Ask an Exercise Science major anything

[Dams3]

If you are done with puberty, you can't grow taller

[ReneeMarina]

Hi okay so im 21 and i’ve always had a very fast metabolism.. currently i’m at 166 cm / 5 ft 5 and 45kg/99lbs and I know that’s too skinny... i’ve been trying to gain weight for a loong time but even when I gain 2-3-4 kilos, I lose it all... so my question is: can I gain some muscles in my legs and butt by doing squats with weighs or will this make my legs more slimmer? I know strenght excercises make you gain muscle but I’m worried cause i dont wanna lose any more weight and i dont know how much more should I eat when I start exercising.. also, I’m kinda having trouble with over eating.. I know I should eat a lot since im trying to gain weight but I physically can’t eat that much... thanks!

[y0lked]

Hello there. I commented a while ago reporting a low back pain in one side of my back. I now have some x rays. My orthopedic doctor didn't really tell me what to do about my problem. The x rays show that the curve of my spine isn't as curvy as it should be, it's less round, it's somewhat flat. I guess that its a slight Posterior pelvic tilt?
I did some stretches for hamstrings glutes and abs and it immediately helped, but I need to do it very often. I will eventually go to physical therapy for this. My question to you is, what else can I do, should I avoid working my low back hard (this seems counterproductive to me since my goal should be to strengthen my spinal erectors) ? Should I not do ab exercises? What else can I do to take some of the discomfort away? I currently cannot perform back squats, full range of motion deadlifts and RDLs. Also, is it actually a pelvic tilt? Note; the pain has moved a bit lower, closer to my glutes

Thanks for your advice man

Its either kyphosis or PPT.

Strengthen the hip flexors and use trap bar deadlift to get a better lordotic curve.

Im interrested in this glute pain now, shouldnt have glute pain from this. Can you point to where it is?

[y0lked]

Just spotted this thread there now. I injured my lower back a few years back ( broke the vertebrae in the lumbar ). Everything is fine these days however i still get inflamed greatly when bending or doing a repetitive motion such as shoveling. I can deadlift and squat lighter weight pretty good still. Is there any exercises or things I can be doing to prevent my back from getting stiff as a board when doing stuff like shoveling or picking up things around the house. Pain isn't a issue really, it just flares up and gets tight and irritable.

Just like any back injury, do these daily:
Correct posture (im sure you have some sort of imbalance from the injury)
Stretch the spinal erectors
Apply traction

[y0lked]

Hi okay so im 21 and i’ve always had a very fast metabolism.. currently i’m at 166 cm / 5 ft 5 and 45kg/99lbs and I know that’s too skinny... i’ve been trying to gain weight for a loong time but even when I gain 2-3-4 kilos, I lose it all... so my question is: can I gain some muscles in my legs and butt by doing squats with weighs or will this make my legs more slimmer? I know strenght excercises make you gain muscle but I’m worried cause i dont wanna lose any more weight and i dont know how much more should I eat when I start exercising.. also, I’m kinda having trouble with over eating.. I know I should eat a lot since im trying to gain weight but I physically can’t eat that much... thanks!

Hi Renee have you read the threads with the title "sticky:"?
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/forumdisplay.php?f=13

https://forum.bodybuilding.com/forumdisplay.php?f=8

Come back if you have a specific question I can help with.

[AthleticoZX]

I have posted a thread, but maybe it would be more appropriate to ask here. You know how some guys have upper arms that are the same thickness near the elbow as they are near the shoulder, with the biceps bumping out the elbow area. Usually professional runners have that kind of arms. How can a person get that look with excercise or is it purely genetic?

[Dams3]

Its either kyphosis or PPT.

Strengthen the hip flexors and use trap bar deadlift to get a better lordotic curve.

Im interrested in this glute pain now, shouldnt have glute pain from this. Can you point to where it is?

Thanks for your answer. The glute pain isnt here anymore, i guess it was something irrelevant.

I do not have access to a trap bar. Litarally no gym in my city has them. Any other alternatives?

[y0lked]

I have posted a thread, but maybe it would be more appropriate to ask here. You know how some guys have upper arms that are the same thickness near the elbow as they are near the shoulder, with the biceps bumping out the elbow area. Usually professional runners have that kind of arms. How can a person get that look with excercise or is it purely genetic?

Im not sure what you're referring to, can you post a photo?

[y0lked]

Thanks for your answer. The glute pain isnt here anymore, i guess it was something irrelevant.

