Reducing Pain

[Chris]

I hate conditioning so it’s easier to just lift but I’m starting to hold myself to this. Again, even if it’s easy or short. Something is better than nothing. And going light consistently is better than going hard and then being in too much pain to do anything for 3-4 days.

Agree with this 100%

[cwd]

Sounds to me as if you have your priorities straight.

My various shitty parts heal slowly if I lift consistently, walk every day, and don't push the weights up very fast. The walking in particular seems very good for me.

Getting a dog is a big win for consistent walking. They *never* forget to remind you when it's time to walk...

[hector]

Conditioning
Treadmill - hill L5 x 2.1 mph x 20 minutes. More conditioning for my back than cardiopulmonary.

Cycle 1 Deep Thoughts
- pain is NOT improved but I feel like I’m getting pieces set up for it to improve. At least I hope.
- I’m working nights getting 3-4 hours of sleep and it shows. I can’t even count what cycle this is correctly.
- so given that and the three variables of volume, intensity, and frequency, I think consistency is going to be the most important. Even if it means going easy.
- conditioning is taking a bigger priority. So new goal is at least a 1:1 ratio between lifting and conditioning. I hate conditioning so it’s easier to just lift but I’m starting to hold myself to this. Again, even if it’s easy or short. Something is better than nothing. And going light consistently is better than going hard and then being in too much pain to do anything for 3-4 days.

I can't imagine continuing training with the 3-4 hour sleep schedule. I think the conditioning is smart.

[Culican]

I can't imagine doing anything with a 3-4hr sleep schedule. How much longer do you have to do this schedule?

[vanslix]

Sounds to me as if you have your priorities straight.

My various shitty parts heal slowly if I lift consistently, walk every day, and don't push the weights up very fast. The walking in particular seems very good for me.

Getting a dog is a big win for consistent walking. They *never* forget to remind you when it's time to walk...

I've got three dogs but two are old and arthritic. So they remind me to take them outside to our grassy common area while I sit and drink. One loves the heat so she just worships the sun. Just as an important ritual.

I can't imagine doing anything with a 3-4hr sleep schedule. How much longer do you have to do this schedule?

November is nights so all month. If I'm lucky, I can get a couple of hours at work and then 3-4 more at home. But it's still basically just a bunch of naps.

Cycle 2
Wk 1a
Press - 135 x 6,6,6
Dips - 3 minute density block of 26
Lat pulldowns (110/100/90 x 10s) paired with stirring the pot (20 sec) for three rounds

Conditioning
8 mile bike ride. Started off as what was supposed to be just a 15-20 minute ride but the sun was shining and the farther I ride, the more nature I see so It was kind of hard to run around.

- ever so slightly less winded after walking up a flight or two of hospital stairs.

[vanslix]

Cycle 2
Conditioning
Treadmill - hill level 5 x 2.1 mph x 22 minutes

Wk 1b
SGDL - 140 x 6,6,6
Hector press - 225 x 12,12,12
Farmer walks - 40 x 2 laps x 2 rounds paired with
Static back extensions - 20 sec x 2 rounds

Conditioning
Mowed the yard

- sleep is catching up to me. I was really dragging on the lifting and had to cut some stuff short.
- pain is changing a bit. The bad days are still just as bad but the baseline is definitely better. I’m not cringing walking up the stairs. The walk from the parking lot to the hospital first thing in the morning isn’t laced with a string of profanities lasting from my car to the door.
- I suspect this has as much more to do with some medical tinkering (prednisone) than the workouts. Maybe 80/20 percent. Unfortunately, this medical solution is a less than ideal long term one as prednisone has a lot of long term side effects. Just wanting to try it to get me through the end of residency.

[Wilhelm]

Hope that 20% keeps increasing.

Here's to fewer bad days, vanslix.

[vanslix]

Thanks. I seemed to have jinxed myself because the next day, my back started flaring up. Just now getting it back under control.

Cycle 2
Wk 1c
Bench - 202.5 x 6,6,6
Lat pulldowns (110/100/90 x 10) with stirring the pot (20 secs)
Hammer curls (35/30 x 10) with push ups
- ran out of steam
- I realized I hadn't really recorded any of my bench sessions from the previous cycle so just going really light for my shoulder

Conditioning
Treadmill - hill level 8 x 2.1 mph x 25 minutes. Back seems to start hurting right at 21 minute mark.

Wk 1d
SGDL - 140 x 6,6,6
Hector press - 225 x 12,12,12
Farmer walks (35s x 2 laps) with static back extensions (20 secs) for three rounds

Conditioning
Treadmill - incline 0/5/7.5/5% x 2.1 mph for 20 minutes

[Chris]

Thanks. I seemed to have jinxed myself because the next day, my back started flaring up. Just now getting it back under control.

I was wondering what was up. No bueno.

- I realized I hadn't really recorded any of my bench sessions from the previous cycle so just going really light for my shoulder

New injury or the Al Bundy clavicle?

Conditioning
Treadmill - hill level 8 x 2.1 mph x 25 minutes. Back seems to start hurting right at 21 minute mark.
...
Conditioning
Treadmill - incline 0/5/7.5/5% x 2.1 mph for 20 minutes

"What gets measured gets managed." Good on you.

[vanslix]

No new injury. Just same shit, different day.

