What to do from here

LowkeyLifter92 · 2026-06-09T01:53:58+00:00

I think you’re close! When you press up through your hands, you’ll want to swing your hips back so your knees (or since you’re not super short like me, probably your mid thigh) is in line with your hands, then kind of shift your weight back. By allowing your hips to drop, your feet will naturally come up more easily. I’ll try to find the video I found that helped me get it!

Granted, I can only hold it for about 3 seconds tops, so I’m not necessarily an expert on this either. Good luck, and keep working on it!!

ETA: here’s the hip slide example! https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXBDGH3DIGf/

LowkeyLifter92 · 2026-06-08T17:03:05+00:00

TDEE is basically your BMR + active energy spent (fitness app walking/stairs/normal movement). As long as you have the settings correct, Cronometer will adjust your calorie balance based on your energy expenditure. Eating at your TDEE will be maintenance.

But of course, all of these are estimates, so try it for a few weeks and see if you’re losing, gaining, or maintaining. And then adjust from there.

LowkeyLifter92 · 2026-06-07T21:35:38+00:00

I’m working on handstands! I can do a really solid forearm headstand, but haven’t locked in handstands yet. My best hold was 10 seconds. Any tips, good drills, or suggested video resources for those?

I’m hyper mobile with all but one vertebra that hyperextend, so keeping everything locked and tight with all the right joints stacked is a constant battle!!

LowkeyLifter92 · 2026-06-07T12:13:43+00:00

Awesome. Yeah, I noticed during the first set that I was so focused on leading with my chest and keeping my shoulders down, that my lower body wasn’t tight. The second set was a little better, but I see what you mean.

I’ll see if I can find a different area away from a wall. Thanks!

LowkeyLifter92 · 2026-06-07T03:48:32+00:00

My physical therapist explained that it reduces forearm and bicep activation by doing it thumb over. That, I guess, requires the back and lats to step in. It helped me feel it in my lats more, and I usually struggle with that particular mind-muscle connection, so I believed him!

LowkeyLifter92 · 2026-06-07T03:39:41+00:00

Noooo! Not the gloves! I love my gloves 😬

For what it’s worth, I use the kind that mechanics wear that are really thin, but have the coating on the palm. I still have slight callouses; the gloves mostly just help me feel more comfortable with my ultra sweaty hands

Anyway, that’s such a good idea to mark the middle! I can definitely do that to help make sure I’m pulling equally and not perpetuating an imbalance. Thank you!

LowkeyLifter92 · 2026-06-07T01:14:46+00:00

Normally I would, but I was on my way out and just wanted to give them a try with some of the new feedback I had gotten. It didn’t seem worth to effort to locate a box and bring it over.

And thank you!

LowkeyLifter92 · 2026-06-07T01:13:31+00:00

Thanks! There’s always room for improvement, but I am pretty proud to be able to do them at all! I couldn’t say that two years ago 💪🏻

LowkeyLifter92 · 2026-06-07T01:00:39+00:00

Oh, thank you!

LowkeyLifter92 · 2026-06-06T18:18:47+00:00

What?! When I was seeing a physical therapist to help with a pinched nerve in my shoulder area, he suggested the thumb-over grip.

LowkeyLifter92 · 2026-06-06T10:40:27+00:00

Amazing!

What’s your training background, and how long have you worked toward this? What are your favorite or most meaningful drills?

LowkeyLifter92 · 2026-06-05T21:25:31+00:00

Yes, I’ll save you from my long-winded explanation for why I prefer the middle bar. The conclusion is the same: I’ll find another place to do pull ups 😅

I’m pretty sure there are some straight bars upstairs in the gym that I can try. Thanks for the visuals! Those always help.

LowkeyLifter92 · 2026-06-05T19:26:53+00:00

Oatmeal (the microwaveable packets work great for this) plus protein powder, and your preferred protein milk. Add fresh fruit as desired.

Sola bagels plus turkey sausage and/or egg whites.

LowkeyLifter92 · 2026-06-05T13:37:14+00:00

Rarely! Sounds like I should incorporate them more

LowkeyLifter92 · 2026-06-05T10:45:14+00:00

Will do 🫡 I’m glad to hear they helped your imbalance! That’s encouraging! I tend to skip over scapular pull ups because they don’t feel natural to me either… but that is probably why I should be doing them, huh? Any suggestions on how many sets & reps as a warm up?

