2021 Body Transformation Thread

[gmr548 16580]

You know what's real annoying? When you decide to start working out again in hopes of dropping some lbs by end of summer and head to your neighborhood Y for the first time in a month only to be informed the gym area is closed for a total remodel through early August. Probably a sign I should at least skim the emails I receive from them.

Oak Forest? Was thinking of signing up there to supplement the home gym we’ve put together, and for basketball, but saw online the weight room is closed for the summer. Pool just finished remodel and is now heated for year round use though, so that’s nice.

I hit my pre pandemic lifting numbers this week. Girlfriend is running a marathon in October so I’m tacking on the 10k in the same event. Still feel like there’s some lingering COVID softness and pre pandemic lifts were still below personal bests, but progress is always a good feeling.

[Storm the Field 5294]

3 hours ago, gmr548 said:

Oak Forest? Was thinking of signing up there to supplement the home gym we’ve put together, and for basketball, but saw online the weight room is closed for the summer. Pool just finished remodel and is now heated for year round use though, so that’s nice.

I hit my pre pandemic lifting numbers this week. Girlfriend is running a marathon in October so I’m tacking on the 10k in the same event. Still feel like there’s some lingering COVID softness and pre pandemic lifts were still below personal bests, but progress is always a good feeling.

Yep, 34th Street. The weight room desperately needed an overhaul and I'm sure it will be a much nicer place to work out this fall, but still annoying for the time being.

Fortunately my office has a bare-bones hotel quality gym that I've been making do with, but I'd much rather get up in the morning and go the gym I pay for, go home and shower and get dressed than bring a gym bag to the office and work out in the evening.

[billfromlaketravis 11481]

On 7/6/2021 at 12:25 PM, Storm the Field said:

You know what's real annoying? When you decide to start working out again in hopes of dropping some lbs by end of summer and head to your neighborhood Y for the first time in a month only to be informed the gym area is closed for a total remodel through early August. Probably a sign I should at least skim the emails I receive from them.

Are they adding an additional structure? The 34th Street Y is way too small. 

[Storm the Field 5294]

14 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Are they adding an additional structure? The 34th Street Y is way too small. 

No, but reconfiguring the interior of the building to be more practical. Renderings I've seen look like they're knocking out the walls between the existing weight room and the group exercise rooms to make a larger weight room.

Hopefully they're getting new equipment and not just dragging the old stuff back in there. Of about 15 treadmills, I think maybe 2 had working TV screens. 

[billfromlaketravis 11481]

23 minutes ago, Storm the Field said:

No, but reconfiguring the interior of the building to be more practical. Renderings I've seen look like they're knocking out the walls between the existing weight room and the group exercise rooms to make a larger weight room.

Hopefully they're getting new equipment and not just dragging the old stuff back in there. Of about 15 treadmills, I think maybe 2 had working TV screens. 

The treadmills were an issue. Way too many in there for such a small room. 

[Bernard 879]

On 6/28/2021 at 9:19 AM, Bernard said:

Down another 10 pounds since the above post. Down 45 overall. Up another notch on my belt too. Took a break from my One-Meal-Every-Other-Day eating plan due to a Maine vacation filled with lobster feasts and cold beer. Now back on board.

Currently 6’ 5” and 255 lbs. Not done yet. I’m pretty happy in the 230-240 range, although I weighed 210 the first day I walked on UT campus in 1987. How far can the yo-yo fall? Time will tell.

Bernard

The yo-yo keeps falling. Down another 10 pounds since above post. Down 55 since mid-April.

Bernard

[Hook1997 5354]

Covid and being out of work for a extended period due to it was not pretty for me or my body, way too much drinking and eating like crap during that time definitely didn’t help.   I hadn’t been on a scale in a long time but about a month ago I got on one and I was 275!  Had never been close to that before, I’m 6’2.5 with a big frame but this was very much new territory.  I think the most I had weighed before was 255.  On the 18th I quit sugar, carbs, alcohol, red meat and pork.  I’ve been eating mostly veggies, black beans, making homemade hummus, chicken breast, tuna, ect and I’m down to 257 already.  Just started the last couple days of inching into working out again but man do I feel So much better.  I usually like to walk around when I’m in decent shape at around 220, which on me looks healthy.  Got a long way to go but I’m glad I finally started.  

