Evening, all. This will be broken into two parts that are related. In these times, we have been challenged mentally and spiritually beyond reproach. We have faced the fact that China bends us over backwards and has been (but much more now), we got an election stolen that we've had this psyop of a virus bombarding us on the airwaves, faced lockdowns, many lost their jobs, marriages have corroded and ended over this, the works. I don't need to remind you of this.
I also noticed many turned to God and we have been having a spiritual awakening and I've seen many don the armor of God. This makes me so happy. But there is one area that I see lacks mention much.
Physical shape.
- Be strong. Off the bat, you can skip this whole section if you go the route of calisthenics (using your own body weight to work out like planking, push ups, pull ups, etc.) For this you can get a door frame pull up bar and little more and get that lean strength, but I'm more of a weights guy because I like bulk. Sometimes imposing physical presence is good deterrent from the get-go.
Okay so, weight training.
This is easier said than done and requires time, commitment, and discipline. Lately I've been on a facebook market run for cheap iron plates, curl bars, bench bars, dumbbell bars, tricep bars, and assembling a home gym. I've made some frames using kindorf brackets that serve as a squat rack, a benching rack, and a pulley attachment for pull downs. But that is not necessary. I have gotten some amazing deals like 275 pounds of weight, 2 curl bars, a tricep bar, and some other goodies for a grand total of $100 which is absurd. I had to drive an hour+ out to PA each way but it was well worth it along with all of the other stuff I had.
At the very core, what you ultimately really need, is a pair of swappable dumbbells. Two basic dumbbell bars and then a small variety of plates. That's up to you, if I were to go bare bones minimum for medium to long term, I'd shoot for 60 pounds total per bar that you can swap between 10's 5's, and maybe 2.5's if you care to increment like that; however if you're just starting out you won't use that weight for nearly anything. You'll likely be starting with 20 pounds per dumbbell for most exercises to get comfortable and not go overboard (remember your tendons and ligaments don't always keep up with rapid muscular growth so don't go too crazy right off the bat, get adjusted).
Alternatively, you can even make your own dumbbells out of concrete. They are certainly bulky and not ideal, but dirt cheap compared to iron if you have the patience. Here is a starting point: https://youtu.be/JUPWRiTRR5Y They also look pretty fucking cool, but concrete is not as heavy as iron, so know that they will be bulky. Bonus is that you can make them in different shapes or taller, or longer, or wider, depending on your molding.
There are a lot of exercises you can do with dumbbells and weight plates themselves. If you can find or make a cheap bench (one with incline options is preferable). If you want, buy used. Some benches come with the bench press bar features, but if you're using dumbbells you won't need that right away. I found mine at walmart for cheap (can't remember how much but it was cheap) and it has multiple incline options as well as a preacher curl and leg weight options.
Again, that's not necessary for the bare basics of that. 2 dumbbells and a chair alone is enough for a lot, but I really would recommend a bench surface to lay down and preferably one that inclines so you can target different areas of your chest and other muscles.
For dumbbell exercises, I've used this website a ton before, because there are so many things you can do that you wouldn't even think of (and even more...there are some good instagram pages to follow that will post obscure exercises I have never seen that are cool as hell). https://dumbbell-exercises.com/best-dumbbell-exercises/
- Training.
So you're big and strong and the ladies love you eh? Nice. But what are you going to do with all that newfound testosterone-infused pulsating vain-filled muscles you're sporting? Enter the training. Being strong alone helps, but is not enough. You need to be able to hold your own.
Have you ever seen those videos of patriots fighting back antifa with these huge flag poles, and rather than jabbing with them, they try to swing at the antifags and the huge flag causes so much drag that by the time the pole makes contact, it gives a little love tap to the antifags? Learn your basics.
If you had no prior training in anything I highly recommend seeking someone who knows so they can get your basics down. It's really hard to break bad habits and if your form is off, you can be building upon bad habits, but I am of the opinion that it is better to teach yourself than to not learn at all. I practice kickboxing. I went to a dojo for a while, it shut down due to lack of business. DO NOT buy into CKO or those "Fitness" kickboxing. They're glorified cardio workouts, not actual fighting technique.
