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Nope, it's a knee issue at parallel or lower.

Does it hurt during any knee flexion on or past the range of motion you have during any isolation exercises?

For example, does it occur during a leg curl - I'm going to guess no if it is not hurting during a deadlift, but it may do during a leg extension...

Try multiple machines/exercises and single-leg variations, mark all that you feel the pain then cross-reference against the prime movers/muscles for those movements... Could quite simply be tight quadriceps, in which case, sit on the ground with your legs straight, grab a barbell and use it as a rolling pin to roll out the tender spots in the muscle, then try squatting again. If the pain is relieved somewhat, you know that is the issue and spend a while not squatting and working on the muscle pliability.

Also, out of pure interest, try a low bar squat (if you do not already) and see if that relieves any of the issue(s).

trexmeyer wrote:
Nope, it's a knee issue at parallel or lower.

I'd try pin squats just above parallel/ at a height that doesn't cause too much discomfort until the inflammation goes down then lower the pins every week or two until you are back below parallel. At least this way you are still training a similar movement pattern to a regular squat instead of doing something like leg press/extensions.

 endlesswaltz123 wrote:
Does it hurt during any knee flexion on or past the range of motion you have during any isolation exercises?

Also, out of pure interest, try a low bar squat (if you do not already) and see if that relieves any of the issue(s).

It's quadriceps tendonitis man, it doesn't go away completely. I've had it on and off for almost ten years now. I've done 500+ for a double Low Bar.
I've had an MRI done on one knee for other issues and my cartilege is basically gone.

House move completed, and enjoying my new town. Other than heading down to the Harbour, it’s really, really flat. Which means I’ve been out and about having an explore, creating mental maps.

As a result, according to Pokémon Go (pretty much my Fitbit!), I’ve walked 14.9km since Monday. Which is more than triple what I’d do in an average week in my old town, because it was hilly.

Gym has been joined, and I really must go get a session under my belt.

As for walking up from the Harbour? Taking the Creative Quarter path is the steep version. And I’m incredibly chuffed to say I can do that whilst getting only very, very mildly out of breath. As in I’m panting slightly, but not feeling the need for a rest.

My alcohol consumption has also drastically dropped, as I don’t have the sort of local I did before.

Reckon I might waltz to the gym tomorrow, get some light jogging in on the treadmill, make sure my cardio is as improved as I think it is having switched from ciggies to a vape pen.

Granted none of this is anywhere near as impressive as others have been posting? But it’s a bloody good start all the same!

As for the future? It’s back to work next week, with three straight days in the office whilst I await my new internet being hooked up (I’m limited to 4G right now) so I expect I’ll be less active overall. But hey, that’s what the gym is for, yeah?

Even more importantly? On days I can’t be bothered to cook, I’ve a vast array of fast food/take aways within easy walking distance. Again it might be a small improvement of an extra few hundred metres, but it’s still better than sitting on my arse waiting for Deliveroo to turn up. Slightly cheaper too! There’s a pan-Asian place just at the end of my road too. Whilst an omnivore they have a pretty solid vegan selection should I want something low in Bad Fats, so that’s going to help as well.

Gym wise, now my cardio is more satisfactory, I can crack on with weights and stuff to really start toning up, and indeed losing weight.

Not looking to get Hench and Musclebound like. But would be happy to lose a few inches off the waist, and just firm up all over. Attack the old beer belly. Get it down to more of a Party 4, if not a six pack.

Great stuff MDG, it's the little things that can make the difference!

Definitely. Part of the move was to help my overall mental health. I suffer from anxiety and depression, and I kind of realised I was somewhat isolated where I was, my friends having moved away one by one during my 5 day a week commuting years.

My job can be stressful, and I can deal with quite unpleasant things. I moved here to be closer to my best mate of 30+ years, so I have a confidante I can talk to when things get a bit much, as well as go socialising in general.

