Journey, Not A Destination

Steve
Question on squats. I have trouble keeping my balance and that's just with the bar. I always lift my heals which i think is compensation for being off balance. I lean too far forward which I think is to stay balanced. I'm thinking my core is weak and that is causing everything else to be off

So I started doing the squat machine and feel I have gained some strength. I tried the bar again and it felt better but still not there.

Any suggestions on how to improve or should i stick with the squat machine?
 
Another Q.

Is "muscle memory" a myth?
 
usedtobefatmatt said:
Steve
Question on squats.
Click to expand...

Matt, have you checked out the stickies in my flexility/prehab forum?

I have trouble keeping my balance and that's just with the bar. I always lift my heals which i think is compensation for being off balance. I lean too far forward which I think is to stay balanced. I'm thinking my core is weak and that is causing everything else to be off
Click to expand...

The reason I asked the above question is simple. I doubt your problem is balance. Well it may be, but the root cause of your balance problem is movement compensations due to mobility issues at the ankle, hips, and/or thoracic spine.

That would be my first guess.

Check out the following resources:

... pay special attention to the thoracic extentions... the entire complex is something worth doing though.









You may also try some calf flexibility stuff such as and .

This is why a qualified personal trainer is gold. True training goes well beyond basic exercise selection and program design. It's about watching movement and pinpointing compensations, finding where those compensations are stemming from, and correcting the root issues at hand.

The good thing is, there are some general areas of concern that tend to impact most all trainees, and that's what I highlighted above.

I'd be working on mobility and flexibility stuff every single day. Ideally it's individualized to emphasize your individual problems.

How you're warming up immediately prior to training will also have an impact too.
 
I just popped over there as a vistor since i dont remember my password. That chart is great. It certainly makes me realize that i need to learn which muscle is which. Also, the esential 8 article is great. I will sit down and really read into that tonight.

It probably makes sense because my hips have no flex at all.

Thanks again.
 
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Shame on you for not remembering your PW. That means it has been too long since you last logged in!

:p

Yea, mobility is most certainly the issue. And like I said, the big 3 I see with most are ankle, hip and thoracic mobility.

In terms of flexibility, calves, hamstrings, glutes, chest, anterior shoulders, and lats generally need the most attention.
 
Steve said:
No such luck... it's still bothering me the same today. I'll be calling the doc in a bit. At least it doesn't hurt as bad as when it first happened.

On a good note, my upper body is feeling amazing from the prehabilitative stuff I did last night. It's amazing the difference that stuff has on how your body feels.
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:hurray: Hopefully the doctor will be able to heal you right up with that, but atleast part of you is feeling good.

If I remember right, haven't you had a billion other injuries besides this?
 
Thanks!

Yea, I've had a number of injuries over the years. Everything from breaking my shin in half, going blind for a short time, and getting part of my ear bit off by a dog... with a lot of stuff in between.

Knock on wood, I've been injury free for a LONG time though, up until now. And I'm really hoping this is nothing.
 
Shame on you for not remembering your PW. That means it has been too long since you last logged in!

:p
Click to expand...

I have my home computer automatically log in. I havent type a password in a long time. And yes, it had been a while since i have been over there.


Yea, mobility is most certainly the issue. And like I said, the big 3 I see with most are ankle, hip and thoracic mobility.

In terms of flexibility, calves, hamstrings, glutes, chest, anterior shoulders, and lats generally need the most attention
Click to expand...
.

Wait a minute, mobility and flexability are two different things? Holy ^$%, i know nothing and have so much to learn.
 
usedtobefatmatt said:
I have my home computer automatically log in. I havent type a password in a long time. And yes, it had been a while since i have been over there.
Click to expand...

Hey, it's a lot different over there. I certainly don't expect every single member to be a regular.

Wait a minute, mobility and flexability are two different things? Holy ^$%, i know nothing and have so much to learn.
Click to expand...

Yuppers.

 
Steve said:
Thanks!

Yea, I've had a number of injuries over the years. Everything from breaking my shin in half, going blind for a short time, and getting part of my ear bit off by a dog... with a lot of stuff in between.

