Get Fit, Stay Fit, Feel Good - 2026

[stangmx13]

I think microtears are correlated with hypertrophy but causation is not yet proven.

The only thing that seems consistent in research is that eccentric workouts are more likely to cause both hypertrophy and muscle damage than non-eccentric movements. Eccentric movements apparently engage fewer muscle motor units, thereby loading those more for the same weight. Some papers are saying like 1/2 the motor units, so 2x the load per unit.

And that begs the question - if eccentric loads work less of the muscle, how do they produce more hypertrophy?! I will continue to do more research.

 

[budman]

I'd say that at our age, recovery is more important than more time under load. The hardest thing in the sphere of resistance training is being strict to one's recovery. It's sooooo easy to add another day, thinking more work is better gains. That's not the truth, sad to say. Enjoy the time off as just that; time off. Your body needs the downtime, desperately...just a note before you start blowing away gains with over training (which is super easy to do). YMMV Bud.

I think the main thing is to not over due the leg and make sure recovery keeps it on task.

Adding some stretching and some core work should not over do me. I am actually going to talk with a trainer about that today.

Decided to chase some shockwave for the shoulder. I am finding the lat pulls while painful are slightly increasing the range of motion. I also believe that the additional muscle surrounding it is allowing me to actually sleep on that side a bit for the first time in a year or more.

 

[Holeshot]

I think microtears are correlated with hypertrophy but causation is not yet proven.

The only thing that seems consistent in research is that eccentric workouts are more likely to cause both hypertrophy and muscle damage than non-eccentric movements. Eccentric movements apparently engage fewer muscle motor units, thereby loading those more for the same weight. Some papers are saying like 1/2 the motor units, so 2x the load per unit.

And that begs the question - if eccentric loads work less of the muscle, how do they produce more hypertrophy?! I will continue to do more research.

A slow count on the eccentric (and fighting the weight on the way down) has the benefit of increasing size while concentric builds a power and strength, with quicker movement. Both Concentric and Eccentric cause hypertrophy almost equally, given a weight that can be fully utilized in the concentric movement. An eccentric movement has the advantage with a weight that's heavier than one can manage concentrically. The overloaded eccentric movement, when controlled, allows for greater weight to act on the fibers, etc. Eccentrics are more efficient, especially WRT communication (neural drive)...I suspect this has to do with the movement themselves: a concentric movement is an intentional movement from the person. An eccentric movement is unintentional resistance to gravity. As I see it in nominal terms.

As we get older, I see using more eccentric movements over concentric.

 

[Sharxfan]

So tired yesterday. Half day at work then headed out with the daughter and wife unit to go do wedding stuff. Picked out grooms and groomsmen wear and also my suit color. Then went to try the food at the restaurant she wants to cater. Then on the drive home apparently a semi trailer caught fire on the east bound side of I10 so the westbound side obviously had to slow to a stop for 15 miles so they could gawk at the accident on the other side. But luckily still made it home in time to go to the gym.

It was upper day yesterday and on my way to the gym I was ready to close my eyes while driving but I managed to make it to the gym in one piece. Started hitting the wieghts and I perked up a little. Seems like Thursday is more shoulder centric so those were pretty wiped out by the end of the evening. track weight on my phone and apparently I made a misnotation between raised deadlift and military press. I had the bigger weight stack listed under military press and a low weight on deadlift. So I put the weights on started to do deadlifts and was like why is this so light and then went to military shoulder press and as soon as I got the hook rolled back on the smith machine I was like nope this is too heavy. Swapped numbers around and it got much better although I was struggling with the press but that was fine. Everything else was great and ended the night and went home. so one more gym night and then its the weekend which means doing interior trimwork on the house and if the outside is dry enough to mow the 2 foot tall weed/grass in the yard.

 

[stangmx13]

I found another way to do hamstring curls yesterday. Lay on your stomach, grip a dumbbell between your feet, and curl. I did it off the end of the couch chaise with a 20lbs weight. I’m fucking terrible at it. My hamstrings felt like cramping in a 3x10 set, especially at full contraction. I can deadlift over 200lbs - how the f is 20lbs of this so challenging. No wonder why my hamstrings cramp during races.

