16 May 2026

#roadto1000 continues with Workout Day 2.

When it's about building a strong, functional body, the scale only tells a fraction of the story.

Tracking the relationship between my chest, waist, and hip measurements is one of the best ways to measure true progress. The Waist-to-Hip Ratio: This isn't just about aesthetics;

it’s a vital marker for metabolic health and fat distribution.

Keeping the waist leaner relative to the hips is strongly linked to lower cardiovascular risks.

The Upper Body Frame: Tracking my chest measurement alongside my waist

helps ensure I am building or maintaining vital upper-body muscle mass

while not adding much in the way of visceral fat.

True fitness is about composition, proportion, and longevity.

#borninfiftynine

A-Jay

19 May 2026

Workout Day 3.

This session starts off with a cable sissy squat, which helps set the tone right off the bat.

When I first started doing this one, it took me a while to learn how

to get the balance and the range of motion just right.

Once I did, my leg training went to another level.

#borninfiftynine #roadto1000 

A-Jay

Workout Day 4 ~ Stepping into the home gym today with a bit of a bad attitude.

Walked out with a better one.

#borninfiftynine #roadto1000

A-Jay

Went on the IL yesterday with torn rib cartilage.

Good times

Rehab started today. Could be a few weeks.

No videos for a while

A-Jay

An update on my latest challenge.

It happened as I was tightening a mower blade nut on my riding rig.

Lying on the ground, as I exerted force bringing the top & bottom rackets together.

It's a movement where I have a lot of mechanical advantage and can torque it pretty good.

Felt the pop in the middle of my chest, and I knew exactly what it was.

Symptoms were the classic torn or, at the very least, strained rib cage cartilage.

The first several days and especially the nights included some discomfort.

Breathing and sleeping were compromised.

Got past that stage and am currently 'taking it easy.'

Which is not one of my strong points.

There's no real pain, which makes judging my actions the next few weeks a little tricky.

I definitely want to get this healed, but I'm in no real rush.

Patience & self-discipline will drive the train.

It's an area that doesn't get much in the way of blood flow.

Which means 'healing' is at a snail's pace.

Not wanting to settle into a complete inactive state.

So after letting the initial inflammation and weakness reduce,

I started back in the home gym with what I'm calling my Rehab Workouts.

They are basically the same deal I was performing before the injury.

Just a super light and low-intensity version of each.

Part of the fun of being an OG is we rarely ever come completely back from an injury.

There's always something left behind.

Which is OK, as long as I do get back. Quality of life type stuff.

Soon I plan on running the GoPro in the home gym again.

If nothing else, just to document my efforts as I travel the road to recovery.

So there it is.

#borninfiftynine and feeling it.

A-Jay

I hope you heal up quickly A-jay. I have had this issue for years and it can be quite painful if you tear a great deal of cartilage. In my early 30s I was playing volleyball with some other couples in a sand pit. I dove to make a save and stretched my body out full length, hitting the ball and then landing flat on my chest. It felt like every part of my rib cage had popped loose after I landed. What I didn't know was that this type of injury hurts much worse after a day or two and I was in extreme pain for a few weeks. It eventually healed but due to how much cartilage had been damaged, I would "repop" or "repull" it on occasion. Fortunately, I am still able to lift weights and remain active because I have learned over the years how to avoid popping the cartilage. All I can say is I don't lean across an auto console to pick something up off the floor on the passenger side of a vehicle anymore.

So some good news on the injury front.

I think that I made a mistake in my self-diagnosis.

Instead of a rib cartilage tear, I think now that this was an intercostal muscle strain.

Because the intercostal muscles sit directly between the ribs and layered over the costal cartilage,

injuries to either tissue present with nearly identical symptoms.

A major clue that I am dealing with a strain rather than a tear is the timeline of my recovery:

cartilage has a notoriously poor blood supply and typically takes 6 weeks or more to heal,

whereas mild-to-moderate muscle strains often begin showing noticeable improvement within just a few days.

I am glad that I am in the later grouping.

Either way, I've been able to get back in the home gym.
I'm still taking it slow, meaning way low on the resistance & intensity with a big focus on smooth and deliberate movements. Unless there is some unforeseen major setback, I think I'm going to recover just fine.

Which is a huge relief.

Ran the GoPro for this one.

So this is what my Total Body one workout centered around intercostal rehab looks like.

#borninfiftynine

A-Jay

That is good news!

