the GAINS thread

[America]

redacted. but i am the hardest person here. i say that femininely.

[Mead]

Originally Posted by Cen [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I saw this topic long ago but wanted to chime in now that the conversation is steering in a way I think I can chat about (and hock one of my hobbies to you guys). I'm not a success story, i'm just a story, and that's a lead in to my first point.

There is only the goals you have, the goals you succeed at, and the goals you didn't achieve, either because you decided it wasn't a goal anymore, or you're just not there yet. Some guys, or girls or anything in between, want to get absolutely jacked and huge. That's pretty hard to do. Some people want to bodybuild. I think i'm in a hefty majority who sort of decides its more of a "I want to look good naked" type thing.. which is a bonus for me given I sign up for a lot of silly naked races and a bike race events which are more common in my area.

Anyway, I started doing the basic strength thing. I notice a lot of folks doing that. I liked doing rippetoes Starting Strength and trying out Stronglifts. They are great starting lifting programs, but you sort of have to find your own way soon because they get heavy quick. I was also running, but that was boring, especially on roads. I eventually found trail running with a nice pair of trail running shoes is so entertaining and exploration made it more fun. I really got into fitness when I discovered obstacle course racing.. and that's mostly why I wanted to make the post (in case nobody knew it existed or was an option). It was a mix of how much I enjoyed jungle gym crap as a kid and seeing the contrast in how awesome the assassin's creed characters jump around on buildings and crap and yet I could barely hold onto a bar for a few seconds.

If you find that the typical lift/swim/run type thing is hard to stick to, try looking for an OCR gym near you. You can practice simple obstacles or attempt more ninja warrior type stunts.. like when I wanted to start being able to lache for the first time:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXgqaIBAJrQ

here's a few typical obstacles that most obstacle races have:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgBgJvpQVw0


I'm not super jacked but I do alright. I went from 230 lbs about 4 years ago to holding at around 188 (at 6ft even). Still feel like I could drop a bit more though. My abdomen looks like a mad science experiment that i'm recovering from
[You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]



A few things I learned along the way, and it's going to sound super softcore [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Weight loss is straight calories, even if you were pounding sugar all day. I feel like keto / low carb crap is very fadlike, and it sure works for a lot of people as a means, but I like a good balance, and not to plan to "revert" back to something that was supposedly "bad" (even though its not i.e. consuming carbohydrates). Just because you drop weight though isn't always ideal. Gotta keep that composition. I don't know nothin' bout eating 2 chickens a day, but chicken in general is nice to eat [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

A huge one for me, and maybe the thing I should have put at the top: CHILL OUT with doing something hard. Don't start with weight on the bar. Don't run every day. Just add in a nice 2 mile trot, maybe 2-3 times a week, and turn that trot mildly into a canter. Take it easy. Do everything gradually, and mentally tell yourself you'll do it forever not because you hate it, but because its not that bad. All my fellow OCR people always claim to hate running, but they are blasting out their 10 mile weekends and 5 mile weekdays anyway. Don't go 0-11 on anything, be it lifting, losing/gaining weight, getting your first pullup, or whatever. Just find a small level of success, and increase what you did gradually to be successful. Avoid "good" and "bad" binges. Binges do weird stuff to people.

Your goals are your goals too. I did want to talk about stuff I did but you can't push your goals on others or tell others their goal is wrong. I say this because on reddit fitness, there are so many people who are ashamed to admit their goals are "superficial" like straight aesthetics. Aesthetics are pretty good and common to focus on. Some people want pure strength. Power lifters can do amazing stuff in competitions.



I feel like obstacles are a great full body workout when mixed with running. I feel more human when I can pull myself over stuff, pick up heavy stuff, and move myself from A to B better. Probably because that's what people did for most of history [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Thanks for posting a raw progress story.

I'm sorry if the thread wasn't as inviting for you in the beginning. I've always tried to
make this a safe place, with a focus on individual goals. That gets lost sometimes in between the trolling.

Making solid and consistent gains is what it's all about. Although I don't know what moderation and balance are, I definitely agree with you they're the best route for most.

Keep up the good work, dude.

[America]

sorry for trolling. progress and gainz are good. I am pro Cen, and I like his bodytype and hair removal scheme. nice tummy.

