ElrondHubbard Clawing My Way Back

[ElrondHubbard]

Brother, I am amazed you did anything with your travel and bowel cleansing schedule. I am glad that all went as well as it could. Praying!

During this time, just keep consistent, as you are doing. It will pay off when you can return to a normal routine.

Thanks, Zav! I hadn't planned to work out on Thursday, it just "worked out" that way. I guess I was so relieved to be out of there with a minimum of discomfort, that I had to let off steam!

[bamazav]

Well, you DO look like you lift!



Six was unusual, just because I was making up for Tuesday. And I don't really count the pullups/chinups as compound lifts, partly because I don't do ramping with them as I do the other lifts, and partly because, at least lately, I only do them as rest-pause, so they take very little time.

So its usually four main lifts per workout, with generous resting between sets, and a snack break halfway through, so it's usually about 3 hours in total. It doesn't feel long, because my wife is usually there with me for part of that time, working on her art projects, and I also get a chance to listen to podcasts or TED talks or other stuff, and it's just relaxing "me" time for the most part. One of the joys of not having to use a commercial gym!

Whoa.... 3 hours. I thought I was pressing the limits at 1.5 on my weekends. I think I am rushing things.

[ElrondHubbard]

Whoa.... 3 hours. I thought I was pressing the limits at 1.5 on my weekends. I think I am rushing things.

Don't take so long it keeps you from living the rest of your life! I just happen to be in a position where I have the time to spend.

On the other hand, not rushing through it may also help prevent injuries. I can't make any promises...

[ElrondHubbard]

I have time this morning to post my Sunday night workout. Started week 118, not sure if there will be a week 119 or not. If not, I hope to make this a good one!

Trying to up the weights, and didn't quite succeed. Failed on rep 4 at 194 on the bench, and at rep 5 on 110 of the OHP. Had to do revenge sets on those. Also undershot my first working set on the bench, was supposed to get 146, but only put 143 on the bar. It shouldn't have mattered, but in a fit of OCD I did another set at 146 anyway. That might have undermined me on the 194 attempt. Ah, but whatcha gonna do? I may not have gotten the numbers, but I got the work!

I kept the squats the same weight, I'm still not happy with my depth at max load. I'll keep it that way and just work on depth for a while until I hit it. BB Rows did fine, but I was right at my limit. I got some accessories in, so that was nice.

Morning Weight: 165.4. So basically in a week with 2 1/2 days of fasting and a complete colon flush, I came out at 1 pound less. Is that the power of refeeding, or did I just have less to lose than I expected?



Bench Press:
97x5
121x5
143x5 -- Dumb miscalculation
146x5
170x5
194x3 -- Failed rep 4
194x3 -- Revenge set!

Squat:
136x5 -- Paused
170x5 -- Paused
204x5
238x5
272x5

BB Row:
117x5
145x5
175x5
205x5
233x5

Overhead Press:
55x5
69x5
83x5
96x5
110x4 -- Failed rep 5
110x2 -- Revenge set!


Accessories:
Pullups/Chinups, weighted, 35 lbs, Rest-pause: 7 + 3 + 3 (Pullups) + 2 + 2 (Chinups)
Stiff-Legged Deadlifts, 155 lbs, Myo-reps: 14 (Activation set) + 6 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5
Pushups, grip handles and toes elevated~3"; Myo-reps: 42 (Activation set) + 6 + 7 + 6 + 5

I was definitely feeling several burns: not a bad feeling, though.

[ElrondHubbard]

Got a Tuesday night workout in, so the midpoint of week 118 is behind me. Simple and straightforward, just the main lifts. I failed unexpectedly early at the incline bench, so a revenge set was necessary. The deadlift went up well, and I ended it feeling good. Interesting, that even though the total weight moved is less now that I'm doing fewer reps, just adding those somewhat heavier weights makes it feel MUCH more intense, and I'm carrying that feeling with me the next day!

I have a confirmed surgery date -- Next Thursday, October 24. We'll head back to San Diego on the 22nd, meet with the surgeon and anesthesiologist for the pre-op on the 23, flush my system again that night, and be ready for slicing and dicing first thing in the morning. So week 118 will be the last full week on this chart. I'll get a Sunday workout in too, but that will be the end, for at least a couple of months.

I'm kind of looking forward to getting it over with, and I'm even more looking forward to getting my next comeback started, even if I will be starting from scratch again.


Incline Bench
103x5
123x5
144x5
164x3 -- Failed rep 4
164x2 -- Revenge set!

