It should be noticeable because my left leg has always been the stronger and slightly bigger one.
I’m sure the best time for a pic would’ve been about 4 weeks ago when I first started intentionally loading my leg by just shifting my weight. That was when my leg hurt/ached from the atrophy.
Most likely yes, it has probably already gained back some size and fullness
Something fun to keep an eye out for: the shape of the muscle as it comes back.
You’re probably going to be fine judging on the picture, but when I broke my ankle years back my calf muscle atrophied quite a bit. Now that it’s all healed up, my calves are two completely different shapes!
Hopefully I don’t have that problem! I broke my fibula when I was 15 and they gave me some low lever level steroid to help my calf recover so I could walk normal.
Wish I could get my hands on something like that now! Why don’t they prescribe some HGH to speed up the recovery process?
WARM UP
15 min interval on the recumbent bike
MACHINE HIP ABDUCTION/ADDUCTION
70 x 20 x 2 sets
This smokes my adductors. They don’t get much work apparently. My legs started convulsing later during shrugs.
MACHINE LEG PRESS (L LEG)
80 x 100
Felt like I was going forever on this.
J ROPE PULL (mTor)
140 x 10
160 x 10
170 x 8 + 20 sec stretch
MACHINE GLUTE EXTENSION (DROP SET)
70 x 10
80 x 10
110 x 6/90 x 8/70 x 10
This might not be manly but it sure lit up my ass! No homo.
REAR DELT MACHINE (MYO)
100 x 10
110 x 10
120 x 10-3-3-3-2
SEATED DB SHRUG (R/P)
130 x 8
130 x 8
130 x 14-9-6
MACHINE CURL (mTor)
75 x 10
85 x 10
95 x 8 + 20 sec stretch
PHYS BALL LEG CURL
20, 15
STANDING CALF RAISE
BW x 10 x 2 (5 sec hold at top, 3 sec pause at bottom)
Woke at 221.0 lbs.
Yesterday’s Nutrition
2888 calories, 324g carbs, 86g fat, 205g protein.
I got way behind on food yesterday and never caught up. I have no meat cooked and only have a couple of minute steaks in the freezer anyway. It’s the end of our financial month and the fridge is bare. I drank two scoops of whey before and after my workout to get my protein yesterday. I’ll be lifting around 5pm again today when the gym is a mad house.
WARM UP
15 min interval covered 3.82 miles
LEG PRESS (R LEG) (MYO)
270 x 10
320 x 10
390 x 11-3-3-2
SMITH MACHINE OHP (5/3/1 R/P)
105 x 10
115 x 5
135 x 5
150 x 7-2-1 7 is 2 reps better than last time at this weight.
OH REP EXTENSION (mTor)
90 x 10
100 x 10
110 x 10 + 20 sec stretch
SPLIT SQUAT (L LEG)
BW x 25
40 sec iso hold in the bottom position to finish…and I collapsed at the end and had to take a moment before I could walk.
MACHINE FLY (MYO)
160 x 10
170 x 10
180 x 11-3-2
Did some crunches on some ab apparatus and took a peak at an isolated part of the gym that’s used for boot camp style classes. They have a loaded carry machine! I guess it loses some of the luster of real loaded carries since the weight can’t move side to side but it looks awesome.
Here’s a video of my myo rep set on leg press for @cdmac24. The ROM isn’t impressive but what can you do? It’s leg press. This is 390 lbs.
This thing is outrageous lol
Woke at 222.6 lbs.
Yesterday’s Nutrition
3736 calories, 329 carbs, 148 fat, 242g protein.
WARM UP
Elliptical interval for 16 minutes. 1:1 rest:work ratio. 1.35 miles.
DB ROW (R/P)
80 x 6
100 x 6
120 x 9-4-4 (left arm)
120 x 7-4-3-3 (right arm) 
LATERAL WALKS + MONSTER WALKS
3 x 15 steps each direction on both with a green band
NEUTRAL GRIP PULLUP DOWN (MYO)
140 x 10
160 x 10
180 x 15-3-3-2
SL HIP THRUST (SHOULDERS ON BENCH)
3 x 10 ea leg
4 WAY HIP MACHINE—EXTENSION (DROP SET)
205 x 10
235 x 10
265 x 6—250 x 8—235 x 10 (too light)
SEATED HAMMER SHRUG (MYO)
270 x 10 x 2
320 x 15-3-3-3-3-3
New hooks work great! My grip couldn’t limit me on these.
