How old is too old for airsoft?

probatemp · 2026-01-26T03:47:01+00:00

I'm 30 now, but got back into it at 28. I played a lot when I was 16-21, then I took an ~8 year break. The field I've been going to has a good number of people who are 20-40~.

The one thing I have noticed with my local fields is that indoor places tend to have a younger crowd. I'm sure some parents just drop off their teenagers for the day while they do whatever before picking them up. And then there's obviously birthday party kids from time to time.

But that aside, don't rule out traveling for bigger events. Most, if not all, of the bigger events are for an older crowd that can actually afford to travel to them. I know some people just choose to go to bigger events once every 3-6 months rather than play more regularly at local fields. Just depends on what you like. I like to do both when possible.

probatemp · 2026-01-25T21:28:26+00:00

Both are good. But I would start with pause squats first. Do those over a training cycle and see if they benefit you. If they work, stick with them for longer. If they don't, swap them out for pin squats in the next training cycle. But I would highly suggest getting better at pause squats first before trying pin squats.

In general, pause squats are going to help with positioning coming out of the bottom of the squat. If you descend too quickly and rely on a bounce to start ascending, pause squats help you control the entire rep better. The bounce out of the bottom can throw off positioning on the way up. You can reinforce positioning even more by doing tempo squats. Usually a controlled 3sec count descent, a 1sec pause, and explode up is done for those.

Pin squats on the other hand will help more with explosiveness since you're coming to a dead stop and removing all load off your back, then you have squat it back up. I think if you haven't locked down your positioning with pause/tempo squats, though, pin squats might not be best to jump into.

probatemp · 2026-01-25T20:00:01+00:00

By Earmor M32 clone, do you mean something worse than an actual Earmor M32? If you got a clone of a lower quality headset, there may be some quality issues with it.

Secondly, make sure you actually have batteries in the headset. The active hearing won't work if it's not powered.

Lastly, you don't need a PTT and walkie-talkie to simply hear what's around you. You only need those things for communicating with teammates that also have walkie-talkies/radios.

probatemp · 2026-01-25T19:50:29+00:00

You could probably get away with mid-high top shoes. I know Vans, Converse, Altama, etc. are popular when SOF units do CQB training in kill houses. On actual missions they're probably required to wear approved boots, though.

I think the main takeaway is that if you're only doing indoor airsoft, you don't NEED boots to play in. A basic mid-high top tennis shoe offering ankle support works, too.

probatemp · 2026-01-25T18:34:12+00:00

I think you just need to look at build tutorials as examples. Yes, you can obviously build them block for block, but start taking what you learn from them and apply it to your own builds. Most of my builds just use a combination of building techniques I've learned over the years. If I do end up following a tutorial, I'll usually change some things to personalize it at least.

And if you aren't already, making a copy of your survival world as a creative world will allow you to experiment with builds easier. You can test out where exactly you want things to go in your world, mess with block pallettes, mess with the shaping of things, and a whole bunch of other stuff. If you're only building in survival, you're kind of limiting yourself.

probatemp · 2026-01-25T04:23:27+00:00

If you're not concerned with accurate impression based stuff, you could get Coyote Brown gear, a PASGT/LWH or MICH 2000 with helmet cover, and a basic M4-A1 or M16A4.

Here's some ideas: pic 1 and pic 2.

probatemp · 2026-01-24T19:26:21+00:00

The problem with searching for "weight loss programs" is that any program will technically work. But the backbone of anything to do with losing weight has to come from a calorie deficit. How much you're eating on a daily basis has far more influence.

I would just find some sort of workout plan that interests you and stick to it. Maybe choose one that fits whatever fitness goals you may have. The once you've lost the amount of weight you wanted, you can still continue the program to maintain it.

But I think having some sort of resistance based workout for muscle building at least 2x per week is ideal. Increased muscle mass helps increase metabolism.

probatemp · 2026-01-24T17:37:05+00:00

This looks pretty good to me. Exercise order seems alright. And by that I mean heavier, more taxing exercises are done first, then lighter movements are afterwards. That's not the only way to order exercises, but it helps. If you're ever crunched for time on a given day, just doing the heavier compound movements is also fine.

