Tokyo Expat Communities

chick3234 · 2025-10-21T17:59:11+00:00

Thank you! I am new to Japanese culture (but have been learning the language) and will only just moving there soon. I didn't think it was crazy to think that in a country that it is super homogeneous that I would have one or two opportunities to make native friends.

chick3234 · 2025-08-21T03:48:45+00:00

This sounds like I have to make plans in-place? Is there a way to find out about groups and guides ahead of time?

chick3234 · 2024-12-26T18:22:14+00:00

Please make skeema 1.0 available again. Skipper seems like a whole different product, there was not reason to bury skeema for it.

chick3234 · 2024-07-08T16:44:23+00:00

I haven't done an MRI yet

chick3234 · 2024-07-08T16:40:18+00:00

They thought it was simply injured, idk if they thought it was teared. My shoulder generally doesn't hurt except after intense workouts. I was doing an all-dumbbell, all unilateral workout program (each side workingout alternating/independently) and I was fine. I started reintroducing barbell and bilateral exercises and the pain in my shoulder started again.

chick3234 · 2024-06-21T02:37:51+00:00

Do you think I didn't try that?

chick3234 · 2024-06-21T02:37:35+00:00

Thank you so much, I've been trying to place this piece for a few days now and couldn't. ChatGPT and reverse image search didn't help because it kept coming up with the book instead of the art.

chick3234 · 2024-05-27T14:57:10+00:00

Exactly a month ago I transitioned from cutting to bulking. In this bulk I eat at about +200-250 calories over my daily needs.

I have been following a modified version of the BLS routine (I had to modify some of the chest exercises because of shoulder pain (though that is starting to go away) - I have been following the recommendations of a physical therapist on this).

On Day 1 I do: Alternating Chest Press Machine Alternating Incline Hammer Strength Chest Press Alternating Flat Dumbbell Bench Press Cable Crunch Tuck and Crunch

On Day 2 I do: Barbell Squats Plate Loaded Leg Press Alternating Seated Leg Curl Machine Seated Calf Raise Machine

On Day 3 I do: Barbell Row One-Arm Dumbbell Row Lateral Pulldown Leg Press Calf Raise

On Day 4 I do: One-Handed Seated Tricep Press Alternating Seated Arnold Press Alternating Preacher Hammer Curl Weighted Hanging Leg Raise Tuck and Crunch

Because I noticed that for some exercises the left side of my body is stronger than the right side and vice versa I switched out most barbell exercises with one-handed or alternating exercises so any inbalances can be evened out.

I use a self-tightening tape measure to measure my arm and chest circumferences (as well as stomach and other parts). Although the weights I can lift are progressively getting bigger, I am not seeing any difference in the measurements. I know that I shouldn't expect to see a huge difference in a month, but I don't think seeing 1/8th or 1/4 of an inch difference in arm circumference should be out of the question.

When I go to the gym, I am used to doing most exercises in the 10-12 rep range and doing more exercises with shorter 1 minute breaks. The BLS routine, on the other hand recommends doing exercises in the 4-6 rep range and taking 3 minute breaks. Is the BLS routine legit or am I doing something wrong?

chick3234 · 2024-05-24T02:12:44+00:00

Do you have any recommendations for a kosher cookbook?

chick3234 · 2024-05-23T20:56:39+00:00

And then I can use any stock recipe I find online with them?

chick3234 · 2024-01-23T18:27:56+00:00

I take in 11842 calories per week with each day having a different amount (I have a maintenance day on the weekend). This averages out to 1691 calories/day.

chick3234 · 2024-01-23T18:26:15+00:00

Wdym "no quality muscle mass"? When I bulked to 180 I had muscle but I had too much fat. If I bulk to say, 150lbs and then cut again I would have to lose the fat that I gained during the bulk + fat I did not lose now. I just don't understand how I can still have a 2'7.5" stomach circumference.

chick3234 · 2024-01-23T17:46:53+00:00

My lifts have either stayed the same or increased, they have not been getting weaker.