Some will tell you to learn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, others will swear by Krav Maga, others will tell you Tae Kwon Do is the way, Personally I like punching and kicking shit. Striking is my bees knees. I had found a cheap stand on amazon for like $35 on clearance that's made out of steel and holds up a 6 foot 100lb heavy bag that I found on craigs list for pretty cheap. But I also found something that I fucking LOVE and you can set it up just about anywhere.
A fucking water buoy. Yes. I went with the A2 size buoy. A water bag takes the punch much nicer, can be hung at different heights so you can practice high punches, body shots, etc. The A2 size is big enough to take some big hits but still moves around to let you practice some leg work and movement. You can hold one up with a nylon strap like you would use for a truck to hold stuff down, or you can use a chain. Chains are noisy and if you're indoors you may want to set up a bracket or something that you can hang the nylon strap from and just have the bag dangle.
The water absorbs most of the blow, unlike punching bags that if attached to the ceiling will cause the floor above you to vibrate with every strike (trust me, I tried it in my teens when my brother bought a heavy bag for the basement. My parents ordered us to take it down immediately as it made the house tremble)
The A2 buoy ends up weighing 50-55 pounds when filled with water. They have larger and smaller sizes, but A2 all around is great IMO and the water bags allow you to practice uppercuts as well.
This is the one I went with and it's strong, robust, looks awesome in black, and MADE IN THE USA, BABY
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002MJBQ1O/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1&psc=1
Learn at the very least, the 1,2,3. Jab, cross, hook. I can get into a lot of the theory of all of that, but the jab is your basic tool. It is the quick hit, it is used to gauge distance from your opponent, it is used to keep your opponent at bay, and can pack a punch if you do it right. Remember your punches don't start with your arm. I call it ground-up fighting. The floor is where it starts, how you push off with your legs, twist your hips, and seamlessly transfer that to the arm (at the proper distance) is how you get a good, quick, snappy, strong, effective hit.
Tony Jeffries has great content and he's fun to watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyTaKpylOcU
I typed out a lot so I won't drag this on any further. Just know that mind, body, and spirit are all interlinked. I think a bit more focus needs to be put on the body from what I perceive.
For those of you who already train, keep on training! It's easy to start, but hard to stick with it. Motivation and discipline are not always the same!
If you want to correct anything, or add on, please do so!
I’m a gym owner and functional strength coach in New Jersey and I can tell you that if your just starting to get into physical fitness, there’s only one thing you really need to make drastic changes. Eventually you’ll need some extra equipment but for starters (and even for those experienced) this is all out need.
Get a 24kg kettle bell and do everything with it. Goblet squats, American swings, single leg Romanian deadlifts, Russian twists, Turkish get ups, single arm cleans, single arm snatches… you can YouTube any of those movements. You can take 2 or 3 of those movements at a time and follow a 5-7-9 rep scheme mix in burpees or push ups/pull ups, maybe a jump rope or a run. It’s only 1 piece of equipment and you can do endless amounts of training with it. Very functional and will help you learn to move your body explosively.
In terms of diet, keep it simple. Whatever you eat, make sure it is the ingredient. Beef is beef. Peppers are peppers, broccoli is broccoli. Chicken is chicken. Etc… if you are buying food that comes with a label and you can’t find those items on the ingredient list in the supermarket as you shop, then you shouldn’t be eating it. Best way to figure out what to buy when you go to the supermarket is, stay away from the aisles. Everything (mostly everything) you need can be found just by shopping on the perimeter of the store.
Good luck! Anyone who wants more info or is in my neck of the woods that wants some training, send me a note. I’m in north Jersey about 15mins outside of the Lincoln tunnel.
I would also recommend aqua bags
https://www.ultimateinstability.com/na/aquabag
You can find cheaper versions online as well. These are extremely versatile and you can easily do a full body workout with an aqua bag and stability ball if you want to train at home on a budget.
Love your advice. I did five by five, then switched to volume 10x10 and added kettlebells and everything improved. Stability, range of motion, and aesthetic. I still like 5x5 because of the speed and ease of workout, but love the kettlebells for keeping me from getting injured and fun.