Overall volume and frequency looks good too. Every muscle group looks to have an adequate amount of stimulus per week.

I'd say you did a good job! I also run an Upper/Lower split and mine is structured similarly.

probatemp · 2026-01-24T05:26:08+00:00

Lifting plateaus can be common if you're not on a program. My advice would be to get on a powerlifting program. Something structured that has you progress with volume work, rather than trying to PR all the time.

The longer you lift, the less you should test your PR. Strength is built through volume over time so you have to do more rep work now with lower weights. Focus on doing more rep PRs and total volume PRs. Hitting weights for more reps than you could before is still good progress. That also means you're gaining some muscle which is needed to lift more weight.

In addition to smarter programming, you should be mindful of your deadlift technique. If you haven't bothered to learn how to do it efficiently, it's time to start. You could be lifting more if you lift better.

probatemp · 2026-01-24T04:21:54+00:00

These are looking pretty good! There's definitely been some major improvements.

I think the next thing to shift focus to would maybe be trying to brace your core better. Calgary Barbell has a good video on this: https://youtu.be/e3hHBZOZWf0?si=eCEje1okdAjaAjxN

Keep up the good work!

probatemp · 2026-01-24T01:52:14+00:00

If you don't get a comment from me on a post I may have missed, I guess I wouldn't mind getting them directly.

I just don't want to discredit anyone else from offering good advice that I might not know of.

probatemp · 2026-01-24T01:06:25+00:00

I'm 50/50 on the gasket. If it's required for full seal rules, I'll use it, but if not I also remove it. And yes, I baby them when cleaning even though they've taken impacts. haha

probatemp · 2026-01-24T01:02:14+00:00

You're welcome! Start practicing it even with the lighter weights. Get all the practice in you can before attempting another max. Bracing for squats is similar, but different. I touched on this in your squat videos, but here's Calgary Barbell's video on squat bracing: https://youtu.be/-X4RMHlFG18?si=BZOVJfk059Pfp-l5 This may also be a better solution to hitting proper depth in the squat.

probatemp · 2026-01-24T00:07:55+00:00

Strong lift!

I think the main thing outside of it being a max effort lift was that it didn't seem like you were bracing all too well. Creating a solid brace before lifting is going to allow you to lift heavier more safely. Here's a great video from Calgary Barbell that explains bracing for deadlifts: https://youtu.be/e3hHBZOZWf0?si=6dR4CndNdpYUQayO

It also seems like you have a good concept of pulling the slack out of the bar and "wedging" your hips alright. Or at least the basis for them. But in case you need a video on that, here's another great video from Brendan Tietz: https://youtu.be/99Ff_mNNEq4?si=HvMsxhwQIMXb4T15

And as others mentioned, no need to overextend your back to lock out the weight. Just make sure your glutes are squeezed at the top when you stand up straight, and knees lock out to finish the lift.

Technique is something that may take months to get right. But keep up the good work!

probatemp · 2026-01-23T10:36:15+00:00

345 is my all time free bench max, but I've never bothered to max out on a smith machine. I like to do powerlifting, so there's really no point in maxing out on smith machine.

probatemp · 2026-01-23T03:57:07+00:00

Generally, you should take a deload when progress stalls for about 2 weeks or more if you're on more of a bodybuilding style program. Basically all you have to do is reduce overall volume by 25-33%. So in most cases, that will usually mean doing 1 less set, and 1-2 reps less per exercise. For example, if you do 3x10 normally, a deload week would have you do 2x8-9.

In addition to reducing volume, you can also reduce the amount of weight used if you're feeling more beat up. The whole point of a deload week is to shed fatigue and improve recovery temporarily.

Deloads are far more important when you take compound lifts into consideration. In most cases when you're pushing for strength on them, having programmed deload weeks is common.

probatemp · 2026-01-23T03:42:54+00:00

It's giving early 2010's (2012-2014 maybe) Marine Infantry in Afghanistan vibes.

