matters of the heart

so i checked this morning, it has been a good 3 weeks since i have posted. it's kind of amusing that is the reality, as in my head i've thought of many things i've wanted to blog about. i guess the lesson learned here is there is a huge variance between writing a post in your head and actually committing pixel to monitor.

one of the things i've been meaning to cover is the results of my cardiac tests. i believe i mentioned wearing a 24 hour heart rate monitor and the subsequent visit to the cardiac specialist. the good doctor looked at my EKG's and pronounced them identical and further did not think they suggested any sort of heart problem.

of course when he took a look at me and found out that i was a competitive bodybuilder he immediately ordered a cardiac ultrasound. he explained that heavy weight training effects the size of all the muscles in the human body, the heart muscle included. so he wanted to ultrasound my heart to see if it was enlarged from training. he said we would then discuss modifying my training and he wanted to know how i would feel about that. i'm guessing the smile on my face said exactly what i didn't.

the results of the ultrasound said that my left ventricle is 'slightly' enlarged. i really don't know what unit of measurement 'slightly' is, but i digress. the specialist told my doctor to recommend i stop lifting heavy, which she did. i smiled at her too.

if it makes them feel better to think that i am not going heavy, so be it. but here is the thing, from what i've read online it is inconclusive that heavy weight training alone enlarges the heart muscle. i can be enlarged by a multitude of factors including stress. well i think we can all agree that 2008 was a banner stress year for me. as well the articles state for heavy weight training to have any significant effect on the heart muscle the athlete has to be taking performance enhancing drugs.

which of course leads me to an important thought. even if heavy weight training did have significant effects on the size of the heart muscle, as a natural athlete who is in effect limited in muscular growth and strength by genetic predisposition, exactly how big could my heart muscle get anyway?

and while i'm asking questions, how do we know that my left ventricle was enlarged sometime during the last 9 years? how do we know that i wasn't born this way, after all this was my first cardiac ultrasound. sometime next year i will be having another, as i understand it, i will be having them annually from here on out. if they truly want to impress upon me the severity of this 'condition', they will need to tell me next time something a bit more conclusive. i want the report to say the muscle is bigger in some form of unit of measurement or percentage. 'slightly' or 'kinda' just isn't going to cut it.

and finally i leave you with the best part of this whole experience. the results of the 24 hour monitor. my average heart rate was 85 bpm and my resting heart rate was 66 bpm. but the coolest thing was during training my heart rate got up to 150-180 bpm! i'll guess that my 315 lbs squat got the 180 bpm. hmmmm i wonder what heart rate a 340 lbs squat gets??

WHAT??!! that is not sick :-P

a quickie...

hey friends,

just a quick one cuz i am at work.

training has been going better of late. i've been wearing a hat on the gym floor. okay so you are wondering what the hell is the difference a hat makes? well i pull the visor down dangerously low. 'dangerously'? why yes, the visor is almost upon my nose. i can't see much more than the weight in front of me... this of course includes any olympic bars that are protruding from the racks as well.

on the one hand it keeps me from seeing any of the other members and thus keeps me from being distracted by any looks of disgust. similarily it also allows me the ability to brain myself on errant 45lb bars. ahh... the things we do for love.

oh my gawd, look who has her 'funny' back.

well i have completed the first routine and now i am onto the second. i am really proud of how the first routine turned out. it is very fast, very dynamic and unfortunately it kills my shoulders to perform it. i will be going to see terri shortly. but the good news is that dave is happy with it!! now he just has a couple weeks left to learn it. but the time frame is due to his lack of availability not mine!!

looking forward to the second routine as it is in a musical genre more inkeeping with my preferred style. not to say i didn't enjoy the challenge of a posing routine set to metal... even if it did freak me the hell out before i started.

and finally... i giggle as i supply you all with the following url:
http://www.johnabutler.com/?q=node/284

enjoy your day friends!

uggh!!!

i am having a really hard time these days. i find myself struggling with what should be warm up weight. i can't seem to focus. while i am training, if i catch someone staring at me it messes with my head and i start wondering if they are judging me.

i know i have to get over this somehow. i know that i am supposed to ignore it and not let it get in my way, i just don't seem to be able to. i really need to figure out how to get my head outta my azz before i lose anymore valuable training time.

i am NOT liking me very much right now