I am very unathletic and I paid for it

[DEVILsSON]

You may be reading too much into your accident. You could be an enormous human being with dense bones and yet still step of a curb and fall down and break an ankle/leg/arm/etc.

If anything I would go to a doctor and have a full body check up to make sure you don't have any medical conditions which effect your bone density, predispose you to fractures, etc.

If everything comes back normal, I would encourage you to start doing progressive strength training to build up your musculoskeletal system. You may consider bodyweight exercises or use freeweights. There is nothing wrong with starting low and growing stronger.You may also want to look into exercises to improve your balance and proprioception.

Image from Wikipedia. Not my x-ray, but it's very similar to mine.
I was seriously scared by that new virus, but what actually got to me (so far) was a wet, slippery floor of my local gym where I went earlier this month (for one last workout before they close it). I tried to hit the punching bag with a high knee and I slipped on a wet spot on the floor, immediately lost balance and violently hit the floor. All my weight landed on my left arm. Luckily. Otherwise might hit my head or back. The result is that I completely broke my humerus bone - the long bone from the shoulder to the elbow. It was not too painful at the moment. Just when I had to move it and in the ambulance because of the vibrations from the road. The next day I went for operation, they put metal rod inside the bone to align the two pieces and locked it with screws. I am fine now, little pain, but it's very tolerable.

The reason I decided to write this thread is because I think I wouldn't broke anything (or wouldn't broke it that bad) if I was even somewhat athletic. I am the furthest thing from athletic person. I am not strong, fast, agile. At all, at all. I don't have the balace, the coordination, the flexibility... I am so sure that if I was at least a OK athlete I wouldn't get injured that bad, or would avoid getting injured at all. Combat sports fascinate me and anything else that is not in the form of a competitive game bores the shit of me. When you combine this with weak, unprepared for the dynamics of the sport body and a stupid man who sometimes rushes into things - it gets very dangerous.

I've always knew that I am very subpar athlete. And I've made numerous attempts in addressing that. But what is recommended for people in my position turned out too boring for me and I never sticked with it. So I decided to take up a sport and get into shape by doing it. But was too enthusiastic to do the fun stuff like punching the heavybag or sparring and didn't do the strength and conditioning stuff and the other workouts that a guy with zero athleticism really needs in order to develop an athletic base.
(sorry for bad english, not my 1st language)

Do some of you have a similar story?

 

[wufabufa]

That honestly seems more like a freak accident. As a 32 year old man I can't imagine your bone density being so poor that a fall like that should result in a complete fracture of one of the biggest bones in your body. If you are worried about bone density being an issue then weight bearing exercises are key in addressing that once you're fully healed

As an anecdote, I have a friend that's your age. He's been mountain biking for nearly 20 years and has had some crazy slams. About 2 months ago he hit a small jump wrong and all he did was put his foot down when landing so he wouldn't completely fall over, something he's done thousands of times to keep from crashing. He ended up breaking his tibia and fibula. Again, it's a freak accident. And he's a pretty athletic guy, eats a decent diet, and works a physical job. It was just really bad luck. One of my professors in college did the same running a 5k. He was about 100 yards from the finish line with a pack of other runners, someone bumped him from behind and sure enough he snapped his tib/fib. Don't beat yourself up over this. Shit happens to everyone, and for a lot of people it's dumb simple things that end up causing the most damage.

Food for thought.

 

[Possum Jenkins]

If everything comes back normal, I would encourage you to start doing progressive strength training to build up your musculoskeletal system. You may consider bodyweight exercises or use freeweights. There is nothing wrong with starting low and growing stronger.You may also want to look into exercises to improve your balance and proprioception.

Yup. Hitting the weights is never not beneficial.

Strength training doesn't just build muscle, it strengthens tendons and increases bone density. Much less likely to break a bone from just a slip.

 

[SandisLL]

About accidents with falling.
To reduce risk to get injured really mentioned here judo is not bad : you will learn proper ukemi and automatise it.
Additional benefits from training is good sense of balance, you will get good automatization to shift weight quickly and properly, this too highly reduce risks to fall.
Plus there is stuff that with training in grappling arts you will better " smell " opponent's weight shifting when you will see him in front of you for example.
KB training, I a bit joking, as young teenagers we sometimes loved run on the ice with casual shoes who will keep running longer etc funny things, actually sense of balance from this developed pretty good.
-----------
Broken bones, might happen even with elite athletes and former elite athletes.
I think genetic factors too are in game: why some persons are 80 years old and didn't had any broken bone during all their life and another person, real former A+ level athlete had broken leg in small accident? Elite boxer with damaged hand versus some nobody that had killed his opponent in street fight sitting in court with healthy hands.

