All-Purpose Health and Fitness Thread

[stuntmanc]

The weather in the NE US over the past few weeks was too cold to get into my heatless garage, so I was focusing on Kettlebell complexes.  However, with the "heat wave" of 30-40 degree weather, i got back into the garage the other day with Bench/SLDLs/Hang High Pulls/KB Halos and Bulgarian Split Squats.

Heading back in today for Squats/DB OHP/BB Rows and Hammer Curls.

Will Finish up the week on Sunday with Weighted Pullups/Dips/Good Mornings/Ab Wheel/DB Squats.

 

Missed actually lifting, though the KB Complexes were killer. 

[Shartnado]

New Deadlift records again today. Yesterday was a bench pyramid day but no rows, just lat pull downs.

Today, my new PR's were 363 lbs double overhand grip, no Versas, 473,5 lbs (overhand/underhand grip, no Versas) and with Versas 495,5 lbs. Damn, I'm 4,5 lbs away from clearing 500 lbs on a conventional deadlift. At the end I did 3x528,5 off the full blocks and then shrugs with 440,5 and 352 and one set of bent over rows with 242.

Yesterday evening before going to bed my evening weight was at 203, but obviously, evening weight, so probably still around 198-200 in the morning. Abs weren't looking exactly great, but given the weight, it could be much worse at the moment, so yay!

[Shartnado]

Completed the 24 minutes of bicep/tricep combo with 53 lb dumbell and it was brutal. Probably will need to go back to 48,5, because I couldn't really do proper behind the neck skullcrushers with 53, they were more like OHP's. Finished the shit with push downs and chest flies and a bunch of reverse shrugs. The pump was gnarly. Nice start to the night shift week.

On Saturday evening before bed the scale was up to 205, so with any more push and I'll go over the cruiserweight limit once again!

[Technico Support]

1/2 cup of Kodiak protein instant pancake mix, 1/2 cup plus a little extra of water, scoop of Optimum Nutrition Vanilla Ice Cream protein powder.  39g of protein, not bad on carbs, tastes like angel food cake!

[Shartnado]

Rest of the week went with a heavy Seal Row pyramid, a solid leg day and a bench, dumbell incline bench and EZ Bar Curl on the Scott bench -combo, sprinkled with resistance band chest flies and body weight reverse shrugs. Then deadlift last night. Improved the "without Versas" lifts with 374 (double overhand with thumb lock) and 479 (over/underhand) but failed a couple of attempts at 501 with Versas. Did a few lighter lifts after that, but nothing noteworthy.

Next week I'm doing 3 12-hour shifts at work and then have the rest of the week off, so most likely I take the whole week off from the gym. I have been going full 5 workouts for the past 5 weeks, and heavy ones at that, so this is probably for the best. 

[Shartnado]

Ended up doing 2 12-hour shifts and a regular 8 hours on the third day, but didn't have anything left to stay for the gym after that, either. I had very productive work days, though, so I'm feeling good about that. So, now I'll just eat and rest for 4 days. My sports massage session was cancelled once again just before I was about to start biking over there, so that kinda sucked. Well, could have been worse, I could have been already on my way!

Went to the scale last night, and if the evening weight was at 199, then the trend has moved downwards this week. Well, I was busting my ass at work and only had a warm meal on Tuesday, so not exactly shocking, even if I don't even recall being all that hungry during work and I did have bunch of other stuff to eat. The way this week went, it means I kinda have two day-shift weeks in a row, so with any luck I may settle into a rythym just in time for the night shift week!

[Shartnado]

5 workouts this week, but nothing earth shattering. Was able to complete 26 minutes of bicep triceps combo with 44 lb dumbell at the beginning of the week and closed it with a 396,5 double overhand grip deadlift without Versas. Nothing else was anything special but getting good pumps and quite the DOMS afterwards, so certainly worth something. 

I was finally able to figure out the YouTube app, so here's my new deadlift video that features an awesome track by Lex Luger and my biggest lifts from last fall to this February:

https://youtu.be/c6pkkGd3ve0?is=G0BrPLbDaYWic7Eg

 

Edited March 7 by Shartnado
a new video added

[Shartnado]

Finished a 28-minute bicep/tricep combo with a 39,5 lb dumbell, so I think I can do 30 minutes with a 44.

Anyway, I noticed over the weekend that both of my arms were at 42 cm (16,5 inches) flexed, not pumped, so I knew I had to also measure them pumped the next chance I get. That was after those 28 minutes and a couple of push down sets and yes, they were at 45 cm (17 and 3/4 inches?) again, as I suspected! That's not normal, but it is cool! Weight is around 200lbs, reaching 205 on weekend evenings, so there is that to consider, but it's not like the arms are any less defined than usual, so it's not exess fat in those parts, my midsection is another matter, though!

[Technico Support]

I can't lift for a week, only able to run, and it's driving me nuts.

[Technico Support]

I think I'll just lift tomorrow but keep it light.  

[Shartnado]

Work week was a total shit-ass, leaving plenty of calories on the table as I was too swamped to eat properly. As I'm writing this, I'm forking down a batch of creamy chicken pasta with broccoli, carrots and babycorn that I was supposed to eat AT work, not home.

Anyway, workout week was decent, against all odds. I did a heavier than last week squat machine day (still not really heavy, though), a lat pulldown pyramid and Arnold Press/ barbell overhead press day, regular bench pyramid day (11x230 and 7x252 are worth mentioning, both on the way up) and regular deadlift day last night. 2 new PR's, as I lifted 402 with double overhand grip (with thumb lock) and 484,5 with mixed over/under grip (after lifting 468 before that). That took enough out of me to ruin the Versa Gripps lifts, but I'll take what I can. The thumb lock method of gripping has helped me improve those particular lifts for more than 70 lbs in like a month's time (well, over 50 lbs, anyway) but it's so painful that it might as well be called "the thumb screw-method"!

I need to go to sleep now, so I can start cleaning once I wake up sometime in the afternoon.

[Shartnado]

Completed 30 minutes of bicep/tricep combo with 44lbs. Sweating like a hog by the end of it, but I made it. I'm not sure if I am going to attempt the same with 48,5 next week or not?

[JLSigman]

Had a follow up with my doctor yesterday - still under 180 pounds (WOO-HOO~!!), blood pressure was perfect. I got to make a pointed comment that last time I was here they did NOTHING for my pain, which sent the trainee doctor scurrying for the on call doctor, which got me a Gabapentin prescription. Unfortunately, they also decided that I'm the one who needs to follow up with their referrals who haven't called me back instead of, you know, having someone at their office who does that (ugh my ADHD hates this). I go back in three months, while also having a bone density scan (when you're AFAB and 50 and White, you have to start keeping track of osteoporosis). 

[Technico Support]

Back to lifting at normal weight after having to baby my wrist for a week-ish.  No injury, just artery healing after a test.  Huzzah!

[Shartnado]

Rough week at work but a decent one at the gym. Lat pull down pyramid, a bench pyramid, a heavy but short squat machine work (top sets of 3x500 and 3x584) and some deadlift (or Chuck Norris Lift as it will from now on be known as). Was able to get 407,5 with double overhand grip without Versas or gloves and 440,5 with mixed grip without gloves. Redid my record of 484,5 with mixed grip without Versas. No new records with Versas, failed 506,5 twice but got it up off the full blocks and then did 528,5 before failing to lift 561,5 and 550,5, respectively. Then did 5x440,5 off the full blocks before switching to shrugs. 

[Technico Support]

Out running today, an older gentleman yelled to me YOU BRINGIN THAT HIGH SCHOOL LOOK BACK, MAN!  YOU LOOKIN GOOD!

I don't know if that was about my running attire (tank top and running shorts with built-in compression shorts) or he was saying I look like I'm 18, but I'll take any encouragement I can get.

[Shartnado]

On 3/23/2026 at 7:18 PM, Technico Support said:

Out running today, an older gentleman yelled to me YOU BRINGIN THAT HIGH SCHOOL LOOK BACK, MAN!  YOU LOOKIN GOOD!

I don't know if that was about my running attire (tank top and running shorts with built-in compression shorts) or he was saying I look like I'm 18, but I'll take any encouragement I can get.

Man,what wouldn't I do to be called an 18-year old, even from a distance! That was so cool!

Some 2,5 months left to my high school reunion, so it will be jarring to see the former 18-year olds I used to know 30 years ago, I'm sure!

Edited March 25 by Shartnado
18-year olds, 30 years ago...

[Shartnado]

Quite the week this time around, EZ-Bar curls, incline dumbell bench, regular bench, lat pull downs, squat machine, Meadows Row and Seal Row on different days and regular Chuck Norris Lift today. So, I felt like I wasn't going to make any new records as far as heaviest weights go, so I got the double overhand grip lift out of the way by adding another 11lbs to the previous record at 418,5, then the mixed grip for 2x462,5 and then with Versas, 5x440,5 (followed by 3x418,5 before switching to shrugs). So three new records by thinking outside the box.

My gainer ran out at work this week, so the bulk is just about done. I'll go for maintenance for a short while before slowly starting the cut a month early this year. More time means less drastic measures, especially for the first month. Basically just cleaning up the diet and making healthy choices. The weight vest is about to be dusted off very shortly, as well!

The bench pyramid I did had some of the best lifts I've done in a good while. 12(just shy of clean 13)x220, 8x241,5, 5x252,5 and 4x263,5. It's nice to not totally suck at bench once again. Far from my best efforts, but not crazy far.

Edited March 28 by Shartnado
bench thoughts added

[Contentious C]

So, I had a fun 36 hours.

I haven't been to the dentist in...a long time.  Prior to today, I couldn't honestly tell you the last time I went.  College?  Something like that?  So a good 25 years.  Granted, I'm one of those people with low-effort-to-maintain teeth, so I had never had the first problem or real warning sign until the other day.

A piece of, well, something, cracked off of one of my lower front teeth, and I was already thinking I should go in anyway, so that kind of sent me into a panic to do it sooner rather than later.  I had an appointment made for June, but there was a cancellation yesterday and I was able to get in first thing this morning.  Turns out all the stuff I thought was a sign that my teeth were going bad was just...really bad plaque buildup, because that happens when you don't go to the dentist for decades.  And it all just came off after a thorough cleaning.  Everything else came back totally fine (except for one trouble spot that, again, I've had for 15 years and isn't going anywhere in the 6 months before my insurance will pay for the fix) as it always has. 

So, an interesting see-saw from, "Oh shit, I should take this more seriously and maybe change my consumption habits," to "Whoo-hoo!   Nothing's wrong!  I will learn exactly zero from this experience!" in the course of a day.

[Shartnado]

After more than a year with very subpar lifts on regular bench I'm finally approaching something resembling what it used to be. Last week getting 11 clean reps with 241,5 and 5 clean plus one ok rep with 263,5, I will probably be able to move up at least a little bit this coming week?

EZ Bar Curls got a new PR as well,  as I did 7x152, although the ROM wasn't exactly great this time, either.

I have now entered the pre-diet mode for the month of April. I will try to clean up my diet, start with the burners and such and slowly start to upping my cardio (hopefully) but try not to go crazy until the beginning of May.

My weight is at 198ish and I have to say it's looking pretty decent even at that weight, so the prospects are looking promising. I have been very sober so far this year and it's definitely doing my head in at this point, but it looks like I'm still crawling through the next couple of weeks this way.

[Shartnado]

Was able to up my bench to 274 for 5 partial reps 3 of which were fine and two were garbage, but it's nice that it moved. There were plenty of lighter, clean reps in other sets, so I definitely don't mind. 

Also tried some heavy dumbell curls on the Scott bench and went up to 75 with each arm, so that was cool, too.

Regular Chuck Norris Lift had no new max lifts, as has been the case for the past few weeks, but the double overhand grip without gloves went up to 2x424 and I did 5x446 with Versas so both of those are PR's.

Monday being a day off and skipping Thursday in order to have lunch with my friend, I only had 3 workouts this week but I think I made them count. 

[Petey]

Just chiming in to share my GLP-1 experience.

I'm 38 and will be 39 in July. I've struggled with my weight my whole life. Grew up overweight/obese until my early 20s, when I started to eat "healthier" and exercise more.

