Dani's Rebel Log

[T3hPwnisher]

So much love and comments to go through! Appreciate t all.

@Dani_Shugart

Whoa. I was already impressed with your (chaos is the plan) training but, now I’m impressed that you can keep your carbs so low and still build/keep that amount of muscle.

Stoked for you!!

Thanks so much for that! It was something Tim and I had a gentlemen’s disagreement on, haha.

Ultimately, FEELING awesome has been the primary driver of my nutrition choices these days, and I’ve found that: the more animal I eat, the better I feel. The further away I drift from that, the worse I feel. BUT, if I CAN eat it and still feel awesome: I do. Which is how the Velocity Diet has really fit in well: Metabolic Drive is really just plain awesome. I’ve had to slum it a few times when I’ve been out of it or failed to plan, and I can immediately notice the difference. But between that as a baseline and animals making up the food I eat while I eat it, my system is HUMMING. There’s nothing but quality running through my body, and it’s rewarding me by producing nothing but quality. Garbage in/garbage out, and vice versa.

@TrainForPain

Even in @T3hPwnisher’s example, he’s more associating feeling awesome with his prime than anything. He certainly looks ridiculous, because he’s shredded, but he’s been lean and big and strong all at various points.

This is a very fair point. If I were to document myself at my true “muscular” prime, it would be these two videos

Keg clean and press: 1x225 (clean only), 1x240, 1x250

Axle Strict Press: 5x241, 1x256, 1x266, 0x276 (lifetime PRs)

Christ I was strong…and quite chubby. I was legit 45lbs heavier in bodyweight than I am in my current photos. And I wasn’t taking photos then, nor was my health all that great. Right now, I feel like I’ve struck the balance, because though I’m not near as strong, I’m still “quite strong”, lean, jacked, and much healthier.

But, in 100% disclosure, if I never needed to worry about consequences, I’d rather be 308lbs.

More to follow!

[Dani_Shugart]

Lower Body

Again, just super light work: feeling the muscles contract and suffer a bit without making the hip/ham flare up.

Something’s still not quite right, but at least I can walk without pain and lift around the problem. Squats, deads (or any hinge like KB swings), and leg press don’t feel great yet.

That still leaves a lot. I could do some leg extensions if I was interested in adding size back to the quads, but I’d rather not. My quads always look better with compound exercises than isolation work.

Hip thrust: 4 x 10-12 with a few partials after the last rep

Adductor machine: 4 x 15 full ROM with mid-range partials

Walking lunge: Pauses at peak

Back extension: 10-12 with glute foucus

I can’t isolate the hamstrings yet either, but that’s ok. Just glad to be doing anything for lower body!

Relatable meme.

Also, I have this plant. It’s a syngonium… and nobody cares!

[Dani_Shugart]

@T3hPwnisher

FEELING awesome has been the primary driver of my nutrition choices these days, and I’ve found that: the more animal I eat, the better I feel.

It’s awesome that you’ve discovered what makes you feel your best. I’ve shifted to low and (nearly zero) carb approaches when my body was attacking itself. It was the only tolerable way to live, and luckily it was highly satiating. I can see why certain people thrive with it long term.

@T3hPwnisher

my system is HUMMING

This is excellent!

@T3hPwnisher

I was strong…and quite chubby. I was legit 45lbs heavier in bodyweight than I am in my current photos. And I wasn’t taking photos then, nor was my health all that great.

It’s so great that you recognize this. There seems to be a population of lifters whose goal is strong at any cost. This doesn’t make sense. And what’s weird is their strength is impractical for most real-world events and the cost of achieving it is wild (women with man voices and misshapen faces, for instance).

@T3hPwnisher

Right now, I feel like I’ve struck the balance, because though I’m not near as strong, I’m still “quite strong”, lean, jacked, and much healthier.

This is the best place to be for any lifter who’s not competing in a specific event.

[Meathead56]

@Dani_Shugart

Do me a favor and post a picture (or two or three) of yourself in your muscular prime.

I’m a bit late to the party on this. Me about 7 weeks ago. Same as my profile pic. I’m slightly more vascular now, but mostly the same, and a bit stronger.

