Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Results Of My Blood Tests

I didn't want to say anything until I got my results back but I had some blood tests done because I wanted to check where I'm at for Testosterone Levels in my age range and what I need to do to either maintain, improve or cut back on in order to be in the normal ranges. Quite frankly, I was surprised with the results.

They only told me one thing that was concerning and that was my triglycerides were a bit high which I kind of knew would be and just need to continue losing weight which is manageable and I already have set goals for where I want to be at. It was basically taking a look at my BMI which for the most part is pure bullshit because it doesn't take into account of muscle mass, just pure height and weight "charts". 

For my testosterone levels? I'm literally at the bare minimum for my age range which is 352-478, I'm at 353 which I'm actually really happy about. I could jack it up a bit and I have ideas on how to do it without that TRT and Steroids crap. For now, I'm just happy I'm in a good range for a 35-39 year old. All thanks to my training and utilizing the best methods to keep my body healthy and strong. From the research I've looked into, the numbers for a normal human being overall is 300-1000 and I'm at 353 so for a human being, that's pretty damn good. Hammers, Isometrics, Cables, Kettlebells, Slamballs, Step-Ups, Squats, Animal Moves and others have made this possible. I'm already losing weight since I've been at 270-275 and now I'm at around 257 and counting. 

I needed to find out where my levels were for the main reason because if it was too low, something needed to be done and I knew what I had to do. Since I'm actually in the normal, the best thing I can do is maintain it and keep losing weight which isn't the easiest for me but it is manageable and just need to make small changes to my eating that I'm happy to do. If I want to bring my testosterone up, I can with the right tools and eating habits along with training like I said. Training with intensity is a key and understanding how to utilize it with quality rest and recovery. HIIT is incredible for developing solid levels of Testosterone and HGH and no more than 3x a week is enough so go do Hill Sprints, Burpees and other explosive movements like slamming a medicine ball or a Sandbell, 10 on 20 off of Bear Crawling and workouts from Darebee would work as well. 

Loaded carries with Kettlebells, Dumbbells, Sandbells and Weight Vests build incredible bone strength and conditioning along with keeping great levels of testosterone. Being an active man does get the job done but it's not always that simple; quality rest, eating good are a priority but also your stress, your training and other things are all connected together to form a healthy lifestyle. 

For the rest of my results, not one fucking thing was concerning that came up, I have great cholesterol, my blood runs smoothly and efficiently, I have no problems with my cells, no suggestion of parasites and I don't have anything cancerous. Healthy as a fucking horse man. For those out there who may be reluctant to take a test like I did for so many years, get it done and see where you're at. Take care of yourself and do what you need to do to maintain, reduce or bring up. Your health matters and keep being amazingly awesome. 

If you're seeking some good suuplements to aid in building testosterone, check out Lost Empire Herbs & Funk Roberts' Sipplement Shop. These are high quality and believe me, I've used some stuff at LEH and they work. FR is one of the best trainers out there today and has some awesome stuff especially for those over 40 and beyond. 

Monday, February 27, 2023

Recent Workouts With The Weight Vest

 There are times you want to challenge yourself or take on a different approach to training to not only be stronger externally but also internally. This will be my last year in my 30's and I want to get a head start on developing stronger bones and tendons & ligaments. I'll still do some of the same things I'm currently doing but add a thing or two to really bust out some awesome strength & conditioning. 

As we get older, we want to maintain a solid level of testosterone and natural HGH to prevent strength loss, letting our bones get bridle and getting injured quicker. Some people take supplements while training, some train and just eat better and others do what's possible. Compared to those in their 50's, 60's and beyond, I'm still young but also need to wise up otherwise I could become another stereotypical older guy with injuries and talking about how great of shape I was in my 20's but can't do jack shit now that I'm older; I want to prevent that as much as possible. There are already many men my age who're already banged up, had more injuries that would make a pro wrestler smirk and have trouble going up a flight of stairs.

Lately, I've been in awe of some of the things Brooks Kubik is doing with his log walks, dragging them, carrying, holding in various positions and going for miles at a time. The man is in his mid-60's, that's insane. I've even seen a few people on my feeds using weight vests for training. Some are impractical and others are admirable but you can't deny the type of results you can get if done right. I've done Weighted Vest training before, mainly going on hikes and walks with my 40lber and even walked a couple miles with over twice that a time or two. It beats running and burns off way more than regular walking. 

