Mine is one you stand on, so that takes surface out of the equation. An interesting point if I'm remembering correctly is that tap water is a conductor because of the minerals in it. Pure water is an insulator. I'm not quite sure though what constitutes pure water (perhaps what they call de-ionized water). I would assume that as long as you're using the data for trending, doing it the same way, on the same surface at the same time of day would be best.
I know that I get more consistency if I do (as the manufacturer suggests) late afternoon measurements. The problem with that is I forget. At the moment I'm not really trending bodyfat information. I probably should be, it's just that I'm not.
Interestingly, my body fat scale says I am at 33.1% body fat when it thinks I am female, but 25.2% when it thinks I'm male. Apparently it uses a BF math equation rather than measuring conductivity. Huh, I did not know that when I bought it...
Wow, did this thread take a turn from its original post!
Yeah! And, all because of a drive-by one-time poster!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tawny38
Interestingly, my body fat scale says I am at 33.1% body fat when it thinks I am female, but 25.2% when it thinks I'm male. Apparently it uses a BF math equation rather than measuring conductivity. Huh, I did not know that when I bought it...
It also just arbitrarily increases BF% based on the age you enter, too. That's why I hate bioimpedence!
The age-factor is not an arbitrary formula, it's based on underwater weighing.
Formula-based factors are
-gender
-age
-height
The rest is conductivity.
One of the reasons for having those factors is that the device is pretty decent for measuring subcutaneous fat but can't 'see' visceral (organ) fat.. there it is using formulas derived from decades of doing underwater weighing experiments.. can't help it either. It's just the way it is.. we get fatter when we age and women are fatter around organs than men are.
Well, I just don't think it can be some sort of universal increase in BF dependent upon age. Tell that to my dear mom, who is now 79 lbs. No fat there, trust me.
Yes.. I know. Yet, for most people this is true and it's all we've 'got'.
Same thing for the 220 minus age for max HR. There's young people who can't get HR above 160bpm and elderly people that still hit the 190s! Same variance..
My understanding is that as we age we store less of our fat subcutaneously and more of it viscerally. This is for the sedentary population and does not apply so much to a physically active population. As for men and women, I always thought that men stored more of their fat viscerally, thus the big hard gut with the fat underneath it all around the organs.
i use the power cage because I'm using 1 5# on either side of the oly bar. Kinda low for me.
I don't really understand this. What's low for you, the weight? If so, you need to add. I have never heard of using the power cage for deadlifts. The bar is supposed to start on the floor.
I think she meant that she places a 5# disk below the barbell. At least that's my interpretation.. if so, then I still can't see the use of a power cage.
If you are actually using the safety pins of a power cage to raise the barbell for a deadlift, it no longer is a deadlift but a .... rack pull
But yeah, it's damn frustrating to see they got rid of a useful part of the gym and add yet another Smith machine
No, I completely get what hazel is saying. For a deadlift, the bar should be on the floor AT THE HEIGHT IT WOULD BE AT IF 45 LB PLATES were on the bar. So, if one is only using 5 lb plates, then using the safety bars in a squat rack will raise the bar to the height it needs to be as IF 45 lb plates were on the bar.
You do NOT want to deadlift from the floor with 5 lb weights on the bar. You can, but you will be doing a deficit deadlift.
ETA: Hazel, see the deadlift thread in the FAQ and watch the video. You will see how the girls raised the bar to the appropriate height using the step risers.
For a deadlift, the bar should be on the floor AT THE HEIGHT IT WOULD BE AT IF 45 LB PLATES were on the bar. So, if one is only using 5 lb plates, then using the safety bars in a squat rack will raise the bar to the height it needs to be as IF 45 lb plates were on the bar.
You do NOT want to deadlift from the floor with 5 lb weights on the bar. You can, but you will be doing a deficit deadlift.
OK, this is good to know that I've been doing it wrong as I am deadlifting again tomorrow and I'm nowhere near able to do it with 45 lb plates. Missjane, would you mind explaining a little bit more about why the bar should be raised and what you mean by deficit deadlift? I'm gonna go watch the video now to see how to do it with a step riser as my gym does not have a power cage or other way to rest the bar closer to the floor.
PIcture the oly bar with 45 lb plates on it. See where the bar would be? That's where you want the bar when you deadlift. If there are no plates on the bar or little ones, the bar will be too low (cuz the plates are so small). If you are reaching down further than where the bar should be (with 45 lb plates on it), then that's a deficit deadlift (reaching further than normal). When lifting with the 45 lb plates, and WANTING to do a deficit deadlift, you stand on a platform or step to increase the reach that way.
MissJane, you got it exactly - I was using the adjustable safety rails on the powercage to make it start from the same height as it would if I was using 45# plates.
I use the 5 pound weights to add to the weight of the oly bar - so total 55 pounds. I use that much because that's how much I can lift with proper form for all three sets.
P.S. I'm sooooo glad I had to learn deadlifts for this program! Yesterday, I had to pack up and move a bunch of files into archive boxes - 31 boxes worth! I would have killed my back if I didn't know how to do it properly. And Madonna's trainer who said that women shouldn't use weights more than 3 lbs is a frickin' idiot!
