tectactoe: Sput's Gym/Fitness Thread

tectactoe 12.07.21	Where my gym rats at? My fitness junkies. My people. You don't have to live in the weight room or obsessively attend Pilates classes to be welcomed here. Even walking as a hobby counts. And if you're looking to diversify your health and fitness portfolio, here's the best place to ask! :o)
BigTuna 12.07.21	Fun thread! For the last year or so, I've been into bodyweight fitness. It's been a really nice addition to my typical cardio-only life (running, soccer, basketball). My wife and I just had our first child, so I've hit pause on the progressions, but I'm happy with the new baseline I've established. Once I can get back into a good routine, I'm hoping to work toward a clean, unaided muscle-up. Other than that, I'll just keep slowly working on progressions and probably start adding some weighted lifts too.
tectactoe 12.07.21	Nice, nice. Never attempted a muscle-up, myself, but I honestly don't think I could do one if I tried. My lumpy ass taps out around 15-16 pullups nowadays. I was dying inside during the Covid lockdowns when gyms were closed - resorted to doing Insanity and P90x routines in my basement for months and actually learned how crappy my cardiovascular health was (compared to my "muscular" health e.g. being relatively strong and fit, low bf%, etc.) so it kind of opened my eyes a bit and now that gyms are open again I still try to get SOME amount of cardio work in throughout the week, whether it be walking with my kids around the neighborhood for a while or 10 minutes of HIIT. And I know those child feels bro, but congrats - kids are life's greatest timesink, but one whose rewards are unparalleled (as I'm sure you already know).
BigTuna 12.07.21	Muscle-ups are hard. They require such coordinated upper body strength. I was getting close-ish before baby, but I'll have to start over (not from scratch, though). In the meantime, I've been loosely greasing the groove, trying to focus on really good pull-up form. I was putting in some great work on the rings pre-baby, too, so I'm excited to bring those back out. Insanity is no joke! I've gone through it twice, and now I've decided I don't need to be in that good of shape cardio wise lol.
Hyperion1001 12.07.21	drinking pwo and bout to head in the gym right now. been working out since probably 2013 when I saw in college. im doing a linear progression scheme right now called GZCL, which mixed high weight low volume with high volume low weight compounds and I love it. don’t believe in 1RM so I have no idea what my true max is, but im working at 250 3x5 deadlift and 240 3x5 squat. can’t really bench heavy because of a bad rotator cuff but I still hit around 150 3x5. gym is honestly my favorite time of day.
claygurnz 12.07.21	Curse you guys measuring everything in ibs so I have to convert it to kg to get a good idea of where you're at lol
MO 12.07.21	nice total, mine are currently: deadlift - 550 bench - 320 squat - 455 definitely not sustainable and will be changing to more volume based lifting in the next few years for sure. I leaned more towards casual powerlifting like 70%, 30% bodybuilding. that'll change to lean towards BB soon
Hyperion1001 12.07.21	yeah I gave up 1RMing after I bulged a disc in my back trying to yolo some squats. feel like it’s just a very quick way to get injured which sucks ass (my rotator cuff has been a nightmare recently and it ain’t fun). highest I ever hit was 4 plate deadlift but DL’s have always been my favorite exercise. short guy with huge hips lmao, I was built for it.
MO 12.07.21	rotator cuffs and shoulders in general are no joke. beginning of this year I got some bad tendinitis and bursitis in my right shoulder from doing dumbbell presses. couldn't lift it above 45 degrees for about 3 months. that was awful. somehow it's not giving me too much grief these days and my bench is basically back to where it was. I feel like I got lucky and could've torn it bad
twlight 12.07.21	Van Morison at the gym? haha I'm trying to get back into it, got a gym membership and have a goal to go 3 times a week. I usually lift for a bout 45 mins then run a mile on treadmill to end go to gym jams: Johnny Booth - First Hand Accounts Meshuggah - Koloss Spiritbox - Eternal Blue ETID- Radical
garas 12.07.21	Cool idea. I'm doing HIIT cardio with occasional tonal excercises regularly - started it at home, like a year ago? I'd like to share some numbers, but I rotate the daily excersises frequently (thanks to Darebee) so I don't know what could I say. Maybe this: usually 25 minutes daily with additional cycling in the city when the weather is nice. Nothing biggie, just wanting to stay healthy.
Hyperion1001 12.07.21	honestly it’s been much better after I found this rehab technique that some orthopedic surgeon developed, which is just hanging prostrate from a pull up bar and stretching the rotator cuff tendons and muscles. according to him doing that for like 5 minutes a day is almost more helpful than surgery, and I gotta say it’s really been working so far.
MO 12.07.21	nice I actually stumbled across the shoulder hanging therapy and it was so helpful. sounded like a bunch of shit and couldn't believe it haha
Hyperion1001 12.07.21	I know I was super skeptical at first because the fitness/rehab industry is full of baseless bullshit but I’ve been truly surprised at how much it’s helped so far.
tectactoe 12.07.21	@Hyper - nice. I've dabbled in GZCL before, I think that's what I did after I got bored with Ice Cream Fitness but it's been a long time (maybe seven~ years ago?). Since that time I've pretty much stuck to variations of Wendler's 5/3/1. Can't do linear programs anymore and his schema leaves enough room for variation. Back in 2015/16 I was trying to get as strong as my body would allow. Nowadays, I'm all about longevity. Of course I'd like to maintain strength and harvest more wherever possible but my major goal in recent times is to keep things interesting and fresh. @MO - awesome numbers, lovely squat jealous of that m8. You must have glorious quads (and probably a nice butt, too). I've went for 450# twice in my life and could not get outta the hole either time :o( @twlight - yeah, very strange I know, though when I listen to music at the gym, it's less about "pumping me up" and more about blocking out the godawful shit that plays on the gym radio lol. (Also very important to keep headphones in to prevent randos from talking to you. Not that I'm not friendly but old people at my gym try to use it as a social center and I'm just tryin' to get in-n-out, nomsayin.) @garas - Awesome. Do you have a referred HIIT routine/schedule? I use some app on my iPhone (forget the name) and it only ranges from 10-15 minutes but goddamn it kicks my ass every time.