REAR DELT MACHINE (mTor)
70 x 10
80 x 10 + 20 sec iso hold
CARDIO
Elliptical round 2. 15 minute interval. 1:2 rest:work ratio.
Back to one of my old two hour sessions. I had to take the kids to the gym or I wasn’t training today. I enjoyed the time and now I’m starving. I’ve already eaten a huge salad and 400g of pasta, and a shake before that…back to the kitchen!
Woke at 222.? lbs. I forget.
Yesterday’s Nutrition
3676 calories, 418g carbs, 131g fat, 228g protein.
BD 5/3/1 W4 D5
WARM UP
Recumbent Elliptical 12 minute interval L5/L10
BENCH (5/3/1 R/P)
135 x 10
150 x 5
175 x 5
200 x 10-3-3 (2 better than last time but still a pathetic e1RM)
SEATED DB OHP (MYO)
45 x 10
50 x 10
55 x 10-3-2
SEATED LEG EXTENSION (mTor)
75R/50L x 10/10
85R/60L x 10/10
95R/70L x 9/10
REVERSE CABLE PRESS DOWN (MYO AND DROP SET)
150 x 10
160 x 8-3-2 (too heavy so I just went with it and called it my final set)
160 x 6/150 x 6/140 x 6 (didn’t feel a pump after the previous set so added this)
MACHINE CRUNCH (DROP SET)
110 x 10
125 x 10
140 x 6/125 x 8/110 x 10
Had PT at 0830. My brain is ready to move on but my hip is not. I did PT exercises for probably 40 minutes. Who the hell has time for that? That only covers my left leg/hip. I can get a solid full body session in that amount of time when I can do double leg movements. This sucks and I’m being very impatient.
I couldn’t run or squat with a load if I wanted right now. Part of me wishes the therapist could just tell me that I’m healed and any pain I have will go away. If that were the case then I could start pushing myself. I know it’ll take another 4-6 weeks AFTER I’m released to full training for me to get back to balanced lifting on squats, deads, and power cleans. I guess I should just mark my calendar for May 1st and hope I can feel normal by then. No reason worrying about it now.
Woke at 223.0 lbs… not bad after eating a medium pizza for dinner.
Yesterday’s Nutrition
3900 calories, 455g carbs, 138g fat, 219g protein.
I probably need to chill a bit on the food. I’ve been slightly over budget more and more often lately. I haven’t cared much because my goal is to be 222-223 consistently by March 1st and I feel like it’s been lagging behind a little. But there’s no way to play catch up in the nutrition game so I should stick to the plan…after this weekend. I’m headed to a cop wedding tomorrow and the reception is at Boulevard Brewing Company! Drinks will be had!
WARM UP
Elliptical Incline 7, Level 3 for 10 minutes. I think I covered .90 miles.
I don’t understand how I can do intervals on the elliptical and not go a mile in 10 minutes but if I used the recumbent elliptical then I cover 2 miles in the same time??? One of these things is not like the other…
DB ROW (MYO)
80 x 10
90 x 10
95 x 13-3-3-3-2
Right arm was weaker but I got the reps. My form had more body English and I had to rest a few extra seconds between micro sets.
SL LYING LEG CURL (mTor)
40 x 10
50 x 8
60 x 7
Reps and weight equal for each leg. Left leg is lagging but doing well.
NEUTRAL GRIP PULL DOWN (mTor)
120 x 10
140 x 10
160 x 10 + 20 sec stretch (used hooks for grip on this set)
VOYER SHRUG + REGULAR CABLE SHRUG
260 x 10 + 10
320 x 10 + 10 x 2 sets
MACHINE CURL (DROP SET)
80 x 10
90 x 8
100 x 6–80 x 4–50 x 8
That did not go as planned. I used the older machine and the resistance wasn’t the same. It was supposed to be a 6-8-10 drop set.
Overall another good session at 5am. I’ve been on my way out of the gym by 6:05am the last two days. I’m sure I’ll crash today but I feel good for now. I managed to get all of my sessions in this week and I don’t plan to lift tomorrow or Sunday. That will put me on Day 1 on Monday (like most people). I shouldn’t have any problem getting all of my sessions in again next week. I’ve had to force myself to take a day off lately.
