For Jay R.

Absolutely Louise, Facebook and social media in general has taken me away from the blog.  A quick one liner  here and there and it’s no longer newsworthy or blogworthy.

3 weeks ago  I resumed training starting sheiko 39, shoulder feeling somewhat better after the cortisone, but still niggling....  But the week didn’t go as planned or rather it did, but the plan was not well planned.

A work training event in the U.S. which  I committed to attending via web conference had me getting up at 2 am Tuesday thru Saturday. Wednesday's deadlift session was done on auto pilot! Friday's session I postponed until  Saturday and as I had a massage booked for 8 am training was cut short!  The following week was a little better although being on P1 all week I needed to be at training by 5.40 latest which means getting up at the glorious hour of 4.40am

Got a solid week of training in, pretty pleased about that and a new pair of Tommy Kono knee sleeves made squatting this morning more comfortable.

As I’m approaching the end of this cycle now, I thought it best I test my equipped lifts, it’s been so bloody long since I’ve lifted in my kit.  Squatted straps down and just knee sleeves. Worked up to 3 triples at 110kg. Felt disgusting! Slow, heavy and uncomfortable. A far cry from 150kg last year at Nationals.  This is going to take some work!!  

 

Welts from the squat suit.

Next test, last weekend, was deadlift. Full kit, straps up. Pulled 180kg with a little still left in the tank – so surprised at that,  I had expected much worse.  Feeling good for the 200 I need to take back the M1 World record in December.  This weekend, a little play in the shirt, perhaps just some board work. I’m not expecting great things given the bursitis hampering my bench press progress. 

With Commonwealth/Oceania Championships looming I’ve decided it’s time to come out of my self-imposed exile from group training.  Have tee’d up with Dave to jump in on Fridays to squat heavy (equipped) and Saturdays to start shirting up for bench.  And Luke has invited me to join in his ‘deadlift parties’ as he calls them.  I’m looking forward to hard sessions.

In non-lifting news, Bridgette has layed her first egg. The white one on the left is hers.  Granted, she is not a laying hen, so not a bad effort  :-)

 

Bridgette's egg compared to a normal sized egg.

Is anyone even reading this...

I havent updated the blog for 6 months.  3 Comments and 1 email is the total sum of feedback in that time....   Do I continue to blog? 

A lot has happened in the past 6 months. In summary:

Jan 28: My first venture back into equipment after shoulder surgery and I tear the meniscus in my right knee while squatting.  Wasnt even heavy, 110kg  (1/2 suit and knee wraps)  Couldn't walk!

Feb 7:  In for knee surgery to clean up the tear.

March: Commence rehab and bench training.
             Put my house on the market.

April: Commence training (light) sheiko.
           House sells (4 month settlement)
           Develop a bakers cyst at the back of my knee, which causes my leg to swell and eventually the cyst bursts inside - Yumm! :-(   

May: Recommence rehab and light training. 

June: Purchased a small parcel of land out woop woop in Chirnside Park - title not completed. (waiting still).  Benching 70kg as a 1 rm  - happy with progress.

July:  Move into rental place from hell.  Heating not working - middle of winter. No Cooling for the upcoming summer.  No room to swing a cat. AND,  by now, my shoulder is giving me hell because of all the benching volume - bench numbers regressing, max 1rm down to 60kg  :-(  I'm having to cut training and  people are starting to ask me  "Do you even lift?"    FML

August 18.  First raw comp  Squat 90 /95 /100(x)  Bench 60 / 65 /67.7  Deadlift 145 /155 / 160.5(x)

Worst comp prep ever, couldnt shift my weight and a week out still had 2kgs to drop.  Ended up sitting in the sauna at Genesis Gym in Ringwood off and on for 3 hours.

Comp day was not very stressful, unlike an equipped comp, there wasnt the sense of urgency that comes with making sure your equipment is right before you waddle onto the platform.  The last dead was an attempt at a National record in the 63kg open class.  Not a chance...  And an ASADA represenative was waiting for me as I came off the platform.

Totaled 317.5  which is an EliteII total, won my weight class and place 2nd overall, missing by just a few points...   Rankings have just been posted on the PA website.  I'm sitting in 3rd place in my weight class and 17th overall Nationally.  

Post comp visit to the physio and then the sports doc, confirmed  rotator cuff/ shoulder impingement - likely due to overuse (benching too much cos I couldnt squat...)  Doc went straight in with cortisone.   Have taken the past 2 weeks off benching and only went back to the gym this week to squat.  Shoulder feeling good,  squats feeling hard.

The plan going forward....   Another month of Raw sheiko training then back to equipment and start gearing  up for Commonwealth Championships in New Zealand first week of December.

