Your Fitness Journey and Progress

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

After about a year of introducing almost daily resistance training, I didn't lose any weight, but my cholesterol levels went down, so I think that's a win. I'm pretty sure it must have been at least part of the reason, possibly along with eating more blueberries and more flaxseeds.

You probably achieved body recomposition with new muscle weight replacing lost fat weight. I've actually gained a few pounds myself but somehow my clothes actually fit looser now, so pretty sure I've been slowly replacing fat stores with new muscle.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

Measured my upper arms and got 16” around. Which isn’t really that much, but considerably bigger than they were. Still some flab hanging around but now I can see a little muscle definition showing through, and my biceps and triceps are starting to look good in the right T shirts. I’ve been neglecting my cardio lately so it’s possible I’m starting to bulk out more. Need to up my cardio so I can retain a somewhat slim frame.

Also, legs looking more muscular and toned in my grey joggers than they were looking 2 months ago.

I still struggle with low self esteem and dysmorphia, but I’ve overall been feeling a lot better about myself.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

Problem for me is I loathe doing gym cardio. Treadmills and bicycle machines are boring, so I just end up lifting most of the time, and maybe hitting the rowing machine once or twice a week after forcing myself to do some cardio. Can't wait for it to warm up enough to start taking walks and bicycling, then I can get most of my cardio in doing fun shit outside of a gym. I also feel I can push myself harder doing fun outdoors cardio than I can push myself on a treadmill or bike machine. When you're outdoors exploring a trail or just taking in the sights, sounds and smells on a hike or ride, the grueling aspect of the workout becomes an afterthought, but when you're on a treadmill or other gym cardio equpiment, it's just you and the dull, monotonous burn of the workout. The burn is more fun when you're out in the world and you feel you're going somewhere and experiencing more than the smell of stale sweat and the echo of sneakers on hard gym floors.

 

[Auroras]

If someone suffers from myopathy, how can they exercise? My legs quiver and cramp up from something as simple as just walking on a treadmill, which makes working out in general insufferable for me. I'd hit the free weights to work on my upper body, but even that somehow makes my legs protest in anger.

I'm tired of being out of shape, but my legs are just not cooperating with me.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

What are some good methods for upper body strength training? I don't care about how it looks. I simply want to be stronger.

I walk everwhere, so I'm not that concerned about my lower body.

 

[xenaprincess]

What are some good methods for upper body strength training? I don't care about how it looks. I simply want to be stronger.

I walk everwhere, so I'm not that concerned about my lower body.

With just body weight, push ups and pull ups. With varying sets of barbells, you can do bicep curls, and work on your triceps, chest and back, pretty easily. An adjustable bench helps.

 

[xenaprincess]

How do people manage going to the gym several days a week and commute to work?

I used to live in Brooklyn and was spoiled with a gym down the street. Do people just not have dinner with their families or do you go super early in the mornings before work?

I feel like I have no time or energy at all.

 

[Luminous]

If someone suffers from myopathy, how can they exercise? My legs quiver and cramp up from something as simple as just walking on a treadmill, which makes working out in general insufferable for me. I'd hit the free weights to work on my upper body, but even that somehow makes my legs protest in anger.

I'm tired of being out of shape, but my legs are just not cooperating with me.

https://www.myositis.org/about-myositis/treatment-disease-management/exercise-physical-therapy

Does swimming feel less difficult?

 

[Luminous]

What are some good methods for upper body strength training? I don't care about how it looks. I simply want to be stronger.

I walk everwhere, so I'm not that concerned about my lower body.

You could also try using a resistance band. I am surprised at how much muscle I can see having gained in my arms over the last year. There are a lot of good videos on youtube.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

My weight has hovered around 200 lbs (plus or minus 5 lbs) for the last couple of months. Physically, I appear to have gotten slightly thinner, with more noticeable muscles, so I assume body recomposition has been happening.

Current routine is 4-5 days a week, usually 30 minutes to 1.5 hours per session. I mostly lift and save cardio for outdoor walks when the weather is nice. I am not really counting calories or macros like I should be, because I'm lazy and I don't have a working fitbit or smart watch. Monday chest/triceps Tuesday biceps/back, Wednesday legs/abs, Thursday shoulders.

Erections are frequent and strong. If you're an over-40 male who's ever struggled with weak erections, ED, or lower libido, lifting weights makes a world of difference.

Tomorrow will mark 3 months since I've been regularly lifting at a real gym.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

I started taking creatine monohydrate a few days ago. I decided against loading (taking more for the first week in order to lead to faster body saturation) because I already have an irritable bowel and don't want to fuck with it.

It's too early to notice any tangible results/improvement in my workouts, although I did feel like I was able to push a little harder and longer on my chest/tricep and my back/bicep days. But then on my most recent leg day, I was struggling to hit the same reps I easily hit a couple weeks ago, but that's likely due to having to take a week off when I was sick.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

Are you still natty if you take creatine?

Either way, I think this stuff could be a game changer. I’ve now been taking it for 3 weeks, but within the last week or so, I’ve noticed a significant improvement in my workouts. I’m able to get more reps in per set, and weights I was struggling to lift are now almost too easy and I’m needing to add more pounds. I also feel like my post-workout soreness is alleviating faster, which means even less rest time between workouts.

