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thedeadhaji
39489 Posts
pretty sure being inflexible leads to injuries, particularly if you play sports. Also, if you do rowing / golf or other sports that really require holding postures through an "athletic motion", inflexibility actually prevents you from making the proper motions (a rowing stroke, a golf swing, etc)
some quick tips would be "holding" the position for at least 15 seconds (instead of "bouncing"). Usually better to stretch after a workout than before, as exercise loosens out the muscles, and stretching afterwards allows your range to increase. Btw if you stretch for UNDER 10 seconds the muscles just go back to exactly where they were at before - but if you hold it for longer, they start to "deform" and stretch (if you're an engineer, plasticity may ring a bell)
Basically, if you do the 'reach for the toes' thing, have your toes pointed parallel and forward, prolly a lil less than shoulder width apart. Reach down by bending at your hips and NOT bending the back. Also keep the knees fairly straight (but not locked iirc). Go as far as you can w/o too much pain, hold for at least 15 seconds, then take a deep breath in, then out, and as you exhale, reach a lil' bit further. Hold again for 15 seconds, and repeat the breath/going further again for a "3rd extension", hold for like 15-20 seconds, and SLOWLY come back up w/o jerking up.
You can do this for all other stretches, including calf stretches, sideways groin stretches, quads, etc. When doing the leg stretches, make sure that your limps are aligned parallel/perpendicular to your pody, w/o twist or diagonal orientation.
(above is all taken from a professional rowing instructor we worked with briefly)
Also I recommend doing 5 "sun salutations" (yoga) when you wake up. Really wakes your brain up in addition to being a great stretch overall (though not of the mould of what I described above).
Btw zizou I thought you were from France? :O:O
(at least iirc I met you @ paris last yr)
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is there any exercise that..will like increase my height (or will help doing so).
I'm starting to go on diet and stuff, and I'm drinking a lot of milk/water.
But I'm wondering if there is such exercise (I'm relatively small  )
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On July 18 2009 16:35 zizou21 wrote:
For as long as I can remember, i have been less flexible than everyone I have encountered and I should probably do something about it before i get too old..
Any tips on how to improve flexibility? Maybe do the traditional Touch Your Toes a few times a day? Are there really any major advantages to being flexible? Im in pretty bad shape (i can barely go past the knees rofl?)
PNF - proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation. Basically helps to reset your resting muscle length. Google for more details.
deadhaji's method also works. If I can't do any PNF I usually just do 30s of stretching... 10s hold, try to push farther, 10s hold, push, 10s hold, stop. Then I do other stretches and then rotate through everything 3 times.
Any stretching done right it hurts like a MFer though. No real stretching isn't at least somewhat "painful" or at least discomforting.
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On July 18 2009 22:27 funkie wrote:is there any exercise that..will like increase my height (or will help doing so). I'm starting to go on diet and stuff, and I'm drinking a lot of milk/water. But I'm wondering if there is such exercise (I'm relatively small )
No.... unless you're a teen in which case lift heavy and EAT A LOT.
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Well I know (older) people who gained 1/2 an inch to an inch after doing deadlifts for a few months because they improved their posture
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If you're a teen you shouldn't be lifting heavy at all, that stunts growth.
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On July 19 2009 03:11 ishob wrote:
If you're a teen you shouldn't be lifting heavy at all, that stunts growth.
This is completely wrong.
There are no studies that support this line of thought at all.
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On July 19 2009 03:11 ishob wrote:
If you're a teen you shouldn't be lifting heavy at all, that stunts growth.
Yeah this is complete bullshit.
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On July 18 2009 21:53 thedeadhaji wrote:
pretty sure being inflexible leads to injuries, particularly if you play sports. Also, if you do rowing / golf or other sports that really require holding postures through an "athletic motion", inflexibility actually prevents you from making the proper motions (a rowing stroke, a golf swing, etc)
some quick tips would be "holding" the position for at least 15 seconds (instead of "bouncing"). Usually better to stretch after a workout than before, as exercise loosens out the muscles, and stretching afterwards allows your range to increase. Btw if you stretch for UNDER 10 seconds the muscles just go back to exactly where they were at before - but if you hold it for longer, they start to "deform" and stretch (if you're an engineer, plasticity may ring a bell)
Basically, if you do the 'reach for the toes' thing, have your toes pointed parallel and forward, prolly a lil less than shoulder width apart. Reach down by bending at your hips and NOT bending the back. Also keep the knees fairly straight (but not locked iirc). Go as far as you can w/o too much pain, hold for at least 15 seconds, then take a deep breath in, then out, and as you exhale, reach a lil' bit further. Hold again for 15 seconds, and repeat the breath/going further again for a "3rd extension", hold for like 15-20 seconds, and SLOWLY come back up w/o jerking up.
