official zest power gym thread

[blux]

ah ok po..thanks..actually i am 20 yrs old. pero pinsan ko 16 pa lang..
gusto ko kasi may kasama eh..
panu ba pumunta pag galing ng farmers?
thanks

[patrickt]

Hi DPHX!
Ok lang naman ako, thanks! I havent worked out in about 2.5 months myself (baby kasi!). I dont even know what lily won, pero girl power nga talaga yan (even in the Open division she is feared by the Russians!)

I`ve mentioned in other posts that i powerlifted for the now non-existant U.P. weightlifting team from 1983-85 and with Zest from 1993-95 as a middlewgt (165 lb. limit division). So relative to eddie torres and other veteran greats like tony taguibao (1st filipino lifter to the Asian powerlifting championships) or mon debuque(strongest powerlifter in the phil just before eddie) (my old teamates from UP and Zest), timewise i spent a lot less time powerlifting. Trivia lang: eddie and me were teamates in the UP track & field team in college prior to our being teamates in the UP wgtlifting team. eddie was a jumper,and decathlete. He was also a skinny 147 lb thrower who regularly put big heavy throwers to shame. So eddie is not only a veteran to the iron game, but also to the athletic arena.

Hi BLUX!
I`m not 100% familiar with all the official going-ons at zest now since i dont train w/my teamates anymore (i just train 2x/wk in the morning for fitness). But i`m of course familiar with the "gym culture" that is zest, especially since some of my old teamates from the 80`s are still actively competing for zest. Pero sige lang, i`l answer what i know. Suggest ko contact mo na din si eddie torres about zest gym info or other training info. Tama si DPHX, puede ka na mag workout. SIGURADUHIN mo lang na wala kang medical problems or whatever.

DIRECTIONS to ZEST- paki basa yung page 1 kay RONALDO C7 at may MAP siya na link na nilagay.
patrick

[dphx]

Thanks for the bit of trivia about Sir Eddie, patrickt. He used to be lighter back in the days pala. Hard for me to imagine that after seeing him a few weeks back *lol*. About Ma'am Lily, I'm not sure now about the results of her competition. Sir De told me earlier Ma'am Merly swept all the lifts in her weight category en route to the best lifter in her division. Sweet. They're set to return today. And inuman session will surely follow.

Hey blux! From Farmers, drop off at Nepa Q Mart by either taking the bus or taking the tricycle near Westpoint (I forgot the street). Then, cross the bridge and turn right on your way down. Take a left on the first kanto you see (the one before the pink MMDA urinal). Walk straight ahead and turn left when you get past the fire station. Zest is right across Dells (car rental and stuff). Coming from a spatially-challenged individual, I hope the directions were clear.

Or click here.

[dphx]

I hope you and your cousin do decide to hit the gym, any gym for that matter (as long as you're getting results). I'm a rather late-bloomer for this stuff; it would've been better if I started right around your age.

Good luck.

[drigomeister27]

Hey bros!

I'm shopping for a pair of shoes which I can use for lifting.

I'm using New Balance running shoes. (Yes, I run.) And I read in a runners' forum that running shoes should not be used for lifting as it destroys the cushioning.

Any suggestions?

Sana yung available sa malls so I don't have to order online.

[Eddie Torres]

I'm back!!

Gotta take care of some priorities first. I'll get back to this thread tomorrow or the day after to answer the questions.

[Eddie Torres]

Hey bros!

I'm shopping for a pair of shoes which I can use for lifting.

I'm using New Balance running shoes. (Yes, I run.) And I read in a runners' forum that running shoes should not be used for lifting as it destroys the cushioning.

Any suggestions?

Sana yung available sa malls so I don't have to order online.

Running shoes will also give you balance problems when the weight gets heavier.

Sorry, i'm not aware of lifting shoes in local malls. I think you may be lucky to find branded lifting shoes (like Adidas) in selected shops but they aren't that common and they are expensive.

I use SAFE USA shoes but unfortunately they are ordered from the US. This has a solid base for stability. The heel is just slightly elevated.

A friend of mine might be able to supply some generic, unbranded lifting shoes. PM me if interested & i can talk him

[Eddie Torres]

Sir Eddie,

I have a lot of questions. Pasensiya na.

1) I live, work and go to the gym in Makati. Most probably, I will only be able to work out in your gym on Saturdays. But I'm really interested in learning and/or getting a program from you.

I have been weight training for a few years (on and off) but have just gone back to doing the compound lifts like squats and deadlifts just recently. I've been afraid to do these lifts since I have injured my lower back for a few times already while doing either of these lifts. I believe it's because of improper form and/or overtraining.

So my main goal, among others, is to learn proper form while doing these lifts, especially the deadlift. I have the highest respect (or fear) for this lift.

Will it be okay if I do the program in another gym for most of the week and just go Zest to have my form/progress checked on Saturdays? Will someone be there to check on my form at least?

2) My orientation really is towards bodybuilding [though I don't look like one..yet ]. To be honest, I'm not really interested in doing 1-rep max. I want to get stronger in my compound lifts, i.e. bench press, squats, deadlifts, barbell rows, shoulder presses, but I want to be able to do them at the range of 6-8 reps.

