Lifting w/ broken arm / wrist - modifications? exercises?

KathleenKP

My wrist is broken, but my doctor says I may continue lifting starting next week. I can use the arm that is broken if I can manage to only use my upper arm. Do you have links/book ideas for things I can do?

sunglasses_and_ocean_waves

No. Just no. It makes my stomach flop just thinking about it. Having just endured a sprain, I can tell you lifting was not fun. I cannot imagine lifting with a break, unless it's healed.

_Zardoz_

Would you run on a broken ankle? I very much doubt it. I'm sorry this just sounds like a really stupid idea

DavPul

Breaks actually don't hurt in the way sprains do. You can pay tackle football with a broken arm. Buuuuuuut, depending on where the break is and how the cast affects your mobility is a huge limiting factor for both healing and safety.

Sounds like this is a good time for you to get in some quality leg work while you avoid most upper body exercises. That and/or cardio. It's only a few weeks off and I wouldn't risk too much for that short of a time period

Cherimoose

For legs:

Zercher squats:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpy4ADmlo1E

Zercher lunges:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=355fgKA6KwA

Jumping lunges (careful):

For chest, you can do a pec fly on a pec deck machine, assuming it's the kind where the contact point is at your elbow:
http://i.imgur.com/UqMK2wc.jpg

Upper back is tricky, but you can do rows using resistance tubing. You would need the kind with a velcro strap, and wrap it near your elbow. No pic, but here is the standard row for comparison:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3LNu_GcgDc

You can do a lot with the bands, like delt raises ab twists, etc.

KathleenKP

For legs:

Zercher squats:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpy4ADmlo1E

Zercher lunges:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=355fgKA6KwA

Jumping lunges (careful):

For chest, you can do a pec fly on a pec deck machine, assuming it's the kind where the contact point is at your elbow:
http://i.imgur.com/UqMK2wc.jpg

Upper back is tricky, but you can do rows using resistance tubing. You would need the kind with a velcro strap, and wrap it near your elbow. No pic, but here is the standard row for comparison:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3LNu_GcgDc

You can do a lot with the bands, like delt raises ab twists, etc.

Thank you! I'm going to look these up.

KathleenKP

Breaks actually don't hurt in the way sprains do. You can pay tackle football with a broken arm. Buuuuuuut, depending on where the break is and how the cast affects your mobility is a huge limiting factor for both healing and safety.

Sounds like this is a good time for you to get in some quality leg work while you avoid most upper body exercises. That and/or cardio. It's only a few weeks off and I wouldn't risk too much for that short of a time period

I'm looking at the period of time after the first couple of weeks. Dr put the fear into me, but said I can lift if I can avoid the wrist involvement. I'm trying to figure out which variations might be able to accomplish that. It's easier to think it will work in theory, but I'm stumped in reality. For now I'm just working my other arm, which was weaker...so opportunity to balance it, I guess.

I appreciate the positive (but hesitant) response.

CyberEd312

Breaks actually don't hurt in the way sprains do. You can pay tackle football with a broken arm. Buuuuuuut, depending on where the break is and how the cast affects your mobility is a huge limiting factor for both healing and safety.

Sounds like this is a good time for you to get in some quality leg work while you avoid most upper body exercises. That and/or cardio. It's only a few weeks off and I wouldn't risk too much for that short of a time period

Yep agreed..... I played with broken bones in football in high school (wrist my junior year, thumb my senior year) but I never picked a weight up it was rest during the week and heavily padded and taped for the games... I would concentrate on cardio and leg training and give it a few weeks to heal..... Best of Luck

Stage14

I cannot think of a single upper body move with free weights that doesn't somehow involve using the wrist. You might be able to do some of the machines without involving your wrist, or resistance band exercises if you have the strap thing that can go around your upper arm, but personally, I would just focus on lower body until it heals because I would be too worried about something going wrong and making it worse.