Definitely agreed. And way tougher. Something I like to use with folks later on in a progression is dynamic step ups - loaded with a barbell. Say a 12" box again. Hover the stepping up leg a couple inches above the box, and step up as dynamically as possible. Pure focus on concentric, don’t worry about eccentric - just set up and go again. Really beneficial on jumping, starting speed, etc.
1 Like
Push Day
Yep, I’ve changed things just a tiny bit again. Tuesdays will be push with shoulder emphasis and Friday/Saturday will be push with chest emphasis.
2 LAP DYNAMIC WARM UP
OHP
45 x 10
65 x 10
95 x 10
105 x 8
115 x 5
dropset
125 x 3
105 x 3
85 x 4
65 x 7
45 x 8
I know I’m not training for performance but I’m getting worse at OHP. My reps are decreasing with each workout. Stupid.
HIGH INCLINE DB PRESS
40 x 10
45 x 10
50 x 8
55 x 6
60 x 4
65 x 4 and immediately drop to
30 x 18
LOW INCLINE DB PRESS
55 x 10
60 x 7
65 x 5
70 x 4 and immediately drop to
35 x 12
LAT CABLE RAISE
20 x 10 x 2 sets
10 x 15 x 2 sets
CABLE PRESS DOWN (350 SET)
100 x 28, 14, 14
MACHINE FLY
150 x 15, 10
1.5 reps
130 x 6 drop to
110 x 3 and then settle for
110 x 10 bottom half reps
This took 58 minutes. I’m trying to get my sessions down to 75 minutes. 5-10 minutes for warm up, 45 minutes for lifting, and 15 minutes for cardio. The problem is the time between everything. It’s easy to waste 5 minutes here and there and really extend the session.
CARDIO
Precor Adaptive Motion Trainer (AMT) x 10 min on the easiest interval. This thing is tough dry I switched to the regular elliptical.
Elliptical 11 minute interval. L9/i9, L18/i18. 2:1 ratio. I was barely able to move the machine by the end of the high intensity minute. This let me hit my glutes better though.
2 Likes
Well your knee and hip hurt right? Hard to flex your glutes and keep your core solid if you’re in pain.
1 Like
True. Maybe I should just sit down.
4.10.19
Woke at 210.8 lbs. I know I said I might do weekly weigh-ins but I can’t help myself.
Meeting with the new PT this morning. I’m pretty excited. I’ve also noticed that my hip/knee feel better after my dynamic warm up that includes running. I have a hitch in my giddy up but I think I get it worked out on the warm up lap and the pain goes away.
I’m pretty sure my left glute is shrinking. All this focus on the glute med and I’m afraid the big guy is getting neglected. I probably ought to increase my rehab protocol. I don’t really want to do legs twice a week but I could do a lighter session instead one where everything is taken to near failure. I bet average sessions with compound movements would be better than tough sessions on the leg extension machine anyway.
1 Like
I’m the same way. I see the scale sitting their and I just want to know.
1 Like
Since switching to seated pressing, I’ve felt it much more in the targeted muscles than before.
1 Like
Same for me. I always did seated then when I started mixing in standing I felt it more in different muscles, back etc…
I’m actually feeling OHP really well in my delts. I’ve moved my grip out wider so that my hands are over my elbows when my upper arm is parallel to the ground. This puts my ring or middle finger on the rings depending on the bar.
My delts are smoked when I’m done. Bar x 8 reps yesterday at the end. 
Leg Day
3 LAP DYNAMIC WARM UP
4 WAY HIP MACHINE
Adduction 3 x 15 ea @ 145
Abduction 12, 10 @ 145
Extension 3 x 15 @ 235
Flexion 2 x 10 @ 115
TABATA SQUATS (@flappinit)
bar x 4 rounds x 2
Was supposed to be 8 rounds (20 sec on, 10 off) but I couldn’t do it with my bodybuilder style squat. I guess I have a goal.
SEATED LEG CURL
145 x 15
160 x 10
170 x 10
180 x 6
SL LEG EXTENSION
40 x 15 x 4 sets
SEATED CALVES
45 x 20, 15
MACHINE GLUTE EXTENSION
150 x 10
130 x 10F/10B
130 x 10 1.5 reps
CARDIO
_Recumbent Bike x 10 min steady state _
PT update to follow.
1 Like
Physical Therapy
Well, today was great but it revealed some very disappointing things about my past physical therapy experiences. If you’re like me then your typical PT sessions have been like this:
- Lie on your side. Now press your top leg into my hand and don’t let me push it down (testing abduction). Mmm hmm.
