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.
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Posted on August 24th, 2012 by Brian St. Pierre
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