I just joined a gym now what?

I feel like we have had something similar to this thread before but I would like to see the 2018 version.

My therapist keeps telling me to exercise and made it a homework assignment so I joined a gym today. It has the weights, spinning, those group classes, yoga, and cardio equipment. I just want to get high. It would be nice to lose the belly I have accumulated but I am not going to do that lifting weights. That is mostly about not stuffing my face with garbage. Why do I want to be strong? Sometimes I just get this tingle that I want to just be able to help someone move a gargantuan couch or something like that. Dress in a kilt and throw heavy shit around outdoors. I want to do deadlifts, kettlebell swings, dips, chinups, tire flips, sled drags, sprints, ... basically I want to go on really long hikes through the mountains and then I want to do extremely explosive movements.

The whole point really is to let go of the bullshit. Clear it all out and move some heavy weight around and get high.

What is everyone else doing? I remember Drone was just cross country skiing around. I am envious of that. I think Loco was just lifting heavy weights doing like Starting Strength or something like that. How is that going? Baal was putzing around with MMA. I really still am considering joining a proper gym like in Pittsburgh but it is so damn expensive and nothing is going to beat a Renzo Gracie gym here. GoTunk! Does he still post here? I remember he was going for big things. Big totals. Big weights. I would like to hear his experience. Maybe I should go back to jiu jitsu. Despite all my rage I was still just an upper white belt getting RAPED by blue belts.

I could see myself doing yoga. Really breathing it out.

Maybe do those Barre classes. My sister swears by those.

I just need something to help me with blowing the past away and getting a bit high... Unfortunately, it can't be in chemical form I have to exercise.

i go to the kids playground after school and work out on the bars, ect, and kick a ball around with my bro. I walk up hills or mountains every once in a while too.

Paralysis by analysis. Just start exercising, refine later.

I feel you Daut.

After posting I said fuck it, drank a Monster, played Rage Against the Machine really loud, deadlifted relatively very heavy weight, did 4x8 kettlebell swings and peaced out. I am still feeling pretty good man.

JOCKO WILLINK

Decent article. That is more or less what I am going for. It looks like I might have to buy the book for more detail.

In general focus on high intensity in terms of resistance, and low duration in terms of time, like sprinting. A weight you can lift more than 10x is probably too light, a weight you can't lift more than 3 times is too heavy. It's shouldn't take more than 45 min to get a good full body workout, and that's including warming up.

I would focus on movements such as squatting, deadlifting, over head pressing, pull ups, bench pressing, rowing, etc. with free weights i.e. barbells or dumbells. Increasing your muscle mass and doing regular bouts of high intensity training will increase your metabolic weight and will help you stay lean in the long run. For long duration cardio just do the sports you enjoy or running jogging outside.

One thing I would add is to not work out too hard or too long at 90-100% capacity where you get too sore and can't do the same workout for a week. It's better to train somewhere in between 70-80% intensity so you can be doing the same movements and train the same body parts more frequently (i.e. every other day or every other other day). This will lead to being able to achieve a higher volume of training done in shorter periods of time, which leads to getting results more efficiently.

stay away from bodybuilder type advice too.

I forgot where we stood on Krill oil?

Right now I am only taking vit b12 and vit d. I have some leftover shroom tech I will probably just add onto the pre-workout cocktail. Monsters seem good enough. I may experiment with other pre-workout just for the fuck of it. I don't think I want to get into pre, peri, and post workout nutrition at this point. Just eat decent enough and I will get results. I'd rather get quality food than the junk that is in protein powders...

I would argue that one of the worst ways to start exercising regularly after not having done so in awhile is to come online to a forum and ask others, in detail, what they are doing. It shouldn't matter to you and all it does is delay you from actually getting to it. Just be disciplined for a couple weeks doing fairly basic, but still appropriately rigorous workouts. Establish your baseline strength and cardio. Pay attention to your core. And as said, proceed from there with specific goals/methodology

Also, if you are reluctant to use protein powders because of the 'junk that is in there,' I'm not sure why you would think Monsters are acceptable as what you take beforehand. If you drink a full 16 oz one, that probably has something like 50 grams of added sugar in it and a couple hundred calories purely from the sugar. That's a pretty good way to keep a gut that you don't want and just generally be unhealthy. If you want a fairly benign one, I use:

https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrit...2Bnutrition%2Bamino%2Benergy&th=1

Proper caffeine, no added sugars, and an amino acid blend that has both pre and post benefits for recovery if you want to use it for that. Or just drink a heavy dose of simple green tea

Good luck

I recommend fucking around for a bit just doing whatever you like in the gym, familiarizing yourself with the place. Once you feel ready to be a bit more efficient with your time, pick up a starting routine from here. And read some tips here. I'm doing my own Greyskull variant but it's very similar the commonly used one. I always add some extra arm and core work to this basic template. My gym has opened a new functional training section recently and I might start messing around with that in the near future. Kettlebell lunges and such.

Krill oil is an overpriced gimmick, as is most stuff. The only money that is worth spending on gym supplements (but still not a necessity) is for creatine monohydrate (very inexpensive if you shop properly) and a basic protein powder for convenience. I use pea protein isolate for post workout and hemp concentrate the rest of the time. Nothing is added to them.

Btw, if your goal is "getting high", you're probably going to get injured rapidly by lifting too heavy without proper form. If you want this thing to be sustainable and you want a real high then get it from doing cardio.

I wouldn't worry about routines, diet, or which vitamins you're taking. Pick up a simple beginners weightlifting routine and hit the gym.

Watch youtube videos for tips on proper form.

test

Yoga was definitely life changing for me. It comes in second place after BJJ. Other than that I am doing a 5X5 training. In a nutshell its 3 exercises every other day in a bank of 5. Squat, Deadlift, barbell row, overhead press and bench press. You can go real progressive with it. But as many people said, you can start by cherry picking exercises you enjoy for now. This way there is more chance of you sticking with it. Once you feel comfortable you can get more ''serious'' about it and find a program that fits your needs.

On January 12 2018 02:09 LikeASet wrote: In general focus on high intensity in terms of resistance, and low duration in terms of time, like sprinting. A weight you can lift more than 10x is probably too light, a weight you can't lift more than 3 times is too heavy. It's shouldn't take more than 45 min to get a good full body workout, and that's including warming up. I would focus on movements such as squatting, deadlifting, over head pressing, pull ups, bench pressing, rowing, etc. with free weights i.e. barbells or dumbells. Increasing your muscle mass and doing regular bouts of high intensity training will increase your metabolic weight and will help you stay lean in the long run. For long duration cardio just do the sports you enjoy or running jogging outside. One thing I would add is to not work out too hard or too long at 90-100% capacity where you get too sore and can't do the same workout for a week. It's better to train somewhere in between 70-80% intensity so you can be doing the same movements and train the same body parts more frequently (i.e. every other day or every other other day). This will lead to being able to achieve a higher volume of training done in shorter periods of time, which leads to getting results more efficiently. stay away from bodybuilder type advice too.

I like your post except for bolded. It is unreasonable to train at 100% all the time but the point is to get after it every day. I would never ever want to set a goal to train at 70%. Sometimes 70% happens but I wouldn't be too pleased about it. Some days you get going and you end up hitting 95% well that is a helluva day. Appropriate volume can still be achieved. I think it is mostly a program issue, a sleep issue, or a food issue if you can't get enough volume and intensity in. Obviously, things can be overdone but I am just caught on this going into a workout with the mindset that the goal is 70%. That is crazy to me.

On January 12 2018 05:23 iakim322 wrote: I would argue that one of the worst ways to start exercising regularly after not having done so in awhile is to come online to a forum and ask others, in detail, what they are doing. It shouldn't matter to you and all it does is delay you from actually getting to it. Just be disciplined for a couple weeks doing fairly basic, but still appropriately rigorous workouts. Establish your baseline strength and cardio. Pay attention to your core. And as said, proceed from there with specific goals/methodology Also, if you are reluctant to use protein powders because of the 'junk that is in there,' I'm not sure why you would think Monsters are acceptable as what you take beforehand. If you drink a full 16 oz one, that probably has something like 50 grams of added sugar in it and a couple hundred calories purely from the sugar. That's a pretty good way to keep a gut that you don't want and just generally be unhealthy. If you want a fairly benign one, I use: https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrit...2Bnutrition%2Bamino%2Benergy&th=1 Proper caffeine, no added sugars, and an amino acid blend that has both pre and post benefits for recovery if you want to use it for that. Or just drink a heavy dose of simple green tea Good luck

I am more so curious what people are doing and maybe it would start some discussion.

I drink the Monsters with 10 calories. I just remember I would be consuming copious amounts of Muscle Milk which was found to have all sorts of shit in there like metals and fillers and what not. I don't know if I need a protein powder for now and will go with foood.

On January 12 2018 14:13 Loco wrote: I recommend fucking around for a bit just doing whatever you like in the gym, familiarizing yourself with the place. Once you feel ready to be a bit more efficient with your time, pick up a starting routine from here. And read some tips here. I'm doing my own Greyskull variant but it's very similar the commonly used one. I always add some extra arm and core work to this basic template. My gym has opened a new functional training section recently and I might start messing around with that in the near future. Kettlebell lunges and such. Krill oil is an overpriced gimmick, as is most stuff. The only money that is worth spending on gym supplements (but still not a necessity) is for creatine monohydrate (very inexpensive if you shop properly) and a basic protein powder for convenience. I use pea protein isolate for post workout and hemp concentrate the rest of the time. Nothing is added to them. Btw, if your goal is "getting high", you're probably going to get injured rapidly by lifting too heavy without proper form. If you want this thing to be sustainable and you want a real high then get it from doing cardio.

That Greyskull program is a classic but I need some more volume and variety. I mean I will basically be doing the same program just set up a bit differently.

Yeah, kettlebells are great. I have a friend that was really into them with a home gym I used to train with. He was coaching me. I think I might get some coaching down here on certain kettlebell movements. I never really had a great squat and would like to get coached on that. Also, movements like the clean and jerk, snatch, power clean. I don't think I really need those exercises right now though but always wanted to get better at them.

Yeah, I have to get me some creatine. I remember studies showing it improved cognition as well as improvements in lifting strength. Where do you go for the pea and hemp proteins?

I mean if I am squatting any amount of weight that is challenging I am going to get high. I went pretty heavy for me on deadlifts the other day but that was just because I was feeling it and even held off a bit. I was pulling triples and finished with a pretty clean double. I could of gone for more but it's not time for that yet. Good point on the cardio though. That is just a nice smooth burn of endorphins.

Also, how do you like to load your creatine? Where did you get your creatine from? The site I used to get it from isn't working at the moment.

I think I will do yoga in the evenings or on my days off. I REALLY have a hankering for getting back on the mats too.

I used to take creatine in pill form. Was rly easy and simple. Grey skull is fine but its a little more intermediate progression. Not really super suitable for a novice. A novice wants to gain volume primarily from high frequency and linear progression. Not from super high reps. Because it just adds up cumulatively quicker this way. As well as starting out you actually just benefit a ton from just technique refinement. Its not unheard of for someone to run something like stronglifts 5x5 and get to 285 5x5 squat in 5~ months or so. Strength consists of 1) technique [the fastest gains to be made]. 2) Neurological adaptation [the second fastest for a novice especially] 3) Just pure muscle building from volume [by far the slowest actually]. Stuff like stronglifts have just stuck with me as a solid recommendation. Its not optimal but it just allows u to do as much extra stuff as you want for the most part. Such as hiking/BJJ/etc. As long as u modify it a little bit to not start with the fking bar also which i hate about that program

I try and do the following regarding physical activity:
-lift 4x a week: chest/triceps, back/biceps, legs, shoulders. Abs, stretching, and cardio every day.
-yoga 2x a week: I have terrible flexibility, but this also has meditative benefits
-climbing 2x a week: I stopped practicing BJJ about 2.5 years ago to take up climbing. Similar skillset required, but far less injuries. I miss BJJ terribly, but I don't miss constantly being injured or in pain. Perhaps once my body is more flexible from yoga I'll give it another go.
-Other 2x: either biking, tennis, golf, or some type of HIIT workout.

Nutrition wise:
-one protein shake a day, mainly to incorporate extra greens into my diet. I put almond milk, banana, blueberry+blackberry, frozen broccoli, 2 dates, spinach+kale, half avocado, chia, flax, pea protein
-eat lots of beef, chicken, fish, bacon, eggs, brown rice, vegetables, fruit, and nuts. Find most other foods make me sleepy/sluggish. Waiting on results of a food allergy test I just ordered to see if there is anything I should avoid.

