Rebirth

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Rebirth

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RaymondRay

Member
Posts: 131

No I'm not a new age hippy, or a Buddhist, or a Hindu. Just a regular guy. On second thoughts, maybe not so regular.

Brief Background:

Life was shit.

Took loads of drugs, drank too much, fucked loads of women. Left me unsatisfied.

Learned how to look within, then went through emotional hiroshima, finally rebuilding what vaguely resembles a life.

Lifted for a while, then quit.

Did yoga for a while, got bored.

Smoked for a long time, still doing that.

Starting from the basics:

3 main bodyweight exercises:

Hindu Squat
Hindu Pushup
Back Bridge

3 main kettlebell exercises:

Swings (one armed and two)
Snatch
Clean and press

and stuff like:

Renegade rows
Myofascial release
Lots of sleep
Cigarettes
Resistance band pull aparts once I've got a band to pull apart.

Doing this for a while before moving back onto barbell work.

other stuff:

Defining goals
Conquering life
Achieving goals
Biting life's ear off and then spitting it out

Let's see how this progresses...

April 19, 2012 - 08:38 AM #

2 likes (Yusef, Ben)
Jonny

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Posts: 1,864

Welcome to the forum

Until a man is twenty-five, he still thinks, every so often, that under the right circumstances he could be the baddest motherfucker in the world.

April 19, 2012 - 08:49 AM #
Mehrad

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Posts: 640

That's one heck of a story. Good to see you're set on the path of improvement, interested to see how you get on.

April 19, 2012 - 09:05 AM #
Ben

Editor
Posts: 2,195

RaymondRay said:
Took loads of drugs, drank too much, fucked loads of women. Left me unsatisfied.

Sounds great to me... Haha. Welcome to the forums!

I don't even lift.

April 19, 2012 - 10:01 AM #

1 like (QHBF)
QHBF

Forged Through Fire
Posts: 1,655

RaymondRay said:

fucked loads of women. Left me unsatisfied.

.

April 19, 2012 - 11:39 AM #

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RaymondRay

Member
Posts: 131

Thanks for the warm welcomes Jonny, Mehrad and Ben. Feels good to be here.

It sure as hell seems that way Ben, but trust me, when you get to the level I was at: getting balls deep in all of those things just to get through the day, it feels terrible.

Forgot to mention handstand push ups in my first post. Against the wall at the moment but damn they feel good.

I've been doing those exercises for the best part of a week. Here's what I've noticed:

Hindu Squats: They're really helping to rehabilitate my knees and my ankles which have taken a pounding over the past few years and are in terrible condition. Knee strength is up already, and ankle mobility is much, much better.

Hindu pushups: Spine Flexibility is improving, and I'm noticing strength coming back to pretty much all of my upper body, as well as increased flexibility of the lower half of my body. Hamstrings are still in horrendous shape: strength and flexibility wise. Still have tightness between my shoulder blades and in my traps. Myofascial release of rhomboids and traps, as well as band pull aparts should help loosen, then strengthen my upper back.

Back Bridge aka wrestlers bridge: Trying to be careful with this one due to the pressure it CAN exert on the neck if done incorrectly. Tensing of the whole body during these is actually helping my posterior chain work as a unit, and have helped me identify parts like the connection between my hamstrings and glutes that need myofascial release, stretching, and strengthening to improve blood flow and nerve functioning.

Handstand pushups: These just work every god damn thing: core, and pretty much the whole upper body, with emphasis on the shoulders and arms. Still having trouble tightening glutes together with all abdominal muscle sand obliques, but I think that'll improve once I get my hamstrings and glutes firing correctly again. Cranking out a few of these feels a hell of a lot better than a cocaine rush.

Kettlebell swings: I prefer the one armed versions, but there's some kind of misalignment in my left side which prevents me from engaging all the muscles I need to, so I switch between the single and two armed versions. These feel like a bitch if you go for reps, and target pretty much everything in my posterior chain: calves, hams, glutes, lower back, mid and upper back. Still working on keeping scapula retracted, though with time and the other exercises that should strengthen my upper back, this should begin sorting itself out in two or three weeks at most. Need to keep everything tight when doing this, which I currently have a bit of a problem with. Again, it should start working itself out the more I do them. The one armed version works the core a hell of a lot better than the two handed

Kettlebell snatch: I can feel this in my core, though glutes aren't working anywhere near as efficiently or effectively as they should be. I'll give it a few weeks. Shoulders and upper back feel these when going for high reps, Form needs work, but should get there soon.

Kettlebell Clean and Press: I can feel these everywhere along my posterior chain and obviously, shoulders. Form needs work.

Renegade rows: I've only done these once so far without any weights (I only have a single kettlebell), but I can feel how effective they are in strengthening the obliques especially, though my guess is shoulders, upper back and pretty much everything else is worked to some degree. I'm starting to really love these, and look forward to getting raped by the weighted versions in the future.