10 minutes ago, senile1 said:

That is good news!

It sure is Thanks.

Also gets me back on the water sooner, like Thursday sooner.

Good Times

A-Jay

The intercostal healing continues without setback.

Accordingly, the rehab-style training also continues.

Today was Workout Day 2.

I increased the intensity slightly while reducing the volume—adding a little weight and increasing the time under tension with a few more reps per set.

The volume drop came by performing 2 working sets rather than 3.

This one felt pretty good while allowing sufficient time to recover and hopefully continue to heal.

#borninfiftynine

A-Jay

Recovery days are always a major contributor to the overall success of any type of training.

However, the two I just took pulled double duty as I rehab my torso.

Workout Day 3 included a similar level of resistance & time under tension as my last session.

Seeking to continue the progress, I did add a 3rd working set.

I'm happy to note that I am currently pain-free.

Doesn't mean I'm planning on pumping up the jam to full speed just yet,

But I like where I'm at.

#borninfiftynine

A-Jay

It's been a little more than eight and half years since I started this thread.

Working to Stay Lean was born in October of 2017.

The initial thought was that posting here somewhat regularly could help keep me motivated.

And maybe even help inspire anyone who drops by to think about their own deal.

Currently I'm still on the mend, but I was able to complete a somewhat muted version of Workout Day 4.

Going to need the next two scheduled off days.

#borninfiftynine.

A-Jay

My chest muscle rehab has been successful and is just about done.

However, somewhere along the way, I sprained my right wrist.

Pretty confident it was a grade 1 (mild).

The ligaments or muscles were stretched; I don't believe there were any actual tears, but it did feel weaker.

Experience mild pain and slight swelling, with minimal impact on my wrist's range of motion.

Resistance training has its benefits but doesn't make a person immune from injury.

If anything, it might increase the percentages as I'm active daily.

Hard to get hurt sitting on the couch.

So I've been going the R.I.C.E. route.

Rest, ice, compression, and elevation.

Wearing a wrist brace 24/7, especially sleeping.

Have had this injury a couple of times in the past, never really know how I end up doing it.

Sort of just comes on.

Following this type of recovery protocol has worked.

The older I get, the longer it takes. Just have to ride it out. #hateit

Happy to say that I've healed sufficiently to where I'm just about ready

to be off the wrist brace and might even be able to start training again next week.

I have to openly admit, I have had enough with the injuries.

How about we go a few years without another one ?

I would be totally OK with that.

Bumps & bruises are clearly a part of life, and nearly every human has them.

And unless they are seriously debilitating, they simply go on with their lives.

But when training, healing before continuing is the only option.

No time is good, but during our very brief summer here, recovery makes time fly by.

A-Jay

Glad to report I am healing.

Progress so far has been good, maybe a little better than I expected.

Still wearing the wrist brace at night but giving it a chance to breathe a little during the day.

Not quite ready to get back into the gym yet, but I'm close.

Which is a motivator all it's own.

I'm using the honey-do list to help me take the next step of rehab.

And it looks like mid-week could see us in the canoe.

Portaging in & especially out as well as paddling all day will tell me all I need to know.

Hope to start back training later this week.

Since my training session post here last week,

this thread has been viewed over 1100 times.

Stay Safe

A-Jay

I got back on my bicycle several weeks ago. The shifters are broken so only one gear. Which has actually worked out okay. I only had one gear for the longest time as a kid and we lived on our bikes. Been out 2-4 times a week (only 5-7 mile route) yet endurance along with strength are already building. The upper body is even getting some action with curbs and tight turns. I do need a different / lighter gear to start doing wheelies again. I think my record back in the day was somewhere between 2 and 3 blocks. I'll stay away from the ramps and trail jumps (and would need a different bike for those) but back in the day....oh man we got some air on our 20 inch Schwinns! Man we had some good times!!!!!!!!!!!

It's been a full 10 days since I stepped into the home gym.

To say I was ready today would be a fairly wild understatement.

Took it easy again.

Completed another downscaled version of Workout Day 1.

It felt really good though and I am definitely looking forward

to getting back into my regular training routine.

Here comes the muscle soreness.

A-Jay

With one training session under my belt and after the off day yesterday,

I was back in the home gym for Workout Day 2.

Still training with the rehab mindset, my wrist feels really good.

The hardest part of this one was exercising the self-discipline not to overdo it too soon.

Pulling back the reins when I feel like I don't need to has always been a challenge for me.

