Workout with a wrist cast

Orla K

So I've ended up with a cast going over my left wrist, hand and two fingers All for a broken finger. I don't want to stop going to the gym but I've no idea what to do except for leg press and attempt a modified one arm push up.

Equipment would just be whats in a standard gym, some free weights, plenty of machines(weights and cardio) nothing special really.
I don't want to do too much cardio cos my hand swells up and becomes uncomfortable.

Any advice on what to do in the workout?

Hani Kosti

Swelling means protection before further damage is done... it's perfectly natural and normal
The more blood you pump in it, the more swelling
If you can stay away from gym for a little while, do so... as the healing process will be quicker
(hurt my ankle a while ago... was a smartass and kept doing my routine, took me 6 weeks to recover)

Orla K

Hani Kosti wrote: »

Swelling means protection before further damage is done... it's perfectly natural and normal
The more blood you pump in it, the more swelling
If you can stay away from gym for a little while, do so... as the healing process will be quicker
(hurt my ankle a while ago... was a smartass and kept doing my routine, took me 6 weeks to recover)

The swelling isn't from my body trying to heal it's from a cast being around it and blood flow being restricted, which is the reason I said I don't want much cardio, I'm not asking about that anyway.

A broken finger is not a good enough reason not to go to the gym, I still have full use of the rest of my body. I'm not going to do my normal routine, that's impossible since I can't even hold a barbell in both hands.

brownej

You could try some of the machines as they probably are less reliant on having two hands available.
Upper body stuff is probably going to be limited as doing stuff 1 handed is going to give you an imbalance later on.
For leg stuff as you can't properly hold a barbell (there is a video of a "no hands" squat in the off topic thread. Not really recommended) you could try pistol squats or plyometric jump stuff like high box jumps static long jumps etc. If they're too easy put on a weighted vest.
There's lots of core stuff you can do with no hands. A good intense pilates class will give you loads of ideas.

rubadub

brownej wrote: »

Upper body stuff is probably going to be limited as doing stuff 1 handed is going to give you an imbalance later on.

I used to think this too, but also read about it being beneficial to train the working arm as it may reduce atrophy in the other. Not sure if this is true.

One quick search just found this

http://fit2tri-aus.blogspot.ie/2013/05/10-tips-to-training-with-injury.html

10 Tips to Training with an Injury

Tip 8. Work the uninjured leg - you will still get an increase in strength in the other leg and also reduce atrophy.

brownej

rubadub wrote: »

I used to think this too, but also read about it being beneficial to train the working arm as it may reduce atrophy in the other. Not sure if this is true.

One quick search just found this

http://fit2tri-aus.blogspot.ie/2013/05/10-tips-to-training-with-injury.html

Thats really good to know.
I suppose if it was your "good" side that was injured then exclusively training your weak side wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing either.....

rubadub

brownej wrote: »

Thats really good to know.

If its true!

I think the theory was that your body is still getting trained on one arm so is letting itself know the other arm is likely to be used soon, and so not let it waste away.

Here is some others.

http://www.jappl.org/content/106/3/830.short

The objective was to determine if strength training the free limb during a 3-wk period of unilateral immobilization attenuates strength loss in the immobilized limb through cross-education. Thirty right-handed participants were assigned to three groups. One group (n = 10) wore a cast and trained the free arm (Cast-Train). A second group (n = 10) wore a cast and did not train (Cast). A third group (n = 10) received no treatment (control). Casts were applied to the nondominant (left) wrist and hand by a physician. Strength training was maximal isometric ulnar deviation (right hand) 5 days/wk. Peak torque (dynamometer), electromyography (EMG), and muscle thickness (ultrasound) were assessed in both arms before and after the intervention. Cast-Train improved right arm strength [14.3 (SD 5.0) to 17.7 (SD 4.8) N·m; P < 0.05] with no significant muscle hypertrophy [3.73 (SD 0.43) to 3.84 (SD 0.52) cm; P = 0.09]. The immobilized arm of Cast-Train did not change in strength [13.9 (SD 4.3) to 14.2 (SD 4.6) N·m] or muscle thickness [3.61 (SD 0.51) to 3.57 (SD 0.43) cm]. The immobilized arm of Cast decreased in strength [12.2 (SD 3.8) to 10.4 (SD 2.5) N·m; P < 0.05] and muscle thickness [3.47 (SD 0.59) to 3.32 (SD 0.55) cm; P < 0.05]. Control showed no changes in the right arm [strength: 15.3 (SD 6.1) to 14.3 (SD 5.8) N·m; muscle thickness: 3.57 (SD 0.68) to 3.52 (SD 0.75) cm] or left arm [strength: 14.5 (SD 5.3) to 13.7 (SD 6.1) N·m; muscle thickness: 3.55 (SD 0.77) to 3.51 (SD 0.70) cm]. Agonist muscle activation remained unchanged after the intervention for both arms [right: 302 (SD 188) to 314 (SD 176) μV; left: 261 (SD 139) to 288 (SD 151) μV] with no group differences. Strength training of the free limb attenuated strength loss in the immobilized limb during unilateral immobilization. Strength training may have prevented muscle atrophy in the immobilized limb.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/sms.12037/abstract;jsessionid=10B5A93C4FF12862C2F13F03A984586B.d02t02?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false

The purpose was to determine if an at-home resistance tubing strength training program on one shoulder (that is commonly used in rehabilitation settings) would produce increases in strength in the trained and untrained shoulders via cross-education. Twenty-three participants were randomized to TRAIN (strength-trained one shoulder; n = 13) or CONTROL (no intervention; n = 10). Strength training was completed at home using resistance tubing and consisted of maximal shoulder external rotation, internal rotation, scaption, retraction, and flexion 3 days/week for 4 weeks. Strength was measured via handheld dynamometry and muscle size measured via ultrasound. For external rotation strength, the trained (10.9 ± 10.9%) and untrained (12.7 ± 9.6%) arm of TRAIN was significantly different than CONTROL (1.6 ± 13.2%; −2.7 ± 12.3%; pooled across arm; P < 0.05). For internal rotation strength, the trained (14.8 ± 11.3%) and untrained (14.6 ± 10.1%) arm of TRAIN was significantly different than CONTROL (6.4 ± 11.2%; 5.1 ± 8.8%; pooled across arm; P < 0.05). There were no significant differences for scaption strength (P = 0.056). TRAIN significantly increased muscle size in the training arm of the supraspinatus (1.90 ± 0.32 to 1.99 ± 0.31 cm), and the anterior deltoid (1.08 ± 0.37 to 1.21 ± 0.39 cm; P < 0.05). This study suggests that an at-home resistance tubing training program on one limb can produce increases in strength in both limbs, and has implications for rehabilitation after unilateral shoulder injuries.

amazingemmet

Came here to say the same