M, 173Lbs (78kg) / 6ft (183cm), 24
It's officially 2 years since the start of my journey!
Last year I posted this 1 year of progress that was really popular, and I said that I would do a follow-up, so here it is!!! (Questions like how I started, previous exercise experience are already answered there)
**Quick note for this year, I spent 4-5 Months not training due to an injury/chronic pain (more info below on this) which definitely hindered my overall progress. It honestly made me not want to post this, because I had much higher expectations for where I'd be this year... Anyways on to the info!**
Progress Pictures:
Good Lighting + Posing // Collage// Front & Side// Back//
Front Lever (FL)
Alright Almost Perfect?
Back Lever (BL)
Full Back Lever Full Back Lever
Handstand
10 sec 35 Sec PR / Straddle & Tuck / Random 1 arm-ish stuff
Handstand Press
Bent Arm (Tuck)
Bent Arm (Pike) / Almost Straight Arm (Tuck)
Handstand Push Up (HSPU)
Very Close & One with bad form
Muscle Ups (MU)
3 Strict Bar 4 Ring (can't test bar)
One Arm Chin Up (OAC)
This (some movement)
12 Sec Hanging Bent Arm
V Sit
V Sit V Sit
Planche
Tuck
Tuck to straddle attempt
Deadlift
255lbs(115kg) x 10
355lbs(161kg) x 1
Squat
205lbs X 4
225lbs X 4
Pike & Pancake / Middle Splits
Most of my training was started after getting a new job requiring 2-3 hours of commuting per day. This meant using half of my hour lunch and time between getting off work and my train arriving to have my workouts in a tiny office gym. So most workouts before Covid we're 2 separate 30 min workouts.
I relied a lot on machines and dumbells to ease back into bodyweight movements after my injury.
June-July
July-November
Play sessions - No plan
No Training (Injury info below)
December - Febuary
Started a new job. 2 separate 30-minute sessions. Push/Pull/Legs split. 5-6 days/week but kept it low intensity. Averaged 2 - 15 min handstand sessions a week. About half of the exercises were dumbells/machines to help rehab. (Dumbell rows, overhead presses, basic machine work). Squated and deadlifted on the weekends when I had access to barbells.
March - May
Following a plan with very similar specs to this one from steven low. I just did a few less total sets for the week than he suggested. This is a screenshot of exactly what I was following. Completely focused on RPE during this plan. Leg training was randomly thrown into workouts (assisted pistol squats, glute-ham raise using my couch)
In mid-July 2019 I had a septoplasty surgery, to help with breathing and lack of smell. A month later, I had recovered and (thought) I was ready to start training again. I decided the best way to make up for lost time was to grease the groove with Single Leg Front lever holds (yes, I know, I'm not a smart man). On the second day of my plan, I felt a very sharp pinch in my lower traps on the right side. I continued to follow the plan... A few days later it was a dull pain, that was starting to spread to upper traps & neck. (Please note I also had TERRIBLE posture during this time while working, gaming, or drawing, which I'm sure made me more likely to get injured)
I realized something was feeling really wrong. I thought that stretching/foam rolling/lacrosse ball massaging would fix my pain. I continued to do all these things, and the more I did it, the worse the pain got. By mid-September, I could barely turn my head to look behind me, and it came with loads of pain.
I saw a chiropractor, got massages, I watched every video about back muscles, thoracic spine, shoulder joints, scapula stabilizers I could find and tried EVERYTHING I could with no avail. Finally, in early November I knew I needed a professional's help and went to see a physical therapist. 2 visits and 4 weeks of following a plan consisting of VERY LIGHT stretches and exercises, and my pain had finally subsided and I could turn my head without nearly any stiffness or pain.
By December I was 15lbs heavier than the beginning of my injury and lost a great deal of progress. I couldn't for the life of me get a muscle up after having done 4 perfectly strict 6 months before. I didn't let that get me down though. I was honestly just thankful to be able to train, as I spent many times wondering if I ever would again.
I now always keep an eye on how my neck and lower traps are feeling, and if I get anything even remotely close to the paint I felt during this time, I stop what I'm doing altogether.
Here's a fun graph of my weight over the past year.
