Cylon357's Super Cool Covid 2020 Weight loss comp log!

[Cylon357]

Sunday, had a nice workout.

Overhead press day, yay! I really wasn't feeling it, but got in there and got started. As is frequently the case, once I got going, all turned out OK.

Did my OP work, nothing particularly special to report there. Moved on to dips, 3x8, which felt good. Shrugs with the kettle bells followed, 3x15, though I was still feeling it a bit from Saturday's dead lift session.

Since I was feeling a bit eh, though much better now that I got started, I decided to do some isolation work for the rest of the workout, by and large. Standing cable curls with my rigged up pulley system were next. I need to align the pulleys properly, particularly for this exercise, though I did get them done. Switched out cables and handle and did pushdowns, then switched out the handles and did cable flyes and rear delt flyes. Finished the weights with push ups off the handles, just for the heck of it.

Did one mile to warm up, 2 miles at the end for LISS, and that was it.

[Cylon357]

Interesting conversation with the doc yesterday.

They seem to think the absorption rate of the cream can be as high as 60%, even more at the scrote. Individual response varies, and I don't know what that means for bioavailability, but stayed tuned!

[Cylon357]

Alright, great squat workout to kick off week 3!

Squats, got my 5x5 weight (not the Stronglifts beginner stuff, the conditioning program I mentioned elsewhere). The var really does seem to be helping. Did pull ups next, 3x6, nothing special there. Calf raises 3x20 to 30, depending on how they were feeling. Leg curls 3x10 to 12. I feel like I am missing something. I did not do the hip thrusters this week, I'm going to do cable pull throughs on Saturday's back day. I have to be missing something, because that doesn't seem to account for the 58 minutes the fitbit said I was working out. Eh, it will come to me, or not (probably not).

Had planned to do HIIT, but instead just went for the 1 mile slog. At an 11 minute time (11 minute mile), it really was a slog but I did not have to stop, so I'm calling it a victory! HIIT may find it's way after tomorrow's chest workout (the heavy bag), Saturday's dead lift (1 minute farmer's walk, 2 minutes on the rower) or some combination of things.

Had some protein smoothie I made yesterday, with a couple of scrambled eggs and a home made mini-bagel. Man, that was some good stuff!

[Cylon357]

Dang it, how rude of me! Let me share my scrambled egg recipe real quick, you can thank me later.

Eggs (how many you eat? That is how many you need)
"Mexican" style cheese (find it in the dairy department at your local Mega-Lo-Mart)
Milk (just a dash, makes them more fluffy)
Trappey's Louisiana Hot Sauce (the secret ingredient, you will know you have it when you see the bull on the side of the bottle)

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, easy on the cheese and milk. They should look more like eggs with a little stuff in them, not a bunch of stuff with some small amount of egg. Cook them. Eat them. Enjoy!

[Cylon357]

Nice bench workout tonight. Got my goal weight for 2x6, had a goal of 2x5 so I call it a win. Dips were next, 1x10, 1x8 with 25 pounds, 1x8 with 45 pounds, then 1x14 with no weight. The 45 pound set was a little wonky. I set the bars high enough for the 25 pounder, but the 45 pounder would just tap the floor at the lowest point. I probably should have gone up an inch but I'm calling it a win, tap and go and all.

Also, that last set of dips... I had more than 12 but when I got to 13, which felt like it, I was like nah, mf'er we do NOT do 13 rep sets! and got that last one. Paranoid? Gym superstitions are a thing, man.

Super set of skull crushers and ez bar curls were next, then dumbbell flyes to wrap it up. 1 mile walk to warm up, 1 mile to cool down and for LISS, and life is good!

[Cylon357]

Dead lift workout today. Went a little heavier than I have been, just to see how it would feel. Not bad as it turns out.

Would normally have done barbell rows next, but wanted to give landmine rows a shot. Low back did NOT like them at all. But I'm sure that is a form thing, maybe I will video myself to see. Got 3 or 4 sets.

Rigged up the pulldown apparatus, did two sets with wide grip, two sets with narrow grip. Good lat pump.

Front squats to hit the quads, 3x6-8. Calf raises off the block, 3x30.

Did some hyper extensions and reverse hypers to loosen up the low back from the landmine rows. Did a couple of sets of kettlebell swings to wrap it.

