Learning to Train again after Methamphetamine

[D3x]

So I've been putting off writing a thread to try to ask for a little help in the form of training/nutrition advice because.. idk it feels like taboo.. or maybe it's shame of the stigma.. but I keep hitting roadblocks in my gyming so judgemental **** or no here it goes.

I am 24years old. I became addicted to methamphetamine just before the age of 19. **** got progressively worse with my addiction over the years, but I've been sober now since December 12, 2016. That being said it means I was placing the stress of malnutrition, sleep deprivation, and worse on to my body. When I went to the e.r. that December I weighed 140lbs soaking wet.. in the time since then I had gained weight up to 225lbs of not by any means leanness.. but as of recent I managed to dial in my diet enough to shed 40lbs.. the cardio rich workouts built up my energy and motivation to get into the gym and get back to it.. being a scrawny fck was not fun.. but being a fat scrawny fck was worse.. and over the last few months I've kept trying to push my self back to the lifting I used to love. The wolf climbing the hill is always hungrier than the one already atop the hill, but as I'm discovering my body has changed alot.. I'm not sure how damaging I've been to my hormones.. to my connective tissue.. to many of the tiny muscles I had no idea could get so weak.. after a minor shoulder injury caused by over zealous increasing of intensity I backed off some.. it's mostly healed now.. the curse of double jointed elbows and shoulders has been amplified it would seem..

As far as what I've been up to lifting lately is mostly confined to machines.. and I hate it.. trying to increase load onto the cns in hopes it'll help.. I keep running into an issue of not recovering enough to do even the same intensity I had a week prior.. and if I force it I end up failing a set or more early on a lift.. resting 60-180sec makes no difference and I can't even budge the weight post fail unless I reduce it by half..

As if the laughably low training capacity wasnt disheartening enough, my body seems to reject the idea of being strong again..although my willpower doesn't agree with that.. so basically I'm trapped in a perpetual state of raging against my own weakness.. mostly internally but if you examine the visible evidence close enough you'll find me angrily trying to brute force that damn bar one more time.. as comical as I'm sure it may appear to onlookers at the gym.. please help me if anyone knows more about the lingering effects of meth in this capacity.. it's hard to find decent info because so many recovery programs and treatment centers have the keywords all taken so google has 12 pages of "recovering from addiction" but nothing about effects of it on a person's ability to recover from lifting after they have recovered from the addiction more long term..

 

[Androflaven]

I was addicted to methamphetamine for a couples years, then another year of a stimulant that was worse. You've been clean for over a year, I wouldn't worry about any lingering effects. If you want to get strong again, you need to eat again. Leave the machines alone, do squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press. Focus on those four, do sets of five, keep increasing the weight. Eat like hell, don't be afraid of getting fat again in the process. If you want to build lots of muscle and strength while staying lean, good luck, most people aren't going to be able to do that without steroids, they just end up spinning their wheels for years. Get big and strong first, then lean out later.

 

[Crillz411]

I never had a problem with meth but I was addicted to opiates for 5 years I been clean only about 7 months but I went from 167 to 201 and most of that is clean. I total agree though about minimising the cardio and hitting the free weights etc. I can't see any effects from meth lingering that long. We pretty much put out our body's threw hell. First couple months in the gym suck but stick to it man, I'm glad I did and now I'm definitely seeing the rewards. Good luck in recovery bud.

 

[D3x]

I guess I'm still a bit concerned about the damage to the hpta from the drug.. the toxicity of meth on so much of the body is unreal.. exposure to high levels of it daily for years shows some high risk..

europepmc.org/abstract/med/24621335

 

[SFreed]

I can't help you with your specific question, but congratulations on kicking it. I gotta think that for somebody who overcame a drug addiction, getting strong will be a walk in the park by comparison. Just keep at it.

 

[D3x]

Except the more I'm looking the more I'm seeing studies showing long term systemic damage.. the effects are mediated via increased apoptosis and free radicals thereby causing cells to die off in the testes, such as leydig cells.. there are a couple other studies showing some possibility of links between meth and hypothyroidism due to suppression of t3 mediated in the same fashion.. the extreme toxicity within the body doesn't seem to be limited to just the brain.. many of the damaged systems lack the plasticity of the neurological system..

