Post guiding season clear out part 2. Prices do no include shipping or Paypal fees. Open to reasonable offers on everything and bundling.
The imgur app is (crap) giving me problems yet again and I won't let me upload more than one pic. If you want others please message me.
​
​
New Stuff: https://imgur.com/a/4LvldJg
​
Outdoor Research Add-on Belt Pocket - Teal, nearly universal fit. Can go on a belt or shoulder strap. Wide enough for a Smartwater bottle, phones, snacks, whatever. Made in USA. Vintage but great quality.
$5 - Too vintage for a website
​
US National Parks Guide & Journal Logbook - Ended up with two of these over the years. Don't need them both. Great maps and basic info for the parks.
$15 - Details: Same as this but with a suede cover instead of leather https://www.amazon.com/Graphic-Image-National-Journal-Genuine/dp/B002ONYPJ8
​
Planet Bike Aluminum Water Bottle Cages - Brand new, never installed.
$6 for 2 - Details: https://www.rei.comla/product/777620/planet-bike-aluminum-water-bottle-cage
​
Mission Cooling Towel - My mom loves putting these in my stocking even though I never use them.
$5 - Details https://www.mission.com/products/original-cooling-towel
​
STM Cable Wrap - Cord and electronics organizer. Very flexible and useful but I didn't use it.
$10 - Details: https://www.radtech.com/products/stm-cable-wrap-organizer
​
Proof of life photo for the clothes: https://imgur.com/wMDw5np
Prana Swimsuit Shorts - Large I forget the model on these. Liner, short inseam, back velcro pocket, two side pockets. Barely worn.
$25 $15 $10 - https://imgur.com/WYKnK3h https://imgur.com/YunwL0Y
​
Bedrock Cairn 3D PRO II – Size 12 Men’s / 13 Women’s – Canyon Currents color - I’m not sure how I did it but I caught one of the toe loops on something and it snapped. Bedrock repaired it for free and I haven’t worn these since because their customer service rocks and they got me a replacement pair while I waited. According to my Garmin I’ve got 40 miles on them. Some wear in the forefoot but tons of miles left and you can eventually resole them for $55. Retail for $140 so you’ll get two pairs for cheaper than the price of one.
$60 – https://imgur.com/EKQRMi3 https://imgur.com/PGk8G73 https://imgur.com/ygNeZmC
​
New Balance 501 - Size 12 - Rare and awesome colorway but I'm actually a 13 with wide flat feet. After a couple wearings thinking they might stretch I've given up.
$40 - https://imgur.com/a/1fo1G11
​
Meridian Line Keep the Grand Free Tshirt - Large - Super soft and comfortable. I just don't wear it. Buy this and I'll donate the money to one of the Grand Canyon Conservancy
$10 $5 - https://imgur.com/KSClGrH https://imgur.com/kWGFdld
​
Vetra Workwear Jack - Grey Size 46 - Bought this so I could be super stylish for once and then I realized that I'm not stylish. It's a fantastic spring/fall coat for easy hikes, walks and around town. Wore it once. Fits like an athletic large. These go for $175 or so new.
$80 - https://imgur.com/mUe5rzEhttps://imgur.com/tL4T4K4
​
Brixton Hat - Brand new, never worn.
$8 $5 - https://imgur.com/a/8eKETkO
​
Goal Zero Nomad 7 Solar Panel + Battery Charger – Never really found a use for this. Good condition. The battery charger is found! in my van somewhere but I’m 100% positive I’ve got it. Charges both AA and AAA batteries. Was $125 new.
$60 $40 – https://imgur.com/G0GFWDD https://imgur.com/pEujGNz
​
Sharper Image 20 LED Lantern - New never used, I have too many light sources.
$5 - https://imgur.com/Cbv8sW6
​
Biolite Light Stuffsack - Never used but a couple marks from being in storage. I'm just too lazy to ever use it.
$5 - https://imgur.com/KeQHjIY
​
MPOWERD Luci Original: Solar Inflatable Light - Lightly used, once again too lazy to use.
$5 - https://imgur.com/KeQHjIY
​
*Cotton Belt Pocket & Bearspray holster - I don't need these
Free with anything else or pay shipping. - https://imgur.com/OLUrxSt
​
Lowepro Camera Case - I don't need this, never did. Not even sure how I got it. Fits a point & shoot or small mirror-less
$5 - https://imgur.com/LVPVQQz
​
*REI Evrgrn Bottle - Staff exclusive! Pretend you didn't get paid enough while working at REI in 2015 but they at least gave you yet another bottle for Christmas instead of money. It's actually a really nice insulated bottle but I don't want to think about that time anymore.
$10 $5 - https://imgur.com/cCxVMYX
​
REI Sleeping Bag / Laundry Storage Bags - One poly, one cotton for the Igneo.
$5 each or $8 for both https://imgur.com/L5vmzBb https://imgur.com/bCZP20B
​
Crocs Mules - Size 11 - Great camp shoes but I'm using Hoka Slides now instead.
$5 - https://imgur.com/9QL3km4 https://imgur.com/dQdTuao
​
​
​
​
SOLD PEDCO Ultrapod 3 Lightweight Travel Tripod for Camera and Phone – Lightly used, I just have too many tripods. Retails for $30
$10 $8 – https://imgur.com/DDh3hfD https://imgur.com/oJH9vwc
​
SOLD REI Shower Roll Large – Lightly used, some travel dirt. After years of switching between tons of dopp kits I’ve finally realized that the best thing for me is a couple smaller ones. So this one goes. Was $40 new.
$15 $12 - https://imgur.com/FoOwiST https://imgur.com/TUz8zsI
​
SOLD Prana Plaid Shirt - Medium - Forgot the model on this as well, I think it's the Los Feliz. Great condition, just too small for me.
$30 $20 $10 - https://imgur.com/C52345q https://imgur.com/EXGuw3x
​
SOLD Black Diamond Wired Hex #2 - Gifted to me by a Black Diamond rep but I don't climb so it's never been used.
$7 - Details: https://www.rei.com/product/113912/black-diamond-wired-hexentrics-hex?color=GRAY
​
SOLD *GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Pint Cup - It holds liquid. I don't need it.
$3 - Details: https://www.amazon.com/GSI-Outdoors-63248-Glass-Set/dp/B00S4LIMQQ
​
SOLD Outdoor Research Option Balaclava - Worn maybe once or twice, balaclavas just aren't for me. L/XL size. Slightly different design from the one below but same model.
$20 $10 - Details: https://www.outdoorresearch.com/us/womens-ski-snow/option-balaclava-243609
SOLD Pearl Izumi Barrier Skull Cap - Helmet liner with a pony-tail or headphone outlet in the back. Works great for running too but I have way too many winter hats.
$10 $5 - Details: https://www.rei.com/product/102669/pearl-izumi-barrier-skull-cap
​
*Alpine Designs Toiletry Bags - These were the duel use stuff bags for duffel bags that you could never put back into them. A couple mesh pockets. Nice and lightweight.
$5 each or $8 $****5 for both - https://imgur.com/j8poSqs
*Camelbak Eddy Bottle - My ex left it in my van. I think she used it once. Buy me a beer to celebrate her being my ex.
$5 - https://imgur.com/OLUrxSt
​
*Sierra Cup - I've never used this but it has bounced around in cookset for a bit
$3 - Details: https://www.amazon.com/Stansport-High-Sierra-Campers-Cup/dp/B004RWU6EM/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=sierra+cup&qid=1672803380&sr=8-6
​
*Stansport Folding Camp Toaster - Brand new in box. I borrowed one of these from work and then accidentally borrowed another and don't need both.
$5 - Details: https://stansport.com/folding-camp-stove-toaster-276/
​
*Wildo Kasa Bowl - It holds liquid. It holds solids. I used it once when I bought it in an emergency after breaking my Fairshare Mug
$2 - Details: https://www.wildo.se/products/kasa-bowl/
​
*Stanley Adventure The Nesting 2-Cup Cookset - Brand new. Got it as a Christmas present and I'm never going to use it. Too much overlap with everything else I own.
​
$10 - Details: https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/stanley-adventure-the-nesting-2-cup-cookset-20stau24z2cpcmpckcac/20stau24z2cpcmpckcac?sku=21118420