I do not have access to a trap bar. Litarally no gym in my city has them. Any other alternatives?

Yoga (srs)

very serious

[Dams3]

Yoga (srs)

very serious

dont worry i know yoga is good and dont think is ridiculous like many bros do. I will find some yoga routines online and will begin doing them. Thank you

[supramax]

dont worry i know yoga is good and dont think is ridiculous like many bros do. I will find some yoga routines online and will begin doing them. Thank you

Hatha Yoga is a series of precise details that become second nature and are then usually omitted by instructors.
Do yourself a favor and buy a book titled YOGA SELF-TAUGHT by Andre Van Lysebeth. It teaches the classic 9 pose Rishikesh Series along with the Sun Salutation and other important things. All instructions are detailed and correct.

[Dams3]

Hatha Yoga is a series of precise details that become second nature and are then usually omitted by instructors.
Do yourself a favor and buy a book titled YOGA SELF-TAUGHT by Andre Van Lysebeth. It teaches the classic 9 pose Rishikesh Series along with the Sun Salutation and other important things. All instructions are detailed and correct.

I think i will stick to the basics for now. Thanks for the advice though

[AthleticoZX]

Im not sure what you're referring to, can you post a photo?

I mean it looks a bit like this: Biceps really bumping outwards, and the arm isn't getting wider near the triceps area. Do you think it's because he's trained for biceps only?

[supramax]

I think i will stick to the basics for now. Thanks for the advice though

Lol. That is the basics!

P.S. You're welcome.

[spek578]

Hey man!

About to be Ex Sci major as well, just getting finished up with my prerequisites.

I'm personally having trouble with what I thought was initially a glute strain, but now after a week with no significant improvement I think it may be lower back or nerve related. So some back story, last week I hit deadlifts 3x, due to my weight training class (phys activity requirement) overlapping with my training. The prof decided one day to do deadlifts 48 hours after I hit them last (I do a 3 day full body split, one on one off, then I work weekends), and then naturally I just stayed on my training schedule and did deadlifts again 48 hrs later.

It wasn't anything crazy, each time I just hit 185 for a 4x4, but considering I havent worked at that intensity at ~80% in a helluva long time (had to guesstimate my 1rm too), I probably over did it. *I also didnt take into consideration the tingly sensation I got in the left side of my lower back when deadlifting one of my last sets* . I didnt think anything of it at the time, since I'm used to grinding out sets (have hit 185 for 30 probably 5 years ago now), but its worth mentioning.

If I do a straight leg raise I get most pain felt from lifting from 1 to 60 degrees, with what I believe is referred pain in what feels like the back lateral side of my left knee (left glute pain fyi)

Walking, I get that same referred pain in my left knee, exacerbated if I walk more on the outside of my foot, and I get what feels like spasms or twinges when rotating medially or laterally, especially after weight bearing on that leg.

What the heck did I do to myself and why do I love deadlifts

If I think of anything else I'll add.

I appreciate the time!

edit: also, when walking or even when I'm laying down and there is pain, if I flex my core the pain subsides quite significantly.

[y0lked]

I mean it looks a bit like this: Biceps really bumping outwards, and the arm isn't getting wider near the triceps area. Do you think it's because he's trained for biceps only?

Genetics and/or just havent had enough gains yet.

[y0lked]

Hey man!

About to be Ex Sci major as well, just getting finished up with my prerequisites.

I'm personally having trouble with what I thought was initially a glute strain, but now after a week with no significant improvement I think it may be lower back or nerve related. So some back story, last week I hit deadlifts 3x, due to my weight training class (phys activity requirement) overlapping with my training. The prof decided one day to do deadlifts 48 hours after I hit them last (I do a 3 day full body split, one on one off, then I work weekends), and then naturally I just stayed on my training schedule and did deadlifts again 48 hrs later.

It wasn't anything crazy, each time I just hit 185 for a 4x4, but considering I havent worked at that intensity at ~80% in a helluva long time (had to guesstimate my 1rm too), I probably over did it. *I also didnt take into consideration the tingly sensation I got in the left side of my lower back when deadlifting one of my last sets* . I didnt think anything of it at the time, since I'm used to grinding out sets (have hit 185 for 30 probably 5 years ago now), but its worth mentioning.

