kitty Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 OK, I'm sorely in need of changing up my routine. I've stopped exercising regularly due to a relapse of depression as well as boredom with my old routine. I need to start back up again. I'm still looking at maximizing time indoors with some free weights or cables. Is there a specific brand or something I should be looking at? I'm on a budget so I'm looking at stuff on the cheap but without sacrificing too much quality (I don't want cables snapping and waylaying my face). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPRTNovice Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 OK, I'm sorely in need of changing up my routine. I've stopped exercising regularly due to a relapse of depression as well as boredom with my old routine. I need to start back up again.I'm still looking at maximizing time indoors with some free weights or cables. Is there a specific brand or something I should be looking at? I'm on a budget so I'm looking at stuff on the cheap but without sacrificing too much quality (I don't want cables snapping and waylaying my face). www.bodeefit.com is free and bodyweight only you won't bulk up, but you WILL kick your own ass in 20 minutes or less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Splint Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 OK, I'm sorely in need of changing up my routine. I've stopped exercising regularly due to a relapse of depression as well as boredom with my old routine. I need to start back up again. Now that you've gotten into the swing of things a bit, I would also recommend starting to split your training up. At minimum, at least try an upper/lower split, i.e. upper body one day then legs the next, rest, repeat. Better would be to isolate some muscle groups for certain days as it looks like you won't have access to equipment for heavy compound lifts, although you can do a lot with dumbbells. If you can get some minimal equipment, like some dumbbells and resistance bands as you mentioned, we can really pitch in with some ideas for mixing it up to keep it interesting and keep you growing/shrinking in all the right places. Don't get me wrong, there are tons of variations on bodyweight exercises, but your interests seem to lie elsewhere (as mine do). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Splint Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 BOOYAH. My new training hoodie, with mandatory serious-Shepard face. Picture won't post here, so I'll have to use a link:https://www.dropbox.com/s/twxvgf30nsv1yfl/N7.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argle Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 How's the shoulder, Argle? If you happen to be in the middle to eastern U.S. I imagine the cold isn't doing you any favors. I'm near Chicago so we got dumped on. I spent most of the day shoveling, but my shoulder actually felt pretty good the next day. Most of the work I did with my other shoulder. Maybe some movement and a bit of work was good for it. I have a massage tomorrow and I'm trying to schedule an appointment with my doc, if I can ever get through the answering service. Shoulder is getting better, very slowly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Bottle Rocket Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I've entered the maintenance stage of my diet and lost 40 pounds in 4 months, now it's all exercise and toning up, baby! too bad I hate the winter and barely leave the house for anything. :B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Splint Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I've entered the maintenance stage of my diet and lost 40 pounds in 4 months, now it's all exercise and toning up, baby!too bad I hate the winter and barely leave the house for anything. :B Gratz, brah. That's a good bit of weight. Greek god bodliness incoming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceansAndrew Posted February 24, 2014 Author Share Posted February 24, 2014 how are everyone's goals going? I hope all my fit club BROS are getting all kiinds of gains (all kinds)! I have really been enjoying doing weighted chinups this year, and am hoping that by summertime i'll be able to do all 50 reps without having to drop to zero weight; am a little over halfway there, but it is the slow linear progression on these that motivates me the most. Being able to beat the week prior by just one rep is awesome, and since there are so many reps overall, it means that micro improvements are easy to see. Keep pwning, BROS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPRTNovice Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 how are everyone's goals going? I hope all my fit club BROS are getting all kiinds of gains (all kinds)! Unfortunately I can only bitch. I've been working too many hours to bother working out most days, and I've actually ended up getting sick on average once every two weeks since November. I'm attributing it mostly to stress. But hopefully soon I'll be makign a transition that will cut my work time and I can get back into the swing of it. I still parkour every Sunday though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argle Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 My goal is to someday heal this rotator cuff thing and not have it be a permanent cripplement. At least I can still do leg and core work, though nothing that involves upper body. What a grade-A pisser. I am objectively stronger in the shoulder with less pain, but there are still overhead movements that are excruciating. I could no more do a handstand pushup today than I could 3 months ago. Guys, seriously, be careful with your shoulders because you don't want to end up like me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Splint Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Argle speaks the truth, my near-miss rotator injury scared the crap out of me (three months to heal, can still feel it some days). My goals are going pretty well. Progressing on nearly every