The Revenge of SA

[Kyle]

Sorry about the back issues.

That a common problem for you due to your sleeping patterns?

Kyle

[Serpens Aeon]

Sorry about the back issues.

That a common problem for you due to your sleeping patterns?

Kyle

It seems that it might become that way, as this has happened to me a few times now since herniating the disc. A big part of the problem is the location of the bulge, and the physiological structure of my spine. The lower portion of my spine is inordinately curved, with my L5 and S1 being more or less fused according to the MRI. Thus, when I sleep on my stomach, with the abdominal tire adding extra weight right at that pressure point, the disc really gets pushed into the nerve.

I'm really hoping it becomes less common once I sleep at another position minus the excessive abdominal fat.

[Serpens Aeon]

Sorry to hear your back is giving you troubles again. Do you think it was from your latest brush with lifting, or is it something that was going to happen no matter what?

I'm fairly certain that this is something I'm just going to have to live with. Perhaps when I train myself to sleep on my side, while losing the gut the frequency will decrease.

I don't think it's the lifting. Whether or not that statement is sprinkled liberally with denial I do not know, but I'm going to keep lifting. If the frequency of these re-aggravations increases correlatively then we might have something to go on, but for now I'd say that's loose postulation (or so I hope).

I'm too tired at the moment to muster up anything insightful to say. As long as you aren't one of those pussies that keeps crawling back to women that treat him like shit, you are forgiven. A good woman is hard to find.

I was the asshole. She was very much devoted to me, and I couldn't deal with it. I believe I left snippets here and there as to me being a very introverted, isolated person for quite a while on account of the expatriate lifestyle damaging me. Simply put, I couldn't handle the sudden change in social realities, and I snapped under the pressure of confusion and fear of change.

It's one of those deals where if you extricate yourself from a given situation for long enough you get a better idea of what the "truth" about things are. That said, it's only round two, and while elated, I'm feeling cautious.

I'm no pussy; just a real bastard sometimes.

[Heisman]

Wow, to be able to honestly assess yourself like that (in regards to your relationship) is really impressive. Congrats on getting back with the girl.

Like others said, tough luck about the back. Hopefully you'll be able to deal with it in an effective way.

[Serpens Aeon]

This has been a week of testing. I've been getting about four hours of sleep a night lately, and feel zombified. It certainly doesn't help that I've got a serious proposal due within the next day or two. I've got a whole slew of cognitive science studies relating to the neuroanthropology of music seemingly pouring out my eyes and ears. Enough crying, though.

Sport's about adaptability and one's ability to overcome what would otherwise appear to be overwhelming odds. There's nothing especially impressive in the context of spectator athletics when it comes to my ability, but damn if I'm not addicted to it within my own realm of experience. I didn't make it to the gym once more today. Nonetheless, I had a very productive workout. And, I dare say that it may have been more effective than what I could do with the gym equipment given this stage of my comeback to form. That aside, as it turns out, I may no longer have access to this gym now, so what you see here may be the trend for the next two weeks or so.

I'll almost certainly be back on the original training template by the first week of September, though.

Without further adieu...

Band Goodmorning

10 x BW
10 x Mini Band
10 x Purple Band
10 x Green Band
10 x Blue Band
10 x Purple Band

These were followed by some foam roller work before moving on as a precaution. I really liked the stretch I felt, as I could literally feel parts of the muscle loosen as I went on. My flexibility has apparently improved too according to my brother, as my "posterior thrusting" is now significantly more fluid than it was during my last squat workout, which is great for two reasons, namely in getting my squat depth back. The other advantage is for someone else.

I'm coming to find that at least for now, this sort of work may be superior to barbell work for my purposes. I can get much more work in, which is what I really need to get back to progress properly on the barbells: work capacity.

DB Hack Squat

10 x BW
8 x 30lbs
5 x 40lbs
3 x 50lbs
2 x 60lbs
10 x 80lbs
10 x 80lbs
10 x 80lbs

It's official: my legs hate my brain and are undoubtedly planning a coup via making me look like I've got gargantuan hemorrhoids when I walk for the next day or two.

While the weight was light, I focused on a controlled, fairly slow repetition speed (nothing retarded like HIT, though) with short rest periods. The trend for this workout was to keep the heart rate up while working strength endurance.

Weighted Sit-Up
10 x BW
8 x 5lbs
8 x 10lbs
10 x 15lbs
10 x 15lbs
10 x 15lbs

These were performed with weight held behind the head, feet locked under the couch, which was weighed down by my mother and brother since I'm such a goddamn I'm so subtly "heavy." Abdominals have always been a weak point. I'd never previously focused on the holding the contraction in abdominal work, mostly because I hated doing it, but corrected that this time around.

After this, I was feeling creative, so I took some bands with me downstairs, and choked them around a palm tree.

Standing Band Abdominal Pulldowns
10 x Purple Band
4 x Green Band

I took the massive increase in difficulty with the green band to indicate that I was getting overzealous, so I packed up after this. I'd have to say it probably wasn't a bad idea afterwards, as when I took the band off the tree, a coconut hit the ground about four seconds after I started walking away. The last thing I need is the addition of a concussion to my "arsenal" of training motivators.

