As if this TRT phase doesn't suck bad enough, this nagging "elbow" issue has finally been diagnosed... on facetime ... by my Doc friend. Don't knock it; I didn't have to pay a co-pay and he's smart as hell. Took him about 2 minutes to diagnose it.
This is the result of that dumbbell press incident about 4 weeks ago. It isn't "painful" but it is nagging me so I figured I better check to make sure it isn't serious or at least something that might TURN serious if I do something wrong. I was training the other night and it occurred to me how shitty it would be if I had a partial tear in a tendon (biceps tendon?) and was an accident waiting to happen. The thought of 6-9 months out of the gym just didn't sit well with me.
I was putting heavies dumbbells in my lap for dumbbell presses when I heard a pop in my left biceps. I almost stopped right then and there but I waited a minute and it didn't seem to hurt and there was no bruising or anything of the sort so I went ahead with the set. I had no issues but it did ache a little bit. I finished chest and shoulders with no real issues and figured it would be sore when I went to bed.
I woke up the next day and it wasn't sore so I planned to train back but was going to be really careful and likely train back light. I warmed up and didn't feel anything so I trained back hard as hell and had no issues. I figured I had dodged a bullet until I went to train biceps later in the week and felt it aching again - not painful but aching. I was still able to train biceps but it seemed to bother me only when I supinated my wrist so I only did fixed machine curls and straight bar curls leaning into an incline. I figured I would just play it safe.
It would then get better for a few days and I would think it was gone until I warmed up to train chest and shoulders again and I could feel it. This happened over about 3 weeks before I figured I better check on it to see if it was something worse than I had originally thought.
The diagnosis? A strained supinator. It doesn't hurt to pronate but I feel it when I supinate my wrist. If I don't supinate my wrist, I don't feel it.
He told me that I didn't have to stop training but to just train around it because it is a small muscle that is used primarily for stabilization so it should get better if I don't irritate it with movements that require too much movement at the wrist.
In a sense, I did dodge a bullet because I was worried it was a biceps tendon issue. That would have sucked and required some time off - more than wanted to take, for sure.
photo courtesy of:
www.knowyourbody.net
Outside of this little issue, progress is good right now while 4 weeks into TRT and I have started my MK for 4 weeks to make sure IGF levels are good.
My strength is holding quite well though I admit to not pushing terribly heavy right now, demanding that my body hold the strength that I acquired. I am instead doing more supersets while still training as heavy as is comfortable on my joints.
Weight is also holding at around 222 - down from 226-227. The only issue that I really am dealing with is my hunger is out of control for some reason. I find myself never really satisfied with meals and that is leading to cravings and if you know me, I don't usually crave much of anything, even while dieting down.
I have another 7 weeks before I step on the gas again so I am just trying to enjoy the process and keep having great workouts. Again, I admit that I hate being TRT but it is a necessary evil.
I just need to get to Sunday so I can have more BBQ.
I am looking forward to it!