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2021 Better You Fitness Thread

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PR Mondays
Squat 330x5x3 - Not a PR - Weight got a little bit forward on one or two reps, so I lost that hip drive, but got through it.
Press 125x5x3 - PR - Rep number 5 on each set is always a doozie.
Deadlift - 395x5 - PR - Weight moved, probably easier than it felt. Hook grip felt good. Shin had a scab on it, probably from running into the bed post in the dark. That opened up, so that was a new experience for me.
 
captaincaution said:
PR Mondays
Squat 330x5x3 - Not a PR - Weight got a little bit forward on one or two reps, so I lost that hip drive, but got through it.
Press 125x5x3 - PR - Rep number 5 on each set is always a doozie.
Deadlift - 395x5 - PR - Weight moved, probably easier than it felt. Hook grip felt good. Shin had a scab on it, probably from running into the bed post in the dark. That opened up, so that was a new experience for me.
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I bought a new deadlift bar (murder knurling). I leave it at the gym and don't mind others using it. Except for the one guy that keeps leaving skin in the knurling. Pisses me off.
 
I will put in 15-30 minutes of some sort of exercise and stretching every day.

I recently completed an 8 week program, and my back pain is gone, my flexibility and strength are up.

Sadly, this program was designed to improve golf swing, and I literally have zero change, but my overall feeling of well being is way up.
 
Haven’t done P90x in a week. Think I hit balls in the garage almost every night last week. That’s been enough for me, but I do need to find better balance.
 
blugold said:
I bought a new deadlift bar (murder knurling). I leave it at the gym and don't mind others using it. Except for the one guy that keeps leaving skin in the knurling. Pisses me off.
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Sumo style? My hands set up all the way on the inside of the knurling, so just the smooth part of the bar runs on my shins.
 
captaincaution said:
Sumo style? My hands set up all the way on the inside of the knurling, so just the smooth part of the bar runs on my shins.
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Some do sumo. Others just take a wider stance (which isn't necessarily correct).
 
captaincaution said:
The shipping can be quite expensive, I paid 76 bucks for shipping 250 pounds of bumper plates, but the shipping to Ohio is fast. If you're getting fully outfitted, it might make more sense to drive down to Cbus for it.
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I have no problem going to Columbus to pick up equipment. At some point I'll have to move my son out of his apt. - depending on where he goes after he graduates this Spring.
 
Good squats tonight. Worked up to a few heavy triples, 440x3x3. I am happy to be getting back to some heavier weights. Still aways off of where I was back in November. Oh well, I'll get back soon enough. Also did some stiff legged deadlifts.
 
blugold said:
I bought a new deadlift bar (murder knurling). I leave it at the gym and don't mind others using it. Except for the one guy that keeps leaving skin in the knurling. Pisses me off.
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Monitor it for a week and then kill him? 😂

Yesterday was my first real lift in 20 odd years. I’d ledges with the kids a couple times but never using real weight.

Ugh. I am sore and tomorrow will be worse. But it’s a happy sore.

I am also weak, lol. For reference I’m just under 6ft and around 220 right now (stuck but working out should if not trim me down, at least distribute the weight more we’re I want it.

I struggle with cardio stuff post accident but found an answer in a 100# heavy bag. I beat the hell out of it until I’m gasping, then when I stop gasping, I beat the hell out of it again.

Also teaching MMA to my kids. Mainly as they have no skills whatsoever outside of my oldest whom wrestled for 2 years. Pretty proud at my size that in sparring with each of them for 3 one-minute rounds, not one of them landed on blow despite me giving them free reign to do so. I pull/slapped all my blows but to fight a fighter that’s always changing head position left/right-up/down and circling, going southpaw, etc. and kill still close with speed that was overwhelming to them, I’m happy with that.

That’s what the world needs a bunch of well trained fighting Smiter Jr’s lol.

Rambling anyways, base without lifting in 20 years.

Bench 165x5x3. Relatively easy but due to the surgery I had a CANNOT push off with my legs. Perfect weight. I wouldn’t have got rep 6 up on the last set.

Curls 85x10x3-again, form. No hip sway at all. Good weight for the time being at those reps. Likely will go up 10-15 and go for some 5 rep sets. But I’ll cycle as I’m looking to build strength, turn the weight I do have into a little more positive, instead of negative.

