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FIT.Y.E.R.O. (Meathead, wellness, fitness, diet, exercise) Thread

Comfortably box squatted 270 this week. Heaviest thing I've picked up since last February, so felt great to have it feel light and move pretty well. Now just have to remember how to do it as a regular squat.

On the less happy side, I wrecked my neck and shoulder holding my kid. Thank goodness I got into the ortho quick and they gave me steroids and I'm set for trigger point injections Monday. I tried everything I know to get it to release, but no dice, and I can't have my stupid neck waking me up in the middle of the night when I also need to be getting up with a baby. I've never had TPI with anything other than dry needling so definitely curious how I respond.
 
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Comfortably box squatted 270 this week. Heaviest thing I've picked up since last February, so felt great to have it feel light and move pretty well. Now just have to remember how to do it as a regular squat.

On the less happy side, I wrecked my neck and shoulder holding my kid. Thank goodness I got into the ortho quick and they gave me steroids and I'm set for trigger point injections Monday. I tried everything I know to get it to release, but no dice, and I can't have my stupid neck waking me up in the middle of the night when I also need to be getting up with a baby. I've never had TPI with anything other than dry needling so definitely curious how I respond.
How the f are you squatting 270 but screwing up your shoulder carrying a 14 lb kid? ;)
 
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Comfortably box squatted 270 this week. Heaviest thing I've picked up since last February, so felt great to have it feel light and move pretty well. Now just have to remember how to do it as a regular squat.

On the less happy side, I wrecked my neck and shoulder holding my kid. Thank goodness I got into the ortho quick and they gave me steroids and I'm set for trigger point injections Monday. I tried everything I know to get it to release, but no dice, and I can't have my stupid neck waking me up in the middle of the night when I also need to be getting up with a baby. I've never had TPI with anything other than dry needling so definitely curious how I respond.

Man I just went through something similar. Look into your head position needs when sleeping. If you're on your side, JUST your head should be on your pillow. If you're on your back, then ideally your head AND the top of you shoulders. Both will keep proper neck and spine alignment.

I also did some digging on pain "referral", in that when you have a lot of pain in your upper back, traps, or rhomboids, it actually may be pain coming from the discs in your neck. This diagrams sort of illustrates which discs can trigger pain in which areas. You might want to do some neck stretches during the day and before bed.


neck+referred+pain+distribution+dermatomes+myotomes+physiotherapy+doncaster+east+treatment+cure+management+symptoms.png
 
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Well, I'm only squatting 270 for like a minute, I was holding a baby mostly with my left arm (because I'm right handed) 16-18 hours a day for 12 weeks straight 🙃 All the muscles on the front and side of my neck are stuck and the brachial plexus is right under there. I thought it would improve when I went back to work but it somehow got worse? Guess I'm an old now, my injuries are all from STUPID things. (This is a very cute one, but still dumb way to hurt yourself lol)
 
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How are you all using ChatGPT etc to make meal plans and shopping lists? My results thus far have been less useful than just handwriting a list.

My holy grail is an AI bot that will look at the items available at my local Sam's and Kroger and make me a weekly meal plan and shopping list of what is available.
 
Hadn’t heard of Mike Israetel, but very interesting listen on Peter Attia’s podcast for those interested in building muscle.
I've been working my way through it. Great info but pretty in depth and dry.

Pretzel, I have some corrective PT exercises from a few years ago. Let me see if Ican dig that folder out or at worst find some videos on YouTube. They're easy and work wonders.

I just type in the macros I'm looking for and main ingredients. Granted I'm not using it right now. I basically eat ground beef or chicken thighs with spinach and rice for every non breakfast meal. I just change up the seasonings.

6 weeks into what is likely my most we'll planned cut. Weight is falling off and I've decreased my activity. Still lifting hard but dialed the cardio way back. Gonna go to March and reevaluate. This week my legs have been pretty sore after each workout. Which is rare these days, so the deficit, at 2400 calories, may be catching up. Just trying to make sure that's it and not lingering effects of 4 days hard skiing at 11000' 2 weeks ago. If I can get that in order the plan was to get to April on the cut and then hit a hard 3 week bulk into maintenance and cut for summer. Setup pretty well to hit last years missed goal.


Lastly, both big toe joints have been nagging for over a year. Real bad in dress shoes or cycling. Obviously, a big problem for me as Id like to cycle for the next 30 to 40 years. So after a worthless podiatrist visit I've researched the shit out of it. I've been doing toe, foot, and ankle mobility stuff about every day. Slowly improving but those workouts are hard af. Toe yoga and toe spacers have become routine. So yeah getting old is dumb.
 
