Blonde will make you STRONG

[vegaslover]

Been working a shitload lately so training limited. Have some sort of shoulder injury too, which I think started when holding the pads whilst my son was swinging away.
Working shifts playing havoc with my weight. No real facilities to cook apart from a microwave, need to get up to speed on food prep.

Was progressing nicely on deadlifts prior to starting my current crazy workoad.

[the sicilian]

Training going well and getting a few more lifting movement in such as power cleans and squat cleans etc..

31st October Crossfit Open workout 19.1 I achieved 304 reps which put me Equal 47th World for age group ..

[EvilPie]

Have been texting Harvey recently and potentially looking to train with him over the Christmas break. He's doing loads better which was great to hear.

I've tried to persuade him to come back here but not sure he's going to. I'll keep badgering.....

[Marky147]

Have been texting Harvey recently and potentially looking to train with him over the Christmas break. He's doing loads better which was great to hear.

I've tried to persuade him to come back here but not sure he's going to. I'll keep badgering.....

Was talking about Harvey the other night to my friends and glad to hear he is doing well.

Get him back in here, will do us all good to have him back on the firm!

[EvilPie]

Week 1 figures:
Squat - 100kg (2)
DL - 120kg (3)
Bench - 120kg (4)
OHP - 50kg (5)
Total - 390kg

Week 2 figures:
Squat - 100kg (3)
DL - 140kg (1)
Bench - 120kg (4)
OHP - 60kg (7)
Total - 420kg

Week 3 figures:
Squat - 120kg (2)
DL - 140kg (2)
Bench - 120kg (4)
OHP - 80kg (1)
Total - 460kg

I was scrolling through the thread to check on past performance which I do on occasion and came across the above which I found quite interesting.

The thing I like is how this fits in perfectly with my current programme for recording some numbers and giving myself a target for 2020. Would be nice to see some improvement from 2016 as well....

I'm thinking of setting a personal goal for 2020 of recording the four lifts and see where I can get to by running through my current 16 week programme 3 times. My current run finishes at the end of Jan so with three more runs through the whole thing we're looking at this time next year for a 4th shot at some singles for each of the lifts.

Obviously need some kind of target for this so.....

Squat - 140kg
DL - 190kg
Bench - 155kg
OHP - 95kg

Total = 580kg

Every one of the above would be a PB so they're very tough targets. I've got singles on each of the lifts over the course of the next 6 weeks so I'll get a bench mark and go from there. Should be around 500kg total I would imagine so a long way to go and plenty to focus on.

[the sicilian]

oi oi good luck

[iRaise]

So I will try to keep the reintroduction as brief as I can, but firstly sorry for the sudden disappearance. I have no real reason why I haven't come in sooner for an update to be honest, and I am happy to talk about any part of it if anyone is interested (there's just some bits that are still a blur)

So July last year had a brain haemorrhage, luckily didn't die, and on the whole pretty well recovered.
Couldn't walk or move my legs for the first 6-7 days which was a little scary, but slowly and surely we managed to pace together a few steps at a time, and pretty much of all needed uses back.
My left eye wouldn't open for 1 month, and when it did it was lazy for 2 months. I was expecting to never have it return, and have to have a few operations to make it look somewhat cosmetic, but a trip to Lake Bled and 80,000 steps seem to have been the cure, as I got back to the next day, went for a nap and it pretty much came back.
Obviously with the eye, I didn't think life would remotely be the same again as I wouldn't be able to drive and do so many other things. I was genuinely worried I could never go to the gym again, and was warned off for 2 years by the surgeon (I may have not followed this rule too closely, but I'm still breathing).
For the first year I pretty much slept to try and recovery the best I could. My memory is still pretty shaky at times, and sometimes it takes me far to long to process things, but if you never met me before, you would have no idea.
Slowly but surely over the last 12 months I have been back in the gym, I can only really do 3 sessions a week now as my recovery takes a lot lot longer, which is annoying because right now my life is built for recovery.
I moved to London to be closer to all my friends and try and enjoy the fact i didn't die, and have had a pretty weird and amazing last few months.
2020 I have to try and figure out what I am going to do with my life now, I still love fitness, but don't quite have the drive and energy to do what I once did, and I am kinda looking forward to trying out something else. I still stay very close to the fitness world, and still read the research etc which even surprised me.

