All signs point to pectineus

Update: I am doing dry needling for the trigger points in my pectineus, and it is working wonders. If you can find a physical therapist that does dry needling in your area, please do it because it is amazingly effective.

It’s been about two weeks without squatting (or working out at all, unfortunately), and the pain in my hip has alleviated quite a bit. As I think about it the symptoms seem to point to a strain than protecting a joint more and more.  As I

Pectineus trigger points. If it hurts
here, it's probably the pectineus.

continued squatting the pain got worse and worse.  At first, after the previous PRP treatment, I didn’t have any pain at all, it felt amazingly normal.  Then I tried squatting again.  I remember the first time I tried front squatting I felt something in my hip go off, kind of like a pop.  I just figure it was the damage in the labrum, but now it’s becoming apparent that it was the pectineus.  While this makes me feel foolish/wasteful for an unnecessary PRP treatment, the idea/hope that this is merely a muscle strain makes me feel… cautiously optimistic.  As usual.

I realize I must sound crazy, going from one idea of what’s wrong to the next, but my hip keeps presenting different problems. The pain has moved around, it seems like muscles (e.g. psoas) that were tight from protecting the hip joint are no longer tight. Meanwhile, other muscles like the pectineus, are tightening up. This hip issue has been like those Russian nesting dolls where each doll holds another one inside of it.  Every time you think you’ve reached the end, that there couldn’t be another doll, there is.  Every time I find and address one issue, another one shows up in its place. Every time I peel back one issue, it reveals another.  I understand this is the price I pay for being active, that most people, years ago, would have just given up and said “ok, well, I guess I just can’t squat anymore” or something like that. But I really, really believe that I should be able to do whatever I want without pain. Just because it’s really complicated doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

I’ve found this thread on Tnation that is helping me diagnose this as a pectineus problem and not as a psoas problem. To surmise the thread:

1. If the pain stems from squatting, it probably isn't the psoas since the psoas is hardly at maximal stress during the squat. However, if you experience pain coming into and getting out of the hole, then it is probably the pectineus.  As you get into the hole (end of the range of motion) you stretch the pectineus and other adductor muscles as well. As you come up, those muscles have to fire to counter the effects of the glute med/min on the knee's position.
2. To diagnosis: lie on the floor, bring both knees up to either side of you chest, like they would be in a deep squat. Is there muscular pain? If yes then unlikely to be psoas, more likely to be adductor related, specifically pectineus.
3. Any pain/tenderness on the pubic tubercle? Again yes points to pectineus, since that is the origin of the muscle.

So the plan is to rest it for a while, perhaps until it stops randomly hurting throughout the day, and then the whole stretching and rehab thing can begin.

[Edited on 7/11/13, added points on dry needling and took the info from the Tnation link and put it on the post in an easier to understand format]

When is enough?

Back in Chicago for part of the holidays, so I saw the whole team of people who've helped me deal with my shoulder/hip issues.

Saw the chiropractor on Saturday, and she could tell something was wrong with my pectineus again. However, nothing was wrong with the psoas or anything else.  When she addressed the pectineus, it was like she hit the bulls eye on my target of pain.  So it seems that the source of all of my pain is in that one muscle.

So I saw Dr. Hauser on Monday, and made sure he knew that my hip clicked with internal rotation. He felt it acknowledged it, but when he heard that I was doing ok until I started squatting with weight, he told me something along the lines of, “I can eventually get your hip to stop clicking, but it might be a whole lot easier if you just stop doing squats.”

This was kind of sad news, but it was something that I think I needed to hear. When is enough enough?  These treatments are not cheap, and perhaps I can figure a way to exercise my legs without doing stuff to aggravate my hip.  I’m tired of being in pain, and if I’m doing this to myself, perhaps there is a workaround I can figure out. In the meantime, I think I’ll just avoid doing squats and try other things (think deadlifts are ok, so there’s that.)

Wednesday I saw my massage therapist, and he released the pectineus, and that was super painful.  Everything other muscle he worked on was tight, but nothing like the pectineus.

So now it’s Thursday, and I’ve been moping around for a bit, just running through my mind the whole situation with my hip, I felt like I was at a crossroads and I needed to process everything so that I could make the right decision.  Eventually a new idea came to me: what if all of the pain associated with the labrum has been fixed?  What if my pectineus isn’t tight/painful because it’s protecting a damaged joint?  Before the Oly completion it was pretty much only my psoas.  But then it became apparent that I pulled a groin during the meet, and all of my adductors were hurt, including the pectineus.  What if I strained my pectineus more than originally thought?

I think perhaps I should try to focus on the pectineus as a separate, but related, issue.  Perhaps PRP has taken care of my labrum, perhaps this is just a groin strain that I have been aggravating over the past 14 weeks, making it worse and worse.  I think I may try to seek out an orthopod’s opinion, and see what I can do.  If all my work leads me back to the fact that the pectineus is misbehaving because it’s trying to protect the hip joint so be it, I can go back to PRP or just figure out a way to stop aggravating the hip.  But for now, I feel like this is the right avenue to explore. 

Given that one treats strained muscles with NSAIDS, I actually took an Aleve today.  Then I realized that this will reduce the effectiveness of the PRP that I just paid good money for.  Made me want to get my stomach pumped, but there is nothing I can do now but just not take anything more. At least I only took one, and at my body weight that’s not too much. Still, feel stupid.

Concerning the shoulder, everything seems to be heading in a clearer direction, and all for the better:

Chiro said my C7-T1 were out of whack, like they always are.

Everything seemed to work out with Dr. Hauser, although this time he worked on both sides of my back when I told him that I get  tingling sensations in my ring and pinky fingers in both hands.  He also poked at my shoulder joint with his hand, which hurt a lot, so he addressed that as well.  As of today everything seems to be feeling better.

Got the massage therapist to work on only one muscle in my upper body, and it was my medial scalene.  He worked on it for a minute and my lord the pain was intense before it released. But when it released it was awesome, the therapist commented that my whole shoulder changed after the release.  I need to figure out how to do this on my own, or let the wife figure it out.

So it seems like things are going in the right direction with my shoulder.  I will definitely take this as a victory, I don’t know if I’ve won the war here but I feel like I’m winning some major battles on the shoulder front.

Exercises to treat FAI/tight hip capsules

The last 3-4 people I've tried to help with FAI have asked what exercises they can do.  I always direct them to Kstar's website, but it seems like everyone has problems figuring out what exercises are going to help them.

