[jamsk8r]

Not a very inventive title, sorry, but I couldn't find a thread for August.

Lydia, I hate that combo: front squats and sprints/running. Putting that bar on my chest is about the last thing I want to do when I'm sucking wind, lol!

Just checking in. Did a cf wod 6 days last week, skated 3 hrs last night (ooh, my calves are crying today!), wod this morning with my sister Suzy at the gym. Today was 1RM back squat. PR'd by 5 lbs (woot!) For 185#. I'll take that!

My big news from last week: PR'd the heck out of Fran (21-15-9 reps of barbell thrusters and pull-ups). Old time from December was 16:34, last Friday was 7:58. I couldn't believe it. My trainer is gloating, of course, since his "go lighter/faster" thing is working so well.

[Lydia227]

Cheryl: Your improved Fran time is awesome! I'm inspired! Six WOD in a row is really impressive to me too. I've only been able to go twice a week. I struggle with the intensity level of the workouts and it's getting to my head to where I don't even want to go in. I like to go pretty deep into the well, just not every time I walk into the gym. Any advice? I'm thinking that I'm just still too new to this and I just need to chill.

I want to stick it out because I know there's a lot for me to learn and I enjoy the lifts. Once the kids are in school I'll have more time to stay and work on my skills which will help too.

Oh, and about that front squat/run combo...turns out the next day I came down with a cold. Explains why it felt like I had an elephant sitting on my lungs on that run back to the box.

Now for the good news today. Mel, you will be proud of me...I finally hired people to finish painting the interior of my house. Yep, all done. What took me two months to do took a team of six to eight guys...I lost track...to finish in one day. Amazing. So glad it's done.

[Lydia227]

Much better workout day today. Box jumps, which are NOT my favorite..kind of up there with 400m runs and double unders... were much more doable today. It was the first thing on the list and went in descending reps. The more I did, the less I would have to do on the next round. Yep, I can handle that.

I'm thinking about getting or making a 20" box just to practice my jumping efficiency. It just looks so tall to me when I'm staring down at it...I'm doing it but I'd be a whole lot more excited about it if it were like four inches okay...six inches shorter.

BTW, thanks Cheryl for starting the new thread this month. :

[jamsk8r]

Lydia, scale the wods way back. You will get so much more out of it if you can go in every day, or at least 3 on, 1 off. You'll learn faster if you're there more often, and adapt faster physically that way, than you will if you keep on with 2 days a week of killer wods.

[Lydia227]

Good advice. I think I just needed permission to do that. Almost every time I go in I do learn something new. Skill, technique, or ahem...about myself and it is well worth going in to get that.

The days I happen to be able to participate were more frequently the days we had metcon training. Or maybe I just really hate running when there is a clock involved.

Today was much better. I'm two for two. It was AMRAP that included double unders. This is a skill I'm still working on so after the first three rounds of single single double under/attempt followed by air squats and reverse curls, I finished the clock out just working on the double unders.

My logic is I will do so much better crafting the skill than trying to get a decent time/high number of rounds to post on the board.

Anyway, Thanks. I think the problem is I just wasn't real sure where my expectations for myself should be in the box. I know what I can do in the gym...and there is some crossover but it is applied in a very different way that makes it more challenging.

[Tejas]

Well, I just saw the orthopedist again about the patellar tendinitis. Although there has been improvement, there is not enough to go back to dead lifts (or anything interesting).

He said that if I injure it again/more that the recovery will be even more difficult. The knee is swollen but did respond to Ibuprophen when I took it. But, I have no desire to keep taking that. So, I put ice on it every time I sit down (not often ).

I forgot to ask him if he thought wraps or braces or straps would do any good. I've been using the little strap under the patella and I think that it might be useful. My trainer isn't so keen about braces, wraps, etc. Anyone have an opinion on those devices?

The orthopedist says, as he always as, don't do anything that hurts and don't bend the knee more than 90 degrees.

