Post-injury single-arm training and food log!!!

[trainer_j0hn]

I recently suffered a serious injury to the infraspinatus in my right arm and can barely move the arm. Instead of letting myself fall into typical post-injury depression and inactivity, I have decided to concentrate on cardio, legs, core, functional movement, and balance.

I think that posting here might help keep me motivated, on track, and somewhat accountable, and I think I will learn a lot!




I'm a trainer, athlete, and nutritional consultant in South Carolina.

I have been vegetarian for the last 7 years and vegan for a good bit of that time.

[trainer_j0hn]

For time:

Single-arm dumbbell squat to shoulder press on bosu= 4 sets of 12 @ 10, 20, 30, 35 lbs

Single-arm chin-up on assist machine= 2 sets of 12 @ 55% of bodyweight

Hack squat machine= 2 sets of 20 @ 190, 220 lbs

It took me about 8 minutes to complete this with good form.

I've been practicing a few single-leg squats (pistols) here and there! I can do 1 on the bosu!!!


Breakfast= 0.25 cups cashews, 0.25 cups pumpkin seeds, 0.25 cup pistachios, apple, banana

Lunch= 0.75 cups cashews, apple, banana

Snack= 2 Tbsp natural peanut butter, small piece of dark chocolate, a glass of grapefruit juice

Dinner= 1.75 cups pinto beans, 1 avocado, olive oil, vegetables, salsa, kale chips cooked in coconut oil

Dessert= 2 oranges, a glass of pineapple juice

3300 kcal, 191 g fat, 366 g carb, 86 g protein

[trainer_j0hn]

I did a bunch of side plank and single-arm forearm plank on my left arm and some wall-sits with clients yesterday and today. Single-arm forearm plank is really hard! My personal workout today was as follows:

For time:

20 Side-to-side plyometric bench jumps (no pause between jumps, 16 inch bench)

Single-arm dumbbell squat to shoulder press on bosu= 20 reps @ 20 lbs, 15 @ 30, 12 @ 40 with just my left arm.

16 single-leg (pistol) squats (8 on each leg)

Leg press= 10 reps @ 180 lbs, 10 @ 270, 8 @ 360, 6 @ 450, 6 @ 450

Single-leg wall-sit= 2 sets of 30 seconds each leg.

150 meters of walking lunges

Time = 29:00

Breakfast / lunch: 2 cliff bars, a banana, half a bar of dark chocolate, and some peanut butter.

Dinner: 1.5 cups lentils (dry weight), 0.75 cups (dry weight) brown rice with black barley and radish seeds, with guacamole and salsa

Dessert: A mango, an orange, and a tall glass of pineapple juice

3600 kcal, 160 g fat, 460 g carbs, 98 g protein

[trainer_j0hn]

I taught a few abs classes today.

My own workout today:

0.5 mile (800 meter) run in 2:30!

Single-arm forearm plank on my left arm= 2 minutes (which was way harder than I expected! My shoulders give out on planks way before my core gets tired).

Breakfast= A few handfuls of roasted sunflower seeds
Lunch= 2 apples, 2 bananas
Dinner= Brown rice, black beans, collard greens, tomatoes, olive oil, and a glass of grapefruit juice!

~2200 kcal, 100 g fat, 300 g carbs, 60 g protein.

I don't think I got enough calories today, but the collards are loaded with micronutrients, so I feel okay about it!

[trainer_j0hn]

I spent the weekend swimming and climbing some trees and rope swinging out over the river. It was a pretty good workout. Today I taught a bunch of abs classes and did lots of planks with clients.

My own workout today:

500 meter sprint in 1:28

Single-arm dumbbell squat to shoulder press on bosu: 15 @ 25 lbs, 12 @ 35, 10 @ 40

20 single-leg (pistol) squats

Single-arm overhead dumbbell walking lunges: 60 meters with 25 lb dumbbell overhead

Hack squat machine: 12 @ body-weight plus 220 lbs, 15 @ body-weight plus 220 lbs

Time = ~24:00

Breakfast= 2 apples
Lunch = A banana, some sunflower seeds, 2 cliff bars and some natural peanut butter
Snack = 4 beers
Dinner= 1.25 cups (dry) lentils, 0.5 cups (dry) brown rice, tomatoes, onions, olive oil, garlic
Dessert= A mango, 4 oranges, and some blueberries

4300 kcal, 202 g fat, 450 g carbs, 110 g protein

[trainer_j0hn]

(This is actually yesterday's entry, I just didn't have time to post it yesterday):

I ran 800 meters (0.5 miles) in 2:25!!!! Then I attempted some close-grip pronated chin-ups, but I could only do about 15 because my muscles have seriously atrophied. I ended up completing 30, but it took 3 sets. I didn't feel any pain in my shoulder when doing the chin-ups, but I'm feeling some pain now, although I am not necessarily attributing said pain to the chin-ups. I cooled down with some rotational rehab work for the shoulder with some 3 lb dumbbells.

