Exercise and Fitness V

[Fleeing Finn]

I'm starting Smolov on thursday. Tis a crazy russion squat program. I expect pain.

Remember to minimize all extra training then and get some proper sleep to recover. I've done Smolov and you can get great gains from it but in the end I don't know whether it's tougher for the body or the head. Squatting with insane volume four times a week can drive a man crazy. Also the original Smolov is designed for ppl who are either very talented or very much on the juice, so when you reach the stress cycle you might have to customize the workouts a bit. Good luck and have fun! :)

[lessthanluke]

Remember to minimize all extra training then and get some proper sleep to recover. I've done Smolov and you can get great gains from it but in the end I don't know whether it's tougher for the body or the head. Squatting with insane volume four times a week can drive a man crazy. Also the original Smolov is designed for ppl who are either very talented or very much on the juice, so when you reach the stress cycle you might have to customize the workouts a bit. Good luck and have fun! :)

Thanks for the advice! Don't forget all the extra food I will be eating lol. Hopefully it will go well.

[Nous]

Just got back. Squats / Run / Burpees.

Burpees are the most evil exercise that I know of that doesn't take any equipment.

I just had a brief kettlebell workout. Some presses, a tabata sequence of snatches with 16 kg bell, and a tabata sequence of swings with 24 kg bell.

[Stego]

I'm having some serious wrist pain, and I am actually skipping a workout due to it. (I'm going to go for a run instead, despite it being the day after a leg day. )

My wrist:

-No swelling.

-Pain when I bend it in any direction too far.

-This includes backwards, and so holding a bar/dumbbell (particularly with heavy weight) is uncomfortable. But not insanely so.

-I think it's from bending my wrist too much when I swing dumbbells up. I'm doing a lot more dumbbell work than I even have before and the weight I'm using has gone up significantly. My biceps have never been anywhere near as strong as my chest/shoulders/triceps, and so I am having trouble swinging the heavy dumbbells up.

So....I'm hoping it's just a strain. If I broke one of the bones in my wrist, it would swell and the pain would be constant, correct?

[Minaku]

I'm having some serious wrist pain, and I am actually skipping a workout due to it. (I'm going to go for a run instead, despite it being the day after a leg day. )

My wrist:

-No swelling.

-Pain when I bend it in any direction too far.

-This includes backwards, and so holding a bar/dumbbell (particularly with heavy weight) is uncomfortable. But not insanely so.

-I think it's from bending my wrist too much when I swing dumbbells up. I'm doing a lot more dumbbell work than I even have before and the weight I'm using has gone up significantly. My biceps have never been anywhere near as strong as my chest/shoulders/triceps, and so I am having trouble swinging the heavy dumbbells up.

So....I'm hoping it's just a strain. If I broke one of the bones in my wrist, it would swell and the pain would be constant, correct?

Stego, what kind of pain? Sharp pain, or a dull ache? Inside the wrist, on the top, on the bottom? Does it extend into your hand?

[TheLoneliestMonk]

*obligatory masturbation innuendo*

[Stego]

It's a dull ache inside of the wrist. It does not really extend in any direction. It can be borderline sharp if I lay my hand flat and go to either side.

[WhiteQueen]

I had my first tennis class yesterday. I was drenched in sweat - it was a very vigorous workout. And if I say that, please believe me that it was. I run 10 miles a day, every day for the past 11 years (minus two years when I was pregnant and afterwards nursing). I needed to push myself harder, because at this point running for 2 hours is a piece of cake for me and does not even make me tired). I got my wish - my instructor kicked my ass. But I loved every second of it and am looking forward to my second class tomorrow (I signed up for 16 but maybe will do even more, we'll see).

[Minaku]

It's a dull ache inside of the wrist. It does not really extend in any direction. It can be borderline sharp if I lay my hand flat and go to either side.

Sounds like you have overworked your tendons. They're probably a bit inflamed. I'd put a heat pack on, then ice and elevate afterwards and stay off it for a few days, and watch for an overly bent wrist when you do pick up your dumbbells. Try lifting them in a hammer curl style. Also, I'd go and take an anti-inflammatory and massage out the extensor and flexor tendons in the forearms.

Wrist pain in the middle of the wrist means that something is compressing the median nerve. Lay off the movement that causes it, or change your movement so that there is less strain.

