Machete

On 12/5/2020 at 3:49 AM, Winnie The Pooh said:

Love this link and the question itself and all the advises that are pouring in. I am myself 260lbs 31yr old and 5.6" . I have no clue what I'm supposed to be doing with my body and there is no sign of reducing this weight. I am so fascinated about MA. But not sure if my body can take it.

Maybe I'll look for those introductory class anyway. Thanks Dragon Lady... You did the job for me... And thanks to everyone who have shared their insights 🙏

Good luck! Don't hesitate to reach out!

'Sup? Fell down a cliff. I'm back.

So there I was in the wasteland, with like 2 HP left, and I keep getting murked by small critters that I've haven't been able to get any momentum going. Disappeared since challenge #89, and since then I've been sleeping on the couch because of water damage and mold infestation and the insurance agency being an insurance agency. The only reason I'm able to keep it together is I swallowed my pride and borrowed a large amount of money from my mother again because nodody will subscribe to my OnlyFans.

Me trying my best every day:

Anyway, I'm just here to get started, literally. I'm going to treat myself like the most unmotivated beginner (which I am currently), and set the bar really low.

Easy stuff to start with. Everything else I do is extra:

LIFT: 10 Goblet Squats

PROTEIN: 1 protein shake

BREATHE: 10 deep breaths

All quiet, which is how we like it...

On 12/3/2020 at 4:52 PM, aublovesyou said:

Generally, when asked what things make me happy day to day, I can really only list foods (and coffee)... and that I have a good relationship with my husband and love my pets (not taking those things lightly - they are amazing things that I'm very grateful for). But as hard as I try to find things to replace the relief I get from, say, eating a grilled cheese sandwich or chocolate chip cookies or whatever, nothing scratches the surface of the same feeling.

On 12/3/2020 at 4:52 PM, aublovesyou said:

I should also briefly mention that I have chronic headaches and fatigue. I have had a headache every day (with a scattered few exception days) for the last 2 1/2 years.

On 12/3/2020 at 4:52 PM, aublovesyou said:

If I go over 1200-1250 for even one day, I can't lose anything.

This is so relatable, I feel like I typed it myself...

I started in these forums around a year after I started going to therapy. I was never happy happy, but I was pretty shredded and being active wasn't such a challenge. I didn't necessarily liked exercising, but I did feel better after. (Also, grilled cheese and chocolate chip cookies are things that I can actually look forward to in life.)

Anyway, some stuff happened, and long story short I've barely worked out since march, gained 40 lbs.,  my blood pressure is out of control, and my testosterone levels (at 34) are just above the threshold of being considered "too low." I used to eat 3000 calories daily just to maintain 135 lbs. (I'm 5'2), and now I'm gaining weight at 1800. 

I know exactly what to do; I train people for a living. For months I'd have a plan of attack to slowly get myself back on track, but after like two days I ask "what's the point" and give up all over again. I just want to hug my dog, and eat grilled cheese and raw cookie dough.

On 9/6/2020 at 9:52 AM, cd667 said:

I don't know any really overweight people that haven't tried calorie counting. I'm sure there are some exceptional people who manage to lose weight through calorie counting, but if it is so simple, why are there so many overweight people out there?

Probably the same reason many have tried and failed at quitting sodas, or getting themselves out of debt--it's simple, not easy. The fact that it's all right in front of us but we're not able to do it might be what causes so many people to look for a shortcut. There is no shortcut. Check this out:

> address nutrient deficiencies

> consume the appropriate macros

> sleep 8+ hours a day

> strength train

> do this for 9/10 days over 2 years

This is it. It'll get 99% of people to 99% of their physique goal. Everything else is extra. Many people are able to do 3, maybe 4 of these; it's the exceptional ones who are able to hit the last one. But that is the most important one.

On 9/6/2020 at 9:52 AM, cd667 said:

The fact that Weight Watchers is so successful as a company is not a great recommendation of its methods. I have a massive problem with the way everything is prepackaged (and often laden with sugar!).

 

My problem with it is there is now a lot of evidence that calories in vs calories out is a massive oversimplification. Is it really reasonable to think that your body will react in the same way to 1000 calories of pasta in the same way that it would handle 1000 calories of grilled chicken? How do you even manage to eat 1000 calories of chicken? Have a look at this article - I would be interested to hear your opinions.

