Older, Disabled and a Little Fat

Training Over 35 Lifter
1

This is going to necessarily be a little long, but I’ll try to Cliff’s Notes it as much as possible. I’m 38, 6’1", 295. I have a pretty severe disability in that I have DVTs in my left leg. This means I absolutely cannot run or jump - either will kill me. It also means I have reduced blood flow to my left leg, and it seriously inhibits my cardiovascular capability.

From 21 to 30, while in the Army, I lifted off and on, more on than off, eventually going from a 175 lb. skinny fat to 225 at about 10-12 percent bodyfat (guess- my belly was flat, at least). When I got out at 30, I’d already fallen off the training wagon some due to exaggeration of my DVTs while invading Iraq and my subsequent medical discharge.

In the years since, I’ve gone back to the gym for several short periods, never longer than a month or two; basically I’d go in, overtrain, take too long to recover and eventually stop. I was trying to do super-set routines like I used to, 5 minutes on a bike, 45 minutes to an hour of lifting, about 24 to 30 sets total, no rest between sets beyond moving from one place to another and changing plates, then 20-45 minutes on the elliptical.

So now I’ve just started going again 2nd day back in was yesterday. I’m trying to regulate myself a little to keep from over training this time, so I’m not doing super sets (yet- I love them), and I’m limiting myself to 12-15 sets over an hour, with the 5 minute bike warm-up and elliptical (haven’t added in the elliptical yet, but will w/in the next week or so).

I gave myself 2 days off after the first workout, as that’s how long it took my chest to stop screaming, and am giving myself 2 days after yesterday, since I can barely walk up or down stairs after doing legs. Here’s what I did Monday & Thursday, and what I’m planning to do Sunday. Any wisdom you guys can give me regarding routine, supplementation etc. would be very appreciated; I’ve GOT to get back to where I used to be!

Monday
Lat Pull Down 140x12, 160x8, 120x10
Incline Bench 135x16, 155x9, 175x6
Seated Row 100x20, 100x15, 100x12
Pec Fly Machine 130x12, 130x12, 130x12

Thursday
Smith Machine Squat 135x12, 165x9, 165x8
Stiff Leg Deadlift 135x12, 165x9, 165x9
Leg Extension 100x16, 100x15, 100x14
Seated Leg Curl 100x20, 100x15, 100x15
Leg Press 180x20 (180 on the sled, whatever that works out to)

Sunday (upcoming)
Lat Pull Down (Slow, Low Weight) 1x20
Squat (Slow, Low Weight) 1x20
Military Press 2x12-20
Shrug 2x12-20
Preacher Curl 2x12-20
Tricep Pull Down 2x12-20
Calf Raise 2x12-20

Thanks for reading, you won’t be getting this time back! Seriously, thanks.

2

Welcome to the ‘no nonsense’ forum. We may be old, but we’re slow!!!

3

Thanks. How much of an improvement in speed does poting in here give us, or do we just get an increase in strength? Just asking cause I’ve had stickers, chrome and posting in automotive forums make my cars faster…

Ya’ll got some interesting logs and info in here. Been lurking QUITE a while.

4

Hey, congrats on getting a log started. If you stick with it, it will really support your efforts.

5

[quote]tyrfryer wrote:
I can barely walk up or down stairs after doing legs.[/quote]

Isn’t that an awesome feeling?

You can’t run or jump, but you can do elliptical, I don’t understand.

Is the danger of DVTs to do with impact then?

Welcome.

6

With a log in this forum, you’ll develop a capacity for a quick recovery. You recover faster, then post workouts more often, all in order to avoid the shame of watching your log slip off the first or second page due to a failure to lift…

7

Welcome.

Please explain further your illness .

8

[quote]gborlase wrote:
With a log in this forum, you’ll develop a capacity for a quick recovery. You recover faster, then post workouts more often, all in order to avoid the shame of watching your log slip off the first or second page due to a failure to lift…[/quote]

That only takes a day and a half these days…

I’m so ashamed.

9

Fell off the first page already:(. Yesterday turned into today

This post disappeared, twice now. I’ll edit again later.

