on being humbled

[Climb01742]

as part of my rehab to address some problems i've been having with my right leg, hip and back, i've started doing a bunch of more specific core strength and leg strengthening work.

i'm a million miles from being a great athlete, but i think i'm a pretty good athlete. i've been used to being pretty ok at doing athletic things. but now i'm doing all these new these things that i stink at. and i hate doing things i stink at.

like this morning at the gym. my chiro gave me all these new ab and lower back exerices to do. i've always avoided sit-ups like the plague. so there i was on the mat at my gym. struggling to do a bunch of weird, specific ab things. and who plunks down right next to me, but this woman who must have been sixty. and she starts pounding out this unbelieveable ab routine.

so there i was, a "jock", suffering like a dog. next to a grandmother who was hardly breathing hard. i thought, i have two choices here. beat a hasty retreat. or stay, do my rehab, begin to get better, and be humbled.

i realized something. to get better, we sometimes have to be humbled. to try new things, things we aren't very good at. in public. our comfort zone can hold us back. part of what pushes an athlete is pride. but it can hold us back sometimes.

so what did i do? i asked her for help, for some tips. she was so nice and helpful. someday i hope to hold my own with her.

monday i start doing real squats. to protect my back, i've always done weight machines at the gym for legs. but for two weeks now i've been doing one-legged squats with no weights to ease me into it. my chiro says start out with just 50 pounds on the smith machine. thing is, there's this old guy at the gym who squats close to 200 pounds. i'm getting ready to be humbled again. and if i'm smart, ask for tips again.

i know being humbled is going to make me healthier, but it still stinks. :crap:

[Needs Help]

monday i start doing real squats.

Just be careful. I'm currently on an indefinite hiatus from doing squats because of pain in my lower back. My form is good, and I don't go too low, but my back was starting to give me problems. As an alternative, I've been doing lunges with lighter weight--I don't return to the starting position--just up and down after the initial lunge; and one legged step ups onto a bench while holding barbells. I like those exercises because I can use much less weight and still completely bomb my quads and gluts. Good luck with your rehab.

[Climb01742]

needs--i will be very careful. squats ready hit all the big and small, stabilizing muscles, which is where my problems lie. thanks for the lunge tip. that should help too. what weight do you use for the lunge?

[Ahneida Ride]

Use a high quality lifting belt like the pros use.
NOT THOSE CHEAP LEATHER ONES !!!!
They will kill your back.

For once on ths forum, I know what I'm talking about.

Use Knee wraps also, at least try em.

TJis may be my first and only decent post !!!

[Keith A]

Climb,

After having gone through rehab myslef after ACL replacement surgery, I learned a few things about rebuilding strength in my legs. One exercise I found that helped a lot was single leg jumps. This helps with strength, balance and endurance. Let me know if you what any details and I'll fill you in on my routine.

Best of luck!

[Roy E. Munson]

Ahneida may be right, yes, if you want to become a weight lifter! There is NOTHING harder on your back than doing squats. If you do decide to do some squats, do them in the Smith Machine as it takes the pressure off your back. Knee wraps - complete overkill, they are for powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting. How do I know this? I've had lifts that would qualify for the national powerlifting championships in my weight class (many years ago).

To continue, weight lifting strength carries over very little to actual on-the-bike strength. If you want to work on ailing hips, back, and legs, do a ton of stretching. If you want leg strength specifically for riding, do it on the bike. Some light weights if you just want overall leg strength. All this comes from cycling coaches, PT's, and Orthopedic Specialist's who've helped me over the years.

I believe there's an article on www.ccbracing.com on such things.

[Ozz]

A few years back I was doing a hike up Mt Rainier (up to Camp Muir, about 10,000 ft). I was at about 8500 ft when out of nowhere this little old lady went blazing past me....

Granted, I was was training for a climb so I was carrying about 30 lbs or so....but I was 35 year old and (I found out later) she was 80!

Turns out she is the iron woman of the mountain. I forget her name, but she is from Germany or Austria and pretty much hikes up to Camp Muir every day.

There is no subsitute for experience and a lifetime of training!!!

[Climb01742]

roy--my situation is this: a bunch of muscles on my right side were/are really tight. for the past year, i've been a fiend on stretching. my chiro has been helping alot too. so i now have formally tight muscles that are now becoming looser. but tight muscles become weak muscles. and my cycling/running has been turning these weak, imbalanced muscles into injuries. i agree, i'm not out to be a powerlifter. but i do want to strengthen and balance my muscles. i will do squats on smith machine. agree, far safer that way. i'm not at all arguing with your experience. but i've been advised to strengthen various muscles. squats are just one part of the puzzle. but from what i know, safely done squats are a great way to strengthen the stablizing muscles of the hips and lower back. any tips you could share would be very appreciated.

keith--your tips would be appreciated very much too.

thanks everyone.:p

[Roy E. Munson]

Climb,

What you are suffering from is EXACTLY what I have. Try some hyperextensions or less load bearing exercises for your back, and more isolated exercises for your legs. I repeat - SQUATS are LETHAL for a bad back. This from an orthapedic specialist and a PT who specializes in sports medicine. If you want to chat offline, let me know .

