ElrondHubbard Clawing My Way Back

[DocJekyll]

Looks like nice steady progress in here still. Keep at it.

[ElrondHubbard]

Thanks, Doc. It's coming along, sometimes seeming like in spite of me rather than because of me.

[ElrondHubbard]

Tuesday night, final leg of week 10. It was a bit rough, but in the end, productive. I still haven't been sleeping all that well, and I think it showed, at least in how I felt throughout. I didn't increase my pullups any, but at least I didn't decrease them either. The pushups were a mixed bag, I backslid a little on the first set, but I made up for it on the final two sets and ended up increasing my totals by one.

I went back and looked at the records of what I had really been doing a year ago, and it turned out I was actually doing fewer pushups then than I remembered. My highest set of accessory pushups was 45 in late October of last year, and there was a greater range between my high and low. So on the whole, I guess I'm not as far back as I'd thought. (I did have some 50 rep sets, but those were done on days when I wasn't lifting, and not fatigued by following heavy benches and deadlifts). By the same token, I did a maximum of 15 pullups last fall, but not every time. Sometimes I only made 12 or 13. So it's possible I might be more consistent this time around. We'll find out!

Squats:
55x5
69x5
83x5
96x5
113x4
83x9

Bench Press:
61x5
76x5
92x5
107x5
125x4
92x9

BB Row:
61x5
76x5
92x5
107x5
125x4
92x9

Overhead Press:
44x5
44x5
53x5
62x5
73x4
53x9


Accessories:
Pullups, 10+9+8+8, 35 total, same as Sunday, but maybe a little shakier.
Calf Raises, 45*42+45*42, I'll be increasing the weight on Friday.
Pushups, 38+38+37, 113 total, disappointed that I dropped one on the first set, but happily surprised that I increased the second and third. It was the hardest thing I've done all week.

On to Friday!

[thehobbes]

That's great news that you're progressing better than you realized. Keep up the great work! And holy crap 113 pushups is a butt-load of pushups!

[loggerboots]

What's going on with your sleep Elrondhubbard?

I was doing a lot of calisthenics while I was dieting and doing a lot of sets to failure, like it looks like you're doing. I went through a bad stretch of disrupted, low quality sleep - like I was wired all the time.

Anyway, my suggestion is that if the sleep issues persist, consider that you may be stressing your body too much with so many sets to failure. Now that I'm not doing any sets to failure (well, one set or so a week, as it turns out, and on chin-ups) I'm sleeping much better... of course, I'm also no longer dieting, so it could be that, too, or some combination of factors.

In any case, great results for you! I read the first page and last page of your journal and that's great progress.

[ElrondHubbard]

That's great news that you're progressing better than you realized. Keep up the great work! And holy crap 113 pushups is a butt-load of pushups!

Thanks! I'm getting there. My immediate goal is a consistent set of 40, then I think I'm going to keep it there and concentrate on tightening up the form and reducing the time between sets.

What's going on with your sleep Elrondhubbard?

I was doing a lot of calisthenics while I was dieting and doing a lot of sets to failure, like it looks like you're doing. I went through a bad stretch of disrupted, low quality sleep - like I was wired all the time.

Anyway, my suggestion is that if the sleep issues persist, consider that you may be stressing your body too much with so many sets to failure. Now that I'm not doing any sets to failure (well, one set or so a week, as it turns out, and on chin-ups) I'm sleeping much better... of course, I'm also no longer dieting, so it could be that, too, or some combination of factors.

In any case, great results for you! I read the first page and last page of your journal and that's great progress.

I slept really well last night, so I'm feeling pretty good today. I'm not sure what the issue is, I suspect it's not directly related to the lifting. I get drowsy and fall asleep easily at first, then wake up after an hour or so and I'm just not sleepy for several more hours. The last week or so I've been totaling about 4-5 hours, which is not enough. Maybe I've just got too many projects going at once. My mind just gets crammed with ideas. It also may be true that I'm getting my post-workout meal in too late in the evening, but with my schedule I'm not sure how to address that at the moment.

