If your training around an injury, how's it going?

[IR45N]

If you're training around an injury, irritated area etc. permanent or hopefully not too long term, have you adapted? Satisfied, frustrated?

Whatever I did to the left shoulder a few weeks ago; the biggest disappointment yesterday is I can't do dips CGB for tris were fine; pushdowns not; go figure.

Seems there's enough that still can be done w/o any pain or very tolerable pain. That's a relief until this thing slowly heals. Low angle inclines tonight pre exhausted with moving the bench to the squat cage first.

Has your training around an injured problem area been going ok?

[freebirdmac]

So far so good. In February tendonitis in my shoulder blade flared up. Interfered with my workouts for two week. Then some weird pain in my glute interfered with my leg workouts for 2 weeks. The shoulder thing I think I have greatly helped by no longer doing full upper body workouts. Keeping chest day and shoulder day separate is a must for me. Legs just needed a rest then a couple of workouts at easier weights to work it out.

So now I'm feeling the knees But, we're on it. Weights really shot up lately so I'm taking more care to not lock my knees on reps and we dropped leg extensions for a bit. Seems to be working.

I'm one to pay attention and not ignore pain. I'd rather catch a problem before it gets worse.

[Shreddedgeek]

Boy this is a interesting question as I have thought the same for a long time.

I can't help but think that if I just took several weeks or months off to heal i would have gotten "healthy" much quicker, and that I could come back and make up for time lost in a short period of time since I would be "healthy".

But we know what happens when we say... "I think i should take some time off" our motivation overwhelms the first reaction of retreat and repair

Personally i have been able to "train" around my injury but it comes with great frustration as i want to be able to equally attack each bodypart in the GYM. It falls in the catagory of training smart learning to listen to the body and know the limits as to not push too far. It also leads into the fear of lifting heavy agin when you are feeling healthy. (as someone has pointed out in a thread a week or so ago)

Sorry to hear that you are dealing with a injury, If you started this thread to determine if you should take some time off, I would suggest you give yourself a break in order to determine if it is healing and that you really know what was injured so that you can assure you wont continue to damage anything. Then you can adjust your training in a way to allow yourself to heal as quickly as possible, while still satisfying the sick addiction we all seem to have to IRON.

[cgc]

My right shoulder is acting up again. I'm trying to start doing the exercises that the physical therapist had me doing before....but it's killing my shoulder press and DB single arm bench-press.

I don't have any patience.

.

[Buck Shot]

i have a bad case of siatica (spelling ?) which causes pain down my leg.
but as long as i maintain good form while squating or deadlifting, working out makes it feel better. but doing any type of "explosive" moves such as rope climbs, or squat thrust causes pain. so i have learned to deal with it.

[dbx]

If you're training around an injury, irritated area etc. permanent or hopefully not too long term, have you adapted? Satisfied, frustrated?

Whatever I did to the left shoulder a few weeks ago; the biggest disappointment yesterday is I can't do dips CGB for tris were fine; pushdowns not; go figure.

I guess rehabbing after having arthroscopic surgery on both shoulders counts as working around an injury . The exercises you listed above are all "classics" for irritating the shoulders. You may have deeper shoulder issues going on...and maybe not. CGBP was the last exercise I had to drop before surgery. In other words, it was more manageable and without pain longer than the others.

I am currently greatly restricted from doing almost any Tri exercise, and cannot use decent weight with a bar for curls, as these still bug my shoulders. I'm making great headway in BP and overhead pressing, and not far off from old numbers. But in my case, I'm just thankful to be able to lift again, so I suppose I'm much more patient than I was before I finally had to have the surgeries. I worked around the pain before, but it was always frustrating to be limited. Now, I'm limited, yet I'm optimistic and not pissed about it.

[Capt_Lou]

I have a pinched nerver in my neck that I've been working through for about 2 weeks now. It only really affects me when I do Military type presses.

I now go real light on shoulder days to just keep the muscle in some type of shape till it heals.

Knees and shoulders are another story all together.

[bodyhard]

I am counting my blessings right now as I never imagined I would be back in the gym. I am working around fractured ribs, crushed pelvis, lower spine damage and left shoulder (clavicle) damage.

Every exercise I perform, I perform extremely slow and deliberate, in other words, I focus on every body part while executing the movement. I don't jerk the weight or hoist the weight up, very slow and control

I feel cracking, stretching, tearing, pain all in one shot. But I still go trough the motion.

