Ask an Exercise Science major anything

[Chrislrl]

That was taken just now, im kind of worried its a bit worse than i thought, im going to stop training until i get a answer as to what this is... it doesnt feel like it affects my posture at all... im known to slouch, but ive been fixing that over the past 2 months, but apart from that, my spine feels and i feel perfectly straight... its not very noticable from the front so i didnt find it necesarry to post different angles... any feed back or info is very appreciated thank you!!!

[y0lked]

That was taken just now, im kind of worried its a bit worse than i thought, im going to stop training until i get a answer as to what this is... it doesnt feel like it affects my posture at all... im known to slouch, but ive been fixing that over the past 2 months, but apart from that, my spine feels and i feel perfectly straight... its not very noticable from the front so i didnt find it necesarry to post different angles... any feed back or info is very appreciated thank you!!!

Its completely fine man, I wouldnt worry about it unless you are not training with good technique and going too heavy. Just build some muscle first and work on your build.

[Chrislrl]

well im a pretty slim guy at 122 pounds and not high in body fat and im 5'8, and i just hit my squat pr at 150 and my bench pr at 120 im almost positive i keep strict form in all my workouts, but do you think thats maybe to heavy? (i know its chum change weight) but still, and is there any workout i can do to balance it out? i mean its pretty noticable and living in florida the beach is pretty big...

[y0lked]

well im a pretty slim guy at 122 pounds and not high in body fat and im 5'8, and i just hit my squat pr at 150 and my bench pr at 120 im almost positive i keep strict form in all my workouts, but do you think thats maybe to heavy? (i know its chum change weight) but still, and is there any workout i can do to balance it out? i mean its pretty noticable and living in florida the beach is pretty big...

Are you going to failure? Is your butt coming off the bench? Do you dive down quick in the squat and then try to bounce back up?

That muscle is a spinal erector, which helps keep your torso upright.

[Chrislrl]

Are you going to failure? Is your butt coming off the bench? Do you dive down quick in the squat and then try to bounce back up?

That muscle is a spinal erector, which helps keep your torso upright.

about 90% of the time i do a set ammout of reps each set.. and i do sets till failure... my butt doesnt come off the bench, i lay flat the whole time and no i go slow down and slow up, i do squat to depth until around 120lbs though... which is just about my warmup or first set....

[y0lked]

about 90% of the time i do a set ammout of reps each set.. and i do sets till failure... my butt doesnt come off the bench, i lay flat the whole time and no i go slow down and slow up, i do squat to depth until around 120lbs though... which is just about my warmup or first set....

Dont go till failure. DO more sets with less reps if you have to.

if you did 3x5 with 135 to failure then do 5x5 with 115 or so. we want to aim for muscular fatigue and not CNS fatigue. If you consistently go to failure you will get burned out and progress will stop.

[Chrislrl]

Okay I gotcha...I'll change up the way I workout, it makes sense... And about the uneven lowerback/oblique... (I don't even know what you would call the part that's uneven..) What workouts can I do to correct that? I know it would be some type of unilateral workout... Like one leg deadlift maybe, but is there anything else I can do? and also... which side is it that ihave to workout? Pretty sure its the left side, but to be sure...i know you pointed out its the spinal erector, and im not to familiar with it... again sorry for so many questions

[ZachShahin]

Ask away. This thread will be nice for any basic or advanced questions as well as help me develop my knowledge and proficiency in my field.

background in:
biomechanics
kinesiology
exercise physiology
athletic injuries
all kinds of workout programming as well as advanced courses in nutrition

go!

edit: also, anything I feel is interesting i might throw in this thread.

I have been training for about a year and a half, between college football and individual training. I recently had a really, REALLY, bad day where I was tired and burned out from my day and I forgot to take my pre-workout. I managed to do some sets of chest and triceps but didn't go nearly as hard as I normally would. If I have a ****ty day like this, is it ok to come back the next day and train my chest "for real" with my normal high intensity?

[y0lked]

Okay I gotcha...I'll change up the way I workout, it makes sense... And about the uneven lowerback/oblique... (I don't even know what you would call the part that's uneven..) What workouts can I do to correct that? I know it would be some type of unilateral workout... Like one leg deadlift maybe, but is there anything else I can do? and also... which side is it that ihave to workout? Pretty sure its the left side, but to be sure...i know you pointed out its the spinal erector, and im not to familiar with it... again sorry for so many questions

What you see as an imbalance is just the thoracolumbar fascia which covers the spinal erectors.


