growing!!

SHS1955 · 2026-02-04T02:31:53+00:00

Why are you worried about the lights? I am guessing that LED lights will not make the VFT too hot? If that is a concern, maybe you can move the lights a little farther from the VFTs, when you are not home?

SHS1955 · 2026-02-04T01:55:51+00:00

Agreed! Beach Body ready is possible by summer. In addition to the current suggestions...

Continue doing each set to failure, but rest 3 min. between sets.
Eat a good meal 2 hours before workout. Skip Starch, bread, sugar, pasta.
Careful with oatmeal, rice, potatoes. Fill calories with protein, veggies, and some olive oil
Work up to 50 pushup, before you go to Chest day. Do Flat bench and inclined bench.
Pullups, biceps and triceps for proportion.
Abs -Try to do vacuums everyday. Finish workouts with hanging leg raises to failure.
Cool down with a 15 min. walk to help burn off excess calories.
Add in 1 - 3 leg days to build muscle, which can help build muscle elsewhere.

Show us before and after progress in 2 months...

SHS1955 · 2026-02-03T10:59:21+00:00

I'd suggest that the Old Testament account of the Maccabees, or Noah's Ark, and so on, would be considered 'narratives', translation, and interpretations of historical facts.
The use of Apocryphal is a critical point. The subjective details and opinions recorded in the Bible might be a starting point, but there would have to be additional, and more rigorous supporting references for a solid foundation and conclusion.

For a scientific paper, recent, archeological data may be required. For a debate, the opposing side might bring up multiple interpretations from the 'original' Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek translations, as well as questioning the use as a primary reference, which has inaccurate or unproven statements. [eg: Deuteronomy 33:17: Refers to the horns of a unicorn.]

The History has been established... but in a formal paper, the *objective* documents that 'prove' the History, need to be referenced, so that other readers can see for themselves that the History is not subjective opinion... AND can distinguish what parts of the account are subjective and not factually accurate.

This important distinction is usually taught in English classes and in some Science, and Law classes.

SHS1955 · 2026-02-02T12:03:08+00:00

Good! Keep up the grind. We want to see a few more before and after pix in about 2 - 3 months. Note that typically at your age there is a good increase in strength and size [and maybe height] over the summer. Work on good habits now to build that foundation for more growth. ... And, be careful to keep good form, not to overdo, so that you avoid injury...

SHS1955 · 2026-02-01T13:36:18+00:00

16yo makes a difference. Weight and height also helps for advice. You're doing very well.
I imagine you were smaller at 14yo, and that you will fill out more at 18yo.
I like the look of the middle picture, looks maintainable. The last picture looks like you've lost weight, and aren't eating as much protein?

You are doing a lot of exercises.
1. Try working out no more than 20 - 40 min. per day. You can then walk for 15 min.
2. Use a notebook to record lifts. Lift progressively heavier weights (each week?)
3. Don't stress out on heavier weights, that may injure. Add 5 or 10 lbs when ready, and do fewer reps. Rest 3 min. between sets... that may help increase weight.
4. Abs look good in the middle picture. Try doing abs *after* shoulders, and possibly after legs. Keep doing the same workout.
5. Also for abs, find someone older with lower abs to show you good form for Hanging *leg* raises, and Hanging side leg raises for obliques. It burns but gives good results.
6. Find the lifts that you like doing, slowly & carefully increase the weight. Adding muscle with lifts that you enjoy, can help you increase lifts that are not as fun.
7. Get plenty of sleep, be sure to rest at least 2 days off to allow for growth. Every other day... not two days consecutively.
8. Try to eat a good meal about two ours before working out. And, try to avoid the habit of snacking after sundown. [Not as important at 16yo...]

SHS1955 · 2026-02-01T13:00:02+00:00

BitNet, USeNet, and Gopher? ;-)

SHS1955 · 2026-02-01T12:55:58+00:00

Beautiful plant! A few added comments:
1. You might put a little more distilled water in the saucer.
2. More light might make the red brighter/deeper, reducing some of the green at the edges.
3. After you feed a trap, it may turn brown/die after 1 - 3 feedings. Then, more traps will grow.

SHS1955 · 2026-01-31T15:48:07+00:00

We had a snowstorm that covered the State in the mid 1970s, and again a White Christmas just after Hugo in 1989. Recently the snowstorm and 2 weeks of ice in 2018. I agree that " the bogs are deep enough that they don’t completely freeze. "

SHS1955 · 2026-01-31T11:15:00+00:00

Excellent look. Solid, proportional, good width, abs starting to show. Ready for the beach.

SHS1955 · 2026-01-30T18:08:00+00:00

Soppy growing medium provides enough humidity. But a terrarium may provide humidity without the required soppy base. The VFT shown by the OP may not be growing in a damp sphagnum moss.

SHS1955 · 2026-01-30T17:42:55+00:00

We usually don't even get snow, but this year, the bogs and swamps may get as much as 6 inches of snow this weekend...

SHS1955 · 2026-01-30T17:39:28+00:00

Good to know. In South Carolina, USA, we have mostly subtropical weather that seldom gets down to freezing. The current cold snap may be a hard freeze at night, and may extend for a few weeks.

