Building Curves

[ilovethe80s]

I remember reading in here once a year or two ago that you tried squatting high bar with no hands to work on bar path and center of gravity.... I tried that the other day (with a very loose grip - mentally I couldn't bring myself to try no hands, but close enough!) and I liked it a lot, felt like it was very good bar path / center of gravity practice for me. So ...belated thank you for that idea

Yes, what you ran into with the macdonald bar sounds similar to what I have going on with the safety squat bar. I think it might have something to do with that it pushes you forward, but if I get forward in my squat it ticks off my SI, so maybe I'm doing something strange in there to avoid that. Not really sure, but I am happy to retire it for the time being.

Glad you got some use out of the hands-free squats. And thank you for mentioning them because I forgot about them, too. They came in handy this week. They are very telling!

You're a bad influence, Laura.

I tried the split unrack and I have decided to switch.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=168742073

Glad the split unrack made you feel more stable! I agree that it seems to be less fussing around to get the bar in just the right spot. I think you are owed the credit for it though and not me. I was just trying to copy Klokov and asked you if it was ok, and you condoned it It can't be named after me anyway because I am in hiding doing it lol. If I have to split unrack at my meet, it will go something like :
(Points in opposite direction ) 'Hey, isn't that Dan Green?'
(Quickly split unracks and waits for squat command while everyone is distracted)
lol

[ilovethe80s]

| Sunday |
Prewo:
Bird dog
Leg lifts in chair
Static lunge / glute kickback/ side kick with barbell overhead
V-hold with ab bracing

Front Squat
WL shoes
45/5, 95/3, 135/3, 160/3
175

Belt
190
200 - @7 left knee buckling a bit and I'm coming up on my right side only
210 - @7 hips wobbly but easy

Front Squat 5-count Eccentric, 5-count Pause
175/2 (2x)

Sumo
Alternating grip
135/5
185/5
225/3
245/5
275/5
310/4 - normally I get 10 reps at this weight. Today, the weight feels like nothing with mixed grip going one way, but the alternate grip obviously has a problem; it is convulsing and weak. Zero stamina on my part today either.

Jefferson Deadlift
135/12 (2x) - it's not just the hip, it is the right side of my back that is zoning out, too. These feel like a solution to a problem, need more of them again.

Front Squat Hold/ Calf Raise

Notes :
I felt like complete garbage today. I don't think my workload has been a lot, but sleep has been very interrupted. Going to try and log when I feel really crappy and when I feel crisp and good. It isn't always related to the workload alone, and the numbers don't always reflect how crappy I did or did not feel. Ok to feel like crap now. Don't want to feel like crap at meet time

The hip doesn't exactly hurt, just really awkward feeling, like a crowbar was wedged in there and I can't move right. Why must something always need fixing lol. Jeffersons felt great, though.

[ilovethe80s]

| Monday |

TrP: Medial glute, glute minimus, right TFL is my worst spot right now

Circuit
1. Off-Balance KB Step up, Off-Balance Lateral KB Step up - 10 of each/side
2. SA KB Overhead Lunge - 10 per side
3. SA KB swings - 20 per side, Regular KB Swing - 20
4. KB Goblet Hold - 30 seconds
4x through, 1 minute rest between circuits

A bunch of hands-free squats

Bench
45/5 (4x)
95/3
115/3
135/3 (4x) - practicing new cues

TNG Bench
155
165 - @7 very quick but sloppy. butt left the bench and though it wasn't evident on video, there was some bar path weirdness on the right side. I'm usually worse at tng than I am paused, for the haste factor.

Paused
145/3 - making sure to push UP the bench so I don't lift off

Inverted Row
4x10 - with shoulder retraction
Retract + hold 30 seconds (2x)

Notes :
I was sweating so much for that circuit that there was a pool of sweat forming under me when I stoof unde the squat bar. It felt soooo good and lifted the achy, groggy feeling I had.

I kept my shoes off for the circuit to make sure I was keeping all points of contact with the feet. 25lb KB used for all moves. I don't like to go heavy at all for the circuits, that doesn't seem to help me nearly as much. It was a challenge to not be teetering during KB OH lunges.

Bench was supposed to be a light tech day. My shoulder setup has been in the toilet though so plan was to do whatever was needed to work on that issue.

