What Does Life Look Like For You Now?

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Smith1776
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What Does Life Look Like For You Now?

Post by Smith1776 » Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:38 am

I'm interested in hearing how peoples' days-to-day to lives are looking right now. How does it differ from pre-coronial times? (Thanks, dualstow haha.) What are your gripes? And what things have improved for you? I'm sure there are lots of little insights and epiphanies people have experienced since this whole thing started.

A snapshot of life for me so far.

My body has settled into a strange biphasic sleep schedule. 3 to 4 hours at night and another 3 to 4 hours in the afternoon are the norm. Beyond that I'm definitely seeing that muscular atrophy is setting in on my body. Those little home workouts have been nice to "keep the blood flowing," but nothing has quite compared to being in the gym with all the equipment and machines. I am betting that gyms will likely be the some of the last places to reopen when all is said and done. Gyms aren't critical services, and since they're facilities where everyone is touching all the same stuff, they're probably some of the biggest vectors for highly infectious diseases.

70% of my hours outside of eating, bathroom, etc. have been spent doing homework for my computer science program or doing fun little coding things. The lack of stable routine has made consistent concentration harder though. My hair has grown super long now, and I'm starting to run out of some basic toiletries. The only person outside of family that I've been seeing is that girl down the street, and even that hasn't been that great as you know. The lack of actual date things to do has put a slight damper on the romance too.

Overall, the "novelty" of this lockdown has kind of worn off, and I think I'm ready to return to normal life. Like everyone here, I have goals and things I want to accomplish in life. Having everything in the country shutdown is antithetical to accomplishing just about anything. I do consider myself lucky that my newly found passion and soon-to-be vocation of computer science can be done largely from home.

One thing I am thankful for is how this pandemic has put it things in stark perspective regarding whose jobs are truly essential to our society. Man, I love markets as much at the next guy, but markets can create massive distortions. The people making 14 bucks an hour working in the distribution chain for food and supplies are truly critical. Gal Gadot's contribution to other peoples' plight has been to sing Imagine with a bunch of other rich and beautiful celebrities.

Final, somewhat related note: it's also amazing how thin the veneer of civility and prudence is in our society. Between the hoarding, misinformation, and self-contradictory protests, it seems clear that normal society is breaking down more and more as the weeks pass.
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Re: What Does Life Look Like For You Now?

Post by europeanwizard » Mon Apr 20, 2020 2:53 am

I live in one of the European countries that doesn't have a strict quarantine, but has instated a mild lockdown.

So weirdly enough, my life hasn't been all that different. I'm a freelancer who was already working out of my own office for half of the week. The other half of the week, I'd occupy a desk at a client. This client still needs my services, so I simply work full-time out of my office and we do a meeting over Microsoft Teams.

We've got a preschooler but since the partner is in the 'essential', the kid still is in school for 50%. Parental duties have shifted a bit, but not dramatically.
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Re: What Does Life Look Like For You Now?

Post by Mountaineer » Mon Apr 20, 2020 6:23 am

Smith1776 wrote: โ†‘
Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:38 am
One thing I am thankful for is how this pandemic has put it things in stark perspective regarding whose jobs are truly essential to our society. Man, I love markets as much at the next guy, but markets can create massive distortions. The people making 14 bucks an hour working in the distribution chain for food and supplies are truly critical. Gal Gadot's contribution to other peoples' plight has been to sing Imagine with a bunch of other rich and beautiful celebrities.
HaHa, my Pastor has always held the "garbage collectors" to be one of his most valued professions. I can understand why. Picture your home, city, country if there were no garbage collectors, especially if you are quarantined. :o
DNA has its own language (code), and language requires intelligence. There is no known mechanism by which matter can give birth to information, let alone language. It is unreasonable to believe the world could have happened by chance.
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Re: What Does Life Look Like For You Now?

Post by Cortopassi » Mon Apr 20, 2020 8:23 am

Life is strangely the same, except for:

--My daughters being home all the time
--Not being able to get samples at Costco
--The weird feeling that everything is going to go to shit
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Re: What Does Life Look Like For You Now?

