MEN ONLY THREAD part two

[bgvanbur]

Nice story, I love those king of the world moments!

[Church]

That's what I love about the barbell. I know I should train more like Waldo to achieve my goals, but there's just something about squats, dead lifts, and over-head presses that make you feel like superman.

[Radiata]

@artinum, @tanktimus That rustled my jimmies big time, but helped me to open my eyes, think about it and accept some harsh but necessary truths to continue this healing process. There is an old saying in Mexico that, translated, says something like this "Son, don´t give all your money nor all your love to women". She rang a bell and there I was, all submissive and ready to serve. Somehow I ended being co-dependant of her and the line between co-dependance and true love started to get blurry. Now that I look back to what I have achieved in three little months (a nice place to call home, a nice job, get fit and hunger for more, make some new friends, start to write and paint again) makes me think "dude, why you let your guard down? why you let yourself down? why you didnt take care of yourself?" I´m still trying to convey a coherent answer but the correct words elude me. This process has been violent, jagged, but full of "HOLY SHIT!" moments. TY you guys, for opening to a complete stranger

[Artinum]

"Rustled my Jimmies"... Love that phrase!

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

@SavageBean. Dude, that's so awesome. I can't tell you how happy I am for you. That kind of experience can be life changing. In my opinion, the charachter building that happened was not the workout, it was the anger.

"You're BETTER than that lazy @#$& who put you here!"

You sir are awesome, and have not yet begun to discover your potential.

can be the moment your life changed forever. Within you, within all of us, is all the good we ever hope to achieve. We just have to unlock it. Today you found your good, your champion, who will defend you against all your weakness, who is invincible. Your champion can slay the saboteur within you who would tell you not to work out. Picture Heimdall, but invincible, guarding the Bifrost. Whenever the saboteur attempts to attack, Heimdall will spring into action, destroying it, EVERY SINGLE TIME.

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

Had a manly moment. Coarse language warning.

My brother always told me that working out builds character. I've heard this platitude before and thought I understood it. Thought "Yeah, having character means being tough as nails." I don't think I really knew what my brother was talking about until today. Bodybuilders talk about the pump, motivational talkers like Plitt talk about the endorphin high from lifting, how it makes you king of the world. All this time I'd been working out I thought I'd experienced those feelings. I thought I knew what it was like to be "pumped up" "focused" "Driven" To be honest I didn't know shit.

I've battled with insomnia and depression, not knowing if I'm coming or going, yo-yo dieting and all that. The last few days I've been on a weight loss plateau, feels like the diet just isn't working. I spend all of the night listening to music quietly in my room trying to sleep. I can't stop my hand idly grabbing my fatty hips, thinking "if only time would pass and I could be at my goal" Eventually it's 4am and I give up going to sleep. I log onto a fitness blog about weight loss and they recommend everything that I'm not doing, carbs after workout, BCAA's, don't go too low in calories, keep your TDEE in mind. The blogger paint a grim but determined picture, "You'll lose all your muscle and your body will stay fat the way you're going" it tells me. I have a plan, I need to stick to it, fuck that guy and fuck his stupid blog.

On my way to gym at 6am, sleep deprived, I can feel the dizziness, hunger from not having eaten, knowing my next meal's not until noon. I walk to gym telling myself "1lb, 1lb is all it'll take and I'll be motivated. If I just lose 1lb." I step on the scale and take a deep breath. I gained 1lb. It's nothing, a fluctuation, it only means I'm still at my plateau. It's meaningless to me. But at the same time I get angry. I'm angry because that stupid blogger might be right, I'm angry because I've been at this plateau for what seems like forever. I'm angry at myself for all that stupid junk I shoved into my stupid mouth. I'm angry because I'm stuck here and it's my own stupid fault and I have noone to blame but myself.

My teeth grit, I go into the cardio theatre and I just start yelling at myself in my head, "You're BETTER than that!" I tell it to myself over and over again. "You're BETTER than that lazy fuck who put you here!" I wanted to do spin bike for cardio, I went treadmill instead, because it was harder and I hated it. I stretched and started running, constantly visualising success, visualising myself never stopping. I ran through the city, I ran through the countryside, I ran to fucking Africa in my head, just focusing on my playlist going "one more song" I spaced out and looked down at the stop button, the go button was right next to it, I kept asking "You gonna stop or are you gonna go?" Eventually sweat was blurring my vision, 'stop' turned into 'error' somehow. It's an error to stop. You can't stop. JUST. FUCKING. GO.

Before I knew it, I was 15 minutes into my run. My challenge goal for this 6 weeks is a 20 minute continuous run. I did it, I SMASHED my goal. I couldn't believe it. Hungry and tired and facing a plateau I fucking achieved a challenge goal. Twice as long as I'd ever run continuously. My workout wasn't even done! For the next hour I pushed weights around in the gym. Every lift and every rep I just wanted to recapture that feeling I had when I broke my goal. Every lift became important. I kept motivating myself to push harder, "Is that all you've got?" and then I'd do another set. Before I knew it the workout was over. My adrenaline was spent. I was done.

