Stu, you made me laugh. We needed a Wikipedia reference for Charlie horse, it’s so dated.
Actually, I did appreciate your Wiki reference as it had something interesting to me. I know that my "charlie horse" spasms were due to neuropathy from damaged lumbar nerves, but the impact of hormonal balance and hydration I had not fully considered.
I always look for factors I CAN control, as opposed to those I can’t. I drink mostly just water and green tea, but sometimes get lazy about getting enough in. Thanks for the reminder. Doc
I came back from a weightload march one time and while in the locker room, I could feel a charlie horse coming on in my calf. I knew from experience that if I tensed up, I would be in pain all day so I just relaxed. I looked down and could see an indentation developing in my calf about 1" wide, 4" long and almost 1" deep. After a couple of minutes it went away with no pain. It was the freakiest thing I ever saw. Anyway, I always make sure I drink a lot while exercising now.
MAN, AM I PSYCHED!!!
Today was a great day. For starters, I set up my “home gym”, which is just a lifting platform, and a set of weights and dumbells. But for me, it was awesome, lifting outside in the sun, yelling, dropping weights, farting, cursing, whatever. Freedom!
It gets better. I started with five sets of 3x135 power snatch. Then I went on and did five sets of 3x135 jerks. Then I finished off with five sets of SQUAT CLEANS (5x135 again) finishing off each set with a jerk. I was uncoordinated as hell on some reps, comical even, losing my balance, hitting my neck with the bar while squat cleaning, etc. I mean I can press 135 easier than I can jerk it right now I'm so unconditioned for it.
I know these are baby weights, but this workout represents a huge milestone in my comeback. Yeah, my shoulders are very tight and stiff, my back is probably too arched in the deep squat position, but I DID them. I haven't been able to do all three of these exercises, in how many years??? (and the chorus sings "thirty".) Amen.
Nothing like a great workout to make you feel like Superman.
None of my buddies that are the same age as me workout and man can you tell. They look and feel old. I feel sorry for them. They attribute my vigor (and 20 yrs younger girlfriend) to “luck” no matter how often I tell them there’s no luck involved.
Train like an animal, feel like a god, and live like a king, Doc!
Didn’t think I’d have anything worth posting today-but I came up with a good idea. As I mentioned, I realized I needed to go back to conditioning work in addition to my lifting, as I had gradually given that up. I also have been putting in some extra time doing broomstick (bar) work for technique and shoulder tightness problems.
But there are only so many hours in a day! So today, I got on the treadmill, set it for an hour, and quickly worked up to a 6 incline at 3 mph. Then, during the hour, I got the stick and did a lot of shoulder stretches. Then I did 100 reps with the "bar" in the bench press, the jerk, the snatch, and finished with 100 power clean reps. I not only got in my bar work at the same time as my cardio, it added intensity to the cardio.
All the while watching college football while listening to STP and Audioslave on my ipod. Multitasking my way. Doc
Posted my workout with lots of details a second ago and POOF, off it went into cyberspace. I’m gonna put it on Koing’s thread, because i’m puzzled about what happened today. Major power failure.
Did powersnatch 185 on a second attempt, that’s fun, working those back up. On the first attempt, I pulled it out front, ran after it off my platform, and dropped it in my yard. It buried all the way in the soil up to the collars! LOL Doc
I want to just take a moment to thank all of those who have indulged my mental and philosphical meanderings, from joy to misery to confusion, and everything inbetween. It just kind of dawned on me that in a couple weeks, I will be at the five month mark of my “comeback.” The burning question then becomes…SO WHAT?
I have been helped by many to realize there is no "end point" to this comeback, at least there should be none, except death. Yes, in Hollywood fashion, I could somehow miraculously win a Master's OL championship while somehow getting off HRT. Yeah, that would be both very cool and an inspirational feat to some, maybe even worth writing about (I'm a marginal author-two books so far).
But, I have also realized just rejoining the weight training brotherhood (and sisterhood), and feeling the internal, intrinsic rewards that disciplined training gives...that is enough. I don't NEED to win any championships for that, and I already feel like a champ compared to that sad sack cripple I was for the past five years.
I am inspired by people like Happy dog, who made a more miraculous transformation than I ever could, by HT, for the wonderful mindset he brings to his training, by KSman, for the intellectual brilliance he brings to the science of hormonal optimization, and many others. I am grateful to have young friends like Koing and Uber Ne3b who are torchbearers taking this great sport into the next generation.
