Best Prep = Physical Fitness & Health

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  • gwchem

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 18, 2014
    3,434
    SoMD
    After my gym opened back up, to reset myself back into shape I did the Starting Strength program. It worked so well I’ve since move onto the Texas Method strength program. I doubt there’s a better return on investment in terms of results achieved for time invested than the starting strength program.

    Highly recommended!

    I've been doing starting strength since April. My progression is a little slower than they like, mainly because I've been trying to not gain too much weight. More like adding weight every other workout instead of every single one.

    The good news is that I'm getting stronger. You can see my shoulders. Legs are doing great. The bad news is that my home gym is about to run out of plates, and my cycling isn't going very well.
     

    woodline

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 8, 2017
    1,947
    Forgot to post what I generally do to maintain physical fitness:

    When I’m traveling for work I hit the gym up about 2 hours a day and my work is relatively active so I do well there. Lots of walking around too, which adds up.

    When I’m home it is a little more challenging to find the time, but I do okay. I try to hike or ruck relatively rugged terrain once a week, 5-7 miles.

    Other days that I have time to workout, I incorporate kettlebell routines, body weight exercises, rowing, treadmill (or outdoors jogging/sprints when it’s not so freaking hot outside), jump rope, and trying to keep up with my kids.

    Having already had my c spine surgically reconstructed once courtesy of the military, I only go up to a little over half my body weight with the kettlebells. I have made a couple efforts to get back into traditional lifting, but the heavier weights don’t really feel good on the ol skeleton anymore.

    Figured I would type that out in case anyone looking to get started with anything I listed. Happy to provide any advice I can, as well as resources I have found to be of use.
     

    niftyvt

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 21, 2010
    1,891
    Virginia
    I've been doing starting strength since April. My progression is a little slower than they like, mainly because I've been trying to not gain too much weight. More like adding weight every other workout instead of every single one.

    The good news is that I'm getting stronger. You can see my shoulders. Legs are doing great. The bad news is that my home gym is about to run out of plates, and my cycling isn't going very well.

    I am doing Starting Strength as well. Slowly getting there. I am doing the same thing as you. Progressing slower then the program states. But my back needs the extra time since I am post back surgery. On my way to 1.5 BW deadlift and I just hit BW for my squats today. I have some change plates so I go up at least a pound every workout. If I am feeling good I will go up 1-5 pounds. For the record I had a 3x BW dead and 2.5 BW squat before my surgery. So almost half way back! I just added a little cardio last week to fight the power pudge :lol2:

    There is a starting strength coach not far from me (Leesburg VA) and I have an appointment ready to go once their gym opens back up for a 2 hour technique and programming session.
     

    niftyvt

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 21, 2010
    1,891
    Virginia
    Just squatted 200 for 3 sets of 5. Pretty good for post back surgery. The first time I put the bar on my back, over a year ago, my nerves and back freaked out (like could barely walk the next day freak out) after just a 1-2 sets of the 45 lb bar. 200 felt solid but I am starting to have to grind the last few reps of the last set. So I might be hitting the end of my Starting Strength novice program.
     

    Alphabrew

    Binary male Lesbian
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 27, 2013
    40,749
    Woodbine
    Just squatted 200 for 3 sets of 5. Pretty good for post back surgery. The first time I put the bar on my back, over a year ago, my nerves and back freaked out (like could barely walk the next day freak out) after just a 1-2 sets of the 45 lb bar. 200 felt solid but I am starting to have to grind the last few reps of the last set. So I might be hitting the end of my Starting Strength novice program.

    Nice improvement.

    There’s been plenty of weeks when I thought I wouldn’t be able to add weight the next week, but somehow I did. The body is pretty amazing at building muscle during the resting period between workouts.
     

    niftyvt

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 21, 2010
    1,891
    Virginia
    Nice improvement.

    There’s been plenty of weeks when I thought I wouldn’t be able to add weight the next week, but somehow I did. The body is pretty amazing at building muscle during the resting period between workouts.