Not bad for the next to last workout of week 3. Hiit tomorrow after shoulder presses, let's see what the lowback has to say about that.

[Cylon357]

Overhead press day, the last workout before the deload week, yay!

Started with overhead press, but my entire upper body was a little sore from the deadlift day before. Thought I might take it a bit easy, and I did, just a little. Not quite as much weight as I had planned, though that isn't uncommon towards the end of week 3. Got my work in there.

Dips would have been next, but I did some varied spaced pushups instead 3x12. Felt those from the handles.

Shrugs, light because of the DL workout the day before, but still got them in, 3x30.

Then things got interesting, though I do acknowledge that is EXTREMELY subjective.

I have mentioned my rigged up pull down / push down apparatus. I made a thing to enable low rows, curls etc. Hooked it up and did bicep curls, 3x12 and sort of one armed cable lateral thing, 3x8 each arm. Switched out handles and did cable flyes from a low pulley, 3x10. Those were more difficult than the high pulley flyes, probably because I can't really pull down on them to get started, but I did feel them pretty well.

Y'all gonna turn me into a body builder before all is said and done

Switched out the cables and did pushdowns and some reverse flyes / rear delt work, 3x10 of each.

That was it for the weights.

Then HIIT, yay!! And by yay, in this case I mean: "da fuq?? do I have to?"

Yes, numbnuts, you have to.

Did 5 rounds of 2 minutes each, 1 minute rest between rounds. Each round consisted of:
20 heavy hammer swings, 10 to the left, 10 to the right.
20 double small hammer swings, alternating left and right.
Remaining round time (about a minute), spent shadow boxing with a hop / slide to the left and right, varying my combos.

Shimminy Cricket, man, that was "fun".

Finished with a 1/2 mile or so walk to cool down, same distance to warm up.

I should sleep the sleep of the exhausted tonight

[Cylon357]

And finally, I'm going to show y'all my rigged up, almost perfectly safe pulldown setup. Keep in mind that this is a prototype, a functioning prototype, but still a work in progress. I do have to switch out cables for different heights, and the vertical pulley bar you see at about waist high is the newest add on. I can move it as high or low as I want to vary the angles, or just work from the top pulley.

This is it in all it's wonkiness, functional but admittedly wonky.

[Cylon357]

Ahh, deload week! Just a two mile walk yesterday, and a light squat / dip workout tonight. I did do a one mile walk to warm up and a one mile walk for time to get some small amount of LISS in, but so far this a good week.

I have switched to just doing proviron for this week, 12.5 2x day, along with the two blobs of test cream and of course about 750 hcg weekly (3x 250). I'm not 100% sure if I'm aromatizing too much (possible) or if my var is actually d-bol, but I'm holding some water right now. I have some var on order from EP and I hope to start it next week. I feel like they are a trustworthy lab, and what I get should be legit.

[Cylon357]

Just an easy deload week workout, back and shoulders.

Starting next week, aka Tuesday, I think I am going to run a small amount of tbol with my trt. Maybe 20 a day, 2x 10mg, for 4 weeks. I have blood work in 8, so maybe I can get my numbers back in line with that 4 week break.

Well, either var or tbol, haven't decided which yet. Choices!

[Cylon357]

AARGH! Was going to start my next 3 week workout cycle tonight but I had the last and I mean the LAST of my hemis banded today and it is putting me down HARD. Like, goddangit, just fall off already! But hey, in the long run, it will be worth it.

From a more clinical (ie less b!tching, more info) perspective, this is the fourth banding I have had in the past 6 months to a year or so. Two were painless, one was very painful and this one is somewhere between the two. It's not as bad as the worst, but still unpleasant enough to keep me sitting (yes, that is somewhat ironic). I share this just so you have more information if you or a loved one are thinking about having a hemi banded. Basically, when you have a pain in your a**, I want you to think of me.

[Cylon357]

Got my squat workout in tonight, though I did limit the sets a bit (just waiting on you to die down there, Son of Lefty aka Lefty the Fourth aka the Hemi from Hades). Did my 2x5 work sets... damn, did I do 2x6? Sheesh, I can't remember now, not for sure. It was supposed to be 2x5 with 1 minute rest, but maybe I did do six reps each.

Moved on to calf raises, was feeling them NOICE!