You can do this for all other stretches, including calf stretches, sideways groin stretches, quads, etc. When doing the leg stretches, make sure that your limps are aligned parallel/perpendicular to your pody, w/o twist or diagonal orientation.
(above is all taken from a professional rowing instructor we worked with briefly)
Also I recommend doing 5 "sun salutations" (yoga) when you wake up. Really wakes your brain up in addition to being a great stretch overall (though not of the mould of what I described above).
Btw zizou I thought you were from France? :O:O
(at least iirc I met you @ paris last yr)
Thx haji, very useful stuff here :D
Yes we met in paris  how could I forgot your very generous offer to sneak my little brother in with your pass xD
Yes I am french but I study at Kansas University so I frequently travel back and forth.
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On July 19 2009 03:13 psion0011 wrote:Show nested quote +On July 19 2009 03:11 ishob wrote:
If you're a teen you shouldn't be lifting heavy at all, that stunts growth. Yeah this is complete bullshit.
Its not. Every physician and every personal trainer i've ever met has told me the same. I wont take your word over theirs. I was also taught this in university when I studied to be a gym teacher.
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On July 19 2009 11:00 ishob wrote:Show nested quote +On July 19 2009 03:13 psion0011 wrote:On July 19 2009 03:11 ishob wrote:
If you're a teen you shouldn't be lifting heavy at all, that stunts growth. Yeah this is complete bullshit. Its not. Every physician and every personal trainer i've ever met has told me the same. I wont take your word over theirs. I was also taught this in university when I studied to be a gym teacher.
And I was told by jesus that it's bullshit.
References or get out. Like these.
+ Show Spoiler +http://coaching.usolympicteam.com/coaching/kpub.nsf/v/4dec06Faigenbaum, A. & Micheli, L. (1998). Current Content: Youth strength training. Indianapolis, Indiana: American College of Sports Medicine. Retrieved January 31, 2001 from www.acsm.org. Faigenbaum, A., Kraemer, W., Cahill, B., Chandler, J., Dziados, J., Elfrink, L., Forman, E., Gaudiose, M., Micheli, L., Nitka, M., & Roberts, S. (1996). Youth resistance training: Position statement paper and literature review. Strength and Conditioning, 18(6), 62-75. Faigenbaum, A., Westcott, W., Micheli, L., Outerbridge, A., Long, D.,LaRosa-Loud, R., & Zaichkowsky, L. (1996). The effects of strength training and detraining on children. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 10(2), 109-114. Hamill, B. (1994). Relative safety of weightlifting and weight training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 8(1), 53-57. Micheli, L. (1988). Strength training in the young athlete. In E. Brown & C. Branta (Eds.), Competitive Sports for Children and Youth. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Nádori, L. (1989). Junior weightlifters’ strength-development. In A. Lukácsfalvi & A. Németh-Móra (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Weightlifting Symposium, (pp.57-62). Budapest: International Weightlifting Federation. Pierce, K., Byrd, R., & Stone, M. (1999). Youth weightlifting - Is it safe? Weightlifting USA, 17(4), 5. Sewell, L. & Micheli, L. (1986). Strength training for children. Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics, 6, 143-146.
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On July 19 2009 11:00 ishob wrote:Show nested quote +On July 19 2009 03:13 psion0011 wrote:On July 19 2009 03:11 ishob wrote:
If you're a teen you shouldn't be lifting heavy at all, that stunts growth. Yeah this is complete bullshit. Its not. Every physician and every personal trainer i've ever met has told me the same. I wont take your word over theirs. I was also taught this in university when I studied to be a gym teacher.
Ive been told the same; that you should avoid heavy lifting till 16+
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On July 19 2009 11:00 ishob wrote:Show nested quote +On July 19 2009 03:13 psion0011 wrote:On July 19 2009 03:11 ishob wrote:
If you're a teen you shouldn't be lifting heavy at all, that stunts growth. Yeah this is complete bullshit. Its not. Every physician and every personal trainer i've ever met has told me the same. I wont take your word over theirs. I was also taught this in university when I studied to be a gym teacher.
On July 19 2009 12:36 RowdierBob wrote:Show nested quote +On July 19 2009 11:00 ishob wrote:On July 19 2009 03:13 psion0011 wrote:On July 19 2009 03:11 ishob wrote:
If you're a teen you shouldn't be lifting heavy at all, that stunts growth. Yeah this is complete bullshit. Its not. Every physician and every personal trainer i've ever met has told me the same. I wont take your word over theirs. I was also taught this in university when I studied to be a gym teacher. Ive been told the same; that you should avoid heavy lifting till 16+
It's called a myth. A very pervasive one at that. Similar to spot fat reduction.
Read the studies psion posted.
Personal trainers and even doctors are not experts on weightlifting... nor would they be running the studies showing indication of damage to growth plates. Impact sports which have significant risk of injury to the ends of the bones (where the growth plates are located) such as football, soccer, etc. are more at risk to "stunt growth" than weighlifting because of the odd angles of impact on the bones. Weightlifting is straight forward and leads to good results such as increased bone mineral density, etc.
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I can see the kind of logic people use to justify spot fat reduction, but what's the logic behind "lifting weights stunts growth"? Unless you're lifting weights with your head 24/7?
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On July 19 2009 17:27 The Storyteller wrote:
I can see the kind of logic people use to justify spot fat reduction, but what's the logic behind "lifting weights stunts growth"? Unless you're lifting weights with your head 24/7?
"Supposedly" harms growth plates. If there's enough trauma to them (usually from broken bones or stress fractures or something along those lines) then they will close up earlier than normal leading to stunted growth.
Simply not true with safe weightlifting (even heavy weightlifting).
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Yeah I wouldn't lift heavy weights before 16 though for some different reasons:
1) There's no point getting too obsessed with working out too early.
2) Young people tend to SUCK at doing an exercise correctly and can easily get injuries.
3) They only focus on like biceps and abs.
The sum of it is that you should come back when you're a couple years older and know some more about exercise and nutrition.
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Any running experts here?
I'm training for the 12km City to Surf. I'm having some issues. My cardiovascular health is top notch, I can run forever keeping a steady low heart rate, so I have no issues making the distance fitness wise.
I suffer from lower back pains when I am going at my steady jogging pace, the pains go away if I pick up the pace, take longer strides or sprint.
Secondly my calves and lower calves? fleshy area just above the ankles, become terribly sore running on any sort of incline, the pain is similar to that of isolated calve exercises, I pretty much have to stop, stretch the pain away and then run again.
Note, I only suffer from these issues running outside, I have no issues on a treadmill.
Can anyone relate to this or any advice on how I can solve these problems, any exercises that can help out. The event is in 6 weeks.
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8751 Posts
I'm not really a running expert but I can speak from ~6 years personal experience. The calves and lower back are two areas that can hurt from simply being out of shape (running shape, anyway). The unevenness of outside running, such as when you're not on an incline but the surface isn't perfectly smooth or when you actually are on an incline, is going to work ankles and lower back pretty hard.
I had the calf pain when I was 15, in my first 4 months of real training. Like you said, it was so bad that I could not continue running and had to stop and stretch. I'm 90% sure it's related to steep inclines.
I had the back pain when I took a couple months off after being in great shape. My cardiovascular health hadn't detoriorated significantly, so I went out and ran about 8 miles at a fun pace, but my lower back was sore for about 5 of those miles. And I continued to have soreness in my lower back for maybe 1-2 weeks longer.
Of course you want to be careful that you aren't developing injuries, but I think the most likely explanation is just that outside running makes holding your posture much more difficult, both at the ankle level and at the torso.
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United States22883 Posts
On July 19 2009 11:00 ishob wrote:Show nested quote +On July 19 2009 03:13 psion0011 wrote:On July 19 2009 03:11 ishob wrote:
If you're a teen you shouldn't be lifting heavy at all, that stunts growth. Yeah this is complete bullshit. Its not. Every physician and every personal trainer i've ever met has told me the same. I wont take your word over theirs. I was also taught this in university when I studied to be a gym teacher.
It's based on very old information, and has been thrown out with more recent studies.
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On July 19 2009 20:56 Foucault wrote:
Yeah I wouldn't lift heavy weights before 16 though for some different reasons:
1) There's no point getting too obsessed with working out too early.
2) Young people tend to SUCK at doing an exercise correctly and can easily get injuries.
3) They only focus on like biceps and abs.
The sum of it is that you should come back when you're a couple years older and know some more about exercise and nutrition.
That doesn't compute.
1. What's "too early"? And what's "obsessed"? Just because they like to lift some weights at 15 they are too young and obsessed?
2. Anyone inexperienced sucks at doing exercises correctly and can easily get injured. Age has nothing to do with it.
3. Everyone inexperienced focuses on biceps and abs.
Your argument is not against YOUNG people weightlifting, it's against inexperienced people weightlifting, and can easily be cured through informaton and a good teacher.
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