Something is loose in my wrist. It’s a torn tendon. Thus ends the question of what exactly is going on with my grip. You know, in case you've been following the saga. The tendon in question runs from my middle finger up the inside of my wrist and has a tear near the elbow. I can show you exactly where because my chiropractor stuck her finger right into it.
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It hurt.
A lot.
She also tested my grip strength. Though I’m a lefty, my left hand registered at 20lbs less grip strength than my right which, she said, is surprising. Ideally, my left would be stronger than my right. This explains why I keep unexpectedly dropping things and also why I can’t both retain my grip and turn my wrist.
But recovery is possible!
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The road to recovery requires me to wear a cho-pat, which I had never heard of. I’m excited to get one and head back to the gym tomorrow. I took today off because chiropractic adjustments (of which there were many) mean I need rest and lots of water. So in go the liquids. Warm broth is a favorite. The couch is today’s best friend.
Now that I know what is going wrong in my body and how to support it so it can heal, I’m feeling more excited about gym days. It will be nice to add a few more exercises to my roster, but this will be done slowly.
I have several strength and fitness goals this year. I’d like to gain 5 lbs of muscle. I’m not sure how realistic that is.
I want to set a 200 lb back squat. I believe this is achievable with better positioning.
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And my goal for several years has been one strict pull-up. Every time I get close to that I seem to get injured and head back the other direction. I don’t know this goal will be achievable given the status of my wrist and shoulder, but I do think I can achieve another 200 lb goal: deadlift.
If I can’t support my body weight on the bar, how will I go beyond it with a barbell? Well, there are tools for grip. I also have 12 months to recover and continue building strength. Finally, deadlift is driven by the hips and legs rather than the shoulders. With a switch grip (one hand under the bar, one hand over it), I believe I can get there slowly but safely.
And last, I’d like to be doing at least 100 lbs with my overhead squat. I think my last max was 80. My legs are much stronger since so this really is all about shoulder/arm/wrist stability. I mean, I have been doing 2/3 leg work for almost 6 months due to broken fingers and injured wrist. My quads are killer. 😉
Oh yeah. And to run a mile without walking. This is asthma dependent so I make this goal loosely.
What are your fitness goals for 2018?
