what can I do with one arm?

So I suppose people can call me lefty for a while.

First I'll say that I'm getting all kinds of guidance from doctors etc so anything here will go by them. But I am so bored of not doing anything I'm asking here too. Long story short after a freak accident during a comp (I don't even really know what happened) my arm is screwed. Currently I'm looking at several surgeries and months off training. But I'm already getting antsy through lack of activity so I'm asking for your help and advice with a few things.

What exercises can I do with the use if only one arm, even for balance? I'm thinking body weight squats and maybe getting some resistance bands for various exercises. But that's still quite limited.

My current gum is a power lifting gym and it's fantastic. However it's not so great at the moment as it's all free weights. I'm considering switching to the local 24 hour gym that is normally crap with all the machines but might be good for me just now. They have pin weighed hack squat, leg press, seated leg curl and extension machines as well as the usual cardio stuff. Would using these machines be better than nothing and what do you think of this idea?

How worried should I be of developing an imbalance by working my good side only while recovering?

Can anyone suggest any good movie or TV shows I can get in to while creating an indent of my arsr on the couch? Also books including martial arts ones I can read.

So bored right now. Stay safe everyone.

 

Damn...that sucks.

Game of Thrones. Daenerys Targaryen will make you forget your bad arm.

 

Oh man bummer! Hope you get well soon. Lower body workouts maybe? Squats and lunges, stretching, meditation, jogging, hiking. IDK just be careful whatever you do.

 

Have you tried playing darts?

I know that might sound like a silly suggestion, but it's probably one of the few games that you can play properly with only one arm.

 

Oops. My bad.
I have it on good authority (my missus) that Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa) would be an acceptable female alternative.

 

I will second Frodo's Fringe recommendation. Speedy recovery to you!

 

Righty, can you be more specific on the damage to your right arm?

 

I'd be wary of doing anything other than rehab exercises upperbody-wise to be honest.

What exactly is wrong with your arm?

edit - game of thrones is awesome.

 

I'll add in that game of thrones is awesome, depending how long you'll be bored/off work/off training for if its your cup of tea some anime series' can be great just because some have so many episodes to keep you going - in 2010 I broke my wrist in 3 places and cracked/broke nearly all of my ribs in one fell swoop, was pretty much bed ridden for a few months, and managed to start watching bleach and get up to date with the episodes (whic was about 285 episodes) in that time =D

Depending how bad your arm is and what you train in could vary what you can do. One of our top sensei's (he was a 5th dan at the time iirc) had a nasty injury on his right arm, and just spent most of the rehab time learning and coming up with loads of left handed techniques and stuff that didn't need his right arm at all =D

 

This thread has many suggestions for martial arts documentaries. I watched quite a few of them and they were good. http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=112056
Also, when GSP returned to the UFC after his injury, they said even when he couldn't train he was at the gym watching. Apaerently there is some evidence that watching a skill helps your brain to "remember" how to do it, or maybe just not forget as fast. Hanging out/helping at your school would also be something to do besides sit.

 

i'd say get some straps and do craptons of one-arm deadlifts and one-arm rows. if you have a power cage where you can set the bar on the pins, you can also try one-arm barbell presses (aka javelin press, since the bar's most balanced position is at a 45º angle, approximately). DB presses might do as well, if you can get the dumbbell to the shoulder, but that tends to be a pain in the ass, but KBs would do the trick if you have access to any. if you can raise the arm and take the pressure on the deltoids, you can also do front squats with the injured arm extended forwards and only the other one grabbing the bar. alternatively, you could try to train yourself to squat grabbing the bar with only one hand (you can squat with no hands as well, but you need a humongous back for it ).

anything you do is going to be mostly unilateral training anyway, so no reason not to keep using the free weights, IMO (within reason, of course, but options still exist nevertheless)

 

as for imbalances, compound moves will help avoid it (you need the entire torso stable for overhead presses and rows, even with one arm only, not to mention deadlifts).