Do I continue to blog?

Jan 31, 2013

10 weeks post right shoulder reconstruction and I've been given the go ahead to start a benching program!  Hooray!  Tested my bench Wed Morning:

bar (20kg) 15 reps
25kg 15 reps
30kg 15 reps
35kg 10 reps


Checked back in my blog to compare with my left shoulder reco.... Note: This post was 14 weeks post surgery


Feb 27 2011
Whoops!  There goes another month!

Tuesday marks 3 months since my shoulder surgery - 3 months!  Tomorrow I have my 3rd post op review with Mr Hoy.  it will be interesting to hear what he thinks of my progress and perhaps some explanation for the dull ache in my shoulder, the flicking sensation and shooting pain in the front deltoid when my arm moves across the front of my body.

For me, if not for being a lifter I'd be quite happy with the range of motion, but i need more to get comfortably under the bar to squat.  I'm almost there. Looking in the mirror I can still see significant muscle loss on the left and my traps are not symmetric. In fact the left side (operation side) is higher than the right and this contributes  feeling uncomfortable under the squat bar.  My left arm, bicep and tricep, and latissimus are all quite weak.  :-(

I'm box squatting raw using the safety squat bar with about 65kg max and doing 5x5. I'm not allowing myself to put on a squat suit until I can squat with the straight bar - that will be the reward.

I'm am permitted to bench the bar (20kg) - woo-hoo!  I tried benching 30kg and it hurt too much - this is going to be a long road back.

Jan 17 2013

Mid January already,  time flies when you're squatting 3 times a week.

Post op review last Monday was positive.  Can start with some strength training although at least another 2 months before I can go heavy.  Having fortnightly physio, mostly still involving mobility but from Friday I can add in some light (5kg) dumbell press - neutral grip,some dumbell rows and shrugs.  High rep, light weight, slow tempo.  All about control.  So not too much there, best I keep squatting 3 times a week and just add these in to each session at the end..

***

Training looks like this at the moment:

Monday: Heavy
Belt squat - work up to max 1rm,  3 sets  (High box)
Reverse hack. 60kg 8x5
Glute/ham raise
Abs
Sled

Wednesday: Volume
Spider bar 4-5 warmup sets then  5x5 at nn kg currently at 60kg
-  (adding 2.5kg each week until I stall)
Good mornings or back attack....
Side sled
abs

Friday
Belt squat - speed  8x2 (low box)
Single leg squat
Back raise
Abs
Sled

***

Chucky has suggested switching around to do sled first to pre fatigue so in a couple of weeks I'll do that so that my body does become accustomed to the above routine. Gotta keep it fresh!

Need to pull my head in with the diet, clean it up a bit.  Have put on a few kgs over Christmas, well who hasn't..  Anyways, need to drop about 4kg.  Ughhhh.....

***

Outside of training, I'm attending  a summer intensive course for French, not really what I had expected.  5x3 hours classes, but not revision, just conversation topics. Never mind I'm sure it will still be beneficial, so I need to find some time for grammar revision on top of this.  Perhaps I should blog in french?

on the other side of sugery

typing one handed (left handed) sux shit.

The shoulder reco went well, same tear, same repair, just other shoulder. currently in an immobilizer sling 24x7....

Here are some photos pre surgery and a couple of days after...

4 days after and biceps still asleep - see how it hangs....

1 week after - check out the bruise!

2 and 1/2 weeks after - front scar.

Will post some more about it when I have two hands to type with!

Surgery booked

Surgery is booked with Mr. Greg Hoy on November 19 at Glenferrie Private Hospital.  So I have 3 more weeks of hardcore training left. I know what to expect this time and how the rehab will go. Should be no surprises!

However this time I'm at an advantage being able to train right up until to and including the day I go in. Unlike my left shoulder, where I competed at world masters, went on a 6 week holiday  then two weeks later went in for surgery.  I should not lose so much condition this time when I take the two  weeks off training after the OP.

The unusual thing with this injury is that I CAN still bench...  still hitting a single at 72.kg the other week, deadlifting is fine (as before) This morning pulling 170kg for a triple off 7 cm (3inch) mats. It’s squatting that is a problem.  Just cannot get under a straight bar or even a cambered bar for that matter!  Luckily at ESP there is a variety of SS bars I can use. But to compete I need to get under a straight bar... hence the surgery....  Anyway after getting my left shoulder done I went from a 90kg bench to a 100kg -110kg bench, so according to my theory I should come back with at least a 120kg - 130kg bench in 12 months right?  :-)   In time for IPF Open World in Norway.

