Had a great weekend taking photos at ICPL. Hit 18,000+ steps!
Had a workout with the trainer this morning, hit a new bench max! 185lb!
Had a workout with the trainer this morning, hit a new bench max! 185lb!
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So it's been nearly a month and a half since the last update. I need to do some re-organizing with this thread, maybe make a "stat sheet" for the first post and update that regularly.
In the mean time, I'm going to continue with my functional strength work, add in daily yoga, and pick back up on the cardio work. Indoor paintball just hasn't been cutting it on the cardio front like the summertime did, too much downtime.Comment
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Still slogging along on your workout's bro?Comment
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Awesome! keep it up!Comment
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Wanted to do kind of a "2022: Fitness Recap" post. Nothing crazy, just kind of a self-review and what my plans are for the future.
Why I started my fitness work: Besides all the usual stuff people say, I had a few very specific reasons. In fall 2021 I was in a rough place, mentally and physically. I saw my doctor for our yearly check-up, and he was concerned with my bloodwork. He was discussing having to put me on multiple medications for blood pressure, cholesterol, and pre-diabetes. I didn't want any of that, so we made a deal that if I showed improvement he would hold off. I was also dealing with a lot of anxiety (including anxiety attacks at work) and stress. I needed an outlet. Lastly, I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I would remember back to the way I felt around the time of my marriage, and I missed that.
What I did: Worked out multiple times a week with a trainer. Our focus was mainly on strength, and functional strength, with a bit of mobility and endurance. Played a lot of paintball. Some weeks it was 3 or 4 days. While days at the paintball field aren't constant running around, it was way more physical activity than I had done on a regular basis in a while. Add in Monday night volleyball in the summer, and Mrs Z and I's regular bike rides (usually 25mi+), it was a good summer.
What I didn't do: Diet control. There was some, but not nearly as strict as I've done in the past. I didn't calorie count, I didn't exclude anything, I just tried to eat a little less overall, and slow down on empty carbs and sugars. Cardio focused workouts also didn't really happen. Spring through fall, I was playing enough that that filled in no problem. I've also dealt with multiple joint injuries in the past which I got from running, so I was kinda nervous to re-aggravate those before building strength.
What I accomplished: When I came back to the sport, I barely fit in to the Valken pants that I had bought used, and needed an extender for my pod pack. I was always winded partway through a point. That's no longer true. The pants have needed to be tightened, I got rid of the extender a while ago, and I have no problem playing back-to-back points even with extended running. My overall strength has increased greatly and what used to be regular aches and paints (knee and back) are nearly gone. When they do rear their ugly head they go away in a day or two, instead of a week or two. A big win for me comes from my doctor. In early 2022 we did some more bloodwork, and I was all good, and that trend continued into this past fall when we had our "official" check-in. No more threat of meds, no more concern (other than my weight).
2023: I wanna get quick. That means losing weight, maintaining my strength, working on reaction time and agility. Plan for that is going to focus explosive strength workouts. It'll be a slow-go, losing weight while maintaining muscle is hard. It took a long time to get this way, it can take a while to get back. I know that and prepared for it. I wanna be that guy that everyone sees on the field and thinks to themselves "there's no way this guy makes the snake/D2/corner/50 on the break" and then blow their minds. Short of a 50 yard dash, or doing some reaction drills, I'm not sure how to measure it.
Overall: I'm proud of myself. This has been a pretty large turnaround for me on multiple fronts: return to fitness, switching jobs, getting my head right, return to a hobby I love. There's still a long ways to go, and in reality it never ends.Comment
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This is awesome man, you're an inspiration, keep it up!
The wife and I decided to start the family on a refined sugars fast for 2 weeks. The kids have been getting squirrely, and even after a couple of days, I've noticed their behavior chage and mellow. Incredible what the diet can do.Comment
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How tall are you?
Diet control is the hardest part out of all of this (IMO), except maybe staying consistent with workouts. I've found smaller portions to be the hardest part. I can eat healthy foods, but that is offset when I eat half a chicken and a pound of veggies 🤦♂️
For the joint injuries- did you go over that with your trainer? I have a few issues with my knees and ankle, and when I first started with a trainer we spent a couple months working on strengthening the basic functionality of the joints. Stuff like standing on a bosu ball with one foot and going through a range of motions. It sucked, but there is a marked difference between when I started and now.
Good job keeping it up! I like your idea of a stat sheet at the front of the post too.Comment
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5ft10in. At my heaviest, I was nearing 300lbs. Diet's always been an issue. Last year I wanted to get my head right, as that would trigger a lot of binge sessions. Trying to go 0-100 in the past just didn't work for me.
Yup, trainer is well aware of joint injuries and was a big focus early on in my workouts last year. I've also focused on various exercises I do on my own to keep joints in good shape. I think the biggest gain was just overall strength and stability training. Things like deadlifts (especially the sumo variation) and squats have really helped stabilize my knee to the point where pain is infrequent and short-lived. We do a lot of dumbbell work with my shoulder to help stability there as well.
Thanks! I'm excited to keep with it.Comment
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Squats are amazing for knee strength & stability. Plus they are 100% applicable for paintball, since a lot of bunkers are not tall enough to actually stand behind and you have to get lower. I can't begin to count the number of times I've talked to people after a point and they said "you were doing great, except I could see 'this much' (about 1"-2") of your head (I'm about 6'-3")". Needless to say- I've spent a lot of time working on that.
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Just got back into my mcb account and absolutely love that you're still making these updates, and it's especially awesome how much progress you've made this year! Great work man!
FYI I've made it to siege a few times since I last commented, and I love the media work you've been doing there! Had no idea you and the ZingerPB I've been following on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube were the same! Look forward to chatting with you there sometime, hopefully at the mech tourney next month!
In the meantime, keep up the great work, keep the updates coming, and if I could offer one tip to help the stuck points you've mentioned: create 1 small goal that you can track week to week in those areas: 1 small nutrition change you can make this week. 1 small quickness drill/exercise you can do this week. Do that one thing again next week. Then another. After a couple months it's going to become habit, and you'll be ready to add a new change...you see where that goes.
Be proud of yourself man, this is inspirational!Comment
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Ah man you should have said you were Zinger! Yeah that was me that shot your GT2 (and DLS and cocker), glad to now have a face to put to the account! Will you being at the mech tournament next month?Comment
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Non-numerical victory, but an important one today: I'm back to deadlifts! Been dealing with quadriceps tendinopathy for the last month and a half. It's limited both my lifting and my playing. Felt so good to get in some deadlifts this morning with no pain.Comment
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Quick update, last week hit a new PR for Bench Press and Squat:
Bench Press: 195lbs
Squat: 315lbs
Felt really good to lift heavy again, and with zero pain during or after. New deadlift PR is in my sights, as well as breaking the 200lb mark on bench press.
On vacation this week, but still getting some exercise in. Couple of hikes/walks through the nature preserves and state parks.
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