 

[Sharxfan]

I found another way to do hamstring curls yesterday. Lay on your stomach, grip a dumbbell between your feet, and curl. I did it off the end of the couch chaise with a 20lbs weight. I’m fucking terrible at it. My hamstrings felt like cramping in a 3x10 set, especially at full contraction. I can deadlift over 200lbs - how the f is 20lbs of this so challenging. No wonder why my hamstrings cramp during races.

I am not totally convinced regular deadlifts hit the hamstrings like they really say they do. I actually do a modified version of deadlifts in my routine called stiff leg deadlifts and you can really feel it hit the hamstrings and glutes.

On the leg curl machine I am doing 110 lbs with 3 second negatives and I can feel it after I get off the machine. Today was lower day so it is fresh in my mind.

 

[stangmx13]

Ya my straight leg DL is definitely not as strong as regular. The hamstring stretch during that does feel nice.

The coach usually has me do single leg deadlift. It more hamstring than regular but not as much as straight leg, probably because I'm trying to not fall over lol. I think the most I've done on that is 95lbs. Last night I did 40lbs at the coach's request to lift very light.

These deadlifts seem to be missing work in the contracted state.

 

[Sharxfan]

Well start of another week and one more workout in the bag. Still trying to find the best weight for some exercises but feel I am getting close to being right where I need to be. Only thing that's weird is that I am starting to sweat like a madman when I do my routine. I look around and no one else is breaking a sweat but here I am looking like Leslie Nielsen in airplane and getting a little self conscious. started to grab some towels from the front desk to sop of the sweat but damn its no bueno. Threw in some light treadmill work last night to get body used to that again as I want to burn some more calories as it doesn't seem like its really coming off at all.

Hope everyone else journey is going well haven't seen some people post for a bit and want to make sure this stays near the top of new posts.

 

[Ridley]

@Sharxfan, keep up the work. I’m a big sweater and absolutely love it. Although my wife isn’t a fan.

I haven’t posted much since my race but am still lifting weights and riding my bike. It’s been pretty warm lately. Last week one of my rides was a quick 17 miles in about 1:15 and when I got into my truck afterwards (it was parked in the shade the whole time) the temperature was 101 degrees.

On the recommendation of a friend I picked up some new Assos bib shorts. My bum feels like it being held by angles…soooo comfy.

 

[Mike95060]

On the recommendation of a friend I picked up some new Assos bib shorts. My bum feels like it being held by angles…soooo comfy.

Zoinks they are Pricey ... Happy ending included?

 

[Sharxfan]

Jeebus christ they hide that price pretty well. I am not sure I could spend that much on form fitting shorts and I am sure my neighbors would agreee with me not purchasing them but I guess if that's your thing.

 

[Das MotorRad]

I walked for 20 minutes this morning! and my blisters aren't yelling at me, so that's nice.

 

[budman]

I have a physical on Thursday.

Sort of looking forward to it. Mostly because I am a solid 30 lbs lighter and more if you include the fat I replaced with muscle. A small from the blood work seems like a no biggie according to Chat whatever.

Infection or stress or inflammation has a couple WBC #'s up or down, but overall it is solid. Makes sense given the leg and the shoulder plus the workout inflammation of those arthritic pieces. We will see what the Doc says.

Leg day today. Started some fast twitch PT exercises which is my PT lady thought was a great idea. She extended me another 3 mos of therapy and is super happy with my progress and attitude. She told me having people that really apply themselves is what makes the job satisfying.

Given the avg Medicare PT is 3 months I am more than double of that and headed to a full 9 months.

More work to do.

 

[Mike95060]

Jeebus christ they hide that price pretty well. I am not sure I could spend that much on form fitting shorts and I am sure my neighbors would agreee with me not purchasing them but I guess if that's your thing.

To be fair I did highlight the most expensive pair. Quality clothing that fits, lasts and gets worn frequently is usually worth the price, I just can't swing $400 on bibs.

 

[Mike95060]

Im case anyone out there is still wondering if getting fitter is worth it:
(Sources cited in description)

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

 

[Ridley]

To be fair I did highlight the most expensive pair. Quality clothing that fits, lasts and gets worn frequently is usually worth the price, I just can't swing $400 on bibs.

I did not pay $400. With a discount code they were less than 1/2 of that.

