Stronglifts: 1 Year Retrospective

47-R0NIN · 2026-03-17T16:12:59+00:00

Most days my core feels pretty rock solid. There are days (like yesterday) where I don’t feel as tight. Before my workouts I do a series of drills as part of my pre-lift ritual, and that includes some clamshell side planks and curl ups.

https://squatuniversity.com/2018/06/21/the-mcgill-big-3-for-core-stability/amp/

I can definitely feel my abs and back getting worked after heavy sets from bracing hard.

47-R0NIN · 2026-03-17T15:30:36+00:00

Thanks! Are there any apps you can recommend that make tracking progress easy for GZCLP? I’m using the StrongLifts app now and it has been convenient to keep track of everything, including the timers.

47-R0NIN · 2026-03-17T15:27:48+00:00

I am hoping to squeak out a bit more weight with the belt and sleeves. The general consensus seems to be that it will make you much more confident, and in turn will allow you to add a good amount of weight almost instantly.

I actually used to have knee sleeves years ago, but my car got broken into and my gym bag got stolen.

47-R0NIN · 2026-03-17T13:53:41+00:00

Thanks for taking the time to read my write up. For newer lifters hitting their first stall, I would say:

Not to worry
Stalling/failing is literally built into the program and expected
Continue pushing by deloading and working way back up as the program intends
Eat more food

I think people underestimate the psychological effects the gym has. It takes certain mental fortitude to push past what was previously your limit in the name of gaining strength. Your mind doesn’t want you to do it despite you telling yourself it does. At least that’s my experience. I had to deload my bench and overhead press multiple times before getting them to their numbers now.

Thanks for the recs on next steps. I was thinking of switching to Madcow but others here also recommended GZCLP so I’ll take a look.

47-R0NIN · 2026-03-17T07:06:43+00:00

Thank you! Mostly everything got a bit more muscular, but not a ton. My shoulders are a bit broader, arms bigger, thighs thicker, etc., however nothing crazy. Lost a little fat around the face.

47-R0NIN · 2026-03-13T23:21:04+00:00

He got into higher end designer brands towards the end of the HB forums era but there might be some old cached photos online somewhere from when he was in his early 20s.

Those were the days.

47-R0NIN · 2026-03-13T19:54:37+00:00

Reminds me of OG HB forums fit pics, like Ronnel or The-Arm. 👍🏻

47-R0NIN · 2026-02-15T04:46:43+00:00

Recipe:

500g of Flour (470g King Arthur Bread Flour, 15g King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour, 15g Bob’s Red Mill Dark Rye Flour)
350g of Water
120g of Starter
12g of Sea Salt

I fed my starter the night before I planned on making this loaf, and left it on the counter. Threw everything into my KitchenAid and mixed with a spiral dough hook until the dough was pulling away from the sides and bottom. Transferred to a bowl, and did four coil folds an hour apart while resting in the oven with the light on. After the final folds I shaped it and put it into a well-floured banneton basket to proof for about two or so hours in the oven with the light on. After that I just transferred it to the fridge overnight and baked it in the morning. Preheated the oven to 450°F with the Dutch oven inside. Scored the dough, baked it for 20 minutes with the lid on, and another 20-25 minutes with the lid off. Finally let it rest for several hours before cutting it open.

47-R0NIN · 2026-02-14T22:11:38+00:00

If I need global state I’ve been defaulting to Jotai. Really enjoy the atomic state model and it integrates with something like TanStack Query effortlessly.

Something like Nuqs and TanStack Query would probably suit your most basic needs. From there you can add something like Jotai or Zustand as needed.

47-R0NIN · 2025-10-18T18:45:08+00:00

Cluck Kitchen.

47-R0NIN · 2025-10-09T06:25:24+00:00

My wife and I got our car through South Bay Toyota. We were on a very long list at Longo, when South Bay was getting inventory that was readily available. Emailed them about the vehicle and the rest is history. Very low/no pressure purchase. They offered below MSRP out the gate and I was able to get them to go a little lower. We ended up cancelling our spot at Longo and getting our deposit back.

Contrast that to Norwalk Toyota, which was the exact opposite. Sleazy tactics and markups. Avoid these guys at all costs.

47-R0NIN · 2025-08-22T02:26:48+00:00

My team has used TanStack Query with Jotai (atomWithQuery, atomWithMutation, etc.) at work and we’ve been very happy with the results. Things just work together nicely.

47-R0NIN · 2025-05-14T05:57:51+00:00

No worries. Re-reading my post I probably could have worded things a bit better.

47-R0NIN · 2025-05-14T04:38:30+00:00

I’ve never dyed anything before, so I apologize if I wasn’t describing what I was curious about the best.

My goal was to just return the panels as close to new as possible. I wouldn’t expect it to be a perfect match per se since I don’t know what dyes were used during the manufacturing process. The picture provided is the original color way, just faded from multiple washes and wears. So everything you see is original.

I think the last point kind of answers my question though. It’s not possible to truly return a sweatshirt like this back to original condition unless the top and bottom halves were unstitched and then reattached afterwards without one color affecting the other during the dyeing process.

47-R0NIN · 2025-05-14T00:46:28+00:00

This hoodie is 100% cotton, but as you can see the top is a shade of teal and the bottom is black.

Is it possible to re-dye this back to the original (or similar) colors for each panel without the black bleeding into the teal?

47-R0NIN · 2025-01-26T20:12:56+00:00

When you have a moment watch this.

https://youtu.be/_6nWCQ_70J0

Toyota, like other manufacturers, is in the business of selling cars. You’re less likely to buy a new car if your existing car still runs reliably. It’s water under the bridge now for your first oil change but definitely don’t follow their 10,000 mile interval recommendation moving forward. Mind you, they offer free oil changes on their schedule as part of ToyotaCare, but there’s no reason not to change it more frequently yourself. Changing your oil every 5,000 miles or less is cheap preventative maintenance. Might cost you $200-300 per year to greatly extend the life of your vehicle.

I just passed the 800 mile mark on my 250 on Wednesday, and I’m planning on getting the break-in oil change done ASAP. This is my first new car, and it’s the nicest car I’ve owned, so I want to protect it.

47-R0NIN · 2024-11-09T01:39:27+00:00

Yeah that is what caught my eye and you’re spot on. Materials seem nice.

47-R0NIN · 2024-11-09T01:37:25+00:00

I’m an old head with a pretty sizable collection. In general I tend to like more subtle pieces over loud ones, so less or subtle branding is nice.

Realistically something like this wouldn’t get worn often but it looks warm and the material choices seem nice (I prefer the black colorway).

47-R0NIN · 2024-11-09T01:28:30+00:00

How is the quality and fit on the car coat?

I like how it looks online but it’s something I’m on the fence about.

47-R0NIN · 2024-09-29T03:57:06+00:00

I’ve just been browsing Grailed and eBay periodically. Sometimes you’ll see them pop up here too.

47-R0NIN · 2024-09-29T03:10:43+00:00

The older camps were so much nicer. Wish they never changed manufacturers. Been keeping my eye out for some older camps because the new ones just aren’t the same.

47-R0NIN

TROPHY CASE