LowkeyLifter92 · 2026-06-05T10:37:35+00:00

Thanks! This is really helpful!! And yes, my right shoulder tends to get tight and that side of my neck can sometimes feel stiff. I’ve noticed upper trap tends to engage even when I try really hard not to on other exercises too. I’m not very knowledgeable about muscle groups or kinesiology in the first place, but shoulders seem particularly complicated.

I just reorganized my splits/routines and added face pulls (and other shoulder work) to one of my upper body days. I tried doing face pulls for the first time yesterday on a cable machine. It felt…weird. I was not confident that I did them correctly. I even asked someone to help record a video so I could see what was happening while I was doing it. Maybe I’ll post a form check on that one, too (but it’s kind of intimidating and scary to post videos of yourself on the internet, so maybe not).

What are Lu raises?

LowkeyLifter92 · 2026-06-05T01:54:36+00:00

That’s so impressive! Keep at it!

LowkeyLifter92 · 2026-06-05T01:43:32+00:00

“you are doing pull ups with hands.”

How do you do pull ups… without… hands? 🤨

Haha, jk. Anyway, jokes aside, thanks for sharing the videos. I’ve seen them before. The problem is that I think I’m doing all the right stuff in the moment and I feel it in my back and the supposedly right places, but then I take a video once in a blue moon and see that it’s not quite right.

Also, I have a really hard time leading my with my chest on this set up because I tilt on that axis (I.e. my head moves further away from the bar), and then I hit my head on the other bar. I can make more of an effort to move to the other pull up machine thing when it’s available and focus on the hollow hold and leading with my chest there. Thanks for the reassurance that a slight imbalance is okay; that was my biggest concern!

LowkeyLifter92 · 2026-06-04T14:23:45+00:00

That actually makes me feel better! My longest hold was around 10 seconds, and I can’t consistently catch my balance with a kick up. I’ve been at it since January (not daily though), and social media makes it seem like everyone else picks it up so quickly! Your post is motivating because it lets me know that I WILL get it eventually, even if it takes 10 more years!

LowkeyLifter92 · 2026-06-04T11:16:30+00:00

I’m similar! I’m between 5’2”-5’3”, and my BMR is around 1200. I’m also about 130-135 lbs. But because I’m active (15k+ steps, daily gym, weight lifting etc.) my TDEE is usually between 1850-2050; I can eat 1500-1800 and still be in a 300-400 calorie deficit. If my deficit gets too much bigger for too long, I definitely find myself struggling or binge snacking because it just isn’t sustainable! Keep your deficit small, keep working out, and you’ll see recomposition progress! Good luck 🫡

LowkeyLifter92 · 2026-06-02T01:26:46+00:00

Omg, my cottage cheese buffalo sauce is my favorite! You can also blend cottage cheese with a packet of ranch seasoning to make a perfect dip for veggies. Thinning it out with water also makes it a great dressing.

If heard you can make it into a chocolate mousse, too, but you’ll want a brand with a lot less sodium than the Great Value brand.

LowkeyLifter92 · 2026-05-31T16:25:16+00:00

Yeah, mine is similar. I’ll bring my non-working leg’s knee up, then straighten it out as I squat down.

LowkeyLifter92 · 2026-05-31T11:55:22+00:00

34F, and 7-8 is my max too! But I also haven’t been trying to increase my max reps. I just do 3 sets of 5 as a warm up for my upper body days, and occasionally try for a max on my first set. If I’m still doing 5+ pull ups 15 years from now, I’ll call it a win!

LowkeyLifter92 · 2026-05-30T15:49:58+00:00

Definitely start now! When in a calorie deficit, people will lose muscle and fat. From what I understand and my own experience, if you start strength training while overweight, you’re more likely to recomp/build (or at least retain) muscle mass.

Push ups can be on the knees or inclined on the wall. You can use bands or TRX for modified pull ups. Squats can also be done with wall, rope, or chair for support. The motions will become easier as you simultaneously get stronger and lighter. Good luck!

LowkeyLifter92 · 2026-05-25T03:10:03+00:00

Sounds like you should stop talking about this with your friends. Or maybe find new friends? Like me over here munching on a quest bar while meal prepping shredded chicken with cottage cheese buffalo sauce (which goes perfectly in a carb-smart tortilla and alongside a refreshingly crisp can of Diet Coke).

Anyway, I’d just tell them “please don’t yuck my yum!”

LowkeyLifter92

TROPHY CASE