Post by Mountaineer » Mon Apr 20, 2020 8:30 am

My life is much the same, except for: Not eating out and not visiting with friends and family. I'm not going to the grocery store much (esp. Costco), or hardware/home supply stores, or church. I'm getting about 2 weeks per gallon on my car (only a slight exaggeration). Amazon, my old friend is much more utilized now, and Costco delivery is new my friend.
DNA has its own language (code), and language requires intelligence. There is no known mechanism by which matter can give birth to information, let alone language. It is unreasonable to believe the world could have happened by chance.
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Re: What Does Life Look Like For You Now?

Post by dualstow » Mon Apr 20, 2020 8:35 am

Smith1776 wrote: โ†‘
Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:38 am
pre-coronial times? (Thanks, dualstow haha.)

I borrowed it from kriegsspiel. He said babies boomed during this era will be called Coronials. O0

Wife and I are good at staying at home, but I'm definitely missing meals out with friends. And sunlight. Sweet, sweet sunlight.
No visits from mother-in-law. I'm neutral on that. She's a nice woman and likes me.

I'm kind of enjoying wearing my shemagh, another idea from kriegs.
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Re: What Does Life Look Like For You Now?

Post by Xan » Mon Apr 20, 2020 8:42 am

dualstow wrote: โ†‘
Mon Apr 20, 2020 8:35 am
He said babies boomed during this era will be called Coronials.
Any baby boom from this will consist exclusively of first children.
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Re: What Does Life Look Like For You Now?

Post by dualstow » Mon Apr 20, 2020 8:48 am

ha!
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Re: What Does Life Look Like For You Now?

Post by vnatale » Mon Apr 20, 2020 9:00 am

dualstow wrote: โ†‘
Mon Apr 20, 2020 8:35 am


Wife and I are good at staying at home, but I'm definitely missing meals out with friends. And sunlight. Sweet, sweet sunlight.

Is this saying you are unable to get sunlight at home?

Vinny
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: What Does Life Look Like For You Now?

Post by dualstow » Mon Apr 20, 2020 9:39 am

Actually we get a fair amount thanks to skylights. But we don't have a yard to speak of.
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Re: What Does Life Look Like For You Now?

Post by vnatale » Mon Apr 20, 2020 9:52 am

dualstow wrote: โ†‘
Mon Apr 20, 2020 9:39 am
Actually we get a fair amount thanks to skylights. But we don't have a yard to speak of.
Then you are quite fortunate to have the skylights. I would love to have them but I've too oftentimes heard that they can lead to roof leaks?

Vinny
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: What Does Life Look Like For You Now?

Post by bedraggled » Mon Apr 20, 2020 9:55 am

Roof leaks?

We had an attic fan installed. The electrician said he never had a leak. Six years later we sold the house- no leaks.
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Re: What Does Life Look Like For You Now?

Post by vnatale » Mon Apr 20, 2020 9:57 am

bedraggled wrote: โ†‘
Mon Apr 20, 2020 9:55 am
Roof leaks?

We had an attic fan installed. The electrician said he never had a leak. Six years later we sold the house- no leaks.
I "Binged it" and quickly found this: https://inspectapedia.com/exterior/Skyl ... Repair.php

Vinny
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: What Does Life Look Like For You Now?

Post by Tortoise » Mon Apr 20, 2020 11:21 am

Smith1776 wrote: โ†‘
Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:38 am
I'm interested in hearing how peoples' days-to-day to lives are looking right now. How does it differ from pre-coronial times? (Thanks, dualstow haha.) What are your gripes? And what things have improved for you? I'm sure there are lots of little insights and epiphanies people have experienced since this whole thing started.
I've been working full-time from home, which wasn't a huge disruption since I work for a tech company. My wife's job was disrupted, but her income was only a tiny fraction of our total income and we live on much less than we earn -- plus she's pregnant, so this down time is giving her an opportunity to focus on getting ready for the baby.

I drive my car 3x per week: Once to get groceries, and twice to get take-out dinner from local restaurants.

My wife and I go for a 45-minute walk every day through our neighborhood to get some exercise, fresh air, and sunshine (vitamin D). Additionally, 3x per week I do barbell strength training in my garage (had lucky timing and bought the squat cage and bench late last year).

My brother and dad (a retired doctor) have been texting and emailing each other a lot about Covid-19 related stuff. It helps us blow off steam and maintain our sanity.