When I was outside I just started laughing. I felt like I could do anything. Finally. I felt like I was the king of the world.

Now I'm going to try and get a little sleep. Hopefully this post isn't too embarrassing when I wake up.

Rock it dude, that's awesome.

[Waldo]

That's what I love about the barbell. I know I should train more like Waldo to achieve my goals, but there's just something about squats, dead lifts, and over-head presses that make you feel like superman.

Different strokes.... Once you get past the tuck variations, a back lever quite literally makes you feel like Superman (as it its about as close to the feeling of flying like Superman as one can get without actually flying).

Biggest thing is how hard can you push yourself. When I push hard running I get wicked strong runners high quite often (not this feeling good endorphins thing some describe, its much closer to the feeling of Nitrous Oxide gas or strong Cannabis). Last time I PRed hill sprints I was totally in another zone, trembling hard as I ran; an extremely memorable experience.

[Church]

Picture Heimdall, but invincible, guarding the Bifrost. Whenever the saboteur attempts to attack, Heimdall will spring into action, destroying it, EVERY SINGLE TIME.

I can't believe how surprised I am that it took THIS long to get a reference to Norse mythology in the man thread. Lol.

[BarefootDawsy]

Here's a question for you all...would you get/have you ever got a pedicure? I'm thinking about getting one just to tidy things up down there. I feel a bit embarassed when people find out I run barefoot and want to see my mingin' feet that have been trapped in Vibrams for 2 winters now!

[realbrickwall]

Here's a question for you all...would you get/have you ever got a pedicure? I'm thinking about getting one just to tidy things up down there. I feel a bit embarassed when people find out I run barefoot and want to see my mingin' feet that have been trapped in Vibrams for 2 winters now!

It's perfectly fine if you're just worried about 'manliness', but I'd be careful to find a pedicurist who will do as you request. You need to keep any callouses you have if you're barefoot running, and pedicures often try to re-soften your skin.

[leadchipmunk]

Here's a question for you all...would you get/have you ever got a pedicure? I'm thinking about getting one just to tidy things up down there. I feel a bit embarassed when people find out I run barefoot and want to see my mingin' feet that have been trapped in Vibrams for 2 winters now!

I have/would not get a pedicure, but that is because I absolutely hate my feet and it is even worse when I have people around them. If you don't have as strong of feelings, I say go for it. It isn't unmanly and can be really good for your feet.

[dshale]

Here's a question for you all...would you get/have you ever got a pedicure? I'm thinking about getting one just to tidy things up down there. I feel a bit embarassed when people find out I run barefoot and want to see my mingin' feet that have been trapped in Vibrams for 2 winters now!

Do the manly thing and go at them with a dremel. Just kidding. Do it only if the chick is really hot.

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

Dude, I've been meaning to get a mani peti for awhile now ever since my wife told me they massage your hands and feet as part of it.

The only reason I haven't is that I've had the women who work there yeall at me from literally across the room, at least 25 feet, for biting my nails when my hands were down by my side. She could see the state of my nails from that far away. Maybe if I'm succesful getting them to grow and not biting them as part of this challenge, I'll go get one.

[Church]

I had a pedi once. It wasn't too bad. I have some major issues with my feet, and I maintain that if I ever learn to fly, I'm lobbing then off at the knee. But it really wasn't so bad. And it was kind of nice to NOT have that sandpaper feeling when I put my socks on. Lol.

[Guest Snake McClain]

i say go for it. is is your health. You aren't trying to be pretty just presentable. I say go for it.

[Guest Snake McClain]

Dude, I've been meaning to get a mani peti for awhile now ever since my wife told me they massage your hands and feet as part of it.

The only reason I haven't is that I've had the women who work there yeall at me from literally across the room, at least 25 feet, for biting my nails when my hands were down by my side. She could see the state of my nails from that far away. Maybe if I'm succesful getting them to grow and not biting them as part of this challenge, I'll go get one.

i go through this weird cycle of biting my nails for a few months, realizing it's disgusting (because it totally f***ing is!) and then not for a few months. I have found when i'm stressed but ALSO BORED i do it. the key is keeping myself busy mentally.

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

i go through this weird cycle of biting my nails for a few months, realizing it's disgusting (because it totally f***ing is!) and then not for a few months. I have found when i'm stressed but ALSO BORED i do it. the key is keeping myself busy mentally.

It's the bored thing for me, I don't bite them when I'm busy.

[Guest Snake McClain]

It's the bored thing for me, I don't bite them when I'm busy.

what helped me honestly is one day i ran into my ex wife and she said to me, "hey you don't bite your nails anymore." and she used to always cut me down for biting them. So the fact that i took away one of her "weapons" really inspired me to stop. That and I really like the way they look not all chewed up. Same as exercising. I like the way i look when I'm healthy vs unhealthy. Just hate the chewed up nails more than the battle of not biting. i guess.

