You’re getting loads of important wins at the moment, stress PRs!
I’ve just had a fairly comprehensive blood test (one of the benefits of TRT imo), I haven’t used Vit D for a good few months, unsurprisingly I was on the low end, 69 (scale 50-200) - worth checking for general health even if it doesn’t improve mental health.
I don’t know anything besides what you post here, and I’m not a doctor. So, I’m not saying that your symptoms are potentially partially let alone entirely related to vitamin D. But for your doctor to virtually deny its importance sounds like bogus to me.
yep! there’s pretty strong medical consensus on this one
you and @Koestrizer are the co- presidents of the club!
I think it’s just good old fashioned wear and tear. You’ve been kicking ass lately, making PRs in squats and deads and overhead stuff.
Last time I overhead pressed (even with 50 pounds) it smashed my poor hip flexor! I think that standing tall, totally extended, arms overhead position puts a lot of stretch on the muscle, then once it stretched it gets a ton of tension supporting the big weights you’re lifting. Overhead squats are probably stretching the shit out of it too.
Then add work from daily deads and lots of squats too, and you’re probably just blasting the hell out of it.
You know I love stretching, but in this particular case I personally would Not Stretch. I would try some anti inflammatories and maybe some time laying on your back in the 90/90, feet up to unstretch your hip flexor.
If you’re into rolling/myofacial release, maybe work on the VMO or tear drop area, and just above. Basically where your hip flexor attaches to your femur. See if you can find any tight spots that could be pulling on your hip flexor from the bottom. And then the top/front of your thigh, in front of your hip. Like the tfl and upper quads. See if you can loosen anything up to take tension off the hip flexor.
Finally bro, make sure you’re using your abs! When I do big lifts and I get in a hurry my abs get lazy and I use too much lower back to brace. My back extends, I loose ab tension and my ribs get farther from my pelvis in the front. The poor hip flexor has to take the whole load,while getting stretched.
Probably the easiest way to get the abs kicking instead of the psoas is the McGill curl up. Even 2 sets of 6 on each side is enough to get my abs going.
And if you really want to mess around with some little silly stuff you can do a move where you learn to control your hip flexor (psoas) as it lengthens, so you’ll be able to protect it in the big moves. I just do these laying on the ground. For 6 reps, right after McGill curl ups.
I assure you it doesn’t auite feel like it but I’m definitely taking some good steps in the right direction.
@alex_uk were you advised to supplement it again?
@Bagsy the doc in question is a psychiatrist at a big hospital. From what he told me I’m given to understand that his statement builds on the data they have collected from their patients.
I wouldn’t take his word for granted but can’t deny him his expertise either. In any event he did agree to the test. I like about that about him, he is open to my ideas, if he believes in them or not (which was the case with mycbd oil test a while ago).
In this case the squats actually weren’t a PR but yeah, still getting in what I can. I’m not sure I have that much more ‘conceivable’ stress than other people on here (which I referred to as rational stress above).
@FlatsFarmer thanks a lot man, that is a lot of good info! I agree with the general premise that I’ve been asking a lot of those areas. In addition to what you posted I’m gonna do some stuff that Paul instructed me to do to detonise (the 90/90 is included as well) and aarm up the hip flexors. If that shouldn’t do the trick he has another idea but he wants to see if I can improve the symptoms with this in a week.
Just took some. I am not too well informed on this but are there anti inflammatories besides pain medication? Because the pain does not warrant an ibu at all but it’s the only anti inflammatory I have on hand
Could you describe the location and nature of the pain more specifically? Deep/superficial? Medial/Lateral? Relation to ASIS?
Is it a pinch, pull, tear, stretch, ache, burn etc?
Ibu is good. I guess it works for pain too, but it’s great for inflammation.
In the USA we have So Many opium based pain killers, prescribed so often, that I sometimes forget that ibu is for pain too.
Haha! Could you be a little more specific? Good call!
About two finger wide from the spina iliaca anterior superior in direction caudal. Spreads a tiny bit to medial and further distal. Which leads me to believe it could be muscular and might be the m. rectus femoris that we are looking at.
I would classify the pain as pinching mainly. Maybe also an ache? Not sure how that feels tbh (language barrier). I also think it felt a little hot after squats, which would proove flats point. Not sure on that one though.
Nope just generally given up on supplements outside of protein powder, I’ve tried pretty much everyone I can think of and not even got a placebo effect off them. I think vit D and omega 3 are about all I’d ever go back to at this point, maybe berberine for blood sugar because of my awful diet, but turns out my hba1c isn’t as bad as I’d feared and I could probably clear up my diet and save myself the need.
What other good advices did coach Paul have? It would be interesting to hear from a strong dude and experienced coach.
I would imagine that to be the rectus femoris. It may be cramping slightly during your squats.
Try “sawing” your fingertips aggressively over the proximal rectus femoris (slightly caudal to the spina iliaca anterior superior), the scrape over your TFL and the posterior border of the TFL with your knuckle, then once again try to “saw” your fingertips in the tendinous space between your lower rectus/abs and obliques. That third spot should be 2-3cm lateral and 3-5cm caudal to the umbilicus/belly button
Keep your breathing relaxed and nasal for the duraiton of those resets
@j4gga2 will try tonight! Or would it be better if I didn’t train beforehand?
@FlatsFarmer his working theory number 1 is that my hip flexors are too weak compared to the rest and tighten up as a defensive reflex.
He does have another theory that he got from my statement that the pain subsides more and more if I keep adding weight but he wants to pursue the first one for a week and then re asses.
He prescribed a stretch to do throughout the day (90/90 leaning away), said I could try some myofascial release but the main thing he wants me to do is the first exercise he is demonstrating here:
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CFASHXEgUTb/?igshid=1mqreznaneg76
I did 2 sets of 10 today and body weight squats were immediately pain free! Oh squats afterwards as well: No pain whatsoever.
So the protocol will be: Some anti inflammatories and strengthening my hip flexors. Then reevaluate in a week.
Weather didn’t hold (what a surprise) 
1 oh squat
3 x 5 @ 75 kg
Much smoother than Monday.
2 deadlift
8 x 2 @ 180 kg - last two with the Novikov method, which i still need to figure out.
3 bradford press
3 x 10 @ 40 kg
1 front press + 1 btn = 1 rep
Not a full lockout but not that bodybuilder thing either where you just clear your head.
The pump is unreal by set 3.
4 pendlay row
3 x 15 @ 92,5 kg
5 side bends
3 x 10 @ 32,5 kg
Notes:
A twenty minute video on hip flexors! This guy must be my neuro-type. Thanks for the link!
Haha yeah he gets carried away sometimes. He does the same in his voice messages but he is pretty crafty and does know what he is talking about.
Been away a little while and offline but didn’t forget you and was watching on IG. How is everything going with you?
Hey buddy, thanks for checking in.
I’d say they are going similar to how they always do, haha.
Not sure when you last checked in but I have been working a lot on my log press and have achieved some PRs there. Will be going for a new max very soon. Squats have also been going great (back in wraps there) and deadlifts are a little on the back burner.
Deload week. We decided to take one before we are forced to.
1 oh squat
3 x 6 @ 60 kg
2 log lift (clean once)
3 x 5 @ 91 kg
Felt off.
3 vertical jumps
5 x 3
4 bent over row
3 x 10 @ 80 kg
5 hollow hold
3 x 30 sec.
Notes: