Howdy Y'all, new around here

[feedsasquatch]

Howdy y'all,

 

I've been lurking around here for a week or so, and thought I'd post an intro. Some background on me. I live in Texas, enjoy physical activity, and over the last 2 1/2 years I've done some barbell lifting (starting strength, Rippetoe) and more recently programs by Ross Enamait (Never Gymless & Infinite Intensity). Ross warmed me up to the idea of bodyweight lifts, so I've been working on pushups, pullups, and various core exercises for the last 3 months. I did gracie jiu-jitsu in college, and would like to pick that up again once funds allow.

 

I have enjoyed heavy barbell lifting, but had to get a triple hernia repair (2 inguinal, 1 belly button) December 2012. The inguinal hernias were rather large. Since then I can't lift nearly as much weight as I used to without getting pain in my incision sites. The surgeon told me that the lifting wouldn't hurt the surgery, but I'd like to avoid lifts that cause ongoing pain. I also got into a car accident spring 2013, so my neck is still having issues from that (one of the vertabrae popped over to the side). I can't do neck bridges, heavy back squats,  or similair exercises without getting bad neck pain anymore.

 

Side note, I'm 6'1" and am currently holding 170lbs (by eating 3k cals a day). The natural weight I hold is 130lbs (if I don't lift and just eat what I feel like eating). Barbell lifting and heavy eating (4k cals a day) got me to a fat 190lbs; I switched to "Ross Training" (November 2013), lowered cals to 3k/day, and now I'm at 170lbs and not fat (but not lean either). I would like to get rid of the remaining fat on my gut. It's annoying because my upper ab muscles are slightly visible, but I've still got pudge on the lower ab region. Last year I just focused on eating a ton of food, but now I need to figure out a better diet so that I can maintain or slightly increase my weight without putting on fat. Lately I've been eating 3k cals a day and getting ~45% of cals from fat, ~30% carbs, ~25% protein. I try to eat most of my carbs on strength exercise days, and eat a lot less carbs on non-strength days. This approach seems to let me maintain my bodyweight without adding on anymore fat.

 

I would like to get stronger with bodyweight exercises, and progress to be able to do things like L-sits, planche, handstand pushups, etc. Right now, I can only do 4x7 chinups (not strict, but not kipping), 4x20 pushups, and can only do dips on a bench. I can do 1-leg squats if my legs have a couple days to rest from the previous workout (balance is the issue). Triceps are a weakpoint for me. I'm basically starting from scratch when it comes to bodyweight exercises.

 

It looks like F1 and H1 are my starting points. I don't have the money to spend on that right now, so I need to find some stuff lying around the house to sell. In the meantime, do y'all have any advice on exercises to focus on now before I start F1 and H1?

[Keilani Gutierrez]

Hey Sasquatch(can I call you Sass for short? )

 

welcome to the board

 

as per what you're asking well....do what you have been doing and/or do some structured mobility/stretching after you workout...as frequently as you work out. 

 

if you're doing an upper body day, stretch your upper body. if you're doing a lower body day, stretch accordingly or if you move something, make sure to mobilize it. 

 

gymnasts get the basics of their strength primarily from anatomical shapes, like Hollow Hold, Arch body hold. those shapes eventually carry on to making them a "piece" of another exercises puzzle, like adding the Hollow Body to a plank or the principle of the Arch Body Hold to the reverse plank. (which coincidentally, strengthen the entire Abdominal complex including obliques can contribute towards the health of your gut and everything staying in place. I hope you made a good recovery since your surgery.)

 

sometimes getting good activation of the muscles that move you into these shapes are hindered by lack of mobility(essentially flexibility assisted only by muscles. yes you might be able to bend down and touch your forehead to your shins but can you while standing bring your shins to your face? this is essentially a Hanging Leg Lift or HLL.) so working on this aspect of the flexibility spectrum is(from what i've experienced this year) to being the deciding factor if you're going to succeed in more challenging movements.(like Manna, Front Lever, even Single Leg Squat, that's why each of the Foundation GST Movements have a mobility progression that needs to be built up to a certain standard, the same as the strength aspect.)

 

so work on your mobility and flexibility or keep doing it, if you already do it frequently.(frequently being as much as you work out.)

[feedsasquatch]

Thanks for the reply. I'm gonna have to start making time for stretching, because I don't stretch anymore. I'm as flexible as I need to be to do the lifts I do, and that's about it. I used to be really flexible before I added weight and muscle to my frame, so it's gonna take a lot of time and effort to get stretched out again. Upper body is still fairly flexible, but my hamstrings are always tight. They stretch enough to bounce out of a deep squat, but that's about it.