I occasionally (but not frequently enough) incorporate some intermittent fasting into my eating schedule. Counter intuitively, I seem to have more energy when I eat less in general, so will start leaving at least 12 hours between my last meal of the day with my first meal of the following day, and try to eat 10% less calories in general (2700 instead of 3000)

I also just had my free testosterone levels tested. 82 pg/mL, which falls in the "normal" range of 49-185 for my age, but I'm going to start taking monthly tests and try and increase it via the following methods:
-lower calorie diet, aiming for 40% fat, 30% protein, 30% carbs
-cold thermogenesis: mainly 2x a week of cryotherapy, but perhaps some cold showers
-lifting harder and heavier, particularly for back and leg days
-more time spent outside in natural sunlight
-vitamins: multivitamin and fish oil
-intermittent fasting: aim for 12-16 hours each 24 hour cycle.

We'll see what my February 1st results are.

On January 13 2018 04:38 Daut wrote: I also just had my free testosterone levels tested. 82 pg/mL, which falls in the "normal" range of 49-185 for my age, but I'm going to start taking monthly tests and try and increase it via the following methods: -lower calorie diet, aiming for 40% fat, 30% protein, 30% carbs -cold thermogenesis: mainly 2x a week of cryotherapy, but perhaps some cold showers -lifting harder and heavier, particularly for back and leg days -more time spent outside in natural sunlight -vitamins: multivitamin and fish oil -intermittent fasting: aim for 12-16 hours each 24 hour cycle. We'll see what my February 1st results are.

Where or how do you get your testosterone levels checked?

On January 13 2018 01:16 RiKD wrote: Show nested quote + On January 12 2018 05:23 iakim322 wrote: I would argue that one of the worst ways to start exercising regularly after not having done so in awhile is to come online to a forum and ask others, in detail, what they are doing. It shouldn't matter to you and all it does is delay you from actually getting to it. Just be disciplined for a couple weeks doing fairly basic, but still appropriately rigorous workouts. Establish your baseline strength and cardio. Pay attention to your core. And as said, proceed from there with specific goals/methodology Also, if you are reluctant to use protein powders because of the 'junk that is in there,' I'm not sure why you would think Monsters are acceptable as what you take beforehand. If you drink a full 16 oz one, that probably has something like 50 grams of added sugar in it and a couple hundred calories purely from the sugar. That's a pretty good way to keep a gut that you don't want and just generally be unhealthy. If you want a fairly benign one, I use: https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrit...2Bnutrition%2Bamino%2Benergy&th=1 Proper caffeine, no added sugars, and an amino acid blend that has both pre and post benefits for recovery if you want to use it for that. Or just drink a heavy dose of simple green tea Good luck I am more so curious what people are doing and maybe it would start some discussion. I drink the Monsters with 10 calories. I just remember I would be consuming copious amounts of Muscle Milk which was found to have all sorts of shit in there like metals and fillers and what not. I don't know if I need a protein powder for now and will go with foood.

I also like to usually just eat a solid meal after a workout but sometimes it's just not convenient. There's plenty of powders nowadays that don't have fillers if you look around. I use a brand called Plantfusion which uses pea protein and a few others as it's protein source. I also add things like a seed mix or a green, bananas, coconut oil, almond butter etc most of the time

I only lift 2.5 days a week. Little bit of shoulder then a lot of back, legs as one day, then pretty minimal chest/arms. Yoga once/week on Sundays (need to up this). Core training 3x/week with the lift days + 1 day of pilates class. Swim 2x/week for 40-45 min. And basketball for 1-2 hrs hrs prob twice a week these days which is getting to be too tough on joints sometimes now if I'm going full tilt. But it's nice to do stuff you truly enjoy

I see a lot of Joe Rogan stuff here. especially from Daut .
If you can use a Kitchen aid, you can skip the protein shake and do your own post/pre workout snack. I have a nutritionist friend and I have been fine tuning those easy recipe to get pretty much exactly what I need before and after a workout. Its mostly a mix of oat, dates, raisins, cocoa, peanut butter, bananas. The main difference between the pre and post is the amount of protein and sugar.

Nutrition makes a hell of a difference in your performance in a workout. I tended to eat too much protein and not enough simple sugar before a workout. As soon as I fixed it, I saw a massive difference in my training.

On January 13 2018 04:23 DooMeR wrote: I used to take creatine in pill form. Was rly easy and simple. Grey skull is fine but its a little more intermediate progression. Not really super suitable for a novice. A novice wants to gain volume primarily from high frequency and linear progression. Not from super high reps. Because it just adds up cumulatively quicker this way. As well as starting out you actually just benefit a ton from just technique refinement. Its not unheard of for someone to run something like stronglifts 5x5 and get to 285 5x5 squat in 5~ months or so. Strength consists of 1) technique [the fastest gains to be made]. 2) Neurological adaptation [the second fastest for a novice especially] 3) Just pure muscle building from volume [by far the slowest actually]. Stuff like stronglifts have just stuck with me as a solid recommendation. Its not optimal but it just allows u to do as much extra stuff as you want for the most part. Such as hiking/BJJ/etc. As long as u modify it a little bit to not start with the fking bar also which i hate about that program

It's perfect for a novice. It's not high reps (at least not the core exercises), it's well-balanced and it is linear progression. It's superior to stronglifts in every way. The guy in this program review video is a certified Starting Strength coach (and a really insane powerlifter) and he agrees that it's also better than SS.

On January 13 2018 01:41 RiKD wrote: Also, how do you like to load your creatine? Where did you get your creatine from? The site I used to get it from isn't working at the moment.

The short of it is that loading is inefficient and it does not need to be cycled. If you want more info from Dr. Eric Helms, see here. As for where I get my stuff from, I'm Canadian so it's a bit irrelevant to you. Just shop around for the cheapest prices. I buy in bulk to save more. You should wait to buy in bulk until you've made the whole lifestyle change a strong habit though.

As for Greyskull lacking variety, that is because this is just the basic template. You can always add exercises to this. It can be tailored to anyone depending on their goals. The goal here is to keep it simple and enjoy yourself but still train smart. Just doing the core exercises is fine, but if you want more variety you get to choose that but you don't get to skip out on the main compound exercises. You always start with them and add in additional accessory work after. You want to build a balanced body in an efficient manner. Stick with something that's time-tested and well-reviewed by pros for someone in your situation.

On January 13 2018 09:57 iakim322 wrote: Show nested quote + On January 13 2018 04:38 Daut wrote: I also just had my free testosterone levels tested. 82 pg/mL, which falls in the "normal" range of 49-185 for my age, but I'm going to start taking monthly tests and try and increase it via the following methods: -lower calorie diet, aiming for 40% fat, 30% protein, 30% carbs -cold thermogenesis: mainly 2x a week of cryotherapy, but perhaps some cold showers -lifting harder and heavier, particularly for back and leg days -more time spent outside in natural sunlight -vitamins: multivitamin and fish oil -intermittent fasting: aim for 12-16 hours each 24 hour cycle. We'll see what my February 1st results are. Where or how do you get your testosterone levels checked?

Ordered kits online from everlywell.com.

On January 13 2018 13:20 Montrachet wrote: I see a lot of Joe Rogan stuff here. especially from Daut . If you can use a Kitchen aid, you can skip the protein shake and do your own post/pre workout snack. I have a nutritionist friend and I have been fine tuning those easy recipe to get pretty much exactly what I need before and after a workout. Its mostly a mix of oat, dates, raisins, cocoa, peanut butter, bananas. The main difference between the pre and post is the amount of protein and sugar. Nutrition makes a hell of a difference in your performance in a workout. I tended to eat too much protein and not enough simple sugar before a workout. As soon as I fixed it, I saw a massive difference in my training.

I don't watch Rogan, but not a surprise that he has the same approach -- intermittent fasting, importance of mobility/flexibility, and increased greens in diet combined with protein at each meal seem to be in vogue with nutrition touts.

I don't usually take anything pre workout, but if I did, it would either be a banana or some nuts+berries. Post workout I just eat a rice+broccoli+meat meal, California has a lot of healthy quick options.

On January 13 2018 04:25 Daut wrote: I try and do the following regarding physical activity: -lift 4x a week: chest/triceps, back/biceps, legs, shoulders. Abs, stretching, and cardio every day. -yoga 2x a week: I have terrible flexibility, but this also has meditative benefits -climbing 2x a week: I stopped practicing BJJ about 2.5 years ago to take up climbing. Similar skillset required, but far less injuries. I miss BJJ terribly, but I don't miss constantly being injured or in pain. Perhaps once my body is more flexible from yoga I'll give it another go. -Other 2x: either biking, tennis, golf, or some type of HIIT workout. Nutrition wise: -one protein shake a day, mainly to incorporate extra greens into my diet. I put almond milk, banana, blueberry+blackberry, frozen broccoli, 2 dates, spinach+kale, half avocado, chia, flax, pea protein -eat lots of beef, chicken, fish, bacon, eggs, brown rice, vegetables, fruit, and nuts. Find most other foods make me sleepy/sluggish. Waiting on results of a food allergy test I just ordered to see if there is anything I should avoid. I occasionally (but not frequently enough) incorporate some intermittent fasting into my eating schedule. Counter intuitively, I seem to have more energy when I eat less in general, so will start leaving at least 12 hours between my last meal of the day with my first meal of the following day, and try to eat 10% less calories in general (2700 instead of 3000)

This is pretty much what i've been doing the last few years. I've been wanting to give intermittent fasting a try. Football (Soccer in us) is also fun for cardio. Squash aswell if you've got the hand-eye coordination to make it physical.

I will be interested in hearing the testosterone results Daut. Looks like you are taking care of business though.

On January 13 2018 17:54 Daut wrote: Show nested quote + On January 13 2018 09:57 iakim322 wrote:   On January 13 2018 04:38 Daut wrote: I also just had my free testosterone levels tested. 82 pg/mL, which falls in the "normal" range of 49-185 for my age, but I'm going to start taking monthly tests and try and increase it via the following methods: -lower calorie diet, aiming for 40% fat, 30% protein, 30% carbs -cold thermogenesis: mainly 2x a week of cryotherapy, but perhaps some cold showers -lifting harder and heavier, particularly for back and leg days -more time spent outside in natural sunlight -vitamins: multivitamin and fish oil -intermittent fasting: aim for 12-16 hours each 24 hour cycle. We'll see what my February 1st results are. Where or how do you get your testosterone levels checked? Ordered kits online from everlywell.com.   On January 13 2018 13:20 Montrachet wrote: I see a lot of Joe Rogan stuff here. especially from Daut . If you can use a Kitchen aid, you can skip the protein shake and do your own post/pre workout snack. I have a nutritionist friend and I have been fine tuning those easy recipe to get pretty much exactly what I need before and after a workout. Its mostly a mix of oat, dates, raisins, cocoa, peanut butter, bananas. The main difference between the pre and post is the amount of protein and sugar. Nutrition makes a hell of a difference in your performance in a workout. I tended to eat too much protein and not enough simple sugar before a workout. As soon as I fixed it, I saw a massive difference in my training. I don't watch Rogan, but not a surprise that he has the same approach -- intermittent fasting, importance of mobility/flexibility, and increased greens in diet combined with protein at each meal seem to be in vogue with nutrition touts. I don't usually take anything pre workout, but if I did, it would either be a banana or some nuts+berries. Post workout I just eat a rice+broccoli+meat meal, California has a lot of healthy quick options.

I did intermittent fasting when I was dieting and it worked wonders. I really liked it.

What's the deal with pea protein?

How does it compare to whey?

I am tempted to just buy this protein powder from Onnit because the marketing there gets me every time but I know I am getting value owned and I don't care it seems. Taste and texture is very important too as I mix it with water. I don't know why biotest is down. That was always tried and true for me.

- I don't want chemicals and metals in my protein powder
- It needs to taste decent
- It needs to mix with water well

Also, what is the consensus these days.

Fasted training seems to be big now a days.

Ah, fuck it I guess it doesn't really matter as long as I am getting in enough calories and protein. I used to obsess about timing and I am not sure where it got me. It got me good fucking gains is where it got me but is that because I was just obsessed and making sure to do all the right things? Yeah, might as well be there so that is why I am attempting to start a discussion on fasted training and nutrient timing. I bring it up because the guy I am "following" for now is Jocko Willink and he trains fasted at 5am in the morning and doesn't start "grazing" until 10 and doesn't have a meal until noon. Mark Sisson who is a paleo guy I respected and I would say still do does the same. Ronnie Coleman would have a big bowl of eggs and grits and fuck around for 2 hours before training I always kind of liked that approach. I don't have time to fuck around much anymore though. I like the idea of getting the training in first thing in the morning fasted and getting in some breakfast afterwards before I go to work. Sometimes I can't get lunch at work until 2 or 3 or later after the lunch rush dies down. Sorry guys just thinking a loud but I guess everyone just has to find something that works for them.

