Last year's thread: https://thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=648459

What are your goals for the new year?

1/9/2018 7:55:26 AM

1) Get back on Keto.
2) Be within 15 lb of goal weight by May
3) Hit goal weight by August
4) Maintain weight throughout remainder of year
5) Figure out how to get back into the gym

1/9/2018 8:30:20 AM

1) Weigh 185lbs or less
2) Be able to do 10 perfect form pull-ups (currently at 3)
3 )Be able to do 1 pistol squat on both the left and right leg. (not sure if this one is realistic at 35... but I'm going for it)

1/9/2018 9:48:14 AM

Want to accomplish by July:

1) Fix my GI tract
2) Find the optimal diet for my system (LCHF, HCLF, WPFB, etc)
3) Gain 15 pounds muscle
4) Lose 5 pounds fat
5) Fix my cervical spine problem

1/9/2018 10:01:16 AM

1) do whatever I need to rehab my abdominal injury
2) once healed, get back to decent lifting numbers
3) actually stick to a stretching routine
4) start training bjj

Took a lot of time off at the end of 2017 to let my injury get a break and now I’m slowly getting into a lifting routine and going SUPER light as to not aggravate it again. So far so good, last year a set of crunches would sideline me for a while and a couple weeks of lifting light and no signs of the injury popping back up. It’s nice having a garage gym so I can deadlift incredibly light weights and not have my ego get in the way

1/9/2018 10:30:00 AM

1) Maintain.

2) Break 20 min in a 5K.

3) Don't have an old person injury (back, knee, etc).

1/9/2018 10:34:47 AM

1) Get down to 175 (currently 190 was as high as 205 last year)
2) Maintain
3) Get rid of all the pants I currently fit in to make sure I don't let myself go again
4) Sub 24 5K

1/9/2018 12:37:39 PM

1) drop another 10 lbs on this slow cut (was about 225-230 in spring, now down to 200) & maintain through summer
2) continue lifting routine (currently doing 5-day n_suns 5/3/1; routine found via r/fitness)
3) increase cardio by running 3 days/week, and perhaps do a multi-week sprints program
4) slow bulk in Oct thru end of year

1/11/2018 8:31:59 AM

1. Eat better
2. Tone up / Add more strength training in addition to current cardio
3. Better my 5k / 13.1k pacing

1/11/2018 9:28:15 AM

So.. moderately related to fitness...

I use the myfitnesspal app to track my calories and water. I don't pay for the premium version so I get add banners. Yesterday, somehow I must have touched an add banner, and PORN came up on my phone. Like, a brazers add, or something... WTF!?!? Of note, i don't visit spank sites on my phone (I have a laptop.. ) How does that happen?

[Edited on January 12, 2018 at 7:53 AM. Reason : .]

1/12/2018 7:52:47 AM

Broken Brain is an 8-part documentary about brain health, causes of brain problems, and how to optimize brain function with lifestyle changes. It is currently available for free broken up into 8 one hour long videos at the link below:

https://brokenbrain.com/replay

It will be available till Sunday midnight ET so make sure to watch the episodes that interest you (the episodes are named).

Note that not all of the information or advice in the videos is currently accepted by known medical science, but there is still lots of good information there as well as certain general and specific advice and tips (mostly dietary) that everybody can and should implement.

Happy watching!

1/27/2018 5:03:58 PM

Uggs... Super Bowl weekend... We're going down to Miami to hang out with family, and go to a big SB party... there goes my diet and exercise numbers this week. =/

2/2/2018 7:53:19 AM

eh, a few bad days won't derail you that much....probably just add some sodium bloat to make your lbs go up, which flushes out in a day or two after

2/2/2018 11:02:22 AM

Anybody here use a Garmin Forerunner watch? Thinking of a 235 or 735, but I want a watch that I can wear all of the time.

2/5/2018 2:52:09 PM

I have the Fenix 3 and really like it better than any Fitness watch I've had in the past. Good/fast syncing, waterproof, battery lasts about 2 weeks with 5 day/week use and looks pretty good to boot.

Wife has the Fenix 5 and is super happy with it.

2/5/2018 7:33:31 PM

Do you guys not find the Fenix watches too big on the wrist?

2/5/2018 10:10:57 PM

It's big with long sleeve shirts, but my wife got the 42mm one and it seems fine. If you can't handle the big ones you can try the smaller one.

2/5/2018 10:20:59 PM

I have the 230. Overall I like the watch, however, I hate how bulky the buttons are. Constantly starts a "run" if you are working with your hands. I permanently wear with the face on the inner part of my wrist to avoid that issue.

2/6/2018 10:40:13 PM

Don't really want to set goals right now but I'm down 12 pounds on Weight Watchers and am at 17% bf, which is a noticeable improvement in terms of how clothes fit, etc.