 

My take on it is this. Real food fills you up. Habitually weighing, photographing or recording the macronutrients of everything you eat or only eating prepackaged food sounds like an eating disorder. It definitely doesn't sound like a nice way to live, at least not to me.

 

I'm currently on a low carb diet (actually 140g a day, so not that low) on the advice of my diabetes nurse. I've lost 4 inches of beer belly, nearly, and I am 12kg lighter than I was at the start of August (weighed myself this morning, out of curiosity). What strikes me is if you eat a diet that doesn't contain lots of starchy carbohydrate, 140g/day is a huge amount of food. For the first time in my life, I'm leaving food on my plate. Honestly, it's more than I want, and I'm a big, strong guy. I bet I am within my calorie goals, but there's no reason to measure those because I'll never get near them eating like this. To maintain my starting weight, I'm supposed to consume 3500 calories a day. No chance!

 

Now, I was 132kg when I got my diagnosis; with so much to lose, my gains are going to be better than most people's. But what I'm doing now is so much more sustainable than what I did before. I will be able to do this for the rest of my life.

 

And I'm going to.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I assume you've recently had some great success with the low-ish carb method that you're doing. Perhaps you've tried and failed at calorie counting too, and have attempted to lose weight only to put it back on many times in the past, so you decided to really read up on the topic, which led you to the current program you're following, which you found is the first one that works for you. Close? (I read one of your challenges.)

It is VERY natural for all of us to put our support into something when we buy into it. (I surmise that in this age where fewer and fewer people believe in deities, nutrition has become one of the new religions. People shouldn't really be faulted for defending their religious beliefs,  or having civil discussions. It's the loud quacks/fundamentalists that make everyone look bad.) The article itself is written by a business that sells Low-Carb and Keto diets; of course they're going to write articles with the studies that support it. I'm not saying they, or anyone else is wrong; what I'm saying is I'm right. 😁

I congratulate you on getting your particular diet to work for you. However, there are other diets that work for other people as well. Humans are individuals, and blanket statements are rarely applicable. But all the diets and the strategies for weight loss are ways to achieve a caloric deficit. Let's try not to put all the blame on one thing. If you read what I previously said again, we agree on a lot of things:

Quote

Although I do agree, and always tell the calorie zealots, that CICO is an oversimplification and doesn't help the people who actually need it, what gives them ammo are all the people denying the idea of calories altogether. Calories are just units of energy, and we really have no idea what we're taking in or out. Everything is a rough estimate that could be off by as much as 25% from each side of the balance. But when someone says they are in a deficit and are not losing weight, they are in fact not. A deficit is a physiological condition where your body is expending more calories than you are consuming--it is a state of being, not something you do.

This podcast is a good one to listen to. He has two scientists on, one follows keto, the other is a macro counter.

On 9/2/2020 at 4:54 AM, goblinscrytoo_ said:

 

Sort of. Have had a really screwed up relationship with food throughout my teens: eating disorders, parents forcing me on diets like Stockholm diet (felt way, way too restrictive and I just physically felt like crap from the lack of food), etc. I got serious about getting in shape at one point and cycled a solid 50km daily for a month while trying my best to eat healthy while still under my parents' roof (which was hard when the lunch served daily was boiled potatoes with sausages, maybe salad if I was lucky, but I tried) - and my weight didn't budge at all, neither did my body change, judging by the way clothes fit, so I just sort of gave up. Trying again as an adult, now that I have... less influence from parents.

 

Wish I could afford a coach as a student! Priority money-wise right now is to have a roof over my head and eat well. As for the protein - since @Defining's first suggestion to bump my protein up to 150g, I've realised that even that number is challenging for me sometimes. I do consistently hit >135g per day, but >150g happens roughly half the time, partly because of not always having enough money to buy a lot of meat or eggs (trying to make up for that with lentils, though, got a couple kilos on discount), partly because it feels like a LOT of food, guess my stomach's shrunk over the weeks. During the calorie deficit (currently testing the waters with the MATADOR approach, started my maintenance phase on Monday), 150g was even harder to hit because the calorie limit also meant limiting fat and carbs - 200g of protein with 1600kcal sounds impossible to me. If 200g ever seems possible, though, I will do my best to bump it up to that.

