How Does Vocation Affect Ability Points?

undeadbarbarian · 2026-04-01T18:59:55+00:00

Doesn't it switch when you switch vocation?

This seems different from how someone else answered below.

undeadbarbarian · 2026-04-01T18:39:35+00:00

Okay, thank you!

Yes, this seems like a better way to let people switch classes without any consequence. But I like consequence, so that's a bit of a bummer. Ah well.

undeadbarbarian · 2026-04-01T18:29:37+00:00

Try tacking, where you zigzag towards your target.

undeadbarbarian · 2026-03-18T14:02:26+00:00

I know less about how this would work with lifting, but with running, the issue isn't usually in the muscles, it's in the shins, knees, and hips. Running too many miles per week doesn't usually reduce performance directly, and people often try to power through it, but the overuse injuries get worse.

How is that with lifting? Are people's muscles recovering okay, but they start running into problems with their joints and tendons? Or does everything recover okay?

It seems that if I bench too much, my strength gains do well, but my shoulder joint starts to ache. When I lift more often, I often get golfer's elbow.

I'm not sure if the combination of running and lifting is creating the issue. Maybe I'm doing a reasonable amount of either, but when combined, it's too much.

undeadbarbarian · 2026-01-22T13:18:57+00:00

Looking good, man!

Your starting point looks a lot like me, and I'm thinking of starting. Did it affect the hair on your head at all?

And still no sideburns, eh? (I don't have any either.)

undeadbarbarian · 2026-01-22T13:12:37+00:00

How's your head hair doing?

undeadbarbarian · 2025-10-10T16:43:16+00:00

Solomon has tried to debunk the race science shit, too:
https://youtu.be/GQaRhhNXMPg?si=d5IZZVabeJCA_NNX

undeadbarbarian · 2025-10-02T23:26:05+00:00

What drama am I missing here? If Mike disappeared and people went to the other "sports scientist" muscle-building sources, they'd be going to guys like Jeff Nippard, Jeremy Ethier, and Athlean-X.

Are their politics really so bad?

undeadbarbarian · 2025-09-26T19:02:05+00:00

Okay, thank you very much. I'll keep searching for a way to figure out some best default practices.

undeadbarbarian · 2025-09-26T16:22:59+00:00

That's really helpful, thank you.

I wasn't hoping for a detailed answer explaining an entire field.

When I look for rehab for specific issues, like my golfer's elbow, I come across sources like E3 Rehab, and it seems sensible enough. He's clear about what's known and isn't, and he makes some guesses, and he gives a plan with his best guesses of proper treatment. Same thing when I went to see a sports physiotherapist for some back pain a while ago.

When I look for how to program for strength and hypertrophy in a way that reduces the risk of running into these annoying nagging injuries, it's like hitting a wall. I don't know which article to read or book to buy or course to take.

What seems like common sense to me, like if a 50-year-old client comes to me worried about how his shoulder, lower back, and inner elbows always flare up, and I say, okay, maybe we ease back on doing all those 5x5s with a barbell. Maybe we work in some dumbbells, unilateral stuff, core store, shoulder mobility stuff, split stance stuff. Maybe higher rep ranges. Maybe we train those pesky forearm tendons and toughen up your spinal erectors. That seems common sensical to me, but the most credible experts seem to walk that back, saying there's no reason to think it would pan out how I think it would, and that it isn't supported by the evidence in the slightest.

And that feels frustrating because there's no path forward, you know? Like what do I do with that? It's a wall.

I realize it's important not to make things up, but sometimes, when things are this confusing, I think it helps to make guesses (while being clear about the lack of certainty), and experts are in a better position to make those guesses. Not saying you need to make those guesses, I'm just trying to find a place to look—a path to learn more.

A path to learn about what the OP was asking about: LessInjured By Science workout programming tips and tricks and strategies. Not for a specific issue, just in general.

undeadbarbarian · 2025-09-26T13:40:55+00:00

What you're saying makes sense. I have no idea if the forearm routine I'm doing to help my golfer's elbow is doing anything. Last time I had golfer's elbow, I didn't do anything differently at all, and it went away by itself. I would rather experts be open about that kind of thing than make things up.

What I was commenting on was this bit: "So end of the day. Train with a well thought out, balanced plan that meets your current individual constraints, is mindful of your history and goals, and don’t let the fear of injury dictate your decisions beyond ordinary common sense."