It’s also a fresh start, which makes it sound more dramatic than it is (same job, just living elsewhere free of historical baggage). The additional exercise is also setting off those delicious endorphins! Just need to maintain this rough level of activity I guess, and let more disciplined gym regimens get the flab to fab.

I’m still drinking and eating stuff I probably shouldn’t quite so often, but one step at a time!

We’ve also a new Bao restaurant about 1.6km away, so that’s another healthier option when I just want to eat without faff.

Defo defo want to be starting some kind of weight training. One of my hang ups is now weak my left wrist is. The reason behind that was going through a window at the age of 14, which left a really gnarly scar, buggering tendons and nerves. I can still grip with it like, just not as strongly as I’d like.

Glad to hear your new surroundings are treating you well MDG, sometimes a fresh start can make a world of difference.

For your wrist, is there any particular motion that makes it feel weak or is it just lagging behind compared to your non injured wrist?

Just lagging behind. To give an idea of the extent of the original injury? Thumb tendon was nearly severed, and I have limited feeling in the hand. It happen just at the point of puberty as well, so having limited use left it lagging.

Nothing a period of targetted exercise won’t fix, I’d imagine. I will of course ask the instructors at the gym!

Getting back slowly to running (calf injury flared up again, 2 broken toes, covid, scottish winter....)

Too many times I tried to get back in, went too far too soon and just caused problems. Easing into it slowly with a goal of doing 2 half-marathons at the end of the year (one for charity). Started the year on lots of calf stretches and then started running no more than 2 miles about twice a week and slowly building on that. Having recently adopted a greyhound helps for extra walkies and leg stretches.

And it's not much, especially as someone e who has done marathons before (not amazing but decent - sub 4hr times), but I'm pleased to be back up to regularly doing 6-7km at a time and keeping my breath the whole way round and crucially, not bring physically broken after. And continually improving in distance and time.

trexmeyer wrote:

 DrGiggles wrote:
Pretty sure my LP is done since squats almost killed me this morning, final numbers below.

Bench Press: 260lbs x5
Squat: 320lbs x5
Deadlift: 380lbs x5
Barbell Rows: 225lbs x5

Next week will be a deload week, then I'll do some singles to test my 1rm and start the Candito 6 week template.

Good row and bench.

I'm currently off program. I don't know what to try. Benched 360x1 and 300x9 sans spotter yesterday. Pretty much can't squat due to tendonitis in my knees...I can still power clean and deadlift without issues which is annoying.

I swear the kneesovertoesguy program sorted my knee tendinopathy out. I still try to walk backwards at least once a week, and was regularly doing backwards sled drags when I had the gym and equipment.

And with a gentle walk in the glorious Kentish sunshine under skies bluer than my eyes? That’s 25km walked in a single week for the first time since I downloaded Pokémon Go!

Included sometime atop the Lea’s Hall, gazing out to sea.

Just finished the Candito 6 week program. This last week has been testing my max, working up to a single set at 97.5% of your 1RM for 1 to 4 reps. Below are the results in pounds.

Squat = 1 @ 360 lbs (5 pound PR)
Bench = 1 @ 295 lbs
Deadlift = 2 @ 425 lbs

After running this again I think the template is pretty good (especially if you are needing to build work capacity) but only if you have an hour and a half to two hours each day to run it, otherwise there just isn't enough time to effectively recover between sets and still fit in the accessory work at the end. I'm also not a big fan of doing a lot of tonnage on squats and then moving directly into heavy deadlifts since I would always feel like the fatigue was making my form suffer.

My summer hockey team folded, so it looks like I'm going to just jump right into a volume block and see how much strength I can gain this summer.

This week, I have mostly been walking in Scotland. Some gorgeous scenery, and a visit to places i holidayed as a kid.

Distance wise I’m on for another 25km+ week. But this time it involved hills and uneven surfaces, so I’m feeling it in my Bumcheeks!

I continue to be impressed at just how not unfit I am. I use that term as I still wouldn’t describe myself as physically fit as such. But when you can do a 240 foot elevation over a 2km trail without getting out of breath, you know you’re getting there.

