BIG GUNNS’s BodyBlog

From the first time I started lifting  weights and developed upper body strength I have been able to do pull-ups with little or no effort.My heavy bench and arm lifts have helped in moving my bodyweight and pulling myself up in the pull-up. Having strong lifts in bench, dumbbell flyes, lat pulldowns,dumbbell rows,barbell curl, tricep extensions and bar-dips have all contributed to my pull-up. In the 9th grade I can remember doing 22 for a fitness contest in P.E. class. When I first joined local gym I held the gym record with 41 I was 20 yo. at the time and weighing about 142 . I was able to do 4 one arm pull-ups in 1985 when I owned my gym in Montana .Then I was doing 44 at the age of 28 and weighing about 148-150 pounds. As time went on from 1986 to 1995 I still did the lift but off and on and at times wouldnt do them for months.I was doing them weighted as I was not into reping then.This is a lift that needs to be trained on a regular basis to maintain endurance.I had all but stopped doing them as a staple in my workout.Around 1996 I reinvented my pull-up again and started training them to achieve a new personal best. When I started back up I was amazed how far I had lost my strength as in reps I was down to 32-35. I quickly increased them back over 40 again gaining a rep a week doing them after my back routines.For a few years I was able to do 45-48 on any given workout. I first reached 50 reps in 2000 at Golds gym I was in my best shape ever in strength as far as chest , back and arms lifts weighing in at 166 pounds .I found the perfect balance to achieve opitium reps for me was weighing around 162 to 166. In the last 6 years my reps stalled increasing only a rep a year . In 2006 finally setting a new record of 53 .At the time I was weighing around 165 . It had been close to a year since I had done 52.I again stopped doing them every week as I had forearm injury problems and I would go a month or so with no pull-up in my routine. Last year again set out to reistablish a new record and trained again to do so.Heavy lat pulldowns and upper body lifts and 2 pull-up routines a week I was able to set new records of 54 and then 55 .Recovering from my rotator cuff injury held me at that total for about 8 months until May of this year when I did 56 .I was surprized to do so that day but every thing fell into place. Thats leads me to today smashing my record again with 58 .Its rare when I can increase my personal best by 2 reps and have done so maybe only a few times.Im guessing I weighed about 162 pounds today .I can contribute the 3 rep increase in the last 2 months to heavy dumbbell rows for reps of 8-20 using weights of 100 pounds to 140 pounds.The 18-20 rep sets with a 100 pound dumbbell has developed not only a power stroke for the pull-up but endurance .When I started the set of 58 I felt pain in my lower lat and some tightness in my shoulders .I normally do the first 20 in  controlled even pace and kick in my turbo and pound out about 20-25 more rapidly then come down some and slowly again a good rhythm power out the last 10-18. To acheive opitium reps you have to have no swinging from the legs they have to be prefectly still. I cross my legs at the bottom . I hope by the end of the year to reach 60 barring any injury or setback .If not theres always next year .To do pull-ups at your best is to be consistant and dedicated to the lift itself. Thank you for stopping in and reading my history to my new personal best in one of my all-time favorite lifts that bolds both strength , power and finese .

Its now 3 weeks since my last Rotator Cuff injury blog. Now 6 months since my double tear in my left shoulder  Im 100% recovered in strength.But also i have to say there are times within the last week I still feel some tightness and pain but more from the heavy weights Ive been lifting then the injury I had.My last bench press routine was the most  weight for reps Ive lifted in over 6 months.Although I do need to do extra warm-ups and use max flexall heat before I train and Aleve from time to time .This has been a long haul to recovery and Im proof again even at the age of 50 RC isnt the end and can be healed with time and smart training.I never saw a sports doctor or did I even think twice about seeing one. From here it all systems go and I will be back to my HIT routine and looking to get back to my weight of 165-168. Last week I also did a set of pull-ups for 55 reps tieing a personal best for me.I will be adding new progress pictures very soon .Im waiting for the perfect time and workout to do so.I have increased my creatine to close to 10 grams after training and still taking high grade whey shake after .

Its been over a month since my last update blog on my RC injury.Since then I have had food poisining and now bronchitis.My left rotator cuff injury is now about 95% recovered alhtough now my right shoulder has some pain and tightness more so then my left.I have to be careful now not to over stress both shoulders as Im so close now to total RC recovery.If it wasnt for the food poisining that knocked me out for 6 days from work and a few days after to get back my regular eating habits I might have been back all the way by now.At the time of my food poisining I was lifting max weights for the last 4 months since the injury in many of my workouts. I lost close to 3-4 pound and have gained back 2-3 as of now.Most I suspect was water weight from dehydration.The bronchitis was from a run down inmune system along with a 30 degree weather change and winds here in Vegas.

Im still doing  a heavy stretch routine with the use of heat treatments ,massage and aleve only when needed. As I have noted this is at least 10-12 times I have injured my RC on either shoulder to some extent .Having a full rip in about 4 to 5 of those and have always healed myself to full recovery without the help of a medical sports doctor.At 50 years old this has been a long ordeal that has lasted so far about 6 months .I figured as much and was ready for the long road back. I continue to drink a high protein shake after wokouts along with about 8-10 grams creatine.

