a_welch503 WORKOUT JOURNAL

[threenorns]

give it a try: if you feel drained instead of energized from your workout, it's too soon.

[maverick]

I took 10 days off shortly after I posted my before and after pics. Its a mental game I hate playing when deciding how much time to rest. The more the better though. I'd rather take a long rest and be able to hit it hard for another 8-12 weeks, rather than take a short rest and be feeling questionable 4 weeks later. I know, its easy for me to say and I don't necessairly follow my own advice, but seriously, the longer you are out, the better you'll feel when you get back.

[.V.]

Likely will. I usually feel drained and tired all the time anyway. Wake up shaking and weak, go to bed the same way. The only time I really feel strong and good is during the set when the muscles make the cns cooperate and do the lift anyway - in spite of feeling so weak that I can't.

Go do your max squat from a box. When I stand from a chair, that's how my legs feel.

So when I do it with a loaded bar instead of just standing up - it feels the same to the legs - too odd of a sensation to describe. The strong feeling comes from doing it with the loaded bar since the actual sensation is the same.

This is the reason I can't do Dave's doubles until can't do more then singles to failure routine. I don't know in advance when the failure is going to come (I usually stop when I think I'm 1-2 away) - then there I am stuck sitting there, loaded.

[threenorns]

<mope> wish i was loaded.

[.V.]

Originally Posted by maverick

seriously, the longer you are out, the better you'll feel when you get back.

Yeah, but I don't want to be like last time, 1 week of finding 1RM on everything. Then a week off. Then an injury and another week off. ended up missing 3 weeks total from real workouts

Came back pretty weak. It is definitely not fun trying to figure out the right time.

[gcs118]

Take at least a week off Andy. Remember how miserable you were getting and how you said you hadn't taken time off in forever? Give it at LEAST 7 days, if not the full 9.

[.V.]

Well, still weak and tired today. Just going to give it another few days. I felt pretty good yesterday, but not today.

[.V.]

09-06-2005

Some more work on the tree mess yesterday and today. Nothing too strenuous, just steady work. Eating more yesterday and today though. Keeping it mostly tuna, chicken, salad. Eggs and tenderloin in the morning. 5 meals yesterday and 2 so far today, 3 to go. Day after tomorrow - back to lifting.

[threenorns]

IF you're feeling up to it.

i was going to go back yesterday, but didn't - i still felt beat up and stiff.

[.V.]

09-08-2005

Ahh, back in the gym. Looked forward to it for the past few days, then this morning my legs didn't feel like cooperating. I made them go anyway, tossed the ego, dropped the weight and worked the hell out of them with less rest in between. I'll get to increase the weight a bit next week.

Legs
Squat..........200x3x6
SLDL...........220x3x6
Calf Raise.....320x3x6

Have my visit with the doc this afternoon, maybe she can help me prevent strength loss or at least the sensation of weakness.

Diet is about like usual. Eggs, leaner pork, chicken breast, tuna, green veggies planned throughout the day.

[Klinger]

Way to get back on that horse. The strength will come back; it always does.

Leg day is by far my least favorite lifting day. I see the value in working legs just as hard as upper body, but after squatting for going on 3 years, I have yet to actually have fun doing it.

[.V.]

Thanks Klinger - I actually enjoy leg day very much - just as soon as the workout is over.

[.V.]

04-09-2005

Arms
BB curls..........................110x3x6
Skull Crushers....................100x3x6
Alternating DB curls...............50x2x6
Concentration Curls................45x2x6
Lying one arm tricep extension.....30x2x6

Diet - Not like usual, starting my new and improved cutting diet tomorrow (if I have the energy to make it to the store tonight) - even more feedings, more nutrition planned around the workouts. Today was a protein breakfast, a couple of protein bars throughout the day, and two other whole food meals - chicken breast and salad x 2 with HOTHOTHOT salsa. I'm adding more food because I'm down to 177lb. Although I'm about as light as I was when the doc was warning me about being underweight this time last year - she complimented me on my gains at my appointment yesterday . Wife still says I'm looking bigger than last month in spite of being 13 lb thinner . I'm hoping by adding calories I can raise the metabolism a bit, gain some muscle and still finish cutting the remaining flab by the end of this month.

Cardio - none - supposed to but there were family obligations today. Had to take my girls clothes shopping.

Comments - interesting visit with the doc. Apparently pushing harder in spite of the latest attack was just making it worse. My CNS simply can't handle the PL stuff I was borrowing - in spite of the good results. My new instructions are to cut the weight back enough that I can do 6 reps - work with that for a week then start increasing the weight, but not so heavy that I can't get 4 reps - If I can only handle 3, my CNS won't recover from the load as well. Also trying a new medication to suppress my immune system a little (hopefully not too much). (Just an experiment - I was the guinea pig for oral copaxone too before the FDA cancelled that experiment). Since MS is an autoimmune disease where my immune system attacks the CNS - this makes sense. If I get sick, experiment over. One advantage to suppressing the immune system is not as much of an inflammatory response - already less soreness from today's workout than yesterday's . She was concerned though that the CNS may not let the muscles continue to get stronger no matter how hard I work . But said to keep on with my plan to get stronger to have enough power to overcome those weak days, it is worth trying and has kept me on my feet and working so far.

No bike today, no olympic weights today, no electronic BF scale today. Family's wants and needs come first. I'll get them later I guess. I can use that bent bar a little longer.

Ok, done venting. I'm over it. Doing shoulders tomorrow.

Wow! 177 lbs. You are one lean, mean fighting machine. Great discipline. If you don't watch it, you'll be cold in the winter just like women, and your butt will hurt when you sit on some high school bleachers because there'll be no fat there for cushion.

I got as low as 173 lbs. and it gave me an appreciation for thin guys who are always having to pull up their pants.

Keep up the good work.

[.V.]

Thanks P, I strongly suspect that when winter comes some fat will come too. I'm going to try to keep fat gain minimal, but there is going to be some serious - and clean eating going on around here starting in October. I've gone from insulin resistant to very insulin sensitive. All the extra carbs I'll be eating may result in some fat gain. So I'll be cutting back on my fat intake to try to make up for the difference. When I talked to the doc, she told me that with the extra carbs I'll be eating, because of the way my body handles them, we'll be having to do lipid studies throughout the winter.

Funny thing, I was just reviewing my last journal entry (I do that, otherwise - why bother to keep one) and noticed something interesting.

What she told me, I've saw before somewhere. Looks suspiciously like Max OT and what Todd told me to try to help with the recovery.

She's pretty smart...for a doctor.