Lifting The Distance

As promised in my post Strategic Retreat this is the combination of exercises I have been doing to restore function to my right hip. After roughly 2 weeks of performing these exercises about every second day the pain I experience in my right hip while lifting has significantly decreased to the point that it no longer limits my weight increases. All credit to this routine goes to Dr. Jordan Shallow and the mind pump tv youtube channel . One thing I like in particular about this routine is that it addresses multiple parts of the hip in an attempt to balance the joint. I find this is a much better approach than just mercilessly attacking the one muscle that is believed to be the issue. A more functional approach to the hip is like casting a bigger net, increasing your chances of getting to the cause of the dysfunction. Part 1: Hip Adductor Release Tight hip adductors is common in both runners and lifters. One misconception when attempting to release muscles is only addressing thei...

An important factor before approaching rehabilitation is an understanding of some basic bio-mechanic guidelines so you can set appropriate goals. For the purposes of rehabilitation it can be useful to imagine the motion of the lower extremity to be broken down into 4 quadrants: Low back/pelvis, hip, knee, and ankle. These can be further broken down but for now this is sufficient. Between these quadrants there is a give and take relationship. Quadrant 1: Pelvis The low back and pelvis provide stability and anchor points for the hip muscles. Spinal engine theory coined by Serge Gracovetsky in the 1980's puts forth the idea that movement of the limbs originates in the spine and trunk.The motion of the limbs is an amplification of motion that begins in the spine. Quadrant 2: Hip The hip joint is meant to be capable of a large range of motion, nearly as wide a range as our shoulder joint. As with the shoulder this impressive range of motion can lead to instability issues i...

During training it is inevitable that as limits are pushed the body may push back. The important thing to do is listen to your body and respond accordingly. Whether you are out for a run or in the gym when a painful twinge hits it might just be time to take a break and evaluate your bio-mechanics. This is an opportunity to grow as an athlete and possibly fix something that would later limit your progress. My personal experience with this hit last week during a leg day lift. Nearing the end of my posterior squats a sharp bite in my right anterior hip began to build. By my second set of dead-lifts it was clear that something was going on that required attention and I stopped my workout. In my stubborn past I would have just grit my teeth and finished the lift but due to the time constraints of this training schedule I don't have the luxury of being sidelined by a larger injury. Looking back, stopping the workout was the smartest thing I could have done. It allowed me to explore t...

Which supplements to take is always a complicated decision. After reading about the supplement pyramid created by Michael A. Smith, MD I decided that for me it made the most sense. The basic idea is that before bothering with any specific supplemental needs you first have to meet the universal needs of the body. Dr. Michael suggests that these foundational supplements are what your body requires at a cellular level for function. An ideally dosed multivitamin/mineral Omega-3 fatty acids Coenzyme Q10 Probiotics Curcumin  So I do not take a multivitamin or mineral. Instead I try to have a balanced diet. Always be especially careful when taking mineral supplements as they are competitive in absorption and can lead to deficiency in other minerals. Another supplement that I would consider a foundational supplement especially in northern latitudes is vitamin D as it is used by every cell in the body. What could be considered an optimization level supplement would be the Gluco...

So the point of all of this is to test power training against traditional marathon training. The goal being to increase both the anterior and posterior chain muscles ability to produce power while maintaining a neutral pelvic girdle. This increase in power coupled with an efficient stride may create an advantage over traditional training. Usually a conversation like this would lead into a muscle fiber type discussion as to why training sport specific is important for endurance vs power activity. Our idea is to focus more on functional strength. A runner performing traditional training will have access to much less on demand power making each stride require more energy relative to their max and therefore more stress on the body than in a more powerful athlete. Example: Runner A has done traditional endurance training and has a max output of 100 Watts (just for ease of numbers) and uses 35 Watts per stride. Compare that to runner B that has trained more power and now has a max outp...

So there are two main components to the prevention of over training injuries during this 4 month period. The first is Chiropractic adjustments and the second is the use of Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) also known as radial pulse shockwave. Some other modalities may be included as the need arises. Let's talk about usage. Chiropractic: Throughout training I have been getting adjusted twice a week. My favorite time to get adjusted is right after my leg day ideally within a few hours of leaving the gym. I find that the muscle soreness is instantly reduced and my delayed muscle soreness is also less intense. This allows me to keep a high level of intensity between rest days. I also incorporate Kinesio taping in my training which I will post more indepth about later. ESWT: Atleast once a week I have been receiving treatments with shockwave therapy. I plan these around my training schedule usually trying to have it after a heavy day so that my body has some recovery t...

One Rep Max:                          315lb Backsquat                          4 Chin ups                          4:00 Front Plank                          225lb Bench                          3.5" Sit and Reach Legs:                            ...