Joe’s BodyBlog

So Friday I went in to see my surgeon re: my nine month post surgery check up. I only gained 1/8th of an inch in my quad over the past three months. I am 1/2 inch behind my right leg, so I wanted at least 1/4 inch of growth but I missed that goal. I blame my inconsistent workouts for the lack of growth, so really I blame myself. But my surgeon was ok with the progress I made. He said not to be so hard on myself and at least I am still growing. The stability in knee is there, the strength is coming along and he feels I am doing all the right things to get back in shape. He knows I am a person who is active and who works out, so he just said to keep on doing the things I am doing. At one point he asked me if I was running yet, which surprised me because I thought I wasn’t ready to run. He told me it is up to me and my comfort level with my knee. But medically there isn’t any reason for me to not run. He even old me I can cut and twist if I want! Yikes that scares me! He feels that I need to get myself out of my comfort level because I have built my knee back up correctly and I now need to push myself a little harder to get back in the game.. So I will do that, but I am sure it will be slow. Frankly it doesn’t feel good when I try right now.  But it is the only way to grow so I will do it.

I also told him about my back. Just going to my Chiropractor isn’t helping my back these days, so I needed something else to help out. He gave my some muscle relaxants and suggested some exercises to help losen up the muscles. I was already doing the exercises so I was on the right track, the pills just made me sleepy and feel out of it. I took them over the weekend but I am done with them now. I couldn’t drive or work while taking them, so I am not going to take them any more. They did help a little, but it is up to me now. I don’t really like the idea of using them, I just need some help. I can’t understand why just going o my Chiropractor isn’t working this time out, usually it does, but I feel it just might be a sign of how weak my core muscles are. Especially since this has occurred so frequently over the past couple of months.

So as to not have this happen in the future, I am doing a program from a book called Back Rx by Vijay Vad M.D. as well as getting back to my workout routine. This book combines Yoga and Plates to help get rid of low back pain. It isn’t a bad book, and so far I have completed the first exercise plan in the book, and now I am moving on the the next plan. There are only 3 plans in the book, each one gets progressively harder all to strengthen your low back and stomach muscles. I can feel hem working but as of yet it isn’t really helping my over all strength. I am still in pain most of the day and being a computer geek isn’t helping me because sitting is the worst issue. I am hope full that moving up to the next plan combined with my "normal" exercise program (reduced weight in my training) will get me back to my regular self. Only time will tell!

Not sure what I did the other day but I took myself out of things for a few days. I must have lifted something wrong or over worked myself on something, but I spent the weekend on muscle relaxants and pain killers. My low back just tensed up on Friday afternoon and I couldn’t move. This happens to me a few times a year and it is hell every time I go through it. My back gets so tense that from across the room, if I had my shirt off, you could see that my hips are not level. My right side gets pulled up by about 3 inches and I walk like a troll! Of course the pain is unbearable, and so far the only thing that ever helps me out of this is my Chiropractor! I think over the past few years, I only have paid for a lot of golf lessons for his kids! Good thing he is a great guy because otherwise I might be mad about that little fact. The bottom line is I need to workout to strengthen my back, but when I hurt my back I can’t work out. Such a catch 22 for me. It gets really frustrating. So after speaking with both my Chiropractor and my Acupuncturist (yes I am an earthy crunchy holistic kind of guy) I have decided to add some Yoga and Pilates into my workout routine to help my back. I need something to get my core strength up so I can reduce my risk of injury. I am sick and tired of this happening, especially since it has happen twice in the past month! 

Anybody have any ideas for me! Would love to hear them!

Ok - I don’t have an educated point of view on supplements, I will admit that right up front. I have been trying to read as much information as possible about them, from Creatine to BCAA’s to Vitamins and Fat burners.. and guess what, I am still confused about them. I understand the science and the concepts, but my confusion comes from how I should be taking advantage of these items as part of my diet and bodybuilding routine.

Not I am not completly clueless, and some of you on this site have given me some valuable information. I do use Protein powders for pre and post workout shakes. And I cook with "extra" protein. But outside of that and my vitamins I am not taking anything else.

Part of the problem for me is the cost. I can’t seem to come to terms with the idea that if I want the gains or changes in my body that I need to spend $90 on a 1 month supply of supplment X. Is this short sighted of me, maybe, but I guess I will have to deal with that choice. Maybe since I am not trying to be a competitive bodybuilder and just want to look and feel better that is why I am indifferent towards supplements. Part of me wants to invent the next best supplement for all of us, cuz then I would have the money to suport this. I can’t even imagine what some of the folks do who are still trying to get their pro card or get signed and they take all of this stuff. Must be a small fortune each month for the allotment!

Two supplements I am considering are a Fat Burner and Creatine. I am looking into the Fat Burner becuase I have been stuck at the same weight for a long time and my bodyfat hasn’t really gone down either. So for me it would be a short term jump start for my body to help me get over my current situation. The creatine would be for muscle recovery (I think).

Anyhow, this is my quick bit about supplements. As I said I don’t know much… 

So if you look at my progress pictures that I posted yesterday you can see some changes over my old ones. Yes I have made some progress since 2005 or 2006 but is it really where I want to be? NO, so I have come up with a new plan and new goals. Bottom line is when you are not getting the results you want, you need to reevaluate your plan and change it where it is necessary.

For me that starts and ends with my diet. I am supposed to be cutting, but I have lost any weight in weeks. It isn’t really a plateau issue, because I haven’t been strict enough on my diet nor have I given myself a caloric deficet. In fact I am sure I have cheated way too much to count! So my cutting diet is my main focus. My workouts have been very good.

Not enough cardio to really make a huge impact, but with my knee the way it is, the only cardio I can do is the elliptical or stair stepper. I have a treadmill at home, but my knee always kills me after words, so if I use it, it is a light workout compared to what I do with the other machines. I have tried low impact walking/slogging but my body just isn’t ready for that yet. It is funny, the surgery was supposed to be simple, just clean out the lose cartiledge in my knee, but no I had to have a more serious issue once they got in there and even though they said it is a six month minimum rehab, here I am at nine months and I am still not 100 percent. These doctors are always wrong on these dates… Anyhow, I digress. My point is that cardio has to be at the gym for now.

My long term goal is two fold: 1) I have about 14 weeks until I reach the 1 year mark of my surgery, 2) the week before I hit that mark also happens to be my 20 year high school reunion. So this gives me the time frame I need to focus and concentrate on my goal of looking good and feeling good for both of these events. Heck, I already know that I am not going to be one of those guys that shows up to the reunion bald and fat… for one thing, I am far from bald, at 38 there is plenty of hair on my head. So the fat thing is the one that I would have to worry about, but with 2 knee srugeries in 18 months, I have kept myself in decent shape, but I need to do better. My 38 inch stomach tells me that alone. BTW - No offense to guys who are bald, it is just the stereo type of the 20 year runion that I am fighting in my head!

 I feel good about this plan. Since I have no desire to compete in any bodybuilding competitions and this is really just for me, these goals and timeframe give me a drop dead date to see how well I can do.