So. P90X anyone? (Misery loves company)

[Cyrrex]

I got the clearance to start lifting again. So I'm doing a small cardio to warm up (about 30 mins and 5 mins cool down), then I'm going to try this plan: http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/the-beginner-weight-training-workout-routine/

His plan is great for me, not a lot to remember, will make it easier to get back into it, and with the way I work, it will be allot easier to keep at it. Work days are crazy, so I usually don't have more than an hour to exercise then head to work, on my days off I can take the time to do more training (I'm only working 3 days a week, but they are 13+hour shifts sometime). Been trying to alter my diet, slow going, but getting there too.

Good news is I seem to be back almost to the speed and endurance before I had the blood clot. Doc is yelling, most people who have blood clots don't bounce back, plus I'm not therapeutic yet either (ya I'm resistant to rat poison!).

That looks like a decent plan...it is quite similar to Starting Strength (which I would say is a little better for pure strength, but it depends on your goals).  I wouldn't touch version 2 with a 10 foot pole, however...it was clearly designed as a concession for the people who can't get it through their heads that isolation exercises are a negative at this stage of their training.  They can actually hold your progress back at this stage.

Do be aware that this is primarily a strength building program.  You may hit a wall that requires you to increase calorie intake a bit in order to keep progressing.  Your scale might not be happy about that (although your mirror might like it just fine).

[Sky]

I got overzealous with my pushups and strained or pulled or whatever my triceps :p

Off to a good start getting back in shape. I'll stick to chopping wood and climbing mountains, I think.

[Chimpy]

Did 31 miles in 1:45 this morning on the bike.

Now I am a weensy bit tired as it was considerably more humid than I expected even though it was only in the low 70s temp wise it felt like riding through soup.

[satael]

Just got this in mail so hopefully tomorrow the weather will hold and I can start wearing it in 

[Nebu]

What seat is that?  Do you have a link?

[satael]

What seat is that?  Do you have a link?

Brooks B17. Hopefully the last bicycle saddle I ever need to buy.

[Nebu]

520g?  Hope that's for a hybrid or commuter bike. 

Looks comfy though.

[satael]

My previous saddle is Seta and it was pretty good except for long (>3 hour) rides where I started to feel it which wasn't really a good thing (but to be expected of a narrow saddle like that) and I'll take the (more than double) weight of the B17 if it makes for a better experience in the long run.

[Chimpy]

Speaking of saddles,  need to track down a Selle SMP Lite 209 to try on my Orbea. The bontrager Hilo RLX I have just doesn't quite do it for me.

[climbjtree]

Well, knocked out a 305lb (138.5kg) front squat today at 190lbs (86kg). I crumbled under 315lbs (143kg), but I'll get it next week. Just going to do my first set at a higher weight.

Anyway, huzzah!

[satael]

Based on today's 100km ride the new saddle is definitely an improvement for me compared to the previous saddle I had. 

[Cyrrex]

I am finally able to do some work in the gym after my "incident".  Some of you may have read in the Useless thread that I blew my back out, like really bad.  I guess I knew I was playing with fire, but things are always so much clearer in hindsight, aren't they?  It was the day where I was FINALLY going to get 225 off the ground, and the grand irony of it being that I had told myself that if I succeeded I would finally be satisfied and stop trying to push it so hard.  Which is really stupid, because A) it is just an arbitrary number at the end of the day, and B) I have picked up more than already on a trap bar.  Ego can be a fantastic motivator, but damned if it can't also screw you.  I guess I just really loved the challenge of it and couldn't control myself.  In the past 12 months, I managed the following:

- 220kg strict deadlift, 235 on the trap bar, 260 from the pins
- 130kg decline bench
- 170kg squat
- 105kg clean and press
- 50kg db rows for 15 reps
- 38 bodyweight dips
- 25 chins, 22 pullups