I also compare this immune system stuff: some 75 years old didn't had casual fly during last 35 years, despite he is old alcoholic and heavy smoker. Looks like God made him from rock, 0 broken bones in medical history, damn,I think he does have better liver than I: I can't consume his usual daily alco dosage ammounts.
I think I will die from vodka.

 

[Robocok]

I used to be really into cycling until I broke my wrist in a crash almost 10 years ago. I had done a little bjj prior to this and realized how ineffective my body type was for combat. Cycling is a power to weight sport, so the lighter you are at the same power output, the faster you go.

I've put on a decent amount of muscle in the last 10 years and I definitely feel more durable. I'm 6'2 and 210 now. I used to race at 165-170lbs.

I know if I had started lifting and training my upper body at a younger age then I'd be better off but I'm still happy with my progress since making the decision to focus on being more durable.

This is the type of physique that wins bicycle races (unless you're a sprinter in which case you can afford to be heavier):







Lifting weights will definitely strengthen your bones if you do it properly as will grappling (provided you don't injure yourself training).

 

[SandisLL]

Well, in motosport isn't that terrible but still, plenty of top guys are just relatively small guys, then they are lighter. 125ccm , 250 ccm usually largest guys are welterweight.
Horse riding: too, not that large size guys.

 

[Kyle Stephens]

Learning how to fall is essential and it ain't anything to do with athleticism, it's to do with your relationship with the ground and how you interact with it.

Agree. I am positive learning how to fall is mostly right technique. But my focus for now will have to be on physical therapy, strenght development - that kinda stuff. Sport specific training have to wait. A lot. My main strategy is to avoid falling at all. The right way to fall once I've lost balance is for sure part of it, tho.

My best was a full superman off a skateboard that hit a rock as I was ollying, I was about 5ft in the air and came down hard in a front breakfall on asphalt and got up entirely unharmed.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

Image from Wikipedia. Not my x-ray, but it's very similar to mine.
I was seriously scared by that new virus, but what actually got to me (so far) was a wet, slippery floor of my local gym where I went earlier this month (for one last workout before they close it). I tried to hit the punching bag with a high knee and I slipped on a wet spot on the floor, immediately lost balance and violently hit the floor. All my weight landed on my left arm. Luckily. Otherwise might hit my head or back. The result is that I completely broke my humerus bone - the long bone from the shoulder to the elbow. It was not too painful at the moment. Just when I had to move it and in the ambulance because of the vibrations from the road. The next day I went for operation, they put metal rod inside the bone to align the two pieces and locked it with screws. I am fine now, little pain, but it's very tolerable.

The reason I decided to write this thread is because I think I wouldn't broke anything (or wouldn't broke it that bad) if I was even somewhat athletic. I am the furthest thing from athletic person. I am not strong, fast, agile. At all, at all. I don't have the balace, the coordination, the flexibility... I am so sure that if I was at least a OK athlete I wouldn't get injured that bad, or would avoid getting injured at all. Combat sports fascinate me and anything else that is not in the form of a competitive game bores the shit of me. When you combine this with weak, unprepared for the dynamics of the sport body and a stupid man who sometimes rushes into things - it gets very dangerous.

I've always knew that I am very subpar athlete. And I've made numerous attempts in addressing that. But what is recommended for people in my position turned out too boring for me and I never sticked with it. So I decided to take up a sport and get into shape by doing it. But was too enthusiastic to do the fun stuff like punching the heavybag or sparring and didn't do the strength and conditioning stuff and the other workouts that a guy with zero athleticism really needs in order to develop an athletic base.
(sorry for bad english, not my 1st language)

Do some of you have a similar story?

I am also a naturally not very gifted person athletically but have been doing combat sports since I was like 12. Have avoided most severe injuries just by getting my body conditioned to impact, having developed my balance, reflexes, and just a general sense of what is dangerous or not. You will get there too.

 

[genecop]

Play your cards correctly and you should have funds to build your own gym..

 

[aus101]

Your legs are fine so start walking half an hour a day. Build it up to one hour of power walking. Do whatever pysio exercises your arm gets prescribed. In 6 months or whenever start lifting weights, by then you will be fit as hell from doing an hours power walking everyday.

 

[Eisenhans]

Olympic cyclist Yaroslav Kulhavy broke his arm in two places from falling.
Olympic horse rider Michael Jung broke his arm from a fall.
Olympic ski jumper Taihei Kato also broke his arm from a bad fall.
It also happens often in gymnastics and even in Judo - also at the highest levels.

