Won Overall Figure at NPC Branch Warren!
Monday, July 9th, 2007
I won my class (A) and overall at the NPC 2007 Branch Warren Figure!!!
My thanks to Branch Warren and Metroflex Gym for putting on a great show and for letting me sing the Anthem 
Archive for July, 2007
National Level BB Guest-Blogger Gives Post-Surgery Training Advice
Monday, July 2nd, 2007
I recently received a question on my blog that I was completely unable to answer. It pertained to ab training after surgery. Now, I’m a registered dietitian and can tell you about macronutrients ratios and the importance of surface tension when making an egg white foam (don’t ask). I am not, however, a personal trainer, and I am not qualified to give advice concerning this issue.
The good news is… I know someone who is! I have a guest-blogger of sorts answering the question. He is my good friend and national level bodybuilder, Victor Dean. Victor has a BS/MS in Nutrition and Exercise Science, is also certified as a strength conditioning specialist (CSCS) through the NSCA and owns his own personal training studio in Buffalo, NY. He has extensive contest experience in powerlifting, strong man and bodybuilding competitions, including a LHW win at the 2000 NPC Teenage Nationals.
This year, Victor suddenly (as is usually the case) had to have his appendix removed, along with a follow-up abdominal surgery. All of which did not stop him from continuing his training and taking 3rd place in the LHW at the 2007 NPC Jr. Nationals.
In the Victor’s answer section, the writing in smaller parenthesis is my interpretation or extrapolation, where I thought it may help… Enjoy!
Ab question:
Jean,
i am recovering from a very tough ab. surgery. i need to start working on my abs again, but am kind of gun shy right now. what would you suggest as a good start up for my abs? the cut runs from the bottom of my sternum to my navel. i have lost 27 pound unfortunately it is almost all muscle mass. any suggestions would be great!
Victor’s Answer:
The first goal following an intensive surgery such as this is to get the nervous system firing again.
(The first several weeks of any starter weight training program involves training your central nervous system to resistance training; this is an important part of why you make gains bery quickly in the first few weeks of training. After the surgery and rest period, your CNS has become de-trained. Victor is telling you that getting the CNS back in shape is the first step!)
This includes both local abdominal activation as well as coordinating gross movement between all the anterior muscles (abs, trans abs, obliques) and posterior muscles (erectors, lats, medial gluts, glut max, etc).
(Victor is saying that it’s not enough to just get your “abs” back into shape; everything is de-trained! And your body is designed to work in coordinated movements, so it should be trained that way, not just in isolated movements. This is especially true for training the CNS).
I would recommend starting the first 2 weeks with 1) static firing (you are not moving during the exercise) like some bridge holds; focus on the abs and squeeze them; followed by 2) crunches on the floor without a ton of stability required (save that over-grown kick ball for later 
. I would include a little bit of “nervous system programming” these first weeks with the addition of some gross movement (including more of the whole body) patterns like “hay-balers” and “slams” (squat and slam ball on floor) with a medicine ball.
The following 2 weeks I would progress everything a little. Instead of bridge holds make them “inchworms” (walk feet to hands then walk hands back out). Instead of floor crunches do them on a stability ball and add a hip pop for added lower abdominal recruitment. Instead of hay-balers and slams do the “star drill” (varying lunges at different angles while swinging a med ball) and “re-bounders” (slams with a jump at the top).
By the 5th week start adding some regular ab movements back, but keep the recovery stuff in for a another full month.
It took me a good 4 months before I stopped feeling nervous in the gym. It’s important to go slow and focus more on resetting the nervous system and getting those collagen fibers to lay down in the direction of the muscle fiber.
There you have it! Expert opinion! Good luck in your recovery J
Victor Dean at the 2007 NPC Jr. Natioanal Bodybuilding Contest:
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