Official strength training thread version 2.0

[Stookie]

looking at my posts from last year, SARMs seem to be so easy to find, now can't find them anywhere

[Tommyboy]

How are y'all managing during the 'rona?

My brother powerlifts and in panic bought an olympic bar, rack and weights and now we have a home gym I guess. Finally I'm working out regularly after 4 years off. I totally let myself go after turning 18...

I don't really work out that much, not like I did before. I'm not trying to do isolation movements rn. Just eating healthy, bench/shoulder press, bodyweight/weighted pullups and exercise bike resistance training.

[Stookie]

I moved states and jobs at the end of last year. The Christmas period came and I gained a couple kgs, and I thought no biggie I'll move into my new place and kick off the new year right, and it was going well for a while then the rona hit. Then I was without a car for a while and CBF catching the bus to the gym, then gyms closed down cause of rona.

So yeah long story short this year hasn't been great. I probably haven't lifted in close to 2 months

The exercise I do get is mainly cardio and yoga.

I was 202lbs at the start of the year, now I'm more like 207lbs. Trying to get down to around 190 by just eating less

When the gyms reopen I'm hoping to run Starting Strength or something super basic for 8 weeks or so to recoup some losses

[Tommyboy]

I'm surprised my gains are coming back this fast.

During high school at my peak physique/strength I was decent for my age/weight. I was 18 and could 1rm bench 220lbs weighing 157lbs.

After high school I was extremely stressed out in university and severely depressed. I lost all my gains and started smoking tobacco and weed daily, often getting drunk too. For a while I stopped eating enough and lost a lot of weight to the point I looked very bony weighing 128lbs and well below the 10% bf mark.

I've havent smoked in well over a year and have been weight training for about a month and eating close to 3k calories on average. A month ago I could barely push 110lbs for 5 reps on bench. I would train chest and back every 2 days, and legs daily (with a high resistance exercise bike). Anyway, every 2 days I would make weeks worth of noob progress and it really motivates me to keep going. My sleep and nutrition is almost impeccable, especially when compared to my high school days and it shows. My stamina has never been better. Back in the day I could do the 1st set for 15 reps and by the 4th set I'd struggle to push 5, but now my 2nd-4th sets have the same number of reps, while my 1st has 3 or 4 more. I'm pretty much back to the same working weight I was doing during my high school days (just did 155x8 for my 3rd set) and I'm sure I'll surpass 18 year old me it in a couple months. Finally, I shall lose my 2 plate virginity.

[Stookie]

There's also something to be said about the simplicity of high school/university, it clears your mind to really grind out some noob gains with minimal distractions. I mean I'm sure if you have a tougher degree and live on campus it would be tougher, but mine was pretty easy and I lived at home while studying so most meals were taken care of. I could go to the gym in the mid afternoon and not feel tired. While for the last few years while working full time I've gone to the gym at about 8pm or later so there's not so many crowds. That plus 'adulting' has made it tougher to focus more on lifting and gaining strength.

But 220lbs bench at 157 bw, that's some good manlet Jew gains right there

[PlanB]

How are y'all managing during the 'rona?

My brother powerlifts and in panic bought an olympic bar, rack and weights and now we have a home gym I guess. Finally I'm working out regularly after 4 years off. I totally let myself go after turning 18...

I don't really work out that much, not like I did before. I'm not trying to do isolation movements rn. Just eating healthy, bench/shoulder press, bodyweight/weighted pullups and exercise bike resistance training.

I have a rack with a landmine attachment, t bar barbell handle, dip bar attachment, a pair of dumbbell handles.

[Adio Skater]

I have a rack with a landmine attachment, t bar barbell handle, dip bar attachment, a pair of dumbbell handles.

You still 6 foot plus?

http://www.skateboard-city.com/messa...hp?groupid=302

[Stookie]

I moved states and jobs at the end of last year. The Christmas period came and I gained a couple kgs, and I thought no biggie I'll move into my new place and kick off the new year right, and it was going well for a while then the rona hit. Then I was without a car for a while and CBF catching the bus to the gym, then gyms closed down cause of rona.

So yeah long story short this year hasn't been great. I probably haven't lifted in close to 2 months

The exercise I do get is mainly cardio and yoga.

I was 202lbs at the start of the year, now I'm more like 207lbs. Trying to get down to around 190 by just eating less

When the gyms reopen I'm hoping to run Starting Strength or something super basic for 8 weeks or so to recoup some losses

Long story short I'm still a fatass but it's slowly coming off

Still trying to maintain strength and volume, which is proving tough. I also think I have hip burstitis making it tough to squat

[UrMomSkatesMongo]