What I am noticing is the more I train the less pain I feel.

[Capt. America]

I always seem to be training with some sort of injury..most chronic...sure it frustrates me at times cause' I can't use as heavy weights as I like but it's one hell of alot better than not training at all!

[code4av]

I'm so far so good. I hurt my lower back in the academy PT training a week or so ago... I think it was mostly irritated by running three miles with bad shoes. I had noticed that my shoes were needing replacement but I needed really to get one or two more training sesions out of them.... just like that last run in flat light on the slopes; that is when it hurt. I got some real bad ankle and shin soreness and pain durin the first half mile of the run... compensated with the other side and a limp (frankly).. and immediantley noticed the pain in my back. Then after the PT session we did our Arrest/Control/Baton training for three and a half hours after = no bueno. Got some muscle relaxers from the DR and rested for a while. Back to running and lifting in PT last night, also ACB last night. A little sore during and now. BUT I am just a soldier... Cops don't quit.

That said my out of academy training will wait another week to be back to three times out and the three times in the academy.

[marius1]

I have Osteolysis (weightlifter's shoulder) in my right shoulder. Instead of surgery I've decided to cut out all shoulder workouts indefinitely, including any other exercises that hit my shoulders. I've re-incorporated Squats and Deadlifts, and still do lightweight narrow-grip bench presses. Nothing that will make me raise my arms above my shoulders.

I know I'm not going to gain in my upper body but I'd rather do that than doing the surgery and going through with the painful rehab process.

[Jules Verne]

What I am noticing is the more I train the less pain I feel.

That's a very good sign. It's always hard to balance recovery with making things worse and sometime not doing anything can be worse than doing somehting for recovery.

I recently had surgery, thought recovery was going really well, then BAM - recovery stopped and tendinitis/tendonosis flared up! Now I'm out completely, doing very unaggressive rehab exercises. I'm actually starting to notice muscle loss, but I'm looking at this long term. I want to get better at not getting injured over the next 5 years than I have the previous 5.

I was tempted to just stop doing anything, but my physiotherapist said that was a bad idea - I need to keep things moving and figure out how much 'aggravation' to deliver to actually help recovery, rather than hurting it.

[Arlecchino]

Damage to both knees has pretty much healed, although the right still gives me crap from time to time for what appears to be no reason. Left shoulder will always bother me, and will always be a source of frustration.

[GnomusMaximus]

I have a mild tear in my left bicep tendon at the lower attatchment. So far it has gone well, but like I said before I am into a throwing sport as opposed to BB or PL, so I can work around it. I can do anything that uses an overhand grip and keeps that arm extended (DL's, Shrugs) anything that requires flex (Cleans) is still painfull. I have really poor grip strength in that left hand right now so I have been using wrist straps alot (hence my involvement in those threads recently). Curls are RIGHT OUT. Pressing and squat related stuff depends entirely on the hand position. Bench Presses are OK but overhead presses hurt terribly in the starting (wrist bent) position. I tried doing dbell presses but couldn't clean them to get started. Back squats are OK, but Front Squats without the wrap handles are painful.

I'm a little worried about not being able to do cleans, and push presses because they are staples of my pre games workouts. I'm hoping High Pulls will be OK, and next week I'm going to try rear jerks just so I can start getting something overhead going.

I have 7 weeks until my first games. I hope to start throwing in the next few weeks as the snow melts. Other than hammers and the caber I could live without that left arm. The first games doesn't have any "extra" events like a farmers walk, stone carry or "idiot stone" throw, so it should be cool.

[Braindrop]

I have a small tear in the back of the labrum in my left shoulder. I essentially didn't lift at all for the first 8 months of 2007 hoping it would get better. Finally I went to an ortho doc, got MRIs, etc., and did 4 months of rehab (but managed to avoid surgery).

When I started back lifting, I started at about 60% of what I was doing before. Just this morning was the first time that I military pressed what I was doing pre-injury. I've also regained a lot of flexibility by doing yoga.

My rules from my PT are that I can't do pulldowns behind the head, and should avoid anything that tries to hyperextend the shoulder back. I'm still doing some of the PT stretches and exercises from rehab, just to make sure things stay all good.

[lukamar]

I've been working around my crushed right elbow for many years now. The long and the short of it is I can't lift more than 35# without my elbow distending out of the joint (it's inoperable). Before my injury I worked out 5 days heavy and 2 days aerobics. After the injury zip for a few years. Just lifting a bag of groceries was excruciating.