Post guiding season clear out part 2. Prices do no include shipping or Paypal fees. Open to reasonable offers on everything and bundling.
​
The imgur app is (crap) giving me problems yet again and I won't let me upload more than one pic. If you want others please message me.
New Stuff: https://imgur.com/a/4LvldJg
​
Outdoor Research Option Balaclava - Worn maybe once or twice, balaclavas just aren't for me. L/XL size. Slightly different design from the one below but same model.
$20 - Details: https://www.outdoorresearch.com/us/womens-ski-snow/option-balaclava-243609
​
Pearl Izumi Barrier Skull Cap - Helmet liner with a pony-tail or headphone outlet in the back. Works great for running too but I have way too many winter hats.
$10 - Details: https://www.rei.com/product/102669/pearl-izumi-barrier-skull-cap
​
Outdoor Research Add-on Belt Pocket - Teal, nearly universal fit. Can go on a belt or shoulder strap. Wide enough for a Smartwater bottle, phones, snacks, whatever. Made in USA. Vintage but great quality.
$5 - Too vintage for a website
​
US National Parks Guide & Journal Logbook - Ended up with two of these over the years. Don't need them both. Great maps and basic info for the parks.
$15 - Details: Same as this but with a suede cover instead of leather https://www.amazon.com/Graphic-Image-National-Journal-Genuine/dp/B002ONYPJ8
​
Stanley Adventure The Nesting 2-Cup Cookset - Brand new. Got it as a Christmas present and I'm never going to use it. Too much overlap with everything else I own.
$10 - Details: https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/stanley-adventure-the-nesting-2-cup-cookset-20stau24z2cpcmpckcac/20stau24z2cpcmpckcac?sku=21118420
​
Sierra Cup - I've never used this but it has bounced around in cookset for a bit
$5 - Details: https://www.amazon.com/Stansport-High-Sierra-Campers-Cup/dp/B004RWU6EM/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=sierra+cup&qid=1672803380&sr=8-6
​
Stansport Folding Camp Toaster - Brand new in box. I borrowed one of these from work and then accidentally borrowed another and don't need both.
$8 - Details: https://stansport.com/folding-camp-stove-toaster-276/
​
GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Pint Cup - It holds liquid. I don't need it.
$3 - Details: https://www.amazon.com/GSI-Outdoors-63248-Glass-Set/dp/B00S4LIMQQ
SOLD Sea to Summit X Cup - It holds liquid. It also collapses. I don't need it and never used it
$6 - Details: https://seatosummit.com/products/x-cup
​
Wildo Kasa Bowl - It holds liquid. It holds solids. I used it once when I bought it in an emergency after breaking my Fairshare Mug
$2 - Details: https://www.wildo.se/products/kasa-bowl/
​
Planet Bike Aluminum Water Bottle Cages - Brand new, never installed.
$6 for 2 - Details: https://www.rei.comla/product/777620/planet-bike-aluminum-water-bottle-cage
​
Black Diamond Wired Hex #2 - Gifted to me by a Black Diamond rep but I don't climb so it's never been used.
$7 - Details: https://www.rei.com/product/113912/black-diamond-wired-hexentrics-hex?color=GRAY
​
Mission Cooling Towel - My mom loves putting these in my stocking even though I never use them.
$5 - Details https://www.mission.com/products/original-cooling-towel
​
STM Cable Wrap - Cord and electronics organizer. Very flexible and useful but I didn't use it.
$10 - Details: https://www.radtech.com/products/stm-cable-wrap-organizer
​
​
Older Stuff
Altra Mount Blanc - Size 13 - Brand new, fresh in the box, with the cardboard still in them. These were a warranty claim but I found another pair in the REI Resupply section while waiting for them and I only have two feet.
$150 shipped - https://imgur.com/a/ykYxlMb
SOLD weBoost Drive Reach RV Cell Signal Booster - Brand new in box. I bought this over the summer after being in some remote places while driving across the country. Never got around to installing it on my van and now I'm leaving the van life. Works with every cell phone provider in the United States and with 5G. Tool free installation.
$375 shipped - https://imgur.com/a/Ih2i9HD
​
Proof of life photo for the clothes: https://imgur.com/wMDw5np
​
Prana Swimsuit Shorts - Large I forget the model on these. Liner, short inseam, back velcro pocket, two side pockets. Barely worn.
$25 $15 - https://imgur.com/WYKnK3h https://imgur.com/YunwL0Y
​
Prana Plaid Shirt - Medium - Forgot the model on this as well, I think it's the Los Feliz. Great condition, just too small for me.
$30 $20 - https://imgur.com/C52345q https://imgur.com/EXGuw3x
​
Meridian Line Keep the Grand Free Tshirt - Large - Super soft and comfortable. I just don't wear it. Buy this and I'll donate the money to one of the Grand Canyon Conservancy
$10 $5 - https://imgur.com/KSClGrH https://imgur.com/kWGFdld
​
Vetra Workwear Jack - Grey Size 46 - Bought this so I could be super stylish for once and then I realized that I'm not stylish. It's a fantastic spring/fall coat for easy hikes, walks and around town. Wore it once. Fits like an athletic large. These go for $175 or so new.
$80 - https://imgur.com/mUe5rzEhttps://imgur.com/tL4T4K4
​
Brixton Hat - Brand new, never worn.
$8 $5 - https://imgur.com/a/8eKETkO
​
Bedrock Cairn 3D PRO II – Size 12 Men’s / 13 Women’s – Canyon Currents color - I’m not sure how I did it but I caught one of the toe loops on something and it snapped. Bedrock repaired it for free and I haven’t worn these since because their customer service rocks and they got me a replacement pair while I waited. According to my Garmin I’ve got 40 miles on them. Some wear in the forefoot but tons of miles left and you can eventually resole them for $55. Retail for $140 so you’ll get two pairs for cheaper than the price of one.
$60 – https://imgur.com/EKQRMi3 https://imgur.com/PGk8G73 https://imgur.com/ygNeZmC
​
New Balance 501 - Size 12 - Rare and awesome colorway but I'm actually a 13 with wide flat feet. After a couple wearings thinking they might stretch I've given up.
$40 - https://imgur.com/a/1fo1G11
​
PEDCO Ultrapod 3 Lightweight Travel Tripod for Camera and Phone – Lightly used, I just have too many tripods. Retails for $30
$10 $8 – https://imgur.com/DDh3hfD https://imgur.com/oJH9vwc
​
SOLD MSR Dromlite 2L + extra easy pour cap – Used lightly in my van for my passengers so it’s got some dirt on the outside but otherwise in perfect condition. I’ll throw in a carabiner as well. Retailed for $30+8
$18 $15 – https://imgur.com/X5oaTic
​
Goal Zero Nomad 7 Solar Panel + Battery Charger – Never really found a use for this. Good condition. The battery charger is found! in my van somewhere but I’m 100% positive I’ve got it. Charges both AA and AAA batteries. Was $125 new.
$60 $40 – https://imgur.com/G0GFWDD https://imgur.com/pEujGNz
​
REI Shower Roll Large – Lightly used, some travel dirt. After years of switching between tons of dopp kits I’ve finally realized that the best thing for me is a couple smaller ones. So this one goes. Was $40 new.
$15 $12 - https://imgur.com/FoOwiST https://imgur.com/TUz8zsI
​
Sharper Image 20 LED Lantern - New never used, I have too many light sources.
$5 - https://imgur.com/Cbv8sW6
​
Biolite Light Stuffsack - Never used but a couple marks from being in storage. I'm just too lazy to ever use it.
$5 - https://imgur.com/KeQHjIY
​
MPOWERD Luci Original: Solar Inflatable Light - Lightly used, once again too lazy to use.
$5 - https://imgur.com/KeQHjIY
​
Cotton Belt Pocket & Bearspray holster - I don't need these
Free with anything else or pay shipping. - https://imgur.com/OLUrxSt
Camelbak Eddy Bottle - My ex left it in my van. I think she used it once. Buy me a beer to celebrate her being my ex.
$5 - https://imgur.com/OLUrxSt
​
Lowepro Camera Case - I don't need this, never did. Not even sure how I got it. Fits a point & shoot or small mirror-less
$5 - https://imgur.com/LVPVQQz
REI Evrgrn Bottle - Staff exclusive! Pretend you didn't get paid enough while working at REI in 2015 but they at least gave you yet another bottle for Christmas instead of money. It's actually a really nice insulated bottle but I don't want to think about that time anymore.
$10 $5 - https://imgur.com/cCxVMYX
​
Alpine Designs Toiletry Bags - These were the duel use stuff bags for duffel bags that you could never put back into them. A couple mesh pockets. Nice and lightweight.
​
$5 each or $8 $****5 for both - https://imgur.com/j8poSqs
REI Sleeping Bag / Laundry Storage Bags - One poly, one cotton for the Igneo.
$5 each or $8 for both https://imgur.com/L5vmzBb https://imgur.com/bCZP20B
​
Crocs Mules - Size 11 - Great camp shoes but I'm using Hoka Slides now instead.
$5 - https://imgur.com/9QL3km4 https://imgur.com/dQdTuao

Have you ever tried to find Dickssportinggoods Coupons Near Me, only to come up empty-handed? It can be frustrating to spend time searching for a coupon code, only to find that the promo code has expired or is no longer valid.However, there is a way to guarantee that you'll always have the most up-to-date coupon codes. The next time you're looking for Socks Sporting Goods Coupon, visit the link and get the latest coupons & promo codes. Also, current deals are available at the link.

TLDR: Casually fit person decides to commit to 1 year of intentional fitness for strength gains. Made decent progress & taking a breather to mentally psych myself up for the next big phase.
To skip wall of text; Results (Stats/Lifts/Macros) Progress Pics

Timeline:

Mid-Jun'20 - Mid-Jun'21: 1yr of Intentional Fitness (Ongoing)
Mid-Apr'21 - Mid-Jul'21: 3 Months Bodybuilding Coaching (Completed)

Goals:

My primary goal was to get stronger (i.e. bigger lifts) & my secondary goal was to gain weight. In early 2021, I added a tertiary goal of chasing a Women's Figure bodybuilding aesthetic (I like the look).

History:

I've been fit-ish all my life. I played sports as a child, have held a gym membership (on & off) since I was 18, haven't had any serious injuries & both my pregnancies were textbook easy.

Nutrition:

I’ve maintained my adult weight range (98~102lbs/44~46kg) with minimal effort by eating home cooked (95% of the time), well balanced meals, desserts & snacks. I know now this is called intuitive eating, but to me it’s just eating how I was raised. I’m a West African immigrant & my diet is still predominantly West African. Some studies suggest the typical West African diet is healthier than the typical North American diet.

Tracking:

Prior to Sep'20 I'd never thought about or counted calories. I started my first bulk in Sep'20 & it was rubbish. I was so confused why eating more (or what I thought was more) wasn't making a difference. I quit that bulk at the end of Oct'20, took time to better prepare & started a new bulk on 01-Dec-20.
A big flaw in my initial bulk was TDEE estimate. Almost every TDEE calculator was inaccurate (even when set to Athlete, which I certainly am not) & had me in a 500 calorie deficit. I began using the Adaptive TDEE Spreadsheet & the only calculator that matches my sheet is the Health Dial Calculator.

Bulking

I posted a few times about how difficult I was finding it to eat 3000+ calories daily. Turns out there was no great solution. I just had to eat more but find smarter ways to do it. Fortunately, I have no allergies or food restrictions (plus an adventurous palate), so I can eat any & everything thing to hit my goals.

Macros	01-Dec-20	15-Jul-21
TDEE*	2680	2720
Calories	3000 ~ 3250	3250 ~ 3500
Carbs	300 ~ 325g	325g ~ 350g
Protein	125 ~ 150g	150 ~ 175g

\TDEE - Average of first 4 weeks from 01-Dec-20 & average of last 4 weeks up to 15-Jul-21.*
\*FAT - Only tracked for my 3mnths of bodybuilding coaching & MyFitnessPal average was 105g.*

Exercise:

Mid-Jan’20 - Mid-Jun’20; I moved to a new city, joined a new gym, started FIT45 classes & casually lifted (no program). At this point, my fitness was on autopilot - no goals just doing it because. When the gym closed mid-March, I began running (3-4 miles, 4-5x a week). I don’t consider myself a runner, but I loathe working out at home (have neither the space nor equipment), so I had no choice but to run. The Friday before the gym reopened, I ran my best mile in a while as I knew I was going to stop running.
Mid-Jun’20 - Mid-Apr’21; The pandemic made me want to commit to something & I chose fitness - shifting from autopilot to intentional fitness. With the aid of a personal trainer (also my FIT45 trainer), I began a modified GZCLP program (leg focused), resumed FIT45 classes & added MISS cardio (inclined treadmill). Aside from initial tweaks to optimize effectiveness & efficiency, this was my routine until Apr'21 (I included pull-ups daily starting in Aug'20).

Day	Workout
Mon	Upper Body Lift + FIT45 + MISS Cardio
Tue	T1 Deads + T2 Squats + T3 Hamstrings + MISS Cardio
Wed	Upper Body Lift + FIT45 + MISS Cardio
Thu	T1 Squats + T2 Deads + T3 Quads + MISS Cardio
Fri	Upper Body Lift + FIT45 + MISS Cardio
Sat	T1 Deads or Squats + T2 Deads or Squats + T3 Calves + MISS Cardio
Sun	Rest or Active Recovery

Mid-Apr’21 - Mid-Jul’21; I was pleased with the strength gains I’d made by the end of Mar'21 & decided to shift focus to aesthetics for a bit. I signed up with a bodybuilding coach (shoutout to the brilliant u/brazenmaiden!) for 3 months & committed 100% to her personalized lifting & nutrition coaching plan. I continued with FIT45 classes, stopped the GZCLP program & cut out MISS cardio in May'21.
I've made superb aesthetic gains on BrazenMaiden's plan (so much volume work!). The difference in definition, especially in my quads, is delightful. I'm continuing with her plan until Oct'21 to make it 6 months of focused bodybuilding. Some other daily exercise factoids that may be of interest include;

• Schedule: I'm at the gym at 5AM during the week & 8AM on Sat (when it opens). I don't like to cut into family time (husband+2 children) in the evenings & I work full-time during the day.
• Fitness Tracker: I use a Myzone Heart Rate Monitor & most workouts are in the 70-79% zone.
• Duration: Workouts are 1:15hrs - 1:45hrs. Any longer than that & I know I'm faffing around.
• Attire: I wear gloves because I don't like or want calluses. I wear Nike Metcons on leg days.
• Lifting App: I use Strong to track my lifts & I paid for premium so I have unlimited templates.
• Protein: I drink a 16oz shake with whole milk (8oz pre & 8oz post workout) + 5g of creatine.
• Supplements: I began taking Evening Primrose & Fish Oil in April'21 per my coach's advice.

Results:

Strength: Strong App estimates my 1RMs a bit higher than these numbers but they seem unrealistic to me & I'm not prepared to test them. I've listed my actual highest numbers from this week instead. Form is clearly lacking at these numbers so I won't be moving up in weight until I improve my form.

