09/19/2016
One thing I have seen time and time again, as a fitness professional,
are injuries: athletic injuries, intramural sports injuries, non-contact injuries, degenerative disorder-related injuries, and even injuries from other trainers doing the wrong thing with their clients. That's right... your trainer can hurt you. Be very mindful and do your research! So, here's a story about that...
Rhabdomyolysis, in the muscles, let's say the arms, is a level of muscle tissue breakdown that occurs at far too high a rate for the body's natural processes to adjust to, which releases toxic amounts of waste products into the bloodstream. These toxins quickly overtax the kidneys, throwing the victim into the early stages of failure. I got a message from a fellow trainer, who was experiencing profuse and painful swelling in her arms. Her trainer had erroneously made her do an overabundance of "negatives," where a person is handed a heavier weight than they can curl with their arms, at the top of the range of motion. Then, they are to slowly let the bar down to about 50 - 70% of ROM, at which time the trainer takes the bar away. Lather, rinse, repeat. He had her repeat far too many times, particularly considering she had not conditioned to doing negatives over a period of time, which would be recommended under military fitness protocols, among many other life preserving mandates. I insisted she get to either an ER or Urgent Care, which she did, promptly. The doctor confirmed the condition, and immediately forced intravenous fluids for 24 hours. This must be done to flush out the kidneys to avoid further damage. There are a lot of ways the body responds negatively to various overwhelming stressors, and this is just one of them.
I hear a lot of talk about how these "cry baby" athletes, such as in the NFL, should stop whining about everything when they're making tens of millions of dollars. So, if that's you... please consider this amazing, one time offer!!
"I agree to pay you $15 million a year for five years, with $27 million in guaranteed money, and then after less than a year I get to take your leg and force your knee in a direction and movement that knees were never intended to go. Grade 3 ACL tear. Mind you now, I am an athletic 6'2", 225 pounds, and have strength and power and conditioning. The guys who would really get to break you range from about 6'1" to 6'7", and weigh between about 245 - 325 pounds, and the upper range ones tend to be even quicker than me in short burst speed. Then, I get to guarantee you a much higher likelihood of re-injury than the first break, or ligament tear, or concussion. This means, second, maybe third or fourth season, I'm back, and I get to tear your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and just for kicks I'll detach your medial collateral ligament (MCL). Don't worry, the MCL normally heals on its own in 4 - 8 weeks, but since it is associated with an ACL tear, it may take longer. The ACL will require surgery. You get to sit on the sidelines and help cheer on your teammates. Oh, and because of some weird timing and things that are specified in your contract, you are now only eligible for half this year's money. So, say goodbye to 7.5 million. At the end of the year, when your team is building its new roster, you get cut because of your "drop in skill level," which allows them to get out of contract with you. Lawyers. Say goodbye to the remaining 30 million on your contract. How do those millions feel now? Was it enough to be broken, brutally, repeatedly? Will it be worth the headaches that may lead to CTE, potentially driving you to su***de? How about the possibility that you may end up using a walker two decades too early, because the cumulative damage took its toll on your legs? Say goodbye to chasing the grandkids around.
These guys "take it on the chin" for the world's viewing pleasure, and many of them don't make it to sixty, if that. Their job doesn't need to be made any harder for them, or their rights to express an opinion criticized (particularly when it's justified). *perfect soapbox dismount*
Protect yourself from injury every time you go to do any physical activity. Now, go knock yourself out! :-P
http://mashable.com/2014/02/01/nfl-injuries-infographic/
