Doc Is In. Any Questions?

Training Bodybuilding
41

[quote]andryan wrote:
Doc,
I am training purley for body composition goals. I am 6 feet, 198 lbs with between 8-10% bodyfat. My goal is to continue to train for aesthetics but not put on any more muscle or weight. I would like to continue to decrease my body fat though. I have been training using 3x3 with heavy weights and eating maintenance calories.

Usually I do four excersizes per workout, an upper body push, an upper body pull, and a low body push (example Squat) and lower body pull (romanian dead lift). I never know how much assistance work to do though for my arms or if I should incorporate excersizes for my traps. I am trying to build as symetrical a body as possible. Am I going about this all wrong? If I am, what ahould I be doing instead?
-Andrew[/quote]

Well, first of all, I don’t know what your aversion to gaining some muscle would be from an aesthetics standpoint. There’s a difference between 5-10 pounds which ,if you dropped your body-fat, 5-10 pounds would keep you at the same weight, and gaining so much muscle that is counter to what you consider aesthetically pleasing. However, I digress.

Do you want to gain strength? If not I don’t know why you are using heavy loads for low reps if you are just interested in body composition. Plus 3 sets of 3 reps is pretty low volume.

Now your program mentions a push/pull exercise, but does not look at both horizontal and vertical push/pull exercises.

Assistance exercises can be used to help with symmetry, absolutely. How much or what you do would be determined on where you are at now and where you want to be. What areas are strengths and what are weaknesses. Obviously weaknesses will require more assistance work than strengths.

There are plenty of diet and exercise programs on this site that will help you lose bodyfat without significantly increasing muscle mass. Try searching the archives. Also, I know Alwyn Cosgrove just came out with a program designed specifically for body-composition. It is available on his web-site. You may want to check it out or ask him if he thinks it will help you meet your goals. However, first I think you need to sit down and lay out some specific goals. That will help you focus your training and nutrition program to meet those goals. Like they say, if you don’t know where you’re going you’re bound to end up there.

Take care,

Ryan

42

I have suffered from minor back pain for the majority of my life, resulting, as I’ve always believed, from a fall down a long flight of stairs that happened when I was a child. It doesn’t hamper my lifting at all, but lifting has also not corrected it as I had hoped it would.

I have never sought medical treatment for this, not even immediately after the fall, but have finally decided to fix it once for all. Is there something I can do on my own, either through lifting or home treatment, that would alleviate the pain, or is chiropractic treatment the way to go?

I must admit I have been turned away from the latter by others. All I can tell you about the pain itself is that it is concentrated in the middle of my back, just above the small of the back, and seems to extend across the back of the rib cage. The pain is usually triggered by performing a single task while standing in one place for an extended period of time.

I’m sorry that I cannot provide more details.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

43

Hey doc,

I’ve had back problems for about five years and although i’ve been able to get back into working out I find that I throw my back out whenever my training program gets challenging (most recently with squats in November).

I’m four weeks into the ‘Neanderthal no More’ workouts but I’m finding that they are actually triggering a lot of back pain as well. I know that I have to fix my back before I can do anything else with my body and I would love some advice on how to do that.

Its a chronic injury from a summer job in university loading trucks. The nature of the injury has never been explained to me (nerve/disc/voodoo I assume) but it gets me with any forward flexion exercise down around the L4/L5 area.

A dull pain usually persists in my back for days after a flare up, mostly on the left side and only rarely traveling down the leg. With the Neanderthal body screens I identified significant tightness in the left QL, as well as exaggerated lordosis/kyphosis.

I have winged scapula (from birth not TBPL) and short Achilles (walk on my toes all the time).
I did physio for a short period years ago (I no longer have coverage) which consisted of a lot of hourly press-ups and taped lower back (to prevent forward flexion). I am now very flexible with back bends (bridges/scorpions are very easy) but my forward flexion hasn’t increased in recent years.

I’ve done a lot of deep core work and can hold a plank/side plank for at least three minutes. I’ve worked through the CHEK leg drop/ BP cuff exercises. I’ve also gone through extenisive phases of focusing in on stretching. I’ve done some tibialias anterior/ calf streching stuff as well- I’m not sure how related the tight calves are to my back problems so they’ve kinda ended up on the back burner.