If I do a straight leg raise I get most pain felt from lifting from 1 to 60 degrees, with what I believe is referred pain in what feels like the back lateral side of my left knee (left glute pain fyi)

Walking, I get that same referred pain in my left knee, exacerbated if I walk more on the outside of my foot, and I get what feels like spasms or twinges when rotating medially or laterally, especially after weight bearing on that leg.

What the heck did I do to myself and why do I love deadlifts

If I think of anything else I'll add.

I appreciate the time!

edit: also, when walking or even when I'm laying down and there is pain, if I flex my core the pain subsides quite significantly.

Stuff like this is kinda hard to visualize. Any way you can take a video?

Referred pain down the leg after a back injury can point to a mild herniation of a lumbar disk.


Do you have pain when you hip extend or when you abduct the femur? Pain when internally rotate or externally rotate?
Can you flex/extend the spine with normal flexibility or do you have a loss of ROM?
Do you have a lack of ROM in one side compared to the other?

[spek578]

Stuff like this is kinda hard to visualize. Any way you can take a video?

Referred pain down the leg after a back injury can point to a mild herniation of a lumbar disk.


Do you have pain when you hip extend or when you abduct the femur? Pain when internally rotate or externally rotate?
Can you flex/extend the spine with normal flexibility or do you have a loss of ROM?
Do you have a lack of ROM in one side compared to the other?

Yes to hip extension, but the pain happens closer to the point of hyperextension with glute contraction. Yes to femur abduction, as well as internally and externally rotating, although its more painful during external rotation.

Spine flexion and extension is fine, but all the way at the end of spinal extension I get some pain which feels like its coming from my upper glute, but I think I can attribute this to my slight glute contraction to help the spine extension. This was my reference for spinal extension (not sure if its synonymous with trunk flexion/extension so I figured I'd add the diagram)

I'd say I have full ROM, although there are definite points during the ROM where the pain is there. For example I can bodyweight squat with fine ROM, but about halfway through the eccentric and concentric phase there is the same pain in my upper glute (or behind my knee if the injury has been aggravated already)

The pain is definitely just in my upper left glute closer to the spine than the hip. I get the pain down behind the left of the left knee when walking or weight bearing (specifically the moment I take weight off the left foot and either externally or internally rotate the femur to take a step).

[CANDYBARS]

Hey,

I’m currently studying Keniaiology with an extended PT course and have the following questions relating to the analysis of forces in two exercises that don’t seem to correlate with each other.

I’m comparing the forces applied in the body in a chest press using a smith machine to simplify matters, to those in a chin up exercise, using a pull up bar. I am trying to understand in terms of biomechanics, why it is the most strenuous with the chin up bar at the top of the movement when the head is at the level of the bar i.e. when I just start the movement, while with the chest press, it is the “easiest” at the top of the movement when the arms are straight and the bar is away from the body.

The reason these two don’t seem to make sense together is the following:

With the chest press it actually does make sense. The beginning is harder because the Internal torque of the pectoralis major muscle is much greater at the end of the movement (when the arms are horizontally adducted and rhe bar is high vs when they are horizontally abducted at the beginning of the movement when the bar is low. This is because the insertion angle of pectoralis major is very small with no significant torque at the beginning vs the end where it’s quite high and “helps” with the movement.

In terms of external torque, there really is non significant that I can think of with a long bar because the friction with the bar offsets any potential torque such as that which would exist using dumbells.

This is all good until we get to the chin up pull up exercise. Here at the bottom of the exercise when the arms are straight and the bar is still far above you (forgive my cocrky description), it still harder than when you reach the bar with the head. Here the internal torque of the latisimus Dorsi muscle is the highest at the top of the movement again when the head is high, and the arms are perpendicular to the floor and to the body. This, vs when the arms are straight up fully extended at the beginning of the movement. This should make the point of reaching the bar easier and not harder. Again, because of the friction with the bar I don’t see an external torque that is worth calculating (perhaps I’m wrong). The only thing that can explain it is the length tension curve, which would indicate that it would be harder at the end of the movement, but that is also should have been the case with the chest press exercise (being harder at the end but it isn’t..).

My instructor (who’s very experienced and a smart guy) couldn’t really give me a good explanation and I am really trying to understand what I’m missing here.

Perhaps you can help
me.

Thanks!!

[y0lked]

Yes to hip extension, but the pain happens closer to the point of hyperextension with glute contraction. Yes to femur abduction, as well as internally and externally rotating, although its more painful during external rotation.

