[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
Well now, don’t get too excited; LR already knows what he needs to do.
Get the orthotics. This will take stress off the ankles, knees, hip anf low back as well as allow the tight glut med and min to relax a little.[/quote]
I haven’t got these yet, to be honest, I don’t even know how to go about getting a pair made for me. So I’m still looking into this.
I’ve been doing a lot of ankle exercises recently, mostly at home, various stretches etc. I found a chart of ankle rehab exercises for people recovering from a broken ankle, but it focuses on everything you told me to work on. I’ve posted a picture in my training log.
I’ve yet to get my Omni massager, but I’ll be putting in the order in the next few days. I’ve also found some great new ways to stretch the quads, with different stretches to hit the different muscles. I’ve noticed a lot of changes with this.
I haven’t actually foam rolled in the last week. I have Mike Robersons SMR manual, so I’ll look up those rolling positions and get to it. I need to get a new foam roller though, my one isn’t too great.
I’ve been doing these. I’ve got an ankle strap at the gym, and attach it to the low cable attachment. I look like a ballet dancer doing warm ups when doing these. All I need now is a head band and some leg warmers!
This has been working pretty well for me. I felt my erectors pop up for the first time yesterday, although they are only the same thickness as pencils on either side of my spine, a bic pen at the most.
One thing I wanted to ask though, I’ve been doing the erector activation exercises pre workout, and been doing a light resistance exercise for them as well (stiff leg deads etc). Should I be doing more?
[quote]7. Exercise the QL muscles becaue they are locked in a states of permenent semi-contraction and need to be taken throught their full range to help release them.
BBB[/quote]
I’m having some trouble with these if I’m honest. I really have bad balance on the ball, and even with the stability thing underneath it still doesn’t feel right.
Is it possible to do sideways hyper extensions and get the same effect?
Hey BBB - I may well come and pay you a visit sometime to see if you have a different opnion on my shoulder? Remember a while ago I told you about that bice tendon click - that’s 90% better now, but now I am curious to know why my shoulders are quite loose - not unstable - I mean they never dislocate, but they are lax, as my osteopath has said (he lifts weights too so at least that’s something). I can do it with my knees sometimes as well, basically it is like I can slide my joints around lol.
[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
AimHigh wrote:
Hey BBB - I may well come and pay you a visit sometime to see if you have a different opnion on my shoulder? Remember a while ago I told you about that bice tendon click - that’s 90% better now, but now I am curious to know why my shoulders are quite loose - not unstable - I mean they never dislocate, but they are lax, as my osteopath has said (he lifts weights too so at least that’s something). I can do it with my knees sometimes as well, basically it is like I can slide my joints around lol.
Sure thing bud. An examination of just one bodypart will be cheaper than a total body MOT, but we can do as much or as little as you want/can afford.
In the meantime, I suggest you look up ‘ilos danos syndrome’ it is a condition where the ligaments of the body are much looser than they are in regular folks. But you may not have it, though there are some quick and easy tests you can do.
BBB[/quote]
THanks man. I think I may have done something a couple of days ago. I was doing flat DB benching and went for a PB and got it fine, but afterwards my shoulder (anterior part especially) felt tight. I stretched it out and did external rotations to finish (so obviously not external RC problem), but the following day it was slightly sore, then I got stupid thinking if I stretched it out frequently, it would get better, now I have managed to make things worse by doing so. Now for some reason, when I reach across my body with my left arm only it feels unstable as usual, but with some discomfort. I’m guessing i’ve inflamed my bicep tendon or summin. I’m just resting it now for a week, but am seriously depressed about this now as I love lifting.
[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
Orthotics: any podiaitrist will be able to sort them, but may charge more because they are ‘specialist’. My old chiro did mine for Ã??Ã?£25. Ring around; say “I have a flat arches on both feet but the right is particularly bad and my whole foot pronates badly, causing internal tibial and femur rotation and all that goes along with that”. At least your sound like you know what you’re talking about which should dissuade the charlatans/predators from trying to baffle you with too much BS and chrage the earth. I know it may represent a financial investment that you are not quite in a position to meet, however, the feet really are the foundations of the kinetic chain and MUST be a priority.[/quote]
I’m gonna say that word for word when I call up and e-mail these places. I just hope I can wing it when I get follow up questions on the phone.
I’ve been doing those gripping the floor exercises as well. I mostly do them when sitting at the PC though, maybe I should try to do them more while standing up as well.
But it’s the weighted calf stretch I’m having a problem with, I can do the normal Soleus stretches against the wall, I’m also doing the Soleus stretches in the Magnificent Mobility DVD, but you mentioned doing these in a Smith Machine? I’m really having trouble picturing the mechanics of that one.
Do you think I should try the Hip and Piriformis release with something like a baseball?
I’ve been trying to do it with the foam roller I have, but it compresses under my weight. I’m trying to source one of the harder ones made for heavier people, but I’m having trouble finding them in the UK.
This is slightly confusing to me. First let me explain what I’ve been doing.
I’ve been standing sideways on to the machine (eg left side facing the machine, right side when working the other side) and the ankle attachment on the foot furthest from the machine (right foot).