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

what helped me honestly is one day i ran into my ex wife and she said to me, "hey you don't bite your nails anymore." and she used to always cut me down for biting them. So the fact that i took away one of her "weapons" really inspired me to stop. That and I really like the way they look not all chewed up. Same as exercising. I like the way i look when I'm healthy vs unhealthy. Just hate the chewed up nails more than the battle of not biting. i guess.

The other thing that bothers me is I hate the feel of having nails. When my hands aren't busy, I run my thumb across my nails, probably because of the habit of checking them to see if there's anything to be bitten off. If I feel anything, it is incredibly hard to fight the impulse to bite them.

[Guest Snake McClain]

The other thing that bothers me is I hate the feel of having nails. When my hands aren't busy, I run my thumb across my nails, probably because of the habit of checking them to see if there's anything to be bitten off. If I feel anything, it is incredibly hard to fight the impulse to bite them.

yeah. that is tough. what i do is i run the nail of my fingers across the other nails for the same reason. and when i feel something is uneven i start scraping them to even it out. which turns into biting. Once I learn(ed) to get that under control it wasnt so bad.

[Artinum]

i go through this weird cycle of biting my nails for a few months, realizing it's disgusting (because it totally f***ing is!) and then not for a few months. I have found when i'm stressed but ALSO BORED i do it. the key is keeping myself busy mentally.

Given that this topic started with feet and pedicures, I'm not currently thinking of you biting your fingernails.

I'm a serial nail biter. Efforts to stop have never lasted long. It's probably a subconscious effort to get more protein. I haven't bitten my toenails in many years, but only because I'm not as flexible as I was when I was a teenager.

[Guest Snake McClain]

Given that this topic started with feet and pedicures, I'm not currently thinking of you biting your fingernails.

I'm a serial nail biter. Efforts to stop have never lasted long. It's probably a subconscious effort to get more protein. I haven't bitten my toenails in many years, but only because I'm not as flexible as I was when I was a teenager.

Ive definitely never bitten my toe nails.

Why would this be a subconscious effort for protein? That...hm. You know when I'm doing lots of lifting and proper eating I don't bit my nails...it could be because a) getting proper nutritional intake or because I'm busy. Something to think on.

[Church]

As far as nail biting: I use nail clippers. Lol. And I just cut them super short.

And I have a query for the man-council:

On of my female friends was out drinking the other night and got a ride home from a friend of hers (a guy) and his clever, suave, go-to move was "hey, you wanna suck my dick?"

Which is something I take issue with for several reasons, chief among them being her beliefs: no sex until marriage, masturbation is a sin (I don't know how she does it! Lol).

My query is this: is that really where our level of Game is at? What happened to the art of seduction? Or even a little bit of tact and subtlety?

And for the record, I DID get a favorable response when I made a joke of it by saying "if anything I'd ask if I could go down on you. Of course we'd have to actually hang out before I could get a chance to..."

So what do you guys think?

I'd also be interested in hearing what the ladies think as well.

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

I'm a serial nail biter. Efforts to stop have never lasted long. It's probably a subconscious effort to get more protein. I haven't bitten my toenails in many years, but only because I'm not as flexible as I was when I was a teenager.

Glad I'm not the only one who has bitten toenails. Same thing, can't get foot to mouth since I was like 13.

[Guest Snake McClain]

As far as nail biting: I use nail clippers. Lol. And I just cut them super short.

And I have a query for the man-council:

On of my female friends was out drinking the other night and got a ride home from a friend of hers (a guy) and his clever, suave, go-to move was "hey, you wanna suck my dick?"

Which is something I take issue with for several reasons, chief among them being her beliefs: no sex until marriage, masturbation is a sin (I don't know how she does it! Lol).

My query is this: is that really where our level of Game is at? What happened to the art of seduction? Or even a little bit of tact and subtlety?

And for the record, I DID get a favorable response when I made a joke of it by saying "if anything I'd ask if I could go down on you. Of course we'd have to actually hang out before I could get a chance to..."

So what do you guys think?

I'd also be interested in hearing what the ladies think as well.

Alright. I ALSO take issue with this guy. to be honest if I heard a guy say something like this to a friend of mine there would probably start with "hey ass hole what the fuck is your problem? Don't you know how to talk to a lady? Oh no probably not because you're a douche bag.", and it would probably END in a double dose of Knuckle Sandwiches. Buy one get one free. Few things piss me off more than "men" (i'm using this term loosely here), like this.

Regarding the art of "seduction". A lot of guys are just douche bags these days. They have week character and these types of actions and words only work on similarly week women. Hopefully your friend stood up for herself. I am pretty sure we are all aware that "manliness" as a whole in all its forms or fashions is dying. Hopefully we can be part of a group of men who raise our sons to be and bring manliness back and will stand up for it, and daughters who will settle for nothing less.

This seriously pisses me off.