That said, did my first comparison of measurements on Monday. Neck has slightly increased, but shoulders, chest, waist have gotten a couple centimetres smaller. Everything else stayed exactly the same. I still log my weight daily as well (I understand that it can fluctuate a lot day by day, but I am a sucker for graphs and data science) and the average for the last 7 days has been 94.6 kilos, compared to 96.2 kilos of the 7 days before that, so I guess there's finally a bit of progress in that regard as well!

I see. I think society's preoccupation with weight and appearance is what screws most people over to begin with,  making situations like yours a lot more commonplace. I imagine you quit cycling because you weren't achieving what you intended, but had you happened to continue doing that for a year or so, even if you were plowing-down food, you would have at least come out of it with better work capacity and cardiovascular fitness that you could build upon later. This is why we always preach the importance of finding something you actually enjoy doing; you're less likely to quit from an extrinsic setback and keep chipping away at it.

I get it. It's a bit of an investment, and you could probably use it on better food. I'm definitely not saying get it to 200g today; it's more like something to work towards. But one of the big things about protein is that it is virtually impossible to overeat, and hitting high numbers is a legitimate challenge for many. I myself have trouble getting to 135g right now. (It is definitely possible though, a woman was doing 400+g for science.) I think the whole idea behind small, frequent meals works more due to the fact that you're able to eat more protein overall throughout the day. There's also nothing wrong with supplementing with protein powder, as it might be the most affordable source of high-quality protein available. Without protein powder I don't think I'd be able to get to 200g without blending chicken breasts.

On 9/1/2020 at 6:42 PM, cd667 said:

Interesting post @Machete. I would really recommend listening to the podcast. The woman in it actually said that she should have been in an 800 calorie deficit. I should have been clearer.

 

I would agree with you on the basic idea that excess energy is stored as fat; it's just physics. However (and I can say this from personal experience), much of the calorie counting stuff is completely unworkable for most people. My sister is going to die of her diabetes sooner or later; four hospital stays last year, and she is soon to lose a toe. She weighs everything, and counts calories all the time. After a few days, she gets  disheartened and binges. Weighing all your food is no way to live.

 

Low calorie diet plans like Weight Watchers are everywhere. If they actually worked, there wouldn't be any fat people. One of them (Slimming World, a national company with groups in every town in the UK and TV coverage), said you can eat unlimited pasta so long as you stay within your calorie counts. It makes me really angry that in the article I linked to that they mention "healthy pasta" and type 2 diabetes in the same sentence.

I did listen to it. There is a HUGE difference between should and in spite of, so thank you for clarifying that.

I disagree with the assumption that calorie counting is unworkable for most people. My personal experience with calorie counting began before smartphones, when I would hand-jam my macros with pen and paper. Sometimes things seem impossible until we stick with the foundational habits long enough for it to be part of our lives. Working out every day might seem impossible for a sedentary individual. They'll do it for a bit, get too sore, then give up and stay on the couch for a week, thinking working out every say is no way to live. Yet we probably know many people who do just that. It's just about having a plan and building the skills to support the habits.

On 8/24/2020 at 12:49 PM, cd667 said:

making sure I eat enough protein, don't have too many carbohydrates

Technically, as long as you're not drinking straight olive oil or eating keto fat bombs, you're practicing calorie control as well by keeping track of your macros.

Weight Watchers is actually one of the most successful companies out there; they've been around for close to 40 years, and allow their clients to do exactly what you were saying was very difficult to manage--control caloric intake without actually personally counting the calories. Instead they re-package caloric load as "points" to get their clients out of the mindset of calories. I'm not a doctor or a dietitian, so I can't really comment on diabetes and what they're allowed to eat. Unlimited pasta while staying withing your calorie counts however, I don't see an issue with. What's do you think is the problem with this one?

Always listen to @Defining's advice. It's always good and fact-based.

On 8/23/2020 at 4:22 PM, goblinscrytoo_ said:

Any other ideas? Am I just doomed? Been struggling with the extra weight for most of my life, it seems like no matter what I do, it will not budge (that being said, back when I lived on junk food, it didn't go up any above those 95 kilos either, so I guess I had that going for me at least) and I am stuck at the number 95 forever.

From what I gather here you've just started, maybe you've yo-yo dieted, and you don't have anyone guiding you?

From my work with clients who want weight loss we always try to manage expectations first and foremost. Almost all of them had set goals that they weren't willing to pay the price for, or put in the time it required to achieve. Dramatic weight loss is very difficult, and I mean REALLY, UNFAIRLY difficult. For every person with a before and after photo there are 95 others who didn't make it. I do not want to discourage you, but one of the studies thrown around is the statistic of only 6% of overweight individuals who lose weight are able to keep it off after 5 years (and even fewer after 15). That's around the same likelihood of being a millionaire in America. Of course this study was done in the '30s, and we have a lot more tools available to us now, but it's also a lot easier to go the opposite way as well. (I myself am struggling with some quarantine weight.) I think the millionaire comparison still applies--if you didn't accidentally stumble upon it, it's going to take you a little bit of luck and A LOT of work and time to be part of the 6%.

But I think you're in the right track. What I would do is get a coach for like 3-6 months (the best time to get one is when you're starting out--you get the most bang for your buck) to get you on a basic hypertrophy and mobility program that can get enthusiastic about. I'd bump your protein up to 200g, and the calories up to around 2600 as a maintenance to set. And sleep a lot. Nothing special, just a little bit of work for a long amount of time.

On 8/24/2020 at 12:49 PM, cd667 said:

I'm not sure this is applicable to you, but I found this interview really interesting. What struck me as odd was the fact that the woman in this podcast gained a stone a year all through her life (1 stone=14lbs/6.35kg, depending on where you live) in spite of an average 800 calorie deficit every day.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08p59t2

 

I'm not saying you are like the woman in this podcast, but I think it's an oversimplification to say calories are the answer for everyone, which is what we've all been told.

Although I do agree, and always tell the calorie zealots, that CICO is an oversimplification and doesn't help the people who actually need it, what gives them ammo are all the people denying the idea of calories altogether. Calories are just units of energy, and we really have no idea what we're taking in or out. Everything is a rough estimate that could be off by as much as 25% from each side of the balance. But when someone says they are in a deficit and are not losing weight, they are in fact not. A deficit is a physiological condition where your body is expending more calories than you are consuming--it is a state of being, not something you do. (I didn't hear anything about the woman on the podcast averaging an 800-calorie deficit, but if she was gaining fat, she was, physiologically, not in a deficit. Her body has trained itself to become so efficient that the bare minimum that she eats becomes a surplus.)

On 8/24/2020 at 7:13 PM, Kishi said:

Green to my understanding is code for 24kg (this one appears to be the same whether it be hardstyle or comp style). But, yeah, man, those things'll wreck you pretty hard; harder than you'd think they might for how little they weigh compare to barbell set ups and the like. Cool.

It seems to be the standard for comp bells. 12kg light blue, 16kg yellow, 24kg green, 32kg red, 48kg gold(?).

On 8/24/2020 at 10:12 PM, WhiteGhost said:

It really is a new thing.  I used to walk into gyms and have no idea what to even try.  Having been around these boards has helped a lot with knowing what kids of things I want to try, and has armed me with knowledge about how to use them (special shout out to @Machete for his IG kettlebell tutorials).

 

Being one of the buffest dudes there also helps with the confidence thing  

 

They have some of those half ball things too but I have no idea what they are typically used for.  If I go again, I will be using them for backflip practice (as inspired by @DoubleTrouble) because apparently it is allowed isn't disallowed.

Thank you so much for using them! I was afraid they faded into obscurity. I'm trying to re-shoot a few more, so if anybody has any ideas on what I can do, I'm all ears.

But tell me more about this backflip practice. Maybe I'll try to get mine back.

13 hours ago, WhiteGhost said:

I am probably not going to get one.  It does provide a great workout for the space it occupies, but they can't be scaled.   If I want to change to a different weight, I need to get another bell so I can imagine ending up with a whole room full of bells and only using one or two of them.

Yeah, it's the in-between of bodyweight and barbell training; you essentially train around what you have. It blends balances adjustability and the need for creativity to create the overload. That's why I personally find the in-between in-betweener weights (e.g. 18kg) really weird and virtually pointless. Someone training for general fitness with KBs, I would recommend getting maybe 2 weights, but rarely more than 4. It just clutters-up the space that it's supposed to save, it defeats the point of a "minimalist" setup, it creates the illusion of choice, and it stifles the exerciser's creativity. Personally, I've limited myself to 3 weights as of late, and sold the other ones. (No, I totally did not price-gouge anyone, though I feel like I should have charged a little more, considering the current availability of iron. Haha) It forces me to focus and master the basics.

