BigGuy47

I use JeFit.

Get a food scale and measure servings to make sure your calorie count is accurate. I was blown away how far off my estimates were when I starting weighing my portions.

This has been a helpful post. I've been experiencing some pain in the long head of my tricep on my right arm. I assumed it was from dips or OHP because that's where I felt it the most and those are pushing exercises. I never considered that a pulling exercise (pull ups) could be the culprit. Recently I've tried to improve my ROM for pull ups. That could have irritated the tendon. Whether it's from pull ups or dips I'm going to give it a rest to let it recover. I'm over 50 and try to avoid soft tissue injuries because they take a long time to heal. @ Disil - I'm envious of your pull up progression in a short time span. @ Yuen - Thank you for the anatomy lesson. You can teach an old dog something new. @ Machete - Thanks for posting that video. I'll use that for a reference when I get back to fixing my pull ups.

My upper back used to get very tight from various pulling exercises (pull ups, rows, etc.). I would use the foam roller to loosen up my back, it helped. For whatever reason I don't have the soreness in my upper back so I no longer foam roll on a regular basis. Occasionally I'll use it if my quads get tight or for other odd muscle stiffness, but it's not part of my daily ritual. It's just a tool to use when needed, there's nothing magical about it. I also use resitance bands to loosen up stiff shoulders. The resistance bands aren't magic either, just another tool.

Who's doing the cooking? I can't imagine her declining a meal that you prepared. Most people appreciate the effort. A small step in the right direction can go a long way. Don't try to change everything at once. That's too much - too frustrating. People often give up when they try to do too much all at once. Make one small change this month. Something simple like taking a walk or substituting a vegetable instead of french fries. Next month make another small change. And again and again. In a year you will be surprised on how much of an impact 12 small changes can make on your lifestyle. Small steps. This is depressing to me. When I found out I had Type 2 diabetes I was overwhelmed with fear. At risk for loss of limbs, loss of eyesight, CVD, inability to work among other things. There was a tremendous risk that I could become a burden to my family. I made massive lifestyle changes immediately and I have improved my health. Taking care of my family is the primary driver for maintaining my health. The risks are still there, I do my best to manage those risks. That said, my desire for change came from within. I have no idea how I would motivate someone else to change. Everyone in this thread is correct is saying that people have to want change. You can't make someone want to change. They have to find their own driver for change. They have to care about themselves enough to want to change. Unfortunately, her lack of self preservation is your long term problem.

Agreed. I don't have any issues with the WHO news about meat. It's not going to change my carnivorous nature. I do take issue with the irresponsibility of the people writing the headlines. They are attention whores that will write anything to grab the audience. One website featured the headline, "Red Meat is just as likely to give you cancer as a cigarette". This is beyond absurd. The WHO reported that eating cured meats can increase the risk of cancer by 18%. Smoking can increase the risk of lung cancer by 2500%. My math skills are subpar, but even I can understand the 18% is not close to 2500%. I don't know how the author or headline writer could think that "just as likely" was an appropriate phrase.

The daily commute to Canada would destroy the budget. Over the course of a year it would cheaper to buy gold plated dumbbells.

Good topic. I feel like my abs are in good shape, but my lower make is lacking. I've recently added kettle bell swings to try to strengthen my posterior chain. That Cirque du Soleil work out looks brutal. I"m not doing that, but I might try to see if I can balance on my foam roller.

Get a big bag of the sugar free haribos and put it on your desk. It should keep you occupied so you're not getting at the office snacks. From what I've read the sugar free haribos are fast acting. http://www.amazon.com/Haribo-Sugar-Free-Gummy-Bears/product-reviews/B008JELLCA

I have dumbbells, a pull up bar, a flat bench, parallettes and a treadmill. The most versatile piece of equipment I own is my suspension trainer.

I don't worship Rippetoe and his presentation methods are off putting. When I first started a few years ago I was tearing up my hands doing pull ups. One of his videos helped me correct my grip and I haven't had a problem since. I may not like the messenger, but his message is relevant to the topic of this thread.

Check your grip.

Do whatever you need to do to work toward your goals and stop getting bent out of shape over semantics. What difference does it make what other people think about the definition of strong? JJ Watt is a beast on the football field. His strength and speed are remarkable. While JJ's physical stature is awesome, there's no way he could perform an Iron Cross on gymnastic rings. Does this mean JJ is weak? Of course not. Does it mean that gymnasts are stronger than JJ? Of course not. It means that the word strong often requires context.

Do you have access to a pool at the university? Walking in a pool can help strengthen you core without putting a high amount of stress on your joints. My wife has back pain and her doctor recommended walking in the pool. I don't know anything about the limitations of resistance training with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. I do know that resistance training has improved my mobility dramatically, I have Psoriatic Arthritis. I would assume that resistance training would help strengthen your joints. That said, I would check with your doctor for guidance on how much load/stress your joints can handle. At the very least I would take it slowly and be patient. I've learned that pushing too hard too fast is a recipe for injury.

A lot of injuries happen when people jump right in and starting trying complicated without moves working through the progressions. It takes some time for the tendons and ligaments to catch up with the muscle growth. This means allowing for adequate rest and progressing at a reasonable pace. I'm and old fart and I'm fairly cautious with progressing slowly. Occasionally my enthusiasm can lead to pushing it a little too far.