If you’ve been reading my blog since I first started (not that long ago), you’ll know that in December I got nailed with a really bad shoulder injury. I’m not really sure as to the source of the injury, but I was doing gymnastics, weightlifting, kickboxing while playing soccer and still continually running (not that either soccer or running has a huge impact on my shoulders) and I think the combined pressure from all of those exercises eventually caused me problems. I ended up with a cyst in my rotator cuff region and tendinitis in my upper bicep. It was excruciating, and several months of physiotherapy was not only expensive, but also very frustrating because it just wasn’t getting much better.

I eventually had to give up physiotherapy when my benefits at work ran out, and only recently went back when my benefits had renewed (as well for another problem with my piriformis). The therapist re-tested my bicep and shoulder, couldn’t find any weak spots and said I could go back to lifting in the upper body but to leave the legs alone for now as we tried to figure out what my new leg problem was. HOORAY! Finally! 5 freaking months later I can finally go back! My whole upper body area had been starting to get extra wobbly and I was getting really fed up of not being able to lift. (Cuz frankly… it’s really darn fun!)

I was told to start out slow, so I’m roughly halving the weight in all my exercises so that I don’t overdo it and end up right back where I started. I also need to focus on keeping my shoulders back during my day to day life (and while exercising) to ensure that I’m keeping proper form. (And as I write that, I find myself correcting my posture.)

So here’s a before and after shot.

The shot above was taken this past November, shortly before I had to stop lifting. I remember being frustrated at the time because I didn’t think I had a whole lot of definition in my arms and shoulders. But I’m kicking myself for thinking that because this is what I look like now:

Jeebus. The first thing that comes to mind is “doughy”. Yikes. The lighting may be a bit different, but you can definitely see there is a lot less smoothness and definition to my arms and back in the shot above compared to the one from November. It’s also worth noting that I’m exactly the same weight in both pictures (151 pounds). As much as I dislike the current picture, it’s nice to know that I definitely had something better going on before!

So here ‘s my current list of weightlifting sets. Anything that is marked as dumbbell is obviously the weight one hand is using. If it’s a barbell exercise, then it includes the weight of the barbell (45 lbs.).

It’s a massive step down in almost all areas compared to what I was previously doing, but I really don’t want to encounter the same problem as before so I need to start back from scratch and build up slowly. Frankly, I’m just really happy to be getting back into it. My first day back lifting I was really, really happy to be back in the weight room at the gym. I had definitely missed it being a part of my regular routine. (And holy hell was I ever hurting after the first day back… so many underused upper body muscles… all screaming in agony!)

For the most part, my favourite moves encompass all the barbell ones (something I had shied away from when I first started until a friend pointed out there was only so much I was going to be able to grip dumbbell-wise before I had to step up to a barbell) and unfortunately I can’t do the larger leg movements for the moment (squats, deadlifts and lunges) but I’m happy enough with bench press for now. There’s something about doing a bench press that makes me feel like a badass. Even if I’m only hoisting 50-75 pounds. (Goal of 100 pounds by the end of the year though!)

The plan at this point is to just keep increasing weight in all areas until I’m satisfied. I’m not sure how much that’ll be, or when it’ll happen, but I’ll keep you posted along the way!