I meal prep and do 1.5 hours a night in the gym 4 days a week and walk a lot on the weekends. Basically 30+ minutes of elliptical, 20+ minutes of core exercises, 30+ minutes of free weights being careful not to overdo it.

Happy to be gaining strength back slowly but surely. tendinitis seems to be improving with the orthotics but I can only run a mile until I start to feel it and switch to elliptical so I don't re-injure but my cardio endurance is really good. Really hoping I'll be able to run for real again at some point.

2/7/2018 3:00:18 PM

After going to 3 doctors who thought my injury was a hernia (along with some other really whacky ideas) and then a sports medicine doctor who thought sports hernia, I go to a physical therapist for the sports hernia and she thinks it is just a super tight and strained psoas muscle. She dug into my stomach to check my left (good side) and then my right and said it was night and day. Luckily the rehab for this should only sideline me for a week or so and then I can start lifting (light) again. This thing has kept me from really lifting for almost a year and now I find out I might be able to get back to it with only a week off (and exercises/mobility drills forever).

2/7/2018 6:03:15 PM

my foot is finally fully functional again so time to get back exercising

1. get back to muay thai
2. get down to 185 and cut 7% body fat
3. probably start a meal plan because I don't have the time to cook responsibly

2/10/2018 11:38:06 AM

My plans to run my first half-marathon has been set back but I'm bent on getting it done with the Raleigh Rock & Roll.

Dealing with runner's knee, which is complicating my training. Rest might be the best medicine, but I don't have time to do what I need and to be ready for the half. Will just have to suck it up and deal with the pain and discomfort.

All the while, I'm working on all the factors to potentially alleviate the pain. IT band stretching, strengthening quads and glutes, changing running foot-strike, incorporating more cross-training that's less intensive on the leg, dropping lbs.

Also have a bet with my wife to see who can lose more lbs and inches in six months. I don't intend to lose, but being physically fit by running these races is part of the plan, so I have to stick with it.

2/10/2018 1:01:53 PM

You're obviously not new to running, but dang, powering through the pain is probably the best way to make sure that this next half marathon will be your last.

2/11/2018 7:56:02 PM

I guess I'll put this here unless somebody knows a better thread

Does anyone have any headphone recommendations that are a noticeable upgrade from the standard Apple ones? I was looking at Bose Quiet Comfort but they have to be charged, which seems like a pain, or the Bose Soundsport but I didn't know if those would be noticeably better

2/22/2018 6:06:05 PM

Are you looking for wireless?

I really don't see how the Bose Soundsports aren't an upgrade from the standard Apple ones. Are the Apple ones really that good.

2/22/2018 7:30:08 PM

I just go to walmart and go down the headphone section and buy a set of cheep-o-s. Depending on what fits your ear, I find those are just as good as anything expensive. Especially since where I use them the most, the gym, can be pretty rough on headphones.

2/23/2018 6:26:13 AM

ended up with the Bose. they have the neon green ones on sale for half off ($50) at Best Buy right now I guess because nobody wants that color. I workout/run in black/neon green so it was fine for me

2/23/2018 6:12:02 PM

Finally hit 305 Deadlift after setting that as a goal last year, and while under 200 lbs body weight. Haven't been that weight in the last 10 years.

@JP What kind of advice you got for home gym? Looks like for 1 small rack, 1 large, weights, benches you'd have around $3500 - 4500.

2/27/2018 10:45:38 AM

^ 1RM or X reps? And X=?

2/27/2018 11:56:28 PM

2 @ RPE 9

2/28/2018 3:45:42 PM

^^^ You can definitely get started with a nice home gym setup for under that price range. I bought mostly all Rogue stuff and spent around $2500 before tax and shipping. That’s not including the dumbbells I bought after which depending on how nice you want to go there could run a wide variety of prices. If you can afford it definitely get nice stuff, I bought a multigrip bar from Titan and while it works there is a massive difference in quality. I would not want anymore of their stuff unless I was on a tight budget and that’s all I could afford.

2/28/2018 3:52:26 PM

you can go cheap on the rack and plates, but buy the nicest bar you can get your hands on. you'll regret it otherwise.

2/28/2018 6:44:24 PM

Is this stuff hard to find used?

[Edited on February 28, 2018 at 7:04 PM. Reason : ]

2/28/2018 7:03:58 PM

So far I have one Rogue bar which I got to test the dimensions of my garage--definitely my favorite bars.

Coordinating with people on Craigslist seems awful and most of what I see local are practically 70% the cost of getting it direct from Rogue.

2/28/2018 11:42:05 PM

^^I see this type of stuff quiet a bit online. But the price varies wildly. It's obvious that some people just see a bunch of junk in the way and want it gone; others think used gym equipment is equivalent to gold in $/lb.

3/1/2018 7:08:36 AM

There's a thread on Reddit (r/homegym) with a lot of good information for those looking to build up their home gym.

