I came across the concept while reading today “the fighter had a broken hand so he was working his kicks”.
It got me to thinking of other articles I’ve read stating the same principle, and I believe it’s a Winston Churchill quote ;
“If you can’t run – walk. If you can’t walk – crawl. If you can’t crawl – blink.”
All can do something.
The bedridden can study, and often could do arm and grip work, besides tense any muscle you can!
Imagine if the seriously disabled flexed with a purpose for years. Some would stop being disabled!
Oh, it’s an upper body injury is it then?
Train legs.
You hurt your what?
Dude, that’s lower body, train upper. You’re managing to walk, so walk between upper body machines.
All must train. There are zero excuses.
You are all the gym you need.
Boo hoo I don’t have a gym membership.
Lunges are free. Step outside.
I do so many pushups in the kitchen!
More coming up…
Limp around between upper body machines! I felt complimented that no one felt the need to ask why I was limping, they knew it didn’t matter – I train irregardless!
I’ve seen a dude in a wheelchair dip himself into and out of the chair, and onto a machine.
Completely paralyzed legs doing dips on his wheelchair. And at the gym doing what he can!
I’ve seen a dude with mostly paralyzed legs, crutch himself to the lat pulldown – where, as a gym floor regular, he spent significant time.
He had a big upper body, and talking with him he had powerlifted to a ~600 pull before a car accident. It looked to me that he still had his 181lb weight class upper body despite shriveled legs, if not having bodybuilt it larger since!
People have told me my consistency inspires them, I’ve heard this from everyone from late teen beginners to a rather upper body strong 50 something who you wouldn’t guess to be past 40 smashing pullups and dips.
What I do shouldn’t be inspiring!
My consistency should be the norm.
There are people making it happen in spite of way worse!
There are disabled gym floor regulars with significant upper body development, while I’m about to step outside and power snatch.
I’ve got it easy.
-J
6/8/22
And the strongest legged girl I’ve ever met, 19yo, squatting mid 300s, was doing this with cast over a broken forearm.