(I'm really on a roll with the corny subject lines...)
So, I went to the chiropractor. After much poking and prodding and reaching and pulling and massaging, it was determined that my rotator cuff is perfectly peachy and that my discs are superbly situated. As it turns out, I have what is called Radial Nerve Entrapment. Which is a super doctor-y way to say that a nerve that runs through my whole arm is being compressed at certain points along my arm. Which is great because there is a stretch I can do that helps relieve the pain, and it means I can continue my work out program. But it's also bad because it hurts. A lot. Less now that I'm stretching the nerve, but after a busy day at work I'm definitely feeling a little sore in my elbow and fingers.
I decided to hold off on any workout until the pain was being managed, just to make sure everything is improving. On Saturday I'll start back with squats and deadlifts (nothing that actively engages the shoulder muscles) as long as the pain, numbness, and grip weakness remain at bay. (It's weird to not realize that you've lost some feeling in your arm until someone runs and test and you're astounded to find out that you occasionally weren't sure if you felt something because you actually felt it or because you knew you should feel it. Kind of like when I got glasses and suddenly I was seeing whole people I didn't know had been there!) Then, I will slowly starting adding the upper body work back into my workout the following week or so. The goal is that I should be all better by then, but if not I will better be able to pinpoint the movements that are causing the trouble.
So yay! Until then, I can always work on making sure I have a complete understanding of proper form...which is much more complicated than you would at first believe...
a simple blog for simple people
Monday, January 20, 2014
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Weight lifting is a real pain in the...
...shoulder.
Ah. Shoulders.
Something like 8 years ago I went into a chiropractor with severe shoulder pain that I learned was likely caused by playing a guitar that was too large for me and my weak rotator cuff muscles. I've had minor issues here and there with that shoulder, but it's never been too bad.
Until I started lifting weights.
What originated as general soreness has turned into terrible pain my my right shoulder and shoulder blade, and radiating down into my elbow and wrist. Which means I have to stop for now, and see a doctor to get a better idea of what is going on in my shoulder. (Thankfully, it has only been in my right shoulder.)
While I am confident that my form needs to be improved upon (something I am striving to do) since I am a n00b, my history would suggest that there may be other underlying issues that need to be addressed first. Perfect form isn't going to matter if there is something physiologically wrong in that shoulder. I mean...if my form were the only culprit, I think I'd be experiencing the pain and grinding in both shoulders and not just my right. I didn't mention the grinding did I? Yeah, it's fun. Anyway...
This is really disappointing for me. I was really enjoying my workouts. But, it's important to get this checked out, otherwise I could end up doing some real damage. My hope is that this will only be a short detour and the doctor will give me the go ahead to keep lifting weights in the near future.
Ah. Shoulders.
Something like 8 years ago I went into a chiropractor with severe shoulder pain that I learned was likely caused by playing a guitar that was too large for me and my weak rotator cuff muscles. I've had minor issues here and there with that shoulder, but it's never been too bad.
Until I started lifting weights.
What originated as general soreness has turned into terrible pain my my right shoulder and shoulder blade, and radiating down into my elbow and wrist. Which means I have to stop for now, and see a doctor to get a better idea of what is going on in my shoulder. (Thankfully, it has only been in my right shoulder.)
While I am confident that my form needs to be improved upon (something I am striving to do) since I am a n00b, my history would suggest that there may be other underlying issues that need to be addressed first. Perfect form isn't going to matter if there is something physiologically wrong in that shoulder. I mean...if my form were the only culprit, I think I'd be experiencing the pain and grinding in both shoulders and not just my right. I didn't mention the grinding did I? Yeah, it's fun. Anyway...
This is really disappointing for me. I was really enjoying my workouts. But, it's important to get this checked out, otherwise I could end up doing some real damage. My hope is that this will only be a short detour and the doctor will give me the go ahead to keep lifting weights in the near future.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
I'm gonna pump me up.
Once upon a time I was a really active kid. I rode horses, I danced, I climbed trees. I may not have been strong, but I had a body that worked and worked well.
Fast forward fifteen years to a 26-year-old wife and mother who, aside from her average-American-sedentary-life, has a chronic disease that causes muscle wasting. Put those things together and you have a tragically, pathetically, ridiculously weak person who struggles to pick up her 28lb preschooler--also someone who is sick and tired of being sick and tired and weak.
But I hated to exercise. Like, every fiber in my body hates those traditional cardio workouts like running or elliptical-ing. Like, I would rather eat an oatmeal stuffed onion dipped in dirt. But conventional wisdom says that you have to do some form of cardio exercise or you lose forever. So I tried some things. And promptly said, "never again."
That's when my husband showed me an article about a gal named Staci. This Staci was lifting weights, and not the pink 5lb dumbells that every Women's Magazine says are just perfect for me. She was lifting hundreds of pounds! And she was not like one of those lady body builders that look like they eat nails for breakfast. (I mean, to each his own but they are a little bit scary.) But, I was dubious. So for a year I continued to do nothing.
Then David found a new weight lifting program that consists of two workouts with three exercises each. It starts you at the very lightest you can go and with every workout you add 5lbs until you can add no more. Than you do some math and start over again, but this time not at the very lightest. (I'm not really sure how that part works yet, since neither of us have "stalled" yet.) And because I was finally determined to get into shape, and then gave me a starting place...I started.
