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Becoming a Supple Leopard 2nd Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance?
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83 reviews of this product found across Reddit:
Stew's programs are the real deal. I ran his 12 weeks to BUD/S program and weightlifting is really not necessary. The training is mostly endurance based in order to best prepare your body and heart/lungs for whatever training program you may enter. You'll find that a lot of actual military training doesn't involve weight lifting. You don't need to be benching 315 to be a recondo.
I'd even say that if you were to weightlift in conjunction with one of Stew's prep programs, you'd be entering the overtraining threshold and risk injury.
Here is a book you may be interested in: https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Performance/dp/1628600837
I'm sure there's a PDF somewhere.
Unfortunately there is no good way to treat difficult patients, wheelchair patients, or stretcher patients. There is a good resource for cleaning up your mobility that I found useful.
https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Performance/dp/1628600837/ref=nodl_
Becoming a Supple Leopard is a great book for mobility. It is very dense and thorough.
So flexibility is definitely a problem that can hurt your progress. I'd recommend this book: Becoming a supple leopard by Kelly Starrett. It is a step by step guide on how to identify what your restrictions are and how to fix them. Great book that has helped many (me included).
echo the "heavy compound" comment. fyi, a compound lift is one where you are activating multiple muscle groups at the same time. for example, the barbell back squat, which imho is the best lift there is, activates your calves, hamstrings, quads, hip flexors, lower back, and core. when you do compound lifts (squat, deadlift, bench press, shoulder press) your body benefits much more than a single joint lift, like bicep curls for exmaple, which only activate once muscle at a time.
if u want to get into this, reading about it is not optional. its a hard discipline that will get u hurt if u do it wrong. books on form and program design are paramount. best book on form that i like is this. many books on program design exist. hit up other subs to ask their advice on it. seriously, do yourself a favor and read the books. it will change your life. it changed mine...
I would really recommend reading this book: https://www.amazon.ca/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Performance/dp/1628600837 Great resource about good positioning. Your knee should always be straight in line with your toes your knee only rotates that way. Your hip muscles are the primary drivers of outwards and inwards stability; e.g. hip flexors, abductors, and glutes. Sounds like you probably strained your MCL go see a doc or PT about rehab. For sure you should get your weight under control. No amount of strength training will help more than being at a healthy body weight.
Stretch! Seriously. 6' 4" here and two years of mobility work has made me far more bendy and thus nore comfortable.
Tall people tend to get very tight from growth spurts when they were kids but it is a fixable problem.
Supple Leopard is a good book on this https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Performance/dp/1628600837
It hasn’t happen to me so far as a beginner skateboarder [41YO] but I have a history of lower back problems. If I screw my back up for whatever reason I’m done doing anything physical for at least a week.
The frequency was significantly decreased once I started doing CrossFit about 8 years ago. I’m not saying go out and drink the CrossFit kool aid but I will recommend getting a foam roller to stretch before and after skating, maybe doing some research on core strengthening exercises based on you current level of fitness. There is a book called Supple Leopard that has done wonders for me.
"Becoming a Supple Leopard" is a very popular text for professional and competitive athletes. I would take supple as a compliment.
Basically, injuries have a higher probability of occurring during periods of physical and mental fatigue (when not warmed up as well). Once you've reached a certain level of athletic development, most of us know where our limits are in terms of ''how many rounds of rolling'' you can do on a good, normal and bad day.
Injuries in BJJ generally only happen during rolling or competition - and usually only happen when fatiguedv- even when rolling with assholes. So If you must roll with a dangerous guy at your club that isn't careful - take him on fresh.
When it comes to recovery - well there is no better way to say it then to say this: buy or pirate this book:https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Performance/dp/1628600837/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525712354&sr=8-1&keywords=supple+leopard
The book goes into detail on proper body mechanics, mobility exercises and active recovery exercises and plans -using easy to understand pictures. It was introduced to me at the judo national training center in montreal by a physio. Firas (Tristar head coach) swears by it too and claims he used to to rehab a chronic lower back injury that plagued him over the last couple years.
ex. I always do 1-2 rounds less than I know I can accomplish before I see a huge decline in my ability.
ex. I stop 1-2 reps before I reach failure on my deadlifts or muscle ups.
ex. If I know trainer partner x is dangerous to roll with i'll make sure I never roll with him even when remotely fatigued because I'll never give that guy a chance to sub me because of fatigue since I know he's an asshole who has never subbed me and he'l likely go ham on any single opportunity I present to him - so this means smash this guy when I'm fresh then move on to partners I trust more.
ex. If I'm really tired but still really want to roll, i'll roll with someone I trust not to injure me and i'll work on something very specific - like reguarding from side control.