[DietVet]

Have any of you gotten any actual help from an orthopedist? I've got swollen tendons in my ankles that are exacerbated by doing sprints and which won't seem to go away no matter how many months I rest them and how much ice I put on them. Is there anything an orthopedist can actually do? I want to be able to do sprints for HIIT but I'm despairing that I'll ever be able to again!

But I could use some advice. I started Stage 2 of NROLW last week (after taking the rest week as prescribed) and have buggered up my elbow somehow. It's swollen and tender and it hurts if I extend or curl my arm. I've been icing and ibuprofening but I'm pretty sure I should stay away from upper body lifts until it feels 100%. (Stage 2 involves things like squat push presses and wood chops).

This sucks, obviously and my fear is that I'm going to have to do nothing but cardio for weeks and weeks. What do you all think. Should I just do lower body stuff a couple of days per week until the elbow is healed or will that lead to some sort of grotesque upper/lower strength disparity? ;0

Thoughts? Advice?

(Also, and I realize I'm getting self-indulgent here, but does the fact that I have 2 bad ankles, a dodgy knee and a messed up elbow point to some kind of nutritional deficiency? I've had injuries in the past, but never so many all at once. What can it all mean!?! I feel that I've been pushing myself with respect to the limits of my body--I work hard but I don't think I work stupid....)

[Tejas]

I think that the best advice is don't do anything at all that hurts. It's all repetitive strain injury and rest is the cure. I did find a lot of exercises for my knee on-line, so maybe there is equivalent information for elbows. But, it all says don't do any exercise of the injured area if it is painful.

You might be able to find some things to do so that you don't lose strength in the upper body.

I've started swimming and that doesn't hurt. But, the information I found said not to do the breaststroke, sigh.

It's very frustrating. I miss my deadlifts like missing a best friend. I would never have thought I'd feel that way.

[Lydia227]

DietVet: I HAVE gotten help from sports docs in the past. Actually, my very first injury was a stress fracture in the femoral neck. One wrong step off a curb and I could have had pins put in my leg....I developed the injury from running...too much too soon too fast. I was just so new to everything I really didn't know any better and I just accepted pain. Pain is not normal and it is the body's warning signal to get something checked out. Think of it as the emergency light on the dash of your car. In my case, it took crutches for two months and complete rest for half a year before I was good again. But, it wouldn't have taken as long if I would have had it looked at sooner.

On a different note, I had developed plantar fasciitis two years ago. Stupid jump rope....got the bug and couldn't put the thing down even though I couldn't walk across the room the rest of the day. I put off seeing a podiatrist for six months. I was convinced I could heal this myself. Finally, I went in to have it evaluated. They taped is up and the relief I felt immediately was euphoria. Seriously. I loved these people and wanted to take them home with me. The down side of this is that that PF injury lead to a secondary injury with my knee during an overhead squat (unweighted) movement. Not surprising right...the foot is the base of the kinetic chain and it's ALL connected.

My point is, if you are in pain and it's been going on longer than a week or two go get it checked out. Save yourself the frustration. Sometimes its is nothing more than rest, ice, compression, and anti inflammatories, but sometimes, there is more to the picture. Also, we learn a lot from the physical therapy sessions that can enhance our development of fitness in the long term.

Second Question: Yes. If you can do lower body work without compromising the injury of your elbow by all means do it. Won't lead to crazy disparity between upper and lower. It will be good in the sense that you continue to keep your workouts part of your schedule and the lower body carries larger muscles=greater caloric expenditure..etc. It will also just make you feel happier to be able to do this.

Third Question: I doubt that your injuries are a result of nutritional deficiency. However, I don't know how your eating/ or not eating...so I can't say for certain. Might be another good question to address with a sport doc/nutritionist.

My guess though would be that you are missing more of the fundamental things in your programming such as proper activation before working out, might want to look at frequency of lifting as well as your technique. I know you are doing NROLFW which is solid. Maybe it would be helpful to have a good trainer look at the form as well just to be sure you are spot on with that. These movements that reflect everyday should not induce pain however there may be some limitations in your range of motion that are causing some of the inefficiencies to surface. Do you foam roll? Might be something else to consider before and after your workout as well.

