*** The 2012 Gym Rats Thread ***

[Skillmister]

Nice work. Do be careful with any lower back pain from squatting. It's likely that there is some instability (bum tuck being the likely one) at the bottom of the squat. This will fry various soft tissues initially (the pain you're probably experiencing), but if allowed to continue you can end up with more serious problems.

Yeah for sure. Although i don't think it's really squatting that's the problem, for example i get the same kind of "pain", it's actually more of an ache, after long periods sitting at my desk etc. It's improving over time so just need to keep doing the stretches/rolling i've been doing really.

Yeah i do a lot of planks, i'll have a look at some more aswell.

 

[icecold]

That's exactly the problem my brother has been dealing with, minus the APT. Some of the soft tissue in your lumbar region won't be happy, if you can get some deep tissue/soft tissue work done for you in that area then do it.

My brother had some tissue freak out when someone knocked the bar when he was deadlifting. It then locked down and has been causing problems for a few months, and he found sitting at a desk really bothered him. Hopefully it's all sorted now, back to squatting this week and deadlifting soon.

 

[Skillmister]

I try use the ball a bit down there. It hurts so damn much though

 

[icecold]

The ball is good, but it can't beat having someone with experience pick you apart with thumbs/elbows of steal... provided you can find someone and afford it. Embrace the pain!

 

[Skillmister]

Not gonna happen i'm afraid

 

[King Damager]

Out of interest, any comments on my Ab workout exercises, can't quite remember the order they were in but:

Hanging leg raises
Cat vomit
Plank
Alternate elbow to knees

Think that was what I'd gone for for now.

kd

 

[icecold]

Not gonna happen i'm afraid

Fair enough!

Get a lady to jab you with her elbows instead... it has the makings of a great chat up line and it allows you to show off your broceps in private

Out of interest, any comments on my Ab workout exercises, can't quite remember the order they were in but:

Hanging leg raises
Cat vomit
Plank
Alternate elbow to knees

Think that was what I'd gone for for now.

kd

Palloff press, chop and lift (NOT wood choppers )

 

[Scon]

Out of interest, any comments on my Ab workout exercises, can't quite remember the order they were in but:

Hanging leg raises
Cat vomit
Plank
Alternate elbow to knees

Think that was what I'd gone for for now.

kd

Decent start, but as you're a swimmer you probably want a wider range of exercises.

These are some i did as a swimmer;

Side planks
supermans
"side to sides" (Cant remember proper name) keep your feet off the ground and get yourself a 10kg plate/ball and you'll feel the burn
If you've got a medicine ball, try sitting on it, then bounce up and down fairly quickly, then try and stop at the top of the bounce, it sounds really stupid but it's pretty hard. It helps my posture aswell, just imagine someones attached a string to the top of your head and it's pulling up.

I also found exercises like this helped my body position during freestyle

 

[icecold]

I like all of those apart from the "side to sides" aka russian twists aka many other things. We do not need to rotate the core to work it fully.

 

[Scon]

I like all of those apart from the "side to sides" aka russian twists aka many other things. We do not need to rotate the core to work it fully.

I found it helped with stability when twisted in the "catch" position in freestyle. However that might have just been a coincidence as i was doing lots of core work at the time.

 

[Freefaller]

Pain....

Mobility warm up as per.

DB Snatch 24kg, 26kg, 30kg, 32kg, 36kg - x5 reps each hand
Towel Pull ups 5x, 6x, 5x, 7x
DB Push press 24kg, 26kg, 30kg, 32kg, 34kg - x5 reps each hand
BB Turkish get-ups 3x each side x3 sets

 

[icecold]

While I know absolutely nothing about swimming, I'm of the opinion that core exercises that actually involve rotation of the core are not a good idea.

 

[Scon]

exercises that actually involve rotation of the core are not a good idea.

Why's that?

 

[icecold]

Core strength, generally speaking, is about stability, or resisting movement. Movement in the lumbar spine under any load is a strict no-no, so rotating while in flexion is not going to be a good idea.

 

[Delvis]

Why's that?

You're twitsting your back and putting load on it, it's the fundamentals of manual handling

Your spine is in a very weak position when twisted

 

[Scon]

Core strength, generally speaking, is about stability, or resisting movement. Movement in the lumbar spine under any load is a strict no-no, so rotating while in flexion is not going to be a good idea.

If you were talking about doing core work purely to improve your stability when weight lifting then i can see why as most of the movements don't require any twisting, but in swimming, particularly during freestyle/backstroke you spend very little time not in a twisted position as you can pull harder and more efficiently when on your side and it allows you to get your other over arm over the top in a more relaxed position therefore saving energy.

I would have thought the exercise would be a good way to simulate the twisting that you do in the pool.

I'm not saying you're wrong at all btw, just that in Skills situation this might be a benefit to his stability.

I did this exercise along with about 15 others as my core programme for 6 years (4 times a week) and never had any problems, but i suppose that doesn't mean it won't cause anyone else problems.

 

[King Damager]

Palloff press, chop and lift (NOT wood choppers )

Yeah, I saw these in your recommendations and looked at them. Going to try and not sound too stupid though, but can you explain more why/how these improve your core? I don't doubt you're correct, but I'm just curious as to how it works it.

Decent start, but as you're a swimmer you probably want a wider range of exercises.

These are some i did as a swimmer;

Side planks
supermans
"side to sides" (Cant remember proper name) keep your feet off the ground and get yourself a 10kg plate/ball and you'll feel the burn
If you've got a medicine ball, try sitting on it, then bounce up and down fairly quickly, then try and stop at the top of the bounce, it sounds really stupid but it's pretty hard. It helps my posture aswell, just imagine someones attached a string to the top of your head and it's pulling up.

I also found exercises like this helped my body position during freestyle

Thanks for the advice, I'll take a look into this, and maybe add....

Core strength, generally speaking, is about stability, or resisting movement. Movement in the lumbar spine under any load is a strict no-no, so rotating while in flexion is not going to be a good idea.

I must agree that I'm not so sure about this, however can understand the idea that leads to scons thought process. I'll probably avoid the 'Russian twist' on the basis that I have now got quite a wide selection of exercises anyway. So yeah, my abs will probably be screaming at me anyway xD

kd

 

[Azza]

Hmmm... council sports centres are being done up, and the one in Deeside has been finished. You can see pictures here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/flintshirecc/with/6129914582/

But my local one the work and expansion hasn't even started yet, and the fitness room is rather small as it is.

£23.99 a month off peak times, 'cos my local one is attached to a school during school days it's 6 till 8:30 and then after 5, but that's all good. It should only be until start of July when I go back to uni... £100 all you can eat access for a year, yum yum.



I've been thinking about 3 days, but I need to do a lot of leg work, so a lot of squats, calf raises, something I can specifically do for hamstrings? What would be the best way of splitting it all up?

 

[Shicky]

I'm trying to get back into the swing of things with a basic antagonist 3 day a week routine. My main issue, as it has always been is a hip injury which I just cannot seem to shake despite rest/mammoth stretching sessions and purchasing torture devices such as a rumble roller.

I'm thinking of changing my routine to something with a lot more volume, 3 days a week and pretty much skip legs. While working at home still on mobility and stretching, I was convinced it was my psoas and/or right hip flexor but as I only ever get the pain in my right side...it must be the hip flexor? Then after a week or so, depending how I feel, start doing front squats at the start of each session and add more and more till I have a legs day again!

Anyone care to add their two cents? Is that a dumb idea? Sick of not being able to get anywhere because of this bloody hip issue!

Will try and see a decent physio out in toronto for a different perspective but i've wasted hundreds if not thousands on crappy physios etc already so not sure I want to do more.

As a side question I feel much weaker, which I expected after a long layoff but things aren't 'feeling' quite right like i've lost my connection a bit, I think reduced flexibility may have affected this.

I do joe de franco's lower mobility stuff before each workout, anybody have a good upper body mobility session I could do before workouts and at home? Really need to work on my shoulders, my posture is poor as they're not back and down, also want to open up my chest more.

 

[oddjob62]

Beast
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyWf8EoeksA