You are young and new to training, therefore you should not try to correct any muscular imbalances unless they directly affect the way you move. Deadlifts, good mornings, and simple hyper extensions will make you more balanced.

[y0lked]

I have been training for about a year and a half, between college football and individual training. I recently had a really, REALLY, bad day where I was tired and burned out from my day and I forgot to take my pre-workout. I managed to do some sets of chest and triceps but didn't go nearly as hard as I normally would. If I have a ****ty day like this, is it ok to come back the next day and train my chest "for real" with my normal high intensity?

Ill help you get to the answer, its more fun that way. I can tell you WANT to train chest and triceps again so go ahead and make up the workout.

If you can get 100% the intensity of last weeks chest and tris workout (same reps and weight) then your answer is yes.
If you are sore and cant match the sets and reps from last week then your answer is no because although the workout wasnt your best, it still ellicits recovery and by re-training the next day youll see that it is not the best idea.

Have fun, report back.

[Chrislrl]

Before anything, I'd like to mention that today I trained chest how you suggested, till muscle fatigue, I did 5 sets on bench apart from multiple pushup variations each set , I raised weight by 10 every 2 sets and raised by 10 again on the last set... And I can say it does feel alot more efficient then what I was doing previously, so thank you for the tips... And ah I see what your saying, sorry for being so worried about it, I mean it looks pretty ugly so just trying to fix it as soon as I can... If you have any other idea on how I can speed up the process I'd greatly appreciate it, but nonetheless thank you so much for the information you've given me till now!

[y0lked]

Before anything, I'd like to mention that today I trained chest how you suggested, till muscle fatigue, I did 5 sets on bench apart from multiple pushup variations each set , I raised weight by 10 every 2 sets and raised by 10 again on the last set... And I can say it does feel alot more efficient then what I was doing previously, so thank you for the tips... And ah I see what your saying, sorry for being so worried about it, I mean it looks pretty ugly so just trying to fix it as soon as I can... If you have any other idea on how I can speed up the process I'd greatly appreciate it, but nonetheless thank you so much for the information you've given me till now!

No problem man, try not to overthink things when youre first starting out. The best way to speed up progress is to lift efficiently and eat a good diet. Thats it!

[countfapula54]

In the past I had done a lot of heavy leg pressing without proper warm ups and bad form and I started getting a pain on the inside(medial) part of my knees (tendon?) afterwards and after sitting still for long periods, also a crackling sound in my knee when going from a squatting position to standing. I would make the classic mistake of bowing my knees in towards eachother. Fast forward I stopped lifting for about a year due to circumstances but I started running. It hurt a lot more the first couple times I ran but after that it has gotten progressively better and now only gives me a slight dull ache from sitting for long periods. I had a huge quad/ham strength imbalance also, like 2.5:1. maybe more, I know that can cause knee problems.

Sorry for the novel but my question is what happened to my knees? How do i fix/prevent this issue?

I've read about it and may have answered my own question but I'm not dropping the money to get it X-rayed when it isn't killing me, just wanted to hear an explanation from a more learned source.

[y0lked]

In the past I had done a lot of heavy leg pressing without proper warm ups and bad form and I started getting a pain on the inside(medial) part of my knees (tendon?) afterwards and after sitting still for long periods, also a crackling sound in my knee when going from a squatting position to standing. I would make the classic mistake of bowing my knees in towards eachother. Fast forward I stopped lifting for about a year due to circumstances but I started running. It hurt a lot more the first couple times I ran but after that it has gotten progressively better and now only gives me a slight dull ache from sitting for long periods. I had a huge quad/ham strength imbalance also, like 2.5:1. maybe more, I know that can cause knee problems.

Sorry for the novel but my question is what happened to my knees? How do i fix/prevent this issue?

I've read about it and may have answered my own question but I'm not dropping the money to get it X-rayed when it isn't killing me, just wanted to hear an explanation from a more learned source.

You definitely answered your own question. Keep those knees out and strengthen those hammies and you should be good to go bro. I had the same thing when I first started lifting and havent even thought about that for years until just now when i read your post.

[Charlelotfalla]

Hey I have a weird lookong deltoid. It's like falling down my arm. Do you think it's a genetic deformity or muscle atrophy? Do you have an advice for treatment?

[y0lked]

Hey I have a weird lookong deltoid. It's like falling down my arm. Do you think it's a genetic deformity or muscle atrophy? Do you have an advice for treatment?