PIcture the oly bar with 45 lb plates on it. See where the bar would be? That's where you want the bar when you deadlift. If there are no plates on the bar or little ones, the bar will be too low (cuz the plates are so small). If you are reaching down further than where the bar should be (with 45 lb plates on it), then that's a deficit deadlift (reaching further than normal). When lifting with the 45 lb plates, and WANTING to do a deficit deadlift, you stand on a platform or step to increase the reach that way.
I have never heard of this; Lou definitely doesn't say anything about how high the bar should be, in the book. He also shows the model with plates that are not 45lbs. doing the deadlift from the floor. And the model is using even smaller plates in the widegrip deadlift from box. Also, different heights of people will be at a different relation to the bar with 45lb. plates on it. A very tall person will have to reach down farther to lift it even with 45 plates than I would be, as a shorter person.
Good to know, miss Jane.. makes perfect sense as most people can't go further down than at the approximate height of the barbell when it has a 45lbs/20kg plate on (or proper Olympic disks that start out at the same height.. sometimes even for 'sissy' weights of 5kg/11lbs!).
You can do a real non-SLDL from lower down but you'd need to squat down more.
I'm currently trying to get my legs stronger and squat down on purpose to deadlift.. this has the (weird?) effect of making me weaker on that lift, since my back & hips are stronger than the legs.
Again, I think it's just assumed. Go ahead and keep it on the floor, if you want, but you'll be in a deficit. And, when you get to the 45's, you'll see/feel the difference. This has been discussed many times on the forum.
LancelotsLover.. it took me YEARS to understand the difference between a RDL and a regular DL.. am one of the persons who can easily lay down hands on the floor due to lengthy hamstrings & arms.. so for me, that rule of needing to raise the bb to get it high enough, never applied.
Again, I think it's just assumed. Go ahead and keep it on the floor, if you want, but you'll be in a deficit. And, when you get to the 45's, you'll see/feel the difference. This has been discussed many times on the forum.
Ok, I allow it may be assumed for those of you who are experienced lifters. But NROLFW was written with the complete beginner in mind, so I think that if something is that important it should have been mentioned. And then the pics don't show it that way, so we novices have no way to know that unless we stumble across this forum (as I did) by chance.
At any rate, I am looking forward to getting to where I CAN lift with 45 lb plates!
Apples and oranges, Espi. You are PULLING from the floor with a CDL and with an RDL, you aren't. In the case of a CDL, your knees are bent, hips up, and you PULL. You should look like this (third pic). Notice where the bar is hitting in reference to the shins. If you don't have 45's on the bar, the bar is going to be much lower, and you will be reaching further.
LancelotsLover.. it took me YEARS to understand the difference between a RDL and a regular DL.. am one of the persons who can easily lay down hands on the floor due to lengthy hamstrings & arms.. so for me, that rule of needing to raise the bb to get it high enough, never applied.
I have done what my previous trainer called Romanian deadlifts, but they also started from the floor, with less knee bend and hips pushed back more. As she would say, "I want you to stick your rear as far back as you can, with only a very slight bend in your knees." Apparently that isn't what you are calling a RDL. At any rate, I can't put my hands flat on the floor, but I still have no trouble deadlifting the proper way from the floor, even when I started with only the bar, no plates at all.
Maybe I'll try it with the bar higher, just to see if missjane is right about feeling it differently. This is why I like this forum; I find out my mistakes!
RDL's start with the bar hanging at arms length in front of you. You bend over with the bar riding your legs all the way down. When you feel the stretch in your hamstring, return to start position. Here's a good, more detailed description of the RDL (one of my favorite exercises, BTW):
From the sounds of it, your trainer was having you do straight leg deadlifts. As far as I understand it, Romanian deadlifts start from the standing position (where the weight would be after you completed your pull on a conventional deadlift).
As for the bar height, there definitely IS a difference - prior to working out at the Y, I only had dumbbells to work out with, and getting them from the floor was a bit more difficult without rounding my back. Now that I'm using the barbell with the plates, it's much easier to retain good form. Hope this helps.
__________________
Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
Stingo (oops, I mean Tom!); apparently she was, but she called them RDLs, go figure. I thought she was really good, at least, she had a great figure and was really strong! And, she did get me started on proper lifting in general, off the barbie weights, into doing more freeweight stuff I wouldn't have done on my own. But I have learned more from NROLFW and NROL and this forum than I did from her.
Missjane; again with the great links, thanks! I used to do those lying hamstring curls a lot... After reading that article on RDL I want to head to the gym and do them, but alas, they aren't in my stage 1 program, or even stage 2, sigh. . .I might practice at home with a broomstick, just to make sure my form is good, though.
super, now we have two Smith Machines, and no power cage. Deadlifts this morning were... creative.
After reading that article on RDL I want to head to the gym and do them, but alas, they aren't in my stage 1 program, or even stage 2, sigh. . .I might practice at home with a broomstick, just to make sure my form is good, though.
Linear Mode
