Sounds like things are improving steadily! Happy to see you getting back at it, but more importantly, recovering finally.
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10/24
Ran (and walked a little) 6.3 km in 40 mins, including a few trudges up The Hill. One of my incisions felt a bit weird in the middle of this, so I slowly jogged for the second half or so.
Well, that can’t be good 
sucks because I feel iron-deficient again right now. Maybe there’s still inflammation from surgery. But at least my liver enzymes that were elevated in the hospital are back to normal. I still feel like something is not quite right with me, but it’s unfortunately taking some time to see any PCP or endocrinologist near me.
Today I scheduled my dissertation defense, which is kinda scary.
10/25
Two-mile walk at 10.1% incline in 34:41
Pull-ups 8,5,5
DB incline press 50x15,11,10
DB OHP 40x8,7
Lat pulldown 80x12,10
Cable row 70x12,10,10
DB lateral raises 16x3x15
DB curl 40x2x10
1.7-mile walk at 9.6% incline in 29:03
I think I want to start another lifting program maybe next weekend. I’d like an U/L split to do 3-4 days per week so that I can still do my cardio and other life stuff. Does anyone have any suggestions? I’m strangely really motivated right now, not sure what to do though. I think I’m looking for something very hypertrophy-focused, especially because I now have access to more of a proper gym, but nothing overly stressful, if that makes sense… so, nothing like Deep Water.
Honestly, I’m just trying to shed 6-8 pounds (in the long run, of course) and look and feel a bit better after all that I’ve been through. Though I haven’t shared any photos of myself here in a long time, I’ve become more insecure about my lower body in the past couple of years, and not to be that person, but I think the inflammation from the endometriosis has played a role in my weight gain and bodyfat retention in my lower half. All this is to say that I think I do need to work my legs more, even though barbell squats aren’t exactly my friend and I realize simply losing bodyfat in general will be the bigger help.
I appreciate any thoughts!
10 Likes
1 Like
No suggestions, but I’m in the market for the same thing. Maybe we can jump on the same program together.
Also, help us with some suggestions, guys!! lol
1 Like
10/26
Two-mile walk at 6% incline
Front squat 75x2x6
6 pull-ups
DB BSS 30x2x12
Seated hamstring curl 50x16,17
Lots of cable abductor and adductor stuff
First day touching a barbell since surgery… turns out I didn’t want to wear my lifting belt. But everything went okayish. Trying to get used to doing legs twice per week. I feel goofy doing the cable abductor/adductor stuff, but it honestly feels pretty good and like my body needs this kind of work since I never focused on it… ever.
Besides the fact that it seems my new trainer is calibrated incorrectly, second ride on the trainer went really well, so I think I can try to do some light climbing workouts again this week. Maybe I’ll ride my bike to work sometime this week. I only get a little scared of potentially falling for some random reason and maybe doing some damage.
8 Likes
5/3/1 for Bodybuilding? I loved it.
Great spreadsheet on Liftvault already too.
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5/3/1 feels a bit stale for me, so I’m wanting to try something… different. I’ll take a closer look at the spreadsheet though!
3 Likes
Oops, I neglected my log this week because I have been so busy. Despite preparing for my defense, I think it will be good for me to get back on a lifting program. Anyway, I decided to try something really different—Jeff Nippard’s Pure Bodybuilding program—and started the first day yesterday. During the week I did my own thing still but experimented with some of the movements that the program lists.
10/27
Ran 7 km in 37:44.
10/28
DB OHP 20x14,9,12,9
Pull-ups 8,7,6,5
Cable row 70x2x15
Cable y-raises and Zottman curls
10/29
I had PT and was assigned more glute and core work. I have one more appointment in a couple weeks and one at the end of December. It sounds like I will be discharged after that.
10/30
Walked 1 mile at 7.7% incline in 16:50
Seated leg curl 60x8,11,11
Leg press 80x15, 90x16,15
Paused DB RDL 80x8,6
Paused DB goblet squat 35x10,12,12
Cable hip abductor and adductor work
10/31
AM
Pure Bodybuilding W1D1
Pull-ups 9 (!),7,? (long-length partial on last set and lost count)
Low incline DB press 60x7,7,6 (should have gotten more reps, but 50 would have been too light)
SA DB row 50x10,9,9
Cable Y-raise 14,12,21 (myo-reps on last set)
OH cable tricep extension 26x8,8,7 18x9
Some BPA
PM
Ran 8 km in 46:39, mostly did random intervals.
11/1
I’m really sore today from that run and have a lot of work to do, so I will just do a very long walk later to visit my favorite park. My shoulders feel sore for the first time in many years after those Y-raises! I’ve never done such a bodybuilding-centric program before, so it should be interesting.
Lifting-wise, I’m feeling pretty close to my pre-op baseline. Still a bit out of shape cardio-wise. Generally, my right-sided pelvic symptoms have gradually been waning, which is nice because it was a bit discouraging for a bit not too long ago. Maybe the IUD insertion was playing a role there too.