So, in order to help everyone out, here are the top 10 exercises I've found to help with get your hip working right, and hopefully render you pain free:

• http://www.mobilitywod.com/2011/02/episode-161-hip-impingement-ais/ (My favorite!)
• http://www.mobilitywod.com/2012/01/episode-363-pre-squat-hip-opener-mob-rx
• http://www.mobilitywod.com/2011/08/episode-301-psoas-flossing-and-biker-hips
• http://www.mobilitywod.com/2011/07/episode-280-mobility-is-about-position-stretch-with-purpose-not-to-warm-up
• http://www.mobilitywod.com/2011/06/episode-262-hip-flexion-case-study-and-mobrx
• http://www.mobilitywod.com/2011/05/episode-245-unglue-your-hips-and-thighs
• http://www.mobilitywod.com/2011/05/episode-239-better-purer-hip-extension
• http://www.mobilitywod.com/2011/04/episode-238-hip-opening
• http://www.mobilitywod.com/2011/03/episode-198-open-up-you-hips-for-better-squatting
• http://www.mobilitywod.com/2010/12/episode-113-improving-squatting

d

You can do 2 of these 5 days a week, it’s like a ten minute commitment, just do it whenever. Your body will thank me for it.  Another set of exercises to try are here. The whole thing takes less than two minutes and I know a few people who claimed instant relief, it's definitely worth trying.

Also, stop sitting all the time!  Kstar does a better job than I could ever hope to in explaining why here.

Update: I have come across this series of articles on FAI and exercises to do with FAI written by Dan Pope, a physical therapist, it's a four part series, with part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4. 

Still getting stronger.

Back in 2010 when I tried back squatting 255 five times Jerry told me that that my issues stemmed from problems with my core muscles.  That was definitely true, as I had very weak abs and way too tight  hip flexors.  Anyway, my point is that back in the day what was preventing me from squatting heavier was my core, not my legs.  Yesterday, when I squatted 265 five times for three sets, I didn’t really feel the struggle in my torso.  I felt it in my legs.  Struggling with my legs I can handle, pushing through that is a lot easier for me.  I think the reason behind the improvement is the fact that I squat 3 times a week, and with heavy but not too heavy weight.  I think that reset a while back when I failed to squat 240 was key, that allowed me to work heavy but light enough that I could work on technique/my core.

One of my hip flexors, I think the either the Rectus Femoris or the Sartorius, is getting sore to the touch now that I’m really starting to push my legs. I think I'm timing it great seeing Dr. Huaser next week, as by then I'll be squatting 285, and I feel like that's about as far as my hip will take me.

First let me say that I really enjoyed my time at Crossfit Durham. The guys there were cool and it is because of coach Ryan that I learned about starting strength programming as well as some of 531.  I really enjoyed the guys there too.  I was definitely the weakest, I was squatting 145 while others were lifting 185, but all were really nice to me.  All that said, I’m very glad that I left Crossfit Durham. It's just I can do this program on my own and in the process save $160 a month.  The Duke gym is only $130 for the year. Quite the bargain.  I do miss those guys though, all of them were really cool. However, right now I need to save all the money I can, and not going to a crossfit gym is an easy way to put $2k a year in my pocket. …I also have stopped seeing a massage therapist as well as chiropractor.  All the pain I am currently experiencing is related to the hip, and hopefully that will be resolved in about six weeks’ time, I hope.

5 rep back squat PR

Well, thanks to starting strength I just did work sets with the back squat of 255#s, that is an all-time personal best.  Three years ago when I was deep into xfit my pr was 250, and two years ago when I tried 255 I failed, so this, I guess, is a big deal.  It really doesn't feel like a big deal, just another day at the office.  …I think this new PR is tempered by the fact that in less than two weeks’ time I am going to see Dr. Hauser for another treatment, which is going to throw off my exercise routine bunches.  I am going to take it easy on the hip this holiday break, I’m going to allow for maximum recovery because I want to be done with this.  I sincerely hope that this new diagnoses of a tear in the labrum concerning internal rotation changes things.  For a few weeks after the last treatment my hip felt absolutely normal.  Like I could not pick up on a single thing wrong with it.  And then I did some Roman chair lifts, felt it go click, and it all went to hell.  These last two sessions I have signed up during this break are probably going to be my last.  I don’t really foresee another opportunity coming my way in a long time, so they had better clear up this damnable issue.

If I don’t see any further recovery I will be ok.  I’m not 100% but I’m not anywhere near where I was a year ago before I saw Dr. Hauser.  But I've had a taste of normalcy in my hip, and I want more of it.  A lot more.

Trying to get bigger.

180#, Perhaps my most
defined body composition

Wednesday I squatted 3 sets of 5 reps of 240#’s which is a within recent memory PR for me.  Once the weight gets above 225, I find it really starts to affect my hip muscles.  When I bounce out of the squat, sometimes I wonder if I hear something… click. Like I feel something quickly go out of place, and then go back in to place.  I don’t think I’ve ever really noticed before because I’ve been so focused on the weight, but this could be the symptoms of that last part of the tear still hanging around.  …Other than this possible clicking I have not made my hip click for months.  With everyday stuff, walking around, sitting, climbing stairs, getting into the bathtub, I make sure I externally rotate my hip so that it will not click/aggravate the labrum tear.  It seems that the healing process has continued, but I can tell something isn’t right still.  My psoas and hip adductors are tight and sometimes painful.  When there is hip flexion there is pressure in the hip.  All these things led me to believe if I tried flexion with internal rotation, it would result in a click. I haven't tried this theory because I don’t want to test it out, all it will do at this point is irritate the labrum, and that’s the last thing  I want to do.

A recent breakfast

For the past two months or so I made the commitment to try to gain weight so that I can get stronger/more muscular.  I see these athletes on TV who are my height (6'2") but have a good 40 pound advantage over what I weighed when I made the decision (180#).  And these guys aren't like offensive lineman, they're like the quarterback.

So I've decided I needed to gain weight.  I was pretty damn happy with my physique at 180, I could actually see my ab muscles!  But I guess now that I had accomplished getting abs (somewhat) I wanted to see if I could get more muscle.  Never have been one to be satisfied with the way things are, always want it to be better.

I think as opposed to going through a "bulk phase" where I'd balloon like a pufferfish and then have to go through a cutting phase I would rather just do a slow and steady approach.  I think it would be better for me to do a slow and steady gain, trying not to put on any fat, just muscle.  I am still maintaining the intermittent fasting, but I am now trying to take in 200-250g of protein a day, so I am feeling super full when I'm eating, but I get to eat some pretty massive meals, which is tons of fun. However, if I'm not careful I will become a fatass.  With thanksgiving there has been an abundance of pie, and as of today I'm in Indianapolis for a wedding and it's going to be an epic meal.  It took me about a month to gain 10 pounds, from 180 to 190.  Since thanksgiving I shot up pretty quickly to 197.  I don't really have a goal weight.  As a matter of fact, right now I don't have any real goal (I don't think "getting more muscular" qualifies as a real goal).  I'm just taking it one big meal at a time, one set of squatting at a time.

Starting Strength check in

Well, everything is going along smoothly and quietly since I have been squatting less weight. Since I began the starting strength (SS) program eight weeks ago (am currently on my ninth week) I have not missed a single day. I’ve also been eating a lot more, trying to get 200+g of whole protein supplemented with about 60g of protein in shake form taken in on lifting days. I’ve also started eating a lot more carbs on lifting days, things like gluten free pie and two or three sweet potatoes are now becoming the norm. I also find myself not as paleo on lifting days, allowing myself a double hamburger if the option presents itself. I also find myself having frozen yogurt on occasion, although I think I’m over that phase now.

