Back from the dead (almost literally!) and finally lifting again. I've really missed this site for the last year after my body decided to self-destruct (read below). I just couldn't handle reading bb sites when I was unable to work out. I'm a recuperating mess of a man now
My wife and I started this journey last week using the the stronglift's 5x5
Lil Bear:
25 year old female
5'1, 127lbs
Healthy, ex military. Currently rehabbing a slight shoulder injury (now undergoing ART therapy & rotater cuff exercises) which is preventing her from doing bench and shoulder press for another week or so. She's had shoulder problems for years from doing pushups in ROTC. Hyperflexible joints. 5 years of bodybuilding routines and regular cardio experience.
Rabbit:
33 year old male
6'0, 210lbs
Frail & sickly. Last August I became very ill and was hospitalized. After a bout of diarrhea, my joints in my lower body and spine became very swollen and immobile. Went to the hospital due to the fact I could not walk. While waiting in the emergency room, they ran some blood tests. My blood sugar was through the roof. Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (Insulin dependent). They kept me in the hospital for 11 days and also diagnosed me with Reiter's syndrome - a form of arthritis caused by salmonella poisoning. At the time nothing was done about the arthritis as they hoped it would clear up. October rolls around and I still cannot walk or bend my joints. See a rheumatologist and start aggressive treatment with remicade. Works on arthritis but I develop horribly painful neuropathy in the feet. Discontinue remicade, feet still in pain and arthritis returns with a vengeance. Long story short -immobile for most of August to June. Also diagnosed with osteoporosis in the left hip and spine. Also have an insufficency fracture in my T9 vertebrae which ends up requiring minor surgery (they filled me with cement!) to prevent further collapse. Finally get a good drug regimen that takes care of most of these problems and start rehab. Prior to all this crap happening I was doing Rippetoe's Starting Strength and making decent progress.
Week 1:
Wednesday July 9
LilBear:
Squat: 45lb 5x5
Bench: 75lb 5x5
Row: 45lb 5x5
Dips: 4, 3, 3
Rabbit:
Leg Press "Machine": 40"lbs" (Unable to do a single bodyweight squat)
Bench: 95lb 5x5
Row: 95lb 5x5
Dips: 4,3,4
Friday July 11th
LilBear:
Squat: 50lb 5x5
Press: 45lb 5x5
Dead: 85lb 1x5
Chins: 1, 1, 1
Rabbit:
Leg Press: 50lbs, 5x5
Press: 4, 5x5
Dead: 135, 1x5
Chins: 1,1,1
Did my first body weight squat on saturday, almost died but was very very happy
Monday, July 14
Lil Bear:
Squat: 55, 5x5
Bench: 80, 5x5 (this is where she "tweaked" her shoulder, weird as she was pressing 95, 2x per week for over a year)
Row: 55, 5x5
Dips: 4,4,4
Rabbit:
Leg Press: 60, 5x5
Dead Lift: 145, 1x5
Bench: 100, 5x5
Row: 100, 5x5
Dips: 5, 4, 4
Wednesday July 16
Lil Bear:
Squat: 60, 5x5
Deadlift: 90, 1x5
Rabbit:
Leg Press: 70, 5x5
Dead: 135, 1x5
Press: 50. 5x5
Pullups: 7 unassisted singles, and 3 assisted
Friday July 18
Lil Bear:
Squat: 65, 5x5
Row: 60, 5x5
Rabbit:
Leg Press: 80, 3x5 (my medication failed me a bit as I had taken too late in the day and my knees were dodgy)
Dead: 155, 1x5
Bench: 105, 5x5
Row: 105, 5x5
Dips: 7, 4, 5
Next week Lil Bear will be resetting to the bar on bench and working her way up from there as her shoulder rehabs (or so she says, we'll see how she feels). Rabbit will leave the leg press machine behind forever and stop doing deadlifts every day as he begins squatting 5x5 with a broom handle and then working up to the 45lb bar after that
Rabbit has gained approx 3" on each leg since starting the regime and can now get out of a chair without using his arms
Cheers and thanks for reading.