Tag Archives: injury

The Beauty in the Team

Many people smarter than I am have written extensively on growth through struggle. I will be the first to admit that I have had an easy life. I know that I am just a product of all of those who came before me to help me become who I am today. I am not saying I have never had struggle, I am just saying I know many who have had much more. Maybe I have had just the right amount of struggle for the person that I am?

 

“Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way. And don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines.”

– Leroy Satchel Paige

 

For the last few blogs I have been writing about my recovery and what I am doing to improve myself. Today I want to take a little different approach and try to show an appreciation of injuries and set backs. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and we need to find ways to find beauty in set backs.

 

Thank you’s that I owe.

Charles Jasper- I love to mess with CeJ, yet I have worked with CeJ longer than any other person in my life. I see his approach to life and envy him in many ways.

Curtis Miller- Curty doesn’t always know how impactful his words are and he has helped me immensely.  He is a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Jared Caroff- How can anyone not love this guy. He’s smart, strong, and has less body fat then you or me. Wait, I take that back, the better question is how can anyone like this guy? I’m kidding I appreciate how much he is willing to help.

Magic Hands Malik Abrams- Malik recently joined us and he has been amazing. He has also helped me return to lifting. I have only kicked him in the face once during a massage.

Toria Crispin- Toria keeps the bills paid and the lights on at UF, so without her stepping up rehab wouldn’t matter.

Jaci and Ethan- The dynamic, olympic lifting duo won’t let me cheat my front squats. When the program says 10 second iso then I know I better count slowly or Jaci will time with her slow stopwatch.

All the other UF employees who make up a great team here. None of us are an island and without them we wouldn’t be able to have such a fun environment. Thanks to each and every one of you. The new RYDE instructors are awesome to have here, and all the cardiolab, Yoga, personal training, as well as front desk people are awesome and I am thankful for each one of you.

 

Now that I have praised all the staff what does this have to do with my injury? Everything! Without this amazing team working together there is no way I could worry about my own training.

 

 

Ham’s Comeback

As you may already know I injured myself training three weeks ago. While injuries are never fun we all know that bumps and bruises are part of training. I am going to use this opportunity to fix some issues that I have ignored for far too long. While trying to return to training I am going to keep Jared’s words in my head, “In two weeks you will think you are better, then for the next two months you will do something that reminds you that you aren’t” 

 

I began “working out” the week after my injury (while it appears that my injury is 100% soft tissue, I must be smart in returning). The reason I quoted working out is because there is a big difference between training, and working out. Training has a purpose and is striving towards goals. Working out is aimless and not nearly as focused. To be fair I began this process two weeks ago, and while it seemed aimless it honesty wasn’t. The goal the first two weeks was to move, work on my mobility, and return myself to pain free (mostly) movement. 

 

Now to begin my training.

 

Today I will begin my training again. This will be the first time I train with a barbell or any real weight. I will lay out my plan below. Before I do that here are some specifics about the plan. I discussed this with many people to come up with a solid plan. First thing you may notice is that the program looks upside down. I squat last. Curtis had this idea as I will be warmed up and moving better by the time I get to my squats. In addition the only barbell movement I am doing for the next 2-3 weeks is a front squat. Here is the program.

 

  1. Slider Leg Curl 3×15
  2. Bulgarian Split Squat (31X tempo) 3×8
  3. Chins 3×10
  4. SA Bench with Iso opposite arm 3×10
  5. SA Overhead Press 3×10
  6. SA Row with Iso opposite arm 3×10
  7. Trap Bar Carries 3×20 yards
  8. Front Squat (10 count iso) 3×3-5 

 

That is it. I will still begin each day with bike 10 minutes and about 15 minutes or rehab/mobility work. Wish me luck as I will be SORE. 

Injury: The Mental and Physical Approach to Overcoming.

It’s no secret that if you’ve been involved with sports or serious training long enough, then you’ve probably experienced injury. From minor muscle strains, to major reconstructive surgery, and everything in between, injuries can often turn into a setback. Although, they can also become a tremendous learning opportunity when approached correctly. 

 

With each injury I have experienced, I’ve always tried to take the knowledge that I’ve obtained throughout the process and apply it to my clients, athletes, and my future self. You can’t aways prevent other’s or yourself from experiencing injury, but you can always have control on your outlook throughout the process, and how you overcome that obstacle. At the time, it’s not always easy to see it that way, but as time goes on, we often realize that maybe it was all a blessing in disguise.

 

Because this process can be extremely challenging, both mentally and physically, it is imperative that a plan is established before taking the steps to recovery. Whether it be with ourselves, our athletes, or our clients, the approach itself is very similar, and there are certain steps that need to be taken in order to return them to sport or daily activity. As a professional, it is my obligation and duty to make sure that I help each individual return to their activity as soon and as healthy as possible, while also helping them through those mentally challenging times that they will experience along the way. When helping ourselves, this process is no different.

 

To approach this, let’s use a 5 rule system.

 

1: Surround yourself with quality individuals: We spend our lives building connections and developing relationships. Now we must use those resources and connections that we have built over the years in order to help ourselves. Never be too prideful to ask for help. The best things we can do in this situation is take a step back, humble ourselves, and look for help. If you have to travel or search far and wide for that help, do it. It will certainly be worth it.

 

2: Take time off if needed: For most of us, we are instilled with this mindset that we must never stop; that if want want to achieve our goals we must keep going. But sometimes when we are constantly going, and our minds are full of things coming from many directions, we become paralyzed and unable to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s okay to take a few weeks off. Sit down and reflect on your life and your current situation. Give focus and gratitude to those things that maybe you’ve been neglecting. You will be surprised how much it helps you once you begin the road to recovery.

 

3: Establish challenges & set yourself up for wins: Once we know what needs to be done, we now must set daily, weekly, and monthly goals in order to stay on track. Once that is established, an action plan is put into place. We know our goals, now let’s ask ourselves what needs to be accomplished each day in order to get there. This can be extremely overwhelming at times, so it’s important to set yourself up with small challenges inside and outside of the gym that are very achievable. With each challenge completed, that is a small win. Continuous small wins add up into major victories over time.

 

4: Work on your weaknesses: Every injury that I’ve ever had has given me an opportunity to work on something else that I was neglecting. Whether this was physical or psychological, the injury is often a blessing in disguise and an opportunity staring you directly in your face. Most injuries are usually caused by an imbalance or a neglect of another area of our body. While you’re recovering, take the time to to focus on those other things such as stretching and mobility, overall conditioning, nutrition, stress management, etc. If we don’t take the time to find the cause and approach it, then there’s always a chance it may happen again.

 

5: Get it off your mind: Unless we are working on our physical therapy or any of the things listed above, get the injury off of your mind and out of your head. One of the worst things we can do is become consumed with something when we have no reason to be thinking about it. If you are performing rehab work, talking with a professional, or putting a plan of action together, then be 100% in that moment. When you aren’t, let it leave your mind and focus on those things right in front of you.