Anomander

Wednesday March 8, 2017 So, I started lifting empty bar shoulder press, spine braced weights, and bodyweight squats a couple of weeks ago. I also upped the walking to average 4.9 miles/day. Last week I was feeling ok so I did some empty bar squats which seemed to go by without any problems. So, I started stronglifts on Monday with empty bar. I had my second workout today. A surprising amount of stiffness for an empty bar workout, but the spine braced weights were light and also were a challenge. The sedentary back spasm lifestyle really takes a lot out of you. I am pushing the walking higher towards 7 miles/day for March, and hoping to follow stronglifts with 3 workouts a week. I have extra assistance exercises added to the stronglifts program, which I may drop to keep hitting 3 workouts a week. A.

No spine loading ex shoulder press with an empty bar. No squats, DL, rows, etc. Lots of walking and slow increments. We'll see I guess. A.

So, I said "no weights", but I guess I didn't really mean it. So I'm working hard to push the walking to 15,000 steps a day ( just over 5 miles / day) and working out every other day with a modified total body type workout. The only exercise that loads my discs is shoulder press with an empty bar. I think I'll leave it empty until the end of February and start to increment the bench, pull downs and leg exercises. I'm going to increment really slowly from a very low base. Bench is empty bar and pull downs were 70lbs. I jumped to 85 on the pull downs today. While it seems too light I'm definitely feeling the weights in odd muscles. I think the several months of lying down with back pain atrophied me a lot more than I thought. Everything is 5 sets x 5 reps, so I'm looking more for volume with proper form and recovery than building mass. I'm doing some stretching as well, but plan to add some modified core exercises and mobility work at least every off day. A.

Good work! A.

So far in February I am averaging 10,750 steps/day and 5 miles/day walking. I've started getting into stretching a bit more now that my body can take it, and doing some gentle bodyweight exercises. I feel like February will be gentle, and then March serious bodyweight exercises. So no weights until April. A.

Thanks for the support. A.

So Month 1 was not so good. I had to lay off the weights all month, and had 2 relapses with my back. I did average 8,315 steps/day and 3.44 miles/day walking. My goal for February is to average 15,000 steps/day or more, and to get back into the rehab & bodyweight exercises. I am shooting for March to be able to go back to lifting weights in some form. A.

Tuesday February 2, 2017 As reported on another thread I had a bit of a relapse at the beginning of January. The only Stronglifts workout that I finished was the one listed above. I have been walking a bit, but we had a couple of really icy weeks here and my back was really bothering me. As posted in the Walk to Mordor I am currently averaging 3.44 miles/day, which is well under my goal for the year. So I now have to hit 6.78 miles/day to reach the goal. I'm not going to be able to ramp up the walking with my back in its current state. I am standing all day at the desk and walking. I need to get back to the mobility and rehab exercises now that the spasms have settled down. My goal for February is to stick to body weight exercises at home, and hopefully progress to starting Stronglifts in March. January I averaged 8,315 steps/day, and 3.44 miles a day walking. I am aiming to average 15,000 steps/day or better in February. A.

But you have to wait for it to settle down. A.

Not when it's acute. Leg Press is a No no. Upper body machines, leg extensions, pull downs are ok. A.

So, after going back to sleeping on the floor, and literally not sitting down at all I'm starting to feel a bit better again. I'm going to first start trying to hit my walking target mileage and then worry about getting back into the weights. Problem is that it's so bloody cold and icy now that walking is not a great activity - sigh. I'll try to up the walking to 5 miles tomorrow, and keep that up for a few days before pushing higher. A.

Happy New Year! A.

Unfortunately I'm having a bit of a relapse right now. Hopefully I can manage it in January and catch up later on this year. A.

Groin and IT tightness has been my life for a while now.... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Month 1 of 2017 is an introduction back to regular workouts after an injured 2016 with much of the year spent lying down trying to manage a couple of herniated discs. I've decided to try starting Stronglifts 5x5 again, from ground zero. Today is my third day back on Stronglifts, having started on December 30 with my first session as a test. January will be empty bar lifting for any spine loading exercises, and follow the 2.5kg/workout increase for bench, and accessory exercises that don't load the spine. I am also targeting ~6.5mi/day of walking (~15,000 steps/day), and mobility work 7 days a week. My goal for January is to make my 3 Stronglifts workouts/week, improve the mobility in my hip and legs, work on form for the weights, and keep pace with the walking. I hope to lose 10-15lbs by the end of the month, so I'll have a lower body weight when I start adding work weight in squats, deadlift, shoulder press, and barbell rows. I'll re-assess the 2017 plan depending upon how January works out. A.

