mark!

Are you looking for a road bike or mountain bike? Wal Mart has just started carrying Genesis bikes, which are gonna be the best wal mart will ever be able to offer, they're around $200-$300. You're gonna get what you pay for in strength and durability. If you're just looking for a bike to ride around on, you could get a cruiser, they're sturdy, most are single speed so they won't have any gears or derailleur issues, plus our local bike shop won't service Wal Mart bikes or other "big box store" bikes unless they're a national brand and not entry level like Mongoose at Wal Mart. (Mongoose has some amazing bikes they don't sell at Wal Mart). I bought a Trek Fuel EX, upgraded the rear wheel to a stronger material, and this past weekend just had to replace the front wheel after riding it for 2 years. I ride single track and technical trails in the area so being what's considered a "clydesdale" rider, and riding technical trails, it's super hard on the bikes. I started on a Trek Wahoo, and it really served me well for $600 after upgrading the wheels to double walled rims. My son just got a Genesis for $300 from a bike shop we deal with and he's been very happy with it on the same trails, but he weighs about 130 soaking wet. If you're looking for a road bike, I have no knowledge there, at all. I do plan on getting fitted for a road bike next summer a riding on the roads, but until then I'll stick to the dirt. You can always head to a bike shop and shop around, most shops have someone who will fit you with a bike in your price range. Basically, it's gonna really depend on what you want to do with it and how much you want to invest. Any bike from Wal Mart will get you from point A to point B (most of the time) but if you're wanting more and wanting to go faster and have an easier ride you may want to look else where.

Butterbean, how wide is your stance? It may solve your problem to squat with a wider stance than most, it gives more stability to some. Check out some Sumo Squat vids on youtube. I squat halfway sumo but can't deadlift sumo to save my life unless I'm just doing it to a) screw around or work my back as an accessory lift.

Box squats will also help with form and depth. Like the medicine ball, but you can use either a home made box or a bench to squat down to. I like turning the bench to where the head is facing towards the squat rack instead of it laying across it, that way there's a narrowing bench in between my legs and it doesn't effect my stance or anything. It's so much easier going under weight with a bench under you knowing it'll support all you can throw at it. Also, for ham and glute development if you're having trouble there, try dead stop squats. Start with the bar on some safety pins a bit higher than the bar would rest at parallel, get under the bar in position and lift the bar. You're doing a full squat but you're starting at the bottom, going up, and back down to the pins. These are harder to do multiple reps with, but you can do fast singles if you want. When I feel like I'm getting out of the hole slowly, or having trouble with explosiveness, I'll do these. There's no way to get the weight up unless you explode off the bottom. I use dead stop for bench as well.

Quick reply before leaving for work: Look up ghetto glute ham raise, it sucks but it's possible. I've used a GHR machine maybe 3 times in my life, and my squats aren't too bad, so it's not necessary. The BIGGEST thing I'd do is squat more and more and more with either body weight, or just the bar. Get a broom stick, keep it in the bedroom and squat with the broom stick each night, just 5-10 reps. I had a problem with coming up on my toes until I started squatting either barefoot, or with flat soled shoes. If I squat in tennis shoes, my knee screams at me pretty bad.

Don't feed the monster!!

I was told 2 weeks for submerging in the tub, I took a bunch of showers though since we have a bench in our shower.

I second that. It's really sad that sarcasm is lost on the interwebz.

This is a case of not understanding something, being afraid of said unknowns, and trying to make others not use them. All of those words are staples in either the surgery, or the celebration of our journey. Good luck.

