everything
Level 4 Valued Member
Hi all, I found your excellent forum after reading some advice on various subreddits. I want to ask for some advice, but first some background. Sorry for the long thread, but I think some details will help you understand the context for my questions.
Long term:
- My main sport is association football/soccer. I am primarily right footed, which means I usually have asymmetrical strength/balance demands due to my left side being the posting/standing/support/plant leg.
- I have relatively short legs and long torso, and seem to be naturally quad dominant.
- I have a long-term injury affecting my left shoulder.
- In my 40s and probably should retire from my main sport, but it is too fun to quit, so I try to play in my age group and at appropriate pace.
Short term:
- Tore my left calf. Classic middle-aged male tennis player injury. Been almost 6 months and it's feeling pretty good. Trying to put on some muscle mass before returning to sport in a few months, slowly.
- Rehabbing my long term shoulder issue under guidance of incredibly good PT.
SO on to my questions:
- I had wanted to do mainly kettlebell swings and Turkish getups. I have ruled out the getups for now due to my shoulder; not sure I'll ever do these, which I really lament. Posting on my left arm seems to be the main issue/question even if I restart with very light weight (eg., 5 lb dumbbell). KB swings I can likely resume soon, but it's better if I use light weight with only the right arm, possibly two handed. In the short term (or maybe permanently) I was thinking I can do this instead:
- single-leg Romanian deadlift with body weight or very light weight only. work on my hamstring/quad imbalance and core.
- calf raises (obviously strengthening my rehabbing calf as well as the other one for "prehab").
- bodyweight squats and leg press (no weights on my shoulder).
- possibly work up to pistols.
- some ab work that is yet to be identified (I was hoping the KB swings and TGU would be good for this, but I may never do those 2 exercises again, not sure).
- maybe isometric work with the arms: this will be more of a question for my PT, but any commentary welcome.
TL;DR: injured calf and shoulder. Can't do KB swings and TGU. Want to do lower body bodyweight instead.
If you actually read this far, thank you so much. Could you recommend if this is a good plan and what you would modify, or what you might suggest in much more detail?
Long term:
- My main sport is association football/soccer. I am primarily right footed, which means I usually have asymmetrical strength/balance demands due to my left side being the posting/standing/support/plant leg.
- I have relatively short legs and long torso, and seem to be naturally quad dominant.
- I have a long-term injury affecting my left shoulder.
- In my 40s and probably should retire from my main sport, but it is too fun to quit, so I try to play in my age group and at appropriate pace.
Short term:
- Tore my left calf. Classic middle-aged male tennis player injury. Been almost 6 months and it's feeling pretty good. Trying to put on some muscle mass before returning to sport in a few months, slowly.
- Rehabbing my long term shoulder issue under guidance of incredibly good PT.
SO on to my questions:
- I had wanted to do mainly kettlebell swings and Turkish getups. I have ruled out the getups for now due to my shoulder; not sure I'll ever do these, which I really lament. Posting on my left arm seems to be the main issue/question even if I restart with very light weight (eg., 5 lb dumbbell). KB swings I can likely resume soon, but it's better if I use light weight with only the right arm, possibly two handed. In the short term (or maybe permanently) I was thinking I can do this instead:
- single-leg Romanian deadlift with body weight or very light weight only. work on my hamstring/quad imbalance and core.
- calf raises (obviously strengthening my rehabbing calf as well as the other one for "prehab").
- bodyweight squats and leg press (no weights on my shoulder).
- possibly work up to pistols.
- some ab work that is yet to be identified (I was hoping the KB swings and TGU would be good for this, but I may never do those 2 exercises again, not sure).
- maybe isometric work with the arms: this will be more of a question for my PT, but any commentary welcome.
TL;DR: injured calf and shoulder. Can't do KB swings and TGU. Want to do lower body bodyweight instead.
If you actually read this far, thank you so much. Could you recommend if this is a good plan and what you would modify, or what you might suggest in much more detail?