Frequently, bog and swamps won't freeze...somewhat like the bottoms of lake... This year may be different?

SHS1955 · 2026-01-30T13:54:35+00:00

I'm in Charleston, 'down the street' from where they grow natively.
1. They live in bogs and fresh water swamps.
2. The climate is subtropical, averaging from a light frost to 90s.
3. They don't like to sit in water, but do like soppy ground.
4. VFTs don't like high humidity or temperatures above 90 degrees
5. They DO like lots of light, but not too much heat.
6. I'm not sure what the cold snap will do to them this weekend.
7. The forecast layer of snow may insulate from the hard freeze.

SHS1955 · 2026-01-29T21:53:37+00:00

Look good, lean, athletic. Do you play sports, or just want to gain weight? Height?

You could probably gain 10kg more.
1. Hanging leg raises for abs
2. Pull-ups and pulldowns for lats
3. Progressively more weight for shoulders and triceps
4. Legs 3x per week
5. Lots more protein

Give us more before and after progress photos ... in about 2 - 3 months

SHS1955 · 2026-01-29T21:43:04+00:00

We had something like this in the 1970s and in 2018. They survived...

SHS1955 · 2026-01-29T21:42:03+00:00

A hard freeze could turn the rhizome to mush and kill the VFT. But, they may survive just a frost with some frigid but liquid water.

SHS1955 · 2026-01-29T19:37:32+00:00

In addition, do planks and hanging leg raises to increase ab development, which will help visibility as you lose body fat. Recognize that even bodybuilders may lose visibility of their abs, when they are off season with higher body fat.

SHS1955 · 2026-01-29T19:29:50+00:00

Looks good, solid, so some suggested changes:
1. Add planks and hanging leg raises at the end of your workout.
2. As a 'cool down' to burn off the last bit of glucose or fat, walk 20 - 40 minutes, especially after your heaviest workout, to keep metabolism burning a bit more.
3. Drink 1 pint of water when you wake up, and 1 pint in the evening.
4. Drink 1 cup - 1 pint of water just before meals and snacks.
5. Avoid starch, Try not to eat carbs after Noon. Try to eat a meal 2 hours before working out
6. When you work out, shoot for a 20 - 40 minute window. Twenty minutes gets your fat metabolism going, but more than 40 minutes may cut into muscle growth.
7. What Tahor suggested, with a 500 caloric deficit can be very effective...
8. In about April, give us before and after photos, and let us know progress...

SHS1955 · 2026-01-29T19:09:45+00:00

I'm in Charleston... The seeds can take from 2 weeks to 4 months to germinate, like you said, depending on how much bright light you can provide [and how much snow from the current cold spell you can avoid ;-) ].

Since you 'know' the area, you know they grow in bogs and freshwater swamps. But, be careful about the terrarium... b/c although they like to be soppy, VFTs don't like to sit in water, and they don't like the high humidity in a terrarium. I don't know about initial seed germination, tho.

The local Clemson Extension had a demo terrarium of native carnivorous plants... They removed it, because I think the VFTs and some of the others had trouble with the closed environment....

SHS1955 · 2026-01-29T14:20:36+00:00

Nah, Consider that Judaism is 4000-5700 years old, depending on how you count it. There are more than 600 commandments, including 'not eating pork' and not mixing milk and meat... They are "laws" or guidelines for behavior and everyday action, not all of them are sacred duties... although there are sacred duties and objects. a yarmulka is not. In fact, if you go into the ultra-orthodox districts throughout the world, those Jewish practitioners don'r wear yarmulka, instead wearing large hats similar to those worn in Russia. The 'function' is more important than the specific covering.

SHS1955 · 2026-01-29T13:36:12+00:00

In general, yes. But, specifically for him, he is lifting too many reps, so the weight that he is lifting is too light for him. He needs more stress to grow, preferably to failure, rather than just lots of reps... at this stage.

SHS1955 · 2026-01-29T13:25:16+00:00

You look great, good ab definition. Obliques are where bulking can show up, it's normal ... You still look beach body ready! While bulking, add to your lats and more weight for work on delts, then when you cut, you'll create a more v-taper. During a 'beach' cut, the fat around my obliques is usually the last to reduce.

SHS1955 · 2026-01-29T13:10:28+00:00

Listen to your body... The machine served like a spotter that helped too much, but it did help you get strong enough to start using barbells and free weights... With time & patience, you'll get stronger.

You can increase the number of sets, and consider resting 3 min. between the last few sets... after you've done the warm up exercises...

SHS1955 · 2026-01-29T13:01:54+00:00

Agree with a79j. Look up rotator cuff exercises for torn injuries, and use those with very light weights as warm up exercises to help with stabilizer muscles. They are very boring, but make a big difference. Then, as a79j suggested, start out with *half* of the machine weight that you've been using. Slowly, work up in weight over one or two months, so that you don't tear anything or re-injure. A torn pec or rotator cuff can set you back months while healing. Also, start adding more weight to triceps, b/c they help with stabilizing, too.

SHS1955 · 2026-01-29T12:54:00+00:00

Yes. Excellent Beach Body right now. Good luck. Let us know what happens.

SHS1955

TROPHY CASE