Hah my guy! I'm literally in the same area, Jersey city area actually. Most jersey anons I met on here are way south.
Great advice, I'm no pro, just wanted to highlight that you don't need all the bells and whistles of a showroom gym like Signature Fitness in Belleville xD
Awesome! My facility is in Nutley. Right off rt 3
How were the lockdowns for you? Lots of private classes I imagine? What they did was criminal to local gyms.
It was a disaster for a while but I survived and I been red pilling the fuck out of all my clients ever since! Ill never shut down again. They’ll have to put me in a bodybag
That's the way!
By the way I ended up getting some adjustable kettlebells that go up to 50 pounds:
https://www.amazon.com/Apex-Adjustable-Heavy-Duty-Weightlifting-APKB-5009/dp/B074N5392C/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=2DH0M18F3O4R1&keywords=apex+kettlebell&qid=1639625708&sprefix=apex+kettlebell%2Caps%2C165&sr=8-3
I haven't gotten to use them much because I have been sick for over a week and tested positive for covid twice in that span (along with my parents and vrother - parents are vaxxed too haha)
But when it comes down I plan on using them during every workout.
Thanks for the advice fren!
Walmart had a great deal on some fixed weight options for under a dollar a pound (significantly under actially) if you were looking to expand your bell section maybe look into it.
Jersey frens unit. Central west here. I am probably 25 mins past you guys toward PA
I'm northeast so you're along the way. I was just in PA last weekend in Mooresville to pick up some weights, even on the border there was such a homely vibe from there.
Big Trump supporter sold me the stuff on a great deal!
It really is kind of insane how true this is when you think about how many other "products" exist in the aisles.
https://darebee.com/
That site has a TON of body weight exercises that you can do just about anywhere.
Congratulations. You no longer have an excuse to be an out-of-shape fat-fuck if you're an out-of-shape fat-fuck.
I was an out-of-shape fat-fuck until I decided I owed it to myself to not be an out-of-shape fat-fuck anymore.
I recommend thinking about doing the same for yourself, out-of-shape fat-fuck. DM me if you need some motivation, out-of-shape fat-fuck. I gotchu.
NOTE - This comment is only intended for out-of-shape fat-fucks.
Awesome straight talk for fat fucks everywhere !
KEK
I have an 8 hour eating window weekdays (12 to 8). Black coffee and water only outside the eating window.
Inside the window I pretty much just eat what I want with a heavy helping of common sense.
Weekends, I'll have breakfast and a few drinks if I feel like it.
The challenge is getting through a week, but once my mind and body adjusted it became easy, and in my excercise I notice my endurance is way up when I am fasting.
I lost 45 lbs and what a HUGE difference in my general health.
^^^ this guy knows ^^^
I lost 30 pounds starting in Jan of 2020, the last ten were the hardest, and until I discovered compressed eating window, it was nearly impossible.
It takes a bit of time, but you can train your body to not be hungry until 1 or 2 o’clock. Cut out all the sugar you can. I eat 1-2 chickens and six pounds of brisket a week, some fish, lots of salad.
45 pounds here. Intermittent fasting works! No sweat once I got past the first week. Black coffee and water during the fasting period
Hell yeah! I often skip breakfast and wait until lunch, but do eat even up until 11pm at times. Gotta sharpen my discipline.
What has helped in the past was thinking "hunger is just my body burning fat." Whether true or not, idk, but it's helped!
One other thing I noticed is that starting and ending my eating window with things that have good fats and protein makes a difference with my energy. Nuts, full fat yogurt and some fruit is my current favorite to break a fast and start my window.
I love smoked flavored roasted almonds 🤤🤤🤤
Keto. It is the only diet supported by science.
I never did keto, but Unlike neanderthals our ancestors evolved on the keto diet by chasing down larger animals long distances and working in large groups with strategy without necessarily needing a lot of strength.
I'd say don't be rigid. I stagnated for months if not years due to depression and alcoholism which I recently broke out of after I sabotaged myself for the last time.