Edited July 31, 2021 by Hook1997

[Baboontyme 2812]

I am going to vent here for a minute. I need to do this and I don't know if I have another appropriate venue. This is the thing about being a Dad and having a house full of people you are responsible for. No one gives a fuck. I am cool with that. But it sometimes leaves you without an avenue to vent.

I have been doing great on the body transformation front. Still going with Noom. Down at least 32 lbs since May 1 and I feel like I've completely transformed my eating habits for the rest of my life. I have an exercise routine that I can accomplish given my other responsibilities and I like exercising. But my fucking body just will not cooperate. It just won't. All of this is partly in the name of just overall health. I want to be and to run and jump again when my son wants to play 1 on 1, I want to be able to push my daughter in the tree swing so high she's terrified. I talked up thread with some posters about mobility. I've Incorporated daily stretching for my back, my core, my neck. I'm not lifting piles of weights at the gym anymore. I keep getting hurt. Doing nothing. I woke up Friday after a very generic gym session Thursday and I felt fine. Did my stretching, did my cardio, went to my standing desk for a conference call. Something happened. My lower back seized up. I'm completely out of commission. Standing up from a seated position is painful to the point that I yelp. I'm on THC, CBD, icy hot, ice ibuprofen, stretching, traction... All of it is bullshit. Not helping one bit.

Part of this journey that I'm on involved fixing my back and my knees. I am glad that I took the first steps and set up an appointment with an orthopedic doc for my back and neck issues at least prior to this latest episode. I have an MRI scheduled tomorrow morning and my appointment with the doc is Tuesday. Maybe we will get to the bottom of it but it's certainly not going to be a magic pill. Oh and our big summer vacation starts Wednesday where I am taking us on a road trip to Florida. So I have to figure out how I'm going to drive 20 hours over 2 days with this. I might not be able to get out of the car at the end of the day. 

It's just such fucking bullshit. It's like my body wants me to be a fat ass. I'm not doing anything that is out of bounds for my body. I've been lifting weights for 30 years and I know irresponsible exercise when I see it. I'm very careful. So fucking frustrated right now. What is the damn point of trying to get healthy when this shit keeps happening. This isn't health. This is the opposite of health. 

So far since May 1st I've:

Pulled a muscle in my back/lat which kept me out of the gym for ~ 3 weeks.

Gotten some bullshit flu from not interacting with anyone for 18 months and then taking the masks off

Broken my lower back doing nothing

Dislocated my left knee sitting in a chair trying to reposition myself so that my back wouldn't hurt. Best of all it happened in slow motion with my leg bent so it was "stuck" out of position and I had to straighten my leg out with purpose to pop it back in. 

Fucking bullshit. 

End rant.

[Parliament 14260]

How old are you? Jesus

[Baboontyme 2812]

Probably too young for my body to be breaking down like this without some kind of catastrophic injury in my past which thankfully I lack. It's going to be ok. 

[F250 28777]

17 hours ago, Parliament said:

How old are you? Jesus

Sounds like he is a retired NFL lineman with those issues. Damn.

Baboontyme, sorry to hear about your health issues. I hope that you get better.

 

[Nice Guy Eddie 13512]

52 here. One thing that I've learned in getting older is that I can't push through the pain in exercising any more. If I feel any pain, weakness or a joint feels too loose, I'm skipping that day if not taking off at least a week. Sure I might try some stretches to see that quickly makes me feel better but I don't push it. I would rather walk out of the gym after being there 5 minutes than having to stay away for 3 months because I was an idiot.

[South Austin 52509]

6 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

52 here. One thing that I've learned in getting older is that I can't push through the pain in exercising any more. If I feel any pain, weakness or a joint feels too loose, I'm skipping that day if not taking off at least a week. Sure I might try some stretches to see that quickly makes me feel better but I don't push it. I would rather walk out of the gym after being there 5 minutes than having to stay away for 3 months because I was an idiot.

46 here, and I agree.  And to help minimize injury, I've left behind the days of lifting a last set of 4-6 reps to failure.  Instead, I go for the 8-12 rep range each set, and usually try to end a set when it feels like I would have to really push it to get one or two final reps in.  I've read a couple fitness articles recommending that approach for aging lifters who aren't trying to maintain some large bodybuilding physique, as it will still help you grow or maintain good lean muscle mass.  It's all about finding the right combination of resistance and form.