So for now, I'll keep feeling my way forward, seeing how far I can take the OL lifts and also trying to increase my overall fitness and health. And pray my joints hold out... Doc
Oh yeah, Barry, someday I DEFINITElY want to deadlift with you in some artsy-fartsy gym. What do you think a 1200lb two-man deadlift with plenty of screaming would do to the rookies doing isolation curls?
Back to posting a workout. Here’s another Dr. Power Clean special, I really can’t make this stuff up, it just happens:
Today I have planned to do clean and jerks, the full lift for the first time in ages. Shoulder feels up to it.
Have several annoying business calls I have to make before I can lift, and the storm clouds are brewing outside, remember I have an outdoor platform only.
I finally get out there, and after my warm-ups, it starts to rain. Shit! But I decide I am GOING TO WORKOUT, PERIOD. But as the platform is quickly soaked and slippery, I change plans to power cleans and push presses. OK. So I get started:
5x95
3x135
Then, at this point, my Great Dane gets loose from inside the house and wants to come play with me. This is bad, because when he is full of energy, he gets “the willies” and runs around crazy. I can’t catch him in this state. I load up 155, and as I start my leg drive for the push press, he runs right at me from behind, and I move slightly forward, and cram that 155 into my chin. Lucky I still have most of my tongue. But now I am really pissed, and in addition, the gentle rain turns into a monsoon. I run after the dog screaming and yelling and he finally sits down in fear. I clean and carry him into the house.
1x175 (his weight, hey it counts as a rep)
Fortunately, at least that weight was right in my progression.
Now I move to 185, water is two inches deep. I do a double. I am NOT going to quit, and I am SO PISSED OFF from the rain and the dog that I figure the adrenalin will help offset the bad conditions.
1x205 solid, shoulder holding up but tightening up now. And now my Ipod malfunctions from the rain, I put it inside, the last song in my head is Cry of the Black Birds by Amon Amarth (death metal-very appropriate to my mood.)
Water now up to my ankles, wife and maid begging me to come in. I growl at them just like Amon Amarth growls.
0x225 Crap. No leg drive and bar feels awkward on my shoulders.
0x225 Worse. Really pissed. Then I remember Reza and the other big boys moving their grip out farther than I was trained to. I try moving mine out two inches. Feels weird.
1x225. Solid. I hold that weight up for about a minute, like Dimas showing off. I drop the weight, and it goes right through that soaked platform like that Shane Hammond commercial.
It ain’t no great weight, I know, but this workout meant a lot to me. I can lift overhead again, and I showed some mental toughness today that I think I have been lacking in the past month.
But now not only my wife is convinced I’m crazy after all, but so is the maid. At least my dog and I made up. Doc
No funny or interesting stories today. Made myself do a squat clean plus front squat workout (really just wanted to do front squats, but have no rack at home yet.)
135x1+4
155x1+3
185x1+2
205x1+2
225x0 missed out front
225x1+2
Had to quit here, shoulders yelling at me, both of them. Glad it was both, felt more like just cramping and overuse rather than joint problems.
Making progress, but OH so far to go in this department. Both of these movements are far from natural for me. But you GOTTA work your weakest link. Doc
Rest day today, and I needed it bad. No more guilt over rest days like a couple months ago (boy was I…exhuberant. See, I’m being kind to myself.) Damn, E must still be too high.
Anyway, cool mini story today. I go to the store where the gym equipment guy is looking for bumpers for me. He still can't find any, but he found out there WAS a Costa Rican OL team a few years ago, and the local Olympic committe hired a Russian and a Cuban coach for the team. He said he would see if they are still around.
Wouldn’t that be great if one of them knew what they were doing and would coach me?
Just dreaming along… Doc
How about you be the coach? You’re 50, you don’t need a coach. You need a shrink, HA. You could help the youngsters. Think about it. You have a lot to offer if you have the time. Have a great weekend and a great day off. I can’t avoid the days off, my body can’t take it. My hands have issues, I may need surgery. See ya.
Barry, if all I wanted to do was power clean, press, bench, squat and deadlift, I’d never need a coach. In fact I enjoy sharing my knowledge with the youngsters on these.
But right now, squat snatching, and squat cleaning and jerking comes about as natural to me as figure skating. I either need a coach, or a priest, to rid me of this abnormal possession to do these satanic lifts. LOL, Doc
I still am fascinated my T-Nation as a whole, although I checked out some other forums today (Infidelity). I am jealous that the other Dr. Power Clean is getting more attention than me with his thread about age management (Envy, not to mention a minor case of Multiple Personality Disorder.) I double posted a post on Koing’s thread today (Early Dementia and Nubism). And I complained actively on a PM that I feel overtrained and stuck with my power clean (Racarnus syndrome or whining-itis).