At a lot and pretty crapp-ily during my injury, which was the main cause of my +15lbs (Fast food a few times a week, guesstimating 3000-3500 calories a day). I did believe that if I maintained a higher body fat, I would lose less muscle while recovering. Having tested that theory, I don't think it was helpful to my overall progress. With bodyweight moves, it really comes down to how efficient you are with your weight, so maybe this would be more applicable to bodybuilding.
Since the start of 2020 I've eaten pretty clean. I love that the graph above reflects this super well. I've been aiming for 2500-3000 calories a day and minimizing going out for food. (Quarantine has made this easier)
Usual Breakfast: Small bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter, hemp seeds, honey. I also like greek yogurt and granola.
Usual Lunches: Sandwich & kettle-cooked chips, beef or chicken with rice and broccoli.
Usual Dinner: Meat and rice dish with a vegetable, pasta, every once and a while something delivered from a restaurant.
I didn't track my calories at all this year, but I did spend a month last year tracking everything which taught me a lot about what I was putting into my body. I highly suggest trying this for a few weeks as you might be surprised by some of the things you're eating.
Okay, it took me writing this whole post up so far to be proud of my progress for this year. I know you're probably thinking, fuck this guy, of course you should be proud, but you have to understand my perspective. I caused myself to basically lose an entire year of training.
I have super high hopes of where my training will take me (One arm Front Lever, Planche, One arm Handstand). I know that these goals are on the edge of what is even humanly possible, so losing a year feels like a huge loss to me.
And honestly, I didn't realize how much progress I've made with the Handstand this year until I looked back at my last year's footage. I'm very thankful creating this post made me realize that.
Moving forward, its definitely all about injury prevention. And I've made a bit of a realization this past month about how I handle injuries. I am always reactive instead of being proactive. I wait until I feel pain or problems, then work on fixing it. Next year my goal is to be proactive and try to spend my time upfront, instead of after I recognize the problem.
Here are some other hopes for my next year of training:
It's officially 2 years since the start of my journey!
Last year I posted this 1 year of progress that was really popular, and I said that I would do a follow-up, so here it is!!! (Questions like how I started, previous exercise experience are already answered there)
**Quick note for this year, I spent 4-5 Months not training due to an injury/chronic pain (more info below on this) which definitely hindered my overall progress. It honestly made me not want to post this, because I had much higher expectations for where I'd be this year... Anyways on to the info!**
Progress Pictures:
Good Lighting + Posing // Collage// Front & Side// Back//
Achievements:
Code:
Excercise
Code:
2019
Code:
2020Alright Almost Perfect?
Back Lever (BL)
Full Back Lever Full Back Lever
Handstand
10 sec 35 Sec PR / Straddle & Tuck / Random 1 arm-ish stuff
Handstand Press
Bent Arm (Tuck)
Bent Arm (Pike) / Almost Straight Arm (Tuck)
Handstand Push Up (HSPU)
Very Close & One with bad form
Muscle Ups (MU)
3 Strict Bar 4 Ring (can't test bar)
One Arm Chin Up (OAC)
This (some movement)
12 Sec Hanging Bent Arm
V Sit
V Sit V Sit
Planche
Tuck
Tuck to straddle attempt
Deadlift
255lbs(115kg) x 10
355lbs(161kg) x 1
Squat
205lbs X 4
225lbs X 4
Flexibility:
Pike & Pancake / Middle Splits
Training:
Most of my training was started after getting a new job requiring 2-3 hours of commuting per day. This meant using half of my hour lunch and time between getting off work and my train arriving to have my workouts in a tiny office gym. So most workouts before Covid we're 2 separate 30 min workouts.
I relied a lot on machines and dumbells to ease back into bodyweight movements after my injury.
June-July
July-November
Play sessions - No plan
No Training (Injury info below)
December - Febuary
Started a new job. 2 separate 30-minute sessions. Push/Pull/Legs split. 5-6 days/week but kept it low intensity. Averaged 2 - 15 min handstand sessions a week. About half of the exercises were dumbells/machines to help rehab. (Dumbell rows, overhead presses, basic machine work). Squated and deadlifted on the weekends when I had access to barbells.
