Dsher10’s BodyBlog

Well, I have FINALLY been given the go-ahead by my trainers to start moving up with the weights. About time! Last Friday my arm trainer had me do four sets of standing bicep curls (10 reps) with 80, 90, 100 and 110 lbs. Felt good, and no injuries. Though I didn’t try for it then, by past experience, max-rep calculators, and my trainer’s opinion, I am probably at about 135 lbs for a one rep max. That’s only 15 lbs under my 150 lb curl goal, and gives me hope, especially if I can keep up my roll without any undue interruptions. And If I make my goal, I will just reset it - UP!

I will start back with heavier negatives benches on Monday to assess what I can do with my rotator cuff, which seems to be SLOWLY improving. I can’t wait!

P.S. Just to give an idea of what I have to inspire me during my arm training sessions, here is a photo of the (almost 16-inch) right arm of my five-foot two lady trainer:

My workouts are going steady, keeping on tract with careful building of reps, sets and weight, with careful attention being paid to NO injuries. I do NOTHING that could stress my lower back, and have found good work-arounds. My rotator cuff is not perfect, but is also workable, although I haven’t done any really heavy work with it yet.

I plan to just continue truckin’ on as is, and see where I am in about six-to eight weeks. My trainer expects me to begin moving up on my weights next week. I’m looking forward to that!

I was amazed to discover today that I have added about FOUR-inches on my shoulders over the last year! Great surprise!

Well, it’s been six weeks since I injured my back and had to lay off the gym. It’s been frustrating waiting (I always feel like I’m going to waste away), but I took the time to rest and do what the Doc ordered. In addition, my rotator cuff has not healed completely; there is a still a small, residual discomfort felt in certain positions (like doing push-ups), which limits what I can do strain-wise. So I need to take things slowly to prevent any further injury and fall-backs. Man! If only I didn’t have this junk to worry about…

But I’m back, and have adjusted my workouts accordingly:

Mon: Chest & Tri’s (still working on that 315 lb bench goal),
Tue: Cardio (treadmill for 40 min),
Wed: Shoulders & Back,
Thurs: Lower body,
Fri: Biceps (still working on my 150 lb barbell curl goal),
Weekend: Walking & other general activities.

OF course, I AGAIN have to start out slow and work up to my maxes.  My trainer has me on very isolating exercises, with 4-5 sets of 15 or so reps with lighter weights. I hate using the "lighter" weights, but am amazed at how exhausted I can get with strict form! I will do as I am told, put in the time, and see what results. I don’t have any other choice.

In about a month I will try to test my max lifts without injuring myself, and assess where I stand.