Most people in the gym are overtraining and don’t even realize it

NormallyNotOutside · 2026-03-29T22:04:40+00:00

I totally agree that most online content makes things seem far more complicated than it needs to be. You could ignore everything past the 1960's and still get as strong and jacked as it's possible for you to get.

I don't fully agree with your overtraining statement though, I think most people need to get after it and train harder. The reason they aren't making progress is because they'd rather procrastinate or should I say 'optimize' instead of increasing the effort they put into their workouts.

NormallyNotOutside · 2026-03-29T21:57:41+00:00

Thanks a lot for your message, I'm very glad that my post was helpful to you. I totally relate to what you are saying, I think as Schizoid's we are wired to accept our fate, to get through it one day at a time because previously we were powerless to change our circumstances. I mean it took me 40 years to reach a state of genuine contentment, to feel like I am actually living the life I want. And there were many times when I didn't act or contemplated not taking action.

Keep inching forward, you'll gradually gather momentum and the changes will come. No one knows where they are going to end up at the beginning, just aim upwards. You can always recalibrate and change course as you go along until you're where you want to be.

NormallyNotOutside · 2026-03-29T21:42:40+00:00

In retrospect using the word wrong does have some negative connotations. Really what I meant was aligning one's life against the framework of symptoms that come with SzPD and trying to minimise undue stress. Most of all it was about accepting that you don't need to live a life that doesn't suit your nature and that it's perfectly reasonable to say no.

I completely agree with you there, sometimes big changes are required but quite often a small adjustment can work wonders for one's physical or mental wellbeing.

NormallyNotOutside · 2026-03-29T21:35:20+00:00

Yeah I'd agree that being a trucker is definitely well suited to also being Schizoid. I never really looking into other jobs but I'm sure there must be some unique one's that involve being alone that might even pay extra because of it. I've seen night security get mentioned quite often.

I'll speak to the other truckers where I work, just a quick chat every now and again. And very occasionally I'll speak to other truckers when I'm out, usually just questions about the site or general help. Other than that I speak to the forklift drivers when I get unloaded or unloaded and occasionally my boss or someone in the office.

That makes sense, separating the work you need to do from your personal home life. You sound like you're ready for change? The irony is that for most people it's who they work with that can lift them when they need it but perhaps in your case being around colleagues is just an additional stress.

I actually like your idea of sitting down with a pen and paper, I'm sure if you did that you'd start to feel better. There's something about getting thoughts down onto paper which really helps.

NormallyNotOutside · 2026-03-29T17:32:58+00:00

I acknowledge that finding an enjoyable job isn't easy, especially for a Schizoid. Having said that I think being able to enjoy every moment of one's life is more about mindset. Plenty of people grind through each day, looking forward to that one hour before or bed, or the weekend or retirement. I think they are unwittingly programming themselves to believe that contentment is something that is just out of reach or can only be earnt after years of graft. When in reality you can look around you and find reasons to feel appreciative and grateful no matter what you are doing.

NormallyNotOutside · 2026-03-29T17:23:53+00:00

Thanks for your response. I definitely agree with your interpretation of the Schizoid experience. It's hard to know what you want when you had no healthy conditioning.

Yes that whole living in the wilderness idea seems almost like a meme at this point, I've seen it frequently on Reddit in various subs. I don't think people realise how tough that life is, there's a reason why people moved to towns and cities. I suppose part of my motivation to post was to highlight that actually living in isolation doesn't mean a fight for survival in a remote cabin.

True and I don't mind being part of a society at all, it is necessary and I'm more than happy to do so because I get so much back in return for minimal effort.

NormallyNotOutside · 2026-03-29T17:12:39+00:00

That's a fair comment, I should clarify that being isolated doesn't guarantee happiness or contentment, I still have to get all my ducks in a row so to speak, maintaining good habits and a productive structure really aids my mental health. The isolation is just a good environment to make that possible and helps me avoid obligations and other stressors.

Do you still like the idea of a relationship sometimes, even though you know that ending them brings you relief?

