Bmgamble is Turning Back the Clock!

[bmgamble]

I'm BAAAACK!

Cliffs:
- Injured shoulder 3 weeks out of 90 day comp.
- 5 weeks therapy helped, but it may never be the same
- Goal is get back to the shape I was in pre-injury

Up until 5/9/11, I was in the strongest condition of my life. I was growing stronger and felt absolutely unstoppable. Sound familiar...been there? Well, apparently I was taking things for granted and got sloppy on my bench form...next thing you know, I injured my shoulder. Turns out I had bursitis. After several weeks of therapy, the pain was minimal when doing small exercises such as push-ups. I still didn't feel comfortable trying to workout, so I went into hibernation-mode on my workouts hoping that a long layoff would do the shoulder good.

Well, here I am almost 5 months later from date of injury and I am tired of sitting around. My diet has been pretty good, but I know I lost muscle...and a lot of strength. Slowly but surely I will get back to where I was...hence the thread title.

Stats
Ending comp. weight: 172lbs
Current weight: 168lbs.

Goals
My goal for now is to train for a 5K coming up on 10/29. I know that isn't much of a goal, but it's something and something is better than nothing. Much cardio will be done as well as a very slow intro into the weights. Mostly lower body, but some arms and back. Eventually working up to shoulders, lats and chest.

After the 5K, I'll focus on gaining some strength and take it one day at a time.

Workout: 9/26 - 33 days out

CARDIO
- 2 miles on the track
- 22 minutes
- Nothing to brag about, but I did it without stopping which is more than I thought I could do
- Hope to bring this down to 10 min/mile for the 5K

Summary
Last half mile was tough and felt a little sick, but I pushed through. I can already tell my legs will be feeling it tomorrow. They are probably the weakest part of me, which means I should really focus
on them.

I really forgot how great it is to get back in the gym and do something productive...it was a FANTASTIC feeling. I missed that. Here's to new beginning!

[HARRYBEAST]

Subbed!

[bmgamble]

Subbed!

Welcome aboard! Don't even recognize you anymore!

[HARRYBEAST]

Welcome aboard! Don't even recognize you anymore!

lol thanks man

[bmgamble]

Workout: 9/27 - 32 days out

CARDIO
- 2 miles on the track
- 22 minutes

Summary
Legs were sore, but pace was much better than yesterday; I started too fast yesterday and had to slow down half way through. This time I was steady throughout the 2 miles.

Happy Birthday JM!!
Today is my son's (John Micheal) 8th birthday. Forgot to post this earlier, but wanted to get a pic in. Played laser tag...had a blast! Can't believe how fast he's growing up!

[HARRYBEAST]

Happy B-day to your son. Laser Tag sounds fun.

[bmgamble]

Happy B-day to your son. Laser Tag sounds fun.

It was funny to see them play. They had no strategy...just running around chasing and shooting each other. I feel that if it was paintball, that might have been different lol

[bmgamble]

Workout: 9/29 - 30 days out

CARDIO
- 2 miles on the track


Summary
Side was really hurting so I had to put a couple of walking laps in between the 2 miles. I have a feeling this was due to lack of calories in me at the end of the day (probably about 500-600 cals up until this point in the day). Been busy at work and didn't get to eat much. I really like the noon time workout better than the evening....seem to have more pep.

[pastorpritch]

subb'd!

[bmgamble]

subb'd!

Welcome aboard! I'll need all the support I can get...things will get more interesting when I hit the weights. In the mean time, enjoy the paint drying

[bmgamble]

Workout: 9/30 - 29 days out

CARDIO
- 2 miles on the track


Summary
Felt much better and in a good rhythm here[/QUOTE]

Workout: 10/3 - 26 days out

Son was sick, so I stayed in with him. Planned on incorporating some weights but will put that off until tomorrow. Really excited to get some weights in....bring on the soreness!!

Tonight's dinner....

- Quinoa with pine nuts, raisins and fresh parsley
- Grilled zucchini
- Smoked salmon

[bmgamble]

Workout: 10/4 - 25 days out

CARDIO
- 1 mile (10 minutes)

LIGHT CIRCUIT TRAINING

Was looking for something simple and quick but focused on a variety of muscle groups to try and wean myself back into the weights without stressing the muscles too much....especially the shoulder. Found a video of Mario Lopez's rapid fire db workout and thought it would be perfect.

Used a light weight (20 lbers) just to get some blood flowing. No rest between exercises and about 1-1.5 minute rest between the circuits.

- Dumbbell Squat to parallel, then Overhead Press
- Dumbbell Bent-Over Row
- Dumbell Bench Press
- Standing Bicep Curl

Everything was 20lb x 10 and repeated for total of 3 sets.