So that's the plan...  

I'll post up some ‘before’ pics - shoulder, back, bicep. I remember the most frightening thing was seeing my bicep for the first time after surgery, I thought the tendon had been cut...  It was just hanging like a golf ball in stocking in the crook of my elbow, it was still asleep!

MRI Results

Findings:
=======

The AC joint is normal, there is no undue degeneration and no evidence of narrowing of the subacromial space.

Considerable thickening of the subacromial bursa and there is a moderately diffuse tendinopathy involving the distal 2cm of the supraspinatus extending into infraspinatus and there is also a moderate tendinopathy of subscapularis.

Undersurface fraying of the footplate of supraspinatus is evident, there is a moderate sized joint effusion with evidence of synovitis.

The labrum  anteriorly is abnormal demonstrating truncation and a cleft involving the inferior third and there is almost certainly an irregular SLAP lesion with fraying of the anchor.

Conclusion:
=========

Widespread cuff pathology involving the distal 2cm of the supraspinatus and the anterior half of infraspinatus with undersurface fraying of supraspinatus, no full thickness tearing, no muscle wasting.

Mild insertional tendinopathy of subscapularis.

Fraying of the labrum anteriorly with a small cleft from 3 o'clock through the 6 o'clock and an irregular chronic SLAP lesion.

Extensive loss of cartilage involving the inferior third of the bony glenoid with varying size of subcortical cysts, moderate sized joint effusion with evidence of synovitis.


***

Some of the above I've been living with with out any issue.  The evidence of osteoarthritis is one of them.  Knowing what now is causing the pain is the key.  Likely the small tendon tear and resulting tendinitis along with the (pre-existing) slap lesion is the problem.  I've been referred to Greg Hoy, who repaired my left shoulder 2 years ago, for a surgical opinion / arthroscopic evaluation.  My appt is next Friday - Oct 12.  Surgery tentatively booked for Nov 19.  This should give me time to recover and rehab in time for Worlds in  2013.

Shoulder woes

After having about 5 weeks off upper body training my shoulder is feeling a little better.  It doesn't ache so much during the day but still cant get a good night's sleep , if I roll onto it while I'm asleep I wake with it aching. I still need Naprosyn to deal with the inflammation.

Most frustrating is that I cant get under the bar to squat.  Fortunately at ESP there is a multitude of bars to choose from so with a SSB I'm able to keep training.  I've been truing a cambered bar, but it take about 20 mins before I can reasonably deal with the bar. but cannot grip the bar tight.  Benching is painful in a different way, it just very tight and weak.  Deadlifting - no problem  :-)

Back to the physio, and he's not too happy with the progress and the fact that in some position where I should have no pain, I have pain without any force or pressure being exerted.  So, its back to Ben next week to organize an MRI to check for any tears or labral damage.

E.S.P. : Home

My home away from home...

E.S.P - Elite Sports Performance.  

Warehouse 14

2 Burleigh St, Spotswood

http://www.elitesportsperformance.com.au

Slow recovery

Well its been 3 weeks since I've been able to bench, shoulder is recovering slowly... very slowly...  frustratingly slowly!

Ultrasound showed some joint effusion which a cortisone shot wasn't going to help, so I've been relying on Naprosyn  on and off for the past few weeks and just not benching or doing any upper back training. On top of all this I've been sick, Fever, tonsillitis and now a head cold.

This has put quite a dint in my 5/3/1/ training, I've only been able to do squats and deads. And even the squats I'm confined to the SS bar.  This week is the deload  so come Saturday I'll put in some very light bench,  board presses and dumbell rows and see how the shoulder copes.  Hopefully I can start the next 5/3/1/ cycle including bench although I may still hold back on the military press.

Pics From Nationals

140kg 

150kg 

100kg

180kg 

This is how close I got to 190kg before....

Whoopsies!

Newcastle 2012

Well its over and done.  Didn't think I'd get on the platform.  My right shoulder was so bad on the Monday before the comp, I couldn't get under an empty bar.  Almost in tears, pain and frustration,  I forced myself thru 3 singles at my opener of 140kg.  Here's the last one:

Previous Saturday's Bench session I didnt take my 95kg opener, opting for a 1/2 board 90kg press instead  - here:

Deadlift however was not affected by he shoulder - 180 opener:

So how did I go?  Better than expected  150 / 100 / 180  for a 430 total.  Up 10kg on my last comp - due to a better squat.  Happy to get 100 on the bench and hmmm dunno what's happening with my deads on competition day, losing steam or enthusiasm or just complacent perhaps?  Pulled 190 up twice but no lockout and the last attempt was dropped - grip issues.