Myofascial release: Was using a 2 litre coke bottle and a hard rubber bouncy ball, until I drank the contents when I got pissed off. Ended up going over my whole body with a tennis ball and the rubber ball. Helps a lot with my quads, sometimes with my glutes (medius and maximus), definitely with my calves, back, and pretty much everything else. Got a lot of trigger points around my groin area, and the inside of my thighs which I'm having trouble getting too with the tennis and rubber ball, so trying to work on them with actual hand massage...sometimes I'll watch porn and get distracted...sorting out that area should see me improve on everything else, because it really seems to be a limiting factor. Tight pecs and anterior deltoids, biceps keep pulling everything forward, but with more work and some upper back strengthening, they should start resembling a healthy set soon enough. Gotta get my foam roller back soon.

Cigarettes: These are great. work the lungs, the chest and improve shoulder stability due to the movements involved.

Sleep: getting a lot of that, but at really odd times. Need to sort out my sleeping pattern at somepoint.

Pull aparts: Haven't got a band yet, but I've been going through the movement, trying to activate the right muscles. Might try it with a towel or something until I get one. I can already feel something happening in my upper back, and it's realigning some of my lopsided vertebrae which is always good.

Diet: Shit. Living off protein shakes, coffee, and homemade pizza. Pretty much only one huge meal a day at night.

QHBF: Got something lined up just for you.

April 20, 2012 - 04:11 AM #

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RaymondRay

Member
Posts: 131

Just for you:

XD

April 20, 2012 - 04:27 AM #

1 like (Tom)
RaymondRay

Member
Posts: 131

Made a slight change with some of the exercises I'm doing: I've gone for a slightly safer variation of the wrestlers bridge, involving my arms as support though pretty much everything else: arching of the back, balancIng as close to the forehead as possible and keeping all the body tight. I can really feel this working my lower back which is worse than a 90 year olds with spinal arthritis...ok not quite but you get the message.

I'm also doing wall walks from Matt Furey's combat conditioning. Basically stand 3 feet from a wall ( 2 feet between your heel and the wall) with your back facing it, tense everything and keep it tight throughout, and bend backwards placing your palms on the wall and walk them down as far as possible while keeping good form, otherwise you're really going to fuck up your back and you'll become weak and meagre and a whole lot of other shit things. I really feel these in my posterior chain but can't quit tense my upper back well enough. Probably because it's still quite weak. Pull aparts are going to help with that.

Pretty much all the kettlebell exercises double up as some crazy cardio (probably great for some form of HIIT) and you'll feel like you've been tied to usain bolt during the hundred metres. Probably worse for me because I still smoke but shit happens. I can see these building muscle, accelerating fat loss and giving me the endurance of mike Tyson. This shit's good.

Felt pretty good today, was going to take a few starting photos until I saw a picture of Vitali Klitschko and then I just felt like a bitch. Now I've got an aesthetics goal and working on identifying some serious strength goals for the next 12 months. Looking forward to all this.

April 21, 2012 - 02:18 PM #
RaymondRay

Member
Posts: 131

I find that taking a nap, or going to sleep after working out works for me. So I'm just going to keep doing it whilst I have the time.

April 21, 2012 - 02:46 PM #
Not Gay

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Posts: 112

April 21, 2012 - 03:11 PM #
Yusef

Editor
Posts: 3,164

Hey Ray,

I saw a picture of Vitali Klitschko and then I just felt like a bitch.

I lold. It's definitely productive thing to isolate what you're looking for over the next 12 months and gear every aspect of your training and diet towards it single-mindedly.

Do you have any objective measures for progression in your movements?

"metal is just gabba for pansies" - Harrison

April 21, 2012 - 04:57 PM #
RaymondRay

Member
Posts: 131

Yusef said:
Hey Ray,

I saw a picture of Vitali Klitschko and then I just felt like a bitch.

I lold. It's definitely productive thing to isolate what you're looking for over the next 12 months and gear every aspect of your training and diet towards it single-mindedly.

Do you have any objective measures for progression in your movements?

I'll post them soon along with current photos now that I'm over my Klitschko trauma.

Just felt like shit today. Anxieties kept creeping up on me. Workout today took a lot longer than expected because of that and I added myofascial release in before it because I was so tight. Completed it nonetheless. Still refining technique.

April 23, 2012 - 02:54 PM #
RaymondRay

Member
Posts: 131

Starting photos:

Holding a Klitschko weigh in pose in deference to his physical superiority.

The image that made me feel like a bitch.

Will add goals soon.

April 25, 2012 - 12:53 PM #
Yusef

Editor
Posts: 3,164

Pretty lean, good position to start adding some mass!

