Lofteren Member

To answer your question we need a lot more info. What levels were fused? Did they use anterior hardware, posterior hardware or both? Did they remove the whole disc and insert cages with bone graft? Did the spine fully fuse after the surgery? If they used a posterior approach with pedicle screws do you have IOM reports with…

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a generic blanket term that docs will hand out to people who say they are tired all the time. Basically, it is a disorder with no specific etiology; so all it really means is "this patient gets tired a lot". Generally, pts with this Dx have somethimg wrong with them that is causing the fatigue…

You could train legs 3 times a week or even more if you wanted to. It is a good idea to modulate the volume and intensity so that each training session is different and so that some of the sessions are easier to recover from. I would recommend squatting be your main (or even your only) lift

This is an old school technique but it works well. Once you have achieved a respectable amount of muscle mass and a low (ish) bodyfat percentage, you can continually bulk and cut in 2 week cycles. Just eat around 300-500cals over maintenance for 2 weeks and then eat around 300-500cals under maintenance for the next two…

The urge to vomit is caused by a build up of metabolic waste products in the blood stream. A small portion of these are able to seep through the blood brain barrier and are sensed by the limbic system. This, in turn, causes a parasympathetic response to rid the body of these metabolic waste products. Because of the type of…

Did you happen to do DB overhead presses?

You can train with a lot of common household items. Bodyweight exercises will obviously be your staples if you don't have any equipment but it is also good to hold something heavy while you do squats or weighted carries. It doesn't really matter what it is as long as you have to struggle to lift it. I have used large…

In my opinion, the best place for new weight lifters to start is either Starting Strength or Stronglifts 5x5. I would definitely recommend that you read the book "Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training" by Mark Rippetoe from cover to cover and I would also recommend that you watch the "So you think you can squat", "So…

What is your question?

No one can tell you if you are doing anything wrong that is causing your knee pain unless they can see a video of you performing a squat. It would be best to post a video of you squatting a weight that is very heavy for you so we could see where your form breaks down. With that being said, the most common reason that…

Barbell roll outs did more to fix my lower back pain than anything the doctor did. They also helped me bring my squat and deadlift up a good deal. I would also do push ups out of a pair of blast straps (like a TRX). These are like planks on steroids. They really helped my stability.

I used to do Judo when I was a kid. I was hoping to get back into it but couldn't find a good Judo school near my house so now I'm doing BJJ instead.

There is no getting around strength loss while you're cutting unless you're using AAS. It sucks but, unfortunately, it is inevitable unless you were really, really weak to begin with.

I do a lot of conditioning circuits which include a barbell movement but also several other movements. Last night we did: Medicine Ball Slams: 1 min Clean Grip Muscle Snatch: 1 min Sledge Hammer Slams: 1 min Jump Rope: 1 min Battle Ropes: 1 min x2 rounds We incorporate a lot of bodyweight exercises into the circuits as…

Progressive overload is the only way to get really strong. Other forms of periodization just use progressive overload in cycles rather than linearly but they are basically using the same concept. Modified block training programs, block periodized programs, etc... are all just ways of manipulating progressive overload.…

That's true but that doesn't help the OP find a fun and productive method of training in the form of MA. Right now I am training at a BJJ school almost exclusively but am improving my boxing and muay thai skills at home with the guidance of some helpful guys in the combat forums on T-Nation. That being said, I do have a…

The Gracie's have an online Brazilian Jiu Jitsu program; although, if you don't have a training partner it would be practically impossible to become proficient in BJJ.

^This. Always push yourself hard. Eventually you'll be doing twice what you are now but your exertion will be the same. Just keep hitting those PR's.

Compressive forces on the joints are much greater during jogging than they are during sprinting for a lot of people who aren't built well for long, slow runs so what OP is saying makes sense. Personally, I can't jog for long without my ankles and knees killing me but I can run sprints without any issues at all, especially…

Kettlebell Swings, bodyweight squats, push ups and pull ups in a circuit.

I hate squatting for reps. My best 1RM is 645lbs.

I would add to that, do you have a large amount of muscle mass right now? If you're already carrying an amount of muscle that requires specific training and diet to maintain then distance running will quickly reduce that amount. If you have a normal or less than average amount of muscle mass it is much less likely to…

^this. I know plenty of lifters who do no cardio but can lift massive weights for hours on end. They may suck at flag football but that's not what they train for.

I understand not doing "traditional" cardio, like jogging or cycling, but there must be some form of cardio or conditioning for a program to be complete imo.

It's not like that at all. Look, I am a the first guy who will crack open an electroneuromuscular physiology book and nerd out for 3 hours, that's my job actually, but when it comes to the gym I just train with simple, time tested methods and I completely let out my inner meathead. You "I need to see a study on that" types…

This is what I was talking about when I said that people depending on "peer reviewed studies" perpetuates the BS in the fitness industry. Doing long, slow periods of exercise does not require high quality fuel so it will burn tissue indiscriminately. Muscle is a tissue. Your body will burn it right along with fat,…

You can't say that doing HIIT doesn't increase your "general fitness". "fitness" means ones ability to perform a task. HIIT increases one's ability to perform at a very high intensity and to quickly recover from that intense activity better than other forms of exercise so it does increase one's fitness "in general".…

I would argue that scientific, peer reviewed studies are part of what perpetuates the BS in the fitness industry. A lot of what is found works well on paper but in practice it is a totally different story. Not to mention, the two biggest contributors of sports medicine and exercise physiology studies that are considered…

I had to squat barefoot the other day because I had mat burn all over my toes from grappling and wearing shoes was painful. I actually liked squatting barefoot more than I do squatting in oly lifting shoes! I'll be doing it that way from now on.

The ohp is the hardest lift to progress for 2 reasons. 1) The distance between the finishing position of the bar and the base against which it is pressed (the floor) is further than any lift which creates a great deal of instability. 2) The primary movers in the lift (delts, shoulder girdle musculature and triceps) are…