Injury concerns EDIT: What can I do whilst injured?

[Muddy]

EDIT: So I found out today I have actually injured myself. It is a long story, to do with my scapula and the surrounding muscles. I still need a proper evaluation but it means I wont be able to use the shoulder for a short time, and then Ill need to rehabilitate my shoulder again. So maybe a month until I can start working out again. I am incredibly frustrated, all of my injuries are getting me down. Atleast it isnt serious now

In the mean time I will keep on doing my cardio work. I'll work on my flexibility during this time as well. I have a home gym with a power rack, pullup bar, rings. Is there anything else I can do during my recovery? It can be anything that doesnt involve my left shoulder too much. Is there any core work I could do? Cheers for any advise.

-original message:

Hey guys new here.

I have Coach Sommers book and some rings on the way and I look forward to getting started. Ill read the book tomorrow, I started it today. I do not want to become a gymnast. I just want to use ring training and some parallette work in a fitness programme. I have experience with powerlifting training but I do not plan ro restart this.

I have a few concerns with using some gymnastic training.

1) I am 6'3" 85kg, roughly 12%bodyfat. My limbs are quite long, especially my legs. Is this a potential problem for injury? Do I need to be more careful or is it just that some things might be a bit harder? Gymnasts tend to be about 1 foot shorter than me

2) I am extremely inflexible. For example if I try touching my toes with locked knees I can get to just below my knees and I think it helps I have large hands with long fingers. I have read on here that you should start with 1 30 minute serious stretching session. Then when it stops hurting you do 2 and increase it. Does anyone have any guidance for this?

3) This is actually my main concern. 1 year ago (28 jan 2011) I broke my scapula in 2 different places. My left scapula. So I wore a sling and went through physio. The doctor said 6 months until it heals and 8 months until I could go back into sport. I had a check up after a few months and he said it had pretty much healed by then and it looked ok. I have taken time off of sport until december 2011. Just some cycling and running nothing serious. Something in my shoulder still feels a bit odd, like it isnt quite right. I dont know if its just weak. It doesnt hurt during the exercise really, just feels a bit weak sometimes. It is always more painful after a workout, it experience DOMS more.

4) Elbow and Knee crunching. It is not like a clicking finger or joint. It is lots of little cracks. With my knee for example, if I am standing up and do a quad stretch by bending my knee and pulling my leg back, there is no crunching. If I am lying down and I bend my knee, there is no crunching. If I squat, it crunches after a certain point, if I lunge it crunches as well. I dont know when my elbow does it, but its the same noise as knees. Lots of little cracks that dont go away like other cracks.

I do also have clicky joint anyway. My fingers, elbows, hip, back, feet, toes all click. Single clicks that are like clicking fingers. I never click on purpose, it just happens throughout the day when I move about

none of this causes any pain

Appreciate any help

[Blairbob]

I have clicky joints as well but no real joint pain when they click. In my shoulders, it means things aren't quite aligning.

While many gymnasts are a foot shorter than you, there are still plenty of gymnasts in college that are 5'6 to 5'9 or 10 in the US.

Just because your limbs are long does not mean they are predisposed to injury. If they are weak, especially in bent limb movements, then possibly they are at risk.

[Muddy]

I have clicky joints as well but no real joint pain when they click. In my shoulders, it means things aren't quite aligning.

While many gymnasts are a foot shorter than you, there are still plenty of gymnasts in college that are 5'6 to 5'9 or 10 in the US.

Just because your limbs are long does not mean they are predisposed to injury. If they are weak, especially in bent limb movements, then possibly they are at risk.

Thanks for the response

It is sometimes clicking and sometimes crackling. Lots of little popping sounds. So when I squat, on the way down when I break parallel there are maybe 10 little pops in quick succession. Like popcorn popping. It doesnt go away no matter how many sets or reps I do.

[froggy]

Popping happens a lot with my knees and shoulders too. I would like to hear what others have to say about this.