Regarding napping post workout - it's meant to help with recovery if you can fit it into your schedule. Considering trying it myself using Pzizz 20 minute audio

"metal is just gabba for pansies" - Harrison

April 25, 2012 - 01:59 PM #
RaymondRay

Member
Posts: 131

Looking forward to it. Thought one of my housemates was going to come into the sitting room when I was pulling those poses in front of the computer and ask me what the fuck I was doing. haha

What I've been doing most of the past week is working out about an hour or 2 before bed, downing a heavy post workout shake: whey isolate, milk, peanut butter, flax seeds, olive oil and whatever else I can find in the cupboard then going to bed. Might not be optimal in terms of gains and recovery but it seems to be working right now. Might be because what I'm doing isn't heavy lifting, but just acclimatising my muscles and CNS to some form of strength training.

Personally I don't have a problem with getting to sleep afterwards because by that time I'm shattered anyway. Seems to work for me at the moment so I'll continue until it ceases to do so.

April 25, 2012 - 02:25 PM #
RaymondRay

Member
Posts: 131

As for body fat, I simply followed the propane protocol of coffee w. coconut oil in the morning, some activity during the day, small protein heavy lunch and then carb backloading with lots of carbs in the evening. then I ran out of money and have been following most of it without the lunch, and with a protein shake post workout before bed. Lots of water and fish oil too.

I probably dropped a bit of fat during that period. Says a lot for the protocol.

April 25, 2012 - 02:43 PM #

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Yusef

Editor
Posts: 3,164

^ that's really good to hear!

"metal is just gabba for pansies" - Harrison

April 25, 2012 - 03:03 PM #
RaymondRay

Member
Posts: 131

Added in pistol squats for some more glute and leg emphasis.

April 26, 2012 - 11:08 AM #
RaymondRay

Member
Posts: 131

best thing to use for scapula trigger points? golf ball? marble? malteser?

April 26, 2012 - 09:01 PM #

1 like (Yusef)
RaymondRay

Member
Posts: 131

And for groin/inner thigh. I'm having to use a ball and my bedpost. LOL.

April 26, 2012 - 09:10 PM #
RaymondRay

Member
Posts: 131

Just spent n eternity going over almost every muscle in my whole body with a rubber ball

it's a bit like this:

Found out by accident that my calves have been in pain because of trigger points at the back of my knee as opposed to just in my lower leg. Right side is not pain free, as is my right ankle. Left side still needs work, as does the ankle. So I'll keep at it.

Love this. if I felt like this every day I'd quit smoking easy. Unfortunately, it takes me a very long time to get my muscles responsive enough to release the infinite number of trigger points my body has developed over the years. Bitch.

April 26, 2012 - 10:55 PM #
RaymondRay

Member
Posts: 131

evidently I'm overcompensating by posting a picture that size.

April 26, 2012 - 10:56 PM #
RaymondRay

Member
Posts: 131

As mentioned earlier, I've added in pistol squats and have eliminated hindu squats. I was getting a bit concerned given that some advice I received mentioned undue stress on the patella.

Doing GTG with the pistol's right now. legs need to learn how to work like a humans. rather than as a penguins.

My leg mechanics are far from perfect and this would probably exacerbate any pressure so it's best to add these in later, and less often that I've been doing them.

They have however improved my leg endurance.

I'll compensate for the lack of that with kettlebell exercises which I feel are equally as effective and are great full body exercises.

Books I've been delving into most recently:

Naked Warrior - Pavel Tsatsouline
Combat Conditioning - Matt Furey

Both focus on full body bodyweight exercises useful either for when you can't get to a gym, can't afford a gym membership, are on holiday, can't be bothered to go to a gym, have a gym but get bored at home, so on and so forth.

There's a lot of useful information in the Naked Warrior and I might write a review at some point when I have a spare few minutes.

Looking forward to finding a pull up bar and getting back to those too. Missed them more than I've missed absinthe.

Almost.

And a while back I read Pavel's other books on kettlebells, stretching and whatever else the man has got himself involved in. Worth a look despite all the comrade jokes which though overused, do make the read all the more enjoyable.

I've also found myofascial release to be far more beneficial, personally, to my flexibility and body mechanics than my 4 months of yoga. Perhaps that's because at the time my mechanics were in terrible shape: knees, ankles and feet were shot beyond belief, hips tight, glutes had started hibernating, hamstrings died, calves liked to tease me with their pain. . I'm eliminating all the trigger points in very tight areas that were exacerbated by certain postures which probably added to the debacle.

I'm considering going back to it in a while and see if my body's response is any different. Currently undecided on that given that what I'm doing now is working very well.

April 30, 2012 - 12:08 PM #
RaymondRay

Member
Posts: 131

Decided to try and quit smoking, I think it's adding to my diaphragm/intercostal/rib trigger points, which are present in clusters along my left ribs especially.

Kaizen principle should do it.