Lifts	Wk of 01-Dec-20 @ 101lbs/46kg	Wk of 12-Jul-21 @ 108lbs/49kg
Bench Press	75lbs (34kg)	95lbs (43kg)
Deadlifts	180lbs (82kg)	250lbs (113kg)
Overhead Press	45lbs (20kg)	65lbs (29kg)
Squats	110lbs (50kg)	165lbs (75kg)
Pull-ups	10 @ Bodyweight	5 @ BW, [email protected], [email protected]

Weight: I've gained 6~8lbs (3~4kg) since Dec'20 & I now hover between 107~109lbs (49~50kg) depending on the day & time. I'm going to continue bulking until Dec'21 to make 1 year of bulking.
Measurements are courtesy of Fit3D scans (free at my brother-in-law's gym but not particularly accurate). I can't quite bring myself to pay $$$ for a DEXA (or any scan) when I can use a mirror to determine my body fat range. Knowing my exact body composition isn't worth the price tag to me...at least not yet.

Measurements	01-Dec-20 (Start of Bulk)	15-Jul-21 (End of BB Coaching)
Height	5'1" (155cm)	5'1" (155cm)
Weight	101lbs (46kg)	108lbs (49kg)
Bust	31 in (78cm)	34in (86cm)
Waist	26 in (66cm)	25in (64cm)
Hips	33 in (83cm)	33in (83cm)
Body Fat %	16.28%	13.85%

Aesthetics: I’m most proud of my leg progress (though they still need lots more work). After a lifetime of chicken legs, they've finally filled out a bit. My upper body also grew quite nicely & I've shown that progress probably one too many times on here. I feel as though I poured blood, sweat & tears into leg days versus just sweat on upper body days, so the difference in progress is a wee bit annoying.

Photos:

One of my few regrets is not taking proper progress pictures from the start. I was so hyper-focused on lift numbers I neglected to document physical changes. I finally began taking them in Apr'21 when I started bodybuilding coaching. Dug up some older pictures as well to show my long-term changes.

Lessons Learned:

Nutrition: Nutrition is harder than exercise. I’ll die on that hill. My bulk was & continues to be hard (insert all stereotypes about "hard gainers" here). It's caused me food anxiety for the first time ever & I dislike it immensely. Constantly weighing if X is worth it in terms of carbs & protein, eating more of what I like less because calories! & fretting about miniscule pounds lost. I can only hope it gets easier.
Aesthetics: I briefly contemplated attempting competitive bodybuilding (Women’s Figure) but the thought of having to cut induces high-grade panic. It’s been such a slog to bulk I can’t fathom intentionally losing it all just to start over again. As such, there will be no competitions in my near future (plus I'm nowhere big enough anyhow) & I’ll just greatly admire those who do compete instead.
Expenses: Having discretionary income can really make or break goals (depending on your choices of course). I tallied up some of my expenses over the past 7mnths & yikes! Personal training. Protein powder (sooo much protein powder!). Bodybuilding coaching. Deep tissue massages. Food, food, & more food. I recognise I'm privileged to be able to afford these things & I often feel self indulgent :-/

Next Steps:

My plan for the rest of 2021 is to continue to "Eat Big > Lift Big > Get Big"...well as much as I can. Newbie gains have slowed down & I doubt I'll add more than 25lbs+ to any of my lifts by year's end.
I'd also like to improve my form (as much as possible) on all lifts & have been very cautious with how much I increase weight. I'm terrified of getting injured because I depend on exercise for my mental sanity. I am 100% injury free since I started this endeavour & very much want to keep it that way.
Come Dec'21, I'll evaluate my strength & aesthetic progress & make plans for 2022. Through all this, I've found that while looking good is lovely, it's just the icing. Getting strong(er) is very much the cake.

Final Credits:

I can’t recall how I stumbled upon xxfitness, but it's become my first & last internet stop each day. I'm not a daily contributor, but I do read everything, upvote aggressively & award liberally. Thank you to everyone for making this a great community & very special thanks to the Mods for their hard work.
This was long :-/ I apologise & thank you for reading if you've made it this far. Get strong people :-)

I bought a bike from Walmart for just under 200 bucks.
I just got into riding and only put on about 20 miles the past couple weeks. Unfortunately after my best ride yesterday the handle bars came loose and I barely made it back home.
I was able to tighten it with an Allen key but since I ride close to a major high way I cannot risk that happening again.
So while this cycling might only be a fad for the summer, I don’t want to spend too much. Is it worth returning this bike and spending maybe 100 - 200 more, something in the 300-400 price range, or will it all be the same low quality crap?
I prefer to buy it already built, and even though I’m near some large towns, most of the stores are sold out of everything. It’s just hard to know what I’m getting into since all the advice on the internet seems to be geared towards the more expensive bikes, and at that point biking is out of my budget.
TLDR is a 300-400 dollar bike better than a 200 dollar bike? And if so, is there anything in that price range that is highly recommended?
Thanks
Edit: thanks for the responses here’s what I’m thinking
This is one they have in stock at a local dicks
https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/nishiki-mens-pueblo-26-mountain-bike-15nisanshkpbl14xxrmb/15nisanshkpbl14xxrmb?sku=21067611&camp=CSE:DSG_92700040957325956_pla_pla-529938333514&segment=&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6-SDBhCMARIsAGbI7UiB3dFSxfSOuBLO-4AeAXryYlxxdVucm38toJYMNnWtNcftPWRHUGMaApEEEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
The orange with 22 inch frame would probably be an upgrade over the Walmart bike but built at dicks would be reason enough to hope it’s a better option.
2nd edit
I ordered this bike from Dicks. It was one of the few in stock and even though it’s way out of my budget, it’s something that I hope will last me for a little while.
https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/schwinn-signature-mens-fremont-hybrid-bike-17hjla700mschfrmncmf/17hjla700mschfrmncmf?sku=21462217

Hey everyone. Sorry if this is not allowed. I am typically a road cyclist but used to do some downhill and trail riding when I could and I would like to get back into that. I reached out to my local specialized and trek dealer for a hardtail 29er under $1k or so(rockhoppemarlin). They both informed me all of their models are backordered 8-16 months currently. I really would like to get a bike for the summer here so what do you all think of this GT? There is one in stock near me but I am skeptical to buy it because I am not sure if GT is as good of quality of the other options plus it is a sporting goods store bike. I am more than comfortable to assemble it myself and would prefer to do so to make sure everything is done right. Would this bike compare with a trek Marlin 6 or so? https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/gt-mens-avalanche-29-mountain-bike-18gtxmvlnch29nrxxprf/18gtxmvlnch29nrxxprf

Hi everyone!
I'm 33 and looking for my first adult bike. I live near a park with several bike paths (flat, dirt paths and paved bike paths). And there's a good bike path along the bus line nearby. So I would mostly be riding on flat terrain, either paved or dirt. I'm thinking I would mostly be riding for fitness once or twice a week, around 5 miles at a time. I like the look of Marin's Terra Linda or the "male" counterpart the Fairfax 1. Does the step-through bar affect performance at all? Since I'm on pretty flat terrain should I be looking into the Kentfield 1?
I'm also considering this Schwinn GTX 3 Women's Hybrid or this Liv Flourish. However, from what I've seen, Marin offers good value for money. I'm looking for a bike that's $500 or less and that will work for me in the above situations. I've also heard good things about gravel bikes, but they seem to all be pretty expensive.
I'm getting a little overwhelmed with all the options. Advice welcome.

You may remember me from this post I made earlier on this subreddit. In particular, I plan to live a low-budget lifestyle with minimal furniture. I've always felt that beds take up way too much space and are too heavy to move around.
I have another question. What type of sleeping bag (temperature rating) should I get for the purpose of living in the Northeastern US? I plan to live in an apartment or a spare bedroom in someone's house in of these cities/areas in the near future:

• NYC region
  
• Philadelphia region
  
• Baltimore/DC region (I've been here over the summer a few times in my life, it gets pretty hot/humid)
  
• Pittsburgh region (gets pretty cold in the winter, unlike the other areas)
  

I found a bunch of sleeping bags on Dick's Sporting Goods, roughly $60-80 each. I intend to spend a decent amount of money on a sleeping bag to ensure quality/durability.

• -20 degree F sleeping bag
  
• 0 degree F sleeping bag
  
• 20 degree F sleeping bag
  
• 40 degree F sleeping bag
  

I'm worried about overheating or getting hypothermia in a sleeping bag that isn't suited for the temperature of the city I'm living in/near. I'm also assuming that my place of residence would be drafty and poorly heated.

So i've been shopping around, and even though I live near the mississippi river and all manner of creeks and lakes, it seems like finding any selection of kayaks in bass pro shops and various other sporting goods stores is impossible here. I'm in memphis for christ sake! the fucking bass pro pyramid is here, and still they don't have any of the mid-range Pelicans, Bonafide, Pescadore, or basically any other models in the $500-$800 range anywhere in my city or available online to ship to a store...
so im running out of options here, and it turns out that there are some pretty highly-rated Lifetime boats sold by walmart. I'm looking at this yukon angler 116. It's about $480 on walamart's website, plus $50 shipping. but won't be here until like second week of august. but with nothing else being available to ship or for local purchase, I'm starting to wonder if maybe i should just go ahead with this.
thoughts? My other consideration was this Teton Angler which is cheaper, but then would cost like $140 in shipping, so ends up being about same price for less boat.
I'm going to try to hit up some local Dick's and Walmarts and some local Mid-South Floats stores later this week and see if I can find any of the nicer models I've looked at for sale on the floor.. but that Yukon actually looks pretty decent and is right in my price target. I just don't want to wait 6 goddamn weeks lol.
EDIT: found a place about 30 miles away that carries these Native Watercraft Stingrays. that looks pretty nice. and could get it in tandem so my girlfriend and I could take it out together to just paddle around on some lakes or streams for a nice day trip. I want something I can do some ultra-light solo camping in as well, and that would give me tons of room for some gear for a 2-3 day outing.

First time poster alert!
I'm my first kayak and was wondering if anyone has had experience with the Old Town Loon 120 ($850)?
https://oldtowncanoe.johnsonoutdoors.com/kayaks/recreation/loon-120?id=11626
This kind of isn't a comparison but the only other one near me that looks ok is this Perception at Dicks ($350)
https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/perception-swifty-deluxe-9-5-kayak-15ptnuswftydlx95spsk/15ptnuswftydlx95spsk
Money isn't an issue and I want one that will last a long time and obviously don't want to spend more just to spend more. This will be used primarily on lakes/still water but I don't want the kayak to limit what water I can go on.
I appreciate any tips. And thanks for getting me excited to get on the water with all of your photos in previous posts!

