We shall rebuild him...
-
After a year of ups and downs I find myself in the middle of November with a new job, a new left ACL and newly found motivation to get back into training. It felt that it was the right time to start posting on this forum again and start publically tracking my training and rehab activities.<br />
<br />
I am now about four and a half months post op, and looking back on that time it has gone bloody quick in retrospect but it has been filled with a lot of frustration and false starts. There were to many times where I seemed to take 2 steps forward, and 1 step backwards. I’ve had to learn to really read the body and know when to push the body, and when to pull back. One tweaked hamstring a month ago was a sharp reminder of that. Another lesson that I have finally learnt after all of these years is that the phsyio knows best and to follow her instructions to the letter. (If only I learnt that 10 years ago, I’d still have ankles in one piece).<br />
<br />
In regards to the rehab I need to try do something every day. Through trial and error I have found that 2-3 exercises a night is about right. Too many more and the fatigue over the week kicks in and I set myself up to blow out. My rehab is a mixture of exercises based around increasing stability as well as strengthening the calves, hamstrings and quads of both legs. The golden rule is to do the single leg exercises at the same weight on both legs so that I minimise the strength difference between the two legs.<br />
<br />
With cardio I’ve been given almost free reign on the choice of exercise. I’ve done a few spin classes, and have got more into my flat surface running again. Due to the lack of strength in my quads I am not allowed to run down hill, but I can do as much flat road, or hill running as my heart desires (although to be honest my lungs seem to be more of a resistance than my knee).<br />
<br />
The previous six weeks has seen me get back into my weights as well. I switched gyms and now train alongside one of my team mates three times a week. I have got back into the core, and super set everything that I do in the gym with a set of core. The stronger my core has become the easier the exercises are.<br />
I train with him Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and while we do a bit of everything each night I do try to personally target chest on Monday, shoulders on Wednesday and back on Friday while including my knee rehab when and where I can. We do try varying it up though. Barbell work on Monday and dumbbell work on Wednesday. I have also been making an effort to head to the gym on Sundays to do some extras focusing on biceps and triceps.<br />
<br />
Having that spot to push me through the pain of those extra reps has seen me make more gains over the last 6 weeks than I made over the entire of last summer. I am still a long way off where I was in 07/08 but this has been the strongest my upper body has been since that time with Waikato. If that’s the gains<br />
<br />
I’ve got over the last 6 weeks, I am excited to see what I can do over the upcoming summer.<br />
<br />
Apoligies for this first post being a little bit long winded but I thought it was easiet to get it all out there and down on the page at once. I’ll try my best to keep this up to date as I found it helped last year by keeping me accountable. -
Good stuff mate - wish I'd gone to a physio when I first did my ankle properly as a younger man. I'd not have had the gyp its undergone since. <br />
<br />
With the running, I reckon finding a flat spot in NZ you'd have to go around the local oval 20 times <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' /> But I've found a good way to build the quads up is hill sprints - find a good hill and run to the top flat out, walk back down. Do that a few times and you'll know it.<br />
<br />
Have a look at the Running with Eric video I've linked into one of my latest posts - showed me a couple of things I was missing about running style and I think its really going to help me.<br />
<br />
Time to kick arse! -
Good luck mate. The will is obviously there and no doubt you'll find the way <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/good.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':good1:' />
-
Training tonight. Went for a 3km road run first around the block. Knocked it out in 15 mins and got one hell of a sweat up. Then went down to the gym.<br />
<br />
3 sets of max chin ups.<br />
3x10 seated row super setted with 1min side prone bridge on each side.<br />
10/10/8 of barbell bench press supersetted with 15kg russian twists 25 each side<br />
10/8/8 incline barbell bench supersetted with 10x 15kg sit ups<br />
3x8 standing military press. (one rep is start on your chest, lift it up and lower behind the head, the return it to the start)<br />
3x10 es dumbell bent over row.<br />
3 sets of 28's for biceps. -
