Exercises you wish you could do but can't

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124

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  • ryenday
    ryenday Posts: 1,540 Member
    edited August 2017
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    Proprioceptive Dysfunction and dyspraxia make it impossible for me to execute a flip turn while I swim laps. If I try, I have no idea where I'll end up, hit the wall, two lanes over, etc. I simply lack the sense or awareness to do a flip turn. My brother competed in swimming in college and high school and I was good enough (arguably better than he was) but could not compete due to my inability to do a flip turn.

    Not that I was any good or wanted to - but basic tumbling gymnastics moves like cartwheels and round-abouts were unattainable as well.
  • Angied725
    Angied725 Posts: 38 Member
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    I've never been able to do pull ups....not even when I was young and thin!....that will be one of my long-term goals....
    Also, there's an ab machine at the Anytime Fitness I go to that I have not figured out how to use...since I go to the gym before the roosters even crow, I rarely ever see staff and I'm not forward enough to ask other gym members....so I don't even bother with it....I tried to figure it out once and couldn't get it to budge, so I'm guessing either I wasn't doing something right or I'm not in fit enough shape to use it yet!....another long-term goals! :blush:
  • jdscrubs32
    jdscrubs32 Posts: 514 Member
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    Deadlifts. Form is fine when its just the bar. Put any weight on the bar and form goes bellyup. No matter what my PT did, nothing would work as my back would always round. As I always get lower back problems from doing them, PT has stopped me doing them completely. Oh well. Can't do everything.
  • BobbieSparks2
    BobbieSparks2 Posts: 12 Member
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    I can't run. Everytime I do I have the places above my ankles that pop out and turn purple. They also hurt extremely bad.
  • FlattoPhat
    FlattoPhat Posts: 22 Member
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    pistol squat although i have strong legs :/
  • fitdaisygrrl
    fitdaisygrrl Posts: 139 Member
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    I broke my ankle last September so right now it's running and jumping that I can't do and I miss terribly! Hopefully by next spring I can start running again.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
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    A muscle-up!
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
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    I have weird knees, so squats and lunges are super tricky for me. Also, yoga because I am not too bendy.
  • mshake77
    mshake77 Posts: 3 Member
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    Crunches have always been hard for me. My neck always hurts...I could be doing them wrong. I cant even do the ab machine at the gym because I can never pull the handles down. My core is very weak.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    I have knock knees so I can't do squats or lunges properly, unfortunately. I really wish I could. Attempting to do these exercises always leaves me injured and sidelined for at least a week. Also, I look like an idiot when I run, which is another issue.

    Are there any exercises that you are physically incapable of doing?

    Forward crawl. I have a rotation issue in one shoulder so I swim my laps using breast stroke. Would love to be able to switch it up a bit.
  • 76Crane76
    76Crane76 Posts: 133 Member
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    planks...just can't seem to hold my body weight up and straightening my back hurts.
  • Meganthedogmom
    Meganthedogmom Posts: 1,639 Member
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    I wish I could do pull-ups but my upper body strength sucks.
    I'll keep practicing though!
  • cs2thecox
    cs2thecox Posts: 533 Member
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    Can't for physical/medical reasons...
    Running, jumping, standing on one leg, pretty much anything requiring calf strength or foot/ankle mobility. That adds up to a LOT of things!
    I have CMT type 2A and zero motor control over my feet. My squats are kind of half squats, and I have to deadlift with a cage bar because the angles I bend at mean the bar gets stuck under my knees otherwise!

    Can't because I haven't put enough work in...
    Unassisted pull ups
    Most things involving any sort of flexibility

    Can because I'm bl00dy minded and find a way...
    Ski red runs
    Walk a marathon
    Proper press ups
    Not altogether terrible bench press
  • Alidecker
    Alidecker Posts: 1,262 Member
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    Can't run...according to the doctor. At first this made me want to run and I have a couple times, but I really don't enjoy it anyway. Sometimes I wish I did enjoy it.

    Double unders...I worked at it for a long time, could do a few, did 10 in a row once. Then stopped, I tried again and can not do them.

    Pull up, but I haven't let go of the dream.
  • midlomel1971
    midlomel1971 Posts: 1,283 Member
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    I have a hard time doing side planks where you dip your hip to touch the ground while you balance. I just can't do them.
  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,108 Member
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    After a sprained MCL on my left knee and torn meniscus a few years later on my right I was told there were quite a few activities I could never do again. It wasn't true though. I just had to gradually build up to it. I tore my meniscus a little over a year ago and was told I could never run or do high impact exercise without surgery, I opted for PT and conservative treatment. Well, last week at my strength and conditioning class I chose not to modify and did 5 sets of 10 box jumps followed by a 1 mile jog without issue.

    Sometimes it really is just a matter of starting where we are and building from there. I have been religiously working out and working up to this since I got off crutches and was cleared to resume weight bearing. I will continue until I can run a 5k
  • Penthesilea514
    Penthesilea514 Posts: 1,189 Member
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    For all of us (myself included) who want to learn how to do a pull-up, here is a training guide from Nerd Fitness:
    https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/do-a-pull-up/
  • LisaTcan
    LisaTcan Posts: 410 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    Squats - lost a couple of important bits from my left knee.
    Contact sports - knee again.
    Running - only about 1 to 3 miles a week of running in my knees (the right one isn't in great shape either!).
    Lunges - well I guess could do them with one of my legs....
    Heavy deadlifts - back injury. Anything that causes significant vertical compression is out of bounds. Often have to do shoulder presses one-handed to halve the load.

    Can I ask what exercises you do instead of squats? I also have knee issues (no ACL, PCL, screws in my right femur) and still squat but it doesn't feel great!

    I personally avoid running, plyometrics and contact stops due to said knee injury and hypermobile joints prone to injury.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    LisaTcan wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    Squats - lost a couple of important bits from my left knee.
    Contact sports - knee again.
    Running - only about 1 to 3 miles a week of running in my knees (the right one isn't in great shape either!).
    Lunges - well I guess could do them with one of my legs....
    Heavy deadlifts - back injury. Anything that causes significant vertical compression is out of bounds. Often have to do shoulder presses one-handed to halve the load.

    Can I ask what exercises you do instead of squats? I also have knee issues (no ACL, PCL, screws in my right femur) and still squat but it doesn't feel great!

    I personally avoid running, plyometrics and contact stops due to said knee injury and hypermobile joints prone to injury.

    @LisaTcan

    My injuries are a bit different...
    Lost PCL and 90 % of lateral meniscus from left knee at age 31, old stellate fracture to patella plus significant laxity in both lateral and medial ligaments and a bit of a meniscus damage in right knee.
    I'm 7 years beyond predicted age (50) of needing a total knee replacement so doing OK. :)

    In summer months I do virtually no strength work with my legs because I do a hell of a lot of cycling instead so I'm either cycling or recovering from cycling. Living in a hilly area helps with quad strength.

    In winter I do some leg press but go bone-on-bone if I try to go above 200kg - the squeaking upsets fellow gym goers!
    Some leg extensions but that's a bit of a strain on damaged knees (torsion).

    Still manage to keep quads fairly strong which is important for knee stability but not as big or strong as I would like.
    fvkfoaiy44kz.jpg


  • LisaTcan
    LisaTcan Posts: 410 Member
    edited August 2017
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    @sijomial thanks for the info! Your quads look very strong to me!