Fitness |OT8| Dad Bods, Bulge Swelfies, and Wait...Do you even lift bro?

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Nooooooooooooo

Barbell rows are the best! Just give it time. Record yourself or use a mirror, then make adjustments.

every person and everything I have read have game me different angles of the back and arm placment.

I get that I'm trying to squeeze a tennis ball with my back but I feel like I get to a point where I'm just not able to maintain balance or back stiffness.
 
I've given up completely on Barbell rows and moved to machines.

I feel like no matter what I do my form is shit.

I agree with Mike. Don't give up on them. Amazing exercise.

Video yourself...

P.s. I do barbell rows in the 8-12 range. It's an accessory.
 
every person and everything I have read have game me different angles of the back and arm placment.

I get that I'm trying to squeeze a tennis ball with my back but I feel like I get to a point where I'm just not able to maintain balance or back stiffness.
Maybe you are lifting to heavy? Why not try less weight and see how it goes, then incrementally add each week?
 
Well next time I need to do barbell rows would be on Thursday.

All I know is I used a machine as a replacement because somebody was using the barbell area to do upside down pull ups other crap and my arms and shoulders felt way more sore the next day than any other barbell row day I have done.
 
I go back and forth on barbell rows. It seemed like my deadlift was increasing faster when I was doing them, but I'd rather do power cleans more often.
 
this is how we abuse lighting, friends

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Your delts have went on a long journey and returned massive my friend. Truly impressive FE!
 
Can't tell if the weight is getting heavy or if I'm just running out of energy. Anyway I couldn't get the min 5 reps on the last set during the 1st week of this 5/3/1 cycle for OHP and deadlift day :(.
 
Cut is progressing nicely. I can already see all my abdominals without flexing in the right light. I have also kept all my strength and muscle. Also I'm really enjoying this. I'm usually full and satisfied after eating and I'm eating delicious food. Previous times I've eatend "good food" but it has been bland and hasn't satisfied in any way. Chicken breast etc get old really quick. Now I'm enjoying the process and I'm confident there won't be any rebound like before.

I've also eaten a lot less protein than normal. 130-140g per day which means I have a lot of room for carbs and fat. Good for hormonal function to have enough of both carbs and fat so it makes sense not to over eat protein.
 
Same. I don't cheat on them like I would doing them conventionally.
For sure. Mine are pretty damn strict but I use them as an accessory like Bum mentioned earlier and stay in the 8-12 range. I know Brolic loads the bar up and uses some body english to get them up. I can see the benefits there too.
 
Hmm, I've been at 1350 calories past 2 days. Still not hungry. Up 1.2lbs but got bad sleep. I dunno anymore lol, tired of eating.
10/14/15- the day Bish finally made the decision to pull away from the human race and stop eating.
 
Hmm, I've been at 1350 calories past 2 days. Still not hungry. Up 1.2lbs but got bad sleep. I dunno anymore lol, tired of eating.

You ever think about coming back from keto to a more "normal diet"? I'm talking about keeping the calories in check but eating a lot more carbs. I'm just going on a limb here but it seems you might benefit from actually eating carbs again since you never refeed. You can't be on a keto forever anyway imo. Noticing you have more and more problems with lack of sleep, hunger and lately strentgh. Dunno, just my two cents..

For example lack of carbs raises cortisol which makes it harder to sleep and decreases your T. Don't know what happens if you keep at it for years.
 
You ever think about coming back from keto to a more "normal diet"? I'm talking about keeping the calories in check but eating a lot more carbs. I'm just going on a limb here but it seems you might benefit from actually eating carbs again since you never refeed. You can't be on a keto forever anyway imo. Noticing you have more and more problems with lack of sleep, hunger and lately strentgh. Dunno, just my two cents..

For example lack of carbs raises cortisol which makes it harder to sleep and decreases your T. Don't know what happens if you keep at it for years.
The sight of a slice of bread sends Bish into the dry heaves. I already know his response to this.
 
Starting this week I'm going to start rebuilding my shoulder slowly. Not jumping into anything heavy, just going to strengthen the area around it and see how it feels. I'd rather have a slow build up and recover then keep trying to go heavy and fucking it up again.
 
Starting this week I'm going to start rebuilding my shoulder slowly. Not jumping into anything heavy, just going to strengthen the area around it and see how it feels. I'd rather have a slow build up and recover then keep trying to go heavy and fucking it up again.
Sounds great and a smart move. How's the cut going? You have to be close to the 180s by now.
 
Sounds great and a smart move. How's the cut going? You have to be close to the 180s by now.

Im stuck bouncing between 191 and 193 for two weeks now...which usually means I'll wake up at 189-190 at some point next week :p

Hopefully its one more month of loss then Im riding out maintenance for a couple months and Im not sure where to go from there. I've been slowly losing for 8 months now (with two small maintenance phases thrown in there for good measure). It's been a crazy ride but Im definitely hitting that last grind, you know?

Compliments/comments still coming in on a consistent basis. I feel like at least one person in the gym/in my social circle says something now each week. My 36s are loose on me. My pants belts, which didn't fit before, are all now on the last holes, and my face is noticeably thinner. I also feel like I can dress up a bit more. I look better in button downs, in formalwear, etc.

All that and I still feel soft and Un swole hah. I see myself as small and weak now.

Strength dropped a bit in both squats and deads, but nothing major. 30-40 lbs in each, but Im also down almost 40 lbs. Squats Im also doing high bar now which feels amazing on my back but obviously I can't push as much weight.
 
10/14/15- the day Bish finally made the decision to pull away from the human race and stop eating.

If I wasn't dating, it might have become a real option.

You ever think about coming back from keto to a more "normal diet"? I'm talking about keeping the calories in check but eating a lot more carbs. I'm just going on a limb here but it seems you might benefit from actually eating carbs again since you never refeed. You can't be on a keto forever anyway imo. Noticing you have more and more problems with lack of sleep, hunger and lately strentgh. Dunno, just my two cents..

For example lack of carbs raises cortisol which makes it harder to sleep and decreases your T. Don't know what happens if you keep at it for years.

My sleep issues have been ongoing since I was very young. They aren't related to keto. And not sure why I'd go back to carbs honestly, I'm fully adapted so there is actually no benefit at all to carb loading. And I can assure you I have no lack of T lol. I'm still plenty strong but just not eating enough anymore.

The reality is, knowing the damage carbs do to the body, I can't go back to it knowing how it's going to affect me long term.

The site of a slice of bread sends Bish into the dry heaves. I already know his response to this.

You can read me like a book. I literally look at pics of all types of foods, hoping something will make me want to crave it. But it just doesn't happen. All those carby foods look like stuff that is going to damage me long term, so nothing looks appealing.

I dunno, I've been leaning out so much, feel so terrific health wise, just loving how things are going. I just kinda don't like eating anymore. It sounds weird I know. And I knows it's what's affecting me at the gym.
 
It's okay I will make up for ILB lack of eating.

Went to buddy's wedding this past weekend.
Ate ridiculous amounts of food that was completely off my dietary guidelines, lost my 450 day MFP streak, drank way too much, and came home 2lbs lighter.

I chalk it up to pregame nerves regarding giving my toast.
 
Im stuck bouncing between 191 and 193 for two weeks now...which usually means I'll wake up at 189-190 at some point next week :p

Hopefully its one more month of loss then Im riding out maintenance for a couple months and Im not sure where to go from there. I've been slowly losing for 8 months now (with two small maintenance phases thrown in there for good measure). It's been a crazy ride but Im definitely hitting that last grind, you know?

Compliments/comments still coming in on a consistent basis. I feel like at least one person in the gym/in my social circle says something now each week. My 36s are loose on me. My pants belts, which didn't fit before, are all now on the last holes, and my face is noticeably thinner. I also feel like I can dress up a bit more. I look better in button downs, in formalwear, etc.

All that and I still feel soft and Un swole hah. I see myself as small and weak now.

Strength dropped a bit in both squats and deads, but nothing major. 30-40 lbs in each, but Im also down almost 40 lbs. Squats Im also doing high bar now which feels amazing on my back but obviously I can't push as much weight.

It happens. Glad to hear you're doing well. You're not small or weak either. Don't let those mind games get to you.
 
It happens. Glad to hear you're doing well. You're not small or weak either. Don't let those mind games get to you.

Perception is a bitch. Reality is my body used to look like it was built on pudding. I may have been bigger but to your average person I just looked fat. Much happier now especially with my face
 
Perception is a bitch. Reality is my body used to look like it was built on pudding. I may have been bigger but to your average person I just looked fat. Much happier now especially with my face
Face gainz are severely underrated!
 
Well next time I need to do barbell rows would be on Thursday.

All I know is I used a machine as a replacement because somebody was using the barbell area to do upside down pull ups other crap and my arms and shoulders felt way more sore the next day than any other barbell row day I have done.
Soreness isn't a measure of how hard you worked something, especially when you're doing something new.

If you repeat an exercise, you basically become immune to the soreness. Switch it up to stuff that's even slightly different, and you get it again.

*edit* whoops double post, sorry.
 
Good day at the gym today even at the huge deficit. Bench with 5x165, 5x190 and 5x210. Finished with a 10x165. Had no time for accessories so just did compound and bounced.
 
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