Spine flexion and extension is fine, but all the way at the end of spinal extension I get some pain which feels like its coming from my upper glute, but I think I can attribute this to my slight glute contraction to help the spine extension. This was my reference for spinal extension (not sure if its synonymous with trunk flexion/extension so I figured I'd add the diagram)

I'd say I have full ROM, although there are definite points during the ROM where the pain is there. For example I can bodyweight squat with fine ROM, but about halfway through the eccentric and concentric phase there is the same pain in my upper glute (or behind my knee if the injury has been aggravated already)

The pain is definitely just in my upper left glute closer to the spine than the hip. I get the pain down behind the left of the left knee when walking or weight bearing (specifically the moment I take weight off the left foot and either externally or internally rotate the femur to take a step).

Interesting! The knee pain gives me pause. The only way that could be related is if glutes are soo tight that they are pulling your femur into extension and then causing a stretch of the popliteus muscle....

Place a dot where you feel the pain in the glutes


If its higher up than the glutes it could definitely be a QL issue that can be confused as glute pain. This would make me think its a current/old herniation. If the hips are not in alignment then we could be looking at a combination of things as well.

[y0lked]

Hey,

I’m currently studying Keniaiology with an extended PT course and have the following questions relating to the analysis of forces in two exercises that don’t seem to correlate with each other.

I’m comparing the forces applied in the body in a chest press using a smith machine to simplify matters, to those in a chin up exercise, using a pull up bar. I am trying to understand in terms of biomechanics, why it is the most strenuous with the chin up bar at the top of the movement when the head is at the level of the bar i.e. when I just start the movement, while with the chest press, it is the “easiest” at the top of the movement when the arms are straight and the bar is away from the body.

The reason these two don’t seem to make sense together is the following:

With the chest press it actually does make sense. The beginning is harder because the Internal torque of the pectoralis major muscle is much greater at the end of the movement (when the arms are horizontally adducted and rhe bar is high vs when they are horizontally abducted at the beginning of the movement when the bar is low. This is because the insertion angle of pectoralis major is very small with no significant torque at the beginning vs the end where it’s quite high and “helps” with the movement.

In terms of external torque, there really is non significant that I can think of with a long bar because the friction with the bar offsets any potential torque such as that which would exist using dumbells.

This is all good until we get to the chin up pull up exercise. Here at the bottom of the exercise when the arms are straight and the bar is still far above you (forgive my cocrky description), it still harder than when you reach the bar with the head. Here the internal torque of the latisimus Dorsi muscle is the highest at the top of the movement again when the head is high, and the arms are perpendicular to the floor and to the body. This, vs when the arms are straight up fully extended at the beginning of the movement. This should make the point of reaching the bar easier and not harder. Again, because of the friction with the bar I don’t see an external torque that is worth calculating (perhaps I’m wrong). The only thing that can explain it is the length tension curve, which would indicate that it would be harder at the end of the movement, but that is also should have been the case with the chest press exercise (being harder at the end but it isn’t..).

My instructor (who’s very experienced and a smart guy) couldn’t really give me a good explanation and I am really trying to understand what I’m missing here.

Perhaps you can help
me.

Thanks!!

Your summary of torque and levers is spot on! You're very smart and studied, i can tell.

When we analyze exercises we have to look at external forces and internal forces.
External forces like gravity and torque are great for looking at loading parameters. HOWEVER, we must look at what is going on to the muscles themselves when doing an exercise as well.

Im sure you have studied the sarcomere if you're already into biomechanics.


Every muscles force production is directly related to the amount of overlap the thick and thin filaments have.
Too much overlap= lower force production
Too little overlap= lower force production

At the top of the chinup the muscles involved in that particular exercise are maximally over-laped.
At the bottom of the bench press, the pecs are maximally stretched= lower force production.

Another factor to consider: active and inactive insufficiency.

[CANDYBARS]

Thanks a lot for the complements and for your educated response, I think there is something I'm missing, though.

I did have in mind the actin myosin overlap factor when I analyzed these scenarios (I called it the 'length tension curve - I'm from Israel and this is how they termed this phenomenon of lower muscle strength when it is too stretched with no overlap, or too 'loose' with maximal overlap and no where to 'go' from there).

Applying this, my thinking was that in the chest movement, at the bottom of the movement, the pecs are as you said maximally stretched and there is lower force production. With the chin up, you're correctly stating that the maximal overlap is at the top of the movement because the muscle is least stretched, but if that's the case then the body should be stronger at the top of the movement, and yet my original question was why we are weakest in that position. It was a combination of the forces analysis and this more physiological analysis that brought me to this conclusion, but I'm sure I must be missing something. You also mentioned active and inactive insufficiency, I am familiar with both and would be interested to know how they combine in the explanation.

