It took a lot of years to get this.

[Marius_Ursus]

On January first I made a promise to myself to get some form of exercise every single day. With my hip in the bad condition it's in, there is so much I can't do, and I decided I was just making excuses and knew that I could still get some form of workout in every day. I told my wife about my plan to make sure I couldn't just be like, "Oh, one day without exercise won't kill me."

I started with a couple of static holds with a barbell, one rack pull and one bench press, just holding the bar for 10 seconds. Then I went for a walk on the treadmill. The next day I ordered some bands, so I could get a variety of resistance exercises while the garage was too cold to lift in. I had one of those doorway chinup bars that you can hang a punching bag from, so I bought a heavy bag, and now...well, I've been doing band, light kettelbell, and bodyweight work since January first, and the change is really showing in my body. If I could run, I think the change would be more dramatic, but I'm down in pants size, and my belt is fitting smaller.

The temperature has gone up to hitting the 50s every day, and it will be getting into the 60s soon, so I'm training in the garage again...every single day, some form of exercise. I'm really happy with the change in weight, body fat, and overall health. At some point this year I'll get my hip replaced, so I'll be able to do full squats again. Right now I have to use a chair of bench for box squats, and they have to be bodyweight or front squats due to the higher hip activity with a back squat...but it's something.

As of Sunday, I'm lifting at a higher volume, getting more protein in my diet, and having just a great time enjoying my training and loving the warmer weather, feeling very peaceful most of the time.

I wish I'd been in this mental state a long time ago. I spent a lot of years messing myself up, sabotaging myself, not sticking to anything, and being too worried with the result instead of the process. See, I also started studying Japanese again this year, only this time, I'm not throwing myself into so I burn out in a couple weeks. I've been very slowly working at it for six months instead of burning out at six weeks. I can now understand some of what I hear in the news and on TV shows. My exercise is the same. I'm very slowly making progress and have stuck with it for four months so far without an injury.

Anyway, my routine right now is:

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
Push Pull Legs Push Pull Legs Body Weight

I walk and hit the heavy bag every day...when the whether gets warmer, I'll be doing a lot of "play" workouts outside.

I don't know if I'll stick with journaling, though. I always seem to get bored recording what I do...

[Marius_Ursus]

Sunday 4/6/2021

Overhead Press
1x5x85
1x5x75 - Shoulder is killing me
1x5x75

Bench Press
1x15x115
1x12x115
1x10x105

Incline Dumbbell Fly
1x10x15
1x10x15
1x10x15

Incline Dumbbell Bench
1x15x25
1x15x25
1x15x20
1x15x20

Walk

[Marius_Ursus]

Monday, 4/6/2021

Heavy Bag
3 rounds, 5 minutes, 1 minute break between rounds

Walk
1 mile

Chest Supported BB Row
1x10x75
1x12x75
1x10x75

Chest Supported DB Row
1x12x25
1x12x25
1x12x20
1x15x20

Y Pull
1x10x20
1x10x20
1x10x20

Pulldown, pronated grip
1x12x40
1x12x40
1x12x40
1x15x40

DB Curls
1x18x20

[Marius_Ursus]

Tuesday, 4/6/2021

Heavy Bag
3 rounds, 5 minutes, 1 minute break between rounds

Walk
I made it about 50 yards before the pain got to be too much

Front Squats
1x10xempty bar
1x10xempty bar
1x10xempty bar

Straight Leg Deadlift
1x5xempty bar
1x5x95

Weighted Glute Bridge
Too much pain, couldn't even get into position, muscle just wouldn't fire

Glute Bridge Static Hold, Unweighted
30 seconds

[Marius_Ursus]

Wed, 4/7/2021

Hard-style Bridge
Side Bridge Left
Side Bridge Right
Curl Up Left
Curl Up Right

Heavy Bag 20 minutes
Walk 1.5 mile

Hip is killing me. Insurance changed recently, and it looks like I'll be able to get my surgery in a couple of months.

[Marius_Ursus]

4/8/2021

Barbell Row + Press Complex
1x1x64
1x2x65
1x3x64
1x4x65
1x5x65
1x5x65
1x5x65

Chest Supported Dumbbell Row
3x15x25

Flat Dumbbell Bench Press
3x15x25

Dumbbell Curl + Press Complex
1x10x25

Body Weight Box Squat
2x10

Walk 1 mile

[jtaylor2010]

Nice!


And another good thing about this, besides the immediate physical and mental benefits, is that being strong will help your recovery after surgery. It’ll suck to be down for a while afterwards, but you’re taking the right approach. A lot of people would’ve said “oh I’ll just jump back into it after my surgery” when a better spot going into the surgery will put you in a better spot coming out of it. Keep up the good work!

[TM79]

Glad to see you back in here. I thought that a while back you said it was bursitis that was bothering your hip (I remember because I also have hip bursitis). Are you saying that you have damage to the hip joint now? That stinks... I remember when I had my hip checked out, they did an x-ray and said that my hip joint itself was fine, but that the IT band was aggravating the bursa, which was causing the pain. Just curious... That's great that you have been exercising everyday. Not surprised at all that you are noticing a big difference in your body composition. If you are relatively strict (or at least calculated) with your diet and consistent with exercise, it is absolutely doable, and a lot easier than most people think. For the last several years, I have put on 15-20 pounds each winter and then nearly killed myself to lose that weight in the Spring and Summer. This winter I decided to stay focused on my diet and do at least some light conditioning every day except Sunday. The result was that I maintained my goal body weight all winter long. So when does the pool open?

Glad you are getting some good work in, even with the hip pain. The weight lifting looks good and the walking/heavy bag should keep the conditioning up. Stay after it my friend!

[Marius_Ursus]

Friday, 4/9/2021

Heavy Bag
6 5-minute rounds

Assisted Chin Up
10

Foot-elevated Push Up
10

Assisted Chin Up
10

Foot-elevated Push Up
10

[Marius_Ursus]

Saturday 4/11/2021

Yardio
We lost one our pine trees in a storm, so I cut it into segments and moved portions of the trunk

Fishing
Lots of walking around

Walk
1 mile

[Marius_Ursus]

Nice!


And another good thing about this, besides the immediate physical and mental benefits, is that being strong will help your recovery after surgery. It’ll suck to be down for a while afterwards, but you’re taking the right approach. A lot of people would’ve said “oh I’ll just jump back into it after my surgery” when a better spot going into the surgery will put you in a better spot coming out of it. Keep up the good work!

Thanks, looking forward to the recovery. I had hernia surgery a couple years ago, followed the doctor's orders exactly and was back to 100% in six weeks. I'll do that again with the hip.

Glad to see you back in here. I thought that a while back you said it was bursitis that was bothering your hip (I remember because I also have hip bursitis). Are you saying that you have damage to the hip joint now? That stinks... I remember when I had my hip checked out, they did an x-ray and said that my hip joint itself was fine, but that the IT band was aggravating the bursa, which was causing the pain. Just curious... That's great that you have been exercising everyday. Not surprised at all that you are noticing a big difference in your body composition. If you are relatively strict (or at least calculated) with your diet and consistent with exercise, it is absolutely doable, and a lot easier than most people think. For the last several years, I have put on 15-20 pounds each winter and then nearly killed myself to lose that weight in the Spring and Summer. This winter I decided to stay focused on my diet and do at least some light conditioning every day except Sunday. The result was that I maintained my goal body weight all winter long. So when does the pool open?

Glad you are getting some good work in, even with the hip pain. The weight lifting looks good and the walking/heavy bag should keep the conditioning up. Stay after it my friend!

Yeah, I had the bursitis diagnosis 3...4 years ago?...Something weird went on while I had that where I had these weird compensations going on in my lower back where my body was trying to make up for the fact that my hip wasn't working correctly. I started doing corrective exercises and had crazy pain in the muscles of my lower back and glutes while everything was lining itself up again. A few weeks later I noticed I had almost no ROM in my hip now that the muscles had been put back into order. I made an appointment with my doctor some time early last year, and she took Xrays and showed me where my hip had no cartilage in it anymore. She set up an appointment with an orthopaedic surgeon who offered to replace it, and my insurance back then *sucked*, and I would've paid around $10,000 out of pocket for it.

Now I have much better insurance with a $300 deductible, so I'm going to make an appointment for the replacement. It's just outpatient, so it shouldn't be too bad, and from everything I've been reading recovery should only take about six-eight weeks.

[TM79]

Hate to hear about the hip situation but I'm glad that you have better insurance now and can get it taken care of. Way to stay committed to training in the meantime.

[Marius_Ursus]

Thanks, brother.

