New Exercise & Fitness Thead

[lessthanluke]

Everyone be friendly please :)

[Cantabile]

To rehash my last post:

Do any of you yoga masters have stretching tips? I find that I injure myself far more frequently doing stretching than I do in actual exercise :P

[peterbound]

To rehash my last post:

Do any of you yoga masters have stretching tips? I find that I injure myself far more frequently doing stretching than I do in actual exercise :P

www.mobilitywod.com

[seastarr]

To rehash my last post:

Do any of you yoga masters have stretching tips? I find that I injure myself far more frequently doing stretching than I do in actual exercise :P

About 5 or 6 exercise threads ago I wrote up a whole bunch of stretching tips and specific stretches. You could probably do a search and find them. I don't have links to them offhand.

If you are injuring yourself stretching, you need to cultivate more awareness as you stretch. Take your time, move slowly, take the feedback of sensation and work with it while you maintain your steady breathing. Stretching is a very internal practice. Make sure you are in the right space of mind to be practicing and find yourself a good teacher to guide you if you have any doubts about your own knowledge or ability.

[smegma]

Anyone with advice for someone with bad knees? Mine are terrible - from a combination of genetics, hard use (get your minds outta the gutter - I mean sports and running) and occasional mild rheumatoid arthritis flare-ups. If anyone has ideas for strengthening, diet, or supplements that might help with the pain and make stairs not such an asshole to deal with, I'm open to ideas!

[baxus]

i fully agree with people who stated in the previous thread that they lift in order to be able to play some other sport. lifting weights is ok and it's really a great feeling when you see yourself lifting more than you did before, but whenever i've gone to the gym i'd quit after a while because i found it boring. on the other hand, when i had other parts to complement my workouts i enjoyed it very much.

on the topic of steroids, there's a movie called bigger stronger faster that i've enjoyed watching. it certainly shows steroids from a different angle and i recommend it to everyone who hasn't seen it yet.

that being said, when it comes to olympic sports i find steroid use to be the same as cheating. i don't care if people competing in "world lumberjack cup" or "world's strongest man" or some other drug-testing-free event take steroids to enhance their performance (and i am fully aware steroids are worthless unless you train and train and train) but i think that anyone who does the same in a sport that has doping tests as part of the rules of the game should be considered a cheater. of course, i'm not naive to think there is no doping in sport and am aware that some of those we consider best athletes of today will in 10 years time turn out to be cheaters when doping tests get better.

@ Mods:

i haven't bashed neither anyone personally nor their training regimen, but i understand this is how it started in the previous thread so i leave it up to you to edit it if you find it neccessary.

[Renasko]

Anyone with advice for someone with bad knees? Mine are terrible - from a combination of genetics, hard use (get your minds outta the gutter - I mean sports and running) and occasional mild rheumatoid arthritis flare-ups. If anyone has ideas for strengthening, diet, or supplements that might help with the pain and make stairs not such an asshole to deal with, I'm open to ideas!

Same problem. Although I think smegma is having a harder time of it, by the sounds. It's just an irritant at this point for me, as I'm trying not to push myself and pick up an injury.

[Theano]

Anyone with advice for someone with bad knees? Mine are terrible - from a combination of genetics, hard use (get your minds outta the gutter - I mean sports and running) and occasional mild rheumatoid arthritis flare-ups. If anyone has ideas for strengthening, diet, or supplements that might help with the pain and make stairs not such an asshole to deal with, I'm open to ideas!

Leg extensions, squats, wall squats, the warrior poses in yoga. Anything that will strengthen the muscles without impact. Oh, and never have knee surgery if you can possibly avoid it. I've had two lateral releases (on the same knee!), and my knee is now ruined.

[Tempra]

Anyone with advice for someone with bad knees? Mine are terrible - from a combination of genetics, hard use (get your minds outta the gutter - I mean sports and running) and occasional mild rheumatoid arthritis flare-ups. If anyone has ideas for strengthening, diet, or supplements that might help with the pain and make stairs not such an asshole to deal with, I'm open to ideas!

Do you take fish oil? My joints get a bit achey when I stop taking fish oil supplements, but miraculously vanish when I start back up. Also, here is an article with some tips for helping strengthen and heal your knees.

