cmulla Posted September 20, 2017 Posted September 20, 2017 Hi everyone, First time posting here! In a nutshell I have been struggling with weight bearing squat movements for the last 18 plus months! At times, when doing the movements I feel like all the effort is being forced through my adductors. Last January I was attempting a 1 rep max squat and felt a slight tear on my right adductor. It was nothing major as I was back out on the field running 2 days later. I haven't done squat movements (squat, thruster, snatch, lunge, C&J etc) with weights since then. In addition I find a 'compression' like sensation in my upper groin/hip flexor/adductor area when I pull my knee to my chest. Feel it both sides but more so on the right. Even when I perform a simple lunge stretch for my left hip flexor, my right adductor feels a strain. This injury hasn't stopped me playing sport as I have no issues when running! But it has prevented me doing any lifting in the gym for the last 9 months. I had an MRI on my lower back and hips but that showed nothing unusual. Some physios have commented that my lower back is pretty tight and may cause this issue I'm having with squat movements. Might also be worth noting that when attempting the pancake, I can only get to 90 degrees Any help or advice on this would be really appreciated!!
dannyg Posted September 22, 2017 Posted September 22, 2017 In flexion positions the adductors can act like hip extensors. I have noted that in folk with gluteals that are underactive, their adductors do a lot of extension work. Are you hamstrings and piriformis limited in range? How do your hips feel when you squat deeply? Does they feel the same as when you pull them to your chest? For the last 9 months, what have you tried to do about this problem? Has it changed since you first noticed it? Dr Jennifer Crane aka The Circus Physio has a decent post for some glute specific work: http://www.cirquephysio.com/blog/every-day-is-glute-dayand-other-stories-from-the-battleofthebooty if you want to try and feedback if they're easy/hard for you.
cmulla Posted September 22, 2017 Author Posted September 22, 2017 Thanks @dannyg ! My hamstring range and flexibility is pretty good. Not so sure about piriformis range, how could I test this? My hips feel fine in the squat position, I can go well below parallel but its the effort to come back out of the squat position that I feel the pressure on my right adductor! I dont have that same compression feeling when I'm in a squat in comparison to pulling my knee to my chest... Over the last 9 months I've continued to train and play hurling but no lifting in the gym. I do mini band exercises before sessions to fire up the glutes.. My right glute fires up pretty fast but my left one takes more work.. I've also had a lot of physio sessions, work on my back muscles. Physio performed traction. Had 1 session with a chiropractor but didnt find any benefit from it. Also received a cortozone injection into my pubic bone about 3 months ago but again no improvement. I'll have a look at the glute work and will let you know how it goes
dannyg Posted September 23, 2017 Posted September 23, 2017 Have you done any hip flexor work? If you're experiencing discomfort on drawing one leg at a time to your chest, but fine in a squat - it seems that what you are doing is quite similar to the Thomas test - and the hip flexors (rectus femoris especially) is a big culprit. When you say pressure, where in your adductors are you feeling 'pressure', and what do you mean by 'pressure'? Is it that your adductors are having to work? In certain positions the adductors act like hip extensors. So it might not be the range of your posterior chain, but their activation and use that might be an issue. Single Leg deadlifts? How to those feel? In the S&F, as well as on Kit's youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/KitLaughlin/videos) there are plenty of piriformis stretches. Cortozone injection? why exactly? Were you experiencing pelvic pain? 2
Kit_L Posted September 23, 2017 Posted September 23, 2017 Hip flexor stretching and glute activation > strengthening go hand in glove. If your HFs are tight (and I guarantee they are) you will never be able to strengthen your glutes in the critical range, which is extension: the reciprocal inhibition reflex will simply turn of any glute activation the instant the brain experiences the HF stretch. And the adductors are extensors of the hip in the full (Olympic) squat position, for sure. And if glutes are weak, the brain always uses what strength it has available. That pose of the child variation DG linked you to is gold; I have loose HFs and I found it challenging. Re. testing p. ROM; see here: Putting straight back and chest on leg is a very good ROM. 1
dannyg Posted September 23, 2017 Posted September 23, 2017 Quote That pose of the child variation DG linked you to is gold; I have loose HFs and I found it challenging. Yeah, I've been using it in conjunction to HF stretching - it's been a revelation to be honest, I'm annoyed I never figured it out myself.
