Weightlifting/exercise thread

[DDDP]

DDDP - If I am reading that right - you eat followed by a three day fast, eat, two day fast, and then one meal a day over the weekend? That is really impressive. How long have you been on this schedule?

Thanks! I started omad in 2017 and have been on it since then, mixing in longer fasts (2 or 3 days usually) throughout the month depending on schedule and life events.

I usually do 16 - 18 hours daily followed by a 24 hour fast Sunday night into Monday night. Generally speaking I'm hungry enough to eat about a meal and a half a day at this point.

A few years back I did a four hour window for a year, but didn't see any noticeable results. I much prefer the weekly 24, but may stretch it to 36 this year. Maybe.

Definitely try a 36hr fast just to see how it feels! Lotta people focus on a "window" and I think that's a solid foundation, i.e. I don't think it matters much if you do omad or 6hr window (or whatever) as long as you are fitting in a few longer fasts per month/week, and not slipping back into old eating habits. The practice is just as much about taming food as it is about the calorie deficit. Sounds like you crossed that bridge awhile ago. Most don't. Most give it up when they realize it isn't a quick fix.

I think pushing yourself further into 24+ hr fasts is the prize. I like OMAD because then I'm only skipping one meal if I wanna go further. I only have one "temptation" per day, if that makes sense. Longer fasts will push the body into processes such as autophagy, heightened hormones related to growth, detoxification, lowered insulin levels, improved insulin sensitivity in cells, tissue replacement, heightened brain derived neurotropic factor, etc, etc.

Fasting / restricted window is a reliable way to cut calories, and I won't look down my nose at anyone who has hurdled that hurdle. But in my opinion if you're already going that far, might as well take it all the way and look into what longer fasts can do beyond the calorie deficit (speaking generally, not at you directly).

[drauch]

I did intermittent fasting for a few months a couple years back. I found it absolutely miserable at times, but eventually got over it a bit, although some mornings felt particularly brutal at the beginning. I only quit because I shit my pants three times. No joke, after coffee I'd have a fart and it'd come out of nowhere. Blew right through my underwear and through my dress pants at work one day. Usually a good shart you can kinda feel the pressure and all that and can play it safe, but man, these just shot right out of me, just pure liquid. I guess with just the coffee/water in my body it just went right through me, so I ditched it. One of little dignity, but going home to change my pants wasn't fun, clenching my watered cheeks all the way.

[Stevens]

Yeah the temptation thing makes perfect sense. I started the eating window maybe five years ago. Within the last six months I started the weekly 24 and someone I work with made a similar suggestion about pushing it to the next day. It would be 40 - 41 hours total. 7 to 7 is 24. Wake up at 5 AM (34 hours) - black coffee - eat breakfast around noon.

Very doable. Half the extra time is sleep and I usually eat around that time everyday anyways. The detox/autophagy is where to money is for me.

[GaijinPunch]

I did intermittent fasting for a few months a couple years back. I found it absolutely miserable at times, but eventually got over it a bit, although some mornings felt particularly brutal at the beginning. I only quit because I shit my pants three times. No joke, after coffee I'd have a fart and it'd come out of nowhere. Blew right through my underwear and through my dress pants at work one day. Usually a good shart you can kinda feel the pressure and all that and can play it safe, but man, these just shot right out of me, just pure liquid. I guess with just the coffee/water in my body it just went right through me, so I ditched it. One of little dignity, but going home to change my pants wasn't fun, clenching my watered cheeks all the way.

Well that was very detailed and informative.

That being said, I'm about to shit in a bucket for 4 days, so let's hope I'm not a 20 minute bike ride from my locale at any given time.

[Stevens]

God speed GP.

[DDDP]

I only quit because I shit my pants three times. .

My morning tea gets that out of the way for me, but yeah this is real talk. Gotta be careful. I've had some close calls during early-morning yoga / rings routines, like during plow pose or inverted hangs...

[Randorama]

Steve, re: push-ups.

I am thinking of simply experimenting with combinations and "feelings" for a bit, before deciding on a proper schedule that may be "definitive", at least for this semester.

I should fare better with declined push-ups when it comes to learning HSPU's, though I can also practice static handstands for balance and tension.

Yesterday I tried a steep angle (70 degrees or so) with toes on a shelf. I felt that the movement was way easier wrt balance, and that force and tension were there. So, I am planning on exploring this "path", too.

I also tried archers and I definitely need to: a. split the two exercises (i.e. assign them to different days); b. work on form on both (but I *believe* that a few weeks of practice will do wonders).

Pull-ups: I am adding finger push-ups to improve grip, as it is clear that my grip needs to improve. Maybe I will add leg raises or levers.

