Ok, this is a funny one so bare with me
As you all know for what is about three years now I have had a really messed up hand not able to function properly hold things or support any kind of weight due to a nasty rugby injury. I nearly lost my thumb all together and have had 11 operations in total with at least one more to have here in NZ.
Now I am better since my 11 operation though as it was intense and its goal to really aid in the pain aspect of my problems due to the nerve damage. This has helped a lot and enabled me to run without vibrations causing pain etc although I started this I released just how bad impact damage was on your body if your not done anything for a while
Now I was a semi pro rugby player doing lots of training and being very quick and also very nearly doing long jump seriously if it was not for the rugby etc, So I was training all the time doing lots of things in this regard.
I have started exercise wise and that is going well, I am mainly walking the dog every day as a light thing up and down the hills but mainly doing a lot of swimming since I am 5 minutes from the sea now and 30 seconds in the apartment in the first couple of months.
That is going well but I am also looking to do more muscle training as well, the problem is my hand still can not hold things so weight training is a bit out of the question still although I am working the lower half somewhat and doing my old sit up routines and some press ups in knuckle form avoiding using my thumb although this hurts and I can not do it properly.
SO I had a thought About A video I saw a while ago of a bloke in his carport and he hand straps hanging from the beams he had on his forearms and using them for pull ups and leg ups etc and I thought that is cool. Not been able to find them because I do not know actually what they are called so any help on that front will be great
Other main issue I have is doing to much to soon, I need to avoid hurting and causing problems to my hand and I also need to not over do things starting off from scratch again just about and I am not actually used to it and No idea what in terms of pull ups, sit ups etc I should do a day because since I was what 14 when I started playing for a club I have been doing stuff in terms of sport for ages and I can not for the life of me remember how to start off.
I have looked at many sites all saying slightly different things and goals and, well lots o writing lots of different routines not really suiting my unique problems and goals so I was wondering for advice and help.
In moderation in regard to my hand I want to be quite serious in building myself up to a point I can then be happy with, have the final operation to my hand and recover from this and physio and then be ready and confident to hit and sign up to a gym (next year)
I sleep better and feel like wanting to do more all the time so not doing something in terms of execise and building myself up is not something I want to do any more and would like to get those pull up straps if I can find ones that strap your arms not your hands and then know what I should do in a day and what types
So any help would be cool, thanks for reading
Lifting hooks / straps?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/_W0QQitemZ200190691181
(http://i17.ebayimg.com/08/i/000/d1/24/9bb6_1.JPG)
You said you were lucky not to lose your thumb. So dont push yourself and just be happy you have 10 digits
Quote from: SamYou said you were lucky not to lose your thumb. So dont push yourself and just be happy you have 10 digits
But I am not :)
I do not know if you still run sam but if you broke you leg badly at some point you still would not just like to walk but run again would you not if you enjoyed it?
Try a powerball too, if you havent already, it should improve your grip and can be used for rehabilitation.
I think pullups and chin ups are probably the best upper body exercises tbh. A chin up bar has to be the first thing on any home gym imo.
I use this one (its design is raised so you dont touch the floor and its rock solid unlike the straight bars)
http://www.boysstuff.co.uk/product.asp?id=12945
Youre nailed without grip in your hands but using a hook with a good pull up bar would be an awesome upper body exercise.
How likely is the powerbar to damage your door? I know the overview says it wont but Im guessing from the pics a little bit hooks round onto the other side to give it a bit of grip for when your not hanging off of it. From experience when Ive dangled from the doors in my house using the tips of my fingers, Ive heard a very small tearing sound which I figured was my weight pulling the wooden top of the doors?
It looks pretty cool and useful though, if I had money itd be tempting!
Quote from: SteveFI think pullups and chin ups are probably the best upper body exercises tbh. A chin up bar has to be the first thing on any home gym imo.
I use this one (its design is raised so you dont touch the floor and its rock solid unlike the straight bars)
http://www.boysstuff.co.uk/product.asp?id=12945
Youre nailed without grip in your hands but using a hook with a good pull up bar would be an awesome upper body exercise.
I agree, but I now have a car porch :) so Staps are what I think I will get over a bar
zpyder They are supposed to do nothing but I have seen my friends ones fall off and them land on their arse more then once :)
Quote from: zpyderHow likely is the powerbar to damage your door? I know the overview says it wont but Im guessing from the pics a little bit hooks round onto the other side to give it a bit of grip for when your not hanging off of it. From experience when Ive dangled from the doors in my house using the tips of my fingers, Ive heard a very small tearing sound which I figured was my weight pulling the wooden top of the doors?
It looks pretty cool and useful though, if I had money itd be tempting!