I'm in agreement, however, when you see the same person posting over and over about how the don't want to diet, they don't want to exercise, they don't want to do this or that because it's too hot outside, or too cool inside, or whatever reason, you learn to stop being all happy go lucky and say "hey, do this and stop jacking around because you're wasting your life by making excuses for not doing what you're supposed to do." Sometimes the best support one can get is a swift kick in the ass. I'm not saying everyone needs that, and on this site, I can only REMEMBER one instance where I told the person to suck it up and do what's required, but that was after about 3 pages and whining and moaning about everything they had to do. But, I guess I'm just a miserable person that has too many shortcomings and I should stop judging other people. (Kettle being called black by pots)

I called it approved when the Dr's office called me and said congrats the insurance company was gonna pay for the surgery and that I had met the requirements. I think, if the situation fits and it's deemed necessary by your Dr, the insurance company will take a good look at your case and decide from that. Good luck with the process.

I'd stick to all cardio and no core work at all for at least another 4 weeks. Not so worried about the stomach, but the sutures and incisions for the surgery.

This is probably my absolute favorite one so far.

Pics don't do much for me at all, but some videos on youtube are amazing and worth checking out. If you like some of these videos, there should be tons more show up on the right side of youtube to view. Anything from Muscle Factory or Zhasni is phenomenal. I've got several MP3's of these videos put together that I listen to while at the gym if anyone wants those I can email them. I have about 3 hours worth of motivational stuff and the sound of metal weight being thrown around. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TeQpXPY9nQ Be aware, there are some videos that have potty mouths!!!! The pics and stuff aren't all what get me pumped for the gym, it's the background, the yelling, the weights clanking, and the motivational quotes and such. EVERY single person in the videos preaches on one subject, busting your ass, hard work, and getting it done NO MATTER WHAT.

So I have a few recipes I've saved from my days of competing for high Protein high quality carbs before a meet. I pulled one of them out tonight and figured I'd give it a go for breakfast/lunch. This recipe is from my coach Josh Bryant. Protein pancakes Serving Size: 1 large pancake Ingredients 3 Egg Whites 1 Whole Egg 1 Cup of oatmeal 1 tsp of Cinnamon Optional Ingredients 1⁄4 Cup of Blueberries 1 Ounce of Walnuts 1⁄4 Cup of sugar free Pancake Syrup To Make… Blend egg whites, egg, oatmeal and cinnamon together. Spray skillet with cooking spray and pour mixture like a normal pancake. Cook on medium heat. When bubbles arise, add blueberries or walnuts and flip pancake. Cook for another minute or so. Serve with warm sugar free syrup. Nutritional Value No Nuts, Berries or Syrup Calories: 418 Fat: 11 Carbohydrates: 55 Protein: 28 I add some regular pancake mix to thicken it up a little, just personal preference. I also add some vanilla protein to the mix as well, adds 25g protein to the mix. This DOES make a rather LARGE pancake, I was able to eat about 1/3 of it, along with 1 scrambled egg and one piece of turkey bacon and I felt good.

Mens Fitness I read quite a bit, and Mens Health always has some OMG AMAZING recipes in their magazines, I mean seriously, try some of them and you'll freaking agree bud. Plus they've got some hot chicks too, haha. I like both of those magazines. There are some good older magazines before they got riddled with supplement companies and photoshopped models like Hardgainer out there too, but you've gotta order them on back order. You may be able to find some pdf files of them, not sure.

I don't load, but remember I said I didn't take monohydrate every day either. I took it during heavy workout days. A lot of people don't load or cycle creatine, if you're NOT cycling it, make sure to get your blood checked about 3 months out for kidney function. I've never had any issues and through continued blood tests, haven't shown any signs of issues. I'm about to switch back to monohydrate creatine and don't plan to load, but will likely cycle it 3 weeks on 1 week off, and during that one week I'll take either micronized monohydrate of kre-alkalyn creatine that doesn't require loading of phasing on and off. After reading this however, I WILL be loading my next monohydrate run to test the waters in loading. http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/supplements/151961-creatine-loading-necessary.html

Damnit, I was really looking forward to tearing some ass about not changing lifestyles and how this surgery and journey is about complete transformation, but instead, I'm proud of you! Congrats and keep doing it. Even when you feel like you're gonna pass out/die, just know that once this pain is gone, you will never feel it again quite that bad doing the same thing in your life as long as you keep it up.

