🏋️ 2023 Blowout Gym & Fitness Thread 🏋️

[TheHeel]

Originally Posted by TheFrenzy

Massage? PT?

I go to a place that will just stretch you. I have nerve damage in my legs due from a spinal cord injury and subsequent surgeries making it difficult for me to do it myself. Due to this, my legs and lower back muscles lack spasticity.

[cholodolo]

Originally Posted by TheFrenzy

Up to 5x410 on the ISO-Row.

Damn, I miss this machine. Awesome lat pull and strength builder.

My gym has two floors but not one of these.

4 plates...your students better toe the line.

[TheFrenzy]

Originally Posted by TheHeel

I go to a place that will just stretch you. I have nerve damage in my legs due from a spinal cord injury and subsequent surgeries making it difficult for me to do it myself. Due to this, my legs and lower back muscles lack spasticity.

That sounds brutal! You still get around in your day-to-day life alright?

Originally Posted by cholodolo

Damn, I miss this machine. Awesome lat pull and strength builder.

My gym has two floors but not one of these.

4 plates...your students better toe the line.

It's a lot of fun. Definitely feels smoother than lat pulldowns or seated rows.

It's been a long road. I was a 6ft, 155lb soccer player as a college freshman. Broke up with my longterm girlfriend the summer before my senior year and shifted my workouts from entirely cardio to almost entirely weights and never really stopped. I'll probably always have skinny-dude calves and we'll see if I ever sniff 3-plate on bench (280 is my current max), but hitting the gym is probably that best habit that I've been able to maintain throughout my adult life.

[cholodolo]

Originally Posted by TheFrenzy

It's a lot of fun. Definitely feels smoother than lat pulldowns or seated rows.

It's been a long road. I was a 6ft, 155lb soccer player as a college freshman. Broke up with my longterm girlfriend the summer before my senior year and shifted my workouts from entirely cardio to almost entirely weights and never really stopped. I'll probably always have skinny-dude calves and we'll see if I ever sniff 3-plate on bench (280 is my current max), but hitting the gym is probably that best habit that I've been able to maintain throughout my adult life.

Massive respect for that transition -- what do you weigh now? How's your overall health? I've seen you mention an elbow issue. The calves are tough... unless you start taking some Winstrol, they'll only get slightly more toned. Had some teammates blow up on it (calves of a race horse), improve their 40 times, but one tore his quad. Tough to add any volume there without the right genetics (I know you've noticed the massive calves on Asians). My Dad played LB and had stints with the Bills and a USFL team...super skinny calves despite beast numbers.

I went the opposite way...scholarship football player who had to hang em' up after a torn hammy (following multiple ACL reconstructions). Didn't lift for 6 months after I was done. When you are forced to lift heavy 4-5 days a week, the last thing you want to do with your free time is lift. Went to grad school and got away from lifting while trying to save the world (what a waste of time).

I'm back at it now, but dealing with lower lumbar stenosis from a herniated disc (no doubt from active to sedentary). Tend to stay away from flat bench, squats, cleans, deads, and stick with mostly kettle bells and machines that support the spine (also pull-ups, dips etc). Was 195 before the sauna/steam and 193.2 after. When I played I was 210, and during COVID I got down to 170.

[TheFrenzy]

Originally Posted by cholodolo

Massive respect for that transition -- what do you weigh now? How's your overall health? I've seen you mention an elbow issue. The calves are tough... unless you start taking some Winstrol.

Carrying more muscle than I ever have at 215lb, but more fat than I’d like as well. Looking to get down around 200lbs ideally and also reach the 1,000-Pound Club on January 1st. (I know 1000lbs on bench, deadlifts and squats is nothing in the powerlifting community, but I spend my days teaching and hanging out with professor nerds.)

100% natty and my lack of boulder shoulders make that clear. Can’t say I haven’t been tempted at times, especially while trying to recover from injuries.

[TheFrenzy]

Originally Posted by cholodolo

Tough to add any volume there without the right genetics (I know you've noticed the massive calves on Asians). My Dad played LB and had stints with the Bills and a USFL team...super skinny calves despite beast numbers.

lol, race, genetics, and athletics are always a touchy subject. A lot of people I work with deny there is ANY racial/genetic influence. But you are correct, different genetic groupings (which at times correspond with racial categories and at times do not) have different basal metabolism rates and different distributions of androgen receptors. A lot of Asians do tend to build lower body muscle faster than upper body.

That’s crazy your dad got to play at such a high level. He ever have any cards that you’ve picked up?

[TheFrenzy]

Originally Posted by cholodolo

Went to grad school and got away from lifting while trying to save the world (what a waste of time).

