Maxx's Relocation to Tbilisi, Georgia.

[Lord of the Dance]

Alright Maxx, now lay it over Russia. 

Incidentally, thanks for sharing your beautiful photos, they're great fun to browse before bed. ~ Doug 

[msmoby]

Hi Maxx,

Georgia is even smaller than that  - if you remove Abkhazia or S.Ossetia !..

[Maxx]

Hi Maxx,

Georgia is even smaller than that  - if you remove Abkhazia or S.Ossetia !..

Good point. Exactly 18% smaller

Georgia          69,700 km 2  (counting Abkhazia & S.Ossetia)
South Ossetia   3,900 km 2
Abkhazia          8,660 km 2

[Maxx]

Her father owns a gym in Batumi that I will join. From the photos it looks well equipt. And the father age 60 has kept himself in great shape so obviously he knows a thing or two.

Anyway I am excited about getting a routine going. I need things to do and keep active.

I worked out last Wednesday, Friday and today. Wednesday was chest and biceps day. Friday was back and triceps day and today Monday was legs and shoulders day.

My trainer is named Pavel. He will be 61 years old in February. He owns the gym that opened this year. Nice guy who knows his stuff. He speaks some English and with the little Russian I know we communicate easily. Best of all he plays good workout music over the speakers and not the rap-crap they used to play over at the other gym. The cost of a personal trainer for an hour, 10 GEL or $3.70.







I write every exercise I do in a book. I keep track of all the types, weights, sets and reps I do. Today I measured the strength in my legs. I pushed 200 KG (440 pounds) for 14 repetitions. I eat a lot of protein in the form of fish, chicken breasts and protein shakes. Next time I go back for the legs I will see how much more weight I can add to the rack.

[el_guero]

Thanks Sparky. I'll keep them coming.

Tomorrow I have an interview with a public school administer. My go-between told me she the administer is really excited about having an American offering to help with their English program. I am excited too!

Great pics! You will love helping out.

[el_guero]

PS:

You make me want to go back to the gym ... Used to do around 900 pounds on the sled for my calves ...

 

[Maxx]

PS:

You make me want to go back to the gym ... Used to do around 900 pounds on the sled for my calves ...

 

I am catching up to your record. Last Monday I added 50 kilos (110 lbs) to my already 200 Kilos and pressed 554.5 pounds 11 times.



Tomorrow, 'leg day' I am going to add another 25 kilos for 606 pounds.

I keep a workout booklet with me and it says I have been to the gym 9 times in the last 18 days. Three sessions for my chest/biceps, three sessions for my back/triceps and tomorrow will be my third session for my legs/shoulders. My trainer, the owner of the gym, seems quite interested in my progress. He must ask me at least a dozen times how much more weight and/or repetitions I did from the last session for that muscle group. I swear by using a book to track progress. I also notice how much my walking has improved since I started strength training. I came Georgia after my accident walking like 80 + year old man. Now I walk much better.   

[el_guero]

I did weight training getting ready for Airborne School.

I tell you, NOTHING else has ever come close.

I could run and enjoy it. I felt super human. I ate like a PIG. My workout partner had to ask me to slow down.

And I could make my calves BURN.

But, after the spinal cord injury, I had to REALLY cut back. I tried to reach my old warm up weights one time - whew! Even Arm exercises would excite the spinal cord. And after a couple leg cramps that almost broke my leg, I decided getting fatter legs was my future.

 

You keep building for me.

[Maxx]

I did weight training getting ready for Airborne School.

I tell you, NOTHING else has ever come close.

I could run and enjoy it. I felt super human. I ate like a PIG. My workout partner had to ask me to slow down.

And I could make my calves BURN.

But, after the spinal cord injury, I had to REALLY cut back. I tried to reach my old warm up weights one time - whew! Even Arm exercises would excite the spinal cord. And after a couple leg cramps that almost broke my leg, I decided getting fatter legs was my future.