And I have found that quality clothing is certainly worth the price.

 

[Mike95060]

I did not pay $400. With a discount code they were less than 1/2 of that.

And I have found that quality clothing is certainly worth the price.

What's that code buddy?....

The other bibs on their site were a just a little north of $200. For something that really works, lasts and fits I can see it. Especially with a discount on top of it.

 

[Das MotorRad]

Im case anyone out there is still wondering if getting fitter is worth it:
(Sources cited in description)

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

so, 50 minutes of zone 2 (100-120bpm) three times per week

and it looks like riding a motorcycle doesn't put you into zone 2

 

[Ridley]

What's that code buddy?....

The other bibs on their site were a just a little north of $200. For something that really works, lasts and fits I can see it. Especially with a discount on top of it.

It was from competitive cyclist. They often have discount codes around the holidays.

 

[Sharxfan]

may need to wear my watch to see if I am hitting zone 2 at all in my normal routine. it would suck if I have to add some treadmill work to hit that mark.

 

[Holeshot]

Only thing that's weird is that I am starting to sweat like a madman when I do my routine. I look around and no one else is breaking a sweat but here I am looking like Leslie Nielsen in airplane and getting a little self conscious. started to grab some towels from the front desk to sop of the sweat but damn its no bueno.

Don't forget: excessive sweating can deplete potassium disproportionately. Oddly, dehydration and affect body temps which can lead to excessive sweating as well.

 

[Sharxfan]

I think I am hydrated but maybe I need to force myself to drink more water to make sure.

 

[Das MotorRad]

i had bloodwork done in 2021, 2023, and 2024 as i transitioned to a zero carb diet. this is the analysis of the results:

Looking at the trajectory of your lipid panel across these three data points, the overall picture is quite robust, especially considering the transition to a carnivore diet. Many people see a massive spike in LDL and overall cholesterol when switching to a high-fat, zero-carb lifestyle, but your body is handling it very efficiently.

Here is a breakdown of what the trends show:

The Breakdown​

• Total Cholesterol & LDL (The "Bad" Cholesterol): Interestingly, your LDL peaked in 2023 at an elevated 104mg/dL but then dropped significantly by August 2024 to a very lean 56. Your total cholesterol followed a similar arc, dropping to a highly efficient 147mg/dL.
• HDL (The "Good" Cholesterol): This is a standout metric. Your HDL has steadily climbed from a strong 64mg/dL up to an exceptional 74mg/dL. Higher HDL is consistently correlated with robust cardiovascular health and efficient clearing of arterial cholesterol.
• Triglycerides & VLDL: Your triglycerides jumped up to 93mg/dL in 2024 compared to the ultra-low 40s/50s in prior years. While it is a noticeable increase, it is still well within the normal, healthy range (less than 140mg/dL is standard). On a high-fat carnivore diet, your body heavily relies on circulating triglycerides as a primary fuel source. Your VLDL (very low-density lipoprotein) tracks closely with this, remaining completely healthy at 17mg/dL.
• Total Cholesterol / HDL Ratio: Because your HDL is so high and your total cholesterol dropped, your ratio shifted down to a phenomenal 2.0. In preventative cardiology, a ratio below 3.5 is considered ideal for minimizing cardiovascular risk.

The Takeaway: Your numbers look incredibly clean. You have exceptionally high HDL ("good" cholesterol), very low LDL, and highly optimal ratios. The modest uptick in triglycerides is standard for a fat-adapted metabolism and remains well within the safe zone.

my old doc is in greenland now so my new doc will probably be interested in getting another set of bloodwork done. i will keep you all informed

 

[Holeshot]

Something with electrolytes IMO. Water can cause more problems than expected especially when sweated out. I rarely run only water during a normal workout.

 

[stangmx13]

I don’t understand how people don’t sweat at the gym. I’m dripping at the squat rack in shorts and a tank while others are in sweats. Crazy.

I don’t get along with Assos. The chamois material rubs me the wrong way, no matter how much cream I apply. I guess I have sensitive taint skin lol.

I usually have 5-6 cycling shorts in rotation. Castelli Espresso bib is my favorite. <$150 on sale. My favorite jerseys is Pactimo Summit and it’s like $75 on sale, which is almost always.