Where have I been?

Recovering and resting. I hit it too hard too soon after my surgery. I developed some nasty bruising and a bit of swelling in my surgically repaired knee. Being cautious, I put the bells down for 10 days.

Some people recover very quickly after this type of surgery. Some don’t. I can walk, have full range of motion, and very little discomfort but my knee is not yet healed and ready for anything physically ambitious.

Here is the basic template for my training for awhile. It is more or less the same every day, with variations in duration and intensity. It takes maybe 15-20 minutes, and really isn’t worth writing about on a daily basis because I am simply trying to maintain a minimum level of fitness . Day in and day out, the routine will be the same.

1. 24kg swing- 15/15
2. 24kg one arm clean and push press or press – varying duration, but short OR 16kg double cleans – varying duration, but short
3. 16kg snatch – varying duration, but short
4. Pullups or chinups alternating with pushups
5. 24kg swing – starting with 40/40

Check back every now and then for updates, and in no time, I will resume writing regularly when I have something interesting to update you with.

Wednesday, September 5

Wednesday, September 5, 2007
1. 24kg swing – 15/15
2. 16kg double seated press – 3:45. (5,5,5,4). 19 total.
3. 24kg swings – 1×40/40
4. Power pushup (1 medium cable) -10

Tuesday, September 4

Tuesday, September 4, 2007
1. 24kg swing – 15/15
2A. TNT cable press (3 light cables) – 5,6,7,8,6 alternating with
2B. Power pushup (1 medium cable) – 5,6,7,8,6
3. 16kg double cleans – 4:00. (5,5,5,5). 20 total.
4. Pullups – 6,6,6 (1 BW, 5 light band assist each set)
5. 24kg swing – 30/30
6. Divebomber pushups – 6

In order to be able to do pullups, one has to do pullups. I let this get away from me for a couple of months, but since I am somewhat limited on what I can do, I am reintroducing the exercise  into my routine every other day. It is good to be pain free. The knee is still a little stiff, but it seems to be healing nicely. It kills me not to be able to do jerks and snatches, but I need to be patient. Hopefully what I am doing now will allow me to pick up where I left off a month ago when I resume jerking, long cycling, and snatching in a few months.

Monday, September 3, 2007

Monday, September 3, 2007
1. 24kg swing – 15/15
2. 16kg double seated press – 3:24. (5,5,5,2). 17 total. PR.
3A. Pullups (BW) – 1,2,2 alternating with
3B. Power pushup 2 (1 medium cable) – 6,8,8
4. Pullups (light band) – 5,6
5A. 32kg swing – 10/10,10/10 alternating with
5B. Divebomber pushups – 5,5

Today was hotter, but I felt better. The swelling in the knee is almost gone. I can also get up and down the stairs without any problems. I am foolish to assume that I am healed – ask me again in January. Continuing my routine of kettlebell lifting and body weight exercises, I pushed a little harder today on the seated press.

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Sunday, September 2, 2007
1. 24kg swing – 15/15
2A. TNT cable press (3 light cables) – 3×5 alternating with
2B. Power pushup (2 light cables) – 3×5
3. 24kg snatch – 2:00. (12R,12L). This exercise bothers my knee.
4. 16kg double seated press – 2:00. (6,6). 12 total.
5. 32kg swings – 15/15,15/15,10/10. Not timed.

Finally on the road to recovery. Surgery and healing is work as well, and I did not feel 100%. I suspect I have lost some strength. With the exception of snatches, nothing I did bothered my knee.

I will be doing a combination of bodyweight exercises, knee rehab as prescribed, and kettlebell lifting for the remainder of the year. My focus will be the seated press, but I need to be careful so not to trash my shoulders. Jerks seem to be a lot more forgiving on the shoulders than pressing, so I need to be careful. I will pick jerks back up in 2008.

On the road to recovery

Time to start training again.

I had my knee scoped on Thursday to remove some loose “bodies” that were floating around in my knee that detached from my meniscus. Looking at the pictures, it looks like there was some damage to the meniscus both on the lateral side and anterior side.

Thursday night and Friday were rough. The initially prescribed pain killer did not work, but the second one did. I spent Saturday aggressively attacking the swelling with ice and use of the CPM machine, and I am sitting here early Sunday morning not having used painkillers for 30 over hours with a knee that is only slightly sore.

I can get up the stairs without a problem, and down the stairs with minimal issues. The swelling is minimal.

I will find out the longer term prognosis on Wednesday, but to be able to walk without the knee buckling (and pain free) and to be able to exercise at a high level is important to me. I can do the former now, and am confident that I will be able to do the latter in due course.