Hope to bring some working out discussions to the table (Videos/Picture thread)

[Mark1T]

During the year I just do 75 lb dumbbells at Planet Fitness (the max there) and no barbell, but during the summers I'll go to my gym at work when it's less crowded and do heavier dumbbells and barbell. When I try the heavier ones, they mentally feel really heavy at first but I didn't really lose any strength over the year.

Nice.

Nowhere near where I used to be but here's a 435 lb squat from this afternoon:

This has been approved.

[Bando]

But seriously I was having a lot of joint pain and it was killing my lifts. I didn't even deadlift all summer due to hip pain.

Taking Naproxen daily for the last few weeks and started supplementing with Collagen and MSM 2 months ago. Seems to be helping. Less pain and lifts going back up and I started deadlifting again 2 weeks ago.

Have not squatted in 4 months, 15 years in the gym and I tore something in my knee playing volleyball of all things. Can't walk down stairs, have to turn around and walk backwards. Surgery in 2 weeks, doc says after surgery I will be pain free in a matter of days, can't wait.

We should all be supplementing with Collagen, MSM and Fish Oil IMO, our joints aren't getting any younger.

[Bando]

Kids in my gym set up a full sized tripod to attach their camera/phone and flex in front of it. Tonight I was thinking like "OK I've done my share of gym vids, let me just move this bench out of your frame."

Still looking at me like I'm an annoyance.

Get off my lawn.

[induced_drag]

@gabber, NICE work!

@Flex...of course goes without saying.

@Phd, thanks for reminding us all of what we should be doing.

@LWW Respect as always. NICE!



Me...well I am at the lowest motivation point I think I have been in over a decade. Over the past 3 weeks, I skipped 3 workouts. (something I never do). One was to go to a card game and the other was I wanted to eat with my family and working out would have made me run late. I didnt really 'skip' totally, but bumped till next day and then had to do a combined workout.

Not looking for anyone to 'motivate' me. I have to find that inside. But just really trying hard to convince myself that I still want to do this. I look at the sheer amount of time and energy I have put for this. And I find myself questioning if it is worth it. 1000's and 1000's of hours over the years.

The good thing, is I am probably in best health of my life. Just had another dr appt w/ bloodwork. Doc loves everything. 115/70 bp. All my blood markers look really good. EXCEPT, he has cautioned me about my protein intake over the years and the effect on kidneys. My kidneys always show signs of stress going back a decade. High BUN, high creatinine, high E-GFR. He is a very health conscious guy, but he dropped the F-bomb on me . He said "You can fuk around all you want and tell yourself that it is 'normal' because of high protein, and high tissue break down...that is great. Till one day you are in kidney failure and waiting for a transplant!"

Kind of shook me up. To be safe, since I have shown elevated kidney going back since I started training and eating high protein, he did a full abdominal ultrasound with a focus on kidney and liver. Ultrasound came back clear, but he told me I should consider dropping the stress on my kidneys. He said, once they are gone, there is no coming back.

Made me think. I have seen for years that as someone who engages in heavy training and intakes high protein (200+g / day) that all my bloodwork is normal. But I also trust that my doc is looking out for me. Been doing research and I find things saying both. I dont know that a specialist will have any other insights. But it did make me pause and think.


I started cutting back protein a little, and think I will maybe drop supplemental. I seem to have stayed the same size (within a few lbs) no matter what I do. Switching to fasting has not cause me to lose anything. I think for my next bloodwork in 6 months, I am going to stop any excess protein a few months out and see what my results look like. I am also going to drop creatine.

Took this last night. I think I am going to loosen up on diet overall. Eat a little more over the winter and just not be so focused on anything. I have to adapt somehow. My back is still not any better. Tried to squat a few weeks back and 225 threw my back out again. Is what it is. Just want to feel good and not hurt too much

[Bando]

@gabber, NICE work!
since I have shown elevated kidney going back since I started training and eating high protein, he did a full abdominal ultrasound with a focus on kidney and liver. Ultrasound came back clear

Had the same procedure on Monday, was like tickle torture.