I have to go lighter weights and higher reps (10-12 range) for anything that involves an arm movement or I'm in agony. It makes it hard to gain strength and mass but I've finally realized it's more important to be healthy. In a way it has been eye opening and I look at my clients that have physical problems differently having been in work around mode for so long and find something that works for them. Funny thing is that some of the funny invented things work for the regulars as well.

[BLACK-ICE]

I have recently sprained my wrist, while playing soccer. I wish I had a good story to go with it, but the wrist has nothing to do with soccer. I did a bicycle kick and landed wrong. I now can not twist my wrist to make my palm face outward. (example: trying to do push ups, you hand is facing away from your body)

For the past two weeks I have been unable to do any form of workouts which include the wrist. If you guys start to think about it... the wrist is included in just about every d@mn workout I can think of. My current workout consist of mostly lower body (legs, abs, core).

The first week from the day of injury I was only able to twist my wrist to a point where your thumb is pointing at your, while your hand is in front of you. ( I hope I am explaining it correctly) Now I can almost face my palm outward, but continue to have pain.

Just when I was feeling strong, I get this. It seems that life always has its obstacles. The only chest workout I have been able to do is push-ups using knuckles. You don't need to twist your wrist in any way, so this is my workout for chest.

WISH ME LUCK!

[deags]

If you are a serious lifter at our age, you are guaranteed to have alittle something going on at all times in my opinion. All I know is I typically train more with an injury than without!

My main problem is my left shoulder for the past 4 months. Rotator cuff problem that I have had that comes back to haunt me, but I am back and actually ahead on most chest and shoulder exercises now, but there is still alot of soreness for the next day or so after training usually. I don't have much pain while training, but it does get sore.

I went and saw an ortho. and he prescribed Aleve and rotator cuff exercises, which I do pretty religiously. Although it has been a long 4 months so far, I feel I have turned the corner because if I am lifting heavier than I was pre-injury and it doesn't hurt THAT bad, then I am making progress. I see a sports chiro. once per week for stim and rotator manipulation.

Just goes with the territory.

[GnomusMaximus]

[QUOTE=BLACK-ICE;140890311]I have recently sprained my wrist, while playing soccer. I wish I had a good story to go with it, but the wrist has nothing to do with soccer. I did a bicycle kick and landed wrong.
QUOTE]

That's why you should never do overhead volleys. As a central defender I loved it when strikers would try that. They'd get hurt and I wouldn't even have to do it for them.

[FitIron]

If you are a serious lifter at our age, you are guaranteed to have alittle something going on at all times in my opinion. All I know is I typically train more with an injury than without!

My main problem is my left shoulder for the past 4 months. Rotator cuff problem that I have had that comes back to haunt me, but I am back and actually ahead on most chest and shoulder exercises now, but there is still alot of soreness for the next day or so after training usually. I don't have much pain while training, but it does get sore.

I went and saw an ortho. and he prescribed Aleve and rotator cuff exercises, which I do pretty religiously. Although it has been a long 4 months so far, I feel I have turned the corner because if I am lifting heavier than I was pre-injury and it doesn't hurt THAT bad, then I am making progress. I see a sports chiro. once per week for stim and rotator manipulation.

Just goes with the territory.

Hey deags! how are things..??

I have the exact same issue. Unlike a lot of people who will do chest, tri's and shoulders the same day, I cannot. Too much stress on my soft tissue. I will either work my shoulders with my legs or they'll have their own day.

I also make sure I am very warm before really stressing them....

Dips, for me are out of the question and I am not the type to back down from an exercise.

Like you stated. I typically train more with injury than without...

[BLACK-ICE]

That's why you should never do overhead volleys. As a central defender I loved it when strikers would try that. They'd get hurt and I wouldn't even have to do it for them.

As a striker, you have to use all your options. Sometimes the bicycle is the only option left, when you are facing a weird direction and have the ball coming toward you.

Either way, imagine trying to workout when you can turn your wrist outward.

[IR45N]

Beaten up but not beaten down seems to sum it up for many here.

Uncomfortable to reach over and touch my right shoulder but I've tried to poke the left shoulder & find the actual pain spot & nada! Again, go figure. Seems to be right on top (mostly bone) & slightly to the front. Irritated nerve I think but it isn't constant.

FitIron, I sympathize with the dips. I'm expecting them to come back though.

In iron, like everything else, it's always sumthin' but you gotta keep pumpin'.

