Limitations

[Teros]

Ok, so I posted this in my current challenge thread (in my sig) but I figured I would post this here as well:

 

I've been bothered by something the past couple of workouts and maybe someone can either give advice or idk; something.  I feel like my muscles can handle everything I'm doing and do even more; but my problem is other parts of my body.  For example, with the tire-ups I need to take the break because the palms of my hands are killing me.  It is NOT because my arm muscles are burning and need a rest.  I mean, that's a big difference.  For certain stretches and when trying planks; it's being on my knees/elbows that hurts and not the tightening of muscles.

 

Now I should make note of something; I WAS 130 pounds overweight.  Today I'm 100 pounds overweight.  So just my sheer bodymass is most likely the cause of why my joints/bones/hands/ect are giving out before my muscles.  It's just..... discouraging.  It's like my muscles are doing kick-ass but I can't progress as fast as I want to because of OTHER physical limitations.  I guess I'm just realy bummed about it.  If there are others that are significantly overweight; does this happen to you as well?  Are there solutions? (besides the obvious- lose weight- I'm doing that duh).  Or am I missing something and there's something else I can do to overcome this?

 

Thanks to anyone with advice.

[insanity]

I would just say that you have to realize not everything is going to be caught up... you're going to have weak links. Accept em and work on em, I have the same issue with hand strength, my hands give out long before anything else (I'm also an office worker, so I don't use grip strength much). As a result, I'm looking at going to a rock climbing gym to both work on a fear of heights and a fun way to work on grip strength.

[Teros]

Well for me it's not really gripping that's the problem.  When I do pushups, it's the palms of my hands that hurt.  It's the pressure on my knees.   I know that when you use free weights, they twist a bit and there's room for improvement on grip strength.  I'm just not sure that's the problem.  I think it's just supporting the weight itself. 

 

I've been doing warhammer training, and that's flinging around a 20 pound sledgehammer for 100+ reps.  I need to have a lot of grip and I know my grip has improved significantly from doing that.  Not sure what else I can/should do.

[Vintage]

My rheumatoid arthritis can cause similar problems for me. My joints (particularly my hands/fingers and feet) will start hurting and sending my brain stop that right now! signals long before my muscles give out. It's incredibly frustrating. I was doing weighted step-ups the other day and had to do my last set without dumbbells because my hands hurt trying to grip them, not because I wasn't strong enough in my quads to do the exercise. For the most part this is a mental barrier - I'm not actually doing any damage to  the parts that are hurting by pushing through, but it's unbelievably difficult to keep going when I'm in that much pain.

 

Sometimes I let the frustration take over and get depressed and discouraged. But other times I do a good job of reminding myself that it is what it is and I should be proud of myself for everything I've accomplished. 

 

The upside is you're working on this and it will get better. This is temporary. Oh, and there's no shame in putting something soft under your knees for push-ups or under your forearms for planks.

[wideeyed]

My rheumatoid arthritis can cause similar problems for me. My joints (particularly my hands/fingers and feet) will start hurting and sending my brain stop that right now! signals long before my muscles give out. It's incredibly frustrating. I was doing weighted step-ups the other day and had to do my last set without dumbbells because my hands hurt trying to grip them, not because I wasn't strong enough in my quads to do the exercise. For the most part this is a mental barrier - I'm not actually doing any damage to  the parts that are hurting by pushing through, but it's unbelievably difficult to keep going when I'm in that much pain.

 

Sometimes I let the frustration take over and get depressed and discouraged. But other times I do a good job of reminding myself that it is what it is and I should be proud of myself for everything I've accomplished. 

 

The upside is you're working on this and it will get better. This is temporary. Oh, and there's no shame in putting something soft under your knees for push-ups or under your forearms for planks.

This.

I have fibromyalgia. I need to lose at least 50 lbs, and I am 48 with the beginnings of arthritis in hips and knees. The pain is nerve based, not muscle based, but it is HARD to work through it. Have you tried incline/wall push-ups and/or planks? Takes the knees out of the picture, and reduces the weight on your palms as well. Make accommodations that work for your body, and be patient with yourself. I walk most days. I swim when I can. Water aerobics/resistance classes are amazing. You work ALL the things with resistance from the water, but no stress on joints.

Just hang in there. That is how we get stronger and better.

I celebrate micromovements and all improvements.

[Misugrrl]

I understand where you are coming from, as I suffer from lower back pain because of an injury and subsequent surgery, and to this day have nerve damage. I do have days that are better than others, but when the pain is bad, and the nerve pain wraps around both hips and shoots down my right leg (which as a result, is significantly weaker than my left leg, due to the injury and subsequent nerve damage), it is hard to work through it. 

 

I will modify my workouts on days where the pain is bad. For example, I'll do my cardio on the recumbent versus the elliptical or treadmill, so that I can remain seated and give my lower back the break.  On strength training days, I won't do any exercises that require me to bend forward and lift anything heavy.  I find ways of modifying what I'm doing in order to continue my workouts, because I believe that as long as I'm moving and doing something, I *am* progressing. Maybe not at the pace I'd like, but I am progressing nevertheless.

 

For your knees, have you thought about gardening knee pads? I know it sounds crazy, but they sell knee pads that are nicely padded for gardening.  And they're super cheap:  http://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-9430-Contoured-Fit-Knee-Pads/dp/B003NMZQYW/ref=zg_bs_3480679011_5

 

I don't think I fully understand the issue with your palms, but would these gloves help?  http://www.amazon.com/ProFlex-910-Impact-Glove-Support/dp/B000H8713O/ref=sr_1_65?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1376868124&sr=1-65&keywords=palm+pads

 

Sometimes issues with our palms are because of our wrists - the nerves will make us feel pain in one area, when the issue really is another, and often, it is the wrists (the joint). These gloves have good wrist support, and the palms seem nicely padded.

 

Don't be discouraged. You're moving. You're trying. And you are progressing.  Just find a way to work around your own personal challenges.