Brains, Brawn and Bamboo

There was another guy doing curls in the squat rack yesterday…with about 40 pounds…while standing on a plastic exercise step. What the $*??%!

Anyway, my deadlift is progressing nicely. Confident of hitting my 200lbs x 5 target in the next two weeks - well within my 22nd May deadline. My Squat and Bench are also coming along, although as I’m only hitting them 2-3 times a week (and never on consequtive days) the progress will be slower, especially as I’m wave cycling the weights to ensure I don’t injure myself / burn out / keep making progress in the long run etc. Bench is terribly low - my chest is pathetic. Plenty of time to sort that out though when I get my strength up to respectable levels - which is the whole point of my current Power to the People program.

My weight is also going up, for the first time in about a year! Hurray! This makes me happy, as it means my colitis is in check and my diet is in check. Adding meat/fish has really made the difference. I am, however, losing definition from my stomach. I never had a six-pack by any means, but I am getting…er, softer.

However, I am looking to the long term. I don’t want to be one of these hardgainers that starts making progress in the weight gain goal, only to shy away because they can’t see every striation in the abdominal wall. I can still do the splits, my lifts are going up, I can still run as fast as before and mix it up with Kung Fu and kettlebell conditioning like before, so why worry?

As long as my athleticism remains unimpaired, bring on the weight! Short term I may get a bit soft, but I’ll be stronger and more muscular in the long run, especially when I get big enough to consider stripping bodyfat away (which wont be a problem, with my metabolism!)

Feeling good and working hard. Official progress update in May 3rd (hopefully), with pictures. Until then, train hard, kick ass and take names!

Was due to do Squats today at the gym, but a guy was teaching a girl to barbell curl…in the only squat rack!

Curls in the squat rack! With an empty bar! And then he was curling in there after her sets! I thought this kind of thing only happened on the internet!

If you can’t deadlift the bar up from the ground then it’s too much to be curling with!

Rant over.

In other news, I have added Squats and Bench Press to my routine, and the weight I am using in both is…well, abominable. However, I’m going to use the same techniques as I have for the deadlift (although not the same frequency: 2-3 times a week each rather than 5), and my deadlift has been progressing steadily. I hope similar progress can be made on these new lifts by doing so. Start small, and grow safe and strong. All good things come to he who waits…and lifts heavy as often as possible!

After being in hospital for 6 nights, I have returned to the land of the healthy! Today marks the end of Week 5 of being on Pavel’s Power to the People program, and while I’ve been confined to bed rest this last week, let’s take a moment to see where I am compared to three weeks ago:

Weight: 160 Pounds (+ 7.3 Pounds!)

Deadlift: 181.5 Pounds (+ 16.5 Pounds)

Some solid improvements regardless! Okay, I’m under no illusion that the weight is super dense muscle - I ate like a horse in hospital for fear of withering away - but the weight gain certainly makes me feel better. Given time and training, I’m sure muscle will form. My deadlift continues to improve. Heavy grease-the-groove theory works. I’m proof.

Health: My colitis has been getting worse for the last year. I’m on new, more powerful medication, which will hopefully provide greater resilience to the condition in the long term. My current flare-up is down, so my body can use the many iron supplements I’m taking to replenish the blood I’ve lost. Doctors have me on enough pills to make a street dealer nervous! Hopefully, increased strength and health will be forthcoming.

Goals: Still hoping to hit 200lb x 5 Deadlift by May 22nd. Going to need to push myself, but then that’s half the fun! Boxing Tutor course is three weeks away…scary considering my current condition, but I’ve already paid for the course, and I aint backing down now. Have at thee!

Plans: Will be adding in a host of new fitness stuff, including Bench Press PTP style. Got a lot of plans and, with my colitis currently under control, a heap load of motivation to pursue my physical ambitions with aggressive fortitude! A new diet, based on plain, ‘white’ food (chicken, rice, fish etc.) will hopefully give me fuel for transforming and be kind to my colitis. Also plan to incorporate relaxation techniques / internal work (meditation) for additional colitis-improving effects.

Maybe I’ll Blog About These Soon… Details of diet, supplements, additional fitness work and goals, and a variety of explorative thoughts on strength, beauty and right living.

I’m so glad to be back!

I had a flexible sigmoidoscopy yesterday - that is, a camera up where things aint photogenic. The investigative procedure proved what I already knew - that my colitis is bad. Really bad. I’ve been on steroid medication for two weeks now and, while my appetite is up, my blood loss is still continuing. The images from inside my gut - which the doctor euphemistically described as ‘not pretty’ - confirm that while I may be holding up energy wise, my body is certainly not healing. Indeed, as long as the flare-up continues, my health can only get worse.

As such, they have all but decided to bring me in to hospital for a short while and put me on intravenous steroids. The dosage is much higher, and administered more directly (last time I was in, I had an injection straight into my stomach…) They will contact me tomorrow to organise things.

It should work - stamp down the current flare-up and give my body a chance to heal and regenerate lost blood - but I don’t like going into hospital. They reckon I’ll be at least 5 days. I’m going to focus all my willpower on channelling the spirit of Wolverine and reducing that time as much as possible. I’m meant to be on annual leave next week!

So, if I’m not talkative over the next week, it’s because I’m lying in a hosptial bed. Boo. I guess I’ll use the time to plan how to come back, stronger than before. Got to keep moving forward, no matter how hard life hits you.

Went to gym today regardless and stuck to my PTP program. 80KG feels pretty easy now, and I managed 72.5KG touch-and-go style with a hook grip, so I’m pleased with myself in spite of physical obstacles. The hospital break will really affect my ability to hit my deadlift goal (200lbs for May 22nd) and preparing for the boxing course (only 4 weeks away!), but if the medication makes me healthier, then I guess I’ll be stronger in the long run. If I can keep my time inside to a minimum, it might not wreck my plans to greatly.

Deadlift best is now 82.5KG / 181.5 Pounds x 5, a 16.5 Lbs jump in two weeks. Not too bad for a guy forced into hosptial!

Send me healthy vibes!

Hit new personal best - 82.5KG / 181.5 Pounds for five reps - on the deadlift today. Went up okay - a clean grind that was neither easy or dangerously hard. Small jumps in weight here and there are where I’m going to find my strength, especially with my health where it is at the moment. Pleased in the improvement - 80KG yesterday felt easy compared to when I last attempted it.

Speaking of health, I am in hospital tomorrow for a flexible sigmoidoscopy. Basically, it involves a long snaking camera being fed up my you-know-whahhh! Going to take a look at my guts and see what there is to see, taking biopsy sampels with a tiny metal snare if necessary. Considering the steroids I’ve been for almost two weeks now have had no effect in halting my colitis flare-up, and I’m suffering constant pain and nausea with the condition at the moment, I do hope they find something useful.

I’ve had a similar proceedure before. It’s more…discomforting than painful. That said, it certainly isn’t pleasant. Wish me luck!