I feel close to the best I’ve ever felt in my life. I have some chronic orthopedic stuff so I’m sure in my teens I felt overall better, but for sure I did not look like this at 18. And yes, I’m running some low-ish dose anabolics.

@Dani_Shugart

I can’t have all three of these things:

1. Muscularity
2. Leanness
3. Health

I’m having all three now and I feel like what I’m doing is easily sustainable. But I’m sure I’ll do something stupid at some point to mess it all up.

And your pics look…ahhh, yeah, I’ll just say if you have a sister who looks like you and is single, please send her my way lol.

In all seriousness, I enjoy reading your posts and articles. Thanks for all the work you do for the site.

[simo74]

@Dani_Shugart

Why on earth don’t you have your real photo as your avatar?

That’s a good question, when I first started my log the avatar picture was Homer with a Duff beer in his bicep. When I reached a level of strength I was happy with I changed it to a dumbbell. It has been my Avatar for s long now, not sure anyone would recognize me if I changed it. LOL

@Dani_Shugart

Congrats on the hard work!

@Dani_Shugart

Hyooge!

Thank you for those kind words. It genuinely is hard hard work sometimes, managing training, kids, work, wife and life. Most people I know don’t understand it but I guess that’s why I hang out here with all the cool kids.

@Dani_Shugart

. Have you ever competed in SM? The whole community seems really down to earth and fun.

Did my first novice comp earlier this year and have a second local comp in 2 weeks time. The community is really good, everyone is extremely supportive and helpful. Much more friendly than powerlifting.

[simo74]

@T3hPwnisher

I’d rather be 308lbs.

Is there any more room on that bus.

[T3hPwnisher]

@Dani_Shugart

It’s so great that you recognize this. There seems to be a population of lifters whose goal is strong at any cost. This doesn’t make sense. And what’s weird is their strength is impractical for most real-world events and the cost of achieving it is wild (women with man voices and misshapen faces, for instance).

I can totally understand. I’ve only got 2 speeds. Moderation is where I struggle. When I had a health crisis, I decided I was going to be THE healthiest and, in turn, made the pursuit of health…unhealthy. “It’s easy to be hard and hard to be smart”

Really appreciate all the kind words and support. You and the Shugart clan are just class.

@Dani_Shugart

I think stage leanness is super overrated. But it seems like @T3hPwnisher is onto something with his carnivore/V-diet strategies. Because going low calorie always feels so much easier when most of your cals are coming from protein and fat. The combo is more satiating for a lot of people.

What’s wild in that regard is that I had ZERO intention of losing fat/weight. All I wanted to do was FEEL better and simplify my eating. In turn, the weight just FLEW off of me. It’s genuinely like getting rid of all the “filler” in my life got rid of the filler in my body too. I’m total “high speed/low drag” these days.

@TrainForPain

I am truly impressed with @T3hPwnisher’s current condition for as sustainable as it seems to be.

The major part of the sustainability is I’m making ZERO sacrifices here. I am eating EXACTLY the way I want to eat. My whole life I’ve had this VORACIOUS hunger. Anyone that read my previously food logs noted I was literally eating every half hour. I would eat MASSIVE meals and literally walk away sad because I was still hungry and knew I had to wait to eat again. All I craved was meat/animal, but I was told that eating too much of it was “wrong”, so I was trying to fill the void with other foods, and it was failing HARD.

Once I switched to just eating all the animal I wanted…for once in my life, I stopped being hungry. It’s absolutely wild. I think we all have a way we’re SUPPOSED to eat: it’s about finding it.

[Dani_Shugart]

@Meathead56

I’m a bit late to the party on this.

Never too late to jump in here!

@Meathead56

I feel close to the best I’ve ever felt in my life. I have some chronic orthopedic stuff so I’m sure in my teens I felt overall better, but for sure I did not look like this at 18. And yes, I’m running some low-ish dose anabolics.

This is amazing to hear! Congrats!

@Meathead56

I feel like what I’m doing is easily sustainable. But I’m sure I’ll do something stupid at some point to mess it all up.

Maybe sustainability should be a bigger priority among lifters. Over the years I’ve become less impressed by what someone achieved (temporarily) when they took extreme measures, and more impressed by those who can get their fitness to an excellent place for a very long time.