Not sure if it’s greater (gentle) exercise overall, the switch from ciggies to vape, or a mix of the two, but something is doing me the power of good.

Started Couch to 5k after not running for over 10 years. Week 1 down.
Benched 350x2 and 360x1 without spotter.
Squatted 385x5 despite not having squatted (that) heavy in a while. Lifetime best for highbar is 405x5.
OHP is sucking because I haven't been focusing it.
Trap Bar DL dropped like 100lbs since I peaked it...I'm not sure how...I've wasted time/effort trying to do conventional DLs instead. Working on getting my 20rep max back around 440.

Serious question.

I’m still feeling last week’s walking in my bumcheeks. Nothing is pulled, they just got a good workout the like they’ve not seen in a while.

Is it advisable to leave off for a day or two and let the muscle settle, or is now the time to keep at it?

If it's numb or particularly painful I might be worried. If it's just standard soreness I would keep moving.

Just standard stuff. Achey, rather than pulled muscle pain.

Went for a short walk and it helped a bit.

Good on you Doc, sounds like you're on a roll - keep rollin'!

That’s definitely the aim.

I do have a gym membership. I just need to settle into my new routine properly to get cracking.

See, last month, I moved to my new house. Well. Flat. This month, I had a week in Scotland for Dad’s birthday. Next month, I’m in New York for my first proper holiday in decades. And in between we have various Bank Holidays.

Work is wanting us in four days a fortnight, unless you have Holiday or Bank Holidays, where it reduces by one.

As such in the past 5 weeks, I’ve worked for three, and only one of those has been a two day in the office job. This week it’s another single day, due to the Jubilee Weekend. Then it’s two weeks of two days, then one week of one day due to New York trip.

So in terms of a settled routine, I’m still a bit sixes and sevens.

I do want to take it up to three hours per week. Maybe two on cardio, one on weights. I may switch that around given the amount I’m just sort of walking on my random bimbles. I may even start jogging.

In terms of general health changes? I’ve switched from ciggies to vaping. Yes it’s still an addiction I could do without, but I’m 50% less an idiot for it - and boy have my lungs noticed the difference. My drinking is also firmly under control. Not gonna pretend I wasn’t drinking to excess, because I absolutely was. But since the move, my intake has dropped majorly.

For example, last week was a comparatively boozy one in the new regime. 3 pints Monday, 7 pints Tuesday, 3 pints Wednesday, 2 pints Thursday, 2 pints Saturday, 2 pints Sunday.

Collectively still more than is apparently medically advisable, but ridiculously less than I was.

Week before that I had maybe 5 pints the entire week.

Importantly? I’m just not missing it. At all. No shakes. No craving. No Going Hard when I do indulge.

Health benefits aside (and some associated weight loss, though last week was also an indulgent good week), it’s good to know it wasn’t an addiction or drink problem. Just plain old boredom and habit with a small h.

Still absolutely something for me to be vigilant about, but no need to be All or Nothing.

So. Weight training. What’s advisable for an absolute beginner, who’s body really isn’t used to concerted weight carrying? Because whilst I’ve said an hour long session, maybe two, that’s an ambition rather than a starting point. Mostly looking to tone up and lose some belly lard. Not necessarily fussed to join Six Pack City, but wouldn’t say no to reduce the keg to a party four.


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Oh, and I unpacked the bike spanners this afternoon, and sorted out the saddle and handle bar height, so it no longer feels like riding a toddler’s bike.

Typically this lead to discovering the front tyre is flat…just need to buy a pump, and that’s a further exercise option.

Oh, and loosen the screw on the left hand grip shift. That’s tight as anything and doesn’t actually shift. But all basic maintenance. New town has some decent runs for cycling. Indeed, Google Maps just informed me I’m on the doorstep of National Cycle Route 2

Am I going to attempt the whole thing? No, sod off. But I can do Folkestone-Hythe-Folkestone, a little under 10 miles, pretty easily. Weather depending, naturally.


