Get Fit, Stay Fit, Feel Good - 2026

[Holeshot]

Had to join one of the cheap gym options while (now) doing monthly trips to two of the East coast locations....and it's certainly a new experience. One dude was doing deadlifts and I noticed he was doing the same weight I've gotten to, but man....his form made me cringe. No belt, straightened his legs then pushed hips forward; back rounded the whole time. I shuddered watching each rep...and it's not a light amount of weigh he's doing.

I also noticed their smith machines were flipped around in the mirrors relative to how I'n situated mine....I'm wondering what's correct now. I won't change mine anyway; I like the bar lock rolling towards me, not away. I'm kinda confused why they had their set up opposite.

 

[Holeshot]

I really like Mark Lewis's channel and his approach to fitness and life in general. This touches on some of our more controversial topics.

To simplify it: every guy who wants to maintain a scintilla of performance as they age, will need to take on some type of TRT program. Those who are fortunate enough to be able to wait long into older age before doing so have the advantage of not needing the PED's as long in their life. Once you go on PED's/ TRT at an oder age, there's really no going off of it. As always, there are measures we can take to keep our natural Test levels as high as possible (for our own bodies). The obvious measures are what one would guess; sleep/ exercise/ limiting alcohol / sugar/ most rec drugs/ focused on low inflammation levels/ upbeat mindset, etc. Of course, everyone is different and will have different needs/ demands on their body and their programs...which means they may take more than I'd take (TRT) and may take it sooner in their lives than I will need to in mine.

That all being said, it's lame to criticize people for their personal choices of PED's as they get older and want to remain as youthful as they can. Food for thought.

 

[SFMCjohn]

pretty sure I can say without fear of contradiction that I’ll be too lazy to ever take on TRT therapy … guess I’ll just have to be resigned to accept giving up on scintillating performance as I age.

 

[Mike95060]

pretty sure I can say without fear of contradiction that I’ll be too lazy to ever take on TRT therapy … guess I’ll just have to be resigned to accept giving up on scintillating performance as I age.

If your not so depressed you are unable to get out of bed and your test levels are in the range of normal, I doubt you are going to miss that scintilla.

If you want to blast your hormones to the moon, by all means exercise that free will too. Just be honest about it, don't throw shade at doctors and don't try to impress everyone with how awesome you are. Food for thought.

 

[SFMCjohn]

do they have a test for Mr budman’s “F” level—as in just go for my f-ing walk every day?

finding a scintilla of motivation on the daily to get my minimum-effective-dose of motion would probably be helpful, I admit it.

 

[Mike95060]

do they have a test for Mr budman’s “F” level—as in just go for my f-ing walk every day?

finding a scintilla of motivation on the daily to get my minimum-effective-dose of motion would probably be helpful, I admit it.

I admit that too. I'm just starting to pull out of a period of low interest and activity. I have been tracking my fitness long enough to notice patterns and cycles. There are weeks when I'm down, sometimes a few of them in a row, and they really fucking suck. Mentally and physically. So far I have tried to use that time rest, recover and remind myself that good health is marathon not a sprint. I use fitness to make my life feel good. Sometimes I have to admit to myself that fitness is not doing that at the moment and I need to adjust. I usually take care of other things for a little while, reshuffle the priority's for a bit and try not to spiral into a deeper shade of blue. Those periods are usually when I try new activities and experiment. Novelty is good for us I think. If there ever comes a day when my copes don't work, yeah lets talk to a Dr, make some measurement's and find out why. YMMV.

 

[Holeshot]

Always good to get full blood panels annually, and library as much personal data as possible. +1 to novelty.

 

[SFMCjohn]

I admit that too. I'm just starting to pull out of a period of low interest and activity. I have been tracking my fitness long enough to notice patterns and cycles. There are weeks when I'm down, sometimes a few of them in a row, and they really fucking suck. Mentally and physically. So far I have tried to use that time rest, recover and remind myself that good health is marathon not a sprint. I use fitness to make my life feel good. Sometimes I have to admit to myself that fitness is not doing that at the moment and I need to adjust. I usually take care of other things for a little while, reshuffle the priority's for a bit and try not to spiral into a deeper shade of blue. Those periods are usually when I try new activities and experiment. Novelty is good for us I think. If there ever comes a day when my copes don't work, yeah lets talk to a Dr, make some measurement's and find out why. YMMV.

I’m actually having a bit of a crisis, “feel good” routine wise, cuz on Monday I quit my spiritually-rewarding and profoundly challenging, but otherwise undesirable job (didn’t like the way my new boss talked to me).

anyway, my whole fitness routine, such as it is, was based upon the structure of a 40 hour work week. so, I’ll need to find the self-discipline, pdq, to replace the old routine/structure, or I’m gonna put on 10 lbs before I know it.

wrt going to the doctor to get bloodwork … f that noise. the only time I go to see a doctor is when they take me there in ambulance.

 

[budman]

Always good to get full blood panels annually, and library as much personal data as possible. +1 to novelty.