What's the deal with pea protein?

Same muscle-building properties as whey. Healthier (since plant vs animal protein, i.e. lower in SCAAs and hormone-free) and more ethical (though that's typically not a good selling point). It's the go-to choice for people who think they might have a dairy sensitivity but want a similar amino acid profile.

You won't know if it has a lot of heavy metals in them unless you find a site that has third-party tested the product. These things are not regulated. I'm aware that this site did test a lot of plant protein powders. The one iamkim uses has made it as one of the cleanest ones out there. The full list can be found here (if you just enter a random email to view the results).

I'd recommend you shop with www.vitacost.com. Easier to compare prices, easy to find rebates (coupon codes) online, excellent customer service.

For nutrient timing, don't worry about doing anything fancy if your primary goal is gaining muscle. Follow the advice at this timestamp: all you need to know in under a minute. Just trust me on this and don't overthink it. You can go back a few mins in that video from that timestamp if you want details on fasted training. If you don't want to trust me, read the #1 most viewed paper in the peer-reviewed literature on the subject.

On January 13 2018 13:20 Montrachet wrote: I see a lot of Joe Rogan stuff here. especially from Daut .

The most rudimentary exercise and nutrition 101 knowledge that has been around for decades is now being referred to as 'Joe Rogan stuff' ?

All the above from Loco regarding pea protein. Main thing for me to switch over was simply because I do have a bit of dairy sensitivity so it had pretty instant benefits for me personally over whey. But also generally to go for plant as opposed to animal sourced products where I can without overly effecting my personal satisfaction in what I consume since I still do consume a pretty large amount of meat in general. And as an extra, I really do enjoy the taste of the one I use over the whey powders I used before

I'm quite interested in testosterone testing. Will probably try and test myself really soon and see if I am starting to become deficient at all since I'm around that age and don't do as much heavy lifting as most on a regular exercise program

On January 13 2018 21:53 Loco wrote: Show nested quote + What's the deal with pea protein? Same muscle-building properties as whey. Healthier (since plant vs animal protein, i.e. lower in SCAAs and hormone-free) and more ethical (though that's typically not a good selling point). It's the go-to choice for people who think they might have a dairy sensitivity but want a similar amino acid profile. You won't know if it has a lot of heavy metals in them unless you find a site that has third-party tested the product. These things are not regulated. I'm aware that this site did test a lot of plant protein powders. The one iamkim uses has made it as one of the cleanest ones out there. The full list can be found here (if you just enter a random email to view the results). I'd recommend you shop with www.vitacost.com. Easier to compare prices, easy to find rebates (coupon codes) online, excellent customer service. For nutrient timing, don't worry about doing anything fancy if your primary goal is gaining muscle. Follow the advice at this timestamp: all you need to know in under a minute. Just trust me on this and don't overthink it. You can go back a few mins in that video from that timestamp if you want details on fasted training. If you don't want to trust me, read the #1 most viewed paper in the peer-reviewed literature on the subject.

I trust you on the nutrient timing. I don't want to over think it but I have been thinking about it. He said 1 to 2 hours before training and 1 to 2 hours after training. I am just trying to think how it is going to work out on days I work. I guess I can get a protein shake in and maybe some bananas or raisins or oatmeal for breakfast at 5am, train at 6am, get a protein shake and some bananas or raisins for post work out at 7-8am, have a veggie bowl at chipotle at around 2pm, and then have dinner at some point. If I start training BJJ at 6 I can eat after that. That would be a pretty good day.

On January 13 2018 14:15 Loco wrote: Show nested quote + On January 13 2018 04:23 DooMeR wrote: I used to take creatine in pill form. Was rly easy and simple. Grey skull is fine but its a little more intermediate progression. Not really super suitable for a novice. A novice wants to gain volume primarily from high frequency and linear progression. Not from super high reps. Because it just adds up cumulatively quicker this way. As well as starting out you actually just benefit a ton from just technique refinement. Its not unheard of for someone to run something like stronglifts 5x5 and get to 285 5x5 squat in 5~ months or so. Strength consists of 1) technique [the fastest gains to be made]. 2) Neurological adaptation [the second fastest for a novice especially] 3) Just pure muscle building from volume [by far the slowest actually]. Stuff like stronglifts have just stuck with me as a solid recommendation. Its not optimal but it just allows u to do as much extra stuff as you want for the most part. Such as hiking/BJJ/etc. As long as u modify it a little bit to not start with the fking bar also which i hate about that program It's perfect for a novice. It's not high reps (at least not the core exercises), it's well-balanced and it is linear progression. It's superior to stronglifts in every way. The guy in this program review video is a certified Starting Strength coach (and a really insane powerlifter) and he agrees that it's also better than SS.   On January 13 2018 01:41 RiKD wrote: Also, how do you like to load your creatine? Where did you get your creatine from? The site I used to get it from isn't working at the moment. The short of it is that loading is inefficient and it does not need to be cycled. If you want more info from Dr. Eric Helms, see here. As for where I get my stuff from, I'm Canadian so it's a bit irrelevant to you. Just shop around for the cheapest prices. I buy in bulk to save more. You should wait to buy in bulk until you've made the whole lifestyle change a strong habit though. As for Greyskull lacking variety, that is because this is just the basic template. You can always add exercises to this. It can be tailored to anyone depending on their goals. The goal here is to keep it simple and enjoy yourself but still train smart. Just doing the core exercises is fine, but if you want more variety you get to choose that but you don't get to skip out on the main compound exercises. You always start with them and add in additional accessory work after. You want to build a balanced body in an efficient manner. Stick with something that's time-tested and well-reviewed by pros for someone in your situation.

ironically i had izzy in mind when i said that. I had seen that video like 3.5+ years ago and had mis-remembered it lol ye izzy is the man i def learned a lot from his advice in his videos

While trying to get the most out of every workout and meal. And also planning out your diet is all very good and great. But set simple short term goals as well.. like actually going to the gym X times a week consistently...the biggest thing is just sticking with it and making that life style change for the long term. Making things over complicated and over thinking it might just get you burnt out and overwhelmed if you're just getting into it.

Just focus on being safe and good form and you should be all gucci

GL

On January 14 2018 03:46 RiKD wrote: Show nested quote + On January 13 2018 21:53 Loco wrote:   What's the deal with pea protein? Same muscle-building properties as whey. Healthier (since plant vs animal protein, i.e. lower in SCAAs and hormone-free) and more ethical (though that's typically not a good selling point). It's the go-to choice for people who think they might have a dairy sensitivity but want a similar amino acid profile. You won't know if it has a lot of heavy metals in them unless you find a site that has third-party tested the product. These things are not regulated. I'm aware that this site did test a lot of plant protein powders. The one iamkim uses has made it as one of the cleanest ones out there. The full list can be found here (if you just enter a random email to view the results). I'd recommend you shop with www.vitacost.com. Easier to compare prices, easy to find rebates (coupon codes) online, excellent customer service. For nutrient timing, don't worry about doing anything fancy if your primary goal is gaining muscle. Follow the advice at this timestamp: all you need to know in under a minute. Just trust me on this and don't overthink it. You can go back a few mins in that video from that timestamp if you want details on fasted training. If you don't want to trust me, read the #1 most viewed paper in the peer-reviewed literature on the subject. I trust you on the nutrient timing. I don't want to over think it but I have been thinking about it. He said 1 to 2 hours before training and 1 to 2 hours after training. I am just trying to think how it is going to work out on days I work. I guess I can get a protein shake in and maybe some bananas or raisins or oatmeal for breakfast at 5am, train at 6am, get a protein shake and some bananas or raisins for post work out at 7-8am, have a veggie bowl at chipotle at around 2pm, and then have dinner at some point. If I start training BJJ at 6 I can eat after that. That would be a pretty good day.

You can make some nutritional bars like someone suggested in this thread which is convenient to carry around. Anyway, the 2 hours pre and post is just to be 100% on the safe side. Realistically, if you are having large macro balanced meals, they are so anticatabolic that it's fine to be within 5-6 hours instead of 3-4.

That's the essential thing to know. It prevents people from worrying about getting their protein immediately after a workout all the time, and it also prevents people from training completely fasted. People who do intermittent fasting and who know what they are doing don't train 100% fasted, they take BCAAs. Whether that really does as good of a job is still up in the air I think, my guess is that it isn't, but it's not something a beginner has to be concerned with.

On January 14 2018 05:10 DooMeR wrote: Show nested quote + On January 13 2018 14:15 Loco wrote:   On January 13 2018 04:23 DooMeR wrote: I used to take creatine in pill form. Was rly easy and simple. Grey skull is fine but its a little more intermediate progression. Not really super suitable for a novice. A novice wants to gain volume primarily from high frequency and linear progression. Not from super high reps. Because it just adds up cumulatively quicker this way. As well as starting out you actually just benefit a ton from just technique refinement. Its not unheard of for someone to run something like stronglifts 5x5 and get to 285 5x5 squat in 5~ months or so. Strength consists of 1) technique [the fastest gains to be made]. 2) Neurological adaptation [the second fastest for a novice especially] 3) Just pure muscle building from volume [by far the slowest actually]. Stuff like stronglifts have just stuck with me as a solid recommendation. Its not optimal but it just allows u to do as much extra stuff as you want for the most part. Such as hiking/BJJ/etc. As long as u modify it a little bit to not start with the fking bar also which i hate about that program It's perfect for a novice. It's not high reps (at least not the core exercises), it's well-balanced and it is linear progression. It's superior to stronglifts in every way. The guy in this program review video is a certified Starting Strength coach (and a really insane powerlifter) and he agrees that it's also better than SS.   On January 13 2018 01:41 RiKD wrote: Also, how do you like to load your creatine? Where did you get your creatine from? The site I used to get it from isn't working at the moment. The short of it is that loading is inefficient and it does not need to be cycled. If you want more info from Dr. Eric Helms, see here. As for where I get my stuff from, I'm Canadian so it's a bit irrelevant to you. Just shop around for the cheapest prices. I buy in bulk to save more. You should wait to buy in bulk until you've made the whole lifestyle change a strong habit though. As for Greyskull lacking variety, that is because this is just the basic template. You can always add exercises to this. It can be tailored to anyone depending on their goals. The goal here is to keep it simple and enjoy yourself but still train smart. Just doing the core exercises is fine, but if you want more variety you get to choose that but you don't get to skip out on the main compound exercises. You always start with them and add in additional accessory work after. You want to build a balanced body in an efficient manner. Stick with something that's time-tested and well-reviewed by pros for someone in your situation. ironically i had izzy in mind when i said that. I had seen that video like 3.5+ years ago and had mis-remembered it lol ye izzy is the man i def learned a lot from his advice in his videos

Ah, cool. Yeah, I'm super thankful to him and Brian Alsruhe for giving out great advice.

I am going to be doing a decent amount of calisthenics for a while following my lifting. I should still take creatine right?

400m runs and max burpees for time. I know if it were sprints creatine would be very beneficial but that is more mid range stamina and not explosive.

Stronglifts 5x5. good for beginners

What about timing on creatine?

I used to always take it with my post workout shake but I was reading that it doesn't matter? It's not like most things that gets into the bloodstream and into the brain or the muscles... well, it does but it is more about having it in your system already rather than digesting it. I might take it when I get home from work so then I can drink more water with it.

It's always been argued that it doesn't matter. I do seem to remember a fairly recent study suggesting that post-workout might have some very minor benefits though. I haven't checked to see if this has been replicated or dismissed, I personally don't care, but if you're anal about OPTIMAL OPTIMAL then there's no downside to doing that. I just try to avoid taking it before I go to sleep because I can't hydrate properly then.

Keep in mind that something like 10% of people aren't going to respond to creatine so you won't know if you're wasting the money or not until you test it.

I got 1,000 grams for $20. I am not that concerned about it. Anecdotal it always seems to work well but I have never tested it more than seeing the weights go up. Even if it's a placebo I would pay $20 for the effect.

On January 17 2018 21:39 RiKD wrote: What about timing on creatine? I used to always take it with my post workout shake but I was reading that it doesn't matter? It's not like most things that gets into the bloodstream and into the brain or the muscles... well, it does but it is more about having it in your system already rather than digesting it. I might take it when I get home from work so then I can drink more water with it.

there is 0 importance of creatine timing because it is built up in your body over time. It takes, iirc a week or 2 with average dosing for your body to become fully saturated. Your only goal in taking it every day is to keep your body saturated

How often are you guys doing abs?

Jocko has me doing them everyday but that seems like a lot especially with doing BJJ too.

I will usually do lateral abs twice a week. I do the 5X5 workout and on off days I often go do some little extra (biceps/triceps/shoulder/calf,abs). With my bjj (3-4X/week), I would not see myself doing abs every time. With compound exercises like squat,deadlift,bench etc, you work on your core anyway.

