Guest guest Posted March 28, 2008 Report Share Posted March 28, 2008 For those who replied, I thought I'd update. I decided the first step was to take the stretching advice in the Weightlifting Encyclopedia. I could tell that inflexibility on the hiked side (Right) was part of the problem. I did some test stretches and found the biggest differences between the two sides were much more limited ankle dorsiflexion and hip flexion on the right, in the squat position. Also suspicious were internal rotation/adduction type stretches on the left - much tighter than the right. I started doing several butt and squat position stretches twice per day, holding for a total of a minute or so per. Within a couple days the usual sites that hurt from standing and walking cleared up, although there is new soreness, especially in the right groin area - presumably the major movement-inhibiting offender. I replaced my prior leg workout with light lunges, making sure to flex the right hip fully at the bottom, and squat experimentation, with a video feedback unit - live monitor in front of me and camera behind. I've mostly been playing around with no weight and the bar, trying to move more symmetrically, trying different bar positions and a low box squat as well. I have already become able to squat much less crookedly after about 2 weeks. I am planning on continuing with the stretching until I have the ROM to do a full squat with a shoulder-width stance. I have never been even close to able to do full squats before, but I figure since I am going to all this trouble to rebuild my squat from scratch, I might as well complete the job. Using the box, I can see that the right side drives up first, even when starting from even on the box. It seems that flexibility is part of the problem, but also there is an ingrained movement pattern issue. The worst results are still with the back squat. The best results are with an overhead squat going all the way down to a full squat depth - only a slight hip crookedness with this movement. This feels pretty comfortable with just the bar. However, my low back still rounds a bit due to inflexibility. Re: the Zane leg blaster. I saw this online and considered it. Anyone else like these things? To me it seems like it could be good idea if you can't gain the flexibility to squat properly, but seems almost like switching from squats to a machine exercise... kind of like giving up, in the context of what I'm trying to accomplish. I was thinking it might be okay as a transition exercise, until I can do squats, but then I decided it would probably be better in the long run to just make the permanent flexibility changes and start over with a new full squat from zero. Wilbanks Wisconisn, USA > > I appreciate the responses to my prior question. The suggestion that > made the most sense to me was to try unilateral exercises on both > sides evenly, working at the level of the weak side. My first > experiment with this revealed no strength imbalance in the overhead > press or lunges in the 8 to 12 rep range... not even one rep worth. > > I went back to the mirror and observed my squat some more, with no > weight and light weight. Looking more carefully, I could see that > what I thought was a large difference in upper thigh size at the > bottom of the squat was instead one leg higher than the other. I went > home and got out my video analysis equipment and looked at an > unweighted squat - sure enough - my squat is very crooked. > > What happens is this: things look symmetrical until I reach about > half-squat depth. Starting there, my left side begins to descend much > more rapidly than the right and also sticks out further to the rear. > By the time I get as low as I can without rounding my back - about > thighs parallel to the ground - the difference is very pronounced. If > I didn't work out alone, I'm sure someone would have noticed this a > while ago. > > I experimented with trying to even it out. I could go from the half > squat to about the 3/4 squat position with much reduced imbalance, but > it was very difficult. It felt like I had to twist and really scrunch > up some of the muscles on the left side. > > Any idea what to do about this? I was thinking I might be able to > perform lunges more symmetrically easier than I can force myself to > squat less crookedly, but don't know if it would help. Maybe light > squats with some kind of kinesthetic feedback, like a rubber band > around the top of the weak thigh, attached to the floor behind... > something for me to push into while I squat? > > In case someone is wondering whether it might not really be a problem, > I am aware that it is not necessarily a good thing to try to impose a > normative model on the body. However, I have been having chronic > injury problems, mostly on my left side for some time, especially near > the groin and knee, along the medial aspect of the left leg. I have > been searching for the cause for some time. It seems unlikely that > this is a coincidence. > > Thanks. > Wilbanks. > Wisconsin, USA > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 16, 2008 Report Share