A couple workouts I've done recently with my weight vest was carrying an implement while wearing the vest & doing step ups and just step ups with the vest. They were tough and took my training to a different level especially mentally. The first workout was back on the 24th where I did my 2x carry with a 70 lb Kettlebell and 20 step ups (10 each leg) for 20 min. nonstop but I also wore the vest. I would walk with a total of 110 lbs for ten yards, put the bell down, pick up with the other hand and walk another ten yards, put it down and do 20 step ups. Repeat this for 20 minutes without stopping, it's not as easy as it looks. The other workout was today doing as many step ups as I can while wearing the vest. In 22 min and 12 sec I did 416 step ups, that's a new PR for me. That's basically working with nearly 300 lbs of bodyweight when you add the vest. Gives you a different perspective on Strength & Cardio at the same time.

These workouts already feel incredible and knowing that I'm building my bone strength is a bonus. I didn't rush these and just went at a pace that I was comfortable at doing, as I get stronger, the pace may be faster but naturally faster. You never want to force anything. Train at a pace that you can do and then expand on it as you get better. Do you want to get too comfortable, no but you also don't want to be going speedy Gonzales and get hurt in the process. The idea is to train to prevent injuries, not cause them, that no pain no gain  thing is bullshit. 

Grab one of the best Vests on the market today with the Kensui Weight Vest where you can progressively add weight plates. Do all your bodyweight movements with this on to add some more strength based training to your regimen. The smallest loaded vest maxes out at 80 lbs and the highest loads up to 300 lbs (which quite frankly the only two people to ever be crazy enough to walk with that much weight was Bud Jeffries & Steve Justa). Use my Discount Code POWERANDMIGHT at checkout to get 10% OFF of these vests, you can save up to about $25 when you grab the 300 lb loader vest. Want to know how to utilize a simple progression system, grab Progressive & Weighted Calisthenics: Simple Bodyweight Exercises For Building Real Muscle and Strength by Red Delta Project. 

If you also want to add some awesome supplements to help aid in your strength training, snatch up some herbs from Lost Empire and at Funk Roberts' Supplement Shop. Be safe, get strong and keep being amazingly awesome. 

Thursday, February 23, 2023

Having Too Much Energy Can Be A Bad Thing

 Among things like Restless Leg Syndrome and other hyper-active formats, the energy we expand or don't use enough of can bite us in the ass and could lead to other issues. I've been known to be hyper-active and need to move around and be stimulated in some way. Often, it's one of those things where when I do try to sleep, my head is telling my body to go to sleep but my legs fight against it and will at times might as well say "fuck you" and want to keep moving around. 

I've been a night owl as long as I can remember at least since I was about 10-11 years old and unless I'm so fried that day, I don't sleep a ton of hours. At one point in my life the longest I slept was 15 hours but most of the time, 5 would be the most on an average basis. Sometimes I would work out just so I can exhaust myself in order to sleep but it doesn't always work out in my favor (see what I did there?). 

It's not easy when you're both hyper-active and have a brain that won't shut up. You try to read, watch a movie, listen to a podcast, listen to meditative sounds or in cases like mine, you train until you're ready to fall asleep. Yeah it sounds contradictory working out in order to sleep because after some workouts, you're at times more energized than ever. Believe me, I've been on both sides of the coin to where some workouts had me sleeping like a baby within about 20 minutes after but some others took longer to kick in in order to pass the hell out. 

I have at times took doses of melatonin which rarely ever did anything, I've taken muscle relaxers but didn't want to become addicted or rely on them, never once took sleeping pills which quite frankly is tempting but I've heard enough horror stories in my lifetime and knew people who were on them. If you've read enough of this blog, you know I despise and hate with a passion for medication. I'd rather be an insomniac than rely on chemical bullshit that has a risk of being highly addicted to. 

When I do sleep, I'm pretty good and maybe not completely alert in the first couple minutes after waking up but once the energy kicks in, I'm off to the races. It's a struggle but you do what you can and not everything is a 100% guarantee. Sometimes your body will do what it wants to do and your brain will have battles. I understand what it's like to worry too much, overthink, anxious about whatever, songs stuck in your head, needing to keep an eye out for anything that could go wrong in the house or having to be there for someone when they have a nightmare. It's at times overwhelming but alas we do need to sleep. 

It's hard for many and it's important for you to know you're not alone. Some people can fall asleep at the drop of a hat, others not so much. I have fallen asleep watching a movie but that tends to screw up my sleep later that night, I'd be totally relaxed for a period but the next thing you know, I'm wide awake needing to do something. Being bored or forcing boredom in order to sleep doesn't work for me, never really has. Do I take naps from time to time, yes and maybe I need to do less of them in order to get proper sleep. It is what it is and you learn by trial and error. 

We do need to find that balance where we use the energy we have productively in order to have optimal rest. On the other hand, some people need more energy cause they're tired constantly and don't have energy to be productive. There's got to be middle ground somewhere. Do what you can for you and make the most of the energy you have. Keep being amazingly awesome and get the best sleep you can. 


Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Ziziphus 

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