But when I pull my leg away from the machine, I’ve have my toes pointing forwards the same way that I’m looking.
Now the bit that’s confusing me, if my left side is next to the machine and the ankle attachment is on the foot farthest from the machine, should the toes be pointing away from the machine (to the right) or towards the machine?
And the same for when the cable attachent is on the foot closest to the machine, when I pull away, do the toes point towards the machine or away?
It’s probably really easy, but I’m just not familiar with the terms.
OK, so I’m going to up this to about 3-4 times a day. I’ll back off if I feel like I’m overworking the erectors, which will probably be easy to do because they’re basically tiny and weak at the moment.
About the rep ranges with these. I’m guessing that the main priority is just to get them activated and get some blood in the muscle, so I’ve been doing 3-4 sets of 15 reps to try and get them pumped.
[quote]QLs, yes the sideways hyperX is OK, though the advantage of the ball is that it provides an anatomically correct shape for the spine to laterally flex over, meaning that you don’t get any segmental failure or overactivity. What I mean is that all joints will be working relatively equally, stretching and contracting the small interspinal muscles that are so vital for proprioceptive feedback. Is there some sort of ‘cup’ or rest for the balls, that you can use to make them stable?
Good work my friend, it sounds like you are committed to attacking this in the right way!
BBB[/quote]
OK, I’m just going to do it on the ball. They do have those rings to put underneath to make it more stable, but I still have trouble keeping balance on the ball, I keep falling off.
I’m just going to persist, and try my best to stay on the ball. I’m sure the balance will sort its self out sooner or later.
This is a very informative thread as I feel I am essentially in the same boat as LR. I will incorporate the cable work you are doing for the hip add/abductors. I have been squatting in gear so my abductors are atrocious right now!
Can you describe what LR is doing for the Erectors and QL? The QL and Erectors serve essentially the same purpose correct? It is just that if one is overpowered, it will become weak? I am unsure the ball movements you speak of.
I have been seeing an ART guy for a few sessions. Working on tight hip flexors and spinal erectors, and painful IT band/TFL area, and a weak “core” in general. He has been using mostly the “Graston Technique.” Not sure if you have heard of it- he used it on a NFL team when he worked with them…
BBB, I honestly had no idea you were this knowledgeable about this stuff. Shows how ignorant I am!
[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
Gripping the ground needs to be done whilst the ankles are moving, not so much whilst you are sat at a desk, sorry. Though there is some benefit to doing them anyway.
Baseball, yes.
As you say, if you are working the right abductors, then the toes of the right foot need to be turned in and the leg moves out and slightly back. If it’s the right TFL, then the toes point slightly out and the leg moves out and slightly forward.
BBB[/quote]
OK, I’m doing this properly now. I’m doing ground gripping while standing up now, it does feel like I’m doing more, although I did dislocate one of my toes.
I’ve done the hip rolling with the baseball. It does feel a little uncomfortable, but no pain no gain right?
And you’ll be glad to hear I’m now doing the abductor and TFL exercises correctly now. Glutes of steel, here I come!
Both the stretches that you described only work the Rectus Femoris for me. Which is good but not enough for me. I’ve tweaked the traditional stretch you described holding the ankle to specifically target the Vastus Medialis.
Vastus Medialis
If you do that same stretch with the ankle, but instead of holding the ankle, hold about half way up at the shin, and then move the knee out sideways about 45 degrees and perform the stretch, I find it hits the VM a lot better.
Vastus Lateralis and ITB
This one’s hard to describe. This stretch works great for the VL, ITB and the Glutes. Squat down like your sitting down on the edge of a chair, and put your right ankle on the left knee, so that the right knee is pointing out to the right. And then push the right knee down slightly, this is how to do the stretch.
I think your were getting pain with the second stretch you described because you were putting too much pressure on the patella or patellar ligament.
Have you got Mike Robertson’s free SMR manual from the authors locker room? That’s really helped me with identifying the muscles and how to deal with them.
[quote]coolnatedawg wrote:
Can you describe what LR is doing for the Erectors and QL? The QL and Erectors serve essentially the same purpose correct? It is just that if one is overpowered, it will become weak? I am unsure the ball movements you speak of.
[/quote]
I can only describe it as limited ROM sit ups for the Erectors. I don’t know how else to put it.
[quote]London Runner wrote:
coolnatedawg wrote:
Can you describe what LR is doing for the Erectors and QL? The QL and Erectors serve essentially the same purpose correct? It is just that if one is overpowered, it will become weak? I am unsure the ball movements you speak of.
I can only describe it as limited ROM sit ups for the Erectors. I don’t know how else to put it.
LR[/quote]
Layin on your belly on the ball? So doing the “superman” style warmup, or whatever that is called?
Most of it makes sense. I believe I fall into the same group as LR in this regard, but I am just trying to get a handle on the exercise.
I kneel on the ground, over the swiss ball, and do a movement sort of like a hyperextension?
Sorry for being stupid, I just really think this is a major issue for me- my glutes are pretty weak compared to everything else- I tend to not fire them correctly…
