Seems like the right time of year to bring this back to the front page.

Signed up for a membership at the nearby Planet Fitness. Got one buddy I'll work out there with.

Got a coworker who's becoming a new bud who lives through the woods behind me, who lets me mooch off him and work out at the gym in his condo complex.

Been averaging two gym sessions a week since December. Immediate goal is just to reinstill the habit of dragging my ass to a gym 3-5 days a week on a regular basis. If I can prove to do that, next step will be sorting out a workout program. Right now, as long as I get into the gym and lift and sweat, it's enough of a victory.

From about this time last year to now, I'm down about 10 pounds. Went from 212, to 202.

Anyone have any fitness goals for the year or anything they're working towards?

My schedule lines up nicely this year so I have been able to sign up for a running race every month until august. 30km trail race in March, 50km trail race in April, 100 km flat trail race in May, 50 mile races in June and July, and then AUgust I think I will run about 60 miles pacing for a friend who is doing a 120 mile race. The races might be my longest runs of each month, which is a departure from typical philosophy but the goal is to hopefully be ready for a 100 mile race in September.

I did not have a good November/December fitness/diet wise. Didn't exercise and fell into too much of a beer habit. January I used to start doing short tradmill runs and working out, and February I've been back outside on the trails for short runs and by March will start doing longer runs. I find my schedule hard shift rotation and 12 hour shifts with a 1 hour commute, to do a routine. But I've decided to get back to doing the thing where I get off the work bus 7.5 km away from home for a few days of my work set, and on the last day do a 20-60km run after the end of my 60 hour work week. There are days it's hard, but I haven't figured a way to force myself to exercise during the work week, once I'm home after work I'm done.

So...

How are people staying active/fit during all this?

I was on a surprisingly pretty good tear I think from late last year through just over a week back. Gyms shut down, went out for a couple runs last week, but think Wife doesn't want me doing that too much anymore... Especially if it means getting together with my workout buddy (not sure how to break our cautious stance to him in a way he'll understand).

Ordered a barbell, 390 lbs. of weight, and a squat rack through Walmart for the garage. Should arrive next week. Already have a bench and some weight adjustable dumbells. Will need to brave a run to Home Depot for plywood to build a platform.

In the meantime, I'll just call this a rest and reset week I guess.

Sept 6, 2019 20:29:32 GMT 🤯 said:

Weekend weigh-in: 183.8 lbs, 18% fat... Think that long Labor day weekend wrecked me.

And trading bread for donuts hasn't been an effective strategy.

This appears to have been my last weigh-in and body fat check.

The other day I weighed in at 189 lbs. and 16% body fat... So maybe all the lifting and protein has been working? In conjunction with mostly laying off all beverages that aren't water or coffee.

No weights for me #apartmentlife so pushups and pullup bar, I can do pistol squats but not sure what I'm going to do about hamstring work.

Making my way through some Youtube yoga routines, currently sampling Yoga with Kassandra but not working up a sweat like I usually do with the IRL class.

I'm still considered essential so I have to go to work, biking when I can (7 miles each way, some elevation).

Mar 24, 2020 0:23:50 GMT Michinokudriver said:

No weights for me #apartmentlife so pushups and pullup bar, I can do pistol squats but not sure what I'm going to do about hamstring work.

Making my way through some Youtube yoga routines, currently sampling Yoga with Kassandra but not working up a sweat like I usually do with the IRL class.

I'm still considered essential so I have to go to work, biking when I can (7 miles each way, some elevation).

Floor slides for hams. Lookup ATHLEAN X on YouTube. He published a few at home hacks for body weight workouts. He covers hamstrings and rear delt, things I wouldn't have ever thought of myself.

Basement setup nearly complete, just waiting on bar and plates to arrive:



Did pullups and dips all day yesterday, not a bad workout.

Mar 28, 2020 15:21:13 GMT 🤯 said:

Basement setup nearly complete, just waiting on bar and plates to arrive:



Did pullups and dips all day yesterday, not a bad workout.

I really like your power rack, I have a cheap and nasty second hand one.

So last week I lost my license, so most days I walk or ride to work which is almost 6km (or an hour brisk walking) each way.
It's been a good reboot after the Coronavirus and my time off from working out I was slipping, but this is putting me on the straight and narrow.
Very very tired, I live in a very hilly suburb.

Apr 20, 2020 23:12:35 GMT iNCY said:

I really like your power rack, I have a cheap and nasty second hand one.

So last week I lost my license, so most days I walk or ride to work which is almost 6km (or an hour brisk walking) each way.
It's been a good reboot after the Coronavirus and my time off from working out I was slipping, but this is putting me on the straight and narrow.
Very very tired, I live in a very hilly suburb.

?

anyway I would recommend an e-bike; I wouldn't have before but I won one and have been using it every so often. Doesn't take all of the work out of it, you still have to pedal but it takes the sting off of the worst hills.

Apr 21, 2020 1:07:37 GMT Michinokudriver said:

Apr 20, 2020 23:12:35 GMT iNCY said:

I really like your power rack, I have a cheap and nasty second hand one.

So last week I lost my license, so most days I walk or ride to work which is almost 6km (or an hour brisk walking) each way.
It's been a good reboot after the Coronavirus and my time off from working out I was slipping, but this is putting me on the straight and narrow.
Very very tired, I live in a very hilly suburb.

?

anyway I would recommend an e-bike; I wouldn't have before but I won one and have been using it every so often. Doesn't take all of the work out of it, you still have to pedal but it takes the sting off of the worst hills.

I mentioned it somewhere else, but we get 12 demerit points that have to last us 3 years and each demerit point we lose comes back 3 years after that date.
So though my neglect, which was just absent mindedness I racked up the fines, but I drive a lot, I gave one fine to my Dad and another two to my wife, but I ended up messing up my math and I ran out of points.
As a result I have the choice between losing my license for 3 months or going on to a good behavior bond where if I get a demerit point in the next 12 months I lose my license for 6 months... So knowing me, I took the 3 month option.

I have looked at eBikes, I would like to hire one for a week and see how it goes.
Definitely find walking easier than cycling, but there are some killer hills and I am not much of a cyclist.

Well, my barbell and additional plates still haven't arrived. And this third party through Wal-Mart are still too inept to get me an update. But I also figure nowhere else will get be a barbell and plates any sooner, so haven't cancelled my order yet. A refund would be nice though (i.e., free barbell and plates) if they can't even get me a fucking status update!!!~ RRROID RRRAGE!!!~

In the meanwhile, been pretty consistent about getting down into the basement every other day. Workouts are all upper body until the barbell arrives. Body weight squats would be mostly pointless, as I'd have to squat for forever. At least that's the excuse I'm going with. Anyway, what I am doing must be enough of whatever as my pullup performance has definitely improved... and, the more important metric, Wife is apparently bragging to girlfriends and family about whatever visible progress has been achieved!

For fear of being run off of PW, I'm not pulling a shinobimusashi and posting any selfies though. Plus, I'm way too pale. I'd hate to blow out anyone's monitor or phone screen with the blindingly bright whiteness.

Can't weight for the barbell and plates to arrive to start squats and deads (and also shrugs and bench/military presses). If Wife thinks I'm starting to get swole now... just wait! Also, I'm crushing more protein than Enzo Amore. How u doin!? Ya can't teach that!! Etc.

Accountability buddy needed!

Quarantine funk got to me yesterday and I skipped my workout.

Need to get down there today. Prefer an AM workout.

Need someone to push me to get down in the basement and get my sweat on.

So... Two months later my barbell and plates finally arrive:



Did real squats for the first time yesterday in probably 4-5 years. Same for bench and military press. I've lost so much strength over that time, and I'm sore of course today, but I think it'll come back quicker than I'd expect.

Just finished mowing for some "cardio" today, and about to head down to see how bad my deadlift has become. I figure with as little/light weight as I'm doing right now, doing squats/deads/squats/deads back-to-back won't be the end of the world. In fact, hoping a week or two of that will shock some old muscle memory back into gear. Then can shift to spacing out the program.

🤯 2 months? Man, post office sucks.

And I wonder if this eventually was a sex dungeon which led to the birth of pi jr.

So many mysteries. And just had the previously mentioned Taco Bell. Man, how different our two lives are.

Hole E. Fook

Went for my first jog in a long time, used the guided run in the Nike app which made it much more enjoyable.

May 23, 2020 23:18:37 GMT System said:

Went for my first jog in a long time, used the guided run in the Nike app which made it much more enjoyable.

Guided run as in they map the route for you?

May 24, 2020 2:39:28 GMT 🤯 said:

May 23, 2020 23:18:37 GMT System said:

Went for my first jog in a long time, used the guided run in the Nike app which made it much more enjoyable.

Guided run as in they map the route for you?

There’s an audio coach that checks on you periodically/gives you words of motivation. I thought it was cheesy for a second but it was quite helpful.

It only went for 20 minutes which was shorter than my route but it was helpful while it lasted.

Deadlift Day was a success.

Wearing bloody shins like a badge of honor.

Grip it and rip it, baby!

PW, let's help encourage our boy System to get back into shape for his eventual in-ring return!

System, I'll try to post in here daily or at minimum weekly with a hot tag to check in and nudge you along.

Tips from personal experience that I've found to be incredibly helpful with shedding fat and adding muscle while somehow maintaining the same weight (or losing some) since the start of the year. In no particular order:

**@pi's TEN DEMANDMANTS:**

1.) Move an entire house of shit by yourself in 90+ degree heat into a house with no functioning air conditioning. More heavy things to go up and down more flights of stairs, the better. You'll end up with zero water weight left over, a total exhaustion you haven't felt since the peak of your amateur wrestling days, and a euphoria stemming from productivity and accomplishment. Seriously, it's insane all the various and surprising muscle groups moving hits on top of being an insane cardiovascular workout.

2.) Build a home gym if possible because fuck gym fees during Corona Days and fuck the idiotic general public. Specifically foucs on a power rack/cage, whatever you want to call it. Think I've posted pics of my setup. You'll want a space to safely squat, bench, deadlift, and ideally do pullups.

3.) Do as many pullups as you can, everyday. Before my plate weights arrived, that's more or less what I was limited to. Body weight pullups, dips, and push-ups (or press-ups, as the weirdo Brits seem to call them). Pullups are the best and good to be able to do, and do well. Don't cheat yourself with shitty form. Better to assist yourself up to the top and fight gravity by letting yourself down as slow as possible and repeat. Negatives. Until you can do positives. Good pullups will build that V-taper back that helps to offset the bulbous appearance of a gut (reasons why guys like Dino Bravo and Don Muraco didn't look as fat as they otherwise would've... think Buddy Rose).

4.) Buy a band and start doing facepulls. Look up "Athleanx facepull" on YouTube if you need a visual reference. Works your rear delts and upper back posture muscles. Good upright posture is key to helping mask and minimize the appearance of a bulbous gut, which slouch posture can just worsen.

5.) Do as many squats and deadlifts as you can. Emphasize safety and good form over heavy weight. When lifting in your own basement or garage or house there's no one to impress by loading lots of plates. Leave the ego for the ring. Get technique right. Not only will this sculpt your quads and butt, it'll help strengthen your core and power base. Overall, this means better posture and probably better functionality in the ring. The reason Brock and Cena can do the things they do is because they squat and deadlift.

6.) Prioritize bench press, lateral raises, overhead press in that order to build an upper body to help with that V-taper appearance. Bench press for pecs, but they'll also engage triceps and shoulders a bit and overall just good for building confidence. Lateral raises for side delts. Train these as often and as much as you can. Do them as often as pullups and facepulls. Gets you that shoulder width from the front view. Overhead press for more overall shoulder growth. Wider you are at the top, narrower your middle seems by default.

7.) Triceps, shrugs, biceps for next level priority of beach muscles. Shrugs will give you that Goldberg/Tom Hardy neck and shoulders situation that just looks so good. Your arms are 2/3s triceps and 1/3s biceps, so for biggest-looking arms, don't neglect tris to favor bis. Just find exercises you like to do for both front and back of the arm... Just don't neglect the backside since that's the workhorse behind most of your width and depth.

8.) Work out everyday to start. Even if you don't do much of anything or it's not a great workout on a given day or even two. I found it was really hard to get into the regular habit if I gave myself excuses to skip going down into the basement. Even if there were days where all I ended up doing were facepulls to exhaustion, at least I was conditioning into myself the new habit of going down to the gym everyday. Maybe you can be a little more lax and include going for a jog as an acceptable alternative? For me, until I felt confident in myself that I was condotioned to go down every day... I didn't bother with real programming or rest days, etc. Felt I wanted to establish certain lizard brain base habits before allowing myself to worry about those things.

9.) Stop drinking all booze, soda pop, juice... Pretty much anything that isn't water, tea, or coffee. I'd cheat and let myself a dash of half and half and a couple packets of sugar in the raw in my morning coffees. Also, start making and drinking a high protein shake each day. If it replaces a meal, probably even better. If you can make two to replace two meals, even better yet perhaps. I for sure wasn't making the world's healthiest choices for breakfast and lunch or dinner... So I ended up replacing one to two of those with a protein shake, and skipping whichever wasn't replaced. Figured it couldn't hurt. Nutrition is gonna be mostly (as in like 90%) of what's responsible for your transformation.

10.) Give yourself time and leeway to be human. This isn't an overnight thing or a quick thing. Especially if you want the physical changes to last and you to not be super miserable. Know you'll have bad days, cheat days, missed days, lazier workouts, slow gains/changes, some regression, etc. We're all human, aren't getting paid to do this, and don't really have any support. So do what you can, when you can, how you can. And be patient and forgiving with yourself. Just don't full-on enable bad habits.

Also, I'd post pics for proof that I'm practically shinobimusashi ripped right now... But I don't want to get shinobimusashi'd outta here.

Also, I'm way too pale to see any detail.

So no pube peeks?

And after finding out Taco Bell is getting rid of the Spicy Potatoe and triple layer nachos... this day can't get any worse!

Jul 19, 2020 14:59:07 GMT @ness said:

So no pube peeks?

And after finding out Taco Bell is getting rid of the Spicy Potatoe and triple layer nachos... this day can't get any worse!

There'd be no pube peeks regardless, bro. Conrad & Eric got me manscaping like a pro. I'm gonna have a more baby-like scrote than Baby PI Jr.

Speaking of T-Bell, both Wife and I are super craving that. So...

My only form of working out was baseball years ago. I've hovered around 185-190 for years though despite being a pretty lazy bastard and not having the best diet; metabolism still loves me for some reason. Fattest I've ever been was 214 when I was going through puberty. I know one day it's going to catch up with me though...

Slight man bewbage but just normal dad bod stuff. If I cut out drinking pop and exercise even a bare minimum I guarantee I'd lose 20 pounds easily.

Whenever I decide to though, fuck gyms. My ass is staying home and doing what I was good at: crunches and leg press.

The dad I aspire to be and the dad bod I aspire to have:

Randomly stopped at the 1:00 mark and he's doing Brock-esque power moves on whatever that is. Can see the appeal.

Jul 27, 2020 2:19:06 GMT 🤯 said:

The dad I aspire to be and the dad bod I aspire to have:

He didn't impress his daughter in the slightest til 1:27

"What do you think about what Daddy's doing?"
"Watch out for that butterfly!'

Jul 27, 2020 15:29:08 GMT Michinokudriver said:

Jul 27, 2020 2:19:06 GMT 🤯 said:

The dad I aspire to be and the dad bod I aspire to have:

He didn't impress his daughter in the slightest til 1:27

"What do you think about what Daddy's doing?"
"Watch out for that butterfly!'

To be honest, that was my favorite part too.

So, probably goes without saying that I've fallen off the wagon pretty hard.

I want to blame parenthood, sleep deprivation, and adjusting to dad life... But that's probably all just excuse-making. There are plenty of buff dads out there. See my main man Eric Bugenhagen for prime example.

Since 8/14, I've made it down into the basement gym maybe 3-4 times. Aside from one good shoulder day, the rest has been pretty aimless and half-hearted wandering through senseless motions with no plan or intensity.

Here's hoping to get back on the horse sooner than later. Feel like bad "dad bod" is already starting to creep in...