Crystal Posted June 26, 2007 Share Posted June 26, 2007 (edited) Yay! Finally starting a training log here . My goals are to be able to maintain my health well enough to be able to continue to lift heavy weights, go rock climbing, and hiking (or other outdoorsy stuff in general). For those who don't know me (or don't know), I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and when it flares-up, I can't hardly move, let alone workout, go to school, work, etc. Right now I'm on some decent medications that keep things under some degree of control, but the new problem is that they supress my immune system, so I get sick all the time (I currently have a sinus infection ) and I have to get my blood checked all the time to monitor other bad side effects. I can't run at all anymore, and cycling is out as well. I can walk, swim, and use most low-impact cardio machines. I'm not supposed to lift as heavy as I once did, but that is harder to do So, with that in mind, and having taken the last 6 weeks off of training due to a Geology Field Class, I hit the gym again today for a nice "Welcome Back" session . 25 June 2007 - Monday Squat:4 x pistol squats10 x bar10 x 65 lbs10 x 95 lbs10 x 135 lbs - whoa, too much for first day back,10 x 95 lbs10 x 95 lbs SLDL: 5 x bar, mostly to stretch out hamstrings, paused at the bottom OH Press:10 x bar10 x bar10 x bar DB Bench:10 x 20s10 x 20s10 x 20s Didn't feel like much weight on my back, but boy where my muscles feeling it, my legs are even wobbly after that little bit! Oh well, gotta ease back into these thing . My plan is to do similar stuff like this all week, then next week start to up the weight and sets, and lower the reps in a standard 3-day split, and through in some more lifts. I'm keen on a good 'ol 5x5 routine, but I'm not entirely sure what the plan will be. I hope to rock climb once or twice a week, even if only at the local rock wall, and go hiking once a week because I've really got a feel for it after my geology class. Some days may be hiking and climbing combined, depends on where I go. Good times ahead! Edited July 15, 2007 by Crystal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MontanaVegan Posted June 26, 2007 Share Posted June 26, 2007 Welcome back Crystal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert Posted June 26, 2007 Share Posted June 26, 2007 Welcome back to Square 2 ! Nice to see you back. You are great! I hope you're feeling well soon and that everything is great. You are always so upbeat and fun to chat with so let's talk soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veganmomma Posted June 26, 2007 Share Posted June 26, 2007 Good luck with regaining your impressive strength. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunnylalu Posted June 26, 2007 Share Posted June 26, 2007 Hi Crystal!I'm very glad you are back and thanks for sharing a little about your situation! I have a similar situation with health problems and can really relate. I support your efforts to be healthy 100% and promise to keep up with your progress on this online journal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crystal Posted June 27, 2007 Author Share Posted June 27, 2007 Thanks all, its good to be back 26 June 2007 - TuesdayWent climbing at a rock wall in Juarez, Mexico last night for about an hour. Its nice there because its quick and easy to access, and free! Mostly worked on a roof problem set up under the stairs, but warmed-up on the traverse around the bottom of the tower. Good times, except my legs are SORE from Monday's squat session! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v389/vegancrystal/climbing/DSCF1923.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CollegeB Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 Crystal i read an article on the BBC they have found that echinacea can reduce symptoms of flu and cold and shorten the duration of illness. Supplementing with this stuff might help you out. Does eating things like pineapple and taking glucosamine help to reduce damage from the arthritis? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crystal Posted June 28, 2007 Author Share Posted June 28, 2007 Thanks for the advice CollegeB, I've been taking zinc and vitamin C, but no echinacea right now, I'll have to pick some up sometime soon and give it a whirl. As for the glucosamine, I only recently stopped taking it after about 6 months 'cause it didn't seem to do anything . 