I’m still experiencing some kind of dysautonomia and/or thyroid or low iron symptoms, and it’s kind of distressing. It sucks because I have to wait three months to see not just an endo, which is understandable these days, but even a PCP. At this point this issue interferes with my daily life somewhat, so I don’t want to wait that long. So, I poked around and learned about direct primary care. Had no idea this is a thing. Yesterday I chatted virtually with a provider near me and got a great impression, and they’re giving me a discounted rate. So, I already have an appointment on Tuesday.
12 Likes
11/2
Pure Bodybuilding W1D2
Seated leg curl 70x8,9,8
Cable abductor 10x13,15; 14x13
Front squat 100x3, 90x4, 70x8 (was supposed to be a 4-6-8 pyramid)
Leg extension 30x12,14; 40x8 (long-length partial)
DB BSS 30x11,11,10
I’m still feeling out the weights for some of these movements. I’d actually never done a leg extension before in my life. I’m also still not using a belt on the squats. I’m still really enjoying the gym here. Often I’m accompanied by only one other person—some guy who looks a bit younger than me and seems to only do half-assed incline and flat barbell bench and is very serious about cable tricep exercises. No judgment, no judgment. In any case, I have a well equipped gym all to myself quite often.
11 Likes
Yay! Nippards programs have treated me very well, curious to see what you think.
1 Like
11/3
Early PM
Pure Bodybuilding W1D3
Walked 1.3 miles at 8% incline in 21:45
Pull-ups 11 
, 7
DB OHP 50x8,6,6; 40x5; 30x8
Cable row 80x8,9,8
Zottman curl 30x10,12,11
Super ROM DB lateral raise 10x13,15,13
Cable reverse fly 3xmechanical dropsets
Not the right rep range on presses, but 40 would be too light. Annoying
Late PM
Ran 7 km outside in 39:33
The weather was gorgeous this evening, presenting a perfect opportunity for my camera to accompany me to the park and to run around for a bit. I want to take my Nice Bike off the trainer a few times before winter comes now that I feel much less like I’d break if I fall. Maybe this weekend.
My pelvis has felt so good over the past few days that I sometimes forget I had surgery. I’m soooooooooo grateful. I’m curious how this visit with the new PCP will go tomorrow.
10 Likes
11/4
AM
Pure Bodybuilding W1D4
Walked 1.15 miles at 9.3% incline in 19:30
Seated leg curl 70x10,11,11
Leg press 100x9,10,10
Paused DB RDL 90x2x8
Cable adductor 10x11,10,10
Paused goblet squat 35x11,10,8
PM
Walked 1.6 miles at 10% incline in 27:06
More fun ramblings:
Had an interesting appointment today. I reviewed my labs and read up quite a bit on the possibilities (shocker), and I’m glad I did because now I wonder if there is an issue with my pituitary function that more indirectly affects thyroid (i.e. central hypo). Basically, my FT4 has been rock bottom for at least five years, with FT3 also being on the low side. Yet my TSH isn’t that elevated. So, it’s kind of curious.
The doctor found my symptoms and labs interesting. More so the rollercoaster of iron labs over the years. He thinks those are still a bit suspect and maybe playing a role still, and I can’t totally disagree with that. But even when I was at my best there (>100 ferritin and 14.1 HGB) in January, my free thyroid hormones were low, and even though docs don’t care as much about them anymore, my total T4 was only tenths away from being out of range, and total T3 was very out of range.
It was kind of funny because he just asks me what I read and what I think. He said he’s a little scared because of my background and jokes that I am smarter than him. Obviously he is the MD and I am not, but I appreciate that he’s willing to explore anything within reason for me.
Basically, I’m going to get some more labs done and try to rule out any sort of adrenal insufficiency that is coupled with pituitary issues (and also happens to be a contraindication for thyroid medication).
If that’s all clear, then he said he would definitely let me trial a low-dose thyroid med if I want and just keep him updated on any side effects. And I think I’ll take him up on that offer.
Of course, I am no endocrinologist, but I wonder if I’ve been playing the fitness game on hard mode since I’ve had extremely low thyroid hormone levels for 5-6 years at least. And perhaps my seemingly poor metabolism played a role in my development of endometriosis, who knows.
(If anyone reading is well versed in this stuff, feel free to chime in)
9 Likes
11/6
Ran 7.15 km (38:19) with some Tabata and tempo intervals thrown in on the way home from early bloodwork at an inconvenient location
Pure Bodybuilding W1D5
Incline DB curl 30x9,9,10
Leg extension 40x11,13,12
Cable face pull 14x20, 18x20
Some cable abductor and adductor work + PT exercises
It was a tiring day totaling 27k steps after the run, going to work, giving someone a campus tour that was more involved than expected, and coming home late. I also barely slept last night due to feeling like my sinuses were off, but the symptoms dissipated for whatever reason.
