Help-training with an injury

[geo07]

Over the summer, I hurt my leg somehow and it's really been affecting my workouts. I kept going for a while, but I got disheartened and lost focus, mostly because leg day was my favorite. Anyway, with the new school year just starting up, I want to start over at the gym and work around my legs. I'm just having trouble coming up with a routine I enjoy that keeps me going to the gym a few times a week (I had been going 5 times before), so I'm turning to you guys for help. Hopefully someone can help me come up with something. Thanks.

[Aielyn]

Not sure about a good routine, but here's a question: what are you doing to help your leg to recuperate?

Are you doing stretches, etc? Or are you just letting it "rest" and hoping that it'll heal up?

[geo07]

I'm not really doing stretches. I would so it more, but it doesn't seem to target the area that hurts, so I just left it alone. I'm taking Aleve twice a day to decrease inflammation, since the doctor told me to do that last week.

[inm]

you don't say specifically what got injured, so generally:
1. take curcumin, fish oil. both anti-inflammatory and support healing
2. negative-only work: use other leg to rause the weight, use injured leg to slowly lower it. let the pain guide you as for load level.

this helped me a lot with an inflamed forearm/brachialis. Again, can't tell about your specific case..

as for motivation.. wtf?!? who doesn't love bench, shoulders, back or arms training? you have the perfect excuse to concentrate on them. then, when your legs heal, you put upper body on 'maintain', and bring legs to same level.

[Aielyn]

Originally Posted by geo07

I'm not really doing stretches. I would so it more, but it doesn't seem to target the area that hurts, so I just left it alone. I'm taking Aleve twice a day to decrease inflammation, since the doctor told me to do that last week.

Well then, you need to try other stretches. It all depends on where the injury is - for instance, if it's in the glute, then there's a couple I know of: for one, you stand with your back against a wall, and pull the leg up towards your chest, while for the other, you sit on the ground with your legs along the ground, and try to touch your toes. There are others, though.

Gentle stretches only, though. You don't want sharp pains, they're indicating damage being done.

[geo07]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I did actually go to the gym today and did arms, so I think I'm getting back in the swing of things. Besides, it'll give my upper body a chance to catch up since my legs were always a bit better developed
As for where exactly the injury is, it's on my upper thigh on my right leg, and it only ever hurts when I'm lifting, not during everyday things or even running

[Aielyn]

Originally Posted by geo07

As for where exactly the injury is, it's on my upper thigh on my right leg, and it only ever hurts when I'm lifting, not during everyday things or even running

My instinct is telling me that it might be your hip flexor that is the problem.

Try this stretch:

Hip Flexor Stretch - YouTube

[geo07]

Thanks! I think you may be right about that. I talked to a friend of mine who is fledgling personal trainer about it, and he also thought it was the hip flexor. I'll definitely try that tomorrow (when I'm less tired).

[BigAndyJ]

You'll need to let it heal mate before you train it again. In the meantime, work on something else. There's always something else you could be training better. Once healed you may not be able to go back to your old exercises. Try it light and monitor your response. If you start to feel your injury again stop and try other exercises for your legs. I