Squat:
136x5 -- Paused
170x5 -- Paused
204x5
204x5

Overhead Press:
55x5
69x5
83x5
96x5
96x5

Deadlift:
220x5
263x5
306x5
350x5

These are my last conventional deadlifts for a while, and I wanted to make them good. I think my form is better than it was last spring, and when I do start them up again, I have some fairly ambitious goals -- eventually.

[ElrondHubbard]

Before I forget, time to post Thursday's workout. It's the end of week 118, and there's only one workout remaining before I go in for the big deload!

Being the end of the last full week, I tried to make some of the lifts extra intense, so I added a heavy single to them. That gave me a 285 lb single on the squat, which is a PR for me. I'll try to surpass that during my NEXT comeback.

The bench was a little off but it is what it is. I still felt it!

Bench Press:
97x5
121x5
146x5
170x5
194x3 -- No rep 4
194x3 -- Bench Revenge
205x1 -- Bench Bonus
146x10

Squat:
136x5 -- Paused
170x5 -- Paused
204x5
238x5
276x4
285x1 -- Squat Bonus: PR
204x10

BB Row:
117x5
146x5
175x5
205x5
235x4
175x10

Overhead Press:
55x5
69x5
83x5
96x5
112x4
115x1 -- OHP Bonus
83x10


Accessories:
Pullups/Chinups, bodyweight, Rest-Pause: 12 + 4 + 3 (Pulllups) + 4 + 3 (Chinups)



Plenty tired at the end of this one!

[Payton1221]

Bench Press:
205x1 -- Bench Bonus

I know that you've benched more before, but this has got to feel good: a big wheel and a sorta big wheel

[bamazav]

Praying for you this week.

[ElrondHubbard]

I know that you've benched more before, but this has got to feel good: a big wheel and a sorta big wheel

Thanks, Mark. It’s kind of bittersweet. 205x5 has been my bench goal since I started my geriatric career, and I came close. I got 4 reps consistently at the peak, but could never quite get 5. Then everything went haywire, of course, and my plan was to try to work back up to it this coming winter/spring. Looks like that’s now deferred as well, but only deferred, not abandoned. Still want those 225 bench and 315 squat singles. And 205 for 5 is part of that. We’ll get there.

[ElrondHubbard]

Praying for you this week.

I appreciate that, Mr. Zav. Keep it optimistic, though, because the more I learn about this the better I feel about the prognosis. I’m a long way from done yet!

[ElrondHubbard]

I submitted a post for the last workout, and the dang site ate it. I'd rather have fed it to the dog, and I don't even have a dog.



Anyway, I wanted to post the last workout, which is the LAST workout of my second training cycle. When the third starts, I don't know, but I hope it's sooner rather than later. I got to the beginning of week 119, which is also the end of week 119. A decent workout overall, I added a set to the rest-pause pullups and pushups at the end. When I start back up again, the next Week 1, I'll use a somewhat different approach, still concentrating on the big compounds, of course, but with less emphasis on five reps and ramping sets. I'll do more of a myo-rep style or something similar, with more rest-pause emphasis on "effective reps". (I know Greg Nuckols recently pooh-poohed the concept of effective reps a bit, but it doesn't seem to me that his criticisms really address the way they're done in a rest-pause training system.)

The weights will be lighter, of course -- at least at first. I'm sure it will evolve as I continue, and I expect a lot of exploration.

Morning weight: 165.8 lbs

Bench Press:
97x5
121x5
146x5
170x5
194x3 -- Failed rep 4
194x3 -- Bench Revenge

Squat:
136x5 -- Paused
170x5 -- Paused
204x5
238x5
272x5

BB Row:
118x5
147x5
176x5
206x5
235x5

Overhead Press:
55x5
69x5
83x5
96x5
110x5

Accessories:
Pullups/Chinups, bodyweight: 13 + 4 + 3 (pullups) + 4 + 3 + 3 (chinups)
Pushups: 42 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 5

Pushups are done with grip handles (hands elevated about 2") and with feet raised about 3.5" on a platform. Greater range of motion. For this group I also had the hand width slightly narrower and the hands positioned lower down on my rib cage. I think that activated my triceps more, and was definitely harder!

To finish out my journal, I'm posting the chart of my progress over two cycles. The first cycle, in blue, covers the period from September of 2015 to November of 2016. The second, in red, covers from July of 2017 until this past Sunday. The next one will be in green, whenever it starts.

I'm already impatient!

[tblodg15]

Love the graph and seeing the progress and no doubt you will be back to it after you recover.