The things I miss the most are weekend get-togethers with friends and family (restaurants, parties, etc.). But I feel very lucky to be married to a woman I get along great with (no fighting). Living by myself during this lockdown -- like you, Smithy -- would be a very different experience.
Smith1776 wrote: โ†‘
Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:38 am
...I'm definitely seeing that muscular atrophy is setting in on my body. Those little home workouts have been nice to "keep the blood flowing," but nothing has quite compared to being in the gym with all the equipment and machines.
Wow, you're noticing muscular atrophy after only a month away from the gym? That sucks. I wouldn't have guessed that atrophy would be noticeable that quickly.
Smith1776 wrote: โ†‘
Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:38 am
I am betting that gyms will likely be the some of the last places to reopen when all is said and done. Gyms aren't critical services, and since they're facilities where everyone is touching all the same stuff, they're probably some of the biggest vectors for highly infectious diseases.
I actually think gyms are critical services for a lot of people, especially for people who do strength training. For those people, gyms aren't just for looking good without a shirt. Strength straining doesn't just build strength and muscle; it also builds bone density and has important cardiovascular and psychological benefits. It's part of a person's overall health, with is especially important during a pandemic like this. I agree that gyms can potentially be vectors for highly infectious diseases, but I also think that putting proper precautions in place can significantly mitigate the risk: E.g., ask customers to maintain social distance, to spray down all equipment with disinfectant before and after use, and to wash their hands upon entering and exiting the gym. Common sense stuff.
Smith1776 wrote: โ†‘
Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:38 am
One thing I am thankful for is how this pandemic has put it things in stark perspective regarding whose jobs are truly essential to our society. Man, I love markets as much at the next guy, but markets can create massive distortions. The people making 14 bucks an hour working in the distribution chain for food and supplies are truly critical. Gal Gadot's contribution to other peoples' plight has been to sing Imagine with a bunch of other rich and beautiful celebrities.
Agreed. But I also think it was a big mistake for the government to officially declare certain businesses as "non-essential." I think that will distort business investment in profound ways going forward. Investors and small business owners will be less inclined to invest in "non-essential" businesses, and commercial property owners will be more hesitant to lease property to "non-essential" businesses.
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Re: What Does Life Look Like For You Now?

Post by vnatale » Mon Apr 20, 2020 11:29 am

Tortoise wrote: โ†‘
Mon Apr 20, 2020 11:21 am

Smith1776 wrote: โ†‘
Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:38 am
...I'm definitely seeing that muscular atrophy is setting in on my body. Those little home workouts have been nice to "keep the blood flowing," but nothing has quite compared to being in the gym with all the equipment and machines.
Wow, you're noticing muscular atrophy after only a month away from the gym? That sucks. I wouldn't have guessed that atrophy would be noticeable that quickly.

Doesn't it happen within days and, certainly within a week? Like you I'm doing it three times a week with half rack and Olympic weights (albert in my living room!).

I'm fanatical about not letting anything get in the way of it happening three times a week. I don't think I miss five a year of those 156 3 times a week workouts.

Vinny
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: What Does Life Look Like For You Now?

Post by Tortoise » Mon Apr 20, 2020 11:35 am

vnatale wrote: โ†‘
Mon Apr 20, 2020 11:29 am
Doesn't [muscular atrophy] happen within days and, certainly within a week? Like you I'm doing it three times a week with half rack and Olympic weights (albert in my living room!).
No, I really don't think a week away from weights is long enough to cause muscular atrophy.

In fact, several times when I've taken a week off of strength training, I was stronger when I resumed since the week off gave my body more time to recover from the previous workouts.

But in general, I agree that consistency is important in strength training since it reinforces habit and avoids going down the slippery slope of rationalizing the skipping of more and more workouts.
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Re: What Does Life Look Like For You Now?

Post by vnatale » Mon Apr 20, 2020 11:55 am

Tortoise wrote: โ†‘
Mon Apr 20, 2020 11:35 am
vnatale wrote: โ†‘
Mon Apr 20, 2020 11:29 am
Doesn't [muscular atrophy] happen within days and, certainly within a week? Like you I'm doing it three times a week with half rack and Olympic weights (albert in my living room!).
No, I really don't think a week away from weights is long enough to cause muscular atrophy.

In fact, several times when I've taken a week off of strength training, I was stronger when I resumed since the week off gave my body more time to recover from the previous workouts.

