All-Purpose Health and Fitness Thread

[Technico Support]

11 hours ago, Death From Above said:

Down to 300 officially. 15 down, 30 to go.

Trying to start some ab excercises. Jesus christ, you ever want a wake up call about where you're at, that's the ticket. Found this little 8 minute routine designed for people over 40 so it puts minimal stress on the lower back. Figured how hard can it be. lmao

We gettin' there one day at a time.

Good on ya, bud!  Keep it up!

5 hours ago, Shartnado said:

Was it the "8 minute abs"? I heard there's a 7 minute version that is just as good, or you'll get the extra minute for free!

Also, great job! Keep at it, you are already one third of the way there!

Lol I remember the 8 Minute Abs tape!  

[Shartnado]

13 minutes ago, Technico Support said:

Lol I remember the 8 Minute Abs tape!  

And I remember the weird guy from "There's Something About Mary", whose "genius money-making idea" was 7 minute abs and who was about to get homicial when Ben Stiller joked about someone coming up with 6 minute abs.

[Technico Support]

Quick note for @Death From Above that I hope comes off as encouraging…

The first whatever number of pounds comes off quickly and relatively easily due to a lot of factors.  It slows down and you may see times when you lose very little (fraction of a pound per week) or maybe even go up slightly.  Just stick with it.  The scale is a lagging indicator.  How you feel, how you look, how your clothes fit, being able to lift more, run farther, get through 8 minute abs without wanting to die…all these mean more than the scale.  As long as it’s trending down overall, you’re fine.  Never let a scale number discourage you when you know you’re doing well otherwise.  It’s going to take a long time but it’s worth it and we’re all here for you.

[Shartnado]

Night shift week has started. Put on the weight vest for the bike ride for the first time in a week and boy does your body adapt to the easier load fast, since it felt heavy as shit and very unconfortable. Still, no snow as of yet, so I should keep putting it on.

Workout was mostly incline dumbell bench presses, hammer curls, regular curls, lat pull downs and push downs. Did another set of hammer curls with the 110 monstrosities and managed a set of 8 with each arm. Afterwards, the 88's went quite well and felt light. Decent ab work at the end.

Tonight, I need to take the giant bag (20lbs) of gainer with me to work, as the 15 lb one just about ran out early this morning. As far as I know, I didn't gain 15 lbs during the couple of months the first bag lasted, but I did gain a few. I saw a 196 on the scale during the weekend.

[Contentious C]

I went for a swim for the first time in...yikes, 30 years since the last time I tried to actually swim-swim?

My left knee has been barking at me for the last 2 years, and the brief detour through trying to run that I did earlier in the year probably just made that worse.  I've been doing the backward walking on the treadmill lately, but it feels like a Band-Aid at best.  Figured I'd do some of the same stuff in the pool to rehab that and then also push my cardio.

I did all of 5 laps, 4 free and one backstroke, and it wiped me pretty good.  I could have done more if I really felt like pushing myself to the max, but first time back in a while, it was enough.  I'm still *absolute beyond garbage* at actually knowing how to breathe effectively while swimming; I can't do the "head down, exhale, stroke-stroke, come up on one side, take a breath, head down, etc." thing for the life of me.  I wonder if I should take a class for it.  So I just had my head up the whole time as best as I could manage.  I still felt pretty fast; luckily all the things I've worked on for the last 3 years would make (and evidently have made) me stronger at swimming.  I'll have to see how leg day goes tomorrow, though, before incorporating this full-time.

Edited November 11, 2024 by Contentious C

[Shartnado]

@Contentious C Yeah, the breathing technique of swimming is an absolute mystery to me too.

And the Eric Cartman quote "I can only do doggy style" is almost applicable to me, but not 100%.

Anyway, tonight's workout was Meadows Row pyramid. Started with the usual 55 and went all the way to 252 and back down with 5 sets for each arm with 205 or more (12 sets for each arm overall). Another pair of hammer curls with 110's and 88's and almost a standard ab work and that was it.

Didn't put the weight vest on, since the 20lb gainer bag was a load on its own.

[Contentious C]

I've seen a couple of decent Youtube videos that explain it - probably the biggest mistake I would have been making in the past is holding my breath while underwater.  You're actually supposed to exhale the entire time you have your head down because it's way easier on your lungs.  I'm pretty sure the pace I was keeping with my head up is not something I can sustain if I manage to get used to it; I have a lot of lung capacity, but that also means that I'm *used* to having a lot of lung capacity, and doing stuff at less than 100% is taxing.  But if I really want to learn it, then it's probably the kind of thing where I need to take the "L", look like a complete and utter damn fool for a month, and just practice doing it while putting my face down in the pool.

[Technico Support]

lol I just take a deep breath and swim as far as I can.  But shit, I went my whole life unable to swim at all until teaching myself like two years ago after watching my daughter in class.

[Log]

On 11/9/2024 at 9:22 AM, Shartnado said:

And I remember the weird guy from "There's Something About Mary", whose "genius money-making idea" was 7 minute abs and who was about to get homicial when Ben Stiller joked about someone coming up with 6 minute abs.

Step into my office, cause you’re fucking fired!

[Shartnado]

Leg day. 6 sets of squats with the machine plus one warm up. Top set was 6x474. Not pretending it went deep but below the safety pin anyway. Then 3 sets of calf raises with 474 and then 6 more sets with lighter weights each time.

I've never loaded 474 lbs of actual weights on the machine before but this time I did only put two sets of resistance bands on, instead of three. Nonetheless, a record of sorts.

[Technico Support]

Mid week workout report!  I decided to switch up the schedule and alternate lifting and cardio (due to rain and really wanting to lift Sunday instead of run).  Also changed up my set type to do drop sets this week.

Sunday: whole body, including legs, all drop sets (one light warmup set, six sets of progressively lowering weight with no breaks except to change the weight).  Lifted for about 55 minutes.  Good one.

Monday: Ran 4 miles and change.  Stumbled over something in the sidewalk almost 3 miles in...caught myself and didn't fall, but threw off my gait to the point where I think I pulled my hamstring a bit.  Right glute and hammy are sort when I sit, especially on harder surfaces, but are fine when walking.  Hopefully I didn't do a slight disk herniation.  It's not bad, didn't affect yesterday's lift, and it'll heal.

Tuesday: all drop sets again, just upper body because I was in the office and the work gym's leg equipment isn't great.  Really good workout, absolutely exhausted after about 45 minutes.

That's the mid-week.  Testing out the gutle & ham with another (hopefully) 4 mile run today.  Colder today, 41F right now, but nothing like @Shartnado's arctic tundra.

Speaking of:

Q: Did you hear that the Swedish military is putting barcodes on all their ships?

A: That way when they come home, they can just "scan da navy in."

[Shartnado]

Tonight was definitely an off day, although not a day off. Plenty of heavy resistance band stuff (used 2 sets for lat pull downs, push downs and chest flies) but otherwise, everything was kept light. Regular bench went actually worse than last time. Side delts were kinda heavy, as I did them sitting down and bending forwards. I guess it was mostly rear delt work, then?

I feel like I may not have another workout in me this week. We'll see tomorrow evening.

[Technico Support]

16 hours ago, Shartnado said:

Tonight was definitely an off day, although not a day off. Plenty of heavy resistance band stuff (used 2 sets for lat pull downs, push downs and chest flies) but otherwise, everything was kept light. Regular bench went actually worse than last time. Side delts were kinda heavy, as I did them sitting down and bending forwards. I guess it was mostly rear delt work, then?

I feel like I may not have another workout in me this week. We'll see tomorrow evening.

I frequently find myself saying the same thing, but somehow I always end up working out.  

Today’s bout of gym idiocy: guy in the men’s locker room on FaceTime with his kids.  I was tempted to drop trough and walk past him.

[Shartnado]

Well, as it turns out, I did have another workout in me and I'm glad I did.

Trapbar day, but not volume, after all. Started from deficit lifts 5x264, 3x374 off the high deficit and 1x469 without and 1x491 with Versas off the low deficit. Then 3x513, 3x553 and 3x564 off the floor. Not "floor level", from the actual floor. Then to the blocks. 3x658,5 off the 4/5 blocks and 2x753 and 1x848 off the full blocks. Then 2x5x670 and 12x575 off the full blocks on the way down. 3 sets of shrugs with 385, 355 and 243. Stretching, hanging and rolling at the end, but no abs tonight.