[Marius_Ursus]

Sunday, 4/11/2021

Walk
1 mile

Static Contracted Chin-up Hang
10 count

Notes
Lots of limping today, lower back pain. Scoliosis seems to be acting up...feet burning.

[Marius_Ursus]

Monday, 4/12/2021

Assisted Chin-up
10

Foot-elevated Push-up
15

Heavy Bag
3 rounds, 3 minutes each, 30 secs rest between rounds

Barbell Static Hold
205 for 10 count

OH Press
1x3x85
1x5x75
1x5x75
1x8x75

Barbell BOR
1x5x75
1x5x75
1x10x75

Body Weight Box Squats
30 reps

Side Plank
30 seconds left
30 seconds right

Notes
I felt really weak today. Slept like crap, lots of pain...maybe the colder weather with rain that moved in last night.

Felt a funny "crunchy" feeling in my lumbar on the left-side side plank. Back hurt a little less when I was done.

[TM79]

Nice walk on Sunday and that was a great looking session yesterday. Sorry to hear about the back pain. Maybe it was a result of cutting up and moving that pine tree? Manual labor seems to bother mine more nowadays... Keep up the good work!

[Marius_Ursus]

Nice walk on Sunday and that was a great looking session yesterday. Sorry to hear about the back pain. Maybe it was a result of cutting up and moving that pine tree? Manual labor seems to bother mine more nowadays... Keep up the good work!

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the work on the pine tree messed my up. It should be fun when I move the trunk segments down to the pond. Hahaha

[Marius_Ursus]

Tuesday 4/13/2021

Chin-up Singles
5

Push Ups
10

Overhead Press + Barbell BOR Complex
1x5x75
1x5x85
1x7x85

I'll go for a walk later when it warms up a little more.

Felt weak again today. I don't know if it's the crappy sleep or training fasted that's doing it. Tomorrow I'm going to try to trick my nervous system into higher output with a single of a higher load than my working weight.

[TM79]

Nice job on that upper body session today. Crappy sleep will definitely make you feel rough. I'm right there with you today. Hoping for a better night's sleep tonight. Enjoy the day and don't work too hard moving those logs!

[Marius_Ursus]

Wednesday, 4/14/2021

Walk
1 mile

Romanian Deadlifts
1x6x85 - really babying that hip, felt good, though
1x5x85

Hang Power Clean + Press
1x1x85
1x1x105
1x1x85
1x2x85
1x3x85
1x2x85
1x1x85

Discus
12 easy throws, left- and right-handed

[GrouchyUSMC]

Good to see you back at it and crushing it.

[Marius_Ursus]

Good to see you back at it and crushing it.

Thanks, brother. All I need is a good hip, and I'll make some real progress. LOL

[Marius_Ursus]

Thursday 4/15/2021

Walk
.75 mile

Hardstyle Plank
15 secs

Left Side Plank
30 secs

Right Side Plank
30 Secs

[Marius_Ursus]

Friday, 4/16/2021

Bench Press
1x1x135
1x5x115
1x10x105
1x10x105

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
1x15x25
1x12x25
1x10x25

Chest Supported Dumbbell Rows
1x15x25
1x12x25
1x10x25

Pulldown, Pronated Grip
1x15x40
1x12x40
1x10x40

Body Weight Box Squat
1x10

Had a very protracted session today, in and out in 15 minutes to bring my youngest son down to the school to pick up his remote-learning semester packet.

[Marius_Ursus]

Saturday 4/17/2021

Plank Work

Walk

[Marius_Ursus]

Sunday 4/18/2021

Walk
About 2 miles

[Marius_Ursus]

Monday, 4/19/2021

Power Clean + Press
1x95

Barbell BOR
1x5x85
1x5x85
1x10x85

Hang Power Clean + Press
1x5x85
1x5x85
1x10x85

Bodyweight Box Squat
1x30

Walk
About half a mile

[TM79]

Solid work in here. The weights, walking, planks and discus (?). Nice and well rounded.

[Marius_Ursus]

Solid work in here. The weights, walking, planks and discus (?). Nice and well rounded.

The discus is fun. I used to throw competitively, so I still enjoy taking 10 or 20 throws now and then.

[Marius_Ursus]

My face felt "funny" a couple nights ago. Then I found a tick on my leg. Long story-short, I have Lyme Disease. I'm not supposed to do any heavy lifting for the next few weeks. Body weight exercises are okay, though.