How to Train Around a Broken Leg

Filed under: Training

Before getting into today’s content, I wanted to let you all know that I will be speaking at the 1st Annual Cressey Performance Fall Seminar on October 28th.  To register, click HERE. My topic will be The Food Freakshow – What Will You Be Eating in the 21st Century?  It is some pretty cool stuff actually.  Click on the link to learn more.

As promised, I will give some insight into how I was able to train 4x/wk at the gym, even with my broken tibia.  The lower body days were obviously highly modified, as I was quite limited on what I was able to do, however something is certainly better than nothing, and training my healthy leg provides an ~30% carryover to my injured leg, to help prevent it’s atrophy while immobilized.

I also had to modify my upper body training quite a bit, as I was unable to do flat bench work and most rowing or chinup variations.  The bench work I was unable to do because I could drive my feet into the ground, and the rowing as I was unable to stand properly to do the rows.  The chins I was wary of due to coming down off the bar and risking hurting myself, so I deemed them not worth the risk.

Here is what my training looked like:

Day 1

• A1. DB Floor Press 3×6
• A2. Hammer Machine Lat Pulldown Neutral Grip 3×8
• B1. 1-Leg Feet Elevated Band Resisted Pushup 3×10-12
• B2. 1-Leg Inverted Rows 3×12
• C1. SLER 3×12/side
• C2. 1-Leg Plank 3x45s
• D1. Curls of Choice 2×12
• D2. Tricep Band Pressdowns 2×15-20

Day 2

• A1. Band Assisted 1-Leg Squat 3×10-15
• A2. Side Lying Extension Rotation 3×8/side
• B1. 1-Leg Foot Elevated Supine Bridge 3×12-15
• B2. Reverse Crunches 3×12
• C1. Band Pullaparts 3×12
• C2. No Money Drill 3×12

Day 3

• A1. BB Floor Press 3×5
• A2. Hammer Strength Chest Supported Row 3×8
• B1. 1-Leg Feet Elevated Band Resisted Pushup 3×10-12
• B2. Kneeling 1-Arm Pulldowns 3×12
• C1. SLER 3×12/side
• C2. Side Plank 3x45s
• D1. Curls of Choice 2×12
• D2. Tricep Band Pressdowns 2×15-20

Day 4

• A1. 1-Leg RDL 3×8-12/side (depending on if I trained at gym or home)
• A2. Piriformis Mobs 3×8/side
• B1. 1-Leg Squat to Bench 3×12-15/side
• B2. Quadruped Extension Rotation 3×8/side
• C1. Ab Wheel 3×12
• C2. Brady Band Series 3×8 each

There are many reasons why I chose to do the exercises I did – ability, time, equipment availability, whether I did the training at home or at the gym (many of the lower body sessions were done at home), etc.  Please feel free to ask any questions and I will do my best to answer them!

The point of all of this is you can almost always train around an injury, especially one to a limb, as you still have 3 other healthy limbs and a torso to train!  Don’t let bumps and bruises get in the way of your training, as there is almost always something you can do.

Injury Nutrition and Supplementation: How to Get Back in the Game Sooner

Filed under: Nutrition

As promised, here is my nutrition and supplement plan for my injury recovery.  The article itself went up on ericcressey.com  It was excellent timing as EC asked if I could write a guest post as he was going to be out of town for the week, so I threw it his way.  Check it out!

Injury Nutrition and Supplementation: How to Get Back in the Game Sooner