I, who has never been able to do a pull up or push up or any other kind of "up," have started to lift weights, and my goal is to lift heavy.
It's been one week. Three workouts.
I started with a 10lb bar (someday I'm going to use that 45lb bar that David uses...) and have progressed with every workout. Here's a breakdown!
Workout A - Week 1
Squats. I couldn't do the squats with a 10lb bar, so I just did body weight squats. Turns out, a proper squat is really hard because DO YOU KNOW HOW FAR DOWN YOU HAVE TO GO OMG? . So I did: Body weight x 5 x 5. (You wanna learn something? You track your progress like this: weight x sets x reps. So, now you'll know what I'm talking about for the next few paragraphs!)
Bench Press. 10 x 5 x 5.
Barbell Row. 10 x 5 x 5.
And I felt amazing! I loved it! My muscles were gloriously tired and I was hella sore the next day. (I'll give you a moment to facepalm my use of the word "hella" which I think is a hilarious word. Much like "totes" and "cray cray.")
So, because I needed David to help me learnt the next workout, and he wouldn't have time for five days, I went ahead and did the same workout again a few days later.
Squats: 5 x 5 x 5 (I managed to add a weight plate to my workout so yay!)
Bench Press: 15 x 5 x 5
Barbell Row: 15 x 5 x 5
I just finished Workout B...and it's a killer! Whew. Man. But I feel great and I can feel lit-trally every muscle in my body.
Workout B - Week 2
Squats. 10 x 5 x 5. I used my little bar this time! So hurray!
Overhead Press. 10 x 5 x 5.
Deadlift. 60 x 1 x 5. With this exercise you lift considerably more than any other, but you don't lift it nearly as many times. That one is...wow.
So. I did it! I started! And I like it. A lot. It feels good.
But now I am tired. (Imagine me saying that like "Ah am tarrrrrred," because that's how I say it.)
Fast forward fifteen years to a 26-year-old wife and mother who, aside from her average-American-sedentary-life, has a chronic disease that causes muscle wasting. Put those things together and you have a tragically, pathetically, ridiculously weak person who struggles to pick up her 28lb preschooler--also someone who is sick and tired of being sick and tired and weak.
But I hated to exercise. Like, every fiber in my body hates those traditional cardio workouts like running or elliptical-ing. Like, I would rather eat an oatmeal stuffed onion dipped in dirt. But conventional wisdom says that you have to do some form of cardio exercise or you lose forever. So I tried some things. And promptly said, "never again."
That's when my husband showed me an article about a gal named Staci. This Staci was lifting weights, and not the pink 5lb dumbells that every Women's Magazine says are just perfect for me. She was lifting hundreds of pounds! And she was not like one of those lady body builders that look like they eat nails for breakfast. (I mean, to each his own but they are a little bit scary.) But, I was dubious. So for a year I continued to do nothing.
Then David found a new weight lifting program that consists of two workouts with three exercises each. It starts you at the very lightest you can go and with every workout you add 5lbs until you can add no more. Than you do some math and start over again, but this time not at the very lightest. (I'm not really sure how that part works yet, since neither of us have "stalled" yet.) And because I was finally determined to get into shape, and then gave me a starting place...I started.
I, who has never been able to do a pull up or push up or any other kind of "up," have started to lift weights, and my goal is to lift heavy.
It's been one week. Three workouts.
I started with a 10lb bar (someday I'm going to use that 45lb bar that David uses...) and have progressed with every workout. Here's a breakdown!
Workout A - Week 1
Squats. I couldn't do the squats with a 10lb bar, so I just did body weight squats. Turns out, a proper squat is really hard because DO YOU KNOW HOW FAR DOWN YOU HAVE TO GO OMG? . So I did: Body weight x 5 x 5. (You wanna learn something? You track your progress like this: weight x sets x reps. So, now you'll know what I'm talking about for the next few paragraphs!)
Bench Press. 10 x 5 x 5.
Barbell Row. 10 x 5 x 5.
And I felt amazing! I loved it! My muscles were gloriously tired and I was hella sore the next day. (I'll give you a moment to facepalm my use of the word "hella" which I think is a hilarious word. Much like "totes" and "cray cray.")
So, because I needed David to help me learnt the next workout, and he wouldn't have time for five days, I went ahead and did the same workout again a few days later.
Squats: 5 x 5 x 5 (I managed to add a weight plate to my workout so yay!)
Bench Press: 15 x 5 x 5
Barbell Row: 15 x 5 x 5
I just finished Workout B...and it's a killer! Whew. Man. But I feel great and I can feel lit-trally every muscle in my body.
Workout B - Week 2
Squats. 10 x 5 x 5. I used my little bar this time! So hurray!
Overhead Press. 10 x 5 x 5.
Deadlift. 60 x 1 x 5. With this exercise you lift considerably more than any other, but you don't lift it nearly as many times. That one is...wow.
So. I did it! I started! And I like it. A lot. It feels good.
But now I am tired. (Imagine me saying that like "Ah am tarrrrrred," because that's how I say it.)
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