I went back upstairs and had an excruciating time on the foam roller once more. Using it on the hips just plain sucks.

Final Remarks

I'm pleased with my progress in spite of some setbacks. I'd only be disappointed if I just outright stopped training in spite of them. Once my body starts getting back into the groove of regularity in how I perceive it to respond to training, I'll start going gung-ho on getting a solid dietary protocol together as well.

[Serpens Aeon]

Wow, to be able to honestly assess yourself like that (in regards to your relationship) is really impressive.

Now if only one could be as clear headed when in the thick of such a situation. Nonetheless, I'm sure if I didn't, we'd both be bound for failure once again. I have no problem punishing my ego if it means expanding my cognitive and experiential horizons. In fact, I live by the epistemological imperative of constantly re-examining convictions and the boundaries of my thought and behavior; it's the only way to grow as far as I'm concerned.

Congrats on getting back with the girl.

I'm pretty happy about it myself. Thanks.

Like others said, tough luck about the back. Hopefully you'll be able to deal with it in an effective way.

I have a knack for two things that I think have made me quite successful:

1) Getting what I want in-spite of often proceeding on a path that is considered to be counter to the conventional path of attainment.

2) Finding opportunity in failure, disappointment, or even catastrophe.

I wouldn't be able to do either unless the two traits interacted in a manner akin to a feedback system.

I'm taking my back injury as an opportunity to better myself. I'm now forced to lose the gut and pay greater attention to injury prevention and general health. This has come at a good age, as I still have the capacity to heal fairly rapidly, while I'm also young enough to have the chance to make the necessary changes in my general behavioral patterning so as to prevent further health problems that are related to maladaptive behavior tendencies. As a result of this injury, I'm now forced to lose my gut to remain mobile without pain. Assuming I pull this off, I subsequently significantly decrease my chances of developing coronary problems and/or diabetes. In that line of thought, I'd imagine my initial imperative of being able to pull heavy again seems ancillary in the grand scheme of things.

Now, in lieu of the above, I am still most definitely not happy about the injury. I'd rather have all of the above without it. But, if I can engage multiple perspectives without becoming paralyzed by choice, why not? This is deliciously paradoxical because it may have indeed prevented me from accruing worse back problems at a later age, and perhaps even provided the impetus for significantly prolonging the quality and length of my life.

[Lifting N Tx]

Sucks about the back, but I'm glad that you're making the best of it. That kind of attitude of realism without feeling sorry for yourself ought to help in making amends with the girl also.

In that vein I'd think that instant messaging is your friend. Also, maybe voip, possibly depending on the quality of your internet connection.

Good luck on the proposal that you're working on.

[Serpens Aeon]

So, I've gotta tell you fellas... Getting off of pain meds, cold turkey especially, is agony. Since Thursday or so I've felt like everything has been out to get me, being enveloped in this intense sense of absolute dread. It is completely irrational, but pervading nonetheless. Fuck, I even felt apprehensive about coming near my damn blue band!

The back has been feeling quite good lately in lieu of the core work, so I decided I wanted to see if I was stronger without the drugs. As it turns out, physically, yes. But, because I have been on so long my brain is all screwy on account of having a decreased capacity for serotonin uptake and production (or so I think, anyway). I'm now tapering the drug down, and that seems to be working to quell the intense depression and anxiety. It is easier knowing too, that the fact that I cannot identify a reason in my life for feeling such is a relief. Nonetheless, it can really suck the energy out of one.

In any case, I'm not allowed into the gym, and getting access will disrupt too many lives, and given that I'm here for less than another two weeks, band workouts it will be until I'm back "home."

Band Upper

Green Band Push-Ups

10
10
9
8
6

Work capacity is coming back quite nicely. I managed to get in quite a few more total reps this time if just because I could do another set.

Military Press

15 x 90
15 x 90
15 x 90

These were quite easy. I just cleaned the barbell up and pressed away. I didn't have anymore weight, unfortunately, but I felt using lightweight to get back into military pressing wouldn't be a terrible idea, focusing on form.

Blue Band Seated Row

12
12
12
12
12

I mustered 10 more reps out this session than last session. These are again, more of a conditioning exercise with short rest intervals. I'm still enjoying them.

Blue Band Front Squat

10
10
10

These are very nifty. The weight isn't very challenging on my legs, but I really feel it in the abdominals in a very good way, which is precisely what I need to prevent further injury to my back. Although I'm taking it quite easy on these, I plan on doing them every other day since I sort of stumbled upon the this past Saturday. Ideally they help get my squat posture back to form too.

Final Remarks

Drugs are bad, mmmkay?

[VikingMan]

Damn dude. I don't envy the stuff you're stuggling through. Keep it coming though. Better to be on the road to recovery than sitting on your ass on the couch.

[Serpens Aeon]

Damn dude. I don't envy the stuff you're stuggling through. Keep it coming though. Better to be on the road to recovery than sitting on your ass on the couch.

Indeed. It's hard, but I cannot continue to live this way. Feeling better won't come soon enough.