radardi

Member
Nov 26, 2022
286

Raxious

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,530
Welp. Signed up today for a 1 month trial and should be having my first meeting with the gym tomorrow. Honestly have no idea what to expect, and chances are i'll probably look like a complete idiot having absolute 0 experience. Their email stated that after the meeting I can immediately start training, but we'll see how that goes.
 

SeanMN

Member
Oct 28, 2017
2,189
Thor is definitely back. Looking like a fight between Thor and Mitch for podium tomorrow. I was bummed to see Martins miss his 2nd and 3rd deadlifts. Hopefully he can perform well tomorrow.
 

ArkhamFantasy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,621
Welp. Signed up today for a 1 month trial and should be having my first meeting with the gym tomorrow. Honestly have no idea what to expect, and chances are i'll probably look like a complete idiot having absolute 0 experience. Their email stated that after the meeting I can immediately start training, but we'll see how that goes.

We all start somewhere, nothing to be ashamed of, and also I promise you nobody cares what kind of form you're using or how much weight you're lifting. everyone is focused on their own training.
 

thedracocat

Member
Jun 13, 2022
455
Welp. Signed up today for a 1 month trial and should be having my first meeting with the gym tomorrow. Honestly have no idea what to expect, and chances are i'll probably look like a complete idiot having absolute 0 experience. Their email stated that after the meeting I can immediately start training, but we'll see how that goes.
I hear people say all the time--don't compare your Day 1 to someone else's Day 1000.

Just don't be like the guy at the gym I went to yesterday that had his 5 year old on FaceTime/Speakerphone while working out, letting cable weights fall from a foot up and wearing cologne. I was fuming inside.
 

Mandos

Member
Nov 27, 2017
31,442
Glad I took this week off, between skiing the first 2 days(which my knees are still being touchy. Still got in about an hours worth both days), and today being extra long and brutal(working on a lift in a blizzard is no joke whatsoever. I was feeling some heart and lung strain by the time I headed home between the digging and just trying to get around), I'm so ready for having the next 3 days off. Plus I may have to partially dig myself out tomorrow and clear off my car(or I'll push it to Sunday), but I'm not going anywhere till this storm passes
 

Rikalaus

Member
Oct 30, 2017
830
Thor is definitely back. Looking like a fight between Thor and Mitch for podium tomorrow. I was bummed to see Martins miss his 2nd and 3rd deadlifts. Hopefully he can perform well tomorrow.

Yeah that was a surprise for sure on Martins.

Really impressed by Lucy and Andrea on the women's side.

First two events already showing why the Arnold's is always considered the heaviest and hardest show of the year.
 

Raxious

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,530
Sooo i got there and they ended up being closed :')

No idea why i was able to set up my first meeting there around noon if they're closed anyway at that time xD
 

Sheepinator

Member
Jul 25, 2018
28,179
Hooper in first place *during* the stone carry, before Thor has done his attempt, pauses with 734 pounds in his hands to smile at the crowd before continuing. Wow.

WvViYBC.png
 
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Rikalaus

Member
Oct 30, 2017
830
Was really impressed with Jardine, was my first time seeing her compete, should be good seeing her compete at OSG later in the year. Glad to also see Lucy put in a great performance on the world stage.

If Mateuz can have a healthy season he's going to be one to be reckoned with. Think the long gaps between comps is going to hurt Martins a bit more in the long run.

Felt like Hoopers most complete performance so far considering his ridiculous run so far.

Great to also see Tom get the last podium spot as he tends to struggle more with the Heavier Arnold's shows compared to Worlds.
 
Oct 27, 2017
43,054
Man, I feel real dumb. I must've had a brain fart or something, but I thought the bench press bar was 15lbs not 45lbs and was wondering why I was struggling with the weight when I could do significantly more with dumbbells (granted they're not exactly the same, but still)
 

Sheepinator

Member
Jul 25, 2018
28,179
Man, I feel real dumb. I must've had a brain fart or something, but I thought the bench press bar was 15lbs not 45lbs and was wondering why I was struggling with the weight when I could do significantly more with dumbbells (granted they're not exactly the same, but still)
:-)

It may actually be 44 pounds btw.