What we are coming to realize as athletes evolve is if you lift weights, you must also do mobility. Not once you are injured, but on a regular basis. Foam rolling is the gentlest form of the techniques. Rubber ball will work if you do it properly, however it is difficult to get enough pressure. A barbell is the ideal if you are truly tight and stiff, however if done incorrectly you can hurt yourself.
The best resource I have ever found for dealing with mobility issues or injury can be found here https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Performance/dp/1628600837/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1515188621&sr=8-1&keywords=becoming+a+supple+leopard
This is not something you will "fix" it is an ongoing battle. Lifting weights/exercising causes stiffness, mobility relaxes.
> lower back issue
you and me both. /r/ChronicPain and /r/back_pain I do pushups, situps and stretching every morning. https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Performance/dp/1628600837 the dude is nuts in person, but good stuff.
I'm also buying a place, for the first time at age 40+...
gl
I'd try a different approach involving foam rolling both before and after practice.
If that doesn't work, pick up a textbook-esque tome by PT guru Kelly Starrett called Becoming a Supple Leopard 2nd Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance. Make sure you get the 2nd edition, which is more updated. Or you know, search him on YouTube.
I highly recommend this book: https://www.amazon.ca/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Performance/dp/1628600837/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504795684&sr=8-1&keywords=becoming+a+supple+leopard
Whenever I am injured or just feel stiff I focus on doing all the mobility stuff.. its something to work on while you cant lift anyway :) . You will thank me...
Do yourself a favor and purchase or borrow from your local library Becoming a Supple Leopard by Kelly Starrett. The section on executive stretches is gold if you are on a desk for majority of your day. The mobility recommendations coupled with a strength training routine and you might just say goodbye to physios and chiros.
The Starrett book, Becoming a Supple Leopard is invaluable IMHO.
One part that's great is the appendix at the back that gives you proscriptions for different types of pain. Having pain in the front of your knees? Do these mobilizations.
And then the specific discussions of different mobility, like how you can improve your squat mobility.
Plus, just general discussions of how to improve at everyday things. Like I feel like I didn't even know how to stand up strait effectively until I read that book.
For stretching/mobility with the bands, check out https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Performance/dp/1628600837/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492393837&sr=8-1&keywords=becoming+a+supple+leopard+2nd+edition. Also, you really just pick exercises up (that use them) as you progress and see what you like. I went 2 + years before using them and have found a few instances they help. I do pull aparts to help engage my back for bench. I do monster walks to help engage my glutes before squat/deadlift. They are extremely versatile and you can use them for just about anything you want, which makes them relatively personal.
Re: chalk, i understand your comment, but even if you arent lifting "big" weight, its likely maximal for you, which means it can still be beneficial. For me, when i am doing my working (non-warm up) sets, I use chalk regardless. It creates a somewhat "one" feeling with the bar in that your grip feels true and strong. Its like being able to "feel" the road as you drive. I like to "feel" the bar and chalk, for me, eliminates those potential barriers (i.e. hand sweat, etc.) that could prohibit me from "feeling" the bar. I hope that made sense.
TLDR: Still give it a shot. Its dirt cheap and you may be surprised.
This book has multiple recommendations for resolving injured/weak areas.
However, they don't replace doing Molding Mobility and Starting Stretching. Add them to the videos.
Also, I think you should go "recovery mode" for 2-3 weeks. Something like:
No exercise except for swimming.
If currently on a deficit, eat at maintenance.
Sleep an extra hour or two everyday.
Supplement with fish oil, glutamine, magnesium, calcium and vitamin D.
Do yoga and mobility work 2-3 times a day.
If 2-3 weeks off sounds bad, try 6+ months off from injury.