I remember the final weeks before my dojo closed I was going in after 3 day coke and booze fueled benders and a full shift of work.
I'd be so beat, and then my teacher would push me so hard I literally wanted to die.
So compared to that, I welcome my natural energy and strength. I never had a particular diet, just a well rounded 3 meals away including sandwiches for lunch. Dinners included fish, pasta, potatoes, steak, chicken, pork, just about anything.
Lentils are great as are chick peas.
If you need more energy on a normal diet, I used to take Guarana powder as a pre workout many years ago and it was a much nicer energy than jittery pre-workout that make it feel like you have myocarditis xD
I've got 49 sq. of 30year architectural shingles to pack up the side of a 2 story 9 pitch roof tomorrow morning..Ive seen the toughest tap out before 10 a.m. and the fittest quit and go back to the gym after day 1. HEART and the ability to dig in deeper when shit gets tough will usually get a man and his team through the toughest times.
For sure, but heart alone may not be enough to throw a well timed 1 - 2 at some asshole charging you, or a swift solid hook to the jaw of someone getting aggressive on you out on the streets.
Heart certainly is king, though, I have to agree with you there.
I'm assuming most have been in some type of tussle. Laws these days prevent those types of lessons from happening any more so experience in scrapping is lacking to say the least.
I lost 100 pounds by fasting… Got to control that hunger… When you eat, make it count… Don’t put poison in your body
I don't know you but I am proud of you.
Thanks friend! 😃❤️
I would recommend getting P90X (hard) , P90X2 (way too hard for me), or P90X3 (easy body-weight exercises). The package is built to give you 90 days to get in shape, but also to help you be consistent.
Get a VPN if you plan on torrenting it. Mullvad VPN is among the most secure, doesn't even ask for email and is month by month with no yearly contract. Runs about $5 a month.
You could do that, but I bought P90X because it compiled things that i spent years learning into a nice easy to use package. The only downside is they were DVD's, so I eventually had to rip them into digital video for easier transport, and the DVD's have been in storage for a while now.
If you ever want to quit, just rub ice cubes on your nipples.
Seriously. Shocks you to alertness, and you can pull more time afterward.
That's a hell of a motivator.
Reminds me of a restaurant manager who offered us "energy peppers" they were hot jalapeños or something so when we ate them and the burn set in, everyone woke the fuck up hahaha
Heh, I’ve done the peppers before. The ice cubes don’t burn on the way out as the big bonus lol.
Now granted, depending on how built you are it can range from sexy to freaky.
Good stuff - Body weight exercise are the thing I have been getting back into this:
"At the very core, what you ultimately really need, is a pair of swappable dumbbells. Two basic dumbbell bars and then a small variety of plates. That's up to you, if I were to go bare bones minimum for medium to long term, I'd shoot for 60 pounds total per bar that you can swap between 10's 5's, and maybe 2.5's if you care to increment like that; however if you're just starting out you won't use that weight for nearly anything. You'll likely be starting with 20 pounds per dumbbell for most exercises to get comfortable and not go overboard (remember your tendons and ligaments don't always keep up with rapid muscular growth so don't go too crazy right off the bat, get adjusted)."
Hell yeah, bit of both if anything. Check FB marketplace for weights and bars, you can get some amazing deals while stores sell weight at over a dollar a pound you can get 60c a pound or better. Like i said my last haul was a miracle. 275 pound, 2 curl bars, triceps bar, 6ft bench bar for $100 but that's an abnormality.
For sure!
in the last 2 years, i have started taking kickboxing classes, lifting weights, and being more active in general. i ended up with a back injury due to hard manual labor which put me down for about a month. so, i went to a chiropractor and fixed it right up. im now getting back into getting into shape. im in my 40s and im in the best shape of my life. i was about 30-40 pounds over weight 2 years ago. it can and should be done. GET AT IT!
Yeah I had a knee injury that left me out for months, then popped the juice in my wrist leading to a cyst when I wore shitty gloves loosely and went at the bag too hard.
Train bjj or boxing!