10

Almost forgot, thanks for the welcomes, and welcome to my thread!

11

DVT sounds really gnarly bro, kudos for training in spite of it…slow and steady wins the race! Now I feel like a total asshat for complaining about my Distal Bicep Tendonitis…somebody better call me a Waaaambulance!

12

^^^^^^^Too late, bro. The Waaaaambulance is already on it’s way - to MY house!
Big difference between the DVTs and something like ANY tendonitis - I can work any part around the DVTs; with tendonitis, you can’t work a certain part around it, and it hurts a LOT worse on a daily basis until healed.

13

Welcome tyrfryer. Where abouts in MO are you? Best of luck on your goals.

14

[quote]dday wrote:
Welcome tyrfryer. Where abouts in MO are you? Best of luck on your goals. [/quote]

Thanks, I’m in St. Louis.

15

Welcome to the lifters elephants grave yard.

we are all about the e-support here

was in St.Louis for world series back in october

welcome

16

[quote]tyrfryer wrote:

[quote]dday wrote:
Welcome tyrfryer. Where abouts in MO are you? Best of luck on your goals. [/quote]

Thanks, I’m in St. Louis.[/quote]

Ah man, I’m sorry. J/K I’m just outside of KC.

17

[quote]FarmerBrett wrote:
Isn’t that an awesome feeling?

You can’t run or jump, but you can do elliptical, I don’t understand.
Is the danger of DVTs to do with impact then?
Welcome.[/quote]

Sure is. Yup, impact’s the biggest issue. Thanks man.

18

[quote]DaCharmingAlbino wrote:

[quote]gborlase wrote:
With a log in this forum, you’ll develop a capacity for a quick recovery. You recover faster, then post workouts more often, all in order to avoid the shame of watching your log slip off the first or second page due to a failure to lift…[/quote]

That only takes a day and a half these days…

I’m so ashamed.[/quote]

Me too Albino, I’ve already fell off the first page at least twice!

gborlase - That almost makes sense. If you keep doing that you may scare me away…
Ya know, if we change your name up just a bit, you’d sound like a famous, futuristic alien rapper - how does G-Borg sound? :wink:

19

[quote]FISCHER613 wrote:
Welcome.

Please explain further your illness .[/quote]

Deep Venuous Thromboses - blood clots in my left leg, specifically in my popliteal and most of my femoral veins. Any running, jumping or trauma to that leg can kill me from a piece of clot breaking off & going to my heart, lungs or brain. Anti-coagulant medication rest of my life - I’ll belld out quick if cut w/o recieving pro-thrombin. Severely restricts bloodflow, effectively jacking cardiovascular capability and recovery time up real good. Dietary & OTC medication strictures because of the anti-coagulants.

20

Now, since my posts yesterday were almost completely deleted somehow, yesterday’s workout was:

5 min bike w/u
Inverted Rows - BWx10
Good Mornings - Barx20
Military Press - 95x15, 100x12
Dumbell Shrugs - 60x17, 65x15 (ea arm)
EZ Bar Preacher Curls - 80x12, 80x8
Cable Triceps Kickback - 20x20, 25x16 (ea arm)
Seated Calf Raise - 130x10(cramped), 130x14

Felt pretty easy, really…

So I made it the Day 1 workout and moved leg day to the next day (today)

Today

5 min bike w/u
Front Squats (first time ever) Barx11, 95x8, 105x9
SLDL - 135x15, 145x12, 155x10
Leg Ext - 100x20, 115x17, 130x15
Leg Curl - 100x20, 115x19, 130x16
Leg Press Burnout (showboat camping there moving the sled 3in/rep w/450 on it, so)450x6

Didn’t hit me quite as well as last thursday, but I think I’m starting to see what my body is needing/wanting right now, so these two will be days 1&2, the chest & back workout will be day 5, days 6&7 will both be light abs/heavy cardio. Hopefully in a few months I’ll be ready to start doing some more advanced programming, but it will be what it will be. Either way, only 4 workouts back in, I’m feeling pretty great.