Welcome!
Nice bike…
Thank you, I’m slowly trying to fix the problems the previous owner alowed through his neglect.
So far I’ve adjusted the valves, overhauled the carbs,(runs much better on all four cylinders) and replaced the battery. Have a small oil leak to fix, and a troublesome caliper or two to rebuild.
Then I’m gonna try some bars with less rise and pullback
4-19-11
Went to the doctor today; full physical, blood work including testostrone level (been having some symtoms of low T) X rays on left shoulder and both knees.
Ordered physical therapy for knees and shoulder, if I can afford it with my insurance.
Won’t know results from anything untill various techs report on things, but I did get one question answered, I asked my tech, in his experience, how open my acromian proces was, he responded “not a lot of room in there”
Everything I’ve read on shoulder problems says people without much room in the acromial process should use a neutral grip for pressing. No more barbell overhead or bench or floor pressing. All upper body work will have to be dumbells or Kbells, unless I get a T-grip bar (unlikley as they cost $350+)
Bummer. How about dips?
Dips were actualy what got the ball rolling this time. I was doing okay, then decided to go to bodyweight assistance (like someone OH pressing 105 needs assistance work) I incorporated this during a deload (I was doing 531) without apparent problem, then next cycle I did OH Press at more like full power, followed by dips and assisted pullups.
That night my shoulder started up. Deadlift day no problem, Bench day I had to quit, I couldn’t keep tight due to shoulder pain.
Pushups I should have no problem with, but no dips, I think, untill I cab do 30 consecutive pushups, and maybe not then. I might be one of those folks who shouldn’t dip, though I used to do it when I was younger, stronger, and not as fat.
I’m not too disapointed about the acromial space, though, it takes more strength to put up a given weight with dumbells than on a bar, so I can still get strong, and I can focuss more on conditioning and dynamic strength with Kbells, too
4-25-11
PT assesment and therapy
PT is a misinformed anti-squat person who believes deep squats are bad for the knees and 1 degree of forward knee bend during a squat is a death sentance for the knees.
Ironicaly, she recomends front squats instead of back squats, if I squat at all.
I actualy like this idea, as goblets and Kbell front squats are easier to balance yourself, the ironic part is most people’s knees translate farther forward on front squats, at least with a barbell, as you sit down more than back.
Oh, well, everyone has an opinion, and those who don’t lift realy don’t know beans about it.
I wanted to tell her “If you don’t do heavy squats, you don’t know squat.”
first I sat around for fifteen minutes while they did E-stim and hot packed the shoulder to ‘warm it up’
Sounds bogus, Dan John never said you could warm up by sitting in a suana.
Then, rather than work my warmed up shoulder, they had me do:
Lying hamstring stretch with a strap: 5x20s each leg
my hamstring flexibility is crap
Lying calf stretch with a strap: 5x20s each leg
Lying ‘Ts’ Lying on back, put one leg in position as if for a bent leg situp, lift the other leg, swing it to the outside, then across the bent leg, then lower: 2x10 reps with a 1 pound ankle weight on the ankle. This was a good hip flexor workout, with the abs worked as a stabilizer.