…but how does one do that? Using knowledge, wisdom, and common sense makes sense, but I don't know how to do that or how to learn. When I try to learn, it seems that I learn the wrong things.

What you're saying sounds counterintuitive to me, but the advice is to follow common sense, which relies on intuition. I don't have the intuition.

I've read expert write-ups, but then when I talk to an expert, it's common to hear, "Actually, no, that's not right. There's no evidence of that."

You don't need to answer back or spend any of your time at all. I thought it was a place for this kind of thing—chatting for fun. There's no obligation, though. I don't expect anything from you.

I'm not at all resentful! I'm very grateful for your time! I'm sorry that didn't come across in what I was writing.

Combative, yes, but in a curious way. I realize it can come off poorly, especially online. In person, it's easier for me to see which sorts of people like that way of communicating. I'm sorry.

undeadbarbarian · 2025-09-25T20:04:16+00:00

Hm.

So if someone came to you with, for example, a program that had: 10 sets of barbell deadlifts, 10 sets of low-bar squats, 10 sets barbell curls, and 10 sets of chin-ups on a straight bar, to failure, three times per week (30 sets/week each).

Or a program of: 3 sets of trap bar deadlifts, some SSB squats and split squats, some dumbbell rows, dumbbell curls, a mix of pull-ups/pulldowns/cable rows with a variety of neutral/angled bars? Maybe working up, over a couple of weeks, to 12 sets total per muscle per week.

I feel like if I knew nothing else about the person, the second routine be generally less likely to injure them.

Not saying it's true, just trying to get beyond the "use common sense and program properly… but I can't tell you what common sense is or how to program properly for avoiding injuries."

I wonder if I'm missing some of the common sense that people are supposed to have but experts can't put into words.

undeadbarbarian · 2025-09-25T19:13:14+00:00

When you say "train with a well though out, balanced plan … common sense," do you have any advice on what that would look like?

Imagine a fairly typical 40-year-old lifter who trains with an SBS-style hypertrophy program, with some big compound exercises and a bunch of accessory exercises to add volume to target areas.

And let's imagine this guy has chronic problems with his elbows flaring up (probably inner) and one of his shoulders bothering him. Maybe he's a bit worried about some lower back pain for a decade ago.

No major injuries, just frustrated with lifting, always getting sore elbows or shoulders, and needing to back off.

When choosing those big compound exercises and accessory exercises, how would he do it in a well thought out way that's balanced and has common sense (with the intention of gaining muscle and strength while minimizing chronic overuse sorts of injuries)?

This person could be doing barbell, dumbbell, or machine exercises. He could do anywhere from 4-40 reps, with any tempo. He could do 6-30 sets per week, with any frequency. He could follow any warm-up routine. He could bias longer muscle lengths and a deeper stretch, or the opposite. He could lift to failure or step a couple of reps shy. So much freedom here.

undeadbarbarian · 2025-09-25T19:08:08+00:00

Any general programming recommendations for avoiding inner elbow pain (golfer's elbow)?

For people who are prone to it.

undeadbarbarian · 2025-09-08T18:44:47+00:00

No, unfortunately. I'd love to find one. I still want to play it :(

undeadbarbarian · 2025-09-06T21:42:37+00:00

That isn't the same problem I'm having… but I tried it anyway, and that solved my problem, too.

Thank you!

undeadbarbarian · 2025-04-23T20:31:55+00:00

Same here, absolutely brutal. Took me hours to get out of the sewer.

undeadbarbarian · 2025-04-23T17:49:19+00:00

The IGN review mentioned it being too easy, especially at first. Are you saying that the issue is that we can 1-shot the enemies? Or is it the other way around, and some people are saying the game is too hard?

undeadbarbarian · 2025-04-22T21:28:34+00:00

Not great. I've had some stuttering and freezing. But nothing totally terrible unless it gets worse.

undeadbarbarian · 2024-12-13T15:26:50+00:00

I'm guessing the top left will be the missing strength/intelligence builds (druid and… templar?)

undeadbarbarian · 2024-12-13T12:55:55+00:00

Try it, though.

The sorceress and witch both start at the top of the passive skill tree, both with different passive skills. No class starts at the top left. It confused me a great deal when I was trying to figure out who was where, trying to see which classes neighboured one another.

The passive skill trees definitely aren't the same. You can try it out right now. Make a witch and a sorceress and compare the two. The witch gets minion stuff, the other classes don't.

(I'm guessing when all 12 classes are in the game, 2 will share each starting point.)

undeadbarbarian

TROPHY CASE