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The_Jed
The_Jed PowerDork
1/22/25 1:17 p.m.
The_Jed said:

   I took some time off and let my joints recover a bit. My youngest kid (15) has been bitten by the weight lifting bug. We ran through their 1rm on the core lifts and I built a 5/3/1 BBB program template around them. We just started week two of cycle two and the progress both in both physique and strength has been staggering; at 5'8" and 123 lbs the kid benched 120 x 1, squatted 215 x 1 and deadlifted 260 x 1. Today 205 was deadlifted for 15 clean reps so, it's safe to say that 1rm has gone up a bit. Lol

 

 

   I'm back on my "Vengeance" program:

 Day 1= legs, chest, shoulders, triceps

Day 2= legs, back, biceps

Day 3= transverse plane/core, boxing, cardio

Day 4= KB Rite of Passage, ACFT

Day 5= transverse plane/core, boxing, cardio

Day 6= rest

Day 7= rest or start program again, depending on how I feel.

 

While lifting with my kid I've been able to squat again. It's like I've stumbled upon the fountain of youth!

My kid has grown a bit over over the past 23 months or so. He's now 5'9" and weighs close to 150. His lifting stats have gone up too.

Deadlift - 315

Squat - 335

Flat Bench - 200

Nicole Suddard
Nicole Suddard GRM+ Memberand Events Manager
1/24/25 11:03 a.m.

I know this is less of a strength/power training thing, but I figure it's worth a shot: has anybody with an Apple Watch noticed that their Vo2 Max metric does not exactly line up with what they're feeling in terms of training progress? Often I will make great personal improvements in my endurance and tolerance for intensity in my cardio exercises, but when look at my Vo2 Max afterwards, it has stayed the same or gone DOWN. And of course, all of the info I find when I search "how to improve your Vo2 Max" is for people who seemingly just learned that exercise exists. 

For reference, I do an hour of moderate-to-intense cardio almost every day, and my Vo2 Max never breaks 29, the top of the "below average" zone. Last night I did a half hour on the elliptical and a full hour in an intense dance class, and my number dropped to 28.1. When I had covid in August it was 27.6. Maybe I'm misunderstanding the metric, but surely there should be more than a 0.5 point difference between "I literally can't get out of bed" and "I'm easily doing a lot more exercise in one day than most people I know do in a week"?

1988RedT2
1988RedT2 MegaDork
1/24/25 11:14 a.m.

I'm 64 y.o. and lift 2 to 3 times a week.  In warmer weather, I'll bike 12 miles about as frequently.  I've probably put on 10 pounds of mostly muscle since I started lifting regularly and increased my protein intake significantly about 2 years ago.  Still trying to balance diet and exercise to get the weight to stabilize.  I've never been much over 180 and I figure now is not a good time to weigh the most I've ever weighed.  Two years ago I weighed around 170.

I'm not familiar with Vo2 max, but I'll look it up. 

I find that diet has a huge impact on how well you feel, and also performance.  I've made some significant changes to my diet in the last couple years, eating big salads with some kind of protein (tuna, leftover chicken, cheese, cottage cheese, etc.) for lunch and trying to keep dinner small.  Sugar is the devil.

1988RedT2
1988RedT2 MegaDork
1/24/25 1:30 p.m.

In reply to Nicole Suddard :

It appears that the Apple Watch calculates Vo2 max by monitoring your heart rate and GPS position and then relating these two parameters.  If I read this article correctly, you need to be actually moving, covering ground, i.e. not on a treadmill.

https://marathonhandbook.com/apple-watch-vo2-max-accuracy/

Nicole Suddard
Nicole Suddard GRM+ Memberand Events Manager
1/24/25 4:09 p.m.

In reply to 1988RedT2 :

Wow, if that's the case you'd think they'd be better off not even showing a measurement for people who are consistently tracking treadmill, elliptical and stair climber cardio workouts, especially since pairing the watch with the machine should give them plenty of time/estimated distance data to compare with heart rate.

TravisTheHuman
TravisTheHuman MegaDork
1/24/25 4:18 p.m.

Is your HR on the watch accurate?  I've never had a fitness watch give me accurate numbers.

1988RedT2
1988RedT2 MegaDork
1/24/25 4:36 p.m.

In reply to Nicole Suddard :

Yeah, you'd think so.  Unless the latest version of Apple Watch has changed something, everything I've read on the subject agrees with this:

The way that Apple Watch VO2 max recordings and estimations are captured and provided is by using the heart and motion sensors during an Outdoor Walk, Outdoor Run, or Hiking workout in the Workout app. 

calteg
calteg UltraDork
1/24/25 4:48 p.m.

In reply to Nicole Suddard :

I take every metric from every smartwatch with a huge grain of salt. 

With all the fitness gurus recently equating V02 max with longevity, that's probably one that's best recorded in an actual laboratory. Check your local university, often they'll have discounted testing in their sports science dept. 

Nicole Suddard
Nicole Suddard GRM+ Memberand Events Manager
1/24/25 5:53 p.m.