Leg curls and... wait for it... leg EXTENSIONS were next. I got a new bench (still an inexpensive Marcy, but an upgrade from what I had) with "leg developer" and wanted to give it a go. Approved. Both extensions and curls felt good, and I haven't said that about extensions in a long time.

HIIT to beat me up and make sure I get cardio.

5 3 minute work rounds of:
2 minutes (treadmill on rounds 1, 3 and 5, climber on rounds 2 and 4)
6 pullups (there is my back work!)
15 kettlebell swings

1 minute rest between rounds. So for a total of 20 minutes, I thought I might die.

Seriously, that last set of kb swings, I went like 5 seconds over the 3 minute limit. I wasn't going to quit, but damn, I sure could have. Nobody would have known either, except for me and my big mouth. AARGH!

Good stuff!

[Cylon357]

Nice abbreviated chest workout tonight. The Last of the Mo-Hemis is being a true PITA, which I guess is appropriate.

Still, got in barbell bench with the new bench. No uprights makes using the rack easier for sure.

Skipped dips tonight, part of a strategy to get 4 weeks in before the next deload week. And of course mitigating the pain from the hemi.

Still, I got in skull crushers, bicep curls as a semi super set. Then did dumbbell flyes, wrapping with dumbbell laterals.

No hiit tonight, but some small LISS before and after, and fasted LISS tomorrow morning, so I'm calling it good.

[Cylon357]

Easy back workout tonight. Well, easy ish. The hemi is hanging tough, and giving me pain before it goes, though it knows it's time is short. Also, I kind of had to compress the schedule this week due to the aforementioned hemi... truly a PITA.

Anyhow, started with parallel grip pull ups, 2x 8 with no weight, then 2x6 with 25lbs, then 1x8.

Did some rows next, first barbell rows 3x10 then one arm dumbbell rows 2x8 each side. Did some light front squats and something else I don't remember right off.

1.5 mile walk for LISS, that was it for today.

BTW, I think the tbol is messing with my gi tract and screwing up my sleep. I will swap in low dose var from EP and see what I think about it.

[Cylon357]

Over head press workout today, though it kind of turned into "cable isolation movement day" after the OP.

Did my overhead presses, got my weights, but goddangit this eff'ing hemi is STILL somehow giving me fits. Makes me think it may have slipped its band or something. Anyhow, I was feeling kind of bleah to start, but once I got my presses going, things started rolling.

Skipped dips again today and did 3x10-12 pushups from the raised handles. Isolates the middle of the chest well for me. Shrugs with the kettlebells were next, nice contraction at the top, 3x15-20.

Then the cables started.

Began with low bicep curls, first with heavier weight and both hands, then with lighter weight and one handed. 2x10-15 then 2x10-15. Also did side cable laterals while the pulley was in the low spot, 2x8-10 each side.

Switched cables out and worked from the top. Pushdowns to start 3x10-15, then cable flyes and reverse flyes, alternated just for the heck of it.

2 Mile walk for LISS at the end. All is good, except that a**hole hemi. Eh, life goes on.

[Cylon357]

Good squat workout to kick off the weights this week.

Got my 5x5 weight, plus two of those sets I added about 10%, nice huffy puffy work. Went straight from there to barbell calf raises, 3x15-20.

Leg curls and leg extensions were next. 1x15 of each to warm up 3x10-12 of each for work sets. This bench really does seem to all the pads to be at the right spot for me to do extensions. I probably won't do them every week, just to avoid temptation to overdo it, but we will see.

Lat pulldowns came up in the rotation, I did 1x15, then added some weight and did 2x10. Good stuff.

Hip thrusters with my back on the heavy bag (laying on its side), 3x10.

No HIIT per se tonight, though I did do 5x15 kettlebell swings to wrap the weights. Kept the rest time down to 30 to 45 seconds between sets.

1/2 mile walk to warm up, 1 mile to cool down and for LISS. I kept my heart rate in the "fat burning zone" during the last walk, so I count it as LISS.

Life is good!

[Cylon357]

BTW, my hemi was not acting up TOO bad today. I don't think it has let go, but rather just was behaving. I can't imagine that it slipped the banding, but it sure seems like it. Though, maybe, MAYBE it is actually gone. I'm not counting on that tho. Fingers crossed.

[Cylon357]

Neat little bench / chest workout today, though it started off a little... well, off.

