kinkoshinkai’s BodyBlog

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my addiction to Biggest Loser (other than the fact the Gillian Michaels NEEDS to call me!  yummmm) it’s that a physical change is not just a physical change.  It changes LIVES!  It changes SPIRIT!  It changes attitude and personality.  And ALL for the better when we take control of our physical health and strength.  It seems so obvious, but we’re forever hearing, "I’m still the same person even if I’m not the model physique!".  Bull Hockey!  Mind, spirit, and body are inextricably intertwined and cannot be separated out that way.  A change to one affects all three!!  So why not take physical control and improve your WHOLE life!!?

I didn’t get to meet all the people that I wanted and planned to because I only went Friday, and some were competitors.  I didn’t get down for a second day, due to family obligations. I still might have gone even for a couple hours Saturday if I wouldn’t have had to drive alone.
So, Friday I drive down early. While in line I meet the guy that Ed Corney is staying with (famous bodybuilder from the pre-Arnold and Arnold era. Mr. America, Mr. Universe, "Pumping Iron"). We chatted for an hour before they opened and it was cool to hear his stories.  Then the flood gates opened! Talked with Brandon Curry, got updated on his life and plans.  Ed Van Amsterdam is the nicest huge man around! Chatted with Gunther Schlierkamp, lots of company reps, and collected t-shirts, supplements, and goodies. Not nearly as much as I usually do, because of the shortness of my stay. Had to get home for performance at the theatre. Oh, and finally met Layne Norton as he filmed with the gloriously beautiful Ava Cowan, and met Gina Osterlay (what a sweetie). There were others, too.  Full day. It’s just a great fraternity of fitness folks. LOVE IT!

Several months ago, before my blood clot and being told to back off my workouts, I officially benched the 300.  All the "1 rep max" calculators said I should be able to, so I tried it and did it.  Not something I do often, and not generally recommended, but it felt satisfying to know I could.

Today, my plan was to be back in shape and do it again for my 50th birthday.  The calculators again said that I should be able to do it.  Sadly, they were mistaken.  Maybe it was an off day.  Maybe I’m not fully back up to strength.  Maybe my warm-up sets were insufficient.  But I didn’t make the lift after repeated attempts.  Still, I was close.  Did 275 twice on my way up with the warm up, but when I went for 300, kept getting stuck. 

So, though today wasn’t the day, I’m still at it, regaining 6 months of lost strength, 2 months away from hopefully getting cleared medically and off the coumaden, and another half of my life ahead of me to keep growing and pushing.

So, today was the first day back after a 3 week lay off for school and rehearsals.  And even before that, I was not pushing my legs really hard (though I REALLY need to if I’m going to make them grow like I want to).  So, to kick off my return I took on my nemesis firstn - legs.  I figure, hit ‘em now and get over the fear of weakness.  Face it head on and get it out of the way. 

My strength level was back to January levels.  Any and all gains I’d made since then and up to my clot diagnosis when I was just trying to maintain, gone.  So, I sucked it up, accepted my weakness, and pushed ahead.  4 sets of squats, medium weight for 12 -15 reps.  Romanian deads, same weight and range. Leg extensions, hammy curls, seated calves, lay on the floor and recouperate.  18 sets in 45 minutes.  Blood left my head entirely a couple times.  Now though, sitting backstage in the dressing room, I feel stronger and healthier than I have for some time now.  Tomorrow, pecs and bi’s!!!

Turns out my calf pain was not a strain.  OK, here’s the whole story.

3 weeks ago, give or take, I had just completed my leg training at the gym, and went to my boys’ church league basketball practice.  I ended up in a full-court 4-on-4 game.  A couple days later my leg was swollen and I couldn’t walk.  I dealt with it, iced it, got the swelling down and didn’t worry about the minor residual pain.  By last week, even that was gone, so I decided I might try a light leg work-out.  I did some leg extensions for high reps and some seated calf-raises in my garage.  Two days later, I’m awake all night with a swollen lower leg throbbing.  By the weekend I had developed a fever.  This is no simple leg strain.  I went to a friend/neighbor who is a physician, and during the office visit he prescribed a Doppler Duplex Ultrasound to check for a blood clot.  Sure enough, behind my right knee, a clot. 