Anyway I don’t mean to ramble, and I truly appreciate your help; I guess my main question is about how to set my healing process up. I’m not sure if my lingering problems are from pushing myself too hard, not hard enough with the right exercises, doing the wrong type of rehab or generally just not sticking with an approach for long enough.

I’m getting to the end of my rope and seriously considering giving up lifting at this point.
Thanks for any advice you can give.

44

Hey Doc,

I am having an issue with my knees - they get stiff and somewhat painful. I had been experiancing similar pain about 4 months ago and I discontinued training legs, which did not seem to have a major effect (although I continued light olympic lifting, some sports, and a lot of walking).

I am hesitant to continue to do leg work because of this - it does not seem to matter what I do as far as training, the pain remains. I have tried high and low reps and wide and narrow stances and they do not seem to change much. The main cause of pain is bearing wieght past about a 90degree angle, so oddly enough, an unwieghted full squat bothers them more than a heavy deadlift. Another issue is going down stairs. This is especially disturbing as I am quite young.

I am not sure what the cause is. I have poor flexibility, but have been stretching twice a week for several months and that does not seem to have helped (although I still have terrible flexibility). It may also be a result of a muscle imbalance: I can deadlift ~455 and I full squat about 250.

This is in part due to a short torso and my inability to squat for several months. Another culprit might be rapid wieght changes, I have gained nearly 40lb in the past year and a half.
I am unsure of what I should do.

Thanks you, and sorry for the length of the post.

45

This may seem like a vague question, but my mother has pretty bad arthiritus and keeps asking me if there’s any exercises and/or supplements she can take to help ease the pain. Got any ideas?

I’ll be sure to ask her where exactly the pain is etc. and get back to you.

46

[quote]Dr. Ryan wrote:
firebug9 wrote:
David Barr wrote:
With all of your formal education and busy practice, how did you find time to become an expert in Photoshop?

Love the new avatar Doc!

Maybe he is on the pop tart diet!

Hey Doc - I seemed to have strained the left shoulder or lat insertion. Bench does not bother it, nor does squat, but heavy deadlifts - now that is another story. Range of motion is still good, but if I drop the shoulder down, I fell it at the top and back of the shoulder. Any ideas?

Malinda,

It was nice to meet you in DC.

Now, about your shoulder, how did you injure it?

Obviously, deadlifts create quite a distraction force on the shoulder that must be made up for by contraction of the cuff and shoulder musculature. Also, the upper/mid-back muscles must contract significantly in order to maintain proper form during the lift. So it could be any of a number of structures producing the pain.

Knowing how you injured it would be helpful. Do you use an over/under grip with deads and does it make a difference in regards to your pain which position the hand is in?

Take care,

Ryan

[/quote]
Yes, over/under grip. The left side is what is tender – which is my under hand during the lift. I was fine until I hit the 400’s during the lift. Light weight is no problem. I almost think it is a combination of the weight pulling down and me forcing up against the suit straps. I have not noticed a difference in the positioning of the hand.

thanks…not sure what I can do to work on it with nationals being in two weeks.

Malinda

47

I am not sure if you can help but every time I try and do sprinting on the track my calves seize up.
Its like a constant cramp and forces me to run flat footed.
I want to use sprinting for fat loss to maximise trunk fat loss is there anything I can do to prevent this.
The soreness goes away with stretching and rest but how do I eliminate it in the first place?
Also I have put alot of size on myself and on my calves lately not sure if that helps
Thanks in advance

48

Hi Dr. Ryan,

I was performing french presses about a month ago and they really hurt my left elbow. I used lots of heat and stayed away from lifting for 10 days. I am back to lifting but the elbow still hurts (the pain is around the pointy part of the elbow) and it hurts most when I am pressing the weight while nearing full extension. I have backed off the weight and am hoping to build it back up with lighter weights but am not sure if what I am doing is the best method.

Any idea what might be the problem and any ideas on how to treat it better?

Thank you.

49

[quote]Dr. Ryan wrote:
Joebob wrote:
Doc, I have been doing the Supersquats program. Friday and today I got a very intense headache about half way through my work set of 20. The pain is in the back of my head at about eye level. Friday wasn’t so bad, but today the pain lasted for about twenty minutes.

Is this caused by over exertion? I am very concerned because I have never experienced such intense pain from lifting. I have been supplementing with a caffeine and L tyrosine product for about a month now, and it is the only supp other than the regulars that I am on. The new avatar makes you a lot more credible ;)Thanks for your time.

