PROGRESS REPORT:WEEK ONE AFTER 10 WEEKS OFF

PROGRESS REPORT:WEEK ONE AFTER 10 WEEKS OFF

I won’t bore you with this every week. But the first week is important when you’re trying to recover. Practically everyone will have an extended unplanned layoff sooner or later. So I hope this will help.

I started the first week at 35% of my previous 1 RM (1 rep max) instead of my normal 60-80%. Mostly for safety after so long a layoff and because my doctor recommended it. But also to avoid too severe a case of DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). I capped reps at the lesser of complete muscle failure or 20 reps vs. my normal 9-12 reps.

By Monday of the second week (this week), all muscle soreness was gone except for a little tenderness in my right shoulder (the most recent of my two torn rotator cuffs).

Beginning this week I increased loads to 40% of my previous 1RM on all exercises and sticking with the lesser of complete failure or 20 reps. I also stayed with 3 sets per exercise and 2 exercises per muscle group. Still no lower body work or ab work (except calves) per doctor’s orders. I kept all exercises the same as last week to get an accurate measure of progress.

Results

·        After increasing loads by 5% my rep count increased on every exercise and every set. Overall increase over last week was more than 30% even after capping the rep count at 20. I hit 3 sets of 20 on 66% of all exercises.

·        Body weight increased by 1.5 pounds on digital scales (I don’t trust scales but I have to have some indication of progress). One week is too short a time period to take caliper readings.

I may increase loads by 10% next week instead of 5% if the rest of the week goes as well as the first 2 days.