Best gains ever....but why?

[Thaibox]

At the end of December, I was in pretty bad shape awaiting back surgery so I was pretty light and not very strong. I hadn't deadlifted or squated for some time due to my injuries. I think I was 254 at the time of my surgery January 8th. I was stuck in bed for a couple weeks with no appetite at all. I didn't start lifting again for about a month, which was just me hobbling from one weenie machine to the next on my cane. At that time I started eating normal again, and slowly strength came back. I didn't truly start to "lift" again until mid-February(still no squats, deads, etc). So, I've been lifting normal for 2 months now. I weighed myself yesterday at 272. I checked my weight on 2 other scales which said 271.5 and 273. My bodyfat maybe a little higher than it was but I still have part of my pack and a couple good veins.

So, being 254 pre-surgery, I must have lost at least 8-10 more pounds during recovery. So that means I gained around 25 lbs in a 2 month rebound. That seems insane to me. I haven't touched any gear for over a year. Of course its some fat gain, but I know I didn't gain very much fat at all. I've never been over 265, not matter how much I ate or how well trained even on gear. Even on my heaviest, high calorie crap-food bulk cycle. I'm still limited in the lifts I can do, but I'm stronger now in upperbody lifts than I've ever been. I'm setting PRs every week, it follows no logic at all. Could this be one giant "newbie" reaction to an extended off period?

I'm doing a fairly conventional 3-4 day/week routine focusing on strength. I can't do squats at all, so presses replace them. I can't do deads or rows. And, I can't flat bench due to a shoulder injury. So, why the hell would I be responding so damn well to a routine that excludes the fundamental 3 lifts of basic growth? I wasn't growing like this when I was deadlifting 600lbs and benching 405 on gear.

I'm certainly not complaining, but what the hell?

Well, I suppose this would be a good motivational thread for anyone that's concerned about their training due to an upcoming surgery or new injury at least.

 

[SofaGeorge]

It's the surgery, bro.

Massive body trauma can cause the body to release huge amounts of natural growth hormone to help you heal.

When I was 21 I got crucified upside down. I was doing ab crunches alone in the gym hanging in inversion boots. My back tore... and I spent 45 minutes flopping like a fish on the line. It was the worst pain I ever experienced... and it seemed to go on forever. After I recovered... I noticed something phenomenal... I was growing again. I went from 6'2" to 6'4" by the time I was 23. I also packed on 10 lbs of dense muscle.

This is a phenomena that is well documented in medical literature. This is also one of the reasons I recommend people train when they are injured. The very mechanisms your body uses to help you heal are also the ones that help you gain muscle... and lots of it.

Sometimes you can hurt yourself good.

 

[gmanlax7]

damn sg that sounds horrible

this is very interesting

 

[needsize]

no idea why thats happening but I'm really glad to hear that something is working

 

[Thaibox]

It's the surgery, bro.

Massive body trauma can cause the body to release huge amounts of natural growth hormone to help you heal.

When I was 21 I got crucified upside down. I was doing ab crunches alone in the gym hanging in inversion boots. My back tore... and I spent 45 minutes flopping like a fish on the line. It was the worst pain I ever experienced... and it seemed to go on forever. After I recovered... I noticed something phenomenal... I was growing again. I went from 6'2" to 6'4" by the time I was 23. I also packed on 10 lbs of dense muscle.

This is a phenomena that is well documented in medical literature. This is also one of the reasons I recommend people train when they are injured. The very mechanisms your body uses to help you heal are also the ones that help you gain muscle... and lots of it.

Sometimes you can hurt yourself good.

Okay, I'm intrigued as hell about this phenomena. It makes sense. I've never thought about that before. Its like the body's own moderate cycle.

That story about the inversion boots is scary as hell by the way.

I guess I can now look forward to the 3 or 4 surgeries I'll have in the next couple years If I keep breaking things, I'll be massive

Actually, in all seriousness, I do have several more surgeries to look forward to in the near future, so I'm going to study this intensely and I wonder if I can take advantage of the body's ability to do this. I've put almost a full inch on my upper arms since my surgery. That's not fat. Damn, there's some serious potential here.

Sofa, you've just shined a really bright light on my depressing future of surgeries, recoveries, and muscle loss. You have no idea. Next time I'm down south, I'm buying you a fucking beer brother!

NS, thanks man.

 

[Lee]

after massive trauma yer body wants to grow more muscle to prevent it from happening again, so it ups hormonal rates to build extra muscle, its great for most people, but since ive never had surgery and never broken a bone i havent gotten that sort of extra boost.

 

[Thaibox]

We could start a new training style based upon this principle.

We begin with a baseball bat....

 

[Lee]

lol, i think ill stick to normal training

 

[coolcolj]

Thaibox - read the ANimal mass stickie again

remeber the 2 factor theory on supercompensation.

Your reduced volume of work over this period of time caused you to get your gains.

The sooner all bodybuilders and powerlifters start to think in these terms like all other sports the better your gains will be in the long term

 

[SeymourCuts]

Never heard of that phenomenon before, but it's quite fascinating.

And it allows a different take on someone telling you to go play in traffic. It means they care. heh

 

[leatherface]

This is interesting I'm glad to hear about the gains though Thai.. keep us updated. This almost makes me want to go like, break my leg or something!

 

[mrzap]

When I was 21 I got crucified upside down. I was doing ab crunches alone in the gym hanging in inversion boots. My back tore... and I spent 45 minutes flopping like a fish on the line.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH <cries just thinking about it>

 

[casualbb]

Three major effects:

1) You were forced to take what HST people call a "Stretegic Deconditioning." Without getting too long-winded, when you work out for a long period of time (months), your muscles become resistant to growth from training. When you take time off, it reverses the effect. Generally, the more time off, the more effect is reversed.

When you start training again, your muscles are very susceptible to damage and growth.

also
2) All those neural adaptations you made to help lift more on compound movements...those basically all went away. So you were weaker when you came back, but as your neural strength returns you'll make sick strength gains. This will cause progressive load, which we know causes tons of growth.

3) Metabolisms adapt to intake levels. When you don't eat a lot for awhile, your body goes into "Starvation" mode, and actually lowers your metabolism. The less eaten, the more severe the effect. Upon resumption of normal eating, weight gain is inevitable. If you're purposefully overeating to bulk, then holy cow, look out. This is the idea behind the ABCDE diet plan, which some of you may remember: deliberately go into starvation mode, then rebound at 5000 cal/day for huge gains.

-casualbb

 

[tsarleon]

perhaps ur back injury and other injuries were leaving your muscles, surrounding muslce in a "sick" state. by repariing maybe they are not "sick" anymore, so GO TO GO...

 

[gmanlax7]

man i want to grow 2 inches !