He bought grapes and other fruit at the first station outside Cape Town through the window so we could feast. He told me the most important thing to bring was your own blanket, as it was considered impolite to show up at someone's house and ask to borrow a blanket. It was a lot of fun, though I was glad for my sleeping bag with the unheated overnight on a track siding. A.

I was told by a missionary in Africa that one can easily walk 20-25 miles a day if that's all you're doing - say 2 miles an hour I suppose. We were on an overnight train from Cape Town to Joburg and he said he'd walked the distance several times (in his youth). Stopping each night at someone's house, so only provisions for each day's walk. Not sure that works if you're climbing mountains and/or fighting the forces of evil. Carrying/hunting food would also change the calculation. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sunday Jan. 1 Stronglifts Workout B + Lat pulldowns Empty bar weight for the second workout 8871 steps 6km

That was me. I tried to set a daily distance target based on what had been walked, but couldn't figure out the pivot table command in 10 minutes. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is the 2017 Battle Log for Anomander. I am still recovering from a couple of herniated discs, but am feeling strong enough that I think I can start lifting again (~5 months since last relapse). Time to check the ego at the door, as I jumped back into things too quickly in the summer and had a bad relapse which put me typing on my laptop while flat on my back for 3 weeks at the end of the summer. I've progressed back to standing all day at my desk which seems to be ok so far. I joined the Rebellion in December 2016, joining up fellow Warriors to load Santa's sleigh. I only logged a couple of workouts as a combination of work demand and nagging aches and pains kept me from logging more. For 2017 I've decided to restart Stronglifts 5x5, starting from today at ground zero. I track using the Stronglifts app with my iPhone, and have added some assistance exercises: pushups, planks, and triceps extension to Workout A, and Lat pulldowns and Reverse grip Lat pulldowns to Workout B. The goal is to move to dips, pullups and chinups by summer. I'm a little unsure whether I'll be able to continue with the Stronglifts program all year. When I tried to start lifting weights this summer 3 months after the first symptons of the herniations I had a serious relapse while on vacation. I've now given my back a few extra months rest, am starting with empty bars, and plan to do a lot of mobility work which I think is what caused the problems last time. I was doing mobility work before, but I think I need to slow down the workout progression and increase the mobility session frequency. So, I probably won't follow the 2.5kg/session increase built into Stronglifts for the first few weeks, but instead include days with no weight increase to make sure my back is adapting to the weight before increasing while keeping up with three lifting sessions a week. I have also signed up for the Walk to Mordor and Back Again (2017). I have been doing a lot of walking as rehab (~10,000 steps/day), and want to keep it up / up my game. My goal is to track over 2500 miles in 2017, which is past Isengard (~16,000 steps a day). I'll be tracking everything, daily steps, walking and running, but probably won't be able to run until the summer. So, that's the plan. I'll start logging come January 1, 2017.

Thanks for this, a good challenge/track. I'm aiming for averaging 15,000 steps/day. So for distance, 1570 miles is ~10,000 steps/day for a year and 2360 miles is ~15,000 steps/day for a year. I plan to count walking and running, and see if I can log over 2500 miles. I"m still recovering from a couple of herniated discs, so I probably won't be able to run until the summer. A

Good work Blocky for dragging us across the line. Happy holidays to all.

AMNAP Weight/Day Pace to Target 43,318 lb Weight/Day Pace to Date 51,529 lb Team 2 Weight/Day Pace to Target 79,769 lb Weight/Day Pace to Date 18,392 lb

Measuring a spring with a spring, there's something poetic about it. The question is how to compare something that always weighs the same with something that changes force depending upon how far you are from the fixation point. Bands are subjective, you add tension until it feels "right". Weights are honest. If it's easy pick the other one up and try again. I found bands great for running and field sports. Harder for building size, as it's difficult to be honest. Tlhere's nothing like writing down a barbell weight in your notebook with reps and coming back next week and failing to meet that number. Well, almost nothing. maybe a slide rule.

Ha ha. I love archer. Reminder - don't watch Pacific Heat, you will only be disappointed.