Here at InForm Fitness we are committed to the long-term well being of our clients. It’s an expression of love – tough love – often stern, but with the intent of helping you to achieve what’s best for you.
So when Karen called to let us know she had a broken hand and therefore an entirely valid excuse to cancel her weekly Power-of-10 workout appointment, we thought otherwise. While naturally sympathetic of her plight, we knew a broken hand was a surmountable obstacle, if she still wanted a full-body workout in minimal time.
Really, we’re not sadists (although I’m sure some of our clients would beg to differ), but we do take our tagline – Safe Efficient Exercise” – to heart. And that means that in most cases our amazing instructors can modify your routine and work around that broken bone, sprained ankle, sore knee or aching tennis elbow. That’s our expertise, our job.
Now back to poor, unsuspecting Karen. Her reasoning for cancelling her appointment was logical. Typically, to work out your upper-body, your hands must be used to either pull or push. To workout the muscles of the back, most people utilize the Pull Down or Seated Row machines; for the chest, the Chest Press; and the shoulders, the Overhead Press. All of these machines involve the hands. But as our photos evidence, Karen was able to work out her back, chest and shoulders, without ever putting her hand at risk.
Here is how we adjusted the workout for Karen:
- Back: We used a pullover machine where Karen pushed through using her elbows.
- Chest: Mission accomplished with a chest fly where the effort comes through the upper arms.
- Shoulders: A lateral raise where, again, the upper arms do the work.
Look Ma, no hands!
Always keep in mind, despite a nagging ailment or injury, that you have options. Talk to our instructors and discover adjustments to your routine that will enable you to work around those pesky pains and keep your strength building on track.
Oh, and if you are wondering why it is important to keep up your routine – allow me to share words of wisdom from Arthur Jones, the father of high intensity exercise, the inventor of Nautilus equipment, and author of the Nautilus Bulletins.
“Throw a stone into a pool of water, and it will make a splash – and a wave will run to the far end of the pool; the larger the stone, the larger the splash – and the larger the wave. A very similar effect results from any form of exercise – I have named this “indirect effect”. When one muscle grows in response to exercise, the entire muscular structure of the body grows to a lesser degree – even muscles that are not being exercised at all; and the larger the muscle that is growing – or the greater the degree of growth – the greater this indirect effect will be.”
Even if we take the scenario to an extreme and assume you are in a complete upper-body cast – you should still exercise your lower body, because due to “indirect effect,” your upper body will atrophy less than if you did nothing at all.
We would like to give Karen a big high five (on her uninjured hand) for sticking with her program. May her dedication and perseverance be an inspiration to us all! Remember, no excuses.
P.S. For those of you interested in the history of exercise, the Arthur Jones’ Nautilus Bulletins are to exercise what the Beatles’ White Album is to music. His bulletins rocked the exercise world over 40 years ago and today are still well worth the read.
