u/SupremeOHKO

Looking for smaller hole-in-the-wall gyms (so not EoS, Planet Fitness, LAFitness, Mountainside, etc.) with a smaller and more "serious" atmosphere. No disrespect to EoS or any of those gyms, I've used those for years, but I like the gritty and "dingey" vibes of smaller, more old-school gyms.

I'm in for a little history lesson hopefully. Now please bare with me as I've never been to NYC but have always been interested in it, so my perspective could be completely wrong here.

I'll use the Diamond District as an example. I can piece together for myself the general idea - a certain area became popular for its services, so more businesses that offered the same service popped up in that same area. Basic economics. But I guess my question is how are these businesses still thriving? How are there 50 different jewelry stores still up and running? Why hasn't "natural selection" (for lack of better terms) happened where there are only 1 or 2 really huge stores and everyone else would have to jump ship?

I wish I had it on video to better explain it but it's like this:

Me and uke are trying to pull each other into our guards, or we start from seated guard, etc. Uke will go to his back or side to frame as I try to pass. I try to knee slice into their half guard -> pass their guard -> take mount, but what ends up happening is they'll use my exposed back leg and put me in oshi or Z-Guard. I've also heard standing pass is usually better, which I've been working on too.

What are some things I should keep in mind when knee slicing, or if there are any better recommended ways of passing guard in this scenario?

I currently train BJJ and would love to start cross training. Anyone know of any place in Scottsdale? I know there's a couple in Mesa but I'd prefer to just go after work or something.

I'm not even a member technically, I just like engaging in conversations here from time to time. It's nice to be able to collectively come together and share our own experiences from when we were growing up, and how our lives contrast with one another from other time periods. I love it, especially as a history nerd, hearing first-hand anecdotes about previous decades that I wasn't alive during.

That being said, that's not the reality of this place half the time. The amount of times I see millennials making fun of Gen Z and acting like victims with nothing at fault is insane. Or boomers and Gen X calling people snowflakes but god forbid you say something they disagree with. Same thing with Gen Z making fun of old people for not being technologically literate while statistically lacking in life skills that come as second nature to the older crowds.

It's so tiring and pointless to fight each other over who's the better generation. It's such a stupid and insignificant argument that has 0 actual meaning in the real world. At the end of the day, the time period in which you were raised only attributes to so much of who you are - the more important factors being how your parents raised you and the environments you lived in. Every time I stumble upon this subreddit, I get interested in interacting with people who experienced life in completely different circumstances, but then it's just low-effort memes making fun of each other half the time. Like, give it a fucking rest.

I train grappling 2-3x a week but will increase when I have more time. I lift 2 days a week, and try to get another day of cardio. Looking to see if this is an efficient routine or if I should change anything. Assume everything is 3 sets of 6-8 reps unless I mention otherwise. I do probably around 70-80% of my 1RM because I don't want to get injured or be too sore.

Day A (Pull and Hinge):

- Deadlifts

- Pull-ups

- Rows

- Hip thrusts (or RDLs if hip thrust machines are taken)

- Leg presses

Finish with a set of bicep curls and core

Day B (Push and Legs):

- Squats (preferably hack squats)

- Dbell bench

- Incline dbell bench

- Leg extensions and curls (2 sets each)

Finish with a set of lat raises, calf raises, and core