Started with barbell bench, as has been the usual for a bit. But, on my first real work set, I noticed some pain in my palm... goddangit, I just started HGH back up and when I do, I get hand swelling. No bigs, put on the gloves (aka sissy mittens) and get the next set... Oh, no dice here either. Hmmm, what to do, what to do?

Dumbbell bench press to the rescue!

Finished out my bench with 2 or 3 sets of flat dbell bench, then moved to incline and did two more sets. All's well that ends well.

But we are far from done

Dips, 4 sets of 8, no weight
Skull crushers, super setted with barbell curls, 4x10-15
Dumbell flyes, super light weight to feel it 3x10

Somehow, that took an hour.

I was on the fence about HIIT, but feeling pretty good with my current protocol, so I did 5 rounds of the following:
Heavy hammer strikes, 10 to 15 per side
Double hammer strikes, 10 to 15 per arm
Shadow boxing
1 minute rest

The hammer work took about 90 seconds and the shadow boxing filled in the remaining 90 seconds per round. Thereabouts at least, it isn't particularly precise.

Something around 1/2 mile walk to warm up, 3/4 mile to cool down and then the shower, protein, chill with you animals bit.

[Cylon357]

Back work out most excellent today!! Schwing!

Deadlifts started things, though I kept it fairly easy. Hemi is back to being a pain in the ass, so didn't want to make that worse.

Barbell rows followed, 3x10. Man, I do like that 1-2 combo.

Pull-ups, parallel grip 3x 6, no weight.

Front squats, 3x6, followed by calf raises off a 3 inch block 3x 15-20.

Low pulley rows finished the weights, 4x10. 2 sets were with a two handed grip, then dropped weight and did 2 sets one handed.

That's a sweet little back workout.

1+ mile LISS to wrap it, no HIIT today. I think I'm limiting it to once a week, with the intensity of the workouts and all.

BTW, current drug regimen is 2 "single click" doses of the test cream daily, one am, one pm. I think I like it so far. HCG 250 to 300iu with 1 iu HGH 3 times a week, MWF, AM dosing. 12.5mg proviron 2x daily.

I may drop the proviron for a month starting in June as I have bloods in early July and would really like to see what the cream and hcg combo does for me. I'm feeling good on it, and workouts are good, though I do have some other things in the mix here and there. It will be good to see what the numbers really are.

[wango]

Glad you’re digging the test. TRT was a life changer for me.

[Cylon357]

Nice over head press workout tonight. Details later, just wanted to get something recorded before I forget it.

[Cylon357]

Let's see, Sunday's over head press workout... what all did I do?

Lots of cable stuff this time, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Over head press, got my weights and reps so that was cool.

Tried to do dips next, but my delts were having none of it. That's OK, I did push-ups instead, and really felt it better across the middle part of my chest.

Now things start to get a little fuzzy on when I did what. I think it went kind of like this.

Low pulley setup for low flies and low rear delt work, plus some bicep curls. Seems like I only did one set of each of those before deciding I didn't like the particular feel I was getting. Switched to dumbbell curls and shrugs, while I noodled on what to do next.

Switched cables for the high pulley setup and did push downs, then dropped weight for cable flyes and rear delt flyes. Much better feel from this position. I included dumbell lateral raises for a nice toasty tri set. That was noice!

I feel like I'm missing something but can't remember what. No bigs, it was a good workout.

[Cylon357]

10
9
8

Oh what's that? Excellent squat workout tonight!

I started with barbell squats, but instead of 5x5 with one minute between sets, I chose to do the same weight, 3 sets of 10, 9, and 8 reps, with about 90 seconds between sets.

I don't know which has me breathing harder, but this was a huffer and a puffer.

Did one set of narrow stance, then moved on to extensions and curls, kept the extensions light 3x20, and the curls heavier 3x15.

Hip thrusters off the heavy bag, 3x10-12.

Decision time: hiit or liss?

Well, it was a combo, sort of.

I did chinups, 3x6-7, combined with kettlebell swings 3x15. Not for time, but no half stepping.

For MISS (see what I did there? Yeah, you do ), I did 1/4 mile jog, 1 minute walk 4x. So, I jogged a full mile in spurts, and totaled a bit over that. The jog was interval-ish, not quite a run and definitely not a sprint, but definitely varied and challenging. I hit the peak heart rate zone a time or two, so yeah.