[Tempra]

I would strongly suggest seeing a doctor or physical therapist before you start any regimen of strengthening. What works for some people may be the worst thing for you. Case in point: what everyone here commonly suggests would have totally ruined my knees. :)

Always sound advice.

[lessthanluke]

Don't drink and post kids. Urgh.

[Cantabile]

If you are injuring yourself stretching, you need to cultivate more awareness as you stretch. Take your time, move slowly, take the feedback of sensation and work with it while you maintain your steady breathing. Stretching is a very internal practice. Make sure you are in the right space of mind to be practicing and find yourself a good teacher to guide you if you have any doubts about your own knowledge or ability.

I'll try to work on my body awareness. I think a major problem is that I'm stretching while working out, so I'm not in a very relaxed state of mind, and push the stretches too far, treating it as an exercise rather than a means of relaxing and loosening up. Maybe I'll try doing my stretches before going to bed, when I'm in a more calm state of mind, and just do a few basic stretches while working out for my warm up.

on the topic of steroids, there's a movie called bigger stronger faster that i've enjoyed watching. it certainly shows steroids from a different angle and i recommend it to everyone who hasn't seen it yet.

that being said, when it comes to olympic sports i find steroid use to be the same as cheating. i don't care if people competing in "world lumberjack cup" or "world's strongest man" or some other drug-testing-free event take steroids to enhance their performance (and i am fully aware steroids are worthless unless you train and train and train) but i think that anyone who does the same in a sport that has doping tests as part of the rules of the game should be considered a cheater. of course, i'm not naive to think there is no doping in sport and am aware that some of those we consider best athletes of today will in 10 years time turn out to be cheaters when doping tests get better.

I don't think anyone will disagree on you with that one. The Olympics are supposed to be a test of the human body's capabilities, to find the best of the best, and are to be strictly drug-free. Trying to fool drug tests and compete against clean athletes while on steroids is of course cheating. Would kinda' be like competing in a bicycle race with a motorcycle :P

And gosh, all this knee talk is making me paranoid about running now! I've never heard knee problems before, thankfully. My knees sometimes "pop" when I do squats, but it's never painful so I don't pay it much attention.

[Stego]

I lift weights because I love to lift weights. I crossfit because I love to crossfit. I run because I love to run.

I push my body because I love to push my body. I love to end up in a heap on the floor after a workout. If I do not, I feel as if I am shorting myself on my workout. A little bit of sweat and some sore muscles these days isn't a workout; it's 'active rest and recovery.'

The euphoria I get from extreme exertion is genuine. I don't much care what other feel about it. It doesn't matter a whit.

But I'll tell you this: I know what life is like as a sedentary blob and I know what life is like with constant exertion, and I pity the sedentary not for their looks or health or depression, but for their utter lack of the euphoria that comes from extreme exertion and accomplishment.

[smegma]

Leg extensions, squats, wall squats, the warrior poses in yoga. Anything that will strengthen the muscles without impact. Oh, and never have knee surgery if you can possibly avoid it. I've had two lateral releases (on the same knee!), and my knee is now ruined.

When my knees are bad I can't even imagine doing squats. :bawl: But I'm with you on the knee surgery - most people that I know that have had it aren't any better off or are sometimes worse than before.

I would strongly suggest seeing a doctor or physical therapist before you start any regimen of strengthening. What works for some people may be the worst thing for you. Case in point: what everyone here commonly suggests would have totally ruined my knees. :)

When I had patellar tendonitis, I was told *not* to do squats, lunges, or any leg exercises other than those that the Physical Therapist cleared for me, as my recovery progressed. I couldn't do any exercise other than spin class, seated at all times, and swimming for 12 weeks. I had to do a lot of leg lifts, some with Russian stim (like what the guy in the commercial "I am Epic Win" has on, except on my quads). I was *not* to do yoga for a few months, and to do Pilates. I was also told that I could either climb stairs or I could run, not both. Since then, I've avoided climbing stairs (when I try it, I get the "snap, crackle, pop" thing going on), and concentrated on my running, which is now pain free.

They also showed me some stretches to do to avoid knee problems in the future, and how to foam roll to avoid iliotibial band issues, which can impact the knees.

