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Training for climbing when you cannot climb due to knee surgery (Read 4913 times)

Potash

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I'm starting to get enthusiastic about being able to climb again after a year of being unable to due to a knee injury. I want to begin training my upper body so that I am not as weak as a kitten when I can pull on again. Currently, I am non-weight bearing on one leg and will be non-impact on that leg for months to come. Bouldering will be out of the question for years.

I'm thinking fingerboard training (not to failure to ensure I always put the right foot down) and some form of weights.

Has anybody any good training articles on using weights and finger boarding only to train for climbing whilst injured?

Thanks

Oldmanmatt

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Once rigged up a sling below a finger board, just short enough to stop Mrs OMM touching the ground if she slipped; which she clipped her harness to from a small stool. She hardly used it and gave up climbing, but it did work when she bothered.

I can think of lots of ways to avoid loading/over loading a leg though.

Top roping, obviously, must be the best idea.

My daughter has been in a cast for the last 7 weeks, she's small enough for me to spot (as in catch) when bouldering (I know that's not going to cut it for an adult) but she's also had a session or two on the auto-belays at The Barn (because the Barn are not an uptight kind of wall). So as long as the wall is understanding, even without a belayer, that's an option.

I do lots of low level traversing and sit start type moves with quite disabled clients, with close spotting.


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Potash

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I think being realistic I am a couple of months at least from top roping stuff and I was also hoping to identify something that would be a bit more focused and not require a belayer.

The idea of fixing in hard when finger boarding so I can train to failure is an interesting one. I was also thinking of doing one or two move problems on a moon board.

webbo

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Following Achilles surgery early this year, I would do upper body weights, the a deadhanging session. I never felt I was going to fall off the finger board.

Potash

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I might just be being overly paranoid about coming down off a finger board but having just had a bone and cartilage allograft the Dr's and physios have really emphasised the risk of loading it especially with impacts.

Oldmanmatt

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You know, the tape, on a bolt, somewhere highish on a steep board might work too. I might have a play when I'm back at work next week.


All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. I always forget to put those smiley things...

andy_e

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Fingerboarding topped up with exploring the Mojave Desert on the local cactus drink?

Potash

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Certainly exploring the Mojave, not sure about the cactus juice though......

I'm hopeful that I might actually be able to have a working knee soon so I can combine exploring the desert with climbing remote cliffs

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As people have said, fingerboard and upper body weights could be good. Maybe get into the habit of doing some floor-based core?

Some Spanish friends toprope up double-length campus boards for ancap stuff. Maybe ask nicely at your local wall if there's a way of doing something similar?

Good luck!

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I am non-weight bearing on one leg and will be non-impact on that leg for months to come.

Hi - I've been training through a similar situation after fracturing my tib/fib 5 weeks ago, although my new shiny titanium tibia means I can weight-bear and should be back to climbing sooner than you..

I decided to use the time off work to do a pretty intensive fingerboard program, all documented in power club..
I've been paranoid about avoiding impact, but none-the-less have indulged in a little of what might be considered high risk behaviour! I tried OMM's idea of sling and harness under the board, which works but I don't bother to use it any more. I generally use the small BM crimps, and do frequently smear off them suddenly due to loss of friction - not good, but I've just got used to holding my bad leg out of the way so it doesn't take impact.

I add quite a lot of weight for my hangs and it has been challenging just to stand up with one leg before I even reach the board - I've set up a daisy chain from under my board so I pull myself up to standing with that now..
I also put a lot of work into making sure I have a flat, padded unobstructed landing area.

Weighted pull-ups/1-armers feel much safer..

Good luck!

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I went through a pretty similar experience back in 2010. Tore my PCL, LCL and PFL which all got replaced. I did fingerboard from quite early on. Not a lot - it wasn't very motivating! 

I found that one session every week to 10 days was enough to  maintain a rough plateau of finger and upper body strength. I even did some when still in my  brace - just don't train to failure!!  If you train in control, there's no reason why you won't be able to safely lower back to your good leg.

