Howdy!
So I am introducing myself over a year late, but life just tends to do that sometimes. I thought I made my intro way back then but I couldn't find it, so I guess it just got lost and never posted during those crazy times.
Got out of the military in 2013. Moved back to Louisiana, started working in IT, started riding a desk, and gaining weight.
Coworkers talked me into starting Crossfit in 2017. It was actually really nice, I liked just showing up and working out, I didn't need to make my own plans or anything. The part that I really loved about it was that they also focused on strength training. 3 days a week there would be deadlift, squats, or benchpress. There were many jokes around the office that I just liked lifting heavy things and putting them down again. I did this for 5-6 days a week from 2017 -2022. I wasn't really focused on diet or supplements at the time, but I did go to an appointment with a coach\dietician. I forget the kind of scan it was but it compared different types of muscle mass\ fat, and then I got my macro nutrient targets. At my wedding in Japan they had to break out the clothes for small sumo wrestlers because I didn't fit in any of the regular formal attire they had. I'm not big at all when compared to other lifters, but compared to the average Japanese person....there was a bit of a difference.
2022 things REALLY changed. My son was born. Stopped working out as I just had 0 free time to do anything.
In 2023 I attempted Powerlifting at a gym that was closer (which is when I found this place and made my account here)! Loved the gym. Amazing bunch of people there, and I look to go back when I can. This lasted for maybe 3 months but it was just too stressful at home so I had to stop.
There are no gyms open past 9pm here ( when my son goes to bed ) so I recently started building my own. All of the nice pre-built buyable stuff was out of reach so I used what I had access to: leftover 4x4s from the neighbors fence and 3\4in iron pipe. I was able to build a full rack with some plans I found online and a little bit of improvising. Found someone selling the bar and weights they bought during COVID on Craigslist for cheap and snatched those up. Needed more weights but couldn't justify buying them so... found some plans to build 45-ish lb weights out of a bag of concrete, some mesh, fiber reinforcement, and coat them in truck bed liner. Also picked up a water rowing machine for next to nothing. No budget for anything new or fancy, but I am making it work.
I am still in contact with the folks at the powerlifting gym near me and I plan to stop by there when I can. They really got me hyped up about attending local meets and competitions with them.
That is kind of my journey into lifting so far. I like it, I need it, I want to get my son into it when he is old enough.
So I am introducing myself over a year late, but life just tends to do that sometimes. I thought I made my intro way back then but I couldn't find it, so I guess it just got lost and never posted during those crazy times.
Got out of the military in 2013. Moved back to Louisiana, started working in IT, started riding a desk, and gaining weight.
Coworkers talked me into starting Crossfit in 2017. It was actually really nice, I liked just showing up and working out, I didn't need to make my own plans or anything. The part that I really loved about it was that they also focused on strength training. 3 days a week there would be deadlift, squats, or benchpress. There were many jokes around the office that I just liked lifting heavy things and putting them down again. I did this for 5-6 days a week from 2017 -2022. I wasn't really focused on diet or supplements at the time, but I did go to an appointment with a coach\dietician. I forget the kind of scan it was but it compared different types of muscle mass\ fat, and then I got my macro nutrient targets. At my wedding in Japan they had to break out the clothes for small sumo wrestlers because I didn't fit in any of the regular formal attire they had. I'm not big at all when compared to other lifters, but compared to the average Japanese person....there was a bit of a difference.
2022 things REALLY changed. My son was born. Stopped working out as I just had 0 free time to do anything.
In 2023 I attempted Powerlifting at a gym that was closer (which is when I found this place and made my account here)! Loved the gym. Amazing bunch of people there, and I look to go back when I can. This lasted for maybe 3 months but it was just too stressful at home so I had to stop.
There are no gyms open past 9pm here ( when my son goes to bed ) so I recently started building my own. All of the nice pre-built buyable stuff was out of reach so I used what I had access to: leftover 4x4s from the neighbors fence and 3\4in iron pipe. I was able to build a full rack with some plans I found online and a little bit of improvising. Found someone selling the bar and weights they bought during COVID on Craigslist for cheap and snatched those up. Needed more weights but couldn't justify buying them so... found some plans to build 45-ish lb weights out of a bag of concrete, some mesh, fiber reinforcement, and coat them in truck bed liner. Also picked up a water rowing machine for next to nothing. No budget for anything new or fancy, but I am making it work.
I am still in contact with the folks at the powerlifting gym near me and I plan to stop by there when I can. They really got me hyped up about attending local meets and competitions with them.
That is kind of my journey into lifting so far. I like it, I need it, I want to get my son into it when he is old enough.