Then, once the shoulders had had plenty of time to cool down:
Lying overhead stretch: think of a straight arm pullover with a short plastic bar with a 1 pound ankle weight on it, but you have to touch your stomach (or hips if long armed) with this bar every rep, and the bench keeps you from going past level when overhead
rear lat raises straight to the side, up ‘overhead’ if I hadn’t been lying on my stomache, and at a 120 degree angle (think the letter Y but one sided) 2x10 each with a 2 pound Barbie weight
Squats holding a bar with a side leg raise against a theraband: 4x10 (2 each side)
standing scap retractions / protractions with arms held in front
2x10 no weight
standing with arms out to sides (90) and elbows bent (90)rotate from hands up to hands down: 2x10 with no weight
I actualy had better mobility with this one than the person training me
Ergometer (exercise bike for the arms) 3min forward, 3min backward
recumbet bike: 10min
this whole thing, along with the assesment, took almost two hours
I don’t know why I expected better from these folks, theres a lot of misinformation they believe as gospel (my favorite is protecting the spine by pulling the abs in, as any well educated lifter will laugh at that one)
Hey roadrunner - have you read any of Mike Robertson’s stuff? He has a very balanced approach between “corrective” exercise and “real lifting”. He programmed a few months for me after I tweaked my lower back and shoulder repeatedly in the gym, and it changed the way I looked at lifting/exercise/my body entirely. Plus he has a lot of experience with your age range (OLD…lol kidding kidding). I would read everything you could find by him and maybe even look into getting an online assessment/program from him if you are serious about getting back into shape. Online isn’t too too expensive either. Eric Cressey, as someone else mentioned before, has some great ideas and techniques as well (especially for shoulders since he trains a lot of pitchers). Hope that helps a little!
I do have a bit of robertson’s stuff, not much, I wasn’t going to buy stuff to teach me to train others when I don’t do so. How much did he charge for assesment / programing?
Oh, I’m not OLD, I’m VINTAGE, there’s a differance 
BTW, checked my squat form to day and the PT was right, I suck freestanding. It’s like Wendler says, most people sit on the toilet with better form than they squat, including me, guess I’ll have to put the rack in the bathroom
Seriously, I’m liking the idea of goblets graduating to Kbell front squats better and better, the weight out in front makes it easier to sit back into the squat
LOT’S OF PRACTICE!
I started with db RDL’S.
Dumbell RDLs? hold the DB in front between the legs? That’s how I do with KB DLs, though I’m on hiatus untill I finish PT. Gotta ask if I can do pushups or something
I’ve been neglecting my new friends, here
5-16-11
Lying hamstring stretch: 5x20s
lying calf stretch: 5x20s
Lying Ts 25 reps with each leg
lying overhead stretch: 10x10s
rear lat raises straight to the side, up ‘overhead’ if I hadn’t been lying on my stomache, and at a 120 degree angle (think the letter Y but one sided) 1x20 each with a 2.5 pound weigh
holding a 2.5 lb plate at arm’s length horizontaly, draw figure eights: 25 verticle, 25 horizontal
standing scap retractions / protractions with arms held in front
1x25 no weight
standing with arms out to sides (90) and elbows bent (90)rotate from hands up to hands down: 1x25 with no weight
5x20s standing ITB band stretch (don’t realy feel a stretch
5x20s thigh stretch
Squats with a side leg raise against a theraband: 2x25 (1 each side)
bike: 10min
45 wall pushups
45 mini band rows
15 knee tucks
this was my latest workout. PT allowed wall pushups or off the kitchen counter, and mini band rows, I built them up to 45
I’d still like to get hold of some of Robertson’s programing, but it looks like he charges almost $1000 for even online training, not an option.
I’m thinking when I finnish PT a more strength-endurance focus, rather than maximal strength, with more weighted bodyweight and kettlebell stuff, less barbell work. I will not, however, give up my Deads.
I have some ideas re programing I’d like to try out.
5-20-11
Lying hamstring stretch: 5x20s
lying calf stretch: 5x20s
Lying Ts 25 reps with each leg
lying overhead stretch: 10x10s
rear lat raises straight to the side, up ‘overhead’ if I hadn’t been lying on my stomache, and at a 120 degree angle (think the letter Y but one sided) 1x20 each with a 2.5 pound weigh
holding a 2.5 lb plate at arm’s length horizontaly, draw figure eights: 25 verticle, 25 horizontal
standing scap retractions / protractions with arms held in front
1x25 no weight
standing with arms out to sides (90) and elbows bent (90)rotate from hands up to hands down: 1x25 with no weight
5x20s standing ITB band stretch (don’t realy feel a stretch
5x20s thigh stretch
Squats with a side leg raise against a theraband: 2x25 (1 each side)
bike: 10min
50 wall pushups
50 mini band rows
didn’t do knee tucks, out of time