- Switch sides and do the same thing. Mm hmm.
- Now sit on the table with your legs hanging off (seated position). Now press your knee up and into my hand and don’t let me push it down (testing hip flexion). Mm hmmm.
- Now the other leg. Mmmm hmmm.
Therapist: “Well, your left hip flexor and abductors are weak.”
This is all based on feel. Well, imagine this: a device that actually measures something!!!
Yeah, my new PT has this hand held thing that seems like the most simple tool every PT should use, but it’s the first time in 34 years that I’ve seen it. She took me through the usual tests and tested my actual strength in pounds. I now have numbers from which to work.
The Results
- My left quad is weak AF
- My left leg is weak at internal rotation and external rotation (tested while seated, trying to rotate my lower leg in and out)
- My glute med is great and both sides were nearly identical in strength
- My abduction is stronger than adduction which is rare (goal is a 1:1 ratio)
- My glutes are both strong and equal in strength
- My back is stiff and probably a factor
The differences between legs was 10 pounds or more - like 25 lbs of force compared to 35 lbs. That’s a big difference. I wouldn’t be so worried if it was 100 lbs compared to 90 but 33% is big.
So, I have some things to work on and some things over which I no longer need to fret. Today was just an assessment but she told me to train my legs the best I can in a non-compressed manner. All of my tests were great in an unloaded setting so things like squats and deads are temporarily out but I can do other things that don’t load me up so much. She also left is as simple as “if it hurts then don’t do it”.
The first thing I did was try to train my quad and hip flexor (as you can see in my workout). I have a significant discrepancy in strength. 40 lbs on the leg extension was painful, shaky, and difficult, but I already feel better. I think my quad pain may be just from atrophy. When muscles aren’t used and they start to shrink then they can get tight and angry. I’ve experienced this in the past with my other surgeries.
None of this solves the bone growth or the deep ache I was experiencing last year, but it’s a good start. It’s mind blowing that my other PT was telling me to avoid quad exercises and focus on the glute med. Fix the glutes and the knee pain will follow, they said. I found out today that I was doing things completely backwards. My freaking glute med is awesome, and I need to focus on my quad.
I anticipate seeing some progress fairly soon because I’ll be doing some direct quad work several times a week via single leg leg extensions. Atrophied and dying muscles have always responded quickly once I started training them again. Other treatment will include deep tissue work, needling, and stim.
Needless to say, I am one happy camper today. 
I almost forgot. My new PT is running the Boston Marathon on Monday. She’s just a little older than me, fit, and trains hard. Now that’s someone to whom I can relate and I trust that she’ll treat me like an athlete instead of an old person.
9 Likes
It’s impossible to overemphasize how useful it is to have a healthcare professional who actually understands what you do and what your goals are. Running is obviously a different animal, but the level of commitment is the same.
2 Likes
I think the abuse and wear and tear on the joints is the same as basketball too. Ignoring the acute injuries such as sprained ankles and knee injuries, I think the chronic and overuse problems are pretty similar. She had me walk away from her and towards her and noticed that I have a very subtle limp. They also do running analysis but I don’t need that yet.
Oh man, I need to find a PT with this device.
It’s nothing too crazy - just a handheld device that is placed between her hand and my leg or whichever body part. Normally you just press against their hand and they make a judgement call. This actually gives a readout. I think it detects movement and measures force once the device stops moving. It beeps once when I start pushing and twice when it’s happy.
I’m a fan of doing them seated w DBs. Can’t lift as much, but easier on shoulders, and actually (for me at least) easier to continue progressing.
Sounds like they used a portable luggage scale…
4.11.19
Woke at 211.4 lbs. I ate a little over 2900 calories yesterday and I’m plenty full of glycogen. I’ll be happy to hang out around 210-215. I’ll probably keep trying (very loosely trying) to eat around 2700 calories a day but I’m not going to stress about it too much. If I succeed then I might even drop another pound or two.
Today will be rest day. I have to go over to my rental to clean and install some blinds when I get off work. As long as it hasn’t been broken into or vandalized again then I should have the window replaced tomorrow and tenants moving in Saturday. I hope so because I could really use that $950 a month to help pay the bills.
1 Like
It was more like this. I guess it’s called a manual muscle tester. I’m still baffled as to why I haven’t seen this used in the past for a physical assessment.
1 Like