Time to join the ranks of H&F with my very own log.
Got serious about working out a couple of years ago. Worked out with a personal trainer who was 100% into crossfit. I went from barely weighing 150 lbs to 170 over a year or so (5’11” fwiw). This alone happened quite rapidly, so much that some friends I hadn’t seen for months remarked “…I don’t remember you being this built…” Now you can see from the below videos that I'm far from roided out, but I began as a fairly skinny dude, so the difference was immediately apparent.
Then I got a new PT who was built like a ****ing tank, and he got me into a mix of crossfit and weight training. He showed me some new stuff, then I discontinued paying for a PT. Over the last year I've increased from 170 and now hover around 187.
I am looking into different strength training programs, but for now have my own routine where I frequent the gym four times a week. Two days are weight training, other two days are crossfit/bodyweight exercises. Sometimes a crossfit day means something as simple as me beating the **** out of the heavy punching bag with focus on endurance reps mixed with strength and form isolation.
I got onto a 5x5 routine with weights, adding 2.5 lbs every week and saw significant gains, but I recently reversed and restarted with lower weights after GGO gave me some much needed form corrections. Now building back up. Definitely see the temptation that overwhelms bros to increase weight at the cost of good form.
Bodyweight exercises include things like the following vids.
Yah, I am a scared man still lifting next to the wall, but I’m not yet stabilized enough to not fear falling in the wrong direction. As you can see on my first lift, I fall into the wall and use it to reposition myself. My goal is to get to where I can go from my elbows, lift into a handstand, drop back onto my elbows, lift, repeat.
I'm also practicing handstands in general, which is the main reason you see me holding the lift, though I've noticed how much of an arm workout holding the lift turns into.
I’m only now training for muscle-ups. Can’t do them at present. I am looking at tip videos. My goal with the rings is to transition from a muscle-up to the exercise in the video. Muscle-up, drop, ab rotation, return, muscle-up, repeat.
The gym rings in general are so ****ing fun that it’s no worry how hard the exercises are. I came across the below video and will slowly incorporate them into my usual routine. A lot of them are simple but add to my concentration on body control exercises.
I also recently found a sparring buddy so plan to occasionally post videos of him teaching me kickboxing and me teaching him weapons forms or kung fu. When I say teaching, I mean the post-session sparring where we go after each other Fight Club style.
All feedback is of course welcome.