FitnessBore - 2018 edition

[Oblivion]

When did you get the injury and how long did you keep on going until you stopped lifting? Just keep going to a doctor and try figuring what's going on. If six months of rest didn't do the trick, another six months of rest probably won't improve it.

Injuries suck but every injury is a teaching moment. I was about to get an injury with running but my experience with previous running injuries nipped it in the bud when I took action.

This started back in late December. Initially I rested for about two weeks and noticed that wasn't doing anything, so I slowly started getting back into it, but tried to avoid any lifts that directly effected that body part. From December to the present, I probably went to the gym a total of 10 times.

[Oblivion]

Okay, just came back from the doctor.

Good news is, she seems 99% positive that this issue has nothing to do with nerve damage. We ran a few tests (again) and seems to think it's triceps tendinopathy. I don't know why my idiot physical therapist thought why it was a nerve issue since those are generally connected to numbness and tingling in the fingers (thankfully, none of which I had). In fact, this current doctor thinks that the nerve gliding exercises she prescribed to me, may have ended up aggravating any tears I already had (which would possibly explain the flare ups I had within the past few weeks).

Anyway, she prescribed me some anti-inflammatory medication (which I never tried before) and some muscle workouts to do a week afterwards, and see her again in three weeks. Hopefully, we have the CORRECT diagnosis this time, and I will finally be healed.

Question: any of you guys taken anti-inflammatory meds before for muscle tears/strains? Have they helped?

[Valkyrie]

How accurate is this?

[Beezy]

Well I think I have a pretty average face, but I've definitely gotten way more attention from women since I've gotten into better shape. And I'm not even that strong or big. I definitely get compliments from men too though, especially if its someone who I haven't seen since before I started working out consistently.

[Boogie]

How accurate is this?

(Image removed from quote.)

Perhaps you should tell us your how much the top example applies to you first 

I don't exactly have an easy time attracting/"picking up" women in spite of my "jacked-ness", but I do notice myself getting looks from women, particularly if I'm wearing something that does highlight the shape I'm in.  I guess that means the result is more "appreciating from afar", than swarming around like bees to honey.

And the women who have been attracted to me have been forthright about the physique being a turn-on for them.

Also, what Jack said.  And, as a slightly short guy, height.

I only have a couple "gym bro" types who fit the latter experience.  The one guy is the "instagram fitness guru" I've mentioned before.

[Oblivion]

I've had like maybe 10 women at the most compliment me once I started working out 3 years ago. I went from emaciated to slightly lean. Of the women that I've dated and had sex with, they didn't seem to complain, so I guess that's nice as well.

I'm not buff in any way so I never got any adulation from other dudes.

[Mupepe]

I think lifting gets me equal attention from the sexes. From women they will notice my biceps or shoulders and say something. Guys will usually bro prop me while I am actually at the gym and ask for advice. When I was skinnier women would ask about my diet, but I rarely get asked for workout tips from women because I assume they think they'll get huge. But in general any compliment or comment at all is usually from someone who also lifts. 

[Valkyrie]

It's been years since I went to an actual public gym and not just squatting/doing weird yoga shit in my living room. So it's hard to say, lol. But I'd be lying if I said I don't like to look at muscular guys, as long as it isn't too much (I still admire their efforts of course). Less is more, imo. But everyone is built differently, so some look better with less muscles, some look better with a lot. I look at women too, because super fit women are very exercise motivating. Especially if they have dat ass.

I'm gonna start going to the gym regularly after I move, although I'm reeeeally intimidated by everything, especially the equipment. And I'm scared because of that NSFL broken leg press gif I saw.

[Rufus]

I'm gonna start going to the gym regularly after I move, although I'm reeeeally intimidated by everything, especially the equipment. And I'm scared because of that NSFL broken leg press gif I saw.

Oh god, I know exactly what you're talking about. That was harrowing.
The instructor (?) watching her could probably hear those tendons snap.

[Beezy]

I'm gonna start going to the gym regularly after I move, although I'm reeeeally intimidated by everything, especially the equipment.

Use one of the gym's trainers for a month and you'll be fine.

