TnT's Forward Momentum!

Wow, it’s been more than a decade since I’ve logged here, and LOTS has happened. I’ma keep the backstory kinda-sorta brief but may add to it as I progress.

I want to use this log as an introduction to y’all, my online friends, where hopefully we’ll chat and debate, share and challenge each other, each leaving from the interaction a little better than we arrived. Oh yeah, I’m gonna log my exercising, too! If you just want to see the weights, skip down :slight_smile:

Here’s the nutshell of my background. When I was 20, I hit my head and ended up in a coma. Traumatic brain injuries are no joke. College came to a screeching halt, and my life itself nearly did, too. But for the grace of God, the brain hemorrhaging I experienced would’ve killed me. And should’ve, but I was the literal one out of one hundred to survive brain trauma of the magnitude I suffered.

The brain injury left me reeling from waves of negative aftershocks, among them disabling vertigo. An ENT specialist informed me hiking uphill cures certain types of vertigo; a year of hiking five to six times a week, and the vertigo was defeated.

Fast forward four years, and I’m healing and getting life back on track. I re-enrolled at the local university and, among my classes, took a series of wilderness skills courses taught by retired Air Force Pararescuemen (PJs) which they used to teach at the uni’s Emergency Medical Services academy. Because I was hiking and backpacking frequently, the wilderness skills courses - survival, emergency medicine, and land navigation - were a perfect fit.

In May 2002, during the field final for land navigation/orienteering, an approximately 600-pound boulder broke out under me as I was stepping off a rock face to a lower boulder. I fell down, and the chunk fell on my leg and foot, shattering six different bones, leaving my tibia, fibula, and several metatarsals in bits and pieces . The boulder folded my foot to my knee from the middle of my shin.

The fact I was with retired PJs who had nearly a century’ of combined experience among them literally saved my leg from having to be amputated. They were able to free me from the boulder and, through a series of spectacular “coincidences”, got me to the state’s level 1 trauma center in just a few hours, enough to save my leg.

My leg stayed broken for SIX YEARS and required two reconstructions. However, thanks to the PJ’s skill and care - and God’s grace at having them literally a few minutes from the accident site - the boulder didn’t pin me on the mountainside for hours or days and my leg didn’t have to be cut off. In fact, my leg was crushed the same summer Aron Ralston cut his arm off after getting trapped while rock climbing.

So here I am today. I’ve had massive setbacks and still suffer some effects from the two injuries, but I was able to return to school and finish two degrees, a bachelor’s of journalism and a Juris Doctor (law school.) Physically, I can perform nearly every lift except heavy Olympic lifts, and I even jog, albeit slowly. Moreover, I was saved from a life of disability and crushing loss and I’ve witnessed in my own body Jesus’ healing love and power.

I hope you made it through my essay! Again, my desire with this log is to not simply post weights but to further the great community this site and its regular posters have created. Please feel free to chat, question, argue (respectfully), and be the wonderful people y’all are! As you’ve gathered, I’m a follower of Jesus, flawed as I am, which is who He wants. Even though not everyone here has the same faith, do feel welcome to post!

Onto my friend list. I’ll update as I remember others and make new friends. Y’all can tag others too, as the desire arises.
@losthog @mortdk @train4pain @chonglorduno @simo74 @chickenlittle @MarkKO @littlesleeper @Frank_C @Spock81

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@planetcybertron @I_Luc @flappinit

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Current goals (with my limited equipment) updated 08/1/19:

  • Back squat 275 x 20 (and not barf)
  • Weighted pushups 100 x 5+
  • Flat dumbbell bench press 100 x 10
  • Deficit deadlift 275 x 20 or 3 x 10
  • Single dumbbell clean/press 100 x 1+
  • More towel pullups than I currently do
  • Run 2 consecutive miles in 18:00
  • Ruck 8 miles w/ 35lb pack in 2 hours

I do an equal amount of pulling with my pushing to maintain symmetrical strength. I’m currently using a beginner’s template @MarkKO posted on a thread a few years ago. Three full-body workouts each week, plus my usual daily activities, seem to be optimal for my recovery.

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First session!

Sunday, Oct. 14, 2018

1-arm dumbbell OHP

  • 30 x 10
  • 35 x 7
  • 45 x 5
  • 45 x 5
  • 45 x 6

Front squats

  • 65 x 10
  • 95 x 7
  • 115 x 5
  • 125 x 5
  • 135 x 6
  • 135 x 8 (back squats)

Barbell rows

  • 115 x 8
  • 125 x 8
  • 135 x 8
  • 145 x 8
  • 155 x 8

Single-leg calf raises w/ dumbbell

  • 10 x 11
  • 10 x 11
  • 10 x 12

Supersetted with

Twisting dumbbell curls

  • 3 x 25 x 45 (Paul Carter’s 350 method)

This was a little session when dead tired to remind my muscles they’re still needed!

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Monday, Oct. 15, 2018

1.5 hours weeding, wheelbarrowing, and filling in backyard holes.

In, and then some. Hell of a comeback (x2) story. Thanks for the tag.

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Hey TnT that’s one heck of a story to tell the grandchildren at some point.
I’m in

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So the TL;DR of your life is:

Universe tries to kill you. You tell it to fuck off. Universe admits defeat.

Right on.

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I’m deff in for this and will be happy to throw my 2c in the mix. Thankyou for sharing your back story, really interesting and good to know a little about the man behind the avatar.

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What a story and what a thread title😉

Thanks for the tag matey. I’m in this like Guiness

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Wow! Glad you started logging again , and happy to follow along :hugs:

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In for your log! Fricking epic story

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That’s a truly incredible story to be able to live to tell the tale from. This is very inspiring to others (or at least myself) to watch someone get knocked down as much as you have and come right back. It makes my excuses for missing a workout (which have been frequent lately) seem so slight.

You know I’ll be following along! Looking forward to seeing your progress.

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Thanks for sharing your background, faith, and the personal invite!

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You are either the luckiest or most cursed person alive. I’m gonna say blessed. Glad to have you logging. I’m in.

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Damn man, quite a backstory. In as well

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Thanks, flap! You can see how I can empathize with getting injured after recovering from an injury!

Assuming I ever have grandkids! Lol Thanks, Mort.

Hahaha! “Brevity is the soul of wit.” Your succinct summation truly made me laugh out loud, Mark.

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Thanks, Simo! I agree, getting a wider view of the people here enriches this community.

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