garas 12.07.21	> Do you have a referred HIIT routine/schedule? I do workouts like this: https://darebee.com/workouts/cardio-supreme-workout.html And some tonals like this: https://darebee.com/workouts/barbarian-workout.html They look so easy, but especially that Cardio Supreme gets brutal just after a few minutes.
garas 12.07.21	I try to monitor my performances with a smartwatch, but many times it's totally not accurate... :\| But for example it works very well for cycling or swimming, but for such indoor workouts it's a bit meh.
tectactoe 12.07.21	Nice, thanks - will need to check that stuff out. I like the app on my phone because it's quick and rigorous but it's also quite boring so I'm looking for new things to try out lol. Also added dates to the specs and goals so you can track progress or be held accountable for lack thereof :o)
DoofDoof 12.07.21	put me down for 'old person gym workout' been listening to the new Mastodon down there quite a bit...any 'heavy' dance music is good, and any metal with a groove basically
garas 12.07.21	> also quite boring so I'm looking for new things to try out lol I'm sure you'll find something there. They have over 1000+ different workout routines in their database! Really handy website.
Senetrix666 12.07.21	Bodybuilding (body part split using various intensity techniques like rest-pause, giant sets, drop set, etc) Go to gym albums: Crowbar - Sonic Excess Immortal - At the Heart of Winter Acid Bath - Paegan Terrorism Tacttics Converge - Axe to Fall
Hyperion1001 12.07.21	this is my brother and I’s collaborative workout playlist. lots of chugs and ughs. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Fp9kzMDBwUCG1tgbsB9r4?si=CzAEkh0jQhGtmHkK2KyIeg
garas 12.07.21	I also have a short playlist if ye are interested: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyHeKtUK3WkKNS3ovFgaE4PyOONZQ6vE5&feature=share
BallsToTheWall 12.07.21	I can it go to gym 2 days a week now that I have a grueling job of handling barrels and totes. Being gym strong has helped dramatically though with the endurance and strength needed to work with 40-50 pound barrels and 100-150 pound totes.
BallsToTheWall 12.07.21	But otherwise, I always make heavy (60-90 pound) weighted dips, pull-ups-, lunges, presses and deadlifts a weekly staple although I’m too tired from working in the sun to go heavy any more.
Sinternet 12.07.21	could never stand the gym i run a 5k every other day and walk about the same amount on a rest day, although my sleep schedule has stopped me for the last couple of weeks as there's nowhere good near me to run at night really want to get back into swimming but its just too expensive
cvlts 12.07.21	Muay Thai fighter here My usual workout week during fight camp (currently) is: 1-2 HIIT style workouts, 1 hour each 1 weight training workout, 1 hour 2 heavy bag workouts, 1 hour each 1 Level 1 style pad/sparring workouts, 1 hour each 2 Level 2 style pad/sparring workout, 1 hour 1 Fighters style sparring session, 30 mins-1 hour 3-5 miles running, every day.
bloc 12.07.21	Anyone do PHUL? I started it a couple months ago after alternating between PPL and a basic upper lower split for years and I really enjoy it
Hyperion1001 12.07.21	never done that particular routine but mine is essentially the same basic approach. 4 rotating days with a T1 and T2 lifts for all the compounds where T1 is heavy 3x5 and T2 is lighter 8x3. just fill out the rest with complementary isolations/support lifts. i always eventually get bored so i might try it when i switch it up.
Gnocchi 12.07.21	Cool list idea. Does BJJ fit in amongst all the iron mongers? Training 3-4 times a week and I’m currently the lightest I’ve ever been since high school. Haven’t experienced any other school but the GB system has been great so far. Lots of community/one team feel even though we’re choking the shit out of each other.
Colton 12.07.21	been lifting about 9 and a half years, minus like 9 months when the pandemic started. Before that I was an obese kid, but started dieting when I was 14 and then discovered the gym and never looked back. Went from like 225 pounds down to 135, and then over the course of many years bulked back up to 210, then back down to 180, and I've been around that ever since. Now I have the opposite problem where I'm trying to gain weight again and struggling lol. I also have moderately severe scoliosis that has made it difficult to lift the way I want to. I don't barbell bench because it exacerbates the problems I have with shoulder instability, I don't squat anymore cause my doctor says putting all that weight directly on my back causes spinal compression which is no good, and deadlifting is hard because I only have lower back muscles on the left side of my body (almost nothing on the right side, it's very odd). So I have to tailor my workouts around that. In spite of that I'm decently strong, but really working out now is just about sticking it to the shit hand I was dealt physically, and just not giving in or letting it stop me from doing what I wanna do. And also having big arms. Gotta have big arms. It's also a great excuse to get stoned and listen to music for a couple hours. Used to love running but also had to give that up because my back can't take that much impact. But recently discovered the stairmaster and since then my cardio game has improved tenfold. Stairmasters are hype
AlexKzillion 12.07.21	So I've been lifting pretty regularly/casually since high school... but I got dumped a couple months ago and have been in straight revenge body mode. 4-6 days a week depending on school, PPL, 1.5x protein per bodyweight, creatine, pre, the whole nine yards. This is easily the most locked in I've ever been (especially nutrition wise) and the strength gains have been coming quick. I don't really go for 1RMs cause it just seems like an easy way to get injured, but some of the heavier lifts I've hit recently: Barbell Squat: 315 x 5 Deadlift: 365 x 5 Bench: 185 x 5 Tbh the best part of the gym is just doing physical shit while listening to Dillinger, ETID, Knocked Loose, Converge etc.
