Training with a quad injury
Hi!
About 2 weeks ago I pulled a muscle in my right quadriceps (the big thigh muscle on the front of your leg). It got more and more painful and in the weekend the leg was swollen from the hip to the knee. I went to see a medic on Monday but he reassured me that it was injury from training, nothing else. No inflammation either, he checked. We're now 10 days since it ocurred and I have a big bump on my inner thigh, about the size of a spread-out hand and the leg swells up whenever I am active such as working in the garden or being out on a field trip in Pålsjö skog with a biology class. I don't want to make it worse, but I do want to train. The main problem is that it is painful for me to bend the knee (I have lean down to put shoes on). So I need to exercise without bending the right knee too much. So here is one of my adapted workouts. No equipment needed, but I did use weights.
1. Tricky cat with weights:
Stand on hands and knees. Extend the right arm at the same time as the left leg and hold your balance. Hold. This is a slow, controlled movement, don't swing. Come back down and switch to the alternate leg and arm. Repeat 30 times. Use extra weight if you want (not shown in pic).
5. Inverted row: this looks like just an arm exercise, but it is not. You need 2 chairs and a broomstick or something similar. Put the chairs on either side of you so the stick can rest on the chair seats. Place your hands about shoulder-width apart on the broomstick. Pull yourself up by the arms while holding your body entirely rigid. Make this a slow and controlled movement. Up to 30 reps.
7. Pilates scissors. Classical. If your back hurts too much you can take it lying down with your upper body instead of coming up. Still effective for the lower abdominals. Lie flat on your back. Straighten your legs toward the ceiling, now lower one leg (straight) but not all the way to the floor, then put it up again, all the while keeping the leg straight. Now lower the other leg. You can "scissor" (see-saw) or take one leg up and down at a time, it really does not matter.
About 2 weeks ago I pulled a muscle in my right quadriceps (the big thigh muscle on the front of your leg). It got more and more painful and in the weekend the leg was swollen from the hip to the knee. I went to see a medic on Monday but he reassured me that it was injury from training, nothing else. No inflammation either, he checked. We're now 10 days since it ocurred and I have a big bump on my inner thigh, about the size of a spread-out hand and the leg swells up whenever I am active such as working in the garden or being out on a field trip in Pålsjö skog with a biology class. I don't want to make it worse, but I do want to train. The main problem is that it is painful for me to bend the knee (I have lean down to put shoes on). So I need to exercise without bending the right knee too much. So here is one of my adapted workouts. No equipment needed, but I did use weights.
Stand on hands and knees. Extend the right arm at the same time as the left leg and hold your balance. Hold. This is a slow, controlled movement, don't swing. Come back down and switch to the alternate leg and arm. Repeat 30 times. Use extra weight if you want (not shown in pic).
2. I call this the Belly Shove. It is really powerful if you do it right. Lie on your back with your knees up. Now pull in your navel in to your spine (pelvis up) really hard and at the same time slowly let your feet slide downward. You'll find (have to find) that you can't get your legs straight, not while you're holding the belly up and in. Hold for a few seconds, then relax and start over. This is really good for the lower abs, if done properly.
3. Flat crunch. Lie flat on your back. Bring your upper body up without moving the legs. Hold for 10 seconds. Do 10-20 reps or as much as you can manage.
4. Hip roll. Careful here. You don't want to use the upper leg here. Lie on your back, pull in the legs, point your toes and lift your hips up towards the ceiling. I have an adaptation to make it more difficult: after the hip roll, keep the legs straight and lower them slowly towards the floor without touching it, then take them straight up again. It is a really strenuous exercise if you do it right, even without weights.
6. Side plank. Make a side plank, slowly coming down to a high plank (on your hands as opposed to a low plank on your elbows), and change over to the other side without losing the plank. A bit challenging, depends on how conditioned you are. Add a leg lift if you're capable, not with a quadriceps injury of course, instead you can lower and rise the hips for additional exercise.
7. Pilates scissors. Classical. If your back hurts too much you can take it lying down with your upper body instead of coming up. Still effective for the lower abdominals. Lie flat on your back. Straighten your legs toward the ceiling, now lower one leg (straight) but not all the way to the floor, then put it up again, all the while keeping the leg straight. Now lower the other leg. You can "scissor" (see-saw) or take one leg up and down at a time, it really does not matter.
8. Not one of my favorites, but when you're injured you're injured: the Side Bend. Lie on your side, your legs at an angle. Pull up your upper body to the side as far as it will go. Repeat 10-20 times then switch sides. This works the oblique abdominal muscles.
9. This is one of my favorites: Torso Twist, this one with another twist: legs up. Lie down but with your feet on a chair or sofa (ONLY your feet, not your whole lower leg!!). This one works best with some added weight but if you're a beginner your body weight will suffice. Come up in half sit-up and twist your upper body to the left. Slowly lie back down again. Come back up again and twist your upper body to the right. Do 30 reps in total. This is also a slow, controlled movement, no hurry. Keep the abs tucked in while working.
10. Touch toes alternating legs. Lie flat on your back, your knees at a 90 degrees angle. Stretch one leg at a time out to the ceiling and touch your toes with the alternate hand (left hand to right foot).
DON'T FORGET TO STRETCH!!
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