hi,
sorry for bringing up old thread eek
Just wanna say my gratitude toward cst025, I also chatted with him a few times via instagram but perhaps this forum need yet another good news from fellow ASkicker.

dude, your thread here (and series of fortunate events) changed my life, albeit not right away... considering this lazy sexy a55 of mine grin I'm currently 33yo, been diagnosed with AS since about 10 years ago but started having pain since about 20 years ago.

I'd been an introvert all my life because of this disease, the hunchback, the pain, the silly walk.. made me hesitant to leave my room let alone having a girlfriend. My only respite from this life was video game and food, thus my overweight body (at that moment I weighted 95kg and only 163cm tall). I have been taking sulfasalazine & leflunomide daily + remicade IV twice a year. Based on my last X-ray few years ago, fortunately the fusion just affect my lower lumbar and thigh.

And then after taking my remicade iv on 2016, feeling energized, I started swimming on local pool, not too bad, but with my diet the exercise couldn't keep up with my appetite and sedentary life style.

Then I stumbled upon your thread here in 2016, started going to the gym after reading your post but for only about 2 months tired , my lazy a55 and busy work combined with inexperienced trainer, but it was mostly me being lazy (I decided if i go to the gym I need a PT because I have doubt about my ability to measure my limit and progress, I once pulled a muscle on my back just because I stretched too far and resulted in back pain for more than 2 months), but the personal trainer I got wasn't very helpful, perhaps he also hesitate to teach me because of my condition & bad posture). I stopped going to that gym but still swim once every 2 days. (I lived in a small town, there aren't many choice of gym here).

And then I found a girl in late 2016, her being with me knowing my condition I knew she's a keeper grin I married her on October 2017.

And then earlier this year, my friend came by my office & we're having a chit chat, he asked "hey, what's with your back? why is it getting worse?", his remark reminded me again of this thread and I asked him if there's any other gym with better PT that can train me, and fortunately there's a new gym in town.

I started going to that new gym and being assisted with a PT since April. Aside from the exercise, he also taught me about nutrition & supplements.

After 3 months exercising (3 days a week) I feel better already, so I took a month off and went to Thailand with my wife grin My first trip overseas!!

Now I weight 76kg, no more pain, little bit better posture and range of motion, getting a bit muscle definition on my arm & shoulder but still a long way to go to have a beach body but I'll get there, and now i can squat and when i stretch my back sometimes I can feel my back cracking and when I'm exercising sometimes i can crack my neck cool all the stiff parts and tendons are getting loose cool

btw, if there are other gym goers in here, could you guys share some of your routine? I read about fitness program called stronglifts 5x5 for beginner, only takes 5 exercises, 3 days a week but consists of compound movements using barbell:

  • barbell squat
  • barbell overhead press
  • barbell flat bench press
  • barbell squat
  • Barbell row


I can only squat using Dumbbell (hanging dumbbell squat) and I can't do overhead press because my left shoulder can't rotate normally and i can't lie flat on a bench. If any of you can share your routine so I can try and share it with my PT, it would be wonderful.

again.. cst025 (Chris), thank you!!! you've been a blessing.