Striking at 6% - Fastback finally GETS IT!

[67fastback]

Physiotherapy last night and this morning. He says there isa decesnt improvement. Planning to hit the gym tomorrow, am. Graduated to some fancier balance exercisers. He says one leg squats are coming next session (in 4 days)

[67fastback]

Back at the gym this morning. 184.2# which is about 1 lb lighter than monday

Kind of a, getting back in the groove workout.

SS #1 5x (no rest between sets)
HS ISO Incline 10/90
HS ISOLow Row 10/140

SS #2 5x (no rest between sets)
HS Tri-dip 20/135
HS ISO NG Pull Down 20/140

Ankle flexibility work, and balance board 15 minutes

SS# 3 3x (no rest between sets)
DB cuban press (sitting - no stress on the ankle) 10/15#
DB flat curl 10/20#
Wide Grip Bench Pushup 20/BW

5 minutes cross trainer, working on ankle flex, low resistance.

Overall it felt good just to be able towalk around the gym without limping. The ankle also does not look as swollen and as red as before.

[67fastback]

We had some guest come visit us from out of town. This ended up involving a lot of walking on the sore ankle. Probably more than I should have. I took it very easy, yesterday (which was a holiday for us.)

I swam last night ramping things up, and also pushing the healing left ankle throught some flip turns and kicking.

I kept the swim workout at about 2K again. 400m w-up 4 x 400m free moderate speed.

It feels like I got a huge benefit from the swimming, both on the cardio side, and with the ankle.

The ankle felt good this morning, and not too much swelling, when I stood up.

[67fastback]

The weight is starting to come off, a little. So that is good. Now I need to keep it going.


Weds night I had physio, for 2.5 hrs, that was tough, right after work.

I couldn't really relax after I got home, so I went to the gym and did some medium level work on the chest, to try and get some of the muscle memory kicking in. Did a bit of cardio on the rowing machine. Short and sweet.

Thurs night, I hit the pool again. Felt decent, and was ramping it up a little, until I felt a pull in the muscles of my back.
I stopped, and changed to a much lighter workout.
Last thing I need is a f@cked up ankle and back.

I put some training fins on, and lightly worked on kicking flex, for the ankle. It went pretty good.

I brought my bike to work again today, and will do a little riding during coffee break and lunch.

It REALLY is starting to feel good, getting moving again. I think finally finishing the antibiotic regimine will also be good, having less chemicals in the body!

[67fastback]

*Start LONG Rant

Since I fractured my ankle, it seems like it’s been a series of setbacks, and hurdles to climb.

I was actually doing okay post surgery.

Then the lower leg/ankle got infected.

I wasn’t allowed to get my heart rate up, while I was on the IV antibiotics.

Okay that’s done, and we are back on track, right?

Wrong. The physiotherapy is going painfully slow with little progression and the therapist is frustrating me.

Month after month, nothing is getting better.

I go swimming, and try and train, but the physiotherapist is against this. He says take it easy.

Finally end of summer rolls around. The roof needs doing on the house, or it’s going to leak. So we redo it. I do a lot of work on it despite my ankle.

Bad things are happening to my leg. Physio doesn’t seem to relate, and keeps saying it’s all to do with the ankle.


Finally after finishing the roof, and being really fatigued, my leg is getting really bad. I am walking in pain all the time and it’s getting worse. I am worried that I will be in a wheelchair soon. I cannot walk 20 feet before the pain becomes excruciating!

Physio isn’t offering up anything that helps. He thinks it may be arthritis. I go to the my doc and get some AB’s for the supposed arthritis (they helped with my RA before) They do not help. I go to visit my daughter, out of town and can barely stand. She is getting married soon and I worry that I will not be able to walk her down the aisle!

One night I cannot sleep, and I dig my elbow into the quads. The next morning it’s a little better, not much but a little.

I get back to work, and decide that I’m going to do a search on google.

I find something call pyriformis syndrome. Sounds suspiciously like my symptoms.

I get to work on my ass doing stretches, and get a steel nail puller and ram it into my hardened quadriceps.

