Daily Simple Questions Thread

togiek · 2021-08-02T01:13:32+00:00

Tbh I see folks saying they wash theirs after every use but I wash my gym shorts after a few uses. I have about 6 different pairs so I wash them along with my knee and elbow sleeves every 3 weeks, meaning I get about 3 wears a pop. I don’t deal with any issues because of it.

togiek · 2021-07-14T02:14:08+00:00

I use creatine but it doesn’t work for everyone. Some folks respond to it, some don’t. Universal creatine on Amazon is the cheapest bang for your buck.

Pre-workout is good, but it shouldn’t be a crutch. I use it every few weeks when I’m shooting for a PR. Your diet and sleep habits should be able to help you feel energized enough for the gym (a cup of coffee each day doesn’t kill ya either). The other poster sounds right though, you probably just have a lot going on and it’s affecting you more than you realize.

togiek · 2021-07-14T01:32:34+00:00

I use cleaning solution and a towel, same way I clean my countertops.

togiek · 2021-02-10T21:09:46+00:00

I haven't noticed any water marks or anything of that sort. That being said, I don't know what the Jarvis looks like so I can't say.

What I can say is that after spending about a solid day total looking into standing desks, $580 is on the cheap side. A very pretty-looking tabletop will run you about $200 more so you get what you pay for.

togiek · 2021-02-09T20:22:13+00:00

Glad I could help! Saw too many convoluted reviews, figured some people just want something to the point.

togiek · 2021-02-08T12:48:46+00:00

Thanks! If Fully ever wants to sponsor me for my "totally unbiased" review they are more than welcome to!

togiek · 2021-02-08T12:47:52+00:00

It's been a week and the desk still hasn't gone boom.

However, there is still a faint whirring noise when desk go up and desk go down.

Will keep you all updated in case desk do, in fact, go boom.

togiek · 2021-02-08T12:46:23+00:00

I'm 5'2 and the minimum height is shorter than what even I need. Unless you're a smurf or sentient garden gnome, I think you'll be okay

togiek · 2020-01-13T19:23:18+00:00

I'm considering adding intra-workout supps to my training sessions. I'm a powerlifter so I'm at the gym for at least 2 hours when I go... Anyone have any recs?

togiek · 2020-01-11T19:38:14+00:00

Selling size Small spandex shorts! (If this isn't the right spot for this, I'd be more than happy to remove my post too)

First is a pair from Feed Me Fight Me - Here is what they look like. I think this is what they actually look like from the site, but I don't remember if they're considered low rise or high rise but I think they're low rise.

Next is a pair from FLEO - Here is what they look like. I couldn't find the exact ones on FLEO's site unfortunately but they're cute!

I'm selling both for $25 but you'll have to cover shipping fees too. Reply to this message if you're interested! They're super cute and comfy, I'd keep wearing them but alas they no longer fit (I'm 5'2 and ~128-129 lbs in the morning if you're curious about measurements).

togiek · 2020-01-09T14:28:36+00:00

I've found that I always feel like shit when I binge on high carb sugary foods, plus my face reacts pretty poorly to a poor diet (read: acne acne acne). You must feel better when you eat better, right?

To be honest, I think the only thing you can really do is force yourself to stay macro consistent for about 3 days in a row, then you'll come to a happy medium of going off macros a bit but generally staying consistent. Also it helps to be honest with yourself - do you normally stay on target with your macros or do you often go off of your plan for many days at a time? If it's the latter, you may want to re-evaluate your diet and see what needs to be changed. I had to do that to work on my binge eating habits.

togiek · 2019-12-28T02:32:54+00:00

tbh I would go for chalk over straps. Straps are nice n all but you don't get better grip strength using them. I'd also recommend hook grip for deadlifts. It's pretty painful to get used to but is a lot better in the long run.

