New Year, New Core

Better than yesterday · Jan 1, 2011

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W1D1 1/1
 
I had just enough left in my Flexible Spending plan to make a visit to the chiropractor on the 30th. I ran some of the movements I've been doing past him, and his only suggestion was to do the supine bent knee raises together rather than alternating. 
 
I started with 4:00 of resting in the supine bent knee position, then stretched for about 20:00.
 
Then,
 
Supine bent knee raises (3 sets of 20 reps)
Alternate Arm/Leg raises from all 4's (3 sets of 20 reps)
Bridge from supine bent knee position (10 second hold, 3 sets of 20 reps)
Prone Plank (3 sets of 1:00 hold)
Side plank (1 set of 1:00 hold each side)
 
I 'm now doing 20 reps for each set on each of the first three exercises, and today I dropped the side plank from 3 sets to just 1, at least for now.
 
(Not sure why I started Week 1 on a Saturday) <img alt="icon_scratch.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/icon_scratch.gif">
 
Brian
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tomwhite · Jan 1, 2011

...nice to have
MEDICAL Expenses to offset Our Training Plans.........
 
 
 
......meself,
dropped off Lat-Raises and switched to Alternating Reverse Curls.........
 
only got so much Back left....
 
<img alt="icescream.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/icescream.gif" style="width:18px;height:48px;">

Better than yesterday · Jan 3, 2011

OK, this is REALLY W1D1
 
3:00 in supine bent knee rest position.
 
Only stretching was the one that the chiropractor emphasizes the most, which is a pretzelly kind of thing.
 
Supine bent knee raises (3 sets of 20 reps)
Bridge from supine bent knee position (10 second hold, 3 sets of 20 reps)
Alternate Arm/Leg raises from all 4's (3 sets of 20 reps)
Prone Plank (3 sets of 1:00 hold)
Side plank (1 set of 1:00 hold each side)
 
1:00 in supine bent knee position.
 
Brian

Better than yesterday · Jan 5, 2011

My computer at home is not allowing me to edit properly so I am correcting this from work.
 
W1D2
 
3:00 in supine bent knee rest position.
 
I did one set of each of my morning routine stretches, holding each for 30 seconds, so it all took less then 10:00.
 
Then - 
Supine bent knee raises (3 sets of 20 reps)
Bridge from supine bent knee position (10 second hold, 3 sets of 20 reps)
Alternate Arm/Leg raises from all 4's (3 sets of 20 reps)
Prone Plank (3 sets of 1:00 hold)
Side plank (2 sets of 1:00 hold each side)
 
1:00 in supine bent knee position.
 
Brian

OrangeMat · Jan 5, 2011

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Better than yesterday <a href="/forum/thread/71918/new-year-new-core#post_1974151"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a> Only stretching was the one that the chiropractor emphasizes the most, which is a pretzelly kind of thing.
 
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My turn to ask you to explain. Thanks.

Better than yesterday · Jan 5, 2011

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<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by OrangeMat <a href="/forum/thread/71918/new-year-new-core#post_1974160"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border-right:0px solid;border-top:0px solid;border-left:0px solid;border-bottom:0px solid;"></a> 

My turn to ask you to explain. Thanks.
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Glad you asked. I lay flat on my back after finishing the supine bent knee rest position, then grab my right leg just above the ankle and try pulling it up to my chest, without coming out of a neutral position in my lumbar spine. Hold for 30 seconds (more like, continue pulling on it as hard as I can for 30 seconds), and repeat with the other leg. 

B

tomwhite · Jan 5, 2011

...sigh..
 
....this Getting Old Bit is WAY over-rated.....
 
waiting out
an upper back tear
from hefting 50-lbs of free-weights
and
50-lbs of kitty-litter
out of the backseat of my car after the ice melted........
 
theoretically
a progressive resistance exercise
 
 
if you're a moron.
 
........planning on starting double weight sessions tomorrow.....