Oh I'm not even saying that you didn't look into this, I'm saying that you probably don't even realize how much information is out there. Look into https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Performance/dp/1628600837 for how much you could learn on biomechanics. People have written books just on deadlifting.
Though back to your original question, I'd recommend trying out dancing for a bit. Give it a bit of effort, some time for social and some for plain practicing. It's a good way to meet people, and there will be situations in life where dancing is almost expected of you. Plus it's a good comfort zone challenge.
Also look into the meetup app. There are plenty of broad categories in there. Look for ones that interest you.
Nutrition:
IIFYM, Paleo, Keto... all these work, just find something you can stick with long term. Personally, I don't think people eat enough protein, but I'm neither a doctor or a nutritionist so I don't have any evidence to back this up.
Plan your meals and make your food in advance. If your nutrition plan allows it, plan your cheat days. You may find it easier to stick to your plan if you know you have a cheat meal/day coming up.
Track what you are eating. Even if it's something you shouldn't be. Track it!
Remove temptation from your home.
Realize that everything you eat is a choice you are making. You can eat broccoli or you can kill a Chinese buffet , it's your choice. That being said....
Focus on progress, not perfection. If you fall off the wagon just get back on. Don't beat yourself up.
Workout:
Again, find something you can stick with long term. 5/3/1, Starting Strength, Strong Lifts... all these work. As long as you're adding weight to the bar or doing more reps with the same weight you are making progress.
Like with your nutrition, focus on progress. If you miss a workout, just pick up where you left off. Don't beat yourself up, just get back in the gym.
If possible, get a friend or someone to help hold you accountable.
Don't neglect your cardio/conditioning.
I highly recommend you purchase and read Becoming a Supple Leopard. Do some mobility work and take care of yourself now, your body will thank you in a couple decades.
I like Crossfit because the gym I'm at has a great sense of community and competition. I genuinely like the people I work out with and they push me to be better. I also like Primal/keto for the nutrition side, but I like meat and veggies so it's easy for me to follow.
I was never very athletic in my teens/20s, but became quite a bit more active in the past 5-10 years. I've also got some decent mobility, and despite that I've been dealing with ongoing low back pain for what seems to be a couple years now. Once I'm warmed up, the pain doesn't usually interfere with me doing CrossFit workouts, but I can't say the same for Aikido. :(
So thanks for this. It looks interesting, although I'm admittedly a bit guarded at learning of yet another approach which will resolve my complaints. Even so, I'm going to get this book, and will hopefully learn a new approach which actually has a dramatic impact.
In case I can return the favor, I've been a fan of Kelly Starrett for 3-4 years now. Check out his book Becoming a Supple Leopard, if you're so inclined.
I don't really do cardio - 20 minutes of interval training on my recumbent bike twice a week, that's it. Most of my exercise comes from weightlifting.
I don't crave carbs in general, but I have the world's worst sweet tooth. My husband likes to say I don't even have a sweet tooth, I have a sweet jaw. The office birthday parties are my kryptonite.
I'm going for something like Angel Dust from Deadpool - obviously muscular, but still feminine.
I don't stretch at all. When the DOMS hit, I use a foam roller and rubber ball to work out the kinks, using the techniques in Becoming a Supple Leopard by Dr. Kelly Starrett. The book not only covers stretching, but also movement impingements that may be hampering your exercise. I used the book to help with my shoulder and ankle impingements that kept me from being able to squat with a bar when I first started.
Not a wiki, but "How to become a supple leopard" by Kelly Starrett is your go-to source for increasing your mobility.
Becoming a Supple Leopard 2nd Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance
https://www.amazon.de/dp/1628600837/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_33DsxbTV0E97T
He just became my favorite author based on the title of Becoming a Supple Leopard. Greatest book title in the english language.
RIP Shakespeare.
As a 38 year old, I'm working my way through this book by Kelley Starrett right now. It's had a huge impact on me so far. My most recent pain related challenge has been overcoming patellar tracking problems. I was seeing a very good Ortho for this problem, and I think the things I've learned from this book have made a bigger difference than the Ortho. (And no complaints about the Ortho, the book is just that good.)
There is lots to learn about lifting. I would recommend 'Becoming a supple leopard.
http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Edition/dp/1628600837
Tell the coach you have already progressed to the point where you can't add weight every week, if that's true.
