Log of Milk and Honey

[ColoWayno]

First Patience, Then Strength.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B9K47 ... UVad0lsNHM

Age 54
Weight 205
Height 5' 11"

Best Lifts

• Squat 365
• Bench 265
• Deadlift 435
• Press 170
• Pull Ups 21 reps

[chromoly]

Oh geez, what happened??

[ColoWayno]

Oh geez, what happened??

Rotator cuff and bicep tendon repairs. Nothing really dramatic ever happened, it just hurt more and more to lift, then one day I was hitting the heavy Bag and knew for sure something was wrong. That was back in May.

In the sling I'm almost 100% pain free. I'm down to one dose of oxy every eight hours. Surgery was on Tuesday, Sept 12. Doing some passive motion for rehab.

Thanks to my wife I've figured out how to sleep very well, and I have a cold therapy machine that runs on a timer all night long.

[chromoly]

Best of luck in the rehab!

[hsilman]

good luck on the rehab!

[fishwife]

*throws bra*

[ColoWayno]

*throws bra*

*Checks for fish line*

[ColoWayno]

Saturday

This will be my routine for a few days:

Take arm out of sling
Let it hang straight down for 5 minutes
15 passive curls using good arm
Let the arm hang away from the body for a few reps.

Goals:
Demonstrate that I can run an 8 minute mile (and possibly never actually do it)
Get Lifts to a reasonable level over the next 9-12 months (singles unless indicated)

• Squat 315
• Deadlift 365
• Bench 225
• Press 135
• Pull Ups 3x10

All of the singles are for weights that I've pretty easily and recently done for reps. These are subject to change either direction depending on the feels.

I would make them higher but I want to save some energy for my other goal.

When I was in California a few weeks ago I managed 1/2 mile in 4:14, but that was at sea level. I have to go find the place in my old log where I figured out what 1/4 mile and 1/2 mile times predict an 8 minute mile.

I should be able to get the conditioning going again soon, even if I have to use a bike for a while.

[ColoWayno]

Sunday

Added some passive external rotation.

Seated, elbow at side, use a stick to rotate the arm out about 30 degrees.

Also, passive extension toward overhead. Seated, arm resting on table, slide arm forward as far a possible without too much pain.

I have some rings set up in my garage, I may attempt to do the passive arm extension using those, eventually.

Down to one dose of oxy at bedtime, not using any other pain relievers other than 325 mg of aspirin daily more for anti-clotting.

[ColoWayno]

Monday
Leg Press
4 total plates, 3x8
Jog
3 minutes at 4 mph

Low and slow on leg press, just a little work to keep the quads and hammies flexible.

Tried something with the rings today. I basically lifted my #ded arm to the ring with my good arm, grabbed ahold and moved back for a gentle stretch. This felt pretty damn good, though my arm didn't quite extend fully just yet.

Also, no pain meds since Saturday evening and not much in the way of pain... basically a 0 when in the sling. Some of the rehab hurts a little, but not much. I'll have a bad spell too once in a while but it passes with a little rest.

I see the PT tomorrow. I will try to convince him that piano playing is ok.

[ColoWayno]

Tuesday

Saw the PT. Very conservative approach. We will have to have a talk at some point.

I only felt a few tinges of real pain ( as opposed to stretching pain which just feels kinda nice ) as he stretched my arm and I went through some passive exercises.

I really expected this to be more intense, but it is just week 1.

[ColoWayno]

Saturday
Leg Press
3x10x 4 plates
Back Extension Machine
3x10x150
treadmill
3 x 3/4 @ 3 mph and 15% Incline

2 min HRR 162-126

Trying to get a feel for how I respond to machine work. Nothing challenging was done today.

[fishwife]

I think your approach and attitude are sensible. I hope you've managed to find a decent PT.

[JC]

If you have a doorway pullup bar or something, you can hold a rope/string/band etc with the bad arm, and gently raise it by pulling the other end like a pulley, to let the arm kind of find its own path of least resistance through the ROM and not snag on the doorframe/table/broomstick

Anyway

I only came in here to see how the recovery is going, but the bra/fishhook bit really caught me by surprise, good work you two!

[ColoWayno]

Thanks guys.

They had me doing just that, JC, at PT today. I need a rig at home like that. Felt good and I pretty much maxed the ROM on the thing.

[ColoWayno]

More of the same, leg presses, back extensions and treadmill for conditioning.

I need to get there more than once per week, but work has been extra busy on top of the extra effort required to do anything with one arm.

Continuing the passive ROM stuff, in a little over a week I may move on to the active assisted stuff. At some point I will go rogue and start finding my own way back to barbells, but I'm following the plan for now.

[ColoWayno]

Saturday
Leg Press
3x10x275
Back Extensions
3x10x190

Today I used the wooden bar/ring set up to work my arm into press lockout position. I got it about 90% I'd say, and the last 10% will probably be challenging. I also got a pulley system to do much the same thing. Continuing with the stuff the PT gave me as well.

I think I'll be parting from the PT script pretty rapidly now. I'm pretty much out of the arm brace

[ColoWayno]

Monday
Conditioning on the treadmill.

Wednesday, Saturday
Leg press and back extensions

I've reached full extension using the rings and wooden bar (or close enough?). I've been pressing it a little bit from the top. Still working on the technique for this since the bar wants to follow a curved path down. I tried taking a step back at the top and just supporting the weight. I didn't feel quite ready for that so I'm just leaning back and/or walking back as the bar comes down so that the rings are still supporting it. I've been doing these once per day and then doing the regular PT 2x per day.

I've stopped wearing my brace except at the gym. I wear it there for sympathy points... actually to remind me not to grab plates and let people know I can't spot their hyuooge bench press or something. At my desk it's not a problem. I will start to have some pain if I spend too much time with my arm not well supported.

[ColoWayno]

Tuesday
PT at the office today.
Still partial pressing using the rings/dowel setup, but not every day.
Did a few deadlifts with just the dowel, should start loading soon.

Treadmill Work, 3 3 minute intervals. 2 minute HRR 171-131

[JC]

Monday
Conditioning on the treadmill.

Wednesday, Saturday
Leg press and back extensions

I've reached full extension using the rings and wooden bar (or close enough?). I've been pressing it a little bit from the top. Still working on the technique for this since the bar wants to follow a curved path down. I tried taking a step back at the top and just supporting the weight. I didn't feel quite ready for that so I'm just leaning back and/or walking back as the bar comes down so that the rings are still supporting it. I've been doing these once per day and then doing the regular PT 2x per day.

I've stopped wearing my brace except at the gym. I wear it there for sympathy points... actually to remind me not to grab plates and let people know I can't spot their hyuooge bench press or something. At my desk it's not a problem. I will start to have some pain if I spend too much time with my arm not well supported.

Reported to all appropriate, and several inappropriate agencies.

Enjoy guantanamo, asshole!