What about creatine and cardio?

I was reading somewhere that it actually can improve vo2 max. I think it was high school football that the coaches didn't want their players taking creatine b/c it hurt the gas tank but that could just be a myth?

I am not considering taking creatine. I haven't read about it really but nutritionist and Md friends argue against it. As for cardio, Rolling for over 45min 3-4x a week does it for me. I will get back on my bike once winter is over though. Doing cardio I would probably do High Intensity Interval training.

How do you guys do Yoga? Solo or in groups? I'd like to join a group, but I'm self conscious about being the only guy there. I joined a running group last summer where I was only guy in it and I felt pretty awkward about it.

I have my own equipment and will work on stuff solo but I always found the best yoga to be had in a good group setting. Now a days more guys are doing yoga. Even if you are the only guy in the class which I have been many times what is the difference? Just do yoga and be a friendly person and it will work out in your favor.

I go to yoga class at my gym where there are almost always several older males besides me. Sometimes other younger people too. But either way just do it. For me, it helped to kinda address underlying anxieties

One time, I misread the schedule and by the time I realized that it wasn't yoga class but instead some dumb dance pop pilates class, it was too late to leave without being rude. So it sucked but I stayed. And now I almost never think twice about any awkwardness

And yeah for me, it helps a lot to have an instructor guide you through real time through the movements. There's also the social factor of feeling obligated to get through the full hour because I've tried yoga at home by myself. Its something I find too easy to quit early or rush through if not in class

Yeah, a good instructor can really open your eyes on certain poses. So many times they have said 1 or 2 things that really brought a pose into gear. Many have been helpful enough to spend time with me after class on certain poses or things I can work on at home like tight hamstrings or whatever. The struggle is real doing it at home. Some days you find yourself in that zone and other days you are hacking this and that in the practice or holding warrior 1 for fuck all. Flat out there are just really good vibes in a good yoga studio. Everyone is high (on yoga) and friendly.

I do it solo at home. I would go to a yoga studio but honestly the gym+bjj takes my budget for sports. Bjj is quite expensive in Montreal compared to Quebec and so is yoga. I know I am doing some poses wrong but I like to believe I have a higher than average spacial awareness since I have been doing multiple sports all my life. I really use yoga as a complement to bjj. Working a lot on hips opener and flexibility in general.

On January 19 2018 23:25 RiKD wrote: I have my own equipment and will work on stuff solo but I always found the best yoga to be had in a good group setting. Now a days more guys are doing yoga. Even if you are the only guy in the class which I have been many times what is the difference? Just do yoga and be a friendly person and it will work out in your favor.

Well, if I were the only guy there all the time I'd feel like the people there would have the assumption that I was there to check out girls. When I first joined a running group I remember getting the stink eye from a girl when everyone was stretching and I was the only guy there; experiences like that make me feel unwelcome. I'm just afraid of being thought of as a creep, you know?

The studio near me does 'hot' yoga, would you recommend it?

I thought that is what you might have been alluding to. I used to be fearful of that but if you are not going to yoga to check out girls there is nothing to be afraid of. I just went and did yoga and found maybe even if there was a little tension with some people who cares. If you can become friends with the instructor that all melts away. But, don't go there and check out women. It is natural it might happen which may be another fear. Some woman in there has an amazing ass and they are all in yoga pants after all. Remember everyone is watching and someone sees all. I don't think it's a big deal unless you are staring at it. They may check you out too but if you are seriously doing the poses and focusing on your breathing there isn't much focus for checking out women. I had fears I would get a boner. I have been half chubbed up before doing a bunch of cobra pose stuff early in the morning like a morning wood situation. I don't know man. Women are farting all the time. Maybe some of them want that to be some sort of safe space or something but you have every right to be there and any stupid assumptions or butthurt about guys being in the class are on them as long as your motive is to do yoga fuck em. But, I will repeat this. Make friends with the instructor or should I say at least be friendly where they know your name and you can have a conversation. That deflates everything.

I have never done hot yoga but it sounds good to me. Better than cold yoga which I have done before due to bad heating and winters in Pittsburgh. I always wanted to do hot yoga. You got me interested. I may look into if there are any places around here but I think at the end of the day proximity is likely most important so you will go, and then the instructors. A good instructor makes all the difference. Then the practice. I was at one place where they were doing all this advanced vinyassa stuff and I was like FUCK THAT.

I got some ZMA today. Seems like an easy, convenient way to get some zinc and magnesium.

Sometimes I question the program I am on when I follow heavy deadlifts and kettlebell swings with a ton of walking lunges the following day.

I might start fucking with ashwagandha and ginger extract.

a lot of positive studies out there on the benefits of using a sauna regularly. I personaly use the sauna at my local gym most days out of the week. I strongly suggest to use the sauna post workout or just go on rest/lighter days.

I love saunas but the one at my gym is an electric sauna that you have to turn on an hour before you use it. It looks like some small microwave.

I so want to start going to the gym again but last time I had a short episode (2-3 days) of arrhythmia which upon checks found no physical evidence which could've cause it, but I don't see how anything other than lifting more than my own weight could've caused more stress

I feel like we have been over stretching before but I want to discuss it. I went to the gym today and was just dead so said fuck it let's do all the stretches I know and I felt pretty good. I gotta start doing yoga again mixed with other good stretching. BJJ specific stretching is also what I need and stretching so that I will feel better today and when I am like 85 if I live that long.

Went to yoga tonight. Bikram is the closest but I just get bad vibes from that sect. It seems like if you want to wear a bikini or some tight spandex thing and look at yourself in the mirror then go for Bikram otherwise I found this really cool place not too far away. The instructor was chill. The class was yin yoga which I don't know about man. You hold the poses for like 3 min. I got more of a meditation out of it than anything and the knowledge that my hamstrings are tight as fuck.

To anyone interested in going just do it man. Relax. Leave the ego at the door. It will be a decent stretch and relaxing and calming and chill even if you aren't pro at the movements (whatever that means).

They have a decent drop in price I might just drop in anytime I am feeling it.

I just read a thread on reddit I found pretty interesting:

https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments...hing_thoroughly_debunked_as_promised/

cliff notes:

- Stretching does not prevent injury
- Stretching does not relieve soreness
- Stretching can only improve flexibility a little bit. There is not much bang for buck if that is the goal.
- The only reason to stretch is to feel good

Thoughts? Experiences?

Disregard the plugs for biotest products:

Maximize Protein Synthesis

Haven't read the thread yet but I took a course with Dr. Ian Shrier from McGill and he has done a lot of research on stretching. I learned from his research that stretching is good but static stretching should be avoided pre-workout. It increases the risk of injury. Dynamic stretching is ok. That was the big takeaway but I also remember some studies showing that very short stretching sessions have just as much benefit as the longer ones. Also the effects of stretching go away very rapidly.

I wouldn't trust anything from a website like T-Nation. Even if they link their sources, I can't trust them to accurately portray the study findings. Plus who wants to be marketed at while trying to learn things? Up your standards.

Also the effects of stretching go away very rapidly.

What exactly does this mean? The effects of doing a stretching session go away quickly so later that day I will be tighter or that getting into a stretching routine and increasing flexibility some will disappear if the practice is not kept up? Probably both. I experience both.

Did he talk about how much flexibility can actually be increased if at all?

I wouldn't trust anything from a website like T-Nation. Even if they link their sources, I can't trust them to accurately portray the study findings. Plus who wants to be marketed at while trying to learn things? Up your standards.

Where should I go?

It was a study from Sweden (Magnusson) which looked at passive torque after stretching. Basically they found that the effects of a stretch (which, yes, does make you more flexible) lasts less than 30 mins. They don't know if it lasts less than 15 mins though. So the point is that, if people think that after stretching they are going to be safer, say, for a long run, or 1h+ training session, most of that training is being done without the stretch having any effect. But since it actually increases the risk of injury, they are doubly wrong. But I don't know about studies on long term effects of stretching.

You can probably find everything you need through reddit/YouTube. Free fitness info from experts isn't something in short supply. Good ol' textbooks work as well, i.e. Starting Strength to learn proper form. The benefits of a place like reddit is that you can ask specific questions and you have other people around to scour the internet for interesting things and filter low-quality things out for you. You're not stuck in your own filter bubble with only your own individual point of view. Of course it's not perfect and sometimes mob mentality will lead you astray, but for fitness things I find it to be useful/reliable. The wider problem with reddit is that advertisers can hi-jack it for their own benefits (and they do, especially on the really big mainstream subs). Anyway, on the whole it's better than getting your info from some big commercial websites.

On January 22 2018 23:56 RiKD wrote: I might start fucking with ashwagandha and ginger extract.

Nah man, ashwaghanda fucked up my sleep but is supposed to be helpful for sleep but there's a reddit thread about it making some users not sleep. Something to do with thyroid I think or thalamus again... if you have overactive thyroid it will just make it even worse maybe its good if you have hypothyroid don't know but herbs are not a joke they're pretty strong tbh. It made me much more extroverted but I don't want to be different than I am, just made me weird. Also if you were to do it then just do it like they do in ayurveda and they probably only do it occasionally for some symptoms of something, they heat it up in milk and not extract just some powder.

On February 07 2018 10:26 Loco wrote: It was a study from Sweden (Magnusson) which looked at passive torque after stretching. Basically they found that the effects of a stretch (which, yes, does make you more flexible) lasts less than 30 mins. They don't know if it lasts less than 15 mins though. So the point is that, if people think that after stretching they are going to be safer, say, for a long run, or 1h+ training session, most of that training is being done without the stretch having any effect. But since it actually increases the risk of injury, they are doubly wrong. But I don't know about studies on long term effects of stretching. You can probably find everything you need through reddit/YouTube. Free fitness info from experts isn't something in short supply. Good ol' textbooks work as well, i.e. Starting Strength to learn proper form. The benefits of a place like reddit is that you can ask specific questions and you have other people around to scour the internet for interesting things and filter low-quality things out for you. You're not stuck in your own filter bubble with only your own individual point of view. Of course it's not perfect and sometimes mob mentality will lead you astray, but for fitness things I find it to be useful/reliable. The wider problem with reddit is that advertisers can hi-jack it for their own benefits (and they do, especially on the really big mainstream subs). Anyway, on the whole it's better than getting your info from some big commercial websites.

Haha. So by the time I drive home from yoga *poof* flexibility gone.That is my experience too but it does make me feel good and relaxed. I wonder how the hell we get more flexible. The consensus in that reddit thread was that it was possible to some extent but the bang for buck was quite low. I kind of like just having the attitude that I am inflexible as fuck and I just have to deal with it. If I get a good warmup in in jiu jitsu I am feeling pretty good so what's the difference. It's not like I have to pass a hamstring flexibility test for my life or anything like that.

my experience is that very small amounts of stretching - definitely no more than 10 minutes every 2 weeks of light yoga-ish stuff- has had really positive effects on my 'overall flexibility', and not just when I'm doing it. Definitely used to have a harder time touching my toes than I do now.

I'm on board with the 'stretching for longer periods doesn't benefit you more than doing it for shorter periods', but my own experience is most definitely that some stretching makes me significantly more flexible than no stretching at all does.

On February 08 2018 01:20 Liquid`Drone wrote: my experience is that very small amounts of stretching - definitely no more than 10 minutes every 2 weeks of light yoga-ish stuff- has had really positive effects on my 'overall flexibility', and not just when I'm doing it. Definitely used to have a harder time touching my toes than I do now. I'm on board with the 'stretching for longer periods doesn't benefit you more than doing it for shorter periods', but my own experience is most definitely that some stretching makes me significantly more flexible than no stretching at all does.

Significantly? Couldn't this just be in your mind? You stretch no more than 10 min. every 2 weeks and see a substantial increase in your flexibility? That is hard to believe. I go to yoga 2x a week and jiu jitsu 2-3x a week and if I were to stretch right now with out warming up I would be about as flexible as I ever was.

Trap Bar Deadlift

Get to a gym that has one or ask your gym to buy one

You want to talk about a manic workout?

Gojira makes an appearance while he's doing 150 lb dips

Trap Bar Deadlift 101

Konstantin Konstantinov - Perfect form and making it look easy

I tried yoga for the first time the other day and it surprised me. My body felt more sore afterwards than if I had done weight training, and my back felt amazing. Not so surprisingly, I was the only guy in the class, but that's okay. I walked in like a boss and positioned my mat right in front of the instructor. 10min in and I forget all about the anxieties. Definitely going to keep at it once or twice a week

Yes! Right in front of the instructor you are a hero! Yeah man, the anxieties melt away with every breath and movement. How good is relaxation pose after a long practice though? I love the after practice glow. Everyone has it. The vibe in the place is palpable. Palpable may be too intense of a word for such a chill vibe but there is definitely an afterglow. I take it with me for a while. Good shit.