Also, very subtle but I swear I’m slightly bigger in the arms and shoulders since I started taking it. And my post-workout pumps are looking better than ever. Would post some progress pictures but I’m still pretty out of shape and embarrassing

 

[The Cat]

Are you still natty if you take creatine?

Either way, I think this stuff could be a game changer. I’ve now been taking it for 3 weeks, but within the last week or so, I’ve noticed a significant improvement in my workouts. I’m able to get more reps in per set, and weights I was struggling to lift are now almost too easy and I’m needing to add more pounds. I also feel like my post-workout soreness is alleviating faster, which means even less rest time between workouts.

Also, very subtle but I swear I’m slightly bigger in the arms and shoulders since I started taking it. And my post-workout pumps are looking better than ever. Would post some progress pictures but I’m still pretty out of shape and embarrassing

As long as you continue to enjoy the ice cold refreshment of ice brewed beer through Natural Ice. The beer undergoes Anheuser-Busch's exclusive ice-brewing process, which takes the beer to a temperature below freezing and leads to the formation of ice crystals, which create its signature rich and smooth taste. It's perfect for taking things up a notch when the sun goes down. As long as you continue to drink that. You'll always be natural.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

Clear as a cool mountain stream

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

As long as you continue to enjoy the ice cold refreshment of ice brewed beer through Natural Ice. The beer undergoes Anheuser-Busch's exclusive ice-brewing process, which takes the beer to a temperature below freezing and leads to the formation of ice crystals, which create its signature rich and smooth taste. It's perfect for taking things up a notch when the sun goes down. As long as you continue to drink that. You'll always be natural.

Ice cold? I think it has to be lukewarm.

 

[Lexicon]

Are you still natty if you take creatine?

Either way, I think this stuff could be a game changer. I’ve now been taking it for 3 weeks, but within the last week or so, I’ve noticed a significant improvement in my workouts. I’m able to get more reps in per set, and weights I was struggling to lift are now almost too easy and I’m needing to add more pounds. I also feel like my post-workout soreness is alleviating faster, which means even less rest time between workouts.

Also, very subtle but I swear I’m slightly bigger in the arms and shoulders since I started taking it. And my post-workout pumps are looking better than ever. Would post some progress pictures but I’m still pretty out of shape and embarrassing

Considering it isn't a banned substance in fitness/bodybuilding competitions and is *generally* safe, I wouldn't say it's unnatural or a cheat-method, necessarily.

You do have to make sure you hydrate adequately as it can affect renal function over time if you take a lot. Same goes for consuming excess protein.

Also, a lot of creatine supplements contain excess sugars, fats, and calories that might bulk you up the wrong way longterm- something to be mindful of.

 

[Lexicon]

Since I'm a day shy of 2 weeks post right hip PAO surgery, my fitness routine consists of boring isometric stuff, like quad sets, glute sets (just squeezing these muscles, holding for 3 sec, repeat 15x a few times a day) and ankle pumps - which (reminds me of an infant discovering it has feet) doesn't feel like exercise/feels silly.

Doing some bicep curls with a little 8lb dumbbell 30 reps daily. I'd like to do something with it for triceps but I'm paranoid I'll drop the thing on my lap by accident since the exercises I found for that muscle group seem awkward (I typically rely on dips).


I was really busy the past few months and wasn't as diligent with my "pre-hab" routine. I was concerned I'd be less stable moving around this time compared to the left hip recovery. However, I did stick to some core exercises, plus bicep curls, tricep dips, and pushups - that definitely has paid off a LOT. Only 15 min a day (not to sound like an infomercial) did make a difference.

If you have elective surgery on a lower body part, always, at the very least, strengthen your upper body beforehand when you can.

 

[SD45T-2]

Are you still natty if you take creatine?

Either way, I think this stuff could be a game changer. I’ve now been taking it for 3 weeks, but within the last week or so, I’ve noticed a significant improvement in my workouts. I’m able to get more reps in per set, and weights I was struggling to lift are now almost too easy and I’m needing to add more pounds. I also feel like my post-workout soreness is alleviating faster, which means even less rest time between workouts.

Also, very subtle but I swear I’m slightly bigger in the arms and shoulders since I started taking it. And my post-workout pumps are looking better than ever. Would post some progress pictures but I’m still pretty out of shape and embarrassing

Well it's something that occurs naturally, but you can get it in concentrated form, so I guess it's sort analogous to whey protein.

IIRC it makes you retain water in skeletal muscle, so you could be noticing a real size difference.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

Considering it isn't a banned substance in fitness/bodybuilding competitions and is *generally* safe, I wouldn't say it's unnatural or a cheat-method, necessarily.

You do have to make sure you hydrate adequately as it can affect renal function over time if you take a lot. Same goes for consuming excess protein.

Also, a lot of creatine supplements contain excess sugars, fats, and calories that might bulk you up the wrong way longterm- something to be mindful of.

I made sure to buy plain mono hydrate. It’s cheaper than the stuff with additives, and everything I’ve read about the products with additives indicates that they’re just overpriced gimmicks to milk even more money out of fitness nuts.

 

[The Cat]

hehe milking fitness nuts.