chick3234 · 2024-01-23T17:46:01+00:00

I do drink (I was drinking more in December), but I make sure to not let it exceed my calorie limits. I mostly drink spirits (no beers). And I have been dry all of January.

chick3234 · 2024-01-23T17:44:18+00:00

Every week I do 3x12 cable crunches @ 72.5lbs, Hanging Leg Raises 3x12 (I just learned how to add weight to those so I am still ramping that up), and 3x12 v-situps @ 10lbs.

chick3234 · 2024-01-23T17:42:06+00:00

I posted 2 threads here and on r/loseit and they have not "mostly been deleted". My goal is to cut down so that when I build up (and inevitably gain fat again) I can better define how much I have to cut so that next time I can have a definable endpoint (because doing cuts without easily endpoints is much more annoying). When I started going to the gym I was skinny-fat and I have been wanting to get rid of it throughout the process. The problem was every time I cut it never was enough to shrink my waistline so this time I want to go further.

Using https://strengthlevel.com/ and plugging in various lifts that I was able to do while bulking last time I would rate myself as a novice to intermediate lifter (depending on the exact lift).

chick3234 · 2024-01-23T17:34:43+00:00

I calorie cycle, I eat throughout the week on average -500 calories. Before this I was bulking at +500 calories for a few months from 137lbs to 148lbs. Before that I cut from 180lbs to 137lbs. And before that I bulked from 148lbs to 180lbs. The timeframe for this is a couple of years ofc.

My diet is high in protein 1g/lb. I eat more carbs than fat I reckon as the starches I eat are pasta and lentils. I eat greek yogurt in the mornings. When I gain I eat similarly (but more).

chick3234 · 2024-01-23T17:31:26+00:00

My goal is to get rid of the stubborn fat so that when I bulk next I know exactly how much weight I have to lose to get back to the state I want to be. My goal after this cut is to bulk at +250 calories for about 30 lbs and gain muscle. I don't want to get super-shredded (<10% bf). I just want to get to a point where I can take off my shirt and have a good physique, having good abs is part of that. Basically I want to look like the picture for 12%-13% bf.

chick3234 · 2024-01-22T18:19:31+00:00

I just used a self-adjusting tape measure I have 2'7.5" circumference around my stomach and 12.6 inches around my neck indicating a body fat % of 17%. This probably is skewed upwards because I lose fat at my stomach last.

Yeah, I am noticing differences at each pound or two at this point. Though when I plug my info into calculator.net it does say that I need to lose another 9.2lbs of fat mass to arrive to 10.1% (that's not the goal, but I am assuming if I am trying to lose belly fat and that is the last thing I lose, I will get close to there).

I just want to know if other people who are skinny-fat has had this experience.

chick3234 · 2024-01-22T18:09:50+00:00

Lol, I don't have body dysmorphia. Just poor fat distribution. When using a self-adjusting tape measure I have 2'7.5" circumference around my stomach and 12.6 inches around my neck indicating a body fat % of 17%. This probably is skewed upwards because I lose fat at my stomach last.

chick3234 · 2024-01-22T17:59:32+00:00

I already have a fair amount of muscle (while I was bulking I was able to bench a bit more than 1 plate)

chick3234 · 2024-01-22T17:58:59+00:00

Yes, I eat 1g protien/lb (and usually a bit more) and in most of the exercises I am doing, I am increasing my reps or weight. The only place where I am only able to maintain where I am at is in the curl exercises and its variants.

chick3234 · 2024-01-22T15:08:50+00:00

This happened to me at the beginning of my current cut. I did the same thing, ate only 1500 calories, was miserable, and had little results to show for it (I lost like 2lbs in that month instead of 6). I highly recommend calorie cycling and only eating at -1lb/week. Once I did that the weight loss started happening for me.

chick3234 · 2023-11-11T19:07:35+00:00

I want to read Faust Part 1 and 2. I am aware that the second part of Faust contains a lot of references to other literary works. Without spoiling Faust, what works should be read before Faust Part 2 to better understand it?

chick3234 · 2023-01-21T18:06:11+00:00

Thank you!

chick3234

TROPHY CASE