9 hours ago, juliebarkley said:

Amazon tells me that there are (fiendishly expensive) adjustable weight kettlebells. How good they are, I don't know. What I do know is that Amazon really wants me to buy a kettlebell of some description. It's all Amazon's fault if I give in. 😇

I'm really suspicious of adjustables, especially for swings, cleans, and snatches. It's basically a projectile waiting to happen.

On 8/19/2020 at 11:17 AM, Sylvaa said:

@Machete is doing #75Hard. I'm going to start as soon as I get rid of all the moving nonsense. 

I should totally start counting how many times I've messed up and had to restart. I'm probably halfway to 75. 75 Fail. Haha

Veggies largely were a success. Workouts were only halfway. Coding was intermittent. Not a bad performance comparatively. Here's to momentum...

On 7/15/2020 at 9:19 PM, sarakingdom said:

 

Totally. We're banned from nearly everywhere. Mexico's considering that wall, to keep us out. Mask up, cowboy.

The virus when they finally get that anti-masker:

But yeah, I'm setting the kettlebells up and just swinging with the wife. Did some swings and it took me out for a week. My entire body hurt. haha

On 7/17/2020 at 1:58 PM, Kishi said:

 

Well, not really in terms of planning out the week so much as just having something to fall back on to chill things out and relax a bit. Easier said than done, but worth doing if it can be. Limiting FB is a good idea and getting a handle on debt is a huge relief as well. I was thinking more in terms of things like a daily walk or a mindfulness practice or something.

Ah. Yeah, probably a breathing practice. I'll look into re-installing either Headspace or Wim Hof.

On 7/11/2020 at 5:51 PM, Kishi said:

It's always a good day to start again.

 

Do you have any plans in place as far as mitigating stress? That seems kind of primed to initiate some very vicious circles.

I'd like to plan out my weeks, but that seems to not be happening at the moment. I'm thinking of limiting my Facebook time because reading that in itself is very stressful. Also exploring possible different strategies we can use to take out the high-interest debts we have. I feel like we haven't taken advantage of all the assistance we're being offered (mostly because I'm skeptical about not having to pay exponentially out the ass later).

On 7/14/2020 at 1:17 AM, sarakingdom said:

 

My guy. Let's be realistic about this brave new world we live in. None of us in the US, and definitely not in your home state, have safe access to a nearby gym.

 

There's enough stress to mitigate in all this; don't take on the "I should go to the gym, but is it safe, but I should; I did, and was it a mistake" stress bundle. You are your own gym, and all that.

 

I like your first steps.

RECORD-BREAKING. Apparently the Constitution says we don't need masks.

The rest of the world probably sees the US the way the US sees Florida.

BODY

I just realized how out-of-shape I am  when I was out of breath  I was while I was cutting weeds in the yard. I almost passed out from the heat after mowing the lawn the other day, and I have to  deal with what reminds me of the beginnings of an asthma attack from my youth. This is bad. I also recently did blood tests, and I have a horrendous cholesterol profile (high LDL, low HDL), high liver enzymes, terrible kidney health, constant borderline hypertension, and total Testosterone of like 300. Though it's tempting to "hack" my T levels to get teh gainz, I'm thinking the best way would be to get healthy first.  I just need to let go of my ego, disassociate, and assess and coach myself as I would as a new person I'm working with.

Client Profile:

Male, 33, married, sedentary, former athlete, has not exercised at all in 4 months, has access to kettlebells,and a nearby gym. Medicated for major depression, currently unemployed and highly stressed (which leads to entire days of productivity shutdowns). Mostly eats takeout, has substituted  diet sodas instead of regular. Takes daily vitamins and meds 99% of the time.

First steps:

• Exercise: Tracy Reifkind's 15 to 20-minute swing workout twice a week, after a quick priming warm-up and hip + shoulder + t spine mobility.
• Nutrition: Eat a serving of vegetables each day.