I haven't done 3x513 off the floor since I was a spry 41 years old and to my best recollection, I have NEVER done 3x564 before, as my legitimate off the floor PR was 1x561,5, so something positive has happened. I don't know if it is the volume sessions, deficit lifts or the extra gripper training but that was some real improvement for a change.

[The Natural]

Really good gym session today. Legit LOL when NSYNC Bye Bye Bye played over the gym speakers.

[Shartnado]

1 hour ago, The Natural said:

Really good gym session today. Legit LOL when NSYNC Bye Bye Bye played over the gym speakers.

After Deadpool and Wolverine, I should probably add that one to one of MY gym playlists, to be honest!

[Death From Above]

I weigh myself on Fridays, so I can now say I'm officially under 300, 298, for the first time since ????

[Technico Support]

54 minutes ago, Death From Above said:

I weigh myself on Fridays, so I can now say I'm officially under 300, 298, for the first time since ????

Fuck yeah, dude.  Fuck.  Yeah.

[Shartnado]

56 minutes ago, Death From Above said:

I weigh myself on Fridays, so I can now say I'm officially under 300, 298, for the first time since ????

You know that you are totally going to make your goal, right? And it's going to be awesome!

[Shartnado]

8 hours ago, The Natural said:

Really good gym session today. Legit LOL when NSYNC Bye Bye Bye played over the gym speakers.

In fact, let's listen to that motherf...r right now, ok?

All things considered, this is a hit song, it ain't no lie!

Edited November 15, 2024 by Shartnado
This is good stuff!

[The Natural]

11 hours ago, Death From Above said:

I weigh myself on Fridays, so I can now say I'm officially under 300, 298, for the first time since ????

Well done!

[Shartnado]

Rested on Monday due to there being a dentists appointment in the morning, (well, dental hygienist but, anyway) so early rise and extra trip to the town center. I did put the weight vest on for the ride to work, though.

Today, vest on as well but now there starts to be ice and snow on the roads, so these are some of the last trips with that on until next spring.

As workout, it was Meadows Row pyramid and a bunch of single arm overhead dumbell presses.

Meadows Row went from 55 to 216 to 55. With 4 sets 205 and above.

The top set with right arm was 8x61,5 (helped up with the left hand on the first rep) and with left 5x75 (also 12x66 and 5x70,5).

Bunch of gripper and reduced ab work at the end.

[Shartnado]

Today was a squat machine day. I just learned the term "pendulum squat" and wonder if that's what the machine is actually called? I did a pyramid, but no calf raises this time. 3 pairs of resistance bands this week.

Warm up sets of 3 until the top sets. I did 3x110, 3x205, 3x300, 3x395, then 4x489 and 5x489, 4x395, 5x300, 6x205 and a bunch of partials at the bottom with 110.

Afterwards a set of hammer curls with 110's and 88's and hanging, rolling and hanging upside down.

I hope this didn't take too much out of tomorrow's potential Trapbar.

Checked images, NO it's not a pendulum squat machine, by the way!

Edited November 20, 2024 by Shartnado
Not a pendulum squat...

[Technico Support]

The good news: great workouts Sunday (hour-ish of weights), Monday (6 mile run), Tuesday (hour-ish of weights)

The bad news: oral surgery yesterday, can't work out, except maybe walk, for at least a week.  I'll pick it back up the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

The blessing in disguise: forced to rest up nagging knee issue and hamstring/glute soreness that I'm pretty sure is a minor disk hernaition.  But shit, minor herniation, I can live with.  Not in the same universe as the herniation a few years ago where a disk exploded and I needed surgery.  Always look on the bright side.

[Contentious C]

Pendulum squat?  Probably not.

I should have this video embedded at the point where he more or less starts demonstrating it.  I wish I'd ever been in a gym that had one.  Every gym I've seen has the opposite curvature: the machine is concave relative to your body/back, whereas this is convex.  Pendulums are kinda like belt squats, rare in the wild and good at their jobs.