Party Poll: steven_homer, 8/14-8/16

steven_homer will be visiting with us over the weekend of August 15th. Our plan for a party earlier in the summer sort of got lost in medical emergencies, so we'll have one while he's visiting.

If you'd like to come, please answer the following poll to help schedule it:

[Poll #1433156]

Post-Op Gym Notes

For the first few days after getting out of the hospital, I did only less strenuous things like arm curls, triceps, pulldowns, walking. The next few days I ramped up and started doing everything except strenuous whole-body stuff at my usual weight, which went well. In week 2, I did everything except ab work, and did less weight and more reps in anything major (like leg presses) that might stress the diaphragm or abs. Saturday I did my first direct work on abs -- Nautilus pullover. My usual weight on that is 230#, so I tried 70# -- like no weight at all. Then tried 160# -- oops, three reps and I could feel a little tug in the area. So backed down to 115# and did 5 sets of 40 reps (usually do 25 or so.)

No untoward effects from that effort, so after two days of other things I returned today to abs and did weighted leg lifts (the "Ab Flexor") -- I usually do 5 sets of 30 at 120#. Since you are lifting your legs as well as the added weight, I thought I'd try 60# -- nope, felt a pull. At 40#, though, I was able to do 6 sets of 20 reps.

The concern here is that excessive stress will tear internal stitches apart. I try to approach this slowly and carefully -- sudden moves greatly increase peak strain -- and back off if there's any sense of stress. So far so good.

I'm back to running at the usual speed and slope, and I no longer feel any pain jogging down the hill.

Since I can't do abs, I'm not doing deadlifts either, since I don't want to have the lower back muscles too strong when the abs can't counteract them. Next week.