Never Stop Learning
In the year 2013, I graduated from my Engineering program and I had just gotten serious about the gym. I was young, eager, and … stupid. I did make very good progress on several fronts but, I had neglected legs and my deadlift technique was completely wrong.
We have all been there when you are trying to impress the girls by lifting heavier weights. I tried to do a 150 lb deadlift straight away with an arched back and I injured my lower back quite severely.
In fact, I was down and out of the gym for about 2.5 years because of my injury. I was injured and felt pain in my lower back every single day for 3.5 years. When I had it diagnosed by a Doctor, he had strongly advised me AGAINST doing any heavy lifting for the rest of my life.
To the right, you can see a picture of me sleeping between two beds so that my spine would have no contact and my lower back wouldn’t ache when I lay down.
Reasons? My Dad already had a hernia and had it corrected. It was increasingly likely that I might develop a hernia too if I were treading down this path.
If you have followed my other posts, I do not let anything stop me from achieving my goals. Not even professional medical advice.
Starting fresh - bro split and beauty muscles :)
Fast forward 2019, I got accepted into the Business program at Davis and I had kick-started my gym activities in full swing again. I had a hard time moving past my “fixed mindset” about what I could do in the gym and what I couldn’t. That’s where my brothers Kumar and Jordan helped. Little by little, we had a thing going for challenging ourselves at the gym. Bro splits to the rescue! :)
Even in the middle of the pandemic, Jordan literally built weights using concrete and we kept our workouts consistent when the world was busy breaking apart. I guess it is our mindset that got us stuck together as brothers to this day.
Year 2023. Everything was going fine, but I still had not conquered deadlifts - the exercise that injured me and took 3-5 years to heal completely.
I AM BACK.
WITH A VENGEANCE, MORE MOTIVATED THAN EVER; marching towards my next milestone of hitting a 300 lb deadlift.
Wish me the best. :)
Starting from scratch. All over again. :)
Deadlifts - 135 lbs - 2023 February
Learned to do deadlifts THE RIGHT WAY with the help of an experienced trainer.
2. Deadlifts - 135 lbs - 2023 February
Started doing it myself without any help from a trainer. Still committing the “hyper-extension” error.
Going too fast too soon.
3. Deadlifts - 165 lbs :( - 2023 late February
Got too eager. Progressed too soon, and again injured myself a bit. Lower back hurt for two weeks. :(
Giving up? Over my dead body!!!
All in or NOTHING!
Going slow to go faster. :)
4. Deadlifts - 145 lbs - 2023 Early March
Starting from scratch. AGAIN.
On a roll. :)
5. Deadlifts - 165 lbs - 2023 March mid
Feeling goooood! :)
Making progress!
6. Deadlifts - 180 lbs - 2023 March end
Taking another step forward. :)
Approaching 200 lb barrier - one baby step at a time
7. Deadlifts - 195 lbs - 2023 March end
Aaargh! So close to 200 lbs, yet so far. I will get there soon.
And just like that. 215 lbs.
8. Deadlifts - 215 lbs - 2023 April
And just like that, 215 lbs like a breeze. HECK YEAH! :) BEAST MODE ON!!!!!
9. Deadlifts - 235 lbs - 2023 June
Finally, getting to decent weights with proper leg drive.
10. Deadlifts - 265 lbs - 2023 July
Breached the 250 lb barrier. One step closer to the 300 lb milestone.