Gnocchi 12.07.21	Chef talking here: in regards to surplus (in regards to calorie deficit/not) what are you using for loading. Meal plans? How many? Protein vs carb etc
Hyperion1001 12.07.21	"Tbh the best part of the gym is just doing physical shit while listening to Dillinger, ETID, Knocked Loose, Converge etc." check my playlist bro its got very many junz and skronks
Colton 12.07.21	all you gotta do is count calories until you’re consuming an amount that causes you to slowly gain weight, and make sure you get enough protein. Most people need around 0.8 grams per pound. besides that just eat healthy foods and be consistent and that’s really all that matters
Hyperion1001 12.07.21	and dont forget FATS. you wanna stay healthy in the gym you need those triglycerides. tree nuts and peanut butter are my go to for healthy fats.
Gnocchi 12.07.21	I’d probably lift that 0.8 to a firm 1plus. Find zinc heavy foods and assure some magnesium loading before bed (banana for eg). The hardest part is finding a fibre balance and upping your meal loading to 6-8 meals per day. Especially if you’re time poor etc. Depending on your build and stomach you’d probably be best spending a few months building up to that threshold.
Gnocchi 12.07.21	Agreed Hyp. Nut butter= underrated.
Colton 12.07.21	most people don’t need 1g/pound. that number is not really supported by data. there are some people who need around that but most don’t. pretty sure it only became the “standard” when protein powder companies started recommending it, in order to make people consume their products faster
Colton 12.07.21	nut butter rules but isn’t underrated imo, everyone loves it
Trundle 12.07.21	All time best at 170 body weight Bench: 250 Squat: 365 Deadlift: 405 Deadlifts were my fav
tectactoe 12.07.21	I think I read somewhere that the amount of protein per lb bodyweight used by the average (i.e., relatively in-shape and non-genetically mutant) male is closer to 0.68 to 0.74x. Some are lower and some are certainly higher, again depending on activity level, genetics, lifestyle, etc., so 1.0x has become the "ideal" number in the sense that (1) it's easy to remember and (2) it will ensure no matter what that you're getting enough protein. Anything above that is excess, which is OK as long as your body and wallet allow it. Just make sure to get enough fats, too - important for things like cholesterol, mental health, libido, overall energy levels, etc. Saturated fat is not the enemy people from the 70s-90s made it out to be! Stay away from partially hydrogenated fats/oils (non-ruminant trans fats) and you'll be peachy-keen. Carbs/sugar are the real "enemy," if there were one. But some people's bodies are equipped to handle those will no problem, either, so it all depends on what you can handle. I've had a few issues with high blood sugar in the past (as well as high blood pressure), so I limit carbs to around 150-200 g daily (and most of the time I'm way below that, too, but nowhere as low as "keto" levels) and try to make sure as little of that is 'sugar' as possible. Since then, my blood sugar is down below prediabetes levels.
Colton 12.07.21	the way I look at it is, the human body has all these vitamins and minerals that it needs to be healthy, and pretty much all of them can be found in abundance in fruits and vegetables, which are made up almost entirely of carbs for the most part. so there's no way carbs are the enemy, it's just that modern diets often have a huge excess of them, or a huge excess of sugar. but if you're active I believe in a diet with lots of healthy carbs. just not so many that it brings your protein and fat intake to a level that's below optimal
bloc 12.07.21	Fuck that shit I just wanna walk sideways through doors bro
Gnocchi 12.07.21	--Carbs/sugar are the real "enemy,"-- agreed that this became a marketing spin in order to push certain fad diets and what not. Back in the day/sports nutrition especially you'd find carbs are the main energy source your body 'feeds' off. I'm talking generalizations of course. I think (and studied/occupational training) you find better value in choosing coloured carbs (think potato - go for the purple or rice: brown/black etc) and of course moderation. The body wasn't really meant to deal with over-consumption (i.e. extr Western food practices). I know it's been brought up, but if you "cheat on keto" you're probably doing okay.
Pheromone 12.07.21	i wanna get back to sub 20 minute 5k
Gnocchi 12.07.21	--most people don’t need 1g/pound. that number is not really supported by data-- Sorry I should have specified this is for sports/bb et al - and a generalisation at worst/forgiving advice at best. The data is available for these fields - but again there's the copout of every body is diff/talk to you dietician/what works best for you and goals. tl;dr if it's on the internet take it with a grain of salt (lol)
Colton 12.07.21	yeah I meant for building muscle you still don’t need that much also cheating on keto is definitely not ok because if you do that then you’re no longer in ketosis which defeats the whole purpose. that’s why keto is such a nonsense diet, it restricts you from eating the healthiest foods there are (fruits and vegetables)
Gnocchi 12.07.21	Fad diets are nonsense diets. --it restricts you from eating the healthiest foods there are (fruits and vegetables)-- again, so cheat on it. get your vit/min intake from the groups you need. it's diminishing to look at these descriptors with blinders on. it's not about the ketosis at all.
tectactoe 12.07.21	@colt/Gnocchi: That's why I put the word 'enemy' in scare quotes. I don't believe they are nearly as detrimental to one's health as people act, but I also believe that the average American diet has been shifted well above the high-side of normal as far as refined carbs and sugars in general are concerned. I mean the food pyramid used to have bread and grain on the bottom, which is honestly just silly. But on the other hand, I think keto is equally silly, and depriving your body of readily available energy and training it to work in the absence of something it might have to use one day. What I mean is, if you spend months, years, etc., eating nearly zero carbs, should you ever encounter a time when you decide to eat carbohydrates again - even unrefined/complex carbs - your body wont know wtf to do with them. THat's why I think the answer is somewhere in the middle. I'm proof that high carbs can ruin your heath. Even when I was "healthy" (low bodyfat, gym every day, etc.) my blood sugar was high because my diet was full of bagels, bread, pasta, sugar, cereal, etc. somewhere in the range of ~500 g carbs per day. Conversely, when I (very VERY briefly) tried Keto, I felt like shit and out of energy all the time. Ever since I stuck around 150-200 g carbs per day while avoiding unnecessary sugars, my blood sugar has been kept in check and I feel great. Most of my carb intake is stuff like whole grain bread, potatoes, brown rice, vegetables, things like that.