I've got high arches. I got custom orthotics. They're helping but that's not really fixing the issue. They help most in my cycling shoe. I found a good wide toe box shoe rather than my preferred Italian made cycling shoe. If I'm compensating for this injury it just makes sense that will head all the way up the chain. Foot -> ankle -> knee -> hip. I'm the least flexible person on earth already. Last thing I need is to be less mobile.

The founder of this https://gaithappens.com/ place was on with attia and described my problem in depth, hallux limitus. Which if not treated proceeds to hallux rigidus... and something I want no part of. So, trying to get to the point I don't need the inserts or anything.
 
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I started a new tradition last year of getting my bloodwork done on Valentine's Day. Nailed it this year. I've been on statins for a year now (and with my family history of heart disease will be for life, in all likelihood). My LDL/HDL dropped from 5.78 exactly one year ago to 1.37. Statins, kettlebells, walks, eating like an adult, and getting 8 hours of sleep per night for the MFing win.

Also, just heard this for the first time and it may be a game changer. I saw some youtuber reference The Protein Rule. For a food to be considered high protein, take the grams of protein in a food and multiply it by 10 and then compare it to the calories. If the protein X 10 is equal to or higher than the calories, it is a good decision. If the protein X 10 is less than the calories, avoid it. Another way of saying it is that you should be striving for at least 10 grams of protein per 100 calories on average.

Really simple way to quickly figure out whether or not to include something in your diet. Fairlife, for instance, easily passes because at 30 grams of protein for 150 calories, you are getting 20 grams of protein per 100 calories.

 
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Nice!

I too am thrilled with a months worth of tracking stats on my Hume body pod. It has gathered enough data to track all my trending metabolic categories.

The biggest one (for me) is that my metabolic age dropped by two years. Still high, but I like where this is going.

As for protein, my layman’s opinion is that absorption of protein is much better with meat, eggs and cottage cheese. Shakes blow through you and leave you hungry.
 
Fairlife is so clutch. Delicious and easiest way to sneak more protein in, especially since I haven’t had as much time to meal prep as I used to 😬
Oh yeah. I live on them, apples, and PB&J on ezekiel bread during trial. Maybe not ideal but generally shelf stable and I can woof them in a hurry if need be. I also frequently chug them at night whenever I get the urge (usually on lifting days).

SUCH an improvement on protein powder.
 
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I started a new tradition last year of getting my bloodwork done on Valentine's Day. Nailed it this year. I've been on statins for a year now (and with my family history of heart disease will be for life, in all likelihood). My LDL/HDL dropped from 5.78 exactly one year ago to 1.37. Statins, kettlebells, walks, eating like an adult, and getting 8 hours of sleep per night for the MFing win.

Also, just heard this for the first time and it may be a game changer. I saw some youtuber reference The Protein Rule. For a food to be considered high protein, take the grams of protein in a food and multiply it by 10 and then compare it to the calories. If the protein X 10 is equal to or higher than the calories, it is a good decision. If the protein X 10 is less than the calories, avoid it. Another way of saying it is that you should be striving for at least 10 grams of protein per 100 calories on average.

Really simple way to quickly figure out whether or not to include something in your diet. Fairlife, for instance, easily passes because at 30 grams of protein for 150 calories, you are getting 20 grams of protein per 100 calories.

Can’t shop without my wife quoting this guy’s methodology. I leave her at home when I go to the grocery now.
 
I think I survived law school on fried eggs for dinner and pb&j for lunch. I like Ezekiel bread, I just wish it lasted longer than 4 days on the shelf before getting moldy (maybe that’s just a Trader Joe’s problem?)
 
@pretzel__logic we keep a few loaves of Ezekiel bread in the freezer at all times. We keep about half a loaf in the fridge for ready use. Usually lasts up to a month in the fridge without issue. I usually keep the slices of Ezekiel bread, a pack of American cheese, and butter in a ziploc bag in the egg basket so I can always slap together an egg sambo on demand.
 
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To celebrate the win last night, I thought about adding a shot of vodka to my new nightly cocktail of sugarfree Metamusil with 5g of creatine mixed in but I didn't want to party too hard on a Wednesday.

The Metamusil and creatine combo is surprisingly palatable. Anyone see any reason why not to combine two mildly annoying things into one daily task? No idea if there is any science I am aware of that fiber somehow blunts creatine response or whatever but I figure the FITYERO brain trust probably has far more insight into creatine than me.
 
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Weight loss in your late 30s with a kid who doesn't eat much, and therefore you eat their food, is next to impossible.

Just thought I'd share.
 
