Back to the grind

A quick post, because I have so many assignments due for uni, but in 2 weeks I start my first Practical placement so looking forward to that. Almost fully back at work, with exciting business prospects in clear sight.

Managed this 1 arm snatch today, a post knee-surgery PB...felt good! no pain in abs at all. Slight pain on the Iliac crest where muscles were torn off and nerve damage occured, however this is nerve pain and I've been told it may never go away!

My knee seems to be slowly getting better, almost 8 weeks post surgery, I am off crutches and walking stick, now slowly trying to eliminate my limp. The knee has really tested me, it got really mashed up in the accident and causes constant trouble, but I just need to give it time. For those who don't know the injury I sustained to my knee included a partial tear to the MCL and almost full tear to the PCL, chondral detachments, patella damage and general cartilage damage. On the positive side, my upper body strength has had a chance to recover fully, and I am actually approaching the strength I was at pre-accident. Oh, I got the all clear for squats as well, woohoo!!! So I have been overhead squatting with the broomstick and managed some 20kg dumbell front squats. I think I can feel the muscle memory kicking in already, my legs are starting to look alive!!!. My Pullups have been improving massively too, with 15 strict wide grip being my current PB.

Riding my bike has really contributed to recovering the strength in my injured leg, it has been feeling really good! Riding is actually awesome, I'm really glad I have been riding a lot lately.

Much more to come, Hopefully by my next post I will have lost my limp for good!!! I know no one said it would be easy, but there is an easy way and a right way!!

                                                     Pullups at around 113kg body weight

Strong Mind, Strong Body, Positive Outlook!

Stronger...

It has been 4 weeks since I have been on crutches, and man it is wearing me down! I have had to cut back my work hours significantly and am being overloaded with uni work. 2 more weeks until I can put full weight through my knee indefinitely. I am having some serious squat withdrawals, seriously. All these people around me training and competing, and I'm stuck on crutches without a squat to be had. Of course I have been managing to get upper body training in,  which is positive because pressing is my weakness, it has been good to have a (forced) chance to develop it. Being able to train upper body has helped keep me somewhat sane throughout all this, but I really just want to get out there and compete again! I managed to shoulder my first stone since the accident today, albeit the smallest one we have. It felt so good, to feel the stone in my hands. Just a teaser of what is to come, eventually.

I've been training pullups a lot, and managed to get 13 today before I started failing, I was quite happy with this at 111kg body weight. I also managed 10 reps on 100kg on close grip bench and 120kg x 3. I'm going to use this period of lower body limitations to really work to improve my pressing strength, so that when I return to Strongman it won't be such a weakness of mine.

I feel confident in pushing forward and completing my Graduate Dip. Ed. this year, taking some time to organise my career path and put in some good work on this front. I realised after the accident just how passionate I was becoming about training, and how much time it started taking up when really it's not something I'm ever going to be able to rely on to provide financial support. I do it for the love of the sport and the people involved in it and surrounding it. I feel like I really can make a change in the world, and I am definitely starting to see opportunities opening up towards doing that. Having this experience of being a strongman is definitely shaping the person I am becoming, and I feel that it will only aid my endeavors as a person wanting and being able to make a difference for people.

Taking the state junior basketball squad for their core and agility training this season has been great experience as a Strength and Conditioning coach, with much more to come. My days as a PT seem to be dwindling however, as I start to see the amount of work required to actually make a decent buck from training people. I hope to take the entrepreneur path, with plans for my own business as well as recently being offered the role of Co-director at HPT, where I am currently employed as a coach. This will be my priority motivation. Doing this Diploma in Education  will not only add to my credentials as a coach, but also open the door to networking in schools, where I hope to present an idea/program.

Just because I miss squats so much...here are some I did a few months before the accident:

Now go listen to 46&2 by Tool at the top of this page and be inspired!!! Go lift something...anything! squat in my memory of my good knee ;)\

Just kidding, I'll be back.....

c