Well, it's not quite 3 weeks, but it's close enough :)
Yesterday marked the start of my 18th week since hurting my back - nearly 4 and a half months. It feels like it's been an absolute eternity, but when I think about it, if I can recover in 6 - 8 months, that would be pretty reasonable.
I continue to get stronger and am able to push myself harder in my workouts. But right now, I only have two different weights routines in rotation, which I alternate every other day:
Routine 1: Back and Chest
- Seated Row: 4 sets of 10 reps -- 80lbs
- Forward planks: 4 sets of 45 - 60 seconds
- Lat pulldown: 4 sets of 8 reps -- 70lbs
- Side bridges: 4 sets (2 on each side) - 60 seconds
- Bench Press: 4 sets of 8 reps, 30lbs (plus 45-lb bar)
- One arm row: 4 sets (2 on each side) of 10 reps, 27.5-lb dumbbells
- Chest fly: 4 sets of 8 reps, 60 lbs.
- Posterior delt fly: 4 sets of 8 reps, 40 lbs
Routine 2: Lower Body + Shoulders and Triceps
- Seated hamstring curls: 4 sets of 10 reps, 90 lbs
- Forward planks: 4 sets of 45 - 60 seconds
- Skull crushers: 4 sets of 8 reps, 45-lb barbell
- Prone hamstring curls: 4 sets of 10 reps, 60 lbs
- Side bridges: 4 sets (2 on each side) - 60 seconds
- Shoulder press: 4 sets of 8-10 reps, 30-40lbs
- Tricep extensions: 4 sets of 8 reps, 45 lbs
I do these weights routines on my lunch break, and round it off with a sprint around the block where my office is (0.7 miles) - which I will be increasing to a block and a half for a full mile. Before work, I walk on the treadmil for 30-45 mins at 3.4 MPH at a 7.0% incline, and then do specific calisthenics designed for my rehab program, including back hyperextensions, glute bridges and stationary lunges. After work, I do hill repeats: 5 - 6 sets of speed walking up an incredible mountain-grade incline for 6 minutes, then walking down for 6 minutes. All of these are designed to continue to build up the posterior of my body to help balance things out and bring my pelvis back into a natural alignment. Picture to the right is one I took at dusk after an ass-kicking on the mountain doing hill repeats. It's always worth it.
It is a bit cardio-heavy, but I've been wearing my heart rate monitor and more or less the sum of all of these workouts equals the caloric burn I was achieving pre-injury, with all of it being gentle enough for my body to handle as it heals. I do have to take 2 solid gym days off a week (I used to only take 1 off), but I think that plays an important role not only just in helping my back heal. Here's the number of steps I take in a typical day on this routine!
My current diet stands as follows:
1. Pre-AM Workout Meal:
Medium banana, 2 tbsp peanut butter (strictly measured) and 20 fl. oz. water
2. Post-AM Workout ("Breakfast")
Protein Shake -- I have been doing an audit of protein powders on the market to see if I could find something as healthy as Shakeology, that I enjoy equally, but that doesn't crush my bank account. I've settled on Tera's Whey, which - when mixed with boiled milk, makes the most epic healthy hot chocolate!
3. Mid-Morning Snack
Lydia's Organic raw/vegan/gluten-free sprouted grain bar. Only 2g of sugar, nothing--absolutely NOTHING fake -- delicious!
4. Lunch
My latest obsessions: a 4% extra lean ground beef patty in 1/2 a whole wheat pita with lettuce, tomato, pickles, avocado, ketchup and mustard, with a cup of baby carrots.
5. Mid-Afternoon Snack
I naturally have a blood sugar dip in the afternoon. I've tried front loading my carbs, back loading my carbs, and spreading them out throughout the day, and it never fails -- come 2pm, I want something sweet. Cue the dairy! By this time last year, I was completely free of dairy. It was an experiment which I grew accustomed to. But now, I feel variety is important. And since dairy has protein and some sugar, it really hits that mid-afternoon hole in my regimen. I chose a nonfat Greek yogurt, a low fat string cheese and some mixed nuts to add a little more protein and healthy fat to the snack to round it out. Add a cup of plain black tea: perfection :)
6. Pre-PM Workout Meal
Can't workout on an empty stomach! Come 5:30p, even if I'm not hungry, I eat anyway because it's the only way I'll make it through my hill repeats. Simple: 1/2 cup of jumbo blueberries, the egg whites of 2 jumbo hard boiled eggs, and 1/2 a dark chocolate mocha NuGo bar. Also vegan, gluten-free, all-natural AND DELICIOUS. Oiy!
7. Dinner
My newest go-to meal: 1 lb. of cubed boneless skinless chicken breast simmered in a jar of Trader Joe's Curry Simmer Sauce with chickpeas and steamed broccoli - makes 4 servings.
All of these meals equate to about 1850 calories with a macro distribution of around 30% fat, 37% carbs, and 33% protein.
I will confess, I haven't weighed myself, taken measurements, or tracked my progress. I do know my clothes are fitting better though, and I've been taking weekly progress photos which I will be posting in a couple weeks. I did the same thing last time -- didn't start tracking my stats until I was about a month in… and didn't start taking progress photos until 2 months in. Here's one photo I'm proud of though -- I've been kicking my booty in my workouts in time to wear this dress for the summer. I'm almost there!
So, there you have it. I need to continue to stick with my meal plans, be smart about my workouts, continue to get quality rest for my back, and I could be back in the game in only a few months :) Woo-hoo!