Attempting to mimic a decline bench really helped get my shoulders better set.

135 felt like a perfect weight to get used to staying tight on the way down, then throwing the weight off my chest while slamming heels into the ground. I ended up doing a little more work than I first laid out for to drill it in.

Was going to leave it at the 135 sets, then decided to at least unrack 155 but forgot what I was doing and ended up benching it. I was very happy with that because I didn't think I could make a jump from 135 to 155, especially after several work sets.

165 was fast too, but felt sloppy.

I had a hard time with the 'pinkies' cue today, like the bar was not at the right place in my hand to do anything with pinkies.

[ilovethe80s]

| Tuesday |
Prewo:
Bird dog, Pelvic tilts, Leg raise seated, Skater jumps

Calves, Seated DB on knee
Toes in, toes out
3x20

Squat
45/10, 95/3, 135/3, 165/3, 185/2, 205
215
225
235 - ok but I shifted to one side on the way up
240 - while monitoring for even leg pressure, I let the bar roll forward a bit.

Wraps
240
250
260 - @7 but video'd from side and depth in wraps looks sketchy. Knees are already forward quite a bit, I think the only other place to go now is out to the sides.

230/2 (2x) - tried pointing feet out. Depth-wise, it looked more like my unwrapped squat but I need to be careful to not hunch down.

Snatch Grip American Deadlift
Staggered
95/8 (4x)

Normal Stance
135/8
185/8 (2x)

Suitcase Hold

Notes :
Split unracked today again. So far so good with that.

I can squat just fine with my feet pointed straight ahead and maximal ankle flexion, sending knees straight out in front. In wraps, my angles change. I seem to lean over more even with the slanted shins, and I don't go as deep. Tried pointing feet out instead of straight ahead which got me to a depth that looks a little more like my wrap-less squat (but it felt harder, too, so only half a win there). Maybe time to change up the chucks for adipowers again. Not sure if even more ankle flexion is really what I need but I'll give it a shot.

Feet straight:


Feet pointed out:


and here is what 260 looked like:

[ilovethe80s]

| Wednesday |

TrP: Currently have stuff in the L Piriformis, glute minimus both sides, right glute medius, right QL and right TFL

Vastus lateralis is clear and so is the knee pain. I cannot believe the type of knee pain that comes from that muscle, I was 100% certain that I had torn more cartilage.

Workout was just pilates.

[ilovethe80s]

| Thursday |

Pelvic tilts, bird dog, Jump rope (tried to anyway haha), OH lunges

Wide Squat
No shoes
45/5 (2x), 95/4, 135/4
165/4
180/2 - left leg pulled in on 2nd rep but right stayed stationary
190 - can keep the leg from turning in if I cue it
200
205 - sat in the hole for a moment waiting on the left side, but avoided the shift
135/5
155/3
170/3

Paused Floor Press
45/10, 95/5, 115/3, 135/5
145
155 - sloppy. I feel like my shoulders are twisted. I closed my eyes to see if it would help anything, as I thought something visual was throwing me off. It didn't help.
140/3 (4x) - sets got faster and easier as they went on

SA KB Swing
50lb KB/ 40 total per side

Notes :

A rep with knee twitch (left leg):


And less knee twitch:


If both legs were doing it, I wouldn't have so much of an issue with it. But this isn't the same as the knees in cue I like for squat; this is just crappy movement habits. As my stance narrows, that turns into a full-on shift, then the knee and SI joint flare up. Forcing that knee to stay in place slows the lift quite a bit more than if I just allowed my body to do what it wants, but it pays off.

I've been feeling like my shoulders have been twisted on bench ever since I moved my cage. Here is my view:


My cage is a few millimeters off kilter with the ceiling beams. I think I am trying to line myself up with the beams and it is causing me to be crooked. I don't know what I am looking at the ceiling for, and this really shouldn't matter, but I guess it does.

The problem resolved during the work sets when I angled the bar over the hooks to unrack, then stared hard at the bar so I wouldn't subconsciously align myself with the ceiling. I will try and get the cage to line up exactly with the ceiling beams so my bench life can go back to normal. The princess and the pea haha.

[izzygrant]

260 squat looking super smooth! if you feel like you're maxing out your knee flexion I bet adi's would be the magic bullet. also kudos for being able to use wraps effectively; I seem to squat the same with or without them

[kaleida]

260 looks really nice to me ... I am no judge, but it did look deep enough to me. But I trust you are more familiar than I am with how your squat should look from that angle.

It is amazing how fast vastus lateralis release can help with kneecap area pain, and I think I still have a chip on my shoulder from all the doctors I've visited who didn't know that. I could have fixed my own knee pain decades ago if I had known about it. Grrr You'd think something that works so well would eventually find its way to people who get asked about aches and pains day in and day out ...lol oh well.

[ilovethe80s]

260 squat looking super smooth! if you feel like you're maxing out your knee flexion I bet adi's would be the magic bullet. also kudos for being able to use wraps effectively; I seem to squat the same with or without them

Thanks! On the wraps - I did not post the dozen or so times I walked over to the bar and one wrap was unraveling itself before I even got there and the other has skin showing in the middle of the knee lol. Going to practice in them at least one per week. Your squat is kicking butt regardless

I will definitely try the adipowers next time, I think you are right that they will help. Without wraps on, I feel like my shins can go so much farther forward.

260 looks really nice to me ... I am no judge, but it did look deep enough to me. But I trust you are more familiar than I am with how your squat should look from that angle.

It is amazing how fast vastus lateralis release can help with kneecap area pain, and I think I still have a chip on my shoulder from all the doctors I've visited who didn't know that. I could have fixed my own knee pain decades ago if I had known about it. Grrr You'd think something that works so well would eventually find its way to people who get asked about aches and pains day in and day out ...lol oh well.

Thanks on the squat
I haven't had great experiences with doctors solving pain, either. For months on end, I was hopping into the dr on one foot because my knee was swelled up like a cantaloupe. And every month, they sent me home with some anti inflammatory rx and told me to ice it. The knee would return to normal within a week, but they were baffled when I came in one day and asked for some other options. They were like 'but the medicines clear it up? So just take meds when it flares up.' I had 2 toddlers and an infant at the time, I don't want to be on crutches for a week out of every month! I ended up having surgery (after begging for a referral - they really could not understand why I did not just want to let the knee swell up and then take meds every month) but maybe if I knew then how to properly release the muscles that are yanking things out of place, I might not have ended up needing it. They seem much more willing to prescribe meds and tell you to stop doing certain activities than provide real solutions for pain.

[ilovethe80s]

| Thursday |

Jump rope
Side plank/abductor x20 - could barely get a leg up for this today
V-sit

Paused Front Squat
heeled shoe
45/5 (3x), singles @95, 135
155 - felt like a ton
175
185
195 - started to feel a little better

Front Squat
no pause, add belt
205
210 - @6 - wtf thought I was having a bad day..guess not
215 - @9... didn't even watch the video after the lift because I thought it sucked. Felt like the bar path went waaaay off and I grinded through sticking point

Wide Front Squat to Box
no shoes
135/5 (2x) - plopped on box for first set, had better stability by 2nd set

Jefferson Deadlift
135/16 (8 per side)
185/10
225/10
185/20

Suitcase Hold / Calves

Pelvic Tilts, Stomach Vacuum

Notes :
I had a couple of days off of training but had a ton of physical activity to make up for it. Didn't do any maintenance work on my hips either. Felt groggy, hips are way out of alignment and was going to just have a light day. I don't know if it was because I was just doing singles working up or what, but things turned around, energy-wise anyway. My final single of the day was pretty hideous but doesn't look nearly as slow as it felt.



Had a lot of good releases followed by re-aligning snaps in my trigger point session after the workout. I really should have done it before, my movements would have been better.

[NorwichGrad]

Props to you for experimenting to see what works, Laura.

I agree with the ladies. Maybe it's time to go back to Adipowers.

You still have time before the October meet.

[Big_Sky_Guy]

Talk me through vastus lateral release.

As I work back up in weight after the meniscus surg, the patella pain is getting more noticeable. I can finally sit all the way back onto my heels, so flexibility is coming along. But something is not right = getting some tracking issues.

[ilovethe80s]

Props to you for experimenting to see what works, Laura.

I agree with the ladies. Maybe it's time to go back to Adipowers.

