Speed_Monkeys workout progress blog....
Discussion
GMJ said:
From the pictures I can see you are medially rotated at the shoulder joint which points to tight pecs and lats.
Also, you have a slightly hypertonic (over active) left upper trap.
.
forgive me but what does this mean? I was taken straight after a gym session so everything was still quite tight.Also, you have a slightly hypertonic (over active) left upper trap.
.
I normally stretch off with a good few slow controlled laps in the pool, is that sufficient?
speed_monkey said:
GMJ said:
From the pictures I can see you are medially rotated at the shoulder joint which points to tight pecs and lats.
Also, you have a slightly hypertonic (over active) left upper trap.
.
forgive me but what does this mean? I was taken straight after a gym session so everything was still quite tight.Also, you have a slightly hypertonic (over active) left upper trap.
.
I normally stretch off with a good few slow controlled laps in the pool, is that sufficient?
In general it means that your shoulder joint isn't in optimal alignment which will have a knock on effect on your force production and will increase the possibility of injury. Imagine you attached a wheel to a car but it wasn't in a straight line. You won't be able to drive at any great speed because the car would be unstable. Will this is the same for your shoulder.
So, the medially rotated part means that the muscles that create medial rotation or rotation towards the body at the shoulder joint have over powered the muscles that rotate the shoulder joint laterally or away from the body. Createing a muscle imbalance.
As Pec major and Lats are the usual muscles guys train in the gym and both muscles are involved in medial rotation these are the usual suspects.
Swimming isn't going to help because this is still exercise an will not stretch the muscles.
Some dynamic stretching at the start of exercise for chest and lats. Then static stretching after exercise again for pecs and lats.
Also, you need to strengthen the muscles than laterally rotate the shoulder (rear deltoids, infraspinatus and teres minor). I'm sure you can find those on youtube.
Ideally, you shouldn't do any pecs or lats exercises.
Also, there's a good chance you'll have rounded shoulders as well but impossible to tell without a side view.
The overactive left trap is basically the same. It's winning the battle with your lower traps. Createing muscle imbalance and placing the shoulder in a position that's less than ideal. In this case the upper traps will be elevating your shoulder joint and the lower traps are not strong enough to stop them.
That's the key to exercising correctly. Balance. If you work one set of muscles that create a particular movement pattern (say medial rotation) then you have to balance that out by exercising the muscles that create the opposite movement pattern (in this case lateral rotation).
Otherwise, you'll create muscle imbalances which affect your posture, your force production at that joint and increase the chance of injury.
Again I hope you find this helpful.
Edited by GMJ on Thursday 12th August 10:47
Edited by GMJ on Thursday 12th August 10:50
GMJ said:
on muscle imbalances
I've suffered from various muscular and postural imbalances - I bet most people who lift for long will too unless they are lucky to start with a good trainer to set them up - like this too.I've found ditching bench press (anathema to many I know!) and doing more bent rows, bent laterals (now way, way stronger on these than side laterals, as I should be) and 'face pulls' have helped.
The latter is often recommended by strength and conditioning coaches in the mma field to re-balance the shoulder/ upper back area and prevent injury.
Face pulls are basically standing facing a cable stack with the grip at face level and pulling back, leading with the elbows and keeping the arms horizontal to the floor, trying to do the work with the body not the arms which should be just a 'hook'/attachment.
tting myself I'll be looking like the hunchback of notre damme now?!?!?LordGrover said:
I assume that's short term to sort out the imbalance? Otherwise you'll go the other way and your delts and rhomboids will be too strong compared to your chest and round we go again.
A good routine will cover all bases surely?
No, permanent I think as the benching kept giving me problems in the shoulder joint itself including bursitis.A good routine will cover all bases surely?
I do so much punch work I think that will help + I do a lot of push ups and dips so the pecs will be getting some work. Face pulls etc. are recommended to boxers - some of whom still don't even lift weights - as the idea is that all the punching and push ups/plyo that seem common (even if not to non weightlifting fighters) are supposed to over develop the front torso.
LordGrover said:
I assume that's short term to sort out the imbalance? Otherwise you'll go the other way and your delts and rhomboids will be too strong compared to your chest and round we go again.
A good routine will cover all bases surely?
I agree a good routine will always be best for a normal person but if you're involved in a sport then some postural sacrifices have to be made. Look at boxers and cyclists they usually have very rounded backs because of the postures they adopt for there sport.A good routine will cover all bases surely?
Also, exercise isn't the only cause of these postural problems. How about the person that sits hunched over there computer all day? It's only a matter of time before the body adapts to that posture just like the boxer and cyclist. That's the amazing thing about the human body it adapts to what ever stimulus we give it, good or bad.
Also, gravity plays a part in our eventual postural downfall. Constantly pulling us down. Until we're old and grey and our posture has gone to pot.
speed_monkey said:
GMJ said:
LordGrover said:
^^ This is why a good PT/physio is worth their weight...
Thanks. 
Anyway, you have to relax and stand naturally in the photos. I'm not sure but it looks like you're standing to attention in the second photo. Also, can you move you hands to your sides.
In the side photo I'd like to be able to see your head a bit more. Basically, from the top of your legs to your chin would be great in all three photos.
I think it would be better if you email me the photos so I don't end up writing a huge post on here.
GMJ said:
speed_monkey said:
GMJ said:
LordGrover said:
^^ This is why a good PT/physio is worth their weight...
Thanks. Anyway, you have to relax and stand naturally in the photos. I'm not sure but it looks like you're standing to attention in the second photo. Also, can you move you hands to your sides.