[Madrun Badrun]

I started working out again, running and body weight stuff, and kinda dietting.  I feel better after a week and less depressed but fuck im tired and cranky. 

[El Babua]

Getting fat af in some places but also thicc in others.

Haven't been hitting it consistently, but strength seems the same, probably down when it comes to peak levels however.

Hopefully I can cut for winter. 

[Oblivion]

I remember reading a study a few years ago about the type of male body that women were attracted to, and it sorta blew my mind at the time. I can't link the study cause it doesn't exist anymore sadly, but there were five options, one was Brad Pitt from Fight Club, another was the bodybuilder Frank Zane, and the other 3 were in between those two. As an adult male who grew up with the impression that women loved super buff dudes, naturally I figured they'd go with Zane. Turns out he was the LEAST attractive of the five, and by a substantial margin (only 1% chose him!). Later on, I thought about it, and I guess it actually makes sense. I can see how women might think bodybuilders are a little TOO buff.

But it's good news for me since working out to be Brad Pitt from FC would take way fewer years to accomplish than Frank Zane.

[Mupepe]

And I'm scared because of that NSFL broken leg press gif I saw.

just saw this

wtf i didn't even know this was possible

i have a strength training book but that mentions injuries but not this

i don't think fully straightening the legs is bad for squats/leg press though

Fine for squats. Lockouts are the problem with leg press. Don't lock out for extended periods at full extension. You're not activating enough support muscles and it causes strain on weak points.

[Oblivion]

Brad Pitt was at 6% body fat in Fight Club. That's going to be a challenge.

I didn't say it was gonna be easy, but rather easier.  

[ToxicAdam]

The problem with the lean look is that you lose all that fat and collagen in your face, too. Depending on your bone structure, head size, etc. You can make yourself look worse and less attractive.

Plus, when you get that lean you really start to flirt with body dysmorphia problems. Where you keep pushing it in order to maintain an unnatural state.



 

[Mupepe]

All of this irrelevant and healthier if you work for a physique that satisfies you and not some hypothetical woman you might have if you only had the X body type. Loving your own physique will bleed into self confidence which will get you further with women anyhow.

[Valkyrie]

All of this irrelevant and healthier if you work for a physique that satisfies you and not some hypothetical woman you might have if you only had the X body type. Loving your own physique will bleed into self confidence which will get you further with women anyhow.

This is a great post. The right amount of self confidence is a lot more attractive than a bunch of muscles. Do what you do for yourself.

[TakingBackSunday]

I just want to feel a tad thinner, I don't give a shit about muscle

Dieting sucks tho meh

[Rufus]

You say feel. Judging by your pictures, it's not gravity that is your enemy.

[Oblivion]

It's amazing though how men don't want to accept that women prefer that Brad Pitt body by far and not a super swole body. Apparently to women a very muscular body doesn't look normal or looks 'scary' or some shit. I did chat with this one girl who said she preferred men as muscular as possible, but we were both teens when she said that. I'm guessing it's the equivalent of a teenage boy saying he'd want boobs/ass as big as possible.

Fight me, irl

[TakingBackSunday]

You say feel. Judging by your pictures, it's not gravity that is your enemy.

It's my ego and my dysmorphia.  I had been so suited with my 150~ pound frame, but 160 for some reason makes me feel fat and blobby and gooey.

I'm not crazy am I?  Even with my skinny frame, I feel so fucking fat.

[TakingBackSunday]

Mostly I want to eradicate my belly and give definition to my arms.  And yes, I realize my stupid "muscles suck" post from earlier.

[Boogie]

you deadlifting 200lbs yet, Dufus?

[Rufus]

You say feel. Judging by your pictures, it's not gravity that is your enemy.

It's my ego and my dysmorphia.  I had been so suited with my 150~ pound frame, but 160 for some reason makes me feel fat and blobby and gooey.

I'm not crazy am I?  Even with my skinny frame, I feel so fucking fat.

Well, some more muscle will make you feel lighter at least. I'm going to assume the belly fat only shows when you're sitting.

[Valkyrie]

You say feel. Judging by your pictures, it's not gravity that is your enemy.

