IronLazarus’s BodyBlog

I’ve just finished training shoulders today and I feel great getting that pump and aches in my delts! Those last two reps, man!

Thinking back to the last few years when I was hit by a psychological problem called alcoholism — that means I had to drink a bottle of gin or brandy or anything alcoholic every other day just to keep me from shaking, not to mention to keep me in one piece. I was really devastated and I felt I was dying slowly! My hard-earned muscles from all those past years of powerlifting and bodybuilding just seemed to weaken and atrophy to an alarming degree. I lost a great deal of muscles. The mass of my upper chest muscles faded away. My knees buckled every time I had to walk down the stairs. My hands and fingers lost strength and coordination. My kidneys hurt! My obliques twitched every time I had to move. One time I even urinated unconsciously for the first time while asleep!!! My body wanted to stop drinking but my mind didn’t want to. So this gradual suicide and slow death went on for another month or two.

Then finally one day early this year (2009) every thing suddenly changed. I got myself to the gym and tried bench pressing to see if I’m still worth living. In my frustration for failing to do bench 6 reps with a 65 lb barbell and zero rep in parallel-bar dips (my favorite exercise in the past — weighted dips with 120 lbs for 10-12 reps, circa 1981), I fought very hard with myself to quit drinking once and for all and got my ass back weight training and live an alcoholic-free life.
Today my bench press, squat, deadlift poundage have all improved a lot. Thanks to muscle memory. But I’m still a long way to the finish line, but I’m on my way for sure. The persistent pain in my kidneys is gone. My knees are now stronger. My hands are no longer shaking, except of some joint pain here and there (what to do, I’m getting old). I’m gaining muscle mass slowly once more.

I’m back to the gym! I prefer now to train a little bit late, at 9 pm, so that the gym would be a little bit decongested.  It works well for me, at least. With my newly recovered back injury, I have to avoid heavy squatting and, of course, deadlifting and focus my energy on my upper body for the moment. Two weeks away from the gym enabled me to fully rest my mind and body. I lost a few pounds of bodyweight and strenght, but my enthusiasm remains as high as ever.

The day before yesterday was meant for deadlifting and it was a disaster! The gym was overcrowded at 7 p.m. We’re like sardines in a tin can! The temperature inside the gym was extremely hot (approx. 32 degrees C) and humid (RH approx. 75%) and the smell of people and sweat was too much to bear. It was difficult to find a perfect spot to do my deadlifts. By the time I was able to "mark my territory" the weights began to move up and down the floor. Clang! Clang! Clang! And by the time I arrived at my 3rd set of 5X5 my lower back felt like it was being stabbed with an ice pick. PAIN started to set in and I had to stop altogether ‘coz I knew an injury had occurred and  to continue might worsen the situation. ICE TIME! I’ve had such injury back in the 80s and the only quick and reliable remedy is cryotherapy and a good rest to recuperate. I just hope in a couple of days I would be able to hit the gym again. What really have caused that lower back injury is probably dehydration due to the high humidity and having to wait too long for my turn on the gym floor.

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