lift, though my cut is finally starting to inhibit that. I'm down to about 12% (according to my scale; I suspect I'm actually at about 11). I want to drop at least another two points by May, slow and steady to keep the gainz. I am SO CLOSE to OHP'ing one plate for 8 reps (140 pounds, my goal for at least six months). I just met my other big goal of hitting 8 chin-ups at plus 25 lbs. though, so that was pretty sweet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceansAndrew Posted February 24, 2014 Author Share Posted February 24, 2014 Good to hear that you guys are all working on something - I feel super far out from my goals, but am making slow progress; Minor victory was I managed to get 42 out of my 50 chinups today with either 45 or 25lb added, and will hopefully get all 50 within the month, which is way sooner than this summer. Argle, what kind of PT work are you doing for your shoulder(s)? Do you have something a doctor recommended? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nase Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 went to the grocery store on foot. later, i walked back and forth on the balcony forever while imagining some silly piece of stargate fanfiction. must've been close to 10.000 steps! i'm proud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ectogemia Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 (edited) how are everyone's goals going? I hope all my fit club BROS are getting all kiinds of gains (all kinds)!I have really been enjoying doing weighted chinups this year, and am hoping that by summertime i'll be able to do all 50 reps without having to drop to zero weight; am a little over halfway there, but it is the slow linear progression on these that motivates me the most. Being able to beat the week prior by just one rep is awesome, and since there are so many reps overall, it means that micro improvements are easy to see. Keep pwning, BROS! I'm a skinny shit again I couldn't keep up with eating as much as I needed to eat to put on muscle and keep it. I'm just too much of a hard-gainer to gain comfortably. All that food was taking too long to cook and eat, and being 110% full at all times was getting really old and farty/poopy. I'll probably head back to the gym soonish to do the same lifts but with a much, much slower arc of progression. My days of force-feeding are definitely over! So now I'm focusing on flexibility so I can do a full lotus to help out my meditation practice (not to mention I'm stupid inflexible), and I'll be getting to HIIT sprints in a month or so when the weather isn't being a butt. Probably gonna add some yoga in there, too, why not. My goals are going pretty well. Progressing on nearly every lift, though my cut is finally starting to inhibit that. I'm down to about 12% (according to my scale; I suspect I'm actually at about 11). I want to drop at least another two points by May, slow and steady to keep the gainz.I am SO CLOSE to OHP'ing one plate for 8 reps (140 pounds, my goal for at least six months). I just met my other big goal of hitting 8 chin-ups at plus 25 lbs. though, so that was pretty sweet Haha, weird man... that's pretty much exactly where I was on those two lifts before my digestive system went on strike. Same body fat, even. Edited February 25, 2014 by ectogemia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zircon Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I mentioned this on Facebook, and to OA, but I've made a couple big changes. One, I've transitioned closer to a paleo diet. Not doing it 100% because I don't have the patience/willpower, but I'm definitely getting into the groove of an eggs&bacon breakfast, grass fed beef / chicken breasts for lunch, broccoli + cauliflower, coconut oil & ghee instead of other stuff... etc. Honestly, I don't feel much of a difference compared to when I ate a lot more carbs / grains. More full, maybe. But I don't have any digestive problems at least. The main thing is that I decided to start working with a personal trainer. We did two sessions so far and I'm loving it. The plan is two 1 hour sessions per week; upper body & lower body. Maybe expanding beyond that later, we'll see. Having a trainer relieves me from having to THINK about working out. I have my appointment, so I just go and the guy tells me what to do. It's perfect. Being self employed I often feel like I have to spend a lot of my willpower just staying focused on work... and it's doubly hard when that's creative work. We're focusing on muscle building exclusively. The trainer knows his stuff, I think. He's like 55 and built like a tank, benches 500+, squats 600+. It's nuts. He has a simple philosophy that if you want to get strong, there aren't shortcuts. Lift heavy stuff. And that's perfect for me. After the first two sessions I was completely sore all over, but it felt great, and that's what I want - to be put through the ringer by someone else! I'm actually *looking forward* to future sessions. I can hardly believe it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPRTNovice Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I mentioned this on Facebook, and to OA, but I've made a couple big changes. One, I've transitioned closer to a paleo diet. Not doing it 100% because I don't have the patience/willpower, but I'm definitely getting into the groove of an eggs&bacon breakfast, grass fed beef / chicken breasts for lunch, broccoli + cauliflower, coconut oil & ghee instead of other stuff... etc. Honestly, I don't feel much of a difference compared to when I ate a lot more carbs / grains. More full, maybe. But I don't have any digestive problems at least.The main thing is that I decided to start working with a personal trainer. We did two sessions so far and I'm loving it. The plan is two 1 hour sessions per week; upper body & lower body. Maybe expanding beyond that later, we'll see. Having a trainer relieves me from having to THINK about working out. I have my appointment, so I just go and the guy tells me what to do. It's perfect. Being