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[DunDunDunpachi]

Bummed out for two reasons. One I haven’t lost anything. And
Well looks like with new restrictions etc I think a lot of weight flirting equipment is selling out so the dream of a home gym might not happen until the the new year / end of restrictions.

tomorrow i have a doctors appointment about my blood pressure. I’m. Worried All the stuff I am doing isn’t gonna make a change.

but I will carry on. On the plus I am sure my tummy is getting less.
Haven’t run today as was travelling so very tired. Will commence tomorrow until Saturday.
Still counting the calories etc.

maybe lack of sleep I making me negative ...

Speaking from the vantage point of a recovered fatass, if you have 50 lbs or more that you hope to lose, counting weight and calories can depress you and sap your willpower. I know it helps some people to keep meticulous track of it all but I've found the most success in letting go of that. Compare your week-to-week improvements, if you must. Don't worry so much about the weight loss and strength increases, but focus more on sleep quality, improving your balance in all four limbs, and improving your heart/lung endurance. See if you can climb more stairs without huffing and puffing, for instance. See if you can go a full 24 hours without eating meals. These individualized milestones (based on pushing your current limitations, not based on weights, reps, calories, pounds lost, etc) will add up over time and you'll get the results you want.

It sounds like you have a specific program in mind when you say "home gym" but you might as well adjust your routine now if you anticipate it'll be too hard to replicate what you had access to in the public gym. I admit, I'm not a gym rat. I don't exercise in a gym and I don't use powerlifting machines. I can't empathize much with people who "need" a gym but I can empathize with the loss of familiar routine.

This thread has a lot of great anecdotal info on getting fit using cheap(ish) home equipment, and I'm including myself in that category. Consider kettlebells, gym rings, heavy resistance bands, a jump rope, medicine balls, and a more rigorous calisthenics routine. Really work on your flexibility too. A ton of time can be invested into patient stretching of your muscles and joints, which will accelerate all your gains while also helping prevent injuries (overall).

Hope this comes across as encouragement/ iron sharpening iron, not a lecture or a scolding. Keep at it man.

 

[VlaudTheImpaler]

jufonuk I strongly agree with everything DunDunDunpachi said. All you need to do, is know that you are doing positive things. The results will come in time and their are a plethora of reasons why you might not be seeing anything substantive yet, heck, it's normal to feel setbacks at this point. You are releasing a ton of adipokines into your body as you build muscle and burn fat and they are going to fight you at every turn.

As for the scarcity of gym equipment, you really don't need much, if anything at all. Bands are generally cheap and easy to come by and they will do you just fine. You could also try a body weight routine as I mentioned a couple pages back. This would be the best for building lean muscle in every area and would help fight those adipokines and burn more fat better than most if not all the stuff you'd do at a gym.

Here is the routine if you are interested.

Fitness |OT| Pumpin' Iron and Spittin' Blood.

My country is in the beginning of the infection and I feel the gym is on the verge of closing because of Corona. Today I picked a glove since I don't want to expose my aging parents to the virus and made it count. Tomorrow I will have a lot of soreness fun. life goes on elliptical IMO...

www.neogaf.com

Take it easy and get to know each movement even if it takes practicing one every day before you start on the whole thing. I'd start with one set all the way through for your first week or two or until you feel conditioned. Feel free to cheat the movements as well if your body simply wont allow you to move as shown. It's absolutely better for you to find some sort of progression in a movement than try to pretzel yourself which would probably cause you to give up. Starting slow and taking the time to learn each movement also lets you find good balance as Dundun was saying. You should have seen me when I started all this stuff with a flat spine. That struggle bus was a sight to behold let me tell you.

Personally, for someone starting off I'd limit myself to a workout every other day but with cardio inbetween and resting on the weekend.

But most importantly. And I can't stress this enough. Try to fall in love with it. Make it fun. This will help you more than I can possibly put into words.

Keep your chin up mate. You got this.

 

[jufonuk]

Thanks to everyone. Hopefully the changes are coming.
But this keeps me motivated.

