[quote]laroyal wrote:
Well I do not wake up as early as you guys but I do lift in the AM these days. Something that will help all of you if you are not already doing it is faom rolling when you wake up. This will open the space between your vertebrae and improve neural transmission. With this simple trick your CNS will be ready to go!! I also recommend doing some mobility work (about 5-10 minutes should suffice). Hope that helps and my hat is off to all of you for waking up so early to get your workout done. That kind of dedication is impressive![/quote]
I like to roll out the soft tissue of my back on a medicine ball. The foam roller on the back doesn’t really feel like it does much for me any more so I’ve “graduated” to the medicine ball.
And I completely agree with 5-10 min of mobility work pre-workout, preferably something for the glutes to get them firing properly before a DL or squat.
Also great is loosining your glutes with a softball. Since your buttcheeks are kind of hard to reach effectively with a foam roller, I find that placing body weight on a softball does a damn good job of breaking up adhesions in and around the glutes, especially at the transition between the glutes and hamstrings.
[quote]futurepharm wrote:
Does anybody train first thing in the morning, right after waking?
This is looking like it’s going to be best for me with school and work constraints, but I’m concerned that it may not be the best strategy as far as injury prevention is concerned. I’ve already noticed that I am not AS strong during my morning workouts, as compared to workouts that came after being up for 3 hours or so.
I’ve also noticed that I am much stiffer in the mornings, especially in the back and knees, and I wonder if I may be risking injury.
Does anyone have any strategies or suggestions that I might employ to keep progressing without causing myself problems?
You are right that lifting soon after waking can increase the risk of back injury. I did injure several discs after a few years of rolling out of bed and going straight to the gym to lift.
Some strategies to avoid injury -
Get up awhile before lifting, like an hour before
Do some walking before you lift
Throughout the day, avoid long periods of sitting, and make sure your do some walking (you might as well reduce some of the other risk factors of back injuries)
At the gym, avoid the exercises which are the riskiest for the spine (as described in McGill’s book)
Make core stability and hip mobility high priority
The foam rolling mentioned in another post sounds like a good idea
Make sure your form is impeccable 100% of the time. I feel like most of the risk of injury comes in that last rep or two if form breaks down. Count only perfect reps.
[quote]mazevedo wrote:
laroyal wrote:
Well I do not wake up as early as you guys but I do lift in the AM these days. Something that will help all of you if you are not already doing it is faom rolling when you wake up. This will open the space between your vertebrae and improve neural transmission. With this simple trick your CNS will be ready to go!! I also recommend doing some mobility work (about 5-10 minutes should suffice). Hope that helps and my hat is off to all of you for waking up so early to get your workout done. That kind of dedication is impressive!
I like to roll out the soft tissue of my back on a medicine ball. The foam roller on the back doesn’t really feel like it does much for me any more so I’ve “graduated” to the medicine ball.
And I completely agree with 5-10 min of mobility work pre-workout, preferably something for the glutes to get them firing properly before a DL or squat.
Also great is loosining your glutes with a softball. Since your buttcheeks are kind of hard to reach effectively with a foam roller, I find that placing body weight on a softball does a damn good job of breaking up adhesions in and around the glutes, especially at the transition between the glutes and hamstrings.
[/quote]
I use a tennis ball for my glutes, but usually after my workout. Would it help to use it before?
I use a tennis ball for my glutes, but usually after my workout. Would it help to use it before?
[/quote]
I believe it does. Sometimes I’m short on time and don’t do it and I definitely notice I need more warm up sets to get the glutes firing. I also believe doing it before the workout improves blood flow.
Have you ever noticed that when you do warm ups such as those we’ve been discussing, it’s actually a bit of a workout in and of itself? This raises body temperature and consequently tissue temperature. I find this to be very helpful when working out at 4AM.
I use a tennis ball for my glutes, but usually after my workout. Would it help to use it before?
I believe it does. Sometimes I’m short on time and don’t do it and I definitely notice I need more warm up sets to get the glutes firing. I also believe doing it before the workout improves blood flow.
