10th October 23 Upper body - Broken Hand programme
This took a little bit to get into but wasn’t that bad overall.
All exercises on cables were done with a cuff on my elbow area. I went for volume as its hard to get intensity at the moment. All sets taken to technical failure.
Cable Chest press
5 sets of 10 reps
Cable high row
5 sets of 10 reps
Incline Cable press
5 sets of 10 reps
4.Cable low row
5 sets of 10 reps
Shrugs on calf raise machine
3 sets 12-20 reps
lat raises on lat machine
3 sets of 10-15 reps
I could have gone heavier on some exercises but just finding my form etc. Better than nothing though.
I think this is the key. You worked hard and enjoyed it. Major win. The trick as you well know, is doing this consistently week after week and year after year. All those enjoyable sessions add up to awesomeness.
16th October 23 Push Session - Broken Hand programme Week 3
I went for volume again, thinking i’ll do a PPL/Upper for a little bit. Just because i want to. Basing it on Reactive pump Hypertrophy but just using cable exercise etc. I’ve got another x-ray on Wednesday to see how teh hand is healing.
All cable exercises done one arm at a time with the a strap around my elbow area.
Cable Chest press
8 weight
x 8
x 8
x 8
Incline Cable Press
7 weight
4 sets of 10
Decline Cable press
7 weight
3 sets of 15 reps
Cable Fly
7 weight
3 sets of 10
OH cable press
7 weight
x 8
x 10
x 9
Lat raise machine
25kg
x 15
x 12
x 10
I worked hard in the session and wanted to take most sets to technical failure but it was so hard to gauge effort on the cable exercises. being able to repeat by rep number on each set (in my mind) meant i wasn’t working hard enough.
Had my follow up appointment at the hospital today. Turns out they missed my broken wrist last time (oh joy).
So I’ve fractured my radius bone. Feel really down to be honest. Can’t help out as home as much (which is causing friction), got loads on at work and can’t really gym properly to get a release.
Also starting to worry about what training programme to do when I’m back training properly. It’s not a fun thought, it’s like a worry that every day I’m not gaining mass I’m losing my opportunity as I age.
I know this isn’t rational thinking but I feel with all the effort on training and diet that I put in I should be bigger than I am. Just feeling shitty and moany. Sorry.
Some people have made their best-ever gains in their 40s, so don’t worry about it.
I’m just like you though, when I can’t train I overanalyse, overlearn, and overthink. I see it as a good thing overall because it keeps me up with the bug and increases my hype for going back instead of dropping off like so many others do.
For what it’s worth, I’m at the point where enjoying the gym is my number one priority. Everyone feels like they should be getting more out of their efforts a few years into their training unless they’re on PEDs. If you’re natural it’s always going to be a long and slow process, there are some awesome lessons along this path that are better than any muscle gains in my opinion though. I’m not saying progression is not still a primary thought and goal, but worrying so damn much about the process instead of just trusting it is the best thing any of us can do. No matter what programming you do, you’re gonna end up at the same place because no method is truly better than another and there’s decades of history proving this to be true. You might not be in a similar place to me, but if you are… that’s where I’m at with it.
How I feel is more important than how I look. Progress in mind and body, the aesthetics come as a lovely bonus. Making it too much of the reason you use the gym could be detrimental, and everyone who steps in the gym feels forever small anyway so how are you ever going to actually “win”?
That sucks, man. A few weeks is a drop in the bucket, though - how much mass would you realistically expect to gain in that time? So there’s really not a significant opportunity cost, especially when we consider you aren’t going to lose anything.
Now, on the flip side, think of the investment you’re making into your next training cycle. You’re going to come in fresh, healed, prepared and hungry. You’re setting yourself up now to crush a super productive period.
You’re not even having to take a step back to take two forward. You’re standing in place for a minute to take a giant leap ahead. It’s going to be great stuff!