Apparently, you can expect to add about 20% more weight with barbell compared to db's.
 

Mandos

Member
Nov 27, 2017
31,442
Well I got a workout today. Not one I wanted tho. Digging out nearly 30 ft of walkway a foot wide and 5 deep does a number on you. But have to be able to get to work tomorrow. Will be taking the shuttle tho, I'm spending the rest of the day recovering, between the road conditions and how buried my car is that's beyond my capacity.

This wasn't my plan by the way. My association failed to dig me out.
 

KillerBEA

Member
Oct 26, 2017
294
Hit my goal bodyweight, which was 180. Weighed in at 178.4 this morning. Switching to maintenance for the roughly the next 6 weeks. 43lbs down from where I was last May, 37 of which came off between now and mid November.

g.png
 

Mandos

Member
Nov 27, 2017
31,442
So anyone have any good arm/shoulder stretches I can do at home?
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Sheepinator

Member
Jul 25, 2018
28,179
So anyone have any good arm/shoulder stretches I can do at home?
[Hidden content]
Ice to bring down inflammation.

What you describe may be serious enough to need a doctor. I don't know. I'd start with looking at Bob & Brad's YT channel, see if you can narrow down what the core issue might be, and they'll offer some rehab options. Bands are a good method for that rehab.
 
Oct 25, 2017
8,517
Anyone know where to find something like this? Titsn has a newer version for 2 x the price
But I can't find any other type anywhere
Leg press attachment for power rack
www.garagegymreviews.com

Titan Power Rack Leg Press Attachment| Garage Gym Reviews

Achieve leg presses inside your power rack with this innovative attachment from Titan Fitness. Simply use your current weight plate holders to hang this attachment, fill the 23" of loadable space on the weight horn, set your feet on the diamond plated footplate and you are ready to lift.
 

Rikalaus

Member
Oct 30, 2017
830
Anyone know where to find something like this? Titsn has a newer version for 2 x the price
But I can't find any other type anywhere
Leg press attachment for power rack
www.garagegymreviews.com

Titan Power Rack Leg Press Attachment| Garage Gym Reviews

Achieve leg presses inside your power rack with this innovative attachment from Titan Fitness. Simply use your current weight plate holders to hang this attachment, fill the 23" of loadable space on the weight horn, set your feet on the diamond plated footplate and you are ready to lift.

Primal makes one but that might be UK only
 

Sec0nd

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
6,126
So I kinda realized that I've inadvertently started a mostly liquid diet because right now I find it the easiest, cheapest and most tasteful way to try and get enough protein throughout the day. If you count porridge as liquid-y the only real solid food I eat is during dinner.

It's not super strict, but I think most days have been like this in the recent months. Any downsides of not having that much solid food?
 

ArkhamFantasy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,621
So I kinda realized that I've inadvertently started a mostly liquid diet because right now I find it the easiest, cheapest and most tasteful way to try and get enough protein throughout the day. If you count porridge as liquid-y the only real solid food I eat is during dinner.

It's not super strict, but I think most days have been like this in the recent months. Any downsides of not having that much solid food?

Sounds like the fiber content would be low unless you're putting a bunch of fruit, vegetables, and legumes in a blender.
 

CloseTalker

Member
Oct 25, 2017
31,442
Yeah I am blending a whole bunch of fruits and oats, and usually eat a shit load of rice for dinner. So I'm not too worried about fiber.
I assume you mean brown rice. White rice has very little nutrients beyond carbs, and a negligible amount of fiber. Brown rice isn't an amazing source of fiber, but definitely has more health benefits as it's a whole grain.

I just got on the metamucil train awhile ago and never looked back. That stuff is incredible, a spoonful a day keeps you right as rain.
 

Custódio

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,921
Brazil, Unaí/MG
Is a BF from ~23 to 15 supposed to make a huge difference? I'm wondering if I got my initial BF wrong. I have just like 5 kilos / 11 lbs left, but I can't believe I just have so little to lose. Will post a picture later if that helps.

