Training Through Injury- -8/18
Hey {{contact.first_name}}!
FIT LV back with another #feelgoodfriday. Today I want to to revisit a topic we discussed on the last LIVE FIT LV Q&A I hosted in our Facebook group:
How to train when you’re injured or recovering from surgery?
Do you rest?
Do you modify?
Do you change your nutrition?
I've been there.
In 2016, I broke my 5th metacarpal in my right hand (dominant hand), which landed me in a sweet cast for 6-8 weeks. I was in the middle of training seriously for the Crossfit Open and working with a coach 1:1 on my gymnastics skills. As you are aware, you need your hand- a lot in both gymnastics and in Crossfit, I was devastated. I of course am thankful for that injury now, as it provides me with a personal experience to speak from. I am also thankful for my mindset back then. It was never "if I were going to continue training" it was "what am I going to scale to."
The mindset of CAN over CAN'T
I know how easy it can be to fall into a world of can't. "I can't do this now", "I can't do that", "Poor me, what's the point." And before you know it you've spiraled and self sabotaged your way to the couch with a pint of Ben and Jerrys.
CUT IT OUT!
"Turn can'ts into cans and dreams into plans." I love that simple quote. Now let's apply it. So you broke your hand and you can't do a few movements, what CAN you do? Just to give you some insight on how I modified through my broken hand:
🚫Wall Balls- ✅Single arm dumbbell thrusters
🚫Push ups-✅Single arm floor press
🚫Burpees-✅Single arm burpees
🚫Jump rope or rowing-✅Running or assault bike
🚫Barbell movements-✅Single arm dumbbell
(In the photo below, we were front squatting, I obviously couldn't hold a traditional front rack position, so I opted for a crossover grip. I also experimented with the safety squat bar that day.)
Protect your routine!
The common advice you're going to hear from the majority of people, is "Rest!!" "Take it easy!" "It's only temporary!!" What those people don't understand is, resting, missing your routine, and taking it easy, is likely to do more harm than good.
I like to ask these questions:
- Why did you begin this training routine in the first place?
- How do you feel when you wrap it up and leave the gym or fitness class?
- Is your mindset better or worse off after adhering to your routine?
I already know the answer to them, which is why I will say it again.
PROTECT YOUR ROUTINE. Make the HABITS STICK.
✅Go to the gym at the same time, you already had it worked into your schedule. Don’t change a thing. You've already gotten in the habit of going to the gym at X time. Now is not the time to stop!
✅Once you’re there, what CAN you do? I don’t care what you can’t do, I only want you to focus on the CANS. Make a list of CAN DO exercises and decide what swaps you're going to make. I have one client that cannot do lunges. She knows anytime she sees lunges in her programming, she is to scale them to glute bridges. Do the same thing for your exercise programming.
Can you walk?
Can you bike?
Can you do lower body?
Maybe your knee is banged up. Can you do single leg? Upper body?
How’s your core?
Breath work?
Mobility?
The point is not the exact movements- it’s the mindset. It’s the routine.
✅Find your mantra! Come up with some sort of chant you can repeat in your head when the negative, b%$@# voices comes in your head.
- Modify and move on
- Adjust and adapt
- Mind over matter
- It's only temporary
- I've overcome much greater challenges
✅Don’t try and tweak your nutrition when you’re recovering or healing. Most likely, you’re not eating for extreme performance, so there’s no need to tweak calories. You need quality nutrition to help with the healing process. Your body will use the nutrients to heal and recover so feed it quality foods and continue hitting your macro targets. If there is a necessary change, your coach will guide you.
✅Don’t take a break from your coaching/accountability buddies. If you’re working with a coach, there’s a good chance you’re going to need to lean on them more to keep your head out of the gutter. Especially with my new clients, it’s easy to spiral. I have had clients in the past that asked to pause their coaching when they are faced an injury- NO!!! You need to lean into your coach or motivational friends when you’re healing! Mindset work is key. There is always work to be done!
What about post op? I just had surgery!
We are going to treat post op with a similar strategy as far as protecting the routine. I 100% still recommend keeping your routine in place as you heal and recover. Depending on what the procedure was will depend on what your capabilities are. I do know there is always SOMETHING that can be done. Whether we revisit mobility, stretching, breathwork, meditation- the seemingly "boring" stuff.
I remember recovering post op from a breast augmentation back in 2010, my first workouts back were the seated recumbent bike and leg machines. I just needed to get back into the gym environment and settle back into my routine.
Postpartum, I got back out into the garage gym and just laid there and stretched. Visualized my postpartum recovery and training again some day.
Everyone is different and every journey is different but I do know, some of the most successful people protect their routine no matter what. Use the moments of adversity and challenge to make yourself better and your mind stronger. You will someday be through he recovery and healing and pull mental fortitude from those moments.
🔥Keep showing up.
🔥Keep surrounding yourself with motivated and uplifting people.
🔥Use it as a time to work on the boring stuff, the foundational work, the mobility.
🔥Strengthen the foundation and when you’re ready- get back to work!!!
As always, thanks for being here. Now go WIN the day. Happy Friday Team
Peace, Love, and Burpees.
-Coach K