I came down with the Delta Variant in late August, 2021.
On September 4th, my O2 levels dipped below 90%, so I checked into a hospital - That's when my problems really began. Not knowing anything at the time, I allowed the hospital to give me Remdesivir:
These were my stats on March 15, 2022:
6’4”, 238, 16% body fat
When I checked into the hospital on September 4th, I weighed 224 pounds.
These were the stats when I left the hospital on the 14th:
6’4”, 185lbs, 18% body fat (estimated)
I left against medical advice after 10 days because I was starting to get worse - I was improving for a while, but by day 8 I was exhausted from lack of sleep, I was getting weaker, and my breathing was getting worse! I knew I was on a bad track, so I left the hospital on oxygen.
So I lost 40 pounds in those 10 days, more than 30 pounds of muscle!
I have organ damage - Kidneys and Heart - perhaps more,
I can’t sing anymore,
I have a gut for the first time in my life, but I didn't give up:
Last October, my doctor release me to try and start working out, but to "be careful".
I found that I couldn't do hardly any cardio, but I did what I could.
I was able to lift weights though (very light weights), so I decided that part of my healing would involve adding muscle to my frame - 'Perhaps this would improve my immune system'.
Since October, I haven’t missed too many days.
I’m stronger than I’ve been for the last 5 years, and I’m not giving up!
It’s a privilege to wake up each day, and I thank God I’m still here fighting, living, loving, and enjoying life.
No excuses!
After a few months working out at home (with a chin-up bar and 25lb dumbbells), I started going to a gym to make variation a lot easier.
The log below started the first day I entered a gym after COVID and I was already pretty strong from the at-home work-outs!
One last note:
I work out "every day" with occasional interuptions - Push, Pull, Legs, Repeat (When Cardio gets easier, I may give Cardio it's own day).
If I'm too sore, I postpone a day. I also let life get in the way occasionally - "Every day" usually ends up being 5 or 6 days a week, but not less than that!
One must protect their workouts as if life depends on it. In my case, it might!
Push Day March 30, 2022 Max effort - OH DB Press x 8
20x8, 40x8, 60x6
Post-COVID personal best.
April 13
4/19 155lbs.
7th set was slow, so I stripped 20lbs of for the last 3.
6.5 min workout. No big deal!
Vacation
5/1/2022 Bench Press
10 sets every 30 seconds
135lbs with 50lb of chains for progressive resistance.
Reps ranged from 8 to 1!
5/7 AMRAP
5 minutes
Thrusters with 55lb dumbbells
Got 23
5/11 DB bench press x 6
25, 50, 75, 90x6!!!
I haven’t fought against gravity this well for a long time!
and I’m confident there are more epic battles to come!!
5/17
5/22
5/28 5 minute AMRAP
DB OH Press 50lbs Got 25!
6/1 As always, followed up with about 20 sets of support work on complimentary muscle groups.
Finished with a slow walk and a protein bar.
Not a great max effort day, but terrific progress has been made since getting up from a COVID death bed in October, 2021!!! God is good, all the time!
6/7 Incline bench x 8
45, 95, 135x9
Don’t ignore your weaknesses!
(He says to himself almost weekly)
Incline bench is a monster weakness for me.
6/12
6/16
6/21
DB bench x 10 on 30-degree incline
20, 40, 50, 60 x 8.5
Upper chest and front delts are a weak point for sure! Always have been.
So I’m not going to ignore them.
6/26
6/30
7/7
7/12
8/10
8/22
8/31
9/7
9/24 10/4
12/5
12/31
1/5/2023
Floor presses x 5 again 45, 135, 185, 205x4
Got 3 last time
15 sec hold w 315, then support work
1/11/2023
1/25
2/25
3/6
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Pull Day April 11 1RM chin-ups.
It ended at 70lbs.
Used to end at 110.
Covid……
Getting there though!
April 16
Vacation
5/3 Back day!
1RM Pull ups
BW x 2, +50x1, +75 x 1/2,
+30 x 6
BW x 10
5/24 Back day.
Took it easy ‘cause I’m nursing a slight tear in the left biceps:
Wide grip chins x 12.
5/30 Max reps, Wide grip chins
16, I think. I lost count. Could have been 15
Still nursing a muscle strain in the left biceps.
6/9 6/13
Strength increasing while I nurse a minor injury!!!!
6/22/2022 6/27 5 min AMRAP Pull-ups. 49.5
7/10/2022
Back day DB Pullovers on flat bench x 15
25, 50, 75, 100 x 9
7/14
7/21
8/2/2022
8/8/2022 8/13
DB Pullovers on flat bench x 10
25, 40, 60, 80, 100x9.5
It felt light at 1st, then I ran out of gas.
8/20 Back day. 10 min WOD
5 pull-ups, 10 air squats Total of 54 chins and 100 air squats 8/24
DB Pullovers x 10 on bench (back)
40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100x9 3/4. :) 8/30 5 min AMRAP
Squats @225lbs 22 reps! 3 better than last time!!!