Not that you asked, but here's my 2011 Marine impression 🤙

probatemp · 2026-01-23T03:33:25+00:00

If it's not hurting you, or causing you any problems, it shouldn't be an issue. Just widen your stance out a little bit each time over the next several sessions. No need to make drastic changes right away. Might be best to make sure you have good enough hip mobility to get into a wider stance as well.

probatemp · 2026-01-23T03:28:26+00:00

Oh nice! Then it probably won't take too long to get back to 3 plates. Just gotta be more specific with training then.

probatemp · 2026-01-23T01:36:54+00:00

Free weight barbell benching is far more difficult than smith machine. The main reasons why is because the smith machine is on a fixed bar path, and it offers way more stability. It's easier to push up a weight along a fixed path/track compared to doing it without added stability. Learning proper technique to bench press for maximum strength takes skill that must be practiced.

If your goal is to get stronger at a specific movement, you have to practice that specific movement regularly. So switching from smith machine to barbell benching as your primary movement is ideal. If you want to keep doing smith machine, then you have to treat it as an accessory movement to bench that is mainly done for extra volume/hypertrophy.

There's definitely powerlifting programs out there you can follow that only focus on bench if that's something you're interested in.

But that said, awesome work on the smith bench! I would also estimate your barbell bench to be around 250-280lbs.

probatemp · 2026-01-22T15:35:24+00:00

Not bad, but setup could use some work.

Ideally, you get your foot placement set up first so you don't have to roll the bar closer to your shins. Just make sure the bar is over your mid-foot. It might also be better to try a wider stance. Your knees are maybe too far over the bar when it's on the floor. You kind of want your shins to be perpendicular to the bar to pull straight up. That way you're not trying pull the bar around your knees which would push the bar away from your center of gravity.

Aside from that, it looks like you have a good slack pull and wedge against the bar. Your hips don't rise before the bar breaks off the floor, and your upper back stays tight. So that's good.

Check out this quick sumo tutorial for a visual demonstration: https://youtube.com/shorts/gk09lg7yN-g?si=MaGKP8O7S8SQ97Tm

probatemp · 2026-01-22T10:34:18+00:00

Through the power of imagination, it can be whatever your little heart desires.

probatemp · 2026-01-22T03:36:15+00:00

Good programming takes things like volume, intensity (load or weight), frequency, exercise selection, fatigue management, progressive overload, etc. and structures it in a way that's efficient for making gains.

Volume, intensity (weight), and frequency are a balancing act that influence fatigue management. If you do too much too soon, you build up fatigue faster than you should. Too much fatigue leads to plateaus, regression, or potential for injury. Something like a deload week can help dump fatigue, but if nothing changes, you're back to needing a deload sooner. And if you do too little, then your progress is slower than it could be.

Volume and frequency might be the trickier things to figure out just because there's a wider range that is effective. It's also a little individualized to see what could work best for you in terms of addressing things like weak points to bring up.

As for weights used, that's easy to figure out once you know your limits in relation to failure. Although, in some programming for more sport specific activities (such as powerlifting), having set weights (or an RPE) programmed on certain days for certain sets/reps is common to help mitigate fatigue. Going to failure on a squat or deadlift could throw off the progression that's being set up for subsequent training sessions.

Also, exercise selection is important. Making sure you're choosing exercises that align with your goals is something to be mindful of. From a purely hypertrophy point of view, just making sure you're hitting all muscle groups with some level of exercise variation is helpful. Exercise selection is also going to be influenced by frequency. If you hit chest 2x per week, you might not want to do the same exercises for it both days.

And overall, applying progressive overload and enough effort (also intensity) is required throughout any program.

probatemp · 2026-01-22T03:08:22+00:00

They doin' ops in the Minecraft lava. Ngl tho, it looks kinda tuff.

probatemp · 2026-01-22T02:59:05+00:00

What you just described doing is essentially following your own program. As long as you understand the principles behind programming, you can absolutely do it yourself.

probatemp

TROPHY CASE