March - May
Following a plan with very similar specs to this one from steven low. I just did a few less total sets for the week than he suggested. This is a screenshot of exactly what I was following. Completely focused on RPE during this plan. Leg training was randomly thrown into workouts (assisted pistol squats, glute-ham raise using my couch)
My Injury:
In mid-July 2019 I had a septoplasty surgery, to help with breathing and lack of smell. A month later, I had recovered and (thought) I was ready to start training again. I decided the best way to make up for lost time was to grease the groove with Single Leg Front lever holds (yes, I know, I'm not a smart man). On the second day of my plan, I felt a very sharp pinch in my lower traps on the right side. I continued to follow the plan... A few days later it was a dull pain, that was starting to spread to upper traps & neck. (Please note I also had TERRIBLE posture during this time while working, gaming, or drawing, which I'm sure made me more likely to get injured)
I realized something was feeling really wrong. I thought that stretching/foam rolling/lacrosse ball massaging would fix my pain. I continued to do all these things, and the more I did it, the worse the pain got. By mid-September, I could barely turn my head to look behind me, and it came with loads of pain.
I saw a chiropractor, got massages, I watched every video about back muscles, thoracic spine, shoulder joints, scapula stabilizers I could find and tried EVERYTHING I could with no avail. Finally, in early November I knew I needed a professional's help and went to see a physical therapist. 2 visits and 4 weeks of following a plan consisting of VERY LIGHT stretches and exercises, and my pain had finally subsided and I could turn my head without nearly any stiffness or pain.
By December I was 15lbs heavier than the beginning of my injury and lost a great deal of progress. I couldn't for the life of me get a muscle up after having done 4 perfectly strict 6 months before. I didn't let that get me down though. I was honestly just thankful to be able to train, as I spent many times wondering if I ever would again.
I now always keep an eye on how my neck and lower traps are feeling, and if I get anything even remotely close to the paint I felt during this time, I stop what I'm doing altogether.
Diet/Weight:
Here's a fun graph of my weight over the past year.
At a lot and pretty crapp-ily during my injury, which was the main cause of my +15lbs (Fast food a few times a week, guesstimating 3000-3500 calories a day). I did believe that if I maintained a higher body fat, I would lose less muscle while recovering. Having tested that theory, I don't think it was helpful to my overall progress. With bodyweight moves, it really comes down to how efficient you are with your weight, so maybe this would be more applicable to bodybuilding.
Since the start of 2020 I've eaten pretty clean. I love that the graph above reflects this super well. I've been aiming for 2500-3000 calories a day and minimizing going out for food. (Quarantine has made this easier)
Usual Breakfast: Small bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter, hemp seeds, honey. I also like greek yogurt and granola.
Usual Lunches: Sandwich & kettle-cooked chips, beef or chicken with rice and broccoli.
Usual Dinner: Meat and rice dish with a vegetable, pasta, every once and a while something delivered from a restaurant.
I didn't track my calories at all this year, but I did spend a month last year tracking everything which taught me a lot about what I was putting into my body. I highly suggest trying this for a few weeks as you might be surprised by some of the things you're eating.
Reflection/Moving Forward:
Okay, it took me writing this whole post up so far to be proud of my progress for this year. I know you're probably thinking, fuck this guy, of course you should be proud, but you have to understand my perspective. I caused myself to basically lose an entire year of training.
I have super high hopes of where my training will take me (One arm Front Lever, Planche, One arm Handstand). I know that these goals are on the edge of what is even humanly possible, so losing a year feels like a huge loss to me.
And honestly, I didn't realize how much progress I've made with the Handstand this year until I looked back at my last year's footage. I'm very thankful creating this post made me realize that.
Moving forward, its definitely all about injury prevention. And I've made a bit of a realization this past month about how I handle injuries. I am always reactive instead of being proactive. I wait until I feel pain or problems, then work on fixing it. Next year my goal is to be proactive and try to spend my time upfront, instead of after I recognize the problem.
Here are some other hopes for my next year of training:
- 5 Sec Perfect FL (Front Lever)
- 2 HSPU (Handstand Push-Ups)
- OAC (One Arm Chin-Up)
- Middle Splits
- Straddle Straight Arm Press to Handstand