Like many others have said, this seems to be out of the range of r/fitness. But I understand the human condition and being stubborn sometimes. If I had to recommend a single book to encompass any mobility issues, I would recommend this:
http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Edition/dp/1628600837
If you dont want to dish out the money, and you are tech savvy enough, there are 'other ways to get it', not that Im encouraging that.
If you want to just jump to the mobility exercises, you want Chapter 7, and look through Areas 5-9.
I haven't gotten around to reading it yet, but this book is supposed to be a good resource for getting your body working correctly. Also, /r/posture is a thing.
I'd go with MacLeod's book. I have it and it really is fantastic. I know he has a degree in sports science and his book is heavily researched and cited. As others have mentioned, he doesn't shy away from being technical and specific.
All I've been able to find on Lisa Erikson is that she's a holistic nutritionist and a chiropractor, which are two things that tend to be red flags for me.
If you'd want to invest in something that will apply to any physical activity and isn't specific to climbing, I'd also recommend checking out Becoming a Supple Leopard.
The book "Becoming a Supple Leopard" has a number of great mobility exercises, as well as sections on the theory and how to correctly perform exercises. Highly recommended if you'd like to dig into a book that feels like a textbook.
https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Performance/dp/1628600837
It's not so much the exercise or even necessarily the intensity that breaks us down over time - it's often suboptimal form/technique combined with suboptimal recovery that wears our bodies out prematurely.
A lot of people might say a particular exercise is bad for you when it would often be more accurate to instead say a particular exercise done with poor form/technique & poor recovery is bad for you.
Our bones & muscles & connective tissues & nervous systems are designed to work together in specific ways (biomechanics/kinesiology), and many of us are encouraged/motivated to undertake athletic endeavors without also being taught much about how to avoid straining ourselves in ways our bodies are not built to handle well.
If you haven't already, devour everything you can by Dr. Kelly Starrett, from his YouTube channel, to his Becoming a Supple Leopard book, and whatever other interviews, seminars, & guest appearances you can find. K-Star will fix you up from head to toe. Good luck.
Absolutely. Check out the book Becoming a Supple Leopard it's a great resource.
If you haven't already, devour everything you can by Dr. Kelly Starrett, from his YouTube channel, to his Becoming a Supple Leopard book, and whatever other interviews, seminars, & guest appearances you can find. Good luck.
Kelly Starret has tons of videos on mobility, correct walking stance etc. Here is one. His book on Amazon is also pretty good.
But it is? Basic body mechanics - it’s indisputable.
I would recommend everyone purchasing a book called Becoming a Supple Leopard. It has everything needed for any time of form question without any bro-science.
As a bit of a warning, I'm not saying what I did will help you, or even that you should do it. It's just what worked for me.
I tore my labrum, along with nerve damage some time in 2014(during this time, I went from throwing mid 70s to mid 60s), and I kept pitching while seeing an athletic therapist(helping my velocity get back to mid 70s). The pain got bad in 2015 and I had to stop playing. However, during my time not playing I took the time to strengthen other parts of my body along with my shoulder.
A couple years later, I get an email from a college coach (whose scholarship I had turned down in 2015) asking how my shoulder was and if I wanted to give it another shot. In preparation, I read Kelly Starrett's Becoming a Supple Leopard from front to back. I eventually made my own mobility program. It was a lot of effort, as I'd often times be doing mobility work for 1-2 hours a day. I eventually got to a point where I was throwing mid-80s (which I've never done before). I'd also long toss max distance every 2-3 days, and throwing two bullpens 60+ pitches per week. However, the pain eventually came back.
My point is that without any kind of surgery, with the book, additional strengthening, and lots of effort, I was able to get back into being able to play baseball, but not at a serious level. I'm currently waiting on confirmation from my doctor to get 2 of the 3 surgeries required for my arm as there's nerve damage in my elbow as well.
It is difficult, but you can get back into playing baseball. It's a long process which will require a lot of hard work and learning on your part. I'm not sure where you're from or what your health insurance situation is, but it could also be costly. If you're going to do the surgery and try to get back into baseball, my best piece of advice I can give you is this: Do it for the love of the game. Your mental and physical health are not worth the grueling upward climb required if you're still trying to make it big.