 

[VlaudTheImpaler]

Thanks to everyone. Hopefully the changes are coming.
But this keeps me motivated.

Oh, the changes are coming. Just you wait.

 

[Maiden Voyage]

Bummed out for two reasons. One I haven’t lost anything. And
Well looks like with new restrictions etc I think a lot of weight flirting equipment is selling out so the dream of a home gym might not happen until the the new year / end of restrictions.

tomorrow i have a doctors appointment about my blood pressure. I’m. Worried All the stuff I am doing isn’t gonna make a change.

but I will carry on. On the plus I am sure my tummy is getting less.
Haven’t run today as was travelling so very tired. Will commence tomorrow until Saturday.
Still counting the calories etc.

maybe lack of sleep I making me negative ...

You got this man. If you're seeing results, it means you're getting results. Keep it going.

 

[jufonuk]

I’m an all or nothing type person. I guess getting fit and growing a lock ass beard is my midlife crisis. Lol

but the idea of a home gym sounds cool. I just want to see how far I can go with this.

I guess I’m just seeing what exercises etc are out there and going that looks cool I’ll try that now and some look insane and I know I’m not ready to try them out. Maybe one day. I’m trying to run before I can even crawl type thing.

 

[notseqi]

Another fasting day successfully completed. I was pretty tempted to eat something after my evening jog, but resisted the urge and feel mentally strengthened by it. I don't think I was actually that hungry, I think it was more a case of wanting that "mouth pleasure" that you get from eating.

Speaking of jogging, it was raining today and a little bit cold too, so I considered skipping it for today. But then I thought "What would Goggins do?", and got my answer:

So I hardened the fuck up and got out there. Glad I did! A 30 minute yoga session in the morning means this has been a good day fitness wise. The discipline is slowly returning, although the physical fitness will take longer. I found a tape measure, so decided to measure my belly. 38.25 inches when taken around the belly button...

Love running in the rain. Well done.

I guess getting fit and growing a lock ass beard is my midlife crisis.

As long as you identify it as a crisis you can do something about it and it sounds like you're doing exactly that.
Start slow and find out what you like, then keep at it. Physical exercise brightens the mood.

 

[jufonuk]

Love running in the rain. Well done.


As long as you identify it as a crisis you can do something about it and it sounds like you're doing exactly that.
Start slow and find out what you like, then keep at it. Physical exercise brightens the mood.

You’re damn right about the brightening the mood bit. Mentally I feel better than I have in ages.
*Also meant kick ass beard lol

 

[Tesseract]

keep it up jufonuk , nothing brightens spirits like the pump

slept without nightmares for the first time in years, feels good

calisthenics and apex all night, code

 

[Blitzmangoman]

If someone doesn't stretch after workouts or in general, damn it you have to.
I am, no, was someone who only did stretches when I felt "it". It being not good at all, hurting.
For the past few days my lower back was stiff, didn't feel good even just standing there.

So after I got home today from the gym I was like fuck it, we'll do it live I am going to search for stretching videos and I will do these consistently.
No more surprise stiffness (huehue) and pain, I will stretch.
I felt like my butt was trying to give my back a highfive after the deadlifts, my muscles were not relaxing and were just stiff. I somehow did Squats after and that helped a bit.


I am rambling on again, DO YOUR STRETCHES! Thanks for coming to my Ted talk.

 

[notseqi]

Thanks for coming to my Ted talk.

TedX, I believe.
Good point, I'll try some stretches too. As with a lot of males my glute muscles are way too short, I should at least give them a good going over before I leave the gym.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

If someone doesn't stretch after workouts or in general, damn it you have to.
I am, no, was someone who only did stretches when I felt "it". It being not good at all, hurting.
For the past few days my lower back was stiff, didn't feel good even just standing there.

So after I got home today from the gym I was like fuck it, we'll do it live I am going to search for stretching videos and I will do these consistently.
No more surprise stiffness (huehue) and pain, I will stretch.
I felt like my butt was trying to give my back a highfive after the deadlifts, my muscles were not relaxing and were just stiff. I somehow did Squats after and that helped a bit.