Did a spin session tonight. My partners dad runs his own spin classes from his house under the spinner banner. 45 mins of work and it was a different beast to Les Mills RPM. He's got the scanners and computers on the bikes and focuses on cadence and heart rate and about targetting certain areas. Tonights session was interval endurance based. Doing seated and standing climbs for 3-6 mins while maintaining 55-65 RPM is a test.<br />
<br />
It was a good workout. He focuses on both working hard but also focuses on bringing the heart rate back down so you can go again. Good way to burn 500-600 calaries. -
Just some extras today. Did an easy five minutes on the rower to warm up and loosen the knee up after spin last night. Did three sets of 15 each side box step ups done with a 25kg weight bag. The leg was still a bit stiff at that point so I left the rehab at that and got into the biceps and triceps.<br />
<br />
5x10 reps of ez bar curl (25kg, 27.5, 27.5, 25, 25/8)<br />
3x10 Cable biceps curl (overhand grip) (36, 42, 42)<br />
3 sets of barbell bicep curls - 28's (25kg)<br />
3x10 Cable birceps curl (underhand grip) (42kg)<br />
3x10 dumbell hammer curls (17.5kg es)<br />
<br />
3x10 seated ez bar triceps extension (25kgish) super setted with 3x12 bodyweight dips<br />
3x10 e/s dumbell tricep kick backs (6kg)<br />
3x10 cable tricep extensions (42kg) supersetted with 3x10 cable tricep pull downs (42kg) -
I've got my hands on my brothers old road bike recently. I've been for a couple bikes on it and quite enjoyed it. We've had some terrible weather over the weekends when I've wanted to go for some more rides and I don't quite have the confidence yet to readily bike in shit weather with such narrow wheels (despite my brother insisting that they stick to the road "like shit to a blanket")
-
One of the hardest things I find with the bike is that the breaks are under the handle bars in the racing position which makes indicating and breaking while going into a turn almost impossible.<br />
<br />
Another weights this evening.<br />
<br />
5 min bike<br />
3 sets of max body weight wide grip chins (8,5,5)<br />
3x10 of Smith machine bench squats (50kg, 55, 60) supersetted with 3x5 single leg smith machine squats (10kg, 15, 15)<br />
Barbell Bench Press super setted with 5 explosive clap press ups (70x10, 90x10, 105x 8 +2 negatives, 120 x 2 + 3 negatives, 80x12 + 2 negatives)<br />
3 x max body weight dips (6 reps, 8, 8)<br />
3 x 8 (40kg) standing military press - starting from the front, going behind the head then back to the start (the last 2-3 reps of each set was quite heavily spotted by this point)<br />
Bridges. 1 min front, 30 sec rest, 1 min left side, 30 sec rest, 1 min right side, 30 sec rest, 1 min front<br />
Finished off with some light dead lifts for rehab. 4 x 10 (30kg, 40kg, 50kg, 50kg)<br />
<br />
It was awesome to get through the squats and deadlifts in the same session. Really starting to feel some gains in the quads, but through in the dead lifts because I really need to start getting some decent work on the hammies as theyre quite noticeably small. Knees a litle bit achy now, but nothing a bit of ice and rest wont fix. -
[quote name='Chubby13' timestamp='1353312328' post='326336']One of the hardest things I find with the bike is that the breaks are under the handle bars in the racing position which makes indicating and breaking while going into a turn almost impossible.[/quote]<br />
<br />
Get a flat bar (hybrid). Still light weight but more upright position. -
When ever Ive brought bikes I do get the hybrids. Had a bloody nice bike in Hamilton before it was stolen. The bike i picked up was my brothers old bike which he can no longer ride, which I picked off of him for $40. Unfortunately my cheapness wins out haha.
-
Its been a tough couple days. My usual shoulder session yesterday, and just did my Friday back session tonight due to our clubs meet the coaches evening tomorrow night.<br />
<br />
Shoulder session was:<br />
3 x max BW wide grip chins (6,5,4)<br />
Knee rehab with the bosu ball.<br />
3 x 10 cable wood chops high to low (90lbs) super setted with 1 min side prone bridge each side<br />
3 x 10 cable wood chops low to high (80lbs) super setted with 1 min front prone bridge<br />
10, 10, 7 DB flat bench (45kg es, 47.5, 47.5)<br />
10, 8, 8 DB seated shoulder press (27.5 kg es)<br />
15, 10, 10 EZ bar bicep curls (bar plus 25kgs)<br />
3 x DB shoulder tri-set (10 front raises, 10 side flies, 10 shoulder presses; 8 kg dumbells, dont drop the dumbells until all three exercises are done) s/s 25 es bicycle crunches<br />
<br />
<br />
Back session was:<br />
<br />
3 x max (8,5,4) underhand narrow grip chins.<br />
3 x 10 seated cable row (66kgs, 72, 72) super setted with 1 min front prone bridge<br />
3 x 10 wide grip lat pull downs (72, 78, 78) super setted with 1 min side prone bridge each side<br />
3 x 10 tricep dips (BW, +10kg, +10kg)<br />
3x10 es dumbell bent over row (40kg) super setted with sit ups (with 20kg plate)<br />
3x10 ez bar seated tricep extensions (bar + 20kgs) super setted 3x10 rope tricep pull downs (42kg)<br />
3x10 ez bar standing upright row/pull (bar + 30kgs) -