So yeah, KABOOM it went.  That was six weeks ago.  The first three weeks, I probably spent close to 23 hours a day flat on my back.  I couldn't walk more than 50 feet without needing to lay down again to relieve the intense pain.  I was on upwards of 80mg of morphine per day, and even that was just enough to make it bearable.  It was not until the fourth week that I could begin to sit down, and then only for about 30 seconds at a time, max.  Somewhere between week 4 and 5, things began to improve significantly.  Pain became totally managable, and I could finally begin to actually move around freely (if slowly) and sit down for longer periods of time.  As of today, I can sit down no problem...I have in fact been back to work this past week, sitting in an office chair for hours at a stretch.  I have also basically totally dropped all medications, including the morphine.  Of course, all those weeks of almost total inactivity, combined with the nerve issues in my lower back, have had a serious effect on my legs.  I have lost probably about 4 kilograms of weight in this span of time, and I'd say much of that is leg muscle.  Everything above the knee seems to more or less function properly (even if the muscles are still relatively weak).  Below the knee, there are issues.  My calf muscles just seem to have gone to pudding.  I have been walking around for about two weeks now, and I still have a bit of a slow, limping gait.  If I concentrate super hard, I can almost walk normally over a short distance...anything longer and it starts to break down.  It is as if my brain has lost some contact with my calves.  If I try to just stand up on my tip toes, I can probably hold it there for a count of 5 - and that is a vast improvement over the last couple of weeks.  This is the hardest part of trying to get back to normal, and it is humbling to say the least.

Like I said, though, I am back at the gym.  Obviously, my approach has to be different now.  I have to finally admit to myself that I am too old and/or too susceptible to these major back issues, and I simply cannot train the way I used to, probably ever again.  For the most part, I will never see the above numbers again.  Heavy squatting is probably something I will never do again.  Same for heavy deadlifting, obviously.  I may continue to do some light work, because I think I'd like to still be able to be able to do Cleans and such things, but I just don't know yet.  This doesn't usually stress my back much, especially if I keep it light, but on the other hand I suspect I will be a bit gun shy for a while.  I will probably still do overhead work...I know my doctor would probably tell me not to put that much pressure straight down on my spinal column, but I don't actually think this is where my risk is.  I have even been testing this a little this last week with some seated stuff, and it doesn't feel wrong to me.  I would be a sad puppy if I couldn't press overhead, because that is right in my wheelhouse.

In general, regardless of anything else I may or may not do, I have to have a different mindset.  I need to take more of a aesthetics and general fitness kind of approach, and that is a hard pill for me to swallow.  Now, I have to join the ranks of the bodybuilding douchebags and maybe the Cross(un)fit crowd as well.  No, there isn't necessarily anything wrong with doing either of those things, these are just the things I used to tell myself as motivation and to fuel my ego.  And it worked, for good and ill.  If I have to be perfectly honest with myself, the truth is that I am not terribly good at either of those things.  Bodybuilding in particular does not come naturally to me - I can go through the motions, but I get poorer results.  I don't have to give everything up, and I am sure I will find ways to motivate myself.  Maybe I will finally solve the mystery of growing biceps.

So, expect future posts to be about my adventures in squat rack curling, or maybe even some High Intensity Burpees.  Or maybe how I can finally press 25kg on the calf machine for 3 reps without shedding tears, as old ladies look upon and snicker at me.  

[NowhereMan]

Dude, I'm super proud of finally managing to get a good set of 92.5Kg squats and hoping to finally hit 100 before I turn 30. Don't cry too much over going 'light' 

[Cyrrex]

You should be proud!  Most people in the gym can't do that.

In absolute terms, sure, you have a point.  But in relative terms, it is still quite a blow.  I remember hitting 100kg squats and feeling totally satisfied.  For about a day or two.  The feeling does not change when you hit 120, 130, 140 or 150.  Once you realize you actually can acheive something, it is only natural to think you can do more.  Losing a significant portion of that strength from one day to the next is a crushing blow to the ego.  Imagine if you woke up tomorrow and could only squat 50kg, and would likely not be able to ever improve on it.  I think it would feel more or less similar.

[NowhereMan]

Fair enough, time to start curling pink 2kg weights on a bosu ball then 

[Cyrrex]

Dude, I have to work my way up to the bosu ball.  I need the safety of the squat rack to for my curling needs.

[K9]

Just gradually transform yourself into one of those freakishly lean bodyweight guys who are still doing muscle-ups at the age of 65

[Nebu]

So, expect future posts to be about my adventures in squat rack curling, or maybe even some High Intensity Burpees.  Or maybe how I can finally press 25kg on the calf machine for 3 reps without shedding tears, as old ladies look upon and snicker at me.  

You may not realize this, but it's a blessing in disguise.  

I was a heavy lifter for much of my life (age 15 - 40).  Now that I'm in my late 40's, I'm focusing more on fitness and less on weight.  The relief to my joints has been wonderful.  I wish I would have changed my routine a decade ago.  Most of my workouts are body weight and machine based.  I feel just as strong, but don't have the pain that I used to suffer lifting heavy, especially in my back, knees, and shoulders.  I also haven't had a lifting-related injury in the past two years. 