 

You keep building for me.

I am sorry to hear that. Weight training is the best... if you can do it. Fortunately for me I never went into sports or other risky activities such as jogging that are hard on the joints. I tend to be a couch potato. I am curious, as is the gym owner, if a man of my years (64 1/2) and physical condition can turn it around and become ideal.

[Maxx]

You keep building for me.

I just checked my workout book and I made a mistake when I said I pressed 250 Kilos 11 times. According to the book it was 6 times.


250 Kilos 6 times

I noticed a big improvement in strength from last week so I decided to add more weight to the sled.

Today's workout:

150 Kilograms X 15  (easy)
200 Kilograms X 15  (easy)
250 Kilograms X 15  (easy)
280 Kilograms X 10  (Maxx)
300 Kilograms X 9    (Maxx)
310 Kilograms X 7    (Maxx)  682 pounds

During the workout I drink 'BCCA Amino Build' and immediately afterward I drink 32 grams of protein in a chocolate banana shake that I mix up in the gym. Then, more protein for the rest of the day.


310 Kilograms 7 times

Funny, I don't think you would see a license plate like this in the States.

[Maxx]

You keep building for me.

A couple of weeks later.

Huge improvement!:


    372 Kilos 15 times

Pavel my trainer is amazed. 372 kilos or 818.4 pounds for 15 repetitions! I was so burnt out after that that even after a 2 minute rest I couldn't lift off 380 kilos.

150 kilos   20 times - warmup
200 kilos   20 times - warmup
250 kilos   21 times
310 kilos   12 times
332 kilos   14 times *
352 kilos   10 times
362 kilos   14 times
372 kilos   15 times  818.4 pounds

Contrast yesterday's workout on December 11, 2017 to late November's

150 Kilograms X 15  (easy)
200 Kilograms X 15  (easy)
250 Kilograms X 15  (easy)
280 Kilograms X 10  (Maxx)
300 Kilograms X 9    (Maxx)
310 Kilograms X 7    (Maxx)  682 pounds

*  The reason for the wide swing in repetitions on yesterday's workout is because the rests in between sets varied quite a bit in length of time. Some are short rests of a minute or so to the next set. Other rests are 5 minutes long or more giving the muscles more time to repair.

I was told today the sled weighs 52 Kilos and not 50 Kilos like I though before.

Next time I will do one warm up set then move on to the heavier weights. I think 402 Kilos (884.4 pounds) is not far off for me. My legs and back have always been strong.

[Lord of the Dance]

Congratulations on the grand strides in performance Maxx, that is quite impressive! 

[Maxx]

Congratulations on the grand strides in performance Maxx, that is quite impressive! 

Thanks LD! I am bumping up my workouts, now that I am used to them, from 3 per week to 4. I was making plans to winter in Ecuador but decided it is better to stall that and stay near where I am now to continue my progress. Looks like I'll be Lvov bound around the first week of January. I have to leave Georgia for a short while to be visa/residency compliant. I am coming up on day 360 on January 9th 2018.

[Lord of the Dance]

Congratulations on the grand strides in performance Maxx, that is quite impressive! 

Thanks LD! I am bumping up my workouts, now that I am used to them, from 3 per week to 4. I was making plans to winter in Ecuador but decided it is better to stall that and stay near where I am now to continue my progress. Looks like I'll be Lvov bound around the first week of January. I have to leave Georgia for a short while to be visa/residency compliant. I am coming up on day 360 on January 9th 2018.

Say Maxx, if your plans to visit Lvov do indeed materialize (and time / convenience allow), I would greatly appreciate some photos and perhaps a trip report upon your return. I'm particularly interested in your opinion on the local citizenry's English language skills as well as your feel for their prevailing sentiment toward Americans. Of course some quantitative data is available online but I would place a high value on current, qualitative, boots-on-the-ground observations. Thank you in advance if you're able to meet this request. 

