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Kevin Larrabee (Twitter) and Dr. Jonathan Fass

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Mailbag

• Hey Y’all, (I’m from Oklahoma so i thought you would appreciate the colloquially correct greeting)
  I have spent the last year or so struggling with fat loss and have found recent success and plan to be very close to my goals by the beginning of Summer. I have lost over 70 lbs of fat and plan to continue to lose until June. The “problem” is that I was just accepted into an accelerated nursing program at Oklahoma University that will condense their bachelor’s program in nursing into just 14 very busy months. I also have a wife and 2 kids so family time will be stressed as well. I am concerned that I will regress during this time period and lose ground in my fat loss battle. If you have any tips or tricks to help me stay motivated and maybe program suggestions that I might be able to utilize while I am in this very busy time in my life it would be greatly appreciated. Some background info in case you need it:
  I am 35 years old, 215 lbs and have been using the New Rules of Lifting since November (just finishing the last week of fat loss 3) and have just purchased Afterburn from Alwyn Cosgrove to take me into the summer.

  Thanks for the help everyone, it’s greatly appreciated!! -Matt

• Thanks to listening to your show all these years, I am now known as the fitness and nutrition guy in my circle of friends/family.  Recently I’ve been getting requests from female friends of mine to give them programs to do that will get them “beach ready.”  Most of these people have no experience in a gym or with strength training.  I’m not a personal trainer (although I hope to be someday!).  Could you give me some guidelines for designing programs for newbies. Most of them are in okay shape, and generally active (skiing, hiking, mountain climbing, etc).
  I’m thinking about giving them a 3xWeek, with a few full body movementt, so I’m specifically curious about set/rep schemes and when to plan in metabolic/conditioning work.  I’m thinking maybe a 4×5-7 day, 3×10-12 day, and then maybe a complex or circuit day? Or would it be better to add in another stregth day and fit in the metabolic/conditioning either after the stregth days or on off days?  Let me know if I’m on the right track or if you think I should do something different.  I’m trying to keep things simple since I won’t be with them while they train, except for the first day to go over the movements, techniques.
  Thanks for the help,
  Eddy, NY
• Hello all you experts. I hope you have an answer for me. I have been doing a powerlifting style workout (back squat, bench press, deadlift, & overhead press) for the last 9 weeks and making great strength gains.A couple weeks ago I had to have a colonoscopy. Because of the prep for that and the fact they
  had to remove two polyps I was on a liquid diet for 5 days. I did not do my workouts that week which
  I was doing 3 days a week.

  When I started back on my weight training I was unable to put my feet on the floor during
  bench pressing. I always had to put a piece of wood under my feet but now even three boards
  is not enough. I feel a pain/soreness in my low back when I try to put my feet down.

  What could this be and how can I correct it. I have to keep working on my chesticles.
  Thanks, Doug

• This question is for Jonathan Fass:Jonathan, I have been diagnosed with a case of patella tendinitis in my right knee. I hurt it while running on a track in my local gym two weeks before Christmas. I could hardly walk for two weeks. The only way I could go down stairs was sideways, the pain was so bad. No problem going up, just going down.I have been seeing a DO since late December. The first visit, he manipulated my legs and torso and the benefit was immediate. I was amazed. Since then, the knee has gotten better, but it is not normal by any means. I have been doing some stretches, some icing, etc. for the past two months, and essentially no exercise. Yesterday, I went back to the gym to lift weights, and while the knee is more sore today, it is not unbearable. I did 3 x 10 sets of squats with 135 lbs yesterday.

  I have read on Web Md and other sites that patella tendinitis can take several months to calm down. I wonder if I will ever walk again without the current discomfort. Is there anything I could do to improve my recovery? I hate missing the gym and the discomfort that I am dealing with. I am 54 and otherwise, in very good health. Have been very active and had lost 20 lbs prior to the injury.

  Any advice is greatly appreciated.  -Dan

• Hey, guys! I have a question about push up progressions. I don’t have a lot of upper body strength and find regular pushups to be difficult. I can only do a couple full pushups bringing my chest within an inch or two off the ground, and can only do around 6 bringing my chest about halfway to the ground. My question is would it be better to do a modification (such as on my knees instead of on my toes) that allows me to go lower with a few more reps and work up to doing full pushups, or should I only do full pushups even if I can’t go very low or do very many? Thanks in advance. Kristina
• Hi everyone, Nigel from Manchester England. Interesting one for Dr. Fass.
  When I try to do the following test for a weak Psoas below I am completely unable to lift my left leg up off the floor, I can with the right but with some difficulty, any ideas

  The exercise is as follows :

  Psoas Test to Determine Whether Your Psoas is Too Weak
  Setup
  Stand bolt upright with your back to a wall, feet together, heels three inches from the wall, back of head touching the wall

  Execution

  Lift one of your thighs as high as it will go until it is above horizontal (at the least)
  Hold this position for 30 seconds

  Looking forward to your highly valuable opinion.

  Cheers,
  Nigel