    I am going super slow because going slow is better than being a cripple again. When I hurt my back I had 1 working leg. It was horrible. Took me a year of therapy post surgery to be able to walk with out a noticable messed up leg and for the tingling and numbness to fully go away. My neurosurgeon said it was 50/50 if my nerve damage and weakness in my leg was permanent post surgery but I worked through it an I am finally making strength progress. Nerves are still really sensitive (probably for forever) so when I work hard I still get some tingles in my foot. I really need to try and finagle a new MRI so I can check how things are doing in my back just for my own sanity.
     

    gwchem

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 18, 2014
    3,434
    SoMD
    Just squatted 200 for 3 sets of 5. Pretty good for post back surgery. The first time I put the bar on my back, over a year ago, my nerves and back freaked out (like could barely walk the next day freak out) after just a 1-2 sets of the 45 lb bar. 200 felt solid but I am starting to have to grind the last few reps of the last set. So I might be hitting the end of my Starting Strength novice program.

    Awesome work!

    I just about got up to my body weight on squats and stopped to take some video. They were getting tough and I thought form might be breaking down. Apparently my depth had been getting really poor, so I deloaded about 40 pounds and will build back from there.
     

    dblas

    Past President, MSI
    MDS Supporter
    Apr 6, 2011
    13,087
    Don't forget walking...I just happened to do a 7 mile walk with the wife the other day (over three hours). I'm fine, but the two blisters that I raised.....well.....
     

    babalou

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 12, 2013
    16,016
    Glenelg
    Man glad others are working out as well. Does not matter strength, age or whatever. I am 54 and used to play football. In hs was 5’9” weighed about 178. Had college offers. Although light I used to use real fat barbells fro grip while working out. You know 1980’s type workouts. I was able to bench 375 squat and deadlift near 500 and ran a 4.5. Then i bent over To pick up a pencil and bam my back. Seriously i delivered for sears out of shady grove working my way through college. Got hurt left shoulder capsular shift. I am a lefty too. And l4 and l5. Herniated. Anyway. Not worried for strength as much now snd like others here dont want to gain back too much weight. As such i tend to do more lighter weights time under tension. Example: one set for biceps is barbell 21s then immediately to low incline for long head bicep curls then to narrow pull downs or spider curls on same bench until failure. That is one set and I do two to three sets. I try to do same sort of stuff for other body parts. I do not do split four like I did when younger but sort of same with lighter weights and I do switch up. I may just do a couple sets of slower 21s and go to another. I also tend to do supersetting. So bicep/tricep. Instead of legs back biceps mon and thu and chest shoulder triceps tue and thu. For me mixing up stuff now keeps my body alert and not stale. I do not do much cardio- can lower T for up to 48 hours. I do some HITT like walk/slow jog then sort of run then slow down etc. sorry for the long post.

    I have been lazy lately though.

    Sorry for the typos. Also I follow two guys- Thomas Delauer and James Grage. Delauer is the time under tension guy.
     

    babalou

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 12, 2013
    16,016
    Glenelg
    The two Alphabrew mentioned is sort of like how I did things at times when younger especially to try to gain strength. Funny if i peaked at some weight on bench I would not bench for a weeks and do pushups and other body weight stuff. It helped get past it. Stamina or whatever. I was looking at the Total Gym for bodyweight workouts. If you get stronger and lose weight, you cannot go higher with it. They need to add rods on either side to add weights when that happens in order to get same workout
     

    randomuser

    Ultimate Member
    Nov 12, 2018
    5,774
    Baltimore County
    Imo endurance is probably the most important thing you can have. Look at rittenhouse as a recent example. Not to mmqb the guy, he got out so he definitely did it right. Just saying, if you can run it let's you chase someone down or get away when being chased.
     

    niftyvt

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 21, 2010
    1,891
    Virginia
    Imo endurance is probably the most important thing you can have. Look at rittenhouse as a recent example. Not to mmqb the guy, he got out so he definitely did it right. Just saying, if you can run it let's you chase someone down or get away when being chased.

    I push mowed for 4 hours on Saturday, only stopped to add gas. . .that counts for endurance training right :lol2:

    I really want to get a treadmill so I can get work in when its 100 degrees out or there is ice/rain/hurricane or whatever. Or wear my gear and not get looks from the neighbors :innocent0