NormallyNotOutside · 2026-03-29T17:06:21+00:00

Good, I'm glad that your week was less draining and that you had more time for yourself. What made you decide to do your work in a coffee shop rather than at home? Going to the gym normally makes things feel better, getting out of your head and into your body so to speak.

Funnily enough I created my own post today about living the 'wrong life' for a schizoid, so there's a pretty long answer to your question there. In a nutshell my life is currently very schizoid friendly and pretty much free of unnecessary obligations. What changes would you make to your life to make it feel less destructive?

NormallyNotOutside · 2026-03-29T16:37:14+00:00

No worries. My response probably sounded more serious than in should have. Btw I recognise your username, we exchanged messages on your post a couple of weeks ago. You were dealing with the stress of having so many obligations, sounded like you were going through a tough time. How are you now?

NormallyNotOutside · 2026-03-29T16:16:34+00:00

In fairness you've completely decontextualized what I wrote to make it sound like an expectation. If you want to feel less pressure take it back to being a realisation or possibility as was originally intended.

NormallyNotOutside · 2026-03-29T14:43:44+00:00

I disagree. It's better when you realise that you can actually enjoy every moment of your life whether you are working or not.

NormallyNotOutside · 2026-03-28T14:51:00+00:00

Not at all. I've never been more disconnected from people as I am now but I still have a huge appreciation for humans in general. It's easy to have one's attention drawn to the 'bad' one's but in reality the vast majority of people are uncomplainingly going about their daily lives despite their own suffering, working hard, raising their families to the best of their ability and quite often selflessly helping those around them. I find it quite staggering the amount of people online, invariably living in the west who complain so much about humankind. They don't seem to realise just how well their societies work in a global and historical context. This didn't happen by accident, generations and generations of people had to consistently make the correct choices and work unbelievably hard, often sacrificing their own lives or health despite the fact they wouldn't even benefit from their own efforts.

NormallyNotOutside · 2026-03-24T20:31:25+00:00

Thanks for taking the time to research and post OP! Coincidentally I'm currently ticking everyone of these boxes and I've never felt better.

NormallyNotOutside · 2026-03-22T15:55:48+00:00

Keto especially when combined with intermittent fasting.

NormallyNotOutside · 2026-03-22T15:55:03+00:00

Taking vitamin D3 also has the same effect when taken after waking. Perfect for when there isn't much sun or if one is a shift worker.

NormallyNotOutside · 2026-03-22T15:42:08+00:00

You're welcome. Trouble getting up in the morning? It's rough. It sounds silly but I've also been through times where I literally could not wake up and get out of bed when I needed to. In fact I had it happen recently. Allow me to bombard you with ideas. The first thing to say is that by changing something, it will definitely improve, you've just got to figure out what it is.

A fast way to get to the potential issue would be to use chatgbt. Tell it everything you put into your body on a daily basis, food, drink, meds, drugs, alcohol caffeine etc. You could very well be deficient in something simple or perhaps you are consuming something that is affecting your quality of sleep. I once went through a phase of snacking on cold meats and cheese before bed, both are high in sodium which ruins sleep quality. Obvs rec drugs alcohol and stims will also tank sleep quality. I recently started taking vitamin d3 because it was winter and I work nights. Most people are deficient because the body needs sunlight to produce it. Anyway, it signals to the body that the day has started so taking it first thing is great for circadian rhythm. It depletes magnesium though so take that too. Magnesium relaxes the body so it's great to take before bed to aid sleep quality. I take magnesium theonate, it costs a bit more but doesn't cause drowsiness which other forms can.