9/3
1-Rep-Max Chins 140x7, BWx2,+30, +60x1/2 9/8
5 WG Chins, 30 seconds rest, till 5 can’t be done.
33
Biceps is feeling better. Not completely though.
9/14 Strict WG chins with a pause at the bottom. 7 PB is 8!
Try ‘em.
9/19 DB pullovers x 10 25, 50, 75, 100x9 9/26
Strict WG Pull ups. 1 sec pause 7 3/4 10/1
Preacher curls
25x12, 45x10, 65x8, 85x6, 95x4-45x10 to finish. 10/6. Is it Oct already??!
One arm curls 75 deg incline 20, 30, 35, 40x6 - 25x9 Started Intermittant Fasting - 13-15 hours a day
10/12
DB pullovers x 15 25, 50, 75, 100x9 Not bad. 10/21 Chins x 5
140, BW, +25, 45x2.75 I’ll take it. 10/26 One arm curls x 8. 75 deg incline
20, 30, 35, 40x7 - 25x10 Improvement! 10/31
5 min AMRAP
Pull-ups. 40 49.5 last time - Maybe it was 39.5
11/3
5 min AMRAP Pull-ups. 39 11/9 DB pullovers x 10 25, 50, 75, 100x8 11/14
Weighted WG chins x1
BW, 30, 60, 75x3/4 - So close! BWx12
Then support work and a cool down walk with a protein bar, as usual.
11/19/2022 Preacher curls 25x12, 45x10, 65x8, 85x6, 95x6 - 65x10 drop set. 11/23/2023
Chins x 6
140, BW, +25, +45x3.5 Post-COVID PR 11/27
Speed work on back.
Hammer pull down
90, 180, 230 x5
230 + red stretch bands.
9 sets of 3 at 60 sec - Last set of 5
12/3
One arm curls x 10. 75 deg incline
20, 30, 35, 40x8
Got 7 last time, after sets of 8.
12/9
Full range WG Chins w/pause at the bottom - No kipping
8 1/4 New PR!
12/13
T bar row machine 45x14, 90x12, 135x10, 180x2 - 90x10 12/21
Preacher curls x 8
45, 65, 85, 95x8, 105x3-65x12 Finished with 95x6 last time.
12/28 Chins x 6 140, BW, +25, +45x3.5-BWx10 Did 3.5 last time. 1/3/2023
DB pullovers x 10 25, 50, 75, 100x9.5 Post COVID PR! 1/8
One arm curls x 10. 75 deg incline
20, 30, 40, 45x2.5 Got 40x8 last time 1/14
Chest to bar chins - kipped 4! 1/18 Full range WG Chins w/pause at the bottom; No kipping
9.78 did 8 1/4 last time
I would have called it 10, but a guy watching said the last one was .78.
1/23 Preacher curls x 12 45, 65, 85, 95x9, 105x5 PR by far! 1/28
DB pullovers
25x14 50x12, 75x10, 100x8, 115x2.5
Supersetted with
Ferigno style concentration curls
25x12 40x10, 50x8, 60x8, 65x5
Lovely!
2/1 Weighted WG chins x1
BW, 45, 65, 75, 85x1/2 BWx15 75x3/4 last time & BWx12
2/8 Yesterday - Still sick with the flu Max effort WG chin-ups 15 2/13 Back! T bar row x 12. Lower grip 45, 70, 95, 115, 135x8 2/23
AMRAP - pull-ups for 5 minutes 39.5 39 last time 3/4
Triples on chin-ups. BW, 30, 50, 60x2 - BW x 11 3/8 5 min AMRAP. Chins + 30lbs. 20!!!! 3/14 WG Chins Simple max effort. 16.5 16 was former max effort. |
Leg Day!!! April 12 Back squats x 5 - max effort.
Ended with 225 x 6
April 17 Not many reps per set
Re-racked after every set
My goodness! What was I thinking?
Try it. I double dog dare you!
4/30/2022 Did triples on squats with 80lb resistance bands!
45lbs. Okay that was harder than I thought!
135
185
225x2 - this felt like every ounce of 385 at the top, or more. Legs are still weak from a bout with Remdesivir.
5/4 1 leg squats on a smith machine.
45 x 5
65 x 4
80 x 3
80 x 3
Alternated with one leg calf raises x 15
5/19
5/26 Squats
45x8, 135x8, 225x6
5/31
6/5 Squats @ 225 again
5 min AMRAP 19 reps!
2 better than last time!
6/11
6/24
7/5
7/18
7/23 7/30
Warm up on squats
45x10, 135x10, 185x10
1 leg squats on smith machine
45x5, 95x5, 135x3, 1 extra!
8/9 Couldn’t get to the gym for leg day:
1hr guitar practice - like most days.
15 air squats, 10 pistols, 5 pistols with 25lb DB, 15 air squats with 25lb DBs
1 mile walk.
One does what one has time to do.