Just got back from Baha Mar - the number of extremely fit, well to do older couples was both inspiring and depressing. Worked out twice at the gym and I’ve never seen a vacation gym so crowded in my life - literally had to wait for every single machine and was wall to wall people. I have to do something about my flabby gut it’s becoming a real annoyance to me. Went ahead and got the ab coaster today. Only reason I know about it is my brother has had one for 15 years and he has had an 8 pack his entire 30s and 40s (but he has no kids so I give him no credit). I know abs are “made in the kitchen” blah blah blah whatever I need to do the shit out of my core.
 
Man I could be wrong on this.. but i feel like most lifters I read about, see on social media, etc.. don't do a whole lot of abs. They almost make fun of training abs. The thought process i keep seeing is: if you're on limited time, doing functional lifting is going to hit your core anyways. Instead of adding a gym day dedicated to abs, just do more deadlifts, squats, single arm movements that offset weight, etc. Or add a few reps at the end of each PPL day if you must.

Idk why but I've always hated doing abs. Even though I know core is important. I'd rather do Bulgarians till I pass out than do crunches. I also seem to get the worst muscle spasms when I do abs. I know that at 38 I'm *never* going to get a 6-pack and I don't want to sacrifice my life just to get to 12% body fat. Just not feasible for me. If I can get some nice definition, but also have a little gut showing, so be it.
 
Baha Mar could have a larger area with free weights. Going to the outside area with some weights is nice unless they run you off because your tire flipping is disturbing the flamingo yoga.
 
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To celebrate the win last night, I thought about adding a shot of vodka to my new nightly cocktail of sugarfree Metamusil with 5g of creatine mixed in but I didn't want to party too hard on a Wednesday.

The Metamusil and creatine combo is surprisingly palatable. Anyone see any reason why not to combine two mildly annoying things into one daily task? No idea if there is any science I am aware of that fiber somehow blunts creatine response or whatever but I figure the FITYERO brain trust probably has far more insight into creatine than me.
I stopped mixing mine together because, **not scientific**, I figured the psyllium husk was probably soaking it up rather than allowing me to absorbing it.

I did this because I noticed my melatonin wasn't working as well when I took it too soon after husk.
 
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Just do legs and you're typically hitting core. Any standing presses will hit them. Farmers walks. Who has the time to do core only? Eff that. Stubborn belly fat is a pain in the ass.


BahaMar gym needs to be 3 or 4 times the size. Very nice but way too small.
 
Just got back from Baha Mar - the number of extremely fit, well to do older couples was both inspiring and depressing. Worked out twice at the gym and I’ve never seen a vacation gym so crowded in my life - literally had to wait for every single machine and was wall to wall people. I have to do something about my flabby gut it’s becoming a real annoyance to me. Went ahead and got the ab coaster today. Only reason I know about it is my brother has had one for 15 years and he has had an 8 pack his entire 30s and 40s (but he has no kids so I give him no credit). I know abs are “made in the kitchen” blah blah blah whatever I need to do the shit out of my core.
If you are just looking to tone up a bit at home, it is hard to beat an ab wheel and a 35 pound (16 kg for people who like to be correct) kettlebell. They hide out of sight anywhere convenient. You can find almost infinite workouts on youtube. Do that three times a week for 20 minutes and you almost have to see results.

While it is cold, my wife and I work out together using kettlebells in the living room. She hurt her wrist so last week we changed it up to do just suitcase deadlifts and suitcase and farmer carries to avoid reinjury. My stomach muscles have never been sorer. I think I was using 20 kg bells, so nothing nuts weight wise, but it hurt to twist my waist all week.
 
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If you are just looking to tone up a bit at home, it is hard to beat an ab wheel and a 35 pound (16 kg for people who like to be correct) kettlebell. They hide out of sight anywhere convenient. You can find almost infinite workouts on youtube. Do that three times a week for 20 minutes and you almost have to see results.

While it is cold, my wife and I work out together using kettlebells in the living room. She hurt her wrist so last week we changed it up to do just suitcase deadlifts and suitcase and farmer carries to avoid reinjury. My stomach muscles have never been sorer. I think I was using 20 kg bells, so nothing nuts weight wise, but it hurt to twist my waist all week.


How long you walking around your house looking like a weirdo we talking here? 5 mins?
 
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How long you walking around your house looking like a weirdo we talking here? 5 mins?
About 30 minutes of not looking like a skinny fat queerbait.

Also, if you are doing farmer's walks already and haven't tried suitcase carries -- it is worth a try. It feels like cheating since it is only half the weight but your stabilizers will be screaming. The Cook Drill is even better, imo.
 
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