I’ve had 4k worth of rogue gear in my cart for the last two months. I check my cart like 40 times a day because the email notifications for restock are too slow. Life is good, man.
2 Likes
I definitely wouldn’t trust Rip on stuff like this. His experience is valuable but he is too stubborn and reductionist to trust, IMO. Keep It Simple Stupid is a good heuristic for designing a beginner weight training program, but it isn’t universally helpful.
1 Like
Yeah I’m a little leery of the “overloading chin-ups to create more inflammation” theory to fix all elbow problems.
My ex-trainer was a pro body builder for 10+ years - they know a few things. One time I had a nasty pain in my upper thigh which I guess he recognized as a knot. He jammed his thumb in there and instantly fixed it. Or maybe it was my arm or glute. I just remember the jamming fixed it.
Plus I kind of liked my forearms looking jacked and seeing veins for the first time in my life. :D
I used to be into rock climbing. I sucked, but it was fun. You could argue that rock climbing will work all the muscles you need for rock climbing. But once I put in time at the gym - especially on my core, I did a lot better. My arms were getting super pumped from climbing. But I wasn’t always able to plaster myself against the wall when I needed to. That was lack of core strength - but it wasn’t getting enough workout just from climbing.
It feels like maybe forearms or other stabilizers could be similar with weight-lifting. If something is holding you back, maybe you work on that thing.
But I am working on the theory that maybe they’ve caught up enough now and my forearms aren’t the weak link any more. Although I still can’t hold my wrists straight on the heaviest bench I do. They flop straight backwards as far as they can go. Is that normal?
If anyone else is in this boat I recommend complaining about ITT because I finally secured the bag 
3 Likes
Colder weather seems to be making everything more sore. Is that normal at 50? Or do I have rheumatism or something?
Another question if anyone knows - when I go hiking at altitude I can hear crackling sounds of bubbles popping in my lungs. It sometimes continues for a few days as it trails away. I feel fine and not like I’m sucking wind at all, but everything I google about lung crackling makes it sound like a very serious scary condition. But I feel like common sense says if you have no other symptoms and feel fine, and most importantly it goes away, it’s probably not a big deal?
Seems unlikely that it’s coming from your lungs. Could it be popping from the rib area? Crackles in the lungs are caused by fluid and usually associated with people in baddish shape, so if you’re asymptomatic it probably isn’t that. Bring it up with your GP next time tho. IANAD
It’s definitely coming from the lungs. When I breathe in and out I can hear it coming from my throat. Sounds like Rice Krispies. Sometimes after a really hard hike I can hear it lying on my back a few days later. When I was hiking every weekend it was happening a lot.
People with asthma describe the exact same thing. But the weird thing is I never feel short of breath - and I’m hauling my fat-ass up a 10k mountain. It has to have something to do with altitude. I never get it from exerting myself at sea level.
People who vape propylene glycol additives sometimes get popcorn lung which can be caused by other things too. One of the symptoms is this I believe.
Yeah that’s the scary stuff I’m talking about.
But it wouldn’t shock me if no one really knows whether getting it temporarily from regularly hiking at altitude is a big deal or not.
And of course there’s this:
Life threatening! Yay!
The symptoms that are take in to account while evaluation the severity of HAPE are difficulty breathing while exerting or while at rest, the presence of a cough and the quality of that cough, and the level of fatigue of the patient.
But this sounds ok. If anything I have mild HAPE as I have none of those symptoms - and the treatment is to descend gradually, which I do.
I hiked in Colorado at altitudes up to 14k for several years and don’t ever remember crackling lungs.
Well if you’re used to that altitude it might be different. Obviously I’m not implying everyone gets this.
I don’t think that is normal. Should always have a pretty straight wrist for bench I think.
From the stuff I’ve seen grip strength sometimes becomes an issue with like 400lb+ deadlifts, where some lifters start to use straps, though others don’t. Haven’t heard it mentioned with regard to bench. I think your analogy with climbing is a bit misleading. My point is that you’re likely already getting a good forearm workout with your other lifts, and perhaps overdoing it by adding a focused lift for a small muscle group. However, I’m not sure if that’s the case. I suspect most bodybuilders would do a specific lift, but I don’t know if that’s a good idea for you or not.
This article suggests doing a ton of painful chinups to deliberately exacerbate the elbow… which is completely opposite everything else ive read…
I know nothing about injured elbows. I mentioned they have some vids about lifting injuries and may discuss elbows. Someone asked for more info. so i linked it. Maybe their method works, maybe it doesn’t. I dunno. They claim to have seen good results.
Im not criticising, just describing. I love me some starting strength. Got me the strongest i have ever been in my life. (Albeit fat with small arms)
2 Likes
I don’t do curls or dedicated triceps and my arms are still getting big. I did curls heavy once and couldn’t fit any of my shirt sleeves. And I’m probably below average strength for my size. Just got those balloon muscles.
If I keep working out I’m headed to be one of those old guys with giant arms and a barrel chest like Paul Sr. on American Chopper.
good health to all the unstuck brothers and sisters! rip doctor hobbes
2 Likes
Well it is Rippetoe’s program.
1 Like
You guys take any supplements? Currently taking beta alanine, taurine and creatine. ETA: BCAAs also.
I got a simple bench I can do upper body dumbbell stuff with in my heated place. My upper body is weak so I will be able to get by most of winter without barbell stuff for that. I’m already doing all my front/rear lunges and deadlifts with my heaviest kettlebells though. 12-10-8-6-12-12 sets and will just do 12 of each again soon then move up to 20 each I suppose. I can’t hold the werewolf kettlebells in a position against my chest for squats (because I"m a pussy upper body wise so it hurts my tendonitis) so resorting to squats with the Chimp kettlebells instead of the werewolf kettlebells which isn’t optimal weight wise.
