Yeah, they had to make some tweaks, but finally won FDA approval this year.
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My main frustration is that one eye has been ‘corrected’ (cannot progress further), while the other eye is continuing to progress. I work as a private consultant for government agencies and understand their grueling process. The disorder isn’t life threatening, and I’m thankful for that (right @EyeDentist, I can’t die, can I?!) I know that I will be able to have the procedure at some point in the near future <5 years. However, my vision is dependent on hard contacts that have a daily useful life of ~12-14 hours. Currently, I can get around ok at night with my one ‘useful’ eye, watch tv, etc. But, if it progresses much more, I’ll be limited to audio books and running into walls after 9PM. Up until, about 2 years ago, I could still read with only my right eye open, now I can hardly read a text on my phone; I usually just ask siri to read it to me.
Edit in bold.
Now we await insurance companies’ recognition and coverage.
Keratoconus is only fatal if/when advanced, untreated pts decide now is a good time to run with the bulls of Pamplona. 
There’s always corneal transplantion. KCN pts often get fantastic results with the new anterior lamellar (ie, partial-thickness) transplant procedures. These procedures tend to have both better visual outcomes and fewer complications than the older, full-thickness version.
I’m ignorant on this option, but my initial understanding was the transplant lasts 15 years, and any subsequent transplants are 8-10. All this is contingent on your body accepting the transplant. Is this outdated info?
The feared complication of corneal transplantation is endothelial rejection. The endothelial layer of the cornea is its innermost layer; ie, the layer closest to the center of the eye. In the deep anterior-lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) transplant procedure, the endothelial layer is not transplanted, thus obviating the possibility of endothelial rejection. This is one of the main reasons DALK is rapidly becoming the preferred procedure for KCN.
I don’t know if there have have been any large-scale studies on graft survival after DALK, but I am confident the rate is higher than that of full-thickness transplantation (aka penetrating keratoplasty, PK).
I was reading your section on training on a purely aesthetic level, and that is what I am most interested in. Training to essentially look REALLY good without a shirt on. I am wondering how you would go about training for that as the main goal. I have run strength programs up to this point and have gotten strong, and from the waist down you might be able to tell I lift, but as is seemingly the case my upper body is lacking. I want to train for pure aesthetics and would love your opinion given your physique and training knowledge. I would really appreciate it!
Didn’t you just post about not being able to incline press 40kg for 5x10? You are not strong. In fact, you are very weak.
I am not sure what you are talking about, my current lifts are 330x3 squat, 415x1 deadlift and 195 bench. So I am not sure what the hell you are talking about
Happy to help, @pitbull97. Most of my thoughts in this regard are laid out in the thread. Do you have a specific question that I don’t cover?
Ok, so you talk about for aesthetics the basic needs seemingly, you need abs and then talk about the need to look broad. Under that you mention developing the upper chest and the lateral delts my question to you specifically would be how would you go about developing a program to emphasize growing these areas. My primary goal, like I stated, is to get that broad-shoulder, tight waist look, and I could be overcomplicating here, but i a do not know of any specific programs that attack this goal. Upon reading this thread and then seeing how you actually talk about aesthetics, just want to know what one would do, training wise, to achieve that goal, the aesthetic look. Thank you very much, I truly appreciate your feedback in general.
How many days/week do you want to train? Also, do you work out at a commercial gym, or at home (and if at home, what sort of equipment do you have available)?
5 days would be perfect, but really I am willing to workout however many days. In regards to the second question, I train at a college gym, so there is like a power room with the power racks and deadlift platforms and then the main gym itself with various machines and dumbells resembling more of that of a commercial gym.
OK cool. Gimme a little time and I’ll pull some thoughts together for you.
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Thank you very much!
OK, here’s what I’m thinking. Aesthetics requires a ‘broad beam’ and a tight waist. Thus, you want to prioritize delts, upper chest, and abs. Given that recovery abilities are a limiting factor, everything else will be put on the back burner–not ignored, just not as emphasized. So, on a 5-day split, that means doing delts and upper chest twice, abs 3-5 times, and everything else once.
Note 1: Delts are a complicated muscle, with multiple heads requiring work from different angles. Thus, the two delt days will emphasize different exercises.
Note 2: To spare your tendons, I have divided the upper-body days into those involving the biceps (Pull movements) and those involving the triceps (Push movements).
Note 3: Since you want to lift 5 days/week, I’m assuming you want weekends off, so I’ve structured the workout to be done M-F.
Day 1: Push Shoulders; Upper Chest
Exercise 1: Unilateral cable laterals. Perform these with the pulley at about knee-height, and the cable running across your lower thighs to the hand opposite the pulley. Grasp the cable directly–no handle–with the back of your hand facing the same direction as your body. Keep your arm straight (or nearly so) throughout the movement, and abduct your arm until it is roughly horizontal (ie, parallel to the floor). The pinky side of your hand leads the motion. Do 4 sets of 15-25 reps on each side. Don’t go to failure; leave several reps in the tank. Rest 30-60 seconds between sets (as in do your right side, immediately do your left side, then rest 30-60 seconds). This is an ‘activation’ exercise, and should leave you pumped but not exhausted.
Exercise 2: Shoulder press. Perform any way you like–seated, standing, barbell, DBs, machine; I don’t care. 4 sets of 8-12 reps done in reverse-pyramid fashion (ie, start with the heaviest weight you can use within the given rep-range, and drop the weight from set to set as needed to stay in that range). Do a couple of warm-up/feeler sets, then jump to the heaviest weight you can use that will still allow you to get 8-12 solid, good-form reps. Each set should approach positive failure–stop when you fail, or when you know you can’t get another rep. Don’t lock out at the top–keep constant tension on the delts. Rest 2 minutes between sets. Remember, lower the weight as needed to stay in the 8-12 rep-range. On the last set, employ some form of intensification technique–forced reps, rest-pause, drops, etc.
Exercise 3: Rear delts. Perform these on a reverse pec-deck machine. 4 sets of 15-25 reps. Each set approaches positive failure. Use the same weight throughout. Rest 1-2 minutes between sets. Employ an intensification technique on the final set.
Exercise 4: 60 degree incline press. Like the shoulder press, these can be performed with DBs, barbell, machine, whatever. Warm up as needed, then reverse-pyramid 6 hard sets of 8-12 reps. Also like the shoulder press, don’t lock out at the top.
Day 2: Pull Back; Biceps
For Back, three exercises of your choice, 4 sets each. All involve ‘pulling’ with the arms (ie, no pullovers or straight-arm pushdowns).
Exercise 1: Activation. Done as above. Limit the ROM to the contracted third.
Exercise 2: Reverse pyramid heavy work. 4 sets with 2 min breaks, intensification on the last set. Limit the ROM to the middle 3/5th or so.
Exercise 3: Stretching movement. 4 sets, fairly light weight/high reps, focusing on the stretched position. No intensification.
Exercise 4: Curls. DBs, barbell, cable, machine–doesn’t matter. One exercise, 4-6 sets in the 10-15 rep range. Intensification technique on the last set is optional.
Day 3: Legs
Do your thing, but limit upper-body involvement (eg, no Zercher squats; no heavy RDLs, etc).
Day 4: Push Chest; Triceps
For Chest, three exercises, 4 sets each. All involve ‘pushing’ with the arms (ie, no flies, DB or otherwise).
Exercise 1: 60 degree DB inclines. An activation exercise, done as above. Limit the ROM to the top half (ie, don’t stretch), but don’t lock out. 4 sets of 15-25 reps, staying 2-3 reps short of failure.
Exercise 2: 30 degree barbell incline press. 4 sets with 2 min breaks, intensification on the last set. Keep the ROM in the middle 3/5th or so–no locking out, no deep stretch.
Exercise 3: 30 degree decline guillotine press. Best to have a spot for these so you don’t kill yourself. 4 sets, fairly light weight/high reps, focusing on the stretched position. No intensification.
Exercise 4: Triceps. DBs, barbell, cable, machine–doesn’t matter. One exercise, 4-6 sets in the 10-15 rep range. Intensification technique on the last set is optional.
Day 5: Pull Shoulders; Forearms
Exercise 1: DB laterals. Do 4 sets of 15-25 reps, leaving several reps in the tank. Rest 30-60 seconds between sets. This is an ‘activation’ exercise.
Exercise 2: Wide-grip upright rows. Can be performed with a bar, DBs, or cable. 4 sets of 8-12 reps, reverse-pyramid fashion. Rest 2 minutes between sets. On the last set, employ some form of intensification technique.
Exercise 3: Rear-delt face-pulls. 4 sets of 15-25 reps. Each set approaches positive failure. Use the same weight throughout. Rest 1-2 minutes between sets. Employ an intensification technique on the final set.
Exercise(s) 4/5: Forearms. Do whatever you’d like–maybe 4 sets of hammer curls and 4 sets of forearm curls; wrist rollers; etc.
Abs
For physique purposes, the only abdominal-wall muscle we want to develop is the rectus abdominis—the ‘six pack.’ The rectus muscle originates at the hip bone, and inserts on the lower ribs. So, when this muscle contracts, all it does is pull the rib cage closer to the hip bone (by flexing the lumbar spine). Thus, when we set out to work this muscle, that’s all we want to do—try and touch the lower margin of the rib cage to the pelvis. We do not want to flex at the hips; ie, change the angle between the legs and the abdomen. (So no sit-ups, and no leg raises!) In fact, we want to put ourselves in a position such that the legs are completely removed from the movement. To accomplish this, you will do crunches, but in a specific manner…
Place a flat bench lengthwise near a wall. Lie on the bench with your butt ~24 inches from the wall, and your legs extended with your feet resting up on the wall. (This position completely eliminates the quads from assisting in the movement.) Cross your arms over your chest, tuck your chin a little, then try and touch the lower margin of your rib cage to your hip bones (it is a very short ROM). After you have gotten as close as you can, lower yourself halfway back (ie, do not let your shoulders touch down), then crunch again. And again. And again…Each rep, think about trying to touch your ribs to your hip bones.
- Work abs 5-or-so days/week. (Every other day is a good start.)
- Go for time, not reps. Start by doing as many crunches as possible in 5 minutes. (Time yourself with a wristwatch that has a stopwatch function.) Don’t worry if you can’t go 5 min straight–pause as needed, then get back to it. But the ultimate goal is to be able to go 5 minutes without pausing once.
OK, those are my thoughts. Hope they help you reach your goals.
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That was really nice of you to do!
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Wow, this is absolutely amazing! I can’t wait to get going on this. I am very grateful for you taking the time to do this, thank you very much again!
I have no idea what else to say but thank you for this, I know it is redundant but just want to make sure i get across the appreciation here for it.
Thank you!
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Haha, wrong poster. My bad.
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