What's the deal with this? (Pro-testosterone booster)

I want to improve my testosterone but I don't want to inject (yet).

>Despite the above promise [of Tribulus] as an adaptogen and a libido enhancer, studies investigating tribulus in sports performance have all failed to find benefits. The herb seems to be a possibly healthy herb that enhances sexuality but with limited use for power output and testosterone enhancement (which it has repeatedly failed to do).

>There is a lot of sketchy research on Eurycoma and testosterone, a lot of studies claiming an increase in testosterone but citing conference presentations. Currently, there are only two studies conducted on noncastrated rats measuring testosterone and they both use bad doses (one too low, the other too high).

>Currently, no good evidence suggests that normal men increase testosterone from Eurycoma. Those with hypogonadism might, but the 46% value in inflated given they had very low testosterone at baseline anyways.

>Forskolin: Increase of testosterone observed in men not overly potent and is highly variable.

Sources:
https://examine.com/supplements/tribulus-terrestris/
https://examine.com/supplements/eurycoma-longifolia-jack/
https://examine.com/supplements/coleus-forskohlii/

Edit: Note that the forskolin they use is a proprietary extract, and they make a ton of claims about it being fabulous, but they don't back their claims with any evidence. They simply refer to a study that is pending publication and isn't even their own proprietary extract but the standard Forskolin one, claiming that their extract would perform even better.

P.S. I don't enjoy doing this type of research but I did it anyway to hopefully prevent you getting scammed, but you shouldn't have to rely on me for this. Bookmark examine.com and use it to search for supplements in the future.

So, what are the ways to increase testosterone. Is it even worth worrying about?

Here are some I have heard about:

- Lift heavy weights
- Eat a lot of cholesterol

- Sleep has to be one of them (and IS definitely one of the most important for mental health)

- Take zinc and magnesium
- Take sun or vitamin D

- I've heard don't eat soy or any "estrogenic" products whatever that means

That just sort of seems like yeah duh, everyone should be doing that anyway (except for seeking out cholesterol or obsessing about "estrogenic" products)

I don't recover fast enough, I overtrain too easily, I am not enough of a savage when I train... It may be time to inject. Injecting seems like it carries a host of unwanted side effects though. I don't know how much of a deal it would be to just start off on the smallest reasonable dose. It might also technically count against my sobriety in which case I wouldn't do it. Probably the wrong forum to talk about steroids but I don't really want to discuss it on T-Nation either.

On February 26 2018 03:01 RiKD wrote: What's the deal with this? (Pro-testosterone booster) I want to improve my testosterone but I don't want to inject (yet).

There's no magic pill I was taking forskolin but whatever it probably has some side effects but the other two I don't know about but usually in these test booster formulas they include fenugreek which is a bad idea it may increase T temporarily but decreases dht and over time will rek you. What you actually need is real food from animals that are not in death factories the US actually is one of the worst places for food
Any dairy beside raw cheese from grass fed is just not worth it.

As far as what you can do, yeah you can take zinc but you can also just eat it in red meat etc. Magnesium its much better to just get a magnesium spray or go into the ocean or some bath salts I think magnesium taken orally can act as a laxative if its magnesium citrate I think I remember magnesium glycinate to be the best but I don't worry about taking these pills anymore and just eat food high in magnesium like fish, oysters there is no big pharma in nature. One thing you can do which is kinda nice is to have some nice alchohol after a workout 1-3 drinks of something like Tequila but never beer, beer is hormone disrupting. It's more about what to avoid imo things like licorice, mint, flax seeds are very bad for T. Very high fiber intake we are not cows that should be chewing and shitting all day despite what loco will tell you. Avoid the chemicals like the plague theyre turning the fricking frogs gay I keep linking the docu about canadian town were 4 in 10 children are born male because it is close to pharmaceutical factories.
Honestly if i was in such a shitty part of the world I wouldnt drink any water but just juice all my liquid intake from vegetables and fruits. Be careful of overexcessive intake of greens they are goitrogenic and fuck up your thyroid no joke, especially kale that shit is not fit for human consumption. Don't use deodorant yea you might 'stink' but that is actually just a normal human smell that is deemed unsavoury by a sick civilization it also acts as a way for humans to find suitable mates since the women most suited to your smell will like the smell and it should only be really bad if unhealthy I don't know. For more information search christopher walker on youtube. He peddles his wares but just ignore that. Another thing I might have mentioned before is overtraining it's really bad just take it easy and use walking as main exercise.

You are an absolute madman Mortensen8. I don't even know where to start.

On January 13 2018 04:38 Daut wrote: I also just had my free testosterone levels tested. 82 pg/mL, which falls in the "normal" range of 49-185 for my age, but I'm going to start taking monthly tests and try and increase it via the following methods: -lower calorie diet, aiming for 40% fat, 30% protein, 30% carbs -cold thermogenesis: mainly 2x a week of cryotherapy, but perhaps some cold showers -lifting harder and heavier, particularly for back and leg days -more time spent outside in natural sunlight -vitamins: multivitamin and fish oil -intermittent fasting: aim for 12-16 hours each 24 hour cycle. We'll see what my February 1st results are.

I can tell you right away how to increase it stop overtraining wtf you do so much do some walking, walking is for wise. Also the brown rice part white rice is infinitely better don't argue with me. and the flax of course always the flax. THEY DO NOT CONTAIN OMEGA 3 THAT WE NEED THIS LIE IS GAY DHA EPA CONTAINS 0%. Don't just take fish oil take cod liver oil for the added vitamin A and E from a non rancid high quality source and also you need K2 for D to work best so raw hard cheese

On February 27 2018 01:05 RiKD wrote: You are an absolute madman Mortensen8. I don't even know where to start.

I'm telling you that US people are being poisoned I see and hear a huge difference in the overall population or maybe it's because I'm in nerd circles but something seems off. Seek out grass fed or hippy people shit may be expensive but worth it.

Don't take fucking steroids rikd its stupid as fuck you will regret it it has a lot of side effects. Always go the natural way is my motto even if you become really low T and shit well thats the time when you turn into a wizard and start studying and shit.

Nerd circles of people who believe in the illuminati and social darwinism lol

RikD you started working out 6 weeks ago, you're being a dumb shit thinking of injecting T. You don't even compete in anything where that would matter, which is the only reason to inject anything for non-medical reasons in the first place. This is also why you shouldn't browse websites like T-Nation, to avoid polluting your mind with pictures of photoshopped druggies and create unconscious, unrealistic expectations for yourself. What's more is that you can't even get a medical prescription for T unless it's medically relevant, so you'd have to find someone who sells it illegally, and I'm quite sure if you find that guy he'll have more stuff and you won't stop at a "small dose of T"... start thinking.

You guys are depressing as fuck :/

Coach pushes me really hard. I have these training sessions where I am like damn it I need more edges. Right now I read this and laugh but tomorrow I bet I will legitimately be thinking again about injecting or maybe not. I am not even lifting anymore as it was causing overtraining. Tendinitis in my arm gets worse. I just go HAM at things I can't help myself. I need to find just a decent lifting beginner's progression for BJJ players. I likely wouldn't stop at just a small dose of T. Maybe I could. I think it falls under drug use though. I start injecting steroids what's there to stop me from injecting heroin? That may seem absurd but not so for me.

How about, in one of your moments of lucidity, you make a complete list of the pros and cons of doing it and what you hope to accomplish by using steroids as a BJJ white belt. Then you have people evaluate whether or not it's accurate and whether the cost benefit analysis checks out. Then you just put that in plain sight every day for as long as that dumb idea floats in your mind.

I am pretty bored.

Pros:

Bigger, faster, stronger, better. Train more. Train more savagely. Lower body fat %.

Cons (from WebMD):

Reduce sperm count (what's the difference?)
Shrink the testicles (who cares?)
Cause you not to be able to father children (this is a pro)
Enlarge the breasts (so shrunken nuts and enlarged breasts. Yeah, that doesn't sound so great)

High blood pressure, heart attack, or stroke (doh)
Higher levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) and lower levels of good cholesterol (HDL) (yeah, that's not good)
Liver disease and possibly liver cancer. The chance of these problems is higher when steroids are taken as a pill (my liver is already fucked. Thank goodness it regenerates but I can't put any more poison into my system like I used to)
Oily skin, acne, and male-pattern hair loss (wouldn't really care)
Skin infections that can become severe if the drug was tainted with bacteria (no good)
Irritability, rage, aggression, violence, uncontrolled high energy (mania), false beliefs (delusions), and addiction (Yeah, this would go GREAT with my bipolar and addiction issues. I have heard the irritability, rage, aggression, and violence are bullshit but if it causes mania and addiction I am going no where near this stuff)

So, looks like I have to go at it the natty way.

What do people use for pre-workout supps?

I currently use Monster Rehab Energy drinks or Shroom Tech Sport or sometimes both. The Monster makes me a little jittery if I am doing jiu-jitsu but it gets me threw more of the warmups and drills aspect. Shroom Tech Sport seems more of a longer, smoother burn. It doesn't quite feel like you can exert more or feel less pain like with caffeine but it is like a smoother energy is seems like. I don't know. I am trying to get the pre-workout for BJJ down. I bring 8oz of gatorade/powerade/whatever diluted with 24oz water and that is on point I think I just need to find the right pre-training cocktail. Lifting I just drink a Monster and it does the trick.

"Bigger, faster, stronger, better. Train more. Train more savagely. Lower body fat %."

That sounds like you would be drinking some miracle Kool-Aid, not just injecting some T. IMO, you would be even more frustrated than you are now if you started using, even given the best case scenario. It would do literally nothing for your technique, cardio and the various injuries you'd get from training a lot. So you'd go in with the mentality that you have an edge since you're spending a lot of money injecting, but you'd be even more frustrated when you get owned all the time.

As for the cons list, you're missing some pretty important ones: it screws with natural testosterone production, it has to be cycled and when you're off you're really not happy about it, it's expensive, not well looked upon and typically easy to spot, etc.

Yeah, I just quickly copy and pasted from WebMD.

I would also have to inject sterile needles into myself.

Depends on your fitness goals on what you should do. I think it's best you should consult a personal trainer first if you have no idea. But if you take some time, you can find tons of information online.

Build your stamina and make sure to learn the correct form or posture on exercises (deadlifts, bench presses, etc)
Make sure you get good nutrition - gains are made from 80% good food, 20% smart exercise.
Try to get adequate rest in between workouts, and get plenty of sleep so your body can grow properly.

I don't think I will ever use steroids or something that would make a bad impact on my body in the future. Remember, if you're getting testosterone the artificial way, your body will get confused and will no longer produce it naturally because you're supplying it from the outside. What do you think happens then if you stop taking those supplements/steroids?

When I was beginning my fitness journey, my biggest mistake was to do everything I can and max myself out. I lost my motivation as the days go by, until I injured my knee. But I'm wiser now. Just like poker, you gotta make time to learn more by reading and researching about fitness.

Hurt my back while deadlifting. I've been avoiding the deadlift since I started lifting because it seems too easy to do incorrectly and injure yourself.

Am I supposed to be dropping the bar at my knees? I usually bring it down slowly and I'm guessing that's how I hurt myself. Any good deadlift alternatives?

It sounds like you have been doing romanian deadlifts, not actual deadlifts. There's no resistance in the downward motion with a normal deadlift, you're just dropping the bar to the floor (in a controlled manner). Don't do romanian deadlifts. Look at form videos from certified Starting Strength coaches like Alan Thrall's and focus on doing it right before focusing on adding weight. If you're injured, take a break and maybe just do leg presses and rack pulls above the knee for a bit instead of deadlifts.

Trap bar deadlift

Also, keep your gaze about 9 ft ahead on the floor. Keep your body really tight like some is going to break a board over your back (when pulling).

Heels in the floor. Lift it fast even if the bar doesn't seem to be moving fast.

So, today, I was minding my own business working up to a max set of trap bar deadlifts. There was this women working out in the same area. Doing like ab stuff and yoga stuff. The majority of her breasts were on display and they were fantastic. One has to think she knew what she was doing when getting dressed for the gym today but I digress. So, obviously I had taken notice. Pretty discretely I must say but anyways I was more focused on getting after it on the trap bar deadlift. I was on a break, she sashays up and asks me, "Were you a personal trainer here before?" I respond, "no." She says, "ok" and then sashays away. The End.

She was probably 35-40, very attractive. What do I do if I see her again?

shake her hand

lilz, I was hoping for the lulz

This was too good of an opportunity to not bring back the old Floofy tricks :D

The ironic thing is we laugh but Floofy's probably getting more pussy than most of us.

