I’ve been lifting weights for over twenty years. And I’ve been doing it incorrectly for over twenty years. A little over a year and a half ago, I found some information that helped me get some results after being stuck at my “genetic potential” (or lack thereof) for over ten years. The key was to abandon both common and uncommon bodybuilding theories and start using powerlifting techniques that have produced results.
One of the things that I discovered at elitefts™ was Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 program, which worked really well for me because I like to calculate everything. Actually, I don’t like calculating things over and over again by hand, but because I’m a computer programmer, I wrote a script for a webpage that did all the calculations for me.
I gave up on the dream of being a world class bodybuilder and started planning to have some fun at a local powerlifting meet with the goal of eventually making it to nationals. Of course, I gave up on the bodybuilding dream years ago when I went from 180 pounds and seven percent body fat to 265 pounds with not much more muscle mass than I had at 180 pounds. This was accomplished over a few years of being on various medications, particularly one that caused me to gain over 20 pounds of fat in one month. Obviously, my doctor took me off that one the next time he saw me.
Once my medications were figured out and I started training correctly, my weight started coming down while my strength started going up. My gradual weight loss was going so good that five months before my first meet, I decided to try and make the 93-kilogram (205-pound) class instead of just the 105-kilogram (231-pound) class. The motivating factor here was that at the lower weight class, there was a chance, if my strength gains continued, that I’d qualify for nationals at my first meet.
This didn’t pan out because one of my medications was decreased, which, health wise, was a very good thing, but it meant that I didn’t need as much of the stimulant to combat the sedation from the other. This, too, was a good thing health wise, but the stimulant was also helping to suppress my appetite. When that also decreased, losing weight became much harder.
It was only my first meet, so it wasn't any big deal if I lost the chance to qualify for nationals. There was always next year. Even at 105 kilograms though, I qualified for the regionals without even trying (actually, I was already more than there in the gym).
Then something happened. It was deadlift day. It felt really heavy, but I worked up to my last set. It was a weight that I had done an easy triple with a few weeks earlier, but I wasn’t going to take it easy that day. I was expecting five reps. I got set and pulled, but it didn’t leave the ground. I was completely baffled.
I took 40 pounds off, but I only raised it a few inches. I took another 50 pounds off, and I barely squeezed out two reps. This was crazy. I had just done more weight and more reps in the last set. This wasn't any way to end a training session. Off went another 90 pounds, and I did a nice set of really weak deadlifts.
Overtrained. What else could it be? It was time for an unscheduled deload week. When I got back to heavy weights, I had my strength back, but it didn’t quite feel the same. Then, on the night of November 10, I made an unnerving discovery. As I was brushing my teeth, the bodybuilding mentality came over me again. I decided to flex both sides of my neck. I don’t know for how long, but I had been noticing the muscle development on the left side of my neck just poking out a bit from under my T-shirt every night while I brushed my teeth with my right hand. Of course, I wasn’t a bodybuilder. I was a powerlifter. At least in less than a month I could legitimately say that I was a powerlifter. But let's face it—we may not pose in front of the mirrors in the gym where everyone can see us, but when no one’s around and we’re brushing our teeth…
There wasn't anything on the right side, but the “muscle” on the left could move around a bit. I did a front double biceps pose. There was a small Mandarin orange (not the mini ones) sticking out of the left side of my neck—right on top and in front of my trap. (I was going to take a picture of it and post it here because it’s absolutely hilarious that I thought it was muscle development at first. However, it has grown over the last three months, and I don’t want to upset any of my family if they happen to read this. If you’re laughing right now, don’t feel bad. I’m laughing myself just thinking about it.)
Of course, the first thing that came to my mind was cancer. The next thing I thought was, “I’m going to die!” Of course, we’re all going to die, but I was thinking in the immediate future. This could be a devastating thought for some, but for a person of faith, it could actually strengthen one’s faith, and I like getting strong(er).
I made a doctor’s appointment as soon as the clinic opened on November 12th. (It was closed for Remembrance Day on November 11th). The doctor who was covering for mine had a real poker face. He said it could be anything from cancer to an aneurism to something that could be treated with antibiotics. His poker face didn’t convince me. I knew that I had cancer, but I wasn’t going to worry anyone and I kept it to myself.