[Ingmar]

Sounds like maybe you need to do some running/biking type work on your calves to get them working normally before you go back to the grr manly man stuff.

[Cyrrex]

Just gradually transform yourself into one of those freakishly lean bodyweight guys who are still doing muscle-ups at the age of 65

Those guys sorta creep me out.  I don't want to look like I've been living in an internment camp.  Their feets of strength are impressive, though.

Sounds like maybe you need to do some running/biking type work on your calves to get them working normally before you go back to the grr manly man stuff.

Running is out, because A) I literally cannot do it right now, B) I have to avoid that kind of high impact stuff for my back's sake, and C) nobody is chasing me so why would I run?

Biking, on the other hand, now that is something.  I have started a little, but my stamina has gone in the shitter.

Most of my workouts are body weight and machine based.

I hear you.  I actually do tons of BW stuff in the forms of dips and pull-ups, and always have.  Dips I do as supplemental - as in, only after I am done with ordinary bench work - because I find that they don't work me hard enough otherwise.  For some reason, I am freakishly good at them...probably because my shoulders really like that angle, as strange as that might sound.  They are a fantastic finishing exercise for your chest, that is for sure.

Pullups I also do like crazy, but I am not naturally adept at them.  I have to work hard to get good at them, and for the most part I don't get the results I want out of them.  By that I mean that I do not really seem to get the back/lat or biceps development out of them that most people do.  The thing I have found recently that actually does seem to work for me a little better is when I do them as isometric holds.  E.g. take a fairly wide grip, pull yourself up and see how long you can hold it there.  Playing around with that sort of thing seems to give me a bit of a bonus.

What other kinds of BW stuff do you do?

[Nebu]

I've been doing my dips and pull ups wearing a backpack with a 25lb plate for the reasons you mention.  You won't get sculpted doing naturals, but you will get strong without the potential for injury.  It seems to develop a more natural physique.  I miss the days of having a v-back and ripped chest, but at my age it's much easier to maintain health and fitness and forgo the vanity. 

When I'm doing naturals, I have a push day and a pull day. 
Pull days
chins (x3 to failure), pull ups, and wide grip pulls
weighted dips
obliques

Push day
narrow, wide, and incline weighted pushups (x3 until failure)
lower and upper abs
Add planks for core

I've been doing more dumbell work as well for back and shoulders. Naturals don't hit those areas hard enough.

[Cyrrex]

Even with the weighted dips, they still don't tax me enough to do them as a primary movement.  I do lots of them weighted (all the way up to 75lbs for 10), and always after 8 to 10 sets on the bench.  Conversely, I actually find that they sculpt me better than the bench does, whichs is one of the reasons I like them so much.  A good finisher, and a great stretch on the pecs.  Anyway, while our experiences are a bit different, I generally agree.

I don't know what I am going to do about ab work.  I can't really do much right now that includes any flexion, because that is a no-no when I have these back issues.  And planks don't do anything for me, probably because of all the deadlifting I have done...they are more of an exercise in determining how long I can stand the pain in my arms/elbows from holding the position.  Front squats are also out for a while, at least anything with a useful amount of weight.

[Cyrrex]

Had a follow-up with my doctor a couple of days ago.  He thought I was progressing nicely, but thinks I should focus mostly on doing cardio activities for the next 4 weeks, and to only do hard exercise 3 days a week, to make sure I have at least one rest day in between.  To make sure the healing juices are flowing, and to some extent aid in returning some of my leg strength.  The sleeping/tingling sensations are almost completely gone now in my toes and my posterior, and I can feel that I have more fine control of the musculature in my pelvic area.  So I guess that means to the inflammation is subsiding in there.  Strength and control over my calf muscles is slowly returning.  A bit too slow for my tastes, especially the left one (which still cannot support my own weight fully).  Doctor thinks that most of this is just pressure on the nerves and will eventually go away.  I hope so, because walking is still an annoyance.  I don't think my limp is as noticable as it was, but I can still feel that my gait is off.