I am rambling on again, DO YOUR STRETCHES! Thanks for coming to my Ted talk.

Good call. Stretching cannot be emphasized enough. Stickynote between the bodybuilder's scapula.jpg.

Proper ROM (range of motion) is critical to avoiding injury and impingements while you work out. I stretch throughout the day and spend at least as much time stretching as I do exercising. I don't view exercises and stretches as two separate categories. They both extend and contract the muscles in some manner. What good is a 500 lb leg press if you can't even lower yourself all the way down into a resting squat (for instance)? Flexibility = stability = strength = injury prevention.

Easy (personal) example of ROM is shoulder presses. Unless you are pressing all the way up above your head until elbow lock + scapula engagement, then you are developing an incomplete range of motion for the shoulder press. Would you do your bicep curls only to the halfway point, never going all the way up? Performing shoulder presses incorrectly had nothing to do with a lack of strength; I lacked the shoulder flexibility. After a week or two hanging on the rings, my shoulders "opened up" and I could perform the move correctly. Lo and behold, the strange shoulder stiffness that always appeared the next morning after shoulder presses vanished.

 

[notseqi]

Easy (personal) example of ROM is shoulder presses. Unless you are pressing all the way up above your head until elbow lock + scapula engagement, then you are developing an incomplete range of motion for the shoulder press. Would you do your bicep curls only to the halfway point, never going all the way up?

I sometimes overdo exercises like Deads to (for me) ridiculous length, making it a shrug. That's on low weight/high reps.
Funny seeing so many people using too much weight and not being able to full bicep curls or skullcrushers, cases in which lockout is beneficial unless you want to run around looking like a teacup.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

I sometimes overdo exercises like Deads to (for me) ridiculous length, making it a shrug. That's on low weight/high reps.
Funny seeing so many people using too much weight and not being able to full bicep curls or skullcrushers, cases in which lockout is beneficial unless you want to run around looking like a teacup.

lol yep, one of my favorites for the triceps is a "soccer inbounds pass" with the medicine ball, essentially a "skullcrusher" move for your triceps. Even with a measly 12 pound ball, my elbows had the tendency of buckling out a bit. Took a week of tossing the medicine ball before the stabilizer muscles caught up to the triceps. I think it is better to expose weaknesses with low weight + high ballistic/momentum. If you can't soccer-pass or chest-pass a 12 pound ball without your arms buckling, then you should probably fix that. Lean into weaknesses before going into higher weights, advice that most ppl ignore to their peril. I notice that when I turn those stabilizers into a strength, a bunch of other moves magically improve too i.e. my overhead presses get cleaner, my punches on the bag get straighter/snappier, i have more stability during pushups and planks, etc

 

[Kazza]

Another fasting day successfully completed yesterday (it was pretty easy, not really tempted to eat anything). I've switched my running from the morning/evening to midday to take advantage of the slightly warming temperature, as well as getting a good dose of vitamin d. I also did two different 15min yoga classes back-to-back (one flow focussed and one stretching focussed).

For anyone who isn't stretching, try a little yoga. Even a short one like this daily will help a lot:

 

[notseqi]

lol yep, one of my favorites for the triceps is a "soccer inbounds pass" with the medicine ball, essentially a "skullcrusher" move for your triceps. Even with a measly 12 pound ball, my elbows had the tendency of buckling out a bit. Took a week of tossing the medicine ball before the stabilizer muscles caught up to the triceps. I think it is better to expose weaknesses with low weight + high ballistic/momentum. If you can't soccer-pass or chest-pass a 12 pound ball without your arms buckling, then you should probably fix that. Lean into weaknesses before going into higher weights, advice that most ppl ignore to their peril. I notice that when I turn those stabilizers into a strength, a bunch of other moves magically improve too i.e. my overhead presses get cleaner, my punches on the bag get straighter/snappier, i have more stability during pushups and planks, etc

I tried to dissuade a semi-mate to not use mixed grip on his deads progression unless he needs it to quick switch and bang a few more out, to no avail. Guess whose grip strength was insufficient at higher weights?

