Broken the 5'th metatarsal in my right hand...

LegacyUser

How do i keep my body in the same good shape it is? I can only do core work and cardio basically. I can't do bicep curls, benching, lat raises or anything really with my right hand. Looks to be the case for around 6-8 weeks. This is disasterous. How do I stay in the same good shape i'm in? Will i lose muscle?

t-ha

Serves you right for punching people in the head. Palm heel dude! Palm heel!

More seriously though, it's not that big an injury, you'll be back in the gym real soon. You can also still do front squats, zercher squats, posing routines (isostatic contractions) and probably a fair bit more that I can't think of right now. Just be sure that your diet stays good, and if you're less active then account for that, that way you'll still be in pretty good nick, and muscle doesn't take too long to come back the second time around.

Have a speedy recovery...

LegacyUser

Can someone help me out with a programme? I have never done any types of squatting before or anything.

My intentions are to still go to the gym 5 days maybe 6 a week and do core work every day and some cardio.

Chucky the tree

swimming will be a good one to do.

Rogueish

It's the 5th metacarpal in your right hand. Metatarsals are in your feet.

LegacyUser

Ok thanks for the suggestions so far lads and for the correct term.

Any ideas on what excercises I can do to stay in good shape? More importantly, has anyone ever done this before and know how long it takes to heal?

poobum

cheesedude wrote:

Can someone help me out with a programme? I have never done any types of squatting before or anything.

My intentions are to still go to the gym 5 days maybe 6 a week and do core work every day and some cardio.

youve nvr done squatting? u serious?

LegacyUser

No, I'll be going down the gym this evening, i want to do some squatting. Awesome. Finally something I can do. Is the smith machine beneficial to working out the entire body?

Dragan

cheesedude wrote:

Any ideas on what excercises I can do to stay in good shape? More importantly, has anyone ever done this before and know how long it takes to heal?

I broke 3 bones in my left hand about two years ago and was gripping a dumbell three weeks later....then again.... i am an idiot.

Keep you protein good and high, your carbs lows, don't freak out on cardio just to be doing something.

LegacyUser

That is exactly what I like to hear Dragan. I was trying to work out the day after I broke it but i couldn't even curl a 10kg when I usually do 16's/18's.

I try every day to pick up weights but i just can't and i don't want to just work out my left arm.

Dragan

cheesedude wrote:

I try every day to pick up weights but i just can't and i don't want to just work out my left arm.

I would just leave it heal to be honest. I left mine 3 weeks then picked up the weights, and it hurt like a motherf*cker. I still reckon i cost myself some grip strenght overall because i just wouldn't wait.

My own fault really.

hardCopy

I had the same injury just below the knuckle this time last year. Docs put me in a cast and I insisted they remove it early so I could get a summer job, my baby finger is now slightly twisted and shorter than my left one. Gloves don't fit me properly now and stuff. I'd be more worried about losing strength in your hand than losing muscle in your arms at this stage.

You should probably just leave it strapped and rested for a couple weeks, then just practice clenching it and when you have grip strength back then hit the weights again.

Pretty conservative I know and you probably hoped I'd say get stuck in but it's just what I think, then again I did the complete opposite :P

Rogueish

Cheesedude if they are telling you that you will be in a cast for 6-8 weeks it sounds like you broke it badly enough. Usually it takes 4-6 weeks for a clean break to heal. Therefore don't try to start back gripping weights anytime soon or you could just end up putting your recovery time further back.

Your best option is to adapt your training and use resistance bands (theraband/dynabands)

For the time it takes your hand to recover fully, use resistance bands (therabands/dynabands). Instead of gripping them with your hands and causing pain to yourself and risking further injury to your hand. Tie them around your cast. This can work for bicep curls, tricep extensions, tricep pullovers, deltoid frontal raises, lateral raises, pec flys, lat pulldowns etc. basically any muscle group can be exercised with an exercise band. Talk to your gym instructor for help.

I know that there are some that dislike the use of resistance bands instead of free weights but in your case it is the safest option to allow you to maintain much of your upper body strength on a bi-lateral basis.

The bands come in different resistances denoted by the colour of the band. Black, Grey and Gold are have the greatest resistances (in that order) they can be bought in 6m lengths. PM me for supplier details.

This would be in conjunction with your core and cardio work.