Road to recovery

[N19h7m4r3]

Thought I might start a small log of my recovery. Something where I can jot down my training and a bit of my diet.

Some of you know that I had a rather nasty injury last June to my lower back, which resulted in my having spinal surgery. As a result I had over 9 months of inactivty and ole muscle atrophy decided to visist me.

I did physio in March and I recently decided to start training again.

Goals are simple, get back in shape and get stronger than I was the previous day.

My old stats were as follows.

Bodyweight 68-70Kg

Bench press : 110kg for reps
Squat : 175Kg
Deadlift : 205Kg

Clean and press: 85KG for reps

Currently I weigh in around 76Kg and as expected strength and flexibility took a rather large hit.

 

[N19h7m4r3]

My current training is as follows.

Monday: Chest

10 minutes crosstrainer*

Chest press
90kg x10
110kg x10
130kg x10 5 sets

Bicep barbell curls

Wide Grip
15kg x10 5 sets

Narrow grip
15kg x5 5 sets

Farmer's Walk **
14kg x12 lengths of gym
Sets of 4 lengths.

Back extensions
Bw x10
+2.5k x10
+5KG x10 3 sets ***

Leg Raises
BW x10 3 sets

Hanging knee raises
BW x10 3 sets

Stretches and steam room.

Tuesday: Cardio

Crosstrainer
30 minutes

Incline treadmill
15 minutes

Wednesday: Legs

Crosstrainer:
10 minutes

Leg extensions ****
80Kg x10
100Kg x10
110kg x10
120kg x10

Leg Press ^
100kg x10
120kg x10
140kg x10
150kg x10

Calve raises ^^
BW x10 5 sets

Stretches and steam room

Thursday: Cardio

Crosstrainer
30 minutes

Incline treadmill
15 minutes

Friday: Back + Shoulders

Chinups
BW 5x5

Dips ^^^
BW 10x5

Side Lateral raises
5kg x5
6kg x10 x5

Seated Cable rows
50kg x10
70kg x10 5 sets

Farmer's Walk
14kg 12 lengths of gym

Back extensions
Bw x10
+2.5k x10
+5KG x10 3 sets ***

Leg Raises
BW x10 3 sets

Hanging knee raises
BW x10 3 sets

Stretches after each training session.
Steam room if possible

 

[N19h7m4r3]

Note:
* Crosstrainer settings: Incline 10, resistence 7
To be increased by one resistence every week.

** Farmer's Walk: Weight to be increase by 1 KG each week if possible

*** Back exentions: To be increase by weight every week if possible

**** Leg extensions: The weight depends on how my back feels.
It will steadily increase weekly hopefully

^ Leg Press: The weight depends on how my back feels.
It will steadily increase weekly hopefully

^^ Calve Raises: Looking to start using my dipping belt to increase weight hopefully.
Depends on if the weight over my lower back causes any problems

^^^ Dips: Looking to start using my dipping belt to increase weight hopefully.
Depends on if the weight over my lower back causes any problems

 

[N19h7m4r3]

Diet currently

I've recently decided to cut some carbs from my diet for a cut to get back to being lean again.

Breakfast:
70g Oats
Apple + Banana

Lunch/pre-training

2 pieces of meat or fish (100-230g) with veg usually hour before training.
Banana 10-15 mins before training.

Aftertraining/Dinner

2 pieces of meat or fish (100-230g) with veg with half a tin of beans.

Snacks
Almonds and dates

Before bed

Tin of fish.

Diet will change

 

[N19h7m4r3]

Given my long time away from the forums I wasn't aware of the injury, sorry to hear you got hurt bad fella, but the road back will be a fun one i'm sure

It is mostly fun, doing a few excerises I never really bother with.

The thing that's extremely tough is cardio. I never thought a crosstrainer could put me to shame so badly

Felt like I had growth pains in my legs last night haha, at least they're getting a good work out.

 

[N19h7m4r3]

Here's what my average post training meal looks like.

