Relearning How To Walk

[mytype1collagenis2tight]

Was able to keep up a daily ballistic stretching routine until the end of last week. However, the children were simply up too much at night and we had some of the worst sleep since the newborn phase. I will let this resume when the mind and then the body recovers, but right now it's taken a massive toll on my baseline energy.

Interestingly (and simultaneously) I've started a Qi Gong practice. So far it's been a joy to assume the Heaven/Earth position while standing in line and focus on breathing. Makes real on the "functional" aspects of relaxation. Whenever I'm being effective with this habit and then venture into public, people feel compelled to comment on how relaxed I appear. Either my sleepless tension can't even muster the energy to express itself, or the Qi Gong must be working...

Physically, I'm discovering a lot about my body's response to training. Really, it comes down to recovery. Nothing unique, but damn is it taking me a long time to appreciate how to relax and just do it later, or just simply less. Basically, I'm having to slowly 'let go' of my top-down ideas about programming and effort. In a large way, this is liberating. Coming from a culture that is so set on algorithms and "c'mon one more!," it's been very difficult to shake this perspective for a long time. Specifically, using a 3 weeks-on, 1-week off program: my body rejects this. My body is so much more mercurial with limit-testing exercises, as it should be! The nervous system needs to consolidate and it can't do that with constant input.  

For instance yesterday, against my better judgement, I went climbing. Thought it might invigorate me out of my exhaustion. Well, duh, it sure didn't. My lower body and core are unilaterally pooped (poor sleep, ceaseless ballistic stretching, recent housework/reflooring/felling trees). I got up to the wall and it was like I was a technique-less beginner. And that is okay I realize, cause so what? My body doesn't want it then. Grieve my bruised ego, move on. Come back later when I've done a better job listening to myself. 

I've been ignoring my body, forsaking it for my 'ideas' about how exercising works. So I'm experimenting with the anti-program(?). An example that comes to mind are hanging exercises. Instead of setting a timer for my hanging exercises, I've started setting a stopwatch and not letting myself see it. This allows me to completely focus on the effort my body wants to give in that particular moment. Once I fall off the board, I look at the stopwatch and let myself be surprised. The central premise of (really most) exercise programs is to push one into motivation, to do more. Maybe this can be my pull. 

Or maybe I'll just take a long, long break.

[mytype1collagenis2tight]

Quite a while since I posted. I have been enjoying lots of climbing, stretching, Qigong and 'movement' patterns. 

My overall flexibility has most certainly improved, and at a rate that I'm comfortable with. My hip flexor depth is definitely better (and bilaterally more even than ever). Given all the ballistic stretching I was doing earlier in the year, my hamstring flexibility has also improved substantially... this even with backing off the total volume. 

About that backing off total volume. I had fits and bursts of loaded stretching (dumbbells on thighs) in the Tailor Pose last year. Barely did them this year, yet my overall cold flexibility in this position is much much better. Nowhere near the floor, but also not rubbing my knees on my earlobes anymore. I'll probably go back to focusing on them again just because... why not? For some reason I'm drawn to it right now. Maybe it's all the rock climbing and 'hip turn-out' required. Probably do more frog pose too. High translational value there.

One other notable improvement has been my seated pancake straddle. I couldn't even sit on the floor in straddle and have my back straight up at a 90 degree angle before. For the first time as an adult I now can do that comfortably without straining my inner thighs. 

All this experience helps me reinforce the concept that increased ROM is not a linear phenomenon. This is incredibly relieving and freeing. Slowly letting go of 'shoe-horning' myself into repetitive, unnecessary and mindless attempts at getting through reps/sets in a forced manner; only to be ego-hurt and defensive, going "but I should be better today cause it was more effort than yesterday." I was treating stretching too much like traditional Western exercise before. Now, over the last couple of years, just being consistent with stretching at all has been very positive. 

Two principles have been pure gold: 

1) Going where my body wants today

2) (not paradoxical to 1, but additive) I'm not wanting to do this other stretch today, so therefore I should really focus on it, cause there's probably something interesting to be found precisely there

[mytype1collagenis2tight]

Been quite a while since I posted. It seems this stage in my pancake range is a nice check point. Comparing to photos from 2017 where I couldn’t even begin to roll my hips over, I’m enjoying quite the improvement. The key for me so far has been focusing simultaneously on calf stretches and hip flexor strength.

N.B. The black tuft of fur under me is our cat, doing her obligatory curiosity check-in.

[mytype1collagenis2tight]

2020 recap on my practices.

The pandemic proved to have some positives, which I’m going to focus on in this post. Chief among them was a lot of time to reflect and reset the course and priorities of my practice. 

