Friday, October 13, 2006

Cheks order of progression

for safe and proper loading one needs :

1) Flexibility: the joints must have full ROM before loading

2) Stability: if you can't stabilize you can't exert force efficiently

3) Strength: once you are stable you can safely overload

4) Power : Strength moved quickly

5) Endurance: baseline stamina and gpp

I find this to be so true,especially for my back. Once you have torn discs disaster is never far away and I know I must keep my system balanced to avoid pain and disability. I have to maintain as close to perfect lumbar and shoulder ROM via LOTS of decompression hangs and my own rifga set of postures to keep my back in neutral, and thus stable.

As pavel says in his second kb video " if you cant get comfortable in the bottom of a squat with no kb you need flexiblity, not strength, first".

I did tons of upward facing dog( to stretch abs,psoas,pecs, move discs forward), downward facing dog( to stretch calves/hams), shoulder to floor( close hands).

so first I have to stretch the joints as close as possible to what their ROM should be and then I do some stability work to make sure both sides of the joints are firing.

Then I can warmup and exert some decent force safely. Otherwise I am just asking for injury and back injuries are just no fun at all anymore.

Hanging from the power bar tells me so much about where my lumbar spine and my lower abdominals are. two key areas for me to keep open to keep my spine painfree.my abs gets big strong and tight fast and pull my spine into flexion in a hurry and that's no good :))

It also opens up my shoulders and lats big time. I just have to spend a LOT of time doing it or I get spasms pretty easily. especially with the volume I've been doing lately.I still do not have even close to perfect overhead flexion of my right shoulder.the teres gets way tight way easy and it opens up but it takes regular work.

If you ignore this progression and overload joint structures that don't have solid ROM all kinds of bad things happen. some immediately, some down the road. none good. THis is the balance that must be maintained. conjugate training! LOL! working on all components similtaneously and continuously. speed and force and gpp and hypertrophy, all depending on what is needed at the time. same with the above just on a bw level.

My back has been saying hello lately and with Franz's injury it has got me thinking some.

6 comments:

Tom Furman said...

I am still playing with my mild aches. I am largely injury free through early flexibility in martial arts. (This also caused my psoas problems). Good article and it should be posted on the wall of the every gym. A tribute to our age is on my blog. Remember this concert??

Mark Reifkind said...

thanks tom.it's only when I stop listening to the warning signs to I seem to get into real trouble.I have to stretch as much as possible it seems.

Elvis,lol! I remember the one where he is on a circle stage in black leather.

Franz Snideman said...

Needed post Rif! My injury has seriously changed my perspective on many things, especially the topic of recovery and listening to your body. It is very interesting to see how "dialed in" you are to your own orthopedic challenges. That is why you can train like you do because of all the corrective/pre-hab work you do. And like you have told me, if you do not stretch, you don't function well and you hurt.

For the first time in my life I am finally starting to really listen to my body. I have been so disconnected from my lumbar spine for so many years (really a lifetime). Chek's progression is right on. There are many people who are very flexible but lack strength and stability. Then you have people that are strong but lack "healthy" range of motion. Ultimately gravity will win in the end, but we can put up a good fight and work with our bodies rather than against our bodies.

Mark Reifkind said...

yes franz, the pre/rehab work I have to do is the base from which everything else occurs.If I dont do that I go backwards, simple as that.I ignored things way too long and did needless damage in retrospect.

Anonymous said...

Good stuff about the joint ROM. Got time thinking about my sorry hip. And got me doing JM more carefully.

A question:
"shoulder to floor( close hands)"
What is this move like?

Mark Reifkind said...

marko,

I am kneeling with my arms(straight) stretched out in front of me,with the biceps clsoe to the ears.I try to stretch the arm pits down to the floor while leaving my arms straight.

if you were vertical it would be like hanging from an overhead bar with the hands close.

205, 215, 217.5,205 x 1 x 6, 190 x 1 x 3, laterals, rear delts bw pushups

 Well this went great. not perfect but the basic premise worked and I'm happy. I was not optimistic at all about this at all given recen...