8/15 8/21
Hammer Leg Press x 10 180, 270, 360, 450x6 Way better than last month!
8/25
Speed squats - 10 sets of 3: every 60 seconds
185 with 50lb stretch bands - 285 at the top.
Ouch!!
8/29
Full range chins, from hanging position & 1/2 sec pause
7 reps:
1 fewer than 5 months ago - I've been nursing a biceps injury for 5 months. I'm blessed and happy that more strength wasn't lost, especially after such a dramatic post-Covid gain.
9/5 Warm up on squats
45x10, 135x10, 185x10
1 leg squats on smith machine.
45x5, 95x5, 135x5. 2better!
45x10
Then a few sets of support work and a protein bar with a 25 min walk.
9/10
DL x 5
95, 155, 245, 295x2
1st time deadlifting for years
1RM was 475 when I weighed 260.
6’4” 260. 350bench, 496 squat, 21 WG chins
9/15 10 sets of 5 pistols per leg. Almost no rest between sets Last set of 8 9/21
Squats x 10 45, 135, 225, 275x2, 185x10 9/27 Hammer strength leg press x 12 180, 270, 360, 410x5 Weight was on the lower pegs. 10/3 Squats x 10
45, 135, 225x12
Progress.
Had another one in me but it would have been ugly.
10/8 5 min AMRAP Squats @225lbs 23 reps! 10/17
Thrusters x 25
25lbs, 50, 75x nope! Tried twice. Came close, but it didn’t happen today!
10/22 Squats x 15
45, 135, 185 - Set at 185 did me in.
LOL! No gas in the tank since Remdesivir.
10/28/2022 Hammer strength leg press x 10
90, 180, 270, 360, 410x9!
Weight was on the lower pegs.
11/1 Speed work on legs
Series of jumps, lunges, lungy jumps, jumping jacks, and calf raises,.
11/5
Squats x 15
45, 135, 185, 235x15
Heart must be healing.
I did up my dose of RNA to 2 pills 3x a day last week.
11/10
One-leg squat on shrug machine x 5 0, 20, 50, 70, 90x5 11/20 5 min AMRAP Squats @225lbs 24 reps! 11/25
Squats x 5
45, 135, 225, 275x3,
Post COVID PR. best preCOVID was 315x15 at a body weight of 260.
11/30
Speed work legs.
squats @ 135lbs + 120lbs in bands
9 sets of 3 every 45 seconds
10th sets x 10.
12/4
Hammer Leg Press x 10 (weight in a sled) 180, 270, 360, 450x10, 540x8
Did 6 w/450 in August. ???
12/6 Legs speed work
1 leg step up to 26” platform.
10,9,8,7,6 sets per leg
several other sets of support work on legs and calves.
12/18
5 min AMRAP
Squats @225lbs
27 reps! Did 24 last time, and that was as a huge improvement from before.
Thank you God!
12/23 Speed work on legs Did a bunch of stuff 12/29
Squats x 5
45, 135, 225, 275x4!!!
Got 275x3 last time. 4 was fairly easy.
Did OH squats with the 45.
1/2/2023 Thrusters x 6 25, 50, 60, 75x3.3 PR on 75 1/7 Hammer strength leg press x 10
90, 180, 270, 360, 410, 45x3
Weight was on the lower pegs.
Did 9 w 410 last time.
1/9 Legs speed day
Squats 155lb with 120lb of chains
9 sets of 3, 1 set of 10
75 seconds between sets
Exhausting!
1/15 Squats x 15 45, 135, 225, 275 x4 The 4th was easy ish 1/19
One-leg squat on shrug machine x 10 0, 50, 90x6 Did 90x5 last time. Speed work on legs Sunday - 1/22 1/26
1RMax Squats 45x12, 135x8,225x4, 275, 295, 315 135x10 1/29 Squats - 155lbs with 2 100lb stretch bands (green)
7 sets of 3 @ 1 minute.
Last set of 5
1/31
Light day on legs: Pistols, calf raises, and the stationary bike for a half hour. 2/7
Day 3 of the flu, or distemper. I feel awful.
-15 air squats.
-30 minutes on a stationary bike.
Awful!
2/9 Sick!! Pistols and air squats. 2/12
Squats x 10 45, 135, 225, 275 x 2 4 last time. Flu took it out of me, apparently. 2/22
Squats 45x14, 135x12, 185x10, 225x8, 275x3 - 135x12 2/27 Leg Speed day: Jumps, etc.. 1-leg-squats w/100lb bands - 15, 15 3/2 Front squats x 5 45, 95, 155, 205x2.5. Couldn’t stand up. Wow! 3/5
Speed work legs. Pistols, sissy squats, calf raises, and stuff from home. 3/10
Hack Squats - didn't keep track of numbers 3/13 5 min AMRAP Front squats. 135 lbs 28 reps. 3/16 Hack squats x 10
90, 180, 270, 360x1.5 - 230x15
Rotated with 15 calf raises on hack sq machine w same weight.
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