fabulous factoid.<br />
<br />
when you drink grog, you will not use any fat cells for 48 hours or so as an energy source, the alcohol and the sugar in the booze gets used first.<br />
<br />
So you will have sweated out, or started to sweat out the booze, but you won't be getting any leaner or mean-er. Maybe mean-er... -
[quote name='BartMan' timestamp='1353895209' post='327953']<br />
fabulous factoid.<br />
<br />
when you drink grog, you will not use any fat cells for 48 hours or so as an energy source, the alcohol and the sugar in the booze gets used first.<br />
<br />
So you will have sweated out, or started to sweat out the booze, but you won't be getting any leaner or mean-er. Maybe mean-er...<br />
[/quote]<br />
<br />
Does it matter how much you drink? Interesting fact though.<br />
<br />
Today was interesting at work. Had to go for a walk at lunchtime as the body was quite stiff after the two runs that I did over the weekend. Knee felt fine, but the hamstrings and calves were tight.<br />
<br />
Tonight I had to mix my work out a little bit as my training partner was going to be late. Warmed up with 5mins on the rower then got into squats.<br />
<br />
3 x 5 es Smith machine box squats (15kgs, 17.5, 20 - not including the bar) supersetted with:<br />
3 x 10 Smith machine box squats (55, 67.5, 80 - not including the bar)<br />
8, 6, 5 BW underhand chin ups.<br />
3 x 10 Dips (BW + 10 kgs)<br />
3 x 10 es sprinter lunges (25kgs)<br />
3 x 10 barbell dead lifts (60, 70, 80)<br />
3 x 8 barbell military press - 1 rep = start in front, lower behind the head then return (40kg)<br />
10x 60kg, 10x 70 kg, 8 + 2 negatives x 80kgs, 7+ 3 negatives x 90 kgs, 5 + 3 negatives x 100kgs<br />
3 x 20 medicine ball throw crunches (10kg medicine ball crunches)<br />
<br />
I was stoked with the weights that I am starting to get with my leg exercises. The single leg squats suck, but its more of a technique thing. They are an awkward exercise to do. Deadlifts are feeling really good, but Ive got to be careful how quickly that I load the weights on, especially that stage of the work out. While I didnt push as much as I normally do for bench by doing it last rather than first, I was pleasantly surprised that i was able to do the reps through out the sets that I did, considering I struggled with the warm up at 60.<br />
<br />
ive got the phsyio tomorrow for my first check up in three weeks. Potentially will be beginning speed work and diagonal work. Looking forward to it. -
Last wednesday night was my normal Shoulders work out that Ive been doing the last month with my training partner. Had two work do's on Friday and Saturday night which mixed things up a bit. I did a 40 min leg session on Friday morning. Reasonably light work out, but managed to do bench squats at 100kgs and dead lifts at 90 kgs which I was really happy with. I did a back session on Saturday afternoon. I had 40 mins free before I had to be at the work do so it was short and sharp.<br />
<br />
3 x BW reverse narrow grip chins<br />
3 x 10 Narrow, neutral grip lat pull downs supersetted to 3x 10 seated cable rows.<br />
3 x 10 es DB row super set with 3 x 10 barbell upright row<br />
3 x 10 barbell good mornings<br />
(I cant remember what else I did)<br />
<br />
Monday night was the clubs first training. I couldnt take part of it so just did some cardio and core. Did a 3 km run to warm up before I got there. The boys did 6 x 5mins blocks. 1st block I ran, Next 15 - 20 mins I did some BW core exercises including bridges, heel touches, and bicycle crunches. After the training finished I went to the gym and did 30 mins of arms.<br />
<br />
ez bar bicep curls<br />
weighted dips<br />
DB bicep curls into arnold press<br />
cable bicep curls<br />
ez bar tricep extensions<br />
hammer curls<br />
rope tricep pull downs<br />
<br />
Tonight I tried to do something a little bit different. Ive been doing the same work out the last 5-6 weeks and have been quite worn out this week. To try and shock the body I did a couple of circuits tonight.<br />
<br />
5 mins warm up on rowing machine<br />
<br />
I did a barbell circuit. 40 kg on the bar, 5 rounds of 5 exercises, 10 reps a piece, cant drop the bar until all exercises is done.<br />
Bent over row<br />
hang cleans<br />
front squats<br />
push press<br />
back squats<br />
<br />
2-3 mins rest while I set up my back/shoulders circuit. 5 rounds of each exercise with no break. Drop weight as needed in order to hit the 10 reps. Do as quick as I could.<br />
BW Dips<br />
barbell cable curls<br />
wide grip lat pull downs<br />
DB bent over row<br />
seated cable row<br />
strength bag clean and push<br />
DB arnold press<br />
<br />
5 min on the rower for warm down.<br />
<br />
The work out was deffianately a shock to the system. I havent worked on weight endurance for a long time. It wrecked my fore arms as well. After I finished I tried to open the lid of my drink bottle and my forearms cramped up on me which can only be a good sign haha.