Knees are very individual, and you only get two of them, so I would really invest in professional advice on strengthening ;)

Yeah when my new insurance kicks in I plan on getting some physical therapy on them because at my age and desired level of activity I don't want this to cripple me : /

Until then I want to do some low impact stuff that will help. Swimming is good. Stairs are not. Can't do 'em. It's terrible cause I used to love taking the stairs but now I *always* take the elevator or escalator because otherwise it'll take me 4X's longer than it should.

Mine crackle and pop in a really insidious way that creeps everyone out - even the barest of motion makes them do that.

Pilates is something that I want to try, loved yoga when I did it. But you do sound like me cause spin class is about the only thing I can do sometimes (seated, of course).

Do you take fish oil? My joints get a bit achey when I stop taking fish oil supplements, but miraculously vanish when I start back up. Also, here is an article with some tips for helping strengthen and heal your knees.

And in the meantime - yes! That is something I have stopped taking and I totally forgot about it. Taking my fish oil now and crossing my fingers that it helps.

[Cantabile]

But I'll tell you this: I know what life is like as a sedentary blob and I know what life is like with constant exertion, and I pity the sedentary not for their looks or health or depression, but for their utter lack of the euphoria that comes from extreme exertion and accomplishment.

I get euphoria from pushing myself and progressing too. Weightlifting is immediate satisfaction, as you can see the results before your very eyes, and each time I add more weight to a lift I feel awesome. Working out is a natural drug drug, and I feel like shit on the days I don't work out, so that even on rest days I have to be doing some sort of exercise, even if it's light.

I think it takes a sort amount of time and effort to get to the point of exercise addiction, though. For most people that are starting and lazy they never really reach the euphoria, so never get into exercise and give up soon after.

[Vethnar]

I'm in an intermediate position between those who actually like to lift and those who lift only to improve their performance in some other activity. I love doing (crude parodies of) the Olympic lifts, but the slow lifts bore me, and are unpleasant to do. I do them only in order to help me sprint faster, jump higher, and snatch, clean and jerk heavier weights. I have more or less stopped doing the bench press, which, in addition to being boring and unpleasant, doesn't seem to contribute much towards my fitness goals. The only slow lifts I do regularly now are squats, deadlifts, presses, push presses (do they count as slow?) and pull-ups.

Today's workout was both encouraging and depressing. The weather was finally warm enough to do some stair jumps in the local park, which was great fun. I can't think of anything in life I'm better at than jumping up a flight of stairs. It's a pity it isn't a sport. The depressing part was practicing squat snatches and overhead squats in the gym afterwards. I have just started learning these, and I'm not exactly doing great so far. When squat snatching an empty bar (I haven't tried anything heavier), I fall backwards at the bottom about one out of three times. I overhead squat only slightly more than half of my best power snatch, with great difficulty. For some reason, keeping my elbows locked at the bottom is extremely hard.

[Stego]

I don't like you calling the power lifts 'slow.'

You can't lift heavy weight slow. It's impossible.

[Cantabile]

I have great difficult keeping my arms locked in overhead squats too, and since the weight is low it doesn't build up my legs much, so I'm considering stopping them.

But yeah, power lifts should be fast. Speed is what helps generate the power necessary for heavy weights.

[Vethnar]

I don't like you calling the power lifts 'slow.'

You can't lift heavy weight slow. It's impossible.

I apologize if I somehow seemed disrespectful -- that was not my intention. I have just as much respect for someone deadlifting 460kg/1015lb (Benedikt Magnússon) as for someone cleaning and jerking 263.5kg/470lb (Hossein Rezazadeh), and I have no difficulties believing that elite powerlifters try to move the bar as fast as possible. Nevertheless, the bar isn't moving *fast*. When I do a maximum deadlift, the bar needs at least a second to get from the floor to lockout. It doesn't seem to be moving any faster when the elite powerlifters lift. I don't doubt that they could move and accelerate slightly lighter weights at phenomenal speeds, but that's not what they do when powerlifting maximal weights.

I was just expressing my personal taste: To me, moving lighter weights extremely fast and explosively is much more exciting (both when watching it and when doing it) than moving very heavy weights more slowly. I'm not saying that one is more impressive or difficult

than the other.

[Vethnar]

I have great difficult keeping my arms locked in overhead squats too, and since the weight is low it doesn't build up my legs much, so I'm considering stopping them.

Nobody does overhead squats for leg strength, I think. The legs are never the limiting factor. There is not much point in doing them unless you want to learn to do squat snatches.