mikemamaril

[mikemamaril]

Start of my Ryzen ITX build

[mikemamaril]

Synology DS216+II RAM Upgrade

Just finished upgrading my Synology DS216+II to 8GB of DDR3L (low voltage) Kingston memory, from the stock 1GB RAM.. This will hopefully improve performance and caching, especially since I can turn off memory compression now and perhaps help with Plex Hardware Transcoding.

The disassembly was pretty straight-forward. After removing the drives and  sliding the top cover backward (fastened to the frame by 2 plastic pegs inside) simply remove the 7 screws holding the chassis in place.

Then gently pry the board out to reveal the DIMM slot at the bottom:

...put it back together, and viola!

[mikemamaril]

Plex Hardware Transcoding on the Synology DS216+II

I signed up for the Plex Pass for $4.99 to have access to the preview release of the Plex Media Server 1.7.x which had support for hardware transcoding for inlet based Synology NAS units. Fortunately my research turned out to be true and it actually worked!

My DS216+ii running DSM 6.1 can install Plex 1.5.3, but opted to install 1.5.7 which is available for download on Plex site. Unfortunately it can’t even stream 1.5Mbps  480p without stuttering to a single client. After installing 1.7.4.4017 I can stream at 4Mbps 720p smoothly without any noticeable issues so far.

Next up is to upgrade to 8GB of RAM from the stock 1GB of RAM the DS216+II ships with.

[mikemamaril]

Another good fantasy read, the only problem being the wait until the next book comes out :(

[mikemamaril]

Breaking it in for a PR

[mikemamaril]

the road less traveled

For a high school dropout, things have been working very well for me so far. Got a place I can call my own, a job I actually like and the time and financial freedom to do what I like, and enjoy life. For everything I never had and wished I had helped me know what and how to get what I need and want in life.

I guess, I am writing this to remind my future self that when shit hits the fan (like it usually does), life is still good all things considered. I aimed for the stars, failed, but still landed on the moon... now rinse and repeat.

The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.

[mikemamaril]

Barbells vs. Machines vs. Everything Else

[mikemamaril]

Why do you keep pushing yourself? Because I am too blessed not to!

Brian Alsruhe

[mikemamaril]

Military drama and zombies ...need I say more?

[mikemamaril]

I Love Koi Swim by mike mamaril Via Flickr: Responsive online shop based on WordPress and WooCommerce

[mikemamaril]

My Rogue Home Gym

I’m turning 34 in a May so I thought it would be the perfect rationale to pull the trigger on building my home gym. I am going all-in in and taking my training to the next level by building my own happy place. I set pretty high goals for myself, so I am literally and figuratively investing in myself and putting my money where my mouth is.

I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to build this and be healthy enough to take full advantage of it. It is a big chunk of change which will pay dividends in the future; As my family and I start this journey of being strong mofo’s.

Now, all that’s left is to wait for it to come from Columbus Ohio, to California, and finally to Manila, Philippines.

Life’s Good!

[mikemamaril]

Thanks Ampa

I often get asked “what do I take” to get big and/or muscular and I respond nothing really, bananas maybe? I’ve been doing free-weights since I was a kid, then got into distance running back in 2007 and got hooked. I was sorta’ big back then but not as muscular since I primarily just ran, averaging 35kms a week just to stay in running form. Unfortunately back in 2015 my body finally broke after running for several years with nagging injuries I didn’t address properly: a torn hamstring, IT Band problems, knee pain, then finally lower back problems to name a few. It got so bad that I couldn’t even bend over to tie my shoes anymore much less run.

in 2016 I decided to start power lifting to fix my posture and to get strong over-all, then I got hooked then the rest is history! I bought my own barbell and plates and started taking it more seriously. This is where I gained a lot of muscle over the course of a year. I am new to the strength game so I guess you can attribute my growth to newbie-gains. Though majority of people are to jaded to believe my answer when they ask me, which is sad really.

I do not do any isolation movements, I focus on the big 4 movements:

Squat

Bench-Press

Deadlift

Overhead Press

...and accessory movements to reinforce those primary movements:

weight pull-ups

weighted dips

dumbbell rows

Bulgarian Split Squats

lunges

and other movements to many to mention

My goal is to be as strong as I can at my walking weight of 70-73kg and not on size or aesthetics. A long term goal would be to be proficient in Olympic lifts and probably compete down the line. I do not go to any commercial gyms, I never paid for commercial gym memberships really, though I do visit commercial gyms when they have free trials... yes, I am a cheapskate.

I use YouTube as my primary source for research and coaching. I follow these people and owe most of my gains to them: shout out to Scooby, I’ve been freezing my bananas for over a decade now :)

scooby1961

OmarIsuf

Allan Thrall

CanditoTrainingHQ

Buff Dudes

Athlean-X

Super Training (Mark Bell)

Long story short, I guess I am lucky in terms of genes which I probably got from my Ampa (Grand Father). I really don’t have to do those curls or crunches to get ripped. Haters gonna hate, but if anything I do hope I inspire other people in any way, shape or form.

Thanks Ampa!

[mikemamaril]

More Rogue goodness for my home gym! #GetSome #Gainz

[mikemamaril]

Sabado nights

[mikemamaril]

Rogue landmine post and grip with 4x25kg bumpers. More reasons to fuck my body up.

[mikemamaril]

Voodoo Floss Bands review

The name says it all, it’s Voodoo! I was skeptical at first, how can a band of latex fix my epicondylitis  (tennis elbow) and tight/inflamed knee? But it came down to either this 2,000PHP (40USD) or going to a physician who will most-likely prescribe some drug or operation to pseudo-fix the pain... until you break it again for 1,500PHP (30USD). SO I went the former.

It didn’t cure my tennis elbow so to speak, but the relief is significant and noticeable. So much so that it allowed me to train and properly address the issue by training the muscles and ligaments properly to permanently address the issue. I’ve been training consistently for a decade now, and wear and tear injuries are an inevitability, and I am so stoked that this product, as simple as it seems allows me to therapeutically deal with my injuries and teach myself more about my body as I grow older.

The bands are cheaper if you live in the US (19USD) from Rogue Fitness, but since I’m from the Philippines you need to pay extra for shipping and taxes. If anyone is interested, I got mine from Ken Tan of The Rack PH.

[mikemamaril]

Being chosen is the greatest gift you can give to another human being.