But in general, I agree that consistency is important in strength training since it reinforces habit and avoids going down the slippery slope of rationalizing the skipping of more and more workouts.
https://blog.nasm.org/fitness/use-it-or ... le-atrophy

"How long can you go before strength begins to decrease?

Studies have shown that within a week there are molecular signs of atrophy. Depending on the muscle group, the time varies, with lower body muscles showing signs of atrophy quicker (7-8)."

Vinny
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: What Does Life Look Like For You Now?

Post by Tortoise » Mon Apr 20, 2020 12:16 pm

Notice that the term "bed rest" appears in the titles of both references 7 and 8 if you scroll to the bottom of the article.

Bed rest is a very different condition than normal daily life, so clearly one would expect muscular atrophy to occur much more quickly on bed rest. I still think muscular atrophy over the course of just one week is probably minimal in someone who's actually walking around and doing normal daily activities.
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Re: What Does Life Look Like For You Now?

Post by Smith1776 » Mon Apr 20, 2020 12:18 pm

Yeah, it's surprisingly quick from what I understand.

The ironic part is that the better your fitness level is, the faster you will experience atrophy when you stop exercising.

Intuitively it makes some sense. If you live a totally sedentary lifestyle, you won't experience any additional atrophy when you "stop" exercising. However, if you are in great shape, an abrupt halt to physical activity is very jarring. A loss of muscle mass and general athletic performance becomes apparent pretty fast.
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Re: What Does Life Look Like For You Now?

Post by Smith1776 » Mon Apr 20, 2020 12:24 pm

As an aside, I've stopped looking at my body in the mirror prior to showering now... it's honestly just making me sad...
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Re: What Does Life Look Like For You Now?

Post by Tortoise » Mon Apr 20, 2020 12:38 pm

Are you referring to just during the pandemic lockdown, or in general as a result of weight training?
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Re: What Does Life Look Like For You Now?

Post by vnatale » Mon Apr 20, 2020 12:58 pm

MangoMan wrote: โ†‘
Mon Apr 20, 2020 12:33 pm
With all this weight lifting talk, just curious: Who here has lost or gained more than 3 pounds? I consider 2 lbs to be insignificant due to salt intake variation and whether or not a recent poop has taken place,
March 17th was the last day I've been off my property. Do my daily weights and fluctuations support what you believe?

I've kept up my three times a week exercises but unless I'm working outside on my property little movement otherwise besides these fingers.
Normally I'd be doing some walking around during the day and playing basketball two nights a week and, at this time of year, engaging in softball practices.

Vinny
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Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: What Does Life Look Like For You Now?

Post by Mountaineer » Mon Apr 20, 2020 12:59 pm

MangoMan wrote: โ†‘
Mon Apr 20, 2020 12:33 pm
With all this weight lifting talk, just curious: Who here has lost or gained more than 3 pounds? I consider 2 lbs to be insignificant due to salt intake variation and whether or not a recent poop has taken place,
Not me. Very stable. I keep focused on the 12oz curls (in keeping with the thread drift). ;D
DNA has its own language (code), and language requires intelligence. There is no known mechanism by which matter can give birth to information, let alone language. It is unreasonable to believe the world could have happened by chance.
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Re: What Does Life Look Like For You Now?

Post by Mark Leavy » Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:22 pm

dualstow wrote: โ†‘
Mon Apr 20, 2020 9:39 am
Actually we get a fair amount thanks to skylights. But we don't have a yard to speak of.
Other than the mood enhancer (which is great!), you don't get any of the health benefits from skylight sun. UV doesn't make it through.
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Re: What Does Life Look Like For You Now?

Post by Tortoise » Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:28 pm

MangoMan wrote: โ†‘
Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:01 pm
Since the beginning of the lockdown. More opportunity to exercise (but how few take it?) but also more opportunity to graze the fridge, visit the beer cooler and lounge in the lazyboy.
Iโ€™ve maintained the same weight since the beginning of the lockdown (and since the start of my barbell training last year, actually). Not purposefully; thatโ€™s just how itโ€™s turned out.

I started off a tad overweight, so with a constant body weight my composition is gradually changing โ€” less fat, more muscle.

At some point Iโ€™m going to need to gain a little weight to put on more muscle after I run out of extra fat and my lifts start to plateau.
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