Wish I had the same results.

[-=FLEX=-]

But seriously I was having a lot of joint pain and it was killing my lifts. I didn't even deadlift all summer due to hip pain.

Taking Naproxen daily for the last few weeks and started supplementing with Collagen and MSM 2 months ago. Seems to be helping. Less pain and lifts going back up and I started deadlifting again 2 weeks ago.

3rd deadlift session today and I pulled a single @ 455 (belted) and got 6 reps with 315 (no belt).

I think I see a 500 lb deadlift in my Christmas Stocking.

[ajdahlheimer]

Taking Naproxen daily for the last few weeks

You don't want to be taking anti-inflammatories daily, bro.........

[-=FLEX=-]

You don't want to be taking anti-inflammatories daily, bro.........

I stopped taking them at all for months, but the pain was just unbearable... I could barely walk down the stairs in the morning. As soon as I started taking them I was fine in about 2 days.

[induced_drag]

Had the same procedure on Monday, was like tickle torture.

Wish I had the same results.

What up Bando? Kidney issues? My levels have always been elevated for over a decade since I started training. I wish I had blood work from before, but I dont. I would be curious to hear what your experience is.

[LWW]

Slowly working in heavier dead lifts myself and finally am able to use mixed grip again without any back pain. It's amazing how light and intensity actually builds strength. I think I've only dead lifted over 315 only a few times this entire year and I'm 25# lighter.

This was fairly pretty damn easy - 320 x 10

[Bando]

What up Bando? Kidney issues? My levels have always been elevated for over a decade since I started training. I wish I had blood work from before, but I dont. I would be curious to hear what your experience is.

Iron level is supposed to be <50, it's over 2,000.

[LWW]

If you want a chuckle watch this, hopefully youtube didn't edit out the music. Most don't like me, but you'll laugh at this.

[Bando]

Iron level is supposed to be <50, it's over 2,000.

I could PM you my labs, I think you know more about this than my GP sometimes.

[LWW]

Sofar my best deads for reps without strapping is 220 x 35.

Today I did 220 x 37, I used mostly DOH but I wanted as much TUT as possible so I held the weight at lockout with a mixed grip every 10 reps. I coulda did a rep or two more, the goal is to enjoy the journey.

For the form nazi, this NOT an instruction on form, it's simply to show a good hard workout, 220 x 37-

[LWW]

Sofar my best deads for reps without strapping is 220 x 35.

Today I did 220 x 37, I used mostly DOH but I wanted as much TUT as possible so I held the weight at lockout with a mixed grip every 10 reps. I coulda did a rep or two more, the goal is to enjoy the journey.

For the form nazi, this NOT an instruction on form, it's simply to show a good hard workout, 220 x 37-

Anyone from Pockets team wanna come show me 220 x 40 (or hell 225 x 40) without straps and laugh at it???? ANY TAKERS Or are you scared?

LOL!!!

If so, mad respect!!!

[LWW]

Dead Lifts for speed, trying to hold DOH for as many reps as possible without re-gripping.

290 x 15 (re-gripped at 13).

BW 204 (at least).

[ajdahlheimer]

Pretty proud my son this morning. Big picture of him in the paper. His team advanced to the state semifinals for football. I like to think me getting him into lifting has helped a bit with his success.......



-AJ

[LWW]

Upright Rows -

BTW, you see that tire I'm flipping in the avi, 700# tire @ 180-185# BW 10+ flips in 90seconds, 1st place, everyone else in the group was over 200 (24 hour weigh-in). I'm closing on 200# BW and getting bigger and stronger than those days.

[induced_drag]

Pretty proud my son this morning. Big picture of him in the paper. His team advanced to the state semifinals for football. I like to think me getting him into lifting has helped a bit with his success.......


