So What Now? 2019 - Geo

[Ejeff]

Hi Geo, thanks for all this information, love your journal. Just to make sure I understand. If I pick up a set of dumbbells to do overhead presses, whether I use a 5 pound weight or a 10 pound weight it doesn’t really matter. As long as I do the presses until muscle failure then I stop. Obviously if I use the heavier weight it will take longer. Then I just need a couple days rest and repeat right?

I’m really mad at myself as I was in an exercise class and we were lifting weights, instructor said 5 lifts, then we rested for about 30 seconds then we repeated this. For about 5 sets in total. I’m mad cause I have an old shoulder injury which has not caused any pain for quite some time, I used a 15 pound weight and I’m sure it was a bit too heavy and the pain is now back. I’m going to ice daily with the hopes that the pain goes away soon and I can lift again.

[geo]

Yes, the lighter the weight you use the longer it will take to reach MMF...i.e., it will take a few more reps. In terms of how much weight you should use and still be highly effective. Studies have been done that used as little as 30% of your max and they found there was no difference in effectiveness as long as you worked intensly enough. My guess is you could possibly go even lower in weight but the issue then becomes one of how much time do you want to spend lifting a weight. As I said before I try to stay within 2 mins for a set. That to me seems to give the best balance of strength gains and a good bit of endurance gains as well... While staying safe,

Now in your case, I would be extremely careful and talk with your physician first. An old injury can easily resurface if you do things wrong. I would definitely stick to the lighter side of weights for a good while and take it easier till your fully broken in. You should definitely stop if you feel any pain. Remember muscular soreness is OK, pain is not. I am not a PT or a physician and since you have a prior injury, please do see your doctor first...you dont want any permanent injuries.

One other point, doing a set to MMF means that you can't lift it any more. So theres no stopping per se, it is simply your inability to do another rep (with good and safe form!). That means your last rep should be as much as you can lift properly without cheating...no use of leverage or squirming about or trying to throw the weight up or using your back or legs inappropriately. All those things CAN and WILL cause injuries. So that last rep you perform exactly like your first rep, with proper form, in a slow and controlled manner, without any momentum or throwing action. I can't stress that enough. BE SAFE!

[Ejeff]

Thanks for the response Geo. Your third paragraph is exactly right and I will remember that! When I did lift the weight that was too heavy for me I know I didn’t have proper form and the squirming thing was happening. I will follow your advice and stick to the much lower weights for now. Good reminder too about the goal of 2 minutes, makes sense. But as you say above all, I will do whatever I can to avoid further injury.

[geo]

11/16/2019

B: oatmeal and cinnamon
L: rice and beans and veggies and BBQ sauce
D: rice and potatoes and veggies and orange
S: apple

E: none

Bit late writinb this as I slept in pretty late today. I feel good and well rested. Its been 2 full weeks of exercise and things are going well. I am getting stronger in all my execises and have not to date caused myself any injuries. Tomorrow I start adding a bit to my routine.

Q: So what equipment do you use?

A: For all lifting activities I use a combination of barbells and dumbells. I also have a weight bench that inclines and declines and I have a multi-purpose gym that I use to perform chin ups, dips, leg raises, and raised pushups. More specifically I have:

1. 7' barbell bar - deadlifts, squats
2. 5' barbell bar - overhead press, bentover rows
3. 4' curling bar - arms
4. 3 pairs of dumbell bars - bench press, flyes, any one arm exercise and sometimes squats and overhead press and rows
5. 200 lbs of 50 lb plates
6. 200 lbs of 25 lb plates
7. 200 lbs of 10 lb plates
8. a large amount of 5 lb, 2.5 lb and 1.25 lb plates
9. a weigted dip belt - adding weight to dips and chin ups
10. a weighted head strap - for neck exercises

All told I probably have spent about $600 over the years for this equipment. I beleive it will last me for at least a year before I may need to buy more plates. The variety of plates and bars let me have everything set up and ready to go prior to my workout. So when I'm ready to exercise I just go do it without wasting time getting things setup. Thats a great time saver. Oh and all my bars and plates are the standard 1" hole size. Why? because it meets my needs in terms of weight I think I can handle and it significantly cheaper than the Olympic weight sets. Don't let anybody tell you that olympic standard sets are better...they aren't, unless you are comeptitive and can do heavy lifts...afterall be realistic in your needs...its all just steel afterall and if your staying within say 300-400 lbs in any lift maximum, then you don't really need a more expensive olympic set.

