Thank Recon. Are you going to try that? Yeah that article was interesting. He did point out one thing that my first instructor never fully told me, to make sure the grip is wide enough that the bar is in my hip crease. Still think Glenn Pendlay’s snatch vid is the best instruction… bar having my coach with me of course.
Yesterday, my right arm is tweaking to the right when on the down stroke when I do the front crawl. Not sure what’s going on there.
I did that posture yoga vid again, I needed something slightly more stretchy than the somatic stuff (but I did do some in the morning). Left ribs are still bugging me, wish I had some moola to see PT. Anyway I finished off just doing some leg work on the floor with my band. Wound up breaking the damn thing, so that was cut short. I looked pretty pathetic anyway trying to pretend I was in an 80’s Jane Fonda vid.
Has the somatics been helping you?
See if you can find the old Zsa Zsa Gabor exercise video. You can’t help but feel superior to that one.
Minitech I have played around with the clean and jerk using a 17# bar- that is the heaviest at my gym without going down to the real barbell/muscleman section of the gym. I really like the feel of it- the rhythm and dynamics. But 17# is not a challenge physically for me. I will go down to the barbell area sooner so later but I have my hands full now just dealing with beginner DOMS all the time.
I too would like to hear about the somatics…
Hey Cav, yeah the somatics have been helping a bit. I find the combination of somatics, yoga & swimming to help things along. Unfortunately sitting at the desk is still killing me, even though my posture is much much much better, I am more aware, I get up & stretch around, etc. Probably will just take more time. Its mainly just my left ribs now. But I am going to that somatic workshop the end of this month, should learn s’more.
Recon, they can be fun once you get into it. Is that 17 lbs or kgs? If its kgs that’s actually more than enough when beginning. The women’s bar is normally 15kg. I’ll let you know more on the somatics once I go to the workshop. I’ll send you over something in a pm.
Hmmm, there’s a oly workshop coming up that my old training partner is hosting, mid july???
What are somatics? Please enlighten me.
[quote]Kairiki wrote:
What are somatics? Please enlighten me.[/quote]
Its kind of hard to describe, this’ll probably be the best bet
I pulled my groin muscle last week. Been nursing it, so I’ve been putting my energy into shining things up in my house.
Got back into things yesterday. Tried snatching with a very very very light bar. I completely forgotten lots of little things. I got a bit twingy from it, but it only lasted a few minutes. My left leg still needs a bit of work, as well as my squat mobility. It was coming along better last week.
[quote]Kairiki wrote:
What are somatics? Please enlighten me.[/quote]
Somatics is a series of exercises which involve tensing, then relaxing, muscles. It’s effective for relieving spasms. Also effective for muscle retraining. Theory: when you’re injured, you learn to keep weight off injured area and get into habit of moving differently. After injury heals, you’re still moving in the relearned way. Somatics helps train you back to the original movement.
Also can help with bad posture.
[quote]minimaltechno wrote:
[quote]Kairiki wrote:
What are somatics? Please enlighten me.[/quote]
Its kind of hard to describe, this’ll probably be the best bet
I pulled my groin muscle last week. Been nursing it, so I’ve been putting my energy into shining things up in my house.
Got back into things yesterday. Tried snatching with a very very very light bar. I completely forgotten lots of little things. I got a bit twingy from it, but it only lasted a few minutes. My left leg still needs a bit of work, as well as my squat mobility. It was coming along better last week.[/quote]
Sigh…I wish I could create a new body for you, Mini. This is frustrating.
[quote]cavalier wrote:
[quote]Kairiki wrote:
What are somatics? Please enlighten me.[/quote]
Somatics is a series of exercises which involve tensing, then relaxing, muscles. It’s effective for relieving spasms. Also effective for muscle retraining. Theory: when you’re injured, you learn to keep weight off injured area and get into habit of moving differently. After injury heals, you’re still moving in the relearned way. Somatics helps train you back to the original movement.
Also can help with bad posture.[/quote]
Watched a YouTube vid on it…have you tried it?
[quote]Kairiki wrote:
[quote]minimaltechno wrote:
[quote]Kairiki wrote:
What are somatics? Please enlighten me.[/quote]
Its kind of hard to describe, this’ll probably be the best bet
I pulled my groin muscle last week. Been nursing it, so I’ve been putting my energy into shining things up in my house.
Got back into things yesterday. Tried snatching with a very very very light bar. I completely forgotten lots of little things. I got a bit twingy from it, but it only lasted a few minutes. My left leg still needs a bit of work, as well as my squat mobility. It was coming along better last week.[/quote]
Sigh…I wish I could create a new body for you, Mini. This is frustrating.[/quote]
Aw thanks. I was a bit down yesterday, but I’m snapping out of it. Actually to look on the bright side, my injury has given me some time to think about other areas in my life, I created a slightly different role in my work (although no money in it), and now I’m on this big kick of getting my home in order, balance and all that. I’ll be a bit more conservative when adding back my sport now, think I’ll need to push back my coach a bit. I’ve been able to do some somatic stuff when I wake up first thing in the mornings.
It’s lovely here with sun and warmth and I’m going for a snorkel tomorrow after work. And I have session with a pilates instructor (from the classes I never attended) and I’ve scrounged and saved to go to the Somatic workshop over the weekend, where hopefully I’ll pick up some tips.
[quote]Kairiki wrote:
[quote]cavalier wrote:
[quote]Kairiki wrote:
What are somatics? Please enlighten me.[/quote]
Somatics is a series of exercises which involve tensing, then relaxing, muscles. It’s effective for relieving spasms. Also effective for muscle retraining. Theory: when you’re injured, you learn to keep weight off injured area and get into habit of moving differently. After injury heals, you’re still moving in the relearned way. Somatics helps train you back to the original movement.