Knock on wood, I've been injury free for a LONG time though, up until now. And I'm really hoping this is nothing.
Click to expand...

Holy crap.

With your leg injury did you end up with one leg longer than the other? I broke my femur when I was a kid and now that leg is longer than the other (enough that when I look at my belly I can see one love handle sits considerably higher than the other). They removed the cartilage to try and let the other leg catch up, but it never did.
 
Nope, that didn't happen with me. For a while my injured leg was actually shorter, but that stemmed from the rubber heel they put on my cast allowing me to walk after a while. It caused my hip musculature to adapt to the higher heel over time... but that worked itself out.
 
Steve said:
Nope, that didn't happen with me. For a while my injured leg was actually shorter, but that stemmed from the rubber heel they put on my cast allowing me to walk after a while. It caused my hip musculature to adapt to the higher heel over time... but that worked itself out.
Click to expand...

How did you manage to fix the blindness then?:hurray:
 
The blindness came about when I was whacked in the eye with a piece of candy by a "friend."

The wrapper sliced my cornea and I also developed a blood clot.

I couldn't see a thing with the injured eye.

It required a patch on both eyes and complete bed rest in the hospital for two weeks.

Terrible.

But beyond grateful there was no permanent damage!
 
Omg, I'd go crazy even for just two weeks.

You're very lucky there was no permanent damage, your eyes are a very precious gift. It's one of those things that reminds you again how fortunate we are to have the small things that some people don't.

:hurray: Hurray for recovery.:cheers2:
 
Calorie question

Hey steve, hope this is the right place to ask this but I just had a general question that I'm sure you've answered before, just can't seem to find it...i've been in a caloric defecit for a while now and in about 2 months im going to start to try to build muscle, my question is, how much over your rmr should you begin with to start building muscle? I guess it's probably in direct correlation with how much resistance training you do but where's a good place to start?
 
Hey man....

First, it's not over RMR that you need to facilitate muscle growth. It's over your maintenance. RMR (or BMR) is not maintenance.

It's simply the calories your body needs at absolute rest. You could eat over RMR yet still be in a caloric deficit, thus making it near impossible to grow muscularly.

Secondly, there's no right answer here... I've seen huge variances from person to person. 16 calories per pound is about average for someone coming off a fat loss phase but that's a very general figure.

The important thing is this: You don't need to concern yourself with what calorie intake you need to start with. Rather, you need to concern yourself with adjusting your intake according to bodily feedback.

By that, I mean, if you're gaining too fast at a particular intake, scale it back. If you're not gaining enough, scale it up.

And don't jump right to 16 cals per pound. Ramp up intake over a number of weeks... maybe 10% per week and track numbers while doing so.

The secret to muscle growth is finding that sweet spot, calorically speaking, where you're eating just enough to facilitate growth, yet not so much that you're packing away a lot of fat. You can't fast forward muscle growth by eating more and more like some think.

Does that answer your question?

Congrats on reaching a stage where you're ready to focus on growth!
 
Steve said:
The blindness came about when I was whacked in the eye with a piece of candy by a "friend."

The wrapper sliced my cornea and I also developed a blood clot.

I couldn't see a thing with the injured eye.

It required a patch on both eyes and complete bed rest in the hospital for two weeks.

Terrible.

But beyond grateful there was no permanent damage!
Click to expand...

Good Grief my dear friend! :grouphug:

So glad you're okay!

I had a freak accident that messed up both my eyes and made them super sensitive every day since..(I was 18 when it happened)
It was at a stupid car wash of all places.
I got beat to a pulp by a faulty spray gun/nozzel.

So glad your eyes are okay. :)

-oo- Just picked uo my glasses..I can SEE now..Hahahahaha! :p

Have A Great Night Steve.

OooO,

PS

Why in the world is my left calf so sore where I'm limping?
My right one is fine.
I'm stumped.?.
I don't think it's a pulled muscle.
It just feels super sore.

Those recent long walks did me in..lol
I'm gonna do pilates the next two days to get all stretched out.
I hope to be back on the long walks by Thursday. ;)
 
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