[ElrondHubbard]

Some fairly good news on the feeding front. I saw a specialist yesterday to try to get to the root of my swallowing issues. She ran an endoscope through my nostril to just above my throat opening to get some views of my swallowing mechanism. Then she gave me liquids of varying viscosity, finally some applesauce and a small cookie.

The result is that, contrary to my belief, and the sensation in my throat, I don't have an actual physical obstruction blocking my swallowing. There is some mucus there that tends to capture food, as I thought, but its not the major obstacle. The real problem is simply that the radiation damage to my tongue and throat muscles left them weak, and unable to squeeze food into my eso****us properly. It's a vicious circle, because inability to swallow means I need to use a feeding tube, not practicing at swallowing means my throat muscles atrophy from lack of use rather than healing.

I'm going to need some treatment, consisting of electrical stimulation of the proper regions, but mostly I just need to practice swallowing. She emphasized that it's going to be a gradual process, but she also assured me that my tissues are fundamentally sound. She said that my radiologist and the technicians actually did a very good job of avoiding major damage to my throat tissues, and making sure that the radiation was focused primarily on the tumor.

So essentially, it's just another challenge not completely unlike the challenge of strengthening weak muscles through exercise. Sounds like something I can do.

In the meantime, I had a pretty decent workout last night. A little progress on the pushups, pullups, and calf raises. Nothing spectacular, but I prefer steady and incremental anyway. And the weights increased as they should, with no indication that I'm approaching a stall.

First session of week 11.

Squats:
57x5
71x5
85x5
99x5
113x5

Bench Press:
63x5
79x5
94x5
109x5
125x5

BB Row:
63x5
79x5
94x5
109x5
125x5

Overhead Press:
44x5
46x5
55x5
64x5
73x5

Accessories:

Pullups, 10+9+9+8, 36 total, added one to the third set and one to the total, they were feeling pretty secure.
Calf Raises, 36x55+36x55, added 10 lbs to the dumbell dropped the total reps a bit, but still increased the overall wight moved.
Pushups, 39+38+37, 114 total. So close! Definitely felt the need to work on the form, the last few reps always get a bit shaky.

[Payton1221]

Pullups, 10+9+9+8
Pushups, 39+38+37, 114 total.

Real solid work in here!!!

[ElrondHubbard]

Real solid work in here!!!

Thank you! I'm trying to be consistent, at least.

[ElrondHubbard]

Sunday night, midpoint of week 11. A nice end to a very nice weekend. I actually ate some solid food! Slimy macaroni and cheese it was, but that's something. I'm trying to practice swallowing more, and it's definitely a challenge, but if I take it real slow and wash it down with lots of liquids, I can get at least some real food down. I think it might help.

I was already stiff and sore when I started my workout. Sunday was the day I planted the winter garden, which involved more hoeing and raking than I'm used to. Fortunately, I didn't lose anything on the pullups or pushups from it. I didn't gain anything either, but just holding steady under the circumstance was progress as far as I'm concerned. The weights progressed as programmed.

163 lbs, ~14% bodyfat

Squats:
57x5
71x5
85x5
85x5

Incline Press:
63x5
75x5
89x5
100x5

Deadlifts:
115x5
137x5
160x5
183x5

Overhead Press:
44x5
46x5
55x5
64x5
64x5

Accessories:
Pullups, 10+9+9+8, 36 total, same as last time.
Pushups, 39+38+37, 114 total, same as before. The elusive 40 reps remain elusive. We'll get there!

[mirroroferised]

Good news on the food man. Great work on those pullups and pushups.

[ElrondHubbard]

Made it through week 11, a pretty good workout. The most puzzling thing was that the Bench Press felt really light and easy, while the BB Rows, which use the same weight, felt unusually heavy. Last time around it was the rows that were stronger, and when I had stalled out in the bench the rows had kept right on progressing. It may be due to a form difference this time, I'm leaning over farther and pulling the rows higher up on my abdomen to avoid striking the feeding tube. So I guess I'm using more rear delts and upper back this time around. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out.

The pushups, calf raises, and pullups went pretty well. I'd hoped to hit 11 on the pullups, but instead managed 10 twice, which is still an improvement. And on the pushups, I finally hit 40! Big milestone. I plan on staying at that number for a while until I can pretty it up a bit.


