Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Off to Level Two Cert.

The psoas. Man, don't piss this guy off!
Man I can't beleive it's already time to go back to Minnesota for the Level Two RKC.I recovered from the June cert much quicker than I did from the April cert and I think this should be stronger as well. I've got my packing minimalized already!Lol. Get to do a two hour presentation on Sunday on Length/Tension relationships, imbalances and using the foam roller for myo fascial release, can't wait,this is going to be great.There is going to be SO much great information on such a large variety of topics that it is going to be a whirlwind for sure.


Took today off and just stretched out.the stick press and stick squat pattern work is really paying off. I am consistently more to the left than I should be and squaring up makes an immediate difference in body tension and joint rom.


I can feel though that the deadlift put me back on my right leg/side too hard again. when you have had such big strength imbalance as I have when you do bilateral moves the strong side just overwhelms the weaker. Too much tension on one side creates rotation in the core and thats where the whole problem started orignally! I'll stay with the unilateral kb swings. It seems to be the thing for me.


Will be posting from the cert as I can.

21 comments:

Royce said...

Crap Rif I had no idea the psoasis went that high up in a persons back. In retrospect I should have, but I didn't. Too much tension there could cripple a person!!

fawn said...

Way cool Mark! I wish I was attending the level 2 cert (in no way am i ready). I would love to learn more about foam rolling and the Ilio-psoas is something I always could stand to learn more about.

I have been using the stick press as well as showing it off to anyone with a shoulder imbalance at the gym.

Pack for hot weather... 85 - 90's and humid. Yuck.

Geoff Neupert said...

Funny you should mention the psoas...I just pissed off my right one on a 2-hand anyhow last week...referred pain is always fun. I won't tell you what I did to fix it, or at least alleviate some of the pain...Have fun at level 2. Put the hurt on Kevin Perrone.

Aaron Friday said...

I'm pretty sure I don't have one of those.

Brett Jones said...

A muscle as big as your forearm (or bigger - depends on the forearm) that attaches to your Lumbar spine and lowest rib - Yeah it is a monster!
Very fun!

Geoff - did I have anything to do with that? ;)

Mark Reifkind said...

well put Royce, that is exactly what getting a seriously facilitated psoas did to me in 2000- crippled me!that thing is no joke. and now you know,lol.

Mark Reifkind said...

fawn,I'm not sure if one can ever be really ready for that heat but I am as close as I can. see you in a bit.next year for you and the level 2!

Mark Reifkind said...

geoff, you should tell me. which eye and hand movement opened it up,lol. seriously though you should say.I would like to know a quick fix. Be good to see kevin, although I'm not sure he will like my presentation.

Mark Reifkind said...

aaron,oh yeah you do,lol!

brett, so true dude, so true. see you later today.

Geoff Neupert said...

Rif--I went to the chiro and got some ART done on my psoas and multifidus. I know, I'm a hypocrite. I just couldn't figure out how to use the tools in my Z toolbox. However, for the sake of intellectual honesty, AFTER the chiro, I performed some Z in a pistol position and got the thing to release. This morning, it's still pissed off at me, so the ART didn't seem to help in the long run. Dr. Cobb gave me some insight last night and I've been fooling around with that too. Today I will make a concentrated effort with that advice.

Good luck on your presentation this weekend.

Brett Jones said...

Geoff,
One ART or trigger point session does not a cure make - and how would you get the hip flexor to release from a contracted position of a pistol?

Franz Snideman said...

Have a great time Rif. You will teach as well as you always do and I know both you and the students will mutually benefit!

Unknown said...

Rif,

I'm ready! I'll be in MN around 8:00 pm tonight. See you there.

Geoff Neupert said...

Rif,

Psoas pain gone as of evening of 21st. No eye position, but Dr. Cobb's recommendations calmed the spasm. Do have a nice sore spot on my multifidus from the chiro's thumb as a souvenir though.

Here's what I did as recommended by Dr. Cobb: There's a pressure point between the 1st and 2nd toes that correlates to the psoas so I did some reverse ball of the foot circles (dorsal side of right foot instead of ventral) to stimulate that point. Then I put the left pec minor in a stretch position and put my wrist and fingers in extension and performed shoulder circles. Three reps each direction of each (all 2 of them) drill. I performed those 2 drills three times since last night I think. No problems now.

Squatted today also with no problems--easy to find bone rhythms and weight felt like a broomstick.