Depending on what you've done and how hard you smash the physio there's no reason it'll be years until bouldering again. I started off with easy trad and sport climbing and did my first Fr8a 13 months after the operation and 3 months after starting climbing again. I can't remember exactly when I started indoor bouldering again but I was certainly bouldering outdoors 8 months after starting climbing again. I wrote a blog about it all at the time:

http://pcl-rehab.blogspot.co.uk/


Potash

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Thanks for writing and linking to your blog. It's good to read how others have managed in similar situations. Your comments about being sent home from A&E after being X-rayed and told there was nothing wrong are very familiar.

I tore my ACL, partially tore my PCL and put a series of tears in my medial meniscuses main horn and body. The real problem has been to the medial femoral condyle with a full-thickness osteochondral defect to the cartilage and subchondral fracture.

The medical people seem to be well practised at putting ligaments and meniscuses back together but the cartilage damage has been really troublesome and after failed microfracture surgery I've just also had a donor graft.

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Friend of mine shattered her leg trad climbing and spent the next several months under the 45deg board at the Castle. Worked out a 40 move circuit using one foot only. On a good day, using both feet I could do the first 6 moves. She couldn't weight the bad  foot at all.  Could you do something similiar? Warning! After 4 months she was both immensely strong and very depressed, although I don't think the latter was entirely due to endlessely repaeating the same moves in a dank basement I don't think it helped.

Fultonius

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Thanks for writing and linking to your blog. It's good to read how others have managed in similar situations. Your comments about being sent home from A&E after being X-rayed and told there was nothing wrong are very familiar.

I tore my ACL, partially tore my PCL and put a series of tears in my medial meniscuses main horn and body. The real problem has been to the medial femoral condyle with a full-thickness osteochondral defect to the cartilage and subchondral fracture.

The medical people seem to be well practised at putting ligaments and meniscuses back together but the cartilage damage has been really troublesome and after failed microfracture surgery I've just also had a donor graft.

Does sound like quite nasty one. Mine was a big smash and big surgery - but apparently it was quite a clean tear with no meniscus damage. I'm getting into fell running recently. Last weekend I did a 3hr, 14km, 1200m "run" and my surgery knee didn't even twinge, so all is still to play for!

DAVETHOMAS90

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Fingerboard workout for you!

I started doing this after a knee op, but use it increasingly now.

You will need bathroom scales, a one pad edge, and time to experiment.

Basic principle is obvious. Pull on the edge - I mostly use a 4 finger 90° grip, no thumbs - and note the load that comes off the scales.

A very simple workout that I often use, is 4 sets of 5 alternating L/R pulls, holding for 6 seconds, with no rest between pulls; 3 minutes rest between sets. Choose a load (body weight minus x) on the scales which means the last rep on each hand is only just achievable at that load.

Lots of ways of changing it up, e.g. just doing two finger pulls (at lighter load), working each hand separately on a repeater basis etc.

Loads of bar work/calisthenics to get your teeth into. Great fun too!

Hope that is useful, and best wishes with your recovery.  :strongbench:  :boxing:


DAVETHOMAS90

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Fingerboard workout for you!

I started doing this after a knee op, but use it increasingly now.

You will need bathroom scales, a one pad edge, and time to experiment.

Basic principle is obvious. Pull on the edge - I mostly use a 4 finger 90° grip, no thumbs - and note the load that comes off the scales.

A very simple workout that I often use, is 4 sets of 5 alternating L/R pulls, holding for 6 seconds, with no rest between pulls; 3 minutes rest between sets. Choose a load (body weight minus x) on the scales which means the last rep on each hand is only just achievable at that load.


A useful and easier progression involves standing on the scales at the same time as pulling on the edge. Moving the scales using telekinesis or other Jedi mind tricks is quite an advanced technique.  ;)

 

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