Are you in your comfort zone?
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| Tony |  | ... | 09-09-2007 @ 12:32 |
 Is partial to the odd bender. Member 6, 10239 posts SQ 280, BP 192.5, DL 317.5790.0 kgs @ 102kgs Eq | Post Edited: 09.09.2007 @ 12:33 PM Originally posted by badboy007... Yes Tony, but how do you know if you're in your comfort zone mate? You know if you feel comfortable, however evertime I train it feels very uncomfortable. If you can leave your session and honestly say to yourself you couldn't have worked any harder then your bang on the money. | ||
| Titch | | ... | 09-09-2007 @ 12:40 |
 One Sexy MoFo Member 101, 2470 posts | Originally posted by Tony... To the people who say they need a goal to train towards I say this. I have a goal year round which is to add weight to the bar whenever possible. Surely everyone who tains seriously shares this common aim. I have that aim year round. I lift in a "fitness gym" on my own too and it's never stopped me trying to go all out to beat my previous best. That said, I don't think it's just a question of "growing balls" to push yourself when you train on your own; I'd have thought the adrenalin of having other lifters shout at you and encourage you could create a comp-like atmosphere where your body releases more adrenalin than would happen if you were on your own, therefore perhaps adding a few kgs to your max. I thought from my last squat session that I'd have benefited from having others around me. That said, I was pretty scared I'd go down for the last couple of reps and not be able to get back up, so perhaps it is just a case of growing balls.  | ||
| DMPM | | ... | 09-09-2007 @ 14:26 |
 AUSTRALIA !!! AUSTRALIA !!! AUSTRALIA !!! Member 22, 452 posts SQ 250, BP 195, DL 250695.0 kgs @ 121kgs Eq | I was in my comfort zone and as a result the only gains I was making was from adding tighter equipment or more layers. As a results, I've decided to a Sheiko routine because it will force me to spend time doing hard work on the three actual lifts (something I don't like to do!) instead of making excuses to do bugger all volume and stuff around doing useless assistance work. | ||
| Cuddles | | ... | 09-09-2007 @ 19:15 |
 Eat.Cycle.Sleep.Win Member 2, 12511 posts SQ 190, BP 150, DL 280620.0 kgs @ 99kgs UnEq Administrator | Good topic. Originally posted by Tony... I train at a normal gym with normal lifters. In all honesty I think if you let yourself drift into this "comfort zone" it has nothing at all to do with anyhting other than your own lack of application and motivation. Training in new surroundngs will not suddenly make you stronger it may just force you to grow a set of balls. Something that could have been achieved before if you'd applied yourself. I agree wholeheartedly with Tony here. But i'll make the point that I think this is a really individual thing. Id like to think that if you asked the guys that I have trained with regularly (Joni, Adam, my old training partners Mark and Dom, maybe even Rob and Millsy) theyd struggle to say that I trained in my comfort zone. No doubt there have been periods where I have and sometimes that's even been deliberate but not always. Self motivation when it comes to training is certainly something that I dont lack. All that being said, making trips to train with other people, in more 'hardcore' surroundings or to watch competitions are really good ways to keep you on your toes. Ive been quite lucky both in Manchester and here in London to be around some seriously strong lifters. One of the gyms I train at here has Tery Hollands as a member and the other has Callard as a coach. If I want to be humbled I dont have far to go. | ||
| Rick | | ... | 09-09-2007 @ 19:42 |
 I am a bench-only guy Member 3, 10035 posts SQ 185, BP 175, DL 235595.0 kgs @ 140kgs UnEq Administrator | Originally posted by Tony... Training in new surroundngs will not suddenly make you stronger it may just force you to grow a set of balls. Something that could have been achieved before if you'd applied yourself. Actually, if your technique needed work, it very well can suddenly make you stronger. | ||
| Cuddles | | ... | 09-09-2007 @ 20:03 |
Eat.Cycle.Sleep.Win Member 2, 12511 posts SQ 190, BP 150, DL 280620.0 kgs @ 99kgs UnEq Administrator | Originally posted by Rick... Originally posted by Tony... Training in new surroundngs will not suddenly make you stronger it may just force you to grow a set of balls. Something that could have been achieved before if you'd applied yourself. Actually, if your technique needed work, it very well can suddenly make you stronger. No, it can make you better at a lift. But not physiologically stronger. | ||
| Rick | | ... | 09-09-2007 @ 20:21 |
I am a bench-only guy Member 3, 10035 posts SQ 185, BP 175, DL 235595.0 kgs @ 140kgs UnEq Administrator | That's true, yeah. On the other hand, training a lift in better form probably *can* make you stronger (and definitely can let you get stronger while being hurt less). | ||
| little_a | | ... | 10-09-2007 @ 08:36 |
 still a devious weightlifting bastard Member 43, 14374 posts | Are you guys confusing training with straining?? For me training should always be in the comfort zone. Anything up to 90%'s I can bang out all day. This is training, and for me this is where the gains are made. Anything over this is just fun, but where lifting weights is concerned you have to earn the right to have fun and that is done via 'training' | ||
