In that situation, I think she's better off going to a PT. Most doctors, especially GP's, don't know jack shit about stuff like that and would just refer you to a PT anyway. You're better off skipping the doc and going straight to a PT or a good sports massage therapist.[/quote] Depends on your PT/insurance, but it might be better to go to a sports medicine doc or something of the like first so you can get a direct recommendation/prescription for PT. For example, I have decent insurance, but my out of pocket cost is less than half of what it would be if I had just went to a PT directly (also helps to have a PT who has no qualms about honestly talking about the costs associated with everything). Just a thought They might have direct access in Canada, which is actually cheaper than going through a doc. Not sure how that works up there. Maybe you need to try a different PT or get to an ortho for some imaging. Sometimes the psoas can really clamp down as a protective mechanism due to something going on in the lumbar spine or sacrum. PTs can test for disc herniations and radiculopathy, but the tests don't have 100% sensitivity or specificity.
Who wants to see terrible form from me once I get fatigued? Some of the guys I trained with suggested filming so I can look at how I leave my hips way too high when I get tired, which leads to my back rounding. I'll try to take a film next week now that I've tweaked some things.
Make a point to raise and then quickly drop your hips before the pull. It will activate the stretch-shorten cycle and give you a much bigger pop off the floor. Watch how I drop my hips and then immediately come up. <a class="postlink" href="http://youtu.be/yBIEac4UqNM" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://youtu.be/yBIEac4UqNM</a>
Thanks for the advice everyone. For the record, I'd rather eat glass than go to a (my) GP. Any "real" doctor I've ever dealt with in Canada has been a joke. I think the problem is more postural/work related, because - like I said - my chiro can fix it, it's just that it keeps coming back. I wish it was at least a cooler injury. "My groin is constantly hurting" just sounds so undignified.
If you work a desk job, sitting for extended periods of time is an easy way to get tight hip flexors. For what it's worth, I've heard that sitting back (at a 135 degree angle) is the "best" for your back. Might be something to try.
So three weeks into my real gym routine and I am seriously winded easily. It could be the asthma that is absolutely killing me, the diet or the difficulty of the workout. What can I do to help me not sound like an excited Trekkie after twenty minutes?
Man, switched from stonglifts 5x5 back to Mikes Beginner Plan and the rep scheme has me all fucked up. It's a good thing.
I set a new PR for my deadlift yesterday and my trainer advised me to look into getting a belt. Any recommendations?
How long have you been deadlifting? What are your goals for lifting? Congrats on the PR. How much did you pull?
I've only been deadlifting once a week for couple of months. I pulled 405, but it was on a hex bar and with wrist straps. My goals are to get a general base of strength since I never did any sort of strength training (or any exercise for that matter) before I started in January, and get some size to my upper body.
405 is a good pull. You can get a belt if you plan on going heavier, but I'd advise against using it unless you're within 15-20% of your max. If you use it too often, you'll all your abs and low back to rely on the belt and their strength will lag behind. Relying on a belt is a recipe for injury. I got my belt custom made by this guy. <a class="postlink" href="http://www.safe-usa.com/aboutus.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.safe-usa.com/aboutus.html</a> It cost about $150 or so, but it's top of the line and the guy is right in Cannon Falls. Another popular belt among powerlifters is the Inzer belt Which ever one you choose, you'll have to choose between lever or buckle. If you choose buckle, you'll have to choose between one prong and two prong. Personally, I prefer the two prong buckle, but it's all a matter of personal preference. If you can try a few out before purchasing, it can help you decide which one is best for you. Whatever you do, don't get a fucking tapered belt. Those are fucking gay. Like, 1990s gay. Not only that, but they don't have the proper width in the front to allow you to perform the valsava maneuver, which is the real reason you should wear a belt.
Thanks for the info. Right now I'm not aiming to top 405; instead I want to train until I can pull that weight on a straight bar and without straps. My working weight on the hex is 335 for 5x5 and I don't use a belt for that. From what you're saying it sounds like I can hold off on buying a belt until I regularly pull 400+.
Really? While I agree you should only use the belt for your heavy work sets, my understanding was that it actually makes your abs stronger, since it allows them to flex harder against an external support. (I'm basically going by this article on 70s Big.) Rippetoe's forum is a big fan of this place: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.bestbelts.net" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.bestbelts.net</a> Supposedly, if you give them a call, you'll be able to have a nice chat with the owner about your lifting goals and what kind of belt would be best for you. Anyways, I've got a bit of a short-medium term programming question for you guys. Maybe someone knows enough to help me out. I've been lifting for three months. I want to get into Olympic lifting and do some competitions in the future. I'm 137 lbs, I estimate about 17-20% body fat - pic here. I'm currently trying to cut fat to 12% or so. Most lower-weight-class Oly lifters I've seen are fucking shredded so they can have as much muscle as possible while still maintaining their weight. Been doing technique work every day to learn the lifts, heavy compounds 3x a week to maintain muscle. Questions: What weight class should I be looking at competing in? I'm thinking 62 kg (137 lbs), but I'm not really sure what my bone structure will support. Based on the above, what should my short-term goals be? Should I keep cutting the fat like planned, or should I say fuck it and try to gain muscle first?
Dammit, another day that I haven't been able to make any gains in my bench. I'm starting to get a bit frustrated because my bench is behind my squat and deadlift so seeming to plateau on that before the others is annoying.
Not sure about Doug McGuff, but you could always buy some kettlebells to keep at home and then just workout outside.
Typically, bench < squat < deadlift, and exercises that recruit less muscle groups tend to stall first, especially upper-body ones like bench and OHP. What's your diet/sleep look like?
Dammit, this is exactly the first thing my trainer asked me about too. Sigh, I knew the day would come when I had to seriously consider my diet if I wanted to continue to make gains. I mean my diet's not completely terrible but there's a lot of room for improvement. The thing my trainer said was that I need to be eating a lot more protein - at least 1g per pound of body weight. So that's 200g of protein per day, which seems like a huge amount. I don't think I could sustain eating that much meat every day.
Yeah, 90% probability you're not eating enough. Your trainer sounds like he knows what he's talking about. <a class="postlink" href="http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/ ... lator.html</a> Set this to sedentary, add 500, and eat that many calories every day. You should gain about a pound a week - adjust upwards/downwards to hit that, and you shouldn't gain too much bodyfat. 1g protein/lb bodyweight. One recommendation: Whole milk. Protein, calories, and calcium/vitamin D to boot. I was drinking half a gallon a day when I was trying to gain mass. (Should have cut to begin with, but that's a different issue.)
Not to split hairs here, but I thought the appropriate amount of protein to eat (for someone trying to get bigger) is 1g per pound of lean mass. So, for someone like this guy at 200 lbs. and 15% body fat (I'm taking a guess on that one), wouldn't the appropriate amount be 170g, not 200?