Is there anything you can do at home that doesn’t require your body? Even just listening or giving compliments or whatever? When I first broke my back and was home and was upset I wasn’t in Afghanistan with my buddies, I sat around feeling sorry for myself and damn near ruined my young marriage. I wasn’t even supposed to be there, so it’s not like my wife was counting on my help with chores, but I was just a dark cloud of dickheadedness. I didn’t even realize it at the time (I do now), but it’s because I was so inwardly focused and disappointed and aimless. I’m not saying that’s you right now, but I would say it’s really easy to fall into. Then we tend to want to put “rational mind” on it and think it’s because we can’t do something tangible, like pick up the laundry, but really it’s the angst we’re bringing to everything we touch… that’s harder for us to think about because it’s tougher to address.
That sounds tough dude, I don’t think I could cope with breaking my back. I did crush two discs but I was younger then so still loved at home.
I have taken on board what you’ve said and will make sure I’m not a mopey mess at home. Today with one arm I made sure I did laundry, cooked dinner and hoovered downstairs. Took me an age to do all that and killed my arm but just want to make sure I’m helping.
Cable Chest press
12 weight x 8
12 weight x 8
10 weight x 12
Incline Cable Press
10 weight x 9
9 weight x 10
9 weight x 9
Cable Fly
8 weight
x 15
x 15
Lat raise machine
30kg
x 15
x 10
x 10
Really wasn’t feeling it this morning but got some work done. Really want to get back to working out normally, plus the cuff is tearing my arm up when i use it. Only 2-3 weeks more to go hopefully.
If you’re not opposed to needles, BPC-157 does wonders at healing injuries and you can likely purchase it “for research purposes”. I like Amino Asylum for these things.
It’s not steroids, it’s peptides. I believe there is a post on here with someone recovering from a full pec tear (18 months to be able to do push ups again) who was back to benching in 5 months by using BPC-157 and TRT.
I know, it’s Pharma talk, but these things are out there, for those who are inclined. I can delete this comment too, if you wish.
Mate just train one side hard, there are lots of studies that show training one side has carry over to the injured side.
Then use this 'opportunity ’ to totally smoke your legs and reep the anabolic benefits of heavy leg training 2 days a week. Oh and you also get all the doms too.
26th October 23 Broken Wrist Programme Week 4 - Upper Body Day
Cable Chest Press
8 weight
x 16
x 15
x 14
Cable lat Row
8 weight
x 16
x 15
x 14
Cable Fly
5 weight x 20
Cable High row
5 weight x 14
Lat raise machine
35kg
x 10
x 10
x 8
Really feel like i’m exhausted, just not interested in the gym and really worn out. Thinking i’m just going to take a break completely next week and let my body recover some more. Maybe i’ve pushed too much too soon after this injury.
Thank you above for all the advice and motivation and sorry i’m being such a sap about this.
6th November 23 Broken Wrist & hand programme - Week 6
So i just went this morning, no real plan but just wanted to get some good habits back. Did my left side only (in hope that the cross over effect is real).
HS Chest press
40kg x 8
40kg x 7
30kg x 12
HS Lat Row
40kg x 12
40kg x 12
40kg x 12
HS overhead Press
45kg x 8
45kg x 89
35kg x 12
Lat pull down (trying to target my upper back)
35kg x 8
28kg x 12
28kg x 10
lat raise machine (both arms)
35kg
x 12
x 10
x 8
Got one more week until they re-x-ray to see how the bones have healed and then have to see when i can actually start lifting again properly.
Also need to chose a programme and some goals, which will probably be to achieve symmetry and increase arm size, as i think that will make me happier.
So if you have any suggestions for a programme to increase arm size and achieve symmetry let me know. Or maybe i just do the new Christian T programme for size and make sure i only use unilateral exercises.
I enjoyed switching up JPs PPL into PPL+Gap and just hitting arms on the gap day; that seemed most effective to me but you’re probably ready to change up the whole routine.
Symmetry is a very elusive goal… outside of starting single sided and using the weak side first to set the reps for both left and right - i got nothing.
For symmetry, you just Gotta do the isolateral stuff. People may hate it, and it might suck to do, but you Have to do it. And stick with it so it has time to work.
My hero Matt Wenning says weak side first to set the reps, then match with strong side. Then 1 extra set for the weak side.
T Nation author Ben Bruno said strong side first to set the reps, then Rest/Pause on the weak side to match up.
So it seems like whatever you stick to consistently will work.