It's my ego and my dysmorphia.  I had been so suited with my 150~ pound frame, but 160 for some reason makes me feel fat and blobby and gooey.

I'm not crazy am I?  Even with my skinny frame, I feel so fucking fat.

Most people do feel bad about themselves, but objectively, you look great. Not just your face, but your body as well. A lot of guys would kill to look like you. I'm not trying to convince you into bettering your self-image, but I'm just saying the truth. I really don't understand why you have dysmorphia, but if it really is that bad, what does help you with it? Exercise?

[Boogie]

(Image removed from quote.)

Just checking.

[Mupepe]

Dufus. Tell me why eating two 1000 calorie meals will make you fatter and weaker.

Spoiler alert: It won't. Spreading your calories out might have a better psychological effect but meal timing is almost irrelevant.

[Mupepe]

No you won't. You're spouting 2001 era broscience. Meal timing is irrelevant outside of mental impacts. Look up intermittent fasting. Even that has some meal timing rules but experiment a little and you'll find out it doesn't really matter once you get past that mental adjustment.

At my skinniest and strongest I was eating one to two meals a day getting 3500 calories. You just got to get the calories in somehow. About the only thing in meal timing that matter are insulin spikes after a workout and that's just an advantage you can use to make yourself stronger.

[Mupepe]

And to be fair, meal timing probably does have some effect, but it's negligible. Especially for a beginner. Macro nutrients, routine, rest and technique matter so much more. Shit like meal timing bugs me because it's thrown at beginner like some hard and fast rule that is critical when they already have enough lifestyle changes to try to master and maintain and that shit is thrown at them. Get to a point where you have truly plateaued and then maybe, and only maybe should you start thinking about meal timing but you can still probably tweak something else for more results with less bullshit

[Mupepe]

If meal timing is irrelevant how do you explain my own experience of eating 1500-1800 calories a day and then when I realized I wasn't eating properly I was aiming for 2500 calories a day and I lost fat and felt more energetic and even experienced my core getting stronger without doing any extra exercise?

You were aiming for 2500 calories a day, only eating 1500-1800 and you want to blame timing? What did I say above? Get your calories in somehow. That isn't related to timing. You didn't tell him to spread it out because you can't eat enough in limited meal amounts, you told him spreading it out would make you leaner and stronger. That is bullshit and the other is a completely separate issue. You were undereating, not eating at the wrong times.

[seagrams hotsauce]

I just want to feel a tad thinner, I don't give a shit about muscle

Dieting sucks tho meh

Muscles are great. Don't be a weakling.

Stro = Vince lurker account confirmed

[Mupepe]

Can't absorb the nutrients?? Again. Bull.shit.bro.science

It's like you've been reading mens health magazine or some shit. . 

Some vitamins can't be absorbed when in the presence or taken with certain other vitamins (why most multis suck). But again, if you want to spread out for that then you should also be looking what specific vitamins are in your meals and it's then unrelated to straight up meal timing. And I assume you're not at that level. For example, calcium fucks with absorption. Are you telling me you're planning your meals according to what gets absorbed together and plotting specific vitamin amounts in each meal? If not, then you shouldn't be spreading your meals out on that basis alone either.

And the 30 grams of protein per meal type limitation from bro science is also bullshit.

[Mupepe]

Anyways, I'm gonna leave it at this. You're over complicating this shit at a level that you don't need to. You're not at some elite level where any of this matters. Stop fretting over micro nutrients and meal timing. Get your routine, technique, macro nutrients and calories down in that order and when you start to stall then look at things to tweak outside of those.

[Mupepe]

I have this book www.amazon.com/Advanced-Sports-Nutrition-2nd-Dan-Benardot/dp/1450401619

Not saying it's flawless but it's not 'men's health magaine or some shit' either

I can barely make sense of what you're trying to say. If you have one big fat meal with all the vitamins and minerals and shit, at the least the minerals I know will compete for space in your body where it gets absorbed. If you spread it out, there's less chance of that happening. Obviously I don't calculate all that shit and it's not practical and I don't think anyone says that should be done. But that if you eat varied and have several meals throughout the day, it'll give you a better chance to absorb more nutrients than just one big fat meal.