9 Likes
11/8
Pure Bodybuilding W2D1
Pull-ups 9,7,6
Low incline DB press 60x8,8,6
SA DB Row 50x11,12,12
Cable Y-raise 17,16,17
OH tricep extension 26x11; 22x11,10
4 miles of HIIT on elliptical in 26:39
10 Likes
11/9
Pure Bodybuilding W2D2
1 mile walk/run at 6.7% incline in 13:49
Seated leg curl 80x3x8
Abductor cable 14x11,12,13
Front squat 100x4, 85x6, 70x8 (beltless)
Leg extension 40x3x11
DB BSS 40x10,8
1 mile walk/run at 6.8% incline in 12:32
Very short on time today. Felt good though! Probably due to feeling less borderline anemic since the doctor insisted I supplement more iron despite my high ferritin level from last bloodwork. I also wore my belt for the first time since surgery—on the ninth hole (!) and only a bit bothersome to my bellybutton incision. I feel like I am slowly making progress despite how tired I have been lately.
10 Likes
Okay, so I neglected my log for a bit.
11/11
Pure Bodybuilding W2D3
Walked 1.6 miles at 9.4% incline in 26:55
Pull-ups 10,9,6
DB OHP 50x8,8,6; 40x7; 30x7
Cable row 80x10,8,9
Zottman curl 30x11,11,9
Super ROM DB lateral raise 12x14,11,13
Cable reverse fly 3xmechanical dropset
Walked 1.2 miles at 10.2% incline in 20:00
Walked another 7 km in the evening
11/12
Pure Bodybuilding W2D4
Seated leg curl 80x3x9
Leg press 100x12,12,13
Paused RDL 110x2x8
Cable adductor 10x15,12,13
Paused DB goblet squat 40x10,9,9
Walking lunges 30x??? (for “fun”)
11/13
Pure Bodybuilding W2D5
Leg extensions 50x12,11,9
HLR 3x11
DB incline curl 30x12,11,12
Cable abductor 14x15,13,12
Cable adductor 10x16
Face pull 20x2x10
7.5 km run in 45:10
11/15
Pure Bodybuilding W3D1
Walked 1.1 miles at 8.4% incline in 18:34
Pull-ups 8,6,5
Low incline DB press 60x3x8
SA DB row 55x9,8 (incisions felt weird, cut this short)
Cable y-raise 17,15,17
OH cable tricep extension 22x14,9,10; 18x8; 14x9
Rode 3 miles on elliptical in 18:43
11/16
Pure Bodybuilding W3D2
Walked 1 mile at 8% incline in 16:52
Seated leg curl 80x8,9,9
Cable adductor 10x3x15
Front squat 105x4; 90x6; 85x8
Leg extension 50x12,10,12
DB BSS 50x2x7; 30x11
Computer died, so I had to cut this short
11/17
Walked/ran 2.5 miles at 9.5% incline in 41:03
11/18
Pure Bodybuilding W3D3
Walked 1 mile at 8.7% incline in 17:02
Pull-ups 3x7
DB OHP 50x3x8; 40x7; 30x7
SA DB row 55x3x8 (had to sub cable rows for this)
Zottman curl 30x13,12,10
Super ROM DB lateral raise 12x13,12,13
BPA 2x25 (had to sub cable rear delt flies for this)
7.5 km run in 42:11
11/19
Pure Bodybuilding W3D4
Walked 1.2 miles at 8.9% incline in 19:51
Seated leg curl 80x12,8,10
Leg press 100x2x13; 110x10
Paused deficit RDL 115x2x6
Paused goblet squat 40x10,8,6
I think that’s everything…
7 Likes
I’ve been incredibly busy finishing writing my dissertation, and it’s still not done yet. Time is slipping away from me. Anyway, in other news I convinced my doctor to let me trial a thyroid med. A very low dose. Honestly, it’s a little scary, but I think it’s worth a try with my numbers. According to my bloodwork, my TSH, though still very much subclinical, was the highest it has ever been for me, and my FT4 and FT3 are just as low as they’ve always been over the years. I determined that I don’t have adrenal sufficiency because my cortisol was 0.1 points away from being actually too high, so taking levo shouldn’t be dangerous. Should be an interesting experiment.
The scarier thing is how much the prescription costs. Given my gluten intolerance and hesitancy to consume dairy, my preferred/only choice is a gel capsule, which is not covered by my insurance—not even the generic. I didn’t pick it up yet because I’ve been trying to find a price better than $65–75/month but to no avail. I think I’ll just have to deal with it for a month and figure out what to do about it later. Will probably start it tomorrow.
I also got my first ever B12 injection last Friday because my iron saturation and MCV looked wonky. I think the BC I took over the summer really messed with my B12 levels and therefore my iron metabolism over the past several months. I’m doing better on that front though, feeling much better since the injection and taking tons of sublingual B12.
8 Likes
11/20
Pure Bodybuilding W3D5
3-mile walk/run at 9.4% incline in 47:09
Pull-ups 9,8
Incline DB curl 30x8,9,10
HLR 10,10
Walking lunges 30x2 sets
Had to modify and cut back today a bit
9 Likes
11/21
Walked home from work. Then walked 1.2 miles at 9.8% incline later on the treadmill.
I started the levo this morning. Although I guess it is mostly (or even entirely) placebo, I think I felt the slightest difference in some regards. Nothing bad though.
Also, I think I have a slight lateral pelvic tilt that spasmed several days ago because my right QL has been annoying me lately. I’ve been doing some stretches but am even considering pursuing PT for this as well if it doesn’t start clearing up soon.
8 Likes