Title says it all, but to elaborate…
Got into CrossFit because I was fast, energetic, and limber. Thought I’d do well running from exercise to exercise. And I did. But I wanted strength. And I started getting some too. But high reps lead to bad form, lead to injury, lead to frustration. Still enjoy an intense workout with varying exercises, but I do my own programming now.
Got to a point where I couldn’t turn my head left and it became a problem when driving. Not to mention all the muscle tightness and constant popping. Started PT about a month ago and progressed well, should be cleared in another week or two. Not blaming CrossFit. I blame myself. I know better, I know how to say No Thanks.
Got cleared to begin training again, but was told to go light and focus on high reps for burns, rather than getting a pump. All this, and I turned 35 recently.
Sucks to get older and the body no longer tells you it hurts, but straight up tells you NO, you done fucked up. Glad it’s nothing serious. But turning 35 means training a whole lot smarter.
Well what kind of programming are you doing?
For the next 3-4 weeks.
Going to start with Clean-Grip High Pulls from The Hang. Light weight/High Reps, basically going for the burn every time. Looking to progress to Power Cleans after 3-4 weeks.
Supported one-arm dumbbell rows. 65-75%, 3x8 or 4x6. My injury would bother me whenever I attempted Pendlay Rows, so I’m hoping to be able to progress to them after 3-4 weeks.
Lots of prone scapular exercises with very light weights and thoracic stretching/mobilization. Been doing these in therapy, and I think it’s something I should continue.
Putting Overhead exercises (presses) on hold, except for pull-ups and chin-ups. Doing just enough to stay baseline until I’m sure the injury is gone and I can push harder.
I mostly put running on hold for the winter. But, with ice season coming (I’m a climber) I need different strength and endurance for long approaches on sketchy terrain, while carrying a weighted pack. The majority of the week it’s high-rep lunges, squats and step-ups usually with a sandbag but sometimes with a barbell. I guess it depends how energetic I’m feeling that day or how close I am getting to a planned day of climbing. Otherwise, business as usual with deadlifts and back/front squats. I’m really sporadic with lower body training. I’m a good squatter, deadlifter, jumper, and runner. Upper body is my weakness.
35 makes you a spring chicken. Exercise with proper form builds you up, sports (eventually) mess you up. You’ve got to make the choice based on your own goals. That said, I think for most people (think pretty much any average gym goer) the power movements with the barbell are more sport movements than exercise movements, with the respective long term effects on your body.
Saw your comment on the Ben Bruno article. Realized single leg exercises were having a negative effect on how my knees felt, and thought it was just me not doing them right or something. Then Tony Gentilcore wrote an article about squats and mentioned the same thing in passing (while bilateral squats helped his knees, which has also been my experience as well); Gentilcore is a guy who has impeccable form on pretty much everything, so…
Bilateral squats are “bad” if your back sucks, unilateral squat movements are “bad” if your knees suck -no free lunch, that’s just the way it is imho.
[quote]punnyguy wrote:
35 makes you a spring chicken. Exercise with proper form builds you up, sports (eventually) mess you up. You’ve got to make the choice based on your own goals. That said, I think for most people (think pretty much any average gym goer) the power movements with the barbell are more sport movements than exercise movements, with the respective long term effects on your body.
Saw your comment on the Ben Bruno article. Realized single leg exercises were having a negative effect on how my knees felt, and thought it was just me not doing them right or something. Then Tony Gentilcore wrote an article about squats and mentioned the same thing in passing (while bilateral squats helped his knees, which has also been my experience as well); Gentilcore is a guy who has impeccable form on pretty much everything, so…
Bilateral squats are “bad” if your back sucks, unilateral squat movements are “bad” if your knees suck -no free lunch, that’s just the way it is imho.
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My wife is very long legged. She’s also a quad dominant squatter. Her butt isn’t small, but it’s not one of those round perky Instagram model butts (so to her, it’s not good enough). She’s a meat and potatoes lifter - squats, lunges, and deadlifts. The plan she was following (Brett Contereas 30-Day Glute Challenge) introduced her to back extensions, hip thrusts, and bulgarian split squats. What messed her up is the Bulgarian Split Squats. Be it weak adductors/abductors and/or poor balance, I watched her do a few with her front knee completely unstable. She’s definitely made gains following the plan. In particular, the amount of lower back exercises has really tightened up her lumbar region, accentuating that natural curve above her butt.