You still have time before the October meet.

The adipowers sure do make front squats fell better... I will definitely start using them more often for squats - ESP my wrap days where the wraps seem to block me from getting the amount of knee travel I need. I did use them with wraps today and it seems that they did alleviate the problem

Talk me through vastus lateral release.

As I work back up in weight after the meniscus surg, the patella pain is getting more noticeable. I can finally sit all the way back onto my heels, so flexibility is coming along. But something is not right = getting some tracking issues.

This video has a good and easily explained method for vastus lateralis release at 1:25



That location hurts so much. It is like you have to crush the tender point right against the bone. I don't know if it is just because mine is really bad (which yours might be, too since you also had meniscus surgery) but this muscle makes things feel a LOT worse before it gets better. It feels exactly like something is torn again in the knee. Then it gets much better in the following days.

Usually you can start softer and go with more aggressive releases as you make progress... For me with this particular point, it was like trying to manipulate steel and I couldn't use my hands yet. To get the ball rolling, I had to trap myself where I could not duck out of the release. If your surgery site is still fresh, gentler would probably be better

An arm chair with a tough frame that you can feel through the fabric helped with the initial releases, lying across it superman-style. Then you can raise your other leg up to get even more pressure, and move both legs around to really dig into the point.
You can get in there much better if you are up high where you can move around instead of on a foam roller. I took pictures to better show what I mean. Well, it was videos but looked like a stripper dance; went with screen shots instead That is my dog's chair and it is pretty worn, but great because you can really dig into the frame.


My husband butchered that plant in the pot next to me and he swears it will come back. I.....don't think so.

I also use these Restoration Hardware chairs that are made of steel. They are very high so if I jump off from the release pain, I will faceplant. I know this looks ridiculous and risk-reward ratio probably not great but it is good for the 'aggressive release where you cannot escape' thing that I seem to need to barge my way into this muscle:


Hopefully just the manual techniques will be good for you and you won't have to do any chair ballet lol, but getting up on top of something that you can't easily leave, or will be forced to let the object dig in even more in order to leave, seems to really get in there well. I felt the same after surgery - not actual pain, just like things just weren't tracking right.

[ilovethe80s]

| Monday |

Circuit
1. Off-Balance Step up- 10 of each/side
3. Lateral Jumps 1 minute
3. BB Glute Bridge with ISO Hold - 1 minute
4x through, 1 minute rest between circuits

Some hands-free, slow eccentric squats, to 185

Paused Bench
45/5, 95/5, 115/3
135/3 - my first few reps of the day with 45's feels like RPE9 every single time. I can barely even pick the plates off the ground to load them. Then 145 is easier.
145/3
155/3 @8 - was nervous about the third rep but it was fine.
155/3 @9 - chickened out of the last rep and did tng
155/3 @9

Speedy Decline Bench
95/3
115/3
135/3 (3x)

Yates Row
115/10 (5x)

Pull-aparts
x100

Notes :
Threw in speedy declines to practice settling into my upper back but it didn't feel like it was doing the trick today. Might be time to revisit the bands around wrists, or just remembering the cue, 'take my shoulders out of the lift', helped last time.

[NorwichGrad]

I have a somewhat twisted sense of humor as you know, so I hope you don’t mind that your pics reminded me of Cirque du Soleil..



Is that Gargoyle in the background?

[ilovethe80s]

| Tuesday |
90-90 hip
Psoas activ/erector inhibit
Ankle work
TRP: glute minimus, glute medius, piriformis, R erector
Pilates Hips and core : side plank ab/adduction stuff, bicycle, hundreds etc.
Off-balance squats

Squat
Hands-free
45/30 or so. Started with slow eccentrics and kept going till it was springy, to tempo and the bar stayed inline when I jumped a bit at the top

WL shoes, hands-free
135/3
165/3
185/2 - MUCH Better alignment than I have had lately.
210

Belt, hands-free setup to balance
225
235

Wraps
245 - putting feet out to the sides makes me want to arch my back. Cueing posterior tilt for the next one (ppt doesn't actually happen on me, but will help me keep hips under the bar)

255 - @7 - balancing the weight on my body by NOT pulling the bar into my back till just before the descent is helping to get my body in alignment and ready to squat

265 - @7.5

No wraps, slow eccentric, paused
205/3 - were not supposed to be paused squats. I don't think it is a good thing when I pause and didn't intend to.