Been trying to figure out a workout program now that I’m doing 531 with the press but everything else is still SS. Talked to Ryan at crossfit Durham and he came up with this for me:

Monday

SS Squat

SS Bench

Pull-ups

Wednesday

SS Squat

Incline DB Press 5 x 10

SS DL

Friday

SS Squat

531 Press

Kroc Rows

Appreciate it bro.  Since I’ve started I’ve put on almost 10 pounds. I’m not sure if I’ve stopped gaining weight or not, I guess I should start weighing myself every day to see what is going on.  Honestly I’d be happy if I could put on another 20# if it was all muscle.  Not sure if I can do that, eating is starting to take over my life, but I guess if I want it I’ll find a way.  I mean, I could eat 5# of steak a day, but at this point I would be literally eating myself out of house and home. So I’m trying to figure out cheap, easy ways to eat clean food. Seems like that’s a recipe for Chicken in all shapes and forms.  My wife has also come across a fantastic Shepard’s pie recipe, and it is totally awesome I could eat it all day everyday if I could.

But nothing really noteworthy is going on, back/shoulder is still bugging me, my hip is still not at 100%, but  I’m still getting stronger.

Why am I doing this to myself?

Wednesday I stalled on my squat, it wasn't pretty.  I loaded up 240# on the bar, got under it, and was only able to get down about 2" before something just felt... wrong.  My back just wasn't right, I felt it bend a way it wasn't supposed to and so I freaked out a bit.  Racked the weight, collected my thoughts, and tried again, with the same result.  I just took off 15# and did the work sets with 225.  My hip was really bothering me, my hip flexor and adductor muscles were super tight and I was suddenly worried that I'm actually going to hurt myself, like I did in the Oly competition.

I started thinking about how squatting heavy hurts.  Like it's just the motion of squatting, it can be with just the bar and I feel this stab of pain in my groin area.  I guess I've been ignoring it because I've been dealing with pain for such a long time just having pain some of the time (when squatting) is way better then what it used to be (pain all the time).

But on Wednesday, I suddenly worried that I won't ever get to lift heavier than 225 without pain that I can handle.  It kind of scared me because there was a part of me that felt ok giving up on lifting, especially if it meant I wouldn't be in pain.  I mean, why am I putting myself in a position where I experience pain?  I've always viewed this as a battle of wills, that I'm not going to let this thing get me down.  Well, Wednesday it felt like I was running out of willpower.  Of course I would just give up on squatting only, but I feel like lifting without squatting isn't really lifting.

I know I still have some gains to make with PRP, and I'm really, really looking forward to seeing Dr. Hauser in December.  With him addressing the tear that manifests itself with internal rotation, I really feel like I can get back to 100% (how many times have I typed that up in my blog???)

Honestly it's still hard to imagine exercise without pain, that my right hip would feel like my left hip.

With the stall on the squat and the stall on the press, it looks like I am getting closer and closer to implementing the 531 program.  The more I research it the more excited I am about it.  I'm going to only have to do one lift a week, and will be adding a lot of volume with assistance exercises.  I have a feeling doing more volume will really help me.

....I am loving the whole eating big thing.  I'm still doing the intermittent fasting, but am still trying to get 200+g of protein in a day, and a lot more carbs than I used to.  Am seeing some results bulk wise, and I don't think I'm really getting any fatter, can still see my abs about as well as when I started eating tons.

Starting Strength Update.

Not much to report, all is quiet on the home front.  I’m still doing starting strength, and so far I’m still seeing gains, except for the press.  It’s been eight  weeks, and here were my first work set numbers:

Squat: 135

Press: 70
Bench: 115

Deadlift: 185

And here are they now:

Squat: 235

Press: 110 (kind of, can only get three reps of this)

Bench: 160

Deadlift: 235 (as of tomorrow, I’m pretty damn sure I’ve got this one)

So in two months my Squat has gone up 100#s, Press is 40#, and Bench has gone up 45#.  I’ve stalled twice with the press, so I think it’s time to switch it up to 5/3/1 for the press while I continue to see linear gains with everything else.  I was originally only upping my deadlift weight by 5#s, but as soon as I realized that’s only 5#s a week I went to 10#s.  Still, I’m going to start squatting more than I’m deadlifting, and that just doesn’t feel right.

...Honestly, from this experience, I think it would be wise for one to do Starting strength and then do crossfit, get the strength first, then do the conditioning.

I’m thinking of abandoning the intermittent fasting for now.  I’ve only gained 6 pounds since the beginning of all of this, and I think most of that was from this past weekend when I was in dallas and just pigged out all the time.  However, I just got some protein powder in the mail and will add that to the mix.  If I don’t gain weight while on IF and the shakes, I’ll just drop IF all together and then when I’ve put on some pounds (not sure what my goal is right now) I’ll get back onto IF and lose the fat.  Most of the IF testimonials show guys getting ripped, but none of them really look bigger (although they are stronger).

My hip is doing ok with all of this.  When I was testing out the front squat over two months ago I felt something… disagree with the movement.  Now I’m feeling tightness/pain in my psoas and adductors.  Although this is a bit of a step back, the discomfort/pain has not continued to get worse so I don’t think I should back off of squatting.  After all, I was back squatting back in Barrington and everything was fine.  I am also really, really looking forward to seeing Dr. Hauser with the intention of checking out my hip with regards to internal rotation.  I really believe that will be fixed, and I will eventually have a completely healed labrum.  It will be awesome.

However, I know that for probably about two weeks after I see Dr. Hauser I shouldn’t really push the hip to let it heal.  So during the Christmas holidays I will be doing leg curls/extensions and bench and pull ups, maaaaybe deadlifts.  We’ll see how I respond.

Starting Strength working out alright

So I've been doing Starting Strength for six weeks now.  It has been a great way to reacclimate my body to weightlifting.  I've experienced my first stall, with the press.  From what I understand, I get two more attempts to be able to successfully hit my workout sets and then I scale it back to like 80% and start all over again. ...it's kind of sad that I can't do 5 reps of 105#, but it is what it is, and the only way to get stronger is to deal with it.

The hip has been dealing with the squats really well.  I can tell that I'm not 10% yet, my right hip adductors are still tight, still trying to protect the joint.  For that I plan on seeing Dr. Hauser again this December, now that we have a possible diagnosis of a tear dealing with the internal rotation.  This has been such a long process, I fear that it will never end.  But I'm still holding out hope that once my labrum is 100% my hip will feel even better then what it's feeling like now.

Eating has been interesting.  With that powerlifting training I'm starting to eat like a powerlifter.  I'm now trying to let my body recover by eating as much as possible in my 8 hour eating window.  Things that used to be off limits like gluten-free pie are now suddenly on the table.  I tried eating cereal after a workout but that still upsets my stomach.  Carbs are my friend.  The thing is, now that I'm trying to gain weight, I'm having problems.  Last time I weighed myself I was still clocking in at 180-182#s. That's not a whole lot for a 6'2" guy like me.  I find it puzzling, the idea that I'm not eating enough when I'm trying to get in 200g of protein in a day.  When I follow up a workout with over a pound of liver (100+ grams of protein) as well as pie and other stuff I feel like I should be seeing more results.

I'm thinking about starting to supplement with protein shakes.  It kind of goes against what I think, that if you need shakes you are taking the easy way out, but this stuff is getting expensive and difficult.

Hip/Shoulder report: Things looking up still.

Almost forgot.  The other weekend I was back in Chicago and got to see Bobby again.  As he went through my hip flexors he said things were tight but they weren’t tight like they were protecting something.  My chest/shoulder used to be so tight Bobby had to work on my left pec for over 30 minutes.  Now it releases without any real problem.  Yay for simple shoulder help.  Obviously this is good news, seems that my hip is in much better condition, tons better than what it was like a year ago.  Honestly it’s hard to remember how painful it used to be, not that I’m complaining.  I still feel occasional pains in my hip, there are certain movements, usually ones that involve hip adduction, that send a slight shock of pain through my leg, but again nothing to what it used to be.  If needed I can put up with this with the rest of my life no problem.  However, I still think I have room to improve, that I can one day move my hip around without the concern of it catching and clunking, especially since I think I’ve learned the issue is dealing with a different tear associated with internal rotation.

When the wife finishes this semester of school we are probably going to drive back up to Chicago to stay at her parent’s house for winter break.  The plan is while I’m there I’ll see Dr. Hauser at least once (spend the last of my FSA money, and then with the new year the FSA account will be refilled), and then see Bobby one more time.  Hopefully this works.  If not, well, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.

New Workout Log on TNation

Ok well I had my fun over at the Bull City Barbell club, but to be honest I just couldn’t justify spending $160 a month on just showing up and lifting with other people, especially when I have a program that I can follow on my own.  I’m pretty disciplined with this stuff, I don’t need other people to motivate me anymore, results give me enough moto on my own, at least for now while I’m a noob.

Speaking of program, I’ve been doing Starting strength over the past month, and I wonder if I started out too light.  It also makes me realize how effen’ weak I am right now, as well as back when I was crossfitting.  Actually, I was aware almost four years ago that my numbers were pretty weak according to the starting strength guidelines, I guess I just never realized that I was spinning my wheels.

So it’s back to working out at the Duke gym.  I actually like working out there because I get to workout on my own time, meaning I can workout fasted again and follow it up with a huge recovery meal.  When I was working out at noon I think I was seeing greater results body comp-wise back then.  Here’s the numbers I put up today, still seeing linear strength gains, but I feel my press is starting to hit a ceiling.

Squat: 3 sets (190# x 5 reps)

Press: 3 sets (95# x 5 reps)

Pull ups: 3 sets (15# x 6 reps)

Surprisingly I’m not feeling any ceiling coming on with bench, but we’ll see how that goes.

I really have morphed into a bodybuilder mindset.  With the hip still not being 100% (more like 95%), the idea of squatting 600#s sounds wearisome rather than awesome. So right now my focus/goal is to look better naked.  Thankfully, since I’m such a noob there really isn’t much difference between training for strength and training for looks right now.  I also am starting to take in more carbs after workouts.  I used to think that 60g of carbs was a lot (that’s two sweet potatoes!), but am now thinking I could do with quite a bit more.  That has lead to an experiment with a bowl of cereal, and other high-carb sources.  Jury is still out on it, but here’s what I ate after lifting today:

¼ of gluten free apple pie

.75# steak

Bowl of cereal with milk

2 eggs

Afterwards I was still hungry, felt like I was good on the carb front, just needed more protein, maybe a pound of steak?  Eating all this food is starting to put a dent in my bank account, I need to figure out cheaper forms of protein.  Right now I’m eyeing eggs and maybe milk.  …I think dairy is something I can only handle in moderate amounts, so I’m a little weary of trying that right now.  I know milk is like THE source for a lot of people, but I just don’t know if my GI tract can stand it.

I’ve also discovered that Liver is a good source of protein, and it can be had for very cheap (like $5/lb for organic all natural grass-fed calf liver).  However, I’m going to limit myself to once a week just because it has the potential to have toxins and whatnot, even if from a “clean” source.

I’ve decided to start a training log over at T-nation.  I know, I know, a lot of xfitters think of that place as like xfit’s arch-nemisis, but I think we can all get along.  I’ve always wanted this blog to be more about my experience with exercise and injury rather than just a workout log.  I always thought of those as pretty boring, and I don’t want to fill up this blog with that stuff.  I’m still going to tend to this blog, I just want this to be more about info I come across like prolo and leangains and stuff like that.

Intermittent Fasting report

So far it's been about a month since I've started the IF regimen.  I don't think I've eaten outside of an eight hour eating window since I started, but my eating choices have definitely been suspect.  Part of it is I find myself adopting the mentality of a powerlifter, where all food is good food. That mentality partially comes from me trying to get in 200g of protein a day.  Part of it is trying to get some more carbs in with that protein right after my workout to help with muscle growth.  It allows me to give myself the green light to eat things like frozen yogurt after a heavy squat day.

The thing is, this is not helping me get a six pack.  When I don't try to cram 200g of protein into my mouth and eat clean I can see dramatic results in my abs in a couple of days.  But then I start thinking that I'm going to get puny and weak.  So what I need to do is figure out some nice clean meals that are packed with protein.  One of my new favorite meals is swordfish.  I can easily eat a pound of the stuff, and that's about 90g of protein right there.  Add in some sweet potatoes and boom there ya go. I just haven't had the opportunity to eat that yet, at least not as a post workout meal.

So basically I just need to get my shit together.  I will be eating Swordfish, Tuna, and sweet potatoes after workouts.  Lean gains protocol is to have like 60% of your daily calories post workout (if you're working out later in the day) and like 80% of it on the first meal of the day on rest days.  I will focus on these big meals, and I'll eat the small meals whenever I'm hungry (have been trying to force these a little in an effort to get the protein).

...I think one reason the eight hour feeding window is effective is that it naturally restricts your calories, however since I'm trying to get in 200g of protein I think you'd be surprised at how much I can eat in one sitting, probably one reason why I was a chubby child growing up.

Anyway, despite my frozen yogurt and other unhealthy things I've eaten this week, I'd say that I am definitely leaning out and am starting to see four-pack.  ...It's kind of sad because I know in quite a few forums having a four-pack will grant me newb status.

Anywho, I'm now going to go a whole week without pizza, cheeseburger, or frozen yogurt.  ...It is strange because before going IF I would go weeks without breaking paleo, but now that I'm doing IF I feel like I can now eat whatever I like.  However, that doesn't seem possible for me.  Regardless, I am seeing gains, and can't wait to actually have a real, honest to God six-pack.