Gnocchi 12.07.21	That's kind of derailed this thread haha. I like the album I'm paired with - matches my white belt aesthetic (got my 4th stripe last night so as long as I put the work in that boi will be blue soon). Goals: Let's say Blue Belt by end of 2022 1st quarter. Maintain weight (neither up nor down) Work on body fat % to acceptable level (10-18%[?]) Cardio Fitness (maybe V02 focused)
tectactoe 12.07.21	While I understand Colton's point that fruits contain a lot of vitamins, minerals, antioxidents, and other benficial micronutrients, it's not necessarily true that they can all be lumped into the "healthiest foods there are" category, nor can you assume just anyone should be allowed to indulge in fruits in equal measure. People will insulin deficiencies absolutely need to stay away from things like watermelon, pineapples, bananas, manoges, et al., while some others like apples and berries tend to be okay in moderation (depending on the exact variety and its glycemic load). Vegetables, on the other hand, are a no brainer, except for maybe corn (which is technically a grass) and, like, an ass load of carrots. Bottom line: If it's green, eat as much of it as you can.
tectactoe 12.07.21	@Gnocchi - no worries about derailing; nutrition absolutely falls under the umbrella of health/fitness (and is one of the most debated and misunderstood topics out there) so I always welcome such discussion!
Gnocchi 12.07.21	--Conversely, when I (very VERY briefly) tried Keto, I felt like shit and out of energy all the time.-- I'm agreeing with you [mostly] tect. For conversation/science's sake: when you went keto did you cold turkey that?
tectactoe 12.07.21	Also - message for the mods: Feature this, you cowards. Are you seriously trying to gatekeep health?
Gnocchi 12.07.21	oh you don't need mods for that... I would ask to provide something else musically in the descriptions. Maybe music these boys an' gals jam while flexing in gym mirrors?
Senetrix666 12.07.21	eat your leafy greens. eat your fruits and starchy veggies in moderation. get some healthy fats like avocados and peanut butter. and most importantly have a few lean protein options. No need to complicate things further.
Colton 12.07.21	I’m sorry but to say keto is not about the ketosis is downright silly... ketosis is literally the entire idea. keto is just short for ketosis lol
Colton 12.07.21	sure you can argue that for some overweight people it helps them lose weight but really those people need to just control their calories while eating a diet that’s sustainable and won’t leave them with nutrient deficiencies, and keto does not meet that criteria
Senetrix666 12.07.21	eating in a calorie deficit is the only way to lose weight. trying to be in ketosis all the time sounds like too much work.
Colton 12.07.21	and if you’re cheating on a keto diet, you’re just doing a low carb high fat diet and fat is not healthy when eaten in excess like that. yes fat is healthy and a lot of ppl don’t realize they actually need a good amount of it, but it’s not like there isn’t a point where it becomes detrimental. especially when so many keto ppl are advocates of foods that are high in saturated fats
Gnocchi 12.07.21	I think you're missing my point. I'm actually 100% behind what you're saying. I'm not sure I've had enough coffee to get it through though. -just control their calories while eating a diet that’s sustainable and won’t leave them with nutrient deficiencies- this is what i mean by cheating keto. I'm not really interested in the -osis part because like you I don't think (know actually) that it's sustainable. Whereas using 'keto' as a basis and building a proper meal plan/diet on top of it "is" (assuming that person knows where to get their fats/vits and mins while sustaining a decent fibre intake and other relevant parties.
Colton 12.07.21	if you’re only ‘cheating keto’ that would suggest you’re eating a very high fat diet and occasionally having more carbs than what would keep you in ketosis. if you’re gonna do that then you’re essentially defeating the purpose and might as well just ditch the idea of keto altogether and just incorporate healthy carb sources into your diet in a sustainable and consistent way
Gnocchi 12.07.21	I think we're moving closer to repeating what the other is saying now, we're just using different words and not getting it. Great discussion though.
Butkuiss 12.07.21	Ugh, do I really gotta convert my numbers into pounds to appease you yanks? Upped myself to a 6-day PPL routine once covid restrictions relaxed and gyms reopened; and slowly getting into moving bigger powerlifting numbers after half a decade of unsuccessfully trying to emulate Frank Zane’s physique. My 1rms as of last month, at 190 lb and 5’7 are 400lb deadlift 355lb squat 232lb bench So we’re getting back up there!
tectactoe 12.07.21	@Colt / nope, did a gradual decline. Cut out sugars cold turkey but not carbs. Worked my way down maybe 50 g each week until I was under 20 g/carbs per day. After a few weeks of that, I felt awful. Always tired. lacked energy at the gym, felt weaker, unmotivated even for regular daily activities. not to mention i was always hungry, like painfully hungry. i do not find fat to be as satiating as most people suggest. dunno if that’s a personal thing or what, but 🤷🏼‍♂️
BallsToTheWall 12.08.21	I miss jiu-jitsu. Haven’t trained in 11 years but know I could still grapple. Thought about getting into kickboxing but at the same Time after work I’m exhausted.