Jim Pickles Posted September 23, 2017 Posted September 23, 2017 On 22/09/2017 at 4:35 PM, dannyg said: Dr Jennifer Crane aka The Circus Physio has a decent post for some glute specific work: http://www.cirquephysio.com/blog/every-day-is-glute-dayand-other-stories-from-the-battleofthebooty if you want to try and feedback if they're easy/hard for you. Loved the "Glut Max activation" in this too! My class will be suffering over it on Tuesday! I continually work on countering anterior chain domination with my class members. This one will be a great addition to that. Pleased I could do it - a testament to all the glut activation that I've been doing as part of my HF stretching (for doing the splits). Also loved in it the quote "Big butt not cute!". Yes, but you dont want a skinny one either - and as an older male, I'm hoping to avoid the old man skinny butt look. Not that I'm vain, I just think its particularly repulsive. Jim.
cmulla Posted September 23, 2017 Author Posted September 23, 2017 Thanks @Kit_L @dannyg Regarding my hip flexors - I stretch them every morning/evening as I have over a 1hr commute to work and spend the day at a computer. I have being doing this for past 6 months. Also physio tested flexibility/strength and he said it was pretty good. As for my piriformis, I cannot correctly do the stretch Kit linked above. With my shin at 90 degrees my hips cannot reach the ground. The only way my hips reach the ground is if I start bend my knee and bring my shin closer to my upper leg. Piriformis is certainly something to work Also the link Dannyg posted (cirquephysio) is great. A real eye opener for me.... - I like this : Quote First of all, left to their own devices, our glutes prefer to do as little work as possible. They’re lazy, and not team players. My lower back can be tight so I'm wondering if I compensate a lot for my glutes and not just my back, all other muscles in that area. I attempted the movements in this article - I am simply unable to do them properly With the child pose, I can barely hold my leg up for 2 seconds. The GLUTE MED BIAS is worse. can't lift my leg off the ground.. Finally with the KNEE HANG HIP ROTATION, I can't get my ankle above my knee so an issue with external rotation. Another interesting thing is my adductors seem to be doing the work here - very same feeling when I do a squat movement..
cmulla Posted September 25, 2017 Author Posted September 25, 2017 So I went back to the gym last Thursday to see where I am. (First time since March) Session consisted of: Warm Up Tabata of Air Squats and body weight lunges Tabata of sit ups Tabata of Wall ball and kettle bell swings Weights Weighted single leg step ups 5 x 5 each leg Weighted reverse lunge 5 x 5 el Conditioning 5 Rounds of: thrusters x 5 dead lift x 10 Felt like my adductors were doing most of the work for most of the movements. The following 1/2 days I was sore all over which I expected as it has been a long time since I did a gym session with weights but 4 days later it is my adductors that are still very sore ! From my previous post I know my piriformis and hip external rotators are really tight and also that my glutes may be refusing to do any work! I guess its pretty obvious that these would cause my adductors to be over worked ?!?! I have read a lot of the forums here and can relate to a lot of it.. Would be grateful for some pointers in the right direction to help solve my issues, stretching programs, videos or a suitable series. thanks again
dannyg Posted September 27, 2017 Posted September 27, 2017 There are a couple of ways I would approach the situation - Hip Flexors stretching first of all, to help you use your gluteals better. Out of the mastery series maybe pancake might help you the most. I'm a big fan of active stretching work so that post from Jen Crane should be helpful to you. I'm curious what your kettle bell form is like - if you're not activating your glutes well enough. Are you partially squatting the bell, rather than hinging? I'm a huge fanboy of Dan John: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34saz57cxjs (this is his 'The Hinge and the Hinge Assessment Tool' video.) Have you tried any single leg deadlifts? Also, Kit messing around with a ball: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0j_KxV6I1k (Kit's 3-step gluteal activation) And this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa1kRUN1nAI (Frog Bridge) The most common reason, as far as I know, for overactive adductors (and frequent adductor injuries), is under-active glutes. Releasing the hip flexors, and doing some glute specific work is what is probably needed. My personal approach would be something like: 1) Smashing your Adductors & Quads on a peanut/lacrosse ball (To inhibit them somewhat) 2) Strong Hip Flexor Stretching 3) Glute Activation exercises (Jen Crane's*, Kits, Frog Bridge... etc) (I usually use the frog bridge with people as it's the easiest to do - long holds and/or high reps) (Aim for 3 sets of 10 and see how your glutes feel) 4) Try a few Goblet Squats and see if it feels different. 5) Repeat 1-3 over the course of a few weeks and number 4 should feel different * Jen Crane has a few ebooks that are fairly expensive - they are mainly active stretches and not 'flexibility' guides so to speak. I have found them useful but would err on the side of caution to anybody buying them. They feature Soft Tissue Release, Nerve Glides and active stretches. Useful, expensive, but not 'full' programmes. I'll do a review on her stuff later on. 2
cmulla Posted September 28, 2017 Author Posted September 28, 2017 Thanks again @dannyg I've corrected my hip hinge from Dan John's video. My kettlebell swing was a partial squat and not enough of a hinge movement. Also my lower back would sometimes get sore from any types of glute bridge but from watching Kit's video I hope to remove the cause of this. (Not pushing my lower back into the ground) Hopefully this will help in getting my glutes activated so I can perform squat movements properly. I'll continue with your recommendations for the next few weeks and let you know how I get on! Thanks a bunch
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