I used to be pretty fit, but after some life stuff I find myself obese and skipping my Planet Fitness days. 36 y/o, 225lb, 5’11. I gained 20lb very quickly and want to run RFL to drop it, but Lyle recommends training prior which I’ve kinda been doing almost a month now.

I had a lot of trouble sitting a few years ago, so I started taking Alexander Technique lessons, and I’m still taking them weekly. Then I added Tai Chi earlier this year, and started taking dance lessons recently.

I came up with a simple 3-day dumbbell gym routine, since Planet Fitness doesn’t have barbells. Then I’ve been too tired from the other stuff to go more than once a week, but hopefully I’ll develop more endurance over the next couple of months.

Mostly for now I’m developing better body awareness, so pain and soreness don’t interfere with my work. I also started doing consistent morning warmups, stretching, and Wim Hof breathing. I’ll probably never practice to snatch bodyweight again (or maybe I will), but I think my current routine will meet my goals (my top 3 fitness goals are probably: sit, focus, live a while)

I’m missing a caloric deficit, even caloric balance. I’m gonna start tracking meals and focus on diet soon. I type this with an open bag of Cheetos.

Sunday 10/24:
1hr Alexander Technique. Whole spine awareness without narrowing focus. I tend to get tunnel vision when I focus or try, hard to untrain. Then worked on shifting weight between legs. Hips get sore first when I stand on one leg.

My hips get sore standing and dancing, I’m overusing them for balance. So I’m working on using my hip less and whole body more.

Also I’m overusing my shoulders to move my arms, so I’m unlearning moving my shoulders. Hopefully that will also help getting my bench and push-ups out of the gutter

Monday 10/25:
Over the past month, Mondays have been dance class. But this week is a break, so I hit the gym. Hoping next week I can fit in both.

Warmups are 10 minutes on a bike. I put it on high intensity for 20 seconds 3 times with 2 minute breaks.

Goblet Squat: 55lb x10x3
* These are fairly easy, the hardest part is holding the dumbbell. The gym only has dumbbells up to 60lb (which were taken), so I'll have to hold two.
* Had some right knee pain so didn't do more. Haven't had this in years, probably tweaked it doing stuff over the weekend.

DB Bench: 30lbx12x2, x10 (right elbow got shaky)

DB Bent Over Rows: 30lb x12x3


I don't really do anything with lactic acid or high heart rate, and don't really plan to. Keeping it easy. No competitions or strength goals, just focusing on developing whole body awareness.

The shoulder issue in my prior post affects me daily when I use the mouse or type, so I'm trying to notice when I'm using my shoulders too much while working.

I'm also overusing my quads, I think I strengthened that habit doing squats and oly lifts and fencing. So now I have to practice balancing while keeping quads relaxed.

I also do some prehab at home with bands, about every other day. Did some today. Also a bit of tai chi, yoga, and qi gong daily.

I'll probably outgrow Planet Fitness by the end of this year, and can use a barbell. I think the other options might be YMCA and a city gym.

Tuesday 10/26:
1 hr Tai Chi, learning to not balance with hips

Thursday 10/28:
1 hr Tai Chi.

Almost went to the gym yesterday, but skipped it. Had good energy today for the first time in a while.

Friday 10/29: weighed in at 225.6lbs 30% BF

Sunday 10/31: 1 hour Alexander Technique

I bought a food scale to get back into old dieting habits. I’ll figure out maintenance calories and maybe start tracking this week. Will target 1900 calories per day with about 180g protein.

Good to see this former H&F stalwart still around.

Sad to see the abs are gone and there is a potbelly instead.

Monday 11/01:
1.5 hrs ballroom dance class

Tuesday 11/02:
1 hour Qi Gong
1 hour Tai Chi

Yeah, I don't think I had abs at all in my 30s. Hopefully by beach time next year they'll be back.

What, you were 29? You use to be 185lbs 15%bf and front squat 300 and deadlift 450.

No worries, the human body is amazing machinery. You can turn that fat '69 VW Beetle of yours into a new eléctric Ford Mustang with 450hp that purrs with a deafening silence to 60mph in a few seconds, within 18 months of today. Probably even in a year. That's pretty amazing. I did it and never went back to the Beetle.

Yeah that's pretty close, great memory! Then I developed some severe imbalances and couldn't get out of rehab and pain. Hoping to get back to GPP and then train back to near those numbers, but in a more sustainable way.

Thursday 11/4: 1 hour Tai Chi

Friday 11/5: weighed in at 227.8lbs, somehow bulked 2lbs in a week

Tracking diet starting next week.

Sunday 11/7: 4 hours Tai Chi seminar

Monday 11/8: 1.5 hours ballroom dancing class

Tuesday 11/9:
1 hour Qi Gong - not really flowing the energy, just memorizing the moves
1 hour Tai Chi - single leg balances are getting better

I haven't been doing my morning exercises the past couple of days so missed about 30 minutes of exercises, and I should do my dumbbell gym days more often. Energy is picking up, and I didn't buy too much junk food. Oh yeah, then I drank 900 calories of iced tea, so I should stick to diet drinks.

Thursday 11/11: 1 hour Tai Chi

Friday 11/12: weighed in at 229.8lb, another +2lb week. Cutting out chips and candy, except for a small daily dessert. Hope to not break 230, but don’t have the commitment to track food yet, maybe next week.

Sunday 11/14: 45 minutes Alexander Technique lesson

Monday 11/15: 1.5 hours dance class

Throwback to my bodyweight snatch days.



I’m probably never coming back to that since I’ve had knee surgery and don’t particularly need explosive power. I might do gymnastics or something.

Probably not, since it looks like the new dwarrior is a cross between YTF and old dwarrior.

900 cals of sweet tea? Daily dessert? OMG.

I’ll have to read YTF’s log.

Is there still the saying around H&F: be fat and happy

Still do about an hour of daily warmups and prehab throughout the day, plus walks.

I have a 30lb kettlebell at home that I do swings with, and will start cleaning soon since that feels comfortable at the gym, I donÂ’t think IÂ’ll drop it.

Burpees are very hard for me, and IÂ’m trying to get myself to do a few each day, but my memory is averse to them. I have to remember to work on them with my Alexander Technique teacher. Pushup first.

Oh yeah, my other goal is Centenarian Olympics (100+ to), so I have to get unfat to stay around that long.

PS, I’m pretty sure even Martin Berkhan recommended daily dessert if that’s what you’re into, rather than completely neglecting the cravings. He just said to limit it to like 200 cals. That’s what I always did on diets and it worked to avoid binge days.

ok, so the past year was a wash, and I'm still fat and unfit. Last weigh in about a month ago was 234lbs @ 5'10"

Joined the gym today with barbells:

Squats: 45lbx5x3
Bench: 45lbx5x3
Bent Over Row: 45lbx5x3
Side Lat Raises DB: 12.5lbx10x2

Went low to avoid the first day soreness, going to add 10-20lbs next time.

The workout plan to start is linear progression like this:

Squat
Bench
Bent Over Row
Side Lat Raises / Curls

Overhead Press
Pull-ups
Deadlifts
Side Lat Raises / Curls

Power Clean
Military Press
Chin-Ups
Side Lat Raises / Curls

once that stops working, I'll diet and do a bodybuilding routine to get swole.

whoa, heh. OG. Would you ever return to olytard?

Probably not. I had knee surgery and now my knee is pretty wonky still, I’m afraid of doing dynamic things like olytarding. I might do it with light weight and stick to power versions that don’t require going deep.