DominionMM1 12.08.21	i had always done split days (not sure if that’s the right term) where i’d do back on day 1, chest on day 2, legs on day 3, and arms/shoulders on day 4. lately since i don’t have as much time I’m doing full body 2 or 3 days a week primarily employing the big compound lifts.
Butkuiss 12.08.21	Also you’re all cowards, best gym album is Spirals by Blood Has Been Shed.
Gnocchi 12.08.21	--Haven’t trained in 11 years but know I could still grapple.-- I've seen a few older hands come back and yeah once they get past the "i'm so unfit stage" there's definitely usually nothing wrong with their muscle/technique memory.
dedex 12.08.21	eh i just do a 10 mins workout every morning does that even count
Gnocchi 12.08.21	1 is more than 0 so yes?
garas 12.08.21	Joining to the food talk: I eat everything, but cutting back on sugar (and bakery products in general) and trying to have at least salad day per week. And one protein shake in the evening to build 'em muscles. Edit: and moderated/reduced alcohol intake, that's important.
DavidYowi 12.08.21	The gym near my house got bought out by the YMCA after it closed because of lockdown. I'm not sure how I want to organize my workout yet but it definitely starts with 45 min of cardio
Dedes 12.08.21	I just do whatever I can do with my kettlebells and bodyweight. Hard to find even the time to apply for a gym membership but man I'd love to. Idk what my bench or squat or anything would be but even when I was somewhat smaller by bench was 190. Also I can do a 5 minute plank which is my own personal pride pr lol
tectactoe 12.13.21	Any of my fellow lifters ever deal with sciatic nerve pain? Been a nuisance on and off for the last six years of my life. I’ve always just kind of ignored it because it was never debilitating or long-lasting. But recently it’s been incredibly bad - to the point of keeping me awake and night and shit. I’m sure it has a lot to do with the core compression of heavy squats, leg presses, deadlifts etc. but is there any successful way to mitigate this type of pain? Getting old sucks.
Ryus 12.13.21	that sucks tec :/ i'm a long distance runner and i already have knee problems from a meniscus injury lmao. im only 21 the human body needs an update
Colton 12.13.21	I’ve had on and off sciatica since I was like 15, not from lifting though. I just try to avoid bending as much as possible whenever I get it and luckily it always goes away. when you have it, it might be better to go for leg press over squatting
tectactoe 12.14.21	You’re probably right, but a week without squatting a week not worth living. The six months of quarantine when gyms were closed was the best my sciatic nerve ever felt. My hand calluses also nearly healed up. But OMG when I was doing Insanity during this time, my calves and knees were always sore and achy lol.
Hyperion1001 12.14.21	stretching really helped me with sciatic nerve pain. this has pretty much all the ones i do regularly plus the third-world squat to help stretch my lower back. https://www.rocketcitychiropractic.com/10-piriformis-stretches-to-get-rid-of-sciatica-hip-and-lower-back-pain/
hal1ax 12.14.21	weight lifting -- used to play sports and now i just do it for fun / health -some bro-y push//pull split. usually pair an agonistic group with an antagonistic one, x2 a week, then have a third all-around upper-bod day + legs x1 per week. -best bench -- 405 -best squat -- 585 -best deadlift -- no idea, i hate this lift and don't do them outside of light stiff-legged for reps
Cygnatti 12.14.21	soonTM...
MiloRuggles 12.14.21	Oh shit, my sciatica whanau is HERE. Romanian deadlifts gave me a second life after a year of misery, I tell yee. Also, core strength/stretching/yoga to supplement. Use it or lose enjoyment of life, basically. Anywhomst, ex-rugby player here, nowadays try and focus on casual liftan, running, and tennis. Goal is to stave off entropy and be able to have a beer or three daily w/o losing sense of self worth
Hyperion1001 12.14.21	a nearly 600 pound squat is insane
YoYoMancuso 12.14.21	waiting for this to turn into the bodybuilding.com “days in a week” argument
Lasssie 12.14.21	Been running for many years now and have increased my mileage this year to a 15 - 16 km run everyday ish. Running in a mixture of road, terrain and uphill just havin a blast listening to Music lol
tectactoe 12.14.21	Will update the list as soon as I get my lazy ass to a computer (PITA to do it from mobile). hal: mega jelly of that bench and squat, mate. Yr quads must be T H I C C. Milo: haven’t done RDLs in years but maybe it’s time to try em again if they help with sciatica. worth a shot. And yeah, I’ll love to do more stretching and yoga. Not enough damn hours in the day. But i should make a more conscious effort to try…my flexibility is….not great lol.
bloc 12.14.21	RDL's are godly
Colton 12.14.21	the other day I was using the cable row machine, and while I was taking off the handle that was already on it to put a different one on, I somehow dug the hook into my finger and cut it open pretty badly. ended up bleeding all over it and it really messed up my workout cause the gym closed in 40 mins and I had to spend 10 mins running my finger under water in the bathroom waiting for it to stop bleeding. so just a PSA for you guys, be careful when you're taking a handle thing off of a hook lol
hal1ax 12.14.21	lol yea my quads are pretty big. gotta do a lot of bulgarian and heel-raised squats for the big quads
hal1ax 12.14.21	and hack squats with a more narrow / low stance. although you need hella ankle flexibility for those
bloc 12.14.21	I can relate to that Colt. Sometimes I get nosebleeds at the gym and the choice is to either go to the bathroom and look at the ceiling for ~15 minutes, or sniff every 3 seconds and stealthily keep my head tilted abnormally upwards and just carry on praying that a single drop of blood doesn't come out of my nose lol
Colton 12.14.21	major benefit of masks right there
bloc 12.14.21	We can get away without masks at my gym, which is great. And I dunno, seeing red in someone's mask might be a little horrifying
Colton 12.14.21	yeah at mine you have to wear one when you're walking around the gym but not when you're actually using a machine, which is pretty stupid. I personally wear mine the whole time while lifting cause it doesn't really have any effect. I take it off for cardio though
DoofDoof 12.14.21	no masks at my gym on the floor the whole way through the pandemic while the club is open - this is another reason I have just loved the gym through this whole thing, essential
zakalwe 12.14.21	Yoga and Pilates down the park is more my bag.
bloc 12.14.21	"yeah at mine you have to wear one when you're walking around the gym but not when you're actually using a machine, which is pretty stupid." Ok technically this is true for me too, but I just have mine off the entire time. Some follow the rules to a tee and some kinda skirt around it. I wear it only when I enter and exit the gym mostly for the sake of optics at this point.
