Weighed in at 205.4 and 20% BF yesterday so I’m going the wrong direction already, lol.
Made it to the gym five times last week, a good start.
3 Likes
Make a good habit, bud. No time like the present.
1 Like
Well wishes for the year ahead, my friend!
1 Like
205 at 19% today - been to the gym three times this week, three times last week. Planning on going five times per week, but haven’t been motivated. Also, diet is shite.
Oh well, all good.
1 Like
Made it to the gym four times last week. Weight and BF remain the same.
2 Likes
Regular gym attendance, weight up to 207, BF remains the same.
2 Likes
Same, weight up to 209 - BF remains the same.
Starting to get a little nervous with the weight gain but figure I will keep riding it for now. Maybe cut the fat a bit and try to lower my BF, mix in some LISS.
That being said, despite the gain of weight, I am seeing some physique improvements - starting to get some rounded muscle bellies.
Whatev, will keep lifting and see what happens.
2 Likes
Weight is down, BF is up. I am discouraged.
Probably my fault. I have not been good about progression, have been bouncing around without much focus. Also, I traveled - went to AZ to watch some baseball, then out to NY to see my kids.
Going to do SS for a few weeks to ensure progression and add in some fasted LISS to try and jumpstart things. I have also cleaned up my diet.
Hopefully this will work and I can stay consistent with it.
Cheers.
1 Like
Yesterday was my third workout since restarting SS and I am a bit surprised by the mental improvement caused by knowing exactly what I am going to do in my workout. I’ve picked easy weights to start and am doing my final set as an amrap so as to keep some intensity. It feels good to squat and DL again. My biggest issue is timing it to get to the gym when the Smith machines aren’t jammed.
I am seeing some positive movement on the weight and composition front, but typical of me, I have made enough changes that I can’t figure out which is contributing to the movement.
Oh well.
Finally decided to go to a Stoicism conference in Tampa only to find the acceptable flights are no longer available. You snooze you lose.
2 Likes
I feel like this very exchange demonstrates you didn’t need the conference in the first place.
1 Like
The obstacle becomes the way.
I was trying to decide on a few different things in April and the flight situation just made my decision for me. I needed to watch college baseball in AZ more than I needed to get stoic in Tampa.
2 Likes
Well, I have seen some progress and it feels decent. I weighed in at 199 yesterday, 18.5% BF. It’s not much, but it is some movement.
I’ve also added weight to the bar on SS. I outkicked my coverage a bit, started too high, but it’s all good.
I’m actually a bit excited about the diet hacks. I have been making a garbage salad that I eat - spinach, some type of legume, another vegetable, seeds, dried fruit, protein, olive oil.
I’ve been deep diving into blood glucose and learned variability is the problem, add fiber, eat protein and veg first, walk after eating, and I am feeling good.
Put in notice at my living situation. I have been in a sober living house for eight months. It’s a complete shit show - 15 addicts in a six bedroom house. Had guys show up at house meetings boxed, guys smoking fentanyl in the kitchen and passing out, and at last count, 38 housemates in the last eight months.
Going on the road for a few months just couch surfing, then moving into a 24 foot travel trailer and hitting the road seriously. Plan on doing the content thing just for shits and giggles. Will hit AZ, NV, NM in the fall.
Should be weird AF.
1 Like
Making slight progress, which of course, breeds discontent. So I am thinking about switching to 531 as it is very similar to SS and I had good results in the past. If I do, I will do the first two cycles in a month and reassess.
Am increasing LISS (walking) to try to drop weight and improve composition. Weighed in at 197 and 18% this morning. Progress, but slower than I like.
And, of course, have changed my mind on the travel trailer. I will be “moving” to CA in May, continue to keep life very simple.
Cheers!
1 Like
I’m such a slow learner.
I switched to 531 with the intent of doing a DL and SQ day followed by OHP/BP but, figured out that wasn’t productive so I am just doing the regular with some mods because I started low and wanted to be challenged a bit. I included joker sets the last few days.
My RPE on my work sets “felt” about right so I didn’t add much on my joker sets. But, I kept getting reps, so I kept adding weight, getting reps, adding weight. My top joker set today on squats was almost 50 pounds heavier than my top work set. But my amraps aren’t ridiculously high (except Bench). Guessing I have a little RPE perception problem.
I’m working out fasted and walking post lifting (about 30 minutes at 115 BPM). Weighed 196 this morning which is 13# down from where I started.
