Hail to the Dinosaurs!
For some reason, I’ve received several emails this week from readers who have gotten banged up (in non-lifting accidents) and are now limited in the exercises they can do. And I’m getting the same sort of question from older lifters who have not suffered an actual injury but are just banged up with the dings and dents we accumulate as we grow older.
For example, one reader has had two knee (meniscus) tears, and now he can’t squat below parallel. We covered that one the other day.
Several other guys have sore knees and have to limit their squatting or be careful not to over do it.
And some guys have back issues that make deadlifting a challenge.
Another reader has hurt his shoulder. He writes:
“I know that you are very busy, so I will be brief. The ball/socket and rotator cuff in my left shoulder are dislocated and torn. Dr. James Andrews and Dr. Lawrence Lemak, in Birmingham, AL have concluded that they cannot repair me so that I can resume weightlifting exercises (all of the overhead lifts). I have changed to Hi-Pulls, and hopefully, the push press and inc/dec presses. Does this sound like a sound solution? Thank you.
Ben”
Hi Ben – I’m sorry to hear about your shoulder. That doesn’t sound like much fun.
But your approach to the problem is exactly right.
If you get hurt and your training options are limited, the most important thing to do is to keep on training. You may not be able to do all of the things you did before, but the important thing is to do something!
If you cannot do full squats, do partial squats.
If you cannot reach back and hold the bar for back squats, try front squats. Or try the safety Squat Bar – or Dave Draper’s Top Squat device.
Or do dumbbell squats – or kettlebell squats – or sandbag squats.
If you cannot do squats at all, do deadlifts or Trap Bar deadlifts – or leg presses, if you have access to a decent leg press machine.
Or try pushing a car or truck to work your legs.
If you cannot do overhead presses, do incline and/or decline presses.
If barbell presses or barbell bench presses hurt, try dumbbell variations. Dumbbells are much more forgiving on sore, stiff, aching or injured joints.
Trap Bar deadlifts and partial Trap Bar deadlifts may be just the thing for an older lifter’s aching back.
A Log Bar with parallel handles may allow you to press or bench press without pain.
Barbell curls with a straight bar may be murder on your inner elbows or wrists – but dumbbell curls or hammer curls (or Log Bar hammer curls) may work fine)
Powerlifting may tear you up – but Olympic lifting might work great – or vice versa.
At some point, heavy training may no longer be a good idea – but bodyweight exercises might be perfect.
Or – for some of you – heavy partials might be the way to go. It varies from person to person – and for many of us, it changes over time. The things we should be doing NOW may very well be different than the things we were doing 10, 20 or 30 years ago. In fact, that’s probably the case for all of us – although we don’t like to admit it.
Anyhow, I think you get the point of today’s message.
Remember, there’s always a way to keep on training – and that’s always the most important thing to do!
As always, thanks for reading – and if you train today, make it a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. These two are neck and neck for the Dinosaur Training Best Seller of the Week – and they give you lots of ideas about working around injuries and dings and dents – and about how to keep on training when it’s a challenge:
1. Strength, Muscle and Power
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
2. Gray Hair and Black Iron
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