I'm back at it now, but dealing with lower lumbar stenosis from a herniated disc (no doubt from active to sedentary). Tend to stay away from flat bench, squats, cleans, deads, and stick with mostly kettle bells and machines that support the spine (also pull-ups, dips etc). Was 195 before the sauna/steam and 193.2 after. When I played I was 210, and during COVID I got down to 170.

Grad school is an incredibly abusive and exploitative environment. I’ll be glad to be done soon.

Did the back problems come from a single injury or slowly accumulate?

I’m 37 and my back has never given me problems (knock on all the wood), but most of my friends are already talking about surgeries and lifestyle limitations.

[TheFrenzy]

Arms & Shoulders today.

[Whodatiz]

Paused Squats, Conv. Deads, & 3 Second Eccentric Bench Press today.

[TheFrenzy]

Originally Posted by Whodatiz

Paused Squats, Conv. Deads, & 3 Second Eccentric Bench Press today.

All of the Big Three in one day?

Is that part of your normal routine or trying something new?

[Whodatiz]

Originally Posted by TheFrenzy

All of the Big Three in one day?

Is that part of your normal routine or trying something new?

It's a part of the routine I'm on currently. I'm using Johnnie Candito's Forever Program.

He published an 8 week program that has 6 versions that he utilizes when he coaches clients.

I'm currently on version 2. 4 days per week. With it being one less day, he couples Chest & Legs on one of the workouts. He uses the RPE method, so I'm not going to failure & using judgement on the weight I'm lifting (the 3 second Eccentric Bench Press was the last lift today so I went lighter with little in the tank left).

It's a lot of fun and really tests your overall resolve attempting to build & catapult your strength forward.

[cholodolo]

Originally Posted by TheFrenzy

Carrying more muscle than I ever have at 215lb, but more fat than I’d like as well. Looking to get down around 200lbs ideally and also reach the 1,000-Pound Club on January 1st. (I know 1000lbs on bench, deadlifts and squats is nothing in the powerlifting community, but I spend my days teaching and hanging out with professor nerds.)

100% natty and my lack of boulder shoulders make that clear. Can’t say I haven’t been tempted at times, especially while trying to recover from injuries.

It's bulking season so fat shouldn't be too much of a concern...pasta is back on the menu in my house as pool/beach season is over with. Have you ever tried test? A lot of guys at my gym are on TRT, or other stuff. The shoulder caps give it away...but some of the 40+ are open about it.

Took this for a few months and noticed a difference...not sure if placebo or what. Old world medicine...https://shop.heartandsoil.co/products/whole-package

Originally Posted by TheFrenzy

lol, race, genetics, and athletics are always a touchy subject. A lot of people I work with deny there is ANY racial/genetic influence. But you are correct, different genetic groupings (which at times correspond with racial categories and at times do not) have different basal metabolism rates and different distributions of androgen receptors. A lot of Asians do tend to build lower body muscle faster than upper body.

That’s crazy your dad got to play at such a high level. He ever have any cards that you’ve picked up?

I'm not shocked professors would deny what our eyes and history tell us...there's a reason Serbia has produced the most NBAers of any Euro country. They are all tall and descended from a mountain warrior race that had to hold off the Turks for hundreds of years. What they lack in social manners, is made up for in instinct and physicality. I'm sure being a soccer guy you've noticed different national teams play different styles that adapt to their population...it's why Peru struggles in a physical match up with Germany etc.

Very few cards from that era...a few of the "bigger" USFL stars had them (he played at Utah which while a big football school now, was not big in the early 80s). Played with the Breakers so was teammates with Dupree from OU.

Originally Posted by TheFrenzy

Grad school is an incredibly abusive and exploitative environment. I’ll be glad to be done soon.

Did the back problems come from a single injury or slowly accumulate?

I’m 37 and my back has never given me problems (knock on all the wood), but most of my friends are already talking about surgeries and lifestyle limitations.

Preach on that brother...I've made a few professors laugh telling them I think some of the dumbest and most destructive members of our society have PhD after their name. Are you working on it? I turned it down to the shock of my MA thesis committee...told them I was tired of dealing with the BS (I went to Kansas, "Berkeley of the Midwest", and Trump's win broke everyone. The main library became the meeting place for the "resistance") and having to hold my tongue all the time.

No injury to note; Doc said I could have sneezed or bent over wrong. I thought it was my hip opposite the multiple ACL injures, had a quack think it was fibromyalgia, until a spine specialist said I wasn't crazy and the sciatic pain is because of the 4.5mm bulge.

I'm holding off surgery for as long as possible...do you ever watch Squat University on YouTube? I'd recommend incorporating some of his mobility and spine strengthening before it's too late.

[TheFrenzy]

Originally Posted by Whodatiz

It's a part of the routine I'm on currently. I'm using Johnnie Candito's Forever Program.

He published an 8 week program that has 6 versions that he utilizes when he coaches clients.