Btw, 42 in the beginning if my nutritionist was on point, 23 now if my math is right, with 15 being the goal
 

Sheepinator

Member
Jul 25, 2018
28,179
Is a BF from ~23 to 15 supposed to make a huge difference? I'm wondering if I got my initial BF wrong. I have just like 5 kilos / 11 lbs left, but I can't believe I just have so little to lose. Will post a picture later if that helps.

Btw, 42 in the beginning if my nutritionist was on point, 23 now if my math is right, with 15 being the goal
A lot more info is needed. What makes you think you were 23% before? Male presumably, with a target of 15% bf. How much has your waist size gone down? How much % of total bw have you lost? Have you been gaining muscle with progressive overload training and getting plenty of protein?
 

Dlanor A. Knox

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Apr 6, 2018
4,173
Hey y'all, looking for tips.

So i'm muslim, and we just started ramadan. I'm fairly new to the gym, been going for around 6 months, so this is the first time i'm going to the gym while fasting.

The issue i'm having is regarding my protein intake, since i'm fasting throughout the day, I only have around 7 hours to eat before I go to bed, and I ideally want around 150-160g of protein / day.

How should I split my meals? How long should I wait between meals / snacks? How much protein should each meal more or less provide?

I bought some 40g protein bars to help but i'm not sure what to do to be optimal, kind of a pain in the ass tbf haha
 

Sheepinator

Member
Jul 25, 2018
28,179
Hey y'all, looking for tips.

So i'm muslim, and we just started ramadan. I'm fairly new to the gym, been going for around 6 months, so this is the first time i'm going to the gym while fasting.

The issue i'm having is regarding my protein intake, since i'm fasting throughout the day, I only have around 7 hours to eat before I go to bed, and I ideally want around 150-160g of protein / day.

How should I split my meals? How long should I wait between meals / snacks? How much protein should each meal more or less provide?

I bought some 40g protein bars to help but i'm not sure what to do to be optimal, kind of a pain in the ass tbf haha
The current research is showing that the most important thing by far is total protein for the day. Timing and spacing are much less important. If I were fasting and working out, my main issue would be getting carbs and maybe some coffee 1-3 hours before the workout, so that would be my personal main timing focus. Just get your protein whenever. There may be some benefits to spacing protein, especially if older, but again the biggest thing is hit your target for the day, however you can.
 

Custódio

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,921
Brazil, Unaí/MG
A lot more info is needed. What makes you think you were 23% before? Male presumably, with a target of 15% bf. How much has your waist size gone down? How much % of total bw have you lost? Have you been gaining muscle with progressive overload training and getting plenty of protein?

42 was when I started with 102 kilos. I'm with 72.5 now, so if my math is right this is 23%. My waist is down from 115cm to 86cm.

I don't think I've explained myself well. This was a huge improvement, but visually, it seems that I'm far from what 15% looks like, even though I would only need to loose 5 kilos now to get there.

I know I've gained a lot of muscle since I've progressed a lot, and since February 1 I have being training with a personal and the exercises a much more intense. I don't think my protein intake was on point in the beginning, but I've corrected that with my new nutritionist.

The 42% figure was calculated by a nutritionist last year when I started, but my new one doesn't do this, but the goal is still the same with her (69 kilos). Keep in mind that I was not only fat, but weaker than the average person lmao, so it may look like I didn't gain muscle, but I'm pretty sure that I did.
 

Dlanor A. Knox

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Apr 6, 2018
4,173
The current research is showing that the most important thing by far is total protein for the day. Timing and spacing are much less important. If I were fasting and working out, my main issue would be getting carbs and maybe some coffee 1-3 hours before the workout, so that would be my personal main timing focus. Just get your protein whenever. There may be some benefits to spacing protein, especially if older, but again the biggest thing is hit your target for the day, however you can.

Ah, that's reassuring! Should be fine then, someone told me that I had to wait 2-3 hours between meals, and that the body could only absorb like 30 or 40g of protein per meal (or rather, 30 or 40g would go to muscle protein synthesis)

First day was def rough, I usually take some pre-workout too so the fact that I couldn't drink on top of having nothing in my stomach + no pre-workout made it quite harder than usual. I had to decrease the intensity of my workout.