 

[TKOFromTokyo]

I took a few days off after being really sore from lack of previous exercise.

3 x 8

Incline bench
Flat bench
Flat dumbbell bench
Cable crossovers

Skull crushers
Rope tricep extensions
Bar tricep extensions
Dips

 

[Tesseract]

finally got more animal pump delivered, also reupped plant mix

time to crush it --> push ups, squats, sit ups, jump rope, climbing rope

 

[notseqi]

another gym day before I'm probably travelling for work again, after yesterdays assault on my forearms I think I killed them with this one today.
did a fair bit of back and lats, ended with tri's and ate half a roast chicken, a handful of tortellini with guanciale and self-picked porcino mushrooms, a small bowl of chicken soup and some apfelstrudel.

I think I'm gonna take a nap.

 

[God Enel]

Vlaud I Iove you. I love your exercises you posted for wrist strength. Tried the pronation curls(?) with bands that you strap around your thumb. But Had problems doing the bouncing ones. Not sure if the bands are not right or I’m fucking up the bounce. Have to watch your video again for that. Also Did The leverage lifts with a stick and a couple of other exercises.

 

[VlaudTheImpaler]

Vlaud I Iove you. I love your exercises you posted for wrist strength. Tried the pronation curls(?) with bands that you strap around your thumb. But Had problems doing the bouncing ones. Not sure if the bands are not right or I’m fucking up the bounce. Have to watch your video again for that. Also Did The leverage lifts with a stick and a couple of other exercises.

Thanks for the gold mate! The bounce curls will come with time. They're very hard and they get even harder the better you get at making it bounce properly as your muscles get used to contracting and activating quickly at every part of the curl/muscle chain. And as your muscles get used to the timing of the band, you will pick up the rhythm and you can make it bounce better. Hard to explain but, you basically want to do a certain number of quick little jerks for one rep. So like I usually do ~10 bounces/jerks on the way up and ~10 down. What you're trying to do, is make slow focused progress on your curl when there's the most tension on the band when the band is at the bottom of the bounce. Then when the band is coming up you hold it for a split second then repeat the jerk when the weight drops to the bottom of the bounce again.

You also don't have to do these as a pronation thumb ballooning curl if you aren't arm wrestling. We go kind of crazy on that stuff but you can do any curl variation you want.

 

[haxan7]

I've been looking into joining a jiu jitsu academy after a couple more months of weight training. There are a few options within a 20 minute drive of me, including one that looks pretty great right across from my old office.

Anyone here taken jiu jitsu and can share their experience?

 

[Kev Kev]

welp, i posted earlier in the year i was going to start working out again and i am here to announce that i absolutely did not fucking do that shit lol. however, went to the gym for the first time in over a year on monday. felt good. 530am and bout to head there now. gonna have me a leg day

heres 2 years ago versus this past monday... i just look worse in general lmao

i got a lot of work to do

 

[TTOOLL]

I've been looking into joining a jiu jitsu academy after a couple more months of weight training. There are a few options within a 20 minute drive of me, including one that looks pretty great right across from my old office.

Anyone here taken jiu jitsu and can share their experience?

I'm waiting for classes to return so I can start for real. I did maybe 2 lesson pre-covid and I freaking loved it. It's amazing.

 

[haxan7]

welp, i posted earlier in the year i was going to start working out again and i am here to announce that i absolutely did not fucking do that shit lol. however, went to the gym for the first time in over a year on monday. felt good. 530am and bout to head there now. gonna have me a leg day

heres 2 years ago versus this past monday... i just look worse in general lmao

i got a lot of work to do

I'm even skinnier than your current pic, with a lot less pec and shoulder development. Seeing that big jump gives me some hope. Thanks for posting.