Hyperion1001 12.14.21	i live in the Deep South (rip) and there haven’t been any mask requirements for the entire duration of the pandemic. after I got vaxxed I stopped wearing one but then I heard a couple milsim meatheads talking about how they’d rather be dishonorably discharged than take the vaccines. I started wearing a mask again lmao.
Sinternet 12.14.21	"Been running for many years now and have increased my mileage this year to a 15 - 16 km run everyday ish" woah thats insanely good man nice job, i was thinking about working up to 10k when I get back to running when it's warmer and even that terrifies me
Lasssie 12.14.21	You can do it,Sinternet! Dude i miss warmer weather. Worst thing i know is this time of year when i have to run through ice and snow. Makes the run so much slower but it is good excersise nonetheless. Mentally too i think
DoofDoof 12.14.21	Used to run at least every other day for a long time in my late twenties/early thirties Thing I think I fucked - running fast on steep gradients a lot. Took a long time but eventually the wear and tear got me. Anything outdoor above 7km in one go I’d have to manage and monitor carefully, treadmill is less of an issue most of the time
Colton 12.14.21	people at my gym literally approach you and yell at you if you don't wear a mask while walking around. i forgot to put mine back on after finishing on the stairmaster one day and I swear they wanted to jump me or something
Colton 12.14.21	who here has a stairmaster at your gym let's have a stairmaster-off
Lasssie 12.14.21	Did you use good shoes and warming up before running and cooling down after,Doof? I have had minimal injury breaks and i started slowly from running now and then when i was like 16-17 for short runs and now i am 27 running longer runs every day, but age will surely catch up with me at some point. Glad im training outdoors because i can only imagine the hassle of wearing masks while working out in the gym lmao. Colton,MEET ME AT THE STARIMASTER YOU PUNK!
Colton 12.14.21	you don't want that smoke lasssie. you'll drown in the deep waters
Lasssie 12.14.21	My lungs are strong from years of cardio,brother! bring it on!
Colton 12.14.21	if you actually have a stairmaster at your gym send a pic of it so I can see if it's the same kind as mine and then we can get it poppin lol
tectactoe 12.14.21	When gyms reopened here (Michigan) in Sept 2020, masks were required until sometime about the new year after which they were only recommended, but of course when that happened, everybody stopped wearing them. The nice thing about this is that everyone gets their own disinfectant spray bottle to carry around with them (was never the case before) and so it’s arguably a cleaner place now that before the pandemic because everyone disinfects the shit out of everything before they use it lol. Weirdly enough my wife (vaccinated) and kids (too young) got Covid a few weeks ago - coughing, stuffed up, fever, my wife returned a positive test. Yet I never got it. Never felt sick, took two tests anyway that were both negative. And i was around them, near them, in the same house as them for the entire two weeks. 🤷🏼‍♂️ Weird ass virus.
Colton 12.14.21	it's weird how gyms ask people to wipe the machines before using them now, so nobody seems to wipe them down after they use them, which was always the standard gym etiquette pre-covid
Lasssie 12.14.21	Talking about wiping equipment only makes me thing of one, i wanna say, seinfeld episode?
Cygnatti 12.14.21	used to run a whole lot every day for a couple months, stopped because my poor widdle shins and feet hurted :((( thankfully never my knees tho
Lasssie 12.14.21	Ah damn that must have sucked if you really liked running.. You switched to other form of excersise or just eventually stopped?
DoofDoof 12.14.21	Lasssie - I didn’t change my shoes enough definitely, would wear them to destruction back then. I did do a lot of stretching, maybe not always a cool down as such
Lasssie 12.14.21	Probably the shoes that was the culprit then maybe Good thing the treadmill works alright for you at least!
DoofDoof 12.14.21	During lockdown I’d still run outside every night for 30 minutes but after three weeks my right IT band started getting niggly. Since I’ve only been running on the treadmill no problem. I’d run outdoors again a bit, especially on holiday, but the repetition of doing it every day in cold weather was too much. I had to do some intense exercise though, lockdown was fucked up
JefferyBigglestein2 12.14.21	just hit a fat pump today. god bless.
Cygnatti 12.15.21	doin' other things
Lasssie 12.15.21	Training core and abs is also key,Doof! And the way you land on Your foot while running etc. Pumpin iron like Arnold, Jeffery?