Well, I’m glad my credibility has increased. It’s amazing how taking your shirt off can make you more intelligent and credible. Maybe we should let the T-vixens in on this little bit of information. What do you think? LOL

Actually, I know what you mean.

About your headaches, it is hard to say for sure, but an exertional headache is a definite possibility, as well as a muscle tension type headache. The vascular pressure during a squat can be significant and could precipitate a headache. Plus, with the weight sitting on the upper back and trap musculature a tension headache could be considered.

How long have you been doing the SuperSquats program? Do you take the caffeine/tyrosine supplement prior to working out? Any other changes in either medications, daily activites?

Take care,

Ryan

[/quote]

Doc, I am two weeks into the program. I am going to stick with it because I feel that the gains will be very significant. I just hope I can grind through the headaches.

I have been taking the caffeine/tyrosine supplement for about four weeks now, and I only take it pre workout. There has been no other changes in my supp plan, and I am not on any meds. My daily activities are limited to feeding, working out, and couching. Thanks again for your time.

Joe

50

[quote]Dr. Ryan wrote:
novagreg wrote:
Hey Doc,
Just wondering what your current workout routine and nutrition plan are like, and what are you physique/performance goals for 2006?
-Greg

Well, I am fortunate enough to be able to work out on the weekends with Dave Tate and crew at his EliteFTS facility. So I am getting some powerlifting influence on my training program right now. I’m not a powerlifter, but I am interested in getting stronger in the Big 3 lifts and there is no better group to learn from. With my job, I can not afford to injure myself, so I am focusing on getting stronger, but not in a manner that would jeopardize my health. Dave is a great guy. Also, if your gym doesn’t have one of his GHR machines and a Reverse Hyperextension then you need to start hounding them about getting them. Great equipment.

Also, I am looking to gain maybe 10-15 pounds of muscle while keeping the body-fat low. Since I’m single for the first time in 6 years, I’ve got to ‘look good nekkid’. LOL

Nutrition program is pretty basic. High protein/High carb breakfast, mid-morning Metabolic Drive bar, High protein moderate carb lunch, pre/during/post workout Surge, high protein/lower carb dinner and then a Metabolic Drive shake with some fish oil and ZMA prior to bed.

I think Metabolic Drive Protein Powder and Bars along with Surge and ZMA are staples. I really like Spike, and I’ll do different cycles of Alpha Male, Carbolin 19 and Methoxy-7.

Let me know if you want any more info.

Take care,

Ryan
[/quote]

Hey Doc,
I, and I’m sure many others, would love to hear about your experience with working with Dave and company, in the context that (at least I think, I apologize if I’m wrong), you’re lifting for aesthetics primarily, and strength is second. As you said, you’re training not in a way that’ll jeopordize your health. Obviously, the sport of PLing carries risks with it, but how are you altering things? Thanks man.
-Greg

51

Hiya Doc,

Nice to meet you in DC, you definately make talking about bones interesting.

Ok so growing up, I have pretty much always fell asleep on my stomach, I pass right out and sleep really well. A few years ago maybe 2 or 3, I began getting low back pain in the morning. it would be really stiff and take several hours to work itself out, some days it would be tight and a little sore all day long. I slept on my back a few times and noticed that I woke up feeling much better, so for the last couple years I have been sleeping on my back. The only major problem I have is that sometimes I roll onto my stomach and then get the pain in the morning. Also, I toss and turn more while on my back and generally the quality of my sleep is worse. I know that there isn’t much top go by here, but any suggestions on things I could do to allow me to sleep on my stomach again would be cool.

P.S. Nice abs

V

52

Doc, fish allergy question

if you are allergic to seafood like Will Smith in Hitch [seafood makes you become shrek in a short space of time]

what would you go for to get some decent Omega 3s?

53

Hopefully I’m not to late here. Last July I fell off my cycle and slammed my shoulder into a parked car. (I’m not quite sure how cool I looked, but it hurt.) I did feel something pop, but there was no dislocation. I had a technicolor bruise down the inside of my left arm. A few days later, when I lay on the weight bench it was like all the muscles, ligaments and tendons were gone. It just like collapsed, no support. As time has passed I can now bench 250 but there is a little pain. Certain ROM hurts also. I can’t throw anything without pain. I can do all shoulder exercises like front raises and military press. (Little pain.) It hurts a little when I sqaut, but only from the position of my hands on the bar, not the actual squat. I dead just fine. Also there is, and I don’t know how to describe this, but one side looks different from the other in the armpit area. Kind of sunk in. I can work biceps just fine also. When I do dips I even feel a pull in my triceps. Any ideas?

