the unauthorized(DR NOT Approved)Liver Transplant's Routine to getting friggin HUGE

[StrongIslander,NY]

Hi Everyone,

Yep that's some title for a training log. I am a liver transplant recipient and i credit the iron for giving my body the fortitude almost 5 years ago to survive an operation like that. By the time i received my operation, i looked like a concentration camp survivor-no joke all of 5ft 4in and 86 pounds where normally i would have been 120 or so.
i have an awesome mean ass scar, an upside down Y, my mercedes symbol. You see when a Dr tells you your gonna die, and that you need a transplant and then the flipside is, its a waiting game and your on a list. You get a RAGE within yourself-every little thing grates on your nerves and all the while theres this clock in your head and the countdown has started. So i internalized everything,let it consume me ,eat me and thats where my profound interest in the art of the barbell was born.

mind you i wasnt doing SS but i had gotten hold of some men;s health books not the mags and i was doing 7-10 lifts. nothing went past 65 lbs-no squatting-something like 2 sets of 10. i read and learned but there was so much contradictory info out there. i was super convinced that GNC was where it was at-i needed potions and elixirs galore-creatine and NO2 seemed to work.
Anyway, a year later my body just keeps breaking down-i cant keep food down -shitting myself and finally a bleed out, a verice. more and more got to be less lifting and more recalibration in the hospital. 25 or more pills daily. liver dysfunction-hello mayday ship going down, water retention in belly fred flinstone feet and ammonia build up in brain. lactilose syrup expels ammonia dont like it cleans you out. Officially 36 yrs old trapped in a 90 yr old spent carcus. the light on but nobody's home, confined to home wife is my care giver, small kids. maybe tomorrow i won't wake up . bought a pair of 5 pound dumbells -floor presses curls etc.

NYU says still not sick enough 30 days later a 10 day coma. Gastro doc tells me i gotta get out of NY line too long. Me and my wife arrange thru insurance to go out to indiana IU clarion transplant-30 days later i get liver-look like a freakin frankenstein's monster- but im alive. first type of anti rejection meds prove neural toxity-loose voice, ability to swallow or eat-major set back. cant leave IU losing body mass. all the while they didnt know it was the meds kept pouring more into me. i open mouth sound like helen keller Auuughh wife having major coronary thinking im brain damaged. drs rush in poking prodding can u feel this and this-they concur im not coping so im reverting to infantile stage WTF? meanwhile im locked inside my own head and when u loose speech handwriting is interconnected-go figure. i have the best scribble in the world cant make a word to save my life literally.
Finally i get one of surgeons to play chess and he supposedly good and i beat him and he has brain fart that its the meds and im locked in my head. honestly if i had a keetlebell he would of been kissing it ass first. so i get new meds and mri and sure enough i have a brain cloud from medicine build up.

fast forward 6 mos later life is good getting speech help so i dont sound like robinsons lost in space robot. year further doing awesome no issues gaining weight speech 95% improved and thats where it stays.
My 2nd year out i joined a plush chrome and fern establishment, a gym. nice machines-circuit this circuit that. my health improves but make no real strength gains

4 years out i find SL5x5, immerse myself-oh its about the barbells---compound lifts opposed to isolation....started reading recomended books---lookie here 2nd edition starting strength yep this guy Rip, knows where its at.
read Dino training, read hackenschmidt,peary reg park 5x5.

I started seriously lifting mid july 09 with 50 lbs and adding 5 a week. no isolation. i got bored with SL after 3 mos and hopped on the korte 3x3. i recently finished practical programming too.

My Stats:

5 ft 4in 142 lbs 12/13% BF * i have a bum left arm due to stress stroke as infant from too many gastro ops ( yes, i'm a friggin wonder)

Max Lifts

Sq 160 1x
ohp 75 1x5
BP 95 1x
DL 185/90 1x5

the left arm is considerably weaker and hand is smaller as well. 30-35lb push differential-the gap is a constant-the arm does get stronger but my push lifts suffer. although my left hand grip is not as tight as right it has a death clutch like a crack whore that found a 100 dollar bill in the street.9basically the brain and nerve and muscle messages are F'd up.

I designed my program based on what i excel at-i really got into super squats and radar peary 20 rep squats and 20rep DL's. These are the monster staples that ppl in these books rave about and i like them and i'm good at them.

2 days per week

A day

Squat 10 sets 5reps/add another 5-10lb 1x5/ max out 1x5

OHP 3x5

DL 10x5/ add lbs 1x5/ max out 1x5

B day

SQ-same as above but add 5-10 lbs from previous on all lifts
BP 3x5
DL -same as squats add 5-10 lbs onto previous all lifts


weekends- tire sled drags with plates-water/air/antifreeze filled exercise ball 65lbs-lifts walks etc-dumbell farmer walks. ( now that its cold this basically on hold)

i look forward to being an active learning member to this site.

[StrongIslander,NY]

12-09-09

squats
10x5-- 115lbs...20 sec rest btwn sets, heart pounding
1x5--120lbs 3 minutes btwn these sets
1x2-- 125lbs-rep 3 cam up off balance shifted forward bb caught on pegs

BP 3X5 @65LBS...havent been doing bp's in month-gotta restart somewhere
1x5 @75lbs -how hot is it in here? bar and hands slipping looked at thermostat wow...75 degrees glad i dont pay that bill!