If meal timing is irrelevant how do you explain my own experience of eating 1500-1800 calories a day and then when I realized I wasn't eating properly I was aiming for 2500 calories a day and I lost fat and felt more energetic and even experienced my core getting stronger without doing any extra exercise?

You were aiming for 2500 calories a day, only eating 1500-1800 and you want to blame timing? What did I say above? Get your calories in somehow. That isn't related to timing. You didn't tell him to spread it out because you can't eat enough in limited meal amounts, you told him spreading it out would make you leaner and stronger. That is bullshit and the other is a completely separate issue. You were undereating, not eating at the wrong times.

But if I was undereating how do you explain the belly fat I had, and the subsequent the decrease in fat?

Why would you think you can't lose fat and fuck with your gains while undereating? It wasn't bad enough to be in starvation mode. You were just in a caloric deficit like on a cut. 

Again, you're right that nutrient absorption is best when it doesn't compete but you are nowhere near where it matters. You're overcomplicating it for probably zero gains because you're not tweaking your diet to take advantage and... Your body likely doesn't need it need to excel at this point anyways

[Mupepe]

I'm not fretting over meal timing and micro nutrients. I'm just saying it's better to have more meals in a day instead of just one or two meals. Eating four to five meals a day has been easy as fuck for me and I enjoy it and I have never overeaten when eating like this. The only exception has been binging on candy.

Saying it works better for you is different than telling someone they'll be fatter and weaker if they eat two large meals.

Again, like what I've been saying meal timing mostly just preference based on mental factors.

[Boogie]

I have this book www.amazon.com/Advanced-Sports-Nutrition-2nd-Dan-Benardot/dp/1450401619

Why are you reading a book called Advanced Sports Nutrition when we can't even really call you a "beginner" at training?

[Boogie]

You know there's more to training than just lifting right? Anyways I was having difficulty with cycling and suspected I wasn't eating right, reading that book explained a lot and basically fixed everything. Also, I think that book is mostly written for coaches and stuff but it's good for athletes themselves too. It has good information for athletes of any level IMO.

Didn't know you had finally made the jump from "thinking about doing things" to "doing things."  Good for you. 

[Mupepe]

I'm supposed to know your whole progress and stats? I thought by your initial post you meant that you were losing fat, but not gaining strength. You said you were aiming for 2500, only getting 1500-1800 and when you spread it out you could hit your goal. So you go from undereating enough that your body decides It's going to save itself and not burn fat to eating the optimum amount and being able to lose excess fat and gain strength. It's not complicated.  I don't know your size, weight, age, BMR, diet or routine so I can't say shit on your case definitively. There are so many factors into the whys.

And no, it's not established. Go read more than one book and review more than one study. Considering meal timing is such a hotly contested issue when it comes to diet and you're going to say its established is exactly what tells me you've done jack shit for actual research from multiple sources.

[Mupepe]

Nutrient deficits are extremely common, and also common among athletes. So I don't see how you can say it doesn't matter when it seems to me you need all the help you can get absorbing stuff. And further, this might seem 'excessive' to a non-pro athlete to worry about this shit, but I have noticed that doing all this stuff not only improves performance but it also makes me feel better. And that last part is probably critical given the whole reason I exercise is to make myself feel better.

Again, because you're likely not at a point where your limiting factor is absorption conflict. And again, completely different from saying "it's probably better for you" than "it will make you weaker and fatter". The former probably true, although also probably irrelevant for your level. The latter is bullshit.

[Mupepe]

I don't do actual research. I read some shit by a particular author with a good enough reputation and if I see them referencing a million shit with all the footnotes and stuff I take their word for it. I consider myself reasonably good at sniffing out quacks.

I should have mentioned when I was on that 1500-1800 calorie diet, it could have been a 1500-2000 calorie diet, I didn't do exercise at the time. Then I started cycling, then I ran into trouble, then I changed shit up. So I was on that diet for a year no exercise. You're still unable to explain why my body hung onto that belly fat when I easily can.