I'd recommend these braces, expensive but great.
https://www.bauerfeind.com/b2c/
Next would be why does your knee hurt? Strength issue? Mobility issue?
Jiu-jitsu is awesome but just Jiu-jitsu typically will lead to a lifetime of chronic injuries.
If you aren't strong, get strong: https://startingstrength.com/ https://www.strongfirst.com/
If your injured, learn how to treat yourself. If you lack mobility work on it.
And definitely pick this up
I started at about 37 years old and was soon going literally every day..... You'll be sore after every class for a few weeks as you use/develop the muscles you haven't used in a while (in crossfit this is all of them) Big things:
- Make sure you get some protein in soon after your workout (like within an hour min 30 grams of protein could be shake or chicken, steak etc.
- Ensure you of course get a proper meal too within a couple of hours
- Get your self a foam roller (hard) to roll out those muscles
- Buy your self a lacrosse ball for rolling your back and shoulders against the wall (feels the best)
- Get yourself some bands
- Buy 'Becoming a Supple Leopard' https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Performance/dp/1628600837/ref=sr_1_1?crid=11IFRJQ1OLEN5&keywords=how+to+become+a+supple+leopard&qid=1659275740&sprefix=how+to+become+a+suppl%2Caps%2C78&sr=8-1
- Couch stretch and the Band Hamstring Series will serve you well ( I do every day)
- Also good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgxqZaqRKUw&t=416s
- Keep going - After a few months stuff may stop getting good sore, that when you realise you have adapted and can work a bit harder to bring back the good sore!
If you want to prevent these issues as you age, this is the bible. It actually works
Let me be third and say that they're incredible. Beyond their website, they have a book, Becoming a Supple Leopard, that is outstanding.
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This book is amazing to reference
https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Performance/dp/1628600837/ref=nodl_
https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Performance/dp/1628600837
Drills down into all kinds of mobility stuff and teaches you how to structure a mobility program.
The title sounds silly, but it’s a great mobility book:
https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Performance/dp/1628600837
I would look into squat university for basics on the squat movement, mobility, etc as I personally believe it'd foundational to all the Oly movements.
I would also look into getting some bumpers, I can't tell because of the side view but those look like plain old rubber covered weights that may crack when dropped. You lower it in this video but if you add 20, 30, 40 kilos, you won't want to actually do that.
If you're looking for personal trainers, Clarence Kennedy is a beast and offers that, you can also go look at catalyst athletics for a bunch of pre-maid programs for Oly lifting! I have tried a few and liked them quite a lot.
On this specific video, I'd offer the following advice:
Slow down, go lighter
Your hips shot up wayyyy faster than the rest of your body, slowing down and going lighter to master the form is the # one way you'll effectively put on lbs. You're trying to make this super explosive, which is admirable, but the snatch is A LOT more than just ripping weight off the ground.
I would also look to invest in a flatter crossfit shoe or oly shoes if you can get them, I would imagine that Oly can be hard on bare feet.
Here is Clarence Kennedy snatching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjfXHe7ZCDw
Here is Alan Thrall, another good youtuber, walking through fundamentals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVaak__Zpkk
Lastly for mobility, I would recommend this book: https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Performance/dp/1628600837
You will ultimately probably hit mobility issues, as many do when learning the snatch. This book is like the bible for building mobility.
This book, I can't recommend it enough. The shoulder section is long so you will have to narrow down which stretches are right for your body.
If you belong to a crossfit gym someone there likely has a copy, ask the coach.
This article has photocopies of some of the relevant pages I was thinking of (the book itself is well with it, I'd recommend buying it not just for this kind of stuff but also for good form for exercises and for physical therapy/rehab/maintenance)
https://www.pkfitness.com/201722the-trick-to-good-posture/
Link to the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Performance/dp/1628600837
/u/whitepeoplestuff is talking about this...
I've never heard of it. OP, care to elaborate?
Easy way to get started with mobility: warm up with Limber 11 on your lower body days and Simple 6 on upper body days.
For a more detailed understanding of mobility, improving mobility for different movements, and how to address pain and problem areas, read Kelly Starrett's "Becoming a Supple Leopard"
I think a good place to start would be to warm up with with Limber 11 on your lower body days and Simple 6 on upper body days.
For a more detailed understanding of mobility, improving mobility for different movements, and how to address pain and problem areas, read Kelly Starrett's "Becoming a Supple Leopard"
I found a big help for me was switching to standing at work. I bought myself a riser for my monitor and keyboard to sit on that goes on top of my desk rather than a whole new desk.
It takes a bit of getting used to standing up all day but its helped a lot with my posture etc. It also burns a few extra calories a day too which is always good.
It might be worth taking a look at /r/flexibility and a program Starting Stretching I can really recommend Becoming a Supple Leopard as good source of info too.
Sadly there is no quick fix and it all hurts... but its worth it
Latest theory is that my injury is from an inner hip rotator tear. So check your mobility there.
Look into Kelly Starlett and Pavel Tsatsoulines stuff.
https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Performance/dp/1628600837/ref=dp_ob_title_bk
Ask around in this forum http://www.strongfirst.com/
Joe Rogan discusses on a podcast that Keto helps flexibility.
DDP yoga recommends no grains or milk products.
Check out Becoming a Supple Leopard by Kelly Starrett. He also has a youtube channel with invaluable information on mobility and fixing pain. The book is gold.
Hmm. That's not usually where people feel pain when they high step. It might be that you have tight quads, and when you high step, you are pulling your kneecap very tight, pushing away the synovial fluid, and grating on the cartilage. Also possibly, you might be letting your knee collapse forward when you high step, and this is pulling your knee out of alignment so your patella is applying undue force where it shouldn't. Try to remember to engage your hip abductors when you high step.
Also, you might want to check if you have anterior pelvic tilt, which is extremely common among students and office workers - though symptoms often don't manifest until years of abuse or an increase in exercise. That link has a number of exercises and stretches to try. Two main takeaways: first, strengthen the core and glutes; second, all that strengthening isn't worth jack shit if you don't use it when you are climbing (or exercising (or living (that's right, nested parentheses, mofo))).
My suggestion: take one week off of all activity. Use this time to read up on knee pain in general, try to pin down what might be your issue, and maybe try some stretches and self massage. The next week, try doing some exercises - pay attention to your form. Your core should always be engaged, and you should be paying special attention to how your knee feels. If you feel knee pain, play with your posture and form to find the position that most lessens that pain. If the pain persists, stop doing the exercise. At the end of that week, go back to climbing - but it isn't going to be fun climbing. Instead, it is going to be very deliberate climbing. Find a quite part of the gym, and rainbow the wall. Try different moves and positions, and see what elicits a pain response. Again, play with your positioning in order to avoid that pain. Again, keep your core engaged. Do core exercises as much as possible. Do glute and knee exercises, and climbing, as pain allows - you should be shooting to be so gentile and precise in these exercises that you feel no pain at all. Especially climbing - you want to maximize your time on the wall while still avoiding more injury. This will maintain your fitness and technique while you recover, so that you can come back stronger, faster. Also, remember that you can still do pull ups and hangboard to build strength (though I would stay away from hangboarding if you aren't already doing it).
If you have the time and money, you might consider joining a yoga studio. You also might look for a good book on general athletic posture - here is a popular one.
I have another one: Check out Becoming a Supple Leopard by Kelly Starrett (https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Performance/dp/1628600837).
It lacks nutrition advice, but it has great information about muscle groups.
Nits
- Your shoulders look a little too far forward, this is probably making it harder to keep your upper back tight.
- Your lower back is round (1:06).
- You should bring the bar down lower before pushing your knees out so you don't have to swing the bar in front of them.
A lot of this is taken care of by following the bracing sequence in Becoming A Supple Leapord:
- Try to rotate your feet out in-place. Don't actually move them; just apply the outward pressure to tighten your hips.
- Squeeze your ass to bring your lower back into neutral position.
- Inhale deeply, and tighten your abs as you exhale to hold your back tight.
- With your arms by your side, rotate your palms to face up. This will force your shoulder blades back tight. Keep your shoulders there and tight.
- Align your ears above your shoulders.
/u/dBolstad
Look into YouTube videos, books, & articles by Dr. Kelly Starrett (MobilityWOD) and/or by Dr. Stuart McGill. I can't sing their praises loud enough. I've struggled much of my life with lower-back pain, with no help from numerous physical therapists & chiropractors - but K-Star quickly turned things around for me. I learned & applied far more from this free 1-hour video alone than I did from many paid doctor visits. Good luck.
Limber 11 is a great place to start if you are newer to mob work.
If you want to learn more and tailor your stretching/mobility work to your specific weaknesses and needs, I would highly recommend Kelley Starrett's Become a Supple Leapard. That might be overkill though and I think Limber 11 is a great place to start.
> Quick edit: BTW, your reply below about the dude's knees question, that's a super awesome reply and I think you did a great job explaining how more than one pathway can cause a given pain, and that determining the cause is important. Everything you said, right down to the example with the sore neck and how you would work on it, totally lines up with the theory behind massage practice as well. I'm really, REALLY glad to hear that it's evidently becoming more normal for people to practice these things on themselves!
Thanks for the kind words.
> Would you elaborate on what you're using "mobility work" to mean? I'm a massage therapist and I've done some fancy stuff in my old DZR dojo with flexibility and stability training, but I haven't had the opportunity to work much with physical therapists or personal trainers, and I've never heard anyone use the phrase "mobility work" before. It sounds to me like you're talking about a program of equipment-assisted self-massage, but I want to make sure I'm totally clear on what you're referring to. > If there's an official name for getting athletes to practice self-care massage ... and all I have to do is articulate it with a more training-sounding name that doesn't use "massage", and make it feel comfortably familiar to them by recommending they use equipment ... then this is something I need to know all about, so I can translate my recommendations into this method's language.
Honestly I have no idea what it's called. It's part self-massage, part flexibility. It's very little stretching. Mostly using a foam roller, lacrosse ball(s), exercise bands, etc to help move my joints in a full range of motion, self massage, and the like.
When asked for specific details about it, I always refer people to this book: Becoming a Supple Leopard. It's my bible of mobility. The first half of the book discusses movement and how concepts behind properly moving the body and so on. The second half of the book is broken up into body parts and allows you to see the exercises in a detailed step by step fashion. Other than just doing them, if one reads the first half of the book then they'll be able to do them and understand why they work.
http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Edition/dp/1628600837
Ebooks and PDF's available.
Yes it does. If you are flat footed even if not visible you will have a bit of a valgus knee fault. To test try this, take your thumb and press around on the left side of your knee. There will be a hot spot on the meaty bit there that is excruciating. Dig around on the left side (inside) of your shin bone for the meaty bits under there and see how that feels. Notice it does not hurt on the outside edges.
Here is the issue: If the angle in your foot is overpronated due to flat foot it does not only affect your foot. In fact, the fault travels all the way into your lumbar spine and beyond. http://www.footfoundation.com/media/wysiwyg/pronation.jpg
Foot to knee, knee to hip, hip to spine. If anything is out of whack, EVERYTHING is out of whack. You are about to embark on a long and difficult journey to recovery my friend. Please try a few things before you consider surgery or shots or inserts. You are young and resilient!
There are a ton of things you can do for this. You can get custom inserts for your shoes, but that does the same thing that shoes did to get you here in the first place. Supports your muscles so they don't have to work. The inserts support your skeleton as well to force it into a good position. The problem with this is that you will never build up the strength in your feet to reduce or eliminate your flat foot problem.
I had flat feet, and the doctors said I "overpronated off the charts". "You cant fix it, it is what it is" Now I don't. How? About 1.5 years of rehab and learning to walk all over. Consistency and smart hard work. You probably walk with your feet turned out. (Duck walking) This is your bodies way of compensating. Stop it. Learn about Gait and Posture and how to walk properly.
Buy this book and study the crap out of it: http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Performance/dp/1628600837/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449519053&sr=8-1&keywords=becoming+a+supple+leopard+2nd+edition
It will teach you whats going on and what to do to correct it. You will also learn why this issue is dramatically affecting your athletic performance. You will get much stronger just learning how to move properly.
I would have to write a couple dozen pages to adequately describe to you what to do. Look into Physical Therapy if your family can afford it. Don't ignore this, its not going away and will only get worse. At your age you can fix it in a few months.