May 2, 2012 - 03:15 PM #
RaymondRay

Member
Posts: 131

Today I've added in some basic principles from the Alexander Technique which is supposed to help with my posture and realign my spine. They recommend going to a trained Alexander Technique specialist (hopefully not called Alexander), but I don't have the money for it, so I'm doing what I can myself from a DVD and a book.

So now I'm doing Myofascial Release, Alexander technique and pistol squats (GTG). Once I've opened up my extremely tight shoulders and neck, I'll go back to bodyweight exercises and then probably back to barbells over the course of the next 12 months.

Still need to determine and write up goals though for the short term they seem to be, open up all extremely tight areas.

May 2, 2012 - 06:18 PM #
Yusef

Editor
Posts: 3,164

Good luck with quitting smoking - will you reduce gradually?

Will look through the Alexander stuff when I can, seems legit

"metal is just gabba for pansies" - Harrison

May 2, 2012 - 06:30 PM #
RaymondRay

Member
Posts: 131

That's what I'm thinking of doing. I might not end up quitting fully for a long time yet, but any reduction in the amount I smoke now is better than nothing. Cold Turkey just leads to me substituting one addiction with another. Lack of pleasures early in ones life lead to the embracing of any pleasure however small or harmful later in life apparently. i.e. Doesn't work for shit.

Hope your exams are going well Yusef, though from now on I might just call you Lat-man. Good to see you looking damn impressive!

As for the Alexander technique: 'The Alexander Technique- From Stress to Freedom' DVD is what I'm using. Looks to be quite old but still used by their practitioners. One thing I like about it is it's based on a principle of giving yourself choices rather than reacting instinctively through emotion or habit. A bit like what we were saying about objectivity.

Obectivity --> better choices.

No more being a bitch.

May 2, 2012 - 06:54 PM #
Yusef

Editor
Posts: 3,164

Thanks Ray - I'm not very big at all it's just the illusion that leanness provides.

Agreed, just a case of creating new postural habits

"metal is just gabba for pansies" - Harrison

May 2, 2012 - 06:57 PM #
RaymondRay

Member
Posts: 131

I realised last night just how much tension I've been carrying around with me for a long, long time. I was lying in bed trying to relax every muscle in my body starting with my feet, and eventually spent about 2 or 3 hours just on my feet because I would barely relax them. Started to feel some little pulses of nerve impulses or blood flow: something I haven't felt for a long time at any rate so all's good. Looking forward to being able to relax my whole body in a reasonable amount of time at some point in the future.

My myofascial release is going well, and I've supplemented that with a postural improvement technique: The Alexander Technique, and both are paying off. One thing I'm working on now is my breathing which has been crap. Because of my almost constant state of tension, I often stop breathing or my breath becomes very shallow. It's a surprise I'm still alive. My trigger points and bodily pains might be related to this. If you think of the body as a balloon, if any part of it is tied, or constricted, you're not going to get full inflation, leading to an inadequate oxygen and nutrient supply which in turn means things start to go wrong.

One thing yoga taught me was improving my breathing, which seems helps with pretty much all the problems I've been experiencing.Working a full breath actually improves strength in all sorts of ways and even though I've done no exercise over the past week other than some GTG pistol squats, my strength is up simply because of what I've been doing. Postural changes have been opening up the body allowing better breathing and myofascial release has been removing physical blocks that have been contributing to my problems.

I guess the next thing is that I've realised the cigarettes have to go. So I'm slowly working on that. They've been with me for more than half my life so that's going to take some getting used to, but you've gotta do what you've gotta do. Life's a bitch sometimes.

Worst afflicted areas were:

top of hamstrings/where they connect to my glutes, and it was excruciating trying to get rid of some of those trigger points, but keeping with it should let me see an improvement over the next week or two.

Soles of feet: Still hardly feel anything half the time, but I can sense they're loosening up, which in turn is opening up my ankle joints again as well as my knees

Shoulders/Pec minor: still working on this area, though just working the pectorals with a hard rubber ball is proving very useful. Moving from the inside of each pec towards the shoulder using VERY slow movements and stopping and holding at certain points has made me start to feel human again. Still some work to do though. Looking forward to having working shoulders soon.

Drinking lot's of water, will start taking fish oil again today, and might add in kettlebell swings soon ( in a week to 10 days) , just for some added cardio/stretching/strength work that should help with all I'm doing.

May 6, 2012 - 06:21 PM #
RaymondRay

Member
Posts: 131

Milestone: I can now do a bodyweight squat with fair technique without need for any support and minimal pain. Fucking awesome. First time in years I've been able to do that.

I've gotten so used to feeling tightness it feels very strange not having so much tension in my body anymore. Feel like I'm weightless. bloody brilliant. About time I started feeling this too.

May 6, 2012 - 10:37 PM #

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