Hip Update: More Then One Tear?

I can do this without
a problem

Ok so it’s been a while since I’ve talked about my hip.  I’ve been emailing back and forth with Dr. Hauser’s office, and I think I’ve figured something out.  My current status is that with any external rotation I can flex my hip as much as I want to without a catching sensation.  This is awesome, because external rotation is what is used with squats and whatnot.  Also, this didn’t used to be the case.  It used to be that some hip flexion with external rotation would cause a catching sensation in my hip.  So the fact that this no longer happens is strong, strong evidence that the labrum is healing nicely.  This also explains why I can squat without any kind of noise/catching/clicking from my hip, because those exercises involve external rotation. 

However, if I start to do anything more than mild hip flexion with internal rotation I will get that catching sensation. Every time. Guaranteed.  This might indicate (Dr. Hauser needs to check this out himself in person to be sure) that there is another tear, one that has not been addressed. This actually gives me great hope.

This is about as high as I
can go without fear of
my hip catching.

One thing that I learned through this email discussion is that Dr. Hauser only had the external rotation diagnosis.  The fact that he was only working on the external rotation part gives me a lot of hope because perhaps there is another tear or damage to the labrum that he hasn’t been treating.  This is good news because since I’ve responded so well to the treatment so far, and if there has been another issue unaddressed, then perhaps one day I can move my hip with any rotation I damn well please and not have to worry about aggravating a tear in my labrum.

I have also noticed that the muscles that are painful/tight in the hip are different now.  Or at least, they have stayed tight while others have loosened up some.  It used to be my illiopsoas was piano wire tight, but now it is much more relaxed, and I barely do any massage work on it.  Now I find myself focusing on my hip adductors and maybe some hamstring, like I’m sitting on the lacrosse ball now instead of lying on top of it.  As I think about it those muscles were always tight as well, just not as tight as the psoas (they were the chorus, the psoas was the star).  Now that the psoas doesn’t feel like it has to do all the work anymore and is relaxing, the discomfort from these other muscles tightening is coming to the foreground.  …It would also make sense to me that if the tear/damage is in the internal side of the hip joint the adductors and hamstring would be the ones tightening up to protect it.

I actually have about $750 left in my flex spending account right now.  That will cover one more treatment this year, so my thought is to pay Dr. Hauser a visit during Christmas break, provided I still have that money sitting there, waiting to be spent.  If it’s used up by then no biggie I can wait, but it would be nice to see him sooner than later.

This really has given me hope, that perhaps the end is truly in sight.

First week of Barbell course done.

So it’s been two sessions of a barbell course offered by Crossfit Durham. I’m going to go for linear progressions, and then after that switch to 3/5/1. I will post the current program later, I forgot to write the whole thing down. 

The first day was a bit humbling, none of the weight I’m working out with is impressive.  The idea is I do 3 sets of 5 reps, and warm up to that with lighter weight/higher reps.  Ryan, the coach, wanted me to start light, if I slow down to fight through the rep at all it’s too much to start with, so this is what my second day looked like:

Squat (140 x 5) x3
Press (70 x 5) x3
(bwt rows x 8) x 3

On Wednesday I tried my hand at the high bar back squat, being that I like the front squat so much I wanted to be as close to that as possible.  However, it seems that the high bar squat bothered my hip ever the slightest, so on Friday I tried my hand at the low bar back squat.  That seemed to feel much better throughout, so I’m going to stick with that.  I am not going to see Dr. Hauser again until January, so I’m going to play it safe and not do any Oly lifting or front bar squatting.  It’s going to be all power lifting baby. …I’m going to miss Oly lifting

If you notice Ryan has us doing bwt rows (they’re the inverse of a push up, basically). I asked why we’re going for higher reps of bwt rows (the goal is to do 3 sets of 12 reps, then you make it harder on yourself by lowering the bar and make yourself more horizontal) instead of doing lower reps with weighted chins.  He told me one reason was because no one could do chins, let alone weighted chins.  I told him I could do 5 chins with a 45# plate, so he is now going to add that into the mix (yay!).  I’m pretty excited to see where this will take me.

Concerning the intermittent fasting, still going strong and once I left the fried chicken alone all seems to be doing well.  After a week or so of dropping the fried chicken I am starting to see a six pack, but only in certain light.  I cannot wait for the day when I can see my abs in their full glory in any lighting and at this rate anything is possible.  My eating window is 1:30-9:30pm now because I lift weights at 6-7:30 and I want to give myself time to eat a lot after lifting.  I am trying to make breakfast and lunch small so I can just destroy dinner, and so far it seems to be working.  It’s been hard trying to eat 200g of protein a day, and I don’t think I’ve made it yet.  I could easily get away with it if I were doing whey protein, but I’m trying to not use that as a crutch.  Friday I drank Chocolate milk right after lifting, but I think the dairy wasn’t the best idea for me.  I’m going to try a muscle milk and see how that goes.  After that I’m going to have a 12 oz steak, so that’s about 84 grams of protein.  I think if I really do want to build muscle I’m going to have to step up and start eating more after I lift, we’ll see what I can handle.

Am very glad that I’ve found that I can back squat and not have it affect my hip, I have asked Dr. Hauser for his opinion on what’s going on, why my hip still catches at certain point. So far I haven’t heard anything but will report back when I do.

IF + Fried Chicken = Softness

Ok, so I’ve been doing intermittent fasting (IF) for like two weeks now.  I was working out at the apartment fitness center for a lot of the time, and I was also eating quite a bit of frozen yogurt and other carbs and to be honest I thought I was looking more and more ripped. Then I finally was able to start lifting heavy at the Duke gym and realized I was eating maybe 150g protein when I should be eating at least 200g.  That made me think “ok, I need to start eating a whole lot more now” and started having 3-piece chicken dinners from Bojangles (roughly 100g protein) after squat day.  I was really focusing on trying to cram a whole lot of food into that eight hour eating window.  Well, as a result I’ve noticed that I’m looking a lot softer over the past couple of days.  Maybe fried chicken wasn’t the way to go. 

Or maybe it was.  I have to wonder if all that food has helped me get stronger, if not a little softer.  Perhaps I should go through a bit of a massing phase. I have decided to join Crossfit Durham's barbell course, and it would lend itself to getting bulky.  I know now that it is actually possible for me to get at least close to a six pack, so it's not like I'll be giving up on my dreams.  I know this is completely normal but every time I go into a cutting phase I’m suddenly concerned about losing strength and every time I go into a massing phase I then get unhappy about seeing my "abs" go away.

Regardless, I think if I start eating a lot cleaner sources of protein I can probably see some strength gains while losing fat (I consider myself to be in the newb stage here, where everything is possible).  So no more fried chicken.