Wow somewhat of an improvement. I can sort of walk a bit!

I immediately book a massage appointment, and she tortures me on three consecutive appointments. It is so painful that I nearly kick her in the head!

I google some more. Since the pain is going well down my leg, to my ankle, I come across a description of IT Band Syndrome (Runners get this)

I think, wow, how can I fix this? Then I remember my Chiropractor is a long distance runner! I go to see him, and he immediately zeros in on problem areas.

Okay good I am walking a little better and the pain is manageable. I can do some deep (f*cking painful) massage on my own, and am getting improvement!

Yippee!


I think, I’ll go back to the Physio and see if he can offer further help. Nope completely useless.
I stop going.


I get a foam roller, a softball, a hardball, a hard roller so I can do some intense self massage.

I go back to the chiropractor, and get some more treatments, along with orthodics.

It is helping, I am getting better and better. It won’t be long before I can be rocking and rolling training again, right?
Wrong!

I get a f*cking three week long flu! I can’t do anything, because of the cold winter weather, until I am better!

*End LONG Rant


So here we are the end of the year almost. Since May when I fractured my ankle I haven’t really had any consistent training or workouts. I’ve honestly become a bit lazy and developed lazy routines, like watching TV and playing on the internet too f-ing much.

Now I gotta break out of these lazy routines, in the middle of the deepest darkest days of winter, up here. The dark days are definitely not motivating. It’s dark when I leave for work and dark when I come home. I have to bundle up in a lot of clothes at work (to stay warm) so cannot really exercise there.

The only good thing, is I’ve maintained my good diet mostly. Some bad things have just started to creep in, but not a lot of bad things.

I’m bound and determined that I have got to get my ass in gear again.

I’ve only been going to the gym 1-2 times per week, and just got myself back into the pool.

I think that the muscles in my leg got all f-d up from the infection, but nothing I can do about it now, except get my ass moving.

Wish me luck.

[67fastback]

Feeling very positive, this week. I've had a career change (10-12hrs/day) and am finally able to regularly get into the gym again.
My fractured ankle is still a royal PITA with lack of flexibility, swelling and discomfort, so my upper body gets most of the work load at the gym.

My left arm (12.7" relaxed) has always lagged behind the right in both strength and thickness. It was kind of peaky when posing, but looking pretty skinny when relaxed.

I was reluctant some times to even work on my right arm, because I figured because of the shoulder surgery, there was a structural weakness in the left arm, and that I would start to look really disproportionally out of balance right to left.

About 3 weeks ago I decided to try and use some muscle restoration and fascia release techniques that I learned while trying to restore the strength and flexibility in my fractured ankle and weaker leg.

So anyway combining the restoration techniques with lifting at home, I went from 12.7" to 14" relaxed. The muscles in the arm, triceps and bicep have all really added thickness. I started with the biceps, and noticed a real fast improvment, so a week and a half after that, started working on the triceps.

The triceps are starting to have much more thickness as well.

It's kind of a time consuming and strange series of exercises, so I would be embarrased to do them at the gym and tie up equipment for a long time, so I have to do these at home





Hard to tell in the photo, because the bicep isn't much taller (shoulder scar = left arm) but the belly of the left bicep has a lot more thickness than before



Since the left has caught up to the right (which was about 14.2" relaxed at the best a while ago), I am shooting for 15" relaxed in about 7-8 weeks.

If I get there' I'll post again.

[67fastback]

Just a quick update.

I am still having good success with growing my left arm, so much so, that the left (once weaker) left bicep, has surpassed the strength of my once stronger right bicep.

In an effort to catch up, I overworked the right bicep, and caused a small injury in the elbow.

I have laid off trying to catch up, and am doing lighter weights, on the right side, until it heals.

Next;

Triceps. In order to really add thickness and size to my left arm, I had to tackle the weaker left triceps.

Part of the problem was finding an exercise which hit the tris, in a way that forced a fast growth. That was a week or two of experimentation.