[Stego]

Thanks for the advice, Mina. I appreciate it very much.

[Minaku]

Thanks for the advice, Mina. I appreciate it very much.

No prob. It's within my career to know what goes on starting with the hands and going all the way down the back, glad I could help. If you had a foot problem, I'd probably be useless.

[seastarr]

Stego, if it does seem to be an overuse and inflammation type injury be very careful and don't be shy about taking a rest from the activities that aggravate it. Wrists, forearms, and elbows have a funny way of being niggling little pains that never quite go away and then the inflammation can become a chronic issue and be a real nuisance. It's hard to rest the wrist and forearm because we do so much with our hands--writing, typing, driving, cooking, etc etc, so notice when you are aggravating the problem during everyday activities as well as exercise, and try to limit the every day stuff that bothers it, too.

How does wrist traction feel--pulling gently to put space in the joint?

[Stego]

How does wrist traction feel--pulling gently to put space in the joint?

I don't really feel it much at all. And I'm not sure if I'm being gentle or not. But it was something new, so I figured I should check it out.

Emilie, I've poked and prodded it harshly, probably more than I should have, and felt nothing even remotely sharp.

Folks, my heart aches at missing a day of lifting. This will have been a rest of two whole days. (Today already feels better than yesterday.) I do not imagine I can miss another day. Will taping it up tight help?

[Minaku]

I don't really feel it much at all. And I'm not sure if I'm being gentle or not. But it was something new, so I figured I should check it out.

Emilie, I've poked and prodded it harshly, probably more than I should have, and felt nothing even remotely sharp.

Folks, my heart aches at missing a day of lifting. This will have been a rest of two whole days. (Today already feels better than yesterday.) I do not imagine I can miss another day. Will taping it up tight help?

Ice it or heat it depending on what makes it feel better, or alternate ice and heat. You need to keep it supported, I don't know whether tape will help you. A brace will. Do your best to keep your hands, wrist, and forearms aligned. If you can draw a straight line from the middle of your elbow crease down your arm and over the middle knuckle, that's good alignment.

[ztemhead]

wrists are one thing I've never broken, thankfully. *touches wood*

I had to get some new stickies for the fast bike today so I figgered I'd drop it off, walk to my gym, workout, then walk back to pick it up. It was a de-lovely five mile stroll, if a bit hot. It amuses me to show up at the gym already drenched in sweat. :P

[Jon Targaryen]

I did my lower body plus abs workout today. It went pretty well except for the dumbbell lunges. Hate on those.

[Liffguard]

Doesn't the bar on the assisted machine fold up out of the way?

[Lany Freelove Cassandra]

Getting old sucks. My knees hate me. I swear I haven't done anything to them. No running for other reasons, I am decreasing the amount of weight they carry and yet still they are protesting and aching with nearly every movement today. I hate stiff joints. :(

I have done one lower body workout this week, and the following day (yesterday) felt fine. Spent some time on the treadmill. I did see how fast I could walk without running, but it wasn't too extreme (or for too long).

This was happening before I started working out and I was sure it was weight/age related (still am).

Working out is one of the few times I wish I was in my 20's again. *sigh*

[Greywolf2375]

Folks, my heart aches at missing a day of lifting. This will have been a rest of two whole days. (Today already feels better than yesterday.) I do not imagine I can miss another day. Will taping it up tight help?

William, I know you want to be in the gym, but please don't push your wrist. It took me almost two years to fully recover from a strained tendon in my forearm because I'd let it get "just good enough" and then go mess it up enough that it bugged me. Take a week off, let it rest and recover...see where you are at then. Taping it would help, but you're still putting stress on the tendon, the ligaments, the muscle.

Since I've had a similar issue with my wrists, one thing that has helped - after I let it rest for a week (sense a pattern?) is focusing on having my wrist cupped a little bit for each exercise. Has helped take a lot of the strain off of the wrist and has helped focus the motion on the muscle being taxed.

Cardio today.

Trisk-, Jaim - person doing dips today - yeah, the assisted machine should have the option of moving the stand out of the way; the ones I have seen you need to lift the stand and pull it towards you to unlock, then it just swings down and folds away for easy storage.

[cjfshaw]

Maybe try doing some quad work?