Now you have to share. I always imagine like some of those CFNM videos I see online with the whipped cream and the boners and the helicopters waving in your face.

8/5/2011 3:38:19 PM

Hate to jump in the middle of a discussion of boners and helicopters with WORDS, but I’m extremely frustrated right now.

Does anyone have experience with recurrent soft tissue injury/irritation? I have been dealing with it for a long while now, and I’m over it. I won’t write out my life’s story (well actually I did but don’t want to post even more of a novel, so if you want it, PM me) but basically my hips are jacked up. I have been to two doctors now, and they both agree it’s just soft tissue stuff (that they agreed is not related to my car accident) and I just need to rest and stretch and maybe take NSAIDs for a bit.

This seems to be a recurring issue I don't know how to fix or keep from coming back, and no doctors can really point me in a direction that works for me, because I feel like I do what they recommend. When it hurts, I take time off or dial it down until I feel better, per their advice. Then I ease my intensity back up to where it was. Usually it'll start not quite hurting, but just feeling … something, just enough to keep me aware that I have hip issues but not hinder anything. Then it'll gradually get a little worse, a little worse, until I am limping or can't raise my leg or lay awake at night because I'm in pain (which is where I am right now despite the fact I’ve taken the last week and a half off from anything other than running twice). I always end up really frustrated that I have to take time off from the things I love doing again. But I don't know what it is I am doing wrong that keeps this issue popping up. I stretch. I eat well. I am not just suddenly deciding to run a marathon or squat double my bodyweight. It's all stuff I have been doing for years that I really want to keep doing. But apparently there's no way I have found or anyone can advise me of to be able to workout consistently without this issue coming back time and again.

The orthopedist this morning told me I can keep doing the workouts I have been doing, just be careful. But obviously that has not worked for me yet. Maybe I just suck at working out. Maybe I’m stretching, but not doing the right stretches. Maybe I have some other kind of muscular imbalance that is causing this issue to come up consistently. But I don’t know how to figure out what it is and fix it. I so badly want to be able to do the things I love to do without being in pain all the time.

I am going to try physical therapy for a little bit and hope that maybe helps. Otherwise, I have no idea.

8/5/2011 3:44:51 PM

do you foam roll?

8/5/2011 3:49:44 PM

I'd probably choose to give up my firstborn child over my foam roller.

8/5/2011 3:50:45 PM

8/5/2011 4:02:07 PM

Quote :

"As for getting a hard body, I don't mind if it means gaining something as valuable as a black belt."

When I say body hardening, I'm not referring to getting a "hard body" by building muscle and losing fat.

Body hardening, with respect to martial arts, refers to hitting and kicking hard things to build up calcium deposits on the bones (arms, shins, knuckles) that you strike with, as well as deaden the nerves in these areas to lessen the pain felt by oneself when striking someone or being struck by someone. I have never been a student of Muay Thai, but I associate that discipline with body hardening more so than any other martial art.

There are probably certain dojos that don't get as much into the body hardening aspect as others. I don't know enough about Muay Thai to be able to comment on how much a relative lack of body hardening would neuter a practitioner of that discipline. Maybe it's not a big deal unless you plan to be a no-kidding competitive cage fighter. I would expect that to become a legitimate black belt in it, you would probably end up doing some significant amount of body hardening.

Go for it...I'm just saying to learn more about it and make sure that's the discipline you want to pursue.

8/5/2011 4:11:36 PM

Now I have a mental image of Sam in a BigHitSundayesque fighting environment. That amuses me a little bit.

8/5/2011 4:20:58 PM

Skwinkle, what exactly hurts with your hips? My wife has been dealing with hip flexor pain for the last three months after injuring them during ballroom dance practice with her partner. She's got an appointment with a sports medicine specialist next week because her primary care physician has been baffled by it lasting this long. But it sounds similar; she'll feel ok and think it's worked itself out, then walking to the grocery store will put her on the couch with ice packs for a few days. Really tight stiffness and a persistent ache on the fronts of her hips, basically.

8/5/2011 4:29:02 PM

I have had similar hip flexor issues for years that sound just like what she's dealing with, but at the moment it's a little worse. Today he said it's mainly my adductors and I think iliacus that are causing pain. And while my hip flexors are usually what's sore, right now they actually feel pretty OK. He also said the stuff that's hurting now is too deep for ice to really penetrate to that level. But also the outside of my hips, right at the pointiest part of the bone, is sore to the touch.

8/5/2011 4:36:01 PM

Well, if you ever get it sorted out, please let me know what the doctors find out, because I'm sure my wife would love to suggest the same theory to hers.

8/5/2011 4:43:29 PM

Does she use a foam roller? Or these things?


If not, that's a good place to start.

8/5/2011 4:57:11 PM

Maybe you can do ultrasound therapy at PT

8/5/2011 4:58:28 PM

since we're talking about PTs, i got a bill from a pt appt from last july in the mail this week

should i contest it? wtf?

[Edited on August 5, 2011 at 5:01 PM. Reason : i mean i went. just why wait over a year to submit the bill to insurance/me?]

8/5/2011 5:00:43 PM

Quote :

"When I say body hardening, I'm not referring to getting a "hard body" by building muscle and losing fat. Body hardening, with respect to martial arts, refers to hitting and kicking hard things to build up calcium deposits on the bones (arms, shins, knuckles) that you strike with, as well as deaden the nerves in these areas to lessen the pain felt by oneself when striking someone or being struck by someone. I have never been a student of Muay Thai, but I associate that discipline with body hardening more so than any other martial art. There are probably certain dojos that don't get as much into the body hardening aspect as others. I don't know enough about Muay Thai to be able to comment on how much a relative lack of body hardening would neuter a practitioner of that discipline. Maybe it's not a big deal unless you plan to be a no-kidding competitive cage fighter. I would expect that to become a legitimate black belt in it, you would probably end up doing some significant amount of body hardening. Go for it...I'm just saying to learn more about it and make sure that's the discipline you want to pursue."

I'm not doing Muay Thai....

[Edited on August 5, 2011 at 5:13 PM. Reason : I am most likely going to go into taekwando... trying it out tonight]

8/5/2011 5:12:38 PM

And what he's saying, is TKD guys do a ton of body hardening too.

Smashing bricks isn't some magical skill, takes a lot of repetition and pain to get there.

8/5/2011 5:20:21 PM

Once I started looking into it, it seems like many taekwondo dojos don't support or engage in body hardening.. so I'll guess I'll just have to see how this dojo feels

[Edited on August 5, 2011 at 5:30 PM. Reason : and I will definitely keep on the lookout for it - I wouldn't want to go that route]

8/5/2011 5:26:30 PM

All the hating of the hard bodies (via weight training), yet I've yet to hear any of them or I complain about a pain or a tweak. Perhaps pushing your body to get better includes mild discomfort? You think it is fun and pain free to move multiple times your bodyweight?

That's why we, as a culture, are obese, weak zombies. No pain, all complain.

8/5/2011 5:27:54 PM

I thought you didn't post in here anymore

8/5/2011 5:29:50 PM

Pffft, it's on topic, it's relevant, and it is a motivator to help people get better. If you are unable or unwilling to take a little pain for a lot of gain, I'm sorry.

It's about getting a beach bod, right? How about this? I like reverse grip preacher curls for the development of outside biceps and forearms.

8/5/2011 5:35:56 PM

I just don't understand where your comment came from or who it was even referring to

8/5/2011 5:41:30 PM

Quote :

"When people like Quinn come in here saying "Guys that big work out for other guys", they have no concept of what drives people to extremes. I've never met a gigantor that gave a shit about what any other guy thought about them in the gym; they do what they do as a personal challenge with themselves. They may admire other bodybuilder's physiques, but only because it shows them what the human body is capable of and how high they can set their goals. "

Thats because youve never been the smaller guy. I hear it all the time. You must keep in mind that youre more highly educated then 95% of all gym goers. And probably 99.9% your size. At least I didnt say anything about short guys compensating for christs sake!!!!!!!!!!!!