@Meathead56

But I’m sure I’ll do something stupid at some point to mess it all up.

Life has a way of messing up our routines. But once you’ve found one that’s easy to live with and effective, you’ll be able to get back on track… or at least adapt to your circumstances. I’m sure you already know all this haha.

@Meathead56

if you have a sister who looks like you and is single, please send her my way lol.

Ha! That’s a good compliment. My sister and I had a similar sense of humor, and I’m told, the same laugh, but she wrestled with some demons for a long time, and they finally won. Part of the reason I got into lifting was because building muscle was the opposite of her lifestyle.

@Meathead56

In all seriousness, I enjoy reading your posts and articles. Thanks for all the work you do for the site.

That means the world. Keep in mind, I don’t even agree with myself on a daily basis… so a lot of the stuff I wrote years ago might not accurately represent my thoughts today. Thank you so much for the encouragement!

[Dani_Shugart]

@simo74

It genuinely is hard hard work sometimes, managing training, kids, work, wife and life. Most people I know don’t understand it

Sounds like you’re a great role model for a lot of people, including your kids. I bet those who aren’t into it probably admire what you’ve done.

Colorado is full of fit people, which is great, but the drawback is you don’t get to feel special for staying in decent shape.

@simo74

Did my first novice comp earlier this year and have a second local comp in 2 weeks time. The community is really good, everyone is extremely supportive and helpful. Much more friendly than powerlifting.

That’s really good to hear! I saw someone say earlier that bodybuilding is not as kind or supportive as powerlifting. So if strongman is even better than that, it must be a good crowd!

[Dani_Shugart]

@T3hPwnisher

When I had a health crisis, I decided I was going to be THE healthiest and, in turn, made the pursuit of health…unhealthy. “It’s easy to be hard and hard to be smart”

Incredible! I’m glad you got that sorted out.

If there’s ever a time when you need to adjust your carb intake, I truly believe that you will be able to keep your level of leanness and gains.

Your focus and work ethic were the biggest key. The diet gave you an amazing kickstart and simplified your eating. But your improved body comp (and nutrient partitioning ability) will probably still thrive if there comes a time when you need to eat a touch more variety.

There’s a recent interview with Paul Saladino (the most staunch carnivore influencer over the past decade) and it made me think of you. He ate only meat and organs for years – even built his company around it – but now he’s done a 180. And he’s only gained more muscle as a result.

I’m glad you’re doing what’s continuing to work for you. Can’t go wrong with that approach.

Here’s that interview in case you’re ever curious.

5 Things Paul Saladino Changed His Mind on After Quitting Carnivore

[T3hPwnisher]

Thanks so much for the share! I saw the interview and am reading through Paul’s book. He’s been a big influence on me, and when I “cheat” on my diet, its typically in accordance with his recs. I appreciate those that put solid thought into this whole thing

[Meathead56]

I’m sorry to hear about your sister. And I apologize for my stupid joke that was insensitive.

[Dani_Shugart]

Oh my goodness, no need to apologize! I took your compliment as you meant it. It’s all good!

[T3hPwnisher]

Sorry to continue to bloviate here, but your post has me realizing the limitation of discussing things via soundbite. Nuance gets lost. In that regard, I should mention that I HAVE found that trying to go 100% carb free is less than ideal for me. I’ll say that I flat out PREFER not to eat carbs, BUT, whenever I go more than 10-ish days without any of them, I tend to suffer. I get super flat and washed out and I can feel the full body fatigue start to hit. So I make a point to have 1 carb up meal, ideally weekly, and IDEALLY as a family meal on Sundays. It allows for the physical AND social healing that comes with food.

I try to keep it as homecooked foods this way as well. Connect with old recipes passed down through the years and enjoy comfort food that doesn’t come from a box or out of a restaurant. Just really check a lot of boxes.

This also turns the diet into more of a cyclical ketogenic diet. But it also makes it confusing for people that follow along and go “I thought you were carnivore!?” Haha.

[Dani_Shugart]

@T3hPwnisher

This also turns the diet into more of a cyclical ketogenic diet.