2020-2021 I wasn't doing shit. From like July to September (20) I started working out a bit but once I got thrown to the colder parts of the states I gave up besides a 10min body weight here and there. Was keto'ing pretty hard but definitely put on some fat (~225lbs)
~May 2021 I was headed to costa rica and wanted to get in somewhat better shape. really just did cardio at a moderate pace, tried to get 45min high intensity most days -- got up to 3mi straight without dying (~205lb)
~September 2021 I finally got a gym membership again. Didn't stick to it for fuck, I was busy as hell. averaging around 220lbs at this point
Mid December 2021 alcoholic downward spiral. having money and doing a bunch of shit that doesnt feel productive is a bad combo. had a really bad night just before christmas. disappeared for a week, came back set to get my shit right for the new year
Jan 2022 stop drinking entirely. start counting nutrients and calories. tracking every workout. days for leg, chest, shoulder, back. sprinkle arms in depending on what lifts im doing (add biceps to relevant compounds, tris etc.) cut down on high intensity cardio. started at about 220lbs, probably ~25% bf, PRs minimal
feb-now 2022 one day a week to "high" intensity cardio (~3mi @ 8mph, 2mi incline 3.5 walk), 4 days a week of moderate-low intensity (15k steps, usually power walk a 3mi 900ft trail most mornings), still following dedicated lift days, PRs now passing my prior highschool lifting days with relative ease. maingaining for diet, ~1.75g protein body weight (turkey, salmon/tuna, chicken, whey, casein). practically eliminated sugar; 30g at most if I have dark chocolate on top of oatmilk + whey. Still 220lbs but my body fat is wayyyy down and for the first time in my life I have delts

[Stookie]

2020-2021 I wasn't doing shit. From like July to September (20) I started working out a bit but once I got thrown to the colder parts of the states I gave up besides a 10min body weight here and there. Was keto'ing pretty hard but definitely put on some fat (~225lbs)
~May 2021 I was headed to costa rica and wanted to get in somewhat better shape. really just did cardio at a moderate pace, tried to get 45min high intensity most days -- got up to 3mi straight without dying (~205lb)
~September 2021 I finally got a gym membership again. Didn't stick to it for fuck, I was busy as hell. averaging around 220lbs at this point
Mid December 2021 alcoholic downward spiral. having money and doing a bunch of shit that doesnt feel productive is a bad combo. had a really bad night just before christmas. disappeared for a week, came back set to get my shit right for the new year
Jan 2022 stop drinking entirely. start counting nutrients and calories. tracking every workout. days for leg, chest, shoulder, back. sprinkle arms in depending on what lifts im doing (add biceps to relevant compounds, tris etc.) cut down on high intensity cardio. started at about 220lbs, probably ~25% bf, PRs minimal
feb-now 2022 one day a week to "high" intensity cardio (~3mi @ 8mph, 2mi incline 3.5 walk), 4 days a week of moderate-low intensity (15k steps, usually power walk a 3mi 900ft trail most mornings), still following dedicated lift days, PRs now passing my prior highschool lifting days with relative ease. maingaining for diet, ~1.75g protein body weight (turkey, salmon/tuna, chicken, whey, casein). practically eliminated sugar; 30g at most if I have dark chocolate on top of oatmilk + whey. Still 220lbs but my body fat is wayyyy down and for the first time in my life I have delts

I haven't weighed myself in a while but I'd like to think I'm under 190 now. I've been doing F45 (hiit) 5x a week (trying to go 5x a week, usually more like 4x a week because something always comes up) for the past year which has helped innumerably. That said I think it's time to start tracking my diet more closely. I've felt quite bloated and 'soft' lately, think too many carbs and need to increase protein intake. I saw a shirtless pic of myself the other day and I think shedding some water weight could help with the bloated look/feel.

I feel like I'm about or just under 15% BF but I am not vascular at all, never have been, family isn't very vascular either. Which is funny cause I see guys who look similar with teh bicep veinz and whatnot. And in the hiit community (and also social media expectations), anyone 10% BF or thereabouts is considered 'normal'. But you go on the street and everyone's a fatass

i couldnt tell you what my totals would be now, but probably fuck all. i don't really care that much, i can still do everything and have a higher work rate because I am fitter, and at the classes I can usually maintain better form for longer and have reasonable strength due to the solid strength training base

[igrindtwinkies]

I have been lifting in a gym 3 days a week and doing some bodyweight shit a few times a week. A bit of cardio twice a week. Cardio is mind numbingly boring in the winter.

[CCCP]

have long since surpassed bodyweight shoulder press

[UrMomSkatesMongo]

I haven't weighed myself in a while but I'd like to think I'm under 190 now. I've been doing F45 (hiit) 5x a week (trying to go 5x a week, usually more like 4x a week because something always comes up) for the past year which has helped innumerably. That said I think it's time to start tracking my diet more closely. I've felt quite bloated and 'soft' lately, think too many carbs and need to increase protein intake. I saw a shirtless pic of myself the other day and I think shedding some water weight could help with the bloated look/feel.

