You know my motto. BE NICE…
7 Likes
2 Likes
Now that is what a strong man is for (and a gun).
1 Like
Is @Chris_Shugart hiding behind that old guy 
JK, Happy belated birthday buddy!
Fun log @Dani_Shugart, I dont always have something to say or check in often but most times I log on to the nation these days its one of my stops
4 Likes
I couldn’t agree more!
1 Like
Awesome to hear that. Thanks for making my day!
1 Like
Hoya’s starting to flower. Happy new year to you and @Chris_Shugart
4 Likes
That’s gorgeous! How long do those cute little flowers last?
happy new year! Hope you and your family have an amazing 2024!
The plant will be in flower for a few months, but the flowers don’t last that whole time, some will dry up and drop off and then new ones will come into bloom.
1 Like
Just a Little Heimlich
Day one of 2024 started with a great workout and ended with choking on a chip.
Booty Machine
Overhead Lunge
Dip
T-Bar Row
Bench Press
Machine Lateral Raise
Moderate weight. Somewhat breathless during the supersets. Pretty fun as a whole.
Chris and I were productive around the house yesterday but he wins the productivity award after getting a very hard piece of chip dislodged from my… windpipe? Throat? I don’t even know. That thing was so hard and sharp that swallowing is a pain right now. So note to self: chew more thoroughly.
Note to everyone: don’t be shy about the Heimlich maneuver. I’m not sure what would’ve happened if Chris hadn’t been there. It wasn’t even that forceful, just a gentle, but sudden squeeze right around my midsection was enough pressure to get that thing out.
Denver Trip
Over the weekend, we made a quick trip to Denver because I wanted to check out a couple stores that aren’t local. We went to West Elm and CB2 to look at house stuff. And one of the things that still boggles my mind is how much people will spend on fake plants like this.
You can buy an actual monstera for less than a single faux cutting, and it’ll look real because it is, and you can propagate it, and you can take live cuttings, and you can put them in decorative vases just like you would with these imposters, and you can make new monsteras. Fake plants are fine (I have a some!) especially in places that don’t get enough sunlight like basements, offices, etc., but there’s nothing quite like the real deal.
We also stopped in at Ikea to grab a couple random things. And it’s not a real Ikea trip if you don’t take some stupid pictures.
8 Likes
Looks like the monsteras were making you happy. Nice.
1 Like
YES! And how are your monsteras looking? I need more pics!
I got a kick out of seeing the decorative faux ones because this was a topic of discussion I’d had with my mother in law a few months ago.
A few years back, I sent her a monstera plant from this cool company, and it’s gotten so enormous that she asked about pruning it.
Now, here’s the thing. If you’re a plant person, maybe don’t be like me and assume other people are too. Because this plant is now a chore for her. She’d never say that because she’s kind, but I get the impression it’s a pain in the butt. (Although it’s stunning, huge, and healthy after all this time.)
So when we went to see her in August, Chris and I encouraged her to prune it back and chop some of the stems into decorative cuttings. Monstera stems are apparently so bougie that you can buy overpriced fake ones (that don’t look as good as the real thing).
I’m actually inspired to go out and get a monstera right now. I only have one and it’s not growing.
2 Likes
LOL. I will get you some later when I am back home. They have all been growing like crazy again. The ones in the courtyard that we split up last year have all grown massive again and we will need to split them again soon. Shame you don’t live closer, not sure I can send plants internationally.
1 Like
Today’s Workout
Super Controlled Romanian Deadlift
Seated Cable Row
Arnold Press
Hammer Strength Chest Press
It’s shark week and I wasn’t in the mood to lift, but seeing Chris in his gym clothes was the nudge I needed to get going. Marrying a fit person is a blessing like none other. I don’t always have to be motivated, I can just tag along, get started, and then feel the motivation once the barbell is in my hands.
That wasn’t a hardcore workout by any means, but the mind muscle connections were intense, and I added a little more weight to that deadlift.
Got Resolutions?
I do, but they’re more like ongoing behaviors and mental habits to change, rather than an end goal.
1. Complaining (both out loud and in my head): Every time I catch myself complaining about something, I’m re-imagining the situation as a form of training.
So for instance, when it’s 10 degrees outside with a wind chill factor of -2, I’ll walk the dogs and think about how the discomfort is making me tougher and training me to tolerate future discomfort. Honestly, that’s the thing I complain about 99 percent of the time, so that’s mainly what this resolution is about: not being pissed off at weather.
2. Old Testament Reading: I was so consistent last year until ironically, joining a small group at church, and then because the study time for that book was like 4 hours a week, I just lost steam getting through the OT for some reason. Lack of focus? Rationalization? Procrastination? All of the above most likely.
Praying for understanding was the thing that helped refocus my brain, and now I’m smack in the middle of an unputdownable part.
If you’d like a little nudge (from someone more compelling than me) to explore the whole faith area, here’s a great little snippet from an interview with Andrew Huberman.