When you pull yourself up by your fingers youre putting all your weight on the top of the door frame = lots of weight.
Normal bars go between the door frames and have a nasty habit of coming off the door frame. the powerbar doesnt hang off the door - its a lever that basically squeezes the door frame. It doesnt really pull down at any point so wont come off and wont pull the door frame off. Its also higher up than other solutions.
The only damage it could do to the door frame is it could dent it at two points where the bottom of the lever squeezes if the wood was very soft and you were very heavy. You could of course just put something soft in between the lowest points of contact and the door frame if it was an issue (it doesnt do anything to my door frame).
Best home gym equipment I have tbh. Miles better than a normal pull up bar and only going to be beaten by a full captains chair/pullup system really which is a lot more than £20.
Yeah, looks decent :) Will keep it in mind when I have some money, it beats doing pull ups on the side of the staircase banister hehe!
Quote from: zpyderYeah, looks decent :) Will keep it in mind when I have some money, it beats doing pull ups on the side of the staircase banister hehe!
we have open stairs and I tried upside down legs on to do some sit ups - Possible - Good on your legs? NOOOOoooo lol, Hurt like hell so did 2, lol
With me I just decided one day, after watching so many films where someone is dangling off of a cliff or building and cant pull themselves up, to see if I could climb from the ground floor up the banister/ballustrade (its just beams of wood etc) and over the edge with just my arms.
Of course, Id just had lunch at the time. I managed better than I thought I would, but once I got over the top I had to lie down as I got stomach cramps heh. I guess it pays to be nearly clinically underweight hehe :D
To be honest if you can do a full pull up (palms facing away from you) from dangling down to chin above the bar youre doing very well. Chin ups (palms facing you) are easier but still more than a couple and youre doing very very well :)
I do sets of 10 and I can really feel it the next day even despite weight training. Theres something kinda cool about moving your own body weight around like that. I really want to try doing muscle ups (keeping going above a pull up to holding yourself above the bar with straight arms) but not got a high enough roof (and probably not strong enough yet).
Quote from: SteveFTo be honest if you can do a full pull up (palms facing away from you) from dangling down to chin above the bar youre doing very well. Chin ups (palms facing you) are easier but still more than a couple and youre doing very very well :)
I do sets of 10 and I can really feel it the next day even despite weight training. Theres something kinda cool about moving your own body weight around like that. I really want to try doing muscle ups (keeping going above a pull up to holding yourself above the bar with straight arms) but not got a high enough roof (and probably not strong enough yet).
The sets of 10 concept applies to a number of things like pressups, learnt this in training at Rugby, 10 does not sound a lot but if you do a variety of things and not doing full on weight training 10 each of the different things twice a day or a few times a day and like SteveF just said you do feel and notice a difference in time
10s more just because thats all I can do haha :D Maybe 15 chin ups but 10 pull ups wrecks me. Three of those bad boys and Im done for the day :)
Quote from: SteveF10s more just because thats all I can do haha :D Maybe 15 chin ups but 10 pull ups wrecks me. Three of those bad boys and Im done for the day :)
Principle still applies, like in the summer, if your building up again or like me out from injury or like when I broke my leg - 10 or 15 is not over doing it but if you do it often like your door bar, get up do 10, shower, go work come home do 10 take a shower and then again before you go bed. Each time nothing of nothing but in the morning the ache is there knowing you did it and repeat.
Ended up getting a bar the other week. Didnt realise just how different/more difficult a chin up is to a pull-up!
Started off only managing 3-4 pull-ups, now seem to be up to about 7-8. Hopefully next week will hit the 10 mark heh.
I think it might be a little easier for me considering I weigh just under 10st!
The bars pretty awesome, didnt think itd be so sturdy. Just needed to grab a towel or something to stop the blisters on my fingers!
I am officially back to 32 inch waist from 34 at xmas and needing belts for the gear I got at xmas and bought before moving to nz.
Found a place selling straps, just need to get some cash and go pick them up
Ok, doing stuff Since Xmas Fairly hard at it and now officially 2 inches off the waist from 34 inches to 32, jeans bought before xmas and shorts 1st week here not very loose and signs of tone as well so going well lower.
Upper as mentioned is a bit slower until I get some bits to support my hand and now job secure even with my money stuck in the UK I will soon have the money to get some more bits and work more on this front also.
Quite please though how things are going, my intention is to look very different, happy and well when I come back to the UK in December for a big family bash and surprise people and plan to up it all soon.
Hopefully may have someone under my arm as well (another story but also going well)
Some tough things and issues but basically so far things are looking up for me here and I am glad I moved here overall It has made me feel a lot better in myself after a shocking sh*te 3/4 years.
Ill be pleased when I get back to a 50 waste :(