Squats:
57x5
71x5
85x5
99x5
116x4
85x9

Bench Press:
63x5
78x5
94x5
109x5
128x4
94x9

BB Row:
63x5
78x5
94x5
109x5
128x4
94x9

Overhead Press:
44x5
46x5
55x5
64x5
75x4
55x9

Accessories:

Pullups, 10+10+9+9, 38 total, increase of 2 over last time.
Calf Raises, 55x38+55x38
Pushups, 40+39+37, 116 total. Finally found the elusive 40! Woohoo! Increased total by 2.

Friday will be week 12!

[RT1957]

Solid session EH...numbers are rising!!

[ElrondHubbard]

Thanks, Ron. They're coming up slowly. I'm going to be traveling for two weeks in late October, so I'll do a reset when I get back, and go back to the equivalent of week 10, I think. I feel reluctant to retread over ground I've walked before, but technically I'm doing that anyway. My maximums are just now reaching the point where my warmups were a year ago. I try not to think about that aspect of it.

[ElrondHubbard]

Friday night, beginning of week 12, a pretty good workout. Made it to 11 on my pullups! I maintained at 40 on my pushups, although my goal of improving my form and reducing rest periods between sets hasn't really gotten off the ground yet. Still progressing well overall. The BB rows seemed easier last night than they had Tuesday, for whatever reason.


Squats:
58x5
73x5
87x5
102x5
116x5

Bench Press:
64x5
80x5
96x5
112x5
128x5

BB Row:
64x5
80x5
96x5
112x5
128x5

Overhead Press:
44x5
47x5
56x5
66x5
75x5

Accessories:

Pullups, 11+10+9+9, 39 total, increased by one on the first set!
Calf Raises, 55x40+55x40
Pushups, 40+39+38, 117 total, increased by one on the final set. Finished lying gasping on the floor! Pushups are definitely the hardest thing I do.

[thehobbes]

Excellent job on the pull ups! Haha mirin' the dedication to the push ups as well.

[ElrondHubbard]

Excellent job on the pull ups! Haha mirin' the dedication to the push ups as well.

Hmpf! I don't know if "dedication" is the word I would use or just plain masochism. The pullups are actually kind of exhilarating, although frustrating as well, while the pushups are mostly torture. Still, when I do make a little incremental progress with them, it gives me a chance to say "I told you so!" to all those negative scripts in my head! That's pretty rewarding.

[ElrondHubbard]

Sunday was the midpoint of week 12, and "light" day -- except for the deadlifts, although compared to most people here what I'm pulling is pretty darn light. This was the first time that it actually pulled the skin of my hands uncomfortably, making me think it'll soon be time to add chalk.

The lifts progressed as planned, and the pushups and pullups also improved. Still sticking to 40 on the pushups, trying to get all three sets done with shorter rest periods. The first set felt marginally easier last night than on the previous workout, I hope that a harbinger. I added one to the last set, which always surprises me since I keep getting the feeling I'm going to collapse halfway through it. Somehow, I got through it. I added a rep on the pullups too, the third set, giving me three sets of 10 and above. I can start to see the time when I can actually add a hanging weight to the pullups. That will be a few weeks down the road.

162 lbs, ~14% bodyfat

Squat:
58x5
73x5
87x5
87x5

Incline Bench:
64x5
77x5
90x5
103x5

Deadlift:
118x5
141x5
165x5
188x5

Overhead Press:
44x5
47x5
56x5
66x5
66x5

Accessories:

Pullups, 11+10+10+9, 40 total, added one to the third set. Felt pretty good.
Pushups, 40+39+39, 118 total. First one felt almost doable, next two were a struggle. Still haven't managed to decrease the rest period between sets, but I think I'm getting closer.

[DocJekyll]

All right - great news on the feeding. That's something to really be excited about! How is it progressing?

Lifts all look good. Nice consistent planned progress. Your pullup and pushup work is pretty impressive. Not many dudes around doing 40 and 118. Keep it up!

[ElrondHubbard]

Ack! I forgot to put up my results from Tuesday!