I have no idea what that is. Ive never even seen that before. I think you should see a doctor.

[markgeorgeevans]

Ask away. This thread will be nice for any basic or advanced questions as well as help me develop my knowledge and proficiency in my field.

background in:
biomechanics
kinesiology
exercise physiology
athletic injuries
all kinds of workout programming as well as advanced courses in nutrition

go!

edit: also, anything I feel is interesting i might throw in this thread.

What is the best rep range for squats?
I've been doing 6, 12 , 24. Is this ok or should I do it the other way around 24, 12, 6 or do something totally different to that. How would you train quads?

[dungeonmaster27]

I am from India. I want to loose fat and also to gain muscle. I have heard that if I do cardio more then it may result in Catabolic mode, which is the worst phase of any bodybuilder. I am thinking to do half an hour of cardio on empty stomach followed by 15 min. of Jogging or Brisk walk in order to loose fat from my body. Then after going to workout I will add Amino Acid as a supplement so that my muscle will be anabolic mode during the workout session and after my workout I will pack on some Whey Protein so that my body will be in anabolic mode, I will and I will do all this at morning session. Please tell me is this right way to transform my body or should I have to change my routine. My diet is simple Indian diet(Both Veg and Non Veg). Please guide me so that I can transform my body effectively. I perform the workouts shown on 'The Big Man on Campus' by Steve Cook at Bodybuilding.com. Hoping for your immediate and kind response.

[MikeWines]

What is the best rep range for squats?
I've been doing 6, 12 , 24. Is this ok or should I do it the other way around 24, 12, 6 or do something totally different to that. How would you train quads?

What's your goal? That determines how you train.

[markgeorgeevans]

What's your goal? That determines how you train.

Put size on! ☺

[y0lked]

Put size on! ☺

Daily undulating periodization. Research has shown that heavy and high rep work should be utilized on a consistent basis in order to eliicit the highest hypertrophic response.

ie:
week 1
3x4

week 2
3x8

week 3
3x15

[markgeorgeevans]

Daily undulating periodization. Research has shown that heavy and high rep work should be utilized on a consistent basis in order to eliicit the highest hypertrophic response.

ie:
week 1
3x4

week 2
3x8

week 3
3x15

Does this rep range apply to all muscle groups?
What about the 20 rep squats that everyone goes on about. Is 15 high enough or could I go higher to like 20 or more for squats?

[MikeWines]

Put size on! ☺

Consistently add volume over time (volume = setsxrepsxfrequency (technically displacement is included in this as well)).

Daily undulating periodization. Research has shown that heavy and high rep work should be utilized on a consistent basis in order to eliicit the highest hypertrophic response.

ie:
week 1
3x4

week 2
3x8

week 3
3x15

Eh, I've seen alot otherwise and talking with Dr. Stone, he's actually a huge proponent against DUP and it makes sense. Very tough to equate volume over the course of week and make subsequent alterations the next week. Sounds good on paper and I used to be very big into it but I'm not so sure anymore...

Side note though, not trying to derail the thread

[sooby]

Another question, a friend asked me this one and I also wondered it myself:

Is there an easy way to test whether you have APT or PPT, and what exercises would be best to fix either of these issues?

[y0lked]

Consistently add volume over time (volume = setsxrepsxfrequency (technically displacement is included in this as well)).



Eh, I've seen alot otherwise and talking with Dr. Stone, he's actually a huge proponent against DUP and it makes sense. Very tough to equate volume over the course of week and make subsequent alterations the next week. Sounds good on paper and I used to be very big into it but I'm not so sure anymore...

Side note though, not trying to derail the thread

The way i see it, if youre sticking to that rep range weekly, calculating volume and adding 1-3 reps and or weight every month your volume will be progressive.

Another question, a friend asked me this one and I also wondered it myself:

Is there an easy way to test whether you have APT or PPT, and what exercises would be best to fix either of these issues?

sure just get a side view and look at the hips. If the top of the hip points froward you got APT and the opposite for PPT. youll see more lumbar curve as well in the APT.

ass out = APT
ass tucked in= PPT

[MikeWines]

The way i see it, if youre sticking to that rep range weekly, calculating volume and adding 1-3 reps and or weight every month your volume will be progressive.