The curse is the clot.  The blessing is that the doctor is my neighbor, and instead of hospitalization, I came home where he will inject the blood thinners in person while I take 2 days of bed rest.  How I’d survive if I didn’t have friends and students who were accountants, lawyers, doctors, plumbers, etc.  is beyond me.  One of my best friends is even half owner of a funeral home, when the time comes. (Knocking on a GIANT block of wood!!! lol)

OK, the intensity program kicked my butt, and my niggling aches got the best of me.  That and life combined to tell my body to take a week off.  It didn’t kill me!!!  I actually healed pretty well, though when I went to do calf raises, I still felt some twinging.  Which leads me to my "observation du jour".

In any athletic activity, there are certain parts of your game that deteriorate first.  In tennis, the serve is usually the first to go.  In golf, it’s the tee shot/driver.  I discovered today, that my legs didn’t, apparently, do much last week, while I focussed mainly on school-work and sat around with books and papers.  So, in my weight training, my legs were the first to go. 

I suspect that had I at least taken some long walks, or engaged in some physical recreation, I would have maintained better, but I didn’t, and legs took a beating today.  Even though I told myself, "Hey, self!  Don’t worry about pushing too hard.  The intensity thing can back off a bit!", I still ended up pushing hard enough that walking out the gym door required a rest pause.  I actually considered calling a taxi to take me accross the parking lot to my car!  But I didn’t injure myself.  I accepted the ego beat-down of backing off the weight.  I only took 60 seconds between sets, so the intensity was good, and I mixed up the rep schemes on different exercises just for sh–’s and giggles.  I’ll feel it over the next two day, no doubt.

I’m currently using Flex magazines 3 month "Get Shredded" program from this year’s Feb issue.  I’m in month 2, which calls for Chest, shoulders, and tri’s Mon and Thurs, legs (quads, hams/glutes, and calves) Tues and Fri, and back, traps and bi’s on Wed and Sat.  It’s been a long time since I hit a bodypart twice in the same week.  After last month doing most everything in the 6-8 rep range and a minute or so rest between sets, this month is tougher and testing my cardio level substantially. 

The routine calls for 4 sets for the first body parts of 4 esercises.  The first two sets still in the heavy 6-8 rep range and the next two sets either 10-12 or up to 15 reps at a lighter weight.  I push pretty close to failure on most sets, and full failure on the last one or two, so the 30 second rest called for between sets really makes me huff and puff and sweat!!!! Then the last exercise for each body-part is done bi laterally, alternating sides one at a time for 15 reps back and forth non-stop for 4 sets.  Concentrations curls, cable laterals, dumbell rows, reverse grip tri-press on cables, leg extensions or lying leg curls done this way are TOUGH as finishers!!  I start biceps with 110 lb bar curls and can barely handle a 20-25 lb concentration curl at the end!!

BUT, I am seeing my abs more following the winter hibernation layer finally.  The amazing part to me is that I cannot afford the food to properly follow the diet plan (I barely eked out the money for some Scivation and Higher Power whey to get me through this month!), and I frequently skip the HIIT cardio just due to time and family constraints.  But it IS working, but seriously KICKIN’ MY EVERLOVIN’ ***!!!

I’ve never "maxed" on a lift, feeling that at my advancing age it was unwise for my joints.  I get enough pains and aches that seem to arise spontaneously without encouraging those niggling discomforts or exacerbating them needlessly.  But all the "single rep max" calculators on this site esitmate my bench at over 300 lbs.  About 315, depending on the weight I rep out with on any given day.  My goal, currently, is to be able to bench 1.5 times my body weight, or about 330.  I usually use between 225 and 260 for my working sets, at least for the last couple months, which is plenty, on the occasions when I DO bench press.  I may curtail benching soon, because of my shoulder pain.  (Honestly, the skull crushers with narrow grip hurt more than benching, though.)

So, since I have the set-up in my garage, and since I’ve never actually put 300 up on the bench, I thought I’d give it an actual go, and maybe officially join the "I bench 300" club, instead of the "It’s estimated that I can bench 300" club.  My son, the spotter, and a daughter who just wanted to watch, came out to the garage with dad.  I did a warm-up with 225, just to feel the form, and then put the 300 on the bar (well, including the bar).  I got set, counted 3, lifted it off with my spotter/son, and proceeded to lower the bar to my chest, careful to touch without bouncing it.  (You never know when a judge might be watching my garage work-outs! lol  Plus I had no interest in cracking my sternum)  I then proceeded to push it up, steady and smooth as you please.  It was not easy, by any stretch, but left me feeling I could have done more weight if I so desired.

And so, my friends and supporters, where e’er you may be, I officially declare myself now a member of the "I can bench over 300 pounds" club.  2 witnesses saw it.  (Yeah, they’re my kids, but they’re trustworthy)  So now I can move on confident that I’ve pushed past a barrier.