Recovery after major shoulder repair

[Khryz]

Damn, it's been 4 weeks already?

Still, I can't believe you're doing 300 pound deadlifts already. I didn't even think of holding anything heavy with my shoulder for like a year -- but I guess I just didn't know I could've.

Looks like your rehab is going great. Mine seems to be fine as well. Shoulder still is a bit vulnerable, but overall I am not in any pain in the gym. Not going to do dips until I get stronger though and tendons/ligaments get stronger as well.

Saw another surgeon last week just to see what he said (he did my first surgery in 02 for instability) because if you recall a couple weeks ago I felt my shoulder was unstable again and he said it might have been a minor subluxation but nothing that would warrant surgery.

He also just told me that I just have very loose joints, and the increased mobility comes at a cost of reduced stability so I will always have to keep my RC and upper back strong. Forever! Lol.

[fittofattofit]

Damn, it's been 4 weeks already?

Still, I can't believe you're doing 300 pound deadlifts already. I didn't even think of holding anything heavy with my shoulder for like a year -- but I guess I just didn't know I could've.

Looks like your rehab is going great. Mine seems to be fine as well. Shoulder still is a bit vulnerable, but overall I am not in any pain in the gym. Not going to do dips until I get stronger though and tendons/ligaments get stronger as well.

Saw another surgeon last week just to see what he said (he did my first surgery in 02 for instability) because if you recall a couple weeks ago I felt my shoulder was unstable again and he said it might have been a minor subluxation but nothing that would warrant surgery.

He also just told me that I just have very loose joints, and the increased mobility comes at a cost of reduced stability so I will always have to keep my RC and upper back strong. Forever! Lol.

Yep 4 weeks already!
I couldn't wait to start deadlifting and I've always found that it doesn't put any stress on my shoulders or LHB if I don't 'hitch'. It felt good doing deads with 3 pps yesterday
I won't be dipping though either - lots of stress on the shoulder and LHB with that
It sounds like you should just keep up with the strengthening work and aim for control and TUT with your lifting - it really is the way to get over these shoulder issues

[fittofattofit]

Bumped over page
Lifting at 3,400 metres is fun, but a challenge!

13th June 2011

4 weeks post-op today - Day 14 in South America

Premier Gym - Cusco - Peru - 3,400 metres

Deads, shrugs and rows

Deadlifts
10 x 60kg (132lbs)
10 x 100kg (220lbs)
3, 3, 3, 2, 1 x 140kg (308lbs)
Felt good, but recovery time at this altitude took ages. I think that normally I would have got sets of 5 and had a two minute rest. Here I had the strength to do more reps, but I was breathless, and there was around 4 minutes needed to catch my breath between sets

BB Shrugs
5, 5, 5 x 100kg (220lbs)
10, 10, 10 x 60kg (132lbs)
Slow and squeezed at the top, controlled descent - don't normally do any trap work but lots seem to swear by it

CGBPs
3, 5, 5, 5 x 60kg (132lbs)
Pecs can feel it

chest supported DB rows
10, 10, 10, 10 x 50lb
never done these before - slow and controlled and could feel the lower lats burning

Decline bench crunchies
20, 20

60 minutes

Did this while the ladies were shopping in the street markets - my idea of hell!
Nice session though, and it always feels good to squeeze in a lifting session when you are out of town

[SupaaJ]

Wow hiking around at 15,000+ feet?! I'd be like gasppp gaspppp haha.

Amazing photos of the trip, especially Machu Piccchu, so gorgeous!

Training looks spot on and you still look big and lean, doing something right!

Glad to hear the shoulder is feeling great, that's rapid recovery.

[fittofattofit]

Wow hiking around at 15,000+ feet?! I'd be like gasppp gaspppp haha.

Amazing photos of the trip, especially Machu Piccchu, so gorgeous!

Training looks spot on and you still look big and lean, doing something right!

Glad to hear the shoulder is feeling great, that's rapid recovery.

I was gasping, and I had about 15kg on my back, but you sure do add quickly to your fitness. I'm feeling much fitter at Cusco 3,400m than I did 10 days back, and I'm hoping that I'll really notice an improvement in my stamina when I get back to sea level in Aus
(Maintaining it will be the trick!)

[SupaaJ]

I was gasping, and I had about 15kg on my back, but you sure do add quickly to your fitness. I'm feeling much fitter at Cusco 3,400m than I did 10 days back, and I'm hoping that I'll really notice an improvement in my stamina when I get back to sea level in Aus
(Maintaining it will be the trick!)

Oh I'm sure you will feel like you have super lungs back @ sea level in Aus.
Have to sleep in one of those trick elevation-adding bubbles like the road cyclists do. LOL.

[nwskier]

wow, looks like an epic trip. some great pics there.
nice job deadlifting at altitude!