True, although I think most get into issues b/c they don't calculate volume. You don't see too many folks posting on Instagram about their 348lb weekly volume tonnage PR. haha

Another question, a friend asked me this one and I also wondered it myself:

Is there an easy way to test whether you have APT or PPT, and what exercises would be best to fix either of these issues?

Usually can tell either by observing a person while standing or moving (APT could be movement pattern specific - i.e. it shows up when you deadlift but not when you squat b/c you default to more of an extension bias). Males typically have 3-5° of normal lordotic curves wheres as females have 5-7° so don't try to get yourself to completely zero. Neutral spine =/= straight line from head to hips. Many make the mistake of thinking their spine should be perfectly straight and that's not the case at all, everyone has a normal curvature to their spine (lumbar, thoracic, and cervical).

[WorldClassDBag]

How was college? I'm thinking of entering a similar field and want to know how school was

[y0lked]

True, although I think most get into issues b/c they don't calculate volume. You don't see too many folks posting on Instagram about their 348lb weekly volume tonnage PR. haha

Thats true haha I have all my volume calculated out for the next month so im very consistent. The change in rep ranges is also refreshing. I remember when I first started training I would be doing 5x5 on bench every single monday and when i would get stuck at a weight/rep range it would drive me absolute insane. I would deload or overreach but when I would go in for a 5x5 day I never progressed. When I first tried 5/3/1 i instantly knew why I wasnt progressing in the past with linear progressive overload.

How was college? I'm thinking of entering a similar field and want to know how school was

Exercise science at my university is 70% endurance training, 30% weightlifting. Thats because thats where all the research is. Its geared towards general health, occupational fitness and physical therapy. Theres less than 10 of us in the entire program who are focused on strength and conditioning and who are going to get a CSCS. Most people are overweight or dont workout. They dont count macros or even know how to set macros.

Some of the classes are super basic, some are super in depth. Theres not much application thats why I train others and have started this thread. Mike should chime in about his experience, and his post grad work. If you have any other questions let me know, If you want to see some slides from lectures I have some saved.

[tschee]

So I'm not even entirely sure in posting this correctly or in the right thread but here's a go at it. I've been lifting for almost a year and half, with these past 9 months getting more intermediate rather than being a complete beginner. I've been having issues getting growth in my pectoralis minor region, especially on my left side, I can't hardly even contract/activate it during my workouts. I've done endless amount of research on form, type of workouts, nutrition, and I'm checking all those boxes and nothing seems to be working. Chest days are a complete downer for me and I'm getting desperate with trying to find answers without seeking professional help from a trainer or doctor. Any insight someone might be able to offer would greatly appreciated. Again if this post is against any posting rules apologies in advance. Thanks guys.

[y0lked]

So I'm not even entirely sure in posting this correctly or in the right thread but here's a go at it. I've been lifting for almost a year and half, with these past 9 months getting more intermediate rather than being a complete beginner. I've been having issues getting growth in my pectoralis minor region, especially on my left side, I can't hardly even contract/activate it during my workouts. I've done endless amount of research on form, type of workouts, nutrition, and I'm checking all those boxes and nothing seems to be working. Chest days are a complete downer for me and I'm getting desperate with trying to find answers without seeking professional help from a trainer or doctor. Any insight someone might be able to offer would greatly appreciated. Again if this post is against any posting rules apologies in advance. Thanks guys.

I think you might be confused with pec minor vs pec major


Theres not much reason to train pec minor, unless its for a specific movement unrelated to bodybuilding, if it gets tight it can cause protraction of the scapula and put your shoulder in a bad position. I assume you want to target your pec major which is considered your chest. Some things you can do to target it:

pre-fatigue the muscle by doing an isolation exercise for the pecs (20-25 reps) before doing a compound exercise like bench press
pre-fatigue the triceps before doing the bench press so that the pecs have to work harder by getting less help from the triceps
stretch the pecs before and during each chest exercise, if the pec major is tight youll get less ROM through the pecs and youll get more stretch through the shoulder which can decrease tension of the pecs
wake up and do 100 wide grip pushups (as few sets as possible) every morning
add bands to the bench press so that there is more tension at lockout which can help recruit more pec muscle fibers
do decline bench
make sure your programming is on point, if youre going too hard on the bench presses and incline presses and not progressing then you need to deload and reduce the total fatigue so that the muscle can adapt and remodel. You should be doing heavy reps, mid range reps and high reps in your training if you want to elicit the most hypertrophic effects.

try these and find one that works for you, if youre still having trouble then record your chest workouts and I can take a look.