Hi there. Me again. I wanted to write a continuation of my previous post. The purpose is to offer an enthusiast level perspective on lap swimming through pregnancy. I’m a life long swimmer, currently a member of a masters team, but never a high level swimmer. I can’t find much out there between Olympic level athlete and novice athlete, so I’m trying to fill that niche.
​
Please comment with your experiences so that others reading get a fuller picture of what they might experience.
​
Here is a linkto post I wrote at 23 weeks summing up my lap swimming experience until then.
​
Body wise:
Its pretty funny now that I thought I was so huge back then. Here is a current picture. I’m 5ft 7in. Pre-pregnancy I was pants size 4, Speedo size 32, and weight around 140lbs +/- 5. Currently I’m up 30lbs and defiantly a size Medium in Motherhood pants. I feel like I gained in my hips/thighs/butt, then belly, and then arms and face. I am pear shaped, so no shocker there.
​
Work outs:
23-25 weeks is when I really started noticing the belly in the water. Somewhere in there I was having a crap workout, feeling like I had no power, and feeling like I couldn’t get a good ‘grip’ on the water. It wasn’t until near the end of the workout that I realized I was letting my belly just sag, rather than engaging my core and “hugging baby up and in” like they talk about in yoga. It made ALL the difference in the integrity of my stroke. My workouts at this point were still hit and miss. Some felt great and some I battled shortness of breath and low energy. I was still able to push my speed and keep up with my regular group, as long as it wasn’t sprints. Some days I got out early because my abs had all they could stand. I did start ‘over doing it’ more often at about this point. I was just be totally dead the whole next day after what felt like a good work out. I had transitioned to doing mostly freestyle at this point. No full on butterfly. Breaststroke just depended on how my hips were feeling that day. Backstroke I could do 25s or 50s, but not more because of the lower core engagement. Kick without fins and pull without a buoy were still a go.
​
26-30 weeks is when I started counting myself lucky to swim more than an hour or more than 2,000yds (pre-pregnancy a normal workout was 3,500-4,200yds in about 75min). My suit started to get pretty tight toward the end of this period. The circle cutout on the back sloooowly morphed into an oval. Still swimming what I can and taking at least 1 pee break a practice. I felt more and more like I’m wielding a belly back and forth while trying to get proper stroke rotation in. I’m still doing flip turns, but they’re more of a slow barrel roll with a gentle push off the wall. I never felt worse after swimming, but I didn’t always feel great after either. So, it was always worth the effort to get in and move my body and elevate my heart rate.
​
30-33 weeks my swimsuit is getting too tight, but I’m being a tight wad about spending money on a maternity suit. It becomes clear that I can’t make it through the rest of this pregnancy with the suit I have. The suit is coming up lower and lower on my chest and its downright smashing hard baby parts into my soft parts until I get in the water and the fabric relaxes a smidge. I still couldn’t bring myself to spend $80 on a maternity 1 piece lap swimming suit, so I bought a workout bikini during the black Friday deals. My workouts are almost never more than 2,500yds or an hour. I’m plodding along, but really I’ve only added 10 seconds or so per 100yds to my pace, though I do need more rest between sets. I’m lagging way behind my normal lane mates, so I’ve moved in with other people so I don’t feel rushed or pressure to overdo it.
​
I’m planning to keep swimming as long as feels right with my body. I’m still doing a prenatal yoga class, which is getting so much harder for me. I’m trying to walk my dog most days, but some times baby is too low in my hips and its not at all comfortable. I don’t feel that same limitation in the pool because baby shifts when I get going.
​
Swim Suit:
0-8 weeks I was in my regular lycra endurance suit
9-18 weeks I switched to a spandex based suit in my pre-pregnancy size
19-32 weeks I was able to wear a spandex based suit two sizes up from pre-pregnancy
33 weeks I’ve switched to this suit that I got for $40. I don’t love it, but it’s a lot more comfortable on my belly. I’ve life guarded before and wore a lifeguard bikini and lap swam in it no problem. I didn’t get a lifeguard bikini this time because they only come in solid colors and I wanted a pattern to hide my much more pronounced pregnancy nippage. The suit I bought doesn’t come up high enough on the chest to not scoop water, which is a bummer. I’m also so used to not having any material in my arm pits that the slight rub while I’m swimming irks me, but I’ll get over it. I do like that the top and bottom have a draw string, though the bottoms are tight enough I don’t need it. I’ll probably need it post pregnancy, if I keep using this suit. I didn’t go with a maternity suit because 1) they’re $80 and I couldn’t justify it for the up to 2 months I’d get to use it and, 2) I read a bunch of reviews and it seems like large bust ladies love them and I am small bust.
​
I hope this is of value to someone out there. Please add your 2 cents on how your pregnancy swim work outs are going/went.

Hello, I'm just looking for advice on which board I should get for my first board. A little bit of info about me: I'm 5'5" at around 180lbs and I live in Austin, Tx. Looking for a board I can use on lakes, as well as something I could use on rivers as well, since there's a bunch around the area. Also I'd like a board I can take with me to places like Alberta Canada, and also we will be taking a trip to Hawaii (Maui hopefully) in the future.
Of course I've been looking at the Body Glove Performer 11, the infamous costco isup. I liked the reviews of it I saw on youtube and I like the price for my first board. https://www.costco.com/Body-Glove-Performer-11'-Inflatable-Stand-Up-Paddle-Board-Package.product.100408628.html
But then I was doing some more digging and I saw that Body Glove has another board called the Raptor which has basically no reviews out there. Dicks has it at an affordable $599 (they had a coupon on the site the other day lowering it to about $475). It's a smaller 10'8", and also i really think the design of it looks cool https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/body-glove-raptor-inflatable-stand-up-paddle-board-18bglurptrspxxxxxpss/18bglurptrspxxxxxpss?
And then looking through reviews on this site, a lot of people were suggesting ATOLL isups, and saying they are super stable compared to the BG and it has a near perfect score on Amazon. The only thing I'm not liking about it is that it doesnt have the goPro attachment in the front and it doesnt have the neat water bottle handle, but I do like that the fins are replaceable. https://www.amazon.com/Atoll-Inflatable-Paddle-Backpack-Included/dp/B00YI1F92Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1529861887&sr=8-2&keywords=atoll&dpID=41h5azWWbkL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
I was also looking at Red Paddle isups but those boards seem to be much more out of my $ range for a beginner isup (and I dont know how much I like the design/colors of them.. but thats not important). But if anybody has any thoughts or suggestions, I'd be super grateful! and I'm sorry to add yet another "what board should I buy" thread but hopefully once I get one, I'd like to come back and post more actual SUP content. :)

Your level of experience with cycling: Rode in various flat surfaces all my life (FL), comfortable there. Just getting into actual mountain biking now that I have actual trails/mountains near me in North GA. I have done 2 real trail trips on my dad's no suspension, rubber rim brake, 15? year old Fuji Thrill (hybrid or something); I had fun and got a great workout, so I'm looking to get something suited for trails.
What's your price range, and have you considered second hand? ~$500, I have been looking for a used bike but can't find much that isn't super old or overpriced.
What's your intention with the bike - commuting, fitness, touring, sport, etc? Mountain biking: trails with up and downhill sections, roots, rocks, small jumps in the future
How far will you be riding, and how often? multiple times a week, for 30 minutes some days, 3 hours when I go with a group. I'm doing this as a fun way to get into shape, but I'm not completely confident I'll still be doing it as often in 6 months or a year, hence my hesitance to plop down $1000+ for a bike.
Riding conditions: all weather, almost completely trails with up and downhill sections, maybe even making my own trail; basically pretty rough stuff.
Your location: North GA, (Blankets, Chicopee, other trails in the area).
I'm 5' 9" ~165lbs, hopefully less soon :D
I think I want to get a hardtail with disk brakes (don't need hydraulic) and a front shock better than XCT, 27.5" or 29" wheels. I'm nervous about a 1X? gearset, but if it's short enough, it should work; otherwise a 2X?. I can get a discount on Diamondback so I've been considering the very top of my budget: Line ($640). I read that the cheaper Diamondback Hook doesn't have great geometry and it's a 1X8 gearset, but it's still on the radar. I really liked the look of the Raleigh Tokul 1 but they are discontinued and nowhere to be found.
Or I could go cheap, GT Agressor Pro, to get started and use that to find out if I'll stick with it or not, then in 6 months or a year, go in to the $1000 range where the bikes are 'worth it'.
Only used bike I found worth looking at but it's still not great for a decently high price: Felt Nine 70
Other side question, can I count the teeth on my current fuji, calculate the ratio, and compare the lowest gear to these bikes? The wheel size difference I could also work into the ratio...
I went to a bike store and they had 1 $500 bike: Scott Aspect that looked pretty bleh (XCT front fork mostly). There's 1 bike store I found 1 hour away that looks like it will have a lot more used bikes that I want to check out before buying anything...
Thanks for the help!

Hi everyone. New to the sub.
Not new to the game but haven't played in years. I grew up playing baseball and the itch never left. I'm finally in a job and position that allows me the time and schedule to try to find a team to play on. Not going great so far but I've got a couple potentials.
Anyways, on to my question.
I'm looking for a new bat. My old bats are...well....old. The league rules follow USSSA. So I've got to get something with the 1.20 stamp on it.
Problem is that the main sporting goods store near me, Dicks and Academy, are pretty dried up on slowpitch softball bats. At least in store. I could order online but I'd prefer being able to swing the bat around and get a feel for it.
Presently, I have two options.
The 150 dollar Miken Maniac
https://m.dickssportinggoods.com/p/miken-maniac-asa-usssa-slow-pitch-bat-2017-16mcoamncdlspgrybspb/16mcoamncdlspgrybspb
Or the 200 dollar Easton Ronin
http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_10051_3970987_-1?gclid=CjwKCAjwrO_MBRBxEiwAYJnDLIGeF_rh9BjhClVQxLbA9PE_fvQxnvtn575ha7HlEKuh1WQEHrY-NxoCaPYQAvD_BwE
I'm not averse to spending money on a good bat but I do want to make sure that what I get is worth it. So any advice y'all could give on these bats would be greatly appreciated.
Or would I be better served going online where the selection is greater and finding something from there? Budget wise, I'm really trying not to go over 200. The wife won't be entirely happy about it. That being said, I fully plan to get plenty of use out of whatever I get.
Thank you for any help you can give.

I'm a non-serious swimmer. I swim 1-2x a week for fitness and the occasional triathlon. Currently I'm swimming at my local 24 Hour Fitness branch. The next day after my swims I am getting such sinus trouble that I'm absolutely miserable. Near-constant sneezing, with fluid just cascading out my nose. It takes several Benadryl to get it to calm down at all, and I hate how Benadryl makes me feel.
I've been swimming for years and it only seems to be certain pools that do this to me. Not sure if it's chlorine levels or cleanliness.
I have a couple of these nose clips that I sometimes use begrudgingly. I don't like not being able to breathe out my nose, but I'm able to get used to it. Are noseplugs the way to go for someone in my situation? I love swimming but this reaction is so extreme as to be deterring. And this pool is far more convenient than anything else so I'm probably not switching facilities anytime soon.
(I hate nasal sprays/neti pots, and no allergy meds work on me other than Benadryl, which I also hate. Also, I promise I used the searchbar to find similar posts from the past. Just wanted to get confirmation about the noseplug thing.)