At least I know it now and use my training log to assist in keeping me

from being a victim of my own enthusiasm.

Completed 2 working sets of the 5 scheduled movements using 'light' resistance.

If my progress continues, I expect that once Workout Day 1 comes around again,

I should be able to slowly reintroduce some progressive overload.

Looking forward to that for sure.

#borninfiftynine

A-Jay

Good to see your doing o.k. A Jay. Been awhile since I've checked in. Yahoo wiped out my account, so I had to redo everything. Any who, all the best to you guys.

Workout Day 3.

Still on the 2 working sets program.

My wrist saw plenty of action in this one.

Happy that it's hanging tough.

#borninfiftynine

A-Jay

Workout Day 4 went well. Once this one was completed, so was the "rehab" aspect of my training.

Glad that's behind me. Moving forward, I'll be working back toward challenging myself more with resistance, time under tension, and volume. Not looking to break any personal records, but it certainly would be nice to get my strength & conditioning back to the level that it was at just 3 short months ago.

I'll need to kick up the caloric intake a bit as well.

It's mind-blowing how fast a man can wither away when he doesn't keep his nose to the grindstone.

#borninfiftynine

A-Jay

Workout Day 1.

I'm leaving the past several weeks of calamity behind me.

Completed three working sets of the 5 movements scheduled, and I actually felt like I was training again. Let's hope that continues for as long as possible.

Expect to be a little sore tomorrow, but it's going to be the right kind of sore.

#borninfiftynine

A-Jay

Workout Day 2.

Focusing on keeping the positive mojo flowing.

Eating a little more.

Sleeping a little more.

And lifting a little more.

All in an effort to be the best version of me I can get to.

The journey is challenging and rewarding.

#borninfiftynine

A-Jay

Workout Day 3.

Some of my favorite things about the iron in the gym:

It Never Lies to Me: The iron deals strictly in reality. If I am strong enough to lift it, it moves; if I am not, it stays put. It cuts through all my daily excuses and flatters no one, giving me an honest baseline every time I grab the barbell.

It Doesn't Care About Drama: Outside the gym, people will judge me, doubt me, or build me up based on moods and opinions. The iron offers a quiet, unbothered sanctuary. It won't talk back, gossip, or freak out, making it the most consistent "friend" I have.

It's the Ultimate Antidepressant: There is a deep, psychological therapy in physical exertion. It burns off nervous energy and grounds my mind, acting as a natural mood booster. When my body works hard, my mind follows suit with a clearer, stronger perspective.

It Gives Me Tough Love: The iron teaches me that failure isn't the end of the world—it is just feedback. It pushes me right up to my limits, forcing me to discover what I am truly capable of when things get heavy.

It Makes Me Earn Your Keep: I cannot bribe, cheat, or talk my way into building muscle. The iron makes me respect the process, enforcing a core life lesson that I have to put in the time to see results.

It Demands My Complete Focus: Underneath the iron, I cannot worry about work or bills. It forces me to be hyper-present, anchoring my mind entirely on my breathing, my form, and the task at hand.

It Doesn't Pick Favorites: It challenges the experienced trainer just as heavily as the absolute beginner. It doesn't care about my background, social status, or bank account—it only respects the effort I put into lifting it.

It Builds My Character: Every time I push through a grueling set, the iron builds my mental grit. That same resilience I learn when grinding out a heavy final rep quietly bleeds into how I handle stressful situations in real life.

It is Always Waiting For Me: No matter what time of day, how busy life gets, or how long I take a break, the iron is patiently waiting. It holds no grudges and greets me with the exact same weight and challenge whenever I return.

It Speaks a Universal Language: The bond forged with the iron is universally understood. It unites everyone in the gym in a shared pursuit of self-improvement, completely bypassing the need for words.

#bornnfiftynine

A-Jay

Inspired by this most historic day in our country's history, I pounded out Workout Day 4.

After performing three working sets of the 5 movements scheduled, I think it went well.

Looking forward to my two scheduled recovery days by getting my gear together

to spend some quality time on the water next week.

#borninfiftynine

A-Jay

Back around to Workout Day 1.

My mind was clear going into this one, which is almost always a positive sign.

By the time I completed the last set of rope curls,

I almost felt like myself again.

Almost.

#borninfiftynine

A-Jay

Workout Day 2.

When we understand that each day is not one more but one less - good things can happen

#borninfiftynine

A-Jay