Posted: 6/10/2002 10:39:57 AM EDT
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I got to the gym last week to start working out [b]lightly [/b]with my left arm again,as OK'd by my orthopedic surgeon. I thought I should document how much I lost in the 2 and 1/2 months I was not able to work out properly with the right arm and not at all with the left.So I will share this with you. I knew the arms had lost some muscle,but I was horrified to find out how much! This is probably not typical for young bucks like most of you (35 and under) because of high circulating testosterone levels, but even young guys WILL lose quite a bit when out of the gym! Here are the loses in inches (done by one of the trainers): Period between March 26(injury) to June 8th flexed[/b] Left arm- relaxed:-2 1/4" [red]flexed -2 3/4" [/red] [:(][:(] Right arm - relaxed:-1/2" [red]flexed:1"[/red] [:(] [blue]If there was ever an incentive for staying away from injury here it is.[/blue] Even though I did everything right I still got injured,so I am not saying it won't happen.Just saying try to diminish all factors that can increase your chances of getting injured. Do not overtrain,use good form,warm up well,give the muscle group time and cals to recover,sleep well,etc! Do not be afraid...for heavens sake! Just take precautions and work out safe! |
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Sorry to hear that Ed. I bet you get a lot of "why is your right arm so much bigger than your left" jokes.[:D] I can barely stand it when Army camps seperate me from the gym for weeks at a time(heading to Ft. Lewis for 5 weeks this summer). I come back considerably weaker and smaller. Of coarse, besides not lifting, I get little to no sleep and eat MREs and crap a lot. All that leads to mucho atrophy. Good luck, and be careful. |
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Thanks for the update, Ed - even if the news is depressing. Sometimes it's hard to look at the bright side, but at least: "I got to the gym last week to start working out lightly with my left arm again,as OK'd by my orthopedic surgeon". Just trying to make lemonade with the lemon life handed you, Ed. [:)] Keep on truckin' |
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I am coming back,guys. Don't you have any doubts about it. Tate,not only am I going to make lemonade.....I am going to sell it![:D] Since my goal is to stay as healthy as possible in my "gray panther years",I will get back into the swing of working out,and catch up.Hopefully,after my next docs visit(Next Tues) I can do a bit more.I just don't want to reinjure by going too fast before it is completely healed! [b]Shadowblade[/b]- No,that was because of all the change in my pocket![:)] |
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I know how ya feel. Between buying a house, suffering a damn-near crippling injury the day after moving into said house last September...then some major remodeling starting in February (after I healed) I went from a lean and mean 6'3" 225 to a flabby 205. Just started to work out again about 3 weeks ago. It's amazing how fast you start to recover once in the swing of things. |
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I have heard, and I believe it, that it takes the body ONLY SIX WEEKS to lose any developed muscle/stamina from an excercise/fitness routine. Pump all the weights you want, jog, be healthy, do pushups. If you STOP doing it the body returns to normal 6 weeks later. Depressing The body is TOO efficient. If it does not need the muscle, it will digest it. TheRedGoat |
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Quoted: Do you know what body type you have? A very old one! [:D] If you could tell me, I could give you some helpful info. [:)] I am not an ectomorph (thin)nor an I an endomorph(chubby),so by process of elimination I should be a mesomorph! now .....give me that information! [;)] Here is my new lifting technique developed at the BRC with the help of Miss Magnum [:D] [img]http://www.ar15.com/images/gallery/Black_Rifle_Convention/MM&Edsr.jpg[/img] [b]RedGoat ,[/b] Those measurements are after 8 weeks of inactivity,so your numbers coincide with my personal experience.By the same token,it should take the body the same amount of time to gain its loses once you start working out "full blast" My doc said Tues, to start lifting with the injured arm so that in 6 weeks I am up to 50% of the weight I was using before the injury! |
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For those of you who keep asking me how my injury is doing..........that would be NOBODY![:D]...I am glad to report that my left arm and shoulder still SUCK,but my right arm and shoulder are filling in nicely! I am supposed to be at 50% of the weight I was working out with by next week's appointment, and I have already surpassed that.[bounce] |
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Quoted: Now that picture,[;)]do you keep it on your nite table,or are you married?[;)] No night table. I keep the picture here,where it belongs,to remind me of the great time we all had at the BRC. At the time that picture was taken, about a dozen of us were sitting around a cooler having a friendly,light conversation while waiting for the prizes to be given out. |
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Well Ed, Looks like I am going to be joining you in rehab... The years of chunking iron have taken their toll on my elbow for the last time. I meet with the ortho surgeon Monday to discuss options. I want to be cut and 3/4 rehab'ed by Duck season (Dec). I am in the process of completely changing my workout routine. I used to get up at 4am for free weights, now I "sleepin" until 5 and run and work abs, every 2 days working legs. Hopefully within the next couple months I can get back on some light reps. It sure does bruise the ego to know I will never see 300 on the bench again! |
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Okay Ed, How's the injury and recovery going (see, it only took a little prompting to get somebody to ask!) Seriously, I am headed into my "grey panther years" (45 a couple of months ago) and have a body that has been used and abused and trained and neglected toooooo many times. Trying to change all that with a regular full body strenght regiment 3 times a week and cardio three to five times a week. I could use some insight from what to expect from a man with experience, like you've had. I notice that the minor injuries are no longer minor ( got an inflamed tendon in my left forearm that just won't stop burning, even with 6 days off the weights). I now concentrate on diet, drink a hell of lot of water, cut the carbs and fat and increased protein to feed the muscles for the increased lifiting. Oh yes, my goals....increased muscle strenght and size, better cardio condtioning and reduced fat....currently at 19% bodyfat overall......highest precentage.....abdominals. SO any insight????? Thanks, Beachboy |
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Quoted: It sure does bruise the ego to know I will never see 300 on the bench again! Nah,it should not bruise your ego if you realize you are in better physical shape than 98% of the rest of the population for that age! You are still young,but you should begin to make your primary goal not getting injured! I realize that this should be a primary concern at ANY AGE,but when we are 18 we don't care as much about our health(we think we are invincible)....and can get away with a lot more indiscretion than we can.. once we hit our 30's! [b]Beachboy :[/b] You are in for a change in screen name if you are going to hit 45........ BOY![;)] LOL I have my next appointment with the ortho today.I'll see what he says,but I am sure he will be happy with my progress. You want everything!....just like me! [:)] [b]Increased strengh and mass,less fat and better cardio conditioning.[/b] The only way to do that is being VERY patient and not trying to become THE HULK in 3 months! Start slow with the weights and increase steadily. Be the "tortoise,not the hare"! Run 20-30 minutes 5 times a week to lose the fat. Lifting 3 times a week is reasonable.Maybe you can start doing "circuits" with more reps and less weight until you have gotten into better conditioning,and after 6 weeks go to regular strength conditioning workouts instead of "circuits". Another option is to alternate "bulking periods" with "rippening periods". Say 3 weeks of intense weight training,2 hr/week cardio and heavy protein for bulking;then 2 weeks of circuit or lighter intensity weights ,increased cardio and decreased caloric intake....still with emphasis on the proteins! Tendonitis in the elbows plagues most of us who lift. I have it,and notice that it gets better when I [b]do not[/b] do the exercises that put stress when the elbow is holding the weight in the bent position (skull crushers,dumbbell extensions,etc)even with light weights. Avoid those...at least for a while...and concentrate on reverse grip (hands facing you)tricep cable extensions,close grip (hands 9-12" apart) barbell presses(love these),or any others that you feel do not worsen your tendonitis. [b]Do more warm up sets than usual.[/b] What I do is, I gradually increase the weight...say from 40 to 90 lbs (on tricep cable press downs),or 50 to 140 lbs(on close grip bar presses),and do 8-9 sets. 4-5 are at lower than usual set weights(eg warm ups:40,45,50,55,60 then workout sets at 70,80 and 90 on tricep cable PD)),so consider them warm-ups,the last 3-4 at your actual workout weights. Good luck and..................[red] do not get injured[/red] [:D] |
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Ed Sr., Thanks for the response and advice. I'll give some of those a try and see how it works. Already hit the gym earlier today after 6 days off and followed my normal free weight and machine routine. Oh yes, about the screen name..... "Beach guy in his 40's" just didn't sound quite right, so maybe I'll wait a few more years and change it to the Old Man and The Sea??????[:D] |
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by Ed Sr You are still young,but you should begin to make your primary goal not getting injured![/b] That was my motto 8 years ago when I trashed my shoulder. hehehehehe... you don't know me very well! Let's see what I have broken/torn in the gym. cracked subtala,(I still have my hinged AFO for this) herniated L2, got a subcronial decompression unilateral(L)....not to mention misc. strains, etc... This does not include the 3 broken arms, the 2 other times I cracked my ankle, other broken toes & fingers. It is time I change my routine! |
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Quoted: well! Let's see what I have broken/torn in the gym. Damn.....you don't go to a workout,you go to a demolition derby! [:D] Remind me to stay a good distance from you if someday we should workout together! [:)] [b]Appointment on Tuesday:[/b] Surgeon says I am doing fine and should be "like new" in another 7 weeks! -"Like new?"...I asked with a grin in my face! -"No,not exactly.I meant back to where you were before the injury"...he responded. -"Ahhhh,I knew I couldn't be so lucky!" [:D] |
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Quoted: Oh yes, my goals....increased muscle strenght and size, better cardio condtioning and reduced fat....currently at 19% bodyfat overall......highest precentage.....abdominals. SO any insight????? Thanks, Beachboy Do like me! I decided to the Ed method. That way, I have 5 more years of loafing left until I'm 47. Then I get back in shape. It's the easiest training program I ever followed, and I am sure I can stick with it for the next 5 years, at least! I owe it all to Ed, for being my inspiration! PS- Beachboy in AL should narrow down where you live quite a bit! [8D] |
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Quoted: Do like me! I decided to the Ed method. That way, I have 5 more years of loafing left until I'm 47. Then I get back in shape. It's the easiest training program I ever followed, and I am sure I can stick with it for the next 5 years, at least! [size=6]LMAO![/size=6] [:D] I wasn't loafing around![:)] I was going through college,med school,specialty training,taking a break,etc.I swear! [:)] |
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Quoted: Quoted: Oh yes, my goals....increased muscle strenght and size, better cardio condtioning and reduced fat....currently at 19% bodyfat overall......highest precentage.....abdominals. SO any insight????? Thanks, Beachboy Do like me! I decided to the Ed method. That way, I have 5 more years of loafing left until I'm 47. Then I get back in shape. It's the easiest training program I ever followed, and I am sure I can stick with it for the next 5 years, at least! I owe it all to Ed, for being my inspiration! PS- Beachboy in AL should narrow down where you live quite a bit! [8D] Troy - You're right, it can only be from the Fla line to the Miss line and up and down a couple of bays. LOL. Really a pretty small area. (Think outside Gulf Shores) And in my defence I should add, that I've only been loafing for the last 10 years, since I left law enforcement, I had to stay in shape back then. [:D] |