Breakfast: Some roasted sunflower kernels and a few glasses of Olde English malt liquor.
After my run and chin-ups, I had a carrot cake Cliff Bar (the best flavor ever by the way)!!!
Snack: ~1/3 cup of natural peanut butter
Dinner: Some brussel sprouts, some pinto beans, some brown and wild rice, olive oil, and vegetables
Dessert: 2 oranges and a glass of grapefruit juice.

I doubt I got enough calories today so I'm not going to add it all up and get depressed about it

[Baby Hercules]

Keep the faith, John. Stay awesome.

Baby Herc

[trainer_j0hn]

Thanks Herc! I was wondering when someone might comment on my log!

[Baby Hercules]

Thanks Herc! I was wondering when someone might comment on my log!

Don't sweat it, John. Sometimes the number of logs and journals in here is overwhelming, you just can't read them all. When one stands out, you dive in. I went through a one-armed period a little while back after a bike accident. I had to deal with a concussion as well as a separated shoulder. Concussions do all sorts of weird things to your motor skills and strength, sometimes even with a boomerang effect. But I'll tell you one thing for sure: when your body is already familiar with the gym, it's faster and easier to heal when stuff sets you back. For that reason, you're moving at warp speed compared to most of America. Hell, you're ten times stronger injured than a "normal" guy is when he's well. Your body already knows what to do, all you have to do is get out of your own way and watch the horse run! (I said that last part with a South Carolina accent thanks to some SC friends of mine. Hope you heard it.)

Baby Herc

PS: Watch out for those healing spasms that cramp you up in the middle of the day for no reason at all, like when you open a door or brush your hair. Suck-o-rama.

[trainer_j0hn]

It has been about a month since I injured my right infraspinatus. Things like taking off a shirt, taking off socks and shoes, brushing teeth, picking up anything, et cetera still result in shooting pain. But I'm making good progress with cardio and legs I think.

Did a 400m (0.25 mile) sprint in 72 seconds at 7:30 am. Brutal. I thought I was going to throw up.

Then I taught a chest and back circuit class and 2 core classes. I did some single-arm forearm plank. Fun. I had 16 people in my core classes this morning!

Then after work, I did the following for time:

30 side to side plyometric jumps, 18 inch tall bench
25 squats on the Bosu
30 SINGLE-LEG (PISTOL) SQUATS ON THE BOSU. This was today's main event. I did 15 on each leg. It took me 3 sets to get 30 reps). Pistols with my left leg are harder for some reason.
Leg press: 8 reps @ 135 lbs, 6@225, 6@315, 6@405, 6@500
400m (0.25 mile) sprint in 72 seconds (this one was way easier than the one this morning!!)

Time: 27 minutes.

After working out, I had breakfast, my first food of the day. I had some orange juice, a carrot cake cliff bar, and about a cup of roasted cashews. 5 glasses of hard cider later I decided to go do some silly cardio (nonsense including but not limited to: single-leg running up and down stairs, single-leg two 200m (0.25 mile) hops, throwing and bouncing a tennis ball and chasing after it, doing nueromuscular drills with tennis ball, single-arm flexed arm hang with my good arm for 25 seconds) outside. It was 90 degrees and sunny today! Other than all the car-exhaust fumes and other air pollution like from the port and various factories, it was nice outside. Did you know that a plant-based diet results in fewer emissions of many air pollutants?

I think I am going to have a big dinner with lentils and brown rice and brussel sprouts and vegetables and olive oil and 6 or 7 pieces of fruit for dinner around 11 tonight

[trainer_j0hn]

Did a few sprints this week. Did some single-arm flexed arm hangs and some single-arm inverted rows. Started doing uphill sprints. On Sunday I did a 400 meter sprint with the incline on 6 in 72 seconds. I about passed out. Then I did 30 single-leg pistol squats on the bosu. On Monday, I did a 2 mile open water swim and got sucked out to sea by the rip current. It was scary.


Today's workout, for time:

25 jump squats, from parallel to land on the Bosu
30 squats on Bosu
50 PISTOL SQUATS ON THE BOSU! (It took me 5 sets, but I finished).
10 single-arm chin-ups at negative 18 kilograms (-40 lbs). It took me 2 sets to get 10.
5 single-arm inverted rows at level 12 on our smith (~45 degree angle?)

Time: 22:00

After my workout, I had some orange juice, some avocado, some cashews, some peanut butter, and some dark chocolate with mint and coconut oil and some hard cider!!!

[C.O.]

How've you been, how's the arm?