My light duty assignment is changing next week. I am going to be assigned to Investigations which is where the Detectives work. I’ll be contacting the Gang/Felony Assault Lieutenant when I arrive and they’ll find something for me to do. I will probably be helping Detectives with cases and charging appointments. I’m sure I’ll be plenty busy so I don’t know how my day is going to go in regards to sneaking in a workout. I’ll be working at the City Building all four days of my work week so I’ll be really close to the gym.
Detectives work M-F 0800-1700 with an hour lunch break. I’ll be working Thurs-Sunday 0700-1700 with a half hour paid lunch break. I’m not sure if they’ll let me take an hour like everyone else or if I’ll have some freedom to do what I want. Detectives aren’t exactly micro managed. I’ve heard stories of them working on a few cases in the morning and then going to interview a victim or witness in the afternoon and pretty much calling it a day.
Regardless of whether I’m super busy or not, it will be a good opportunity to rub shoulders with Investigations staff. I make it a point to play nice with others. I’m not really a people pleaser but when it comes to being around supervisors who could have an impact on my career that’s exactly what I am. The Lieutenant to whom I’ll be reporting is also in charge of the Violent Crimes team that I want to join. Right now I’m 5th on the list and it is active until late this year. When someone leaves the unit and it’s time to add a new member they are required to go to the list and pick someone from the top 3. If the Lieutenant and/or other supervisors wanted to do so, they could actually pick two people and then pick me third because that’d move me into the top three for that selection. It never hurts to make friends in high places!
Sounding like life’s going your way Big J.
It never hurts to get to know people in our job. You might have a great CV, but if you don’t know anybody… You just don’t get the job. At least that’s how it is here.
Detectives and Violent Crimes division, that’s were I’ve been forever I think. best wishes for you to get it. And a cop’s party even a wedding is always great. Go have some fun.
Thanks, mort! It’s going to be a mini reunion with some of my Trooper buddies. I used to work for the Kansas Highway Patrol and these guys were my classmates at the Academy.
For the most part our Department seems to be fair when it comes to promotions and specialty units. However, if you piss off the wrong people then it will negatively affect you. There was one guy who got skipped EIGHT times on the list for our new Response Teams (they created one for violent crimes and one for narcotics). By the rules, they only have to select someone from the top 3 spots. They just kept selecting # 2 or # 3 until the unit was full and left him hanging out to dry. He’s a great cop but he’s rubbed too many people the wrong way so he was left out. It’s dumb but it’s good to learn from his mistakes LOL
I know all too well that the current sergeants and lieutenants could one day be a Deputy Chief or even the Chief. It seems that things go badly for the people that upset those folks. I lost a good Lt over a personal vendetta. She was accused of working a part-time (off duty) job while on duty. She was a supervisor and had a take-home car. She got into a pissing match with someone who eventually became a Deputy Chief. He opened an investigation on her and she got federally indicted for wire fraud. She was forced to take a plea deal and is no longer employed here. The alleged wire fraud was for e-mailing time sheets to her part-time employer!
We’ve had other people get caught working part-times while on duty and nothing happened to them. They didn’t even get demoted. Was it right? No. Was it worth a federal case? Fuck no!
Moral of the story–don’t piss off people in high places.
Woke at 225.0 lbs. I was 222 and change Saturday morning before we left for the wedding.
Weekend Nutrition
Who gives a ****!
Barbeque buffet for dinner at the wedding. 7 types of Boulevard on tap and free to us. I overate (no surprise there), but had a great time. Stayed up til about 2am after the reception hanging out with my friend and his wife who reside in Minnesota. I’m not sure when I’ll see them again so it was worth every second.
Back to real life today.
WARM UP
Recumbent Elliptical: 5 minutes at L4, 10 minute interval at L5/L10, 2 minute cool down.
SMITH SPLIT SQUAT (mTor)
bar (15 lbs) x 15 ea x 3 sets
All sets done with a 5 second eccentric. I did not go to failure and did not do a stretch/hold at the end. I will continue training both legs the same from this point forward which means no more pushing my right leg. I’ve decided leg press is not an option any more. I saw the angles in which it puts my hips in the video I made last week and I don’t like it. I feel a pop in my right hip every time I load up the sled. I have hip impingement; it’s not wise to work in any range of motion past 90 degrees.
INCLINE (MYO)
135 x 10
150 x 10
160 x 9-3-3-3-2
SEATED HAMMER BENCH (mTor)
90 x 6
70 x 8
80 x 10 + 20 sec stretch
It appears the loading is slightly different on the seated and lying versions of this machine.