The camera opens on Biff McMuscles sitting in a weight room, with Gruff sitting in a chair beside him. Biff looks at his former partner with determination in his eyes.
Biff: Alright, bro. I’m ready. What are we going to do? I’ve gotta be stronger, gotta be faster, gotta be better if I’m going to do this alone.
Gruff: You see, bro... You got this. You’re going to run. You’re going to lift. You’re going to push it. Push it to the limit.
The scene fades out, as a catchy synth-rock tune begins to play. We fade back into Biff balancing on a balance beam, 35 pound kettlebells in each hand. He tip-toes across it, his arms wide, straining to keep the kettlebells up as he walks across the beam.
Vocals: Push it to the limit! Walk along a razor’s edge! But don’t look down, just keep your head and you’ll be finished!
Biff jumps off the balance beam as he reaches the end, before raising the kettlebells high in celebration.
We cut to a rock climbing wall. Biff is standing at the bottom of it, a weighted backpack tied to his back. He puts his hands on the wall and begins to climb. We cut to the look on his face, his strained expression as sweat drips down his brow. He climbs up the wall, hand after hand, his muscles straining and rippling as he moves upward.
Vocals: Open up the limit! Past the point of no return! You’ve reached the top but still ya gotta learn how to keep it!
Biff continues pulling, straining, and finally reaches the top of the wall! He pulls himself over and raises both arms, exhausted, before shrugging the backpack off and looking on in abject horror as it plummets to the ground below.
We cut to Biff running down the pavement in the autumn weather. Sweat drips down his face as he pounds the pavement. Biff leaps over a wooden barrel, then another.
Vocals: Hit the wheel and double mistakes! Throttle wide open like a bat out of hell and you crash the gates!
Biff tucks his shoulder and runs directly through a piece of plywood in his way, not stopping or losing speed at all.
Backup vocals: Crash the gates!
We cut away and focus back in on Biff standing in the shadow of a tree, with a speed bag affixed to it. Leaves fall around him as he ducks and weaves, landing precise, powerful, piston-like punches on the bag. The bag waves back and forth, as Biff cracks a grin.
Vocals: Going for the back of beyond! Nothing’s gonna stop you, there’s nothing that strong! So close now you’re nearly at the brink so push it!
Biff spins, landing a defenestrating backfist on the bag and sending it flying off to the side. We hear the shattering of glass and Biff runs away.
We cut to Biff, back in the weight room, lying on his back with a barbell loaded with weights on his chest. He lifts it up over and over, his muscles straining and rippling as he lifts. Gruff is standing behind him, presumably giving encouragement, not that we can hear. Biff grits his teeth and keeps going, pushing the huge weight off his chest.
Vocals: Welcome to the limit! Take it maybe one step more! The power game’s still playing so you better win it!
Biff lifts the weight off his chest one final time, hooking it back up on the weight bench before falling back, exhausted.
We cut again, this time to Biff standing on a cliff. He dives backward, doing a beautiful flip, before corkscrewing into a dive, landing with perfect form in the water under him. As he enters the water the camera follows him, showing all the rocks surrounding his diving hole, and stopping slightly above the water.
Vocals: Push it to the limit! With no one left to stand in your way! You might get careless, but you’ll never be safe while you still feel it!
We watch Biff resurface with a grin on his face, his arms spread wide in victory, before we cut away.
We cut for a moment to the first scene, with Biff balancing on the balance beam, before match cutting to a much more dangerous scene. A more muscular Biff is still balancing, holding two kettlebells, but he is standing on a tightrope strung between two tall buildings. He focuses, looking at the building on the other side, and keeps walking, placing his feet carefully on the rope.He stumbles a little bit, wavers for balance!
Vocals: Welcome to the limit! Standing on a razor’s edge! Don’t look down, just keep your head and you’ll be finished!
Biff catches himself, keeps walking... He makes it to the other side! He raises his arms in victory, as Gruff, now noticeably skinnier than his friend, runs over and embraces him! We fade to black as the music fades out, before fading back into a now larger and exhausted Biff and Gruff sitting in the weight room.
Gruff: We’ve done all we can do. Now it’s time to celebrate. Chinese buffet, on me.
Biff: Buffet? Are you sure that’s a good plan?
Gruff: Bruce Lee did it, didn’t he?
Biff rolls his eyes and stands up, before grabbing a leather jacket hung by the door, sliding it on, and walking out. We fade to black for the final time.

3!
DING DING DING
Paisner: Holy fuck.
Woodbridge: Did Kyle just? What?
Javier: And your winner, at a time of 2:45... TYLER DYLAN!
Tyler raises his arms, poses like he’s just won the fucking Olympics, as the crowd rains down boos and trash and beer cups upon him.
Kyle: Yeah yeah, alright, calm down you fuckin’ knobbers.
The chorus of boos continues as Kyle marches around the ring, kicking the trash back into the crowd. One particular women is covered with french fries and drenched in mayonnaise.
Kyle: I said shut the fuck up!
Paisner: Ahh, here we see Kyle going down a childish hissyfit route
Kyle: Well well well, by now everyone knows that I just love to irritate you fans. It’s just so easy! But this month I’ve been having some trouble. See, I made my triumphant return by winning the Ultimate Happening, then Logan Lee and I absolutely dominated the roster, especially those dastardly Canadian fucks, before reforming the Strays.
Fan: What about the Independent Title!?
Kyle: Sorry, I never challenged for that title. But you all know if I did I would have won it!
Paisner: Huh, I suppose that’s not in his canon.
Woodbridge: Vintage Bobby Faye!
Kyle: And this month, the WiR title was practically within my grasp. I mean, just look at the people in my bracket. Maverick. Who the fuck is Maverick? Dalidus Nova. Well shit, I’ve already plundered his arsehole enough times for us all to know he can’t do shit to me. Then we come to Tyler Dylan. The child… No, let me correct myself, the crippled, down syndrome child of WiR. My victory in this tournament was guaranteed. You had all prepared yourself for my victory, and it just wouldn’t incite the hatred I wanted. That’s why I had to take pity on a young man from Milwaukee. Is he from Milwaukee? Who knows? Who the fuck even cares? Who here actually gives a shit about Tyler Dylan?
Fan Crippled with Muscular Dystrophy: I do!
Kyle: No. You don’t. You’re lying to yourself. Nobody cares about Tyler Dylan. Nobody wants to see Tyler Dylan. That’s the reason why you all have to endure him for another night, while I get to watch your misery live from my hotel room.
Crowd: BOOOOOOOOO!
Kyle: And you can read all about how I did it in my new book, The Art of the Swerve, available in all good bookstores for $13.99! Thank you very much, and goodnight!
Kyle walks off as the fans throw all amount of bottles and garbage at him.
Crowd: BOOOOOOOOOO!!
Woodbridge: Kyle Scott pulling off the pinnacle of heel manuevers.
Paisner: Running away with his tail tucked between his legs?
Woodbridge: Forcing us all to endure more Tyler Dylan matches and promos.
Paisner: Yikes. Well if I were Maverick, I wouldn’t be too keen on facing a fresh Tyler Dylan tomorrow, that’s for sure.
Woodbridge: Hell, Kyle may not have just stamped Tyler’s passport to reach the 2nd round, but the finals as well!
Paisner: Perish the thought. Folks we’ll be right back with more first round action!
[COMMERCIAL for Mark Woodbridge endorsed organic erectile dysfunction garlic paste]
Woodbridge: I didn't even know an erection could last that long.
Paisner: Sometimes you got to take the good with the bad, what can I --- AND WE’RE BACK! Well just like my friend Mark here, it’s only gonna get bigger, cause it's time for our sixth match on night one! Ladies and Gentlemen, I send it to Javier!
Javier stands in the disgusting, bloodied ring. Inside the ring, in each corner, is a medium sized hay bail, with assorted different workout equipment placed on top.
Javier: Ladies and gentlemen, the following match is scheduled for one fall, and it is your Hall of Shame, Pain, Fame, Gain, and Grain Deathmatch! First, allow me to introduce to the ring: The alumni lumberjacks!
This music plays, and different ex-member of the WiR roster start to make their appearance down the ramp, being introduced by Javier as they walk.
Javier: Say welcome back to: HEX!
Hex raises his arms to the crowd, getting mixed reactions.
Javier: David Bader!
He is met by boo's, but he shrugs them off, and continues to walk down to the ring.
Javier: El Toxico!
The fans cheer for El Toxico, glad to see him again. He gives out high-fives as he walks down the ramp.
Javier: Kairo!
Kairo gives a harsh belly laugh as he gets booed on his way down the ramp.
Javier: El Antácrticarno and Fuego Del Infierno!
The tag-team competitors each raise a fist to the air, and get a solid amount of cheers from the crowd.
Javier: Andy Reese!
The crowd is quiet with Andy, unsure as to cheer or boo, since his incident at the last AMUDOV. An incredibly large scar is easily visible along the neck of Andy.
Paisner: He's not dead?
Woodbridge: He damn should be. As extreme as AMUDOV is, I think that moment took it a bit too far.
Javier: KLUTCH!
Crowd: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Paisner: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Woodbridge: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Javier: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Tai Ni Wong: BRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!
All The Other Lumberjacks: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Klutch cockily walks down the ramp, but is quickly struck over the head with a Steel Chair shot from David Bader! Before he can fall, Hex grabs his head inbetween his legs, and pulls him into the air, before dropping him on his skull with a Piledriver! he is quickly picked back up by Hex, who brings him into the air in Powerbomb position, before dropping to the mat, sending Klutch crashing downwith him!
Paisner: Sitout Powerbomb! Because fuck Klutch!
Hex rolls out of the way, and the camera pans up, as we see Kairo on the ring apron. He leaps off, and spins in the air, splashing onto Klutch with the Shooting Star Press!
Woodbridge: The Prophet! Even the other lumberjacks hate Klutch!
The Elemental Asesinos pull Klutch up to his knees, holding on to him by his arms, and position him infront of Andy Reese.
Crowd: DO IT clap clap clap DO IT clap clap clap
Andy Reese takes a running start towards Klutch, before leaping up, and slamming Klutch's skull into the grass with a Headscissors DDT!
Crowd: Woooooo! You still got it!
Paisner: What the fuck! He's fine! There was no need for that lawsuit!
All of the Lumberjacks come together to Lift Klutch into the air, before carrying him up the ramp, and throwing his limp body into the back. The lumberjacks then return to the ring, encircling it. The rest of the Lumberjacks quickly run down to the ring, unable to get a proper introduction from Javier. They include Ace, Savannah Green, Mujer Dragon, Joseph Barker, Devin Sanders, and Sam Hall
Javier: Uhh.. First approaching the ring, standing at 6 feet 2 inches and weighing 230 pounds, from Des Moines, Iowa: LOOOOOGAAN "THE COLLECTOOOOOOR" LEEEEEE!
I Hope You Suffer booms, and Logan Lee appears from behind the curtain. In his hand, he holds a large chunk of hair, presumably Klutch's. On his left Elbow, the modified Elbow Pad of Andrew Garcia is worn. Thumb tacks are shoved through the fabric, and Logan wears it with pride.
Paisner: The first AMUDOV for Logan Lee, Woodbridge! Logan has showed us that he's one mean S.O.B, but do you think he's ready for this tournament?
Woodbridge: No. Of course not. No one is ready for their first AMUDOV, whether they say they are or not. You can kick as many asses as you want to before the tournament, but when you step into the ring, with those weapons, there is no way to prepare.
Logan slides into the ring, and starts to inspect the different weapons. He picks up different objects, and practices a swing with them, before settling on a 20 pound Kettlebell. He brings the Kettlebell into his corner, and sets it down next to one of the Hay bales.
Javier: And now approaching the ring, standing at 6 feet 1 inch and weighing 215 pounds, from Mesa, Arizona... "DIAAMONDBACK" DAAAAVID HAAAAAARVEEEEY!
In One Ear plays, and David Harvey starts to walk down to the ring in his normal, confident stance. However, in his eyes, you can see the nervousness. The fear. David has never been in this tournament either, but he has seen the carnage up-close.
Woodbridge: "Diamondback" David Harvey, former two-time Independent Champion, and a former World Champion. Do you think he has what it takes to get that championship a second time this weekend?
Paisner: Going back to your previous point: David has never fought in AMUDOV before, either. But the diamondback has proved to us that he is capable of climbing the mountain before. The only question is: which one of these two men want it more? Who is willing to take the greater punishment? Because this tournament isn't about wrestling: it's about surviving.
David rolls into the ring, and the two lock eyes. Logan gives a devilish grin, while David cracks his knuckles, prepared for a fight. The crowd is quiet, waiting for the match to begin.

DING DING DING!