In the side photo I'd like to be able to see your head a bit more. Basically, from the top of your legs to your chin would be great in all three photos.
I think it would be better if you email me the photos so I don't end up writing a huge post on here.
As for the standing to attention.... 6 years RAF..... Ive always stood up dead straight stretching my back up
GMJ said:
LordGrover said:
I assume that's short term to sort out the imbalance? Otherwise you'll go the other way and your delts and rhomboids will be too strong compared to your chest and round we go again.
A good routine will cover all bases surely?
I agree a good routine will always be best for a normal person but if you're involved in a sport then some postural sacrifices have to be made. Look at boxers and cyclists they usually have very rounded backs because of the postures they adopt for there sport.A good routine will cover all bases surely?
Also, exercise isn't the only cause of these postural problems. How about the person that sits hunched over there computer all day? It's only a matter of time before the body adapts to that posture just like the boxer and cyclist. That's the amazing thing about the human body it adapts to what ever stimulus we give it, good or bad.
Also, gravity plays a part in our eventual postural downfall. Constantly pulling us down. Until we're old and grey and our posture has gone to pot.
Trouble is I'm not normal! I look for all the world like a bloody Gorilla. I've had a rounded back since young - can remember parents mocking and telling me to stand straight + telling me off for hunching over the table drawing all the time, thence eye tests as that was the suspected culprit.
I then wrecked my lower back at 24 weight lifting. Doctors/physios later said that - as you suggest - I had compensated for the pain by going out of alignment in both fore/aft and side-side directions and my hips/pelvic girdle are off. I have really bad problems with over tight hamstrings too but no one can say if this is chicken and egg.
Following a car accident I had to see specialists quite a bit and was told I had kyphosis and lordosis. One chap was one of the UK's top specialists and said I had a genetic condition (some named syndrome that now escapes me) and that this would have led to/exacerbated the lordosis and that lower disc injury would have been likely even if I'd never lifted a weight. He treats lots of youngsters now but said in my childhood that would have been rare so a chance to mend/ease it was missed.
So now I'm V. careful with what I do and am working more on stretching and strengthening my lower back, glutes etc. through deadlifts, trap bar shrugs and the rows, face pulls and rear laterals mentioned earlier. Plus hyperextensions which I could do for England!
To the point of the thread interloping I would suggest from my personal experience and research that anyone who trains regularly - esp. if they have to sit for long at work etc. - would do well to emphasise the lower body/core strength and flexibility and try to avoid the over focus on bench press etc. like so many seem to + check/work on upper back and neck/shoulder alignment and flexibility too. A stitch in time etc.
For anyone interested in this, this and related pages offers a good description of the postural aspects.
http://a1977.g.akamai.net/f/1977/1448/1d/webmd.dow...
Edited by Lost_BMW on Thursday 12th August 21:31
Lost_BMW said:
GMJ said:
LordGrover said:
I assume that's short term to sort out the imbalance? Otherwise you'll go the other way and your delts and rhomboids will be too strong compared to your chest and round we go again.
A good routine will cover all bases surely?
I agree a good routine will always be best for a normal person but if you're involved in a sport then some postural sacrifices have to be made. Look at boxers and cyclists they usually have very rounded backs because of the postures they adopt for there sport.A good routine will cover all bases surely?
Also, exercise isn't the only cause of these postural problems. How about the person that sits hunched over there computer all day? It's only a matter of time before the body adapts to that posture just like the boxer and cyclist. That's the amazing thing about the human body it adapts to what ever stimulus we give it, good or bad.
Also, gravity plays a part in our eventual postural downfall. Constantly pulling us down. Until we're old and grey and our posture has gone to pot.
[quote=Lost_BMW
To the point of the thread interloping I would suggest from my personal experience and research that anyone who trains regularly - esp. if they have to sit for long at work etc. - would do well to emphasise the lower body/core strength and flexibility and try to avoid the over focus on bench press etc. like so many seem to + check/work on upper back and neck/shoulder alignment and flexibility too. A stitch in time etc.
[/quote]
I couldn't agree more. But I would add that a lot of sitting down will also affect your pelvic alignment, tilting it forward or more likely backwards and in some cases forward and back!!!! Again depending on which has occurred will determine the right way forward. As Lost_BWM has illustrated one size doesn't fit all and it can't do any harm in getting yourself checked out before you start exercising. I know some people will disagree with the statement but it's better to be safe than sorry.
To the point of the thread interloping I would suggest from my personal experience and research that anyone who trains regularly - esp. if they have to sit for long at work etc. - would do well to emphasise the lower body/core strength and flexibility and try to avoid the over focus on bench press etc. like so many seem to + check/work on upper back and neck/shoulder alignment and flexibility too. A stitch in time etc.
Edited by Lost_BMW on Thursday 12th August 21:31
[/quote]
I couldn't agree more. But I would add that a lot of sitting down will also affect your pelvic alignment, tilting it forward or more likely backwards and in some cases forward and back!!!! Again depending on which has occurred will determine the right way forward. As Lost_BWM has illustrated one size doesn't fit all and it can't do any harm in getting yourself checked out before you start exercising. I know some people will disagree with the statement but it's better to be safe than sorry.
Just ordered a new batch of creatine, dextrose and whey protein from www.myprotein.co.uk
I have used them before and used to for a while have to say their service is second to none and the prices are fantastic.... some serious bang for your buck.
If anyone is interested you can get a 5% discount by entering the code: MP271825
I have used them before and used to for a while have to say their service is second to none and the prices are fantastic.... some serious bang for your buck.
If anyone is interested you can get a 5% discount by entering the code: MP271825
Edited by speed_monkey on Friday 13th August 15:10
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