Lacking Wrist Mobility from Previous Injury

Hi,

I severely injured my right wrist 6 years ago and though it has regained its strength in both compression and tension (I lift heavy with no pain), it has never been able to move past 45 degrees in both directions.

Is GST a poor fit for me or are there work-arounds? Already the crab is impossible to get into. However, if people in similar situations have found reliable ways to improve mobility or train despite it, I'm keen to try.

Thanks for your input and suggestions,

Jake

I'm just starting and know little about this program, but I've been dealing with a wrist injury for over 20 yrs and know a bit about compensating. I had several of the small bones in my right wrist fused together back in the 80's. It extends only about 10 degrees, flexes about 60, radially barely at all, and ulnarly about 20. It is impossible for me to place my hand flat on the floor, the bones no longer move that way. The muscles have more flexibility than the joints permit movement. So, when doing something that requires my hands to be flat on the floor, like a push-up, I place my hand on the floor, fingers splayed, palms off the floor, weight resting on the base of the fingers (the knuckle ridge's inner side). I do both hands the same way to maintain balance. This is simply the best I can do and it works well enough for most things. However, I have recently begun to realize that my left hand, which is perfectly normal, is suffering along with the right. In doing Day 3 exercises, I have chosen to do each hand separately. The right hand when placed palm up fingers towards me, ends up not only being behind my knee, but most of the way down my calf, because that is the best it can do. In short, I just do my best. I know going in that I'll never be able to do much of what's taught properly, but my goal is not to be perfect, just better. 

Hi Greg,

I read this post earlier this week and just had a chance to try it today. It works! 100%!

Thanks so much for passing on your experience, it's allowed me to move forward with the program. That's super cool of you to help out like that - I hope you have a great day!

-Jake

Parallettes are also a solid option where there's structural changes to the wrist itself. This will work for the majority of progressions in Fundamentals and Foundation. For something like crab with dynamic movement, you can use fists to keep the same neutral wrist position.

The importance of the forearm muscles can't be stressed enough when discussing anything related to the wrist. Chronic tension will cause or exacerbate a number of issues related to the wrist. Towards this end, the wrist mobility of Day 3 is gold. If you spend any significant amount of time at a computer or desk, these are a daily necessity. 

Also good advice - I'll play around on both my fists and fingers.

Thanks for the tip on the Mobility Exercise as well, I'll definitely focus on that.

On 21/05/2016 at 11:23 PM, Cory Fair said:

The importance of the forearm muscles can't be stressed enough when discussing anything related to the wrist. Chronic tension will cause or exacerbate a number of issues related to the wrist. Towards this end, the wrist mobility of Day 3 is gold. If you spend any significant amount of time at a computer or desk, these are a daily necessity. 

Agreed. I had chronic wrist & elbow issues for years. After months of regular ART treatments on my seized up forearms, joint pain magically went away. Daily stretching and rolling out my forearms one a week with an Armaid has been a game changer. 

My question to Coach Summers or anyone else - is this modification a waste of time?

I have found that doing the day 3 wrist exercises on the floor as shown is very difficult - probably in part because of my amazing dad bod, my core is so pathetic that it is hard to control my body and thus right at the point my wrist hurts is about where the control of the rest of my body is at its worse.  So the result was too much pressure (or weight distribution on my hands/wrists).  So I have been doing the exercises from standing - I place my hands towards the edge of my kitchen table (or while at work my desk) and then gently complete the motions as in the video.  I have found this is allowing me to have better control as I lean forward, etc.  But is this defeating the point of the exercises? 

Thanks in advance.

Shawn

 * I know from listening to Summers on Tim Ferris podcast that connective tissue issues can take longer so perhaps I just need to continue to be patient?

Hi MIchael, actually no it is not a problem, the floor variation are good because everyone has a piece of floor available. scaling the exercise while maintaining the pattern or the goal it is fine.