The reffing was very harsh again, but I have no specific complaint.  I'll be interested to see the video of my opening squat which was red lighted, I know to the left I was done for not having my knees locked, that was due to the pain in my shoulder, the more upright and locked the more stress on the shoulder, (you can see that in my squat video above - struggled to be upright and locked) so I have to wear that one, but depth felt fine. I need to look at the other lifts to see why mine are getting red lighted while other get passed. It's difficult judging depth on squat but consistency across lifters is paramount.  Mary Macken's squat's set the standard in my opinion, being the best in the country. I need to see if my squat was not as deep, I cant keep getting red lighted.

As for actual placing I have no idea as the presentations were on the Sunday and we left Newcastle bright and early Sunday morning.  Guess I'll have to wait for it to go up on the Powerlifting Australia website.

And I thought I was going to make it thru 12 months without a drug test....  No such luck...  8  1/2 months....  A record nevertheless  LOL.

Shit!!

Shit Shit Shit

Hurt my shoulder at training this morning. So pissed!  Didn't feel so sore at training but I knew it wasn't happy,  now a few hours later its getting really sore and hard to move.  Timing could not be worse - two weeks out from comp and bench was going so well.

Have iced it and taken some naprosyn, can only wait and see...

Next challenge

2012 Australian Equipped

Powerlifting and Bench Press Championships

Open – Sub Junior – Junior – Masters – Male & Female

Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th July 2012

Venue

Strength Republic Gym

54 Clyde Street, Hamilton North, Newcastle, NSW 2292

Owners Shaun Perrett & Yvette Perrett

Entries Close: Friday, 6th July 2012

COMPETITION TIMETABLE

Saturday 28th July

SESSION 1 – Weigh-in 7am, start 9am. All women 47kg to 84+kg + Men 59 to 74kg

SESSION 2 – Weigh-in 1pm, start 3pm. Men 83kg to 93kg

Sunday 29th July

SESSION 3 – Weigh-in 7.30am, start 9.30am. All Bench Press competitors.

SESSION 4 – Weigh-in 9.30am, start 11.30am. Men 105kg to 120+kg

Timetable subject to change upon receipt of entries.

SPECTATOR TICKETS
Australian Championships All Day - $10 per ticket each day

Results

Well its been over a week since the comp so I guess I should post an update....


Mixed feelings about my result, not my best total by far.  Weighted in at 65.7kg which put me in the 72kg class and my first comp in the Masters 2 category.


Squat was a rather paltry 140kg (M2 record never the less)  having missed my 135 opener on depth and failing my 3rd on 155kg - lost balance.


Bench Press was the highlight of my day. Unusual because I am notoriously a poor bencher, I opened with a comp PB 95kg.  Dave jacked my shirt for attempt 2 at 100kg  but I struggled to get the bar down and missed the lift, 3rd attempt got the shirt just right for what felt like a really easy 100kg (M2 record).  Think I would have had the planned 105kg had I not missed the 2nd attempt.  Was absolutely stoked! 100kg - That's a decent bench press.


Deadlift - well that went off the boil after the amazing 200kg pull in training and in the week preceding the comp I failed to pull 190 which was going to be my opener...  Lowered my opener on the day to 180 and missed - grip issues, 2nd attempt 180 and got it - (Open Record) and then tried for 190 on the third attempt but my grip failed again.


Totaled 420  - 17.5kg behind my best total.  It was a learning experience anyway. Certainly the shirt jacking proved to be a success, I know what I need to work on for my deads and my squat... back to the drawing board.  It has now sunk to the lowest, poorest lift of the 3 disciplines of powerlfting for me.  I must fix this!

2nd attempt 180

3rd attempt 190

200 - You have been OWNED!

====================================
Scott,  Thank you for your kind words - Time heals....
====================================

My Heart is Broken

27-2-04  -  1-5-12

Stressed out and sick

What can I say, I am beside myself with worry and stress about Priscilla and on top of it I have full blown head cold. Sneezing, coughing, sniffing...  My head is a fog.

Horrible update from the Vet that Priscilla is not making any progress, despite their best efforts.  I am preparing for the worst and have spent the best part of this afternoon crying.

This sucks.

Training is also being affected. Saturday's max effort was just 'effort' all the way.  Had planned to get up to 110kg of the one-board but stopped with a triple at 100kg.  I was spent and there's no point pushing it is this condition, I'd just be risking injury.

I had a massage booked for after training so, knowing that I wouldn't be getting breakfast in a hurry, I took along a Protein shake - Blackmores ProPower Chocolate.  OMG - it has to be the best tasting chocolate protein drink I've ever had!  And that was mixed with water! Imagine how amazing it would taste with low fat milk - WOW!