The two men quickly lock up Collar-and-Elbow tie-up, pushing against eachother, testing their might. Logan gets the upper hand, and wraps David up into a Headlock, but Harvey is able to pry his way out of it, and get Logan into a Headlock of his own, before spinning down to the mat, slamming Logan down with him!
Paisner: This match is starting off traditionally, quite surprising considering the occasion.
David continues to apply his Headlock, a hold that slowly wears down on Logan. However, The Collector is able to use his slight weight advantage to change his positioning and get up to a knee, before reaching over Harvey's head and jamming his fingers into the eyes and ears of David! David plays it safe and releases the hold, quickly getting back up to his feet.
Woodbridge: Do you think either of these two men have underestimated eachother leading into this match, Paisner?
Paisner: I doubt it. Logan is well aware of David's skills, as seen by his successful Independent and World championship reigns. On the flipside, however, David must have seen Logan's brutalization in Mongolia, as well as his destruction of Tyler Dylan a few months back.
Logan gets up after Harvey, and the two men start to circle eachother. They attempt to lock-up again, but eventually push eachother away, both men trying to find the perfect time to strike.
Crowd: Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
Logan seems ticked off by the crowd's reaction, and rushes right at Harvey, backing him into one of the Hay-bales in the corner. Logan swings for an elbow with the modified elbow pad, but Harvey ducks underneath, and Logan connects with the hay.
Woodbridge: Big miss from Logan, and David is looking to capitalize!
David wraps his arm around Logan, and takes a few steps away from the corner, before dropping to his back and throwing Logan at the turnbuckle with a Corner Exploder Suplex!
Paisner: Good start for David! Logan goes into the hay, but lands right on his head!
Logan pulls himself to his feet using the hay, but Harvey is fast on him with a knee to the gut, keeling him over! Harvey grabs a weight scale from the pile of weapons, and smashes it over the back of Logan, sending him to his knees!
Crowd: Ooooh!
Harvey grabs hold of a weightlifting bar that was propped up in the corner. He holds it like a Baseball Bat, and waits for Logan to rise to his feet.
David: Batter Up!
He swings fast, but Logan rolls underneath! he gets behind Harvey, and drives his spiked elbow pad into the back of Harvey, the thumbtacks digging into his flesh and opening multiple small holes. David gasps in pain, all of the air escaping his lungs. Logan takes advantage of this, and swiftly locks in a Sleeper Hold, cutting the flow of Oxygen!
Crowd: Boooooooooooo!
Paisner: He's got the sleeper! And imagine if Logan can win a match in AMUDOV with only a sleeper hold!
David desperately tries to pry Logan off of him, but The Collector holds on tight. David is quickly starting to fade, and realizes he needs to do something fast to save himself. He stumbles over to the ropes, and uses everything he's got to bend over and throw Logan over his shoulder. Being so close to the ropes, Logan is sent right overtop, and sprawling down to the grass at ringside!
Woodbridge: He's outta the ring! Our Lumberjacks can take full advantage now! It'll all be legal!
Logan scurries up to his feet, backed into the metal barricade. Sam Hall is the first lumberjack to approach Logan, and is met by a huge Elbow Strike with the modified pad! Sam is dropped down to the grass, and the other Lumberjacks rush Logan! However, Logan is striking back with huge fists, elbows, anything he can possibly do to survive!
Paisner: Like a horde of zombies, all of these Alumni are trying to get their hands on Logan! I've heard that for every time the hit one of these competitors, they earn themselves 10 bucks!
Logan with a stiff right hand to Kairo! Kick to Devin Sanders! Elbow Strike to Mujer Dragon! One by one, the Lumberjacks fall to Logan! But wait, Logan goes for a left jab to Hex, but he ducks and lands an Uppercut! Logan stumbles backwards, and is nailed in the back of the skull with a Clothesline from David Bader! He hits the ground hard, and the Lumberjacks swarm over Logan, trying to get their hits in.
Woodbridge: Logan put up a damn good fight against these lumbu'jacks, but there's just too many for 'em!
But wait! David Harvey runs towards the Lumberjacks, before leaping over the top rope, and diving onto all of them!
Crowd: WOOOOOOOOOO!
Paisner: Harvey taking them all out! He wants Logan for himself, and he's gonna get him!
David pulls Logan to his feet from under his armpits, and quickly fires a few quick jabs into the stomach of the collector, before throwing him into the metal barrier! and crashing into the fans at ringside!
Woodbridge: Not into the crowd you fucks! We need them!
Some fans are cannonballed over by Logan, sent crashing into the grass as Logan is sent through them.
The fans still standing cheer for Harvey, who has been dominant in this match so far. David starts to walk towards Logan, preparing to bring him back to his feet to continue this match.
Paisner: Harvey won't let up! He's got Logan where he needs him, and see's that this might be his chance to move on to the second round! Logan needs to - OOOH!
Logan grabbed one of the fans steel chairs, and drove it into the gut of Harvey! He then brings it into the air, slamming it into the back of Harvey's head!
Crowd: Oooh! Booooooooooooooo!
Harvey drops to the grass, and Logan starts to repeatedly drive the steel chair into the back and skull of The Diamondback! Welts and bruises sprout on David's back, and a small gash has opening on his head! Logan slams the chair into Harvey almost twenty times, before stopping to take a breather.
Logan: You are WEAK. You are PATHETIC. I will beat you, beat Blackwater, and DESTROY my way to the championship!
Logan pulls David's head up by his hair, staring him right in the eyes, before delivering an open-handed slap across the face, humiliating David. The crowd erupts in boo's, and Logan simply raises his arms into the air, soaking it all in.
Woodbridge: The momentum in this match has shifted in seconds! David got obliterated by those shots from the Steel Chair, and those wounds will last for the rest of this match!
Logan pulls David by the hair again, and walks him over to the ring, rolling him inside. He follows in afterwards, and picks up a Black Skipping Rope. He tests it out, cracking it like a whip, before smiling to himself.
Paisner: Oh, this is not a good spot for David. not at all.
David gets up to his knees, and Logan immediately lashes at David with the rope, striking into the flesh on his back and causing a large red welt.
David: Arrgh!
Logan: Time to take your lashes, Diamondback!
Another strike! A second welt formed on David's back, and he tries to get to his feet to defend himself, but Logan strikes a third time as he turns to face him! The rope hits against David's chest, this time cutting the flesh and opening a gash along Harvey's chest.
Woodbridge: Jesus! Lee's a sadist! We both know that he's gotta love this!
Logan runs behind David, and kicks him in the back, before wrapping the rope around Harvey's neck!
Paisner: He's choking him the fuck out!
Crowd: BOOOOO!
Logan pulls hard on the ropes, tightening around David's neck. He frantically looks for something to use to escape from the hold. He reaches out in every which direction, but eventually his hand meets the handle of a Grain Sickle! He is fading quickly, the airflow in his body being cut.
Woodbridge: Can Harvey get out of this?
Paisner: If he does, it'll have to be soon!
Harvey brings the Sickle towards himself, and desperately slashes at the Rubber rope, cutting it with the Sickle. Logan tries to pull it tighter, but all of the pulling on the Rope, combined with the cutting, eventually causes it to snap!
Crowd: Wooo!
David rests on the mat, coughing and breathing hard. There is a mark on his throat from where the rope was strangling him, And the welts covering his body glow a sinister crimson.
Paisner: David's been through one hell of a beating so far, but he's tough! You bet your ass he's not done yet!
Harvey army crawls over to the rope. Slowly, he uses them to climb to his feet. Logan stalks behind him, silently waiting for his opponent to fall right into his grasp. Once David gets up to his feet, Logan grabs his wrist from behind, before spinning him out, looking for the Shiny Raichu!
Paisner: SHINNNYYYYYYY
No! David leaps into the air, and grabs hold of Logan's head, driving it into the mat with a Jumping DDT!
Woodbridge: SPIRIT OF DAMIEN FROM DAVID! This might be it!
Logan's skull was bounced off the mat, and he flops back down on his back. David, still trying to recover from the brutal onslaught earlier in the match, slowly crawls his way over to Logan, draping a single arm over him for the cover.
1...!
2...!
No! Logan gets a shoulder up, keeping the match alive. David pulls himself into the corner, and gets to his feet with help from one of the Hay bales.
Crowd: LETS GO HAR-VEY! clap clap clapclapclap LET'S GO HAR-VEY! clap clap clapclapclap
David puts one hand on the back of his head, feeling the wound that was caused by Logan earlier. He stands in the corner, resting and waiting for Logan, trying to figure out his next move in this match.
Paisner: This fight has been back-and-forth throughout! Our lumberjacks are starting to get back to ringside, and it looks like we're ready to pick this fight back up!
Logan rolls into the corner opposite of David. He sits in the corner, resting on the Hay, before grabbing the top ropes and yanking himself up. The two men stand in their corners, staring eachother down.
Crowd: WOOO! HAAAARVEY! HAAAAAARVEY!
Woodbridge: These people are electric! And with good reason, these two are throwing everything they have into this match!
Logan rushes David! He swings for a Clothesline, ducked by Harvey! Both men bounce off the rope, and return to eachother, where Logan slams into Harvey with a Spinning Backfist!
Crowd: Oooh!
Paisner: Spinning Backfist, that damn near took David's head off!
David is dropped to the mat after the stiff Backfist, and Logan delivers a quick Knee Drop into the chest of David, keeping him on the mat. Suddenly, Logan's eyes go wide, and he stares off into seemingly nowhere.
Logan's Thoughts: Finish the job.
A sickening smile flashes onto Logan's face. He walks over to the Kettlebell he picked up earlier. He holds it in his hand, and stares at it.
Logan's Thoughts: Crush your prey.
Woodbridge: Oh no... Logan's got that look in his eyes...
Logan's Thoughts: End. This.
David is on his knees, Logan above him.
Logan: Do me a favour, David, and just stay down.
Logan holds the Kettlebell in one hand, and swings it downwards towards the Skull of David, but he rolls out of the way! Still on the mat, David grabs underneath Logan's leg, and rolls him up with a Schoolboy Cover!
1...!
2...!
No! Logan springs out of it, and rolls up to his feet, but David is fast, and meets him there with a stiff chop to the chest!
Crowd: Ooh!
Left jab to the jaw of Logan!
Crowd: Ooh!
Right jab, Left jab, another chop across the chest from David! Harvey's got a flurry of fists going! He stops the flurry for long enough to deliver a knee to the abdomen, which drops Logan to his knees! David backs up, and sizes up Logan, before running towards him, and delivering a Bicycle Kick to the kneeling Logan Lee!
Paisner: Krypton Kick! David connects!
Logan is out! He slumps over to the mat, but Harvey doesn't for go for the cover. Instead, he heaves up a 100 pound weight, and sets it in the middle of the ring.
Harvey: Get your ass up!
Woodbridge: I think David is looking to finish this match!
Logan gets up to his feet, holding his head in one hand. He is clearly dazed, and Harvey looks to use this to his advantage. He bounces off the rope, and runs towards Logan, looking for the Clothesline, but Logan notices! He grabs hold of David's arm, and spins around him, trapping David in position for the Shiny Raichu!
Paisner: HE'S GOT HIM!
Crowd: Ooooh.....
Logan spins him out in the Shiny Raichu! Again, he goes for the big elbow, but Harvey ducks underneath the elbow! He hooks Logan's head and arm in inverted-ddt position! The two men stand between the weight that Harvey placed on the mat!
DIAMOND CRUSHER! LOGAN LANDS RIGHT ON THE WEIGHT!
Paisner: HOLY SHIT!
Woodbridge: Daaaaaamn!
Logan is slammed right into the metal weight! He seems out cold, as the adrenaline coursing through Harvey allows him to go for the cover!
1...!
2...!
3...!