Good stuff that Z-Health. You should try it. Much better than killing yourself or letting the chiro kill you with pain-inducing soft tissue work. I know, I know--you'll get around to it. But if not now, when? Read Brad Nelson's experience on his latest blog post to see that my experiences are not unique. Quit screwing around with the tissue work and go straight for the CNS--it controls the tissue. Z will teach you how...

By the way, I only harp on you (and others) because I care. Oh yeah, and you'll probably be able to make another $25-50 per hour.

Taikei Matsushita said...

Psoas is somewhat focused in old Japanese martial art world. I have a sense that RKC has explored (or reverse engineered) the mythical part of martial art, by incorporating swing, snatch, TGU etc.

I'll be preparing for RKC II somtime next year. In the mean while, I'll focus on building strong foundation here.

Til then.

Mark Reifkind said...

geoff,

I have to agree with brett; I wouldnt expect one chiro or art session to permanently change a serious locked up psoas.

just read your second comment, glad it's gone but the real test will be a if it locks up again after you load it doing the same skill again; thats always what caused me problems.I could get it to unload but it would lock up very easily again.
although i use the release tools to get things to open up its how one re-loads symmetrically that keeps it from coming back- thats the hard part. strength or balance deficits that allow one side to activate unevenly can wreak havoc with flexors.

also,not a hit on z at all but if YOU couldnt figure it out what chance does the average trainer have to unravel these connections.
I did like Brads post partialy because he let loose some of the 'secrets' of the connections you guys know from z but dont communicate much. would love to see more of that.

Mark Reifkind said...

geoff,

iloves you too dude,lol:))No worries about your'nagging' I know it comes from a good place.
the reason I stay with what I am doing is that it is working and things keep getting better;requiring less and less work all the time.
"If it aint broke dont fix it"

the more I regain lost function in my muscles and get closer to square plumb andneutrl the easier everything ''lets go" and fights me less.
as far as 'if not now, when', the answer to that is when i am more motivated to find answers to things that are not going in the right direction,either with myself or my clients.thanks again though bro, I do enjoy this debate.

Mark Reifkind said...

takei,

be careful with working this powerhouse muscle too much, take care instead to make sure it maintains its proper length at rest. it's easy to work the psoas very hard to unravel it.

Mark Reifkind said...

also geoff, dont forget that my left kneeis more scar tissue than real tissue with NO internal structures intact.pretty much the same with my right shoulder.
I can't imagine where I am going to be able to get too far away from having to do soft tissue work of some form or another.

Jim Ryan said...

Mark,
Geoff is on the right track with going to the CNS. Although what you do to rehab yourself is excellent and necessary, going to the CORE of the problem is going to the pattern itself. You go to all the trouble of eliminating a problem only to have it return the minute you put a similar load on your system. What that means is that the built in response to that situation has not changed. It needs to...but you can't fix it at the effect level only. You need to get into the pattern level - the mind level. Cranial work and Polarity work address that level and although they cannot really be approached in a linear fashion very effectively in my experience, they can reduce and eventually eliminate the underlying pattern that causes dysfunctional responses to stress. I don't know anything about Z-health but it sounds intriguing.

It's also true that in a case like yours where internal structures are missing or totally destroyed, things are more complicated and some form of adaptation, meaning other body structures pick up the slack, has to occur. Which means you need to keep up with your 'fixin' to keep your functional status too!

Love to talk with you more about it. I am in St. Paul (live about 2 miles from cert. site) if you want to talk - muchmoredoc@gmail.com

Mark Reifkind said...

aki,
while I agree that the cns is the command control here, I dont agree that I am fixing the same thing only to have them return immediately again. case in point my gait. I am able to walk consistently ten time further than I have in years, with almost no pain now after addressing the muscular tension imbalances with the methods I have been using.
some of thishas been re patterning work but that is 'possible' because of the lack of theunnecesary tension that i got rid of vis these bodywork methods.
I have hardly used the thumper all weekend this time and had much less pain and problems all around.
the less the facilitated tissue rears its ugly head and pulls my bones out of alignment the more I can re pattern correctly andhave it 'hold'. you, as I chiro should appreciate that approach I would think.

More press mistakes from today

 1) Gotta engage the rhomboids when setting the low rack position.Lock in 2) Elbows up is crucial 3) 'Straight  up' on the unracking...