Back to the Basics

As much as I'd love to be snatching, squatting, and crushing heavy clean and jerks right now, even I know that my body isn't prepared for it.  Between my knee being less than three weeks out from having two surgeries, and an IV running through my right bicep and through a major vein into my chest, I realize that I still have some time ahead of me before I can truly get back to doing what I love.

That being said, there is ALWAYS a way to train, and ALWAYS a way to improve ones self.  I have to laugh when people say they can't work out because of bruised ribs, (saw that one on Facebook) knee problems, back problems, hurt fingers...  The list truly gets ridiculous.  The fact is, if you have a pulse, and aren't paralyzed, you can find a way to train if it's a priority for you.  Even without full use of my right arm, (it bleeds profusely if I use it too much) and with a slowly recovering knee, I've been getting after it everyday.  Just as I always have in the face of injury, or in this case, a serious illness that somehow resulted in two more knee surgeries to fix the problem, I've gone back to the basics.

Today was the final day of my first week back to any real training, and it's been a good one.  At the beginning of the week my knee caused me intense pain whenever I taxed it, and still had a very limited range of motion.  After my first day of dragging a 200 pound sled around, I had serious pain in the back of my knee and wondered if I was pushing too hard.  However, I found that the more sled dragging and strength work I've done, the better and stronger my knee has felt.

While I'm under orders to take it easy, I know from experience that allowing a surgically repaired limb to languish is exactly what you don't want to do.  The faster you get full range of motion back and being to rebuild the strength and muscle lost due to surgery and the following atrophy, the better.  My sled has proved to be an invaluable tool.  My workouts are short and intense.  My tools are limited to only my bodyweight, the weight I have laying around, stones, kettlebells, and a sled.  It's bare bones and basic, but it gets the job done.

I've always found that getting back to the basics has helped me train around injuries, while still building muscle and strength in a way that satisfies me as a meathead.  Here's an example of one simple workout I used today.

Circuit #1--5 Rounds
Kettlebell Swings (70 pounds)--15
Sled Drags (226 pounds)--20 yards backwards, 20 yards forwards
Band Pull Aparts--20

Supsert #1
Stone RDLs (100 pounds)--10 (4 Rounds)
Bodyweight Reverse Lunges--10 each leg (3 Rounds)

Ab and therapy work all day throughout the day

As you can see I'm being careful not to push too hard yet.  But each day I'm increasing the intensity and the volume of my workouts, preparing myself to get back to regular training within a couple weeks.  I really like the feel of the stone RDLs and will use them much more in the coming weeks.

The point to take away is that no matter what, if you are passionate enough about something, you'll find a way to get it done, no matter what stands in your way, and if you feel like your training is stale or you may be doing exercises that seem overcomplicated with no gains, get back to the basics!