Progress feels slow, but I guess it is in accordance with expectations considering intensity (or lack) of my workouts.
Other note - I’m eating low carb and look flat. Like really flat. It makes me look pretty lean. BF comes out at 18%, which is actually pretty lean for my age, but mirror looks leaner. Not shredded or jacked, just skinny lean.
Oh well, shit happens.
Been on the road for a week in New York, heading to AZ tomorrow. I have managed to gym frequently. The switch to 531 has been great. I had to remember a few of the old tricks. Have started low and am doing Joker sets to augment the light loads. Have hit BW lifts on everything but OHP which is not great, but certainly encouraging. I am continuing to recomp and am dropping a few pounds - visible improvement in the mirror.
I am going to be without transportation in Phoenix so I will get some walking in and will be challenged to get to the gym every day - we’ll see what my commitment level is.
After Phoenix, I will be in Santa Cruz for an extended period of time which means a switch from the PF Smith Machines to actual barbells. Based on previous experience, I expect that to affect my AMRAPs and possibly my training weights. I am prepared to be crushed.
Time to get your Kant on!
Always a joy to see you posting.
Pwnny.
1 Like
Arrived Phoenix a few days ago. Took the bus up to my local purple place to lift. Waited fifteen minutes for a Smith machine while one dude quarter squatted 185, another bounced 135 off his chest and a few peeps did glute shit.
It was deadlift day for me so I did some rows and waited, then got the eff out.
Does this count as a work out.
I grow weary of having to lift at dark thirty or late AF to avoid people doing stoopid shit in the racks.
Looking forward to Santa Cruz. I’ve connected with a gal that owns a nice gym and another gal that lifts there.
I might have to start eating.
OHP today, nice workout. Slowly my lifting memory is returning. Since I started low on TM I had added Joker sets. Remembered 5’s Pro today, start of my second cycle threes week, so I did that and FSL, then a few joker sets. It was a good workout. Smith machine so I am doing seated OHP and hit 125x2 on my top joker set - am happy with that. I will have to recalculate all of my TM’s next week when I get off the Smith in Santa Cruz.
I have also added FSL.
I fly in seven hours, woohoo. In packing prep I dug out my Omron hand held BF machine, and my BF has dropped to 17.3%, which is encouraging. I would like it to be lower but I have to remind myself of several things.
First, I will be 60 in four months. While 17% may not be accurate, it is certainly below what is considered average for men my age. Win.
I have only been back in the gym seriously for the last four months. The first several weeks are always a wash due to CNS development.
I have only been back on TRT for the last twelve weeks, so the physiological benefits are just beginning to ramp up.
I’m hoping to get below 15% while maintaining roughly 195 pounds in the next few weeks. My primary mode of transportation will be a bicycle, so that should take care of itself.
My diet is getting more and more on point with time.
I have learned to enjoy the process and to not focus on the result. I cannot begin to convey how great my outlook is. I’m genuinely enjoying life and living in the moment.
I’m hoping to partner with a few people in SC to develop some type of group(s) that benefit the community. I am not sure what that looks like yet, but I have faith that it will happen and I am looking forward to helping others achieve their goals.
Most importantly, I am beginning to see the vascularity that I love so much, lol.
1 Like
Arrived in Santa Cruz all geeked up and got a little dose of forced patience in return. Took an Uber from SJC. My brother had brought my bike down and I knew it had a flat but didn’t realize it was the tube at the stem and I couldn’t patch it, so I ordered a few tubes from Amazon - no delivery until tomorrow.
All good, my other brother’s bike was here (he passed in 2001) so I pumped up the tires and rode into town to get some food. It’s 3.5 miles with some hills, but hey, I’m in shape.
Wrong fat old man.
My bike has panniers, my brother’s does not, so I took my backpack. Stopped at the boardwalk, check out a volleyball tournament, overstuffed my backpack with supplies and rode back to my place. It wasn’t quite one o’clock yet so I headed down to the beach (on a river, short walk from my place). Promptly fell asleep in the sun, got a nice burn.
Later, rode back into town to see a movie (DOSED) sponsored by the Psychedelic Society (another seven miles round trip), then back to the cabin.
Woke up with a bad case of the fucking meows from riding and sunburn the next day, so I took it easy on Sunday, just read and chilled, figuring I’d go join a gym on Monday,
Long story short, took Monday to get more food (overstuffed backpack) and to recover, sore AF again on Tuesday, rain all day today, so gym has to wait until tomorrow.
I’m not getting better, just getting older, lol.