also, you can improv squats on some machines (at my gym it's common to see people squatting in the calf press), but failing that i'd suggest a combo of hack squats and leg curls.

re: books and movies: game of thrones is awesome. as for books, some pretty long series if you like fantasy that tends towards darker themes: a song if ice and fire (the ones GOT is based on), elric of melniboné (pretty much the most pessimistic epic fantasy series ever ), the second apocalypse (prince of nothing and the aspect emperor; very dark fantasy series with heavy philosophical themes) and the malazan book of the fallen (a "military" fantasy series that takes every fantasy trope, turns them all up to 11 and THEN goes over-the-top with them).
and if you're not inclined towards dark, gritty or pessimistic stuff, anything by david eddings would do (elenium and tamuli, belgariad and malloreon, etc).

 

You'll lose mass in the bad arm inevitably, whatever you do. When I broke my feet last summer (bike accident), I was 1 month and a half on a cast, lost all my right leg muscles.

 

The books, yes.
But if you've already read the books, the tv series is going to be horribly bland.

 

You know nothing PASmith. :-D

Thanks for the advice so far folks. Please keep it can coming. I'm already a scifi/fantasy need so I've been through a lot of the recommendations bur there is plenty there to get me started. I think I've started to like Jaime right now but them I've read the books and know what happens to him.

A few people have asked for more details of the injury but I'm not really comfortable putting it all up here suffice to say my arm and wrist are currently in multiple pieces with bits being where they shouldn't. Also got tendon stuff etc as well. I'm not going to have the use of my hand for at least a few months and arm will be restricted to a sling as well.

I like free weights but I think my use will be restricted to dumbbells and maybe kettlebells. While I currently do have access to plenty of barbells and cages I do need two hands to set them all up and get to the starting positions. Yes I could ask for help but I don't want people doing that for months for me. Fish mentioned a few things but to be honest
I'm thinking most are a bit too risky as one slip when trying hthose new exercises could be pretty disastrous for me right now. Db press should be ok as I think I can clean the db up to the shoulder to start. I see myself falling off the bench in a db bench though. Rows would have to be upright only as you use your other hand to stabilise yourself got bent overs. When you mentioned in handed Deadlift did you mean off to one side? I can't think of any other way to do them as I don't think you can keep anything in front while using one hand.

I actually like the idea of darts as it's my non dominant hand I now have use of so that can help me get more skilled with that hand. I'm trying to think of a safe place to hang it tigt now.

I also think ill order some elastic shoelaces today as I think they will come in handy.

Sucks I can't use the playstation :-(

 

Warning - I may also become more active/annoying around here as ivkeep getting free time and my one handed typing skills improve.

Other than stopping eating so much chocolate and ice cream any suggestions on diet?

 

Righty ...sorry to hear about the injury....more time for camera work....

Action shots from the dojo would keep you active in the MA world ...

And then back on the mats left sided techniques ...

Look for a seies called love/ hate ..gangsters in Dublin. ?

Get well soon

SMURF

 

you can deadlift in front with one hand, but it requires monster grip strength to keep the bar horizontal (same as suitcase style, really), hence the comment about straps, which help stabilize it (or rather, prevent it from falling out of your hand, letting you focus on stabilizing it). example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=gLix3Z2zjRg#t=150s

you don't strictly need the other hand for stability for rows either, although it helps. just use a staggered stance, and visualize pushing your abdomen into your lead thigh to stabilize the spine.

if you do have KBs, i'd definitely recommend KB pressing over DB pressing at heavier weights, since you can actually rack KBs but not DBs (you'd need two hands for a shoulder rack ala circus press). otoh i'd go for DB snatches over KB snatches just for explosiveness, and either of the two for overhead squats (pretty fun with only one weight). a heavy racked KB should also let you do pistol squats if you're strong enough.

 

oh, and you can also do chest supported rows at various angles if you have an adjustable bench on hand. these are hard as hell though.