I can’t believe it I’m only three weeks back into my training after taking time off from my Triceps Tendon injury and my body feels almost brand new. I was at the gym tonight and I actually felt a little better than I have in a little while so I decided I was going to go a little harder.
We started with: Deadlifts off the floor – 7 sets I always start with just the bar to get the movement right. From there to one plate for 10, two plates for 10, three plates for ten. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to push it after that, the doc told me to ramp things up slowly for the next three weeks. In my mind I justified it by saying my elbow won’t be impacted too much so fuck it. I added a plate to make it four and knocked out another 8 clean. I felt pretty good; this was my first time deadlifting in about three months. I did another set with four plates for 8, then decided I’m gonna jump again. Up to four and a quarter we went and I knocked out 5 more clean, on top of the world….this is a great comeback I’m thinking. For the last set I decided I was gonna take it a step further so I added a ten to each side..lol…I know its only a ten but give me a break I’m just getting back to it. I locked up my grip and drove my heels into the floor only to drop it after about a three inch lift. I was pretty disappointed but knew if I took a minute I could get back to it. I let both my partners hit it first and then decided I would give it another shot. BOOM! Knocked out four clean reps with gas in the tank! From deads this was the rest of the workout:
Reverse Grip Barbell Rows – 4 Sets Wide Grip Pulldowns – 4 Sets (two second hold at the bottom of each rep) Supported T-Bar Row Superset W/ Machine Rows – 3 Sets
Then we got into a little hamstrings; we did two exercises, four sets each. Killer workout and it took us about 90 minutes but god damn, I was slaughtered by the time we were done and haven’t felt that good in months.
I think people underestimate the power of the body in mind when working in sync. In my mind I have decided and did a while back that I would not let this lay off hinder me in anyway when trying to grow and get better for next year. I have actually taken this as a personal challenge that even with a six week layoff I can still make it back with even more gains than I already made the year before.
It’s a powerful feeling when you are in control of what you want your body to do. Sure I could just go to the gym and take it easy and go really light and use an injury as an excuse to be lazy but I have chosen the hard road. I’m using the injury as an excuse to drive myself harder!
How do you guys push yourselves everyday? When your getting ready to hit the gym to you imagine breaking records or do you think of how you can work the muscle and save yourself a little? Do you leave it all on the gym floor, or do you take some home with you at the end? Of course most of you might think your killing yourselves just like I did when I started. I’m telling you all, you have another gear; as a matter of fact you have a few more gears you just haven’t tapped into yet. When you hit that next gear you’ll look at your old self and wonder who that guy even was. Sometimes I want to kick my own ass for ever thinking that’s all I had in the tank, every time I think that’s it I get into another offseason and break through again and again. That’s how you keep improving, by kicking your old self’s ass! Take a good look in the mirror next time your about to go to work and ask yourself if your visions are limiting your true potential! Take it to the next level….
Sacrifice Without Regret, Fouad ‘Hoss’ Abiad www.fouadhossabiad.com www.fouadabiadopen.com