Dr said 6 weeks, I laughed and started a 4 with moderate weight and went heavy at 5 weeks with no issues here.

Sorry for the multiple posts....but alas, I've found some of my old articles I used on pub med. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22373894 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22797000 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20072068 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19002072 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20182386 WARNING: These are boring, but the science is all there behind my ideas and thoughts, I hate seeing information without some sort of resource, and when it comes to squatting, I've heard it all. One client was petrified of "unhinging" their knee if they squatted ass to ground (DEEP) because some Dr. told him his knee would explode out the back of his leg and he'd never walk again (this is also common practice among trainers at 24 hour and planet fitness, it's a liability issue, not a training or kinetic issue). Yes, you CAN tear ligaments by squatting, but you can tear ligaments getting out of bed if done improperly, without warming up, and without care. Squatting is a GREAT strength building and a true complete total body workout, everything is activated. I hope this helps at least a bit.

Here's another solid article. I'm trying to find the medical studies I used back in college referencing muscle activation as well, if/when I find them, I'll scan them and post them as .img files here for you to read. http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most.../the_virtual_squat_seminar

I haven't checked any of the articles or videos, but it all really depends on WHY you're squatting. A crossfit squat, in my own professional opinion, is the fast track to knee replacement in the future. They really over exert the reflex of the ligaments because they squat so rapidly, and so frequently. Their joints are constantly under pressure. Watching someone do 100 air squats as fast as they can, makes me cry. BUT...if you're looking for speed and agility, then faster, lighter rep squats are going to be your thing. Form? What form? No need since time under actual stress is so infrequent, but the amount of times under stress is higher. You don't have time to fall on your ass or face because you go down, and literally, bounce, which makes me knees hurt just thinking about it, right back up. If you're looking for muscle activation, heavier weighted squats, with a slower, controlled movement to the floor and an explosive rise out of the hole provides more twitch muscle Fiber activation. Things that solved MY squatting issues with my chest wanting to roll over and puts me basically doing a good morning with leg drive were: Spreading my hands farther apart on the bar, and wrapping my pinky UNDER the bar instead of over. Pressing your neck in to the bar Making sure you lead with your ass and knees, NOT your hips Keeping balance centered through your core, from the ground going through your groin, belly button, breast plate, chin, and nose Mirror squatting, which has already been suggested and is the BEST way to learn proper technique so long as you've seen proper technique and know what it looks like. Wear flat soled shoes, or no shoes at all. I work up to triples at 315 with shoes, any shoe, then anything higher than that, I wear my Chucks. They provide a better grip and allow me to center my pressure points easier. My last meet I squatting in wrestling shoes and my best meet squat was achieved at 570lbs. If you're looking for form tips, look for Dave Tate on youtube, and Jim Wendler. Check out elitefts.com as well, GREAT strength related articles and blogs. I've been published a few times on their site for deadlift and squat technique, they're legit, world class lifters and have started branching out more to general overall physical preparedness. Fiddster, I highly recommend watching Date Tate's series on youtube "So you think you can squat" and "So you think you can bench." I've worked with both Dave and Jim personally in the past, and although rough around the edges, they have a very simple zero tolerance for crap, and no bullshit policy. Link to first SYTYCQ vid. Enjoy my friend.

MFP is dumb, I've been a faithful member for about 3 years. It's the best.

I have that issue with low quality proteins. If I'm getting in quality stuff I feel fine, not sure what it is or what's processed differently.

Congrats! Sounds like my recovery. Nauseated, thirsty, grumpy. But after I was up an about walking, I couldn't stop walking.

Hell my WTF's lasted through week 4. I felt no restriction on liquids at all, pissed me off, but realized meh, it's liquids so there won't be any restriction. You'll feel restriction from drinking too fast as the liquid tries to funnel down your swollen stomach, but that'll go away soon.