Is that okay? Or is it part of the program that I do 1-rep max?

I'm not looking forward in doing 1-rep max because I have this nagging fear that I'll get injured if I try doing it. I'll do anything not to experience a lower back injury again. The last time I had a lower back injury, I couldn't stand or even sit for a week. I was just lying on the bed for the whole time. Even peeing was hell. Not to mention that I had to stop weight training or even running for at least 4 months. That's the reason why I dropped the squats and the deadlifts cold turkey.

3) Is the form in powerlifting the same as the form when weight training for bodybuilding? Baka kasi iba ang buhat/style ng powerlifting so di rin tugma sa goal ko.

Thanks in advance and looking forward to going to your gym soon.

1. Its ok if you can only train Saturdays in Zest & still get a program for the whole week. But from experience, those who do their training here get better results because the people here can watch your form, and also prevent "cheating" (using too light weights, wrong execution, etc)

Your injuries could be form or overtraining as you suspect. You could also hurt your back doing other exercises incorrectly like, say, the squat.

2. Aiming to get stronger in the 6-8 rep range is fine. We always start with higher reps anyway.

3. There are several powerlifting techniques in adjusting form to increase poundages. Not all these will be necessary for you but some will be good for you.

[Eddie Torres]

magkano po ba dito sa zest?
pede po ba mag work-ang 16 yr old?
thanks po.

P500/month. No problem for 16 yrs old.

We had a trainee start when he was 7 yrs old. He is now 15 and squatting over 500 pounds and benching over 250. Don't get overwhelmed - he started training with just an empty 10-pound bar. Everyone starts light.

[drigomeister27]

1. Its ok if you can only train Saturdays in Zest & still get a program for the whole week. But from experience, those who do their training here get better results because the people here can watch your form, and also prevent "cheating" (using too light weights, wrong execution, etc)

Your injuries could be form or overtraining as you suspect. You could also hurt your back doing other exercises incorrectly like, say, the squat.

2. Aiming to get stronger in the 6-8 rep range is fine. We always start with higher reps anyway.

3. There are several powerlifting techniques in adjusting form to increase poundages. Not all these will be necessary for you but some will be good for you.

Sir, thank you for finding time to read my long posts and answering them.

Hopefully, I'll be able to start on June. If I go on a saturday and you're not there, who will give me a program?

Also, regarding the shoes, I just bought converse chucks as suggested in other weightlifting forums. I'll try them first.

Thanks a lot!

[Eddie Torres]

Sir, thank you for finding time to read my long posts and answering them.

Hopefully, I'll be able to start on June. If I go on a saturday and you're not there, who will give me a program?

Also, regarding the shoes, I just bought converse chucks as suggested in other weightlifting forums. I'll try them first.

Thanks a lot!

I'll be overseas on the last week of May. So i should be back by the time you come to Zest. I usually workout on Saturday afternoons but better to send me PM before you come. If i am not there, you can look for Mon Debuque (anlther RP team coach)

[Eddie Torres]

Thanks for the bit of trivia about Sir Eddie, patrickt. He used to be lighter back in the days pala. Hard for me to imagine that after seeing him a few weeks back *lol*. About Ma'am Lily, I'm not sure now about the results of her competition. Sir De told me earlier Ma'am Merly swept all the lifts in her weight category en route to the best lifter in her division. Sweet. They're set to return today. And inuman session will surely follow.

Yup, Merly swept all the events for 4 golds in the 56kg Masters class. She also lifted a new Asian record bench press of 95kg at a bodyweight of only 54kg.

Lily also won her weight class. Actually, she won the Best Lifter (MVP for basketball) trophy on top of her 4 golds. Merly won the Best Lifter Runner-Up trophy

[dphx]

Congratulations. Cool.

[drigomeister27]

I'll be overseas on the last week of May. So i should be back by the time you come to Zest. I usually workout on Saturday afternoons but better to send me PM before you come. If i am not there, you can look for Mon Debuque (anlther RP team coach)

Thanks, sir!

Will do!

Congrats to your whole team by the way!

[vincex]

Oh no. I heard this gym closed already

[blakedaddy]

^ Where did you hear that???

[dphx]

Oh no. I heard this gym closed already

That's strange. I could've sworn I was there working out several hours ago. Must be my imagination. Oh no.

Marami ang namamatay sa maling akala.

[patrickt]

Hi VINCEX!
Its possible someone was referring to the PREVIOUS location of ZEST on the SAME Road (ERMIN GARCIA) within the compound of the former Victoria school ELEMENTARY level. ZEST moved a few years ago just up the SAME road within the compound of the same schools`s HIGHSCHOOL level.

Touchy there, arent we DPHX? KIDDING

[lyonell1989]

anong klaseng chalk ang ginagamit nyo sa zest? may nakausap kasi ako taga zest ibang klase yung ginagamit nya na chalk for lifting weights.

[patrickt]

Hi lyonell1989!
Hindi ko alam na may iba ibang klaseng chalk pala. Pero kung sa gripping power wala pa rin tatalo sa basic grip training (pero of course nakakatulong ang chalk para di pawisan ang kamay). In the past, pag walang chalk, pinupunas na lang namin ang kamay sa buhangin o lupa basta tuyo siya!