Birth Defect: Serious Problem... or is it?

Boxing Ask the Trainer
1

Alright, I really want to get into a new weight training, and more so eventually get into boxing.

Here’s the problem: I have a birth defect. I can’t twist my wrists. :-\

There are two bones that connect one’s elbow to his or her hand: the radius and the ulna.

In my case, the two bones are in fact ONE. :o
Well, not exactly one, so let me paint a picture for you:

Normal Radius + Ulna: =
Me: -<

As a result, I can’t properly lift (using my palms), I can’t even properly HUG. It’s that bad.

However, I do a lot of lifting and construction work anyway–probably unhealthy–and when I do lift my hands are all contorted so that I LIFT WITH MY FINGERS under what I’m carrying–not my palms. Let’s just say I have really strong fingers.

Okay, back to the point.

Questions:

How do I effectively weight train? Though a lot of things are still possible, there are a lot of machines at the gym I can’t use. I can’t even do arm curls, normally, with dumbells.

Needless to say, if I were to start boxing, EVERYTHING would be different. Training, punch motions, etc. Before you say “Gee, that’s too bad, don’t even bother boxing”, I can punch straight pretty damn hard, ironically enough. In fact, it’s just downright boggling how hard I can punch. Nonetheless, considering my condition, should I even try?

These things have been lingering in my head forever now, and for the first time I’m asking for some professional insight–from you guys. Thanks for reading this lengthy first post of mine on these forums.

Insight on training and boxing, ANYTHING, is much appreciated. :smiley:

-Me

2

Im not a doctor so can’t really comment on your condition. Your condition sounds rare, you probably need to consult an expert to talk about different weight training techniques.
On boxing, get down to a boxing gym and give it a go, as long as your arms aren’t in constant pain or anything I don’t see how it can be harmful to you. As you said, the movement of your arms, how you throw punches and defend etc., will be different to most people, but you won’t know if this is an advantage or a disadvantage until you give it a go.

3

So you can’t turn your radius and Ulna over one another?

Is it just in the wrist? What joints are affected and which ways can/can’t you move them?

4

I’d say this is a case for your doctor, if not a specialist. Perhaps they can perform surgery to seperate the 2 bones. ???

5

Do you have any flexibility in the Metacarpals(Palm of Hand)??

If so, I would work on Hand strength and flexibility a little more…

Depending on how straight it is along your arm from Radius/Ulna to your wrist/hand…

If it is pretty straight,

have you ever punched anything???
Can you do push ups on your fists??
Can you make a fist with your hands??

If so, I think from what you describe is actually a blessing more than it is a defect…

here is why…

We stay on our fighters about keeping their wrists straight when it comes to punching, it helps make them harder when connecting…Also, if the joint is fused, but strong, I think your punches would be like steel clubs with gloves on them or like a battering ram…making for good straight hard punches…

Be sure to talk to your Doctor though…

All we can give here is opinions and suggestions…

I would like to see how you hit the bag though…

If I am correct, you could have the upperhand, or should I say “upper-arm” when it comes to throwing punches…

Good Luck,

Coach

6

can you turn your punches…or are they more like hammer punches???

7

Precisely.

And yes, it’s ONLY in the wrist.

Hm… I’m not sure what you mean by straight. This might be a clearer picture:

Ball your right fist, and stretch it out in front of you, with your knuckles perpendicular to the ground, and leave it just like so. Notice YOUR elbow… it’s probably facing your right side like this >

With my right fist in the same form, MY elbow is facing downward.

Now, my arm as a whole can still twist and rotate, to a certain extent. So it’s not like i have a stiff straight arm at all times or anything-- which is why no one I’ve ever met has noticed my condition.

As far as your other questions… yes, as a result of my wrist not being able to rotate, my hand as a whole along with my fingers are extremely flexible.

And yes, I can do push-ups with my fist.

Also, I talked to my doctor and he insists there’s nothing technically problematic or hindering about my condition, besides, like I said, being able to properly lift things from the ground up, or, say, do a lay-up, playing basketball.
And as far as surgery, he says if ever I have any health problems with my wrists, as unlikely as it may be, or if ever I really am just that sick of certain hinderances, to give him a call. Heh.

Thanks a lot guys for your insight so far…

8

I am glad I read before I posted.. I agree with coach ! the straight wrist thing could be a benefit, but without seeing your condition its really hard to comment further. I will say this, I am pretty sure you can do anything you put your mind too, there are always ways to adapt to situations. its about overcoming adversity , reminds me of this fighter Craig Gator Bodzianowski 31-4-1 (24kos) who was a Cruiserweight got into motorcycle crash, had a leg amputated, came back and won the WBC Continental Cruiserweight title on one leg. Where there’s a will there’s a way . Good Luck I wish you the best !


9

Hey I read your post and I have something of the same problem. I can’t turn my wrist either. Like I can’t get change at a cashier type of thing and I can’t do pull ups with the wrists facing me, and I also can’t do normal dumbell curls. When I make a fist my elbow is downward too. I’m not sure if this is like your problem or not. I went to the doctor a couple of times and he says my bones by my elbow are fused together. He said there is not surgery because if they correct it, it will just go back to how it is now because of some chemicals in my body or something. Also my elbow cracks very silently when I bend it, I’m not sure if yours does too. I just had to post this because I have never met anyone else with this problem that I have and I wanted to see if it is the same thing.

10

Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.

Yeah, I’ve never met anyone else like this… but where your bones are fused at your elbow, mine are fused at my wrist. As far as surgery, my doctor says its do-able. :-\ I don’t know if this means my case isn’t as bad as yours or if the different locations at which are bones are fused make that big a difference. Either way…

Nice to meet you.

That all said, considering you’re on this forum, I can’t help but wonder… do you weight train? or box? or… what? If so, how does your condition affect you? Maybe I could use some pointers. O0

This New Board
This New Board
11

I am a senior in high school so I do a lot of conditioning. I’m on cross country and track so that covers about 20+ miles a week. I also jump rope a lot. I do weight train, but not as much as I used to. I don’t box though, I have a speed bag, soon getting a heavy bag, so I just like to mess around with that. My problem doesn’t really affect me, only when I lift weights. There are certain excercises that I cannot do properly like flys, dumbell curls, certain pull ups, arnold dumbell presses. But I just do what I can and its working out fine so far. I can still curl the weights, I just do hammer curls, for my flys I found a machine at my gym that works fine for me, arnold presses arn’t bad either, I just don’t connect the weights together at the bottom. So there is a way around most of it.

12

Does it hurt for you to punch the bag? Does it hurt to bend your wrist, or is it that you simpily can’t?

13

well I’m not a Doctor but i believe that anything is possible know a kid that only
has one arm and he boxes and his rec. is 13-1 so if this is something you really
want to do this you might have to work harder then every body els other then
that i say go for it :slight_smile: