I used to play football, and I’ve got my left-over dings and dents. I had complete shoulder reconstruction on my right shoulder in college following a football injury. That shoulder is actually my “good” shoulder now. The left one — which also got injured but I never had surgery on it — is a chronic source of irritation. It doesn’t stop me from working out, but it’s always a little “off”. And as a result of compensating for my bum left shoulder, I tend to get some tendonitis in my left elbow as well. I notice it on some of the exercises more than others, but I don’t let it stop me.
Then there’s the right knee, which I had surgery on 5 years ago, and just had surgery on again it a couple years ago, to repair a torn ACL, medial, and lateral ligament injury I got playing basketball. That knee still swells a lot and gets sore when I do a lot of Insanity or Asylum workouts. I basically have zero cartilage in that knee. So it has changed what I can do, but it hasn’t stopped me!
I know y’all are probably all surprised since you figured Coach Wayne’s body must run like a well-tuned Formula 1 racecar! LOL! Nope! I’m sporting the same assortment of snap/crackle/pops as many of you! LOL!
And what have I learned about making P90X / Hammer & Chisel / Body Beast a way of life while dealing with injuries? It’s simple — do our best and forget the rest! There are some exercises I simply don’t do when the shoulder and elbow are acting up. I substitute exercises that don’t bother them as much. It bugs my elbow to do the overhead tricep extensions, so I do bent over tricep extensions instead. It bugs my shoulder to do pour flys, so I just do hold flys. I’m doing this for life, and there is no sense in doing something I know will exacerbate my chronic areas. I would encourage you to do the same. If a particular exercise is causing you a chronic problem, find a way to substitute something else in its place.
And if you have an acute injury (sprained ankle, injured wrist, etc.) you may have to totally lay off that area for a bit until it heals. That doesn’t mean you have to put the DVD’s on the shelf and go to the Golden Corral though! You can still do lots of exercises, and you can darn sure still keep eating right in the meantime!!! Just look at Tony! He couldn’t do some of the arm lifting exercises and pull-ups, but he could do plyo, cardio, core, and pushups. And he did exactly that!
You may need to lay off plyo for a while if you have an injured knee. You may have to lay off some of the core work if you get a back injury. But you can find other things to do to keep working on a lifestyle of health and fitness.
Knowing the difference between an injury and soreness is important too.
This is a BIG point to hit on with a lot of new people starting programs with the new year. YOU WIL BE SORE! Soreness will often work itself out as you warm up and get moving. You may feel tight but as you warm up and stretch, that tightness will leave. It is normally not a sharp, acute pain either. Just an overall dull and possibly aching/tender pain. Injuries don’t get better with a warm up and some real discomfort and pain will come with trying to push through. It’s a balance though. Don’t let your mind tell you everything is an injury when you are just sore. At the same time, don’t be too hard on yourself and try to push through an injury. Play it safe and try to use your warm up to know how you are truly feeling.
We all have injuries — some acute, some chronic. That’s the nature of having these frail human bodies we have. I can’t wait for the day when we get to trade in these clunkers for bodies that will never wear out! But in the meantime, we exercise and take care of them to make them hold up as best we can. Just know that it’s totally normal — and expected –to get dents, scratches, and some rust along the way. That’s part of living!
Will we let it be an excuse to park in the garage and put the car cover on, or will we get out there and do the best we can with what we’ve got? Tony showed us that is what winners do! And that’s what I hope we all do too!
Need a coach?
My email: coachwayne@teamripped.com
IG: @wayne_wyatt