Okay now you’ve got me wanting to try it! Your routine sounds amazing.

[Dani_Shugart]

Lower Body Sesh

I met the cutest elderly man today! His name is Ben and we’re BFFs now.

The back extension machine was set up right in front of the elliptical he was using. And, it just seems like, if you’re going to do this exercise in front of someone, you should probably smile at them and engage in small talk between sets.

Superset
Hip Thrust: 3 x 12 full ROM, with 5-8 partial pulses at the top
Neutral Grip Pull-Ups: 3 x 5 Full ROM slow, controlled, bicep-focus

Smith Machine RDL: 3 x 12

I wanted to get a stretch in the ham that’s been messed up. Not sure if I gave it a healthy challenge or just irritated the crap out of it. (Guess we’ll find out!)

Glute-Focused Back Extension: 3 x 12 controlled reps

Walking Lunge: Out and back, pausing with knee hovering above the ground
Abductor (Booty) Machine: 3 x 15 full ROM, with 15 concentrated partials

So this workout seems hyper-focused on glutes, and that’s not really my intention. It’s just what I can train without high ham irritation. Isolating the quads is also an option, but when I used to hit them hard in my twenties, they were enormous. And I’m not sure that’s a look I’d like to revisit.

On another note…

(Random picture to break up the text)

DHT Blockers are Total BS

Dr. Jade Teta says that we need to be our own metabolic detectives, and that has always stuck with me over the years. I’ve been reading/following his stuff since 2013 and his advice hasn’t steered me wrong yet.

So now I have to tell you about some detective work that paid off.

Background info: DHT is an androgen. A lot of information online will say that it’s a male hormone specifically. If you produce a lot of it genetically, you end up with male pattern baldness. So that’s its reputation.

And on the market right now there are a lot of supplements for males and females that block DHT in order to prevent hair loss.

So I had been taking a DHT blocker for the past several months just to see if it’d do anything for my hair. (It didn’t.)

But what it did do is mess with my body’s ability to recover, lose fat, and build muscle. I stopped taking it last week and very quickly noticed a difference in workout quality, muscle definition, pump, joint pain, etc.

And honestly, I’d rather go bald than watch my body become less fit and more injury-prone.

This makes me think that maybe, women actually need DHT too. I don’t have all the answers and hardly even know how DHT (dihydrotestosterone) is related to testosterone.

But I’d rather err on the side of having it than not having enough.

On a health-adjacent note, I have a story about biotin too. Women take it all the time for hair, skin, and nails, but it seriously messes with your thyroid hormones, so be extremely careful taking it. (It messed me up so badly a few years ago!)

Question for you:

Can you think of any huge discoveries you’ve made that caused you to make a dramatic change? Share your detective work.

[cyclonengineer]

@Dani_Shugart

if you’re going to bend over multiple times in front of someone, you should probably smile at them and engage in small talk between sets. Ben had a good view.

You mean you didn’t film him and blast him all over social media for using a piece of equipment in your proximity? Clearly you are are horrible human…

[Dani_Shugart]

@cyclonengineer

You mean you didn’t film him and blast him all over social media for using a piece of equipment in your proximity?

Not this time!

[Dani_Shugart]

Just saw this on Twatter.

Check out these two men on opposite sides of the spectrum: One honors women, one brags about beating them. The latter extreme is why women need to be armed.

Look at the contempt in Andrew Tate’s eyes. Do you think he’s the only male who hates women this much? He’s just the only one with an audience that big. And it’s pretty disgusting how much the red-pill community embraces this monster.

MilkBarTV

No matter how strong a woman is, she will likely not be able to fight off a man who’s aggressive enough. But bullets work.

You don’t have to kill a predator. Just aim for the pelvis.

[Meathead56]

@Dani_Shugart

The latter extreme is why women need to be armed.

I’m not a gun guy personally, but I’m in 100% support of a person’s right to defend themselves.

I never witnessed domestic violence firsthand until a few weeks ago in a hotel hallway. It was horrific and the woman had no chance against the guy. He stopped when he saw me and I politely told him he should stop doing that if he wanted to keep all his teeth.

The experience reconfirmed to me why people need guns, especially women.