I'm currently on version 2. 4 days per week. With it being one less day, he couples Chest & Legs on one of the workouts. He uses the RPE method, so I'm not going to failure & using judgement on the weight I'm lifting (the 3 second Eccentric Bench Press was the last lift today so I went lighter with little in the tank left).

It's a lot of fun and really tests your overall resolve attempting to build & catapult your strength forward.

That sounds cool. What made you decide to go with Candito?

[Whodatiz]

Originally Posted by TheFrenzy

That sounds cool. What made you decide to go with Candito?

His passion for breaking down each and every nuisance through trial and error.

Dude has become such a SME through the years while having fun doing it.

[TheFrenzy]

Originally Posted by Whodatiz

His passion for breaking down each and every nuisance through trial and error.

Dude has become such a SME through the years while having fun doing it.

TIL the term SME—Subject Matter Expert

The algorithm has never brought me to Candito’s stuff, but now I’ll need to check him out.

[TheHeel]

Originally Posted by TheFrenzy

That sounds brutal! You still get around in your day-to-day life alright?

I can't play basketball or run anymore. Nerve damage gives me pain in my leg and foot but medication helps curb it somewhat. Some toes don't move. There are other things that affect my daily life but I can walk and lift weights [carefully]. I don't b.itc.h about it because things are much worse for so many people. Life's good.

[ballhawkdawk]

Originally Posted by TheFrenzy

TIL the term SME—Subject Matter Expert

The algorithm has never brought me to Candito’s stuff, but now I’ll need to check him out.

I have no idea what the online fitness community landscape is like these days, but Candito is one of the best OG fitness Youtubers. I never really followed what he did for my own lifting, but it's clear he knows his stuff, and he has some pretty impressive lifts.

[sportzluvr1]

Originally Posted by TheHeel

I can't play basketball or run anymore. Nerve damage gives me pain in my leg and foot but medication helps curb it somewhat. Some toes don't move. There are other things that affect my daily life but I can walk and lift weights [carefully]. I don't b.itc.h about it because things are much worse for so many people. Life's good.

There you have it.

[ballhawkdawk]

Originally Posted by TheFrenzy

With 275 on bench, 400+ on deadlift, and 300+ on squat, I’m going to shoot for the 1,000-pound club on January 1st.

Barring injury.

Doing all three same day? My #s are similar right now. I might join you. BO powerlifting meet to start the new year. I'll clear 1,000 easy, but probably not 1,100.

Rough estimates:
Bench 285
Squat 375
Deadlift 405

[cholodolo]

Light workout today...going to the Ducks game tomorrow and didn't want to be too tight.

Farmer's carries, single-arm carries, and goblet carries with KBs.

Pull-ups and dips on the weighted machine (easier on the back).

Jacuzzi and steam.

[TheFrenzy]

Originally Posted by cholodolo

Light workout today...going to the Ducks game tomorrow and didn't want to be too tight.

You get rowdy at hockey games or is it more of a "back gets uncomfortable sitting in arena seats" kind of thing?

[cholodolo]

Originally Posted by TheFrenzy

You get rowdy at hockey games or is it more of a "back gets uncomfortable sitting in arena seats" kind of thing?

The sitting and walking irritate the nerves and can cause tightness in my hips and upper back. It's not the end of the world, just need to manage it.

I'm going with my girlfriend so hopefully nothing rowdy...playing Calgary so we will see. Issues arise when LA, San Jose, and Vancouver are in town. Last time I was close to an incident at a sporting event was when two Vancouver dickheads sat during the Star Spangled Banner and the Purple Heart recipient being honored. Wasn't the only one unhappy with that.

[TheFrenzy]

1x425 on the deadlift.

Felt really good. Should be able to hit 450 in early January for my Thousand Pound Club attempt.

[hairysasquatch]

Originally Posted by cholodolo

The sitting and walking irritate the nerves and can cause tightness in my hips and upper back. It's not the end of the world, just need to manage it.

I'm going with my girlfriend so hopefully nothing rowdy...playing Calgary so we will see. Issues arise when LA, San Jose, and Vancouver are in town. Last time I was close to an incident at a sporting event was when two Vancouver dickheads sat during the Star Spangled Banner and the Purple Heart recipient being honored. Wasn't the only one unhappy with that.

As much as the Ducks annoy me, that decision by the Vancouver fans was really in poor taste.

[cholodolo]

Originally Posted by hairysasquatch

As much as the Ducks annoy me, that decision by the Vancouver fans was really in poor taste.

Amazingly, we had a Calgary fan sit down after the Canadian anthem while her partner stood for the Star Spangled Banner.

Judging by the bright colored hair (and girth), suspect it was some misguided social commentary.

My GF was against me initiating any verbals, and as an early Xmas present, complied.