[America]

okay i got around to reading cen's post and watching the videos. it's an excellent post. do things that are fun and in a fun way. like how he appears in his videos to be enjoying a nice rapport with his gymmates ^^

ok I will give my fitness history because I relate so much to Cen. i am something of an athlete in a sustainable way and I definitely haven't always been.

my big fitness phases were:

• finally realizing at age 16 foreveralone that this being unhealthy stuff was gay. I was a fully rotted videogamer with a linux box and it sucked. One day, overnight, I began reading the calories and content on EVERYTHING and ceased to drink soda or eat anything remotely unhealthy overnight. This part was easy because I instantly felt 10x better.
  
  I did prison workouts at 2am, when the temperature in my 4chan cave dropped below 80, and fixed up grampas ole 80s touring/mountain bike. The first time I rode the bike I had to drop onto the road and spin with nausea for 10 minutes. I kept up with it, but my cycling made me miserable and it took tremendous spiritual effort to maintain this routine. I also intermittently tried running during this period, and it always made me *miserable* but i forced the issue because I thought it was the thing to do. It made me feel like a failure that my joints protest at running, and really put a dent in my gainz by psychological means.
  
• Then, going to the college gym, struggling, lifting weight, feeling uncomfortable with all the big dudes and hot girls who apparently knew what they were doing around me. This was sporadic because it caused me such stress. It wasn't fun. I was a very cute twink but I did not achieve impressive shape by any means. UNTIL:
  
• I got recruited by the rowing crew while using one of the ergs in the gym. I highly recommend trying an erg. Pace yourself. Great machine. An extremely hot girl made me go talk to the coach, who was next door to the public ergs. He took me on. My school had a highly competitive crew team and the top people on it were fucking olympians. This was always very stressful and I never got good like they were, but the social aspect of it kept me in the torture. Finally expanding beyond gorgeous skinnyboy, I got into good shape. Finally. Thanks to social pressure and the fun surrounding the activity.
  
  I made a very good friend and lover on crew who was just so beautiful. He was exquisite physically, like 6'3" and beautiful and shy and raised very tightly by a wealthy conservative family. I took him to the gay bar for "ha-ha laughs" and the strippers took him in the back room where they all did blow in their underwear and gave him mass attention and made him feel special. Which he was. I gave him his first sexual contact that night. Yeah, the 6 months or whatever of crew was great.
• mania. school drove me to insanity. this was good. one night about 3am on Adderall I sent an overlong, manic email to a person recruiting for a cross country cycling trip, with tents and all that carried on the bike. He was this 19 year old hyper-SouthernBaptist guy who wanted to tour our great land to get closer to God. I asked him all sorts of stupid things like should I bring a .22 to hunt small game, whaddya think?
  
  This dude was probably 160lbs, 5'10", but every muscle on his body was visible. He was a barefoot runner and did it to communicate with God, he said. He was an inspiration. By virtue of his piety, which I respect immensely, he accepted me and we formed a duo and cycled a 5500 mile circuitous coast to coast path, sharing campsites and both scouting for friendly locals to take us in for showers and such. He sipped his first beer with me and helped me escape this creepy old German dude with God signs all over his lawn whom we'd spent the night of my 20th birthday with, who in a very confused way became unhinged and jealous and came on to me: "I love you and I think you are beautiful, not in any sexual way, you are just so beautiful and I want your birthday to be special why won't you let me take you out for a proper cake."
  
  Anyway this is when I finally became hyper-ripped. I remember a gawker's wife saying "how on Earth do you boys get over these grades???" (missouri has INSANE grades across the ozarks, far steeper than anything west of the Rockies, like 16% or something impossible). The gawker cut off our answer to say "these boys are harder than steel, honey". Yes we were.
  
  Key non-blogpost point here is that of the many cyclists we encountered and rode with, I got up way earlier than any and rode far slower. I had 12 hour days where others had 8. A power-walker's level of cardiac output nice n steady, with bursts of intensity to get up hills and all. I was able to complete centuries and 130 mile days like this, 10 or 12 miles an hour steady as she goes and hit camp before the others. One night a big group of us did an overnight double century and became like the talk of Kansas. "Who were those crazy people out on the road on Friday night?? could get killed like that!" I actually fell asleep on the bike and toppled over at about 2mph. It was fun and exploration, not torture.
  
  At the end of this I was Superboy. I was running a 26 mile, 7000 foot climb summit near my hometown weekendly. I inspired my dad and he finally got on his fitness, depression, and got a girlfriend. My being an example saved his life. I am really proud of it.
• hiking. Hiking hiking. Hit a new summit every week. Make a list and cross things off. Do super gnarly shit solo and risk injury and death. Or make my loved ones come with me on safer routes. It's super fun and I get great endorphined sex afterwards with lovers who respect me quite a bit for my leadership and sense of ownership in their fitness and wellness. This is how I secured a very high-value male. I saved his life, too, just like my Dad's but a little more hands on. From fat, cigar-chomping alcoholic to lean wiry teetotaling bear male. Having this sort of influence on people keeps your own habits in line. You really can have a huge butterfly effect of goodness just by striving to be beautiful and have good sex.
  
  Nice slow pace always. You don't have to run, ever, (except when you're on cascading shale on a steep face) to get *super* ripped. Just run when your endorphin situation says "it would be fun to run". Don't push. Respect your body's biochemical mechanisms and roll with them. Go slow until it feels good to go fast. Next thing you know you're cruising at a good clip. This 30 minute HIIT daily abuse stuff ain't for me; I'd rather devote a day a week to communing with the nature spirits and doing something highly endurance-taxing. And that gets serious gainz. And it's sustainable and fun and cheap.

Here's the lower body I got (repost) just by strolling up hills regularly in 2018.

[You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Congrats on your fitness Cen and good advice. Calories in / calories out. Do things that are fun. Make it your life and the thing you look forward to; not a chore. That's the only way it's ever really worked for me.

also, for the boys out there: you don't have to get big to be very sexy. Lean runner guys are fucking hot.

I hope this absurdly long earnestpost forgives my shiptoasting.

[JurisDictum]

Originally Posted by America [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

okay i got around to reading cen's post and watching the videos. it's an excellent post. do things that are fun and in a fun way. like how he appears in his videos to be enjoying a nice rapport with his gymmates ^^

ok I will give my fitness history because I relate so much to Cen. i am something of an athlete in a sustainable way and I definitely haven't always been.

my big fitness phases were:

• finally realizing at age 16 foreveralone that this being unhealthy stuff was gay. I was a fully rotted videogamer with a linux box and it sucked. One day, overnight, I began reading the calories and content on EVERYTHING and ceased to drink soda or eat anything remotely unhealthy overnight. This part was easy because I instantly felt 10x better.
  
  I did prison workouts at 2am, when the temperature in my 4chan cave dropped below 80, and fixed up grampas ole 80s touring/mountain bike. The first time I rode the bike I had to drop onto the road and spin with nausea for 10 minutes. I kept up with it, but my cycling made me miserable and it took tremendous spiritual effort to maintain this routine. I also intermittently tried running during this period, and it always made me *miserable* but i forced the issue because I thought it was the thing to do. It made me feel like a failure that my joints protest at running, and really put a dent in my gainz by psychological means.
  
• Then, going to the college gym, struggling, lifting weight, feeling uncomfortable with all the big dudes and hot girls who apparently knew what they were doing around me. This was sporadic because it caused me such stress. It wasn't fun. I was a very cute twink but I did not achieve impressive shape by any means. UNTIL:
  
• I got recruited by the rowing crew while using one of the ergs in the gym. I highly recommend trying an erg. Pace yourself. Great machine. An extremely hot girl made me go talk to the coach, who was next door to the public ergs. He took me on. My school had a highly competitive crew team and the top people on it were fucking olympians. This was always very stressful and I never got good like they were, but the social aspect of it kept me in the torture. Finally expanding beyond gorgeous skinnyboy, I got into good shape. Finally. Thanks to social pressure and the fun surrounding the activity.
  
  I made a very good friend and lover on crew who was just so beautiful. He was exquisite physically, like 6'3" and beautiful and shy and raised very tightly by a wealthy conservative family. I took him to the gay bar for "ha-ha laughs" and the strippers took him in the back room where they all did blow in their underwear and gave him mass attention and made him feel special. Which he was. I gave him his first sexual contact that night. Yeah, the 6 months or whatever of crew was great.
• mania. school drove me to insanity. this was good. one night about 3am on Adderall I sent an overlong, manic email to a person recruiting for a cross country cycling trip, with tents and all that carried on the bike. He was this 19 year old hyper-SouthernBaptist guy who wanted to tour our great land to get closer to God. I asked him all sorts of stupid things like should I bring a .22 to hunt small game, whaddya think?
  
