T Nation

I Get Knocked Down - I Get Back Up Again

Over 35 Lifter
#1

Today is physical rock-bottom for me.

From a training point of view, I find myself in the worst place I have ever been in. I’ve trained consistently for more than 30 years and of course over that time I’ve had multiple set-backs and challenges to overcome – that’s just life.

I had hip replacement surgery for the second time 7 days ago – first one was 6 years ago – and I’m long past the stage of easy recovery from injuries.

So here I am. Haven’t trained at all for more than two months, which is possibly the longest break of my life. And the year before that was makeshift training at home with limited equipment due to gyms being closed. And now I’m recovering from a major surgery (recovery which required lots of comfort food and booze!) and I’m older than I’ve ever been.

Taken all together, right now it looks like a very long, hard road back.

But I am reminding myself: you only ever have to get up the same amount of times that you get knocked down. So I am getting up again, one more time. I’m setting myself very simple goals, and I’m going to focus on the process first and then the outputs.

Process:

Get out of bed every morning – if it’s a training day, train.

Today’s stats:

Age 53

Weight 97.3kg

Height 5’11”

Targets for 2021:

Squat: 70kg

OHP: 60kg

Bench: 90kg

Bodyweight: <90kg

5 Likes
#2

7 days post-op.
Today’s workout: 40 minute walk

1 Like
#3

good luck achieving your goals !

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#4

You got this dude!

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#5

And it most probably will be. But long hard roads are travelled as any other road - one step (even if they are frustratingly small) at the time - while trying to enjoy the process and not worry too much about where it leads.

Seems you have made yourself a set of realistic goals and are approaching this quite sensibly - the rest is “just” doing the work each day.

2 Likes
#6

Was the replacement the same hip or the other one?

#7

10 days post-op.
Today’s workout: 40 minute walk (and same for yesterday’s workout too)

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#8

The other hip. Fully bionic now!

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#9

Then you should be good to go.
You got this!

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#10

11 days post-op.
28 minutes’ walk - same distance, getting quicker. Still walking with crutches but only for balance-safety, not putting any weight on them at all.

2 Likes
#11

Just stopped in. As a guy with many replacement parts (NAPA, better than the original) can’t give you any great insightful advice except keep moving. It’s when you stop the parts tighten up. Since it’s the “other” hip this ain’t your first rodeo so you know what to do. If you can get in some water work. Walking in a pool is great for overall resistance.

1 Like
#12

20 days post-op.

Back in the gym today. Took it really slowly and carefully, just the walk there nearly finished me off, but it felt great to be there.

Overhead press with 15kg 'bells; some direct arm work.

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#13

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#14

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:Brilliant

#15

22 days post-op.
Did some light bench press and a few lat pulldowns. For legs, walked over and looked at the squat rack - twice. This is a great bro-split!

2 Likes
#16

Following along. Good luck with it mate. Good to see you are back in the gym.

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#17

24 days post-op.

More standing overhead press and direct arm work. Still using light weights and training upper body only, but starting to feel so good about this.
What catches a lot of people out when recovering from surgery, is that the surgery itself isn’t the low point. In the weeks after, as you lie around and recuperate, your muscles atrophy and your physical condition feels worse instead of better.
So what’s happening here, even with little baby gym sessions, is the direction of travel has been reversed. Now I feel like I am getting better every day instead of worse.
The sun’s shining, the sky is blue, my arms are shaking - it’s hard not to be optimistic today!

3 Likes
#18

Great news! Keep kicking ass!

#19

35 days post-op.

Back on the Peloton today. Did a 20 minute beginner’s class and took it really easy. Imagine my astonishment when I looked at the Leaderboard: 45,000 people have done that class, and I was in the top half for total output, with a measly 75KJ!
That blows my mind - half of the people who’ve ever done that class managed to get less out of it than a man in his fifties in his first cardio (or leg for that matter) session for five weeks??
Wtaf are people doing?

2 Likes
#20

They’re not all animals like you mate