[Jerash]

Hi Maxx - I haven't been around much on the forum lately, but caught up just a little bit with your thread today.  It's great to hear about the progress you're making now after the accident.  Keep on keeping on!! 

[Maxx]

Things are going a million-miles-an-hour for me. It looks like this extended trip report is going to take a turn towards Lvov Ukraine. I have leave the country for a short while to get another 360 days of residency. I chose Lvov as a good place to hang out. I was strongly considering Ecuador but I didn't want to do something so bold when I was making such progress with the gym. I can get to a gym in Lvov and do some workouts until I get back to Georgia on February 3, 2018. I have my apartment I am living at here, booked to May 1st when the busy season starts. The landlady likes full occupancy.
 

[msmoby]

Things are going a million-miles-an-hour for me. It looks like this extended trip report is going to take a turn towards Lvov Ukraine. I have leave the country for a short while to get another 360 days of residency. I chose Lvov as a good place to hang out. I was strongly considering Ecuador but I didn't want to do something so bold when I was making such progress with the gym. I can get to a gym in Lvov and do some workouts until I get back to Georgia on February 3, 2018. I have my apartment I am living at here, booked to May 1st when the busy season starts. The landlady likes full occupancy.
 

YES ... We will get to Batami, yet ... Good morning from Sweden - was looking out over the VERY grey Baltic to the Danish side and thinking of the Black Sea and sunbathing ....  ))

and NO Ste - not crossing the Oresund ..... FIFTY EURO ?   Done it once ... Going to go by Ferry to Germany ....) Sorry Denmark

[Wiz]

Things are going a million-miles-an-hour for me. It looks like this extended trip report is going to take a turn towards Lvov Ukraine. I have leave the country for a short while to get another 360 days of residency. I chose Lvov as a good place to hang out. I was strongly considering Ecuador but I didn't want to do something so bold when I was making such progress with the gym. I can get to a gym in Lvov and do some workouts until I get back to Georgia on February 3, 2018. I have my apartment I am living at here, booked to May 1st when the busy season starts. The landlady likes full occupancy. 

Take a look at this site of mine........ may help:

*Unapproved Link*Lvov/index.html

type: ukraine DOT ukgo DOT com

Sorry but Manny is paranoid ...about links to my sites.....he thinks I am fishing for members. 

If you find anything connecting this site with my board... please report it
to Manny! Thank you

Also have a look at the photo Galley too ..... and don't forget to take and post some photos.

Wiz

[Maxx]

Things are going a million-miles-an-hour for me. It looks like this extended trip report is going to take a turn towards Lvov Ukraine. I have leave the country for a short while to get another 360 days of residency. I chose Lvov as a good place to hang out. I was strongly considering Ecuador but I didn't want to do something so bold when I was making such progress with the gym. I can get to a gym in Lvov and do some workouts until I get back to Georgia on February 3, 2018. I have my apartment I am living at here, booked to May 1st when the busy season starts. The landlady likes full occupancy. 

Take a look at this site of mine........ may help:

*Unapproved Link*Lvov/index.html

type: ukraine DOT ukgo DOT com

Sorry but Manny is paranoid ...about links to my sites.....he thinks I am fishing for members. 

If you find anything connecting this site with my board... please report it
to Manny! Thank you

Also have a look at the photo Galley too ..... and don't forget to take and post some photos.

Wiz

Interestingly a few days ago I ran across your site and this webpage in the great big internet sea. Thank you Wiz for reminding me to give it a good look over.

[Maxx]

Congratulations on the grand strides in performance Maxx, that is quite impressive! 

Yesterday I did 402 Kilos, just under 900 pounds, 10 times. The sled weighs 52 kilos which explains the odd 2 kilos. I believe 884.4 pounds. I am going keep it at that and work for more repetitions and do them deeper to as deep as I can go. Now my reps are fairly shallow, perhaps 6 inches or about 15 centimeters. So it is work on the form next and so much increasing weight or reps. 