Last session of week 12, "Heavy" day, for what that's worth. The weights are still progressing as programmed, the maxes are starting to feel heavy for me, but not so heavy it's a struggle just yet. The pullups and pushups booth slid back slightly, but I'm still happy with them. It's always harder the last day of the cycle, I really need those two days of rest before the next one starts on Friday. AND, I was able to reduce the rest time between sets just a little, and that explains the decline in reps. I still worked just as hard to get them, and I think they'll still have the desired effect.

Squat:
58x5
73x5
87x5
102x5
119x4
87x9

Bench Press:
64x5
80x5
96x5
112x5
131x4
96x9

BB Row:
64x5
80x5
96x5
112x5
131x4
96x9

Overhead Press:
44x5
47x5
56x5
66x5
77x4
56x9

Accessories:
Pullups, 11+10+9+9, 39 total, decrease of one from before. My form felt better, though, and I shaved a little bit of time between sets.
Calf Raises, 55x42+55x42, total increase of 4.
Pushups, 40+39+38, 117 total. Again, a very slight decrease in time between sets, will continue to work on that aspect of it.

And tonight as I type this, I just finished actually eating a slice of cheesecake, the most solidist food I've had in eight months. It took a while, and it needed a lot of washing down, but as with the results from weight training, it was worth the effort!

Giant hamburgers on the horizon, but drifting closer...

[Payton1221]

Giant hamburgers on the horizon, but drifting closer...

That's great, and from your weight/bodyfat comment, it seems like you're making great progress. I bet your doctor would like to "bottle up" whatever motivation you have and sell it to other patients who I'm sure aren't as motivated nor regimented as you are.

[ElrondHubbard]

That's great, and from your weight/bodyfat comment, it seems like you're making great progress. I bet your doctor would like to "bottle up" whatever motivation you have and sell it to other patients who I'm sure aren't as motivated nor regimented as you are.

Thanks! I like the weight, it's pretty much where I want to be at this point. Eventually I'd like to put on a bit more, but not too fast, and not too much fat. If I can synchronize it with strength increases, that would be ideal.

Motivation's easy. It doesn't need to be bottled, it just needs to be put on a plate with lots of room for "a big warm bun and a huge hunk of meat."

'Cuz I'm just a Cheeseburger in Paradise...

[ElrondHubbard]

Yesterday I went to a therapy session for my swallowing. It amounted to having electrodes place on my throat and getting zapped while swallowing sips of water and trying various tongue and throat exercises. I'm not sure how effective the stimulation really was, it felt more like fire ants on the skin of my neck than anything triggering the internal throat muscles. But the exercises seem useful, and I'm supposed to work on them several times a day. As of today, I don't feel any after-effects from the session or the exercises, and I don't really know what that means either. Shouldn't I have some throat-DOMS? Something to ask the therapist about next time I see her.

I've been taking in rather large smoothies through my feeding tube almost every night, and last night I was finally able to actually drink a substantial amount of my post-workout blend. It was kind of ugh. Much better when I don't have to taste it. When this feeding tube finally comes out, I think I'm going to prefer my veggies in the form that my wife cooks them, not raw and blended. It could have been the beets I put in it. They're much better cooked. The next batch will have a different mix, and I'll see if that tastes any better.

And finally, last night was the first session of week 13. Another incremental increase on the weights, and again they didn't seem to present any particular difficulty, although the sensation of heaviness is definitely growing. I was able to recover my previous max totals on the pullups and pushups, even with the decrease in rest times between sets (although still excessive IMO). So all in all, a good workout.

Squat:
60x5
74x5
89x5
104x5
119x5

Bench Press:
66x5
82x5
98x5
115x5
131x5

BB Row:
66x5
82x5
98x5
115x5
131x5

Overhead Press:
44x5
48x5
58x5
67x5
77x5

Accessories:

Pullups, 11+10+10+9, 40 total, same as previous best last Sunday. Considering in early July I couldn't do any, this is actually pretty nice progress.
Calf Raises, 55*44+55*44. I really need to do some hiking to stimulate these muscles properly!
Pushups, 40+40+38. I'm very close to where I was a year ago on these. So what if I dropped the third set by one--It's still moving in the right direction.