[Baboontyme 2812]

I do that, too, SA. I was doing BFR bands and 12-15 rep sets for awhile. I may go back to that. 

Maybe it was getting that rant off of my chest. Maybe it was turning the corner and taking a positive attitude after my rant. But my back feels...much better today. Not back to where I was Thursday, but maybe 70% of the way there. Which is better than the 0% I was at yesterday. Thanks for the good vibes. For the record, turned 44 in April. 6'1, 209. 

[Da Fino 2783]

@Baboontyme Even the traction table didn't help? 

[Baboontyme 2812]

No, but it's kind of a half ass traction device. 

https://www.amazon.com/Stamina-Traction-Control-Decompression-Inversion/dp/B007RGXEUI/ref=sr_1_63?dchild=1&keywords=back+traction+stretcher&qid=1627932596&sr=8-63

[South Austin 52509]

1 hour ago, Baboontyme said:

I do that, too, SA. I was doing BFR bands and 12-15 rep sets for awhile. I may go back to that. 

Maybe it was getting that rant off of my chest. Maybe it was turning the corner and taking a positive attitude after my rant. But my back feels...much better today. Not back to where I was Thursday, but maybe 70% of the way there. Which is better than the 0% I was at yesterday. Thanks for the good vibes. For the record, turned 44 in April. 6'1, 209. 

That's good to hear.

I forgot to mention that I'm also more intentional about stretching than I was in my younger lifting days.  Especially the shoulder joints and lower body.

And speaking of back, when I wake up early in the morning to work out, I put a heating pad on my back for about 15 minutes to warm it up after laying in a bed for the past 7-8 hours. 

Christ, I sound old.

[Baboontyme 2812]

That's because you/we are. But yeah, good thoughts, appreciate it. 

I went back to the "store" and got some topical THC and some patches that should help me on the car ride. That stuff apparently doesn't go through the skin and have any psychoactive qualities, which is good, or else my kids might be in trouble as I try to dodge semis on I-75. 

Side note, I've had plenty of MRIs done for my legs. Going that far "in" to an MRI machine for your lower back - no es bueno, and I'm not generally claustrophobic at all. 

Edited August 2, 2021 by Baboontyme

[Bernard 879]

On 7/19/2021 at 11:00 AM, Bernard said:

The yo-yo keeps falling. Down another 10 pounds since above post. Down 55 since mid-April.

Bernard

Down another 10 pounds since above post. Down 65 lbs. since mid-April.

Went from the loosest hole in my belt to the tightest. Then yesterday I had to poke a new hole.

Currently 235 lbs. three pounds over my last yo-yo trough in 2018. When I break that barrier I'm headed into territory (223 trough) I haven't visited since very early 2000's. 

Bernard

[Jiggy-Z 3432]

On 8/2/2021 at 2:00 PM, Baboontyme said:

I do that, too, SA. I was doing BFR bands and 12-15 rep sets for awhile. I may go back to that. 

Maybe it was getting that rant off of my chest. Maybe it was turning the corner and taking a positive attitude after my rant. But my back feels...much better today. Not back to where I was Thursday, but maybe 70% of the way there. Which is better than the 0% I was at yesterday. Thanks for the good vibes. For the record, turned 44 in April. 6'1, 209. 

Things start to happen at about that age and they get harder to fix.  I'm 54 and they did for me. Before I start, a couple of things.

On your low back:  Stop stretching it immediately.  Your back is in protective mode and need to be stable and heal.  So keep with the drugs, ice and heat for a few days but no stretching, rounding or exercising it.  Your low back is meant to be stable and there is a lack of mobility either in in your upper back or hips that is probably the culprit-probably a few other areas too.

The good news for you is that this(back) appears to be muscular in nature as opposed to structural (disk, bone), or connective(joint/ligament/tendon) so it will heal quickly if you don't aggravate it.

You sound like you have the right mindset and are not really overdoing it with working out, and if you have read any of my posts on workouts, you already know that even in your 20's you need to do very little working out in order to be in really good shape.  With your weight loss you are now probably getting to about 20% BF which is really manageable from the not being a fatass issues.

At this point in your life, stretching is going to be of little value unless you combine it with strengthening in your end ranges of motion.  In fact, I would wager that some of your new found flexibility is to blame for most of your issues, because while you have created some new ranges of motion, there is very little strength or stability in that range.