[Edited on August 5, 2011 at 6:06 PM. Reason : .]

8/5/2011 6:04:02 PM

Just finished Ranger School, have no muscle left. Going up hills and stairs winds me. Back to square one.

8/5/2011 7:33:25 PM

Yep, joining the USMC was the worst thing I ever did for physical fitness, haha

8/5/2011 7:43:20 PM

that was AWESOME this guy is legit... and very wise. It was really cool and I loved it and he said I'm better than some of his students - WOOT I guess I found my calling, hah.


I'm going to officially start on Monday maybe tomorrow if I get back from the farmer's market in time.

I haven't been this excited about something physical fitness related since I started working out with begonias

8/5/2011 8:24:32 PM

I'm so jealous

but I know you're going to be awesome

I remember saying "I don't know if I want to train Sam anymore... she's stronger and I'm 98% sure she could kick my ass"

8/5/2011 9:58:47 PM

im going to start taking pole dancing lessons soon.
and not the fitness pole dancing that you see advertised, real pole dancing

it goes in levels 1-14 with each level taking 4 - 6 weeks to complete
i took a introductory class last weekend and my ass was sore for days.
[Edited on August 5, 2011 at 10:52 PM. Reason : -->

8/5/2011 10:52:03 PM

your legs are gonna be bruised up like a MF

8/5/2011 11:25:36 PM

omg joie I wanna go!!!!!!!

that type of certification would be excellent to put on my resume

8/5/2011 11:50:30 PM

Quote :

"Skwinkle, what exactly hurts with your hips? My wife has been dealing with hip flexor pain for the last three months after injuring them during ballroom dance practice with her partner. She's got an appointment with a sports medicine specialist next week because her primary care physician has been baffled by it lasting this long. But it sounds similar; she'll feel ok and think it's worked itself out, then walking to the grocery store will put her on the couch with ice packs for a few days. Really tight stiffness and a persistent ache on the fronts of her hips, basically."

god, hip flexors, I hate them. I tore one in XC in high school, and that shit STILL gets aggravated to this day. I can't do much in the way of ab training because my hip flexor gets all pissed off and I don't want to have to deal with that again.

Skwinkle, go to physical therapy, or get a doctor's RX for it. I wish I had done some PT in high school, cause then maybe I wouldn't have the issues I have now.

8/6/2011 1:11:47 AM

He did RX it, so I'll start that soon. I hope it helps or the therapist can at least point me in the right direction for what to do differently in workouts to not irritate it again. I have never done PT so I have no clue what to expect.

I also spoke to one of the guys at my gym last night and he said the owner is really knowledgeable about this type of thing (now that I have a "diagnosis") and should be able to help me modify workouts or whatever I need to do to not make it worse. Thanks guys

8/6/2011 7:54:26 AM

PT will probably hurt... but you're a tough cookie

8/6/2011 9:15:28 AM

lol

Quote :

"begonias"

you wanna??

its extra cool because they don't have mirrors so you dont look at yourself all the time and no ones looking at you all the time...if that makes any sense.

it's kinda pricey though


im asking for 1.0 for my birthday

8/6/2011 10:38:12 AM

Bad hip flexor = weak glutes
Bad lower back = weak abs
Knee pain = weak hamstrings

8/6/2011 11:06:37 AM

knee pain in ladies can also come from weak quads.

ladies' hips are typically set wider than their knees which puts pressure on the outside of the knee joint. girls should always be doing leg extensions and leg presses.

8/6/2011 11:33:57 AM

those ailments can also be caused by legit accidents, ya know

8/6/2011 11:47:31 AM

Not true.

All problems are the direct result of being a girly-man (or girly-girl, as the case may be).