 

[Tesseract]

i spent most of last night watching devon larrot on youtube, dude is a beast of a man and an absolute legend, inspiring stuff (shouts to VlaudTheImpaler for the rec)

another day in the verse

weighted vest + weighted backpack + alternating dbell miles walks, curls, overheads, extensions, holds in florida heat w / sweats ...

 

[Tesseract]

tell me this shit isn't bad ass, look at what he does around :39 with his wife in the background

that might be the most alpha play of all time

 

[Kev Kev]

I'm even skinnier than your current pic, with a lot less pec and shoulder development. Seeing that big jump gives me some hope. Thanks for posting.

i got one better for you. heres about two years before the first pic...

it can be done bro.

thats why i have no shame going into the gym looking how i do now. i know its just a matter of showing up when i say im going to, and time. ill get there. you will too! just show up to the gym man. once your there youll do the work out. just got to force yourself to go, every time, no excuses, and youre guaranteed to get a fucking ripped body. guaranteed! i dunno about you, but thats what im gonna do.

good luck!

 

[Drake]

welp, i posted earlier in the year i was going to start working out again and i am here to announce that i absolutely did not fucking do that shit lol. however, went to the gym for the first time in over a year on monday. felt good. 530am and bout to head there now. gonna have me a leg day

heres 2 years ago versus this past monday... i just look worse in general lmao

i got a lot of work to do

Bro, you look fine. Like I get it, you're a beast in the first pic. You could get back there in like 6 months if you wanted to. You are still working with a solid muscle base.

I workout and I don't look as good as your 2nd pic, so don't feel bad.

 

[Tesseract]

push ups (weighed), chin ups (holds), elliptical, dips and rows, goblin squats, shoulder hangs ...

 

[jufonuk]

Went for another jog with the Dog.
I managed to jog a lot of the way .

only the home stretch did I go back to walking pace.
Saw my Doctor, While I have high blood pressure we both figure it is me having a stress from seeing the doctor. Yeah seeing Doctors abs dentists freaks me out. I’m a grown man and I have this worry.

but I explained what I was doing he has seen the evidence on my running apps etc. He is pleased, I told him I’m taking it seriously.

so gonna keep on.

Edit: weighed myself I lost some weight.

hope I’m not boring people

 

[Maiden Voyage]

I started a 48-hour fast yesterday as part of the Zero app community challenge. This will be my first time fasting for more than like 20-some hours. I enjoy IF so I figured fuck it, let's go.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Fasting bros, raise your skinny fists like antennas to heaven.

(seriously, happy that ppl are giving fasting a go after researching it for themselves)

 

[VlaudTheImpaler]

Went for another jog with the Dog.
I managed to jog a lot of the way .

only the home stretch did I go back to walking pace.
Saw my Doctor, While I have high blood pressure we both figure it is me having a stress from seeing the doctor. Yeah seeing Doctors abs dentists freaks me out. I’m a grown man and I have this worry.

but I explained what I was doing he has seen the evidence on my running apps etc. He is pleased, I told him I’m taking it seriously.

so gonna keep on.

Edit: weighed myself I lost some weight.

hope I’m not boring people

I wish MORE beginners would give updates like you. Not boring at all and it makes me feel really good to see people start climbing the mountain for the first time or just getting back on it and hearing their stories. Glad to see you're seeing results. Just know, there'll be ups and downs but sooner than later, if you stick with it, there'll be far more ups. And they'll last longer as well.

 

[Maiden Voyage]

Fasting bros, raise your skinny fists like antennas to heaven.

(seriously, happy that ppl are giving fasting a go after researching it for themselves)

Supposed to be a good way to trigger fat burning as opposed to muscle breakdown. IF in general is a game changer for me on having more energy throughout the day as well as better concentration.

I've never done a full or multi-way fast so this will be an experiment. Only unknown for me is how hard I will push myself on the 2nd day during my workout.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Supposed to be a good way to trigger fat burning as opposed to muscle breakdown. IF in general is a game changer for me on having more energy throughout the day as well as better concentration.

I've never done a full or multi-way fast so this will be an experiment. Only unknown for me is how hard I will push myself on the 2nd day during my workout.

