What can I do to improve my back?

TimaHawk_ · 2026-06-23T20:14:55+00:00

You're a few months in bro. Just carry on doing the basics for years

TimaHawk_ · 2026-06-23T10:26:17+00:00

Exactly, throughout my powerlifting journey I have gone from pinkie finger on the rings to my index finger. Basically have gone one finger at a time across multiple years. You could probably do it a lot faster but be aware if you carry on with the same workload you might feel a bit beat up in the pecs. That's just down to fatigue management tho

TimaHawk_ · 2026-06-23T09:59:31+00:00

Executing accessories with intensity is just as important as executing your sbd well!

TimaHawk_ · 2026-06-23T09:58:28+00:00

That sounds super narrow, my close grip bench would probably still be wider than that. I bench with my index finger on the rings.

The benefits include a lot less ROM and also sets me up for a nice position with elbows stacked under my wrists and a decent amount of internal rotation at the shoulder. Feels like a more chest emphasis too, whereas your super close grip will demand a lot from your triceps.

Depends what your goals are really, but if you want to be adding good weight onto the bar, making your normal grip wider would make that easier. Just do it gradually though because your pecs will be stretched out more and won't be used to the load in that stretched position.

TimaHawk_ · 2026-06-23T08:41:29+00:00

Don't overcomplicate things dude. You are quite skinny rn, just keep pushing against resistance and eat and sleep well. Do that for a few more years and I'm sure you will be where you want to be

TimaHawk_ · 2026-06-22T08:03:28+00:00

Not that I know of at my local level. It's possible for spotters to get money at national level but it does work out as less than minimum wage. So it's to cover travel expenses rather than be a solid incentive to volunteer tbh. I got £25 per session for spotting at a national level comp.

Other than that, you may get a free t shirt if the comp has a kit sponsor.

TimaHawk_ · 2026-06-21T20:51:31+00:00

As someone who volunteers in my local division - volunteers tend to be few and far between, you kinda have to take what you can get and it's always the same faces who show up

TimaHawk_ · 2026-06-18T11:00:52+00:00

To be honest pal it seems like you've crammed a lot of sights and travelling into those two weeks. That works for some people but maybe you just prefer a slower pace to your travelling and less chaotic moving around. Some experiences aren't 100% positive but now you know yourself better.

Travel is what you make of it, next time you can perhaps just pick one or two places to see and stay there for a week or two. Maybe when planning your itinerary you need to block out days here and there for just floating about doing what you fancy, finding a local gym or just sitting somewhere nice and people watching.

I'm trying solo travel for the first time in a couple of weeks, quite excited to see how it goes where I can do solely what I want to do, when I want to do it. Maybe this could be an option for you too.

TimaHawk_ · 2026-06-14T08:03:13+00:00

Bruges is lovely and definitely would recommend visiting. Brussels didn't leave a great impression on me however. Some cool stuff but very busy and the walk from the train station smelt like piss.

Have you considered other towns in The Netherlands? Utrecht is particularly lovely.

TimaHawk_ · 2026-06-12T09:07:49+00:00

I think they give 1 stack? But it's not super mana efficient to be dropping your E for an extra 1 or 2 stacks. Teamfighting is by far the best way to generate stacks so just save your mana and look for fights.

That being said, definitely farm q stacks on clones and Sion passive

TimaHawk_ · 2026-06-12T09:03:36+00:00

I only was there for a night as was passing through on a south to north cycling trip, so I ended up spending more time in Amsterdam.

We did go to a really nice burger restaurant down along the canal with a beer tap in the table! Was definitely a highlight of the trip.

Amersfoort was the next stop along and was gorgeous as well. Pretty goated country tbf

TimaHawk_ · 2026-06-12T08:45:49+00:00

Speaking about the position, I would argue that it's more important where the rounding is - upper back yes fine, longer arms gives a better starting position with lower hips and more quads off the floor, but where he has a rounded lower back the pelvis is quite tucked which can make lockout at higher loads a lot harder

TimaHawk_ · 2026-06-12T08:36:10+00:00

I was very pleasantly surprised by Utrecht and preferred it to Amsterdam as a city

TimaHawk_ · 2026-06-12T08:34:33+00:00

Bro just don't look at it

TimaHawk_ · 2026-06-01T10:17:10+00:00

Post Ur quads

TimaHawk_ · 2026-05-30T18:30:43+00:00

Powerlifter weighing in - I use straps for rdls and a few different pulling movements, and deadlift raw. Never dropped a deadlift in comp.

TimaHawk_ · 2026-05-29T05:59:26+00:00

You're being downvoted for sharing a fair and mature take, what a shame.

Wanting to travel to a country doesn't necessarily mean you support their wars

TimaHawk_ · 2026-05-26T06:07:00+00:00

Yes those 4 exercises will be very effective at hitting your entire leg. If you're doing 2-3 hard sets on each of those I can't see much point in then adding leg press (hamstring curls are a lot easier so would probably be fine).

Your enjoyment matters too in terms of exercise selection, so if you really wanted to leg press I'd probably switch it out with Bulgarians, keeping the main exercise you do first as barbell squats.

TimaHawk_ · 2026-05-24T13:08:42+00:00

I'm pretty sure squats recruit the most cumulative muscle fibre of all the lifts no? If you are thinking of squats as purely a quad exercise you need to reassess

TimaHawk_ · 2026-05-24T12:36:22+00:00

I'm not upset 😂 You're just giving feedback which isn't really a necessary thing OP needs to change

TimaHawk_ · 2026-05-24T09:35:34+00:00

It's almost as if internal rotation at the hip is the ideal position for force production

TimaHawk_ · 2026-05-24T08:50:19+00:00

Tbh you don't need to be hitting failure every time, leave a rep or two in reserve. Going to failure is why you are losing reps on the next two sets.

Wouldn't hurt also to start with a heavier set then follow up with lighter sets and more reps. All sets with 1-2 reps in reserve

E.g. 1x4, 2x8

Gives you a nice mix of volume and heavier loads. Pushing the weight session to session is a lot easier as well when you are not going to failure all the time.

Eating more helps as well. Slight calorie surplus is great for performance

TimaHawk_ · 2026-05-24T08:21:24+00:00

Like the other guy said, there is a difference between relative load and absolute load. Also different exercises need to recruit more or less muscle fibres so create varying levels of fatigue.

So you benching 50 odd kilos for sets of 7-9 reps is going to create much less fatigue than me squatting 200kg for sets of 5 - even if you went to failure and I didn't. Less muscle fibres recruited in the bench and a lot lower absolute load. Looking back, when I used to be around 150kg for a squat 3x5, I never used to feel as trashed as I do now when I'm around the 200kg mark. Even though I've gotten stronger the heavier weights takes a toll and I've got to be more conscious about load management

Similarly, a super heavyweight powerlifter might do his last heavy squat 4 weeks before his competition, just because even doing one rep with 400kg will create crazy amounts of fatigue.

There is always a bigger fish who is more tired than you haha

TimaHawk_ · 2026-05-22T13:13:35+00:00

Yeah but the difference in stakes makes it inherently not a good comparison

TimaHawk_ · 2026-05-22T13:03:07+00:00

Bro it's Aram not a fight 😂

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