[fittofattofit]

Oh I'm sure you will feel like you have super lungs back @ sea level in Aus.
Have to sleep in one of those trick elevation-adding bubbles like the road cyclists do. LOL.

No
But I do plan to up my cardio with a bit of extra HIIT cycling to maintain my fitness
Got a couple of nice ski trips planned and want to be fitter than last year

wow, looks like an epic trip. some great pics there.
nice job deadlifting at altitude!

Strength felt fine but I was totally anaerobic after 3 reps - took 4 or 5 minutes between sets to get my breath back!

[fittofattofit]

14th June 2011

Day 15 in South America

Tour of more Inca ruins and then Guinea Pig!!

Started off touring - Peru is stunningly beautiful and the preserved history is fascinating. Lots of Inca and older ruins, churches and village tourist markets, so a pic for a little culture!


Then the highlight!!! Oven-roasted Guinea Pig!!!

My vegetarian 14yo ran away at this stage!


The serving display leaves something to be desired!


I got a hind quarter - tasted nice, but there wasn't much meat and the skin was leathery!
The 16yo boy with us sucked the brains out of the head after being told it was one of the best parts!
I'm not usually squeamish, but that made me gag!

Proper lunch after that, and then the gym while the girls went shopping again!

Premier Gym - Cusco - Peru - 3,400 metres

Chest/rows/arms

CGBP
10 x 50kg (110lbs)
6 x 60kg (132lbs)
3, 3, 3, 3, 3 x 70kg (154lbs)
Slow and full ROM - taking care of the shoulder and biceps

Seated cable rows
10, 10, 9, 8, 8 x 75kg (165lbs)

EZ bar curls
5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 x 40kg (88lbs)
Slow eccentric and concentric - trying to avoid any 'swinging up' of the weight

Rope triceps extensions
7, 6, 5, 5 x 40kg (88lbs)

Seated calf raises
20, 20, 16, 15 x 44lb
Slow with a squeeze at the top - really pumped at the end

60 minutes

Followed up with a 2 lady massage heavy duty deep tissue, 1 hour 15 minutes for $16!!

[fittofattofit]

[size=4]

16th June 2011

Day 17 in South America

Radisson Hotel - Quito - Ecuador - 2,900 metres

Chest/rows/arms

CGBP
10, 10, 10, 10, 10 x 60kg (132lbs)
Really slow and full ROM

Pendlay Rows
15, 15, 15, 13, 13 x 60kg (132lbs)
Never normally do these, and got good upper back pump

EZ bar curls
10, 10, 10, 8, 8 x 30kg (66lbs)
Slow - good pump

50 minutes

trained at 5 am, before catching an am flight to the Galapagos
Had the gym to myself and took a vid - a couple of screen caps below



Not great pics but I could see a lot more definiton with the gym lighting

[Khryz]

First, that roasted rodent is gross! Anything where I can still see the head would make me sick. Lol.

Second, you're god damn still huge and ripped man. Keep it up. I wouldn't believe you if you told me how many surgeries you've had within the past year.

[fittofattofit]

First, that roasted rodent is gross! Anything where I can still see the head would make me sick. Lol.

It was gross seeing it like that and I won't be rushing out to eat Guinea Pig again - even if they think it is a delicacy in Peru!
Half an hour later I was eating a proper meal of steak washed down with a beer!

Second, you're god damn still huge and ripped man. Keep it up. I wouldn't believe you if you told me how many surgeries you've had within the past year.

Thanks! I don't think that I've lost too much mass this time around so I hope that I can add a few lean pounds and a bit of strength over the next 2 months.
BTW, yesterday, I was taking a pic and sitting on a hand-rail when I slipped backwards. I hung on to my camera with my right hand, and on to the rail with my left and actually did a somersault under the rail and landed flat on my back on the walkway.
My daughter said it was a 'ninja' move, but I did strain my left shoulder a bit!

[Khryz]

I know all about falling after surgeries.

I tell this story alot, so not sure if I mentioned it here -- but both times after my shoulder surgeries I went home that night and woke up in the middle of the night to piss and when I was done it took me minutes and minutes to find my way back to my room and into my bed.

First time it took me about 5 minutes (or what felt like 5 minutes) to walk 3 feet to my room door from the bathroom, and then another 5 minutes to find where my bed was. I must've bumped into everything in my room. Once I got to my bed I fell but luckily I made it. I was sweating bullets.

Second time, same thing happened although this time I didn't make it to my bed and instead knocked over my bookcase and fell straight on my back. Luckily my shoulder didn't even move in the sling.


Not sure what it was .. if it was me reacting to the new painkillers I was taking, or if it was me getting off the anesthesia but I extremely dizzy and I start hallucinating.

Parents said next time I get a surgery, I'm staying in the hospital.

[fittofattofit]

I know all about falling after surgeries.