[wango]

10
9
8

Oh what's that? Excellent squat workout tonight!

I started with barbell squats, but instead of 5x5 with one minute between sets, I chose to do the same weight, 3 sets of 10, 9, and 8 reps, with about 90 seconds between sets.

I don't know which has me breathing harder, but this was a huffer and a puffer.

Did one set of narrow stance, then moved on to extensions and curls, kept the extensions light 3x20, and the curls heavier 3x15.

Hip thrusters off the heavy bag, 3x10-12.

Decision time: hiit or liss?

Well, it was a combo, sort of.

I did chinups, 3x6-7, combined with kettlebell swings 3x15. Not for time, but no half stepping.

For MISS (see what I did there? Yeah, you do ), I did 1/4 mile jog, 1 minute walk 4x. So, I jogged a full mile in spurts, and totaled a bit over that. The jog was interval-ish, not quite a run and definitely not a sprint, but definitely varied and challenging. I hit the peak heart rate zone a time or two, so yeah.

Thanks for the continued motivation buddy!

[Cylon357]

Bench day yay! I actually started with dumbbell bench this time, working up to my work sets of 2x8 and 1x6. It was supposed to be 3x8, but eh, things happen.

Did 3 sets of barbell incline press 10, 8, and 6 reps.

Dips actually got done this week 3x10, no weight added.

Skull crushers super setted with dumbbell curls 3x10-15 on skull crushers 3x10-12 on the curls.

Dumbbell flyes super'ed with dumbbell laterals wrapped the weights proper 2x10 of each.

One set of pushups for the frack of it, 10 reps.

1/2 mile walk to warm up, 2 miles for LISS at the end. I think davi motivated me, because tonight I said "I'm getting my 15 minute mile pace!" and completed 2 miles in 29:20 for a split time of 14:40. So yeah, I might have looked like the ending scene of "Benny Hill" but I got it done.

Life is good!

[Cylon357]

And this is technically week 3 of my 3 week routine, but I think I'm going to do 4 weeks before taking the deload. This way, the deload is Memorial day and that will be sweet! Plus, I can stop any of my add ons at the end of week 4 and have a full month before pulling bloods for the doc.

[Cylon357]

Thanks for the continued motivation buddy!

We gotta keep moving, man! Whether it is itsy bitsy or biggy wiggy, we got to do SOMETHING!

[Cylon357]

Deadlift / back day.

Started with deadlifts, but kept them light(er) and only 4 sets.

Barbell rows 3x10, really tried to focus on pulling the elbows back and triggering the lats. Alternated those with 3x6 Pull-ups.

Moved to front squats 3x5, slightly more weight this time, then 3x15 calf raises off a 3 inch block.

Wrapped up with alternating reverse hypers with regular hypers, 3x10 of each. Felt good on the low back.

2 mile walk for LISS to finish, fitbit says I finished in 28:14 for a 14:07 split. Man, I gotta say, my short a** legs must have been a blur.

Just had some salmon, steamed vegetables, and frekeh for a nice meal.

[Cylon357]

Overhead press day to wrap week 3.

I did seated barbell presses to start today. Why? Variety, Jack! Got 5 sets total there.

No dips, but I did do push-ups off the handles, 3x10-15. Varied my hand placement to vary the impact and that was cool. Quasi super setted those with shrugs, 3x10-12.

Got the jury rigged cable system out and did pushdowns super settled with kettle bell curls, 3x10 to 15 of each.

Switched cables and added the board pictured and did 2x10to12 cable flyes and reverse delt flyes. Two sets of kettlebell laterals wrapped the weights. I just finished so not sure if I'm going to walk jog or call it quits. It's a surprise!!

[Cylon357]

HIIT. It was HIIT.

4 rounds of 2 minutes just swinging one or more hammers hitting a tire. 1 minute rest between rounds.

IDK if I'm going into deload or going to try to get a fourth week. I have until Tuesday to decide...

[Cylon357]

Punted on the decision for a fourth work week until tomorrow. Just an easy 30 minute bike ride today, followed about a half mile walk.


Right now, it feels like "fourth work week", but my knees don't like the bike like they used to. Guess I need to be like Wango and think about getting 'bent.