Its been another 2 weeks since my last RC blog and update.In the last 2 weeks my strength increase has been much improved.I have best many lifts in all body parts including chest where my RC injury has the most affect on my training. In the last 2 weeks I have gained 1 pound and have increased many lifts as much as 5-20 pounds or more. I have lingering pain in my shoulder that is most aggravited after my chest routine as I have noted in past blogs.But at the same time I have increases in my Machine Press exercise in both weight and sets and reps but not without the pain the hours after and the day after .Its most noticable when I sleep .My injury is is getting better but untill I have no pain and can do press movements without fear of reinjury only then will I consider myself fully healed. With that said I feel im back to 85% in chest and 100% fully back to strength in all other body parts.Again the most improvement in strength is in my back and legg exercises.My biceps although affected my the RC injury only barbell curl gives my any discomfort at all where I have to be carefull and lift correctly and avoid any swinging of weights or bad form.But I have incresed in that lift as well.Over all I estimate maybe another month or two to full recovery. I continue to use heat treatments ,massage and Aleve when needed.

My diet is the same as I have mentioned before increasing protein intake and creatine into my diet. Soon I wll post progress pictures .This type of injury as discouraging as it can be I have always recovered to full health and considering I have ripped both rotator cuffs in both shoulder many times over the last 35 years. I have never gone to a doctor and have always healed myself .The thought of having surgery is not an option I refuse to risk a 50/50 chance of it worsing the problem .Id rather deal with the pain then risk undue stress and problems from going under a knife.

Its now over 3 months since my injury and 2 weeks since my last blog. Ive had great gains in both size and strength the last 2 weeks increasing weight and reps in exercises for each body part . My biggest gains have been in back and quads as far as strength.Triceps have grown and my arms show a fuller bicep with added preacher curls in my workout.My forearms have also excelled in strength and vascularity .Im doing 115lb  barbell wrist curls for 4 sets of 8 .Over all chest is 80% recovered and still lagging from my left RC injury.Most chest pressing movements come with a sometimes unbearable pain the day after when I sleep on my back with my arms at my side.My back strength is at 100% ,Triceps and Biceps are 95% to 100% along with forearms at 100%,leggs are also around 100% ,calves 100%.Im pleased with this increase in over body strength and added size .But still frustrated with the soreness from some lifts the day after and it can be a problem with daily routines around the house. I continue to use heat treatments and massage my shoulders after training .

Ive added more protein in my diet taking in 1 -2 protein drinks the day of workouts and off days. My drinks include 30-35gm whey,banana,flax seed powder,creatine 7gm ,peanut butter and mixed with half & half soy milk and non fat milk.

Its been 2 weeks since my last blog update on my RC injury and progress. Its been a up and down 2 weeks with many good days of no pain mixed in with a few bad days.Overall Im very happy with the last 2 weeks in both strength and size recovery.As of todays workout my overall progress is about 80% for chest, 95% for back,95% for triceps and 90% for biceps in some lifts and 95% in others,leggs are at about 95% with an inch in size recovery,forearms are at 95% along with calves.Ive noticed increase in size in back, chest and shoulders and my arms bigger and fuller then my profile picture.Forearms and calves are showing a tight look and with vascularity.

Ive started to alter my diet with added protein drinks and a 2 gram increase to 7 grams creatine before my workout.My protein drink consists of about 30 grams whey with a half banana,flax seed powder,raw quick oats mixed with half non fat milk and soy.I drink this right after my training .The creatine is taken before.I have gained back another pound of weight getting back to 162 and 4 pounds off my goal.Ive also altered my workouts spliting when up to chest/triceps,back/biceps and leggs alone. Doing 3 sets of forearms at the end of every workout and doing pull-ups randomly on off days during the week .Im training 2 days on 1 day off with this cycle.

I continue to use heat treatments for my right and left shoulders and will take aleve for pain on severe days mostly on chest/triceps workouts. Chest pressing movements continue to give me the most discomfort.I do my best to work around my injury and avoid any lifts in my workout or every days tasks around the house that might cause me to reinjure myself.

Since my RC (rotator cuff) injury 3 months ago Ive recovered to maybe 70% in strength in chest and 85% in back .Shoulder strength is about the same as chest with discomfort in my lifts and after my workouts. My arm strength has increased from about 60% from the time of injury to about 85% in biceps and about 90% in triceps .Forearms are at 95% back in strength.Leggs although not affected by the injury I took extra time off from time to time to heal and my lifts also dropped.My strength in leggs and calves are now about 90% recovered.

Im pleased with this progress but very frustarted to have to go thru this at my age as recovery is taking longer with more discomfort then previous RC injuries in the past.The tear had in my right shoulder was loud enough for me to hear as though I was taking a piece of paper and tearing it about 2 inches down.There was 2 separate tears n the right shoulder.My left shoulder had been tender for awhile before the injury to my right shoulder .Ive been using heat treatments  and elevating my shoulder when on PC or sleeping keeping it from hanging down to my side.When needed I will take an Aleve to releive severe pain from time to time.