If I see her again I'll probably just say hi and ignore her and focus on training or just ignore her completely while maybe discreetly being drawn to her breasts if she is wearing that kind of top. She had a nice shape that I was attracted to it would be hard to ignore the essence completely. I could walk up to her and ask her if she used to be a personal trainer there. The fact that I am posting all of this on an internet message board likely means that I am beta and will not have sex with her. Oh well.

I shouldn't say most of us. All I can really say is Floofy is probably getting more pussy than me. With all of his online dating dates and girlfriends. Good for him.

Why do I go to the gym anyways? Well, it is something to do. It makes me feel good. Maybe if I get my upper body and arms a little bit broader and bigger and my waist a little bit slimmer it will attract a mate. That's like all we can control a little bit and I am not even so sure it matters all that much. It's not like we can go to the gym for facial structure, height, penis size. Do I want to get into that rat race of money and status? Frankly, no I don't. Not at all. I've been there and I don't want to go back.

Man, I don't even know where I am going with this post. I think part of it is coming to the realization that the gym is really just for me. It's mostly vanity. I can pump up my shoulders and my arms a little bit and a women can find that sexy. I can lose some of the gut and be more attractive to the opposite sex. I've had a lot of women tell me my tattoos are sexy basically completely untrained. The most sex I ever got was when I was the richest in my life. I think it is mostly about finding my sphere, my niche. I think I was excited at the prospect of hot 30-40 yr olds being attracted to me physically. It seems like it is a clearer path. I am most attracted to the 18-22 yr olds on r/gonewild but in reality that is way too young for me. I work with a bunch of these types and they just don't really have any life experience or substance. I wise 24 yr old is maybe my lower limit and I don't know what my upper limit is. I need to get out there and live a little bit and experiment. There have got to be so many women out there who find themselves lonely and/or horny. But, it is not just about sex. Dates can be a lot of fun. Maybe I am not even looking for a girlfriend right now. Just play it by ear.

Deadlift Assistance

Mortenson8, What are good ab exercises?

How are rollouts and reverse crunches? Those don't really put the back in bad positions. I should just be doing front squats.

What are good ab exercises for the deadlift and the front squat?

I know the best answer is to deadlift and front squat but what is some accessory work?

My abs are not strong enough to do rollouts and reverse crunches were not all that challenging.

There's shitton of abs exercise that work

I used to do - mainly except you really gotta do it properly otherwise you get zero effect.
also dont do it with retarded amount of weights, just check what is your optimal weight over which you have total contro incl your posture and during the exercise itself.


Also do the one where you lift your feet in 90 degrees

And if standardard reverse crunches don't work for you, jsut do them on a decline bench where your head is up, or do standard exercises on a decline bench where your head is down with some weight e.g. doing a push up with 10kg disc behind ur head on a decline bench where your head is at the bottom

Plus do normal stagnant plank - thats a MUST


And again, and I cant stress this enough - don't do the praying exercise with too much weight, I've had periods of weeks whereI had to stop training cause I felt pressure on my waist because of doing this shit with 50-60kg for retarded reasons. I really don't see how you'd go over 25 to 30kg on that ever without them being efficient, unless you're an animal

Are you still doing yoga? I am like you, drug addict, burnt out on status chase, brain spins all the time. The philosophy has helped me too. I still don't believe in God though, or a benevolently higher power. But at the same time I don't trust my intellectual brain because it just sits there telling me to smoke weed or that everyone hates me.

On April 10 2018 22:24 Rinny wrote: Are you still doing yoga? I am like you, drug addict, burnt out on status chase, brain spins all the time. The philosophy has helped me too. I still don't believe in God though, or a benevolently higher power. But at the same time I don't trust my intellectual brain because it just sits there telling me to smoke weed or that everyone hates me.

I am currently not doing any yoga. I lift weights and I go to meetings I like or just basically hang out. Fuck god. We can define things this way or that but there is no benevolent "Our Father" up in the sky. Fuck the lord's prayer. Fuck catholicism.

Not trusting your brain is a fair point. You need some sort of psychic change man. Whether that comes from changing things in your life to have some semblance of your "good" life or doing 12 steps or finding buddhism or doing shrooms. I don't know. Those are the sorts of things that work for me and have worked for other people.

dohhhhhh....

I just RSVP'd to a wedding and tried on my suit pants and they barely fit. They have been barely fitting for a while and it's nice an extra 10 lbs. I have gained in the last few months has not put me over the top but I have 64 days to get trimmer. I have really been enjoying the gaining muscle thing though. I don't want to stop doing that but if I am a true sculptor there is body fat that has to go. I think I should maybe not change that much except lower calories on my diet and what I am eating and also move more but the calories and what I am eating being the most important. I can't outrun my mouth.

Any fat burning aficionados on here that have some tips and tricks to burn fat without losing muscle?

As best as I can tell:

- Do HIIT after training sessions. Don't expect to gain a lot or any muscle at all just go for the maintenance. The key is getting the metabolism up through strength training (maintaining the mass) and then burning the calories and fat through HIIT which will keep the metabolism up for a reported 36 hours after the session.

- You can't outrun your mouth. I have been eating oatmeal with a handful of walnuts for breakfast, salads for lunch, and something reasonable for dinner. It is tough to just eat salads for every meal. I can if there is some interest or intrigue there but I am not gonna have a house salad for every meal. I am cutting out all sugar added crap like sodas, sweat tea, candy. I still fuck up and eat dark chocolate or ice cream but ideally I cut that out.

- Go for a lot of walks. Move around more. I am trying to take as many walks as I can.

That's basically it. I am considering taking some diet pills but I'll just put the weight back on after I go off of them. I am looking for a smooth 2 month burn.

I've been working out since ~January (unrelated to New Year's Resolutions). It's my first time back at a workout routine in a long, long time.

thoughts:

1. I tore my meniscus maybe around 2012 or something like that messing around at the driving range(I don't really golf). The knee itself is pretty much fine but I can't really do stuff like play basketball anymore...which is kind of crazy to me. I went to an orthopedic surgeon and he told me pretty much best option is to not treat it, which seems to be the standard GTO advice. Being a NBA fan tho, its crazy to me that guys can play in the NBA with something like that. Russell Westbrook is the prime example. He pretty much has insane usage every single year and has been killing it like his knee is fine. I just don't get it. Probably some combination of 1. job makes it necessary 2. best doctors 3. maybe it was a minor tear 4. genetics (kinda think this is bs).

Anyway because of this I don't really try to lift super heavy with my lower body lifts (squat, leg press, deadlift). I used to have a pretty good squat when I was younger, but yeah not really trying to powerlift(which is think is kinda of stupid if you want me to be honest with ya'll). I also have limited options for cardio, so I try to get a good heart rate pump in during my workouts as my cardio or whatever. It's been working out ok I think.

2. I have gained around 15 lbs or so at least, and I certainly don't have a gut. For me that is a good deal of weight.

3. Lately I'm not sure if I'm not making any gains, at least in terms of weight. Being a skinny dude pretty much forever when I was younger, gaining weight was pretty much my barometer for results at the gym. At some point though, I feel like you are going to lose some of the bodyfat % that you've gained along with your muscle and "cut" or whatever. I've never really understood cutting/never done it before so I'm not sure about alot of shit. I mean I've been consistent with the gym while switching to a more keto type of diet. I "think" my physique has been getting leaner, more muscular looking while retaining around the same weight, which is good. But I can't be sure. All I can do really is stick with it. With me being unsure if I'm progressing or not it's put a bit of anxiety on, which is part of the reason I'm posting here to help me keep motivated.

4. Some other thoughts - working out is alot easier when you aren't a broke ~20yo or something and can actually afford proper food.
- pretty busy so workout ~2 times a week and probably give up some EV on diet
-been glad I've learned a bit on how to work out my core/lower back area(besides deadlift). used to neglect this
-also if you are some powerlifter hardcore dude and want to say im doing it wrong or whatver not really interested in arguing with anyone u, lol.

gyms are expensive and boring to me, i just do calisthenics's between sims and futsal 3x a week. I'll add in fencing or tae kwon do at some point. Soon I will be able to destroy anything with one punch

i don't think the gym itself is too expensive. i think the diet can get pricey tho. but yeah its not very cerebral and you don't really get to meet many people while doing it. i still find it at least decently enjoyable though.

if i could, i'd play a couple of sports but really i can't. if i recall correctly, if i try to play table tennis with a decent work rate, my knee starts to hurt.

Question, you guys have been helpful before:


I read studies before suggesting that 0.3g protein/ per pound is optimal, contrary to old knowledge where people thought 1-2g/pound was necessary. So if I'm attempting to eat 3000-3500 (i'm 6'3) calories a day should I not bother with protein powder/shakes? I will get my protein regardless because of all the calories I'm consuming.


It's been very challenging to gain weight. I'm only 172 pounds and been working out over a year regularly. Clearly not making my calorie goals. Goal is to make 180 - 185, but that requires me stuffing my face constantly.


Also, best lower back exercises? probably my weakest area.

Where are you getting 0.3g protein/lb figure from? That sounds way low, it's true that 1-2g/lb isn't necessary but honestly that seems closer to correct than 0.3g. I'm not a nutrition expert but most people seem to recommend 0.8g/lb. these days. ex: https://bayesianbodybuilding.com/the-...imal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/ (ironically the premise of that article is also saying that 1g/lb is unnecessary).

In general try and get your protein from regular food. If you find that's too inconvenient or whatever it's fine to supplement with protein shakes.

Deadlift is the nuts for lower back. What has your workout routine been over the past year?

I've always heard .8g-1.2g is ideal. .3 is way to low.

On April 08 2018 15:39 RiKD wrote: Deadlift Assistance Mortenson8, What are good ab exercises? How are rollouts and reverse crunches? Those don't really put the back in bad positions. I should just be doing front squats.

The only ab exercises that mcgill recommends are weird ones I just do those normal planks and side planks. Never go full Mike Tyson 'I broke my back' he used to do shit ton of sit ups and some weird rolling on his head.


I think the overly bulky muscular physique is unclassy. As far as what I'm doing is keeping it simple. I stopped training for a while and I'm just going to do this until I can do it very easily again it is also free and you don't fuck yourself up or create imbalanced overly bulky clumsy looking physique.

24 dips, 24 pullups, 24 reverse pullups, 24 pushups, planks, grip work hanging on the bar 3x in a row as long as possible. As far as legs be aware that they take a lot more out of you as far as fatigue goes. I walk a lot over probably over 15km these days tried to train legs while doing it just with bodyweight squats lunges and step ups and have been fucked for a few days, but yea sprinting is also good box jumps etc. Basically with legs I like to see it as something you shouldnt unnecessarily bulk up just use them for activity which will work your agility too.

On October 27 2018 22:07 bigredhoss wrote: Where are you getting 0.3g protein/lb figure from? That sounds way low, it's true that 1-2g/lb isn't necessary but honestly that seems closer to correct than 0.3g. I'm not a nutrition expert but most people seem to recommend 0.8g/lb. these days. ex: https://bayesianbodybuilding.com/the-...imal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/ (ironically the premise of that article is also saying that 1g/lb is unnecessary). In general try and get your protein from regular food. If you find that's too inconvenient or whatever it's fine to supplement with protein shakes. Deadlift is the nuts for lower back. What has your workout routine been over the past year?

Forgot where I got my information from. I remember reading some studies on it. Might have been closer to 0.6g. Still, shouldn't be difficult for me to eat even 1g/lb, considering I need to eat 3k+ cals. Just the 6 eggs I've been eating in the morning consist of 78g. Then there's the meat and almonds.. I don't see the use in protein powder considering my diet.


Yea I don't deadlift. I got injured twice doing it and gave it up. Hence why my lower back is neglected. It's been the only exercise that consistently injures me. May have to get a trainer to correct my form.


I don't even squat lol. I know, it's a sin to not squat and deadlift. I have a small fracture in my spine that bothers me when I squat. So I try to compensate with leg presses and weighted step ups.



Day 1: Chest / Tricep - barbell chest press, dips, tricep extension, and incline or pull up.


Day 2: Bicep / Back - dumbbell curls, chin ups, pull downs, bent over dumbbell rows.