I tell this story alot, so not sure if I mentioned it here -- but both times after my shoulder surgeries I went home that night and woke up in the middle of the night to piss and when I was done it took me minutes and minutes to find my way back to my room and into my bed.

First time it took me about 5 minutes (or what felt like 5 minutes) to walk 3 feet to my room door from the bathroom, and then another 5 minutes to find where my bed was. I must've bumped into everything in my room. Once I got to my bed I fell but luckily I made it. I was sweating bullets.

Second time, same thing happened although this time I didn't make it to my bed and instead knocked over my bookcase and fell straight on my back. Luckily my shoulder didn't even move in the sling.


Not sure what it was .. if it was me reacting to the new painkillers I was taking, or if it was me getting off the anesthesia but I extremely dizzy and I start hallucinating.

Parents said next time I get a surgery, I'm staying in the hospital.

It's amazing how clumsy you get in a sling - I was continually bumping into people and walls. Drugs just made it worse as I was dopey as well as clumsy

[fittofattofit]

16th to 19th June 2011

Day 17 to 20 in South America

Galapagos!

Great cruise ship - 100 passengers - all food and excursions include. Alcohol is cheap
Snorkelling with Giant Turtles, sharks and sea-lions, and walks amongst the animals and vegetation
Marine Iguanas coming out of your ears
The great thing about the Galapagos is that the animals don't see humans as a threat so that you can get very close to them in the wild. A few select pics (but I've got 100s!)

[fittofattofit]

19th June 2011

Day 20 in South America

Galapagos!

Great day today! Walking first on an island amongst all the sea birds including the 'blue-footed booby' and later with the giant tortoises
The treat of the day was snorkelling with sea-lions and sharks in deep water, and seeing a sea-lion rounding up a 'fish ball' and then powering through it while he would then return to the surface in the midst of our group

Frigate bird!


Giant tortoise and myself!


Myself and daughters!


Mating ritual of the 'blue-footed booby'
The one on the left is the guy who is trying really hard. The one on the right is the girl who is playing hard to get!

Returning to Quito tomorrow!

[SupaaJ]

Giant tortoise and myself!

Woah that IS a giant tortoise! Looking lean and jacked in that tee too!

Daughters look pretty healthy too. haha.

Nice trip, Galapagos is amazingggg! Would so love to go.

[fittofattofit]

Woah that IS a giant tortoise! Looking lean and jacked in that tee too!

Daughters look pretty healthy too. haha.

Nice trip, Galapagos is amazingggg! Would so love to go.

Thanks! That tortoise weighed over 200kg. I wasn't going to wrestle him, but I knew I could out-run him!

And my daughters are lucky - they get their looks from their mum!

[fittofattofit]

20th June 2011

Day 21 in South America

Radisson Hotel - Quito - Ecuador - 2,900 metres

Chest/rows/arms

[/size]

CGBP
10, 10, 10, 10, 10 x 60kg (132lbs)
Really slow and full ROM

Pendlay Rows
15, 15, 15, 13, 13 x 60kg (132lbs)

BB curls
6, 6, 6, 5, 5 x 40kg (88lbs)

30 minutes

Just a quick workout before dinner after travelling from the Galapagos - all done quickly, and good pump. Planning on deads tomorrow am

[fittofattofit]

21st June 2011

Day 22 in South America

Radisson Hotel - Quito - Ecuador - 2,900 metres

Traps/arms

CGBP
10, 10, 10, 10, 10 x 60kg (132lbs)

BB shrugs
12, 12, 12, 10, 8 x 70kg (154lbs)
Slow and strict - squeezed at the top

EZ bar curls
12, 12, 12, 10, 10 x 30kg (66lbs)
superset with
Hammer DB curls
8, 8, 6, 6, 6 x 12.5kg (28lbs)

45 minutes

Another quick light workout - was going to do deads, but could feel a 'twinge' in my lower back after all the air travel, so with 48 hours of planes ahead of me and a likely bad back at the end of it, I decided against!
Looking forward to getting back to my own gym and into a normal regime again!

[Khryz]

Christ man .. you're doing BB curls only 5 weeks post-op with 90 pounds?

My PT would've thrown a fit if I told them that. Lol. My PT place only went up to 10 pound dumbbells.

[Lencho]

[fittofattofit]

Christ man .. you're doing BB curls only 5 weeks post-op with 90 pounds?

My PT would've thrown a fit if I told them that. Lol. My PT place only went up to 10 pound dumbbells.

I can't help myself! But I am doing everything very strictly and I haven't felt any aggravations in my shoulder yet
A lot of PTs/OSs are overly cautious. The bone insertion should be predominantly healed at 4 weeks and completely healed at 6 weeks, so that while you should ease into it, there's no reason to take 6 months to start cranking it up!

Thanks!!

