Homebrewing and Bodybuilding/Fitness

[Qhrumphf]

There wasn't ever a way for me to continue working out at home (though if/when we move somewhere it's feasible, home gym is now a priority), so I was happy when I was able to go back, and more thankful I do so alone after hours. My wife does their classes (it's more or less a non-branded CrossFit box with their own spin) and is really worried about COVID there. Either way it's kept me from training as often or as hard as I'd like.

Though one of my bosses is a super-marathon Ragnar type, and his spouse is a personal trainer, and they're setting up a little gym at my work that she's formally renting space for, that I've been granted permission to use when she's not training people. Not much good for me yet (mostly circuit stuff and an all in one machine at the moment) but they're putting in a half-rack and a full oly bar with smaller bumper plate selection (a few 20kg and a bunch of smaller ones). Once that actually happens I'll probably order a bunch more 20kg bumper plates shipped there, cancel my gym, and do all my workouts there before or after work.

 

[Summa_Brewologica]

Getting kicked out of gyms, gyms closing down...I take for granted that I have a full basement gym. I never had to deal with covid gym fallout. I am grateful. I have been building it up over the past few years. If it is in the cards, I do recommend it. It’s my understanding weights are harder to come by but in normal times, I found them used and put money into a good rogue barbell and power rack. Every thing else can be skimped, IMO.

 

[bracconiere]

you're all making my muscles ache just reading this stuff...imake it a point not to lift anything heavy, unless i have too, make sure to use a lever of sort if i do...

 

[Qhrumphf]

Yeah I can make do with nothing but a bar, bench, a rack and some weight. And maybe an adjustable dumbbell set. Problem is when I wanna do kroc rows. Biggest my gym has are 70lb and many adjustables don't even go that high (my old gym I could at least use 120lb). I've made do with using a bar for em but the decreased stability forces me to keep the weight down.

 

[bracconiere]

Yeah I can make do with nothing but a bar,

you had me sold, then started rambling

 

[Qhrumphf]

Oh and a floor that ain't gonna crack if I drop a bail from a heavy squat. I was asked to squat and deadlift heavy in one area of this gym since that part of the floor is former bank vault and won't be hurt if I drop 500lb on it. Don't know if the average garage or basement can handle that.

 

[Summa_Brewologica]

Oh and a floor that ain't gonna crack if I drop a bail from a heavy squat. I was asked to squat and deadlift heavy in one area of this gym since that part of the floor is former bank vault and won't be hurt if I drop 500lb on it. Don't know if the average garage or basement can handle that.

I built a platform. It is made of three layers worth of plywood. My rack is on the back and there is a nice roomy area with stall mats on either side for deadlifting.

 

[mashpaddled]

Oh and a floor that ain't gonna crack if I drop a bail from a heavy squat. I was asked to squat and deadlift heavy in one area of this gym since that part of the floor is former bank vault and won't be hurt if I drop 500lb on it. Don't know if the average garage or basement can handle that.

Gym floors are usually reinforced or extra thick for exactly this reason. I would be extremely cautious about lifting heavy weight at home. If you drop the weight and crack your foundation you could be in for some expensive repairs.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Gym floors are usually reinforced or extra thick for exactly this reason. I would be extremely cautious about lifting heavy weight at home. If you drop the weight and crack your foundation you could be in for some expensive repairs.

Yep. Precisely my concern.

 

[3 Dawg Night]

I got reasonably fit in 2019 and fell off the wagon in 2020. I'm pretty pissed that I threw away all that progress and am right back where I started. I jump back on the wagon tomorrow, and here's to starting 2022 as a fitter 3 Dawg Night.

 

[Summa_Brewologica]

I got reasonably fit in 2019 and fell off the wagon in 2020. I'm pretty pissed that I threw away all that progress and am right back where I started. I jump back on the wagon tomorrow, and here's to starting 2022 as a fitter 3 Dawg Night.