My computer is fing up.  Will reboot and continue in a bit.

 

 

[Baboontyme 2812]

12 hours ago, Jiggy-Z said:

Things start to happen at about that age and they get harder to fix.  I'm 54 and they did for me. Before I start, a couple of things.

On your low back:  Stop stretching it immediately.  Your back is in protective mode and need to be stable and heal.  So keep with the drugs, ice and heat for a few days but no stretching, rounding or exercising it.  Your low back is meant to be stable and there is a lack of mobility either in in your upper back or hips that is probably the culprit-probably a few other areas too.

The good news for you is that this(back) appears to be muscular in nature as opposed to structural (disk, bone), or connective(joint/ligament/tendon) so it will heal quickly if you don't aggravate it.

You sound like you have the right mindset and are not really overdoing it with working out, and if you have read any of my posts on workouts, you already know that even in your 20's you need to do very little working out in order to be in really good shape.  With your weight loss you are now probably getting to about 20% BF which is really manageable from the not being a fatass issues.

At this point in your life, stretching is going to be of little value unless you combine it with strengthening in your end ranges of motion.  In fact, I would wager that some of your new found flexibility is to blame for most of your issues, because while you have created some new ranges of motion, there is very little strength or stability in that range.

My computer is fing up.  Will reboot and continue in a bit.

 

 

@Jkwellborn good thoughts, did your computer finish rebooting? I would be interested in subscribing to your newsletter. It sounds pretty close to what the Ortho was telling me. Do you have any credentials you wouldn't mind sharing? Are you coming from a place of experience or clinical knowledge or both?

I am pretty excited after my Dr visit on Tuesday. As you said, no real structural damage. Most of my discs and nerve endings and gaps seem to be in pretty good shape. He suspected there were underlying issues with some of my core that need strengthening. That would make sense. Anyway he floated the idea of a sports PT clinic that he knows well and said was geared more towards active mobility vs Seniors. I jumped all over it and he wrote me a script to see them. It won't be until later this month but I'm eager to see what kind of exercise they're going to pitch.

[Jiggy-Z 3432]

8 hours ago, Baboontyme said:

@Jkwellborn good thoughts, did your computer finish rebooting? I would be interested in subscribing to your newsletter. It sounds pretty close to what the Ortho was telling me. Do you have any credentials you wouldn't mind sharing? Are you coming from a place of experience or clinical knowledge or both?

I am pretty excited after my Dr visit on Tuesday. As you said, no real structural damage. Most of my discs and nerve endings and gaps seem to be in pretty good shape. He suspected there were underlying issues with some of my core that need strengthening. That would make sense. Anyway he floated the idea of a sports PT clinic that he knows well and said was geared more towards active mobility vs Seniors. I jumped all over it and he wrote me a script to see them. It won't be until later this month but I'm eager to see what kind of exercise they're going to pitch.

Reboot helped but still issues.

No credentials here. Just been through a lot.

Injuries can be complicated sometimes, so I would not be overly optimistic about quick results. A good back program might take 6-8 months, which could get pretty expensive.

A single source of knowledge and specific programs like the movement academy I am in has been great. I wish I had started it when I was your age and before I started rock climbing.

Precision Movement Academy. 

$400 lifetime membership.

[Jiggy-Z 3432]

3 minutes ago, Jiggy-Z said:

Reboot helped but still issues.

No credentials here. Just been through a lot.

Injuries can be complicated sometimes, so I would not be overly optimistic about quick results. A good back program might take 6-8 months, which could get pretty expensive.

A single source of knowledge and specific programs like the movement academy I am in has been great. I wish I had started it when I was your age and before I started rock climbing.

Precision Movement Academy. 

$400 lifetime membership.

Still go to your MD and do the pt stuff first.  The Academy would be more of a background thing.

[F250 28777]

I was thinking about this thread this week. Wednesday I was doing power cleans and felt a slight tweak in my lower back. Started a new set and felt it again. While debating whether to reduce the weight I had that inner turmoil of not wanting to reduce the weight because it will be a wasted workout. Reason won out and I completed my last sets with a lighter load. Still felt like shit for going lighter but I listened to my body.

Ran 3 miles on Thursday and stretched out. By Friday everything was back to normal and I was able to go balls out on all my lifts.