27 June 2007 - Wednesday Bench:10 x bar10 x 65 lbs10 x 75 lbs10 x 85 lbs10 x 85 lbs9 x 85 lbs Dips:3 x 5 x bw CGBP:10 x bar10 x 55 lbs10 x 65 lbs DB Hammer Curls:10 x 12.5s8 x 17.5s8 x 17.5s *stretching Phew, what a workout, this one really drained me and I was shaky the whole way through, welcome back to weights indeed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crystal Posted June 30, 2007 Author Share Posted June 30, 2007 29 June 2007 - Friday Deadlift:10 x 135 lbs10 x 155 lbs10 x 165 lbs10 x 175 lbs DB Shrugs:20 x 40s15 x 40s15 x 40s *stretching The gym closed early so skipped doing barbell bent rows (and had to stretch out in the hallway), but I'll make up for it with lots of climbing tomarrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crystal Posted July 2, 2007 Author Share Posted July 2, 2007 1 July 2007 - SundaySport Climbing today at a local State Park. Starting to feel like I'm getting in shape again, too . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crystal Posted July 4, 2007 Author Share Posted July 4, 2007 2 July 2007 - Monday Squat: 6 x pistol squats (ie. one leg sqts) 10 x bar 10 x 75 lbs 10 x 105 lbs 3 x 10 x 135 lbs SLDL: 10 x bar 10 x 65 lbs 10 x 75 lbs - all paused at the bottom Superset ofLeg Ext: 3 x 10 x 20 lbs Leg Curl: 3 x 10 x 20 lbs (both one leg at a time) Standing Calf: 3 x 15 x 200 lbs *stretching Not a bad day 3 July 2007 - Tuesday - Stupid gym is closed tomarrow for Independance Day, so moved my bench day to today. Bench: 10 x bar 10 x 65 lbs 10 x 85 lbs 3 x 4 x 95 lbs - curses! Was going for 3 x 6 Dips: 5 x bw 6 x bw 6 x bw Skull Crushers: 3 x 10 x 35 lbs DB Hammer Curls: 10 x 15s 8 x 17.5s 6 x 20s *light stretching (so sore from yesterday) Decent session, could have cranked out one or two more reps on the bench but I had no spotter as usual. Oh well, upward and onward! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crystal Posted July 4, 2007 Author Share Posted July 4, 2007 4 July 2007 - Wednesday - Happy Independance Day Everyone!~3 hours of hiking in the Franklin Mountains. I was planning on more, but my legs were still sore and my cardio sucks! Next week I'll try to go a little further a little faster View of how far I made it (road in distance is ~where I started):http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v389/vegancrystal/Hiking%20et-al/DSCF0009.jpg View of northwest El Paso, with cool cloud + shadow:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v389/vegancrystal/Hiking%20et-al/DSCF0010.jpg And it wouldn't be a good hike without a cool critter shot:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v389/vegancrystal/Hiking%20et-al/DSCF0023.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offense74 Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 It looks beautiful there! I will have to travel to Texas sometime in the future.Gotta love the lizard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunnylalu Posted July 5, 2007 Share Posted July 5, 2007 Great photos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veganitaliana Posted July 6, 2007 Share Posted July 6, 2007 Wow, sorry to hear about your arthritis. Do you find that exercise helps the condition or hurts? I hope it helps. Ciao Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crystal Posted July 9, 2007 Author Share Posted July 9, 2007 Hey VI: exercise definatly helps! Keeps things mobile. If I sit in one place to long, I stiffen up all over and its hard to get going again. 6 July 2007 - FridayWent bouldering out at Pena Blanca, from 6 p.m. until just before midnight. Night climbing is fun . Here is a video (before it got dark out) of me climbing a problem called "The Shield". V0, the crux is at the top and I have yet to top this one out:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4ZOA7JggYwYes, feel free to laugh at my friend who tilted the camera on its side towards the end . And then of course there was a rattle snake in the path on the way back to our cars:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v389/vegancrystal/Critters/PenaSnake.jpg 7 July 2007 - Saturday DL: (wahoo! I deadlifts)10 x 135 lbs10 x 155 lbs10 x 165 lbs10 x 175 lbs10 x 185 lbs BB Bent Rows:10 x bar10 x 65 lbs10 x 75 lbs DB Shrugs:3 x 20 x 35s *stretching Good to be in the gym, but my hands are raw from climbing! Makes it painful to grip the bar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunnylalu Posted July 9, 2007 Share Posted