If you do some sprints, that will help your calves as much as anything. At least it did for me, back when I could do it.

As far as grip, do some moonlighting at a mechanic or tire shop, you get paid to up your grip strength :-)

A real low tech solution is to get a stick and tie a rope to a weight and roll the rope up and down. That will help the forearms.

Not unlike this, but you know, a stick and rope.


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Good idea on pushing everything a day forward
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Legs once a week is for pussies.
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I'm a big fan of the upper lower split. I'd say I've seen tremendous results with it especially the past 3-4 months
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When you have a repaired achilles, repaired knee and bulging disks in lower back you have to be conservative and have plenty of rest. The weekend also usually consists of 15+ miles of running/sprinting.

I wish more was possible but getting old and falling apart makes things difficult.
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Billy isn’t you. Don’t put him on a bro split.

Some of us take care of our bodies!
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Some of us lived life to the fullest and often too close to the edge when they were much younger.
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THAT’S YOUR FAULT, NOT BILLAY’s.

AND IS THIS A REFERENCE TO SOCCER?!?!?!
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I remember that contraption from our weight room in high school. Shit BURNS.

I love sprints myself but it's weird, and possibly suspicious, for a grown man to be running full speed on the side of the road to the gym lol and going to a track/field is just too inconvenient for me at this time.
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$5 at a hardware store and you can make one out of a dumbell or plate. I'd recommend that.

I'd try to make it to a track. Our local one stays unlocked with enough light you can do it at night. No clue what's available where you're at.

Real Talk: The endorphine spike I got from sprints was better than anything I got from lifting or other cardio. You have to watch yourself with injuries because you're pulling hard, but I got a lot out of it. Now my knees are shot, but if you can do it and keep your form together, it feels great and it does a lot for you. It doesn't absolutely wax your ass like distance running or repeat quarters or something like that.

Now my knees are shot and I'm not good for it, but I wish I was because that did me some good.
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Soccer destroyed my hands, shoulders and ribs. I was a goal keeper.

My lower back and legs are shot from doing stupid shit like jumping off roof/tree/ledge thinking 'Its only a 15 ft drop, as long as I absorb initial impact with legs and then tuck and roll I will be OK.'

Paying for that stupid type of shit now. I always ask my kids when I see them getting ready to do really stupid shit if they want to look at my emergency room x-rays from when I was their age.
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Just blast the fuck out of your calves with various raises every day you go to the gym. They will start growing or you will die.

Either way someone wins! :-)
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Yeah, sorry to hear man. I played sports through high school but never had any serious injuries. Only bone I've ever broken is a rib playing basketball. I've been lifting for 2 decades now and besides some occasional hip issues, I'm mostly pain free there too although not as strong as I used to be. I'll take that tradeoff every day as I age though.

Stories like yours remind me to treat my body like a temple. Hope you get some relief with your recent surgery.
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:-)
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Thanks. My neck feels much much better now. I have some muscle tightness at times that is very uncomfortable but all the nerve issues are gone.

I am back in the gym now just have to be super careful and ease my way back into it. For me this is the most challenging part because my mentality is to do everything at full effort.

I am down to 165lb, was 185-190, after all the time of not being able to lift plus some atrophy.

On the bright side I have the best 6-pack I have ever had.
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