[thehobbes]

Awesome work on the wt increases!

Yesterday I went to a therapy session for my swallowing. It amounted to having electrodes place on my throat and getting zapped while swallowing sips of water and trying various tongue and throat exercises. I'm not sure how effective the stimulation really was, it felt more like fire ants on the skin of my neck than anything triggering the internal throat muscles. But the exercises seem useful, and I'm supposed to work on them several times a day. As of today, I don't feel any after-effects from the session or the exercises, and I don't really know what that means either. Shouldn't I have some throat-DOMS? Something to ask the therapist about next time I see her.

That's truly amazing such a therapy exists for things like that! Leg day, chest day, now throat day, cool. I hope all that helps you out and you can crush some cheeseburgers pretty soon!

[ElrondHubbard]

Actually ate a sweet potato this evening! That's major. I baked it in the microwave, and slathered it with butter and mayonnaise, so there is that, but I got it down with only a minimum amount of water chaser, and then followed up with applesauce and ice cream. I actually believe I'm gonna beat this! Feeling really good about it now.

[ElrondHubbard]

Sunday night, midpoint of week 13, another one behind me. I felt tired for some unknown reason, and actually considered cutting the workout short, but I didn't, and I'm glad. Made good progress. The deadlifts did feel heavy, but no real struggle getting them up.

Weight, 162, bodyfat 13%: Lost 1/4" in my waist measurement, and was surprised at how big a difference that made in the bodyfat calculations. I don't really know how accurate it is, but I can at least compare it to itself.

Squat:
60x5
74xx5
89x5
89x5

Incline Bench:
66x5
80x5
93x5
106x5

Deadlift:
121x5
145x5
170x5
193x5

[] Overhead Press:[/b]
44x5
48x5
58x5
67x5
67x5

Accessories:

Pullups, 11+11+10+10, 42 total. Had hoped to make it to 12, but adding more to the following sets is still a good step up.
Pushups, 40+40+39, 119 total. A little incrementally better, didn't do as well on cutting the rest period as I'd hoped. Still, all in all a nice result.

"Heavy" day on Tuesday coming up.

[Payton1221]

Weight, 162, bodyfat 13%: Lost 1/4" in my waist measurement, and was surprised at how big a difference that made in the bodyfat calculations. I don't really know how accurate it is, but I can at least compare it to itself.

US Navy calculation?

[ElrondHubbard]

US Navy calculation?

You're good! Actually it's an average of the US Navy, YMCA, modified YMCA, and Covert-Bailey calculation methods. I originally had the Penrose-Nelson-Fisher method in the averages as well, but that method way overcompensates for age. It has me at over 40% BF at the age of 62, whereas with the same measurements at 22 I'd only be at 13%. I can understand assuming a bit more due to age, but that's ridiculous.

Again, I really don't know how accurate it is, but using the "mirror test" it doesn't seem too far off. It might be a couple of % low, but probably no more than that. I figure as long as I weigh and measure under the same conditions each time, at least it'll show changes consistently.

[ElrondHubbard]

And, another week, week #13, is in the bag. One more week remains before I take a two-week break, and then I'll do a reset and continue on.

Tuesday night was pretty good -- I made gains, and as usual, the pushups left me a panting heap on the floor. But I did a little better with them anyway. I finally hit 12 on the pullups, and I was very proud of that!

Squats:
60x5
74x5
89x5
104x5
122x4
89x9

Bench Press:
66x5
82x5
98x5
115x5
134x4
98x9

BB Row:
66x5
82x5
98x5
115x5
134x4
98x9

Overhead Press:
44x5
48x5
58x5
67x5
79x4
58x9

Accessories:

Pullups, 12 + 11 + 10 + 10, 43 total, increase of 1 on the front end. Not bad for a Tuesday!
Calf Raises, 55x46 + 55x46
Pushups, 40 + 40 + 40, I really don't know how I managed that last set, I was almost in tears by the end.

One step at a time, all going in the right direction. More macaroni and cheese, and ice cream, tonight -- eating in the classic sense!

[RT1957]

Putting in the work EH and good to see you can enjoy food again!! things look like they're heading all in the right direction....