Squats. 350x2x1. It didn’t matter what weight I used, my inner thighs were going to cramp and will the next couple times although I’ll probably go for 250 until I can blast out 250x10x3 then the cramps will be done and I can see where I’m at. Mostly a fail.

Whatever the lift is that’s halfway between a C&J and a curl- 165x0x3. Fail. I was half an inch from making it. It was a curl but with full hip thrust. I’ll go down to 130 next time and try for 130x5x3.

45 minutes of sparring and grappling and about 20 minutes on the heavy bag. If getting back into working out, wear gloves. I broke at least one knuckle and another 2 are either broke or were dislocated. Don’t attack the heavy bag hard bare knuckles.

Whatever weight (80ish) I could fit on the leg extension part x10x3.

Anyways I’m committed to this. I enjoyed it. I didn’t appreciate today much and tomorrow is gonna suck, but I’m going to do a real light workout just to try to get the muscles to chill and go heavy again on Thursday. I plan to (once knuckles heal) at least every other day either grapple with kids or do enough cardio on the heavy bag to make a difference.

I’m anxious to see how fast I make gains compared to when I was 17/18. I doubt it’ll be anywhere near but I found a way to workout that doesn’t bore me to death and I don’t hate.

So I’m all in. I’ll check in with progress.
 
Glad you found something Smiter. The important thing is just do something & keep going. The older I get, the harder it is to get started on a new path - and the easier it is to get started! I'm better at putting my ego aside & not quitting if things don't go as planned. In the words of the ancient philosopher Dory: "Just keep swimming"
 
Saturday's weight workout lift me super sore Sun & Monday. Ready to do it again. In the meantime I'm rowing & keeping on the intermittent fasting path. Aiming for 100+ km this month.
 
Smiter said:
Monitor it for a week and then kill him? 😂
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Nah. He's a good guy. I'll just tell him to clean his gotdayum flesh out of my bar. If it continues to be a problem, I will just lock the bar so only I can use it.
 
And... I was right. Day two after not lifting for 20 years sucks, lol.

My left elbow is the worst and I cannot get it closer than about 30* to being straight. There will be no reverse curls (or anything arm related today).

Oh well, after dealing with a lot of bad pain the past couple years, this is a good pain. When I used to lift all the time, I’d get to the point where I’d be tired but not sore after a workout. I made very little gains there. Sore to me means I’m making gains.
 
So I have been lifting now since around October and as of last month I am finally seeing some differences. I have not concentrated on body weight as I have in the past with healthier lifestyle decisions because I end up falling off the wagon. My chest if firming up, and my arms and shoulders are getting bigger. As of last night I am up to benching 185 (10 lbs. under my body weight). My regimen consists of lifting 3 days a week (Monday, Tuesday and Thursday), core workout in my office Monday through Thursday and then I play golf (walk 18 holes) on Fridays. Where I noticed something was at my fittings this year for driver and irons. Driver SS has increased by 2-3 mph and I ended up going up in weight on the shafts of my recent iron purchase. Biggest thing for me is that I have found it so much easier to keep up with this regimen when I am not always worried about losing weight. I also partake in a protein shake 4 days a week. I weigh as much as I did when I wasn't lifting but eating whatever, but it's not all fat now. I notice my clothes fit a little different. I also try to eat healthy at least 5 days a week and watch what I can when I can if I'm not at home. Super stoked at my progress so far, and still got lots of work to do to put on some more muscle. Cool to see everyone's stories/journeys in here.
 
ttucliffhanger said:
So I have been lifting now since around October and as of last month I am finally seeing some differences. I have not concentrated on body weight as I have in the past with healthier lifestyle decisions because I end up falling off the wagon. My chest if firming up, and my arms and shoulders are getting bigger. As of last night I am up to benching 185 (10 lbs. under my body weight). My regimen consists of lifting 3 days a week (Monday, Tuesday and Thursday), core workout in my office Monday through Thursday and then I play golf (walk 18 holes) on Fridays. Where I noticed something was at my fittings this year for driver and irons. Driver SS has increased by 2-3 mph and I ended up going up in weight on the shafts of my recent iron purchase. Biggest thing for me is that I have found it so much easier to keep up with this regimen when I am not always worried about losing weight. I also partake in a protein shake 4 days a week. I weigh as much as I did when I wasn't lifting but eating whatever, but it's not all fat now. I notice my clothes fit a little different. I also try to eat healthy at least 5 days a week and watch what I can when I can if I'm not at home. Super stoked at my progress so far, and still got lots of work to do to put on some more muscle. Cool to see everyone's stories/journeys in here.
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Great stuff! Glad to see you are seeing both body changes, and swing changes related to golf. Hopefully you put them both together and improve on the course!
 