Good luck with the surgery!

[Lou1se]

Sending positive vibes and I’ll be thinking of you Thursday

Keep in touch and let us know how you are doing.

Oh and please try not to give the pretty young nurses a hard time

[ElrondHubbard]

Oh and please try not to give the pretty young nurses a hard time

If I don’t give them a hard time, they’ll get no time at all!

Looks like the positive vibes need to be redirected a little. My surgery has been delayed a few hours as the operating room was taken over for an emergency. I’m left to wander the halls looking for pretty young nurses to harass. I’d rather have breakfast, but nobody is cooperating with THAT desire.

[ElrondHubbard]

The operation was a success and the patient survived .They took out my appendix and my spleen, and the layer of fat over my small intestine. It all took about 8 hours,

After I was awake, the surgeon told me it was an easy operation, everything was where it was supposed to be and there were no surprises.

I'm in recovery now, the pain is much less than I'd expected., and easily controlled. The main thing is that I'm hungry, and it still might be a few days before I can eat.

And of course, there's an abundant supply of pretty young nurses worth chasing. I better not catch any, though. My wife is tolerant of the chase, but not the capture.

[tblodg15]

The operation was a success and the patient survived

Glad to hear it went well!

[ElrondHubbard]

Glad to hear it went well!

Thanks, Troy! I’m really looking forward to being my old (minus a couple of items and a couple of pounds). Self again!

[bamazav]

Glad all went well. Enjoy the recovery, milk it as long as you can. You deserve to be spoiled a bit.

[Lou1se]

The operation was a success and the patient survived .They took out my appendix and my spleen, and the layer of fat over my small intestine. It all took about 8 hours,

After I was awake, the surgeon told me it was an easy operation, everything was where it was supposed to be and there were no surprises.

I'm in recovery now, the pain is much less than I'd expected., and easily controlled. The main thing is that I'm hungry, and it still might be a few days before I can eat.

And of course, there's an abundant supply of pretty young nurses worth chasing. I better not catch any, though. My wife is tolerant of the chase, but not the capture.

Witty and feisty as ever! I'm so pleased to hear the surgery went well for you and also about the surgeon's words.

By the time you are allowed food I wonder if you will have lost your appetite so maybe some gum or minted candy may help stimulate the digestive process. Very good to hear the hospital staff are keeping you comfortable, I think you are flattering yourself too much if you think you are remotely able to catch any of the 'abundant supply' of nurses, so your wife has nothing to fear except for hurting her tummy lol'ing so hard. All the best on your comeback!

(PS- I nearly did a post earlier to send thoughts and prayers to the nurses for having you around an extra few hours while you waited but you were most likely in surgery at the time so I thought it would be a bit harsh )

[Corbets]

Read this blog for the first time today. Started with the first page, thought how impressive it was that years later you’re still lifting, came over to the last page to see if you’d hit your old maxes yet... and then read about the operation. Damn, man, but you were close anyway.

Chin up - sounds like it went well and you’re the optimistic sort anyway, but don’t let the hurdles big or small get in your way! It’s a pretty inspiring read, and I like stories with a happy ending.

[Payton1221]

The operation was a success and the patient survived

Great news!!! Looking forward to more journal awesome-ness in 2020.

[ElrondHubbard]

Glad all went well. Enjoy the recovery, milk it as long as you can. You deserve to be spoiled a bit.

Speaking of spoiled, just finished my first semi-solid meal since my arrival here. And, rewarding my continual pleas, it included chocolate ice cream.
I'd been too long without even a trace of protein, so this felt good.

Doctor says no vigorous exercise until 6 weeks after discharge. That puts it halfway through December. Left undefined is exactly what "vigorous" consists of . I'll be taking it easy, regardless.

[ElrondHubbard]

Read this blog for the first time today. Started with the first page, thought how impressive it was that years later you’re still lifting, came over to the last page to see if you’d hit your old maxes yet... and then read about the operation. Damn, man, but you were close anyway.

Chin up - sounds like it went well and you’re the optimistic sort anyway, but don’t let the hurdles big or small get in your way! It’s a pretty inspiring read, and I like stories with a happy ending.

Thanks for looking in, Corbets. Sorry you hit it on the tail end. Once I start lifting again, probably pretty weakly, I'm going to retire this thread and start a new one. I hope that one will go uninterrupted for a whole lot longer!