Happy to answer any questions anyone might have, nothing is really off limits if I remember it, and will try and post now and again with what I am doing. It will be less frequently as I don't do as much, and I am unsure if the numbers will get back to where they were (they are well on their way).

I will have a look through what I have missed to try and catch up

[Marky147]

Just about to go to bed, but great to have you back, and that things have turned out well on the most part.

Can't imagine how rough that must have all been, especially all happening at once and not knowing wtf the prognosis would be, beyond making it out the other side,

Cliffs from memory.

I've fluctuated between 240-200 over the last 18 months, and was 221 yesterday morning, but did have a massive burger at Charlie's Bar & Grill a couple hours ago

Arb lost a ton, and strong AF.

Matt is still strong AF.

Prob missed a few, but it's late

[the sicilian]

Wow ... Thats a really scary tale and just shows us all how much we take for granted especially health wise.. Best of luck on the recovery road, sounds like you have a great mindset .

Stay strong Bud !

[Marky147]

There's one I forgot!

Sicilidonk is going for the x-fit senior games.

[arbboy]

Just about to go to bed, but great to have you back, and that things have turned out well on the most part.

Can't imagine how rough that must have all been, especially all happening at once and not knowing wtf the prognosis would be, beyond making it out the other side,

Cliffs from memory.

I've fluctuated between 240-200 over the last 18 months, and was 221 yesterday morning, but did have a massive burger at Charlie's Bar & Grill a couple hours ago

Arb lost a ton, and strong AF.

Matt is still strong AF.

Prob missed a few, but it's late

Let's not get too carried away Marky.   I am still a 19 stone fat fucker just not as fat as i was.  My 19 stone is a much better make up muscle/fat % wise than it used to be and fingers crossed once i get down to 16/17 stone i will be able to have a strength cycle which i really miss going for 1 rep max's etc which is hard to do when you are eating to lose weight.

Put's into perspective my shit year relatively when you hear what you have gone through.   I wish you all the best on the recovery and like Marky says 'Stay Strong bud'

Europe's strongest man was on c5 last night if you can see it on five catch up on their website its worth a watch.   Felix breaks the world record at age 52 for the hold.   His grip strength is just unreal.

[the sicilian]

There's one I forgot!

Sicilidonk is going for the x-fit senior games.

Phew ..thought u had forgotten

[iRaise]

Just about to go to bed, but great to have you back, and that things have turned out well on the most part.

Can't imagine how rough that must have all been, especially all happening at once and not knowing wtf the prognosis would be, beyond making it out the other side,

Cliffs from memory.

I've fluctuated between 240-200 over the last 18 months, and was 221 yesterday morning, but did have a massive burger at Charlie's Bar & Grill a couple hours ago

Arb lost a ton, and strong AF.

Matt is still strong AF.

Prob missed a few, but it's late

It was strange, the pain made me pass out for two days (I originally thought it was the worlds worst migraine, so I didn't end up in hospital for two days, luckily mum was smarter than me). I was really luckily mentally when I woke up. I wasn't really scared or thinking about the future. It was a strange feeling, as cliche as it sounds I felt like I won because I was alive. On the Tuesday night in the hospital the last thing I remember was the Dr saying 'he has 33% chance to survive, 33% to be brain dead, and 33% to be dead' but at no point did I ever think I was going to die, and when I woke up and everything started to set in I didnt think I was going to suffer or live a poorer quality life. Maybe I was just being blissfully ignorant.

Good to see everyone carrying on still!!

[iRaise]

Wow ... Thats a really scary tale and just shows us all how much we take for granted especially health wise.. Best of luck on the recovery road, sounds like you have a great mindset .

Stay strong Bud !

I think I was lucky I was passed out/not understanding what's going on. I always think cancer patients get it so much worse, they have treatment for x weeks and have no idea if they will survive and they often have the brain power to contemplate. I was so confused and out of it I never really had time to think.

I am so grateful I was as healthy as I was going into it, it must be a huge part of why I am still alive, and recovered so well. I have been so lucky with the support around me, its almost been impossible to be sad/negative, and given most people laugh when I say it now because they think I am joking.

[iRaise]

There's one I forgot!

Sicilidonk is going for the x-fit senior games.

Phew ..thought u had forgotten

Also some of the stuff you do, I couldn't do at my prime pre all this. Its mental!