Finally I hit head on my very weak area, due to my shoulder surgery and dislocations. In tackling that area, it's forced a fast growth in a lagging area of my left triceps.

Good news, the growth is happening, and the strength is fast catching up to the right triceps.

I am not going to make the same mistake as the biceps (and injury) where I virtually ignored the other arm. Instead I am mirroring the stronger right triceps, with about 50% of the intensity.

Result;

The arms are virtually equal in size now, with the triceps catching up fast. I notice less definition on the left, but much more roundness and thickness.

Goal; to get the strength of the tri's, equal. I am hoping that when that happens, the bicep on the right side will be healed.

It feels great after all these years to be making solid fast progress. It's due to my dedication, sure... but also discovering certain things that work well for me.

What is it that's working? Forced, stacked drop sets. Specific stretching.

Oh yeah, BTW I am also forcing some stretching and more intense exercise on the left ankle (fractured) I am fricken' tired of waiting for it to get better, on it's own.

Wish me continued luck.

[67fastback]

Things are going good. I overtrained the biceps, so I am laying off of them a little. This weekend I bought a dip station (on sale) which is pretty sturdy and has a pull up bar, and ab chair built in.

dip mach.jpg

I like doing dips and pullups, but at my gym if I go at night, it seems like the pull up bars are always taken up by guys doing cable exercises or squats and DL. It's kind of a poor design that they have all the good pullup bars located within the other machines.

Anyway now I have my own!

I am thinking of adding one more piece of equipment as my wife and I are using the home gym a heckuva lot as of late. I have a real decent stereo in there now, but I think that I am going to add a cheap flatscreen for sports as well.

[67fastback]

Update;

Well I am really using the home gym a lot more, these days. The dip/pullup station was the best investment for me.

I am enjoying the gym work, at home, more than I have ever looked forward to working out before.
I dunno why. Maybe because I have made some gains, and discovered things that work and are fun for me.

The bicep elbow injury (left) has almost healed and I am back working that arm.
The right is still a bit sore, so I am working it only light, and will give it some more time. It does feel a lot better. I feel like it's at 50% and climbing fast. Gotta take my time on this one.

The whole body work consists of;
Chest Dips 15/ bw
Normal grip pullups 15/bw
Incline Db Chest Press 10/35#db
Deep pushup 10 bw
Single arm Db Preacher curls Left 10/50# db Right 10/35# db

and repeat, so far I am up to 4 sets tonight and still having fun.

I can't really go to a wide grip pullup, until my elbow heals a little more.

I'm pleased with how my body looks in the mirror, and don't much have to worry about looking goofy to other people at the gym.

Got a compliment at work today, asking "Do you work out?" Which I find a bit flattering, since I am wearing my work clothes, and not a tank top, or sleeveless shirt.

Measurements; I am pretty solid at 14" relaxed on the left arm, and busted past the 14 3/4" flexed tonight. Working a lot on the left tricep, as I have more gains to make there.
I know that's nothing special by weightlifting and bodybuilding standards, but I can really see the potential now!

I am still looking for some more home gym equipment. I'd love a functional trainer, but cannot really afford it, right now. I think something like that would complete what I need in a small home gym.

Back to work

[67fastback]

I still have not bought any new home gym equipment, most is too expensive. BUT I want to get a functional trainer eventually.

On the exercise front, I am making steady gains, I think. I am up to almost 20 bw chest dips in a row, followed immediately by almost 20 NG Pull Ups.

Am one arm preacher with 50# on the (good) left arm. Still taking it easy on the right (no preachers)

Working on the incline chest press and was able to up the DB's from 35#ers to 40# DB's. The goal now is to push through until I get full ROM and can work through the sore spots on my (left) dislocative shoulder.

Annoyed by a constant low level chest congestion, sore throat. This has stopped me from joining my outdoor swim team for practices. I don't want to risk a rush of cold air or chill, making the symptoms worse or drag out even longer.

I don't know why I've made such good gains at my home gym as opposed to the regular gym. Maybe because I don't have to wait for equipment, or can push right through?

Hope everyone has a great day!

