Came an email from a reader:
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Did my first workout this morning.
Really enjoyed it – it’s been 10 yrs since I went in a gym to do my own thing (not a group class) – so it was a bit intimidating at first.
But my mindset now is completely different. I’m not there to be a hero. I’m not there to become Ahnold. I’m just taking small consistent steps. I am perfecting my form and making sure the weight isn’t too heavy.
I almost took the mindset of – to start with – why don’t I shock people with how light I’m lifting.
It prompted a couple more questions (feel free to opt out of sharing more free advice):
Is inclined leg press an OK substitute when squat rack is full and there are no kettlebells? Or should I do dumbbell squats instead?
there is no high bench for me to do lying horizontal pulls – is a seated row machine OK? Or what’s your recommended exercise for horiz pull
Any specific guidance on breathing during lifts? is it as simple as exhale on the push/pull, inhale on the way back?
What is your stance on Creatine (I’ve never used it and never plan to, but interested in your view).
Thanks again for your guidance, the shift in mindset (and maybe 10yrs of maturity about my goals) are a game-changer.
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My answers to his questions:
1) Incline leg press is a fine substitute for the squat if all the racks are in use (it’s my “go-to” under those circumstances).
It is certainly superior to dumbbell squats in most cases. Dumbbell squats are actually pointless exercise in my opinion because goblet squats exist and they are far superior in every conceivable way.
2) Seated cable rows are fine. I enjoy them very much and particularly recommend them for people who struggle to “feel” their back working with regular barbell and dumbbell rows.
They are best performed with a nice squeeze at the top (imagine trying to crack a nut between your shoulder blades) and a slow (but not painfully slow) lowering phase, with special attention paid to activating the back muscles throughout.
3) Mark Rippetoe has some great instructional videos on various exercises that cover breathing during the major lifts (squats, deadlifts, presses, etc). These were available on YouTube, but I haven’t watched them for a number of years so don’t know if they’re still there.
For other lifts, best practice is to inhale during the lowering phase (eccentric) and exhale during the lifting phase (concentric). A lot of people do this Very Wrong because they forget to keep braced throughout, at best greatly limiting the weight they can use with good form and, at worst, causing injury.
Unfortunately, there is no quick and easy way to master this other than to remain conscious of the need to remain tight and rooted from the start to the end of the set, irrespective of whether it’s a warmup or work set, a lot of practice, and remaining conservative with your weight selection.
4) I have no opinion on creatine because I am not a registered dietitian or doctor.
If you found the above informative and entertaining then you will almost certainly feel the same way about December’s issue of “The Phil Tyreman Letter” because it follows the same Q&A format.
It’s double-sized (24 pages instead of the usual 12) and as a Christmas gift, subscribers old and new are entitled to one copy of one of the following books that I sell:
* Shift
* The Constance Chronicles
* The Weight Loss Manifesto
* The Back and Legs Bundle
As of this writing, all the above books are in stock but if you are tardy in making your selection you may have to wait for me to get more printed.
Subscribers also receive virtually unlimited access to my large and shapely brain for any and all assistance with their training that I am qualified to offer, and this starts the moment I have approved your onboarding paperwork.
A subscription will set you back £120/month which isn’t a whole lot more than a large bag of whey protein these days.
Even so, I appreciate this is too much of a stretch for some and I certainly wouldn’t encourage anyone to get into debt or even mild financial distress to work with me.
The details are below on the new and improved sales page:
https://philtyreman.co.uk/information/
Thank you,
Phil Tyreman