This explained the weakness in the gym, which happened a couple more times over the next three weeks, although my strength was mostly mediocre with two really good days. I was even thinking of dropping out of the competition, but the last day I trained heavy went pretty well, so I went for it. Besides, if I dropped out, I’d have to tell everyone why I dropped out and then they’d all be worried. I didn’t want to tell anyone until I had the results from the biopsy and I knew what I was dealing with.
*****
December 1, 2012, Edmonton, Alberta, PowerSurge III
My first meet. I was hoping for a mediocre day. A really good day would be fantastic. Qualify for regionals? That would be great, but I’d be happy just to make my openers, which were rather conservative. The thing I was most worried about was that my T-shirt might not conceal the lump on my neck enough, particularly during squats, and if some of my family was able to show up, I didn't want them to notice anything.
Warmups went well. I wasn’t all that strong, but I could lift. Because it was my first meet, I didn’t quite get the hang of things until the deadlifts. I made one squat and one bench. They were nothing impressive, but I stayed in the meet.
I gave up any ambition to do anything major in the deadlift and dropped my opener. I went three for three. My last lift was something that I could've done twelve years ago when I didn’t know what I was doing, but who cares? I had fun, I stayed in the meet, and I could now call myself a powerlifter.
*****
I took the next two weeks off. By the third week, I wanted to train but just didn’t feel like it. Then I got the flu. The funny thing about this flu is that it has all the common symptoms of lymphoma except for the itching. I’ve had it for over a month and a half without any signs of improvement. But that 93-kilogram weight class will be a piece of cake to make. I'm already more than halfway from the 105-kilogram class when they weighed me before my second biopsy. I'll probably make the 83-kilogram class. I just hope that I don’t hit the 74-kilogram class. That’s a lot of muscle mass to recover!
Yes, I’m planning on recovering. I’m going to nationals. The only thing that concerns me is how long it takes for me to regain my strength. I’ve heard the weakness from lymphoma can sometimes last a long time after it’s gone into remission. Unfortunately, I’ll have to go through this a few more times. The particular type of cancer that I have is follicular lymphoma, which isn't curable and means that for the rest of my life, each period of an indeterminate number of years of remission will be followed by a relapse and treatment. So the question is, what weight class will I be in for the first meet after each remission and what weight class will I be able to build up to before each relapse?
But unbelievable things are happening along the way. I’ve never met a powerlifter outside a meet, his house, or occasionally the gym. There just are not that many of us. When the intern was examining me the day before I went for my second biopsy, it didn’t seem to faze him that I originally thought this lump on my neck was muscle development. Then he asked me if I’ve lost any weight. I told him I thought so, but I wasn’t sure because I hadn’t been on a scale since December 1st for a powerlifting meet.
“Were you in the PowerSurge?” he asked.
I was shocked. Most people don’t even know what lifts are in a powerlifting meet let alone the name of an actual meet. “Yeah!” I replied.
“I was in that meet, too!” he said.
What are the odds? This medical intern who I just happened to have out of all the other medical students at the University of Alberta not only knew about PowerSurge, but it was also his first meet, too. He also laughed as he said that the Mandarin orange sticking out of my neck when I did a front double biceps pose was “impressive.” (I was laughing before I did it and said, “Check this out.”) I didn't get quite the same reaction as when I did the same thing for the intern who was working with the poker faced doctor a couple months earlier. She seemed a bit shocked.
Of course, I don't recommend lymphoma as a method for getting ripped. Sure, my abs are looking better than they have in over ten years, but my traps and quads are getting smaller. I don’t mind the prospects of losing my hair. After all, I started growing it long again fifteen years ago because my wife said I couldn’t shave it (which seems to be quite popular among powerlifters). It will be kind of weird though if the eyebrows go.
I don't have any choice in the matter, so I may as well do the best I can and learn from it. By the grace of God, I’ve gotten through a lot of suffering in my life. A little bit more won't bother me much. Unfortunately, I don’t know how many years it will be before I’ll feel ready to enter my next meet or how many years it will be before I have to take a little break for a relapse and treatment. But be assured, I will be back!
*If you feel so inclined, I do have a specific prayer request on my website.