 

[Burnfire]

Congrats on the road to recovery. I myself have have never done meth but have had my vices as well. Keep upon the path at which your looking to take. You were living a life a destruction to your body and mind. But the life of lifting and eating correctly is one that at first is hard to get into a routine or find what works for you. The rewards of eating healthy and meal prepping along with a structured workout would be amazing. As for the joints and problems with pains I would say throw in some fish oil, cissus and maybe an additional joint supplement. Then you mentioned possible damage done to HPTA, order a blood test online and see what your numbers are and then go from there. Again I would say get the eating down good then start adding in vitamins and maybe natty anabolics after your bloods are done. There are many things you can add to get the results you need naturally. Before you do anything PH or AAS if your able get a liver function test.

 

[D3x]

Where does one order an online blood test?

 

[Androflaven]

Unless you're athletically gifted just messing up one or two aspects of your training can stall you or set you back. For one thing, if you go all out on a set, 60-180 seconds is actually a pretty short rest time, especially if your goal is to build strength. Often I'll rest for five to ten minutes between sets, especially on things like heavy deadlifts. It's not uncommon for olympic lifters to rest 15 minutes between sets.

 

[OldGreyFitGuy]

You have every right to be concerned, but you're young. Compared to many extreme long term users I imagine your body has a much higher chance of reversing or mitigating damage done.

Don't defeat yourself with negative thoughts. Yours is one of the few instances I'd say, less thought, more action. Do what you can, go slow. Do compound lifts, progress on weight or reps at least every other session. Eat whole foods, and eat like a pig.

 

[D3x]

I'm thinking I'mma settle on doing 5x5.. strong lifts has a decent app to help track it and set weight progressions.. now a 5x5 is typically 3 day a week program right? Or can it be more?.. when I used to lift I did the program blood and guts from Dorian Yates so I'm not as familiar with the 5x5..

 

[OldGreyFitGuy]

You could modify it into whatever frequency you like really.

 

[bigsmall]

Got experience in the area bro - I would recommend a good probiotic - it will do wonders for you. And for you to forgive yourself and move forward slowly and surely toward the goals that you want and will achieve. We are here for you. Keep it real and don't be hard on yourself ever again.

 

[D3x]

Hmm.. I guess I'll just keep plugging away at it.. just feels too infrequent.. but maybe that's just me being antsy.. I really wanna build this damn house.. it's hard not to wanna be laying bricks every day and night..

 

[OldGreyFitGuy]

You grow when sleeping. If you don't recover between workouts you won't grow even then. If youre in great condition sure, 6 days a week or whatever. You'll get there.

 

[BennyMagoo79]

Good work staying sobre mate.

Lifting weights is the best thing I can think of that you can do to recover from a meth addiction - especially free weights.

In your shoes, my approach would be this:
1.) Compound movements 3days/week using a 5x5 protocol, working with sub-maximal loading and using full video review to track speed and form. You want to select loads that you can make small regular progressions with speed and form, rather than total force, and maybe get some technique criticism from an expert from time to time.
2.) Isolation movements 3/days per week (can overlap with compound days but i would probably only lift 5days max) with 10-12 slow, concentrated reps focusing on full rom.
3.) Make sure your diet covers the complete omega spectrum, greens & carrots, as well as low GI carbs and of course protein. Dont avoid fat, you need it to rebuild ur CNS.
4.) Avoid depriving yourself of sleep.
5.) Get 48hrs rest every week.
6.) With regard to the gym, stop thinking about what you want to be doing tomorrow, start thinking about what you want to be doing next year. Its easier to stick to your program this way, and successfully managing your perspective is how you keep this from becoming another addiction.

Good luck brother.

Wishing you clarity and discipline to find your path on the Iron Way.

 

[D3x]

The weights for the 5x5 are so low thus far.. I've started increasing it tho.. today it wanted me to do a stupid low weight deadlift set.. so I doubled it.. then rested for 3min and upped it to 225lbs and did another 2 singles afterwards.. still not that great but hey.. I'll be damned if that hot girl can hump up a barbell with more than I can pull from on her little step..let the hatred fester let it drive you.. after all you should hate how weak you've become

 

[OldGreyFitGuy]

here you go, now youre figuring out your baselines. Thats progress.

 

[RugbyBaller91]

I must say to all you that have beat addictions like yal have man hats off to yal you have to be truly one strong individual to beat those things glad to see the gym is a new vice thats ****ing awesome keep it up!!!!!!!