gkeller813 said:
Great stuff! Glad to see you are seeing both body changes, and swing changes related to golf. Hopefully you put them both together and improve on the course!
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That's the hopes, haha. Either way, I feel better all around so it's a win!
 
ttucliffhanger said:
So I have been lifting now since around October and as of last month I am finally seeing some differences. I have not concentrated on body weight as I have in the past with healthier lifestyle decisions because I end up falling off the wagon. My chest if firming up, and my arms and shoulders are getting bigger. As of last night I am up to benching 185 (10 lbs. under my body weight). My regimen consists of lifting 3 days a week (Monday, Tuesday and Thursday), core workout in my office Monday through Thursday and then I play golf (walk 18 holes) on Fridays. Where I noticed something was at my fittings this year for driver and irons. Driver SS has increased by 2-3 mph and I ended up going up in weight on the shafts of my recent iron purchase. Biggest thing for me is that I have found it so much easier to keep up with this regimen when I am not always worried about losing weight. I also partake in a protein shake 4 days a week. I weigh as much as I did when I wasn't lifting but eating whatever, but it's not all fat now. I notice my clothes fit a little different. I also try to eat healthy at least 5 days a week and watch what I can when I can if I'm not at home. Super stoked at my progress so far, and still got lots of work to do to put on some more muscle. Cool to see everyone's stories/journeys in here.
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Your increased swing speed does not surprise me in the least. Even with my golf swing work this winter limited to a few hours at top golf two weeks before my fitting, my swing speed was up. I don't have a very recent baseline, but the swing speed is at least 5-7 mph faster than it would have been in the fall. I also am not worried about losing weight. I just eat whatever I want, but focus on high protein foods without any real tracking.
 
captaincaution said:
Your increased swing speed does not surprise me in the least. Even with my golf swing work this winter limited to a few hours at top golf two weeks before my fitting, my swing speed was up. I don't have a very recent baseline, but the swing speed is at least 5-7 mph faster than it would have been in the fall. I also am not worried about losing weight. I just eat whatever I want, but focus on high protein foods without any real tracking.
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and that was inside at the second part of my fitting. My swing speed outside at the first part of my fitting was the same as it was during the summer last year. Looking forward to seeing what it is up to this summer. I try to eat more protein centric foods myself if I can. Just want to be healthier. I gave up on the weight loss journey because it's like a roller coaster. I have been in the Navy for 11 years today and have been rope and choked my entire career, even during my last PT test in bootcamp, lol. I have to keep some sort of watch on myself, so as long as I stay healthy and keep in the gym, I will be good. My max weight in the Navy is just unattainable for me. Not with my body stature, lol.
 
What was supposed to be a relatively drama free 340x3 PR quickly turned into a 3 rep max. Basically a win. Also did some presses and neutral grip pulldowns.
 
I'm hitting balls in the garage sim most nights and getting more consistent sleep but the diet is hit and miss
 
Tougher day today, but I got through it.

Squats 335x5x3. Last rep of that last set was heavy. Definitely fatigued my back.
Bench Press 182.5x5x3 - pretty good after the squats.
I had a momentary mental weakness with my back feeling tired, and I was considering skipping the power cleans, but I sucked it up and got them done. 160x3x5. PR

Here is the last set for @blugold's discerning eyes:
 
blugold said:
Those are pretty good. The bar is stopping as you jump. Be fast. As soon as the bar is off the floor, be fast. Stay over the bar just a little longer.
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(y). I like the description "jumpy barbell shrugs" haha
 
I hate to give Nike credit but as it relates to this thread their tag line of Just Do It works for all of us. Whatever it is that makes you sweat and then smile when you look at the scale.Just Do It, then rinse and repeat.
 
captaincaution said:
(y). I like the description "jumpy barbell shrugs" haha
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The gym and train at is a very powerlifting focused gym. When I do cleans I tell the powerlifters that I'm doing bf dynamic effort deadlifts to a front rack
 
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