Oh well, atleast my body should burn a bunch of fat this month lol.

Thanks!!
 

Sheepinator

Member
Jul 25, 2018
28,179
42 was when I started with 102 kilos. I'm with 72.5 now, so if my math is right this is 23%. My waist is down from 115cm to 86cm.

I don't think I've explained myself well. This was a huge improvement, but visually, it seems that I'm far from what 15% looks like, even though I would only need to loose 5 kilos now to get there.

I know I've gained a lot of muscle since I've progressed a lot, and since February 1 I have being training with a personal and the exercises a much more intense. I don't think my protein intake was on point in the beginning, but I've corrected that with my new nutritionist.

The 42% figure was calculated by a nutritionist last year when I started, but my new one doesn't do this, but the goal is still the same with her (69 kilos). Keep in mind that I was not only fat, but weaker than the average person lmao, so it may look like I didn't gain muscle, but I'm pretty sure that I did.
Ah, I misread your first post as saying you were 42 yo, starting at 23% bf and aiming for 15% bf.

102kg to 72.5kg is 29% bw lost. It's always going to be hard to estimate bf % lost, you may have lost or gained muscle mass in this time (you probably lost some, especially if the pace of loss was reasonably fast).

My original question about how you were estimating bf % then and now stands though. What measurement tool was used? Calipers in the right hands can be accurate. Two point weight scale are trash. Four point scales aren't much better. DEXA scans and hydrostatic weighing can be accurate, but aren't practical for most people.

If you're making good progress, keep going. The bf % is meaningless, even if you have an accurate read of it. I mean you should be looking to lose fat or gain muscle or whatever based on how you feel, not on what some possibly inaccurate tool estimates your bf % to be.

Custódio

I'm just watching this new Mark Lewis vid right now. Timely for you.

www.youtube.com

How Should You Measure BODY FAT?

I have use most of the body fat measuring techniques - NOTHING beats the mirror.Join to support and get access to the Podcast:https://www.patreon.com/Marklew...
 
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420blzUP

Member
Oct 6, 2022
723
Is a BF from ~23 to 15 supposed to make a huge difference? I'm wondering if I got my initial BF wrong. I have just like 5 kilos / 11 lbs left, but I can't believe I just have so little to lose. Will post a picture later if that helps.

Btw, 42 in the beginning if my nutritionist was on point, 23 now if my math is right, with 15 being the goal
Depends on your fat distribution.
You can still see my Quad striations at 15-17% BF because I store all the fat in my torso and face(yay lucky me having a double chin and giant love handles at 15% BF :) ). So at 82kg bodyweight I am still esthetically unpleasing to my eyes but when I go to sub 78kg i am like a completely different person all of a sudden. Sometimes it is really all about those last 4-5 kgs.
 

Custódio

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,921
Brazil, Unaí/MG
Ah, I misread your first post as saying you were 42 yo, starting at 23% bf and aiming for 15% bf.

102kg to 72.5kg is 29% bw lost. It's always going to be hard to estimate bf % lost, you may have lost or gained muscle mass in this time (you probably lost some, especially if the pace of loss was reasonably fast).

My original question about how you were estimating bf % then and now stands though. What measurement tool was used? Calipers in the right hands can be accurate. Two point weight scale are trash. Four point scales aren't much better. DEXA scans and hydrostatic weighing can be accurate, but aren't practical for most people.

If you're making good progress, keep going. The bf % is meaningless, even if you have an accurate read of it. I mean you should be looking to lose fat or gain muscle or whatever based on how you feel, not on what some possibly inaccurate tool estimates your bf % to be.

Custódio

I'm just watching this new Mark Lewis vid right now. Timely for you.

www.youtube.com

How Should You Measure BODY FAT?

I have use most of the body fat measuring techniques - NOTHING beats the mirror.Join to support and get access to the Podcast:https://www.patreon.com/Marklew...