Have you ever noticed that when you do warm ups such as those we’ve been discussing, it’s actually a bit of a workout in and of itself? This raises body temperature and consequently tissue temperature. I find this to be very helpful when working out at 4AM.
[/quote]
Maybe I’ll try the foam rolling and tennis ball before the workout and see if there are any changes.
Yes, the warm-ups can be a bit of a workout themselves.
I hate to be an idiot, but when you say do foam rolling do you just get on the ball and move all over? Like with the tennis ball, you put your butt cheek on the ball and scoot around?
I have been doing the am workouts on and off and I think it will work best for me. That way I know I am getting it done. With work sometimes I end up working an extra 2 to 3 hours and then I just want to get home.
I hate to be an idiot, but when you say do foam rolling do you just get on the ball and move all over? Like with the tennis ball, you put your butt cheek on the ball and scoot around?
[/quote]
That’s it! Just roll around on it and you will find a bunch of trigger points that hurt like hell. Just keep working on it consistently over the course of a few weeks and you should notice some good improvements.
2 hot chicks rolling their butt cheeks on tennis balls? Shouldn’t this go in the SAMA forum? Who’s in favor of some videos of this?
[quote]Ironliftr3 wrote:
Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
OctoberGirl wrote:
Ironliftr3 wrote:
I’m up at 4am, at the gym when it opens at 5:30. I do 10-12 minutes of warmup cardio, usually an elliptical trainer, to workup a little sweat, then dive right in.
I take my BCAA’s before I start, and sip a ‘Surge-like’ drink during my workout, followed by protein and healthy fats post workot.
I’ve never felt doing squats or deadlifts in the morning was a problem.
Do you have a long drive to your gym or do you wake up the 90-minutes early to give your CNS time to wake up?
You’re overthinking this, OG.
The real reason is that he needs 70 minutes to style his hair and apply make-up.
/jk
Btw, is that Petrucci in his avatar or am I being delusional again?
Don’t forget ironing my gym shorts and T-shirt…
Actually, that’s me in my avatar…sure has hell wished I PLAYED like Pertucci!
[/quote]
I honestly thought that was him
Well, from now on wake up 3 hours early and start the day with some finger cardio on the guitar…
Guess I’m either a REAL early riser (or a late one depending on how you look at it)…I’m up at 12:30am and at the gym by 2am (Mon-Wed) and up at 2:30am and at the gym by 3am on Sat-Sun)
[quote]ProgMtl wrote:
Guess I’m either a REAL early riser (or a late one depending on how you look at it)…I’m up at 12:30am and at the gym by 2am (Mon-Wed) and up at 2:30am and at the gym by 3am on Sat-Sun)[/quote]
Live in Penasquitos and work in Lake Forest so I like not having any traffic…not to mention I get twice as much work done between 4am-7am than I do the whole rest of the day (no phone or anyone needing anything).
I feel that pre-workout SMR improves muscle activation and ROM leading to a much better workout.
I noticed that the swim commentators during the Olympics mentioned that the swimmers would get massage after one race and before the next. So they must be noticing benefit from soft-tissue work as well.
[quote]andersons wrote:
OctoberGirl wrote:
mazevedo wrote:
Also, soft balls and tennis balls work great to roll out the hip flexors, pec minor and major and the lats.
Thanks!
I will definitely give the foam rolling and ball rolling a try.
AlteredState mentioned that it was a good practice but I was clueless on how to do it.
I feel that pre-workout SMR improves muscle activation and ROM leading to a much better workout.
I noticed that the swim commentators during the Olympics mentioned that the swimmers would get massage after one race and before the next. So they must be noticing benefit from soft-tissue work as well.
In the am after sleep your joints are dehydrated. It takes several hours for the joint fluid to get back in your joints. So it would not be a good idea to lift heavy in the AM.
I am lifting heavy in the am a little less than 90 minutes after I get up…but I do have a 32oz bottle of water on the way to the gym…so maybe that’s why my joints don’t bother me.
I just can’t seem to get into working out any other time than first thing in the am.