[fittofattofit]

Pic in the shower at the airport - could see plenty of veins in the lighting!
Probably about 12% now in my reckoning

[low blow]

A lot of PTs/OSs are overly cautious. The bone insertion should be predominantly healed at 4 weeks and completely healed at 6 weeks, so that while you should ease into it, there's no reason to take 6 months to start cranking it up!

0_o

heavy

[fittofattofit]

0_o

heavy

I can't help myself

25th July 2011

159lbs!

5 weeks 5 days post-op. 1st day back in Aus!

Deads/rows

Deadlifts
10 x 60kg (132lbs)
8 x 100kg (220lbs)
3, 4, 3, 1 x 140kg (308lbs)
6 x 100kg (220lbs)
Slow - trying to keep form tight
Will up the volume next time

BB Shrugs
8, 8, 8, 8, 8 x 80kg (176lbs)
12 x 60kg (132lbs)
Strict form - grip fails me well before the traps

Seated cable rows
5 x 90kg (198lbs)
6, 6 x 85kg (187lbs)
6, 6 x 80kg (176lbs)
Strict form - lats feeling it

UH lat pulldowns
8, 8, 8, 8, 8 x 60kg (132lbs)
First time doing this - feels awkward gripping initially because of the lack of ER on the left, but could feel this in the serratus. Definitely a keeper

swiss ball crunchies
20, 20, 20

60 minutes

Good start back - felt tired with jet lag, so no PRs but felt good

[fittofattofit]

26th July 2011

159lbs still!

5 weeks 6 days post-op.

Arms

CGBP
8 x 60kg (132lbs)
5, 4, 3, 3, 3 x 70kg (154lbs)
6 x 60kg (132lbs)
Really Slow - no stress on the shoulder at all.
Could feel the left tri failing

EZ bar
10, 8, 8, 8, 7 x 30kg (66lbs)
Strict form - keeping tension on the biceps belly and no 'swinging'

Pendlay rows
12, 12, 10, 10, 10 x 60kg (132lbs)
Strict and slow

Triceps rope extensions
10, 10, 8, 8, 8 x 80lbs

DB hammer curls
12, 12, 10, 10, 8 x 10kg (22lbs)
Light, but very slow - really avoiding stressing the tendon

60 minutes

Good pump

[fittofattofit]

27th July 2011

159lbs again!

6 weeks post-op.

Legs

Safety Squat bar Squat
10 x bar (48lbs)
10, 10, 10, 10, 10 x 62kg (136lbs)
Slow - trying to keep very good form and going as deep as possible
Barely hit parallel because of hammie tightness when I squat properly

Calf raises - safety squat bar
15, 15, 15, 15 x 62kg (136lbs)
Slow - calves pumped

leg extensions
10, 10, 8, 6, 4 x 60kg (132lbs)
great quad pump

GHRs
10, 10

Wide grip lat pull downs
10 x 150lbs
8, 8, 6 x 160lbs
Really controlled - shoulders good

60 minutes

I enjoy squatting, but I want to nail the form and improve my hamstring flexibility before upping the weights
Could still feel that I've worked my legs though!

I'm resisting the temptation to go heavy - and am going really slow on the all lifts and through a full ROM, so that I don't stress the shoulder
It's bad for the ego though - I still think that it's not a decent bench press unless it's at least 2 pps for reps!!

I saw the surgeon and physio yesterday
When I relax and lift my left shoulder you can hear a sound like bubble wrap being popped - unpleasant and a bit 'achy'
If I retract my scapulae and use my delts to stabilise the shoulder, I have no pain and the 'bubble wrap' sound stops. It's basically that I have no infraspinatus, so that the shoulder is unstable. He thinks that because I've got good delt/trap/scap retractors, that I will overcome the instability and avoid too much wear of the joint

He says he will not do another repair unless I start to get pain from arthritis in the joint

The physio wants me to start rowing with the 1kg pink weights!!

[fittofattofit]

28th July 2011

158lbs - still losing weight!

6 weeks 1 day post-op and with a bit of a cold.

PT session

Single arm cable rows 12, 12, 12 x 60lbs each arm
kettle bell squats 12, 12, 12 x 44lb
Cable squat and row 12, 12, 12 x 130lb
Single leg SLDL 12, 12, 12 each leg
lots of Core work

30 minutes

Nothing heavy, but working on flexibility and core strength.
He thinks that I lack flexibility in the thoracic spine, both extension and rotation, so I've got some exercises to practise
Might try to squeeze some lifting in later - I'm in Canberra tomorrow all day and won't get to lift[/center]

[ThruH1ker]

finally subbing to this log. checked it out a few times. looking amazing for your age man! keep it up. Stop injuring yourself brah! haha just messing with you.. not being able to lift after surgery is the worst. i know that feel. keep it up man!