Also can help with bad posture.[/quote]
Watched a YouTube vid on it…have you tried it?
[/quote]
I have. About 10 yrs ago had a book and followed the exercises. One nice thing, you spend a lot of time learning how to arch the back at will, which as it turned was invaluable for lifting. Now when I do any exercise, just think “arch” and DING, back flies into shape.
I had spasms here and there, Somatics is good way to control it.
Hi Mini! Gee I am sorry to hear about your groin. Odd, I got one email notice that you posted but no more than that.
I did something similar when I got injured- I went on a big Ikea binge.
That spazzing sounds sort of familiar. I got it when I went back to ballet and I was out of shape- we did jumps and that happened. In retrospect I wish I had have taken it more gradual.
Re the bar- I actually had to weigh it and it came out as 33.5#- odd sort of number but that converts to 15.2# so maybe that is it! It looks like a crossfit bar rather than a barbell. I need to bend my knees ever so slightly to get it up but once it’s up I am fine. I have a free personal training session tomorrow and I am going to get the guy to coach me on the front squat and the push press- if he knows how that is.
Have fun snorkeling and it sounds like you are making progress!!
Hey Recon. Yep getting my house in order, can’t believe the difference it makes when coming home & even getting up in the mornings. I went around shining everything up. I’m not really the domestic type but maybe just maybe I’m getting into it, I’ll know in 3 months.
Ah yes, so that a normal oly chick bar, me thinks, the bar should be slightly smaller. A PT should be able to teach you the FS and push press easy enough, I would think.
Went snorkeling yesterday, water wasn’t as clear, me and the seals managed to frighten each other. I know they are pretty docile but the males are HUGE when they get right close to you.
So went to the pilates instructor, she does postural stuff as well. Even though she recommended the Rolfer I was seeing, think she’s a bit more clued in. The rolfer had me straining a bit to much on my posture. Now I have to kind of unlearn things but the yesterday’s instruction did feel easier.
Last & this year I’ve been on this kick about limiting my orthotic insert wear. But yesterday, we also discovered that I have more power if I do use my inserts, she thinks wearing them while oly lifting would actually give me more power and strength. But she did say to still practice my walking without them to strengthen up the feet. It’s just going to be another gradual thing. Not to mention I need as much support from the bottom up, with my current injury, now is not the time to take away support while I strengthen everything up.
I’m not going to the Somatic workshop this weekend because I actually found a place near my work that does it. So I’d get one on one session for the same price as a workshop with 20 other people. Going to buy a book on it first.
Hi MT,
I have orthotics now- 1.5 years now. Long story. I always wear them when I am expecting either high or long duration loads on my feet- such as to step class with all the jumping or when I will be on my feet for hours on end. It only makes sense to me because if I don’t wear them until my feet are strong again, the fascia may permanently stretch under these circumstances.
For what it’s worth, I didn’t really feel anything out of the ordinary wrt my back until wearing orthotics- the 2 are really intimately linked. My feet have become quite weak though- they burn now in yoga sometimes, so I wear Nike frees at other times. I also do my static lunges and squats in bare feet but of course the load is so low and I can take my time to make sure I am not pronating.
If I remember correctly, your back started hurting you the day after an uneventful workout? Sounds like you already wearing the orthotics? Were you wearing them the day of the injury? Just curious. Back and feet have become a real interest of mine in the last 2 years.
Hi Recon. I’ve been wearing them for the last 10 years or so. But about less than 2 years ago I had stopped wearing them ONLY during workouts, so I hadn’t worn them for any type of oly lifting at all.
I don’t know, someone gave me the bright idea. But what I should have done instead was workout my feet separately, like I plan to do now. Hindsight and all that. They have helped alot but only up to a certain point and I do feel that my feet are weaker for it. But just need to do it in baby steps, ha it might not even be for another 10 years that I can go completely ortho free, who knows, but I’ll work on it.
Went to osteo the other day, got adjustment, needling and soft tissue work. Things are marginally improving but the only so called working out I’ve been doing is taking lots of walks. I went on a dive on Sun though. Other than that been feeling lazy, I’m going away to some hot springs and other water healing stuff, just a short break. Hopefully come back a new woman to start gym early June.
It’s nice to take a break, Hot Springs sound great. I wish the water here was warm enough for diving.
Well, with high weights and lots of action going on I would think orthotics would be good for the Oly lifting.
I like the idea of doing them in bare feet but only at low weight. I am really loving the overhead press part of these- crazy as it sounds I think they are having a better effect on my back than rows.
Hey Recon, yes it was nice. Only problem is was staying in an apartment and managed to fall down some stairs. I’m lucky I didn’t break anything. Anyway then on my last day picked up a bug so now I’m sick. Ah sure could’ve been worse. My back and ribs feel better than they have in awhile though so that’s good.
Yeah definitely going to try the orthos next time I do oly lifting or even just squatting, unless like you said with light weights.
Just wanted to stop in and say hi! “hi!!”
Hope you feel better soon!
[quote]minimaltechno wrote:
Hey Recon, yes it was nice. Only problem is was staying in an apartment and managed to fall down some stairs. I’m lucky I didn’t break anything. Anyway then on my last day picked up a bug so now I’m sick. Ah sure could’ve been worse. My back and ribs feel better than they have in awhile though so that’s good.
Yeah definitely going to try the orthos next time I do oly lifting or even just squatting, unless like you said with light weights.
[/quote]
gosh, that is bad luck Minitech, I am sorry. Though maybe the fall gave you a nice little spinal adjustment 
The weight lifting will be there when you are ready for it. I am staying with light weights on the oly bar for now- I quite like it. I want to come up with some complexes and get some rhythm going with it. ttyl