Your Fitness Journey and Progress

[Lexicon]

Been rewatching The Walking Dead. Great workout/PT background. Michonne in particular. Those arms are what the kids these days might call "omg hashtag goals".. or.. whatever.

https://imgur.com/a/LsMXI1h

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Pull day today, 195 on lat pulldowns, 265 on shrugs, and 190 on t bar rows. Not great but I haven't lost any strength since I missed some workouts.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

About to buy an expensive bicycle (still cheaper than another car) and try biking to and from work (about a 30 minute ride there).

Have increased to doing 45-60 minutes of cardio almost daily. I’m in an extreme caloric deficit, not entirely by choice. Food’s expensive and it’s hard to be at the level of protein intake where I’d like to be.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

Pull day today, 195 on lat pulldowns, 265 on shrugs, and 190 on t bar rows. Not great but I haven't lost any strength since I missed some workouts.

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I’m only up to 100 on lateral pulls but it’s a lot more than I could do six months ago.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

Been rewatching The Walking Dead. Great workout/PT background. Michonne in particular. Those arms are what the kids these days might call "omg hashtag goals".. or.. whatever.

https://imgur.com/a/LsMXI1h

That’s the body I’d want if I were a female. Toned and cut but not disgustingly huge like some of those female bodybuilders. Linda Hamilton had the right idea for Terminator 2. Arnold gave her a shoutout in his docuseries and said she was in better shape than he was at the time

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

I’m only up to 100 on lateral pulls but it’s a lot more than I could do six months ago.

I was only doing like 120 or 130 when I started last Dec, maybe less (I didn't start taking pics to record my lifts until I was months into the process). And I'm a bigger dude, so don't sweat it, everyone goes at their own pace. The most important thing is to KEEP GOING. Consistency is king. TBH I've kind of hit a plateau and may need to switch things up to keep improving. I'm having trouble getting past 220lbs for 3 x 10 on the bench machine. Can only get about 7 reps out of that last set of 10.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

I was only doing like 120 or 130 when I started last Dec, maybe less (I didn't start taking pics to record my lifts until I was months into the process). And I'm a bigger dude, so don't sweat it, everyone goes at their own pace. The most important thing is to KEEP GOING. Consistency is king. TBH I've kind of hit a plateau and may need to switch things up to keep improving. I'm having trouble getting past 220lbs for 3 x 10 on the bench machine. Can only get about 7 reps out of that last set of 10.

I’m kind of glad it’s been a slow progression for me because I had to shed a lot of body fat (and still have plenty left to lose) and I’d be afraid I’d have a lot of loose, saggy skin if I lost it all too fast. I’m also being realistic about it and realizing I’ll probably never have an ideal body like most male superhero movie stars or ufc cage fighters. At this point I enjoy the routine of exercising and working out, and the soreness of muscles after a good workout. I get antsy and depressed if I can’t make it to the gym at least every other day (and daily is preferable, although I usually take a day of rest on the weekends).

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

I’m kind of glad it’s been a slow progression for me because I had to shed a lot of body fat (and still have plenty left to lose) and I’d be afraid I’d have a lot of loose, saggy skin if I lost it all too fast. I’m also being realistic about it and realizing I’ll probably never have an ideal body like most male superhero movie stars or ufc cage fighters. At this point I enjoy the routine of exercising and working out, and the soreness of muscles after a good workout. I get antsy and depressed if I can’t make it to the gym at least every other day (and daily is preferable, although I usually take a day of rest on the weekends).

Yea I lost like 40lbs before I started lifting and have gained most of it back, but that has been over like 9 months of solid effort while eating a lot of protein (and it does get quite pricey I use a lot of whey powder). I'll need to cut again sometime, but have a few goals I want to hit before I do. My big first goal was to max the bench machine for reps. It goes to 230 (245 if you twist the knob at the top). I'll be happy if I can get that last plate in the air, and once I do I'm going to move to the free weight bench for my workouts. I'm looking forward to hitting 225lbs on the bench b/c its 2 plates a side and a big weightlifting milestone. I could probably do it now ( for at least a rep or two), but I want to hit my first goal first.

 

[Lexicon]

That’s the body I’d want if I were a female. Toned and cut but not disgustingly huge like some of those female bodybuilders.

Yeah, Sarah Connor's a total badass. I don't think realistically I could be that dedicated to staying that lean... I really like my carbs (whole wheat bread/waffles, fruit, frozen yogurt.. chocolate), haha. No matter how much I work out, I will likely never have super-defined abs. But ultimately, I'll still be (relatively) strong, healthy, & my stupid noodley joints will be protected, longterm. Any changes to my appearance are a bonus, & help add to the feeling of accomplishment over time, but health is my primary goal.

I see my grandmother's scoliosis worsening, through the years. She's pretty active in the summer, but doesn't (& never did) any sort of PT work. Her spine is slowly becoming an increasingly distinct S with every passing sedentary winter. I have the same (far less severe) type of scoliosis. So it's like looking at the future if I don't stay active/keep up with some core work/general exercise. Plus the overall joint laxity I have, a bit of muscle helps keep them stable. So, chicks like Michonne & Sarah Connor are still really motivating to get off my butt when I don't feel like it, even if I'm not completely aiming for that degree of aesthetic badassery (the apocalyptic scenarios help a bit, too). Between them & my grandmother, it's like seeing opposing sides of an Oreo.. and I'm aiming for the middle (though that creme filling is nasty... ok this is actually a horrible fitness analogy).

Linda Hamilton had the right idea for Terminator 2. Arnold gave her a shoutout in his docuseries and said she was in better shape than he was at the time

Imagine the damned Terminator complimenting your fitness level... can you get higher praise than that?

I still remember Arnold's fitness video they'd wheel out in gym class back in grade school...

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

What 8 months of bulking looks like.

 

[Lexicon]

What 8 months of bulking looks like.View attachment 29233

I fully support fitness & offer my sincere congrats to you & anyone pursuing a healthier lifestyle... but I will never not associate protein powder with this:

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

I fully support fitness & offer my sincere congrats to you & anyone pursuing a healthier lifestyle... but I will never not associate protein powder with this:

Lol. The key is to actually work out.

 

[Saturnal Snowqueen]

How I've been feeling about dieting lately:

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Finally hit 3 full sets of 10 with 220lbs on the bench machine. 295 on seated dips, 195 on chest flies and 170 on cable triceps extensions.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Had my straps too tight on shrugs and blasted my wrists.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

Getting a road/mountain hybrid bicycle abd going to start riding to and from work when weather permits.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

So I bought a used 21 speed Bianchi utility bike. I’ve ordered helmet and other accessories and she needs to be cleaned and tuned up, but otherwise is in good condition. I already took it for a ride around the neighborhood last evening and it felt great. Got used to the different gears and shifting. Downloaded the Strava app so I can easily track routes and miles. Brakes are a little squeaky and loud so I’m hoping a cleanup will do the trick and the pads don’t need to be replaced. Weather permitting, this will be my main mode of transportation. Going to get a phone mount so I can have my gps on when exploring new routes.

I wonder how much I’ll need to ride to trim down to <10% body fat. That’s the goal, to use the gym for weights and get my cardio primarily from cycling

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Hit 225 on the bench machine today, and felt very strong in the gym. Also hit 200 on the pec fly.

Next stop is the last plate on the bench machine, and I'll have reached my first big goal (to max the bench machine out).

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Gym gonna be closed today b/c of the hurricane.