Most of us are getting older so it's always important to listen to our bodies. We can't let our brains write checks that our bodies can't cash. It's always better to have a reduced workout one day than be injured and miss a lot of workouts.

 

 

 

 

[South Austin 52509]

I was doing lunges a couple years ago and felt something like a snap in my knee. It wasn’t a tear, but came with some dull pain. I stopped my set and tried to do a lunge with no weight, and my knee felt the same, I ended my workout right there, left the gym, and spent the next couple days icing my knee and stretching. The next time I hit the lower body in my lifting cycle my knee felt fine. But I was convinced that if I had tried to power through my prior workout I would’ve fucked something up.

Like F250 said, listen to your body and don’t try to be a tough guy in your 40s. And stretch, especially your shoulder joints and your lower body. And consume a lot of fiber.  I’ll stop there.

[pearlandhorn 3269]

Shoot, 40s? Early 30s here and I do the same. My schedule has been off lately and I hadn’t squatted in a week and a half late last week. Got up to my heavier sets and was on my second to last set and as I was going up, felt a tinge in my lower back on the right side. Racked the weight and stopped right there. Got home and felt fine but over the next few days, my lower back started flaring up. Went to squat yesterday and did everything really light. Could still slightly feel my back but it wasn’t too bad. This morning, I feel better than I did last week after squats. 
 

When you step foot in the gym, you have to leave your ego at the door. This goes double for people older than 30.

[South Austin 52509]

2 hours ago, pearlandhorn said:

When you step foot in the gym, you have to leave your ego at the door.

I say this all the time.  And you need to know that the bro working out next to you doesn't give a shit how much you can lift.  Neither does the hot 25-year-old woman with the great ass on the elliptical machine.

And I'm a human who needs an ego boost every once in a while.  But they can come in unexpected ways that have nothing to do with how much you can lift.  For example, a few years ago during an early morning workout a jacked up guy who looked to be in his late 20s/early 30s asked if I could spot his bench press. I think he cranked out 6 reps of close to 400 lbs without much help from me on his last rep.  When he was done, I told him how impressive that was.  I genuinely meant it, not like he needed any encouragement from a guy in his 40s.  He responded with something like, "Hey, you're here almost every morning at 5:00 a.m. along with me.  That's pretty impressive and I hope I can do that when I'm your age."  I have to admit that made me feel damn good. 

[wood 11225]

Yeah I've been teaching my 17 & 15 yos how to lift, & the first thing I had to get through my 17 yo's head was that you lift what you need to lift to get the job done. It's not a competition & nobody here cares what weight you're lifting. Form is what's most important. Once he figured that out, he started taking off, & it's really helping him as a 6' 6" middle blocker in the volleyball gym. 

[wood 11225]

Re: 'body transformation', I recently retired from firefighting after 27.5 years of shift work wreaking havoc on my sleep cycles. Right about the same time, my doc tested me for low testosterone. I'm mid-50s, & mine was at like 240 or something when it should be between 300 & 800. Doc said at my age he'd like to see it at least around 500 or so. I didn't want testosterone therapy (patches, injections, etc), so he recommended a daily dose of Clomid. It's a fertility drug for women that they found helps men produce more testosterone as well. A little while after I got on it, I started to notice more energy and motivation, and that I seemed to be slimming down around the love handle area. Weird thing is that while apparently slimming in the middle, I'm actually gaining weight, and I weighed 222 the other day -  the heaviest I've ever been. My new schedule has allowed me to work out more regularly, and it seems like I'm adding muscle faster than I ever have. So the other day my doc draws blood to see how much the Clomid has helped. I'm at like 781 now. Crazy. 

tl;dr: Clomid is a helluva drug.

Edited August 16, 2021 by wood

[Herbie Hancock 7348]

3 hours ago, South Austin said:

I say this all the time.  And you need to know that the bro working out next to you doesn't give a shit how much you can lift.  Neither does the hot 25-year-old woman with the great ass on the elliptical machine.

And I'm a human who needs an ego boost every once in a while.  But they can come in unexpected ways that have nothing to do with how much you can lift.  For example, a few years ago during an early morning workout a jacked up guy who looked to be in his late 20s/early 30s asked if I could spot his bench press. I think he cranked out 6 reps of close to 400 lbs without much help from me on his last rep.  When he was done, I told him how impressive that was.  I genuinely meant it, not like he needed any encouragement from a guy in his 40s.  He responded with something like, "Hey, you're here almost every morning at 5:00 a.m. along with me.  That's pretty impressive and I hope I can do that when I'm your age."  I have to admit that made me feel damn good. 