MobilityWOD Episodes: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB67wXqPqtMcNVA-UndNUy7bahGJzLQbT
I was introduced to it by Tim Ferriss' interview with functional movement guru Kelly Starrett, author of Becoming a Supple Leopard
Increased mobility and was able to fix a bit of back pain a few years ago after advice from Become a Supple Leopard
I'm at work right now so I don't have much time to collect youtube videos for you, but I'll try to find some later today and post them here. The ultra-simplified gist is tight pecs cause the shoulders to roll forward "inward rotation" which places the shoulders in an unstable position. To feel what I'm talking about, examine how you're sitting right now. Now sit up straight, retract your scapulae like you're (lightly) holding can in between your shoulder blades, then depress your scapula down a bit towards your ass. Ask someone to move your arm around once it's in that position and then do it again with your shoulders inwardly rotated and your scapulae up and spread apart (the way most people hold themselves). The difference will be shocking.
I'm not a physio but I saw one for over a year to work out my postural problems. I tore my labrum in my shoulder and she showed me how it was all related to poor posture, stemming all the way from my ankles, to my pelvis, to my diaphragm, to my spinal erectors, to my first rib (look it up).
To answer your question, I have to first recommend you see a physical therapist. I'm not qualified to diagnose or treat anything like this. I can, however, tell you about how she treated and fixed me to the point where I'm completely pain-free, even though I thought surgery was the only viable solution for a long time.
My physio liked to work down from the top, so she started with my first rib, which has a massive myofascial bundle, colloquially known as a knot. Search youtube for videos on mobilizing the first rib with a across ball. Then we moved on to my pecs. There are lots of youtube videos that show you how to do this. I found lacrosse balls to work waaaaaay better than simply stretching. Then came breathing. I never knew how important breathing is, or even that it was possible to do incorrectly. I'm not knowledgeable enough with this topic, so check out youtube or even better, an actual physio. Then there's the hip flexors, which are covered in the Limber 11, although I'd recommend you hold the positions until you feel the stretch reflex relax, then comletely shorten the muscle, repeat two more times. Muscle stretching is about neurological adaptation, not phyiscally stretching the tissue. That's why reps are the way to go. Oh, and don't do any serous static stretching before lifting because it'll reduce the power you put out for an hour or so after you stretch. Dynamic stretches are fine.
As a final recommendation, buy this book: Becoming a Supple Leopard. It's great for mobility in general. This book also changed my life, but it's more on strengthening the posterior kinetic chain, whereas the previous book I mentioned is an all-around manual for optimizing your movements. After doing the exercises in this book for a few months and I came back to my physio, her jaw dropped because of the huge improvements I made with my posture and joint stability. It's really good stuff. You can find a 10-minute video that demonstrates some of the techniques here. The title says it's a lower body workout but if you do it right, it works the upper parts of your back that affect posture as well.
I'm sure you already knew most of this, but hopefully you found some of this helpful. Really though, get those books and do what they say. It's hard to describe but it really changes the way you move.
Edit I feel like I didn't really answer your question about lengthening the pecs. Get a lacrosse ball or ideally something bigger, and the harder it is, the better. Either lay in the floor with the ball between your armpit and nipple, where the pectorals all kinda converge. Look at an anatomy picture if you're not sure what I'm talking about. Either lay down or stand against a wall with that hard ball directly on that spot and apply as much pressure as you can. Find a spot that hurts like hell and then just hold it there. If it hurts a lot, that usually means you have knots (myofascial bundles) that need to be worked out. Just keep the pressure there. You may feel the muscles start to spasm, which is actually a good sign. Anywhere from 30 seconds to 90 seconds later, you'll fell the muscles relax and the pain go away. Now you can keep the ball in the same spot but move your arm up and down, looking for another painful spot as the ball digs into deeper layers of your muscles. Try doing this on your right arm first, then after 10 minutes or so of pain, see how much further you can stretch that arm back compared to the other arm when doing a doorway stretch. I hope at least some of this helps.
edit2 Also, face pulls and wall slides are great for strengthening the muscles to support your newly-found shoulder mobility. Just make sure you watch lots of credible youtube videos and do the exercises with good form. If not, you'll end up like me and just hurt yourself worse.
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