self employed I often feel like I have to spend a lot of my willpower just staying focused on work... and it's doubly hard when that's creative work. We're focusing on muscle building exclusively. The trainer knows his stuff, I think. He's like 55 and built like a tank, benches 500+, squats 600+. It's nuts. He has a simple philosophy that if you want to get strong, there aren't shortcuts. Lift heavy stuff. And that's perfect for me. After the first two sessions I was completely sore all over, but it felt great, and that's what I want - to be put through the ringer by someone else! I'm actually *looking forward* to future sessions. I can hardly believe it. dude, all of this is so much awesome. I can't imagine how much better you're feeling right now and I bet it's only going to get better from here. Congrats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theshaggyfreak Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I've started seeing a personal trainer recently and he's started working with me on to develop a stronger and more balanced body. I have a long way to go but it's nice to have someone to answer to other than myself when it comes to exercise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Splint Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I'll be getting to HIIT sprints in a month or so when the weather isn't being a butt. I just began HIIT sprints again last night. Kicked. My. Ass. We're focusing on muscle building exclusively. The trainer knows his stuff, I think. He's like 55 and built like a tank, benches 500+, squats 600+. It's nuts. He has a simple philosophy that if you want to get strong, there aren't shortcuts. Lift heavy stuff. And that's perfect for me. After the first two sessions I was completely sore all over, but it felt great, and that's what I want - to be put through the ringer by someone else! I'm actually *looking forward* to future sessions. I can hardly believe it. So much win. I would definitely trust someone that age with those kinds of numbers. I've started seeing a personal trainer recently and he's started working with me on to develop a stronger and more balanced body. I have a long way to go but it's nice to have someone to answer to other than myself when it comes to exercise. That's what it's about, is finding what works for you. I cannot stand it when someone makes blanket statements such as, "A personal trainer is a waste of money." Not to some people. Find what motivates you and hold tight to it. Trust me though - the 'long way to go' mentality will NEVER LEAVE YOU. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ectogemia Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 That's awesome, Andy. I know how frustrating it is to spend a lot of time and effort on diet and exercise getting no results. Once you start making gains, it becomes very, very addicting I'm also glad to know I'm not the only one who struggles to focus on creative work either, haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theshaggyfreak Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 That's what it's about, is finding what works for you. I cannot stand it when someone makes blanket statements such as, "A personal trainer is a waste of money." Not to some people. Find what motivates you and hold tight to it. Trust me though - the 'long way to go' mentality will NEVER LEAVE YOU. It also helps to find a trainer that is compatible with you. It's a bit like being in a relationship. Luckily for me, my wife's trainer is a good guy and was available to work with me. Despite being uncoordinated and flabby, he's confident that he'll be able to help me reach my goals. He's able to motivate me without any negativity what so ever. Time will tell the story, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceansAndrew Posted February 25, 2014 Author Share Posted February 25, 2014 I know how frustrating it is to spend a lot of time and effort on diet and exercise getting no results. Once you start making gains, it becomes very, very addicting pft, even getting good results is frustrating, because I want better results. Such is life and gainz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ectogemia Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 pft, even getting good results is frustrating, because I want better results. Such is life and gainz. So true... but 'tis better to have gained and lost than never to have gained at all. Or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceansAndrew Posted February 25, 2014 Author Share Posted February 25, 2014 So true... but 'tis better to have gained and lost than never to have gained at all. Or something. Nah, that seems good. I think my expectations are a little high of myself right now, and it's just like improving at anything; if you are focused on the improvement itself, it is hard to see how far you have come because you are always looking forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Splint Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Nah, that seems good. I think my expectations are a little high of myself right now, and it's just like improving at anything; if you are focused on the improvement itself, it is hard to see how far you have come because you are always looking forward. Yup. My wife came across a picture of me from a couple of years ago with my shirt off, and I was like "Where?! Where is it?! I need to see it!" Just so I can compare it with where I am, and have BRIEF satisfaction. Then it's all, "Well, look how far I came, now imagine how much further I can go." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argle Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I'm a skinny shit again Haha, welcome to my world. Even when I was doing regular strength training I was still thin. It's ok tho, I prefer a lean muscled look over getting big. Also I don't think bodyweight training is a recipe for maximum hypertrophy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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