My journey to become a better man.

[Kevthenurse]

Resistance bands are basically a strong rubber band and two handles. I do bicep curls with them.
I hear you about the animal rescue thing, it is why I went the nursing route as opposed to vet tech. I didn't shed a single tear for 9/11 but that Sarah MacLaughlin commercial will unfailingly make me cry.
I met my current GF through E&A, but I still regret joining. They claim to screen customers but I have met some truly disturbed individuals through them. Narcisists, sociopaths and a few whom I suspect suffer from borderline personality--and that is after you account for all of the cliques. That's right, cliques. It is like high school all over again.
And nobody on Games Night seems interested in playing LNoE.
I tell them its like an adult version of Sorry...then they break out the Sorry <facepalm>!
And incidentally, Staypuft, thank you for making me feel at home. You're a solid dude!

[friskers96]

Staypuft is a real "Chatty Cathy".. He gets me rambling on every thread.. Wait, I must be the Chatty Cathy then... LOL.. Anyways, I got a weight bench in my garage and never use it. I have a torn rotator cuff, and lifting kills it. I also hung up a heavy bag, that worked wonders, I can ease up or lay into it and save the shoulder as well as strengthen it. I was at about 250-260, started working the bag for 30 min for 4 days a week in 3min all out intervals, in between id jump rope for 1.5 min, then walk the neighborhood. Finish with a cold shower. down to 220 now in about 3 months.
Id have an issue at the animal shelter too, I have five cats... All rescues, cant go to a pet store with rescue kitties without taking one home... Try a senior center or volunteering at your local Veterans Hospital. I do that from time to time since they help us so much with my wifes problems.
As far as dating, your good people, avoid bars and bookstores at all costs... Nothing is wrong with hanging out at just letting it happen. Look for friends and you will fall into companionship, or possibly a giant tub of jello. Both work for me..


SEE!! I RAMBLED AGAIN!!

[zelectah]

Hey StayPuft,
if you want I can give you some basic advices when you want to get in better shape. I work half time as a fitness coach in a gym.

If you want to pay for being active and use this money as an motivation to do something, you definitly go to a gym or fitness club.
If you just want to get in better shape or in extreme shape like me at the moment, use bodyweight training. Since 16 weeks I use nothing more than this training method and I never got so impressive results ever before.
You just need your own body, maybe a pull up bar and to start I would prefer this book (Bodyweight training).
When friends ask me what they can do, I always suggest this book but never would tell the people from the gym that I use it ;P.

The other most important thing to get in good shape is the nutrition. The most people doesn't know that 70 - 80 % of transforming yourself is a healthy and clean nutrition. There is a good chapter about this in the book, too.
The major nutrition advices I nearly always use are:
- Start the day with carbs and try to minimise them towards the evening
- Towards the evening replace the carbs with protein and fat
- Try 1g protein per pound body weight
- Drink 1L per 40 pound body weight, but stick to water and tea
- Try eating 5 to 6 small meals instead of 3 big meals
- Read the ingridient list of every food you buy and try to stick to 100% natural foods
- And the worst enemy to human mankind is refined sugar (sweets, limonade). Try to cut it out completly. It's difficult and not always working but always trying to minimise it, is the best way.

Hope this maybe helps you and if you need some more help, just ask, it doesn't matter how simple the question is.

[samuraitrev]

I hit the Gym twice a week and teach and train karate on a couple of days a week too. Just about any form of exersise will make you feel good after you finish. If ever I've had a bad day at work (rare) or I feel a bit down. When I hit the gym there's a heavy bag upstairs in the studio and I spend about half an hour beating the hell out of it. I've also started boxing training with an ex-paratrooper there too. I always feel better about myself and the world in general after a good workout. I think exersise just makes you feel more positve in general.

When the Zombie apocalypse comes remember rule number 1 cardio.

[friskers96]

Zelectah, thanks for the link on that book, going to check it out..

[Sarku]

TREV, what kind of karate do you do? I'm a green belt in Kenpo. My girlfriend just became a black belt.

[StayPuft]

(03-08-2013 08:41 PM)LFuzer Wrote:  Gee Staypuft, I'm getting curious now lol...

Anyhoo, I'm happy to know that you're getting out of this situation!!

When I'm feeling down (I can't say that I have gone through what you are going through), music usually cheers me up! I'm very ecletic so there are times I listen to Beethoven, other occasions I go for the Ramnstein, but right now I'm listening to the Queens of the Stone Age, LOL... go for the Songs for the Deaf and by the end of the day you'll feel better - like those Matrix cookies

LOL! Sorry. I don't to be a tease. I am just very serious about what I want to do, so even if it is a bit silly, I don't want to talk too much about it in case for any reason it may not happen.

Anyway, that is too funny. I have very ecletic musical tastes as well. However, for me, movies tend to be my way to unwind. I LOVE movies.

(03-09-2013 12:10 AM)Kevthenurse Wrote:  Resistance bands are basically a strong rubber band and two handles. I do bicep curls with them.
I hear you about the animal rescue thing, it is why I went the nursing route as opposed to vet tech. I didn't shed a single tear for 9/11 but that Sarah MacLaughlin commercial will unfailingly make me cry.
I met my current GF through E&A, but I still regret joining. They claim to screen customers but I have met some truly disturbed individuals through them. Narcisists, sociopaths and a few whom I suspect suffer from borderline personality--and that is after you account for all of the cliques. That's right, cliques. It is like high school all over again.
And nobody on Games Night seems interested in playing LNoE.
I tell them its like an adult version of Sorry...then they break out the Sorry <facepalm>!
And incidentally, Staypuft, thank you for making me feel at home. You're a solid dude!

