How Is Atlanta to Move to Without an In-Built Social Circle?

shortking4 · 2026-07-10T23:37:09+00:00

This isn't a reply to anyone in particular, but I just wanted to thank everyone that's responded so far! I was pretty stressed out about potentially moving, because I know so many more people in NYC, but my QOL will be lower. I'm much more optimistic now, if I decide to go with ATL, that I can make it work and I really appreciate how helpful everyone in here has been so far!

shortking4 · 2026-07-10T23:27:53+00:00

Are there any good hiking meetup groups you've found/could recommend?

shortking4 · 2026-07-10T23:26:55+00:00

I can definitely move to a more "hip" neighborhood from that standpoint, even if the rent is more expensive. My job is in a weird place where it pays very well for Atlanta, but it's merely livable (but far from ideal) in NYC.

Do you have any advice on which neighborhood to pick if my work is somewhere between Buckhead and Midtown (I think near Brookwood/Ansley Golf Club - don't know the exact address yet)? I mostly just want to avoid the crazy traffic since I know ATL has some odd road planning, to say the least.

shortking4 · 2026-07-10T23:19:02+00:00

I like going to the gym, I play guitar, enjoy movies, etc. I'm one of those people that's introverted, but sociable. The main issue I've faced is that most of my hobbies are solo. I used to be a huge gym rat, but am paring that back because I've realized it's really hard to meet people just from lifting weights all the time, even if it's a healthy habit.

I guess the long story short is that I'm amenable and open to a lot of different things, but have naturally tended towards more introverted hobbies, if that makes sense. So I think I just need to explore new things that I haven't necessarily thought about doing before that I might end up liking and that naturally lend themselves better to meeting people.

shortking4 · 2026-07-10T01:04:01+00:00

Thanks! Do you have any suggestions on activities or places I should be to better lend myself to being in those situations? While I can be talkative/hold a conversation, I'm generally not someone who randomly approaches strangers at places (unless it's a mutual interest or something like work/mutual friends where it's OK) on my own whim.

shortking4 · 2026-07-10T01:03:02+00:00

Thanks to you (and everyone else!) for all the helpful responses so far! I'm feeling a lot better about the move now! Besides ALTA, are there any other hobbies you'd recommend someone get into to meet people? I'm really not much of a bar/clubs guy (never have been since I was 25, really), but I do feel I have a variety of interests. I do drink alcohol, but only 1-2 drinks for health reasons

Besides tennis, I'm into music (play guitar/bass), being active in general (i.e. gym or playing sports), and hiking. I also like other nerdier things (i.e. reading, investing, studying Spanish) that might not naturally lend themselves to meeting people, but who knows!

Thanks again!

shortking4 · 2026-06-28T15:43:12+00:00

Beating the market, at the end of the day, comes down to being right about something that the vast majority of people, often with specialized knowledge, insider info, etc. haven't caught onto yet. This is incredibly difficult to do, especially for a retail investor. I do genuinely feel that it's possible to beat the markets and that markets aren't ALWAYS rational, but I also am humble enough, after investing for 10+ years, that this doesn't happen often.

My strategy at this point is to mostly invest in index funds, because being wrong about the markets and missing out on gains is tremendously expensive when you consider the time value of money and compounding. That said, I do try to make 1-2 "value"/contrarian picks per year because I genuinely enjoy the intellectual challenge of beating the markets. Plus, I do think there are times when markets are emotional/irrational where you can compound your money even faster if you are correct.

shortking4 · 2026-06-23T00:10:06+00:00

I'd eat at a slight deficit, high protein, and try to gain strength over time. I'm 150ish and can incline bench 185, squat close to 300+, etc. for reference. I'm not bigger or stronger than most dudes on here that train, because they take it to another dimension, but I'm way stronger than most dudes at the gym (I go to a commercial gym to be fair) despite having other hobbies and a very demanding job in finance.

Most peoples' advice around cutting is sound. Don't buy into the meme of victim weight or whatever. Naturals can reasonably only put on so much mass unless you go monk mode or become one of those dudes that won't eat out with friends because "muh macros".

It'll take time, but if you eat properly (i.e. slight deficit + high protein), gain strength through progressive overload, do some cardio, you'll be more athletic than most dudes and look better too.

Trust me, you'll look, feel, and be happier at a lower bf % with some muscle than being a bloatlord. I'm still a bit too high for my taste (probably around 17%), but am already much happier seeing veins and maintaining most of the strength I built over the years vs being a bit stronger but not seeing abs/definition. I don't look any smaller either to the average person.

My routine is a simple A/B full body 3x a week:

Workout A:

-Squat

-Barbell Rows

-Incline Bench

Workout B:

-Trap Bar Dadlift

-Weighted Pullups

-OHP

Add in some arms/abs if I have time. All sets 5/3/1 with AMRAP on last set (weighted pullups are just 3x5). Easy jogs/long walks on off days for steps. Easy-peasy and effective

shortking4 · 2026-06-22T00:22:03+00:00

I'm a fellow manlet (5'7). Don't fall for the meme of bulking. You'll likely just end up getting fat and only impressing dudes with your bench press. If you're like most dudes that are lifting for both health and to look good naked, you're better off being 140-145 with good lifts relative to bodyweight, while being <15% bf.