MIND

I scheduled a Technical Admissions Assessment for a coding bootcamp two weeks from now,  so the pressure's on. I think if I total 40 hours I'll be as ready as I can be for it, so a little over 3 hours a day starting today would be reasonable, though I tend to get in the zone sometimes.

So the Program Minimum:

1. Swing twice a week
2. One serving of veg
3. 3 hours of coding

=======================================================================================================================================

13 JUL, Mon - 2h 47m 

14 JUL, Tue - 1h 21m, veggies, workout

15 JUL, Wed - veggies

16 JUL, Thu - veggies

17 JUL, Fri - veggies

18 JUL, Sat - veggies

19 JUL, Sun 

20 JUL, Mon - workout

21 JUL, Tue - veggies, coding

22 JUL, Wed - veggies, coding

23 JUL, Thu - veggies, coding

24 JUL, Fri - veggies

25 JUL, Sat - veggies

On 6/18/2020 at 3:40 PM, Snickie said:

After I-4 Ultimate is complete

This is the funniest joke I have ever heard in my life. 

On 7/4/2020 at 12:50 AM, //Min said:

Mmm my ankle dorsiflexion seems alright?  I can only do that video test (with my feet flat on the floor) with legs and feet apart though, I can’t do it when my legs and feet are together. Maybe my dorsiflexion can be better haha. 

Yeah, the idea is with the feet and knees together.  I'd check if it's your ankles preventing you from doing so, and if so I'd start working on that (provided you can do it pain-free).

Then check if that allows you to do the narrow squats pain-free.

Next I'd look at your hips. Are you able to hinge them properly? You cant exhibit explosive leg power unless it comes from the hips. If you're able to jump a few inches without pain, you can work on this. If not do you have a video of you doing your squats and lunges (from the front and the side)?

The most common jumping mistake I see is an incorrect landing. The hips are attached to the largest muscles in the body; by landing incorrectly we put most of the load that they're supposed to absorb into shear forces on the knee joint. What I usually have people do here is deliberately rehearse the jump position. Many break at the knees first rather than the hips during a squat--we try to un-learn that habit. Then for the jumping we practice sticking the landing. Every time they land, they hold the body position they landed in and we go through the checklist: Feet flat? Hips back? Neutral spine? Chest forward? Knees in line with the toes? Okay, reset. That's one rep. Proper jumping and landing is just another skill we have to learn.

If my hypothesis works you'll end up putting less stress on your knees during athletics, which may ease the pain. If it doesn't, you end up in the same place you were at with your knee, but with flexible ankles and good jumping mechanics. 

Pain is complicated, and any good fitness professional has probably been terrified of going anywhere near it and possibly overstepping their bounds. The people I've worked with usually don't have money to pay for both me and a cash-based physical therapist who will restore them to regular function, so usually it's an insurance-based GP who, after ruling out catastrophic injury, will usually say "Does it hurt when you do X? Stop doing it. Here's some drugs. Come back in 6 weeks." How I get around it is if it's a minor injury and they don't want to get deconditioned we work on everything except the pain area until they're cleared. This is counterintuitive because we want to strengthen what was broken, but usually if you're able to move like your body is supposed to move, the lagging joint will catch up. 

@Valette great to see you back! I haven't seen you active on Instagram. How has the plague been treating you?

TL;DR, you can approach all of this with a martial artist's mindset of practicing one kick 10'000 times.

S&C = constantly assess and re-assess, Beyond 5/3/1, always keep training records

Exercises = work towards perfection of execution that you would be comfortable posting it online for the world to see.

Martial arts = a little bit and often over the long haul

Sleep = 8+ hours. To step it up, get a tracker that monitors REM, and/or a sleep journal to coincide with training records. Nightly ritual, blue blocker glasses, correct room temperature, put away electronics 2 hour before.

Hydration = self-explanatory. Maybe carry a container to be sure.

Nutrition = Find your calories and macros. You can use something like the Renaissance Periodization App to get split that adjusts to you. If you want to take it a step further, get some blood tests done.

De-stressing and activity: get some sunlight daily, and go for an outdoor walk. Hug animals. Do some breathing exercises like the WHM. Start out easy with meditation; it's a skill like everything else. I started meditating with Headspace. You can hit the basics 5 minutes a day, and build up to 20 or twice a day gradually. Periodic electronics and connectivity fasting. Creating systems and routines. Hiring other people to buy back your time.