Colton 12.16.21	my ass is more sore rn than it’s been in a long time. was going hard last night. been 24 hours and I’m still walking funny
Dedes 12.16.21	That's the power of the pump mate
tectactoe 03.10.22	Hadn't dead lifted since before the new year. Hurt my knee a few years ago - felt like an A/MCL tear but it was ruled just a quadracep tear by a specialist (tho I never got an MRI, which was weird. it would've been covered by my insurance but it's like the doctors were actively trying to avoid an MRI? the dude just felt around my knee cap and was like "yeah the tendon doesn't feel ripped, lol ok man). In any case, couldn't do anything involving knee bending for months - no leg stuff. And even things like dead lifts and rows were impossible because you need bent knees. Took me almost a year to be able to squat again. Anyway, right before Christmas I slipped down my steps in socks and tweaked my knee again. Nowhere near where it was before, but it was like aggravating an old injury. Laid off squats and dead lifts again. Weird thing is - squats would be sort of painful, but leg press didn't bother it at all?? Very strange. Must be a very specific load case. Anyway, had been doing leg press and rack pulls for the past ~three months. Finally last week decided to squat and dead lift again, and I'd be starting a new program schedule and wants to work them back in. So I worked my way up to 1RMs to see how they felt. Could only get to 340 lb on the squat, which is quite a bit lower than where I was in December. Ugh. But Managed to pull a 540 dead lift again with no problem. Probably could've done more, even, but got a bit light headed at the top and decided it was good enough lol. Did barbell hip thrusts for the first time, too. GOddamn talk about sore hams/glutes. Whoa baby.
Hyperion1001 03.10.22	there basically nothing more infuriating than a nagging injury like that. I dealt with some rotator cuff problems last year and it sucked ass having to basically go back down to beginner numbers on bench and work everything back up, but with some good rehabbing I’m basically back to benching good weights. if I lost deadlifting life would basically have no meaning tho so props for getting it back brother.
budgie 03.10.22	kewl thread deadlift 435 cleans 190 ohp 190 front squat 190 currently situation is i can't progress past 435 because all the weights i own add up to 435 and i don't feel like spending mad cash atm for some more plates my ohp and front squats are stuck at 190, i don't own a squat rack so i have clean the bar up to position and well my clean is stuck at 190. need to buy 2.5 plates because cleans are hard af to progress on at this level i also have some herniated discs from a labor job some years back so i'm kind of hesitant abt going hard on the deadlifts these days. maintaining 435 is more than enough for my ego. only real goal i have is to get my clean & ohp to 225
budgie 03.10.22	"(tho I never got an MRI, which was weird. it would've been covered by my insurance but it's like the doctors were actively trying to avoid an MRI?" i dont know where you live but. im in socal and just went to a private facility and paid like $450 out of pocket for an MRI. dont need to go through insurance if youre really concerned
budgie 03.10.22	"Any of my fellow lifters ever deal with sciatic nerve pain? Been a nuisance on and off for the last six years of my life. I’ve always just kind of ignored it because it was never debilitating or long-lasting. But recently it’s been incredibly bad - to the point of keeping me awake and night and shit. I’m sure it has a lot to do with the core compression of heavy squats, leg presses, deadlifts etc. but is there any successful way to mitigate this type of pain? Getting old sucks." ever considered you might have a slipped disk? lol
DominionMM1 03.11.22	dr budgie over here
tectactoe 03.11.22	'i dont know where you live but. im in socal and just went to a private facility and paid like $450 out of pocket for an MRI. dont need to go through insurance if youre really concerned' It wasn't so much a concern of insurance - my insurance would've covered it. I just don't understand why both my normal physician and the specialist I saw were doing their best to actively avoid an MRI. I even mentioned it and they were both like "don't think it's necessary." ?? Considering the amount of pain I was in, I don't see why it wouldn't have been worth a check. I can't see how it would be to their detriment; if anything, wouldn't they get more money? I know I could've gone rogue and gotten my own, but at that point it was more stubborn principle than anything, I suppose lol. It was quite a terrible few months, though. I could stand with no problems as long as my leg was completely straight (knee locked). The instant my left knee bent even a little bit, with any load at all on it, it caved like a wet noodle. At the time, I drove a goddamn manual transmission vehicle, too, so it was nearly impossible to dis/engage the clutch. Had my wife drive me around everywhere until I got enough flexibility back to do it myself. Even putting on shoes was brutal for a while. Very glad to be over that hump (I think it happened ca. Oct 2018 or so) but it definitely seems like the sort of injury that'll be "with me" forever. Any minor slip up and it'll come rushing back in like it was never gone. As mentioned, that recent slip down the steps I had just before last Christmas was something that, before the big injury, wouldn't have had any lasting repercussions otherwise. Probably wouldn't have hurt at all. But just the way I landed/caught myself, it tweaked my knee enough to reactivate that old injury and put me out for a couple months. tl;dr - getting old sucks! 'ever considered you might have a slipped disk?' Honestly, no. But it could be, I guess. How would I even know? How is something like that diagnosed? I haven't been having sciatica as much recently as I was last year. Not sure why, my routine hasn't changed too much. But when it does come, it's a total bitch. Considering I've been regularly doing squats and dead lifts (or variations thereof) for the last 9 years and counting, I wouldn't be shocked to learn that my spine has incurred some compressive damage lol.😬
Storm In A Teacup 03.11.22	I think you need a new regular physician.
tectactoe 03.11.22	He was pretty much just piggybacking on the what the specialist said. Once the specialist said he didn't think I needed one, my doctor was like "well if he doesn't think you need one, then you probably don't - looks like it's just a quad tear".