DING DING DING!

Woodbridge: He got him!
Crowd: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
In One Ear booms out, as David Harvey's arm is raised. Some of the lumberjacks at rinside cheer on David, while others slink to the back.
Paisner: What a win for David Harvey, but take nothing away from Logan Lee!
Woodbridge: I'm pretty sure that he was knocked out cold after that Diamond Crusher. I've got a feeling that being Knocked Out would be the only way Logan would stay down here tonight. The guys a monster, and while he won't be leaving with the title, he's definitely proved to us here that he's going to be one of the top guys here in the future.
Paisner: Well said, Woodbridge. But now the stage is set for another second round match! With Louis Blackwaters victory earlier, we will be getting David Harvey versus Louis Blackwater in a Deadliest Catch Deathmatch tomorrow night! The winner of that one will fight for the world championship against three other men in the main event of AMUDOV 3!
David starts to walk to the back. Normally, he would be high-fiving the fans and cheering, but he walks slowly, still holding his head in one hand. You can tell that the match hurt Harvey, and that he knows that there's more coming for him soon. However, just before he goes to the back, he looks towards the ring, at his opponent. The camera slowly fades into commercial on the shot of the weakened Harvey.
[COMMERCIAL for Ballsweat’s glow in the dark - NITE OWL flavored energy drink. For those who want their shit to look like radioactive waste - ONLY AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED TIME
Cut back to the live feed where the ring has already been set up for our next match with Javier Babaganoush standing inside of it.
Javier: The following is the second match in the C bracket of AMUDOV III. It is a Teenage Mutant Ninja Deathmatch! It’s a single fall match! Your referee for the evening is WiR Junior Junior Junior official Mia So Hung! Introducing first! Weighing in at 237 pounds, from Groningen in the Netherlands! He is Mister AMUDOV and a bunch of other stuff! THE MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARK DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTCH!
This Life by Curtis Stigers and the Forest Rangers starts to play as Mark Dutch enters the arena.
Crowd: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Dutch looks around the crowd before setting his eyes onto the ring. A familiar feeling washes over him as he sees the craziness of it all. The port-o-potties, the raw savage around the ring, he looks around the menacing crowd as he raises his hands towards them and does the Dutch Finger Bang, the fans counter their argument with the two hand one finger american bang. He starts walking towards the ring.
Paisner: The second first round match in Block C. In the first match we saw Buster Bravado win over Sonny Carson and now we have a battle of bigger boys.
Woodbridge: Hoss stuff! Well… Semi hoss stuff as Dutch isn’t as big as his opponent but still. This one should be good. We have the man that won the first AMUDOV here and he always brings something to this bloody party!
Paisner: And we saw what happened to Dutch in the last few weeks. He couldn’t compete for the WiR title as Andrew Dragon Garcia had an accident. We still don’t know when Dragon will be able to continue but Dutch will still have his shot at the title. He just needs to survive against 6 other wrestler that will try to do to him what he did do to Hex, Klutch, Studd, TERRIBLE and Anchor in the first AMUDOV.
Woodbridge: His mind snapped again. He is back to the good old Dutch that we all hate and want to see dead but this motherfucker always puts on a show.
Dutch jumps over the raw savage as he makes his way onto the ring apron. He climbs into the ring between the top two ropes and goes towards Javier and Mia. Mia has to keep him away from the port a potties as he wants to have an early look what is hidden in them while Javier goes on.
Javier: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAnd his opponent. Weighing in at 320 pounds! From Sacramento California! He is one half of the Warlords! STEPHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN ROMEROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
A big drumming sounds starts to echo in the arena as Iron Man by Black Sabbath starts to play and Romero appears on the entrance ramp.
Crowd: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! RO-ME-RO! RO-ME-RO! RO-ME-RO!
Romero looks around the arena as the fans chant for him. He makes a gun with his finger and points them towards Dutch before he heads towards the ring.
Paisner: And what about Romero… He has been here before as well. He has almost died in that propane tank explosion in the Hate Crimes Deathmatch only to be fucked over by Vic Studd in his match against Ro. But even after Amudov Romero has been a successful part of WiR, winning and holding the tag belts with Robert Warlock. But at the end of the day we all know where this started… Dutch trained Romero so he knows what he knows just a bit better. This will be a big matchup between a former mentor and a trainee.
Woodbridge: They did lose that match against the two lesbians though. So gay porn movies are better than timelss classics.
Paisner: Well yes and Warlock has been having some singles success lately so we will see what will be of the Warlords in the near future! Will they go after the Chongas and the BBC for the tag belts?
Woodbridge: But first of course, this beautiful black motherfucker has to survive this encounter against non other that mister AMUDOV!
Romero looks at the raw savage pit around the ring, carefully moving his big body across the ring. He tries to climb on top of the apron but Dutch wants to start the match early! Mark runs towards the ropes and slides under the bottom one, baseball sliding Romero off the apron as Mia signals for the bell!
Crowd: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

DING DING DING

Romero already had a foot on the apron as Mark pushed him off the apron and onto the floor beside the ring. Dutch then climbs down the apron as Romero tries to get back up and smacks Romero across the back with a double axe handle. Romero falls down to one knee as Dutch follows his attacks with a kick to the head that sends Romero to the floor! He grabs Stephen for his shirt and starts rolling him towards the raw savage pit that surrounds the ring. He puts all his strength into rolling the heavy Romero around and he gets half the distance to the pit before Romero swats Dutch’s hand away. Dutch tries to grab Romero again but the big man grabs Dutch for his leg and trips him to the floor.
Paisner: Another quick start to the match!
Woodbridge: That Dutch fucker knows how dangerous this shit is! He won it once and barely escaped with his sanity… Well with his life!
Paisner: But Romero is no Tyler Dylan either! This smells like shit. The match will be good but fuck they are near the raw savage and those beasts inside!
Romero and Dutch get back to their feet at almost the same time. Dutch goes for a quick punch but Romero again swats the Dutchman away and delivers a forceful straight punch to the head of Mark.
Woodbridge: TURTLEEEEEEEEER! LOOK THERE ARE MOTHERFUCKING BLOOD HUNGRY TURTLES IN THE PIT! ONE JUST LOOKED AT ROMERO’S ASS!
Paisner: They are genetically engineered enhanced snapping turtles Mark… Or so the poster says at least.
Romero delivers another punch this time to Dutches sternum as the Dutchman doubles over. Romero tries to grab control over Mark’s head but Dutch moves himself quickly forward, headbutting Romero in his stomach, pushing him backwards. Dutch takes a step back before running towards Dutch, trying to push him into the savage pit but Romero turns sideways and shoulder block Dutch! Mark stops in place before stumbling backwards after a vicious jumping headbut by Romero that echoes around the arena.
Crowd: OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!
A streak of blood appears on Romero’s forehead after the blow as he starts to knife edge chop the living shit out of Dutch’s chest!
Crowd: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Crowd: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Crowd: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Woodbridge: Romero is so hungry for a win here he is willing to injure himself!
Paisner: You have to lose some to win some. As Dutch said earlier this week, he knows what he has to do to win Amudov. He has done it before so we can safely assume he won’t try and do harm to his body like Romero did just now!
Chop after chop Dutch is driven backwards until he is pressed against the ring apron! Romero takes a step back and sets his sight on Dutch before he rushes towards Mark! He is almost ready to jump up for his spear but Dutch launches himself forward and just stick his fingers into Romero’s eyes!
Crowd: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Woodbridge: SPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE- MOTHERFUCKER!
Paisner: THE Mark Dutch survives! He escaped being gored to the apron with that eye poke! But hey it’s a deathmatch everything is legal here!
Romero covers his eyes in pain as the big black man screams. Dutch wastes no time as he jumps onto the ring apron and launches himself towards Romero, sending both of them to the floor with a jumping clothesline! The two wrestlers land near the raw savage pit as loud snapping noises can be heard coming from it!
Woodbridge: You were saying about sacrificing himself? Dutch just did that! But we saw what Romero said earlier this week too. He is ready and willing to do anything. Even sleep with rats. Or be covered with rats. Even without Warlock we saw Romero reach some heights! He was the finalist in the recent Mecha/Kaiju tournament!
Mark gets back to his feet as Romero is still on one knee as Mark grabs Romero for his face and drags him a step forward trying to force his face into the turtle infested raw savage pit!
Crowd: Ro-me-ro! Ro-me-ro! Ro-me-ro!
The crowd chants for Romero to wake up as Dutch hold his face inches away from the turtles await fresh blood! But Romero starts to overpower Dutch and starts raising his head higher! Dutch drives his knee into Romero’s back as Romero buckles forward! His nose is inches away from the raw savage!
Crowd: OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!
Romero uses his power advantage as he raises his head from the pit and grabs Mark’s right arm before pulling it into the raw savage!
Dutch: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
Woodbridge: HOLY SHIT!
A loud snapping noise can be heard before Dutch pulls his head, which was dipped into the raw savage almost to the shoulder back up. Four turtles have their jaws in the flesh of the Dutchman. Two over his biceps, one in the hand and one just above the wrist. Fresh blood is already spilling around the wounds as Dutch retreats away from Romero trying to get the bloody turtles off him! He pulls the one above the wrist off quickly while he has to drag the other three down by force, leaving chunks of flesh in the turtles jaw. The camera zooms in as we can see that the turtles have razor blades in their mouths!
Paisner: Oh that’s why they were genetically enhanced!
Woodbridge: I got my share of cuts during the old days but that has to sting like getting fucked in the ass with a burning cactus!
Dutch tries to shake some feeling back into his hurting arm as Romero is already on him! Romero tries to grab Dutch but Mark blocks the grab with the turtle he still held in his left arm! The jaw close around Romero’s right hand as the black man again screams in agony. Dutch follows it up with a quick jab to the face of the Warlord before turning around and sending Romero to the ground with a spinning lariat!
Crowd: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Woodbridge: The Wildcard with the spinning lariat, Romero uses one of his own!!
Paisner: That’s the teacher-student mentality! You always think you do it better than your pupil! It’s like he needed more force to bring the bigger man down!
Romero falls to the ground as the fall sends the turtle flying around but the European Dynamite is quickly back to his feet! He shoves his fingers into Romero’s ear before pulling him up and dragging him towards the ring. He rolls him back into the ring before he himself jumps onto the apron.
Crowd: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Paisner: And they have reached the ring! They only needed a good 10 minutes on the outside!
Woodbridge: Imagine the shit that was in the pit… It had to come from somewhere! We still have the potties to discover!
Dutch climbs back into the ring between the ropes as Romero slowly climbs back to his feet. The two man are showing signs of fatigue but they are not giving up! Dutch ducks under a wide punch that Romero threw and hits the big man with a quick jab. Romero stumbles backwards after another quick jab. Mark grabs Romero and puts his head under his armpit!
Paisner: What is he thinking!?
The Dutch Death uses all his strength as he tries to lift Romero up but his right hand doesn’t want to cooperate. Dutch clenches his teeth as he gives it everything he has left and lifts Romero up before slamming him back into the mat with a quick german suplex!
Woodbridge: What a suplex from Mark Dutch! What power!
Crowd: OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!
Romero holds his back in pain as Dutch shakes his hurt, bloody right hand.
Paisner: Everything is out of the window! Dutch needs the title! He needs to win AMUDOV! He will put everything into the match.
Dutch covers Romero for the pin.
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Hey all, Me and a friend of mine have decided to start a Larp under the setting of a grim realistic post apoc world, six generations after the fall of mankind. There is no blatantly aggressive and intelligent mutants, there's no robots, or ghouls. It's strictly the world after Yellowstone erupts. The United states decended into chaos, and recalled its troops in order to establish order in the mainland. When the US's military hastily withdrew all troops, the world starts to unravel. China invades Japan, North Korea and South Korea fight, and Russia starts to take over the Eastern European countries. Somewhere along the line, nuclear bombs were launched, and though they were shot down by American Patriot missile systems or similar Anti-missile batteries, some nukes start to go off in the atmosphere, creating large scale EMP blasts, effectively knocking out all unhardened computer systems in its wake. The last report that was recorded was nukes hitting Moscow, and various parts of Europe, and Asia before the radios went dark. America was soon plunged into a very similar situation where the EMP blasts effectively destroyed America's electrical network, and unable to stop the sheer amount of missiles being launched at it (which today is unknown as to who attacked America). Nuclear strikes destroyed cities in America, but was unbeknownst to the majority of Americans not in the general areas, due to the lack of communication in part from the EMP's and the interference from ash cloud thanks to Yellowstone. This was when the world fell apart and the characters are the descendants of those survivors.
The original concept of the game has strong similar undertones from Stalker, and Metro 2033. We wanted to make the game an airsoft game ("Wing" rules), but with a twist. We don't want players to just shoot willy nilly and we need to encourage interaction between players and NPC's instead of just killing their fellow players, so we are taking Metro's economy as the basis for the game. Bullets are the mainstay for the players, along with bartering gas canisters, food, workable-electrical scraps, metal scraps, etc...
We're trying to allow players to build their own custom character from the ground up. We aren't having a level system, and not allowing any skills to impact Combat in a meaningful way, besides the medical skills, which can 'save' other players. and certain skills will bleed over into a 'byproduct skill' and gives passive in-game items (example, novice engineering, tech knowledge, and Tech scavenging gives the player "Repacking" which gives a bullet or two a day to the player.)
Here lies the problem that we're facing from getting this up and off the ground, Airsoft. Airsoft gives us the realistic feel and also drives the price of joining the game down, in relation to Nerf. Nerf on the other-hand gives us a chance to play in more places that we wouldn't be able to play Airsoft at. We thought about having two game modes, "Hard" and "Soft" depending on the land that we can use, but this is just an idea. Considering there are a few places that we are looking into playing at, since this game could literally be played at different places constantly without much change to the story line itself. () We're trying to play near some abandoned psych centers that are also on Park lands, just to fit the atmosphere, as well as camping sites, paintball/airsoft fields, and other LARP areas.
Items needed for the LARP;
"Hard" Games

