I’m back. Waited until I had something interesting to say. Went through six months of not training at all while I was a medical guinea pig, was told I had prostate cancer, pituitary tumors, sleep apnea, sleep hypopnea, fibromyalgia and other conditions…all of which turned out to be false. I am not well yet, get doled out small doses of TRT by my puzzled endo, but I aint dyin and I decided on June 1 to restart serious training again. Started a home gym with 600 lbs of rusty weights I bought for $300 along with two crooked bars and a bench. I decided I would train as hard as I could, but this time eat as much as I wanted, just clean food and tons of protein.
I started making progress fast and before long I had my powerclean back to 275. But this time I promised myself I would put SQUATS above all else, yes, SQUATS. As a result, my weights in everyting, PL, OL and bodyweight, all climbed rapidly. Two weeks ago, in one workout I did a PL "meet" and went 315/375/475. Yeah, 375 squat...only 100 lbs over my squat last comeback. My bodyweight is 262. I am powersnatching 205, and can jerk that 275 PC with more to come, as my main goal is still to get into Master's OL and win at least the American championship (Need about 225/310 for that).
All is great, but the day I pulled that heavy DL a pain I had been having in my left shoulder went from annoying to severe. Long story short, my ortho diagnosed it as either bicipital tendonitis vs. partial tear of the biceps at the insertion into the humerus. Got a cortisone shot, heat and ice etc and waiting to see if it heals in two weeks, which it should if its only tendonitis. Of course, my ortho told me my heavy lifting days are over. but he told me that fifteen years ago after my first rotator surgery.
Suddenly putting the brakes on three months of non stop, furiously intense training has me feeling like I lost a limb. Still squatting at least, I can post a vid if anyone cares this weekend.
I knew this comeback would be my last, and I trained with this mentality every workout, as if I was a gladiator training for what might be his last fight. My son is training with me, and although he is still a lightweight, my intensity has finally rubbed off on him and he is a tall, lean but muscular 17 year old now. He has taken my injury hard also.
I know some of you guys have had these injuries, some of you torn your biceps clean off the bone. I need to hear some best case scenarios...I don't have the time for anymore surgery and long rehabs. If I can come back in 2-4 weeks and within a month or two be training everything hard again, my crazy dream will still be alive. Doc
There are vids of Kevin Nee (pro strongman) and M. Koklyev (spelling) training HARD with an arm in a sling from bicep surgery. Also M. Felix doing the same. Look around. It can, and has, been done.
good luck, sounds like you have the right attitude.
MSikora,
Thanks for the nudge…I had already checked plently of sites about this injury, but mostly all medical which all say the same crap…surgery if its torn, rest and lots of time off if it isnt, with rehab either way. It was motivating to see some of the vids of Nee and others, I see that this injury is common with max deadlifting and learned some interesting facts about how the biceps tends to get injured.
I also was shocked to read that the antibiotic Levaquin is associated with tendon injuries and lawyers are suing over this. I just was on Levaquin for 2 weeks for bronchitis...makes you wonder.
I found a great post on T-Nation from a young guy who tore his, and not only did he keep doing squats (I have been just using one arm on the bar...he used a front squat bar holder), he also did one arm snatches.
We'll see, but I still want to hear from some of the old guys... Doc
FWIW, give cissus a look if you haven’t already. Vegita mentioned it awhile back. I haven’t tried it yet but i’ve heard so many positive results from people that it can’t be ignored. Good luck and welcome back.
I cant supply any firsthand information about the type of injuries you have, but I will say that this “over 35er” finds your all out “balls to the wall” attitude towards training inspirational and motivating. For that , I thank you.
It is tough, at times, for me to remember that I cant heal as quick as I did in my 20’s or 30’s. I have minor injuries to a hamstring, toe joint, forearm, and shoulder that seem to have been causing me trouble for years, but luckily, in a way that doesn’t hamper My training. I know it can be frustrating, but keep your positive attitude,train with less weight if you can to prevent further damage, and give yourself time to heal. I don’t think you will have a problem “staying hungry”, you have a 17 year old to push you.
hey, doc, welcome back to the monkey house! Its been a long time, but luckily, i still haven’t killed anyone yet!
check www.elitefts.com its a mostly-powerlifter hangout. Go into the QAs and ask about biceps tears. These guys are moving tremendous poundages, and many of them have had similar injuries, torn biceps, torn pecs, rotator cuff injuries, etc.
Sounds like you’ve been getting some great training. Your attitude is still great. get healed, and get back on the horse.
Thanks guys, I always get feedback here better than anywhere else. I checked on cissus, man, I thought I was up on supplements but this one is new to me and it looks like it could really help me. I just ordered some. I also ordered some Biotest stuff that might help (moderator should be happy with this.)
And the elite site, as well as several posts I dug up here, have got me thinking about why I develped this particular injury. For a smart guy, I sometimes train stupid because I train with my heart more than my brain. When I train for real, PL or OL lifts, I just cant help but train as hard and heavy as I can, and I dont think about potential injury. I have always been this way...its why I can make fast progress but its also why I can find myself in trouble with injuries.
I have read that many PL's have torn/injured their left bicep due to overhand grip on DL's. I DL with a clean grip, with stance and posture like a clean to help my clean pull strength. So thats not the problem. I think the problem is either supination, which obviously happens on power cleans, or the snatching I have started doing again. I have noticed alot of trouble racking my cleans, as I hit the same problem right where I left off last comeback...remember I pc'd 290 and missed 300 due to racking problems. My racking is like reverse curl, so slow and clumsy. I know what I must do with this, lots of lower weight high reps practicing on speed.
But the real problem, I think, is my overall shoulder flexibility. I am snatching, but I have a feeling the snatch position is putting enormous stress on my shoulder joint overall and especially the bicep insertion. I have to get flexible enought that it is comfortable to snatch or I will probably continue to suffer these problems. I will go back to broomstick stretches going back over my head...but any other ideas I would appreciate. I am also going to see a physical therapist next week who is supposedly really good with athletes. No giving up here. Doc
Doc, I just remembered that BBB has alot to say about two “veterinary” drugs that may be pertinent to your joint/tendon/ligament issues. It’s definitely worth reading up on. Here’s a couple links mentioning them but BBB has definitely mentioned it in other threads also.
[quote]Dr.PowerClean wrote:
Thanks guys, I always get feedback here better than anywhere else. I checked on cissus, man, I thought I was up on supplements but this one is new to me and it looks like it could really help me. I just ordered some. I also ordered some Biotest stuff that might help (moderator should be happy with this.)
And the elite site, as well as several posts I dug up here, have got me thinking about why I develped this particular injury. For a smart guy, I sometimes train stupid because I train with my heart more than my brain. When I train for real, PL or OL lifts, I just cant help but train as hard and heavy as I can, and I dont think about potential injury. I have always been this way...its why I can make fast progress but its also why I can find myself in trouble with injuries.
I have read that many PL's have torn/injured their left bicep due to overhand grip on DL's. I DL with a clean grip, with stance and posture like a clean to help my clean pull strength. So thats not the problem. I think the problem is either supination, which obviously happens on power cleans, or the snatching I have started doing again. I have noticed alot of trouble racking my cleans, as I hit the same problem right where I left off last comeback...remember I pc'd 290 and missed 300 due to racking problems. My racking is like reverse curl, so slow and clumsy. I know what I must do with this, lots of lower weight high reps practicing on speed.
But the real problem, I think, is my overall shoulder flexibility. I am snatching, but I have a feeling the snatch position is putting enormous stress on my shoulder joint overall and especially the bicep insertion. I have to get flexible enough that it is comfortable to snatch or I will probably continue to suffer these problems. I will go back to broomstick stretches going back over my head...but any other ideas I would appreciate. I am also going to see a physical therapist next week who is supposedly really good with athletes. No giving up here. Doc[/quote]
Rhadi Ferguson who had trained a number of Olympic competitors, insists that if you want t recovery, you have to squat, if you want strength, you have to squat, just FYI.
I’m doing bodyweight squats for hip mobility as a part of stretching and warming up every morning or so.
Now that I’ve changed up my back exercises I might try squats again with real weight.
Damn its good to be back in the game. When I’m training, T-Nation becomes a part of my life, when I’m not, I can’t stand to look at it because I feel like a piece of shit to not be lifting. Even if I have a good excuse, because there is no good excuse.
Shoulder’s a little better, no resting pain and less pain in ROM. Using my neuromuscular stim machine, thing still works and I swear it really is helping.
Did 10 sets of squats today, took videos of my 4x315 set and my 1x370. But they look bad, I was tired today and I cut them shallower than usual. Plus my gut looks really big so I am not posting them (see, I’m still nuts). But any squats are good squats. Now if I can just get my son to do them. But he did 2 reps with 105 in the BNP, six months ago the kid couldnt bench 105. Fun to watch. Enjoy the games guys, my Seminoles are going against Miami, we might actually win this one. Doc
try the Curcumin 500 (TC, you owe me a buck for pimping your shit) i use it, hel320 uses it, and so do some of the other guys. real good for inflamation and training owies. wont fix anything, but makes it hurt less
i hate footbal. i might be kwear. oh yeah, cutting my prozac by 1/3 without doctor supervision( from 60 to 40). the next few days should be fun for my coworkers
[quote]mjnewland wrote:
try the Curcumin 500 (TC, you owe me a buck for pimping your shit) i use it, hel320 uses it, and so do some of the other guys. real good for inflamation and training owies. wont fix anything, but makes it hurt less
i hate footbal. i might be kwear. oh yeah, cutting my prozac by 1/3 without doctor supervision( from 60 to 40). the next few days should be fun for my coworkers
[/quote]
I hate football now. I cannot tolerate any more last second FSU chokes against Miami.
[quote]Dr.PowerClean wrote:
mjnewland wrote:
try the Curcumin 500 (TC, you owe me a buck for pimping your shit) i use it, hel320 uses it, and so do some of the other guys. real good for inflamation and training owies. wont fix anything, but makes it hurt less
i hate footbal. i might be kwear. oh yeah, cutting my prozac by 1/3 without doctor supervision( from 60 to 40). the next few days should be fun for my coworkers
I hate football now. I cannot tolerate any more last second FSU chokes against Miami.
[/quote]
That’s why I agreed to go for a quick 4.5 mile walk with my wife when the half time started on the BYU/OU game …
i just wish more teams would kick the shit out of byu. i find it annoying when their teams are good. but I was ejumicated at utah state and univ of utah, the 2 biggest byu h8ers out there.