Day 3: Shoulder / Legs - dumbbell overhead press, lat dumbbell raises, pull ups, leg press, weighted step ups


I'm probably lacking in leg exercises. Definitely lacking in lower back. And seldom do core exercises. Need to correct my routine

On October 28 2018 05:03 k4ir0s wrote: Show nested quote + On October 27 2018 22:07 bigredhoss wrote: Where are you getting 0.3g protein/lb figure from? That sounds way low, it's true that 1-2g/lb isn't necessary but honestly that seems closer to correct than 0.3g. I'm not a nutrition expert but most people seem to recommend 0.8g/lb. these days. ex: https://bayesianbodybuilding.com/the-...imal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/ (ironically the premise of that article is also saying that 1g/lb is unnecessary). In general try and get your protein from regular food. If you find that's too inconvenient or whatever it's fine to supplement with protein shakes. Deadlift is the nuts for lower back. What has your workout routine been over the past year? Forgot where I got my information from. I remember reading some studies on it. Might have been closer to 0.6g. Still, shouldn't be difficult for me to eat even 1g/lb, considering I need to eat 3k+ cals. Just the 6 eggs I've been eating in the morning consist of 78g. Then there's the meat and almonds.. I don't see the use in protein powder considering my diet. Yea I don't deadlift. I got injured twice doing it and gave it up. Hence why my lower back is neglected. It's been the only exercise that consistently injures me. May have to get a trainer to correct my form. I don't even squat lol. I know, it's a sin to not squat and deadlift. I have a small fracture in my spine that bothers me when I squat. So I try to compensate with leg presses and weighted step ups. Day 1: Chest / Tricep - barbell chest press, dips, tricep extension, and incline or pull up. Day 2: Bicep / Back - dumbbell curls, chin ups, pull downs, bent over dumbbell rows. Day 3: Shoulder / Legs - dumbbell overhead press, lat dumbbell raises, pull ups, leg press, weighted step ups I'm probably lacking in leg exercises. Definitely lacking in lower back. And seldom do core exercises. Need to correct my routine

i assume the spine fracture is unrelated to your previous DL injuries? i can sympathize with the squats, i stopped doing them for a long time because i lacked hip flexor mobility and got to a point where i wasn't really activating my glutes and using too much quads, i never got injured but it just felt bad/wrong. when i re-started them i was super-diligent about form and things went better.

do you know which vertebrae you fractured? if it's in the lumbar spine and bad enough to not do squats you shouldn't be doing leg presses either most likely.

this may sound counterintuitive but the best way to recover from most DL injuries is by doing more deadlifting. i got injured once doing a DL, my back just gave out and it felt pretty bad in the moment, at least bad enough that i obviously wasn't going to finish my workout. never had an MRI but pretty sure it was a nerve impingement. i expected to be done deadlifting for at least a few weeks, but was surprised when i started receiving advice from smart people telling me i not only could, but should try to continue deadlifting after only a few days, but with very light weights. essentially they were prescribing the Starr Protocol: https://fitness.stackexchange.com/que...-starr-rehab-protocol-work-if-it-does - which worked for me and seems to be the standard advice for DL injuries. definitely make sure your vertebrae is healed, but if/when you decide to try deadlifting again in the future (and you should) i would keep this in mind. and learn to be a real mensch with your form.

why are you doing dumbbell OHP instead of barbell OHP? looking at your program i kind of hate it, but then i realized 90% of that is just because there's no squats/DLs lol. heal up and give them another go imo. if you can find a good trainer (i.e. someone who can help your form on the 4 main compound lifts, not someone who gives you 16 new retarded exercises to do so you can feel like a busybody and make no progress) that's probably ideal.

0.3g/lb you must've read in a keto diet that focus eating mostly fat, moderate protein and very little carbs, this way you keep your lean muscle mass and burn maximum fat

thats the new gay trend these days

On October 28 2018 05:03 k4ir0s wrote: Show nested quote + On October 27 2018 22:07 bigredhoss wrote: Where are you getting 0.3g protein/lb figure from? That sounds way low, it's true that 1-2g/lb isn't necessary but honestly that seems closer to correct than 0.3g. I'm not a nutrition expert but most people seem to recommend 0.8g/lb. these days. ex: https://bayesianbodybuilding.com/the-...imal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/ (ironically the premise of that article is also saying that 1g/lb is unnecessary). In general try and get your protein from regular food. If you find that's too inconvenient or whatever it's fine to supplement with protein shakes. Deadlift is the nuts for lower back. What has your workout routine been over the past year? Forgot where I got my information from. I remember reading some studies on it. Might have been closer to 0.6g. Still, shouldn't be difficult for me to eat even 1g/lb, considering I need to eat 3k+ cals. Just the 6 eggs I've been eating in the morning consist of 78g. Then there's the meat and almonds.. I don't see the use in protein powder considering my diet. Yea I don't deadlift. I got injured twice doing it and gave it up. Hence why my lower back is neglected. It's been the only exercise that consistently injures me. May have to get a trainer to correct my form. I don't even squat lol. I know, it's a sin to not squat and deadlift. I have a small fracture in my spine that bothers me when I squat. So I try to compensate with leg presses and weighted step ups. Day 1: Chest / Tricep - barbell chest press, dips, tricep extension, and incline or pull up. Day 2: Bicep / Back - dumbbell curls, chin ups, pull downs, bent over dumbbell rows. Day 3: Shoulder / Legs - dumbbell overhead press, lat dumbbell raises, pull ups, leg press, weighted step ups I'm probably lacking in leg exercises. Definitely lacking in lower back. And seldom do core exercises. Need to correct my routine

.3g/lb of bodyweight seems like enough. I would actually like to see studies. I have seen studies that we need far less protein than we think we need. From experience I have gotten best results eating at a caloric surplus with plenty of protein (and creatine) though. I think it's a psychological thing. To be honest, the people spouting 1.2g/lb of bodyweight were mostly supplement companies and people who were paid by supplement companies. What eggs are you eating that have 12+g of protein in them? Most eggs I ever ate had 6g.

I have to ask what is the point of getting to 185? I understand people losing weight if they are obese or overweight. I no longer understand the point of gaining weight. 170 at 6'3'' might be "skinny" considered by some but that is a really healthy weight that would be wise to be managed. Better than gorging yourself with animal protein for little benefit and over the long term negative benefit.

But.... my love for the deadlift has me continuing writing if you wish to go down this path.

Trap bar deadlift!

See if you can get your gym to buy one if it doesn't have one already.

Don't do leg presses they are probably worse for your back. Do a lot of the lunge, step up variations.

For the back (I will assume you said lower back): REVERSE HYPER-EXTENSIONS !!! Glute ham raises. Rack pulls. Back extensions. Romanian dead lifts. I don't know. I am a bit rusty but those are the ones that stand out as best accessory exercises.

Day 1: Chest / Tricep - barbell chest press, dips, tricep extension, and incline or pull up.

Not horrible. You are going to have to figure out the progression on this though. It may get you gains for 4 weeks or more if you are a noob but you should be cycling exercises. Why are you doing pull ups on chest/tricep day. You would be better suited to go heavier on chest/tris on this day and heavier on back on back day.

Day 2: Bicep / Back - dumbbell curls, chin ups, pull downs, bent over dumbbell rows.

In general you want to start with the largest muscle groups first. Don't start with curls. Some good exercises in this day though.

Day 3: Shoulder / Legs - dumbbell overhead press, lat dumbbell raises, pull ups, leg press, weighted step ups

I would start with legs. Start with steps ups. Maybe a walking lunge. I always liked db oh press. I found the medial deltoid machines can be good too. Rear deltoid is probably the most important of the bunch. Make sure to train on back day or shoulder day.

Don't compare yourself to meatheads and gym rats. I am conflicted in writing this post because the body is unnatural and quite gross regardless of what you do in the gym. Meh, I don't really want to go on about that. I just saw an opportunity to possibly help and then I started writing.

On October 28 2018 15:38 RiKD wrote:

Good call on the RDLs and GHRs, was going to mention them in my post then forgot. Never done reverse hypers but they seem good as well. I wasn't trying to say dumbbell OHP is bad or anything (much rather see him ditch leg presses/tricep extensions), I think it's fine. I just think the barbell version is better for building strength which is what I think his goal should be at this point.

I guess my real issue is that I've never been a fan of bodybuilding splits for novice trainers. He said he's been working out for a year so maybe I'm wrong, but based on his description of injuries, not seeing results, etc. I'm guessing it hasn't been a year of efficient or consistent training and he might still be considered a novice (in the sense that he could still benefit from linear progression). This could be bias from my own experience, but I've always preferred starting with a full-body program like Greyskull LP or Starting Strength, stabilize at whatever weight you want to be, and then if you want, do the bodybuilding stuff with 100 accessory exercises. I think it serves beginner-intermediate level trainees better to focus on fewer movements and perfect them. That said if he's not going to DL or Squat I guess he has to fill his workouts with something.

I get your point about not wanting some bulky physique that's unsustainable long-term, but 6'3" 185 is not that. Look at some photos of Michael Phelps, he's 6'4" 195. This isn't some meathead who's already fat trying to do a 40lb dirty bulk. 6'3" 185 seems perfectly reasonable to me and with the extra lean body mass he will almost certainly feel better and be healthier.

I always got good results from Westside for Skinny Bastards by Joe Defranco and a lot of Christian Thibedeau's plans. I also got good results for a while off of just standard bodybuilding splits although I am not sure if that's the best for beginners. I have heard a lot of good things about Greyskull LP and Starting Strength. There are really a lot of ways to go. As long as there is progressive overload and motivation a program will more or less work.

6'3'' 185 is not that difficult to attain for most. However, there is a danger in comparing with Michael Phelps. That guy was training all day long and eating like 10,000 calories with olympic level genetics. I used to compare myself to models, athletes, and movie stars playing superheroes. It was an incredibly stupid endeavor.

I will say this. Back when I was more into worldly life I would go to bars when I was a strapping young lad lifting some iron. The drunk women would grab my biceps and swoon. They love abs too and chest and glutes and delts and a strong back and most of all they love dick. 6'3'' at 185 might get you there but it isn't everything. From my experience something like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gets you farther in that regard. Vipassana meditation is best but then you start to lose the desires and lusts. If you aren't ready to start letting go of lust it's not really going to work. You likely will feel better though and it will have a positive effect on anxiety and how you see yourself. I get so conflicted on these worldly affairs. I can see the path of lifting weights and chasing pussy so clearly. There's no stability. It is all short-lived pleasure, dissatisfaction and unsubstantiality. The body doesn't matter so much. It's what's in you. It's a lot of different things based on a lot of different women. Are you honest? Are you funny? Do you want materialistic women? Do you have material things? Do you want status hungry women? Do you have status?

https://breakingmuscle.com/fitness/th...-seated-standing-dumbbell-and-barbell


Overhead press:


Front shoulder: "Standing barbell vs. standing dumbbell - muscle activation was 15% greater for the standing dumbbell press."

Middle shoulder: "Standing barbell vs. standing dumbbell - muscle activation was 7% greater for the standing dumbbell press."

Back shoulder: "Seated dumbbell vs. standing dumbbell - muscle activation was 24% greater for the standing dumbbell press."

Bicep: "Standing barbell vs. standing dumbbell - muscle activation was 16% greater for the standing barbell press."

Tricep: "Standing barbell vs. standing dumbbell - muscle activation was 39% greater for the standing barbell press."



So barbell is superior for arms, and dumbbell for shoulders.

On October 28 2018 22:49 RiKD wrote: I always got good results from Westside for Skinny Bastards by Joe Defranco and a lot of Christian Thibedeau's plans. I also got good results for a while off of just standard bodybuilding splits although I am not sure if that's the best for beginners. I have heard a lot of good things about Greyskull LP and Starting Strength. There are really a lot of ways to go. As long as there is progressive overload and motivation a program will more or less work. 6'3'' 185 is not that difficult to attain for most. However, there is a danger in comparing with Michael Phelps. That guy was training all day long and eating like 10,000 calories with olympic level genetics. I used to compare myself to models, athletes, and movie stars playing superheroes. It was an incredibly stupid endeavor. I will say this. Back when I was more into worldly life I would go to bars when I was a strapping young lad lifting some iron. The drunk women would grab my biceps and swoon. They love abs too and chest and glutes and delts and a strong back and most of all they love dick. 6'3'' at 185 might get you there but it isn't everything. From my experience something like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gets you farther in that regard. Vipassana meditation is best but then you start to lose the desires and lusts. If you aren't ready to start letting go of lust it's not really going to work. You likely will feel better though and it will have a positive effect on anxiety and how you see yourself. I get so conflicted on these worldly affairs. I can see the path of lifting weights and chasing pussy so clearly. There's no stability. It is all short-lived pleasure, dissatisfaction and unsubstantiality. The body doesn't matter so much. It's what's in you. It's a lot of different things based on a lot of different women. Are you honest? Are you funny? Do you want materialistic women? Do you have material things? Do you want status hungry women? Do you have status?

Pretty much agree with you on programming, as long as you're doing something halfway reasonable with progressive overload, eating the right macros and getting sleep, the program doesn't matter that much in the long run, everything works. The thing is this is assuming equally correct form across programs. I think stuff like GSLP/SS does more to reinforce correct range of movement by focusing on the main compound lifts and a small handful of assistance exercises.

