectures by Charles Poliquin (do a google search if you don’t know who he is). The following is taken from his notes on full squats.

I’ve always been a believer that full squats are better than half (parallel) squats, but the following information really blew my mind.

If you don’t want to read this, the conclusion is DO FULL SQUATS.

First of all, a full squat is where the trainee goes down until the bottom 15 centimetres of the hamstrings touches the top 15 centimeters of the calves (alternatively, you should squat until one can no longer see the light between the hamstrings and the calves in the bottom position).

The Advantages of Full Squats

the following informationis based on data collected by Charles Poliquin himself on 7 Canadian Natioanl Teams preparing for the winter olympics (Albertville, Lillehammer and Nagano).

1. Reduction in groin pulls and tears
2. Reduction in lower back injuries
3. Reduction in hamstring tears (900%)
4. Reduction in knee surgeries (reduction proportionate to number of years of full squatting).
5. Increases in knee stability
6. Better increases in vertical jump
7. Improvements in 30 and 60 metre times.
8. Improvements in vertical and penta jumps (penta jumps are 5 jumps in a row)
9. Improvements in 17 out of 23 measures of knee stability (the other movements are in a different plane so the squat does nothing for them).
10. Improvement in ham/quad ratio from 57% to 79% in 11 weeks. The Ham/Quad ratio is the best predictor of prevention of ACL injuries

Disadvantages of Half (Parallel) Squats

1. Decrements in hamstrings, quadriceps, adductors and piriformis flexibility.
2. Lower transfer to athletic tasks such as vertical jumping.
3. DECREASES in 18 out of 23 measures of knee stability
4. Worsening of ham/quad ratio.
5. Increased incidence of knee injuries in soccer, bobsleigh, speed skating, American football, volleyball and alpine skiing.

How to Full Squat Correctly

1. Stand in front of the squat rack set up so that you can back out and return easily from it.
2. Using your thumbs, set up the reference point on the bar, use the knurling to determine the width of the grip.
3. Duck under the bar and place the thickest part of the trapezius in contact with it.
4. The hands should be as close as possible to the body/outside of the shoulders.
5. The Elbows should be pushed forward so that they are aligned right under the bar.
6. The chin should be slightly up. Focus your eyes at a point on the wall that is slightly higher than eye level in order to maintain proper neck alignment.
7. Set your foot stance shoulder-width apart with toes pointing slightly outwards (15 degrees). [Personally, I think that this is up for discussion. Taller people will have difficulty with such a narrow stance]

Full Squat Descent

8. Stand upright by straightening your legs, take ONE step backwards to clear the racks.
9. Knees move forwards maximally before the hips are lowered.
10. Hips are then lowered, keeping the back as erect as possible, chest held high.
11. The body is lowered under control until such time as the hamstrings come in contact with the calves.
12. There should be a conscious effort to keep the elbows under the bar throughout the movement to ensure that the load is kept as close as possible over the centre of gravity.
13. The knees should be travelling forward and over your toes throughout the descent.
14. Inhale through the mouth during the descent.

Full Squat Ascent

15. The trainee should first raise the hops, and concentrate on keeping them forward throughout the ascent (i.e. thrust your hips up and forwards)
16. The torso should remain as upright as possible, particularly at the sticking point.
17. Exhale throughout the entire ascent.
18 Concentrate on acceleration.

Points to note

1. For people with poor ankle flexibility, a wedged board may be placed under the heels to allow proper hip alighment. However, you must work on ankle flexbility so that the board is not requried
2. The hips should stay under the bar for as long as possible.
3. Be careful of excessive forward lean and hip extensors involvement.
4. No buckling in of knees
5. NO BOUNCING at the bottom
6. Face the rack, NEVER back into it.
7. Tight quadriceps, psoas, and Achilles tendons & compensatory forward bending - extra flexibility work will be required if these are issues.
8. As soon as technical breakdown occurs, you must cease lifting.
9. Do not pre-fatugue the abs and/lower back before doing squats.
10. [u]Do not squat to a bench or box as the athlete may relax the lower back and cause injury
11. Do not use towels or padding to take the pressure of the barbell. if the bar hurts, grow some traps - I don’t allow my clients to use pads by the way. I make them suck it up. Furthermore, using pads/towels pushes the bar higher onto your spine and shifts your centre of gravity forwards - a great way to wreck your back.
12. Looking up excessively disrupts the natural curves of the spine and can cause injury/trauma.
13. Concentrate and focus on exactly what you are doing - i.e. when you’re squatting you shouldn’t be thinking of other things. I don’t even use headphones when I train, and my clients definitely don’t.
14. PNF and Survival Stretching are recommended before squatting but static stretching is NOT. Don’t static stretch for about 4 hours after your squatting session. Static stretching causes microtears in a muscle and that slows down the recovery process.

Charles went on to answer questions and one of the questions he was asked was what the ham to quad ratio should be. Many of us believe that the hams should have 66% the strength of the quads. However, his opinion is that is should be 80%. For elite sprinters, the HAMS should be 125 % the strength of the quads. He uses the ratio of the front squat to the back squat to determine ham to quad ratio. THe ratio should be 85%.

For people with tight calves/ankles, perform standing calf raises, and squeeze your glutes at the bottom of the stretch. You should also do seated calf raises.

Long story short, squatting deep can only be beneficial to you, while half squatting not only makes you look like a fool, it also exposes you to a greater risk of injury.