Thank you! I'll watch the video. I guess the bf % might still be interesting if it is consistent even though it's not precise, meaning that if I really have 25% but it measures as 30% but still get lower or higher when the real BF get lower or higher. I don't really remember how the original estimate was done, because I did use a scale, but she also used a caliper and took my measurements.

Depends on your fat distribution.
You can still see my Quad striations at 15-17% BF because I store all the fat in my torso and face(yay lucky me having a double chin and giant love handles at 15% BF :) ). So at 82kg bodyweight I am still esthetically unpleasing to my eyes but when I go to sub 78kg i am like a completely different person all of a sudden. Sometimes it is really all about those last 4-5 kgs.

That's good to know!
 

Garrison

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,953
So motivated by the 1000 push up challenge, I wanted to try something different with my fitness routine.

So my fitness schedule is typically doing a 12 min treadmill walk followed by a whole body weightlifting workout on Mon, Wed, Friday. Meaning Upper body, Arms, and legs on those days.

And tuesday-thursday doing a 30 min interval walk, run on treadmill, do forearms, calf extension abs and jumping jacks.

I wake up every day and do a quick 15 min yoga routine.

But I've honestly haven't been eating so well lately (too much eating out) and even thou I have been doing this for months I don't like my results so far because I've sabotaged myself with food. Now I am back on track and will remain there no matter what but I would love to get rid of my belly ASAP and my plan is to do push ups until failure before taking a bath and going to sleep. I would love to see how many I can build up to do over time. Last night was my first night and I did 120 push ups and I feel great today.

Do you guys think doing some sort of additional fitness challenge on top of your regular workout is overkill (I guess it depends on the challenge is yeah) or just adding something extra like this okay?
 
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radardi

Member
Nov 26, 2022
286
So motivated by the 1000 push up challenge, I wanted to try something different with my fitness routine.

So my fitness schedule is typically doing a 12 min treadmill walk followed by a whole body weightlifting workout on Mon, Wed, Friday. Meaning Upper body, Arms, and legs on those days.

And tuesday-thursday doing a 30 min interval walk, run on treadmill, do forearms, calf extension abs and jumping jacks.

I wake up every day and do a quick 15 yoga routine.

But I've honestly haven't been eating so well lately (too much eating out) and even thou I have been doing this for months I don't like my results so far because I've sabotaged myself with food. Now I am back on track and will remain there no matter what but I would love to get rid of my belly ASAP and my plan is to do push ups until failure before taking a bath and going to sleep. I would love to see how many I can build up to do over time. Last night was my first night and I did 120 push ups and I feel great today.

Do you guys think doing some sort of additional fitness challenge on top of your regular workout is overkill (I guess it depends on the challenge is yeah) or just adding something extra like this okay?

Depends on your recovery (i.e. food, sleep, stress, etc), if you are feeling well enough to do extra stuff then go for it. But don't be surprised if some days or weeks you're gonna feel off/weak/exhausted.

You can't really get rid of your belly fat ASAP with doing more work, you will need to look at your diet and eat less. Also, while eating less that will affect your recovery.
 

Sheepinator

Member
Jul 25, 2018
28,179
So motivated by the 1000 push up challenge, I wanted to try something different with my fitness routine.

So my fitness schedule is typically doing a 12 min treadmill walk followed by a whole body weightlifting workout on Mon, Wed, Friday. Meaning Upper body, Arms, and legs on those days.

And tuesday-thursday doing a 30 min interval walk, run on treadmill, do forearms, calf extension abs and jumping jacks.

I wake up every day and do a quick 15 min yoga routine.

But I've honestly haven't been eating so well lately (too much eating out) and even thou I have been doing this for months I don't like my results so far because I've sabotaged myself with food. Now I am back on track and will remain there no matter what but I would love to get rid of my belly ASAP and my plan is to do push ups until failure before taking a bath and going to sleep. I would love to see how many I can build up to do over time. Last night was my first night and I did 120 push ups and I feel great today.

Do you guys think doing some sort of additional fitness challenge on top of your regular workout is overkill (I guess it depends on the challenge is yeah) or just adding something extra like this okay?
If you find a challenge like that motivating or interesting, go for it.