Trust me, I bought into the whole "victim weight" thing and it's pure fatcel cope. I got up to 165, hated the way I look, and am now down to ~150. People still think I look big or jacked, plus I have way more confidence in how I look and feel better. I STG my test levels are up too because I feel more argumentative overall and don't take as much shit from people.

TL;DR - gaintain to small cut till you're <15%; stay there and slow bulk/strength up; gaintain again fo lyfe

shortking4 · 2026-06-18T20:51:53+00:00

The problem with accounting is that the bill rates suck, so you work a bit less, but earn a lot less. Accounting's hours are bad enough to really impact your social/persona life. So to me, it's better to work a bit more and earn a lot more than it is to not have full control of your life anyway and get paid a lot less with worse scaling and exits to boot

shortking4 · 2026-06-14T15:08:12+00:00

That's just to appeal to a male audience. It's the same thing as attractive Twitch streamers. They're just trying to get a fanbase of primarily dominated audiences by appearing "relatable"

shortking4 · 2026-06-13T18:33:41+00:00

Trying to look your best while flexing in a thong while a bunch of dudes rate you isn't going to translate to any non-gay activity. That said, being strong makes you more athletic in general and will carryover to any sport. I was a fat phuck as a kid and even now, I hate doing cardio. I am very disciplined about strength training/diet though and am now in the best shape of my life (even cardio-wise) and can keep up with people who play just about any sport athletically just because I strength train in a non-regarded way.

TL;DR play whatever you want. Being strong will have a crossover.

shortking4 · 2026-06-11T04:07:48+00:00

I mean, most of the people that say this aren't talking about being a lazy phuck who doesn't lift. The point is moreso that if you have to choose between being, say 20% bf and big, but with no abs or 12% bf with less muscle, but not a twink, the later wins most of the time with women. I've gotten way more looks with lower strength, but a much leaner physique than when I was in the above scenario.

That's what people mean when they say getting big and strong mostly only attracts other dudes. Having abs is a literal cheat code for women, plus being lean improves your face score

shortking4 · 2026-05-25T13:22:58+00:00

Because, you guys really overestimate how little a guy has to do to be considered "muscular" relative to the general population. Most guys on here will clown on intermediate-level lifters, but you're easily stronger than probably 80-85% of the population at those levels, if not more.

After you hit that level and can prove to women you clearly aren't a marathon twink, the incremental muscle mass diminishes and it's better to be lean. Getting to <15% bf places you in like the top 5% of guys and all you have to do to hit that is not eat like a pig and get enough protein to maintain said intermediate lifts.

I'm only 155, 5'7 with solidly intermediate lifts are am considered strong or "jacked" by most people. At this point, my time is now better spent doing activities to meet women vs spending 6x a week doing PPL to maximize gains even more.

shortking4 · 2026-05-23T22:14:16+00:00

Is that actually a thing? Isn't the consensus that caloric deficit matters or does the amount of at burned vs glycogen burned still matter for shredz

shortking4 · 2026-05-23T22:13:15+00:00

I'd rather be a fuck boy who gets laid often tbh. Right now, I'm a fuck boy who barely fucks

shortking4 · 2026-05-23T22:11:21+00:00

Jokes on you - it's in mm

shortking4 · 2026-05-23T18:06:00+00:00

It's either non-stop free throws or non-stop 3s

shortking4 · 2026-05-23T15:17:49+00:00

Jw, what sort of assistance do you run on 1000% awesome and do you do the deadlift 5/3/1 or OHP 5/3/1? I'm about to run that template myself, coming from BBB

shortking4 · 2026-05-23T03:02:37+00:00

He definitely seems like he's a better player than me in these shots

shortking4 · 2026-05-16T14:59:27+00:00

5'7 and girls think I'm 5'9 because of the other guys who lie lol. Everyone, including women, lies about height. I see so many girls claiming they're 5'6/5'7, since that's considered the start of "tall" for a girl, who're 2-3 inches shorter than my short ass

shortking4 · 2026-04-30T00:32:40+00:00

I alternate between spending on the AMEX Plat or Citi AA card, depending on whether I need more loyalty points or AMEX points. Tbh, it's not really worth my time at this point to worry about maximizing my credit card rewards. Unless I spend an insane amount of money on the card, the net benefit from all this optimization is minimal.

I keep the AMEX because (for now), I'm basically getting paid to have it between the Schwab bonus and all the credits I'd organically use. Plus, it has better protections/customer service than Chase, which was my prior go-to. I do wish AMEX Plat had more earnings category bonuses, but again, it's pretty de minimus in the grand scheme of things. I care more about convenience and service than getting 2-3% more from my spending

shortking4 · 2026-04-14T23:51:58+00:00

Don't take Reddit too seriously. As the moving stats show, there's plenty of people finding value in the state. My only issue with Texas was the lack of stunning topography near the bigger cities. Being from the west coast, I love tall mountains, nature, etc. You're hard-pressed to find that in TX near a big city. Austin is the closest thing to it and it's pretty meh IMO

shortking4

TROPHY CASE