[geo]

11/17/2019

B: oatmeal and cinnamon and orange
L: rice and potatoes and veggies and a touch of salt
D: Rice and corn and veggies wth BBQ sauce

E: Deadlift, bench press, overhead press, bentover rows, squats. Stretches.

So, it was a good day today. Had a good workout and started doing some stretching exercises. I have some more reading I want to do on stretching as I want to do some everyday going forward rather than just on exercise days. So for now I do a basic set of 6 different stretches before I exercise. Nothing extensive but enough to keep most of the muscles groups well stretched and flexible.

I'll write more about it in a few days as I definitely have some opinions on it, but want to get up to speed on the latest research first.

Q: How do I do the exercises properly and safely?

A: Thats easy...in a slow and controlled manner. No throwing, no quick dynamic movements that allow momentum to take over, and no use of leveraging techniques that allow you to "cheat" on the lift...poor form WILL lead to injuries as will throwing weights and highly dynamic movements. But I'm sure you want to know the proper kinematics of the movement so that its done in as safe and effective a manner as possible. For that I recommend a book that I think is the best ob explaining how to lift safely. Its by a guy that has spent decades figureing this stuff out. He tells you what weight lifting exercises are safetest and which aren't and how to do them properly and in the safest manner:

https://www.amazon.com/Insiders-Tell-Al ... 002&sr=8-3

I would save money and buy a used copy.

[geo]

11/18/2019

B: oatmeal and cnnamon
L: rice and potatoes and veggies and an apple
d: rice and veggies and a touch of salt

E: none

Good day, but slept poorly. Got up after 3 hrs of sleep and puttered around the house for 3-4 hours before going back to bed for another 3-4 hours sleep. Its hard for me to keep my night shift schedule when I'm off work...my exercise seems to have made that worse. I'll get it figured out it will just take a bit of time...

I've been thinking about my upcoming HIIT (High Intensty Interval Training) cardio exercise and what I wanted to say about it when I just found ths article on 3 latest studes on HIIT and how t appears to help the brain especially in older folks...like me...

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog ... erformance

Really interesting stuff and yet another indication that intensity is the key to helping the body grow bigger, better, and healthier, both efficiently and effectively...at any age.

Thats all for now...

[geo]

11/19/2019

B: oatmeal and cinnamon
L: rice and veggies and BBQ sauce (half for me, half for dog)
D: Spaghetti and marinara sauce with veggies
S: Baked potatoes (half for me, half for dog)

E: deadlifts, bench press, overhead press, bentover rows, squats, stretches.

Felt good today and slept fairly well last night. Was hungry today as was my dog...so had to share my food with her which she absolutely loves. Exercise was fine and continues to mprove. I will be shifting it up a bit in the exercises or at least in how I do them. I want to add back in the negative chinups and dips as well as move to seated overhead press instead of standing ones. Since my bench has a movable back that can go up to 90 degrees, that will help me to better keep my back straight and firm when doing overhead press. I noticed that I tend to bend my back some when standing, so sitting should help that a lot.

Oh and I didn't mention one other peice of equipment I use...fingerless lifting gloves. I use these not because they help in lifting but rather because the knurling on my bars is rather rough and tends to pull un my skin uncomfortably. the gloves have some padding across the calous points of the palms which makes lifting far more comfortable and reduces calouses. They are especially helpful on te heavier lifts like deadlifts. But they do not help you lift more weight!.

Q: So what equipment do you not recommend in weight lifting?

A: Weight belts... these DO help you to lift more weight by taking more strain off your back. However, because they help, they don't let you work at the proper intensity level and give you a false impression that you can lift more than you really can, leaving your body open to potentially being hurt. I do not recommend anyone use them.

Compression clothes...these also do work in a limited way similar to lifting belts and thus have the same issues and saftey problems.

Weightliffting shoes...nothing special is needed. And the best will be simple flat soled shoes, not shoes with slight heels. Even cheap old fashioned Ked's/Converse canvas type high tops are perfect for lifting because they are flat. Persoanlly I prefer to be either in just socks or bare footed when I train...yeah, bare footed. My feet have no issues and I work out on a training mat that is slightly padded, so its all good. Now if you have arch problems and such then you may need special shoes, but still they should be flat if at all possible. Yes standard sneekers (nike, addidas, new balance, puma, etc ...) all have a bit of a heel on them so I don't use them for lifting.