    I went and checked out a local used equipment shop here in NOVA (https://atlanticfitnessbrokers.com/) and his prices were great for what you get. Like a $5k (when new) commercial elliptical for $1600. It looked beat up on the outside but he completely rebuilt the inside drive mechanism and it had all new touch points (handles and electronic control pad). So, it was basically new except for the outside plastic panels. Sadly his inventory comes and goes insanely fast right now due to COVID so its pretty much just luck if he has something in that you are looking for. He said he got some huge deal for a bunch of VAs community centers a couple months ago (they got rid of a bunch of equipment so they could social distance the gyms) and he got a couple hundred cardio pieces and around 75 strength pieces (racks, smith machines, leg press, all the various isolation machines etc). He said they all sold within a couple weeks! Well he had one leg press left that I would love to get if I had the room, but the stupid things are huge (aka wife was like 'ummmm NO!' :lol2:)
     

    travistheone

    Usual Suspect
    Dec 11, 2008
    5,600
    cockeysville
    I push mowed for 4 hours on Saturday, only stopped to add gas. . .that counts for endurance training right :lol2:

    I really want to get a treadmill so I can get work in when its 100 degrees out or there is ice/rain/hurricane or whatever. Or wear my gear and not get looks from the neighbors :innocent0

    I went and checked out a local used equipment shop here in NOVA (https://atlanticfitnessbrokers.com/) and his prices were great for what you get. Like a $5k (when new) commercial elliptical for $1600. It looked beat up on the outside but he completely rebuilt the inside drive mechanism and it had all new touch points (handles and electronic control pad). So, it was basically new except for the outside plastic panels. Sadly his inventory comes and goes insanely fast right now due to COVID so its pretty much just luck if he has something in that you are looking for. He said he got some huge deal for a bunch of VAs community centers a couple months ago (they got rid of a bunch of equipment so they could social distance the gyms) and he got a couple hundred cardio pieces and around 75 strength pieces (racks, smith machines, leg press, all the various isolation machines etc). He said they all sold within a couple weeks! Well he had one leg press left that I would love to get if I had the room, but the stupid things are huge (aka wife was like 'ummmm NO!' :lol2:)


    all of that is a waste of money. get a barbell and plates, maybe some dumbells. and kettlebells.
     

    Shamr0ck

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 6, 2011
    2,505
    Frederick
    You could always add a 40LB ruck and plate carrier when doing the lawn. I'd leave the helmet inside because you don't want your neighbors looking at you funny;)


    Are the ruck bags and plates really worth the $$. I’m frugal (maybe to a fault) and wonder if just loading up some bags with weight and stuffing into my osprey day pack would suffice and be comfortable enough to use for my frequent 6m walks with my dog...

    If the ruck bag is really worth it, fine... just hate spending the money if not needed


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
     

    randomuser

    Ultimate Member
    Nov 12, 2018
    5,774
    Baltimore County
    Are the ruck bags and plates really worth the $$. I’m frugal (maybe to a fault) and wonder if just loading up some bags with weight and stuffing into my osprey day pack would suffice and be comfortable enough to use for my frequent 6m walks with my dog...

    If the ruck bag is really worth it, fine... just hate spending the money if not needed


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

    You can pick up a surplus ALICE pack pretty cheap and put a sandbag inside of it. That is what I would do personally if I were looking to get into it.

    I have a GoRuck GR2 and a Blackhawk 3 day(1000d version, not the lighter one)

    I would use my packs if I needed them for real world, but would train with the alice pack if I were you due to the rigid frame as I kind of like how it carries. Put the sandbag in the radio pouch up high.

    I know many like using hip belts. I don't. For me, they tire out my legs. You can get your shoulders/traps used to carrying the weight and save your legs for moving (that's just my experience) (80lb 10 mile run including portions on the sand) and i have tried with and without a hip belt. Hate those things, but I'm an oddball.


    I think being able to carry some weight for some distance up and down hills is an often overlooked portion of "survival" or "escape" and I'd say most people have not really tested the gear they have, but have packed it over and over and over. Carrying weight and knowing you can and for how long and how fast is more important than making the ideal bag and never carrying it.


    ...sidenote....fill your sandbag. weight it...get it to the weight you want.....and then...duct tape the hell out of it and mark the weight with a permanent market in case you made different bags with different weights.
     

    gwchem

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 18, 2014
    3,434
    SoMD
    Are the ruck bags and plates really worth the $$. I’m frugal (maybe to a fault) and wonder if just loading up some bags with weight and stuffing into my osprey day pack would suffice and be comfortable enough to use for my frequent 6m walks with my dog...

    If the ruck bag is really worth it, fine... just hate spending the money if not needed


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

    A regular backpack filled with water bottles works just fine.
     

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