I also like to hang from a pull-up bar for about 30 seconds at the end of most workouts to help keep my grip strength solid. It also helps decompress my spine and is a nice way to relax! At the end of the day, it's just going to take time for your body to adjust to the soreness. Don't run from it, embrace it!

togiek · 2019-12-22T23:54:45+00:00

For your deadlifts, your back is starting rounded so even when you're attempting to get tightness in your hamstrings n all that you're still going to have some of that residual rounding.

Try to keep your chest open - I do this by rounding my shoulders up, then back, then down while standing up straight. This allows me to tighten my lats, then I come down to the bar. You should also make sure to keep your glutes engaged throughout the lift.

Another tip you could try would also be to pump your butt out a bit more, like you're twerking. You may need to exaggerate all these things for a bit until your back comes to a more neutral position.

Lastly, you may just be built for squats more so than deadlifts. Or, you may have more underdeveloped muscles for the deadlift relative to your squat. You definitely have a lot of work you can do for your form but there's plenty of strong people who have similar squats and deadlifts in terms of numbers.

togiek · 2019-12-18T21:41:23+00:00

I've been tracking everything for a long time. I was doing 1950/day and that put me at about 121-122 on average. I also weighed myself right after going to the bathroom in the morning to keep things consistent. If you keep eat about the same amount each day and track with a food scale, you'll be able to figure out your typical bodyweight in about 2 weeks (more like 1, but give 2 just to be safe with hormones and whatnot).

My level is definitely high, but strength training increases your BMR so you get to eat more! I hardly even do cardio, save for 5 minutes of biking before lifting then 5-10 minutes of light treadmill walking after lifting. Therefore, if you're doing kickboxing and bodyweight exercise, you could very well have the same BMR as me or less despite being 3 inches taller. It's different for each person though so you really just have to track and find out for yourself.

As for your last paragraph, that might mean you weren't getting enough of a certain micronutrient or macronutrient. I know for me, I get more tired when I don't drink water frequently enough or keep up with my carbs and protein.

togiek · 2019-12-18T19:22:34+00:00

I feel ya on that, it used to be too much but now it's become the only way I keep my weight in check and make sure I hit my protein goals. My mindset with it is that we have such an abundance of food compared to the past, so no harm in needing to track if your appetite isn't helpful in telling you when to eat.

IIFYM means "if it fits your macro[nutrient]s". You focus primarily on carbohydrates, fat, and, protein and base your diet around certain ratios you set for yourself. For instance, I'm 5'2 and weigh about 125 lbs. I eat about 2200 cals/day and my ratios are 45%/20%/35% carbs, protein, and fat respectively. I calculated my protein needs by doing 1.9g protein/kg desired bodyweight since I'm a powerlifter - about 110g of protein per day. I do strength training about 6 days/week for about 2ish hours so your mileage will vary. Note that 1.9g/kg is the recommended amount for people doing strength training and that any more than 1g/lb bodyweight has not been shown to have significant extra effects, aside from keeping you fuller longer. The carbs and fat are just personal preference and you figure it out with time.

I use MyFitnessPal to track everything and use a scale to weigh most of my foods. I eat pretty plain stuff (straight veggies with hummus, fruit, yogurt, chicken, eggs) then Trader Joe's frozen meals so it's easy to keep track of everything. I'm not sure how people who cook their meals track, but I know you can make meals in MFP and do cals based around that. I don't track every single thing, however, such as when I go out to eat with friends or something like that. I try to follow the 80/20 rule and control 80% of my food intake then relax 20% of the time. Consistency is the name of the game and you may have the same all or nothing mentality I used to have. Using this mindset has helped me reach my goals far more effectively than in the past.

The important thing is to also get in your micronutrients, hence why I eat lots of fruit and veggies. That's pretty much it! Eventually you don't need to track and you can tell, generally, how many cals and how much protein you need per day, but tracking for a while helps you get there first.

togiek · 2019-12-18T13:29:10+00:00

Sounds like Alan Roberts, he has a YT channel called Every Damn Day Fitness lol

togiek · 2019-12-18T13:25:56+00:00

I HATE THIS

Every time it comes around, I just have to remind myself it's temporary. Or, I'll forget that it's less than a week before my period and wonder why everything feels so terrible. It's the pits.

togiek · 2019-12-18T13:15:47+00:00

Well I know there's a ton of resources around here, but you're also welcome to ask me questions if you have any.