So right now I’ve figured out how much protein is in each of the meals that I usually make, and I’ve figured out that if I work at it 200g shouldn’t be too hard.  Thing is, I’m not sure how many carbs I should be taking in.  Leangains talks about having a lot of carbs after your workout, but I’m not sure how many a lot is.  With the current fasted training set up I’m doing, I need to eat a huge meal after my workout.  Today I had a .75# steak and two sweet potatoes.  That’s about  90g of protein and about 60g of carbs, respectively.  I have no idea if that’s enough carbs but six hours later and I’m still really, really full.  …I imagine that it’s not enough because in one of his blog posts Martin makes the comment he used to have a box of cereal as his post workout meal.  Damn that’s a lot of carbs.

This past couple of weeks I’ve been working out at noon without having eaten anything, but now that I’m attending the barbell class I’ll be working out in the PM.  According to the lean gains guide I’ll be eating about 50% of my calories before in two meals and then the other half will be in the post-workout meal.  Should be interesting to see how this works out.

I’m going to have to figure out where I want to go, so I can ask the barbell coach how to get there.  I’m thinking I’ll take this opportunity to work on mass/strength, and then go through a cutting phase.  From what I understand with IF it won’t be that that different.  We’ll see.

I’m also excited to get on a new weight training program.  I’d like to learn about 3/5/1 and starting strength.  I hear both of those being thrown around online, but I still don’t understand them (esp. SS) enough to actually implement them.  Can’t wait until Wednesday.

Going to add yet another element to the eating mix

So I was introduced to the Oly blog the iron samurai a few months ago, and one of the headlines in the margin caught my eye, "Intermittent Fasting, The Vodka Diet, OR How I Got Skinny For My Wedding Like a Real Man" I mean, after all, I was getting into wedding shape as well. He mentions intermittent fasting as his solution, and I kind of thought "yeah that's great and all but I'm not interested in learning about that right now."  Well, I've followed up on that entry and have been reading though the blog the iron samurai points to, leangains.com.  I must admit at the back of my mind the whole time I was saying "but breakfast is the most important meal of the day!!! You'll have high cortisol levels!"  But I've kind of realized that when I decided to start cutting calories I did that by not really eating breakfast.  I would have a protein shake but that was about it, not the protein shake AND sausage and vegetables.

So I've decided to try out intermittent fasting, as prescribed by leangains. It's a 16 hour fast/ 8 hour eating window.  Basically, I skip breakfast, workout around noon, and then eat after that and stop eating around 9.  I'm trying to eat three meals in that window, and am usually pretty successful.  It's not too hard, although that last hour or so the stomach gets to grumbling.  I guess you could say this week is my week one, so it should be interesting to see where I go from here.

I have to admit reading the guy's blog has made me more lenient on what I eat and be more concerned of when I eat.  I mean, this guy is RIPPED (and he used to be fat) and he talks about how he celebrates a deadlift PR with ice cream and his post workout meal is a box of cereal. Suddenly I think "oh hey if he can get away with that then maybe I can too!" and suddenly this week I've had Frozen Yogurt and Subway and Man v. Food favorite Chicken Cheddar Biscuit (delicious, btw) and peanut butter ice cream. Now as long as I have it during my eating window I'm set right?  I just fooled myself into a bit of an eating binge. I should also note that my stomach has not appreciated any of the grains I've had, but seems to be ok with the milk (I don't think I'm lactose tolerant, but it just doesn't seem to upset my stomach like grains do)

So I'm going to follow this fasting thing with paleo food.  However, it seems like there is a lot more work involved with this if I want to get like the leangains testimonials.  I will have to start looking at how much protein I'm taking in and other macronutrient ratios.  For some reason that has always been really, really difficult for me.  I know for some one of my size I should probably start taking in at least 180g of protein, and that should be whole protein too not liquid.  However, I really doubt I've eaten that much in one day in more than two days in a row.

I don't know why, but trying to eat enough protein is tough.  I love eating steak.  Like love it.  Also fish, chicken, etc.  I just need to indulge in that more I guess.  Part of it is cost, I think, but I can just start buying cheaper cuts of meat.  ...I miss my grass-fed steak, but I simply can't afford that right now.

I think it's funny that "conventional wisdom" for losing fat is really like the totally opposite of what I'm doing:

• Avoiding grains, even whole grain
• Avoiding dairy ('A great source of Calcium!")
• High fat
• And now, no breakfast and eating big meals
• no to little cardio (I do love sprinting intervals)

I feel like I have a lot of studying to do.  I need to figure out how much 180g of protein is eating-wise, and I need to then figure out the carbs/fat from there.

Now, Nick Horton (the iron samurai guy), didn't do any of this, as far as I can tell.  He just ate what he wanted as long as it was in the eating window, and saw results.  So maybe I'm making this harder then it has to be.  Regardless, I feel like it's worth a shot.

An example of different prolotherapy styles

Not all prolotherapists are equal, experience is one key, but another is approach.  Here is an example of what the majority of prolo experiences are like:


Here the Dr is using fluoroscopy (basically continuous X-rays) to guide the needle into the hip and specifically the tear.  Very little solution is used, and he has to be very precise in delivering the solution to the tear.  I liken this to a sniper taking out a specific target.

Here is Dr. Hauser's method, the Hackett Hemwall method:


I should also note he had me flip over and worked on my backside as well. The man uses a lot of solution, no guidance, but covers the entire area so even if he misses with one he'll hit it with another. I liken this to carpet bombing.

Sniping sounds like a nice tactic, but your sniper has to be spot on, and even with the xray a miss is possible.  Also, and more importantly, you have to be dead sure that your target is the real target.  Maybe you will hit the tear, maybe your won't but what if there's some other issues as well that's causing the pain?  I know for damn sure I have no pain nerves in my labrum, so maybe other things are causing the pain, and so maybe other things need to be addressed.  If you carpet bomb that shit and make sure no one is left standing, you might not be sure what the problem was but you can be damned sure it was taken care of.

...My hip is really so much better then what it used to be, all thanks to Dr. Hauser.  He's not the first prolotherapist I've seen, but he damn well will be the last.

Some Proof of Improvement.

Sometimes I wonder if the improvement from prolo is all in my head.  I mean, there is much I can point to and say “see, my hip is getting better!”  I haven’t had any MRI’s lately, nor X-rays.  Sure I can say that my hip is feeling better, and the muscles around it are noticeable more relaxed (not just my own opinion, my massage therapists as well).  But it’s nothing quantifiable, and my hip still clicks on occasion. So being the person that I am of course I am going to look at myself in the mirror and ask, “Are you getting caught up in this prolo hype?  Are you just convincing yourself that it’s working? Do you want to believe it will work so badly you’ll lose all common sense?”

Well today I actually have something I can point to, something that I couldn’t do before prolo that I can do now.  Today I tried something that would always make my hip clunk.  Like it was a solid clunk, guaranteed, every time.  I crossed my right leg over my left, and then uncrossed them, and nothing happened.  It was funny how intense it was for me, how I was kind of wigging out while sitting there with my legs crossed the “wrong” way.  I was so nervous anticipating that clunk, that tell-tale sign I had something wrong going on in my hip and nothing seemed to be helping.  But it didn’t happen this time.  Nope, nothing, didn’t even feel like pressure, although it did feel very strange.  I haven’t tried it again, I’m that afraid of that clunk.  But that clunk was something that would happen EVERY DAMN TIME I uncrossed my legs, and it didn’t happen this time!