-AJ

That is AWESOME!!! So cool that you can share that with him. That feeling is just wonderful. I am sitting here smiling thinking of the joy you feel watching him do his thing. Nothing better in life!


On the training front, I decided to let my weight drift up a touch. I have also been doing about 6 months of intensive rehab on my back. I started VERY slowly bringing deads in. My back has not gone out in a while. I spent many weeks at 135, then 225, then 315. Tonight is the first night I put 405. I went VERY SLOW engaging my back. Weird. Felt heavy and yet effortless at same time. I just wanted to be careful as my son and I have a 2-day track event in 4 days and did not want to be hurt trying to drive!

All went well and collar popping off kept me from going any more than 2 reps. Also snapped a rear double bicep. Not great shape....but hell....I am never happy

First lifting vid in a few years....

[ajdahlheimer]

That is AWESOME!!! So cool that you can share that with him. That feeling is just wonderful. I am sitting here smiling thinking of the joy you feel watching him do his thing. Nothing better in life!

Thanks ID. It looks like the embedded link the picture I posted of him expired, so here it is again in case you didn't actually see it while it was up. I fixed the one in the original post as well.




Nice job on the deads. Ever tried them with a trap bar/hex bar? Might take a little more force off the lower back if you are worried about it going out again.

-AJ

[induced_drag]

Thanks ID. It looks like the embedded link the picture I posted of him expired, so here it is again in case you didn't actually see it while it was up. I fixed the one in the original post as well.




Nice job on the deads. Ever tried them with a trap bar/hex bar? Might take a little more force off the lower back if you are worried about it going out again.

-AJ

Great pic and thanks for sharing!

On the trap bar...etc, I am just taking things slow and steady. Over the past 4 1/2 years just about anything could throw my back out. I have tried several times to see if I can build back strength/confidence. I am taking a different approach this time. If it works, great, if not I have come to accept that I will just carry on. Life is good and I am not going to b!tch and wallow in my own self-pitty.

All in all, I turn 50 in a couple months, and being reflective on these last 15 years, I dont feel I am doing all that bad. I will always be critical of my own progress, or lack of. If I were not wired this way, I would never be where I am. But learning to just take life one day at a time. Concurring new challenges and enjoying other things. Working out is just part of my routine. I am totally OK with that.

On another note, my son at 15 is really getting into working out as well. Skinny kid. A lot like me when younger. Went from not being able to do 2 chinups to banging out sets of weighted chins w/ a 45 plate strapped on him. Just keeping it simple at this point and letting him take it as he feels.

[-=FLEX=-]

Nothing impressive but putting in work still at 55......

[Bando]

Nothing impressive but putting in work still at 55......

[youtube]DVnPd8mWsko[youtube]

Pretty easy 6. Would have been 10 if I was spotting you.

[-=FLEX=-]

Pretty easy 6. Would have been 10 if I was spotting you.

Don't wanna jinx myself but shoulders are feeling ok-ish for the first time in YEARS.

Been supplementing with MSM (4g per day) and Collagen (15g per day) for a few months.

[-=FLEX=-]

dat der old man strength

[Bando]

shoulders are feeling ok-ish for the first time in YEARS.

Been supplementing with MSM (4g per day) and Collagen (15g per day) for a few months.

Glucosamine/MSM was a lifesaver for my elbows when I had really bad issues. I gotta order some Collagen and Fish Oil.

[LWW]

Deads DOH 280 x 16 unbroken reps

[-=FLEX=-]

[ChazWood]

Some legit, solid stuff in this thread, but also some truly WTF kinda stuff and even some latent homosexual behavior.

Which requires pause.

Part of me wants to post my epic progress this past couple years, butt part of me doesn't want the thought of the latent homos here oogling and oggling my physique and conditioning. The open and out homos, no problem.

I'll think on it some more. Meanwhile, press on living well.

[LWW]

Curls 76 x 36-