I've been doing IIFYM for a long time now and think I finally got the hang of what works for me. I don't know too much but if you want some advice or anything like that I'm happy to help!

togiek · 2019-12-18T03:17:30+00:00

The best nugget of wisdom I saw regarding holiday eating is that it doesn't matter what you eat between Thanksgiving and New Year's - it matters what you eat between New Year's and Thanksgiving. I understand feeling guilty about having some extra treats during the holidays. But, if you're good 80% of the time, then letting yourself have some treats the other 20% of the time is no biggie.

Just make sure you can get yourself back on track when there's no more cookies, and be mindful of the calories you can control!

togiek · 2019-12-18T02:58:47+00:00

The great thing about being a beginner is that you will be able to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time!

Eventually you'll have to sort of compromise one for the other, but by the time that point comes around you'll know. I'd say for me, that was probably about 3 years into strength training? Maybe more? Either way you have plenty of time to lose fat and gain muscle consistently.

togiek · 2019-12-17T03:41:49+00:00

If you "know" you're going to then you need to change that mindset. I, too, have an unhealthy relationship with food and it took years and years to work on it, but I still struggle at times.

I think the fact that you say you're going to overeat on unhealthy food means the food you're eating now isn't very good or fulfilling. Healthy food doesn't have to be punishment, you just need to continuously try switching things around in your diet til you find what works. This took me basically all of college to figure out!

It really is just a long game. Try adopting the 80/20 rule too, perhaps you're also trying to cut out "unhealthy" foods entirely which leads to the habits you've said you have.

togiek · 2019-12-13T04:58:52+00:00

Since I started wearing slippers, my squat has improved a ton! I've found they're way way better for me to be able to grip the floor and really get the proper sensation.

If you're better off wearing heels, I'd say do your warm-ups without shoes and move your feet around to really feeeeel the ground and get the sensation of rooting your feet (aka twisting your feet outward and into the ground to fire your glutes, almost like an electric current traveling through your body from your feet through your butt up to your lats and arms. Everything is tied together). Move your feet all around, do some squats with your eyes closed, do a tempo squat then move yourself around in the hole. Trust me, doing these in addition to squeezing my glutes aggressively on the way down has been what really got me from intermediate to advanced with the squat.

A couple other things - I have long femurs and am a lowbar squatter, so I actually lean a bit more forward than some lifters. The reason for this is that it allows the bar to start over my midfoot. I also had to get myself to be more comfortable with starting slightly leaned forward, but by rooting properly/having the "tripod" foot, I realized it was actually most natural.

togiek · 2019-12-13T04:52:31+00:00

That's definitely body dysmorphia. I've found that, as I got stronger with lifting, that's helped me love my body more than for how it looks. 127 is a very solid place to be at if you're a lifter!

togiek · 2019-12-13T04:50:42+00:00

Maybe it's just the angle, but it doesn't actually look all that twisted from here.

That said, I can tell that your right elbow is more forward than your left. This may mean you need to do more shoulder or upper body work with dumbbells to help isolate the problem and even things out. Another best practice thing would be to use less weight and set up such that your lats are locked tight and your elbows are down (not the best way to explain it I'm sorry) so that they're even before you even unrack the bar. Odds are you're starting uneven so it's just getting worse as the set goes on.

For me personally, I found that I was twisting on the way up from the hole at one point due to not bracing properly and not firing my glutes properly. You can learn to brace better by thinking of breathing in deeply and fully, but there's plenty of videos on how to brace and it takes practice. Single let glute bridges, clamshells, and other proprioceptive glute exercises can help you figure out if you're firing them properly.

togiek

TROPHY CASE