So yeah, cardio.  My stamina isn't great, but it is getting better.  Two weeks ago I got on the elliptical machine and could literally not go for more than three minutes.  On level zero.  That was my starting point.  I feel like I have gotten over the hump a bit since then and can actually start to do something worthwhile.  Will alternate between that, the stationary bike (and a real one on off days perhaps) and walking on the treadmill with an incline.  Bench pressing is fine, pullups and chins are fine, but nothing at all that puts downward compression on my spine.  So no overhead stuff (not even lat pulls), no light squatting, no leg pressing of any kind.  Have to work on the leg muscles in isolation, and even then be careful not to go too heavy.  Bodyweight lunges are also okay with a light set of DBs.

Anyway, it's only four week, I can deal with that.  He thinks I can probably begin to go back to a more normal routine after that.

[NowhereMan]

How about Bulgarian split squats with dumbbells (or even body weight) as a leg exercise? Those are meant to be pretty brutal even without too much weight.

[Cyrrex]

Yeah, that is exactly the sort of thing I can do.  In fact, I have never been very good with single leg squatting or lunging, so maybe it's about time I learned.

[jakonovski]

I decided to finally get off my ass and started bicycling. I'm in terrible shape and the local terrain is rather hilly, so I'm a wheezing wreck after a couple of short climbs. Feels good though. The bike seems pretty good straight off the shelf apart from some minor adjustments, but I guess time will tell. Can't appreciate nuance quite yet.

My goal for the autumn is to manage the 7km ride to work without problems (them hills!), and next year I'll start practicing for a 110km cross country trail. Here's hoping for a snow free winter.





 

[satael]

I decided to finally get off my ass and started bicycling. I'm in terrible shape and the local terrain is rather hilly, so I'm a wheezing wreck after a couple of short climbs. Feels good though. The bike seems pretty good straight off the shelf apart from some minor adjustments, but I guess time will tell. Can't appreciate nuance quite yet.

My goal for the autumn is to manage the 7km ride to work without problems (them hills!), and next year I'll start practicing for a 110km cross country trail. Here's hoping for a snow free winter.

Finnish winter is a toss between lots of snow and ice and almost none till December (and I'm hoping for a snow free winter too after getting into cycling this year after more than a decade without riding at all).   

[Cyrrex]

I can almost walk like a normal person now, at least over short distances.

Been trying some dumbbell lunges over the past couple of weeks.  Man oh man am I terrible at them.  I have never been good at them, and I think I never will be.  Two 20kg dumbbells is enough to stymie me and almost make me topple over.  I am sooooo looking forward to when my doctor tells me I can do some light squatting again, though I am afraid to discover how weak I've become.  Still, I'll take that over this single leg stuff any day.

[K9]

Would stuff like farmer's walks be any use to you? Just a random thought.

Either way, glad you're recovering man, injuries suck. Just take your time to get back to full health ya!

[Chimpy]

Did a short run of 2 miles with a 1/4 mile walk in the middle on Thursday. Was sore the next day but was better than I expected, went for my first bike ride since before the surgery on Saturday, got 12 miles in and felt pretty good.

It is mega-hot and humid here right now so I might try and get a run in tomorrow before I go to work as I need to train a bit for the 5k obstacle course run in 3 weeks.

[Cyrrex]

Would stuff like farmer's walks be any use to you? Just a random thought.

Eventually, but I am not allowed to do them yet...too much compression on the spine if I use enough weight to make it meaninful to me.  My doc would probably tell me not to do lunges with even this 40kg load.

I am hoping that after my next appointment (in a week) he gives me the go ahead to start up some light squatting, cleans, farmers walks, and even some light deads.  My recovery has been pretty good, so I expect I'll be allowed.  My problem will be to keep my own stupid ego in check and keep it light.

[jakonovski]

First week of cycling is just about done, managed to put in 5 hours of quality cycling time (ie. fairly intense exercise for me). My stamina is going up super fast, but being able to ride an actual mountain bike trail still seems far away. Found out there's a top quality BMX track like a kilometre from where I work. Entry fee is only 8 euros, totally going there as soon as I feel confident enough.

[DraconianOne]

So after 28 years, the annual 135 mile Badwater Ultramarathon has pretty much been consigned to history because the National Park Services in the US are recommending against holding events in Death Valley during the summer. /golfclap

I want to make a snarky related comment about US Health & Safety hypocrisy but that will get this moved to Politics.

 

[K9]

This is just one of those things for which I can see absolutely zero appeal

[Cyrrex]

I mean, it does sound like an awfully bad idea.

Feel free to make the snarky comments, though.  We only have the fun we make ourselves.