​Training with an Injury and My Experience

First and foremost, open those eyes Cubs fans, congratulations on winning. Welcome to the winner's circle, we've been waiting for you.

To the topic at hand, training through my injury. Yes it happens, I got hurt, I alluded to this a few months ago in a video I posted on social media. (Posted below just in case).
 
To not get too technical, I hurt my arm (bicep) doing a deadlift. I know kind of messed up right? Who would have thought this could happen, an arm injury during a deadlift? Well I’ll tell you why, because my supinated hand on the mix-grip in the deadlift didn’t really supinate, I just compensated for it and BANG there’s my arm.
 
I felt the pop, but it wasn’t one of those things where it sounds like someone just dropped a cast iron stove onto the pavement. Don’t get me wrong I knew something was up and that was the end, but it also didn’t quite feel like my shoulder was going to fall off.
 
I calmly set down my 535-pound weight down and decided my day was done. Texted a friend to see what they might’ve thought it was, then later confirmed it with another friend, end of the day it wasn’t life threatening. Bicep tendon is a good thing for my arm to have, but it wasn’t a necessity for me to complete my mission that night of popping a knee and asking Catherine that all important question. This is the reason I will NEVER forget this injury or the day that I did it.
 
Out the window goes anything having to do with super heavy gripping and turning that hand to supinated position. I also was forced to use straps, I am not a fan personally, but unless I completely wanted my deadlift game to fall off, it was necessary. No chin-ups or pull-ups, and a lot of the overhead pressing movements were out too. Had to back off the bench weight, no easy way around that.

Still it’s something that I could train through, just had to how to go about it. Luckily my good friend Mike, who programs for me and is pretty damn smart, knew the vast majority of things to avoid. Avoiding certain things also means getting a little creative to make sure you don’t lose strength in as few places as possible.

Things that come into the program were a Safety Squat Bar and Trap Bar. Obviously these are thing I'm not necessarily foreign too, but let's just say we got know each other really well! 

My experience training through a not too significant injury was not one I hope I have to go through. Thanks to my little baby elbow my grip strength, especially on that side is WAY down, so heavy carries and grip work here I come. It does open my eyes to the fact that not every can/should do mixed grip on a deadlift. At least it was me and not a friend or a client, you know that whole guilt thing and making sure no one gets hurt on your watch.

For those that have that impression that trainers and coaches are perfect, hopefully this throws that out. We're not, we do our damnedest, but things don't play out according to plan, almost ever. We all have to learn how to cope and adjust with stuff. Usually we end up better for it because we've learned a good lesson in it. Just keep showing up and things will turn out just fine, OK?

​That's all I got for you today guys, go out there and get after it!