Beginner workout advice needed
in Hobbies & Leisure ·
Hey there.
Does anyone here have any experience balancing gym time with an L5-S1 disc surgery? I lost that particular piece of hardware about three years ago... I do some floor work occasionally—mostly core and lumbar stability stuff—but like most people, I tend to get a bit lazy when I'm stuck working on my laptop all day.
I swim from time to time, though more frequently than I probably should... the problem is I live in a town without an indoor pool, so I have to drive to the next city over just to get some laps in.
And now, thanks to a certain "talent" for eating too much, I’m sitting at about 183 lbs at 5'8". My core is actually pretty strong, even if my build makes me look more solid than lean.
Let's call it an endo-mesomorph leaning toward mesomorph.
So, my question is: what can I actually expect to find useful at a gym? I definitely can't touch rowing machines or deadlifts—not even close—because my back is basically shot, and frankly, it's twice as old as I am. Weighted squats? Forget about it... anything like that could easily land me back on an operating table for a different disc.
Truth be told, I probably shouldn't be doing half the things I don't even realize are off-limits yet.
What's left on the table? Dumbbells (hopefully those are okay), kettlebells (maybe?), pull-ups, push-ups... the elliptical, basic bodyweight exercises...
The goal would be to drop maybe 15 or 20 pounds... let's say 22 lbs just to be safe... firm up the physique, and if my arms stay this size while my chest fills out a bit—given how much muscle I've lost just from lack of access to decent facilities—that would be great.
I'm in no rush to show off at the beach in three months.
But has anyone dealt with a similar situation, or at least knows how to navigate it? Thanks.
Does anyone here have any experience balancing gym time with an L5-S1 disc surgery? I lost that particular piece of hardware about three years ago... I do some floor work occasionally—mostly core and lumbar stability stuff—but like most people, I tend to get a bit lazy when I'm stuck working on my laptop all day.
I swim from time to time, though more frequently than I probably should... the problem is I live in a town without an indoor pool, so I have to drive to the next city over just to get some laps in.
And now, thanks to a certain "talent" for eating too much, I’m sitting at about 183 lbs at 5'8". My core is actually pretty strong, even if my build makes me look more solid than lean.
Let's call it an endo-mesomorph leaning toward mesomorph.
So, my question is: what can I actually expect to find useful at a gym? I definitely can't touch rowing machines or deadlifts—not even close—because my back is basically shot, and frankly, it's twice as old as I am. Weighted squats? Forget about it... anything like that could easily land me back on an operating table for a different disc.
Truth be told, I probably shouldn't be doing half the things I don't even realize are off-limits yet.
What's left on the table? Dumbbells (hopefully those are okay), kettlebells (maybe?), pull-ups, push-ups... the elliptical, basic bodyweight exercises...
The goal would be to drop maybe 15 or 20 pounds... let's say 22 lbs just to be safe... firm up the physique, and if my arms stay this size while my chest fills out a bit—given how much muscle I've lost just from lack of access to decent facilities—that would be great.
I'm in no rush to show off at the beach in three months.
But has anyone dealt with a similar situation, or at least knows how to navigate it? Thanks.
