beertrollruss Member

I'm in Southern California too. My goal is to lose the weight and keep it off. This site is a lot of fun and it helps keep my motivated. I try to get others to use it too, but you can only lead a horse to water. I'm pretty positive and consistent if you would like to add me. Consistent logging and accountability make this…

Your sodium isn't too bad, unless you have high blood pressure. If you workout and sweat a bit, you'll easily lose the sodium through the sweat. I would recommend increasing your potassium. A ratio of 1 to 1 or better potassium to sodium is recommended to regulate blood pressure. Consuming more fruits and vegetables will…

I recently heard a couple of good speeches in Toastmasters about happiness. Happiness is a state of being. If you make your mind up to be happy and practice being happy every day you become happier. Smile and laugh often too. Children laugh 200-300 times a day.

Depending on the contest, NPC contests usually allow competitors to compete in multiple divisions. Masters should be closer to novice. I think you lose the ability to compete in novice once you compete in open. It may depend on how high the open placing is. I think you're more on the right track than the coach.

The smith machine is safer because you're pretty well locked in place. If you do dumbbells, you may want to buy some lifting straps to help hold the weight. The straps will allow you to use more weight so you can work your legs closer to fatigue before your grip gives out. Another option is body weight squats, one leg at a…

Since you're brand new, start light and get your form perfected. Muscle failure means that you can't complete a rep with good form and no assistance. At this point, you don't want to reach failure yet. Learn the exercises first and get in touch with your muscles. After about 3 months or so, you can start adding reps or…

I find it easier to work out on vacation. Depending on the schedule, I'll go early or when nothing else is going on. Not having the stress of work and everyday life probably helps. I also have a silly personal goal to work out in as many different cities as I can. Working out on vacation helps me fight off the pounds.

If you can have black beans as a side, those are really nutritious. You may be able to get white rice in place of mexican rice.

I've been learning bass for about a year.

Stack,com may be helpful too.

First, the good news. You're young. It's much easier to get in shape when you're young. You need to tell yourself, this is a lifestyle, not a diet. You've probably got at least 70 more years of life ahead of you. Focus more on being healthy and feeling good than worrying about your weight. Eating healthy on a budget can be…

I recommend using a trainer for a month and learning as much as possible if you've never worked out before. However, if the trainer isn't doing a good job with you, don't be shy about switching trainers. It doesn't take much to become a trainer and some have no certifications. Once you feel comfortable with the exercises,…

Great job and advice! I love your attitude. Congratulations!

Peanut butter, rice and beans are cheap and filling. I hear canned goods at dollar stores are pretty decent.

I was using some Under Armour unpadded gloves for a while, more to avoid germs. I stopped wearing the gloves because I sweat a lot and the gloves weren't drying out between workouts. I use straps for any heavy pulling exercise, otherwise my grip fails before I finish working the intended body part. I prefer leather straps.…

Any job that keeps you on your feet is going to burn a lot of calories and use a lot of energy. Food servers and bank tellers have very stressful jobs because people always want food and money quickly. What type of exercise do you do? Perhaps stretching before work and quickly during breaks may help reduce the stress. Yoga…

Those are nice numbers Dixie and Stef! Keep it up!

Big Empty by Stone Temple Pilots gets me feeling pretty emotional. Part of it is the plot of The Crow and the idea of coming back from the dead to avenge a loved one gets to me. I'm really touched by the scene in the movie when Brandon Lee straightens up the drug addict mother and tells her that parents are children's…

I recommend getting a blood test and following your doctor's prescription. Many people are deficient in Vitamin D and don't know it. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to many unpleasant medical conditions.

I run the cord of my earphones thru the neck hole and arm of my shirt so the cord doesn't catch on things.

Fred, I have a similar spreadsheet that I made. I can enter any weight and rep combo up to 20 reps and get a one rep max. The back sheet of my work out log gives me a warm up weight to use for 15 reps if I plan to do 7-9 reps. My list goes to 300 pounds and the warm up number is roughly 70% of the work number.

OP, this is a great list! I prefer a work out towel to the sweat bands. I sweat a lot and wrist bands wouldn't cut it. I workout early on the weekends and late at night on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I eat a meal about an hour to an hour and a half before I work out. I run out of gas if I don't have enough food in my stomach…

It depends on how you go about it. If we're talking natural muscle, don't expect to gain more than 10 pounds a year. Your calories should be 100-250 calories above your maintenance level. Your protein should be 0.6 to 1 times your body weight. Fat should be 0.35 times your body weight and the rest would be carbs. On the…

I have about 100 Buckethead CDs. I'm a fan of bodybuilding and I have some contests on VHS and DVD. I'm glad my wife is close to my age. I wouldn't date a woman young enough to have been my daughter if I was single. I look 3 or 4 times to make sure my garage door is closed and sometimes I've made u-turns to double check.…

You must be a pretty hardcore fan. Personally, I would just watch at home. Then you can celebrate and drink as much as you like without worrying about how you're going to get home. If you do go out, maybe you can dress in loose clothing, wear a cap and get your own table. I wouldn't recommend the V. Stiviano face covering.…

I filmed my toddler's tantrum and showed it to him. That was the last tantrum.

You're too young to be overly sore. If you're putting maximum effort into every workout and doing every set to failure or beyond, you're probably overdoing it. It's easy to let your enthusiasm get the best of you when you're just starting out. The body has to be trained to get stronger and workouts need to be cycled for…

Women with voices that others find annoying, like Fran Drescher and Rosie Perez.

You look great! Thank you for sharing.

I love the female bodybuilders. I miss the bodybuilding contests in the 80's when it was just male and female bodybuilding without the fitness, figure and bikini events. When I watch female bodybuilding, I judge the physiques the same way I judge the males. Most female bodybuilders have the same objectives as males, to see…