elitefts™ Sunday Edition
I have been asked several times, "How is the hip doing?" and "What are you training for?" And while I have logged every session since surgery, including the rehab protocol, it has been a while since I have shared how I think I am progressing and what having a new hip actually feels like.
As a reminder, I underwent total hip replacement surgery four and a half months ago, and the "suggested" recovery time for the bone to sufficiently heal is usually anywhere between five and six months. Now, I do not want to recap the first few months of my recovery since this has already been noted. What I would rather do is answer the questions above and bring everyone up to speed.
The hip is doing good.
Now, what do I mean by "good," and why did I not say "great"? Well, this is a matter of perspective—so follow along.
Before I had this procedure done, I had no other choice. The pain was too intense and and unbearably relentless. If it was just limited ROM (like my shoulder), I would not have had it done. The pain is why I had it replaced. By the time I had surgery, I was not able to walk without a cane, nor could I sit or sleep. That being said, the surgery was a great success. I do not have that excruciating pain or anything close to it anymore.
However, the reason I say it is doing "good" is because I can tell it is not the same as the other. I don't limp or have any real physical issues...but it's just not the same. I do still have weakness when using stairs, but this will get better. Also, when the weather is really humid, I have a deep bone-like pain in my quad (it's not bad, but it's there). My flexibility, on the other hand, is about the same as my other leg, and my strength has come back very well.
For instance, I have not gone balls-out heavy on the squats, as I want the bone to heal more, but I did use 365 pounds with 200 pounds of chains for 10 or 15 reps. (I can't remember the exact number, but it's in my log). I have also leg pressed close to 1,100 pounds for 30 plus reps, and I am using more on the Hack Squat than I ever have.
So, for all intensive purposes, my hip is "good." I will say it is great when I don't have pain associated with the weather, when it actually feels totally normal, and when I can squat six plates for reps. I have no desire to use more than that, but this is what I have set in my mind.
My quality of life, however, is way better now that all the pain is gone. For months I lived on pain pills and moved between my recliner and my bed. It was a good day if I could sit in my chair at work for more than an hour. How I was able to keep training is beyond me, but I found a way to get it done. I can now walk wherever I want, albeit much slower, and I can train how I like.
This past weekend I trained legs with all I had in order to test my hip and conditioning. Well, my hip was good, but my conditioning...not so good.
Now, on to the present.
Who:
My doctor and physical therapist are still developing my rehab. It's less than in the past, but there are still some bench marks I need to hit. Elitefts™ Advisor John Meadows is taking care of my programming and diet. The diet, at this time, is a no- factor and low on the priority list. This isn't suggesting that I am eating like shit. Seventy percent of my meals are clean.
However, the goal is to get my lean body mass back to 250 and then begin to pull the fat off. I am still a few pounds off this bench mark, but I should hit it within the next few weeks. Again, this isn't "new" muscle. The highest my LBM has been in the past was 256 pounds. I know my weight is too high and that I need to be in the 240 to 250-pound range...but I'm taking it one step at a time.
What:
The objective now is to continue with the rehab and to build the conditioning without having to add cardio. This means short rest periods and five to six training sessions per week. I also want to get my strength back up to my baseline. It is very close now.
Where:
This is easy—The Elitefts™ Gym has everything I need.
When:
This is always a tough one to answer, as there are pros and cons associated with any time I train. With the exception of Saturday and Sunday, I have no idea what time I will train each day. It could be 10:00 a.m. like today, the occasional 2:00 p.m. break from work, or it could be as late as 7:30 p.m. This all depends on my work and family schedule, and both of these can change very fast.
This is also why I keep legs and chest on the weekend. These require spotters and take longer to train. Therefore, during the week I have a back session, a shoulder session, and an arm session since these are pretty simple to move around.
Why:
This is a tough one to answer because it has changed so much over the years. The main reason why I train is to free my mind and get away from all the bullshit and just do what I love to do. The harder I train, the deeper this mindset permeates. This would be the number one reason I train because I really don't care how strong or big I am. This doesn't mean I do not train hard. Training hard is the part of training that I love the most. Throughout the years and with all the injuries, I have realized that this will never change. It is part of who I am.
Training will take my body piece by piece, and I will have no regrets.
It's already taken my shoulder and my hip, but my passion hasn't faded a bit. I will say, though, that the more this takes away from me, the more humbled I become and the more grateful I am for all the things in my life.
Gratitude Log
- I am grateful for my wife and kids.
- I am grateful for having a house over my head.
- I am grateful for having a job I love.
- I am grateful for being able to still train legs until I want to puke and end up on the floor for 10 minutes.
- I am grateful to have training sessions like the one I had today with John Meadows and Santana Anderson.
- I am grateful that I no longer need a four-inch riser on the toilet seat.
For many, many years I have felt that it is important to take time out of each day to think about some of the things in life we are grateful for. Maybe I will make this a regular part of my log.