I dropped a ton of weight by 22, but really struggled a ton with keeping it off and fighting what's now called "food noise." I yo-yo dieted for the better part of a decade. Crash diets, obsessed with "cheat meals" or "cheat days." I was consumed by food and constantly hungry, even when I'd eat a "proper" amount. I never felt satisfied unless I ate until I couldn't move. If I went to the store to grab something simple like deodorant, I'd have to pump myself up in the car to try to prevent myself from grabbing $30 worth of snacks on the way out.

As GLP-1s like Wegovy (same active ingredient as Ozempic, except Wegovy is meant for obesity, whereas Ozempic is for diabetes) and Zepbound got more popular, I did a ton of research and became very intrigued by them, but couldn't afford them as my old insurance wouldn't cover them.

I switched jobs in September (I'm a schoolteacher) and finally went on Zepbound. It's covered by insurance, so it's only $25 a month. I started in early October and since then I've dropped 40 lbs. I'm averaging 1.5 lbs per week. This comes after I dropped about 35 lbs from the end of June through the beginning of October because I went on a different drug that's mainly used to treat folks struggling with substance abuse. That drug helped my food cravings, but it also had a side effect of making me feel super warm and sweat a ton, which isn't great as a teacher who is on their feet all day.

I feel like there's a lot of misconceptions about GLP-1s, but I wanted to say that my experience has been incredible. I have had 0 negative side effects. The most common are nausea and constipation. I've always been someone who drinks a lot of water and makes sure to get a lot of fiber, so that probably helps. The best part is just how different my relationship with food has become. I'm no longer consumed by it. I'm not hungry all the time. I feel satiated after eating a "normal" portion of food. I can go to the store and not feel like I'm about to crawl out of my skin when I'm around food. I can go to restaurants and not feel like I "must" order greasy fried food. I can have leftovers. I don't feel like I will only be satisfied if I eat until I can't move. It's been an incredibly freeing feeling.

Some people will point to other side effects like hair loss and muscle/lean body mass loss. However, those are side effects of weight loss in general, especially rapid weight loss. Because I've managed to lose significant weight at other times in my life, I already know that losing 4-5 lbs per week for months on end is not sustainable and can lead to things like hair loss and muscle loss. However, because GLP-1s are, for many people, the first time they've achieved sustained weight loss, they often assume the side effects are from the drug as opposed to the rapid rate of weight loss in general.

I'm posting this because I know a lot of us struggle with our weight, and even with significant weight loss, it can be even harder to keep it off. If you're someone with struggles similar to mine, and you have the financial/insurance ability to go on a GLP-1, I highly suggest you consider it with your doctor. This is a drug that I'll likely be on for my entire life, and I'm perfectly OK with that. I don't consider it "cheating" or an "easy way out," although there was a time I probably would have felt that way. I feel like it just gives me a fighting chance at achieving sustained health.

TL;DR: Struggled with weight my whole life. Went on a GLP-1. Feel better physically and mentally than ever.

[Shartnado]

@Petey Thanks for your personal experience on weight loss medication and hopefully there won't be any side effects or problems moving forward, either. Your experience may help others with similar situations find the correct option for them as well, since there seems to be quite a few of them (and the list is growing) these days. Best of luck to you in the future, as well!

[Technico Support]

@Petey hey man, good for you!  That's so awesome to hear.  I know quite a few people on GLP-1s and nobody should ever feel bad about getting help with health.  Getting weight off and being healthy is so important.  I've had a few doctor/hospital visits in the past few months (everything's fine) and it just sucks to see so many waiting rooms (I almost wrote "weighting rooms" in a masterful Freudian slip) filled with unhealthy people.  Getting healthy and staying that way is so important, especially as we get older.  Keep doing your best and I wish you well on this health journey, friend.

Edited April 13 by Technico Support

[Shartnado]

Bunch of stuff this week but nothing notable, except for the Chuck Norris Lift record of 6x451,5. I was able to do 3x352 with double overhand grip without the thumb lock but then failed 2 attempts at 440,5, despite the thumb lock. So even that has limits (other than the pain of crushing your thumb).