This post is going up before I'm cleared to even touch weights of any kind but I figured I would get a plan laid out so you folks can see my metamorphosis as it happens.
Goals: Regain wrist mobility to 90% or better, learn to use my shoulder as if it didn't lose 3 ligaments, lose 35lbs of fat and muscle I never really needed all in 6 months time.
For those who don't know, I was in a Car vs Bicycle fight almost 3 months ago.... the losing side "Team Bicycle". This accident resulted in me having a compound fracture in my left arm at the wrist area, a grade 3 ac joint separation in my right shoulder and some pretty nasty road rash, cuts, bruises and what have you. My left radius head (the bone on the thumb side of the arm) was put back together with a plate and some screws. My shoulder is a much harder to fix injury so my surgeon advised me to do physical therapy and wait and see if surgery is a must. I was told I could do nothing, not even P.T for 2 months. I'm not going to act like I didn't fall into deep depression on some days and eat my way out. This coupled with the inability to do any exercise put a few pounds on me while I was also losing quite a bit of muscle mass.
Now that I'm doing P.T I'm feeling a lot better and am learning what my body is and is not ready to do. I test myself weekly doing not so dangerous body weight exercises that would have been ridiculously easy before the accident but now might as well be a 500lb squat. I have given myself a timeline of 6 months to get back whatever I've been told I could in a year....without hurting myself in the process of course. The plan is not to work my injuries to some new found strength level but more redefining what can be done with these new problems while figuring out just how far I can safely push myself. I may have to quit the sports I love temporarily and find new sports along the way but I'm never quiting all together.
The plan at this point and beyond-
Now- 4-19-13 to 6-15-13: (Running and PT)
I had a mud run scheduled for June 15th and thought for sure I would need to drop out. To my surprise the Doc said nothing of the sort and I am cleared to run in small doses for now. For me 3 miles of trail is exhausting and the race is 6 and some change miles (10k). I have a total of 7 weeks to train and have already done 3 of them. 1 mile still gets my wind gone and 2-3 miles kills the legs. I do PT 2 times a week and run 3 times a week. This week I'm adding a day of running and more hill sprints in the 3 mile runs. I use the tabata protocol for the most part as I've seen my best gains doing sprints followed by slow jogs in a 4:1 ratio. Though one of my favorite and long time runner clients catches shit from me for her 10 minute mile pace on trail, I must admit I'm doing no better. 3 miles is killing me and my shoulder aches for days for my efforts.
After the race I will ask my PT and Doc if I can start volumetric training mixed with slow light weight lifting to add some muscle back to my frame. In theory I should be rather light by mid July (215lbs) and will want to add a solid 5 to 10 lbs of muscle over 3 months.
The Plan: July through Oct-
Day1- Volumetric lifts- reps of 100 light weight- rows of any type, chest press of any type, squat or heavy leg movement of any type.-reps of 8 to 10 med/heavy weight- Row, press, squat- 3 minutes of planks.
Day 2- Hike, walk, light jog or rest.
Day 3- Slow rep 6-8, 5 sets of each- Star squat and press, full shoulder complex (internal,external rotation, lat raise and lower, rev fly), RDLs, jack knives, supermans. 7 secs up and down for all.
Day 4- Rest or hike, walk, swim if cleared.
Day 5- Volumetric- 100 reps- side slide lunge, lat pull, inverted push ups+push up plus- 6-8 reps, 3 sets- push ups, sumo squats, hanging rows- 100 bicycles+ 30 scorpions.
Day 6- Rest, hike, jog.
Day 7- swim if cleared.
This plan works only if I can get my shoulder to track properly by July and my wrist is working way better than it is now (85% or better). Pending clearance from my PT and Doc, swimming will be the best way to gain shoulder mobility without to much impact. I did not list it but I will continue to do 2-3 days a week of PT( Wrist mobility and strengthening, shoulder stability and strengthening). I'll update every month starting 6-1-13 below this paragraph.
