Losing fat/weight with a sprained ankle?

[Phenomenon101]

I'm having a real big problem. I suffered a 3rd degree sprain about 5 days ago. Before that I was doing this "Insanity" workout with diet and it WAS working. I had lost about 6 lbs in about 2 weeks. The sprain happened while I was running though and some loose gravel made me slip. Now, here's the problem. I'm suppose to leave for the Marine Corps on February 30th. Supposedly my ankle should be fine by then, but I NEED to lose more weight before I leave (about 10 lbs). I can't do any workouts that involve my legs though (which sucks because obviously that's what the Insanity workout uses). So, what can I do? When I was losing weight I was eating about 1500-1600 calories a day and working out about 6 days a weeks 30 minutes a day. I can't do anything demanding right now like jogging. I can't do cycling yet because the pedaling motion is too much of a stretch for my ankle at the moment. What I am doing is push ups and anything abdominal. I do as much as I can to get my heart rate up, but I can't get it as high as I want so what are some exercises I could be doing to help me in this? Please anybody give me some advice on what to do. I've told my recruiter, but I want to find a solution that wont get me pushed back or discharged. So anyone please give me some advice on what to do. Thank You.

[mbieker1]

Learn to work a speedbag; go nuts on a heavy-bag.

[Phenomenon101]

Learn to work a speedbag; go nuts on a heavy-bag.

Heavybags do require leg work. If anything they emphasize twisting your ankles, legs, for good strong punches. I can't put that type of stress on my legs.

[sofine]

I'm having a real big problem. I suffered a 3rd degree sprain about 5 days ago. Before that I was doing this "Insanity" workout with diet and it WAS working. I had lost about 6 lbs in about 2 weeks. The sprain happened while I was running though and some loose gravel made me slip. Now, here's the problem. I'm suppose to leave for the Marine Corps on February 30th. Supposedly my ankle should be fine by then, but I NEED to lose more weight before I leave (about 10 lbs). I can't do any workouts that involve my legs though (which sucks because obviously that's what the Insanity workout uses). So, what can I do? When I was losing weight I was eating about 1500-1600 calories a day and working out about 6 days a weeks 30 minutes a day. I can't do anything demanding right now like jogging. I can't do cycling yet because the pedaling motion is too much of a stretch for my ankle at the moment. What I am doing is push ups and anything abdominal. I do as much as I can to get my heart rate up, but I can't get it as high as I want so what are some exercises I could be doing to help me in this? Please anybody give me some advice on what to do. I've told my recruiter, but I want to find a solution that wont get me pushed back or discharged. So anyone please give me some advice on what to do. Thank You.

do you have rowing machines? you can do them with 1 leg for balance, lower the setting and go 100% arms.

my local ymca has some handicapped machines where you just use your arms, and they are wheelchair accessible but also have a removable bench. never used them before myself but its worth a shot if you have a ymca nearby?

heavy bench press / other chest workouts can raise your HR for a period of time.

[mbieker1]

Heavybags do require leg work. If anything they emphasize twisting your ankles, legs, for good strong punches. I can't put that type of stress on my legs.

Then work a speed bag if you don't feel you can put much into the heavy bag.

[switch270]

You can easily lose 10 lbs in 2 months without even working out, just creating a deficit. You need to lose 1.25 lbs a week to be on target.

1.25 lbs x 3500 cals/lb fat = 4375. 4375 / 7 = 625.

So there you go, create a caloric deficit of 625 cals a day and you should have it.

As far as working out goes, you obviously can't have a balanced routine, because you can't really do legs. However, you said you're 2 months away from the marines. I can't think of anything smarter to do to make your future life easier than to work pushups and pullups. Follow pavel's pullup program and you'll be way ahead of the game for the marine PFT - http://www.kbnj.com/FighterPullupByPavel.htm

Pushups aren't on the test afaik, but I'm sure you'll be doing a lot of them, so work those too (just balance on one foot, shouldn't be that bad).

Good luck.

[Phenomenon101]

You can easily lose 10 lbs in 2 months without even working out, just creating a deficit. You need to lose 1.25 lbs a week to be on target.

1.25 lbs x 3500 cals/lb fat = 4375. 4375 / 7 = 625.

So there you go, create a caloric deficit of 625 cals a day and you should have it.

As far as working out goes, you obviously can't have a balanced routine, because you can't really do legs. However, you said you're 2 months away from the marines. I can't think of anything smarter to do to make your future life easier than to work pushups and pullups. Follow pavel's pullup program and you'll be way ahead of the game for the marine PFT

Pushups aren't on the test afaik, but I'm sure you'll be doing a lot of them, so work those too (just balance on one foot, shouldn't be that bad).

Good luck.

That pull up workout looks interesting. Just wondering, but it doesn't say how long to rest in between each set. Do you know?

[switch270]

I'm pretty sure consensus is "enough so that you can get through it and get the reps". I'd avoid like 5 minute rests between though.

[Phenomenon101]

I'm pretty sure consensus is "enough so that you can get through it and get the reps". I'd avoid like 5 minute rests between though.

Would there be a too short amount of time to avoid tho?

[switch270]

Sort of - you really want to get the reps, so rest enough. The concept underlying pavel's method/"greasing the groove" is that you want reps - you want to teach your body to do pullups. It's NOT about causing excessive hypertrophy and building your muscles back up. You're training recruitment, and going to failure just causes neurological burn out. So, give yourself adequate time so you're likely to get the reps, don't wait so long that your muscles lose all their pump, and you'll be good.

[Phenomenon101]

Sort of - you really want to get the reps, so rest enough. The concept underlying pavel's method/"greasing the groove" is that you want reps - you want to teach your body to do pullups. It's NOT about causing excessive hypertrophy and building your muscles back up. You're training recruitment, and going to failure just causes neurological burn out. So, give yourself adequate time so you're likely to get the reps, don't wait so long that your muscles lose all their pump, and you'll be good.

But this is something that goes along with another workout though right? I can max out at 13 pull ups so Im pretty sure I can do the first 10 days without a problem. Id be done with this in like 4 minutes.

[switch270]

Did you read it? You adjust it for whatever your starting point is.