Keep throwing our blanket statements. I can't tell you because I didn't see what you ate, I don't know your weight, BMR, any medical issues, daily activity levels , etc. It could be lots of things. And again, go look around. There's lots of research also saying meal timing is bullshit.

I also remember this smug and stubborn attitude from before you bought that book and thought you were right back then.

[Mupepe]

That's a huge oversimplification of how your body breaks down and uses energy.

Again, I suggest looking into intermittent fasting because it addresses those misconceptions you just posted.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3946160/

I'll leave this here in case you're interested as it discusses it on a more unbiased level. And for the record, I don't do intermittent fasting but not for the reasons you've posted.

[Mupepe]

I think we scared BrandNew away

He can't stay gone. He loves us.

[TakingBackSunday]

I'm aiming for 1900 calories a day now, with workouts that burn off 300-400 of that.  At least, that's what MyFitnessPal has set for me.

[TakingBackSunday]

The lady and I are cooking everything from scratch these days, so there's certainly lots of veggies.  Well, at least more veggies.  I will typically have a banana for breakfast, a salad+soup/sandwich for lunch, and our dinners are generally akin to the meals Blue Apron/Sun Basket sends you.  We've started just saving those recipes as we get them to make later on, even without the ingredients they send.  So, lots of stir fry meals, veggie wraps, etc.

[Boogie]

I think we scared BrandNew away

If Biz couldn't scare him away, the rest of us aren't going to. 

[Valkyrie]

🤔

Semi- https://i.imgur.com/efFVV09.gif

[Mupepe]

🤔

Semi- https://i.imgur.com/efFVV09.gif

Looks promising in ways

[Valkyrie]

🤔

Semi- https://i.imgur.com/efFVV09.gif

Looks promising in ways

Just need to attach a suction cup dildo. 

[chronovore]

🤔

Semi- https://i.imgur.com/efFVV09.gif

Looks promising in ways

https://i.imgur.com/czX5k3C.gif
 

[Mupepe]

You just made me actually LOL

[Valkyrie]

[Mupepe]

Women doing pullups is so sexy

Pullups are fun

[Boogie]

Spent like an hour getting smashed by purple belts and a four stripe white belt who is probably better than some of our current blues, but damn it was a great workout.

Missed this before, but you've certainly got the right attitude.  Being able to value training with the advanced guys who "smash" you, rather than be frustrated by it, is definitely a key to sticking with BJJ.


Anyway, my shoulder has improved.  Physio guy said there's not much else he can do, gave me the okay to get back to weight training and jiu-jitsu.  Shoulder has been good through the couple of BJJ classes I've hit in the past two weeks.  Still some soreness and discomfort in weight training though, so will continue to take that easy.

And my bench press has cratered from not doing it for over two months.  Struggled to hit 3x3 at 225lbs yesterday. 

[CrankyJay]

Joining the team...

Guess I've been on a forever bulk. New PR on barbell bench press last friday 230 x 2.

Not bad for a 37 year old fatty, I guess.

[TakingBackSunday]

Feel great lately

155 pounds

Been running 5ks

wanting to start training for a half marathon

[Boogie]

First time deadlifting in 2.5 months.  415x3:




Everything's feeling pretty good, but I'm still taking it easy.  Shoulder is still a bit sore post-BJJ or lifting sessions.   It feels fine at the time doing everything except an overhead press; for that there is still some outright discomfort.  I'm hoping that's something that's just going to slowly improve and get back to 100% eventually.

Weight has finally been falling again.  Woke up at 187lbs this morning.

[Mupepe]

You magnificent son of a bitch.   

I started another cut and I'm down 15 lbs from 3 weeks ago but my strength is starting to wane on Bench and OHP.  Squat and Deadlift are still going up.

[Valkyrie]

Dem calves.

[Himu]

It's not too bad. At least you didn't get an erection. It happens but it doesn't make it any less embarassing when a training partner does it to you.

Anyways, I haven't trained in weeks because of life problems. I've had to force myself to go this week and I don't feel like I have to force it after I step in. Definitely feel like I let my coach and prof and team down by not showing up for a month+. Longest stint I've been away from the mats since starting.