I may have to try those resistance bands. Thank you, Kev. Well, so anyway, sounds like E&A worked out for you in one way, at least. You got a girlfriend out of it. ;-)

Thank you for the kind words, my friend. My head is pretty solid, but I don't know about the rest of me. LOL! Seriously, though, you haven't been here long and I've already really enjoyed your input on many different threads. ;-)

(03-09-2013 05:37 AM)friskers96 Wrote:  Staypuft is a real "Chatty Cathy".. He gets me rambling on every thread.. Wait, I must be the Chatty Cathy then... LOL.. Anyways, I got a weight bench in my garage and never use it. I have a torn rotator cuff, and lifting kills it. I also hung up a heavy bag, that worked wonders, I can ease up or lay into it and save the shoulder as well as strengthen it. I was at about 250-260, started working the bag for 30 min for 4 days a week in 3min all out intervals, in between id jump rope for 1.5 min, then walk the neighborhood. Finish with a cold shower. down to 220 now in about 3 months.
Id have an issue at the animal shelter too, I have five cats... All rescues, cant go to a pet store with rescue kitties without taking one home... Try a senior center or volunteering at your local Veterans Hospital. I do that from time to time since they help us so much with my wifes problems.
As far as dating, your good people, avoid bars and bookstores at all costs... Nothing is wrong with hanging out at just letting it happen. Look for friends and you will fall into companionship, or possibly a giant tub of jello. Both work for me..


SEE!! I RAMBLED AGAIN!!

LOL! I like that. Maybe I can be Chatty Cathy with a C and you can be Chatty Kathy with a K. LOL! Collectively, we are the Kathys. ;-)

Anyway, unfortunately in my current house, I do not have room for any weight set. The previous owners turned the garage into a den (which I like better anyway) and there actually is no basement. So, hopefully eventually when I move along I will have room for something.

I would definitely like to meet a girl as a friend and go from there. To me, that is what I want in a girlfriend and eventual wife. I want her to practically be my best friend. Though, the tub of jello might be nice too. LOL!

(03-09-2013 04:20 PM)zelectah Wrote:  Hey StayPuft,
if you want I can give you some basic advices when you want to get in better shape. I work half time as a fitness coach in a gym.

If you want to pay for being active and use this money as an motivation to do something, you definitly go to a gym or fitness club.
If you just want to get in better shape or in extreme shape like me at the moment, use bodyweight training. Since 16 weeks I use nothing more than this training method and I never got so impressive results ever before.
You just need your own body, maybe a pull up bar and to start I would prefer this book (Bodyweight training).
When friends ask me what they can do, I always suggest this book but never would tell the people from the gym that I use it ;P.

The other most important thing to get in good shape is the nutrition. The most people doesn't know that 70 - 80 % of transforming yourself is a healthy and clean nutrition. There is a good chapter about this in the book, too.
The major nutrition advices I nearly always use are:
- Start the day with carbs and try to minimise them towards the evening
- Towards the evening replace the carbs with protein and fat
- Try 1g protein per pound body weight
- Drink 1L per 40 pound body weight, but stick to water and tea
- Try eating 5 to 6 small meals instead of 3 big meals
- Read the ingridient list of every food you buy and try to stick to 100% natural foods
- And the worst enemy to human mankind is refined sugar (sweets, limonade). Try to cut it out completly. It's difficult and not always working but always trying to minimise it, is the best way.

Hope this maybe helps you and if you need some more help, just ask, it doesn't matter how simple the question is.

I would really appreciate the advice, actually. And I may just have to check out that book. Thank you! I have actually always wanted to put on a little bulk, as in muscle. I don't want to be a huge, body builder looking type, but I would look to put on some extra muscle. But, I never really knew how to go about doing that. So, when I used to weight train, I'd always get nice and solid (you could feel the muscle and even see a little definition) but could never figure out how to add on the bulk.

Unfortunately, though, in my case a gym would most likely be out of the question. At least at this stage in my life. I just can't afford to pay for that right now. So, I would have to go with home weights or something.

(03-09-2013 04:35 PM)samuraitrev Wrote:  I hit the Gym twice a week and teach and train karate on a couple of days a week too. Just about any form of exersise will make you feel good after you finish. If ever I've had a bad day at work (rare) or I feel a bit down. When I hit the gym there's a heavy bag upstairs in the studio and I spend about half an hour beating the hell out of it. I've also started boxing training with an ex-paratrooper there too. I always feel better about myself and the world in general after a good workout. I think exersise just makes you feel more positve in general.

When the Zombie apocalypse comes remember rule number 1 cardio.

Actually, funny thing... for a basically sedentary guy, with a bit of a gut to prove it (though, I actually kinda like the gut) I'm in fairly good shape. Cardio isn't too much of a problem for me.

(03-13-2013 03:43 PM)Sarku Wrote:  TREV, what kind of karate do you do? I'm a green belt in Kenpo. My girlfriend just became a black belt.

You are a lucky dude, Sarku. There is something so awesome about a gal who can defend herself. (Knows some form of martial arts, is in the military, or even is just a natural bad @$$. LOL!)

[samuraitrev]

(03-13-2013 03:43 PM)Sarku Wrote:  TREV, what kind of karate do you do? I'm a green belt in Kenpo. My girlfriend just became a black belt.

I train Shotokan karate. I've been training in martial arts for 15 years now. I'm training for my 3rd dan at the moment. Here's some pics of me training on the back garden
   
   

[StayPuft]

Too cool! How do you stay suspended in the air like that?


LOL! Okay, that one was pretty bad. LOL!

[samuraitrev]

(03-14-2013 07:39 PM)StayPuft Wrote:  Too cool! How do you stay suspended in the air like that?


LOL! Okay, that one was pretty bad. LOL!

I photoshoped all the wirework out and the background is all on bluescrean. Pretty convincing eh? Almost looks real. I also used a stuntman too!