Thanks very much.

54

My right knee makes “crunching” noises when I squat. There is no pain or stiffness, nor does it hinder my range of motion. It’s been happenning for about 2 months and so far has not progressed into an injury. Is this noise a warning sign of stress and is there something I should be doing now to correct this? I am a 52 year old female with no prior knee injury.

55

[quote]Dr. Ryan wrote:
silverback3433 wrote:
I have constant tightness in my lower back an if I bend over without arching my back like a romanian dead it is really sore. I don’t want to take time off because I am on a great roll right now with my training. I do all olympic lifting. I stretch every night for about 30 min, any suggestions?

I would really suggest that you find a good chiropractor that deals with sports and training injuries. They can perform a thorough evaluation and provide any necessary treatment as well as giving you advice on a home stretching program. Often what people think are good stretches, are often contributing to their symptoms.

I don’t know what kind of training background you have, but I would suggest that if you have a good Olympic lifting coach in your area that you have them assess your technique during the lifts. Due to the explosive nature of these lifts, if you don’t maintain proper form, especially in the hips and low back, you will really expose yourself to injury. I can assure you that a low back injury would take you out of training those lifts for quite a while.

Therefore, get it checked out sooner rather than later. It is much easier and less costly to have it evaluated now before it gets worse.

Take care,

Ryan[/quote]

Dr. David Leaf is about 30 min away, would he be the guy to see?

56

[quote]Dr. Ryan wrote:
Thad wrote:
How can you tell if you have an abdominal hernia? I have been recently feeling pain and burning in my lower abdominal. Thanks for any insight, Thad

Where is your pain located and what seems to aggravate your pain?

[/quote]
Right below the belt line on the left side a little bit. There is nothing visible but it hurts mainly doing lunges and some ab work, also it’s hurts more in the begining of my workout and then fades a little but no way on any lunges. Thanks, Thad

57

Doc,

Three weeks ago I sustained a knee injury after an awkward fall on ice, it was initially diagnosed as a lateral miniscus injury but I have since been told that it is mroe likely the lateral collateral ligamen.

I am currently getting physio at my schools sports medicine center. The recovery is coming along nicely but I want to make sure that I’ll be able to lift heavy again as soon as possible. I’ve been taking a lot of fish oil and some ibuprohen as well.

The only exercises they have me doing so far are those inner and outer thigh cable lifts and some light extensions as well as biking. Are there any other exercises I can incorporate to build strength? When it goes get healthy is there anything I can do to ensure this doesn’t happen again, any specific exercises?

I was making great progress before the injury in terms of squatting and DL’ing. I was also doing quite a bit of iso lunges in order to prepare for the ski season. Are these okay? Can I hope to resume heavy leg work fairly soon?

Thanks in Advance

Crazy

58

Doc,

Can you recommend a good freeweight lower trap exercise?

Also, besides ART, what can I do about limited/painful shoulder extensio (as in flyes or pullovers)?

59

Great. I talked earlier about a shoulder thing. I think it’s ok now, it was maybe accumulated fatigue and soft tissue strain.

My main problem: I’ve struggled with tendonosis/soft tissue adhesions in my forearms/elbow area due to a large amount of heavy grip work. This begain last summer when I was doing high frequency work PL work(still am), and I had to give up rock climbing for a while, and I’ve been scared of getting back to it because I don’t want that crap to happen again.

I’m in college, and having problems with the insurance company over my ART last summer. That’s pretty well not an option unless it’s self administered via rolling pin or something. I really, really want to take care of this, because I miss climbing. I’m not usually bothered by my high frequency PL work, but am scared that adding climbing back in on top would push my latent problems back up.

Any suggestions?

60

Hi Dr. Ryan,

About half an hour ago I maxed out on bench pressing and moved onto chest-supported rows. Halfway through my first set the rear part of my arm where it meets the shoulder started to hurt. My knowledge of anatomy is limited but it seems to be where the triceps meets the medial or posterior deltoid. I have my normal ROM with that arm right now but retracting it causes the pain to return. Any ideas? Thanks.