I've found Craigslist and Facebook have been the best place for used equipment. As mentioned above, invest in a good bar. For bumper plates, the basic rule of thumb is to jump on anything priced at $1.00-$1.25/lb. Anything between $1.25-$1.80 is still a pretty good deal, but can be negotiated. Anything over $1.80 is overpriced and can just be bought directly from the dealer.

[Edited on March 1, 2018 at 10:26 AM. Reason : 1]

3/1/2018 10:26:16 AM

Same as most years for me: maintain strength & weight. 3rd year of very limited car-use is nice too for staying active. Work just bought me a varidesk & standing mat as well.

3/1/2018 11:17:13 AM

Amazon Prime is good for buying weights. 100+ lb packages with free 2-day shipping is legit.

3/1/2018 7:49:10 PM

Too bad the bigger weight packages ship freight. It’s still free most of the time but it’s a pain in the ass to have to be home. Going to check out some fitness supply stores in my area to see what they can get, I want some nice metal plates but don’t feel like messing with freight and the stuff at the stores like Dicks are low quality.

3/2/2018 12:51:53 PM

Does Play It Again Sports have stuff like this?

It seems like a lot of exercise equipment is something nobody should ever buy new.

3/4/2018 12:50:23 PM

there are certain things I wouldn't buy used, unless I was getting gym quality equipment. Treadmills and other cardio equipment fall into that category, where I wouldn't touch it unless it came from life fitness or precor.

3/4/2018 8:34:23 PM

^ I know you have a pretty extensive home gym, I’m looking at getting a lat pull down/row plate loaded machine and was wondering if you have any suggestions. I don’t have enough space for a cable cross setup and the plate loaded ones seem to be a lot more affordable since you don’t need the weight stack. I was looking at the XMark currently but haven’t pulled the trigger on it yet.

3/5/2018 11:09:48 AM

Rogue has all my money. Also covered the garage with horse stall mats. Those things are fucking heavy.



[Edited on March 5, 2018 at 1:57 PM. Reason : A]

3/5/2018 1:55:55 PM

I’m the same, with a few exceptions my stuff is Rogue. I went with a Rep Fitness adjustable bench and bumper tree and was very pleased with the quality, definitely don’t see the need to go Rogue there. I’d love their lat machine but not at that price.

Other non Rogue stuff I got are the Ironmaster dumbbells (120 lb set) and the 50lb Powerblocks. It’s really nice having both because it’s more of a pain to change the weights on the ironmasters but they are tanks. Only cheap purchase I’ve really made was a multigrip bar from Titan. It was dirt cheap and an impulse buy. It works fine and all but it will likely be the last Titan purchase I make, definitely noticeable difference in quality. I did buy a curl bar from the local sports store this weekend and it’s pretty shoddy. Will get the job done for now but I’m definitely going to buy a nicer one, it was only $30 so no big deal.

3/5/2018 4:05:14 PM

Getting back in the swing of things. Really happy with my progress. Also turns out that my tendinitis was actually stress fractures in both legs. Doctor took me off running completely for 8 weeks so I've been doing elliptical for 30 minutes a night, increasing the resistance, which has really helped my cardio and I think my leg strength.

My PR's from like 2016:
Bench: 295
Squat: 205 (didn't have regular access to squat rack)
Dead: 420

**injuries / inactivity**

December 2017:
Bench:145
Squat: 135
Dead: 185

March 2018:
Bench: 225
Squat: 275
Dead: 355

3/6/2018 9:31:19 AM

Pushed legs really hard a few days ago so they still haven't recovered, so tried doing some light biking instead of my usual cardio before lifting.

Didn't realize just how much energy my cardio was sapping me of before my lifts. I've been seeing some decent gains since January but alll of my lifts today were 20-30lbs heavier than last week.

Might have to start re-thinking my approach. Normally do cardio first to work up a sweat and to make sure I actually finish the full run.

3/6/2018 9:40:15 AM

yeah I always save cardio & ab stuff for last...rather be at full/near full strength for my lifts

3/6/2018 9:46:02 AM

Ebay is having a sale, 15% off everything. Could be a good time to pull the trigger on those home gym needs.

3/20/2018 2:36:22 PM

Down 12 lbs and I've lost 6% body fat since December!!

I'm about 2 lbs from my goal weight, but my pull-ups haven't really progressed as I'd like them to. For the last 3 months I've really been focusing on my body composition (thanks to a competition at work... which I'm winning with 1 person left to weigh in). I think I need to focus more on muscle building and performance for the next three months to get closer to my other goals.

3/22/2018 7:54:42 PM

Is it possible to contract type II diabetes by binging on Easter candy in a two-hour span before lunch while telling yourself seriously this is the last fun-size Reese's peanut butter egg until next year?

4/2/2018 12:23:58 PM