Now go back to crushing it, and keep us updated.

All good stuff here.

@//Min how's your range of motion on ankle dorsiflexion?

(Easy way is to check if you can get into the bottom position of a squat  with your feet and knees together.)

On 5/28/2020 at 2:56 PM, Kishi said:

 

You should see a doctor about that.

On 6/8/2020 at 12:58 PM, Sylvaa said:

 

How's it going?

Fallout 76. Got up 80 levels in 3 weeks. Had to do another pivot. I'm going to have to take the bar even lower.

I'm drawing a 6-day blank. I've started playing Fallout 76 again, which might have something to do with it. The game is growing on me.

I think I've logged 60-70 hours of code in, which is a little under target. I think I'll have to set a schedule to fight Fallout and get an average of 7 hours a day in for the next two weeks.

On 5/26/2020 at 5:40 PM, Sylvaa said:

 

 

I felt this.

3 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Sra. Tanque and I met on OkCupid in 2016. Both of us were using the free version.

2 hours ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

That’s how my sister met her husband a couple of years ago. I joked it was where cheapskates go to meet cheapskates.

I made one, but it was all dudes who kept messaging me. I tried eHarmony, with their long-assed personality assessment, and they couldn't match me there. 😶

20 hours ago, sarakingdom said:

BRB, updating my OKCupid profile...

That's pretty OG. Didn't even know that site still existed. I wonder if my profile is still there.

19 hours ago, aramis said:

I won't be any different in this manner. And I'll assure you - you're not alone. Nor in being vulnerable, nor old-fashioned  

 

Great!

 

On a side note - can I ask you something? One thing about HS, and one about S&S (which are both your area of expertise, imo).

When I get upside down in a wall walk, breathing is weird. Hard and... unnatural...? Is is me being too nervous, it is from overly tense core or is it just normal when being inverted?

And secondly - I'm doing S&S with 24kg bell right now, but can't manage to do warmup halos with this weight - I use 16kg for halos. Is is big of an issue and should be levelled, or am I overthinking things?

@Sloth the Enduring is correct. The Halos aren't really something you're specifically trying to strengthen. They're more of a mobility prep for the Get-ups. Eventually when you have adequate mobility in your shoulders and hips you can even skip the Halos and Hip Bridges and just warm up with one set of Prying Goblet Squats then two sets of regular Goblet Squats.

Regarding the Handstand breathing, I really don't know. I 'm comfortable inverting, but not being on my hands. @raptron @Mad Hatter @WhiteGhost @@mu would be able to give you better guidance on this.

18 hours ago, Sylvaa said:

I am so glad you are back! Also, if you ever need anything, you have like a million ways to contact me!

Likewise! Thanks. Let's both try to complete this one! 😅

9 hours ago, WhiteGhost said:

But on the other hand, you share all the best memes on IG (except the mint choco-chip ice cream one  ) so there is that

 

Following for hand stand stuff

One of my most unpopular opinions is not liking those Thin Mint girlscout cookies. 😅

6 hours ago, DarK_RaideR said:

Been there, done that. Side effects of quarantine lockdown, the uncertainty of when this will and and how things will be after, plus having nothing to look foward to like trips or concerts. It shall pass, in the meantime try to not be overly hard on yourself (which includes not being overambitious, but it looks like you learned that part from last challenge).

In my mind I was actually pretty stoked about the lockdown, but maybe my body isn't okay with it. I think the wife's taking it harder. I actually looked into going back in the Army, but she didn't want that either. 😛

5 minutes ago, Kishi said:

So say we all. Not to minimize what you're going through but to point out that you're not in it alone. Even though you are alone. Because we're all alone. So very alone.

 

Point is, you're not gonna get any judgment from the likes of me or anyone who's here. It's okay for this to suck right now. It's normal.

Haha yeah, you've watched my manic-depressive cycles come and go the past seven years. People here have been nothing but supportive, and the internet seems to allow people to be more vulnerable these days. (I'm still a bit old-fashioned though in that I'm uncomfortable discussing it in-person for some reason.)

But anyway, I was able to work with my teammate today, black belt who started out struggling to hold up a 16kg now doing multiple getup sets with the 36. I'm feeling pretty good. We'll see how it translates to coding.