I am starting this blog for motivation and accountability. I am a 30 something desk jockey. It's been nearly a decade since I hung up sports. Sports were my only exercise and I never paid attention to diet. My fitness faded gradually. Weight kept creeping up - especially in the last ~4 years when I moonlighted in the poker room. I won lots of pots but missed lots of sleep and I was starting to notice minor health issues.

So I am switching priorities around. I quit poker (at least temporarily). I am eating healthier (*not to be confused with "I eat healthy"). I started running and starting lifting. I am about 1 month into the fitness routine and about 4~5 months removed from poker nights. Newb progress is motivating. I want to aim a little further down the road ITT to make these fitness routines stick.

Starting the thread @ 215 lbs. (6')

My goals for 1 year from now
Under 200 lbs
Sub 20 minute 5k
Powerlifting total (Squat + Bench + Deadlift) 900+ lbs.

Not sure what makes good thread material but I plan on posting progress on my runs and lifting sessions. Naturally I have always been "runner" body type. I won't be too disappointed if 1 year from now I post about missing the goals - so long as I made progress and made routines stick.

Good luck.

Where are you at now on those two goals?

Today's run:
3.12 miles (~5k)
27:07

This was a race-like effort just to take stock. I went out too fast and burned out quick.



Heart rate was 176 average, 185 max. I felt like puking at the end.


I am probably going to upgrade my running watch soon in order to get more advanced stats. I ❤️ tech and giraffes.

Thanks!

Here are lifting numbers. I am just following starting strength so unknown on max lifts. Below are my last work sets. I think I have more room to go on all three before failing a set (3x5).

So upcoming lifts (3x5) are
225 squat
150 bench
255 deadlift
= 630 total

That 5k time seems lofty if you only at 27:00 now.


You achieve both of those and I will give you title of H&F's most fittests man. Which is pathetic but nobody even cardio round here.

Post some vids of your lifts imo

Gl OP. Looking forward to the journey.

Yes do this

Good luck

Yeah - I agree it is a lofty target. I don't know what is even achievable or on what time frame. The only history I have for track times is from 50 lbs and half my age ago. No big deal if I can't make sub 20 in 12 months. But I want to believe for now.



Some weird fetishes in this forum huh .

J/K - I will try to get some videos soon. I am realizing I should have started this thread under my alt as I don't like being recognized in the poker room. Oh well.


. Maybe I'll get into that tri ish too.

Good luck Bip - pretty decent Squat number for only a few weeks in.

Have you had any coaching/training on your form? Definitely worth getting some if not if you're planning in using heavy loads down the track....or at worst getting somebody to film it and ether posting it here if you're brave enough or PMing to one or a couple of us who know our way around a weight room. And even if you didn't want to do that, just looking at your own vid and comparing it to good ones on the interweb will help you self teach a lot more effectively

Deadlift is less complex but in some ways more dangerous so definitely worth doing the same with that.

Sub 20 5k would indeed be a stretch target but nothing like aiming high!

You might also consider rowing on an erg as a worthy conditioning instrument - kinder on the knees and gets more met con happening in a shorter time period, albeit it's definitely tougher mentally. But as per my comment in that other thread...most important thing is to find a program you enjoy and then train hard

Good luck!

Lol running

What the **** happened to you

ETA: Good luck OP. I'll echo that form check videos will likely provide useful feedback.

Gl gl gl. Also lol running


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Interesting to think I live in a world where bip! doesn't play poker anymore, and is instead getting fit and healthy.

Ok - here is 225 squat.

First, sick camera work to hide the face. Deadlift videos will be the challenge.

Some suggestions to start, a stronger starting position could help. Things like squeezing your glutes at the top which will ensure your hips are locking out, breathing and bracing(valsalva maneuver), will help with this too.

I thought you did a good job with maintaining your torso angle throughout the lift.

I'm also a proponent of squat shoes and an opponent of any soft heeled shoe for squating, but ymmv.

The face hiding was coincidence that worked out. I just handed my phone to workout buddy and he picked that angle. rep 3,4,5 he moved so I just trimmed the vid.