I have to go to the blood test thing. I know you posted back a ways on the extra test that should be done. I just asked the nurse (because I never get to talk to my Dr. Nor have I met him. ) what they are looking to do so I can request a fuller blood panel as you put it.

 

[Mike95060]

I’m actually having a bit of a crisis, “feel good” routine wise, cuz on Monday I quit my spiritually-rewarding and profoundly challenging, but otherwise undesirable job (didn’t like the way my new boss talked to me).

anyway, my whole fitness routine, such as it is, was based upon the structure of a 40 hour work week. so, I’ll need to find the self-discipline, pdq, to replace the old routine/structure, or I’m gonna put on 10 lbs before I know it.

Might I suggest a quaint little 10K along the Santa Cruz Coast? You might still be able to squeak in a W2W registration. The offer still stands to pre game/park at my house if you get in.

Props to walking when the atmosphere is toxic.

 

[SFMCjohn]

yes, guess i should give myself more credit for finally just walking away from a toxic environment—probably a very important facet to any effective “feel good” program.

for example, once I made the decision to simply walk away from the job, my sleep improved dramatically, which I’ve otherwise been struggling with.

 

[budman]

Always good to get full blood panels annually, and library as much personal data as possible. +1 to novelty.

Berto,

This is what they are planning to do.

I am not anywhere near knowledgeable on this stuff.

CBC with Differential
TSH
Hemoglobin A1c
PSA scree, Annual
Lipid panel, fasting
Comprehensive metabolic panel , fasting
Creatine Kinase (CK)

 

[bikewanker]

I’m actually having a bit of a crisis, “feel good” routine wise, cuz on Monday I quit my spiritually-rewarding and profoundly challenging, but otherwise undesirable job (didn’t like the way my new boss talked to me).

Welcome to retirement SFMCjohn!
Ride moar BARF more stress less. No longer a camper but still riding. Does riding mean my T is okay?

 

[SFMCjohn]

Does riding mean my T is okay?

riding and showing up for BARF Rallies is good for one’s feel-good program, so I’m told.

 

[Holeshot]

wrt going to the doctor to get bloodwork … f that noise. the only time I go to see a doctor is when they take me there in ambulance.

Like showing up on the grid without checking the bike over. Results end up being the same anyway....unless your suspension guy extends the wheelbase and forgets to lower the rear down...

I have to go to the blood test thing. I know you posted back a ways on the extra test that should be done. I just asked the nurse (because I never get to talk to my Dr. Nor have I met him. ) what they are looking to do so I can request a fuller blood panel as you put it.

Think you're referring to methylation testing. Vitamin levels are another benchmark needed, IMO.

Berto,

This is what they are planning to do.

I am not anywhere near knowledgeable on this stuff.

CBC with Differential
TSH
Hemoglobin A1c
PSA scree, Annual
Lipid panel, fasting
Comprehensive metabolic panel , fasting
Creatine Kinase (CK)

Yeah, that's pretty good. You can add vitamin/ minerals and inflammation markers if wanted. Vitamin is a good one, IMO. The deluxe/ wellness BP's are usually around 50 tests or so. Methylation is good too, if your doc is up to par in that area. One change I made recently that I wish I'd done well long ago: concierge doctor. It's about $4K a year, but I'm sure I'll get that back with the better results. We'll see. At the least; you get hour long visits (or longer if needed) with the doctor and they don't work for the Parma firms, indirectly. I love it so far.

 

[SFMCjohn]

Like showing up on the grid without checking the bike over. Results end up being the same anyway....unless your suspension guy extends the wheelbase and forgets to lower the rear down ...

yeah, I was always “the suspension guy” in my little club racing career … we could get away with a lot of foolishness in the less competitive classes, I found.

in any event, I guess it’s all about being willing to accept the consequences for one’s behavior? idk.

 

[Holeshot]

Racers always bitch about the consequences of OTHERS behavior!

 

[Sharxfan]

If your not so depressed you are unable to get out of bed and your test levels are in the range of normal, I doubt you are going to miss that scintilla.

If you want to blast your hormones to the moon, by all means exercise that free will too. Just be honest about it, don't throw shade at doctors and don't try to impress everyone with how awesome you are. Food for thought.

You do know that normal test levels for men are from 1-whatever. If you have any testosterone in your system at any age you are normal especially as you get older. I had mine tested to see what it was and it was super low and my primary said I was in the normal range. There is no bottom to the normal value for them to say you know what it's too low you need to do testosterone therapy.

 

[stangmx13]

You do know that normal test levels for men are from 1-whatever. If you have any testosterone in your system at any age you are normal especially as you get older. I had mine tested to see what it was and it was super low and my primary said I was in the normal range. There is no bottom to the normal value for them to say you know what it's too low you need to do testosterone therapy.

That’s a weird use of “normal”. Ya someone that has had their gonads fail to produce T would normally have levels that low. But that’s like saying it’s normal for people to get cataracts. Normal but shitty, and we can do something to fix it. World consensus for morning serum T seems to be that <200 will cause or contribute to other health issues.