Shoulder felt excellent and I was very pleased with that. I'll keep this going for the next few weeks and see how things progress. Hamstrings were pretty tight, so I'll focus on stretching them more. Overall, it was a great little circuit.

[pastorpritch]

Great job! That does look like a good way to get back into the swing of things.
Hope you progress quickly and can start getting to where you want to be soon - with no injuries

[bmgamble]

Great job! That does look like a good way to get back into the swing of things.
Hope you progress quickly and can start getting to where you want to be soon - with no injuries

Thanks! Yes, I was a little more sore than I thought I would be....it's a great feeling to know I'm using my muscles again. A few weeks of conditioning and then some weight training will be on the schedule.

[bmgamble]

Workout: 10/6 - 23 days out

PT TESTING

Sheriff's Office has PT Testing twice a year for promotions and incentive pay...so I try and take part in it.

1.5 mile run: 15:01
Max pushups without stopping: 47
Max situps in 1 minute: 37 (hate these)

Nothing to brag about again, but I'm happy with it since I've been out for so long. Tomorrow will be returning back to the circuit training.

[bmgamble]

Workout: 10/7 - 22 days out

CARDIO
- 1 mile (10.5 minutes)

LIGHT CIRCUIT
- Dumbbell Squat to parallel, then Overhead Press
- Dumbbell Bent-Over Row
- Dumbell Bench Press
- Standing Bicep Curl

- All 20 x 10; 3 sets

Thoughts
I was rather tired before going to the gym and didn't really have that pep. I go to a rehap type facility that has all the gym equipment and everything...kind of family oriented. Ages range from young kids to seniors. As I was doing my first lap around the track, I came up on the older man, probably in his 80s. He was barely moving with a cane-styled walker. That hit me pretty good because I know he'd give anything to be able to do what I was doing which was just a simple jog. He was inspiring to watch. I didn't feel tired after that....the mile seemed quick this time and my light workout was a breeze...motivation was strong. I'll think about him each time I feel tired or not wanting to go to the gym.

Also, shoulder is feeling great still. Will start to increase the weight slightly in a few more workouts.

[HARRYBEAST]

Workout: 10/7 - 22 days out

CARDIO
- 1 mile (10.5 minutes)

LIGHT CIRCUIT
- Dumbbell Squat to parallel, then Overhead Press
- Dumbbell Bent-Over Row
- Dumbell Bench Press
- Standing Bicep Curl

- All 20 x 10; 3 sets

Thoughts
I was rather tired before going to the gym and didn't really have that pep. I go to a rehap type facility that has all the gym equipment and everything...kind of family oriented. Ages range from young kids to seniors. As I was doing my first lap around the track, I came up on the older man, probably in his 80s. He was barely moving with a cane-styled walker. That hit me pretty good because I know he'd give anything to be able to do what I was doing which was just a simple jog. He was inspiring to watch. I didn't feel tired after that....the mile seemed quick this time and my light workout was a breeze...motivation was strong. I'll think about him each time I feel tired or not wanting to go to the gym.

Also, shoulder is feeling great still. Will start to increase the weight slightly in a few more workouts.

Sometimes inspiration comes in weird places. Good to hear the shoulder is holding up too!
Good Work!

[bmgamble]

Sometimes inspiration comes in weird places. Good to hear the shoulder is holding up too!
Good Work!

That is so true....and yes, shoulder is doing great! Real pleased with the movements I'm able to do and no pain. It's kind of awkward a little. I'm anticipating some pain in certain movements, but it's not there...hard to describe, but it's a great feeling.

[bmgamble]

Workout: 10/11 - 18 days out

CARDIO
- 1 mile (10.5 minutes)

LIGHT CIRCUIT
- Dumbbell Squat to parallel, then Overhead Press
- Dumbbell Bent-Over Row
- Dumbell Bench Press
- Standing Bicep Curl

:: All 25 x 10; 3 sets with no rest between exercises and 1.5 minute rest between sets
+ 5 on weight (weight is per hand)

Thoughts
I felt great and bumped the weight up a little. Felt good and shoulder is still solid...very pleased! Have a little back pain today...really have to work on my posture and that should clear up. Overall, I'm coming right along as planned, so I'm happy about that.

[HARRYBEAST]

That is so true....and yes, shoulder is doing great! Real pleased with the movements I'm able to do and no pain. It's kind of awkward a little. I'm anticipating some pain in certain movements, but it's not there...hard to describe, but it's a great feeling.

Not at all man I have had shoulder issues before and completely understand!


