Contender to couch potato.

["Jake"]

10lb molds are made, that is the first increment I need to work with on my recovery.

Yeah they look flimsy, they are just for shape, they will be dug into the sand for reinforcement before pouring. I sealed the seams with ABS cement because its thick and dries quickly. The 2" ABS in the middle will become a permanent low friction sleeve for sliding onto the bar. I put some random cut texture into it to help it grab the concrete.
I think my heavier weights will be done by filling old brake rotors with concrete.

["Jake"]

This week was good for me. M W F I did followed my lifting plan. Thrus I stretched out and did some karate kicks and (with some minor pain) discovered there is still some range of motion to be regained when kicking. No setbacks tho, Fridays workout went on without a hitch even to I was tender it did not get worse.
My gym is now open to select personnel and there was only 2 ppl in there yesterday. Really nice to have it that empty!

Speaking of uncrowded workouts, the weather should improve for monday so I look forward to trying out my concrete 10's outside on Monday.
They still need some trimming of the pipe and hopefully they remain at or over 10lbs while they continue to harden up...
 

["Jake"]

 



 

[Loveable_Bouncer]

Oh wow you even have gym avaliabilty. But just have awesome made dumbells... I know no one that would bring up cement... Thanks for sharing and glad the weather has been good for it!

 

And just realized I was confused on your Texas classes, will you have to make that up later?

["Jake"]

Yes, my school in texas has been cancelled and it is unknown if or when it will be rescheduled.
If I do go I'll will physically ready to keep up with my peers during PT by then!

More to come on home made weight plates...

["Jake"]

Over the hump on week 4 and I can really feel it. My groin muscle is holding together but I know that If I was to take it faster I would be hurting!
I may need to do week 4 twice? We'll see on Monday...
Tested out another set of DIY weights today. These ones are concrete filled brake rotors and weigh in right at 20lbs each. I'll have to add some more weight to them to bump them up to 25...
  

[Loveable_Bouncer]

9 hours ago, "Jake" said:

Over the hump on week 4 and I can really feel it. My groin muscle is holding together but I know that If I was to take it faster I would be hurting!
I may need to do week 4 twice? We'll see on Monday...
Tested out another set of DIY weights today. These ones are concrete filled brake rotors and weigh in right at 20lbs each. I'll have to add some more weight to them to bump them up to 25...

Yay for getting over the hump and knowing you need to do what you need to do!

Again good luck on seeing what works

 

I could imagine doing squats on grass being a little nice (if the weather stays nice). 

Any idea how to bump them up in weight safely? 

["Jake"]

Oh YES! Squats on grass in bare feet with nice warm sun in the morning or in the shade of a tree on a warmer day is really nice. I hope some warmer weather comes your way. Our spring has come late this year.
I seem to remember thinking about replacing gravel in my cement mix with scrap metal and old hardware. I knew by the math I wouldn't have enough weight I seem to have missed that step  of adding a heavier filler 
I'll probably weld some things to them or drill out some concrete and put something heavier in there or both... The rotors are thin and smooth, the could use some extra grip...

 

["Jake"]

No squats this week. Monday was crazy weds was 10 miles in the desert hills on a bike and friday... well it was a different week.
The ride was pretty rough on the injury had to take some breaks toward the end for pain.

["Jake"]

*sigh*

This was 3 years ago today, I walked into the gym and a comp was going on so I said "why not"
I'm not even half that right now.  

 

["Jake"]

So I kind of fell off the horse, I've still been riding mtb once or twice a week but I've been neglecting my lifting and stretching, especially stretches related to my recovery... It's been about 4 weeks off and Thursday May 28th Mark the one-year anniversary of my injury. This would have been a good time to get back at it but I didn't... 

 

... Today a bunch of ladies we're doing a (covid-distanced) CrossFit or Beachbody or something underneath the giant shade tree in the field across from my house. I was sitting on my porch swing eating breakfast and it inspired me to get off of my lazy ass. So out onto the lawn came the Ohio bar with the home built weights and I did some squats followed by a self-paced yoga session.

 

Pictures:

-I had to bail on my last set, bar made a very quiet thud when it came down but it left a deep scar in my lawn. yes, I knew where my dog was before letting it go.

-Desert View from one of my favorite stops on trail rides.

["Jake"]

More bike rides in the desert, less hills more miles, 15-20
I call this rock formation jack rabbit city because there are swarms of them running away as soon as you climb thru the rocks to this clearing


successful leg day on weds out on my lawn, one more set, no dropped weights I'll be able to take it a little farther in the weight room when I get back there.

"Resume work on Monday, there's gym there and a slew of of excuses I will make not to use it lol but lets see if I can stay on track......."
..... That's what I was going to say in my post yesterday. Last night I got a late phone call with some sad news... I don't know what the coming week holds but potentially some of the most difficult words I will ever have to say.

 

 

[Loveable_Bouncer]

Hope everything is all right...

 

You will get to those goals! But agree on staying track with whatever is thrown out. 

 

I can imagine the amount of the rabbits there on Jack Rabbit City. 

["Jake"]

Leg day at the work gym was a success. I had been staying at 105 for a few weeks with my home weights because I have start my squats from the ground and finish with an overhead press. With I real squat tower at my disposal I bumped it up to 115 with good results (woo I'm squatting my bench press warm up 🙄).

I'm alright, my uncle passed away. I did not have to break it to my grandma, my dad and his other brother did the right thing by driving down here to tell her. Can you believe on of them wanted to tell her by telephone? I was really afraid the news would kill her I'm glad it didn't.

Maybe if I'm quieter and I have the zoom turned all the way up I can catch a few jackrabbits before they scatter. They don't hang around like the cotton tails do.

["Jake"]

Monday I opened my notepad to start tracking my heavy lifts again. I looked at my last entry... Over a year ago... And I've got some progress to make (in all areas) before I get back to those weights. I got right into it with chest day and benched much more weight than I am comfortable squatting. Speaking of squatting Wed's leg day was a flop  something just didn't feel right and I had to stop during my first set. I've been thinking about a make up leg day tomorrow (fri) hopefully mobility a little smoother.

[fitnessgurl]

9 hours ago, "Jake" said:

Speaking of squatting Wed's leg day was a flop  something just didn't feel right and I had to stop during my first set.

If you listened to your body; it wasn't a flop. Learn from it & do what your body will handle. The rest will come with time.

["Jake"]

 

5 hours ago, fitnessgurl said:

If you listened to your body; it wasn't a flop. Learn from it & do what your body will handle. The rest will come with time.

Yeah, you are right. I guess my use of the word flop in this case expresses frustration that healing takes so long.
My note pad not only reminded me that I hadn't tracked lifts in a year but also that I was tracking 315lb squats and now 115lb (200lb less) seems to be hit and miss.

[fitnessgurl]

On 6/26/2020 at 3:58 PM, "Jake" said:

 

Yeah, you are right. I guess my use of the word flop in this case expresses frustration that healing takes so long.
My note pad not only reminded me that I hadn't tracked lifts in a year but also that I was tracking 315lb squats and now 115lb (200lb less) seems to be hit and miss.

Yeah, I've been there & can sympathize.

["Jake"]

 

I took another 2 week break from the weights, enjoyed other things in life and kept up with my stretches. Mondays chest day was ok but today I had a lot of apprehension rolling into leg day. My warm up was a little tight which served to compound the anxiety even though there was no pain. I was gonna just quit before I started but my sticking point was that I would be just as disappointed in quitting as I would be trying and "failing"... I think you see where this is going; it was mostly in my head today, my mind was telling me something could go sideways I'd I just end up impatient and frustrated again but part of me was fighting back.
I went ahead and accomplished  2 sets of 10 in at my known safe ranges and realized it was time to take it up a notch. After much mental debate I loaded a single 45 on each side and spent way too much time in a mental battle (the music helped me prevail) before I went for it. I did a conservative 4 reps for 2 sets but I did it! I feel it a little discomfort, not in a bad way; dull pain is progress and sharp pain is bad...
Sometimes workouts go well and sometimes they go less than well. Today they went well enough.
I have some new motions to practice while I recover that I think will help me continue to utilize the muscle group better.

 

 

[fitnessgurl]

On 7/16/2020 at 3:13 AM, "Jake" said:

 

I took another 2 week break from the weights, enjoyed other things in life and kept up with my stretches. Mondays chest day was ok but today I had a lot of apprehension rolling into leg day. My warm up was a little tight which served to compound the anxiety even though there was no pain. I was gonna just quit before I started but my sticking point was that I would be just as disappointed in quitting as I would be trying and "failing"... I think you see where this is going; it was mostly in my head today, my mind was telling me something could go sideways I'd I just end up impatient and frustrated again but part of me was fighting back.
I went ahead and accomplished  2 sets of 10 in at my known safe ranges and realized it was time to take it up a notch. After much mental debate I loaded a single 45 on each side and spent way too much time in a mental battle (the music helped me prevail) before I went for it. I did a conservative 4 reps for 2 sets but I did it! I feel it a little discomfort, not in a bad way; dull pain is progress and sharp pain is bad...
Sometimes workouts go well and sometimes they go less than well. Today they went well enough.
I have some new motions to practice while I recover that I think will help me continue to utilize the muscle group better.

 

 

Well done! Great job on overcoming doubt!

["Jake"]

Ok missed the gym for 2 weeks, I have no good excuses.
BUT my buddies convinced me to ride 13-14 miles this weekend (met up and i work nights, I was reluctant) It was a good time, we went somewhere different and got something other than just desert to look at. 2500ft of gradual climbing with some fun descending mixed in. Zero complaints from my groin, no tightness, no pain(other things hurt, normal things)and I was happy about that! I keep forgetting that the bike is probably the way forward with my recovery. Regular riding between lifting needs to be more common for me.
The heat discourages my friends and my work hours discourages me from joining them  during cooler hours...
Sorry bouncer, no desert panorama this time.

 

[fitnessgurl]

Sounds like the way to go. If you're reluctant, remember how good it felt the last time you went.

 

["Jake"]

On 8/4/2020 at 5:26 AM, fitnessgurl said:

If you're reluctant, remember how good it felt the last time you went.

 

I believe that's called longing...

I successfully moved leg day to Monday. This is rough, my least favorite day and my least favorite workout... BUT it is necessary; my bench press form puts stress on my hip flexors and groin which can trow me off for the rest of the week. Benching on Tues or Weds at the latest gives me more days to recover before next leg day.

Anyway, Monday I got carried away on Hex-bar dead-lifts. Lower weight, High reps, lost count of sets, almost went to far. I have stay strong so I don't hurt my back, I can't stay strong cause I tore my groin last year...so my back was a little mad at me for acting possessed* but I was alright by yesterday and had a decent chest day. (oh and my legs were screaming about it lol)
 

["Jake"]

Putting the power back in power lifting! I moved up this Monday. I'm now in what I might consider normal weight ranges for dead lift and squat, and weight ranges that actually activate my muscles vs feeling like I'm going through the motions. I should be thrilled right? (small grin for progress) but its a double edged sword. 1) MY back which is dependent on motions my groin wouldn't let me do is felling the hurt from the neglect... 2) maybe because I've had a year off form what I would consider real lifting or maybe because one side has been compensating but I had a few bouts where my muscles seemed to fire in the wrong order which didn't help my back any either.
BUT, like last week, all feels well enough by Weds So I feel better about the move-up today than I did on Monday. In the name of caution, will likely repeat this weight for a few weeks like I did the baby weights before this.

["Jake"]

Proud moment: one of my troops, who used to buckle trying to keep up with me (despite me saying "throttle it back, take it slow"), Is now squatting 225 for reps.
Now I get to catch up to him...