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Oh, and there’s a swimming pool really nearby. Again like cycling it’s been a long, long time since I swam. But I figure pick my timings and I can get back to it when it’s quiet, so I don’t inconvenience other swimmers.

Signed up to a half marathon in November via work. There's a few of us doing it and I think I might be the fastest and most experienced of us, which is terrifying. ;p

Had not been running for a couple of years due to persistent stiffness/recurring injury to my right calf. But physio advise has helped there along with a battery of stretching exercises. And decent weather. Basically the old running bug came up and bit me in the bum again.

Anyway I'm out every second day and currently am running a less-than-mighty 4-miler-and-a-bit every time I go out - been built up from a wieful 3k once or twice a wwwk, haha. My times are similarly woeful and I'm clocking 9 minute miles which is about 90 seconds off what I was doing the last time I was serious....

Buuuuut that's OK. It's a start. I feel good going out, my body is holding up, my conditioning is improving and those times are gonna go down.

My pb for a half is 1hr 38mins 5 seconds. Right now if I keep my current 9 min miles I'm still looking at beating 2hrs but ideally I want to Rein it back to 1hr 45.

So, what I think is an achievable goal and something that has me excited.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Serious question.

I’m still feeling last week’s walking in my bumcheeks. Nothing is pulled, they just got a good workout the like they’ve not seen in a while.

Is it advisable to leave off for a day or two and let the muscle settle, or is now the time to keep at it?

Need to strengthen the lower back and loosen the hip flexors. Your glutes are probably carrying your entire posterior chain when walking, same as the large majority of the population.


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trexmeyer wrote:
Started Couch to 5k after not running for over 10 years. Week 1 down.
Benched 350x2 and 360x1 without spotter.
Squatted 385x5 despite not having squatted (that) heavy in a while. Lifetime best for highbar is 405x5.
OHP is sucking because I haven't been focusing it.
Trap Bar DL dropped like 100lbs since I peaked it...I'm not sure how...I've wasted time/effort trying to do conventional DLs instead. Working on getting my 20rep max back around 440.

Mental, althought saying that I now have to do regular runs and boot marches so... My DL is down due to a horribly inadequate gym at my new unit, but squat is holding steady.

Why does that sound like I’ll need special spanners?

More walking done today. Folkestone to Sandgate and back. Looking to hit 7-8km in a day.

It’s an absolutely beautiful walk on a beautiful day. Took the Leas across to Sandgate, then the beach path back. Also took me right past one H.G. Wells former house, which was an unexpected treat.

Running 90km this week including a 30km trail run with 1280m of elevation gain with full compulsory gear load out done on Sunday.

Up from 70km a week few weeks ago.

Running a 50km trail ultra-marathon in July.
100km in October.

Next week will likely be a 'rest week' with only 50km run to recover.

Alrighty. A little over 13k walked this week. Still tomorrow to go, so with Bugger all else planned, I reckon I can hit 25k again.

 Waaagh_Gonads wrote:
Running 90km this week including a 30km trail run with 1280m of elevation gain with full compulsory gear load out done on Sunday.

Well, your running distance is goals.

Basically blew out both my knees with the pseudo-sprints+squats+zero cartilage left combination.

2 10k's in a couple of days.

Feeling good again!

Of course, as well as healthy exercise, we need to consider healthy diet. Naturally that does not mean Only Rabbit Food.

Balanced is balanced. You can eat crap all the time doesn’t mean you can’t eat crap any time.

Now. With that in mind. I’m guessing there’s folk in this thread knowledgeable enough to tell me if this website’s description of its product

https://www.viteramen.com/

Is good stuff, or simply Word Salad. Like structured water.

Sounds a bit like a noodle version of Huel. Looks expensive without factoring in delivery from the US. It's not necessarily bad but not sure it's good enough to be worth it.