  This dude was probably 160lbs, 5'10", but every muscle on his body was visible. He was a barefoot runner and did it to communicate with God, he said. He was an inspiration. By virtue of his piety, which I respect immensely, he accepted me and we formed a duo and cycled a 5500 mile circuitous coast to coast path, sharing campsites and both scouting for friendly locals to take us in for showers and such. He sipped his first beer with me and helped me escape this creepy old German dude with God signs all over his lawn whom we'd spent the night of my 20th birthday with, who in a very confused way became unhinged and jealous and came on to me: "I love you and I think you are beautiful, not in any sexual way, you are just so beautiful and I want your birthday to be special why won't you let me take you out for a proper cake."
  
  Anyway this is when I finally became hyper-ripped. I remember a gawker's wife saying "how on Earth do you boys get over these grades???" (missouri has INSANE grades across the ozarks, far steeper than anything west of the Rockies, like 16% or something impossible). The gawker cut off our answer to say "these boys are harder than steel, honey". Yes we were.
  
  Key non-blogpost point here is that of the many cyclists we encountered and rode with, I got up way earlier than any and rode far slower. I had 12 hour days where others had 8. A power-walker's level of cardiac output nice n steady, with bursts of intensity to get up hills and all. I was able to complete centuries and 130 mile days like this, 10 or 12 miles an hour steady as she goes and hit camp before the others. One night a big group of us did an overnight double century and became like the talk of Kansas. "Who were those crazy people out on the road on Friday night?? could get killed like that!" I actually fell asleep on the bike and toppled over at about 2mph. It was fun and exploration, not torture.
  
  At the end of this I was Superboy. I was running a 26 mile, 7000 foot climb summit near my hometown weekendly. I inspired my dad and he finally got on his fitness, depression, and got a girlfriend. My being an example saved his life. I am really proud of it.
• hiking. Hiking hiking. Hit a new summit every week. Make a list and cross things off. Do super gnarly shit solo and risk injury and death. Or make my loved ones come with me on safer routes. It's super fun and I get great endorphined sex afterwards with lovers who respect me quite a bit for my leadership and sense of ownership in their fitness and wellness. This is how I secured a very high-value male. I saved his life, too, just like my Dad's but a little more hands on. From fat, cigar-chomping alcoholic to lean wiry teetotaling bear male. Having this sort of influence on people keeps your own habits in line. You really can have a huge butterfly effect of goodness just by striving to be beautiful and have good sex.
  
  Nice slow pace always. You don't have to run, ever, (except when you're on cascading shale on a steep face) to get *super* ripped. Just run when your endorphin situation says "it would be fun to run". Don't push. Respect your body's biochemical mechanisms and roll with them. Go slow until it feels good to go fast. Next thing you know you're cruising at a good clip. This 30 minute HIIT daily abuse stuff ain't for me; I'd rather devote a day a week to communing with the nature spirits and doing something highly endurance-taxing. And that gets serious gainz. And it's sustainable and fun and cheap.

Here's the lower body I got (repost) just by strolling up hills regularly in 2018.

[You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Congrats on your fitness Cen and good advice. Calories in / calories out. Do things that are fun. Make it your life and the thing you look forward to; not a chore. That's the only way it's ever really worked for me.

also, for the boys out there: you don't have to get big to be very sexy. Lean runner guys are fucking hot.

I hope this absurdly long earnestpost forgives my shiptoasting.

I like this post because it reminds me I need to be stricter in my calories and harder on the cardio to get a more cut look. You have a nice lean firm backside with feminine curves.

I've heard that long sustained cardio seasons might actually lower your testosterone over time. Where as sprints and hill sprints raise it.

So I'm not sure if I'll continue lots of long distance running -- but hard cardio in general is great for physical appearance. Can be underrated by those trying to get big in strong.

[JurisDictum]

Cen your great progress. You have a lot of potential in your arms judging by your bone structure. So I would keep at it, but maybe add in some of that bro arm shit for accessory work. You only need to do it like once a week with other stuff you do to build them up over time.

[America]

Originally Posted by JurisDictum [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I like this post because it reminds me I need to be stricter in my calories and harder on the cardio to get a more cut look. You have a nice lean firm backside with feminine curves.

I've heard that long sustained cardio seasons might actually lower your testosterone over time. Where as sprints and hill sprints raise it.

