I need a good upper body program that I can do with a broken left leg.
I am a powerlifter and have been training Westside for about 7 months. I broke my left leg Thursday, 10 days out from the Ironhouse Classic.
I would appreciate any tips on an upper body program as well as anything to help keep me sane. It will be at least 4 months before I can squat again.
Atreides:
Sorry to hear about your misfortune.
There have been some studies that urge someone with a broken arm to train the good arm as there are neurological carry over to the injured limb. Interesting huh? When you get the cast off your injured arm will supposedly respond faster than if you had not been training the good arm.
Have you looked into any of the old work from Charles Atlas? He used a technique call “Dynamic Tension.” Granted it’s not like hoisting a heavy barbell, but it might be something that you can actually do in your current state which would forestall muscle loss. I think it has to do with flexing and relaxing.
As far as your emotional state, when negative things happen to me (as they do all of us) for no apparent reason, I always get a bit philosophical about it. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason. You may not know that reason right now (or ever) but it happened for a reason!
Who knows, maybe by displaying an attitude of a champion right now you will be an inspiration to someone who really needs it. It’s not always about “us,” we are sometimes meant to help another.
Just a little food for thought.
Good Luck, hope you heal up fast and are back at it!
Zeb
Also, I would be doing some body weight only movements. Things like Pull-ups, Push-ups (might be tricky with the leg, but I bet it can be done).
I,m sure you could also do some dumbbell work from a seated position.
Just some thoughts.
Atreides
There was an article in one of the most recent Powerlifting USA’s about a lifter who has a much worse injury than a broken leg and he actually did lower body work with his cast on. Give that article a read.
I wish I had something to contribute. It sucks that you were so close to that meet. How did you break it?
i recently had to take several weeks off from low-body training because my appendix had to be removed. i decided to try a three day per week bench program by Boris Sheiko. i replaced the squats and deadlifts with various rows and pulls. at first i thought the volume would be too much, but after the first two weeks the soreness disappeared and my bench has been going up so fast that i have decided to stay with the program. if you decide to give this program a try, make sure that you add in a little bit of work for your rotator cuffs, and i would suggest using a loose single-ply poly suit for your top lifts , just to reduce wear and tear on yor joints.
Atriedes, are you still going to bench at the Iron House classic?
[quote]Joebob wrote:
I wish I had something to contribute. It sucks that you were so close to that meet. How did you break it?[/quote]
I was carrying a heavy box of books down to my basement and lost my footing.
Literally, I feel down the stairs.
[quote]TTewell342 wrote:
Atriedes, are you still going to bench at the Iron House classic? [/quote]
I’m in a cast, and have surgery scheduled. Thus, no leg drive.
I’ll go get some pics and cheer on my friends.
[quote]nhiron wrote:
Atreides
There was an article in one of the most recent Powerlifting USA’s about a lifter who has a much worse injury than a broken leg and he actually did lower body work with his cast on. Give that article a read.[/quote]
Which issue? I don’t have them all. For some reason I haven’t mailed in my subscription yet.
bad luck bud.
i guess the answer would be …anything.
whatever you will do will aid your recovery. as you were in condition beforehand, your rcovery will be swift. sorry to hear that you need surgery though. i thought they would have twisted it into position (under, of course) and the set, or are there complications.
do a push pull routine 4 days a week, moderate volume mod weight due to the frequency, maybe a 5x5, with shortish rests. it may guve you an oppotunity to work on some weaker points/accessory mvts.
eat and rest well, and get better. injury sucks the big one, but then there is recovery and new lessons to be learnt.