• Googles made specifically for Airsoft.
  
• Wire Mask, which we recommend players cut foam or cardboard into circles and glue it to the front to give the perception of a gasmask without inhibiting voice, or breathing. Here's a mask below, without the additions. http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Tactical-Hunting-Metal-Wire-Half-Face-CS-Mask-Mesh-Airsoft-Mask-Paintball-Resistant-Dark-Green-Best/32610783985.html?source={ifdyn:dyn}{ifpla:pla}{ifdbm:DBM&albch=DID}&src=google&albch=shopping&acnt=708-803-3821&isdl=y&aff_short_key=UneMJZVf&albcp=653153647&albag=34728528644&slnk=&trgt=57344828050&plac=&crea=en32610783985&netw=g&device=c&mtctp=&gclid=CMPg3fzam88CFYcehgod8g8B8A
  
• Character sheet holder with easy access while in costume. We're recommending this. http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/products/football-wrist-coach.jsp
  
• A wrist watch (with the ability to count down for the gas mask air filter time).
  
• Recommended Melee weapon, and air soft weapon the character currently has or seeks to obtain in game, with name written on tape, attached to it.
  

"Soft game"

• Goggles specifically for Airsoft (Trying to be safe, since we'd be using Nerf Rival)
  
• Something that can resemble a gas mask.
  
• Watch
  
• Char Sheet holder
  
• Recommended Larp weapons/ Nerf Rival Weapon
  

I would love to have other peoples insight on the concept of the game, improvements, the reduction of the current set-ups, or just comments/thoughts. Since we're just starting to design it, I'm worried we're getting tunnel vision and missing something important. Thanks!

The other hockey
Hello! trex20 here, back for a special Olympics edition of Wayback Wednesday! After seeing a few posts about field hockey on this sub, I thought the time might be right to talk about the history of the sport. I talked to senorpantsbulge about it and he gracefully stepped aside and let me take over for the week!
With the Olympics in full swing, you might have come across “hockey” on the schedule. Perhaps you were confused because you didn’t realize they had moved ice hockey to the summer Olympics, where it originally debuted. In reality, the “hockey” on the Olympics schedule is real field hockey. (In the world of Olympic competition, ice hockey gets the extra word description, and field hockey is just hockey. This is also the case in countries where field hockey is the more popular sport of the two.)
So let’s talk about field hockey. Where did it come from? What are the rules? Why do the women wear skirts?
Where did the game come from?
It is unclear where field hockey’s origins lie, as there are many games from around the world that resemble the modern sport. Archeologists have found evidence of ancient Egyptians playing a rudimentary version of the game. The first mention of the game carrying the name “field hockey” came in 14th century England, when King Edward III declared leisure sports illegal for the working class.
The modern game, however, seems to have developed in Britain in the early 1800s, played by schoolboys. In 1853, English poet, novelist and politician Lord Edward Lytton wrote of young men playing hockey on the common, saying it was “[an] old-fashioned game, now very uncommon in England, except at schools.” The sport grew as cricket clubs wanted a sport to play during the winter months. They use cricket balls and played on the smooth outfield of the cricket pitch so the ball could move unencumbered (still a key feature in field hockey fields). Thanks to Britain’s far-flung empire, the game began to spread around the world, and it made its Olympic debut in men’s competition in 1908. In 1909, England and Belgium recognized each other for international competition, followed not long after by the French, and in 1924 (in response to field hockey being excluded from the Olympic program) International Hockey Federation (FIH, Fédération Internationale de Hockey) was founded in France. The organization is still the governing body of the sport.
Currently, it is the third most played sport in the world, behind soccer and cricket.
Why is it a women’s sport?
You might have noticed that the early development of the sport makes no mention of women playing the game, yet in North America it is largely considered a women’s (or girl’s) sport. Why is this? We can look to Constance Applebee for an explanation. Applebee was a British woman who had begun playing sports to improve her frail health as a child. In 1901, she took a summer course at Harvard and, after a discussion about women’s sports, demonstrated the game. The athletic director of Vassar College, Harriet Ballintine, took an interest and brought the sport to her school. It soon spread to several other women’s colleges. From then on, Applebee would bounce between the United States and Great Britain, teaching field hockey and encouraging women’s sports. Thus, it was firmly entrenched as a women’s sport. This is also why the women wear skirts. Obviously, when field hockey began to be played by women, it was not acceptable for women to wear pants or shorts. Instead, they wore long (nearly floor length) skirts. As the years went on, the skirt remained a part of the traditional uniform; it simply got shorter.
In the rest of the world, this specific introduction as a women’s sport did not happen, and the sport remained a men’s sport, and is now widely played by both men and women. In fact, the women’s game did not make its Olympic debut until 1980. You can draw your own conclusions as to why it never transferred to being a North American men’s sport.
What are the rules?
The rules to field hockey are relatively simple, although they can be difficult to discern while watching the fast-paced game on display in the Olympics. The object is the same as in ice hockey and soccer - score more goals than the other team. It is played on a field that is 100 yards long. The game is 60 minutes long; in international play, this is divided up into four quarters. There are 11 players a side, including the goalie. Players use short, snub-nosed sticks. They can only hit the ball with the flat side of the stick and the edges - the rounded side (what ice hockey players would call the backhand) cannot be used. Except for the goalie, the ball cannot be touched with any part of the body, nor can the player obstruct the ball with their body. Usually, committing these fouls results in a free hit for the opposing team wherever the foul occurred. Goals can only be scored within the semi-circle surrounding the goal, referred to as “the circle” or “the D.” If a ball is hit from outside the circle and crosses the goal line without being touched by an offensive player, it is not a goal. If a defensive foul occurs within the circle, a penalty corner (also known as a short corner) will be called. Here, only four defensive players (and the goalie) can remain in the circle (positioned behind the goal line). All other defensive-team players must return to the center line. The offensive team inserts the ball from the goal line to their players lined up around the outside of the circle and play resumes.
For more information about the rules of the game, you can check out NBC’s brief explanation video
The gear
As mentioned earlier, the stick is a snub-nosed. Composite sticks (as opposed to the older style wood sticks) are overwhelmingly the most common kind seen today. They are made from a combination of Kevlar, carbon, fiberglass and aramid.
The ball is solid plastc and slightly larger than a tennis ball. It can reach speeds of a little over 100mph (161kmph).
Field players (so, everyone but the goalies) wear mouth guards and large, hard plastic shin guards.
You will also see some players wearing padded gloves. These protect their hands when they do moves that involve sweeping the ground, and when they perform defensive moves that make it more likely their hand will be hit by the ball.
Goalies wear equipment similar to that of an ice hockey goalie, except the feet and leg pads are made of high density foam (the goalie cannot cover or freeze the ball, so they rely on deflecting it, if possible in an advantageous direction. The foam allows the ball to bounce off them.) A full kit will include a helmet, throat protector, chest/shouldeelbow pads (these are often one piece, but can be several), foam “gloves” on each hand, a special goalie stick, padded pants (often called butt pads), groin protector, leg guards and “kickers” (foot guards that go directly over a normal shoe, fasten in the back and do not have a bottom).
More information
here and look at the official rules here. For a quick demonstration about how to use the stick in spite of the fact that you can’t use the rounded side and there no left-handed stick, see this video

I checked out the Cavaliers section on NBA.com and it's not there. It's a great hat and I'd love to find out how to get one. Thanks for any help.
EDIT: I have checked Walmart, JCPenney, Kohl's, NBA store, and Dick's Sporting Goods websites. The only hat I can find similar to the one the players were wearing is this one from Dick's, but it's not the grey colored one the players had. Is it possible the players get exclusive hats nobody else can obtain?
This hat is the one I am looking for. The color scheme is much more appealing to me, and I don't see why this wouldn't be available anywhere unless it's exclusive.
EDIT 2: Thanks to 2uneek, I see there's a lot selling on Ebay at nearly double the regular price, but seemingly sold out everywhere else. Is there any possibility more will be made soon? I'd love to have one before the Finals.

So I am 5'11" about 230 lbs. This will manly be used on rivers and maybe on some local lakes near me I would also like there to be a water tight compartment. I am fine if i would have to modify the kayak to have this. Here are the two I have found and like on is a 10ft and the other is a 12ft. I am unsure which would be better to get the 10ft or the 12ft?
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=64676676&page=1&cp=4406646.4413993.4417832&categoryId=13041155
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=21525946&page=1&cp=4406646.4413993.4417832&categoryId=13041155

Started golfing recently and have been really enjoying it. I used my buddys clubs my first time out and since then I found some in storage that came from god knows where and have used them twice.
However they are ancient. I took a lesson from the club pro near my house and he said one of them is probably close to 40 years old. It's kinda cool though, its a 1 iron which my friends didn't even know existed.
Anyway I need to buy some new clubs. There is a big sale going on at dicks sporting good where I could pick up this set for half off.
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=88647296&ab=TopNav_Golf_MensGolfClubs_CompleteSets&cp=4413989.4414118&categoryId=4414157
However I don't know much about the quality. Part of me wants to spend a bit more money now because I feel like I'll want an upgrade sooner rather than later and then I've just wasted 150$ on this set. Would I just be better off picking up a driver, a 3 wood and a nice iron set? Used or new? Any advice helps.