Good workout there man. I haven't done a circuit in a while

[bmgamble]

Back had been bothering me for about a week and a half, but finally feels great. However, I haven't been able to hit my gym due to time constraints. 5K is Saturday and we'll see what happens. Been really busy with Halloween stuff lately, so after that I'll have a normal routine again.

We do a haunted garage each year and this year I'm making a couple of extra props. One is Hannibal Lecter and another is just a weird dude...for lack of a better name.

Added some LEDs for the eyes and will be putting them on a strobe light that is motion activated.

Still need to dress up the other guy, but it shows how I made them...pvc and chicken wire.

[HARRYBEAST]

Back had been bothering me for about a week and a half, but finally feels great. However, I haven't been able to hit my gym due to time constraints. 5K is Saturday and we'll see what happens. Been really busy with Halloween stuff lately, so after that I'll have a normal routine again.

We do a haunted garage each year and this year I'm making a couple of extra props. One is Hannibal Lecter and another is just a weird dude...for lack of a better name.

Added some LEDs for the eyes and will be putting them on a strobe light that is motion activated.

Still need to dress up the other guy, but it shows how I made them...pvc and chicken wire.

That is pretty F'n cool!

[pastorpritch]

Suhweet! lol
Hope the back feels better by the 5k, and good luck!
FYI it is snowing here for the first time, ski season is in swing!

[bmgamble]

That is pretty F'n cool!

Thank you

Suhweet! lol
Hope the back feels better by the 5k, and good luck!
FYI it is snowing here for the first time, ski season is in swing!

Appreciate that! I'll be ready one way or another....would love some snow! Starting to finally cool off a little here...it was 87 just yesterday

[bmgamble]

Alright, been tied up with Halloween stuff but I had to post the results of my 5K run this past Saturday.

Previous 5K runs:
41min 5/10
39min 7/10
37min 9/10
33min 10/10

10/29/11
29:55 - PR - Really excited since I haven't done a 5K in a year and really haven't run that much.

After this week, I will be getting back to a normal routine and hitting the gym a regular basis. Now that November is here, I'm ready to put some deer meat in the freezer!

[HARRYBEAST]

nice job man! I can't ever get into running

[bmgamble]

nice job man! I can't ever get into running

Thank you! I am definitely not a runner either, but I was making this 5K a stepping stone to get me back into my routine.

11/8

CARDIO
- 1 mile @ 9 minutes

LIGHT CIRCUIT
- Dumbbell Squat to parallel, then Overhead Press (did only 1 set of squats, but 3 sets of overhead press)
- Dumbbell Bent-Over Row
- Dumbell Bench Press
- Standing Bicep Curl
:: used 25lb db on all exercises with about 1 - 1.5 minute rest
:: completed 3 sets of 10 reps on all except squats

SUMMARY
- Felt great to kick the routine back up again...but now I realize how out of shape I am
- Inner thigh was really tight on the squats...not a typical burn, but just really tight like a cramp, so I opted out until I can stretch better next time

TK KNEE BANDS/WRAPS
- Ordered these yesterday and really anxious to try them out on the leg exercises

[bmgamble]

11/9

CARDIO
- 1 mile @ 10 minutes

LIGHT CIRCUIT
- Dumbbell Squat to parallel, then Overhead Press
- Dumbbell Bent-Over Row
- Dumbell Bench Press
- Standing Bicep Curl
:: used 25lb db on all exercises with about 1 - 1.5 minute rest
:: completed 3 sets on everything this time...legs were much more loose from more stretching

SUMMARY
- Shoulder is doing fantastic and the "shyness" feeling is going away...keeping good form and control so I can work my way up and back into a normal split

[bmgamble]

11/14

CARDIO
- 1 mile @ 10 minutes

LIGHT CIRCUIT

Dumbbell Squat to parallel, then Overhead Press
:: 25/25/25 x 10/10/10

Dumbbell Bent-Over Row
:: 25/25/25 x 10/10/10

Dumbell Bench Press
:: 25/30/35 x 10/10/10
:: + weight by 5lb on second set and + 10lb on last set

Standing Bicep Curl
:: 25/30/30 x 10/10/10
:: + weight on last two sets by 5lb per hand

SUMMARY
- Felt great to up the weight slightly. Finally feeling a little pump in the arms.
- Shoulder is also feeling fantastic...couldn't be more pleased

COUSIN'S WEDDING THIS WEEKEND
Inspired by Harry's dancing vid, I had to post my son stealing the spotlight at my cousin's wedding reception with his version of break dancing...

[HARRYBEAST]

Negged for no vid.

Looks like it was probably pretty awesome though