How To: Start Over

Whether you've been relaxing on the beach, travelling the world without a gym, or coming back from an injury, getting back to the gym can be a bitch.  And not easing your body back into the swing of things can hinder more than help.  Here are a few pointers for getting back on the wagon--and staying there.

Catch and Release

We all know the human body is lazy.  And while the degree of laziness can vary from person to person, even the most dedicated and well-trained individuals will still fall victim to the body's own energy saving techniques.  If you're seeking an adaptive response, that is, if you want to grow, you'll need to actively counteract these tendencies.  Here are my thoughts on the subject.

Heat It Up

We can all agree that progressive resistance and high intensity training are the key to seeing serious strength and size gains.  But warming up properly is equally important, and in fact, warming up is an integral part of HIT--too few warm-up sets and you could miss out on strength and power during your working set, too many and you'll end up in the same boat.  Here's my guide to a great warm-up (and a great workout).

Reconditioning Part II

For my previous injury-related post regarding knees, shoulders, and hips, read this.

Back

When initiating a back rehabilitation routine, it is important to remember a few key spinal qualities.  Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, the spinal extensors are static muscles.  Unlike other skeletal muscles, which stretch and contract in order to facilitate movement, these extensors are only meant to hold a static, stable position with a (relatively speaking) very limited range of motion.  To perform this function, the spine is held in place not by one or two pairs of extensors, but by many overlapping pairs of varying lengths.  This network stabilizes and supports the spine, while myriad other skeletal muscles use this layered foundation to rotate, extend, lift, and lower the shoulders, arms, neck, and legs--there are almost no activities which do not affect the back.  This means that this musculature can both withstand and exert an extreme amount of force, making it highly resilient but also highly susceptible to injury--especially if the spine is not supported properly.  And in spite of this strength and resilience, the back is still fairly delicate, so working around an injury involving the back may contraindicate lots of exercises, even for non-affected areas.  Sharp pain is usually a good indicator that an exercise or stretch should not be performed—this is not to be confused with muscular “discomfort” that needs to be explored and pushed!

Reconditioning Part I

My last post covered injury prevention techniques and can be read here.

Let's say it's too late for prevention and you've already hurt yourself in some way.  Whether the injury is severe or mild,  a proper rehabilitation protocol needs to be implemented immediately in order to prevent further regression and inhibition.  You'd be surprised how many people have "life changing injuries" that could have been just "injuries."  Immediate effort to restore function and mobility can be the difference between complete restoration or lasting disability.  Here are some basic rehab techniques for common problem areas.

Injury Prevention 101

When people think about lifting weights, they primarily think about becoming more muscular.  But the benefits of weight lifting extend far beyond that.  As I've discussed previously, weight lifting can have positive effects on both the endocrine and metabolic system.  But pumping iron also aids bone density and strengthens connective tissue--a desirable side effect that is often overlooked.  Working at a physical therapy office, I see a wide range of patients with a wide range of injuries that need to be rehabilitated, but the one trait they share is that their injuries could have either been prevented, or at the very least ameliorated, by strength training.  I'm not saying people don't hurt themselves doing stupid things; I am saying that doing stupid things won't hurt as badly if you develop your body.  Here are a few more ways to help keep yourself from going under the knife.