[GnomusMaximus]

As a striker, you have to use all your options. Sometimes the bicycle is the only option left, when you are facing a weird direction and have the ball coming toward you.

Either way, imagine trying to workout when you can turn your wrist outward.

There are 10 other guys 9 of which are wearing the same color shirt as you are. I mean I never had a problem with it, just that at 5'6" I could never figure out why guys I was marking just didn't try to head the damn thing to somebody, lord knows I wasn't going to get it. Meanwhile the ball winds up going into the fifthteenth row of seats and I'd be looking at the ref going "I swear I didn't touch him this time." (Can you tell I miss talking football?) See the problem is that strikers got all the hot chicks, while we just got bad reputations and yellow cards.

Hope your wrist gets better.

[Cgb6810]

Getting older sucks!

A little cheating and loose form never bothered me when I was younger. But now I have to stay strict, warm up thoroughly and stay away from a few movements I used to have no problem with.

Shoulder tendonitis has been bothering me for a couple of years. I can no longer do flat BB bench, but DB's are no problem. I try dips and CGBP from time to time but it just reactivates the problem. If I tweak my shoulder, it takes several months for the pain to go away. Recently I thought I would mix it up on chest day and skipped the incline hammer strength for smith machine BB inclines. It didnt feel to bad, but the next day I couldnt lift my arm from the shoulder pain. Got to stay away from BB presses. It's been 3 weeks since then and Ive recovered about 60%.

I just took a 14 day break to go on a vacation. I usually lift on vacation and havent taken more then a few days off in 3 years. The break would be good for my joints I thought. Im back lifting this week with three workouts in so far. I feel horrible! I ache all over! I didnt think I would have so much trouble coming back. My strength feels good but the days after Im feeling real bad. Im sure in a week or so I will be used to it again. I usually dont get so sore.

Even though I cant do all the same exercises I once did, Ive found new ones to take thier place. Im still growing.

[BLACK-ICE]

There are 10 other guys 9 of which are wearing the same color shirt as you are. I mean I never had a problem with it, just that at 5'6" I could never figure out why guys I was marking just didn't try to head the damn thing to somebody, lord knows I wasn't going to get it. Meanwhile the ball winds up going into the fifthteenth row of seats and I'd be looking at the ref going "I swear I didn't touch him this time." (Can you tell I miss talking football?) See the problem is that strikers got all the hot chicks, while we just got bad reputations and yellow cards.

Hope your wrist gets better.

Scoring with a header IMO is tougher than a bicycle kick. A header can not have as much power/speed as a bicycle kick. With this stated, the goalie is more likely to stop it. Although a bicycle kick is tougher, I find it to be more affective. If you suck at doing bicycle kicks, then that might be a problem as well.

Strikers getting all the hot chicks :

Well this goes along the lines to every other sport...the people who score the goals (touchdowns, home runs..etc) or "play makers" are the ones who get the attention. In reality its the team as a whole who wins. I am aware that I may be getting attention, but I never take full credit. This is a pet peeve of mine to see other players do this. In addition to always getting the chicks, it doesnt mean you always get the RIGHT ONES!!!

[BergMuscle]

Tricep/lat tear seems to be healing up nicely, although I am still avoiding pullups.

[chodan9]

I am counting my blessings right now as I never imagined I would be back in the gym. I am working around fractured ribs, crushed pelvis, lower spine damage and left shoulder (clavicle) damage.

Well I was going to mention training around my sprained wrist but ummmm.....
nevermind

[jspirate]

Wow, what a great thread. It think it is good for all of us to hear the minor and major dings we are dealing with.

I have two issues, but one is all but a memory.

The first was a torn labrum. I had surgery to get it repaired and I had a slower than average recovery, but now I am at greater than 100% on that shoulder. It took a full year to recover with no lifting at all for about 7 months.

The second is either an inflamed or slightly torn bicep tendon (at the top) on the opposite side of my labrum repair . I took a month off of upper body workouts and got a cortisone shot at about the 3 week mark. So far (2 days ago) I have cautiously done chest and triceps to see how it feels. I have some tenderness, but I am not sure if its just some doms. I have a similar tenderness on the other side.

[tabdus]

i crushed my right finger while doing db flat presses. my w/o buddy left his dumbbell under my work area. when i dropped my fifty, finger got caught and the bone ripped through the finger. after the surgery i took off a week and then slowly i was back at it. i just dont have my grip the way i used to on deadlifts or pullups.