It may seem like a small thing, but whenever my hip catches it’s a reminder that I’m not well, that I haven’t beaten this thing despite the years I’ve put into trying to figure out what is wrong and how to handle it.  Now I know that I’m getting better, that I’m heading in the direction I want to go.

I remember when I was thiiiiiis close to having surgery.  You can deal with the pain for so long before it starts to really mess with you, and when surgery seems like the solution for all your problems it can sound oh so sweet.  Thankfully, I managed to take a different path, one that, I pray, will take me to a completely healed labrum.

An actual, real life FAI surgery success story

One of the reasons why I've stayed away from surgery is the fact that I have yet to find a success story. I honestly felt that it was just not the solution.  However, I just came across a blog (http://mysistersfaisurgery.blogspot.com), that documents one girls recovery.  It's pretty detailed and shows how he fairs with pt and stuff.  ...It seems that she flew to Vail to see the top fai surgeon and then spent some time there rehabbing.  She took a lot of time, but it seems that a year after the operation she is doing great.  I don't know if I could take off that much time, one of the perks of being a high school student.

Anyways, I know people, like me, are looking for FAI surgery success stories, and after finding one I thought I should share.

First Wod in like a year

Given the very little equipment available for me to use with a more traditional strength training program, I decided to do a crossfit-style workout.  I felt my hip would be ok, and if I felt it catch or anything like that I’d modify straight away. So, after about a year of not crossfitting, I decided to do:

5 rounds

10 burbees

10 30# clean and push jerks

After the first round I knew I was in trouble conditioning-wise so I cut it to three.  Seriously, I could not keep up the intensity at all, I had to take pretty long breaks in between each exercise, but I made sure to do each exercise unbroken.  I was concerned with the large ROM required for the burpees, but those actually went well.  My hip never clicked or anything like that, however I did feel tightness with one of my adductors in the beginning.  Worst case scenario it’s tight because I still have some labral damage and it’s tightening up to protect it.  Best case is that it’s  tight because of the way I sit or walk after the PRP treatments.

Based off of the burpees being ok and the Roman chair lifts still causing problems, it seems that my hip only catches when I bring my knee towards my chest, but not when I bring my hips to my knee.  I have no idea if there’s any significance to this but I thought it worth noting.

Hip is not completely healed

Ok so I just did a few Roman chair leg raises (the bane of my labrum's existence).  At first there was nothing, so I increased the ROM by like 2mm, and I felt some pressure, like I could tell something was going on.  Tried it again, and my hip made a tiny click.

Very little discomfort or pain.  Honestly I'm a little surprised at how little this phases me.  I am still improving, and after this last treatment my hip has never felt so normal.  I still have hope.  I just need to figure out when I can next see Dr. Hauser.  It might have to wait until 2013, but maybe I can work something out.  I've only had three PRP treatments, and considering how it takes 3-6 treatments it's not like I'm really drawing this thing out.

Adam's Gym, Part three

Welcome again to one of this blog's running pieces, where I talk about what I would do if I had my own gym.  Today let's talk about something I think all gyms should have (especially globo gyms): competition.  I've attended my fair share of crossfit competitions, even participated in five of them, from three different gyms, and I see how it helps a gym and its community out.

I think I would like to try a competition that is super, super simple.  It won't be sexy, but I think it would be pretty awesome.  Crossfit likes to say that it's goal is to get you to squat 500 pounds and run a five minute mile, so why not put it to the test?  Once a year I would hold "Adam's squat and sprint".  Unlike most crossfit competitions that surprise you with what the workout is, you'll know way ahead of time what to train for.  Perhaps no one would want to participate, but I'd be fascinated to see how this turns out.

It would be pretty simple.  Morning you have three attempts to get your squat max, it would be like a powerlifting competition with the standards and judging. After lunch and a bit of a rest, we'd then have a mile race.  I guess we'd have it in heats, depending on how many people participate.  I'm not sure exactly how'd I implement it, but the winner would be the person who's average rank between the squat and the mile run is the highest.  Very simple, but very difficult to succeed at.

Anyway, I think it would be awesome to see how close people can come to squatting 500 pounds while running a 5:00 mile.

Necessity is the Mother of invention

Ok, well I’m now living in Durham, and am anxiously awaiting finding a gym to use.  I think I’ll try Crossfit Durham’s barbell seminar, but I don’t think they actually have anything to offer through the barbell club.  It’s kind of strange, like they don’t actually have a barbell club going on, will do more research.

Another option for a place to workout is the Duke activity center.  I’m sure it’s huge, hell it even has bumper plates and platforms for Oly lifting.  However, I can’t get access to it until Labor day (SUCKS!)

So that leaves my apartment’s fitness center.  Not very impressive.  Some dumb bells- up to 50#s!- machines, and treadmills. Not a whole lot to work with.

Yesterday I worked out, did some back and hammy work.  Did some db deadlifts with the 50s, really focused on keeping a tight core and proper form.  Did a little speed work as well, focusing on a fast concentric motion. Think I might be ready for some dumbbell cleans and presses, maybe some thrusters.  This will be interesting to see what I can do.

The hip again feels… normal.  Normal in a way it hasn’t felt in years.  I would be totally ready to try out stuff that has made it clunk in the past, except for the fact that when I was in bed and laid down I could have sworn I felt it catch.  Sigh.  So it seems that I might not be at 100% yet.  However, I really haven’t felt any pain, and that has been the most important aspect of all of this.  However, if I want to get back to Oly lifting Doc said I need to have this labrum healed 100%, and so that’s not going to happen yet.  It’s a strange place: I want to test out the hip, but am afraid that if I do it will disrupt the labrum and set me back. Oh what a quandary.  Like I really want to test it out, but if it makes any catching feel I will instantly regret it.

Now if only I could find some real equipment to work out with.  Time to get whimsical.

Hip and Shoulder Update

So I have yet to do something to make my hip catch/go clunk.  I would be happier about this except for the fact that I’m really not testing it out.  I haven’t really tried bringing my knee to my chest, that still scares the bejeezus out of me.  However, I do notice that I’m trying things out that I’m usually don’t do.  It’s all little things, like lifting my leg to rest my foot on the coffee table, or sitting Indian style on the floor.  The motions feel foreign (haven’t done them for like eight months), and there is some… pressure in the hip, but definitely nothing like pain or the catching sensation of the tear opening and closing.

I really, really, hope that I am done with prolotherapy.  So far I’ve had three PRP treatments, and before that I think I had five non-PRP treatments.  That’s about $5k right there.  Now that all comes from my flex speding account (FSA) so I saved like $1500 in taxes but still: that’s nothing to sneeze at.  If I do require more treatments, I am thinking I will have to wait until 2013, when my FSA resets.  Now that I’m living in Durham, Seeing Dr. Hauser will be a lot more complicated anyway, perhaps something to do after spending NYE in Chicago?