[wango]

Punted on the decision for a fourth work week until tomorrow. Just an easy 30 minute bike ride today, followed about a half mile walk.


Right now, it feels like "fourth work week", but my knees don't like the bike like they used to. Guess I need to be like Wango and think about getting 'bent.

Kel has had good fortune with some injections he gets on his knees. My impression though, was that it wasn’t inexpensive. By bent are you referring to THC or a different bike? I got confused as my recumbent bike store actually is called Bent Cycles. Damn, I wish the logistics worked on that for me.

[Cylon357]

Kel has had good fortune with some injections he gets on his knees. My impression though, was that it wasn’t inexpensive. By bent are you referring to THC or a different bike? I got confused as my recumbent bike store actually is called Bent Cycles. Damn, I wish the logistics worked on that for me.

Sorry, I should have been more clear lol! "Getting 'bent" referred specifically to recumbent biking, though maybe if the other helped with knee pain, it could be an option, too...

[wango]

Sorry, I should have been more clear lol! "Getting 'bent" referred specifically to recumbent biking, though maybe if the other helped with knee pain, it could be an option, too...

You kids and your new jargon, I just can’t keep up.

[Cylon357]

Squat workout tonight. Abbreviated but intense to get a 4th week kicked off.

Just squats, leg curls, and calf raises for the weights. I did do a breathing set of 12 and then 8 reps on squats, with my previous weight. Light headed? Oh yeah.

HIIT'ish finisher consisted of 4 rounds of:

2 minutes treadmill or climber
6 pullups
15 kettlebell swings
1 minute rest

That was a huffer and a puffer, too. But all's well that ends well!

[Cylon357]

I was off work on Friday, the start of a four day weekend! Did bench / chest and it was good.

Started with barbell bench, and got some good reps in on my work sets. Dropped weight to do a wide set, then thought "hmm, let me see if I can do decline with this bench". The answer is no, too steep But that's OK, I can do incline, which I did 2 or 3 sets of. If I really want to do some decline, MAYBE I can put a small block under the front of the bench.

Moved to dips, 3x10 with no weight this day. Skull crusher / curl bar super set was next, added some weight to that final set to put in some extra work. I remember doing dumbbell laterals as a wrap, but man, I am ALMOST sure there was another exercise in there somewhere. This is the 4th week (bonus work week), so I am trying to watch volume, but the workout took an hour, and it seems like more than 5 exercises were involved. Bench did take up probably 20 minutes though, so maybe it isn't too far out of line.

HIIT on this days was "fun":
2 minutes hammer swings
2 minutes shadow boxing
2 minutes hammer swings
2 minutes shadow boxing
2 minutes hammer swings

1 minute rest between rounds, and each round of shadow boxing included 1x10 pushups at the 1 minute mark and just before the end. I hit "peak" heart rate zone swinging the hammer.

1 mile walk to warm up and 1 mile to cool down. That was it.

Oh, except for the fact that we had dinner and a concert to go to, the concert being at Universal's City Walk.... Note that last word there "Walk", we did a lot of it. About 5k steps to be precise going to and from the concert alone. I finished with 14k steps on the day. In other news, I slept till 11am this morning, but I'm sure it is unrelated /sarcasm

Life is good!

[Cylon357]

And despite the fact that you may be thinking "geez, who is this dumpy old fat a**?", this is actually progress. One day at a time...

[wango]

And despite the fact that you may be thinking "geez, who is this dumpy old fat a**?", this is actually progress. One day at a time...

Looking good Cy!

[Cylon357]

Back day today, yay!

BTW, 3 weeks really should be my standard, even on trt without other stuff. I made it through half of the 4th week of workouts OK, but today kind of hit the wall.

I still got 'er done, tho.

Deadlifts to start, though kept them light and only like 4 sets.

Barbell rows were next, 3x7-9, REALLY focusing on pulling back and engaging the lats. Semi super setted those with pullups / chin ups 3x7 on those.

Front squats 2x6, then calf work 3x20.

Wrapped with 2x15 kettle bell swings, and a half mile walk.

From here on out, 3 weeks load, 1 week deload.

Until I add something really special to my TRT. We will see what that will be...

[tarmyg]

One of the best things I ever did was replacing barbell rows with this.

https://youtu.be/B_EKdWyOj7M

Might not feel the same for you but the muscles felt way more engaged for me.