Background: I’ve been reading this website for some time now, and have been weight training since high school. It’s been off and on, sometimes going months and maybe even a year without any kind of serious physical activity. Back in March I decided that I hated myself and the way my body was so much, that I absolutely had to do something about it.
I’m 26, and was about 5’7" 270 lbs. I had a decent amount of muscle mass, but nothing impressive. Anyway, I had been eating relatively healthy for about a year prior, but still had a cheat meal about once a day. Usually fast food, and somewhere around 1000 calories at least. It was due to my job.
Well mid march I started to bring my own food, started lifting weights more than 3 times a week, usually strength days mixed with endurance days with lighter weights, higher reps and less rest in between sets.
I used Alwyn Cosgroves complex he mentioned in the Minimal Time, Maximum Workout article. I use 95 lbs. and go through the complex 4 times, doing six reps for each excercise every time. I also did HIIT sprinting often, and used the heavy bag I have hanging in my garage. I lost about 50 lbs by the end of June.
The problem: Runner’s knee, hip pain. I have terrible hip pain, mostly in the hip flexors. There was tightness, but the pain didn’t start until I got a foam roller and started rolling my hip flexors. It is nearly impossible for me to, without warming up, sit in a chair and lean forward at my hips keeping my back straight with any range of motion. As soon as my stomach and chest nears my knees, I feel pain, mostly in my right hip flexor.
Because of this and the runners knee in my right knee, I had to cut my workouts drastically, even taking an entire month off in hopes of my body healing. No such luck. Even after taking almost all of July off, the pain and injuries are still present. So I figured with pain in my hips, and a bad knee I can only assume was caused by a lack of hip mobility, mainly in the right hip, that my best chance at fixing this was Magnificent Mobility.
Day One: Last night I got my MM DVD. I watched a bit of it, and did the first 5 or so excercises, but had no time left. I had gone lifting earlier in the day. Today I went through the entire DVD.
At the start of the DVD, I noticed some back soreness. Usually the workout I had done the previous day, Alwyn’s complex, does not make my back sore. Then I realized it was the magnificent mobilty DVD that did it. Just the first 5 excercises gave my back a workout.
After going through the entire DVD, I decided that I would not be lifting at all today. The excercises are enough workout for someone not used to having his body move that way.
After running through it once, I can say that I am very optimistic that my hip mobility will greatly improve, and hopefully I will see my injuries heal up and disappear. I will try to check back here periodically to update people on my progress.
My Goal: To give people my experience with the magnificent mobility dvd, and maybe help people decide if this is something they need. I’m a big fan of Eric Cressey and Mike Robertson’s anti injury articles, and believe that correct form beats out raw strength for almost any kind of athletic endeavor.
Of course, my main goal is to help myself and improve my performance. My squat has always lagged, due to inferior glute activation, excessive forward leaning and poor hip flexibility.
I am hoping when I am fully healed, my squat will be better than it was pre-problems, and I will be able to return to shaping my body to my satisfaction.