Leg raises, I have no problems with legs but the grip needs to be improved (...and I can do V-sits on the floor, go figure). Levers, I would need to strengthen lower back muscles a bit, for perfect form.

At this point I may simply spend September by trying out exercises and working toward a schedule. Haste makes waste, and so on.

BTW: suggestions on dips variations? Basic grip, I can do them easily with non-trivial loads (2 reps with +40 kgs), but variety is always better, of course.

[Stevens]

The experimentation is, in a way, part of the fun.

Once you know exactly what you'll be doing though stick with it. Far too many people do this, and then they're doing this, and then they're onto something else. This stuff has worked for me because I've stuck with it and have a pretty good program of things I do and the days I do them on.

Today is squats followed by the spin bike: )

You mentioned form on your archers - anything specific you are having trouble with? That is one of the great things about my work (I work with another guy all day who is also pretty fit) - I never hesitate to ask my him if I'm unsure of my form, and he knows his stuff. Especially when I am getting into movements I am less experienced with.

Leg raises. I spent years on the floor before moving to a bar to do them hanging. Which admittedly I should have done sooner, but that's OK. Requires a whole other group of muscles cause you want to be nice and stable. None of that rocking shit: ) I've gotten much stronger on that front over the last few months since I moved to the bar. I currently do what some call frog raises - my legs are bent at a 45 angle on the way up, then I straighten them and lower them slowly.

Dips are the exercise that isn't in Convict Conditioning, but should be. That said I'm pretty vanilla with them - straight up full body dips. At work I have a great set up with parallettes and aerobic steppers. The steppers are high enough that I can do full ROM dips with my legs straight (and they keep me from leaning forward).
The park near me is nice, but I have to tuck my feet under me. 40 KG is impressive, highest I ever worked up to was about 30 lbs.. Other than a progression to get someone to full body dips I haven't really gone beyond adding weight.

Back to your 40 kg load. Damn. I would suggest lowering the weight and play with something you can do 12 - 15 clean reps of. When you can hit 12 - 15 (any number in there is good, those are the numbers where I usually feel comfortable enough to move on to something more difficult) and still feel like you can do a few more - add a little weight (like an amount where your next set will still be like 9 reps). If nothing else the lower weight and increased reps will help your soft tissue get stronger. And you will be under far less orthopedic stress.

I like to hit those numbers for two or three weeks in a row before I move on. Like shit! 13 was EASY, I could have done more no problem. That kind of feeling. If I try something and can only get a rep or two out of it I see it as - Cool! I can do it. But I'm not quite ready to be doing it full time. Or as I say sometimes I have to dial it back to move forward.

Stay strong farm.

[Randorama]

Archers: I am starting again on Monday and doing a first session to check form; reporting as soon as I know how well I am faring, but a few attempts at home leave me optimistic (me sucking at form etc.).

Leg raises: ditto as above; I need to understand how much work the stabiliser muscles will do, but legs and abs should be fine (I can do V-sits, after all...I guess that there will be some forms of skills transfer).

Dips: Sorry, 40 kgs is 1-2 reps before I "die" (they're though), done at/on parallel bars set at 1.70 mts (5'8"?). No failure, but I tried this load to get a feeling of what might be my current upper limit.

I can do 12-15 reps at 15 kgs easily (33 pounds), so I am mulling on the idea of moving to 17.5 kgs (i.e. another 5 pounds). I did some parallel bars (and rings) training when I was in the Navy (OK, 20 years ago...), so I learnt to enjoy this type of exercises.

Then again, calisthenics are always an intellectual pleasure, for me

[DDDP]

I must've pulled something during a set of ring pushups + ring flies because it has been hurting for the last several days. Felt kinda like a bruised rib because it hurt to breathe/cough but after I iced it the muscle relaxed. So I've been laying off the chest exercises and doing a lot of jogging and jumprope to keep up the calorie burn. I've transitioned over to one of those 1lb pvc ropes because the wire-thin speedrope kept getting kinks in the rope... even though I only use it on flat concrete. After burning through the third kinked rope, I started using the 1lb one a lot more and now it's the regular one. Highly recommended. My calves and upper legs are statuesque, and the stamina I've gained over the last ~year of jumping rope is incredible.

Are folks here working out in home gyms, hitting up parks, etc or have you transitioned back to public gyms? I'm curious how people have adapted/evolved their routine since lockdowns began. I've definitely learned a ton of new stuff since ~March last year and it feels like a lot of others online / irl are learning too... or are at least more open-minded about fitness at home / in the neighborhood. I can't imagine why anyone would put their faith in traditional gyms/fitness centers at this point, since they can be closed at the drop of a hat. Seems like the logical choice is to build a concrete fitness base in your home gym / nearby park / friendgroup and to treat the public gym like a nice treat / nice visit. Otherwise your MUH GAINZ are at risk of being disrupted from a gym closure (i.e. you no longer have access to equipment necessary to continue your regimen).

[Randorama]

I promise! Full report and answers with the next post, but first a small zinger:

Waifu push-ups are fun (waifu sitting on my back, 1.57 mts for 42 kgs of resistance!). Her complaints on my form ("be tighter, I am wobbling over here!") were not

[Stevens]

Currently the months of the year I work (Sept - June) I work out at work. Have I mentioned I'm the PE guy?

Tuesday through Friday are my work days. Up at five, in office at seven. Stretch, warm ups, and work sets and I'm finished before the kids are in. Monday since it's a rest day I go in later.

We have an excellent set up and I can do everything I do at work. Floor and walls? Yup. A lot of aerobic steppers that I've fashioned into a dip station with parallettes? Yup.

We even have a monkey bar set up with two volleyball polls, a six foot section of monkey bars, and a 2x4. One end of the bars anchors into the 2x4 and the other into the wall. It brings the playground inside.

We built something similar for the kids. We tested it. Totally safe. Administration didn't like the blisters.

In a pinch I can hang from the basketball backboard anchors too.

If I'm off I can do most of this at home except the dips, horizontal pull ups, and flag work. Parks and scaffolding take care of that!

Last day of cycle. Bridges, dips, hands, and some flag work. Broke through on archers yesterday - two sets of 13 on both sides. Getting closer..

[DDDP]

Stevens, that sounds like paradise. Sounds like you get a lot of bodyweight work in throughout the day(?). I've found that's the best way to excel in those exercises, to sink in as much volume as you can from morning to night without straining/overexerting yourself of course (there's a balance). I'm blessed to wfh so I can exercise in my meagre garage-gym. It makes a tremendous difference, the all-day routine. My endurance and my speed of advancement have made my traditional gym-bro buddies confused and jealous

Congrats on your archers! Hopefully you can move up into your next progression soon.

Randorama, looking forward to the update. Every little bit of self-reporting keeps the group consistent w their own goals.

[Stevens]

Haha. Yeah, now that you mention it, it kind of is!

We put the monkey bars up this morning and since there are still no indoor classes for the time being they're staying up. All year.

Kind of psyched too cause I think I can make a fair bit of progress on press flags this year. Made some headway with the press two or three years ago, but had to shelve it.

As far as volume - I will generally stick with high intensity, low sets. Most things I do two sets, but for squats and bridges one is enough.

That said I've found volume is excellent if I plateau and just can't seem to add any more reps. I'll do lots of sub max sets. Not necessarily throughout the day, but I've had results with that approach too.

If I keep running into a wall of ten reps Ill cut back to say seven and then do a set of seven every 15 minutes until I'm spent. Instead of two sets of ten I wind up with six or seven sets of seven. 20 vs. 40+ is a big difference: )

[EmperorIng]

Since my last post, I have finally achieved my goal over the past month or so, breaking the 30-minute mark for the 5k race. I haven't been able to do that since I was in high school. Pretty gratifying that I am trending towards my teenage athleticism, vs the opposite.

First time was on an unbearably hot and humid morning (85f for us yanks), clocking in at 29:50. The next time, last Saturday, was much much cooler and enjoyable, and I worked down to 29:20. Is even breaking 29 minutes possible?

When I was in high school I could apparently run these three-mile races in 21-24 minutes. Coincidentally, my former teammate and team captain from high school was there, now coaching his own group of kids. He was a star runner back in the day, able to run a mile in less than 5 minutes at his fastest. Despite being in his early 30s, he has only slowed down a -little- bit, running the 5 kilometer course in 16:00 flat.

[Randorama]

I have a gym right next to my building, but they are renovating so I am training outdoors.

This means that I am switching weights with fixed-seat rowing (...OK, not a perfect switch), and spinning bicycle with running. Once the gym opens, I will probably go rowing at least once per week anyway.

This week I have tested a few exercises:

1. Archer push-ups (2x2x10);
2. Towel pull-ups (2x2x2, one arm being in the one-arm pull-up position but holding to a towel);
3. Decline push-ups (on an espalier, and I can do 1-2 at roughly 90 degrees! 4x15 at 45 degrees, as an indication).
4. One-leg press (4x4x15: I am using a machine that allows me to push my own weight).

For archers, I *believe* that my form is quite good, and that starting at 10 reps is the way to go: I probably have 12 in the tank, but I would be knackered (and off form) if I would try them.

