Weekly Improvement Megathread - Mar 3rd (hexbear.net)

submitted 4 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Hello comrades and welcome to the first improvement megathread of March!

As usual, some discussion ideas:

It's the first Sunday of the month. Is there something that you wish to accomplish or improve in March?
Do you want to share something you've done in the previous week or month? Everything counts, nothing is too small.
Do you have any streaks? For example, "sober for one day." Feel free to post your streak every day in this thread.
If you don't have a continuous streak, did you manage to abstain from something for a day or more?
Did you come across some useful information or resource that might help others?

I'm wishing everybody a great March! unity

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[-] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago

roll call:

@[email protected]

If anybody else wants to be added to the roll call, just let me know hexbear-specter

[-] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago

I pull up kitty-cri-texas

[-] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago

On a workout streak for 6-7 days. Don't really have a particular routine locked down. As of right now I'm mostly just doing some basic weight lifting with dumbbells and a kettlebell as well as 30-50 minutes sessions on a stationary bike at home.

I want to start running as well. Might just go to the gym and run a treadmill while the weather outside warms up. I'll get back to using the rowing machine as well.

While I feel tired, I'm also starting to feel a lot better overall. I was at the point where I was starting to feel a bit sluggish. So I'm hoping to stay on this positive trend. As for my goals, I hope to make more permanent changes to my workout routine and diet. These past few years I've been yo-yoing between being relatively fit and bordering on being unhealthy.

[-] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

Congrats on the workout streak! Just make sure to get enough water, protein and rest. Maybe get some magnesium malate since you're working out so much and brazil nuts for selenium

[-] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

Keep going! For most people, once you get your sleep schedule right and have 120-300+ minutes a week of exercise, your energy levels go up.

[-] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

I took a lesson with an instagram jazz drummer.

I told him I spent a lot of time learning about rebound and he was against it. Tony Williams famously was all about stroking every note and didnt try to get free notes until he absolutely had to.

I started learning traditional grip. I bought a leg mounted practice pad to get reps in while driving.

With the Gap Click app (@50bpm) I made the observation that my quarter note was actually the thing shifting and why I was rushing. I was being apprehensive. Firmly placing the quarter note fixed the beat.

My left foots ankle technique is down to 155BPM. 140 is the sweet spot. I need to work on playing the pedal with the spring off but my ankle tech instead of heel down.

I noticed that my heel down in my right does use some reflexive leg motion and my left does not.

I really want to stop working on leg technique to do more pragmatic things but I'm committed. I want the time freed to practice brush technique.

Also went to the gym three times this week. :)

[-] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

Hell yeah, congrats on the gym skeleton-motorcycle

I just checked out the Gap Click app, it's cool. I will try it out

[-] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

This week I was out of town so I didn't track my meals. But I went on bike rides every day, practiced meditation on a few days and did some reading. Went hiking today. Overall I think it was a good week.

As I mentioned in the previous mega, the weather is starting to get warmer so I want to focus on exercise for the next 3-4 months. I want to develop a regular exercise routine. I think currently my ideal exercise routine would be running 2x per week and doing a bodyweight workout at least 1x per week. Doing yoga and hiking on the weekends. I'm focusing on cardio because my goal is to have more energy, good mood and overall health benefits rather than getting strong and building muscle (I want to focus on that later).

I want to start eating at maintenance so that I have enough energy to exercise. Does anybody have a recommendation for a good TDEE calculator?

[-] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

MyFitnessPal has one but I'm like 99% sure they sell your data on free accounts. (And probably paid accounts too)

[-] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Had a great week of workouts, streak from Monday to Thursday. However, I kinda overdid it with the poppers (sex drug) this week, which I'm very new to. I think it may be best for me not to buy more when these run out, or at least make a hard-and-fast rule never to use them by myself. It impacted my sleep negatively as my sex life has been doing for the last few weeks. First drug I've had trouble controlling myself with. AFAIK the risks of using the drug moderately aren't very high, but if it's making me stay up late when I didn't mean to, that's not sustainable.

Mood has been fantastic except when I'm sleepy. I spent quality time with an old friend one night this week. We even cuddled a bit (it's platonic I swear). Also I'm planning to meet up with an old friend that I'm kinda attracted to today, but the plan is to get to know him for a month or so before I consider making any romantic moves. We share a lot of interests.

I'm also organizing my space slowly but surely. I got a huge-ass bookshelf and a peaches crate for my records so my books and vinyl aren't piled up in the corner. Next is organizing my closet. My stuff in there is organized chaos... I can always find what I'm looking for... but it could take up to 20 minutes.

I'm also putting in some time on my instruments, but I need to really set a schedule this month. I've said that before and never got around to it but it's like, literally the most important thing so I can't keep putting off regimenting my work day. At least my workouts are scheduled.

My sexual behavior has been pretty risky lately so I'm getting on PREP. Just gotta get some lab tests done and I can get started on it again and after 1 month I never have to worry about contracting HIV again.

[-] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

i'm an alcoholic, and now just addict, ive been off of alcohol coming up on 4 years the end of this month. i'm still smoking weed everyday, often now that i am currently not employed.

i've been doing bodyweight exercises this last month. happy about it but i'm kinda waffling/not putting in 100% effort like i was when i started this routine. the weed doesn't help.

i went to the doctors today about my depression/anxiety and got put on lexapro. first time with any of those medications, i sure hope it helps.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

Congratulations on your sober streak, that's awesome! rat-salute-2

Which bodyweight routine are you doing? I'm still on the easiest routine from the bodyweight subreddit but I would like to expand it.

I've also been on Lexapro. My opinion on antidepressants in general is that they can't do much on their own. However, if you are taking them in combination with other stuff (therapy, exercise, journaling, meditation, and so on), then you can benefit from them and overcome depression unity

[-] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

I've been dealing with depression for a while now and do, or have done in the past, all of those parenthetical items which I think are all good things so I'm being hopeful. I haven't purely been wallowing in despair since being unemployed but the state of the world has caught up to me last month.

I don't really have a routine. I do have a lot of time at home so I've just been doing sets of squats, pushups, and planks at random points throughout my day lol. I found a nice counter app to keep track of my progress. I probably should dedicate time to doing a workout. I have a kettlebell workout I do but haven't been consistent at hitting.

the KB routine:

Warm Up:

(30 second rest between each work set)
Around the World for a minute, switching directions halfway-thru.
Hot Potato for 30 seconds.
Halo for a minute, switching directions halfway-thru.
Figure Eights for a minute, switching directions.

Work

(also be resting, although I haven't been as structured here either. I probably should be.)
2 Handed Swings for 8-12
Deck Squats for 8-12
Turkish Get Ups for 8-12, each side.
Do 3 cycles of Work

unity

ps: at some point i'll figure out how to nicely format things on this site.

[-] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

That's awesome, if you've done all of those things then you got this, it's just a matter of time. I think it's possible to bully your brain into giving you the good chemical by doing all of those things.

Thanks for sharing your routine, I'm always stoked to try new exercises. I'm doing the minimalist routine from the bodyweight subreddit:

6x Incline Rows 5x Incline Push-ups 6x Plank Shoulder Taps 10x Deadbugs 10x Supermans

this post was submitted on 03 Mar 2024

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