Once I retired from collegiate sports I took up the weights full time and have been in love with them ever since. When I was first starting out I just knew that once I got to where I wanted to be physique and musculature-wise that my looks would finally be able to overcome what came out of my mouth and the panties would drop everywhere I went. Fast forward over a decade later and I can count on one hand how many times I’ve had an attractive female comment on my looks, but I can’t make it two days in a row in the gym without some random compliment from another dude or being asked for advice. And at least twice a day some random interaction either at work or in public will result in some sloppy goober saying “Dang man how much you bench?”. 

 

tldr; SouthAustin is right,  only numbers chicks care about are your bank account.

[Herbie Hancock 7348]

3 hours ago, wood said:

Re: 'body transformation', I recently retired from firefighting after 27.5 years of shift work wreaking havoc on my sleep cycles. Right about the same time, my doc tested me for low testosterone. I'm mid-50s, & mine was at like 240 or something when it should be between 300 & 800. Doc said at my age he'd like to see it at least around 500 or so. I didn't want testosterone therapy (patches, injections, etc), so he recommended a daily dose of Clomid. It's a fertility drug for women that they found helps men produce more testosterone as well. A little while after I got on it, I started to notice more energy and motivation, and that I seemed to be slimming down around the love handle area. Weird thing is that while apparently slimming in the middle, I'm actually gaining weight, and I weighed 222 the other day -  the heaviest I've ever been. My new schedule has allowed me to work out more regularly, and it seems like I'm adding muscle faster than I ever have. So the other day my doc draws blood to see how much the Clomid has helped. I'm at like 781 now. Crazy. 

tl;dr: Clomid is a helluva drug.

Poor sleep is a major player in suppression of testosterone production and an increase in cortisol and estrogen. I was tested at 29 and it came back at 180. I had been on the job for a little over 4 years at the time and was also working a 24 hour shift on the bird 3 times a month. Wasn’t able to get on TRT for almost two more years due to wanting to have kids. Doc put me on anastrozole and Tamoxifen and I had absolutely horrible mood swings. Dropped the Tamoxifen and added Clomid  and was able to ride around in the 500’s on that for almost two years until I finally knocked up my wife. Called the doc the same day we found out and said hey man gimme the juice. 

[SimonBolivar 10958]

My new dessert is killing it.

 

1 scoop vanilla whey

1 package of sugar free Jello brand cheesecake flavored pudding mix

2 cup of Fairlife Skim milk

 

Whey- 170 cal, 30g protein

Jello- 80 cal, 0g protein

Milk- 240 cal, 26g protein

 

Total: 490 calories, 56g of protein

 

 

[pearlandhorn 3269]

3 hours ago, Herbie Hancock said:

Once I retired from collegiate sports I took up the weights full time and have been in love with them ever since. When I was first starting out I just knew that once I got to where I wanted to be physique and musculature-wise that my looks would finally be able to overcome what came out of my mouth and the panties would drop everywhere I went. Fast forward over a decade later and I can count on one hand how many times I’ve had an attractive female comment on my looks, but I can’t make it two days in a row in the gym without some random compliment from another dude or being asked for advice. And at least twice a day some random interaction either at work or in public will result in some sloppy goober saying “Dang man how much you bench?”. 

 

tldr; SouthAustin is right,  only numbers chicks care about are your bank account.

This right here. No one gives a damn how much you can lift. They’re at the gym doing their own workout.

[Hook1997 5354]

I’m down 30 pounds since July 18th.  Does anyone have experience with the GNC type shops testosterone boosters like Total T, ect?  I’ve hit the month after starting wall hard, lower energy from when I started.  Tough balance between low carbs and low calories and having enough excess energy to get some decent workouts in still and for sure needing a testosterone boost but wanted to start with some of the natural ingredient pills possibly. 

