Posted: 10/23/2008 11:55:41 AM EDT
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As some of you know, I had a stroke about six months ago. It was the result of an arterial dissection that occurred while lifting. I'm perfectly fine now, 100% recovery. However, after taking two months off, I returned to lifting, but with a different approach. No more heavy singles or doubles. No belt. No valsalva maneuver. No grinding out those last couple of reps while the face turns red and the eyes bulge. Routines are more like 3x10 or 4x8 with weight that I could probably squeeze 3 or 4 more reps from. Last week the neurologist asked me what I was doing for exercise and I told her. The look on her face was as if I had pulled my dick out and slapped her across the face with it. Kind of a perturbed/shocked/disgusted expression. She said that, while stable, I need to be aware of the pseudo-aneurism that resulted from the dissection and that no doctor would ever sign off on lifting weights. However, they would sign off on things like swimming, tennis, running, etc. I said that I doubted there was that much difference in the effects on my bp between those exercises and what I was doing, and I didn't need or care about any doctor signing off on anything. She rolled her eyes at my wife - who rolled hers right back in some kind of unspoken woman code that I interpreted to mean, "he's a moron - yeah I totally agree." She then suggested that I do what she and Dr. B (the neurosurgeon on the case) do - yoga. I laughed and said, "have you seen Dr. B" and then I laughed some more and said "no offense." She then took offense, even though I explicitly asked her not to. My wife, in some sort of bizarre Stockholm Syndrome effect, continues to be offended, on the doctors behalf, a week later! I'm beginning to suspect that their "cycles" may have somehow gotten synchronized. I'll have to ask about that at the next appointment. Anyway, we decided the only way to really settle this is to have me wear a 24 hr bp monitor and record my activity in a diary to see whether or not I'm doing anything that causes a dangerous spike in blood pressure. I pick up the monitor this afternoon and, outside of the workouts I'm going to do to test it, I need some ideas for other activities to record in the diary. My wife is pretty sure that blowjobs don't need to be tested, but better safe than sorry I say. What else hive mind? All reasonable ideas will be accepted (time permitting) and I will provide actual results in a few days. This could be interesting. |
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Adopt a bodybuilding routine with higher reps and don't drop below 6. I switched from powerlifting to bodybuilding recently and I've never felt better. During my powerlifting career I experienced a fully torn left pec, minor tear in left tricep, fucked my left wrist up so much it had to be operated on 4 times now it is wired together. Just take it easy and realize, there is more to life then just BIG weight. Although I do suggest you keep it heavy but don't drop below 6 reps. I know its hard, but my joints have never felt better, and with all the rep work my arms are over 21" currently. Just change your goals and rethink things. Best of luck to you |
| Early voting can be done - our ballots came in yesterday's mail. However, I'm looking for something more physically strenuous. The hot dog eating contest idea has merit, but I'm not sure the nitrates would kick in soon enough to deliver meaningful results. I'll ask the doctor. |
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coltace - I've been on that program for the last four months. Like you, my joints feel better now than they have in years. A focus on better fitness in general has helped blunt the loss of not being able to ever go heavy again. AGW - Chop wood? Cut the grass? Have you been talking with my wife? I suppose you'll tell me take out the garbage next. Come on man, I expected things like, "punch a clown" or "steal a bicycle" or "midget tossing contest." That's OK, I know you'll pull through. Thinking caps people! |
Pure genius. Dog + bp monitor + e-collar = a great prank to pull on your neurologist. I hope she's not a Stiffy Stifferson! 
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gassers stadiums push the truck around the block You're far enough up north to have sled dogs, right? Kick the alpha's ass and pull the sled for a few hours. And seriously, I think kicking your legs and ass over your head, yoga style, will fuck your BP up more than 3X20. |
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I'm glad to hear that you recovered from that and are doing well. I'm surprised that while they would sign off on things like tennis and running, that can be pretty strenuous, they would frown on doing lighter weights. Like you, I can't see where it would make that much of a difference, and certainly not where it could cause such a dangerous spike in BP. <shrug> But what the hell do I know?  Just that when I work out regularly, including strength and range of motion exercise with light weights, I look and feel better than ever.
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The research I've read shows that bp generally spikes when grinding out reps - even using lower weight - by way of the valsalva maneuver. Holding your breath, pushing your abs against a belt, bracing your core. Those things you should do when trying to lift heavy weight. I'm consciously breathing through reps and trying to keep my neck & face relaxed. It kind of sucks, but it's better than jazzercising. We only get snow here about every other year on average, so no sled dogs. The experiment was aborted. I went in for the fitting yesterday afternoon and the device was simply a bp cuff attached to a little machine that took a reading every 15 minutes. You had to stop and let your arm relax and it would take the reading as if you were doing it manually. Instead of trying to get the timing just right, I decided I could do the same thing manually and not have to deal with the pain in the ass of wearing it for 24 hrs. just to check those few things we were curious about. Today I'm borrowing a regular cuff and will have mrs. horsemeat take a few readings between sets of various activities. It would be nice to be able to get a continuous monitor that could measure any mid-contraction spikes, but I'm not sure how to find such a device or if one even exists for home use. Thanks for the ideas, I'll try a few out over the weekend and see what happens. |