Definitely noticing the body adjusting/strengthening. Arms/shoulders/chest getting more solid. Plenty of work ahead of me, but progress is being made. Not where I want to be, but better than a few months ago. Given this is a long term, life long deal, patience is important I think. That's a big problem for many - everybody wants to lose 20 pounds in 8 weeks, get a six pack in a month or otherwise become a shredded Adonis in as little time as possible they forget that they are often battling against years of work to the opposite.
Performance wise, I am honestly stronger now than I have probably ever been in my life. Example - I'm up from 20 push ups to an all time PR a couple days ago (50).
Have been slowly accumulating equipment, too. Haven't dropped the coin on the rack, Olympic bar and weight set yet - garage space is commandeered for a home project for at least another month. My workout space at present is half of a spare bedroom, so the equipment has been focused to that end.
Based on commentary from the tribe, I picked up a sandbag, which I use for squats, power cleans and deadlifts for reps. Used it as a makeshift flat bench, too, 'till I spent the coin on a a nice flat bench (Rogue utility bench).
The Rogue bench was pricier than most other options, but it's super-solid and should last for the next 30 or 40 years. Don't mind spending a bit extra for stuff that is built to last, and is made in the USA to boot.
After some back and forth and running the numbers, I went with a pair of Powerblock adjustable dumbbells. Fixed dumbbells are actually pretty expensive (around $1 a pound), and they take up a crap load of space. So, while the Powerblocks have a steep initial cost, they actually end up saving money and space in the long run. They're very nice, comfortable to use, and the adjustable feature is great - adjusting up or down takes only a few seconds. I'll be picking up the 70 pound expansion set soon. Again, a piece of equipment that will last a long time and through a lot of use.
Anyways, if you aren't happy with the shape you're in, get up and do something about it. Block out some time in your life to train, move around and lift some heavy metal - and be consistent!