[67fastback]

Things are going good. Biceps (elbows) are healing slowly, and I can do more.

Still having a lot of fun working out at home. The improvements are starting to show more and more. I really enjoy working out at home, and am pushing things more and more each day.
I am not even close to my goals, but other people are really noticing.

I am accused of having "guns" WTF??
and more and more people are asking me if I workout, or if I goto the gym every day.

There are a lot of people who inspire me, and I view myself as being only 10% to my goals, but other people noticing, confirms that I am finally on the right path.

I am still trying to buy some more used (home) gym equipment on craigslist, and it is like pulling F#@king teeth. Some sellers are so flakey. No luck so far.

I feel quite different, stronger and in better shape.

News 1; I am going to start (carefully) working the legs. Going to try and bring the strength and flexibility up in the (fractured ankle) left leg step by step and then slowly get into full squats.

News 2; I am going to do my first CUT... yippee (not) I got a bunch of meal plans from my trainer and am going to start fully next week. Made some small adjustments this week, some more trimming and Monday will be ready to go

Take it easy fellow BBers!

[67fastback]

This is my new piece of home gym equipment, 200# stack, high low pulley. Came with a lat bar, rope attachment, ankle and a straight bar. Today I hit the fitness store and got hand grips, a triangle and another angled bar.





I think I want to get a couple more attachments in the coming weeks

I played quite a bit with this tonight and really can see that I'm going to make a lot of use out of it. I also adjusted aligned the cable so that it does not clatter on the negatives. Nice and quiet and smooth now.

I'm going to try and figure out how I can have some kind of double grip attached to this, so I can do 2 arm chest presses. I was thinking a straight bar, with tabs at the end, then maybe some chains.

What I did tonight, with good success, was absolutely thrash my tri's among other things.
I'd do a set of 20-BW chest dips, then immediately hit the stack with a tri-pushdown drop set to failure with each (lesser) weight.

It was deadly but great!

The full body movements followed by the isolation work is nasty.

More fun tomorrow.

On the diet front cut starts Monday time to be cranky

[67fastback]

1st day of cut, went and did a pretty hard swim workout last night. Down a few lbs this morning.

174.2#

Not cranky yet but the day has just started.

[67fastback]

Just for reference sake
My 15 minute 5:30am wake up workout;
20 BW Chest Dips
30 sec rest
20 BW (full extension, chest to bar) Pullups
30 sec
Ab station
10 hanging ab crunches
10/ side obliques
10 leg raises
bicep DB hammer curls to failure
20 incline pushups


Evening 1 - 1.5 hrs

4-5X {
20 BW Chest Dips
30 sec rest
20 BW (full extension, chest to bar) Pullups
30 sec
15 Tricep cable presses
15 Bicep cable curls
16 Incline DB Chest/Shoulder presses
20 Incline Pushups
Ab station
20 hanging ab crunches
10/ side obliques
10+ leg raises to failure
15 ab cable crunches
}
Final set I add drop sets to failure on all the isolation exercises.

Finish with myofascial release

Yesterday I did some very light DL's to wake up the long dormant muscles (1 year from ankle surgery) and worked a little bit on flexibility.
I want to try and keep at a light enough weight on some of the exercises that I can keep full ROM
I added a second side mirror in my home gym, so I can check my body position.

Plan is to do DL Squats and lunges, light every other day, until the muscles all feel like they have woken up, keep from injuring myself and then go from there.

[67fastback]

Cut so far, is going okay. I was a little cranky and low energy, yesterday.

172.8 today

[67fastback]

Cutting is going okay, I am down to 170.6.
Hit some flat spots, but my trainer said I'd have to change it up a little.

His advise is that the same diet may work for a bit, and then I'll stop losing weight. So don't be afraid to change things.

Honestly I think I started not being very disciplined. Then I got disciplined. Then I started doing a longer less intense cardio (swimming) instead of less time, more intensity.

My eating discipline is getting pretty good, I think. So we'll see how it goes this week.

Going to start ramping up the leg work. I noticed the hardware in my ankle is bothering me, so I'm going to talk to him about getting the hardware removed.