CABLE LATERAL RAISE (mTor)
10 x 10
10 x 8 + 20 sec iso hold
MACHINE CRUNCH (21’s STYLE)
95 x 10B/10T/10 F x 2 sets
The split squats were tough and not enjoyable. My legs still feel a bit like jello so I guess dropping the weight and increasing time under tension isn’t the worst thing in the world.
My hip hurt this morning. I can’t really pinpoint the pain or what has caused it other than a couple of missteps. I haven’t done anything in the gym to hurt it. It’s been regular (stupid) things like loading my son in his car seat or that final step when I get into the car. I know I should avoid twisting on my leg but I’m not thinking about that every second of the day. It just happens. I feel normal outside of the gym so it’s not surprising that I step into my SUV like normal. Today it popped. It ached on the way to the gym but I feel great after my workout. I’m hoping it was just some scar tissue or other junk from the surgery. I never experienced a pop prior to the surgery so I can’t say that it’s indicative of the labrum being damaged
It seems that most of my rehab is just waiting. I’ve been doing work at my PT sessions but it’s stuff that would challenge my good leg because I never do. Isolating the hip abductors (mostly glute medius) is not part of 5/3/1 LOL! At PT I do reverse clams (spreading my legs against band resistance instead of squeezing a phys ball), lying straight-leg hip abduction with resistance, lateral band walks, monster walks, more walks. I’m going to struggle and feel the burn any day of the year with that kind of work. I don’t see it as an indicator that my leg hip needs a lot of work yet. I have noticed that the left hip is weaker than the right but I imagine that started long before surgery. My second MRI revealed muscle atrophy in the hip (hopefully due to the injury).
It seems that all I can do is wait… still. I’ll keep doing my lateral band work but I know that pushing things won’t result in any progress. I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I can’t really do anything until I’m released and I’m hoping that will be on March 13th.
Lol. You know de wae
Woke at 223.0 lbs.
Yesterday’s Nutrition
3228 calories, 392g carbs, 80g fat, 265g protein.
WARM UP
Recumbent Elliptical, 5 min L4, 10 min Interval L5/L12, 2 minute cool down
DB ROW (R/P)
90 x 6
105 x 6
130 x 6-3-2 (left arm)
130 x 6-2-2-1 (right arm)
Totally screwed up my own program today. Somehow my tabs got moved around and I was looking at my next cycle of this. I was supposed to do J Rope Pulls with mTor reps instead of these.
MACHINE GLUTE EXTENSION (DROP SET)
70 x 10
90 x 8
110 x 6–90 x 8–70 x 10
Feel the burn!
REAR DELT MACHINE (MYO)
110 x 10
120 x 10
130 x 7-3-3-2
SEATED DB SHRUG (R/P)
130 x 6 x 2 sets
130 x 12-8-6 with hooks
MACHINE CURL (mTor)
75 x 10
85 x 10
95 x 9 + 20 sec iso hold
My routine got thrown off today by some inclement weather. The roads are icy (the City was caught off guard and did nothing to treat them.) and my wife’s morning was canceled at work. The downside to that is her 4Runner is a P.O.S. on anything other than dry pavement so she wanted my Tahoe. I got to go to the gym but I had to cut it short. I didn’t do much rehab stuff like I’d planned but I’m not worried. Like I’ve said, all I’m doing is waiting for my labrum to heal anyway. I’ll do some reverse clams at home and call it good.
On a more exciting note, we’re considering buying a treadmill for my wife. Apparently running outside at 4am in the winter isn’t that fun. I think I’ve narrowed it down to the two Bowflex models. The T216 or the T116. Both are about 35% off this week. We’re hoping to go to the local Dick’s Sporting Goods so she can try them both out. The only difference between the two is 5 cushions vs 3 for shock absorption, 22" vs 20" for the belt width, 4.0 hp motor vs 3.75, and 400 lb weight rating vs 375 lbs. The price difference is $300. We need to figure out if the extra $300 is worth it.
We had an excess of nearly $3000 this month so we’ll still be able to put about $1000 into our savings account. Not a bad month at all.
Woke a 221.6 lbs.
Yesterday’s Nutrition
3035 calories, 325g carbs, 99g fat, 244g protein.
all measures goes up at the highest weight, except neck. And it looks like you put on almost all weight on the forearm.
Popeye 
That’s probably a typo from when I made the spreadsheet lol
My forearms have been 33 cm since I started tracking and I’ve been doing it for years.