[UT_OB1 2223]

Any of you have foot pain problems?  I can’t seem to get over it completely ever.  Sometimes just annoying, sometimes rally bad. Dr at one point said I had plantar fasciitis (both feet), did pt for a while.  It seemed to help some, but pain didn’t go away completely. Feet are just in pain from waking up, I get a full pain if I’m on my feet to much, and frequently fast sprint/cut like movements cause a sharp burning pain right in the middle bottom of my feet. Walking barefoot in the sand is even painful unless the sand is very soft. 
 

Gets depressing. Takes away a lot of the things I want to do for myself and with the kids. Anyone had any luck fixing their foot problems?

[UT_OB1 2223]

1 hour ago, Hook1997 said:

I’m down 30 pounds since July 18th.  Does anyone have experience with the GNC type shops testosterone boosters like Total T, ect?  I’ve hit the month after starting wall hard, lower energy from when I started.  Tough balance between low carbs and low calories and having enough excess energy to get some decent workouts in still and for sure needing a testosterone boost but wanted to start with some of the natural ingredient pills possibly. 

I worked at GNC in college. The testosterone stuff is crap. Spend your money on real AAS or don’t bother. 

[Nice Guy Eddie 13512]

8 hours ago, Hook1997 said:

I’m down 30 pounds since July 18th.  Does anyone have experience with the GNC type shops testosterone boosters like Total T, ect?  I’ve hit the month after starting wall hard, lower energy from when I started.  Tough balance between low carbs and low calories and having enough excess energy to get some decent workouts in still and for sure needing a testosterone boost but wanted to start with some of the natural ingredient pills possibly. 

Get a physical from a doctor, explain what your experiencing, and get your testosterone level checked. If the doctor sees men older than 35, he probably hears this request several times per day.

You might be starving yourself somewhat with low calories plus working out. I agree that working out a lot and losing weight is tough. It’s actually much easier to lose weight with calorie restriction and sitting on your couch than hitting the gym. Eating less can lower testosterone as well.

Maybe add a few hundred calories per day. This might give you more energy for your workouts. Try it for a few weeks. You’re not going to gain weight from it.

congrats on the 30 lbs.

Edited August 17, 2021 by Nice Guy Eddie

[Herbie Hancock 7348]

I’m down 30 pounds since July 18th.  Does anyone have experience with the GNC type shops testosterone boosters like Total T, ect?  I’ve hit the month after starting wall hard, lower energy from when I started.  Tough balance between low carbs and low calories and having enough excess energy to get some decent workouts in still and for sure needing a testosterone boost but wanted to start with some of the natural ingredient pills possibly. 

OTC test boosters and SARM’s are snake oil.

[Baboontyme 2812]

8 hours ago, UT_OB1 said:

Any of you have foot pain problems?  I can’t seem to get over it completely ever.  Sometimes just annoying, sometimes rally bad. Dr at one point said I had plantar fasciitis (both feet), did pt for a while.  It seemed to help some, but pain didn’t go away completely. Feet are just in pain from waking up, I get a full pain if I’m on my feet to much, and frequently fast sprint/cut like movements cause a sharp burning pain right in the middle bottom of my feet. Walking barefoot in the sand is even painful unless the sand is very soft. 
 

Gets depressing. Takes away a lot of the things I want to do for myself and with the kids. Anyone had any luck fixing their foot problems?

Obvious question - have you been to a podiatrist? It sounds like you have flat feet or something similar to me and getting fitted for custom orthotics may cure a lot of your issues. 

[UT_OB1 2223]

42 minutes ago, Baboontyme said:

Obvious question - have you been to a podiatrist? It sounds like you have flat feet or something similar to me and getting fitted for custom orthotics may cure a lot of your issues. 

It has been a long time. He did say I needed more arch support (not flat footed though).  He didn’t recommend customs at the time, but maybe I need to go back. Not being able to walk bare foot drives me crazy too . 

[Baboontyme 2812]

I think if you need arch support that means you DO have flat feet, at least to some extent. But yeah orthotics will take a lot of pressure off of those arches and that pain/inflammation theoretically would go away (if that's the issue), and then you could walk around barefoot without pain. just don't plan to do any walking marathons barefoot and you're golden. 

[Bernard 879]

I guess losing 70 plus pounds agrees with me...

Finished a lap at Memorial Park yesterday afternoon. Hot AF. Sweaty AF. Stopped by the closest C-store to grab a Topo Chico to quench my thirst.

Cashier chick: Why you wearing that Texans shirt?
Me: Is almost football season!!!!!! --- then noticed cashier also in Texans shirt
Cashier: Oh. I thought maybe you were a retired player.

