Gym Life and Overcoming Adversity

[jeroendebleser]

Adversity is definitely a matter of perspective and will change for us all. When it comes to being hurt, that's just part of the game. I don't care what the "game" is either. Be it the gym/the field/the court/etc, if you push the limits and reach what is "elite" for YOU, you are going to get hurt.

The adversity in my eyes is always a battle of logic and as others have said, selfishness. Unless being paid to train (Not many of us are), devoting time to physical improvement is plain selfish. And when you have family to take care of and jobs to excel at which DO pay $, you of course battle with the logic of why the hell you would spend your time on a fruitless endeavor. And it gets harder and harder to thwart the logical rationalization as you get older and wiser.

These days I look it as my reward for doing all that I do to take care of others. With that reward in mind, I make every effort possible to minimize the bullshit that people think is necessary. Once you forgo the television, small talk, pointless meetings, social media, unnecessary commutes, etc, you'll find that there is time for everything that MATTERS not only to you, but also to those whom you care about.

Nicely worded

 

[jeroendebleser]

I'm not built like the monsters on here. After each surgery it was harder and harder to keep my size up. That said, at almost 51 now, that doesn't need to be a priority.
I'm 5'10" and I was a little over 240lbs at one time. Some of the big surgeries happened and I was able to hold 230lbs up until those 3 surgeries in 2018. Now I'm 215. I've been trying to eat more and move the scale but my body doesn't want to comply..LOL!

For training, things changed dramatically over the years. It's been many years since I squatted and I stopped working legs in 2018 when my low back started giving me problems again. I'm just ready again now to start training again legs again, minus squats. I'll do extensions, leg press, hack sled (not the one over the shoulders), ham curls and basic calf work. My calves have always been pretty good whether I trained them or not, just lucky there and quads and hams are undersized. Since they're undersized, the weight I carry on my upper body is actually more than a normal 215 pounder would look if he had proportional legs. Most people guess I'm 235 to 240 now. I'm just happy to be in the gym. It's a lifestyle for me and it's the fountain of youth. People are shocked when they find out I'm 50.

I've also had 4 spine surgeries (among other surgeries), also can't squat and deadlift anymore but you certainly don't 'need' squats to build big legs. (nor deadlifts for back) I'm also 6'4 so both were biomechanically shitty exercises for my structure to begin with. Good luck building those legs bro!

 

[DrBeefcake777]

You have all heard it but its not about how many times we are knocked down but how many times we keep getting up that counts. Yea, yea, but its a universal truth regardless. Respect BIO. How we do anything is how we do everything.

For sure. You've got so much fight in you. Its one of those qualities that the majority of people have none of, and only very few have any. You have that ungodly amount. That cannot be taught or learned, it just is.

 

[Beti ona]

These days I look it as my reward for doing all that I do to take care of others. With that reward in mind, I make every effort possible to minimize the bullshit that people think is necessary. Once you forgo the television, small talk, pointless meetings, social media, unnecessary commutes, etc, you'll find that there is time for everything that MATTERS not only to you, but also to those whom you care about.

This sounds smart, but you don't have to give up your own health and fitness goals to serve others. Human beings have selfish needs. There is nothing wrong with that.

 

[kandaandm]

Wow Bio, it's truly inspiring that you have found your way back to the gym time and time again. Some of the things I've had to deal with:

Lyme disease
Hypothyroidism
Hypogonadism
Celiac's disease
IBS
SIBO
drug and alcohol addiction
thoracic spine injury

I may be tiny compared to most on this forum, but I love the gym, and I will keep coming back for more, no matter how many times I have to start over from scratch.

Do you follow a gluten free Low FODMAP diet?

 

[Bio]

Wow Bio, it's truly inspiring that you have found your way back to the gym time and time again. Some of the things I've had to deal with:

Lyme disease
Hypothyroidism
Hypogonadism
Celiac's disease
IBS
SIBO
drug and alcohol addiction
thoracic spine injury

I may be tiny compared to most on this forum, but I love the gym, and I will keep coming back for more, no matter how many times I have to start over from scratch.

That's a lot to go through! Just one of those is a lot let alone multiple very serious issues. Congrats on your resolve and understanding how important the gym is and making it back yourself!! When I saw that you listed Thoracic injury, I forgot to list that I had a fractured T6 vertebrae in late Oct or early Nov of 2015. They think it was a stress fracture resulting from the lumbar fusion and the cervical fusion.

 

[Bio]

I re-edited my original post. I saw Dtropin's post and I can't believe I forgot to list that I had a fractured T6 vertebrae in late Oct or early Nov of 2015. They think it was a stress fracture resulting from the lumbar fusion and the cervical fusion. It was the only thing the doctors could come up with. It hurt to breathe. I was in brace for over 3 months. The doctor said it's rare to injure the thoracic. He said it's usually from motorcycle accident, car accident, bad fall. I was still recovering from my 2 level cervical fusion, getting ready to start PT. Just another thing to roll with! LOL!!

 

[GettingBackIn]

My story and stats are very similar to Bio's. I was hit by a car six years ago I've had several spine surgeries. I'm in bed now recovering, just had a stimulator implanted. When I recover from this, they want to fuse my neck. The surgery to place the stimulator discovered a thoracic herniation too. Also, last year I was diagnosed with polycythemia Vera.

