Week two ...

sAll right, all right, all right ... 

Last week, I started my buddy Shawn Francis' three-month vault conditioning program, but didn't get very far before a doctor visit and ultrasound injection in my aching left knee last Friday threw a wrench into the works. The x-rays from that visit were kind of surprising, as my knee is kind of a mess. 

The meniscus gap (that's what I call it) is significantly narrowed on the inside of my knee, where all the pain is, and there is also at least one bone spur in there, along with some osteoarthritis. Compared to an x-ray of a healthy knee -- which the doctor showed me first -- mine looks a little scary. Not horrible, but not great, either.

Since the injection, the knee has improved tremendously, with only an occasional slight twinge in there. I'm hoping it continues to clear up completely, and so I'm going to do nothing leg-related for two weeks except walking. No long-distance walking, which I enjoy, but just regular walking from place to place.

Last night, I was on my feet for three hours at my little part-time job at the gym, and the knee held up really well. Before, it would start giving me problems about the two-and-a-half hour mark, so that was encouraging.

So until June 20, workouts will be upper-body and core only, with nothing that even comes close to putting pressure on my knee. After that, I'll start easing back into some easy sprints, weighted sled pulls, maybe some bodyweight squats, some easy vault plant drills. 

Phase two will be returning to Shawn's workout plan, with a lot of modifications. I'll be easing back into that program, too, and doing lots of stretching and other things to try and have as healthy a knee as possible. Apparently, if injection no. 1 doesn't do the trick, the doc has more tricks up his sleeve, which is encouraging.

So, for today's workout, I did back, shoulders, and triceps. 

I started with some machine-assisted dips, followed immediately by seated barbell shoulder press, and straight-arm cable pushdowns. I did some machine lat pulldowns, seated dumbbell shoulder press, and some front shoulder raises with a barbell plate. Next, some machine-assisted dips for triceps, some small barbell standing shoulder press, and a few sets of dumbbell side laterals.

That's it for today.

If you haven't heard already, I wrote a book a while back about my adventures learning to pole vault a couple years ago at age 60. Click HERE to check it out. Go ahead, it's a good story ... 

Stay tuned, y'all ... 

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