No shoes
205/3 - hips are shifting a little to the right and bar was angled down on left on eccentric

Speedy squat, wide, hands-free
135/5 (2x)

Wide Pull-through
50 total

Staggered
20 per side (2x) - left side of my butt really liked that today. It could not even lock out a rep when I started but sparked up but halfway through. I'll be sore tomorrow.

Calves Seated, Dumbell on Knee

Stomach Vacuum

Notes :
The day started off rough, I felt Ike crap. I ended up doing an hour long session of pilates/releases and rehabby stuff and wasn't going to squat at all. I slept with a heating pad the night before and my body was responding so well to all the work this morning. One thing lead to another after some empty bar reps. I cheated and drank a half cup of coffee, too. I don't think I give myself enough time between waking up and getting under the bar, might have to start getting up even earlier.

Hands-free squats started off with the bar swaying forward on the right. The correction for that felt odd, but produced a balanced squat.

I'm trying to get a nice tempo and springy with lots of empty bar reps, then take bigger jumps to the max. I had been kind of plodding along because I thought I forgot how to squat again.

After the session was a several hours of biking with a heavy backpack. Then we stopped for picnic and sprint races. And about 500 ups and downs on the see-saw with my toddler on the other end. He only weighs like 35 pounds so I basically did 500 jump squats. I kind of liked it though because it is like being on a box to center the pelvis, but you take the box with you during the jump. Then bike again. Now they want me to go play lax with them. No wonder I've felt so groggy getting in the gym in the mornings lol.

[ilovethe80s]

Is that Gargoyle in the background?

Lol it is Cirque du Soleil. Sometimes nothing else will do. You get a nice little Psaos proprioceptive challenge along with it. Two birds with one stone

The gargoyle is always nearby. He huffed and grumbled while I did ballet on his chair.

[jrodri1234]

So this was the lurker in my blog with those PR's! and mother of 3? How the hell? =) Astonishing. Janie, mentioned that she received some advice concerning bar path. Now I see that was you. In!!!!!

[Big_Sky_Guy]

Holy hell you are going deep with that ball! I now understand what you meant by needing to trap yourself so you can let it settle in.

Talk about spending time in the pain cave. I was sweating just from hitting the vastus with the hard foam roller

[penny0527]

Had a lot of good releases followed by re-aligning snaps in my trigger point session after the workout. I really should have done it before, my movements would have been better.

Arent releases before lifting a bad idea?

[ilovethe80s]

So this was the lurker in my blog with those PR's! and mother of 3? How the hell? =) Astonishing. Janie, mentioned that she received some advice concerning bar path. Now I see that was you. In!!!!!

Thank you, and Welcome

Holy hell you are going deep with that ball! I now understand what you meant by needing to trap yourself so you can let it settle in.

Talk about spending time in the pain cave. I was sweating just from hitting the vastus with the hard foam roller

Isn't it horrible? Lol. It is the most uncomfortable sensation. I'm usually sweating and crying a little bit, too

Arent releases before lifting a bad idea?

Opposite For me anyway, and others who have similar issues, it is the best time. If you don't release before training, then you are training with restrictions. If it is bad enough, movements will be off or be painful. There is more stress on the tendons, ligaments, muscles and joints since the movement can't happen right. If you release first (for a short amount of time, unless it is an an area where you know you can get away with more), then it brings blood, and temporarily frees up the muscle. Now the muscles can fully function and posture is improved, which spares the body from extra stress.

After you release a point, it's recommended to immediately put the muscle to work. By releasing before lifting, you are training the muscle to function properly instead of with restrictions and compensations. ESP for things like one-sided restrictions that are causing lopsidedness. Releases are best received when paired with something to directly work the muscle (abductions for glutes, for ex.). I seem to stay healthiest (with less tech malfunctions) when I do the release, a direct exercise, and then go onto my movement(s) of the day.