Posted April 16, 2008 Hi Sorry I didn't reply sooner but I had been away. I felt the same as you did about stretching, but I am trying to rehabilitate my shoulder and find that I need to stretch not just the shoulder but also needed to do some upper back extension type work to work on specific scapula problem. I think that stretching as a few day a week add in to achieve specific goals is important especially if you are trying to fix a problem that may be to due to or have been caused by inflexibility in a specifc range of movement. Static stretching is out of vogue currently and in my understanding is rightly to be avoided for prime movers prior to power sports , but it has its place along with dynamic stretches. Dynamic stretches that help achieve range of movement appropriate to the sport seem appropriate normally (e.g I use light deep overhead squats and overhead lunges to warm up for my squat sessions) and I do static stretches specific to my shoulder rehab after training or in the evening (I train in the early mornings). Keep up the good work on the squats Regards Nick Tatalias Johannesburg South Africa > > Thanks. I know I'll need to keep up stretching to some extent after > things appear to be good, but I'm not sure how much I'll need. > > Dr. Siff and a yoga teacher I had both had said things that seemed to > eschew stretching. I may have misinterpreted, or taken it too far, or > maybe they were wrong. Theoretically, one should not need any > stretching beyond regularly using the ROM one has, but maybe it > doesn't quite work that way in reality. > > In any case, I'm sure I wrongly assumed that I did not have > flexibility problems, and this has been a contributor to my chronic > injury history for years. I have hardly done static stretches for > over a decade. Now I am wondering about whether I should also plan on > doing some regular stretching on a permanent basis. It would be nice > if I could eventually get to a point where I wouldn't need to stretch > any more though, because it seems a tedious practice to me. > > For now, I decided to try taking a day off from the stretches every > 2-3 days, as some soreness was building up seemingly too much. Maybe > I can just continue to taper it down gradually once it seems like all > my ROMs are where I want them to be, and transition to a less-frequent > maintenance stretch program... > > Wilbanks > Wisconsin, USA > > > > > > > > > > I appreciate the responses to my prior question. The suggestion > that > > > > made the most sense to me was to try unilateral exercises on both > > > > sides evenly, working at the level of the weak side. My first > > > > experiment with this revealed no strength imbalance in the overhead > > > > press or lunges in the 8 to 12 rep range... not even one rep worth. > > > > > > > > I went back to the mirror and observed my squat some more, with no > > > > weight and light weight. Looking more carefully, I could see that > > > > what I thought was a large difference in upper thigh size at the > > > > bottom of the squat was instead one leg higher than the other. > I went > > > > home and got out my video analysis equipment and looked at an > > > > unweighted squat - sure enough - my squat is very crooked. > > > > > > > > What happens is this: things look symmetrical until I reach about > > > > half-squat depth. Starting there, my left side begins to > descend much > > > > more rapidly than the right and also sticks out further to the rear. > > > > By the time I get as low as I can without rounding my back - about > > > > thighs parallel to the ground - the difference is very > pronounced. If > > > > I didn't work out alone, I'm sure someone would have noticed this a > > > > while ago. > > > > > > > > I experimented with trying to even it out. I could go from the half > > > > squat to about the 3/4 squat position with much reduced > imbalance, but > > > > it was very difficult. It felt like I had to twist and really > scrunch > > > > up some of the muscles on the left side. > > > > > > > > Any idea what to do about this? I was thinking I might be able to > > > > perform lunges more symmetrically easier than I can force myself to > > > > squat less crookedly, but don't know if it would help. Maybe light > > > > squats with some kind of kinesthetic feedback, like a rubber band > > > > around the top of the weak thigh, attached to the floor behind... > > > > something for me to push into while I squat? > > > > > > > > In case someone is wondering whether it might not really be a > problem, > > > > I am aware that it is not necessarily a good thing to try to > impose a > > > > normative model on the body. However, I have been having chronic > > > > injury problems, mostly on my left side for some time, > especially near > > > > the groin and knee, along the medial aspect of the left leg. I have > > > > been searching for the cause for some time. It seems unlikely that > > > > this is a coincidence. > > > > > > > > Thanks. > > > > Wilbanks. > > > > Wisconsin, USA > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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