Rhonda: Hang in there. I would be sad too without deadlifts. Are you seeing any improvement? Are rack pulls an option? Don't attempt it if you really have pain with slight knee flexion. I'm finding that my deadlifts and pulls are much less annoying in the past few weeks. I have meniscus in the left knee that kind of "catches" and I have a second before it slips into place and then I'm good.(At least up until this past week) We did our 1RM deadlifts last week and the coach tweaked my stance a little and guess what NO CATCHING. I needed to set my hips just a little bit higher when I approach the bar. Freaking amazing. I had no idea I was squatting as low as I was. It really takes an experienced eye to catch these little things and I never suggested to him that I was having trouble with this in the first place. He saw it when I was doing warm up reps...I was consistently readjusting after the first pull. Anyway, just a thought. I want you to have your deadlifts back too!

[fitmom]

Hi everyone.

I've never posted in this thread before but I was trying on some clothes the other day and noticed some definite back definition in the three-way mirror in the dressing room. I've been doing kettlebells for six months now and I can't believe I'm starting to see some progress which is huge for me because I'm so not muscularly-built, lol. Also, recently added some renegade rows to my ab routine and they are killer!! I'm sore as heck the next day but it's worth it.

[Lydia227]

Fitmom: and Congratulations on your new traps, delts, and rhomboids. Three way mirrors are fantastic for allowing us to see the hard work we do for our posterior chain.

I just began kettlebells myself this summer. I'm a complete novice and know next to nothing expect how to deadlift them and swing them straight overhead. But wow, it really is hard work. I've totally missed out these passed few years. I purchased five of them...one for every member of my family (the nine pounder for my eight year old is really cute and he HAD to have one...he's a mini me ) and one to grow on. Great fun and a wonderful tool to have in your box. Looking forward to working these into my programming this fall.

[Tejas]

Lydia, I saw the trainer this morning and we decided that I will do NO lower body work for one month. I'll lose some strength, but right now I am losing strength and my knee is swollen. I will swim, and will take the time to do more core and abs. That can't hurt. I think I will also seek out some acupuncture and get more massage.

I'm glad to hear that you got some help on your lifts. Good trainers are so wonderful to have.

fitmom This is a great thread, and you'll find good support and helpful information. Love those KBs!

[Lydia227]

Originally Posted by Tejas

Lydia, I saw the trainer this morning and we decided that I will do NO lower body work for one month.

Probably best. I've never been successful in active recovery in the past. Total down time was what usually helped me too. Feel for you though.

Yesterday's skill work at the box was interesting. Rope climbs...nope never did them in school like everyone else. It took a couple of tries but I was able to somewhat lock out my feet...not enough to just hang there without hands though. Not that I would have tried yet. But wow, very cool experience. I was able to pull myself up and trap the rope between my feet during the last attempt before our workout. I think one of the coolest things about this experience, and I've had it in yoga too, is exploring a new movement and it being a matter of developing skill to accomplish it and not necessarily strength related. I could have pulled myself up the rope about half way with just upper body strength but when I actually was able to trap the rope between my feet, lock out and then pull up it was unbelievably easier! The rope didn't look nearly high enough then. Course, once I got about 3/4 of the way up it occurred to me....I didn't know the right way to get down. Developed a nice little blister on my hands just before the workout of the day....which included tabata pushups.

Today is a forced rest day. I got up in time to go, was looking forward to the WOD (yep, even the runs) I'm beginning to accept this as just part of the deal...but I broke a glass in the bathroom and it shattered EVERYWHERE. Barefoot in a bathroom with glass shards is not a good sign. Spent 45 minutes cleaning that mess up and was too late to go. I'm having work done on the house today (yep, more stuff...exterior drainage, waterproofing etc) and I HAVE to be here in case someone loses a limb or something. It's fine. I'll be all the more ready for tomorrow. I need to study for my CES (corrective exercise specialist) exam anyway...I'm testing in October.

[Lydia227]

Dang. This will be the second time I have to clean up glass shards today...the mild earthquake that hit Va knocked all the photos off of my fireplace. Weird.

[nelie]

Nothing fell here. My cats freaked though.