...-LE

I was surfing youtube a bit since Polteg's blog yesterday tossed some videos out there I hadn't seen in a bit and came upon this gem. So in honor of Polteg's blog, I give you the Asshole Song:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTVpxxzb2Dc&feature=relmfu[/youtube]

I mentioned the other day that I plateaued again from a weight loss standpoint. I checked my weight again this morning and I'm down 2 pounds, so this might be a short-lived roadblock. Creeping ever closer to that magic "100" number, I should hit it by the end of the month for sure. I'm still hoping to be well below that mark come the 31st.

I've also had a bit of a scare the last couple weeks with my shoulder. I mentioned awhile back that it had been hurting, but I didn't go into detail as to how much it was hurting. Simply put: A lot. And it was hurting in exactly the wrong area too. I was talking with my trainer friend at the gym and ultimately when the pain was at its worst and I indicated exactly where it was, I wish I could describe the look on her face. It was not a happy look. It was not a happy feeling.

But the one thing I had going for me is I could tell that it wasn't an injury per se, just an aggravation. After 3 shoulder surgeries you develop the ability to diagnose just how bad something is in that area from experience. This had the potential to be bad, but it was fixable. Probably the best thing I could've done was to take a month off or so from lifting. HA, yeah right. But what I did need to do was remake my workout immediately.

And ironically, what I've wound up doing is exactly what I had set out to do when I first joined the gym. I dropped the poundage in all my lifts (even legs, to be consistent) significantly and increased the reps. I also cut my lifting days down to 4 a week from 5 for the last 3 weeks, taking Wednesday off from lifting (cardio only) to break up my split a little and give my shoulder a little more rest. I've also used enough ice to make Walt Disney jealous and consumed more ibuprofen than I think I can count.

Ego is a funny thing. Even when you don't think you have one, it can still sneak up on you. I had been steadily increasing the poundage in my lifts in what I thought was both a safe and necessary manner. But the sad truth is my body just can't handle those weights anymore. I have to accept it. In all fairness, if I had started off with a comparable weight when I first joined I wouldn't have gotten anywhere...I mean, I would have been using 20lb dumbbells for chest presses. Thats not going to do me any good. But I had somehow thought it was ok to set a goal of getting up to the 120lb dumbbells for presses (I had gotten to 75) before leveling off. Thats just not smart. So for example I dropped the weight in my flat presses down to 60 and hit 4 strong sets of 15 with them. The rest of my workout followed suit, and the results have been excellent.

First of all I'm feeling it far more than I was before. Yeah I was making gains, but at a cost. Plus this way will result in even more of a toning routine which is actually what I want. Second, now after making these adjustments and resting more the shoulder actually feels pretty good. Yeah its a little sore at points, but not aggravated like it was before.

And fortunately for me I've also fallen in with what seems to be a good crowd at the gym. Aside from the trainer there's several other guys there whose brains I pick for advice. These guys are all about form and light weight/high reps, and tbh they look outstanding. I've gotten plenty of advice from them as well, so now I feel a lot more confident in my routine. I've also learned (and I think in my head I've also accepted this) that I don't have to increase the poundage on my lifts at all, probably ever again. I'm working at what seem to be safe weights my body can handle, and there's enough resistance to give me the workout I'm looking for. If anything I may just work my reps up towards 20 if I ever get to feeling that the weight isn't enough.

So beginning next week I'm going back to lifting 5 days per week. Cutting that one day out has actually been pretty hard from a mental standpoint. Even though I'd still go in and do an hour on the treadmill I felt my workout for the week was lacking, incomplete. But thats just that pesky ego kicking in. Guys are funny like that. :)