Coincidentally, he’s stated in various podcasts that he’s working through the OT, so he’s actually been a role model for me outside of just health and fitness.
3. Recognizing Bitterness: This is a bad habit I struggle with, and it’s most likely related to some deep insecurities. I actually felt kind of bitter and heavy during a good chunk of the holiday season. There’s a judginess that comes with it too. And when I feel hypercritical of other people, it’s often a sign that I’m not feeling great about myself. So recognizing and changing my attitude is another thing on my resolution list. I think prayer can come in pretty handy here too.
What resolutions are you tackling this year? Or are you an anti-resolution person? I completely understand that perspective too. Being able to make changes all year round is a mature and sane thing to do.
6 Likes
I used to spend a few weeks every year just getting ripped to shreds. Berardi talked about how this was a good habit, how it “reset” various bodily mechanisms. I’m not sure if that’s a resolution or just something I’m kinda-sorta contemplating doing.
5 Likes
I haven’t made any but I do think taking a point in time for an annual “stock take” of life is beneficial, it’s so easy to slip into patterns and routines of convenience and comfort rather than growth, now I’m not all about growth, I think there needs to be balance and we shouldn’t be fixated on always trying to endlessly improve and optimise every area of our life, sometimes good enough, is well, good enough!
That said I’ve joined the transformation group for 2024 and got a holiday coming up in May so that’s a target for the year.
I struggle with procrastination, that should be high up on the list to improve on as well.
Definitely on both counts there (Heb. 12:15)
Great thing to tackle and solid attitude to address it with, but also remember to rejoice always!
Watched this the other day, great clip.
Well now we need pics! 
What was your MO for this? It’s moving up my priority list, but growing up as a skinny kid weight loss always messes with my head!
1 Like
I grew up mostly as a chubby kid, so after getting lean I always had the opposite problem: “bulking” diets scared the crap out of me. Turns out I was kinda right because maximum muscle gain requires only about 500 calories over maintenance. As a former fat boy, don’t tell me that I have to grossly overeat to gain muscle – I might believe it! (And I did when I was younger.)
My MO if I choose to do it:
I’d keep it stupidly simple. I’d have two MD protein shakes per day, workout nutrition (Surge), and one meal at night. I’d continue supplementing with Superfood and Flameout to make up for anything missed. This isn’t that much different that what I do now to keep my “walking around” level of leanness. I’d cut out the extra snacks (no nut butters allowed in the house!) and watch that solid food meal a little more closely – probably by cutting the usual carb/starch portion in half. No calorie counting, just a more mindful approach.
Training would probably stay the same, but I have been neglecting the dedicated cardio for the last few months, so I’d add a day of that every week. It kinda sucks: our only metabolic conditioning machine is an erg rower, and my shoulders are too banged up to use it right now. So I’d use the Stairmaster at our commercial gym. Nothing crazy, 20-25 minutes.
3 Likes
I tend to not like people who have to wait for some arbitrary external event to decide to make improvements in their life, but I have a few (all have been in works for years).
In no particular order:
-Reach 6% BF in 3-4 months. Bulk to 10%, rinse and repeat.
-Complete my bachelor’s degree and pick a Master’s program.
-Land a job in my new career field.
-Pay off the rest of my credit card and car loan.
-Sell my Cali house and move to a state less… incriminating for a straight white male. Possibly to include a new house purchase.
-Get my wife in the kind of shape she wants to be in.
-Get my daughter weight training with her (won’t take any effort at all, she wants to).
-Develop a 5 year roadmap to have $1mil liquidity.
-Become fully self-actualized.
Seems like it could be beneficial for the nutrient repartitioning effects and muscle growth that you’d set yourself up for after those weeks. The potential downside would be if you went too hardcore with it and accidentally ended up with a mild yo-yo effect.
Sometimes the deeper the caloric deficit, the greater the rebound later. But I think keeping protein high and consistent weight training would help prevent that.
Where would you cut back first? Or would you keep everything you’re consuming and just minimize as a whole?
1 Like
Good way to put it! I heard a new year’s podcast of people taking stock of their own lives, and hearing them made me want to be more intentional about the changes I’d already quietly been working on.
I call them “resolutions” here, but they’re really just baby steps toward fighting the things that make me weak.
This is so dang good. Sometimes fixating on improving in one area will make you worse in another, more important, area. And allowing something to be good enough (when it doesn’t even matter in the big scheme of things) feels like freedom.
YAY! That’s a great way to hold yourself accountable.
The wedding we went to last winter was like that for me. I usually allow myself to get a little softer in the winter, but last year the pressure was on.
So we’re basically twins.
Oh wow, that’s a good one. Thank you!
Seriously, great reminder! You can’t be irritated when you’re in that frame of mind. I think half of my bad moods are from internet contagion. Why do I lurk on Twitter? LOL everyone there is angry for stupid reasons.
2 Likes