I feel like I'm about or just under 15% BF but I am not vascular at all, never have been, family isn't very vascular either. Which is funny cause I see guys who look similar with teh bicep veinz and whatnot. And in the hiit community (and also social media expectations), anyone 10% BF or thereabouts is considered 'normal'. But you go on the street and everyone's a fatass

i couldnt tell you what my totals would be now, but probably fuck all. i don't really care that much, i can still do everything and have a higher work rate because I am fitter, and at the classes I can usually maintain better form for longer and have reasonable strength due to the solid strength training base

I've been stupid vascular my whole life and taking the gym seriously now has only made it worse. Like I have veins popping in my front delts and pecs now. I usually attributed it to my high blood pressure which is probably an issue at this point but after the 50th doctor saying "huh, that's a bit high" I'm ready to die at 40 since nobody thinks it's worth looking into further.

but yeah I don't weigh myself much and I don't go for PRs at all beyond getting a base (of which I've surpassed long ago). I'm already having rotary issues and despite emphasizing dumbell lifts, I'm still wayyy out of proportion. shoulders still misaligned, left side muscles all more developed yet weaker than right, etc. (probably contributing to shoulder issues). so I do try to take it "easy" in the sense of mid rep, mid weight. As far as goals are concerned, I just want to like myself in the mirror as I used to and promote overall health. as summer creeps in I'll definitely be emphasizing cardio and cutting calories a bit (not that it really matters because fuck arizona)

anyway, I really just like the routine and feeling of accomplishment from the gym and am happy for keeping consistent for over 3 months now. I think that's the most important part of it all. I definitely look sufficiently sexy for the ladies and my t-shirt sleeves are back to not fitting right anymore but with all the shit I've dealt with over the last few years, I'm just happy for something active I can stick to

[Stookie]

I've been stupid vascular my whole life and taking the gym seriously now has only made it worse. Like I have veins popping in my front delts and pecs now. I usually attributed it to my high blood pressure which is probably an issue at this point but after the 50th doctor saying "huh, that's a bit high" I'm ready to die at 40 since nobody thinks it's worth looking into further.

but yeah I don't weigh myself much and I don't go for PRs at all beyond getting a base (of which I've surpassed long ago). I'm already having rotary issues and despite emphasizing dumbell lifts, I'm still wayyy out of proportion. shoulders still misaligned, left side muscles all more developed yet weaker than right, etc. (probably contributing to shoulder issues). so I do try to take it "easy" in the sense of mid rep, mid weight. As far as goals are concerned, I just want to like myself in the mirror as I used to and promote overall health. as summer creeps in I'll definitely be emphasizing cardio and cutting calories a bit (not that it really matters because fuck arizona)

anyway, I really just like the routine and feeling of accomplishment from the gym and am happy for keeping consistent for over 3 months now. I think that's the most important part of it all. I definitely look sufficiently sexy for the ladies and my t-shirt sleeves are back to not fitting right anymore but with all the shit I've dealt with over the last few years, I'm just happy for something active I can stick to

Interesting what you say about vascularity. I'm pretty sure I have stupid low blood pressure which could contribute. If you have veins coming out of your delts at 20% BF then that's incredible

Also think my shoulders are fucked too. Poor posture. And my back is fucked from working years of retail in Vans (lol) and picking up stuff (milk crates etc) with poor form. I sometimes question if I'm even standing right. I think those shoulder posture correctors could be good to at least get a baseline of how fucked I am

I also have a snowboarding injury from nearly ten years ago that caused all kinds of alignment and back/neck issues that have since manifested further

[igrindtwinkies]

I am stupid exhausted. It warmed up, so I've been skating and cycling alot. Bit of strength training in there too.

[UrMomSkatesMongo]

Interesting what you say about vascularity. I'm pretty sure I have stupid low blood pressure which could contribute. If you have veins coming out of your delts at 20% BF then that's incredible

Also think my shoulders are fucked too. Poor posture. And my back is fucked from working years of retail in Vans (lol) and picking up stuff (milk crates etc) with poor form. I sometimes question if I'm even standing right. I think those shoulder posture correctors could be good to at least get a baseline of how fucked I am

I also have a snowboarding injury from nearly ten years ago that caused all kinds of alignment and back/neck issues that have since manifested further

my blood pressure is finally improving, as well as my resting heartrate (down from like 75 to about 50 now) since I'm slowly upping my cardio. I do zone training, or what I think zone training is, and do 90% of my cardio from 50-65% max HR. My mile is about 7:30 but that puts me above 90% so I've only been doing that once a week. have a half ass goal of running a marathon next winter but we'll see

my posture was absolutely ruined from sitting almost 24/7 during 2020. I got one of those full body 3d scans when I started going to the gym (AF does them free 2x a year) and I looked like the fucking hunchback. I think the imbalance from fire + sitting on my ass for a year after destroyed all of my physical symmetry. but, being mindful of it with dumbbells, going to failure on the weak arm and stopping with the other, I am seeing some improvement. Posture especially is 100x better but I am overly aware of it all the time now. i tried doing some yoga for it too but I haven't found any yoga that I can stick to yet

and yeah fuck prior injuries, my broken wrist from snowboarding still finds a way to scream at me from time to time. it's actually gotten better with lifting though, only thing that still sets it off sometimes is excessive pushups

[CCCP]

I finally benched a plate. So stoked.

I can shoulder press 155lbs now standing. Are you impressed 2016 cccp?

[Stookie]

das it mane

[StarcraftLedZeppelin]

tooth pick legs doe