budgie 03.11.22	"Honestly, no. But it could be, I guess. How would I even know? How is something like that diagnosed? I haven't been having sciatica as much recently as I was last year. Not sure why, my routine hasn't changed too much. But when it does come, it's a total bitch. Considering I've been regularly doing squats and dead lifts (or variations thereof) for the last 9 years and counting, I wouldn't be shocked to learn that my spine has incurred some compressive damage lol.😬" MRI. there aren't always symptoms, and when there are they can range wildly in severity. but sciatica (from the material pressing on the nerve root) is one of them (my sciatica after my herniations was gnarly - leg from the spine down was fully numb and it took a year and a half for the numbness to subside). as far as why docs were hesitant to go forward with testing, i feel like that's awkwardly common, i remember being straight up ignored after asking for indepth blood panels multiple times lol. maybe someone here works in american medicine & can explain the nonsense
Storm In A Teacup 03.11.22	Storm In A Teacup, 31 yo Current: Weight training, walking 2 miles x 6 days a week, home gym with lat pulley, leg, bench press etc, kettlebells Bench record: 300 pounds at 23 yo Squats record : very low, like 65 pounds, I am afraid of them with my shoulders Leg Press record: 1,000 pounds at 18 yo
zakalwe 03.11.22	Current: caught me bollocks in a chest expander
Titan 03.11.22	BENCH current: 225 for 17 reps (I never add more than this since heart surgery) all time: 495 for 1 rep (pre-heart surgery) SQUAT current: 225 for reps (never more than this post-heart surgery) all time: 495 for 15 reps (pre-heart surgery) DEADLIFT current: 225 for reps (post-heart surgery) all time: 495 for reps (pre-heart surgery, never attempted to go higher than this)
zakalwe 03.11.22	Heart surgery?! Christ man take it easy.
Titan 03.11.22	haha yes sir, October 2012 One of the four main arteries was lodged between the aorta and a pulmonary artery (how my body formed in the womb) - needed a single bypass
budgie 03.11.22	wow 495 bench
Storm In A Teacup 03.11.22	Yeah f that lol no thank you 😂
Titan 03.11.22	haha i was 28 or so, it would break my sternum now lol....days are long gone, but yes I was pretty strong at one time
budgie 03.11.22	with that kind of strength you could have nearly benched storm's mom!
Hyperion1001 03.11.22	i know this isnt a very popular opinion, but for anyone not actively doing like powerlifting/strongman competitions, lifting above a certain weight seems pointless to me except for increasing the chance tof injuring yourself. all sports come with a risk of injury so i get that, but for the average gym guy/girl i always wondered if squatting 600lbs every week is actually good or bad for your body long-term.
InFlamesWeThrash666 03.11.22	The average gym guy/girl will probably never hit a 600lbs squat tbh
Hyperion1001 03.11.22	well yeah thats kind of an exaggeration. i guess im wondering what the point where it starts to actually wear the body down is. i know muscle tissue responds really well to stress, im more worried about all the stress it puts on tendons/ligaments. cant find any good papers on it, guess ill have to look some more.
FR33L0RD 03.11.22	Hi, very interesting thread list. My pedigree: Exercise style: Main style: Musculation Secondary style: Stretching/Cardio Active: 38 years Inactive: 3 years Start: age 15 End: Still active 2022 Age: 56 years old Condition & Training style 2015-2022: 5-7% fat, muscular, 190-200 pounds, 5’10” Hgh reps(12-50) to partial failure c/w pick & choose Weider technics & rest of 20-60 sec between sets. Old Personal records in 2000: 100% natural, 250 pounds body weigh, Powerlifter gabarit Parallel dept squat: 440 pounds x 12 reps Bench press: 315 pounds x 12 reps 1981—2015; 100% natural 2015—2022; Sarms+DHEA: on-off cycle Objectif: Continu, Cycling bodyfat between 5 and 10% years long as staying healthy Training till the end.
zakalwe 03.11.22	Your not one of them yoga instructors are you?
FR33L0RD 03.11.22	@Zaq, no, friend, im not at all. I do respect a nice seance of yoga for his stretching, posture, mobility and joint good health efficiency work. Updated my pedigree, my main training style is musculation supported by cardio & stretching. Indeed, nice clarification.
tectactoe 05.26.22	Updated with Storm, Titan, and FR33LORD stats, sorry I missed you guys earlier, I never saw the thread bumped 🥴 Very small but exciting update for me. Hit a new "current" deadlift max last week. Lifetime max is 585 lb from back in my powerlifting days (ca. 2016). But haven't hit anything remotely close since that time, especially after tear my quad and not DLing for a year, and then another ~9 mos. of no DLs because of Covid quarantine. December 2021 I hit 540 lb and that was my best "current" max for a while. Two weeks ago, I attempted 550 lb and failed it three times. Couldn't even get the bar off the floor. Following week, I wasn't even planning to max. My top set was supposed to be 500 lb for 3x reps. As I was doing those, I noticed the guy on the rack next to me stopped to watch. It got in my head, but in a good way, like an "Oh god, I can't look like a bitch" way. Those 3x reps felt great. When I was done, he said, "dude, you had at least three more in you." He was probably right, and I felt so much better this week than last. So I did another higher set of 530 lb x2 and again, it felt great. This time he was actively watching and cheering my on when I hit those two reps. He asked if it was my max and I said no, but I failed 550 lb last week. He said by the bar speed of the 530s, I'd have no problem hitting 550 lb now. Figured fuck it, maybe he's right, and I can't remember the last time heavy DLs felt this good. Loaded up 550 lb and nailed it. It was heavy as fuck but the rep was clean. Not quick, but no pausing or grinding or excessively tilt in the bar. Just a slow and steady pull, held it for a good 5 or 6 seconds after lock out. It felt great. Rarely have people watching me in the gym because my weights typically are nothing to admire, but it was cool to have that encouragement, and I definitely thank that dude for psyching me up and convincing me to go for 550 otherwise I definitely wouldn't have even tried it. Not sure I'll ever get back to my old 585 lb max, but I'm OK with that.
TheAntichrist 05.26.22	powerbuilding (pendlay rows/flat bench/weighted pull-ups and dips/sumo deadlifts/rdl's/back squats & ssb squats), boxing, and cycling on a bike (more stationary biking during the cut)
Cygnatti 05.28.22	huh maybe I try to up the weights on everything again just been increasing rep count recently (I'm trying (failing) to cut atm)