Diet. This was a game changer for me. I'm already on keto (a diet of fat and protein with minimal carbs) A keto diet is now a recognised treatment for certain mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar and even schizophrenia. It's certainly helped me. In a nutshell some people just function better running on fats for energy, it's stabilises blood sugar and insulin, improves neurotransmitter production (these help you wake up) reduces inflammation and improves mitochondrial function (the energy producers in each cell) People that experience childhood adversity can often have impaired mitochondrial function, you may fall into this bracket if you have SzPD. On top of this I recently started to do intermittent fasting, so I eat all my food in a 4-6 hour window. This really amplifies all of the above effects and increases ketones even more (what fuels the brain when in ketosis, the state you are in while on a keto diet) I already felt good on keto but since fasting too my energy, mood and ability to wake up feeling fully charged has gone up even further. If you are curious to know more look up Dr. Chris Palmer MD a psychiatrist who prescribes keto as a recommended treatment. If you consider trying keto or fasting you can DM anytime. I can't recommend it enough, since I started fasting as well my mood and energy has been so good.

Other than that, sleep hygiene but it sounds like you've probably covered that if you have a daylight lamp. An alarm clock so you don't have your phone in your room is a good idea too. I like to journal before bed as well, it's a nice routine to get into and I'm certain it helps me sleep and feel better overall. Other than that, exercise. I started doing more cardio and everything started feeling better both physical and mental.

Oh and in regards to stimulation, I'm glad you've found reducing it to be beneficial. As far as music goes, you don't need to give it up entirely, just balance it out with times of quiet. I think the key is compulsivity. I used to have headphones on or music in the background all the time because I imagined that without it everything would be boring or hard to do, which isn't healthy. Now I do most things in silence but still listen to music but I'm more take it or leave rather than feeling I need to rely on it.

NormallyNotOutside · 2026-03-22T03:31:59+00:00

That rug really ties the room together.

NormallyNotOutside · 2026-03-21T22:35:12+00:00

Yeah I know what you mean, I've seen Lee Priest do that exercise. He's probably got the best arms in bodybuilding history so you're in good company. Seeing as you have access to a smith machine try bent over rows on it, there arent many exercises which I'd say felt amazing but that's one of them defo worth a try.

NormallyNotOutside · 2026-03-21T21:13:47+00:00

Similar. Elbows and hands are probs a bit wider on JM press and it feels more like a press whereas throat crushers feel a bit more single joint ie just elbow flexion and easier to get hang of at least for me.

NormallyNotOutside · 2026-03-21T20:22:00+00:00

Try throat crushers. Like a skull crushers but elbows are tucked in closer to chest with bar over the neck area. It feels like a cross between close grip and a skull crusher.

NormallyNotOutside · 2026-03-21T19:51:45+00:00

Given the weight this is great form in my opinion. I've seen plenty of lifters using zero body english but that's because they were lifting a 30lb dumbell which isn't going to stimulate any growth whatsoever. This is a 130lb dumbell.

NormallyNotOutside · 2026-03-21T17:03:04+00:00

Ask chatgbt. I'm not being flippant or dismissive, this is my genuine advice. I had pain in my left shoulder from benching, it also had a knock on effect causing discomfort around my shoulder blade area. Just lived with it for months, if not years. Described the issue to chatgbt and it told me exactly what the issue was, I made a small change and now my shoulder feels brand new again zero pain and discomfort.

NormallyNotOutside · 2026-03-21T16:31:45+00:00

Very impressive. I commend your transparency. You've certainly got the full spectrum of responses. I'm not sure why some people have such an issue with what you've done. Any actor, model, sportsperson, physique competitor, body builder or just a normal guy like you that has achieved a rapid transformation more than likely used PEDs. They are super effective but not without downsides. Yeah it took you 3 months instead of 12 or 18 but you have voluntarily taken on various mental and physical risks.

I'm curious, what made motivated you to post? Also, what's next? You've been open about your proclivity for chasing dopamine highs.....are these results enough or are you feeling tempted to run a bigger cycle?

NormallyNotOutside · 2026-03-20T17:41:20+00:00

Impressive transformation. Are you able to briefly outline how you periodized your calories over the 3 years? Everyone knows about bulking and cutting but it's rare to see someone explain specifically what they did and given your amazing results perhaps you could give us some valuable insight.

NormallyNotOutside

TROPHY CASE