Or both! There's a gym near me that offers both but im doing the home gym/training route because I already have the kickboxing foundations down and want to spend my free time at home and studying up other certifications to diversify my resume so I can seamlessly change fields if the vaxx mandate comes roaring more than it is (have to do weekly testing for my job since I'm unvaxxed. I do the drive thru cvs testing and just pretend I'm twirling the swab in my nose but don't actually do it.
Haha, check out that username! What certs are you studying for? I'm about 9 months in to bjj.
General IT stuff like Microsoft Certification
That's awesome! Sounds like a hell of a gym! If worse comes to worst, have a couple of dumbbells at home for when you can't make it out but still want to get in a quick workout/pump. I have friends that work office jobs that even keep a dumbbell by their desk for down time :P
Totally agree on caring for your body = caring for your mind. It's like letting your apartment get cluttered and unkempt. When you clean it up nice, you feel better immediately. During my worst months my apartment was a fucking mess. Liquor bottles everywhere, clothing all over the floor, sink piled up, crumbs and sunflower seeds thrown all over the floor from knocking shit over in a drunken stupor and being too hungover/depressed to care.
Care for the body, care for the mind. They're different entities, but interwoven and part of the same ecosystem that is YOU
Small consistent effort over time is ultimately more beneficial and sustainable than manic effort for a week or two or four. Carve out some time to be exercise time, and get to. Make it a habit. I just started about two weeks ago, so five minutes a day (plus my very physically demanding job) is what I'm going for. Later it'll be more like 15-30 minutes/day as I become more and more ingrained in this morning habit.
But just start somewhere and start with something you could do every day for the rest of your life.
That's like lugging a baby around when you're a new father. The constant picking up and holding up and throwing up in the air, haha. Absolutely, the constant picking up, twisting, turning, tossing, etc is certainly a workout.
I was in great shape as an electrical apprentice lugging tools and ladders, digging ditches along a house to run piping for passing wires, etc.
Igor Vointenko on Youtube. If you're strapped for time and your gym is full on fucking nazi passport bs, this is your go to.
This is such a GREAT post, so valuable. As a female, I want to add this post is for us too in the self defense anyway. I too love muay thai, I fought that and boxing, I love the striking and art of 8 limbs. but I want to learn bjj and KM. Juts want to add more on boxing skills, even if only that--the defense movements and precision of good short striking is easy to learn and practice often, even when doing other things shadow box--amazing how much you can develop the short punches this way. To add to the combo you mentioned, finish with a jab, every time, in training, always
There is a gym nearest that teaches several classes depending on day and time. BJJ and Muay Thai are their two main ones. I'd definitely go if I wasn't so busy with studying for other things as a backup for vaccine mandates.
good thread but I'm not liking the amazon link...
That is truth. I'm still working 9n getting back into shape but it helps that I have to walk up and down 4 floors and rarely sit for work all day as a teacher. Plus I walk my dog an hour a day and hit the gym fir around an hour as well.
When I worked in an office setting, the stagnation was real and the weight was so easy to gain. Temptation to eat snacks was much greater as well xD
One thing i like to do that is a bit of a mix of both is ride my dirt bike at the local motocross track on the weekends, and go hit up the dirt jumps on my BMX over my lunch break at work. Not traditional weights/workout per say, but you get a good cardio and strength workout all at the same time. For me going to the gym or working out sucks mentally. This is kind of my way of trucking myself into working out, because it's fun.
I want a dirt bike so bad. I ride a cruiser. A bit of a performance cruiser, but I yearn to tear up the dirt on a dirt bike. Rode one once, the clutch was so sensitive that I stalled on my first couple of attempts because the cruiser has a ton of leeway on the clutch.
The throttle also packed a hell of a kick despite turning it the slightest bit. But after a few seconds I got the gist of it and rode for a few minutes on a friend's front yard. Made me want to drive out to PA or north to upstate NY to really gun it.
It's definitely a lot of fun, but the only downside is it's really easy to mess yourself up if you ride over your ability. Concussions, broken bones, and torn ligaments are no fun. I ride Harley's occasionally as well, but they aren't as much of a workout.
Two kettle bells. YouTube. Good to go.