You will bounce back quicker than you think. Whenever I go through periods where life is getting in the way or I am just bored of working out, I will scale things back or just make sure I get something done that day whether it is one set of squats, a short walk, or a sport I like. It just helps ease the guilt of missing a day. It’s so easy to get caught in the “well I missed a whole week I guess I might as well quit completely” trap. Not saying that is what happened to you, I just know it to be common.

 

[3 Dawg Night]

Thanks for the encouragement, @Summa_Brewologica! Starting grad school is the excuse I've been using for falling off the wagon, but I recognize now that it's just that: an excuse.

 

[HB2 HughBHomeBrew]

Garage/brew space/gym.
Been known to do a few pull-ups during mash.
Don't eat a lot for breakfast or lunch typically. Leaves room for a pint or two of homebrew. That plus CrossFit workouts at home I stay at good weight.

 

[KeizerBrewr]

I have been fit and trim my entire life. Loved to run, camp, be outside, mountain bike, drink beer, shoot, hunt. Then COVID hit and with the restrictions being the way they are and now being 33(yeah, yeah), my metabolism isn't what it was when I was in Iraq 11 years ago. I'm also not fit like I was then, either. With the reuptake of home brewing this past year, the LBs have slowly tacked on. The scale at home and the armory are showing it. Going from a trim 175lbs in 2019 to 206lbs as I type this, makes me reel. It really scares me as I have third daughter on the way, due in February and I still have my Army fitness standards to keep up. I love my brews, but I need to get back to the proper balance and as many of you know; that can be a daunting task with life, kids, the love of your life and your hobbies. As of the first of the year, I am setting my goal to drop ten pounds and get more into shape by April. I love to run and to suffer through a good Xfit WOD. Cheers, Ladies and Gents

 

[Summa_Brewologica]

I have been fit and trim my entire life. Loved to run, camp, be outside, mountain bike, drink beer, shoot, hunt. Then COVID hit and with the restrictions being the way they are and now being 33(yeah, yeah), my metabolism isn't what it was when I was in Iraq 11 years ago. I'm also not fit like I was then, either. With the reuptake of home brewing this past year, the LBs have slowly tacked on. The scale at home and the armory are showing it. Going from a trim 175lbs in 2019 to 206lbs as I type this, makes me reel. It really scares me as I have third daughter on the way, due in February and I still have my Army fitness standards to keep up. I love my brews, but I need to get back to the proper balance and as many of you know; that can be a daunting task with life, kids, the love of your life and your hobbies. As of the first of the year, I am setting my goal to drop ten pounds and get more into shape by April. I love to run and to suffer through a good Xfit WOD. Cheers, Ladies and Gents

Thank you for your service! God bless you, man. I just had my first kid and it has been difficult to get in the gym but I have refined it to where I go in 2 days a week and cycle another 2 days a week. I’m a little fatter because of the holidays recently but have maintained both my strength and somewhat my endurance. You. Got. This. Just make sure you are doing something. Say “hey I’m gonna cut the brews out for one week” or “one month” just set realistic goals. I’m probably preaching to the choir, given you’re a military dude, but to anyone else: cut the booze out for just a month or two, get MyFitnessPal, and I promise you will lose weight. Buy a couple extra kegs, work out, and brew beer. By the time the beer is done fermenting and carbed up, you will be a fitter human. As a matter of fact, we need to come up with the home brewers challenge: quit drinking, start working out, and start brewing a beer. The rule is, no booze until the beer is done and fully carbed up. Extra points for bottle conditioning or priming in a keg.

 

[fourfarthing]

COVID has actually done wonders for my fitness. I have traded 3+ hours a day of commuting for a 5 day a week routine of body weight resistance and calisthenics training and a serious dip back into distance running (hoping my tendinities from 20 years ago stays away) and even some virtual 5k and 10k races. Down 5 pounds in a year without doing anything stupid.

