30 Day Shred - replacement

Options
Dizneylvr1971
Dizneylvr1971 Posts: 16
in Fitness and Exercise
I've been trying to do the 30 day shred, but I can't put any kind of weight on my left arm/shoulder due to an old injury. What exercise could I do to replace the push ups in Level 1 that doesn't require the use of my left arm. And, I'm not strong enough to do one arm pushups! :tongue:

Replies

  • TipMcE
    TipMcE Posts: 158
    Options
    It's going to get even heavier on the push up/plank style exercises as the levels progress so I'm not sure if this will work for you given your injury. For now, could you try to hold a plank pose (as if you were going to do push ups but stay up with arms straight - keeping arms just under your shoulders). Or a modified plank where you rest on your forearms instead and just hold the pose. This will work your core and give your shoulders a bit of a work out too without the stress of the push up movement. But I'm no expert so I don't know if that would help either. Do you have insurance that would cover physical therapy (if that would help the injury)? Or perhaps invest in some time with a personal trainer who could help you strengthen your shoulder? Good luck :)

    PS. I had a hip injury that made walking and sitting down or getting up from a chair very painful. When I went to the doc she said it was due to muscle attrition after years of favoring the other side due to a slight discrepancy in leg length. Physical therapy helped me strengthen the weaker side and the pain went away (with an insert in my shoe). I was convinced I had some sort of fracture or cartilage problem. I'm not sure what your injury is but professionally prescribed exercises might help strengthen it enough to be able to work out.
  • Dizneylvr1971
    Dizneylvr1971 Posts: 16
    Options
    Therapy won't help unfortunately. I was in a motorcycle accident and had nerve damage to my shoulder. Also, I was in a halo for three months due to a broken neck and the shoulder muscled atrophied because I couldn't move my arm around. Multiple doctors and therapists have told me that it can't come back. The muscle is gone basically.
  • TipMcE
    TipMcE Posts: 158
    Options
    Therapy won't help unfortunately. I was in a motorcycle accident and had nerve damage to my shoulder. Also, I was in a halo for three months due to a broken neck and the shoulder muscled atrophied because I couldn't move my arm around. Multiple doctors and therapists have told me that it can't come back. The muscle is gone basically.

    Oh geez.. I'm sorry to hear that. Are you sure though? If you can move the arm now, shouldn't you be able to build muscle - even if it's really slowly? Not to pooh pooh your injury at all, I totally understand the severity of it. My husband broke his back and ankles in his youth and had to relearn to walk. Now one of his ankles is fused and his calf is atrophied because he can't move the ankle and work the muscle. His nerves were severed too and he gets really bad sciatica type pain because of it. isn't there new research suggesting that nerves can regrow especially if they are not totally severed? Don't give up.

    How about doing those push ups standing facing a wall? That way your legs are supporting most of your body weight.
  • NthnButMoonshine
    NthnButMoonshine Posts: 125 Member
    Options
    Wow. Sorry to hear about your accident. Geeze, scary stuff! Like the previous poster, I was also going to suggest holding plank pose on your forearms or pushups on the wall if you can handle that much with your shoulder. I have carpal tunnel and tenosynovitis (wrist basically locks up and wont move w/o loads of pain) and I find these modifications help when I am having rough days. Im not sure how it would work with a shoulder injury though.
  • sunshine77081
    sunshine77081 Posts: 67
    Options
    Try doing your pushups against a wall. Much less impact.

Categories