Four days after I arrived in China (19 April, '09) I had Jason snap some photos of the quadricep area of my legs (we took other photos as well, but this post is about my legs). Last night I took new photos, just curious whether exercising my brains out for the past five months has done anything. Man, was I surprised! As (hopefully) can be seen by the photos below, I have gained back 3.25" of muscle mass in each leg!
RIGHT LEG - 19 April, 2009
RIGHT LEG - 21, September, 2009
LEFT LEG - 19 April, 2009
LEFT LEG - 21 September, 2009
I believe a lot of this growth is due to my stem cell treatment. The treatment has given me the strength to exercise often and more vigorously, making it possible to use my exercycle nearly everyday for 30-45 minutes at a time.
Overall, I feel I am walking a bit stronger, but still struggle with standing up.
I am really working on strengthening my "core," and have added 80-100 sit ups to my workout routine. I use my large workout table with a long utility strap wrapped around it with a tightening device. Sitting upright on the table, I put the strap over my legs, just behind my knees, and tighten it so my legs don't bend. Then I use a sturdy, foam pillow propped at a 45 degree angle and bend forward and back. Of course, the "glute" work is a big part of the core, so I do those exercises 4-5 times a week. Still see my PT once a week. I'll keep you posted.
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