# A puny shoulder, high blood pressure and 2 packs a day..



## SlimShady (Oct 14, 2004)

Hi .. I've been reading all the journals here and decided it's time I started one too. I turned 43 last month and I need to make a lot of changes in my life. My main prob was a bad shoulder that was beginning to atrophy. I injured it four years ago and I've been babying it ever since. It was starting to shrink and looked gross in the mirror (actually my whole arm was getting smaller). I also smoked 2 packs of cigarettes a day for 23 years .  My blood pressure was high and I'd get out of breath very easily. That's the bad news. 

         The good news is that I quit smoking on Sept 20th.  I also bought some dumbells, then joined a gym and began working out. My goals are to rehab my shoulder and just get healthy. I don't have any aspirations to be a huge BB'er, but I'd like to look good on the beach. 

 I've been blessed with decent genetics, so I never had any weight problems. Considering the fact that I basically lived on fast food and cigarettes for 43 years, I should be thankful things aren't worse off. 

         Here are my stats from when I started almost a month ago -

         Height  - 5'10"
         Weight - 148
         biceps -11"
         forearm - 10"
         thigh -20"
         calf -12.5"
         chest 37"
         shoulder - 44"
         waist -34" (even though I wear a 31" waist pants? How does that work?   )

 I've been trying to eat correctly and I've been working out six days per week (including cardio) and here are my stats as of today (after 3 weeks of working out) -

 Height - 5"10" ...hehe, I guess this one wont change..
         Weight - 157
         Biceps  -  12.5"
         Forearm - 11"
         Thigh - 21.5"
         Calf - 13"
         Chest - 38.5"
         Shoulder - 45"
         Waist - 34" 

       I'm very encouraged by the gains I've made, but I have a long way to go . Even though I am thin, I have a tendancy to carry some fat around my mid-section. I want to have nice abs before next spring. When I began, the heaviest weight I could use was 8lb dumbells (my shoulder was extremely weak). Now I am using 25lbs dumbells for most excercises and the lightest is a 12lb dumbell (for flyes and raises). I can now do 75lbs on the pull down machine, and to me it is like a miracle. 

 The years of smoking really killed me when I tried cardio work. That first day at the gym, I got on a treadmill, set it to 5mph and almost croaked after 5 minutes. I also learned that the high impact of a treadmill really causes my shoulder to ache at night. Since then, I use a cross trainer (elliptical?). I'm now up to 30 minutes, averaging 140 strides per minute doing the interval program .  My legs still feel like noodles when I finish.. 

 My training schedule is probably not what most of you would recommend, but my first goals were to just get a decent foundation of fitness. The bad shoulder limits the amount of weight and type of exercises I can do. For this reason, I workout 6 days per week. I do cardio everyday. I've also made big changes to my diet. I'll post my workout schedule and my diet a little later on today. 

         If you hung in there long enough to read this, then a big THANKS! to you .


----------



## SlimShady (Oct 14, 2004)

Ok, just got back from the gym. Today was Legs/Abs day..

 I tried the Smith Machine for squats today and it was a no go. My shoulder can't support the bar. Gotta stick to the machines for leg work. 

  Legs
  Leg Press - 230lbs 3x10
  Leg Ext - 130lbs 3x8
  Leg Curl - 110lbs 3x8
  Hip Abductor - 110lbs squeeze, 130lbs other way - 3x10 each way
  Glute machine - 115 3x8 each leg
  Calf press - 100lbs 3x8

  Abs
  Crunch Machine - 135lbs 3x10
  Extended Arm Sit Ups - 35
  Crunches - 50 x2
  Bicycle - 100 revolutions
  Side Bridges - 12 each side
  Leg Pull Ups - 25 x 2

 Cardio - Elliptical Trainer - 20 minutes, Interval Prog 120 Steps per min on easy part, 150 Steps Per minute on difficult part.


----------



## gwcaton (Oct 14, 2004)

SlimShady,

Good luck  !  It can be done  

I was 47 when I started and had high BP and a bad shoulder.  Had the shoulder repaired and through diet and exercise I no longer require BP meds and my cholesterol and things like that are almost perfect ! And not to sound like a commercial but I am in the best shape of my life at almost 50 years old .


----------



## SlimShady (Oct 14, 2004)

_gwcaton, thanks for dropping in and taking the time to read. 

 What was wrong with your shoulder? .. They tell me that mine is pretty much inoperable. Working out seems to be helping it, and it's definitely getting stronger. I haven't been to the doc about the BP, but I figure it's just from smoking and eating junk food. Hopefully, the problem will take care of itself once I get in better shape. I didn't even know I had high BP until my Dad got a tester and I used it a few times. 
_


----------



## gwcaton (Oct 14, 2004)

Slim , 
I had a #3 impingment in my rotator . I have no real idea what that means other than it hurt and i have some cool xrays someone around here . LOL


----------



## Sapphire (Oct 14, 2004)

Good luck Slim!!    I am so glad you decided to start a journal!  The gains you have made are great....  especially the quitting smoking 

I will be watching you!!


----------



## SlimShady (Oct 14, 2004)

Sapphire said:
			
		

> Good luck Slim!! I am so glad you decided to start a journal! The gains you have made are great.... especially the quitting smoking
> 
> I will be watching you!!


 Hi Sapphire! It's funny because I thought that quitting smoking would be much harder than it's been. I don't even miss it. I think starting everything (exercise, diet and smoking) at the same time made it easier. Kind of like.. what's the point in working out if you're gonna sit around and smoke all day?  ...lol

   By the way - I think you are gorgeous and I'm very glad to have you watching me.     .. hopefully I won't disappoint! 


 I've been working out 6 days a week, taking Sunday off. Each day I work out 2 body parts and on the fifth day, I do legs. Abs get worked everyday. I've also been doing cardio 6 days per week. I know this isn't what is recommended, but I was in pretty sorry shape and I wanted to get built up to a good base. What I mean is, my shoulder was just about crippled, so I could only use 8 lb weights at first, and I'd smoked a long time, so after 10 minutes of cardio, I was cooked. No sense in only working out 3 days per week when your workouts are weak (that's my theory anyway).. I'm up to more weight now and my cardio is at 30 minutes on the interval program, so I think starting next week I will back off some. Probably cut back to 5 days per week. 

   Also need to get some pics in my profile for use as 'before' shots! Hope I don't scare anyone , but it is getting close to Halloween..


----------



## SlimShady (Oct 15, 2004)

I just got back from working out. Today was bicep/chest day. It was a disappointing day because I felt kind of weak and run down. I'd planned to try and move up 5lbs to the next size dumbells for all my exercises, but I just couldn't pull it off. The last time I did biceps/chest, I felt much stronger and made a note to try heavier weights. I dunno what happened to me  . . I've been hitting it really hard, maybe I'll take tomorrow off?  


 Seated Bicep Curl  20lb DBs 3x8
 Hammer Curls 25lb DBs 3x8
 Concentration Curls 25lb 3x8
 Forearm Curls 30lb 3x12
 Wrist Curls 30lb 3x12 

 Flat DB Press 25lb 3x8
 Incline DB Press 25lb 3x6
 DB Flys 12lb 3x10
 Pullovers 35lb 3x8
 Butterflies 15lb 3x10

 30 minutes cardio on elliptical machine. Interval Program, doing 125 spm on easy part and 155 spm on tough parts. 

 Ab work - 30 sit ups, 120 revs bicycle, 12 side bridges and 25 leg lifts. 

 Gotta head out to the store and get some fish oil pills and bananas.


----------

