deputy_randolph Member

I got down to about 19% bf...and it was horrible. Lower body fat and calorie/carb restriction really negatively impacted my lifts. If you don't have a reason to be that low (such as a competition), there isn't really any other reason to be that low other than just chasing a number.

Squat Bench Deadlift OHP Rows Hip Thrusts Lunges...that's all the barbell exercises I can think of right now. Oh Landmine Press, that is my new favorite. There's a powerlifting program called: Big But Boring. Sometimes boring is a good thing.

I focused on what my body COULD DO...positive vs. negative thinking. Add 10 more lbs to a lift! Yea! More reps! Yea! I rarely ever even think about what my body looks like anymore. Except every once in awhile when I see my shoulders...and then I flex in the mirror a little bit like a total bro. Ha!

Not sure if this was mentioned...intense compound exercises are going to require longer rest periods between sets (which will impact overall calorie burn). I've used the MFP strength training selection to estimate calories burned. I have successfully cut/bulked using this method. For me, the MFP estimation is pretty…

Are you high bar or low bar? My husband (6'3) and I (5'2) dropped the bar lower on our backs, we both had an easier time reaching parallel. His feet placement also varied from mine. He needed his feet to be more straightforward...while I always turned my feet out. You might have to play around with the angle of your feet…

Also why are some people disliking how often other people bathe in this thread? It isn't like you can smell through the internet. I think people are being salty just to be salty.

After reading some of these responses, either other people bathe TOO MUCH or I bathe TOO LITTLE. I shower about every other day (definitely not everyday; sometimes I have to rush from early morning gym session straight to work..I don't sweat much when I lift)...and generally wash my hair every other day or every other day…

Yeah...there is more than this gym thingie going on here. If your mother told you this is an abusive relationship, you better listen to her. Abuse comes in different forms...not just physical. If you have told her going to the gym at that time makes you unconfortable, and she just blows your concern off...that's not good.…

4 days a week at the gym (100% mask use required...most people are complying) 1-3 hours depending on lift day...I sit on my butt the rest of the week:(

Why don't you join the gym and then announce, "Oh you're going to the gym? I'll come with you!" That might give you more info. Why would you go to the gym from 10pm to 12am unless you had a very non-traditional work schedule? ETA: I see she goes at that time, b/c it isn't busy. It probably isn't busy at other hours too. I…

So I don't think either is more important than the other...diet and exercise are 2 different facets of total health. Let me give you an example. My father is 71...had a horrible diet as long as I have known him (40 years), but had a highly physically active job in construction for many years. My dad was usually in decent…

That isn't really a mindset...as much as a realization. To me, some high calorie foods/treats aren't worth the "effort." Let me use soda as an example...early in my weight loss journey, I realized a soda=40 minutes of walking (rough estimate). I don't drink soda anymore. It's gone in a matter of minutes, and I can't savor…

One day of eating 1300 calories won't hurt you....just like one day of eating 3300 calories won't hurt you. Behavior becomes problematic when not-so-great behaviors become habitual.

I bought one of the above temp gauges when I started noticing a temperature fluctuation with my fridge. Yep, I ended up needing a new fridge. I never got sick from any food during the final phase of my old fridge. Just cook everything to the correct temp, check with a meat thermometer, and keep an eye on the fridge.

I'd like to say that I find calorie counting freeing. I'm NOT constantly thinking about food, b/c I plan ahead and just mostly stick to my plan without beating myself up if I eat more, b/c I'm hungry or craving a treat. If calorie counting is a trigger for negative thoughts and behaviors, you shouldn't do it. You should…

The point is that, unfortunately, the self-worth of many obese people is damaged by the actions of others. Sometimes, obese people have to retreat from "normal" interactions as a self-protective measure. This retreat can be very limiting to living a "normal" life; things that "normal sized" people take for granted like the…

Normal: -Shop for clothes at non-specialty sized stores -Not being constantly teased or ridiculed for my weight by peers, adults, and family members -Not being excluded from social and family events based on my weight -Not being told by others what I could or could not do based on my weight -Not suffer from crippling…

My diet was pretty on point for 18 months. I ate adequate protein, made small incremental adjustments to calories, lifted heavy and smart. You just have to trust the process...and don't give up when you start to feel fat. You'll get over that hurdle...and your lifts will increase.

I was a fat kid. I lost weight, b/c even as a kid, I knew I wouldn't be able to live a "normal life" if I was obese. My mother was obese and didn't have the self esteem and was riddled with too much body shame to do normal things like have a job. I just wanted to be "normal."

My first REAL attempt at bulking, with short breaks for maintenance lasted close to 18 months, and I gained 10-12lbs of total weight. I used the same scale to determine bf% (not necessarily high validity method, but some reliability). I gained approximately 8-10lbs of muscle in 18 months. The moral of the story is that…

I think mine is set to "Friends" or something like that. Someone asked on the forums once about ideas on how to get more protein in diet. Instead of typing out ideas in the forum, I just opened diary and told the person to look. It was quicker, and I have nothing to hide. I'm not exactly a "private person"...I'm more like…

We have a Rouge; I think retails it is $200ish. We bought it for $100 from a friend. You might want to check Craigslist or the like. We had a hard time finding new equipment...don't know if manufacturers are back on line.

I go to bodybuilding.com forums for funny answers to sex related questions. It is a weird hobby, but cheap entertainment.

I've read through some of the comments...and quite honestly, many of us who have been on these forums for years have read it all...from the informed to the asinine. I think the comments in the forums have become more honest and less foolish over the years. I think the majority of people really have the intent of being…

So I would suggest scheduling this for NON work days, so he doesnt have to be up SO early. That still accomodates the am. And then he'd have to take early evening during the work week. He can take matters into "his own hands" on work mornings. Oh no, you do not ruin my sleep. If he is rigid and is not accepting of the fact…

I'm 5'2...my husband is 6'3. Yes, my preference is tall men. That is my 1 preference in physical appearance. In my opinion, I might as well put that in a dating profile...just like men who do NOT like red-headed women should put that (or more politely put the preference for blondes or brunettes) in their profile. Why waste…

I think sometimes people need the caveat of "unrealistic" attached to their idealized body type, b/c if they keep fantasizing about this body type and don't achieve it (often ppl want to achieve it quickly), they will give up completely or have adverse psychological effects. So prefacing some statements with "Yes this body…

The statement "major issue with wrists" is very concerning to me. If you need wrist surgery already, you probably shouldn't put more pressure, stress, weight, and bending on problematic wrists. You could be setting yourself up for even bigger problems. I'm not super familiar with Crossfit, but have seen enough to know that…

I wear knee length spandexy type shorts (Gaiam (sp?) brand from Kohls).