I'm 5'10 thanks to all my surgeries. I was 5'8 before them, lol. Biggest I've been is 250s. I held comfortable at 230 for a while. Today I'm laying in bed at 207. A business partner came to see me and said I look like I'm dying.

I built a gym in my basement that's as good as any commercial gym so that I can do one exercise then lay down and ice until I can do one more. I looking forward to next year when this round of surgeries is behind me and I can start putting myself back together.

 

[USMuscle9403]

I became a depressed alcoholic for years. Ballooned up to 320lbs, hypertensive, pre-diabetic. If I didn't do anything, I was going to die. Started back barely able to do a pushup. Within a little over a year, I had lost about 170lbs, all said and done.

Make every day better than the previous one. Be a better man, be a little healthier and live and love a little more.

 

[Bio]

My story and stats are very similar to Bio's. I was hit by a car six years ago I've had several spine surgeries. I'm in bed now recovering, just had a stimulator implanted. When I recover from this, they want to fuse my neck. The surgery to place the stimulator discovered a thoracic herniation too. Also, last year I was diagnosed with polycythemia Vera.

I'm 5'10 thanks to all my surgeries. I was 5'8 before them, lol. Biggest I've been is 250s. I held comfortable at 230 for a while. Today I'm laying in bed at 207. A business partner came to see me and said I look like I'm dying.

I built a gym in my basement that's as good as any commercial gym so that I can do one exercise then lay down and ice until I can do one more. I looking forward to next year when this round of surgeries is behind me and I can start putting myself back together.

WOW! This is where a passion to return safely to working out is incredibly helpful. Is your PV real PV or just elevated readings from AAS? How many levels of the neck do they want to fuse? It sounds like you have the right perspective. I know it's not easy at times.

 

[Bio]

I became a depressed alcoholic for years. Ballooned up to 320lbs, hypertensive, pre-diabetic. If I didn't do anything, I was going to die. Started back barely able to do a pushup. Within a little over a year, I had lost about 170lbs, all said and done.

Make every day better than the previous one. Be a better man, be a little healthier and live and love a little more.

It's great that you turned to and returned to the gym!

 

[USMuscle9403]

It's great that you turned to and returned to the gym!

It actually boiled down to learning what my true passions really are. I guess it's the OCD in me that also enjoys that regimented lifestyle, but for me, it ironically turned out to be things I enjoyed doing as a kid. Sometimes I think the secret to true happiness is realizing the dreams that we had as kids, rather than chasing the ones we think we have as adults.

 

[GettingBackIn]

WOW! This is where a passion to return safely to working out is incredibly helpful. Is your PV real PV or just elevated readings from AAS? How many levels of the neck do they want to fuse? It sounds like you have the right perspective. I know it's not easy at times.

I don’t know about the fusion. I didn’t mention that I got hit again in June. Since then I’ve been alternating every month between epidurals and nerve blocks. Doc just said after this surgery we’ll discuss the fusion.

it’s real PV Unfortunately. I did my own bloodwork and thought it was high because of my lifestyle but a couple years ago it kept spiking higher and higher. I went to trt and it kept climbing. Came off trt for a year and it kept climbing. My numbers are better on trt than without. Right now I’m just going in and giving blood every 30 days. We’ll see where it goes when I can do a little cardio again.

 

[johnnyboy]

I had two umbilical hernia surgeries last year, my body rejected the first mesh, they put a biological mesh in that fixed the hernia, but I got MRSA. Nearly died, because of my weight I had to do 3 treatments of IV antibiotics, 2 hours at the pop.

Got cleared to go to the gym Oct 1st. Been working out religiously on this new lease on life. God's been good!

 

[Dtropin]

Do you follow a gluten free Low FODMAP diet?

I'm currently on a gluten free vegetarian keto diet, the vegetarian is temporary, looking to start adding meat back in soon. I have tried low FODMAP multiple times, I know that it is very useful for IBS and SIBO, but it didn't seem to help me much. Also I love onion and garlic way too much.

 

[method2madness]

My challenges have not been physical or injury related (thankfully). My challenges are twofold. My wife and I have two children one of whom is on the Autism spectrum. This presents us with a strain both emotionally and financially, a strain which we are happy to endure for our son's health and development but it does put a strain on the relationship. Secondly I have epilepsy, which i have spoken about before and my symptoms got out of control in 2012 and resulted in me losing my licence and legal ability to drive for 5 years. The one-two puch of my sons autism and my epilepsy hit close together and these were dark days for my family. Fortunately my wife truly understands that the gym is a large part of (but not entirely) who I am and she knew that my training would keep me sane enough to be a capable provider, father and husband throughout it all. With no ability to drive my ability to earn was limited and left me feeling like a burden and the gym was the only thing that kept the feeling of helplessness from overcoming me. I'll end by saying that you can only take care of others effectively if you take care of yourself first and the only time the gym works against that is if you train at the expense of your families well being. Avoid doing that and you're golden.

 

[EWRECK]

I was ran over by a drunk 20 years ago. Life support 10 days, almost lost right leg. Multiple pelvic, arm, face, rib, and back fractures. 9 surgeries and over a year of rehab to walk again. My wife was almost killed also and we had two young children at that time. I’ve always been a gym rate since HS but never considered myself a BB but lifting has always been a great stress reliever for me. I will be 53 next month and still enjoy the gym with my wife but never feel bad about missing days. My two new grandsons are way more important in my life now and the gym ain’t going anywhere.