Conditioning
Treadmill - hill level 10 x 20 minutes

Cycle 2
Wk 2a
Press - 150 x 3,3,3,3
Stirring the pot (20 sec x 3)

Conditioning
Airdyne - HIIT 15:75 x 5 rounds

Conditioning
Treadmill - 0/5/7.5/5/0 percent x 2.1 mph for 25 minutes total

Wk 2b
SGDL - 160 x 3,3,3,3
Hector press - 315 x 8,8,8 (supposed to be 275 for 10s but sleep deprived math won)

- slowly running out of steam towards the end of the month.
- slept 7 hours total. But it came in the form of naps of 2,1,1 hour naps overnight and then 3 hours at home.
- pain was manageable. Then a cold front. Now I hurt like a summabitch. Lack of proper sleep is doing me in.
- the prednisone definitely helps, though. It's going to be a bitch to wean off that.

[hector]

No new injury. Just same shit, different day.

Conditioning
Treadmill - hill level 10 x 20 minutes

Cycle 2
Wk 2a
Press - 150 x 3,3,3,3
Stirring the pot (20 sec x 3)

Conditioning
Airdyne - HIIT 15:75 x 5 rounds

Conditioning
Treadmill - 0/5/7.5/5/0 percent x 2.1 mph for 25 minutes total

Wk 2b
SGDL - 160 x 3,3,3,3
Hector press - 315 x 8,8,8 (supposed to be 275 for 10s but sleep deprived math won)

- slowly running out of steam towards the end of the month.
- slept 7 hours total. But it came in the form of naps of 2,1,1 hour naps overnight and then 3 hours at home.
- pain was manageable. Then a cold front. Now I hurt like a summabitch. Lack of proper sleep is doing me in.
- the prednisone definitely helps, though. It's going to be a bitch to wean off that.

Vanslix, happy thanksgiving. Always amazed at your workload in the context of such an insane schedule. Hope you can get some rest this thanksgiving!
Are you planning on having the Shiner Holiday Cheer? Any other beer brewed with peaches and pecans I'd be skeptical about, but since it's Shiner I'm excited to try it.

[vanslix]

Happy belated thanksgiving back at ya. I tried the shiner. It's too peachy and I ain't impressed. St Arnold's (a Houston brewery) has an awesome Christmas blend. I think I'll stick with that one for this time of year.

Treadmill - hill level 12 x 2.1 mph x 20 minutes

Cycle 2
Wk 2c
Bench - 227.5 x 3,3,3,3
Lat pulldowns with stirring the pot x 3 rounds
Concentration curls with push ups x 3 rounds

[vanslix]

Cycle 2
Conditioning
Treadmill - hill level 12 x 2.1 mph x 25 minutes

Treadmill - hill level 13 x 2.2 mph x 25 minutes
Sun salutations
Back work

Wk 2d
Sun salutations
SGDL - 160 x 3,3,3,3
Hector press - 275 x 10,10,10
Farmer walks - 50 x 1.5 laps with static back extensions for 3 rounds

Treadmill - hill level 14 x 2.2 mph x 25 minutes
Sun salutations
Back work

- made it through the month of nights and my body is hashed.
- the prednisone was very helpful but it put wwwaaayyyyy too much fluff on me. I look like Winnie the Pooh.
- I've noticed my resting heart rate is a good indicator of how I'm doing overall.
- June 61
- July, August 63
- September 64
- October 69 (only because the last week shot up on the prednisone, otherwise would've been low to mid 60s)
- November 72
- I think some of the elevation was the prednisone because I can watch it spike when I'm on it. But some is the the poor sleep and diet, too. It's going to take a bit of time to wean it down so we will see what happens.
- so between the increased waist shifting my center of gravity forward and the elevated heart rate, the prednisone may be a mixed bag, especially in the longer term. But it was necessary in the short term.
- so current average is 76. We will see how quickly I can get that back down with rest, weaning pred, increased cardio.

[vanslix]

Been busy. Have been working out but it ain’t worth the time to go back and log everything. So starting from now:

Cycle 3 Week 3A
Press - 165 x 5 doubles
Wide grip pull downs - 125/110/95 x 10s
Stirring the pot - 25 seconds x 3

[augeleven]

glad to see you back. Hope things are feeling better.

[vanslix]

glad to see you back. Hope things are feeling better.

Thanks. I'm on the final sprint of finishing my training so it's gonna get worse before it gets better. And this month is nights in the hospital. So the month ends up being a series of naps which usually end up equaling 6-8 hours but it ain't the same because it's so disjointed.

Cycle 3 Week 3B
SGDL - 175 x 5 doubles
Hector press - 375 x 3 x 8
Back ext

Conditioning
Airdyne - 15 minutes

Cycle 3 Week 3C
Bench - 247.5 x 5 doubles
Incline DB - 60/55/50 x 8s
Assisted wide grip pull ups x 3 x 8

[hector]

glad to see you back. Hope things are feeling better.

Ditto!

[Culican]

With your schedule I am very impressed that you manage to get any workouts done!

You said your are in the final sprint. How much longer?

[laikabear]

How long did you stay on the pred? Or are you still on it?

I did that split sleep thing for a long time. Hopefully the month will go by quickly for you!

[vanslix]

@hector Thanks. Someday I'm going to catch up to you on bench and press.

@Culican 6 months and change in total. But the last 2 months are a cake walk.\

@laikabear This is my last time I do a month of nights other than random calls we do once or twice a month. I did the pred for the other month of nights. I gained 15 pounds of fluff, too. But it definitely helped. A lot. I thought about doing it this month but I have been able to manage and trudge through. So far. I have two more months of intense living-in-the-hospital months. I may need to use it then again.

Conditioning
@Chris yoga

airdyne
MIIT - 15/75 x 5 rounds

Cycle 3 Week 3D
SGDL - 170 x 5 doubles
Hector Press - 375 x 3 x 8
Back extensions

yoga

Treadmill x 20 minutes