Like for example with the barbell vs dumbbell OHP thing. I think they're essentially equally effective when performed properly, but the barbell is easier to perform consistently because you can ensure your grip width is always the same, and developing consistency is super important. Depending on the gym you're at it's usually also easier to microload the barbell and continue linear progression for longer than you would with the DBs.

I brought up Phelps as an example only to show that the weight he wants to be at his height isn't close to being unnatural or unhealthy. I don't recommend that he develops body dysmorphia or other mental issues while pursuing his fitness goals.

anyone here try Intermittent fasting to lose weight?

On October 29 2018 02:54 bigredhoss wrote: Show nested quote + On October 28 2018 22:49 RiKD wrote: I always got good results from Westside for Skinny Bastards by Joe Defranco and a lot of Christian Thibedeau's plans. I also got good results for a while off of just standard bodybuilding splits although I am not sure if that's the best for beginners. I have heard a lot of good things about Greyskull LP and Starting Strength. There are really a lot of ways to go. As long as there is progressive overload and motivation a program will more or less work. 6'3'' 185 is not that difficult to attain for most. However, there is a danger in comparing with Michael Phelps. That guy was training all day long and eating like 10,000 calories with olympic level genetics. I used to compare myself to models, athletes, and movie stars playing superheroes. It was an incredibly stupid endeavor. I will say this. Back when I was more into worldly life I would go to bars when I was a strapping young lad lifting some iron. The drunk women would grab my biceps and swoon. They love abs too and chest and glutes and delts and a strong back and most of all they love dick. 6'3'' at 185 might get you there but it isn't everything. From my experience something like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gets you farther in that regard. Vipassana meditation is best but then you start to lose the desires and lusts. If you aren't ready to start letting go of lust it's not really going to work. You likely will feel better though and it will have a positive effect on anxiety and how you see yourself. I get so conflicted on these worldly affairs. I can see the path of lifting weights and chasing pussy so clearly. There's no stability. It is all short-lived pleasure, dissatisfaction and unsubstantiality. The body doesn't matter so much. It's what's in you. It's a lot of different things based on a lot of different women. Are you honest? Are you funny? Do you want materialistic women? Do you have material things? Do you want status hungry women? Do you have status? Pretty much agree with you on programming, as long as you're doing something halfway reasonable with progressive overload, eating the right macros and getting sleep, the program doesn't matter that much in the long run, everything works. The thing is this is assuming equally correct form across programs. I think stuff like GSLP/SS does more to reinforce correct range of movement by focusing on the main compound lifts and a small handful of assistance exercises. Like for example with the barbell vs dumbbell OHP thing. I think they're essentially equally effective when performed properly, but the barbell is easier to perform consistently because you can ensure your grip width is always the same, and developing consistency is super important. Depending on the gym you're at it's usually also easier to microload the barbell and continue linear progression for longer than you would with the DBs. I brought up Phelps as an example only to show that the weight he wants to be at his height isn't close to being unnatural or unhealthy. I don't recommend that he develops body dysmorphia or other mental issues while pursuing his fitness goals.

Well, we linked basically 4 programs:

- Greyskull LP
- Starting Strength
- Westside for Skinny Bastards
- Something from Christian Thibedeau

If I were k4iros I would just read through those and pick whichever one I am most excited about and get to it.

Actually, if I were k4iros I would start doing Vipassana meditation and reading Buddhist scriptures and discourse but that is kind of a big ask at this stage.

On October 29 2018 08:05 whammbot wrote: anyone here try Intermittent fasting to lose weight?

Yeah, it works.

On October 28 2018 10:01 bigredhoss wrote: i assume the spine fracture is unrelated to your previous DL injuries? i can sympathize with the squats, i stopped doing them for a long time because i lacked hip flexor mobility and got to a point where i wasn't really activating my glutes and using too much quads, i never got injured but it just felt bad/wrong. when i re-started them i was super-diligent about form and things went better. do you know which vertebrae you fractured? if it's in the lumbar spine and bad enough to not do squats you shouldn't be doing leg presses either most likely. this may sound counterintuitive but the best way to recover from most DL injuries is by doing more deadlifting. i got injured once doing a DL, my back just gave out and it felt pretty bad in the moment, at least bad enough that i obviously wasn't going to finish my workout. never had an MRI but pretty sure it was a nerve impingement. i expected to be done deadlifting for at least a few weeks, but was surprised when i started receiving advice from smart people telling me i not only could, but should try to continue deadlifting after only a few days, but with very light weights. essentially they were prescribing the Starr Protocol: https://fitness.stackexchange.com/que...-starr-rehab-protocol-work-if-it-does - which worked for me and seems to be the standard advice for DL injuries. definitely make sure your vertebrae is healed, but if/when you decide to try deadlifting again in the future (and you should) i would keep this in mind. and learn to be a real mensch with your form. why are you doing dumbbell OHP instead of barbell OHP? looking at your program i kind of hate it, but then i realized 90% of that is just because there's no squats/DLs lol. heal up and give them another go imo. if you can find a good trainer (i.e. someone who can help your form on the 4 main compound lifts, not someone who gives you 16 new retarded exercises to do so you can feel like a busybody and make no progress) that's probably ideal.

Yea the spine fracture is minor and unrelated to lifting. I don't even know if it's the fracture that bothers me while squatting. When I was new to lifting and tried squats I'd get wrist pain and it felt so uncomfortable for my neck and back. I'm tall so my balance is weaker. Though that's probably how all noobs feel when they start. Seems like I'll get injured easily by doing squats or DL. I'll give it another go and find a trainer for one hour.

On October 28 2018 15:38 RiKD wrote: I have to ask what is the point of getting to 185? I understand people losing weight if they are obese or overweight. I no longer understand the point of gaining weight. 170 at 6'3'' might be "skinny" considered by some but that is a really healthy weight that would be wise to be managed. Better than gorging yourself with animal protein for little benefit and over the long term negative benefit.

True. But I'm curious how much I can change my body. 6'3 170 is pretty skinny. I feel that my diet is holding me back when lifting. I haven't been making much progress lately in my lifts because I'm not building more muscle due to eating at calorie maintenance.

On October 28 2018 15:38 RiKD wrote: Trap bar deadlift! See if you can get your gym to buy one if it doesn't have one already. Don't do leg presses they are probably worse for your back. Do a lot of the lunge, step up variations.

Interesting. That's my first time hearing about the trap bar deadlift. Will see if my gym has one. Also my first time hearing that leg presses are bad for the back. Damn. Will try dumbbell lunges.

On October 28 2018 15:38 RiKD wrote: In general you want to start with the largest muscle groups first.

Ok so compound exercises first. Makes sense.

On October 28 2018 19:31 bigredhoss wrote: Show nested quote + On October 28 2018 15:38 RiKD wrote: Good call on the RDLs and GHRs, was going to mention them in my post then forgot. Never done reverse hypers but they seem good as well. I wasn't trying to say dumbbell OHP is bad or anything (much rather see him ditch leg presses/tricep extensions), I think it's fine. I just think the barbell version is better for building strength which is what I think his goal should be at this point. I guess my real issue is that I've never been a fan of bodybuilding splits for novice trainers. He said he's been working out for a year so maybe I'm wrong, but based on his description of injuries, not seeing results, etc. I'm guessing it hasn't been a year of efficient or consistent training and he might still be considered a novice (in the sense that he could still benefit from linear progression). This could be bias from my own experience, but I've always preferred starting with a full-body program like Greyskull LP or Starting Strength, stabilize at whatever weight you want to be, and then if you want, do the bodybuilding stuff with 100 accessory exercises. I think it serves beginner-intermediate level trainees better to focus on fewer movements and perfect them. That said if he's not going to DL or Squat I guess he has to fill his workouts with something. I get your point about not wanting some bulky physique that's unsustainable long-term, but 6'3" 185 is not that. Look at some photos of Michael Phelps, he's 6'4" 195. This isn't some meathead who's already fat trying to do a 40lb dirty bulk. 6'3" 185 seems perfectly reasonable to me and with the extra lean body mass he will almost certainly feel better and be healthier.

Okay I'll ditch leg press. Will weighted step ups and lunges be enough for my legs? Why dont you like tricep extension?

I've been getting results. My body has changed a lot. But lately I haven't been making much progress and I blame that on not eating enough. I've been very consistent the past 6 months working out 3-5 times a week.


Yea I used to research programs like Greyskull LP, but all of them include squats and deadlifts. So I made my own program routine after a good amount of time researching. I just never enjoyed squats and DL and want my gym experience to continue to be enjoyable so that I stick with it. Will try DL again though.


185 seems good. I use mma fighters for perspective. There are few who are 6'3 and 170, if any. The lean and muscular ones my height are about 185.

On October 28 2018 22:49 RiKD wrote: I will say this. Back when I was more into worldly life I would go to bars when I was a strapping young lad lifting some iron. The drunk women would grab my biceps and swoon. They love abs too and chest and glutes and delts and a strong back and most of all they love dick. 6'3'' at 185 might get you there but it isn't everything. From my experience something like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gets you farther in that regard. Vipassana meditation is best but then you start to lose the desires and lusts. If you aren't ready to start letting go of lust it's not really going to work. You likely will feel better though and it will have a positive effect on anxiety and how you see yourself. I get so conflicted on these worldly affairs. I can see the path of lifting weights and chasing pussy so clearly. There's no stability. It is all short-lived pleasure, dissatisfaction and unsubstantiality. The body doesn't matter so much. It's what's in you. It's a lot of different things based on a lot of different women. Are you honest? Are you funny? Do you want materialistic women? Do you have material things? Do you want status hungry women? Do you have status?

I'm not doing it for women. I want to see how far I can push myself and I enjoy lifting. It calms me down and de-stresses me. Ok, maybe some of it is for women and being feeling more desirable. The body doesn't matter so much? I dont think life matters much at all. Short lived pleasures? Everything is short lived. I'm already 30 years old. Multiply that by 2 and I'll be an old man. Multiply it by 3 and I wont be anything. Why bother abstaining? I'm here for a limited amount of time. I've never desired more in my life than I do now; not so much money and status, but a comfortable life full of pleasures.

To answer your questions: Yes. No. No. Not much. No. No.


By the way, I'm still doing yoga ever since you recommended it to me a while back. Loving it.

On October 29 2018 14:09 RiKD wrote: Show nested quote + On October 29 2018 08:05 whammbot wrote: anyone here try Intermittent fasting to lose weight? Yeah, it works.

I tried normal fasting and it works too

whatsup weaklings. Seems like only mortensen and I are into calisthenics here?

On October 30 2018 05:01 k4ir0s wrote: Show nested quote + On October 28 2018 22:49 RiKD wrote: I will say this. Back when I was more into worldly life I would go to bars when I was a strapping young lad lifting some iron. The drunk women would grab my biceps and swoon. They love abs too and chest and glutes and delts and a strong back and most of all they love dick. 6'3'' at 185 might get you there but it isn't everything. From my experience something like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gets you farther in that regard. Vipassana meditation is best but then you start to lose the desires and lusts. If you aren't ready to start letting go of lust it's not really going to work. You likely will feel better though and it will have a positive effect on anxiety and how you see yourself. I get so conflicted on these worldly affairs. I can see the path of lifting weights and chasing pussy so clearly. There's no stability. It is all short-lived pleasure, dissatisfaction and unsubstantiality. The body doesn't matter so much. It's what's in you. It's a lot of different things based on a lot of different women. Are you honest? Are you funny? Do you want materialistic women? Do you have material things? Do you want status hungry women? Do you have status? I'm not doing it for women. I want to see how far I can push myself and I enjoy lifting. It calms me down and de-stresses me. Ok, maybe some of it is for women and being feeling more desirable. The body doesn't matter so much? I dont think life matters much at all. Short lived pleasures? Everything is short lived. I'm already 30 years old. Multiply that by 2 and I'll be an old man. Multiply it by 3 and I wont be anything. Why bother abstaining? I'm here for a limited amount of time. I've never desired more in my life than I do now; not so much money and status, but a comfortable life full of pleasures. To answer your questions: Yes. No. No. Not much. No. No. By the way, I'm still doing yoga ever since you recommended it to me a while back. Loving it.

I think it's a case of choosing more suffering or less suffering. You can choose the path of more suffering just hopefully you are knowingly doing it. It's not like I can change your mind at this point. You have to experience the dukkha for yourself. If there is still greed, anger, and delusion involved which there surely is one cannot even accurately inquire about dukkha in their life. A comfortable life full of pleasures is a mirage. It's not possible. At least not possible in some controllable, stable way that lacks stress and dissatisfaction.