So I'm not sure if I'll continue lots of long distance running -- but hard cardio in general is great for physical appearance. Can be underrated by those trying to get big in strong.

Cardio makes you live longer and does the lion's share of making you "feel better" when it comes to exercise. Foregoing it to get big is silly!

When I imagined my future self as a male, I wanted to be tall and very lean with kinda sun-aged skin. Like an old school soldier. It's a great aesthetic. Kinda where Cen is headed, I reckon. Cardio is life. (mead and jeff [and you] are hot too).

[Irulan]

Thanks for sharing.

[Jimjam]

Really enjoyed Cen's and America's long posts!

[bigjeff100]

Originally Posted by Cen [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I saw this topic long ago but wanted to chime in now that the conversation is steering in a way I think I can chat about (and hock one of my hobbies to you guys). I'm not a success story, i'm just a story, and that's a lead in to my first point.

There is only the goals you have, the goals you succeed at, and the goals you didn't achieve, either because you decided it wasn't a goal anymore, or you're just not there yet. Some guys, or girls or anything in between, want to get absolutely jacked and huge. That's pretty hard to do. Some people want to bodybuild. I think i'm in a hefty majority who sort of decides its more of a "I want to look good naked" type thing.. which is a bonus for me given I sign up for a lot of silly naked races and a bike race events which are more common in my area.

Anyway, I started doing the basic strength thing. I notice a lot of folks doing that. I liked doing rippetoes Starting Strength and trying out Stronglifts. They are great starting lifting programs, but you sort of have to find your own way soon because they get heavy quick. I was also running, but that was boring, especially on roads. I eventually found trail running with a nice pair of trail running shoes is so entertaining and exploration made it more fun. I really got into fitness when I discovered obstacle course racing.. and that's mostly why I wanted to make the post (in case nobody knew it existed or was an option). It was a mix of how much I enjoyed jungle gym crap as a kid and seeing the contrast in how awesome the assassin's creed characters jump around on buildings and crap and yet I could barely hold onto a bar for a few seconds.

If you find that the typical lift/swim/run type thing is hard to stick to, try looking for an OCR gym near you. You can practice simple obstacles or attempt more ninja warrior type stunts.. like when I wanted to start being able to lache for the first time:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXgqaIBAJrQ

here's a few typical obstacles that most obstacle races have:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgBgJvpQVw0


I'm not super jacked but I do alright. I went from 230 lbs about 4 years ago to holding at around 188 (at 6ft even). Still feel like I could drop a bit more though. My abdomen looks like a mad science experiment that i'm recovering from
[You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]



A few things I learned along the way, and it's going to sound super softcore [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Weight loss is straight calories, even if you were pounding sugar all day. I feel like keto / low carb crap is very fadlike, and it sure works for a lot of people as a means, but I like a good balance, and not to plan to "revert" back to something that was supposedly "bad" (even though its not i.e. consuming carbohydrates). Just because you drop weight though isn't always ideal. Gotta keep that composition. I don't know nothin' bout eating 2 chickens a day, but chicken in general is nice to eat [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

A huge one for me, and maybe the thing I should have put at the top: CHILL OUT with doing something hard. Don't start with weight on the bar. Don't run every day. Just add in a nice 2 mile trot, maybe 2-3 times a week, and turn that trot mildly into a canter. Take it easy. Do everything gradually, and mentally tell yourself you'll do it forever not because you hate it, but because its not that bad. All my fellow OCR people always claim to hate running, but they are blasting out their 10 mile weekends and 5 mile weekdays anyway. Don't go 0-11 on anything, be it lifting, losing/gaining weight, getting your first pullup, or whatever. Just find a small level of success, and increase what you did gradually to be successful. Avoid "good" and "bad" binges. Binges do weird stuff to people.

Your goals are your goals too. I did want to talk about stuff I did but you can't push your goals on others or tell others their goal is wrong. I say this because on reddit fitness, there are so many people who are ashamed to admit their goals are "superficial" like straight aesthetics. Aesthetics are pretty good and common to focus on. Some people want pure strength. Power lifters can do amazing stuff in competitions.



I feel like obstacles are a great full body workout when mixed with running. I feel more human when I can pull myself over stuff, pick up heavy stuff, and move myself from A to B better. Probably because that's what people did for most of history [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

First off.. Damn proud of you dude.. Secondly, your haircutt is top notch in my book!!!!!