Form: pushing hand goes near the matching nipple and pushes until the arm is straight, archer hand points to the side, the arm is as extended as possible, remains extended during the movement, etc.

Decline push-ups: hands on the floor, feet climb the espalier one bar at a time, arms slowly get closer to espalier to reach a properly aligned back, I do the push-ups when I reach the right angle (i.e. arms can move vertically).

Coach Steve, am I on the right track?

I have also tried levers, dead hang ons and various other grip exercises, to get an idea of what I should improve in my one-arm quests.

Recovering form and angle for the V-sits, and tried a 4x10 leg raise session with leg as 75 degress or so. All relatively good, but grip when handling horizontal bars must improve (!).

At the gym, I practice dips wih weights. Outdoors, I can use this bad-ass set of parallel bars at the nearby track'n'field/basketball court.

At 2 metres height, the initial and final movements are akin to muscle-ups: grab bars over your head, swing a bit, push swiftly! Go up, do dips, go down, try not to feel like someone tried to rip your arms off.

I am doing dips with slightly negative ROMs (4x15): I go a bit deeper than 90 degrees (tricky: an incorrect movement may hurt the back).

I am spending 2-3 seconds in each resting position to create as much as tension as possible. OK, during the last series my rotor cuffs were screaming, but I wasn't risking failure.

I am also following the GTG method: "Grease The Groove", which is Pavel Tsatsouline's label for practicing an exercise throughout the day. When possible, I do push ups (diamond grip!) with the waifu as a weight. Yesterday I completed 4 reps without shaking and maintaining form.

I am definitely feeling the switch to more intense exercises: the chest and in general the upper core muscles are slightly sore (first week after holidays!) but tension and mass are DEFINITELY building up.

[Stevens]

This week I have tested a few exercises:

1. Archer push-ups (2x2x10);
2. Towel pull-ups (2x2x2, one arm being in the one-arm pull-up position but holding to a towel);
3. Decline push-ups (on an espalier, and I can do 1-2 at roughly 90 degrees! 4x15 at 45 degrees, as an indication).
4. One-leg press (4x4x15: I am using a machine that allows me to push my own weight).

For archers, I *believe* that my form is quite good, and that starting at 10 reps is the way to go: I probably have 12 in the tank, but I would be knackered (and off form) if I would try them.

Form: pushing hand goes near the matching nipple and pushes until the arm is straight, archer hand points to the side, the arm is as extended as possible, remains extended during the movement, etc.

Decline push-ups: hands on the floor, feet climb the espalier one bar at a time, arms slowly get closer to espalier to reach a properly aligned back, I do the push-ups when I reach the right angle (i.e. arms can move vertically).

Coach Steve, am I on the right track?

I have also tried levers, dead hang ons and various other grip exercises, to get an idea of what I should improve in my one-arm quests.

Recovering form and angle for the V-sits, and tried a 4x10 leg raise session with leg as 75 degress or so. All relatively good, but grip when handling horizontal bars must improve (!).

At the gym, I practice dips wih weights. Outdoors, I can use this bad-ass set of parallel bars at the nearby track'n'field/basketball court.

At 2 metres height, the initial and final movements are akin to muscle-ups: grab bars over your head, swing a bit, push swiftly! Go up, do dips, go down, try not to feel like someone tried to rip your arms off.

I am doing dips with slightly negative ROMs (4x15): I go a bit deeper than 90 degrees (tricky: an incorrect movement may hurt the back).

I am spending 2-3 seconds in each resting position to create as much as tension as possible. OK, during the last series my rotor cuffs were screaming, but I wasn't risking failure.

I am also following the GTG method: "Grease The Groove", which is Pavel Tsatsouline's label for practicing an exercise throughout the day. When possible, I do push ups (diamond grip!) with the waifu as a weight. Yesterday I completed 4 reps without shaking and maintaining form.

I am definitely feeling the switch to more intense exercises: the chest and in general the upper core muscles are slightly sore (first week after holidays!) but tension and mass are DEFINITELY building up.

Your numbers look good.

- Archers. Yeah I like hand/thumb to nipple as well, it's pretty comfortable. You may have to swivel your hips in whichever direction you are moving and that is OK. Just don't break in your hips. Keep tight through your core.

- Declines. Wow that's great you can do them at 90, but go back to 45. You'll get stronger faster and less orthopedic stress. Strength is funny like that: ), but it makes sense.

- Dips. One of the things I FUCKING LOVE about doing them at my jerry rigged dip station is the aerobic steppers give me something to put my legs against so it makes stabilization much easier. Which allows me to go below 90 safely. You can always reduce your ROM slightly until you feel stronger and then increase again.

Make sure you're getting enough rest! I'm a big fan of 7 - 8 hours at night and a 30 - 45 minute nap most days if I can sneak one in.

I felt really strong yesterday morning. Dips and horizontal pulls felt easy. Felt good to bridge too. Finished with some flag work and finger push ups. When I started the wall version it was pretty easy. When I moved to inclines they were really hard. After that the rest of the steps were easier. At one point I tried diamonds but it feels really uncomfortable so I just stick with the regular ones now.

[GaijinPunch]

Since my last post, I have finally achieved my goal over the past month or so, breaking the 30-minute mark for the 5k race. I haven't been able to do that since I was in high school. Pretty gratifying that I am trending towards my teenage athleticism, vs the opposite.

Contrats! Feels good when you're an old fucker and you do shit the kids do, doesn't it? You can imagine my feeling at the age of 27 or so when I started running 5k. As a 6'3" 252lb offensive tackle I could not do that in high school. And as a cigarette smoking party animal through college and beyond, I could still not do that. I got up to 8 miles twice a week for a while (was doing 7 last month) before the knees get pissed off. I'll take that at 46.

First time was on an unbearably hot and humid morning (85f for us yanks),

True Chicagoan. I've moaned about it here a lot, but once more won't kill anyone. I used to jog twice a week around 16:00 or 17:00 in Yoyogi Park. I love that place - solved many work and life problems there. But in the summer it was fucking Dagobah. Usually didn't get too much higher than the low 90s but is consistently 70-80% humidity in July & August, and very likely raining in June. Brutal. Actually I think you're supposed to check the dew point to measure how horrible weather is. I think the red on that chart means "oppressive". And I never figured this out but winter is dry as a bone - like, cracks in my hands if I don't moisturize... with the Pacific Ocean right there.

When I was in high school I could apparently run these three-mile races in 21-24 minutes. Coincidentally, my former teammate and team captain from high school was there, now coaching his own group of kids. He was a star runner back in the day, able to run a mile in less than 5 minutes at his fastest. Despite being in his early 30s, he has only slowed down a -little- bit, running the 5 kilometer course in 16:00 flat.

As per before I was an offensive lineman. Wore weight okay in high school but then first year of college I went soft. Real soft. Yikes. 2nd year I lost all of it and then some.


Soooo, anywho, I went to the Renegade Burn last week and it was all that and more. Don't listen to bullshit from the Pershing County Sherrif's office. He's pissed he didn't get his cut this year. I definitely could not keep my diet up out there, and obviously, exercise is a tricky one (although burning calories is easy). So I was concerned with what little visible gains I've made in the last 6 weeks would be wiped clean, but that was not the case. That week was my deload week -- I did my entire M-F weight schedule on Sunday through Tuesday, but at about 60% of my usual intensity. In otherwords, just went through the motions. Then, Wednesday through Monday, raged in the desert. I haven't weighed in yet but staring at myself in the mirror, I look basically the same as when I left, but with a sun tan. It's notoriously easy to lose weight out there, as getting food down is tricky in the face of pounding water non-stop... and of course this year having to shit in a bucket wasn't making anyone eager to fill their bellies.

So, started a new cycle. Same muscle groups... swapping out about 1/3 to 1/2 of the lifts to introduce some confusion to the muscles. I have some travel coming up. I've told my hosts I need a gym and they all say no problem, so hopefully I can keep riding the wave. Not sending any nudes out yet though.

[Randorama]

I have some travel coming up. I've told my hosts I need a gym and they all say no problem, so hopefully I can keep riding the wave.

Great stuff! Training while travelling is one of the great pleasures of life. If you can run around the places you are going to visit, it would be perfect.

Not sending any nudes out yet though.

...Also guys, you need to try out the higher 90's (F) and lower 100's, plus 90% humidity, to feel pure oppression. The converse also holds true: anything lower than -5 C (20's or lower?) and dry will make your soul crack. If you complete *anything* in those kinds of conditions, outdoors, you have earned a "will of steel" badge.

Highly suggested to everyone, because a "will of steel" is always useful in life.

Steve, on a (more) serious note:

- Archers: do they get more difficult if I start using objects to elevate my supporting hand? I am trying to think ahead, wrt to progression. For the moment, I feel that hips can remain stable.

- Declines: roger that. It was fun to go fully vertical and complete a pair of reps without falling, but at 45 degrees I was clearly getting the maximal tension effect and my muscles and back were not screaming (eh!).

This is my new favourite exercise, indeed.

- Dips: form is (should be) good and legs are stable.

The bars should be built according to gymnastics standards, which means that the width is relatively narrow (43 centimetres/ 16 inches?). It's one of those measurements that force practitioners to have good form, or else.

I get the feeling that if my form is not perfect, then ROM increases are simply impossible - I wouldn't fit within the space between the bars.

Sleep: I usually do 7 h + 15-20' power naps after lunch (I have a sofa in the office). More time would be difficult - I do not need much rest unless I train (...and unless I completely avoid caffeine).

The power nap is a bliss - I do not even really fall asleep: the body "falls silent", my mind remains vaguely active (basically, I daydream), but I recover 5-6 hours of efficient work if only because I am fully refreshed.

[Stevens]

I have some travel coming up. I've told my hosts I need a gym and they all say no problem, so hopefully I can keep riding the wave.

Great stuff! Training while travelling is one of the great pleasures of life. If you can run around the places you are going to visit, it would be perfect.

Not sending any nudes out yet though.

...Also guys, you need to try out the higher 90's (F) and lower 100's, plus 90% humidity, to feel pure oppression. The converse also holds true: anything lower than -5 C (20's or lower?) and dry will make your soul crack. If you complete *anything* in those kinds of conditions, outdoors, you have earned a "will of steel" badge.

Highly suggested to everyone, because a "will of steel" is always useful in life.

Steve, on a (more) serious note:

- Archers: do they get more difficult if I start using objects to elevate my supporting hand? I am trying to think ahead, wrt to progression. For the moment, I feel that hips can remain stable.

- Declines: roger that. It was fun to go fully vertical and complete a pair of reps without falling, but at 45 degrees I was clearly getting the maximal tension effect and my muscles and back were not screaming (eh!).

This is my new favourite exercise, indeed.

- Dips: form is (should be) good and legs are stable.

The bars should be built according to gymnastics standards, which means that the width is relatively narrow (43 centimetres/ 16 inches?). It's one of those measurements that force practitioners to have good form, or else.

I get the feeling that if my form is not perfect, then ROM increases are simply impossible - I wouldn't fit within the space between the bars.

Sleep: I usually do 7 h + 15-20' power naps after lunch (I have a sofa in the office). More time would be difficult - I do not need much rest unless I train (...and unless I completely avoid caffeine).

The power nap is a bliss - I do not even really fall asleep: the body "falls silent", my mind remains vaguely active (basically, I daydream), but I recover 5-6 hours of efficient work if only because I am fully refreshed.

https://farran.abwe.org/convict-conditioning.html

When you get to level 9 - Lever Push Ups (scroll down just a little) you'll see it is performed with a basketball. I went from a basketball, to a foam roller, parallette, ground.

So to answer your question raising your straight arm/support hand will make the exercise easier.

The progression from archers is sliding one arm push ups which you can see here at about :40 seconds:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bXV576zK08

That said plenty of people have gone from archers to one arm, I won't be one of them though. Definitely going to stop at sliding one arms first.

They're interesting. I've seen them done with the sliding arm going out to the side like archers, to the front, and diagonally. I need to spend more time with them.

[GaijinPunch]

Sooooo....

I actually weigh less now than when I adopted this program. 188 yesterday, after a swim even. I was 191 a week or two before. I've not been doing as much cardio either, for various reasons. I can see and feel the difference, and I am definitely able to lift more weight across the board compared to when I started so I know it's "working". Anywho, my thoughts as to why:

- Noob dreamzone of gain muscle and burn fat simultaneously. This seems the most unlikely. I was pretty active through quarantine. Lots of cardio, and a decent amount of weight lifting, albeit limited variations. However, the lifting was definitely only moderately challenging at best, and now it's quite challenging. Anyway, I understand this phenomenon is only present when you go from zero to something. I wasn't at zero and haven't been for at least 15 years.

- Residual effects of a cardio-based workout still lingering? I'm kind of pulling this out of my ass. I've always felt it takes my body weeks to actually get the benefits of any type of physical activity. Could my body still be reacting to a cardio-centric workout from 6 weeks prior? I've had no other big changes - still working from home, still a very boring existence in Silicon Valley.

- Due to my lanky ass body, I'm actually doing cardio. This seems to carry some weight (pun intended) especially when considering single arm/leg lifts with a long range of motion. I'm 189cm (6'3" in freedom units). When I do 3 x 10 Bulgarian split squats, I am absolutely sucking wind. The mask I'm required to wear does not help. Now that I've raised the weight a bit, I have to do a 30-60 second break between each leg. Lunges, etc. are very similar. Arms, not so much but a little. Is this a crazy notion?

That's all I got. I'll keep measuring and see where I go. I am eating substantially more food though. Before I was on a solid 3 meal a day schedule with a snack in there, but my lunch was almost always an amazing salad: (Spinach, basil, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, pine nuts, some kick ass olive oil shipped directly from Greece, and a splash of vinegar). Dinner I'd have something like a beyond burger or other "hearty" plant-based meal with a salad. Now, I aim to have 4 meals a day w/ 40g of protein. Loads of eggs, facon, plant-based burgers, Lentils not enough but at least once a week. I feel like it's an extra 1000 calories a day.

[Stevens]

Jeez. I wish I was hungry enough to eat four times a day. Little jealous.

Fasted since 4pm yesterday and will eat around 7 tonight. In another week or two I'll revisit extending it till Tuesday around noon.

GP I believe the best thing a human can do for their health is maximize the amount of muscle tissue they have. Exercise physiology is not my strong suit though. The weight could be a whole host of things - changes in diet, adaptation to something new in your program.

There is something referred to as epoc or excess post o2 consumption:

https://www.google.com/search?q=how+lon ... -srp.0.0l3

But my understanding if basic at best and it only seems to last a few days.

Have you been doing any inverted work?

[GaijinPunch]

I will check that out. Cheers.

My routine hasn't changed much from before. Nothing inverted except for the occasional left-hand inverted when I'm bored. . It's mainly just lifting. Some body weight stuff (dips, pull ups, chinups) all with very light weight added (about 5 lbs). I'm doing generally 3 sets of 10 for weights for three weeks. If I can increase a couple of pounds for any set, I do. I then raise again (10-15% or so) and do 3 sets of 8. Rest, back to 3 x 10 at hopefully the same weight as 3 x 8, but there are adjustments. I swim twice a week without fail (3000 yards) and I have some 30 minute bike rides on some of the weight days. Until a week or two ago I was jogging 7 miles twice a week but that has taken a hit for a couple of reasons... one fatigue from gym.

I definitely could have just put on extra Covid fat that is going away now. I'd like to think I didn't have too much b/c I was exercising through the pandemic, but truth be told, one 45 minute workout a day isn't close to what I was burning before: an admittedly better/longer workout, 2.5 mile ride to work each way, walking around an office, and probably doing some more movement somewhere else.

Also, the whole desert thing for 5 days could have had a way bigger effect than I thought. I drank a ton of beers though so I suspected I'd come back softer.

EDIT: I was doing HIIT a while back (when I first repatriated). Went pretty well and considering doing it again as an hour on a treadmill is starting to kick the shit out of me.

[DDDP]

Rib healed. Back to the rings (dips, chin ups, pushups, holds, rows, stcs), timed isometrics, and kettlebell walks.

I skipped about 1/2 of my cardio volume last week because of birthdays/weddings/ribs, plus adding in all the decadent meals and treats. Last night at boxing club was rough, but I got through it in one piece. I guess I needed a reminder / humbling

is it considered bad form to share workout tracks / albums? Scold me if so, or don't.

https://youtu.be/4q_olgmmvdE

[GaijinPunch]

Having given up all meat except fish (and eating very little of that TBH) has made my falls off the wagon a bit more bearable I feel. Now that I need excess protein it requires a lot of creativity (and sadly repetition). But I don't have the problem of going to someone's BBQ and eating enough ribs to destroy me for a few days. Mac 'n Cheese and Doritos? Sure but I keep that to a minimum.

Good track, btw. A bit harder than what I usually listen to but sounded good. I made a mix of some tech house I bought off beatport recently. Not sure if anyone digs that shit here but I could post it somewhere.

[Randorama]

Steve: I am having problems with the "convict" link (random censored link? Bah), but yes, I have started with archers on the ground, as I was finding supports too easy.

I am *definitely* going with sliding one arms, as I definitely need to work more on the small details (tight hips, tucked elbow, etc.). I always need extra time on form. The variants you mention, I know them to be important in gymnastics for stability/strength on floor and (probably?) other specialties.

Decline push-ups may be the first exercise I max out (i.e. bring to 20, very intense).

I am considering switching to the...garbage bin, as placing my feet on the espalier bars means using a very tiny surface for support and the lower body tension is a bit overwhelming, now.

I may switch to the bin, get used to the tension by e.g. crossing my feet and then max out the reps, and then move back to the espalier.

DDDP: Ah! I have become a great fan of silence these days; I hit the gym on early mornings just to avoid lame stuff on the radio, too

I do believe that using music to time practice (e.g. "play this song during pull-ups") is a great help to keep a brisk pace, though (and less boring than looking at a stop watch, of course).

GP: How on Earth can you eat Doritos and Mac'n Cheese...The "junkiest/most processed" I can handle these days are ice-creams (once in a blue moon), and pastry for breakfast.

Anyway, just to have fun with food: quail eggs are little protein bombs, and you can never go wrong with Quinoa (protein atomic bombs!) and chick peas.

I mix Quinoa with rice, as the waifu adores it (...Quinoa is otherwise really bland).

Quail eggs, I suspect, are a Chinese/asian thing, but if you can buy them, you can double your proteins with half the volume (one small quail egg=2 normal eggs worth of proteins).

Chick Peas, for me, are the equivalent of Monty Python's spam: I'd put them in just about everything, and prepare my own hummous at home, to spread over...well, everything (OK, not Moon Cakes. Yet!).

Btw: how are you guys handling coffee & tea, at our respectable ages?

[DDDP]

Having given up all meat except fish (and eating very little of that TBH) has made my falls off the wagon a bit more bearable I feel. Now that I need excess protein it requires a lot of creativity (and sadly repetition). But I don't have the problem of going to someone's BBQ and eating enough ribs to destroy me for a few days. Mac 'n Cheese and Doritos? Sure but I keep that to a minimum.

Good track, btw. A bit harder than what I usually listen to but sounded good. I made a mix of some tech house I bought off beatport recently. Not sure if anyone digs that shit here but I could post it somewhere.

Post it man! I'm trapped in front of a computer for 10hrs a day so I'm cycling through hours of music every week. I'll give it a listen.

If you are "avoiding meat" but not full vegan, add milk kefir. Adds its own protein, but also (greatly) improves your ability to digest. Doubly true for plant-based protein which is harder for the body to digest. Hence, why many cultures have fermented their soy, wheat, fibrous leafy greens, root veg, etc prior to consumption. I think improving gut health is a better choice for 90% of people instead of pumping pre-workout and hitting 100+ g of protein per day. It begs the question how much of that is simply pooped back out instead of digested. Better to first "make the most" of the protein you're already eating instead of pearl-clutching over 10 grams here, 20 grams there (not that you are doing so), which also adds more calories that you have to incorporate into your overall diet schema.

DDDP: Ah! I have become a great fan of silence these days; I hit the gym on early mornings just to avoid lame stuff on the radio, too

I do believe that using music to time practice (e.g. "play this song during pull-ups") is a great help to keep a brisk pace, though (and less boring than looking at a stop watch, of course).

For sure. I like to use songs as a loose timer since I never have the ambition to set a stopwatch, except sometimes prior to a jog (just to see how i'm doing).

Btw: how are you guys handling coffee & tea, at our respectable ages?

A few mugs of loose leaf tea each morning. Cutoff at ~10am since the caffeine will be (mostly) gone by bedtime. I also mix in my poor man's preworkout (raw cacao powder, Vit c powder, ashaganda, unflavored beef gelatin) to get that into the system.

[GaijinPunch]

GP: How on Earth can you eat Doritos and Mac'n Cheese...The "junkiest/most processed" I can handle these days are ice-creams (once in a blue moon), and pastry for breakfast.

Doritos are my Achilles heel. Remember, I was a fat kid for the most part growing up. I only eat them once in a blue moon - most definitely a guilty pleasure. I don't eat much Mac 'n Cheese but in the midwest, it is made to perfection. It's so fucking heavy I almost never get it, since it's a side, but god damn when I do...!!!!

Post it man! I'm trapped in front of a computer for 10hrs a day so I'm cycling through hours of music every week. I'll give it a listen.

Aight. I'll post it on some site tonight. I figure I should put it on Mixcloud at some point but this way, you can have it in 320kbps goodness and not waste your data in the gym.

If you are "avoiding meat" but not full vegan, add milk kefir. Adds its own protein, but also (greatly) improves your ability to digest.

I've been a pescatarian since before that was a word (seriously), although I'm not quite pescapescatarian. I just can't handle milk... never could. I do eat a fair share of yogurt though. Tried Oikos which does have added protein, mainly b/c it was dirt fucking cheap at Costco. Pretty meh, but edible. I doubt I'll get it again. Plain jane Greek + nuts, fruit, and honey just can't be beat. I eat pretty healthy by just about any standards. By American standards I'm probably in the top 95 percentile. Although the higher protein has meant my vegetables have taken a hit due to space. I am trying to fix that.


Coffee: Still love coffee, but lately I've cut it down to 1, maybe 2 cups a day. I was a solid 3 for ages, but once I started jogging in the park with all the crack heads, going to the toilet that only sometimes worked there was not really desirable, and I have no problems pissing on a tree, but it's pretty crowded and didn't seem cool.

[GaijinPunch]

Here you go

A lot of stuff from All Day I Dream... a few from Kompakt, etc...

[DDDP]

Sounds like your nutrition is ON POINT GaijinPunch.

Thanks for dropping the link. Just rolled outta bed and logged into work, so this'll be perfect.