Thanks! I will not stop!

I've seen stuff that says don't do them this way, but I really like them. I also do the more upright ones with lower weight. Yeah, would be nice to have a more adjustable cable machine; it goes on the wishlist!

Thanks! Glad you are making progress!

Thanks!

Thanks for the tips!

I have the somewhat heretical philosophy that technique only matters insofar as it prevents injury. As long as the technique is sufficient to that purpose, the rest doesn't really matter.

@Schismarch Preventing injury should be #1. Being laid up periodically is not a great way to grow. Technique also controls angles of attack, mechanical advantages and disadvantages, rate of speed, muscular engagement and more. i.e. If your time in the concentric portion of the rep is greater than the eccentric portion, you'll reach muscle fatigue w/o experiencing as much growth as you would, had you reversed your timing. Also, most people overdo it. If you work a muscle group once or twice a week and let it rest, it grows fastest.

Yeah I like it. I think I need things I can do to strengthen my back so I can work the deadlift up not only with deadlifts. I also like that these are very compound and let me get a lot of foot lbs. Definitely enjoying them. Also waiting for the comments telling me I'm doing rows wrong. 😂

@@Schismarch I like the way you are taking control of the movement and really concentrating on where you are feeling it. I have always struggled to actually feel my lats engaging and work them properly, this was the first exercise when I could definitively say - yup, that is going great. I feel that the high range of motion is a good thing as well - rather than just getting the bar into "row range" and then just going back and forth at that same limited range. I see it as almost a stretch - workout sort of thing and frankly, in the real world, that is how we work most of the time.

Totally agree. Big range of motion, highly compound, etc. and yeah, very similar to what you do when you pick something up, have to carry something, that sort of thing.

@@Schismarch Exactly - enjoy!!!

Thank you!

😅 for some reason it just felt right. And then I decided they all had to end with Riker.

Thanks!!

He loves the belly rub.

@Schismarch aww bless him too sweet 😀

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You too my friend! Having fun with the lumbering.

*batteries not included :(

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Awesome work!

Thank you friend!

i start my belt after the 500lbs

Just varying when I use the belt to make sure I get used to it. Good advice on the breathing.

Thanks man. Deadlifts are a whole thing for sure. Got to take the good days with the bad I reckon. Back is a bit sore now; glad I stopped when I did!

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Thanks! And thank you google translate!

I am not sure they make a ripping blade for my saw. It has the very thin kerf blade. But I'll do some searching.

@ you Canon do it by your own… it isn’t a big deal, if you can handle a file… I did this with my one to and it worked pretty well. ;)

Thanks!

Felt ok. I kind of have to support myself with my legs, so I'm getting big compound from it I guess! I'm trying to get lots of angles for the shoulder and just get everything really strong to stabilize as much as possible; I am hoping this will help with that and also make my overhead stuff stronger. Glad the creatine is working for you. One thing I tell myself when I'm trying to lose weight is: if you are hungry, you are losing weight. And then I just keep repeating that. My wife has been reading this book called health at any size that is apparently well researched and says the popular belief that you can't be heavy and healthy is completely false. Really fascinating stuff.

@@Schismarch Keep working and learning and figuring things out. My wife and I have been watching Mark Bell's podcasts over the last several months, they have had some great topics and have given us a lot to think about, so many resources out there now. Keep building that strength and muscle and the weight loss will steadily come, try not to let it bug you too much. We have changed so many habits over the last few years. We used to have a daily session before dinner - packet of chips with white wine and then dessert afterwards and on and on. That is all gone now and you would think the weight would just fly off but no. It is incredible that we didn't end up bigger considering everything we were doing. Consider that although you weight is coming down slowly, your muscle mass is replacing some of it. Keep well and keep at it the best you can :)

Yeahhhhh buddy!

Awesome, thanks for the tips! It definitely was lugging and I like the idea of flipping it around and seeing if that works better. And less sawdust in my mouth would be nice too. V in the 4x4 is a good one too. Hopefully the next session will go much more easily!

Thank you!

Yeah I’m definitely trying to be careful. I feel like the dumbbell is really good for stabilizer strength and different angles and stuff; it challenges me in ways barbell doesn’t. But I’m going to keep the weight where it feels safe and controlled and not try for low reps stuff. Probably will alternate between bar and db. Back before I got the cage I only did db bench and I got way stronger with that than with barbell, somehow. I was up to something like 85 lbs each at one point, iirc. Maybe the extra range of motion, maybe the way it makes you stabilize each arm separately, dunno!

@@Schismarch You listen to how your body is responding and go from there. I feel that the barbell bench press just gives you much more stability and safety than heavy dumbbells. By all means, use a weight that you are comfortable and can control, I just preach caution when it comes to maybe going to heavy on that one.

Thanks man. Always appreciate you sharing your experience!

​@Hossak I would stay away from barbell bench as you age. More men tear their pics on flat barbell bench than anything else. I tore mine worming up and I did BB for 30 years.

I also like how you are incorporating your cleans into the squat session. What is the point of developing strength if you can't use it :)

Hahahaha yeah, that was a 61.2 kg clean. I definitely love the functional strength I've been building. Second one didn't go but was close. 😅 Thank you for the kind words and support; felt like a really good session! Progress slowly!

@@Schismarch As I have mentioned before, think of it as if you are painting layers upon yourself. Each layer is taking you closer and closer to your final form :)

Yeah!

Maybe you can try front squatting the weight to rack it back, when clean isnt working :D

This session I really felt it in my lats. I don't know if I'm feeling progress per se; I think the real test is pull-ups, but I haven't done them in a while because of the shoulder. I think I'm going to try to build on some muscle for a while before I go back to them.

@@Schismarch Excellent - these things take time and I agree on the pull-ups. I have not done them in years and I just always found them too "crunchy" for me, if you know what I mean. Stay well.

Yep yep. Thanks!

@@Schismarch Update on my creatine to date - I am back at work and the first couple of days were quite hot and humid - 35 oC and 70% humidity. I could feel some cramping coming on (this has happened before - the creatine really makes me susceptible to them if my electrolytes are not kept up) but I have been taking some magnesium supplements (normal supermarket stuff) and there have been no issues since.

Oof sounds like rough working conditions! Stay hydrated my friend.

lol this time it was failure after 4 reps. 😂😅

@@Schismarch Intention is everything. You are progressing each day :)

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Let's hope! Thanks!!