In reply to calteg :

I'm not super worried about it except in the sense that it was one more metric I was disappointed to not see movement in.

Robbie (Forum Supporter)
Robbie (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
1/24/25 7:19 p.m.

Improve v02 max quickly with 4-8 minute all out blasts. Like, not a full sprint but close enough that you are done done after 5 minutes. This type of work is really painful for the last minute.

if you go for hours at a time, your body will improve at that, but that is nowhere near your v02 "max".

also, while it can be a fun metric, it's a bit "secondary". Like many people train for a primary goal like running a faster 5k or feeling better climbing stairs, or losing weight. V02 max isn't a great primary goal, if that makes sense.

also also, I think many fitness trackers just use a table of age, weight, and resting heart rate to calculate a v02 max. So it may be less insightful than they want you to think.

GIRTHQUAKE
GIRTHQUAKE UltraDork
1/27/25 4:27 p.m.

I tried to use the Reinessance Periodization meal prep app and ended up returning it; I couldn't get the app to actually "assemble" things into a meal, or divvy up the proportions properly and I found myself just making excel spreadsheets do to the same, which at that point I began asking myself what I was paying for it in the first place. I want to stress however, I didn't mess with the program enough to really make a better opinion of it; but something about it, and how lots of costco things just didn't scan, just rubbed me the wrong way.

I'm looking for a different tracking system now. I'm a little better on my macros, but not by much.

Also, I'm still running the plan Beer Baron made so I've needed to make a new one for over 6 months lol

Paul_VR6 (Forum Supporter)
Paul_VR6 (Forum Supporter) UltraDork
3/3/25 10:16 a.m.

Anyone have a good hack for this other than a new gym? Starting to max out the dumbells at pf and would like to keep progressing. Its mostly bench, squat/shoulder press, and deadlifts where am using the 75lb in my last set. I can increase reps and/or use only those but likely won't be getting much stronger. There are smith machines but always busy, I use it for squats but if I have to wait its gonna make workouts long af. So anyone have any smart ideas? Buy some heavier weights for them? laugh

TravisTheHuman
TravisTheHuman MegaDork
3/3/25 10:31 a.m.

@Paul Have you tried slowing down your movements.  Anything up to ~30 reps is still going to build muscle.  I doubt you can do 30x bench with 75s a 4 second  lowering phase (if you can, props because you are a beast).  I've been milking the 50s at my apt for a while this way.  I do wish I had higher weights, but in the absence of them, this will do.

For deadlifts... there is really no good way to do any deadlifting at PF, period.  You kinda need to break it into other movements.  I'm open to input here too - I have the same limiations at my gym (or more).  For hinging movements I've been doing a lot of powersnatch.  RDLs are awesome, but I really struggle with keeping my knees back without arching my back once I get down near parallel.

For legs, machines are really the only other good option.  I feel your pain, PF suuuuucks in this regard.  85 treadmills and stairclimbers that are only 10% utilized and 5 smith machines that always have people waiting for them.  I feel like there is a business model in copying PF but just doing less cardio and more smith/dumbell...


@Girthquake - I use Cronometer.  Free and better than my fitness pal.  Not perfect, but 98% of spreadsheet level at 2% of the effort.

brandonsmash
brandonsmash GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
3/3/25 12:37 p.m.

Man, Planet Fitness sounds dreadful. Can you do Good Mornings? I suppose if all they have are Smith machines those would not be possible. Pendlay rows to help with traps, perhaps? 

Paul_VR6 (Forum Supporter)
Paul_VR6 (Forum Supporter) UltraDork
3/3/25 7:41 p.m.

Thanks for the advice. My last gym at work had 70s so I was up to 10x3 on those about 9mos ago. Had some time off w just the home gym till pf opened. The only other gyms are super fn crowded with asshats. No thanks laugh will try the slow lowering. I've been doing lots of pushups for a few years and putting my hands on the scale in pushup position is 140ish. So..

There are only 3 smith at mine and always packed. I can get on maybe once per workout and only if I pounce and work it in. I have back issues that make dead lifts and squats hard but getting better. Maybe I'll fool w machines a little more. 
 

Never tried good morning, but max bar weight is 60lb. I do bent rows sometimes aS a combo w dumbell deadlifts. There are some decent cable machines for pulldowns and other pulls so less worried about that. 

 

brandonsmash
brandonsmash GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
3/18/25 4:13 p.m.

I'm really feeling at odds with myself. 

I'm not competing in powerlifting/strongman right now but still want to be Strong as Sh*t. 

Also every year I do birthday squats - 315lb. on the bar for my age in reps in a single set of free squats (no shoes, no belt, no wraps, no spotters, no cage). Coming up soon I'll be doing a 43-rep set of 315lb. 

I also enjoy rock climbing but am heavy (about 275lb.). My shoulders are feeling it, for sure; they're crunchier than I'd like. They'll recover, but goddamit, it's annoying.