Thanks again and I look forward to your insight

Your summary of torque and levers is spot on! You're very smart and studied, i can tell.

When we analyze exercises we have to look at external forces and internal forces.
External forces like gravity and torque are great for looking at loading parameters. HOWEVER, we must look at what is going on to the muscles themselves when doing an exercise as well.

Im sure you have studied the sarcomere if you're already into biomechanics.

Every muscles force production is directly related to the amount of overlap the thick and thin filaments have.
Too much overlap= lower force production
Too little overlap= lower force production

At the top of the chinup the muscles involved in that particular exercise are maximally over-laped.
At the bottom of the bench press, the pecs are maximally stretched= lower force production.

Another factor to consider: active and inactive insufficiency.

[AthleticoZX]

Genetics and/or just havent had enough gains yet.

Thank you very much for your answer! Can you, please, advise on an excercise that trains the lower part of the biceps? Would pull ups work for that?

[hldk64]

Hello all,
I am new hear. can anyone give me some tips about how to lose body fat? especially the what type of exercises i should follow and for how long?

Thanks

[TeodorR]

Kinda new here. 42 years old. Moderate fitness activity. I barely have time to go to gym but I could squeeze 2, eventually 3 times per week. 220 pound 6.1, playing rugby and soccer with friends, not working office job i.e. walking around 4-5 miles per day.
I'd rather go with fitness kick boxing once a week and two times going to gym. What would be your recommendation?

[y0lked]

Thanks a lot for the complements and for your educated response, I think there is something I'm missing, though.

I did have in mind the actin myosin overlap factor when I analyzed these scenarios (I called it the 'length tension curve - I'm from Israel and this is how they termed this phenomenon of lower muscle strength when it is too stretched with no overlap, or too 'loose' with maximal overlap and no where to 'go' from there).

Applying this, my thinking was that in the chest movement, at the bottom of the movement, the pecs are as you said maximally stretched and there is lower force production. With the chin up, you're correctly stating that the maximal overlap is at the top of the movement because the muscle is least stretched, but if that's the case then the body should be stronger at the top of the movement, and yet my original question was why we are weakest in that position. It was a combination of the forces analysis and this more physiological analysis that brought me to this conclusion, but I'm sure I must be missing something. You also mentioned active and inactive insufficiency, I am familiar with both and would be interested to know how they combine in the explanation.

Thanks again and I look forward to your insight

At the top of the chin-up the scapulas are maximally retracted retracted and depressed, the lats lever arm is furthest away possible (arm at 90 degrees and anterior to the body) which puts it at its weakest point and the biceps are responsible for the remaining elbow flexion necessary to complete the remaining concentric portion of the lift.

Biceps are the weakpoint here which limits strength at the top of the concentric (and also activity insufficient due to shoulder flexion) thus- less force production

Look at this position, draw the vectors and you'll see the net torque
Then take in consideration active insufficiency of the biceps

[y0lked]

Thank you very much for your answer! Can you, please, advise on an excercise that trains the lower part of the biceps? Would pull ups work for that?

Targeting the lower portion of the biceps is like asking to pull on a rope and see different tension at different points
The only thing you can target is the tendon at the elbow, preacher curls can do this.

[y0lked]

Hello all,
I am new hear. can anyone give me some tips about how to lose body fat? especially the what type of exercises i should follow and for how long?

Thanks

Read up on general exercise techniques and diet here:
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...hp?t=165843261

If you have a specific question id be more than happy to help but setting up an entire weight loss program is very time consuming. Put together a plan and ill be more than happy to help you

[y0lked]

Kinda new here. 42 years old. Moderate fitness activity. I barely have time to go to gym but I could squeeze 2, eventually 3 times per week. 220 pound 6.1, playing rugby and soccer with friends, not working office job i.e. walking around 4-5 miles per day.
I'd rather go with fitness kick boxing once a week and two times going to gym. What would be your recommendation?

Any start is a good start! You dont need to go 6 days a week when you first start, treat it like a transition.
Kickboxing and two workouts of full body would be an ideal way to start

Mon: Full body
Tue: off
Wed: Kickboxing
Thurs: off
Fri: full body

Plenty of full body routines you can do

[Jasonaldean]

Hmmm nice post.....