pjb45 Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Here is the deal: I went through 5xday for 4 weeks of chemo. Then 5 months of chemo 3x per week. I have been off chemo for about six weeks. The doctor said it would be 12 months before I regain the strength I had pre-chemo. My basic exercises are: curls, presses, upright rowing. I either walk or ride my bike 5-6 days a week. I am doing 5x4 of the basic exercises a couple times a week. The 4th is pretty hard but I get it done. What would you recommend I add to my basic exercises? Thanks in advance. paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
practical_man Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 Paul, Not sure what to say about your misfortune. Seems like you're on the path to recovery. I have had some pretty serious injuries over the years. I'll spare you the details, but successful recovery followed the general path of getting mobility back, then aerobic balanced with anerobic strength. Looks like you're on that path. Don't overlook stretching. It's really important to both strength and range of motion. I use it as an "active recovery" approach to rest days - do stretching on days you don't exercise. Stretching should include some balance work as well. I like the BOSU ball, but you can get the same result with standing on the edge of stairs, or soup cans or whatever you have around the house to get started. This also strengthens your core. I would also add grip strength as a deliberate activity. Captains of Crush are hard to beat - and don't overlook stretching your hands. I have bad tendonitis in hands and elbows that's related to nerve damage. I stretch hands a lot. Shoulder stability is important in our sport too. Side raises in addition to your upright rows will help quite a bit. Also range of motion for the shoulders with lighter weight. If you're feeling up to it, do the Turkish Get-up. One set of 4-8 reps each side will get your heart pumping and help a lot with erector muscles. It's optimized for a kettlebell, but you can do it with any dumbell too. You'll see me post a question about tendonitis soon. I have small boys and what I call "baby elbow" - pain in both elbows from holding twin infants a lot. I've tried lots of stuff with guidance from a physical therapist but not had much luck. Docs tell me it's more persistent because of cervical nerve damage from my last tour in A-stan; surgery didn't really fix the next so it propagates thru the body. Luckily, G-d has blessed me with some resilience and I'm glad it's not worse than it is. Persevere in your recovery and do try to be patient. -john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricG Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Functional training with light strength Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainOverkill Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 Don't neglect your lower body, even if it's just bodyweight squats or lunges. These will also help with core strength/stability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmalin06 Posted December 7, 2016 Share Posted December 7, 2016 Focus on strengthening your core. A strong Core is a perfect foundation for those other lifts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thatsme Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 Crossfit. You can scale workouts and they are good quick workouts to build strength, speed and muscle stability. Just make sure you do a lot of research on the box (gym) you are looking into to make sure the trainers are legit and not just affiliate certificate holders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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