You'll really notice it on the 2nd day. All your glycogen stores will be empty or mostly-empty by the end of the first 24hrs. Make sure to supplement with some solid breathing warm-ups (between sets is ideal) to provide the extra oxygen you'll need for ATP production via the ketogenic pathway.

 

[teezzy]

Spent the last couple days peeing a lot and feeling exhausted.

Feel a lot more energized today. Lots of coffee with heavy whipping cream and mct oil

Sure feels like I'm getting my ketosis on. I remember this

 

[TKOFromTokyo]

3 x 8

Pull ups
Chin ups
Overhand bent rows
Underhand bent rows

Curl bar curls
Seated dumbbell curls
Seated hammer curls
Seated flex curls

 

[TKOFromTokyo]

Starting out after a long hiatus is my least favorite part of working out. I always get frustrated knowing how weak I am and where I have been in the past.

I am 5’9” 165 and look pretty fit. However, I am so weak for my appearance. At various points in the last 10 years I have been 185-195. I’ve never been one to focus on heavy weight, but rather consistent and clean reps at moderate weights. Bench was always my weakest and I’d bench 3 x 8 at 275. Now, I can only do 135 and it is discouraging. I know that in a month’s worth of exercising I can probably get it up to 185, but it’s always that humility at the beginning which is hard to swallow and hard to keep me motivated.

I guess the point of this is to let others know, that even people who look fairly fit may struggle mentally when trying to get back in the game so anyone starting out, no matter your fitness level, should not feel alone and discouraged by their current fitness level or appearance.

 

[teezzy]

 

[tkscz]

Recently I switch over to doing high intensity interval training (HIIT) and I have to say, it made quite the difference in my workout routine.

I work out 4 days a week (mon - thurs) every morning before work and always start with pull ups. Lately I've stagnated at 30 (10 reps, 3 sets) and the rest of my routine had become the same. Then I started HIIT about a week ago and all of a sudden, I pulled off 50 pull ups (20 in 2 sets, and 10 in the other set), and saw increases in my other workouts as well.

Man, wish I knew this when the quarantine started instead of only a week ago.

 

[Tesseract]

keto is good, i try to stay in the zone wherever possible

higher fat content helps, no carbs if you can manage it

my preworkout has a smidge of sucralose which means hydrocarbons are inevitable here and there

the wolverine diet is what works best for me, macronutrients fluctuate on rest days

 

[teezzy]

Wolverine eh?

Is that like Keto with carb cycling?

 

[Tesseract]

Wolverine eh?

Is that like Keto with carb cycling?

sorta, except i don't take rest days so the carbs are few and far between

 

[Blond]

Face gains like a mother fucker.

 

[SpiceRacz]

90 minutes of back/shoulders with 15 minutes of core work tonight. I feel dead.

 

[teezzy]

Something's wrong.

My weight is going the wrong way.

Someone tell my fat ass to cut out the pork rinds. Lmao

Gotta readjust: Eggs, meat, spinach, broccoli, avocado, bulletproof coffee.

 

[TTOOLL]

Inspiring stuff. I showed this video to one of my classes today since we were doing a listening activity that talked about the benefits of exercising. Thought you might like it too.

This legend passed away last year: https://obits.dallasnews.com/obitua.../obituary.aspx?n=orville-rogers&pid=194496651

 

[SpiceRacz]

Inspiring stuff. I showed this video to one of my classes today since we were doing a listening activity that talked about the benefits of exercising. Thought you might like it too.

This legend passed away last year: https://obits.dallasnews.com/obitua.../obituary.aspx?n=orville-rogers&pid=194496651

Fucking CHAMP.

 

[Maiden Voyage]

At 42.5 hours into the fast. Went easy on my workout yesterday: 40 mins walking, 60 mins yoga. Felt fine this morning, but now I'm light headed and a bit foggy. The fast ends today so I will save my workout for after I eat.

The strange thing is that I am feeling nauseous. Maybe it's something else?