Did a PB in the bench at the gym today, which is not much by BB standards, but with the havoc my shoulder injuries and surgery wreaked, I'm really stoked about the progress

I must be doing things right.
Now I hope that the cut keeps going in the right direction

[67fastback]

Sh!t, my left (surgically repaired) ankle is acting up.

I started doing some zero weight squats and leg presses last gym day, and it's super inflamed and sore.
I think that the tendons are dragging across the bottom of the titanium plate, and that is causing issues.

Trying to get an appt. with the surgeon to get the hardware taken out. Back to upper body. ice and rest

[67fastback]

Down to 170 lbs, cut is going okay again, after a few food sins. I have swimming tonight, so after a hard workout I'll be down 2 lbs the next day, if i stay disciplined

Yay I am starting to see upper abs ( a little) which is inspiring at my present BF% It's a nice way to stay motivated on a cut.

Ankle is a little bit better, today, but I have an appointment to see the surgeon to get the hardware out, now. So we'll see how that goes

[67fastback]

Whoo hoo, broke the barrier, 169.2 lbs this morning! I could have done better, but was really hungry after swimming last night, so I had a couple handfuls of peanuts, some dark chocolate, and soy milk.

A few food sins LOL

I was pretty stiff, muscle wise, in the water, so I wasn't going super fast. My sprints were okay time wise.

On the gym front, I am starting work on my full dragon flag. I think in 2 months, I will have it.

Cheers

[67fastback]

167.8 lbs

That's good for me, a little over 10lbs off.

I am still shooting for more of a (Lower) body fat % still. Once I find that happy number, I am going to stop, and use that as a starting point number for my lean bulk.

Energy is a little low these days. Not surprising.

[67fastback]

165.6 #

It's a hot summer so energy level is a challenge

Ankle is really acting up badly, swelling a lot and inflamed. I am going to see the surgeon about getting the bolts and plates taken out.

I think that is contributing to the inflamation.

Close to where I want to be weight wise now +/- 2 lbs

Definitely have lost some muscle mass but it should be not too hard to ramp up the training, once I am at my base.

Cheers

[67fastback]

Still working out.

New junk for the home gym.
I got some bumper weights too and more attachments for the pulley.

I can do squats off the back of the bench I have also.

Pretty cool, and I am stoked about being able to catch up my weak bench and finally do squats again, after having all the screws and plate taken out of my fractured ankle.


Oh yeah, I am kinda keeping my eating clean but up. No sense in cutting until I add some meat on the bones. Being able to do squats, bench and have a barbell at home is so cool! Honestly I am stoked.

I have to be really careful on the squat progression. I have only 50% balance and flexibility in the left ankle. Gotta get all the flexibility to come back and balance muscles to fire, before going heavy.

enough typing, back to work

[67fastback]

176# this morning. I am going to do a 1 week long disciplined cut before the Dec beach vacation.

The nice thing about a home gym,
I get up real early for work, but just before the shower this morning
hit the bench press, and cable curls for reps.

I find it really helps me wake up, gets the body warmed up on cold mornings. I wish I had a little more time to do a longer workout.
I am very happy with my progress so far in improving my bench and squats.
I forecast that I will be ramping the bench up fairly fast. The squats I want to stay lighter, and go deeper.

I figure If I can go full depth, that will be one benchmark, for my ankle. The next one will be slowing down the reps to make sure all the little balancing muscles and damaged neuroreceptors in the ankle are refiring.

Trying to squat heavy without good balance would not be good for me.
The good thing about doing high rep squats and bench, is that the cardio is coming along very nicely.

Cheers

[LordGrover]

Jeez man! If you didn't have rotten luck you'd have no luck at all!
Props for sticking at it - sound like you're not only making good progress but enjoying it too.
Best of luck.

[67fastback]

Jeez man! If you didn't have rotten luck you'd have no luck at all!
Props for sticking at it - sound like you're not only making good progress but enjoying it too.
Best of luck.