I am excited to start power lifting.  My personality definitely lends itself to Olympic Lifting (technique above anything else), but getting stronger in any capacity is always fun, right? I think Crossfit Durham will be offering its next class in about a month, so I have about four weeks to get a lay of the land, find a rhythm to get into, get my diet back on track.

Regarding the shoulder, I may have figured out something.  Nowadays my massage therapist is telling me that my troubled shoulder is looser than my pain-free shoulder.  If it is indeed looser, then where is this discomfort coming from?  I think it may come from me constantly messing with my shoulder.  Always stretching and foam rolling, I have noticed that if I just leave it alone for a while the discomfort seems to subside some.  I have decided to try going pretty much cold turkey: except for stretching I am going to try to leave my shoulder alone.  No more foam rolling the neck, collarbone, or the back.  It feels counterintuitive, but to be honest I’m willing to give anything a shot to see if it works.  Also, I haven’t cracked my neck or upper back in months, and that accomplishment feels great. 

Third PRP treatment. Final Treatment???

So I saw Dr. Hauser for-*crosses fingers*- my last visit.  I believe this to be my third PRP treatment, my eighth treatment in total.  It was the usual, “Hi, how are you doing?  You’re almost done.”  I also had him work on my back, because it has been driving me crazy.  That night I had a dream where I really used the full ROM of my hip. Frightened that I had gone too far, I slowly straightened out my leg in my dream and… there was no click.  I know this was only a dream, but I now realize that after every treatment I have had dreams where I make my hip go “clunk”.  This is the first time where I had a positive outcome.  Maybe this was my body telling me that I’m all better now, sure hope so.   I’ve been babying the hip for the past couple of days, definitely don’t want to test it out as it’s still healing and I want to let it knit. 

I asked the nurse about the possibility of undoing the healing by doing something like Oly lifting if the labrum hasn’t healed completely, and she said that it was more than likely to happen.  So if I want to get back to Oly lifting (and I do) I need to wait until I can do everything with my hip without it clicking.  I pray to God that I’m done with this, that I can get back to not worrying about using my hip too much.  If there is still some catching going on after this treatment, after moving down to Durham I’m going to start looking into Power lifting.  I can go slow in powerlifting, and I don’t think I have to break 90 degrees in squatting (wow I miss being able to hit full depth) so that will lessen any chances of worsening the tear.

Hopefully though, I won’t have to worry about it because in like two weeks I will be completely healed.  I know I sound like a broken record with regards to this, and that is starting to annoy me.  This process is such a waiting game, but after each session I notice significant improvement, so I really can’t complain.  Each time I think I’m like 98% close to being completely healed, and then after the treatment I realize that I had much, much farther to go because I was in a worse situation then I realized.  Hopefully, this time I really was 98% done and will be completely healed after this.

Plans for when I'm in Durham

...Just noticed that Crossfit Durham offers four week camps to work on Oly lifting and barbell work.  Of course I'm drawn to the Oly lifting but I don't think my hip is ready for that yet, so when they offer the barbell course next I'll take them up on it.

Speaking of hip, less then 12 hours for when I see Dr. Hauser, really hope this last treatment is it.

The Wedding Post

Many, many things have changed in my life this past week.  First, I am now married to a beautiful, smart woman. She has always been there for me, and I am amazingly lucky to have her in my life in any respect, let alone spend the rest of my life with her.  The wedding/reception was awesome; only wish that I had more time to spend with everyone, it simply felt too short.  

Happy Day.

On a nutrition note, this past week has been horrible.  Family was in town and they were on vacation so I was constantly surrounded by cookies and cake and pizza and chips and all kinds of things that I don’t normally eat.  Not only that, but there has been so much of it.  I have gone from feeling slightly hungry all the time to feeling slightly/really full all the time, and it hasn’t been a pleasant experience.  And yet, I kept eating.  Hopefully soon I can get back to eating healthier foods. Like now.

Also, with this past week trying to fit in time for work and wedding and family stuff there was not a lot of room for the gym.  In fact last week I only worked out once.  Haven’t been too happy about that but it is what it is.  I got to work out today, and I plan to workout tomorrow.  As long as that keeps happening I’m fine.

Third, I am moving again.  The wife (eek!) is enrolling in Duke law this fall and so we are moving down to Durham in like a week.  I’ve never been one for change but I am excited for her and the new experiences that await us.  This weekend we drove down to Durham and picked out an apartment.  Again, with the drive down and nothing to do but eat out the diet has been nothing like it has been.  Although I will say the food scene in Durham is unreal.  Every restaurant we visited had amazing food.  Especially Dame’s chicken and waffles.  Delicious.

Concerning food, I've found an NC paleo food delivery service, Custom Fit Meals, which seems like it's a lot like power supply up in DC.  Glad people are realizing there is a demand for this.  I'm going to have to test it out and see what it's like, they seem to have a lot more options then power supply, which I'm meh about.  Just put it in front of me and I'll eat it.

I am unsure what to do workout/rehab wise once we get down there.  Optimally I will have like six more weeks of rehab until I can start doing some type of Oly lifts.  I am unsure about my desire to rejoin a crossfit gym like Crossfit Durham, as I seem to respond better to a progression plan with weight lifting.  It seems that after two years most people burn out on crossfit and move on to something else.  I seem to be no different.  However, if the one of the gyms there offer a 5/3/1 plan or some Oly-only programming I’m all about it. …I also know that I will be very lonely working from home with Kristin gone all day with school, so I will definitely need the community support of something like a box.  …I have also noticed that the student gym center offers bumper plates for oly lifting, so perhaps I’ll do digital coaching with Angie my coach from Crossfit Rise. Time will tell.

Kristin also found a candidate for Bobby’s replacement, Ellen at active edgefit.  Hopefully I won’t need to see a massage therapist like I have in the past because my hip/shoulder will be in better shape.

Speaking of, Tuesday I will see Dr. Hauser for the last time, at least last time this year.  If I end up needing to see him again, it will be next year when my FSA is replenished.  I hope that he will say I’ve completely healed, but I have a feeling he will suggest I have another treatment.  As always, hopefully this will be the last time I see him.  Currently if I do not use ANY external or internal rotation I can squat to full depth and not have my hip click.  However, if I had any rotation for things like putting on my pants I get a click still.  ...I seem to be ok if I bring my hips down to my feet, but if I bring my feet to my hips it's a completely different story.  For example, I can squat to full Oly depth and there is no click, but in the roman chair if I bring my knees up higher than 90 degrees then there is a click.  It’s nice that I’m seeing progress, but it is a little disheartening that I seem to still have a ways to go.  If I don't get up to 100% (aka no clicking or pain) after this then I guess I will hold off on the Oly lifting until sometime next year.  I'm not sure about this, but since it was Oly lifting that worsened the situation in my hip I'm hesitant to get back into it.