HEX BAR DL
8X5----- 140LBS next time wear a t shirt no hanes thermal.
1x5----150lbs
1x3----160lbs

its been awhile since my body throbbed like this. i know i'm gonna be sore

[EJLouis]

Hi Everyone,

Yep that's some title for a training log... ... i look forward to being an active learning member to this site.

I'm adding your name to my bar so that I can see it at all times so when I feel like being a pussy I'll know better.

Cheers and thank you

[Sal Webber]

Wow! That's quite a story man. I'm looking forward to seeing your progress.

[StrongIslander,NY]

Hi EJ and Webbie-

thanks for the kind words. I may not be 100% in the physical sense but my will and pitbull tenacity carries me through.

was gonna lift today but woke up and oil burner was not working-nice and balmy 25 degrees. so spending my day watchin the petro dude fix my burner.

and it was the power vent -lovely its not covered under my contract. its 1:46 hopefully he is done by 3 -3:30 so i can go to gym. I can never get the time i need at night.

shoulda asked santa for electric heater for garage so i wouldnt have to be a snowbird with my work outs. spring summer im in the garage winter at a gym.
it'll be a good session if i can get there- was just told they can fix for $980!!! Rage against the bar!!!!! lift my troubles away.

[JCavin]

Seriously dude.

I feel like a huge pussy now.

[Tim]

Great story, look forward to seeing your progress

[StrongIslander,NY]

i shot my rage load too early at gym. the petro guy left and it was hurry hurry hurry-to the gym- thru the WO, got to get home by this time UGGGGG!!!!

never a good sign to lift under those conditions.

-couldnt find the 2.5 lb plates so squats were overkill 125 instead of 120- i figured no big deal i'll make do.

lifted as follows-

squats -s/b 10x5 @120lb

Did: 3x5 @125lbs-looked like i was doing leg presses and good mornings at the same time. frankly, stephen hawkins could've done better. It was just plain sloppy overall tryin to make do with what the body couldnt accomodate.....yet

Dumb them down : 3x5@115lb- much better. ez breezy form...ahhhh, graceful,- look at me im a ballerina!!!--done. no more energy for squats.

H,C &P (hang clean and press) 3x5 @65lbs-should've been 5 lb higher but it is what it is

Hold On--i Redeemed myself w/ DL's!!!

BB DL (as opposed to hex bar) 6x5-----155lbs-even with wearing my black altus velcro 4 inch belt- i was thinkin oh man i hope my back doesnt pop.

personally, i like the feel of the hex bar.

overall i feel pretty healthy and horny at age 42. eating well-just not as clean as an athlete would. i like my cakes and cookies, munchos with a turkey/ham and muenster cheese sandwich. i get my apples and bananas in fruit juice which is a no no for the sugar. drink milk and green tea 24/7-definately a half a gallon /day ea. i got up to 150 weight and now back around 143-44. started at 136lbs.clothes fit different- i am thicker on shoulders and top back arms thighs and chest. before was like poking a foam pad -now it feels like your poking a rubber gym wrestling mat-the texture and feel.

[StrongIslander,NY]

Old short terms goals from july 09:

Squat 1X BW- did it currently at 160lb

DL -short on 1.5BW (based on 145 weight)= 217.5lbs @185/190(bb/HB)-will get there by 1-31-2010

OHP - im stuck at 70/75 depending if its a good strong day. was tryin to get to 85Lbs ohp

BP-once again stuck at 90-95. was lookin for 110.

These push lifts kill me- i train real hard and no matter how many deloads to 35lbs(using standard weights not Oly's) those are my maxes everytime.

I know its my left arm thats causing this. i feel like that guy in M.night shamalon's the lady in the water with the dude that was ripped only on one side of his body cause thats all he trained.
except I'm not ripped and i train both sides but only one side is showing up in the gym. and to train with dumbells im lacking those stabilizer muscles to properly control the weight. The barbell and my right side do 75% of the work.
I read the micro loading article and that got me thinking if this 5lb increment is all thats stopping me why aint i trying a 3lb increment or even a 2lb?

perhaps i'm not comfortable saying i went from bping 95 to 96? in my mind i think -i know i definatly look down on that kind of progress. not anymore.


New Goals for 2010

Sq 1.5BW
DL 2x BW

BP +5lbs by july and then re-evaluate
OHP-same

BW now 142/3-shouldnt go past 160

**maybe do Sq and DL at a Competition--i wouldnt want to compete in disabled category maybe just age and weight class at a powerlift meet.
wanted to compete at transplant US or World games but neither one has lifting.... they frisbee, golf -bad mitten wtf?!!! --writing letter to both orgs especially seeing how transplants and the anti rejection meds cause bone density loss.

enough of the soap box.

bundling up to sled drag my tire w/ 105lbs in front of my house 50 ft width.

5 sets pulling-walking forward back and forth =100feet =1 rep

5 sets-walking backwards-pull----same

[JCavin]

wanted to compete at transplant US or World games but neither one has lifting.... they frisbee, golf -bad mitten wtf?!!! --writing letter to both orgs especially seeing how transplants and the anti rejection meds cause bone density loss.

I went to the US Transplant Games in Pittsburgh last year. It was pretty awesome.

There is always the Shot Put and Discus Throw in the Track and Field competition. Personally, I think those are pretty awesome events. But, I really enjoy watching the Highland Games and similar stuff.

The good thing about strength training with compound exercises is the amount of carry over to any sport you do. And the Field events are probably the most closely related to your training.