Haha...yeah thanks for the encouragement.

Honestly I am so stoked right now.

Like all guys I want instant gratification, but I keep telling myself to be patient.

Still sticking with the 20 rep formula. I got impatient tonight and added another 20# to the bar and worked my Squats pretty hard. (My trainer is a very good bodybuilder so am going to follow his advise to the tee for now)

I supersetted those with some triceps work and then did the same with the bench again.

Yeah I am pushing, but having fun. I did about 100 reps (5/20) on the squats tonight finishing with some lighter weights and going very deep, to get the stretch in my L ankle and retain a good form in my memory.

same on the Bench, about 100+ reps.

I think next on the agenda is some DL and BB row work.

I spent 2 hours in the home gym tonight. There is no way I could tie up the squat cage or bench for that long at my gym.

I attached some photos tonight. My miniscule muscles are sorta coming along.

I managed my diet pretty good today, and pounded back a lot of gum, to keep the stomach pains down.

[67fastback]

F..K ME Forget what I said about being stoked to do the big foundation lifts again!
And forget what I said about my cardio coming along.

I am midway through tonight’s workout… holy cr.p!
Maybe it was better having a screwed up ankle and not doing this stuff (just kidding)

Okay so tonight is Deadlift night. The first time I have done deadlifts in eons. And yes all day long I was looking forward to this.
Now I am on the verge of puking LOL and yeah my heart rate and breathing tells me –I have a ways to go-

Workout;
SuperSet {
20 form reps DL light
20 BW shoulder width pull ups
20 straight leg ab crunches
20 BW dips
} end superset

I am at 5 sets so far, still swearing and cursing. The last two reps on the pullups and dips I am just about dying LOL

DL feels okay still keeping the weight low, watching form and hip thrust (I wanna lift big here in 6 months or so) –ok I am kind of lying here too, my @ss is getting pretty sore in a hard work kinda way

Okay enough rest. I really love it. I love being able to finally deadlift again. BUT I am gonna turn the music up so my wife doesn’t hear me cursing

Alright ended with 6 sets and my ass cramping up when I curled my calfs back on the pullups and dips.
Just for good measure, I did one more set of 20 DLs to finish off. I’m gonna regret this tomorrow 

Little bit of stationary bike just to pretend that I’m gonna relieve the muscle pain tomorrow.

[LordGrover]

120+ reps each with an extra 20 on the deads?!

Nice work man. Expect full payment in the form of DOMs with maybe a little extra interest.

[67fastback]

120+ reps each with an extra 20 on the deads?!

Nice work man. Expect full payment in the form of DOMs with maybe a little extra interest.

Thanks a lot for the comments LG.

Yes I felt it today, but not in the butt too much, more the knees.
Which I think is a good reason to keep the reps up and the weight down, until all the small muscles wake up and catch up.
I definitely wanted to, and could have gone heavier, but tried to keep being sensible for the first while,

Tonight the workout is back, low back and upper mid.

Superset;
20 low barbell rows (light)
20 wide cable lat pull downs w/ chest pause/back lock
20 full Cuban DB press
20 full movement bicep cable curls
9 sets

Tonight was more technical, and not as intense, but I think form is also very important. Tomorrow personal training… we will see how that goes. If I am by myself, then I am in trouble

[67fastback]

I was on vacation for a week in Mexico.
Not a fabulous resort, but okay. One thing that was good, was that it had a pretty decent basic gym. Because most of the people at the resort were, lets just say, not in good shape - the gym was always empty.

So yeah I used the gym. 3-4x (I forget how many times)

Anyway glad I did, back this weekend.
Picked up a couple little things for the home gym and was back at it this morning.

My wife took a pic of me at the beach, for fun LOL

Upon reflection, it is pretty obvious that I have to get my left arm caught up, to my right. I honestly have not been working on arms too much.
Really I am concentrating on Squats, DL, Bench
I was planning on adding overhead press.
I think I will add a bi/tri routine for the left arm.

Cheers

[LordGrover]

Just an aside, on another site I frequent...



Full thread here: Click.