[/maximus]

8/6/2011 11:50:41 AM

No person (except bodybuilders) should ever do leg extensions. The shearing force on your knee is awful and they serve no functionality. How often is anyone in a sitting position and needs to raise both legs with the shins/ankles bearing the weight?

I disagree with the quad comment. Most Americans are quad dominant and have embarrassingly low hamstring strength. Women are weak in general due to sedintary lifestyle. So the weakest people stand to have the weakest hamstrings.

If we are discussing legitimate accidents, perhaps it should be in the medicin thread, not the beach body thread. Let's stay on topic, shall we?

8/6/2011 11:55:45 AM

Considering her ailment is preventing her from doing the exercises she wants (i.e., Crossfit), I think it is very relevant. She is not only asking advice for what to do about the pain but I know she also was looking for modified workouts.

And since I don't believe you answered me last time.. I thought you were done posting ITT??

8/6/2011 12:01:10 PM

Quote :

"looking for modified workouts."

that's what i thought it was

8/6/2011 12:04:47 PM

I was hoping that since this is an exercise-induced issue that other people in here would have had similar experiences and be able to share advice, of whatever nature. I will look into what maximus said about bad hip flexors meaning weak glutes. I don't feel like mine are weak in comparison to the rest of me, but I'm definitely going to see if I can test that. That's honestly better to me than exercise modifications because if I can build my glute strength and that's what has been causing my issues then I'd perceivably be able to keep working out the way I want to without having to avoid particular exercises as much.

And before he blames Crossfit for the injury in the first place, I've had this issue regardless of what type of workouts I'm doing. Just running, heavy (for my strength level) weight training, military-type bodyweight-focused stuff ... hips have bothered me through it all. So I have been trying to figure out something that combines what I like best (weights) with not hurting myself as much as possible.

8/6/2011 12:27:49 PM

Have a personal trainer do a fitness exam with you - often times, you can tell by posture during exercises what muscle groups are weak and need to be focused on. Deficiencies in muscle groups leads to poor posture, which leads to injury. Not say that it's the reason, but sometimes it comes as a surprise that we're deficient in areas. Best to have an outsider look at it.

8/6/2011 6:18:51 PM

What does everybody consume post-workout? I used to swear by muscle milk back in the day but Consumer Reports found that the recommended serving had more traces of heavy metals like lead and arsenic than are recommended for a daily allowance.

I've been doing a grilled cheese and a couple pints of milk because it's cheaper anyway

8/7/2011 1:06:58 AM

I typically have a glass of wine after every evening workout.

8/7/2011 7:20:17 AM

Hip flexor/low back/hamstring issues generally stem from over active hip flexors, weak glutes, weak core, and/or dysfunctional movement patterns. There are a handful of problems this could be rooted in.

I would either look for a trainer who is certified in the FMS (like me) or a physical therapist who has a sports background and familiar with the SFMA.

With all that said, if you want some home-remedies... Figure out how to stretch and mobilize the rectus femoris and psoas. Google the "Couch Stretch". These are generally big trouble makers in runners and sedentary folk.

Once you have good range of motion and mobility with those, I'd see how well you can activate your glutes. Can you do a single leg hip bridge with out having your hamstrings tighten up? If not, then you may have some type of patterning problem.

PM me if you are interested in having a FMS ( http://www.functionalmovement.com/ ) run on you and if you'd be interested in hiring me for a few sessions to clear up the problem.

8/7/2011 8:14:36 AM

^

Quote :

"BUY AN AD"

8/7/2011 7:49:11 PM

8/8/2011 12:26:45 PM

lol You could have linked the pic

[Edited on August 8, 2011 at 1:31 PM. Reason : 0]

8/8/2011 1:27:23 PM

sorry, I didn't know how

and guess who's teaching fitness classes again... ME!!!!!! SO EXCITED!

8/8/2011 5:23:08 PM

Oh where are you teaching???

8/8/2011 6:35:21 PM

I loooooove taekwondo!! I got my uniform tonight... I'm tempted to take a picture

8/8/2011 9:12:15 PM