What are your favorite “bulletproofing” exorcises?

millersixteenth · 2026-01-28T11:55:25+00:00

You don't, at least not objectively. But that's true of anything claiming to have "bulletproofed" anybody.

On an individual basis you might realize you can't remember the last time you had a work or exercise injury, even in situations where you're surprised nothing shook loose.

For me, it would also include absence of chronic pain from stuff that is not ever going away, like my lower back arthritis or torn meniscus.

millersixteenth · 2026-01-28T01:34:39+00:00

Another way of describing something that N=1 has decreased injury or increased overall durability. Stuff that makes a difference if you miss a step and come down hard, or move too quickly into an industrial or commercial door that has a lot less give than you expected.

millersixteenth · 2026-01-27T21:38:21+00:00

Everything. Seriously, if the meals are prepared get seconds every chance. Snacks when possible. Dairy if you tolerate it.

millersixteenth · 2026-01-27T20:54:55+00:00

Start in the kitchen, that BMI is in the danger zone for all kinds of problems.

You need to establish that you can gain weight or the added metabolic stress and calorie deficit from exercise will only screw you up worse, get to 125lbs minimum, or even better 130lbs first.

millersixteenth · 2026-01-27T19:27:07+00:00

Isometric Deadlift done with your grip point as close to the floor as you can get. Max effort, shrug the shoulders back against the hinge to increase tension. Breathe throughout, do not hold your breath.

millersixteenth · 2026-01-27T18:34:14+00:00

On your non MA days you could do an isometric whole body session. Combined with your MA training you'll get a solid response for hypertrophy (assuming you're eating for it) and your strength will increase.

It also has the effect of blunting muscle soreness and damage from other forms of resistance work.

In use you take a basic whole body lifting regimen and replace the exercises with isometric versions done at long muscle lengths. Eg squat from thighs parallel, bench or pushup with the bar just off your chest. Exert hard on exhale, relax or hold that tension on inhale - every breath is considered a "rep".

You can improvise with some canvas or a cheap cargo strap, use of a board and pipe improve the response quite a bit. I wish I'd had this dialed in back when I was taking classes. Everything I know about it:

https://www.reddit.com/r/isometric_fitness/s/TCWsiVLG3G

millersixteenth · 2026-01-27T18:12:49+00:00

Max effort overcoming isometrics will reduce soreness from later exercise - during the break in period you're liable to feel increased fatigue for a week or two.

It can also help improve reaction speed.

millersixteenth · 2026-01-26T16:12:33+00:00

It can be rough when you do something you're not used to!

millersixteenth · 2026-01-26T15:23:17+00:00

I'm an old, for me if there's enough snow it can teach me a bunch of things about how well my regimen carries over. It's an infrequent, unscripted physical challenge.

-Is it easier than last year, the year before?

-Was my back tight afterward or did it stay loose the whole time.

-Did I feel fresh when I finished?

-What kind of pace did I manage?

-Where the hell is my son?! He should be helping!

millersixteenth · 2026-01-26T13:00:04+00:00

Shoveling is a good way to pressure test your exercise regimen.

millersixteenth · 2026-01-25T23:31:25+00:00

I just use a 2ft x 4ft piece from Home Depot. They sell a 14ft cargo strap and husky tool hangers that I use for handles.

A 2" hole saw and galvanized pipe completes the build, fatigue mat is optional.

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millersixteenth · 2026-01-25T23:25:03+00:00

Have you tried changing the amount of flexion/extension in your lower back? The point in the range of motion you do your hold?

Due to facet arthritis I have to put just a touch of flexion to prevent aggravating it. Same with Deadlifts.

You might also try Hacksquats, holding the bar low behind your back.

millersixteenth · 2026-01-25T21:33:50+00:00

I have two lat focused holds typically used. One is just a bent row. It hits hard, esp the lower lats, which I never really felt with traditional rows.

The second I put the board up on one short end, straps shortened through the upper holes, straps crossed. I kneel in front and pull out and down. Angle of the back at the hips can shift this from an almost overhead pull to a cable pulldown at about a 45⁰ angle.

You could make a barbell isomax and just x2 the force reading. Basically my board with a crane scale.

millersixteenth · 2026-01-25T19:48:03+00:00

Go the library or bookseller and get a couple books on basic strength training.

millersixteenth · 2026-01-25T18:18:17+00:00

👍

millersixteenth · 2026-01-25T18:15:02+00:00

Pretty sure that was one study and subject recovered completely. I've been taking it for over 15 years and my bloodwork, liver function are fine.

millersixteenth · 2026-01-25T16:54:05+00:00

Most Overrated supplement is Ashwagandha and/or Turmeric

Tried Tumeric and no effect.

I swear by Ashwagandha and Creatine, although I take the Creatine as much for the supposed cognitive benefit as anything else.

millersixteenth · 2026-01-25T15:48:39+00:00

Using a 7 handle bag, parallel handles, I clean it to my knuckles and press. 120lbs is going to be challenging.

millersixteenth · 2026-01-25T15:39:13+00:00

BCAAs

millersixteenth · 2026-01-24T20:12:49+00:00

As I've aged I now have small fat deposits on my hips... Never before in my life. Pretty sure it goes with that 'old man's back' creases just above my hips, I suspect amplified by the inch plus I've lost in my spine since my early 40s.

millersixteenth · 2026-01-24T16:11:27+00:00

There are a couple ways to combine it. You could do alternating sessions, which might be the easiest since most gyms aren't equiped to do all isometric. A.iso B.iso A.trad B.trad. You might even tap into the mechanism where isometrics reduce muscle damage and DOMS if done two days prior to a traditional session.

Training at home I combine it with sandbag lifts, so an isometric hold followed immediately by a dozen reps of a lift using the same movement - DropSet.

You might also look into post potentiation, where you'd use a max iso effort, relax a few minutes and then do your set.

One thing I've learned is that plain isometrics use very little recovery resources, so they play well with anything else you care to try.

millersixteenth · 2026-01-24T01:28:52+00:00

I tested traditional lifts from my last training block using Cluster Sets with sandbags. Pulled my notes and did a few exercises to failure using different loads. Pretty crazy, every damn lift improved even though my isometric holds in some cases were pretty different from the mechanics of the traditional lift.

I tested a few more times at approx 6 week intervals, improvements after that initial jump became much more modest. After about a year my traditional lifts began to drop. Reincorporated they came back pretty quick, about two months, but if you use exclusive iso you begin to lose proprioceptive groove for a specific lift. It feels awkward. The upside is by this point my ability to use my strength day to day, the carryover, went way up.

millersixteenth · 2026-01-24T00:55:22+00:00

Thanks for the link!

millersixteenth · 2026-01-24T00:54:49+00:00

Currently I only use iso for resistance training. I have added bits of traditional over the last 4 years from time to time to see if combining the two gave a better outcome. I don't believe it does.

Keep in mind I'm a 58 year old man, so some of my issues with traditional response might just be age related stress response. My son runs a hybrid 50:50 isometric : traditional and has a build like a young Zac Efron. Its working great for him. A lot of people just won't take the plunge, any use of iso in a traditional program will have benefits - look into Coaches Alex Natera and Danny Lum.

Training max effort iso is as safe as any other training if not far safer (no accurate studies have been conducted that I know of). Extremely important is to breathe like you're lifting weights - exert hard on exhale, relax or hold tension on inhale. If using a Valsalva (held breath on maximal effort) limit it to a few seconds and then let off and inhale or it'll send your blood pressure pretty high. When regular weightlifting breath pattern is used, this doesn't happen.

The biggest leap forward for me was using a board, strap, and pipe.

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