[Climb01742]

roy,

would appreciate your "routine" for back and legs very much. i tried e-mailing you directly, but the phorum said your profile ruled those out. if you wouldn't mind, send me a private message. thanks.

and i checked the ccb racing site and downloaded the ab + back exercises. merci.

climb.

[Needs Help]

Hi,

I use 115lbs for the lunges, but you need to find the weight that is right for you. I make the initial lunge forward with as long a stride as I can. From what I've read, your bent knee shouldn't extend past your toes, and I have to lunge pretty far to get that right. I try to bend my knee no more than about 90 degrees or a little more to get my upper thigh parallel to the floor. Then, I straighten my forward leg. I don't return to the starting position between reps, so the result is I'm just going up and down on that front leg. I think you'll find that running up against a maximum weight you can lift won't occur--it's being able to balance while you're doing the exercise that limits how much weight you can lift. Since you're looking for balance exercises, I think it may be a great one for you.

I think back extensions are a great exercise, and I do them religiously as well as situp exercises, but be careful about hyperextending at the top. The last time I checked, the conventional wisdom was that hyperextending at the top can injure your back. Even without hyperextending they will really bomb your lower back muscles. Maybe Roy E. Munson can comment more on that.


Roy E. Munson,

I've done squats on and off over the years, and it's interesting to hear your views since they tend to confirm all the problems squats have caused me. I still read in the current literature that they are the best overall excercise for the legs and gluts, so I find myself continually being drawn back to them. I'll stop letting that happen.

[Keith A]

Climb,

I'll try and get back with you this weekend, but I've got a busy one ahead. So it may not be until Monday until I get the chance to fill you in on the details.

Have a good weekend.

[Climb01742]

needs--thanks for your tips. will try the lunges. i've also done a bunch of research on squats. seems like half say they're the best leg exercise. half say they're the worst.

keith--take your time. whenever you can is totally cool. thanks.

[Roy E. Munson]

Climb,

I sent you an email - let me know if you got it.

[Climb01742]

roy, got it. many thanks. check your e-mail. just got back from my ride. wet and caked in grit/sand. but darn glad to be outside.

[Andreu]

I am the wrong side of 35 and I have been racing (or trying to) for the last 12-15 years. I have learnt more in the last two years about training, listening to other people (usually older guys whov'e seen it all before) then I ever have ....and I had my best season last year!
To paraphrase Einstein If your not getting any better you need to do something differently or use other resources to get the answer (but please....no drugs!).
A :D

[Dr. Doofus]

the Doc and I have problems with a tight glute and hammy on our right side, but its squats that keep em firin regler like

we has problems when we *don't* squat

don't use a lot a weight (we's 165, we do our sets round 185) and we concentrates on firin that right side, not compensatin or cheatin...been doin it fer some years....

goin heavy don't help, but that Romanian feller taught us in a semynar thats runners and cyclers don't need ta go heavy'r than a 7 r 8 rep to failure set, an that's only fer a couple a weeks a year....

we's in agreein with Roy, we just doin sumpin sorta diffrent but fer the same reasonin if that makes sense

[Climb01742]

doc, i was hoping you'd chime in. i remember posts of yours about leg work at the gym. do you do any single leg stuff to balance out leg strength?

and as someone born in savannah, and with family in charleston, you sure do type funny down there. :p

[Dr. Doofus]

grunting at the local Y
why oh why of why do I
eye myself in that friggin mirror
mirror helps the form get clearer

times I squat with single leg
leg on the right is my weak peg
peg it slow to keep good form
form is best when you're stretched and warm

do the stork
yeah do the stork
play it jerk!

(urban art-damage slide solo from drunk)

you don't gotta use no weight
wait at the bottom you're doing great
greater control is what you wanna get
get a lotta reps you're not through yet

stork it out two times a week
week to week you weight room geek
geek it freak it like Marc Gee-ar-dee
Giardelli did em so he could ski

do the stork
yeah do the stork
play it dbrk

(smart guy does some weird-ass yoga **** out of rhythm but the kids dig it anyway)

(everybody chants)
doc does em
gets a dozen
freakin hates em
denigrates em
but he basically does anything that makes his legs hurt
yeah

(stage dive repeatedly until loss of consciousness)

[Climb01742]

doc, on many levels, a very interesting reply. merci.

[Too Tall]

Climb, listen to Doofus. That's good advice.

A smith won't take your back out of the equation and in your situation I feel that is a good thing to achieve. Use an inclined leg press and focus on firing medialis muscles first during the press.

After your core strength is starting to come around add lunges with no weight an than with bands.

[Climb01742]

too tall: you said "firing medialis muscles first during the press". how do you do this? thanks. climb.