Creatine does NOT cause smelly farts: here's WHY!

Creatine does NOT cause smelly farts: Here’s WHY!

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Creatine is a staple on my supplement shelf – and the one MOST people ask about! The benefits are awesome – squeezing out an extra rep here and there AND a better pumped-up aesthetic – BUT people are worried about the side effects… So to get straight to point: Does creatine give you smelly farts? Not in my experience – and here’s why: At a glance… Good quality creatine monohydrate will NOT cause smelly farts BUT suddenly ramping up creating intake, or loading it, can cause stomach discomfort for some Get around this by skipping the loading phase and spreading …

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EXACTLY how much weight can a 45lb bar hold?

EXACTLY how much weight can a 45lb bar hold?

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Barbell shopping can be confusing – working out which bar you need (or want) without blowing your budget is tough, and working out just how much weight a 45lb Olympic barbell can hold is down right tricky as all manufacturers seem report it slightly differently! Here’s what I’ve found out about weight capacity from trawling online: At a glance… A good 45lb barbell will typically be rated to hold 250kg – 700kg (around 550lb – 1600lbs) of weight Weight capacity will vary depending on manufacturer and how it is presented (static vs weight in use) A good quality barbell will …

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How many bumper plates do I need? [ABOUT 10!]

How many bumper plates do I need? [ABOUT 10!]

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I added a set of bumper plates to my home gym last year – and I use them all the time! But knowing how many bumper plates I needed to order initially and what combination was best for me was tricky to land. Here’s what I found out: At a glance… Most users need a 120kg plate set made up of 10 bumper plates (4x 20kg; 2x 10kg; 4x 5kg) Stronger users may want to start with a 110kg, 10 bumper plate set focused around heavier 25kg plates (2x 25kg; 4x 10kg; 4x 5kg) with a few extras… Add a …

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Lever belt vs prong belt: LEVER for most of us!

Lever belt vs prong belt: LEVER for MOST of us!

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Choosing between a lever belt vs a prong belt feels like a tricky decision when you’re starting out. In reality – as long as you buy a good quality, leather based belt you can’t go too far wrong. With that said, having owned and tried a few different ones I do prefer a lever belt PERSONALLY. Here’s why… At a glance… Support wise it does’t matter: The buckle type does not impact the support the belt offers – so focus on QUALITY of belt Lever belts are great for MOST lifters They are very easy to take on and off …

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Mixing BUMPER and IRON plates: THE FACTS

Mixing BUMPER and IRON plates: THE FACTS

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In a home gym there are always certain compromises – and having a patchwork of different plate types is often one of them! But does it even matter if you mix bumper plates with iron ones on the bar? Not usually, but… At a glance… You CAN mix bumper plates with metal ones on the same bar Load the plates in the SAME ORDER to keep the centre of balance in the middle of the bar Mixing plate types can be helpful to reduce noise, save you money AND let you fit more weight on the bar The exception is …

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Can you put a squat rack on CARPET? Yes, BUT...

Can you put a squat rack on CARPET? Yes, BUT..

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When I first started lifting at home I had a basic ‘Everest’ home gym set up in a spare room upstairs. Once my lifts outgrew the equipment I had to decide if I was going to install my squat rack on the carpet in the spare room – or if I was going to migrate to the safety of the concrete-floored garage. I went with the garage – here’s why: At a glance… Putting your squat rack on carpet is not ideal as it provides a squishy surface to lift on Carpet is also slippery – the rack may move …

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YELLOW weight plates: Don't hate them... YET!

YELLOW weight plates: Don’t hate them… YET!

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Yellow plates quite rare in the wild as many people love to hate them.. But WHY?! And just what is the problem with them anyway? In truth they have done nothing wrong, BUT it’s still fun to paint yellow plates as the villain! At a glance… Yellow plates should weigh 15kg or (35lbs) according to the official IWF and IPF guidelines 1.5kg fraction plates are also mandated to be yellow – but in practice it is rarer to find coloured plates in lower denominations out with a competition setting Some cheaper brands may deviate from the official colour scheme – …

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Comparing wide vs narrow dips: DRAW!

Comparing wide vs narrow dips: DRAW!

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I’m doing a lot of dips these days – I follow up almost every cardio session with a handful of sets. To keep myself interested I like to mix up my sets, reps and grips to keep – after all GPP days are the ideal place for some variety! Here are my thoughts on the wide vs narrow dips debate… At a glance… Narrower grip focuses on triceps Wider grip is more chest biased If you are just starting out then a NARROW grip is typically easier on the body Wider grips tend to agitate wrists and shoulders in people …

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How to bail out of a squat WITH & WITHOUT a rack!

How to bail out of a squat: WITH & WITHOUT a rack

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Many of us have been there – we know failure is coming, but we’re trying to work out HOW exactly to escape from under a heavy squat that has gone wrong, without getting STUCK! Having recently pivoted from hypertrophy focused training back towards strength for the ‘big 3’ I have revisited safely bailing out of squats – here’s what you need to know: At a glance… Failing a squat puts you at risk as the loaded barbell will try and works its way DOWN to the ground, stapling you in the process if you’re not careful! The safest way to …

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Why do dumbbells smell? (and how to GET RID of it!)

Why do dumbbells smell? (+how to GET RID of it!)

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After a string of dumbbell purchases in recent months I’ve become accustom to receiving NEW rubber weights! Some of them have a faint smell when unboxed that clears very quickly – but just why do my shiny new dumbbells smell?! At a glance… Rubber dumbbells can smell due to the volatile organic compounds released as they ‘degass’ shortly after manufacture Recycled rubber is more likely to smell than virgin rubber due to the source rubber coming from the likes of car tyres, and the glue involved in congealing the crumbs together The smell from rubber weights will usually fade if …

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