First Professional Massage Advice - Swedish or Deep

[Dave Van Skike]

Originally Posted by Garrett Smith

More stretching may not be what you need, strengthening could be just the ticket (particularly strengthening that involves some degree of stretching as well). Credit to Mr. DVS for exposing me to this approach.

I got it from Pavel, as soon I read it..(maybe in relax into stretch or PL USA article) i grokked it right away..it's my go to move for tight stuff, trick is of course, not to overwhelm the muscle with load and work on strengthening in the higher rep ranges, gradually increasing ROM...for my hamstrings this meant gobs of sets of 20 with just one plates on rdl's...i think this same sort of effect could be why lite KB swings "work" for loosening hams.

Here's a drill a SHW Pl taught me this weekend for the hip flexors..

get a low box like (11") and put it against a wall. take a really wide stance over the box with your back to the wall (think sumo DL wide...I mean really really wide) gradually try to sit back and down with your torso as near to vertical as possible...if your an office drone like me, you'll not make it very far before falling either forward or back (thus the box against the wall) when this happens, just check yourself, reset and gradually work it down again. you'll look like a bobbing idiot but just keep feeling your way down to the box.

don't be fooled that this sounds too PL centric or not specific nuff to some OL esoterica. your never going to squat like this in real life and that's ok.

I did this for about 15 min on sat. and never actually got my ass on the box. I did 10x3 on front squat right after (really narrow stance by comparison) and was refreshingly stable coming out of the hole, erect torso, good bounce at the bottom etc...

try and see.

[Brian Lawyer]

Originally Posted by Garrett Smith

[url]Do you do any specific hip flexor exercises? KTEs, hanging leg raises, L-sits, GHD situps? Maybe you just need to get them stronger so they can handle the loads of squatting that much. More stretching may not be what you need, strengthening could be just the ticket (particularly strengthening that involves some degree of stretching as well). Credit to Mr. DVS for exposing me to this approach.

I have actually been doing just the opposite and avoiding anything specific to my hip flexors. I had read an article one time about how people with desk jobs need to focus most of their training on the posterior chain to counteract the effects of sitting at a desk all day.

That being said, what is considered strong enough. I do KTE's maybe every other week and I can pop of 3 sets of 8 - 10 usually no problem at the end of a workout.

[Garrett Smith]

Make sure your KTEs are done slowly & steadily. Kipping/swinging KTEs are next to worthless.

If your KTEs are done correctly already, you may want to switch to hanging straight leg raises.

Do Dave's drill too.

[Brian Lawyer]

Originally Posted by Garrett Smith

Make sure your KTEs are done slowly & steadily. Kipping/swinging KTEs are next to worthless.

C'mon Doc. I'm not the guy who goes to the gym and does barbell curls with 135lbs and makes the curls into some sort of dynamic hip swinging, jerking movement.

Of course my KTE's are done right. I go at the proper speed to not create any swinging within my body. If my body starts to swing I pause a little at the bottom to get straightened out before the next rep.

[Dave Van Skike]

Originally Posted by Brian Lawyer

C'mon Doc. I'm not the guy who goes to the gym and does barbell curls with 135lbs and makes the curls into some sort of dynamic hip swinging, jerking movement.

don't knock till you give it a run..heavy heavy cheat curls have built some powerful elbow flexors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NM4vsQEr0o

check minute 2.01

[Garrett Smith]

Brian,
Just wanted to make sure.

[Brian Lawyer]

Originally Posted by Dave Van Skike

don't knock till you give it a run..heavy heavy cheat curls have built some powerful elbow flexors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NM4vsQEr0o

check minute 2.01

Dave, I can't tell if you are serious or joking. But I just watched that video clip up to the part where the guy curl/jerked like 300lbs.

[Ben Fury]

Originally Posted by Brian Lawyer

Dave, I can't tell if you are serious or joking. But I just watched that video clip up to the part where the guy curl/jerked like 300lbs.

That's Ricky Bruch, discus thrower. I particularly thought it was amusing to see a discus thrower doing LSD training. Then the roid rage tossing of the bar against the lifting standards... very mature. He's 62 now, wonder how those shoulders are hanging in there after all that abuse?

[Craig Loizides]

Originally Posted by Dave Van Skike

don't knock till you give it a run..heavy heavy cheat curls have built some powerful elbow flexors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NM4vsQEr0o

check minute 2.01

My favorite part is at 2:57

[Dave Van Skike]

Originally Posted by Brian Lawyer

Dave, I can't tell if you are serious or joking. But I just watched that video clip up to the part where the guy curl/jerked like 300lbs.

i'm deadly serious.

and yes I do agree with Ben, LSD has it's place and is in fact the shit.

which given the general background of most people here, will seem like a joke....

but I am not joking.

and that's not roid rage...that's focus with an exclamation point