I have problems with my ligaments and my muscles will bind up and yank things out of place if I don't release restrictions before my sessions. Sometimes when things start going well, I think I do not need to release pre-lifting anymore, but I can get away with skipping it for only a short time before the sh** hits the fan. Someone without connective tissue problems or injuries probably wouldn't need to prioritize something like that, or might not need to do it right before training . Though I do see articles popping up lately that endorse pre-training releasing for all:

http://www.jtsstrength.com/articles/...veness-part-1/

[ilovethe80s]

| Wednesday |

Trp: glute min and med, piriformis, TFL (right side is ripe)
Pilates circle hip reset, pilates hip work

Paused Bench
45/5, 95/5, 115/5, 135/5- pulling my shoulders into position using the sides of the cage helped get them out of the lift.

Paused Floor Press
135/3
145/3 @7 - finally was able to unrack with pinkies, just had to dig the bar deeper into my hand so it fell into the base of my palm on the unrack. No more wrist bending.
150/3 @7.5
155/2 @ 9 -left shoulder got a little wobbly on the second rep so I did not go for a 3rd. I barely managed a single at this weight last week with hardly a pause - such a difference a few tech adjustments can make

Close Grip Floor Press
115/8 (2x)

SA DB Row
With retraction
50/10 (4x) per side
25/25 per side

Notes :

Quick one today, running short on time.

Bench notes:
Used the sides of the cage to set shoulders
Taking bar deep in hand got rid of the wrist bending and unbalanced unrack that had been happening lately, and I could use the pinkies cue
Unrack over collarbone, not toward the face

Keeping shoulder in the socket made all the difference with the rows. Even though they were light, ihave imaginary lat syndrome the next day.

[NorwichGrad]

Just curious Laura. What's your plan at the meet then as far as releases? I assume you will have to get creative somehow and make time to release before each competition lift?

[ilovethe80s]

Just curious Laura. What's your plan at the meet then as far as releases? I assume you will have to get creative somehow and make time to release before each competition lift?

The one-sided tightness/ lopsidedness and twisting is really my nemesis - it wastes a ton of energy so I can't lift as much, and twists the joints. I don't suffer from that twisting nearly as much when doing low volume. Even though the work is heavy and frequent, there is such little overall work that I can make every rep as even and perfect as possible, fill in the gaps with corrective work, and if I do let a few twists slip in, I can undo the damage each day before it builds into a real problem. In volume phases, I like to think my reps are perfect, but bad things slip in, corrective work gets edged out, and I have more problems

So, as long as I keep my sessions low volume, which is perfect going into a meet, I really shouldn't have any major issues. I used to run that Russian Squat Assault (like Smolov) straight into my meets and then wonder why I was walking sideways come meet time lol.

There is like one week out of the month that my hips are really unstable no matter what, and luckily this meet narrowly misses that. I would not be doing the meet if it ran into that, or I'd have to push/pull. I don't care if I fall deadlifting, falling squatting sucks though.

I'll bring a lax ball - there are some areas that always improve my squat performance when worked on. My side glutes light up well when worked on just before squatting, a manual quad massage always makes me feel better, and calves of course . That should carry me through the day.

I am concerned about how to get the blood flowing before lifting though! That is something I have to get better at at home, too since I've been training as soon as I get out of bed. Most times at meet, I'm still groggy for squats. Need to think of something to get the heart rate up some.

[penny0527]

Thank you, and Welcome



Isn't it horrible? Lol. It is the most uncomfortable sensation. I'm usually sweating and crying a little bit, too



Opposite For me anyway, and others who have similar issues, it is the best time. If you don't release before training, then you are training with restrictions. If it is bad enough, movements will be off or be painful. There is more stress on the tendons, ligaments, muscles and joints since the movement can't happen right. If you release first (for a short amount of time, unless it is an an area where you know you can get away with more), then it brings blood, and temporarily frees up the muscle. Now the muscles can fully function and posture is improved, which spares the body from extra stress.

After you release a point, it's recommended to immediately put the muscle to work. By releasing before lifting, you are training the muscle to function properly instead of with restrictions and compensations. ESP for things like one-sided restrictions that are causing lopsidedness. Releases are best received when paired with something to directly work the muscle (abductions for glutes, for ex.). I seem to stay healthiest (with less tech malfunctions) when I do the release, a direct exercise, and then go onto my movement(s) of the day.