This morning's Max Effort squat was also not so Max Effort...  Although I still managed  to walk out and squat 160kg,  albeit a little shallow,  in full equipment and I didn't feel like my head was going to blow off  like the last full equipment squat I did 3 weeks ago.  Ahh the benefits of training in equipment a little more frequently I think.

Here's to hoping the week gets better....

Sick

Well isn't that just shyte timing!  Work up Wednesday morning and felt like I's swallowed a pack of razor blades. Erghhhh.  Skipped training  - not completely, I went Thursday morning instead, but still not so great an effort.  Speed bench with bands, 40kg felt like 40 tonne.  Same this morning for Speed squats.  Spider bar with chains 8x2 a struggle at 95kg.  Rack pulls - worked up to 3 triples at 160kg.  I'm not a big believer in pushing too hard when you're sick.  I think you have to let your body recover and by training hard you're just breaking down your body even more. So I'm not phased by my lest than spectacular sessions - tomorrow wont be much better I think....


I'll start on my Blackmores proteins next week, I want to evaluate them properly so best I wait until I'm a little  more recovered.  Cristy has also given me access to the  My Blackmores Personal Health System.  which I've just set up for myself, with the program to start on Monday.  This will help me record and evaluate my achievements and goals although I wasn't sure whether to go for the sports program or the weight loss one ( ie. to get back down to my weight class for Worlds.  I chose the "Sport & Fitness" program for now.  The online Nutrition diary looks awesome!  This is going to be fun!


Priscilla Update....

Priscilla is still in hospital, she lost her gag reflex which is needed for swallowing safely and so they operated on Wednesday to put a feeding tube into her stomach.  The had to wait 24hours before being able to feed her via the tube. Unfortunately the tube is too small so they're going back in to surgery today to put a larger tube in.  Fingers crossed for her, please!

Priscilla and the tiger snake

Priscilla, my lovely Birman cat, is currently in the ICU of the Lort Smith Animal Hospital having been bitten by a Tiger snake last week.

Last Thursday she looked like she had conjunctivitis and she's had that before which I've treated
by bathing her eye with a saline solution, unusual tho' that her face was swollen.

Friday morning she couldn't be found and when I saw her Friday evening the swelling and conjunctivitis had subsided.

Saturday, however she was quite limp, not eating or drinking and breathing poorly so I took her to the Vet.  They could not find anything wrong  and suspected a throat infection or foreign object in the throat, but they did not have the equipment to check. They treated her with fluids, antibiotics and an antihistamine and she picked up a little.

Sunday, however, she had deteriorated so badly that I rushed her to the animal hospital - it was all a mystery still.  Blood tests didn't reveal anything and they put her on IV fluids in the ICU.

Monday the Vet rang and asked to do another blood test, specifically for snake bite and there it was - Tiger snake bite, but by now it was too late to give her anti-venom. So she is still in ICU, on pain relief, IV fluids and antibiotics. Luckily she still has a gag reflex so they are able to syringe feed her and we just have to wait and hope that she can pull thru.

With all this going on I still managed to get to the gym and train, its really the only place I can put this all out of my head....

Highlights....

Saturday:  Shirted 2-board press.
Raw Full ROM - 40x5, 50x5, 60x5
2-Board - 70x3, 80x3, 90-fail
Shirted 2-Board 90x3, 100x3, 105x3, 110x3, 115x2 120x1 125 x fail (twice)

Monday: Max Box squat - straight weight.
1/2 suit & knee sleeves: 60x5, 80x5, 100x5, 120x3, 130x3, 130x1 (misload), 140x1
1/2 suit & knee wraps: 150x1, 160x1 (PR!)

Struggled doing glute/ham raise after that!  :-)

Later on that day at work....

"A parcel has arrived for you at reception"

Whoo-hoo!!! Finally something to smile about!  Cristy from Blackmores has come thru for me.  My Blackmores Sports kit has arrived.   WOW!  Take a look at these goodies.

How awesome are Blackmores.  The bag will be so handy, now I can keep my bench stuff in one bag and my squat / deadlift gear in another.  It will make it so much easier than packing and unpacking for each session - as I do in the boot of my car....!  And now I have another shaker, ohh the convenience... I can have one for my pre-workout stuff which I take on the way to training and one for my post workout. I can
have them ready the previous night, already pre-dosed with the Blackmores protein powder - ProPower, just add water and I'm good to go.  And just look quantity they've given in the pack - not just a single serve sample but full tub and full box of sachets of ProDefinition!!

Thanks Blackmores`!!   And thanks Cristy!!