There, I have confessed my sins for today, even though I'm not a catholic. It's just a good mental health thing to do, to take responsibility.
BTW, I was actually quite pleased today that I squat cleaned 110 (242), a comeback PR even though I am well aware it is far less than my PC. I'm getting there, give me time, I'm going up 10+ pounds every time I squat clean. Plus, I haven't squat cleaned in three decades, never thought I ever would again.
This is Pride, and it ain't no sin. Doc
Doc, I’m on Waterbury’s SOB training at the moment and will be soon training with his Hybrid Hypertrophy program, looks like a great one. I enjoy mixing it up every month or so and Waterbury’s programs are always challenging and changing my bod.
I’ve never been one for gyms, I’ve always trained at home, that is until 1 year ago a gym opened around the corner from home and since I now work from home, I thought it was a great opportunity.
I didn’t like gyms due to their tendency to attract the “hero” crowd… you know the type. I have to say though, I’ve met some great blokes down there, the regulars, but there are still the odd jerks showing up who throw the weights down - actually launching them forward onto the floor instead of at least just dropping them through failure.
I decided to train in the garage yesterday, pissing down rain (nice because we’re in a drought over here) so staying at home to train seemed like a good idea, but talk about a lack of motivation… perhaps it was just yesterday, who knows, but it seems I get a lot more motivated when I’m at the gym now instead of just being by myself in the garage.
I think I needed to take the laptop into the garage with me, reading your posts always motivates me.
Anyway, today is Armistice Day so after 11:00 a.m. I’ll be making my way back to the gym. Keep writing Doc, it’s good for the soul and the sole who reads it.
Cheers mate.
I think I needed to take the laptop into the garage with me, reading your posts always motivates me.
Anyway, today is Armistice Day so after 11:00 a.m. I’ll be making my way back to the gym. Keep writing Doc, it’s good for the soul and the sole who reads it.
Cheers mate.[/quote]
Thanks, Duke. That meant a lot to me, reading that. You know, at first, the HRT I take gave me this youthful energy and exhuberance that made this comeback easy. But that giddy feeling is long gone. It's now up to me and my old body to find a way to stay motivated, keep pushing hard and try to make numbers that I used to lift with ease still give me satisfaction to lift. One way to do that for me is to write, so as long as at least you and Barry care, that's good enough for me. Doc
Let’s all remember Cicero’s 6 Mistakes of Man
1.The delusion that personal gain is made by crushing others.
2.The tendency to worry about things that cannot be changed.
3.Insisting that something is impossible because we cannot seem to accomplish it.
4.Refusing to set aside trivial preferences.
5.Neglecting development and refinement of the mind, and not acquiring the habit of reading and study.
6.Attempting to compel others to think and live as we do.
He left out that you shouldn’t end up mush over 50. This doesn’t mean anyone should do the wacko shit I do, it just means you have to lift.
Take care Doc, love ya man.
Hey Barry, guilty of numbers 2 through 5, although doing better with #3 lately. Used to do #1 and #6 in my youth. And I like your #7, although we should find a more Cicero-like word for “mush.”
Reason I say I'm doing better with #3 lately is because last week I squat cleaned a decent weight, and today I SQUAT snatched for the first time in (and the chorus sings) thirty years. Just a measly 105 lbs, but it felt so cool to have my ass rock bottom with the bar held up over my head collar to collar. It's an old thrill relived. Now comes the easier part, just gradually putting weight on the bar. I really wasn't sure I'd ever squat snatch again. It's taken me five months of stretching and it still strains every joint I have from ankle to neck, but nothing hurt bad like in damaging myself bad.
I'm psyched. I've posted this on two threads-imagine that, being happy with a 105 snatch!!! I'll DL 500 next week just to make sure everyone knows I'm not totally going insane. Doc
I’ve been posting a lot lately on the Strength Sports section, great section for both OL’s and PL’s. I notice, with pain, that our “Over 35 Lifter” section is the least active section in all of T-Nation, even less than “Rate my Physique!”. I heard our section went extinct once already.
What’s up with this? Are us old lifters too few in number, or do we just not post as much as the young bucks (Headhunter, this does not apply to you). Or are we just getting boring with our stories of overcoming injuries and ragging on our insufficient or no-longer optimal HRT regimens?
Do I have to start posting crazy shit again to get people excited? Wake up, dead people. We must protect this house! Doc