[Maxx]

I have flights booked for Lvov. I will be there 4 weeks. Arrive on a early Sunday afternoon and depart on an early Saturday afternoon. $414 round trip. The airport here in Batumi is 2 miles south of me. I'll check but I think I can leave my car at the airport.

I rented this place till May 1st. But I have leave it for 3 days in February (It was rented out) and 9 days in mid-March. I have a place directly below 3 floors down. Just load up the luggage cart, put it and me in the elevator then go up or down, exit the elevator walk 10 paces to my residence. Easiest move that it can be.

 

[Maxx]

A month ago I met a young woman on the train from Batumi to Tbilisi. She was sitting next to me. She starting chatting with me after sitting next to each other for a few hours. I found out she was 32 years old (half my age) and is from Uzbekistan. Did I tell you she was very pretty? Long black hair and those upswept Asian eyes, nice figure. We did internet communication on the train. Her English is very poor maybe a 1 on a 1 to 5 scale with 5 being fluent. So after a while she asked me for my contact info, which I gave her. A few minutes ago I got a text message from her. She said she was back in Batumi. I texted her back and asked if she would like to meet. I am waiting for her next message. I had gotten other messages from her before this while she was in Tbilisi. Definitely NOT a good communicator. Mostly one-two or three word messages. I found she doesn't know Russian well and Turkish is her first language.

[Contrarian]

A month ago I met a young woman on the train from Batumi to Tbilisi. She was sitting next to me. She starting chatting with me after sitting next to each other for a few hours. I found out she was 32 years old (half my age) and is from Uzbekistan. Did I tell you she was very pretty? Long black hair and those upswept Asian eyes, nice figure. We did internet communication on the train. Her English is very poor maybe a 1 on a 1 to 5 scale with 5 being fluent. So after a while she asked me for my contact info, which I gave her. A few minutes ago I got a text message from her. She said she was back in Batumi. I texted her back and asked if she would like to meet. I am waiting for her next message. I had gotten other messages from her before this while she was in Tbilisi. Definitely NOT a good communicator. Mostly one-two or three word messages. I found she doesn't know Russian well and Turkish is her first language.

“Put candy in mouth” is only 4 words, so you’re almost there. 

[Lord of the Dance]

Congratulations on the grand strides in performance Maxx, that is quite impressive! 

Yesterday I did 402 Kilos, just under 900 pounds, 10 times. The sled weighs 52 kilos which explains the odd 2 kilos. I believe 884.4 pounds. I am going keep it at that and work for more repetitions and do them deeper to as deep as I can go. Now my reps are fairly shallow, perhaps 6 inches or about 15 centimeters. So it is work on the form next and so much increasing weight or reps.

Again I applaud your persistence Maxx. I don't really understand all the gym jargon but I don't doubt that you are 'paining and gaining.' Purely from an inexperienced point of view, it would seem you made a prudent decision to work with an instructor to assure you're following the proper actions (and not inadvertently hurting yourself [as I am prone to doing]). Meanwhile I'll stick to the elliptical and the Erg thank you very much!   

[Lord of the Dance]

I have flights booked for Lvov. I will be there 4 weeks. Arrive on a early Sunday afternoon and depart on an early Saturday afternoon. $414 round trip. The airport here in Batumi is 2 miles south of me. I'll check but I think I can leave my car at the airport.

I rented this place till May 1st. But I have leave it for 3 days in February (It was rented out) and 9 days in mid-March. I have a place directly below 3 floors down. Just load up the luggage cart, put it and me in the elevator then go up or down, exit the elevator walk 10 paces to my residence. Easiest move that it can be.

I'm excited for you Maxx, here's hoping your trip to Lvov carries out swimmingly! And as for the 'move,' that doesn't sound too bad an arrangement. Usually when I'm called to help someone move, it involves a heavy old couch going up (or coming down) a narrow elbow stairwell - be happy you've got a cart and a lift!