I have problems with my ligaments and my muscles will bind up and yank things out of place if I don't release restrictions before my sessions. Sometimes when things start going well, I think I do not need to release pre-lifting anymore, but I can get away with skipping it for only a short time before the sh** hits the fan. Someone without connective tissue problems or injuries probably wouldn't need to prioritize something like that, or might not need to do it right before training . Though I do see articles popping up lately that endorse pre-training releasing for all:

http://www.jtsstrength.com/articles/...veness-part-1/

I read somewhere (maybe the book or online) that it temporarily weakens the muscle so lifting immediately after was not suggested. Now I dont know what to think

Thanks for all the info. I'm going to try it beforehand and see what happens. I was avoiding it because of what I read about it weakening the muscle.

[penny0527]

Are you still using the Beastie Balls?

[ilovethe80s]

I initially had reservations too, because you generally hear not to release pre-lifting. So much conflicting info from different sources and there are a lot of 'don't release because you want to be tight' arguments, which is silly IMO because it assumes bilateral, healthy kind of tightness, not things like one side of your pelvis excessively tilting and constantly blowing out your joint.

My preworkout routine at the time was causing further damage and wasn't working for me (typical mobility stuff), so I was willing to try something different. Also, the release/stabilize pairing seemed to be recommended often for lax people.

I just found this on a quick google search so I am not familiar with this source, but it has some facts about releasing before lifting:

http://www.outsideonline.com/1784261...-after-workout

And then the pub med stuff linked from the Q+A:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?t...%20performance

I think that final sentence of the article implies that pre-lift release is starting to be a general thing now, due to the whatever latest research they have on it... which will all change again tomorrow probably lol. Everything is always conflicting and changing. This method works really well for me though, it's a keeper. You are kicking butt with getting rid of that hip pain lately so the things you are doing are obviously working, too

I still make myself use the beastie ball once per week - and then make sure I have the next day off lol.

[ilovethe80s]

| Thursday |
*Light Day*

TrP: right TFL, finally gave it the attention it needed. Also worked on all hip and thigh points, and QLs

Pilates hip reset

Then did the Cindy Crawford Shape Your Body Workout. I love that thing.

I almost got a mineral bath. Used Epsom salts, lavender, lit some candles and made chamomile tea. Then got distracted by my youngest for a while. When I made it to the bathroom, my middle son was in there, soaking away in bliss. He stole my bath. I was so desperate for it I was going to kick him out and take it back but he confessed that he might have peed in it.

[NorwichGrad]

I was so desperate for it I was going to kick him out and take it back but he confessed that he might have peed in it.

Hahaha. Reminds me of my son and wife on way to pre school last year.

Mommy I gotta go potty.

But Andrew, we are in the middle of nowhere.

Just pull over mom. Real men pee in the woods. Dad taught me.

[penny0527]

I initially had reservations too, because you generally hear not to release pre-lifting. So much conflicting info from different sources and there are a lot of 'don't release because you want to be tight' arguments, which is silly IMO because it assumes bilateral, healthy kind of tightness, not things like one side of your pelvis excessively tilting and constantly blowing out your joint.

My preworkout routine at the time was causing further damage and wasn't working for me (typical mobility stuff), so I was willing to try something different. Also, the release/stabilize pairing seemed to be recommended often for lax people.

I just found this on a quick google search so I am not familiar with this source, but it has some facts about releasing before lifting:

http://www.outsideonline.com/1784261...-after-workout

And then the pub med stuff linked from the Q+A:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?t...%20performance

I think that final sentence of the article implies that pre-lift release is starting to be a general thing now, due to the whatever latest research they have on it... which will all change again tomorrow probably lol. Everything is always conflicting and changing. This method works really well for me though, it's a keeper. You are kicking butt with getting rid of that hip pain lately so the things you are doing are obviously working, too

I still make myself use the beastie ball once per week - and then make sure I have the next day off lol.

I will admit I have done some release stuff during rest on squats and deadlifts. It was done out of desperation so the "don't's" went right out the window It did not seem to have a negative effect but of course the weight was light so I can't really say if it weakened the muscle or not. I was just trying to get through all my reps and sets without dying.

My squats are definitely better as far as hip pain. Sumo deadlifts seem to be getting harder on the hips though. I think better form is equalling more hip thrust and therefore more pain. That is ok because I be turning into a conventional puller soon