Injuries happen. They happen to the best of us. They are not common, not uncommon either.
Does this mean you should stop working out?
Well, have you ever stopped eating after having a bad meal?
Did you stop dating after a bad relationship?
Did you quit school after missing a few questions on a big test?
It’s nothing of which to be afraid. I can’t promise you will feel good 100% of the time. You can’t start CrossFit and expect to lose all that weight or gain all that muscle you’ve been waiting for without any hurdles. What I can virtually guarantee you is this… working out will get results fast with a program that is safer than going out to the basketball court or getting in your car to drive.
So what do you do to prevent or recover from injury?
Here is a INJURY PREVENTION/RECOVERY guide.
By the way, if you have been injured working out, I wish you a speedy and safe recovery. Please use this INJURY PREVENTION/RECOVERY guide as an inspiration to get better!
I have experienced injury myself when I was doing a max lift several months ago…
… I wanted that new PR, I went over my max by 5 pounds, put it up, felt something in my shoulder, and dropped the weight, unsuccessfully completing the lift…
… I put the weight up a second time and dropped it again, this time bending over in agony, my shoulder was in pain, I had completely dislocated my shoulder and couldn’t move it…
I had a competition only a month later and needed to be ready for it, so what did I do?
I SLOWED DOWN the INTENSITY for a FEW WEEKS and went LIGHTER on the movements that hurt my INJURED SHOULDER.
However, I DID NOT QUIT. I saw the injury as nothing more than a learning experience. A roadblock that I would use as a stepping stone to success, because the only way to the top is to climb there.
I took it easy on everything overhead, only using a PVC or the barbell and slowly got the weight back up. I participated in the competition a month later, taking 33rd place and completing 73 Overhead Squats with 95 pounds in one of the workouts, placing higher than half the men in my division. A MONTH AFTER POPPING MY SHOULDER OUT OF PLACE.
Why?
Because sometimes a hurdle will appear to make you stop and think… “wait, slow down, the weight will come in time, I need to focus on my form and strengthening my body first.” And that’s exactly what I did, I strengthened my shoulder so that now it was back to normal. BUT DID I BLAME MY WORKOUT? NO! IT WAS A RESULT OF MY OWN DOING THAT CAUSED THAT INJURY. My workouts have made me who I am today, a strong, fit individual who stands out in a crowd.
At CrossFit, we understand that it is both our Coach’s and Your Responsibility to prevent and rebhabilitate injuries. We want to work with you, but in order for that to happen we need you to take responsibility for yourself and agree to take the necessary steps to ensure a safe, functional program.
THE INJURY PREVENTION/RECOVERY GUIDE
1. Nutrition. Believe it or not, what you eat is what you put out. Those aches and pains in your body? Yes, they are the result of not only your workouts, but also your diet. Here’s what to do:
-Eat Meats & Vegetables, Nuts & Seeds, Some Fruit, Little Starch, and No Sugar. No Dairy. Very little of any grain. No processed foods of any kind.
-Stay away from the freezer and canned aisle, SHOP the perimeter of the grocery store. Buy only fresh, organic, unprocessed foods. Your meat should come fresh, not packaged. For the best, go to a farm and buy GRASS FED and FREE RANGE Chicken.
-Supplements. You should be taking healthy, organic, natural vitamins and minerals. Shop around online for these. DO NOT go to Vitamin World or GNC. Stronger Faster Healthier has some amazing fish oil and protein. I take both.
2. Rest. Are you sleeping 8 hours at night uninterrupted? Are you taking time for YOU? and YOU ONLY? You must spend time sharpening your axe and resting your body!
3. Warm-up and Cool-down. Know your weaknesses. Do you have a tweaked shoulder? STRETCH IT! Stretch it frequent and often, before, after, and during the workout. Start early to warm-up and stay late to cool down. Do some light movements at home on your off days, even if it isn’t a full workout. Do body weight workouts at home. (You can always find one that won’t hurt you when you’re injured)
4. Stick to it! Part of working out is getting all around fit so that our body can take any type of physical activity that may come our way today, tomorrow, and when we are 80, 90, or 100 years old! By engaging in ALL of our movements and workouts in some form or another (even if its scaled) you will strengthen the body in more ways than one so that you heal fast and prevent the major and minor things that plague the sedentary population.
5. See a GOOD doctor. That’s not just any doctor. Doctors prescribing drugs and radiation should be avoided. And by the way, if you’re really sore from a workout, you don’t need a doctor, you just need ice, rest, light movement, and the proper diet. We HIGHLY recommend a Natural-Path doctor. We also HIGHLY recommend NaturalCures.com, a great resource for NATURAL cures to virtually any illness, disease, or injury.
6. Mentally Prepare Yourself. The methods to accomplish this are different for everyone. Pray. Mediatate. Rectite your Mantra. Whichever works for you, do it! 99% percent of injuries are ALL IN THE MIND. Refuse to have pain and YOU WON’T! First off, DO NOT WORRY about your injury. Worry is negative goal setting and only makes matters worse. Psychologists say that 99% of everything we worry about will NEVER happen. We recommend the following books to help you with this:
-The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
-The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
-The Magic of Believing by Claude M. Bristol
-Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz
7. Hire a Coach. Working out alone may sound like a good way to save money, not when those big hospital bills start piling up because you got hurt. Fins a good coach in your area and ask if he/she will do group classes. Find a few friends and split the cost you would normal pay for one-on-one attention in exchange for working out in a small group!
We hope this helps. If you are healthy, use this INJURY PREVENTION/RECOVERY guide! If you are worried about injury, use this INJURY PREVENTION/RECOVERY guide! We pray that you will never be injured, but in case you are, use this INJURY PREVENTION/RECOVERY guide!
Use those roadblocks that come your way as a stepping stone to success. The only way to the top is to climb there.
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