I was going to run tonight but legs are pretty fried at the moment.

Did:
3x5x225 squat

3x5x150 bench (filmed that and noticed I bring he bar lower than intended on my chest)

can't get the form down x still can't get the form down x 80 power cleans

Also did plank stuff at end of workout (workout buddy always requests those)

Quick filming and posting - nice job!

Your form is actually way better than I was expecting it to be and again, you're doing well to be repping over bodyweight back squat so soon into your program. I have a few comments that build on some of what Turtle has said and you have alluded to.

Big thing to improve on is tightening yourself up ...both in the midsection and then up around the shoulders and upper back you're way too loose and this is part of the reason why you are leaning forward. When the weight gets heavier, this can lead to a loss of balance as the bar tracks forwards and the last thing you want to be doing in a back squat is falling forwards.

So..when you address the bar, take a couple of seconds to get your body tight and your posture tight as you get under the bar but before you lift it out of the rack.

Two main cues

- stomach tight. you want to compress your core and the best way to do this is to imagine you are pulling your hip bones up and in towards your ribs. In doing that, you will also tighten your glutes as Turtle has said.

- tighten at the top. What you need to do here is simultaneously pull your shoulders and upper back backwards while at the same time pressing forwards with your hands on the top of the barbell. Sounds more complicated than it actually is, but it's worth spending some time doing this during your warm up sets. Getting this right may actually mean putting the barbell a little lower on your back which might feel weird to start with but will eventually feel natural

Once these two things are in place, take a deep breath and hold that breath at least until you're in the upward phase or until the end of your rep

So if you just focus on that, then you'll see and feel immediate improvements. Two other supplementary things to think about either as well or once you've tightened your body up and that's beginning to feel natural

Glutes. Back Squat is a posterior chain movement where you need to be back on your heels and driving through your glutes. You're still a little quad dominant - part of this will be fixed when you fix your set up and posture but it looks like you can start to use your glutes more at the beginning of the movement. As you start to drop, make sure your weight is firmly on your heels (I echo what Turtle said about decent shoes) and then attempt to push back with your butt at the same time as you drop...feels weird to start with but will help with the last thing which is...

Depth. Again, you're way better than a lot of people who just start squatting but your lift is stopping ever so slightly above parallel. What you should be aiming to do is drop down further through and below parallel down to what is called the butt wink where once you have dropped as low as you can go, you can actually bounce back out and up.

Going lower feels scary to begin with but it'll make the whole motion smoother and help you get a load stronger

Now that I've written it out, it seems like a lot of detail but they are all relatively easy fixes with practice during your warm up phase with an empty bar

Just practice addressing the bar, using your cues..stomach in, tighten at the top. Get set and then practice pushing out with your glutes as you drop, dropping down as far as you can and bouncing out. Just get the reps in with an empty bar and the right way to do it will feel smoother and smoother.

Over time you'll get a load more confident as it feels more natural and not being tight or stopping before 90 or using too much quads and tracking forward will feel weird and wrong.

Happy to review again in a few weeks. I can't deadlift or bench for **** but I can have a look at your cleans if you want.

(successfully managed to avoid work for 30 mins here...yippee!)

Short run tonight - easier pace but the hills still hurt.

Thanks FW and Don for squat feedback

Did 235 squat, 255 dead lift, 95 lb press today.

Squat form is not good enough to go up again - my weight is too far forward. So I will probably drop down and work on form.

Deadlift felt fine except it is getting tougher and tougher on grip to hold the bar.

Chalk will help. Liquid chalk if your gym won't allow the real stuff.

This.

I use Beasty Chalk(liquid) and it works pretty well. You can also make your own if you want.

Good decision Bip.

Have you tried the hook grip for deadlift? Hurts a little to start with (can feel like you're slicing your thumb off!) but way more effective than chalk alone at holding the bar high in your hand

If you start power cleaning with decent weight it's absolutely essential (as well as chalk)

+1 to the use of the hook grip for deadlift. While it was painful in the beginning, I'm quite used to it now.

The major benefit in my eyes over the supinated grip is prevention of imbalances and bicep safety.