I will be getting some scivation xtend and some whey when I have some extra money again, as it will really help. Especially a scoop of whey in the morning with breakfast.

 

[N19h7m4r3]

Leg day today.

Legs had that whole jelly feel going up and down stairs afterwards

I also wore my Power Perfects today, those on a cross trainer really makes your calves feel like mush near the end.

Crosstrainer 10 minutes

Leg Press

80kg x10
100kg x10
120kg x10
140kg x10
150kg x10
160kg x10
170kg x10 3 sets

Leg extensions
80kg x10
100kg x10
120kg x10
Quads felt burnt out from leg press
100kg x10
100kg x10

Standing Glute/hams machine
Each leg is done individually
25kg x10
35kg x10
45kg x10
55kg x10
65kg x10

Leg press calve toe presses
100kg x20
110kg x20
110kg x20

stretches

Here's an image of the glute hamstring machine. They only recently got it.
Only goes to 100kg, but that's plenty for now.

Also did have a look at using the lat pull down glute/ham raises but the seat faces the wall.
I asked them if they could move it around so some of us can use it, since they removed out GHR stuff to the sports gym.

 

[N19h7m4r3]

Keep going! Slow but steady

It's the slow bit that's annoying me.

Picked this up in town today, cost a fair bit for the 375g tub. €35
3 scoops for 750ml means this won't last long. Only 30 scoops for the tub, so only 10 training days.

I need it though, especially with cardio getting tougher each week and lasting around 45-50 minutes at the moment.

All these DOMS in my legs are not going to help.

 

[N19h7m4r3]

I know LiE gets his from somewhere online, so may be worth having a look / ask

I just ordered mine from here. Next day delivery and free shipping as well.

http://www.unsportsnutrition.ie/supplements/product/6/Scivation_Xtend_1.1kg

I'll have a look at where LiE get his as well.

I dunked my finger into it and it tastes amazing

 

[N19h7m4r3]

I have to ask, is that a barcode on the back of your neck, how much did your mother buy you for?

disclaimer: apologies if it is some kind of scar/birthmark!

HAHA!

It reads N19h7m4r3, and I think my mother might have made spent a fortune for this awesome master geek.

 

[N19h7m4r3]

Gah, legs felt like tearing, especially my calves.
Yesterday's leg training really did a number on them.

Having your glutes burn during cardio feels soo weird.

Incline 10, resistance 7
Crosstrainer
5 mins
stretching
30 minutes

Treadmil

8 mins Incline 6, speed 5
7 mins Incline 5, speed 5
5 mins speed 3.5

More stretching

Finally managed to get to 1 mile every 9.5 minutes.
Not that amazing, but it's a huge improvement for me. When I started back in the end of March it took me about 13minutes per mile.

Dinner for tonight is:
250grams minced beef
Quarter red, yellow and green peppers.
Handfull for green beans
3 diced Radishes
3 quarted tomatoes
Peas
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Diced carrots
Half a tin of beaked beans.

Diced chillies and garlic with some mixed herbs of, basil, rosemary, black pepper and some dark soya sauce.

All in a pan with small bit of Olive oil.

 

[N19h7m4r3]

Today was a long day.

Break down as follows

10mins Crosstrainer

Chinups
BW 5x5

Latpull down
Machine broken

Cable rows
Machine Broken

Cable pull over machine
40kg x10
50kg x10
60kg x10
55kg x10
50kg x10
40kg x10
40kg x10

Dips
Body weight
Wide grip x10
Narrow grip x10
Wide grip x10
Narrow grip x10
Wide grip x10

Side Lateral raises
5kg x10 5 sets

Standing Dumbell shoulder press
7kg x10
8kg x10
9kg x10
10kg x10
10kg x10


Tricep cable push downs
35kg x10
45kg x10
45kg x10
45kg x10
45kg x10

Farmer's Walk
14kg
3 sets of 4 lengths of the gym

Back extensions
+5kg plate x10 5 sets

Hanging knee raises ( slow and controlled )
BW x15 2 sets
BW x10 3 sets

Grip failed horribly inbetween.