Liftng wrist hooks and straps...these supposedly help you when your grip is weak to hold on to the bar. I've used them and found that at best they might let me hold onto a heavy bar for another rep or two before my grip gives out completely. But they aren't comfortable, tend to pull on your skin and wrist and make it easier to be pulled over by a heavy weight should your grip suddenly give out. They are not safe in my opinion and just don't help enough for what they cost.

Wraps/supports for kness and elbows and wrists and such...why bother? They are expensive and if your joints hurt that much, then stop lifting and rest till your better! Don't just keep working out if you hurt, I cant say that enough! Save your money and rest and heal properly.

Fancy workout clothes? Nope, I just wear a t shirt (loose fitting) and some loose fittng pants or shorts...light and free for all my movements, you don't need anything else and especially not tight or binding clothes that limit your movement.

Thats it for now...

[geo]

11/20/19

B: oatmeal and cnnamon
L: hash browns and veggies and salsa
D: rice and veggies and salsa and orabge
S: apple

E: none

Felt good, slept poorly...about 4 hours then woke up wide awake. Felt refreshed but knew it wasn't enough. Stayed up for 3-4 hours trying to get tired again and then slept for anopther 3 hours. It was a long night at work...nothing hard but just a lot of little things one after the other. The night did go quick, but was a good bit tired.

Its that time of the season which I really enjoy... the snow has all but melted away now and its definitely warming up some...go figure, typical Michigan weather...but the holidays are here again and I'm enjoying it...money or not...its still Christmas coming up and the kid in me is all excited

My wife bought a hair clipper set...that means one thing...my daughter wants to cut my hair...shes into that stuff and is actually quite good at it...never-the-less, pray for me

[Daydream]

Geo, do your wife and daughter eat the same food you eat for meals?

[geo]

Unfortunately, no they don't. However, they do eat more veggies and fruits these days. But they love their meat. And yes at tmes I will cook for them even if it means cooking all the foods I would never eat...for instance I do the turkey and ham for Thanksgiving and Christmas. But guess whose food our dog prefers to eat ...thats right, mine...go figure.

[Daydream]

Geo, you are a wonderful husband and father. It's good that you aren't tempted by off plan food in your house.

[geo]

11/21/2019

B: oatmeal with cinnamon
L: potatoes and rice and veggies with salsa.
D: rice and corn with veggies and salsa and orange
S: apple

E: Bench Press, seated overhead press, bent over rows, sqauts, deadlift. stretches.

Slept a little better though our dog has this penchant for waking me at about 10 AM every morning (I have no idea how she knows what time it is). Her process is to jump on the bed then crawl onto my pillow and proceed to lay on my head and lick my face. Yep, every morning... now 10 AM doesn't sound bad except I don't get to bed until about 4AM...mind you this is a 60lb+ dog we are talking about plopping itself on my head. She seems to think its appropriate and my wife just laughs every morning. What we do for our pets...

3 weeks of exercise is completed now and I feel pretty good. I'm starting to get into the rhythm of the process and I feel good after the workout... I'm still working on the stretches I do and getting that sorted out s I'll write some about it next week. I think after the month is over I will add the HIIT aerobics to my routine to round the workout out.

So how active am I at this point:

1. 4 days a week I'm on my feet and walking around for ~10 hours...usually 22-25K steps a day
2. 7 days a week I take my dog out for a 30-45 min walk
3. 3 days a week I workout currently for both strength and flexibility. In another week I'll add aerobics.

We work all our lives so we can retire and then do even more work

[geo]

11/22/2019

B: Oatmeal with maple syrup
L: rice and veggies with BBQ sauce
D: rice and corn and veggies and a touch of salt and apple
S: Orange

E: none

My dog decided she was going to wake me after just 5 hours sleep so I'm a bit tired today but I feel good. Work has been very busy lately so that adds to the tiredness. I don't feel up to writing much today so I will just stop for now...

[AnnetteW]

1. 4 days a week I'm on my feet and walking around for ~10 hours...usually 22-25K steps a day
2. 7 days a week I take my dog out for a 30-45 min walk
3. 3 days a week I workout currently for both strength and flexibility. In another week I'll add aerobics.

We work all our lives so we can retire and then do even more work

That's a lot of walking. I can get 10000 steps but not usually too much more.

[geo]

It seems like a lot of walking but its just par for the course walking around a warehouse for 10 hours a day. Its not a continuous walking of course but it does make your legs tired