July 9, 2007 Here is a video (before it got dark out) of me climbing a problem called "The Shield". V0, the crux is at the top and I have yet to top this one out:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4ZOA7JggYw. Good show! Are those tattoos on your arms or just dirt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veganmomma Posted July 10, 2007 Share Posted July 10, 2007 6 July 2007 - FridayWent bouldering out at Pena Blanca, from 6 p.m. until just before midnight. Night climbing is fun . Here is a video (before it got dark out) of me climbing a problem called "The Shield". V0, the crux is at the top and I have yet to top this one out:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4ZOA7JggYwI could never rock climb. I would fall flat on my arse. 7 July 2007 - SaturdayDL: (wahoo! I deadlifts)Who doesn't? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veganitaliana Posted July 10, 2007 Share Posted July 10, 2007 Cool rattlesnake! You gotta respect them, that's for sure. The few times I've tried climbing I loved it! I really should do it more often. Ciao Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crystal Posted July 10, 2007 Author Share Posted July 10, 2007 Are those tattoos on your arms or just dirt? Its a tattoo! D'oh, stupid low-quality video. @VM: I fall on my arse all the time, that's what crash-pads are for! 9 July 2007 - Monday Squat:6 x pistol sqts10 x bar10 x 95 lbs10 x 135 lbs10 x 155 lbs10 x 155 lbs8 x 155 lbs SLDL:10 x bar10 x 75 lbs10 x 95 lbsAll with pauses at the bottom, such a good stretch! Superset of:Leg Ext: 3 x 10 x 25 lbs - one leg at a timeLeg Curl: 3 x 10 x 25 lbs - also one leg at a time Standing Calf:3 x 15 x 220 lbs *stretching Darn, couldn't quite finish out the last 2 reps on squat, it dropped to the pins on my 9th rep like there was a magnet pulling it down or something! Oh well, its about time I started dropping reps and upping weight a little anyway . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veganmomma Posted July 10, 2007 Share Posted July 10, 2007 @VM: I fall on my arse all the time, that's what crash-pads are for!I'm challenged. I'd probably fall on my head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crystal Posted July 10, 2007 Author Share Posted July 10, 2007 Hee, hee, that's what the spotters are for Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crystal Posted July 11, 2007 Author Share Posted July 11, 2007 10 July 2007 - Tuesday Bench:10 x bar10 x 75 lbs10 x 85 lbs5 x 95 lbs5 x 95 lbs3 x 100 lbs Dips:3 x 8 x bw Rope Tricep:10 x 50 lbs - easy10 x 60 lbs - hum, still easy10 x 70 lbs - starting to feel it!Drop down set from 100 lbs to 30 lbs (in 10 lbs increments) - ouch! DB Hammer Curl:10 x 17.5s10 x 17.5s4 x 20s - d'oh! *light stretching I've been having a lot of fun at the gym lately, hope it keeps up . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crystal Posted July 15, 2007 Author Share Posted July 15, 2007 13 July 2007 - FridayWee bit of climbing today. Really just exploring a new route that recently re-opened in the mountains in town. It was a hot day so didn't get very far 14 July 2007 - Saturday DL:10 x 135 lbs10 x 165 lbs10 x 185 lbs3 x 8 x 205 lbs BB Bent Rows:10 x bar10 x 65 lbs8 x 85 lbs DB Shrugs:20 x 35s20 x 40s20 x 40s *stretching Was going to get out early this Sunday morning for a bit of hiking, but didn't sleep to great Saturday night (must be the heat), so ended up sleeping in until it was too hot to go out . Oh well, this is El Paso's off season for that sort of stuff anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crystal Posted July 18, 2007 Author Share Posted July 18, 2007 17 July 2007 - Tuesday Squats:6 x pistol sqts10 x bar10 x 95 lbs10 x 135 lbs8 x 165 lbs6 x 165 lbs 7 x 165 lbs - hum, so much for 8 reps on those last three sets there Overloads/Rack Walk-outs:10 sec x 185 lbs10 sec x 225 lbs10 sec x 275 lbs10 sec x 315 lbs - crushes SO good SLDL:10 x bar10 x 95 lbs10 x 115 lbs Superset of:Leg Ext: 3 x 10 x 30 lbsLeg Curl: 3 x 10 x 30 lbsAs always with these, I work one leg at a time, right leg is finally starting to catch up to the left Standing Calf:3 x 15 x 240 lbs *stretching Legs felt weak during the squats, but that's okay. Its getting better all the time Oh, also did 1 hour 40 minutes of walking Monday around the mountains in town. Good times Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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