The big thing, though? Lead climbing. Last year I took a hard fall on lead: I was about 8' above my last pro (second bolt on the climb) and the rock broke. I don't remember the fall but I do remember waking up: My wife and belayer were absolutely ashen. I took a 20-foot free-fall onto a hard deck and landed on my shoulders/head. Thankfully I was wearing a helmet, because with the damage on the bucket I don't know if that fall was survivable otherwise. 

I'm still SUPER in my head about lead climbing. I've been doing more of it in the gym just to get some more exposure again, but that fall really shook me; it was far from my first lead fall, but it was the first time I've decked. 

I'm asking my body to do a lot of things that are at odds with each other and I'm asking my brain to not focus on the consequences of falling and it's kinda not great. 

 

trigun7469
trigun7469 UltraDork
3/20/25 2:47 p.m.

I have been reading up about  Creatine would like to use it for cutting. Has anyone used it for cutting? Currently I eat/drink protien based shakes/muffins to cut down the amount I eat. Just wondering if adding creatine would hurt or help. Anything to curb my appetite and give me energy would be helpful Currently I am doing a 18:6 fast for weight loss and for Acid reflux/gut issues.

brandonsmash
brandonsmash GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
3/20/25 2:56 p.m.

In reply to trigun7469 :

I'm not sure how creatine would work on a cut routine. With regards to exercise it is generally useful as a mechanism to provide additional ATP (phosphocreatine being useful for providing an additional phosphate to generate ATP from ADP), which can be beneficial by increasing the total potential energy output you have available to you during the first stages of the Krebs cycle. To my knowledge, creatine is not useful as either a stimulant or an appetite suppressant. 

Beer Baron 🍺
Beer Baron 🍺 MegaDork
3/20/25 3:19 p.m.

In reply to trigun7469 :

Creatine will tend to cause you to retain water in your muscles. Expect to gain water weight when you start it, but that actually tends to increase how prominent your muscles are as they plump up like cheap chicken breast.

I don't think I'd want to start taking creatine while on a cutting phase. It's likely to throw your reference points off. It's also something your body takes a bit to fully adapt to, and that could be unpleasant while also adapting to a stricter diet.

As Brandon pointed out, it's primary goal is to provide extra energy to crank out one or two more reps, not as an appetite supprescent or anything.

Nicole Suddard
Nicole Suddard GRM+ Memberand Events Manager
3/20/25 3:54 p.m.

In reply to brandonsmash :

I feel your situation big time. About a month ago I took a fall off the bouldering wall and landed badly on my ankle, resulting in a really gnarly lateral sprain. I'm just now getting back to being able to tolerate long sessions on an elliptical machine without too much pain (wearing a splint, of course), and tonight I guess I'll find out if I can get back to normal-ish activity in my dance classes, which were really my top priority before all this happened.

It's been tough trying to do my normal dance conditioning workouts not knowing when I'll be able to jump or land on my right foot again without reinjuring myself, and I think it's going to be a long time before I'm comfortable getting back on the bouldering wall. The mental block of "what if it happens again and it's even worse" is hard to get past.

brandonsmash
brandonsmash GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
3/20/25 4:26 p.m.

In reply to Beer Baron 🍺 :

It looks like more recent research indicates that creatine does not promote water retention past the first few days of use. 

A number of exercise training studies (e.g., 5-10 weeks) incorporating creatine supplementation have shown no increases in total body water (TBW). 

Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7871530/

 

Nicole:

I had a disagreement the other day about the fear of "what if." I hold that I am not terribly afraid of heights, but I am afraid of falling. The other guy maintains that they're the same; I think they're different. Bouldering is one of those edge cases where you can be fairly high off the ground and risk a ground fall with every move. You're right: The "what if it's even worse next time" is a strong voice. 

I just watched this Reel Rock film. "Dropping Molly" is about a climber who took a 30-foot deck when she slipped on a trad climb and her pro popped. It shows the lead-up, the fall, and her recovery. It's worth a watch.

https://www.redbull.com/us-en/episodes/reel-rock-s10-e8

Beer Baron 🍺
Beer Baron 🍺 MegaDork
3/22/25 3:24 p.m.

Yee... climbing falls...

My original climbing gym in Sacramento, they had someone fall on their lead certification test. Very final hurdle to pass was to clip into the penultimate clip, touch the final hold, and drop.

...and their rope snapped. (It was their own rope and the failure was apparently degradation from storage conditions.)

30ft fall to the padding. And apparently they were actually relatively fine. Like conscious and doing okay when the paramedics took them away. Not letting them move as a precaution, but otherwise they would have been able to stand up on their own.

My worst climbing injury was maybe a 6" bouldering fall. But I was doing a heel hook with my foot wedged tightly in a jug.

Beer Baron 🍺
Beer Baron 🍺 MegaDork
3/22/25 3:26 p.m.

First time doing Pistol Squats today in over a year. I'm happy with how I did.

Only did sets of 6. But I hit them to full depth without any cheating or need for assistance. I'll call that a win, and will be looking forward to get back to sets of 10+.

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