Stair Chair Lifting help

[Caliza]

I will warn you first that this will probably get a bit long.



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I'm currently a paramedic student, and at the end of each semester we have benchmarks we have to meet for our lift testing (doing each lift on a stretcher, loading the stretcher in and out of an amublance, walking with a backboard and then taking a stair chair up and down two flights of stairs, switching ends with our partener and then doing the two flights up and down all over again).

I've been doing fine with the backboard and stretcher lifts, but I'm struggling a lot with my stair chair. The benchmark for the end of last semester was 190 pounds, but I didn't quite get there, so I had to take a "grade deferred". Fine. At the beginning of the current semester I injured my arm pretty bad, so (on doctors orders) there was a time period of about 3 weeks where I couldn't lift at all (and as such, not only could I not progress, but I lost a lot of the progress I had made beforehand.. and even after that three weeks was up I was easing myself back into it, as I didn't want to cause any further damage (and lets not forget that just as my arm was healing, I managed to sprain my ankle. Yeah, that past few months have not been fun for me...).

So, this week we've started testing with this semesters benchmark weight - 210 pounds. I got in my stretcher and backboard lifts no problem, but again, I struggled with the stair chair. Now, my course instructor is sympathetic to the fact that I may not get to 210 because of my injuries and stuff (I had a doctors note for my arm). I did part of the stair chair lift at 210 the other day, but could not complete the lift all the way. Thing is, I still have incomplete on the 190, so my instructor wants me to be able to complete that one (so that I don't have 2 grade deffereds...). I did the 190 lift today, and while I completed it I had a lot of difficulty, was very out of breath and had to take long rests.

I'll have to do it again (in front of the instructor) in about a week...obviously I will be trying to get in as much practice as I can with the chair itself, but as we're about to enter final exams finding willing partners to come and lift with me may be tough.

So, my question is, I'm looking for excerises that will help with this, that I can do over the next week to help build my strength and endurance. I feel like I'm almost able to do it at the 190 level, and that if I maximize my gym time over the next week I should be able to pull it off. But I'm looking for advice and excercise suggestions...

 

[LucidResq]

This is a really good website for weight training exercises. Just click on the muscle/muscle group you want to work on the right side of the page.

In general, I would suggest doing some cardio on top of your weight training to keep your endurance up. If everything's clear with your doc you might consider a consultation with a physical therapist to start rehabilitating and building strength in your arm.

 

[fit4duty]

sorry about your luck, that really sucks!! A couple of questions

1. can you define 'difficulty' with regards to the stair chair.
2. can you also elaborate on the arm injury as well
3. since you are required to pass these bench marks, i am assuming that your program also has a PT portion built in to it, so could you let us know what you were doing and how it was working out (excuse the pun) for you before you got hurt

 

[Caliza]

sorry about your luck, that really sucks!! A couple of questions

1. can you define 'difficulty' with regards to the stair chair.

At every landing I had to stop for a few minutes to catch my breath. At one point I was told my skin colour was "white as a ghost". Basically extreme exertion, I was leaning on the wall for support and this was with a lifting partner who is pretty strong.

2. can you also elaborate on the arm injury as well

.

Slipped on some ice, and extended my arm out behind me to break my fall. For a while it hurt to even move my arm to brush my hair or pull hair back off of my face. I let it go at first, figuring that it would go away with rest, but after a few days a giant bruise started forming around my elbow from the impact of the force of the fall that travelled up my arm. Thats when I saw a doctor about it, got an xray to be sure and was told no lifting for 3 weeks.

3. since you are required to pass these bench marks, i am assuming that your program also has a PT portion built in to it, so could you let us know what you were doing and how it was working out (excuse the pun) for you before you got hurt

We had a fitness portion built into the program last semester (Sept-Dec) but not the most recent semester (this is a big thing that a lot of us would change about the program if we could...). This semester I've been doing a lot of squats and lunges for lower body, and for upper body dumbell press, chest press, shoulder shrugs and arm raises, some rowing and lat pull-downs. I think it's been going OK, but because of the injury I had to pull back a lot on a lot of the exercises I was doing...

 

[fit4duty]

Slipped on some ice, and extended my arm out behind me to break my fall. For a while it hurt to even move my arm to brush my hair or pull hair back off of my face. I let it go at first, figuring that it would go away with rest, but after a few days a giant bruise started forming around my elbow from the impact of the force of the fall that travelled up my arm. Thats when I saw a doctor about it, got an xray to be sure and was told no lifting for 3 weeks.

So the diagnosis was.......................

We had a fitness portion built into the program last semester (Sept-Dec) but not the most recent semester (this is a big thing that a lot of us would change about the program if we could...). This semester I've been doing a lot of squats and lunges for lower body, and for upper body dumbell press, chest press, shoulder shrugs and arm raises, some rowing and lat pull-downs. I think it's been going OK, but because of the injury I had to pull back a lot on a lot of the exercises I was doing...

so what are you doing currently and what kind of functionality and/or limitation presents itself with your arm?

 

[Caliza]

The doc said it was probably a sprain, or a pulled muscle. It's healed now, and I no longer have any limitations.

I have been doing the exercises I mentioned above.

 

[fit4duty]

okjay cool. you are expected to test again next week or in two weeks?

 

[Caliza]

okjay cool. you are expected to test again next week or in two weeks?

Next week. Probably on Thursday, but I don't know for sure yet.

 

[fit4duty]

very well. not alot of time but we'll see what we can do. can you pm me exactly what one or two of your workouts look like. include the resistance used. thanks

 

[fit4duty]

hope it helps