OrangeMat · Jan 5, 2011

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Better than yesterday <a href="/forum/thread/71918/new-year-new-core#post_1974178"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a> 

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<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by OrangeMat <a href="/forum/thread/71918/new-year-new-core#post_1974160"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a> 

My turn to ask you to explain. Thanks.
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Glad you asked. I lay flat on my back after finishing the supine bent knee rest position, then grab my right leg just above the ankle and try pulling it up to my chest, without coming out of a neutral position in my lumbar spine. Hold for 30 seconds (more like, continue pulling on it as hard as I can for 30 seconds), and repeat with the other leg. 

B
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Ah, so you mean <a href="http://www.ehow.com/video_4946142_baby-cradle-yoga-pose.html" target="_blank">supine baby cradle</a>, yes? At first I thought you meant <a href="http://www.banyanbotanicals.com/yoga/vata/pigeon.html" target="_blank">supine pigeon</a>, which in essence creates the same stretch, but you use the opposing knee as a leverage point, as opposed to your own strength, to keep the shin parallel to the torso. Active vs passive stretching, make sense? Not that one is necessarily better than the other, but if you tend to have a lot of play in your joints (as I do), you end up feeling the stretch in other (i.e. wrong) places.
 
But I've digressed. As I often do. Oops.

Better than yesterday · Jan 5, 2011

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by OrangeMat <a href="/forum/thread/71918/new-year-new-core#post_1974322"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border-right:0px solid;border-top:0px solid;border-left:0px solid;border-bottom:0px solid;"></a> 

 
Ah, so you mean <a href="http://www.ehow.com/video_4946142_baby-cradle-yoga-pose.html" target="_blank">supine baby cradle</a>, yes?
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Yes, but OMG!!!!, it doesn't look anything like that when I do it!!!
 
He has me do it with my opposite leg straight, so I guess that means I'm getting the more intense stretch; but even pulling on my leg as hard as I can, as he wants me to, I don't get my foot past beltbuckle level. I think my hips are very tight, because I when I start the move I can barely reach my leg. Sometimes I do the pigeon thing just so I can grab my shin.

OrangeMat · Jan 5, 2011

Here's a little trick for you... well, it's not exactly a trick, more of an alignment adjustment, and it'll help prevent torquing any other joints that might end up taking the brunt of effort by mistake: When you first bring your right knee in, grab onto your thigh at the meatiest part, left hand on the inside of the leg, right hand on the outside. Now as you're turning the hip out in order to bring the ankle closer in, manually rotate the thigh muscles to turn the inner thigh away from you, outer thigh toward you.
 
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Yes, that's the opposite direction of how you're moving your ankle, trust me, I'm telling this to you correctly.
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This will widen the hip joint for you, giving you more room to get your lower leg more perpendicular to your torso. This is called creating inner spiral, when the inner thighs go in, back and apart. It will also create more room in the back of your pelvis, making it easier to maintain that neutral spine position (i.e. the tailbone can now extend longer in the increased space you've created).
 
Stretching muscles that aren't lined up properly along their respective bones is like trying to stretch twisted taffy. Unfortunately, most of us don't realize how those muscles (and bones) are supposed to line up in the first place. Just putting your body in a particular (outward) shape isn't enough. The key to preventing (and curing) most all back and hamstring problems is knowing how to do inner spiral, as well as maintaining during all the things we do with our bodies all day long. That includes sitting, standing and running.
 
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Oh geeze, why does everything I post end up sounding like a PSA?
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Better than yesterday · Jan 5, 2011

Trying it. Yes it is counterintuitive. Yes my co-workers think I'm nutty.

OrangeMat · Jan 5, 2011

Just tell them you're down-to-earth (as you're lying there on the floor).

OrangeMat · Jan 5, 2011

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by OrangeMat <a href="/forum/thread/71918/new-year-new-core#post_1974338"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a> grab onto your thigh at the meatiest part, left hand on the inside of the leg, right hand on the outside. 
 
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One quick correction to my instructions: you want to hold on as high up on your thigh as possible. So it's the very top of the inner thigh with the left hand, and the top of the thigh bone (literally the sit-bone) with your right. Rotate the thigh bone in its socket in the direction I described before (clockwise, I guess you could call it), at the same time as drawing the hip wider out to the right. Sorry about that, guess I've gotten a bit rusty with teaching this.

tomwhite · Jan 6, 2011

..ok, that hurts just to LOOK at.......
 
 
 
..........back to double weight sessions plus arthritis hip strength moves.....
 
I have
remarkably
developed my 6-pack again
which has not been seen
since
The Reagan Administration
 
 
the First One.
 
 
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 not that
I'm blaming it on The Reagan Administration.....
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 ....like Arnold says
''Ab Work is done in The Kitchen, not The Gym''

Better than yesterday · Jan 6, 2011

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by OrangeMat <a href="/forum/thread/71918/new-year-new-core#post_1974350"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border-right:0px solid;border-top:0px solid;border-left:0px solid;border-bottom:0px solid;"></a> Rotate the thigh bone in its socket in the direction I described before (clockwise, I guess you could call it), at the same time as drawing the hip wider out to the right.
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Thanks for the clarification. I followed. I tried doing it that way this morning, and for some reason the stretch bothered my knees, 'tho it usually doesn't. I don't know if it was coincidental. I'll do it that way again before I run this afternoon and see what happens.
 
B

OrangeMat · Jan 6, 2011

If you're having knee pain, then pay attention to your ankle alignment. Make sure you're not allowing the ankle to sickle, and remember to keep your foot active like she described in the video, pushing out through the inner heel (her instructions were excellent, btw). Think of your foot, lower leg and upper leg all as one cemented-together unit, and so the only joint you want to have movement in is the hip.
 
And if all else fails, just go back to how you were doing it before...
 
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'cause as tomwhite would say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!
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Better than yesterday · Jan 6, 2011

I didn't get any knee pain during that stretch this afternoon, either in my pre-run or post-run stretch. Must have just been coincidental this morning.

OrangeMat · Jan 6, 2011

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Better than yesterday <a href="/forum/thread/71918/new-year-new-core#post_1974626"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a> I didn't get any knee pain during that stretch this afternoon, either in my pre-run or post-run stretch. Must have just been coincidental this morning.
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Good to hear!
 
 
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oops, there goes the post count again...
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Better than yesterday · Jan 7, 2011

W1D3
 
4:00 Supine Bent Knee Rest position
 
1 set of each stretch (2 sets of the cradle thing) 30 seconds hold each movement.
 
Supine Bent Knee Raise (3 sets of 20 reps)
New difficulty level - Bridge with alternating leg extended (1 set of 10 reps, 10 seconds hold each leg)
Alternate Arm/Leg Raise from all 4's (3 sets of 20 reps)
Prone Plank (3 sets, 1:00 hold)
Side Plank (2 sets, 1:00 hold each side)
 
Hip stretch in doorway (feels great after side plank)
 
1:00 Supine Bent Knee Rest Position

Better than yesterday · Jan 9, 2011

W2D1 basically a rerun of W1D3 
3:00 Supine Bent Knee Rest, then 10 minute of stretching, followed by
 
Supine Bent Knee Raise (3 sets 20 reps)
Bridge with Alternating Leg Extended (1 set :10 hold each leg) 
Alternate Arm/Leg raise (3 sets of 20 reps)
Plank (3 sets, 1:00 hold)
Side Plank (2 sets of 1:00 hold)
 
1:00 Supine Bent Knee rest position
 
Editing to add that when I ran long about 9 hours after this workout, I didn't really notice the aftermath of the core training on a quality run day until I wanted to blow my nose about 6 miles into the run. I literally had to stop in my tracks in order to get the strength. What I've been doing is running very slowly on MWF, my core workout days, and running in my easy zone on Tuesday and Thursday. Since this was a long run I was almost into easy running zone, creeeping into it at times, on the same day that I trained my core. It does make a difference and I don't know whether I should avoid it in the future.

New Year, New Core

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