Stretches

On a note, I really should do the shoulder work Before triceps next time haha.

Also my grip started to fail terribly on the hanging knee raises, I'll take my straps next time if it happens so I don't have a break during my sets.

 

[N19h7m4r3]

Also went shopping and picked up plenty of fuits and berries to add to my breakfast porridge. Also got some skimmed milk to add since I'm bored of plain oats and water

My 1.1kg tub of Scivation Xtend also arrived and the dosage on it and my small tub vary :/

Large tub says 1 scoop for every 10oz of water, where as the small tub says 1 scoop for 8oz of water. Hmmm

2.5 scoops does it for me in my water bottle as anymore is too sweet anyway.

 

[N19h7m4r3]

Thanks LiE, it's still odd that the measures are different on the tubs. They're both the new formula as well.

3 scoops was disgustinly sweet when I tried that.

 

[N19h7m4r3]

Why have I never mixed fruit into my breakfast before....

Best bowl of oats I've ever had. Even with the bit of skimmed milk added.

 

[N19h7m4r3]

Training went really well today. Couldn't go yesterday because it was a bank holiday though.

That odd sensation in my lower back disappeared after my warmup and some back extensions.

All weights and resistences have been increase for this week.

Crosstrainer 10 minutes
Incline 10, resistence 8 now

Back extensions
BW x10

Chest press
80kg x10
100kg x10
120kg x5
130kg x10 2 sets
140kg x10 3 sets

Chest cable flys
Width 10, depth 9 settings

10kg x10
15kg x10
15kg x5
12.5kg x10
12.5kg x10
12.5kg x10

Barbell bicep curls
Wide grip

20kg x10 3 sets
15kg x10 2 sets

Narrow grip
20kg x3 FAIL
15kg x5 5 sets

Farmers walk
15kg per hand
12 lengths of gym
3 sets of 4 lengths

Back extensions
+6gk x10 5 sets

Hanging knee raises.
(slow and controlled)
12 x10 5 sets

Stretches

Quite happy with all the increases, pity about failing on narrow grip 20kgs though. Arms were just too tired then from the rest it seems.

Forgot how tough cable flys can be, that 15kg was super tough, my biceps started being engaged so I dropped the weight rather than doing cheat sets/reps.

Seems my body has finally started to adapt to me cutting out some carbs, and Scivation Xtend really helps. Specially since my training is about 2 hours long. All those sets and reps are such a big change from my old powerlifting of 5 reps and 3 sets.

Still happy with my progress so far.

Legs tomorrow

 

[N19h7m4r3]

Yup, that's what it feels like alright. It maxes at 170kg ( same as leg press ), that's also one of the reasons I went for more reps.

I still do everything controlled, and with full ROM.

I do miss free weights, but those are still very far away at the moment

 

[N19h7m4r3]

I tried the bench and even with 40kg I could feel discomfort in my lowerback.
Plus I have a lot of trouble getting off the bech, I can't really do a basic situp. So I'm like a turtle on my back haha.

Once all the discomfort goes away from my training and stretching I'll start from scratch on those freeweights.

I'd rather take it very slow and stick to the machines, than suffer another relapse.

 

[N19h7m4r3]

Can you not even bench with a flat back?

Tried that and still was uncomfortable and a tad sore.

What about floor presses?
http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/floor-press

Haven't done that in ages.

I might try if I had someone else to help, but I can't lift and walk with the bar, and it'll probably still hurt my back like the normal bench.

I usually go to the gym when there's no one there, since the college exams are on.

I might try at somestage though, but for now I'd rather stick with the physio gave me. I might be overly cautious, but it's far better than having another relapse.

 

[N19h7m4r3]

DB floor press?

Hurt me when I tried.

I tried dumbell chest pressing once I started back and 2 weeks ago and it sucks.