I don't need that sort of motivation, and it sounds like you don't either. So then I'd ask, does the challenge match your goals? In this case, it doesn't. If your goal is fat loss, then improved diet (calorie deficit) and/or more zone 2 cardio is the answer, mostly the diet. If your goal is improving your chest, then chest specialization is the answer, i.e. increasing chest volume in your weekly lifting, perhaps while putting other part(s) in maintenance mode (about 1/3'rd regular volume) to compensate. Also, this challenge may well soon start having an effect on your regular lifting.

Sorry, maybe not what you wanted to hear :-)
 

Garrison

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,953
Depends on your recovery (i.e. food, sleep, stress, etc), if you are feeling well enough to do extra stuff then go for it. But don't be surprised if some days or weeks you're gonna feel off/weak/exhausted.

You can't really get rid of your belly fat ASAP with doing more work, you will need to look at your diet and eat less. Also, while eating less that will affect your recovery.
I'm trying to balance things out and seeing where I land. This week I started eating less with replacing my dinner with a protein snack instead to reduce my intake. Breakfast is usually going to be an egg or 2 with oatmeal, and lunch veggies with a bit of carbs and protein. My problem with recovering has been sleep admittedly so doing my workout earlier and going to sleep earlier might help.
 

Garrison

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,953
If you find a challenge like that motivating or interesting, go for it.

I don't need that sort of motivation, and it sounds like you don't either. So then I'd ask, does the challenge match your goals? In this case, it doesn't. If your goal is fat loss, then improved diet (calorie deficit) and/or more zone 2 cardio is the answer, mostly the diet. If your goal is improving your chest, then chest specialization is the answer, i.e. increasing chest volume in your weekly lifting, perhaps while putting other part(s) in maintenance mode (about 1/3'rd regular volume) to compensate. Also, this challenge may well soon start having an effect on your regular lifting.

Sorry, maybe not what you wanted to hear :-)
Not at all thanks for your input!! Yeah I do find it interesting in a way and judging from videos of people doing it and results has me intrigued. I see where you are coming from and yeah I would love to have better chest but also would just like to get a whole lot leaner in my upper body, meaning chest/abs and everything. I haven't really specialized on chest at all that much so I see what you are saying. I might give this push up thing like a couple of weeks to see how I feel about it and then go for what that specialization you said. But yeah just by doing what you said I'd get there too for sure. I do wonder how many damn pushups I can do lol
 

Sheepinator

Member
Jul 25, 2018
28,179
Not at all thanks for your input!! Yeah I do find it interesting in a way and judging from videos of people doing it and results has me intrigued. I see where you are coming from and yeah I would love to have better chest but also would just like to get a whole lot leaner in my upper body, meaning chest/abs and everything. I haven't really specialized on chest at all that much so I see what you are saying. I might give this push up thing like a couple of weeks to see how I feel about it and then go for what that specialization you said. But yeah just by doing what you said I'd get there too for sure. I do wonder how many damn pushups I can do lol
Enjoy this funny vid of Will Tennyson and Chef Andre Rush. Lots of pushups.

www.youtube.com

Cooking Challenge W/ White House Chef!

Former White House Chef Andre Rush puts me through an intense cooking boot camp! Every challenge I fail will have some consequences... Hope you enjoy the vid...
 

BassForever

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
30,096
CT
I ended up buying a year with a personal trainer. The first month went well and I want to put my money where my mouth is about getting into shape and staying there.
 

pioneer

Member
May 31, 2022
4,319
Can anyone recommend good lower back and hip stretches/mobility exercises? And/or good sources for looking this stuff up? I find myself Googling and searching YouTube but I don't know who to trust.

I'm fairly active - lift & bike 4 times/week on top of a job where I'm mostly on my feet, and I've found if anything the more I've worked out the tighter these areas have felt. It's gotten to the point where on worse days bending over just to tie my shoes and such is a bit challenging. I do already stretch every day, but I'm clearly not hitting these areas properly.
 
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