| badboy007 | | ... | 10-09-2007 @ 11:22 |
Dirty little devil Member 138, 356 posts | Post Edited: 10.09.2007 @ 11:24 AM LittleA, I know what you're saying, but I think the strain thing is necessary in powerlifting, it is just plain fun anyway. Probably less so in OL where technique is so much more imp.I've always made my best gains by straining every workout for weeks on end. You do need to backoff at some point though! Andy you are also on a different level to most of us, I suspect you strained more when a youngster? | ||
| Martin1956 | | ... | 10-09-2007 @ 11:57 |
 Old Age Presser Member 75, 7739 posts SQ 0, BP 200, DL 200400.0 kgs @ 105kgs Eq | My training is geared to competitions. I'm not worried any more about my gym lifts. I go balls to the wall once a week on ME bench day. Don't need to on DE day on the bench, but do really hammer assistance on DE day. Other days are just about keeping the upper body in balance, so sometimes I hammer them and other times I have a gentle one. Depends how up for it I am on the day. I don't waste feelgood days and don't flog a dead horse on flat days. I used to work myself into a frazzle every workout, but now it's more about train smarter, not harder. Admittedly I'm only training for bench though. I don't even try 1RM pbs in the gym any more. I save them for comps. If I can improve my reps pbs in the gym, I'm happy that these will translate into 1RM pbs on the stage. So yes I'm probably in a comfort zone - comfortable that what I'm doing's working and I'm still progressing at an age when I should be going backwards. | ||
| IainKendrick | | ... | 10-09-2007 @ 12:14 |
 some nice relaxing jazz. Member 77, 12599 posts SQ 265, BP 165, DL 280710.0 kgs @ 93kgs UnEq | Anything over this is just fun, but where lifting weights is concerned you have to earn the right to have fun and that is done via 'training' Thats a good point regarding earning the right. If your younger or don't have much training experience then you need to train balls to the wall often till you have the nouse to know when to back off and to be able to refine your lifting. In a simliar vein (and hopefully not too off topic) I worry when beginners get too into low volume HIT style training. You should push the borndaries of your training in terms of volume and intensity till you break. Then you know where those boundaries lie. Only then can you train appropriatly. Many attempt to go the other way and never build up any work capacity or know what their true limits are! | ||
| little_a | | ... | 10-09-2007 @ 13:47 |
still a devious weightlifting bastard Member 43, 14374 posts | Originally posted by badboy007... I suspect you strained more when a youngster? Not at all mate. If anything I was held back by people with a lot more experience than I had. Dont get me wrong, Young Wigan and myself would often hit 20+ sessions a week up to 90%, but we never felt like it was killing us. Hard work yes, but nothing terminal. I've never been a fan of (or made) massive gains, I've also never struggled with any kind of serious injury, and personally I dont see this as good luck | ||
| Cuddles | | ... | 10-09-2007 @ 14:09 |
Eat.Cycle.Sleep.Win Member 2, 12511 posts SQ 190, BP 150, DL 280620.0 kgs @ 99kgs UnEq Administrator | I think you're both right to be honest. Getting out of your comfort zone doesnt mean killing yourself week in week out. No one is going to survive that. Dont train like a pussy though, and dont call it hard work unless it is that. (probably my biggest pet hate, dont kid yourself) At some stage a bit of good old fashioned hard work will work wonders. | ||
| badboy007 | | ... | 10-09-2007 @ 18:53 |
Dirty little devil Member 138, 356 posts | Andy, thing is, your 'training' is harder than mostpeople's 'killing themselves'. I take your point though. | ||
| little_a | | ... | 10-09-2007 @ 21:17 |
still a devious weightlifting bastard Member 43, 14374 posts | Originally posted by badboy007... Andy, thing is, your 'training' is harder than mostpeople's 'killing themselves'. It may be mate, but that is the end result of a very long education. I wouldnt expect someone to train like I do straight off, and certainly not like I could 15 years ago, but give me a reasonably athletically talented 10/11 YO kid and 10 years & I dont see any reason why they couldnt hit it the same. It's a gradual, constant build up. It's also fair to say that back in the day (although I may seem a little flippant nowadays) that I was little short of fanatical. Education, career, social, relationships all came after my next workout, and very often not at all. I think I'm a bad example for comparison. Getting back to your OL/PL comment earlier, I trained with WIGAN tonight C&J and back sqt. We blitzed reps with 80-90% of recent lifts and were never in any danger of not getting any lift all night. I also saw Steve Leigh and Fat pete have blinding workouts, hitting numbers that most can only dream of, and again not a missed lift in sight. Not even near. 4 guys, 2 late 30's, 1 mid 40's, 1 early 50's. All with decades of lifting behind them, injury free, top of their game and still looking for improvement. I'll say again, it's no accident  | ||