I took it as a complement.

Bernard

[orange dream 1252]

32 minutes ago, Bernard said:

I guess losing 70 plus pounds agrees with me...

Finished a lap at Memorial Park yesterday afternoon. Hot AF. Sweaty AF. Stopped by the closest C-store to grab a Topo Chico to quench my thirst.

Cashier chick: Why you wearing that Texans shirt?
Me: Is almost football season!!!!!! --- then noticed cashier also in Texans shirt
Cashier: Oh. I thought maybe you were a retired player.

I took it as a complement.

Bernard

Compliment indeed.

Good job on 70 lb loss for real.

[Errestaurants 2570]

Haven't checked in awhile. Ran tren at 600 for 16 weeks plus test base. Mental sides were rough and had some estrogen/prolactin troubles. Strength gains were incredible and couldn't out eat tren. Weight held steady at 220 and probably around 15% bf. Got bloods back 2 weeks ago, lipids were shot with high cholesterol. Everything else was good. Been running 1 gram test E with 600 primo weekly with 1 tab of finasteride and 50mgs of mesterolone a day for the last 3 weeks. 

[UT_OB1 2223]

59 minutes ago, Errestaurants said:

Haven't checked in awhile. Ran tren at 600 for 16 weeks plus test base. Mental sides were rough and had some estrogen/prolactin troubles. Strength gains were incredible and couldn't out eat tren. Weight held steady at 220 and probably around 15% bf. Got bloods back 2 weeks ago, lipids were shot with high cholesterol. Everything else was good. Been running 1 gram test E with 600 primo weekly with 1 tab of finasteride and 50mgs of mesterolone a day for the last 3 weeks. 

Does the high cholesterol concern you?  How long does your chol run high - just on this type of cycle, or on gear in general?  Is there anything you do about it?

edit and it has been so long since I read about any of this, I don’t remember what finasteride or mesterolone are for, if I’d even ever heard of them. 

Edited August 24, 2021 by UT_OB1

[Errestaurants 2570]

13 hours ago, UT_OB1 said:

Does the high cholesterol concern you?  How long does your chol run high - just on this type of cycle, or on gear in general?  Is there anything you do about it?

edit and it has been so long since I read about any of this, I don’t remember what finasteride or mesterolone are for, if I’d even ever heard of them. 

Tren is notorious for bad lipids. Finasteride is for hair shedding/loss and mesterolone is proviron. Proviron is good for vascularity, increased libido and puts me in a better mood. Some guys say it does nothing for them though. 

[Jiggy-Z 3432]

On 8/23/2021 at 8:44 PM, Errestaurants said:

Haven't checked in awhile. Ran tren at 600 for 16 weeks plus test base. Mental sides were rough and had some estrogen/prolactin troubles. Strength gains were incredible and couldn't out eat tren. Weight held steady at 220 and probably around 15% bf. Got bloods back 2 weeks ago, lipids were shot with high cholesterol. Everything else was good. Been running 1 gram test E with 600 primo weekly with 1 tab of finasteride and 50mgs of mesterolone a day for the last 3 weeks. 

Mix in some Skoal mint.  Just a pinch.

[Herbie Hancock 7348]

On 8/24/2021 at 10:58 AM, Errestaurants said:

Tren is notorious for bad lipids. Finasteride is for hair shedding/loss and mesterolone is proviron. Proviron is good for vascularity, increased libido and puts me in a better mood. Some guys say it does nothing for them though. 

It is also incredibly hepatotoxic and can cause nephrotic syndrome as well. If you and your doctor aren’t monitoring your AST,ALT and eGFR you are essentially playing Russian roulette with more than one round in the wheel.

[pearlandhorn 3269]

6 hours ago, Jiggy-Z said:

Mix in some Skoal mint.  Just a pinch.

Grizzly wintergreen dude.

[pearlandhorn 3269]

I’ve been more consistent in pushing myself a little more at the gym. I’m hovering around 190 or so. I was up to 192 before I left for Chicago two weeks ago and got back and I was 187. I walked about 8 miles for three days straight around the city.  I’ve hit a max of 245 on bench, 245x5 on squat (could probably max at 275), and my back is looking very defined. It’s crazy how much more comfortable I am in my appearance.

Good job everybody.