 

[Knightshade]

With gyms being closed in our area, our dues are suspended so I picked up a Les Mills on demand membership last summer and it has been outstanding. It has a little bit of everything, so the wife uses it for step, core, yoga stuff and she'll get the teenagers to join in every once in awhile. I do the weight work, HIIT and other cardio stuff. I'm probably in better shape now than I was before covid started. If the beer consumption hadn't kicked up so much, I imagine I'd be even leaner than I already am. I hopped back on my road bike for a 20 mile ride the other day and my knee didn't ache when I was done which...is actually why I stopped a couple of years ago. Guess not playing soccer much in the past year has helped w/that too??

 

[3 Dawg Night]

As a matter of fact, we need to come up with the home brewers challenge: quit drinking, start working out, and start brewing a beer. The rule is, no booze until the beer is done and fully carbed up. Extra points for bottle conditioning or priming in a keg.

That's going to be some green, flat beer! What's the Guinness World Record for grain-to-glass?

 

[mkyl428]

Just looked over this thread for the first time in a while, and decided to hit the gym even though I was going to skip today to brew. Now I'm mixing up a pre-workout, about to go hit legs before I get that brew session in. Thought I should bump this thread in case someone else needed some motivation today like I did.

 

[bracconiere]

Thought I should bump this thread in case someone else needed some motivation today like I did.

damn man, it's 5pm here, and i need to get some wheat germ dough made for crackers & salsa...Thanks


i'm finally back to being able to do push up and at least one pull up....don't want to slip back into beer only! (actually cider, today...)

 

[Ty520]

COVID was a big hit my my health as well - wife refused to let me go back to the gym, and my maximal lifts plummeted to beginner levels, but I was able to slowly get back up to a somewhat respectable level.

...and then we had the coming of our second child, followed by not one - not two - but three respiratory illnesses brought back from my toddler's germ factory - err, i mean 'daycare.'

Another issue that came with COVID was treating the making and (especially) consumption of fermented beverages as a part of my daily routine, instead of being a treat or reward for a week's hard work.

But hopefully, fingers crossed, as soon as my current respiratory infection goes away, i'll manage to start fitting in the gym on my lunch breaks --- unless the kid brings home another weird disease again

one important thing to note is not to jump in too hard, too fast - when i restarted after gyms opened back up, I pushed myself too hard and ended up hurting myself badly, and having to sit back out of the gym for nearly a month again

 

[fourfarthing]

COVID was a big hit my my health as well - wife refused to let me go back to the gym, and my maximal lifts plummeted to beginner levels, but I was able to slowly get back up to a somewhat respectable level.

...and then we had the coming of our second child, followed by not one - not two - but three respiratory illnesses brought back from my toddler's germ factory - err, i mean 'daycare.'

Another issue that came with COVID was treating the making and (especially) consumption of fermented beverages as a part of my daily routine, instead of being a treat or reward for a week's hard work.

But hopefully, fingers crossed, as soon as my current respiratory infection goes away, i'll manage to start fitting in the gym on my lunch breaks --- unless the kid brings home another weird disease again

one important thing to note is not to jump in too hard, too fast - when i restarted after gyms opened back up, I pushed myself too hard and ended up hurting myself badly, and having to sit back out of the gym for nearly a month again

Did that with running, now I am halfway back to where I was when I hurt myself thinking I was still 20...

 

[mkyl428]

one important thing to note is not to jump in too hard, too fast - when i restarted after gyms opened back up, I pushed myself too hard and ended up hurting myself badly, and having to sit back out of the gym for nearly a month again

Definitely easy to hurt yourself if you don't ease back into things. I had to keep reminding myself I'm not as strong as I was before the gym closed down, and I don't need to work as hard as I was to see some gains.

I've been back in the gym for almost a year now, I am still not back where I was though. It's hard to get back into it like I was, but I'm still glad to be hitting the gym. I just need to stop eating crap, and maybe ease up on the homebrews a bit, also I hate cardio, so that doesn't help.

 

[bracconiere]

and maybe ease up on the homebrews a bit

blasphemer!