Testosterone deficiency in adults and corresponding treatment patterns across the globe - PMC

The global prevalence of testosterone deficiency (TD) ranges from 10–40%. The actual diagnosis of TD is controversial, as a wide range of total testosterone (TT) thresholds are used for diagnosis (200–400 ng/dL), and physicians differ in their ...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Male hypogonadism: Symptoms and treatment - PMC

Male hypogonadism is a condition in which the body does not produce enough of the testosterone hormone; the hormone that plays a key role in masculine growth and development during puberty. There is a clear need to increase the awareness of ...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Holeshot]

Normal but shitty, and we can do something to fix it.

Right. This forum has been a beacon of support for everyone in their quest for fitness, performance, and health. Blasting people who post the personal details of their programs is antithetical to the beacon of support. It gets under my skin. TRT is a real thing for most guys as they get older, especially when their performance starts to drop off. It's motivating to see how others are able to perform at a high level later in life, IMO.

 

[stangmx13]

Right. This forum has been a beacon of support for everyone in their quest for fitness, performance, and health. Blasting people who post the personal details of their programs is antithetical to the beacon of support. It gets under my skin. TRT is a real thing for most guys as they get older, especially when their performance starts to drop off. It's motivating to see how others are able to perform at a high level later in life, IMO.

Shades of gray man, shades of gray. One man’s “fixed my brain and stopped my osteoporosis getting worse” is another man’s “roid rage and prostate cancer”.

 

[Holeshot]

Truth. But all results are personal anyway....so long as people own their decisions, still the beacon.

 

[Sharxfan]

Shades of gray man, shades of gray. One man’s “fixed my brain and stopped my osteoporosis getting worse” is another man’s “roid rage and prostate cancer”.

I think roid rage is associated more with steroids versus direct testosterone. So Google say steroids are used to super dose to levels way outside the normal range and are synthetic while TRT is supposed to keep you in the normal range and matches the T your body normally produces.

Truth. But all results are personal anyway....so long as people own their decisions, still the beacon.

True. I have talked to SV outside of this thread and appreciate his honest responses and how his choices have affected him.

 

[stangmx13]

Truth. But all results are personal anyway....so long as people own their decisions, still the beacon.

“As long as people own it” isn’t the end of the story though. One important part is that no one makes health decisions in a vacuum. Any review of TRT (or lack of it) here will impact anyone that reads it. We’ve got “1000 T” and “low T” experiences posted here. Who’s to say either of those are best for a reader.

The same is true for many of the topics we talk about. My experiences with injuries and broken bones may be risky for others. Same with many ppl’s lifting experience. Hell, even my sugar intake is not recommended for nearly everyone else on BARF . It’s hard to convey risks and actually help as often as possible.

 

[stangmx13]

The final race of the year for my local MTB series was last night. I finally fucking did it... 2nd place!

I did a mini taper for this race, skipping Monday's lifting and doing an actual Opener ride on Wed. I also warmed up super easy. For long aerobic workouts, I like a solid 20min warm-up that builds. But I think I've learned over the past month that for short anaerobic efforts I want far less. I did like 4min of hard riding during this 20min warm-up and actually felt pretty good on the start line.

I gridded on the 2nd row and actually got off the line ok. Around the first turn I passed a few and managed to be in the top 6. I stayed in the group and out of the wind all the way up the climb and onto the ridge - probably the first time I didn't feel at my limit. On the ridge there's a tiny rock garden and someone crashed it, blocking the whole trail. Me and my buddy Austin stood there for 12sec as he got up, dropped his chain, fell over again, swore a bunch, got up, and walked out of the rock garden . Apparently I had a 12sec gap to the group behind which would have been nice to keep .

The next two laps were tactical AF. My group was now like 12 guys. I stayed in the top 4 the whole time and pulled maybe 20% of the time. A few times I had to drop the watts and pull over so someone else would pull. We did get into lap traffic really quick and someone behind shoulder checked a small girl . Thankfully he stopped. That dwindled the group to 6 or so. Those bobbles are the main reason why I wanted to be in the front of the group. But my main rival Adam was still there.

With over a lap to go, Adam put in an attack through one of the small obstacles. I didn't have enough to follow right away and I kinda expected our group of 5 to easily catch him. I think we held a 10sec gap on the flats. But he gained more time on the climb and we weren't working well enough to catch. I thought Adam pulled away for the win, so I just had to beat Austin and Kyle in my group. Turns out we destroyed Kyle up the climb and Austin was cooked heading back to the finish. I did a cool 700w sprint into the finish to seal 2nd and 9th overall.

I'm absolutely stoked that everything finally came together in one of these races to put me on the podium. Ive had too many 4ths and too many things go "wrong" and was just getting tired of it. Sometimes you just gotta put in a little more effort to succeed big time.

Also, i totally marginal-gained this race. I stole the front wheel/tire off Luca's bike because it was 100g lighter and smaller to be more aero. I wore my aero socks and my speedsuit. And i freshly shaved my legs. Maybe the taper helped the most, maybe it was all the margin gains. We'll never know

I have no more races for the year. I gotta build my bicycle business more and make some $$. But I'll keep training. Today is a lifting day