As this is a progress thread, I think now is a good time to post my spreadsheet, and summarize where I’m at. I’ve gone 18 days straight (no breaks), two hanging sessions per day of 1.5 - 2 hours each, with 3-4kg. I use 15 minutes of ultrasound during each session, apart from 3 instances where I didn’t use the US for the 2nd session. Here’s my stats:
Morning BPEL: From 16.5cm to 17.2cm == +7mm
Morning BPFSL: From 18.0cm to 18.9cm == +9mm
Post Session BPFSL: From 18.2cm to 19.2cm == +10mm
I must say that I am *really* stoked for this progress! Given that I’ve never put on any length before.
At the same time, I experienced a signal that I need at least a short break. I began this routine knowing that I was really going for quick gains, with some potential risks of doing 2x ultrasound per day, and that I would be careful and listen to my body. About a week in, I began to occasionally experience a light burning sensation, which I thought was skin level. Later I determined that it was in the tunica / septum tissues instead. When the frequency and intensity increased, it was clear that the rapid expansion of those tissues, probably needs a break for recovery and proliferation.
So I took yesterday and today completely off from any PE, and I’m going to try again tomorrow. If I feel no burning sensation, then I’ll continue with my routine as before. If I do feel any burning, I will terminate the session, and wait another 2 days.
NOTES ABOUT THE SPREADSHEET
** Be sure to click on the comments of the very top row, as it explains in detail what each column represents**
Recording high quality data is easier when you have convenient tools, and you categorize things in a detailed way. This also makes manipulation of the data for analysis much easier. I have some if/then equations so that cells without data appear blank instead of looking wonky (like #NAN errors and such), so be careful about blank cells. It might actually contain an equation that’s just returning blank due to missing data.
SUMMARY TAB: You’ll notice the morning BPEL and BPFSL, as well as post-session max BPFSL for the day (usually occurs after 2nd session). I noticed that any one of these 3 measurements might temporarily stall, producing a bit of a jagged chart. So I also included a column for summing all three, and you can see that the progress line is much smoother. This is nice, because you can easily visually verify that you’re making some kind of progress on most days.
DETAILED TAB: Basic stuff like date, which session, what kind of heat application, weight.
- Columns E through H represent timing of each “set”. Column G is the HOURS:MINUTES of the start/stop (the set); and Column H is the running total for each session.
- Columns I through M represent me figuring out how to *accurately* record strain during each set, and total session .. “strain.” (it’s not synonymous with your actual pre/post session strain). This deserves its own separate post. But essentially I’m recording from the pubic bone to the hanger at start/stop; being careful to not change my seated position, or distance from the desk (or record if I do).
- Column L is particularly tricky. There is a formula there *BUT YOU CAN’t ONLY RELY ON IT*. Sometimes you need to hand-jam values if you do something wonky (more to come later in a separate post).
- The other columns are measurement stuff and notes. Observe that the FSL and BPEL could each be morning, or post-session. That is determined (obviously) by the date/time.
- I like to visually separate stuff by colors and lines. Deep yellow with a line is a new day. Pale yellow is intra-day, but new sessions. Green is total session time under tension. Red highlights are cautionary.
Feel free to use this for your own tracking purposes. It’s a bit raw and not super polished, but it’s also solid for its usecase. I saved it in the LibreOffice format (.ods), and also a copy in .xlsx in case those of you using spyware proprietary operating systems and software can’t open the open-source format.