In other words: Being athletic won't save you. Just be more careful.

 

[DoomPatrol]

Image from Wikipedia. Not my x-ray, but it's very similar to mine.
I was seriously scared by that new virus, but what actually got to me (so far) was a wet, slippery floor of my local gym where I went earlier this month (for one last workout before they close it). I tried to hit the punching bag with a high knee and I slipped on a wet spot on the floor, immediately lost balance and violently hit the floor. All my weight landed on my left arm. Luckily. Otherwise might hit my head or back. The result is that I completely broke my humerus bone - the long bone from the shoulder to the elbow. It was not too painful at the moment. Just when I had to move it and in the ambulance because of the vibrations from the road. The next day I went for operation, they put metal rod inside the bone to align the two pieces and locked it with screws. I am fine now, little pain, but it's very tolerable.

The reason I decided to write this thread is because I think I wouldn't broke anything (or wouldn't broke it that bad) if I was even somewhat athletic. I am the furthest thing from athletic person. I am not strong, fast, agile. At all, at all. I don't have the balace, the coordination, the flexibility... I am so sure that if I was at least a OK athlete I wouldn't get injured that bad, or would avoid getting injured at all. Combat sports fascinate me and anything else that is not in the form of a competitive game bores the shit of me. When you combine this with weak, unprepared for the dynamics of the sport body and a stupid man who sometimes rushes into things - it gets very dangerous.

I've always knew that I am very subpar athlete. And I've made numerous attempts in addressing that. But what is recommended for people in my position turned out too boring for me and I never sticked with it. So I decided to take up a sport and get into shape by doing it. But was too enthusiastic to do the fun stuff like punching the heavybag or sparring and didn't do the strength and conditioning stuff and the other workouts that a guy with zero athleticism really needs in order to develop an athletic base.
(sorry for bad english, not my 1st language)

Do some of you have a similar story?

Damn bro. That's not a very.... humerus story.

 

[Robocok]

Damn bro. That's not a very.... humerus story.

 

[DoomPatrol]

View attachment 761615

I'll let myself out.

 

[Kyle Stephens]

Update: I'm in my 6th week after the surgery. The range of motion of my arm is 90% back. Pain was bothering me up until the 4th week, especially at nighttime. Now I am almost pain free. The strength is nowhere near before the break, tho. I've lost a lot of muscle, maybe one third. I don't put any weight on the arm. I try to move it as much as I can and to stretch it. In the end of this month will do an x-ray to see how the bone is healing.

 

[Kyle Stephens]

Updade: I'm in my 11th week after the surgery. The range of motion is 95% I would say. Doctor say most cases it doesn't get fully back. But I'm OK with it. 95% ROM is enough for everything that I need to do with the arm. I don't feel any pain in normal situations. Only in sudden motions, when I have to pull something it gets painful, but pain goes away quickly. The pain is mostly on the ends of the rod, where it's fixated on the bone. I was given a green light on weigh training, but very very light. Naturally I have to do a lot of volume work. The muscles in the broken arm slowly grows back. The X-ray revealed bone is healing quicker than expected. It's not perfectly straight, tho. Has slight angle. Doctor say it't not cause for concern. If you didn't see the X-ray it's not noticeable on the outside. It doesn't feel or look crooked.

 

[thehighking]

Thank you guys for the support!
My plan for the future, after my arm completely heals, is to build an athletic base. No sports at all. Just drills and simple exercises. I know it will be slow and tedious process, but apparently - there is no way around it.
For sure. I don't wish you to get through this.

You can still do bodyweight squats while you're recovering. The sooner you start the sooner you'll be in shape and you can start lifting weights when you're better it's the best way of getting stronger.

 

[Kyle Stephens]

You can still do bodyweight squats while you're recovering. The sooner you start the sooner you'll be in shape and you can start lifting weights when you're better it's the best way of getting stronger.

The only thing for the legs that I do now is stationary bike for cardio. But I guess I'll add some squats too. Thanks.

 

[DEVILsSON]

Glad to hear you're mostly recovered.

 

[Kyle Stephens]

@DEVILsSON thank you.
A question to you or anyone that can help with a info:

How soon can I start doing any sports again? I like to play basketball, can I do that at least that until full recovery?Can I practice any type of impact sports once it's totally healed (a year from now) or is it too dangerous and I have to forget about it? Are my screws gonna pop out like Tim's if I start hitting the bag again? Thanks.