[ElrondHubbard]

I’ve been spoiled until today. There was an epidural tube in my back that gave me periodic doses of a numbing agent. I was feeling almost no pain at all, and even doing bw squats this morning. Then they took the epidural out, and it’s been agony since. The abdomen and sutures aren’t so bad, but there’s a tube in my chest for drainage, and it feels like literal hell. Strong oral painkillers don’t make much impact. The tube should come out tomorrow, and I’m told it will feel a lot better. I am still ahead of schedule on recovery, and may be discharged as early as Friday. I do hope so!

[Lou1se]

I’ve been spoiled until today. There was an epidural tube in my back that gave me periodic doses of a numbing agent. I was feeling almost no pain at all, and even doing bw squats this morning. Then they took the epidural out, and it’s been agony since. The abdomen and sutures aren’t so bad, but there’s a tube in my chest for drainage, and it feels like literal hell. Strong oral painkillers don’t make much impact. The tube should come out tomorrow, and I’m told it will feel a lot better. I am still ahead of schedule on recovery, and may be discharged as early as Friday. I do hope so!

Wow, you have had such a rough trot So sorry you are
in such pain, hopefully they are right and it will improve
for you tomorrow. Take it easy, no more bodyweight squats

btw maybe something to try later.. I was reading about your
condition and a lady who had the same surgery said she
found some relief just by gently squeezing a pillow into
her belly.

Hang in there!

[ElrondHubbard]

Wow, you have had such a rough trot So sorry you are
in such pain, hopefully they are right and it will improve
for you tomorrow. Take it easy, no more bodyweight squats

btw maybe something to try later.. I was reading about your
condition and a lady who had the same surgery said she
found some relief just by gently squeezing a pillow into
her belly.

Hang in there!

The squats didn’t bother me, they are pretty gentle on the abdomen. The pain was almost exclusively, and intensely centered around the opening for the drainage tube in my chest. It took the accumulation of several doses of oxycodone to knock it down enough to be able to sleep at all. Fortunately, that chest tube got pulled today, and the pain disappeared immediately! There wasn’t even a residual soreness. Good chance I’ll be discharged tomorrow, so I’m off all the painkillers to let them clear out. I should sleep good tonight!

[ElrondHubbard]

Wow, you have had such a rough trot So sorry you are
in such pain, hopefully they are right and it will improve
for you tomorrow. Take it easy, no more bodyweight squats

btw maybe something to try later.. I was reading about your
condition and a lady who had the same surgery said she
found some relief just by gently squeezing a pillow into
her belly.

Hang in there!

Pain is gone now! They pulled out the chest tube today, and the pain disappeared literally instantaneously. It wasn’t the abdomen that was really bothering me, it was that dang drainage tube. I still have two other tubes, one in my abdomen and one in my stomach, but neither causes me any issues. There’s a decent chance I could be discharged tomorrow, so I’m going to want all the drugs out of my system for then.

[Payton1221]

Dave,

I didn't realize you were still in the hospital. Good to hear that you might be going home today.

What will you do regarding the weights? Will you start with a huge decrease in lbs and then linearly progress until you're close enough to resume your old program?

[ElrondHubbard]

Dave,

I didn't realize you were still in the hospital. Good to hear that you might be going home today.

What will you do regarding the weights? Will you start with a huge decrease in lbs and then linearly progress until you're close enough to resume your old program?

Unfortunately I’m not discharged yet. The sutures and incisions are healing nicely, very little pain remains from those. My digestive system is taking longer to recover, and I’m dealing with some painful blockages. In a way I feel like I started eating solid food too soon. The doctor disagrees, tells me not to worry, and that these kinds of delays are common. Still damned uncomfortable, though. I’m out walking every day, climbing up and down the hospital stairs, but I’m still wearing that stupid gown, still trailing a couple of tubes, and still on the tired and grumpy side. Hopefully I’ll be perked up in a couple of days.

Once I start lifting again it will certainly be a huge decrease in the weights. I’m also going to go on a linear progression, but I’m thinking not like before. I’d like to incorporate rest-pause and myo-rep-like approaches far more comprehensively than I have before. I’ve been very impressed with how they’ve made my muscles feel so far, although I admit I haven’t really been systematic enough with them to know if they’ll support a linear progression program. It will be a good time to experiment, though.

[bamazav]

Sorry it is taking longer than expected but then, better to be there and have the care than to go home and then have to go back to the ER. Take it all in stride, the weights are not going any where.

When I run Rest Pause, I use more of a "rep goal" system rather than a numbers based progression. Each week I either add weight or add reps. When my total reps exceed my "rep goal" I add weight the next session. Depending on the exercise, I am adding weight regularly.