- larger focus on meso-cycling now that I’ve gone through many of the solo stretches over the last few years. Before, I worried that leaving a stretch behind would mean I’d lose ‘progress.’ Well, that hasn’t really proven true. Limbering the stretch keeps my achieved-range open more ‘readily.’ Even without touching a stretch for months at a time (ex. tailor pose), my prior limit range would not only come back (nearly) immediately, but the range would open up ‘quicker.’ The familiarity with exploring end range, I know, is a huge reason for this, in addition to downstream effects of focusing on collateral areas. 

- more general movement throughout the day. This starts with awakening movements to rouse my legs, torso and arms. During business hours, I’m in front of a computer; the positive of this proves to be that the last thing I want to do is more wasted time on the computer. However, at night, I needed something to do after the kids went down to sleep. So, I’ve been cycling between articulation practices (spine, ribs, wrists), breathing exercises, and stretching (that stretching for meditation video Kit has is my go-to when I can’t decide what to stretch; it’s such a good all around tour of ‘the ST hits’). 

- once/week focus on shoulders. It has been a slow ride. This is expected; as literally I have spent years doing computer work and climbing (both emphasizing internal rotation and tight shoulder flexion). Strengthening the external rotators, stretching the lats. Was doing a hanging practice, but haven’t replaced my hangboard on the wall since we did renovation (gotta get on that...). Also, finally convinced my wife to help with the parter stick pec stretch (now to convince her I want to hold the stretch for 5 minutes; haha she wants to stop after 30-60 seconds but that’s right when I’m getting deeper into the stretch).

- once/week focus on pike/pancake. Going very well since including calf stretching and hip flexor strengthening. Bent leg pike has been getting deeper. 

- dividing strength training away from climbing. I would try to combine these before, but just doesn’t work for me. I need substantial time between these practices. Right now, it’s forced down time (gyms are closed, rainy season so can’t climb outdoors). Substituting a bit more strength work since I can’t climb, but it’s boring only to do strength work without translating it to a practice I enjoy. This was an important revelation to me: I really find bodyweight training boring if I can’t translate the strength to something fun*.

*So in that vein, I’ve been doing a balance walking exercise on the backs of benches. Such a great, ‘active parent’ practice. Surprisingly fun, excites my kids (and they do it with me), and benches are everywhere. The benches have unique challenges: each has its own character of railing/material/slope/stickiness. This naturally translates to rails and felled tree trunks (on hikes) when I’m very “on.” Also utilizes my stabilizers, getting me to connect my feet to and through my trunk. It’s a direct line from ST practice focus on feeling the body and making adjustments —> fun challenging activity I can do anywhere —> improves my climbing footwork and core tension. 
 

- probably would be an unpopular opinion to many who are suffering during this pandemic, but I have a mixed sense about the forced lock down ending. Of course I recognize it must end and should; too many suffering medically, socially/psychologically and economically. However, I also bemoan the idea of having too many distracting options when the world opens back up. The pandemic was a golden opportunity to refocus on self-discovery in the moment, consistently. My goal moving forward is to not lose my way because of modern distractions. 

[mytype1collagenis2tight]

(Hilarious? Sad?) observation this AM: my right upper trap is larger than my left (bigger hump when looking face-on in the mirror). First thought that came to mind was “this is because I spend 45-50 hours a week at work moving and clicking a mouse with my right arm lifted.”

Going to have to:

1) work that left trap more

2) work b/l scapular depression/pushing exercises more (hello L-sits!)

3) put my mouse pad below my chest and see if my wrist can tolerate it

[Nathan]

Could be the way you hold your shoulders, or it could just be that the right is holding a lot of tension (from holding that mouse all week), which makes it look bigger. Kind of like walking around flexing one bicep all the time 

[mytype1collagenis2tight]

Maybe I should mouse with my left hand haha: bring balance to the Force

[Kit_L]

That's exactly what I learned to do at one point (learn to use mouse in L hand)

Have you ever done a standing leg length test? If, for example, one of your legs was a bit shorter than the other, such that you carry that shoulder a bit higher (because of the necessary opposite curve in the thoracic spine this induces) AND you are right handed, that would be enough to give this impression. Worth checking; costs nothing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt7zwss7kPo&t=2s

 

[mytype1collagenis2tight]

7 hours ago, Kit_L said:

Have you ever done a standing leg length test?

I have not. Excellent idea, will test this over the weekend. Thank you.

7 hours ago, Kit_L said:

learn to use mouse in L hand

I’ve learned to brush my teeth with the L hand (actually to alternate hands), as the dentist tells me, to hit the teeth at different angles. It really didn’t take more than a couple brushings for it to be natural. Another good tip!

[mytype1collagenis2tight]

Was reading Stretching and Flexibility and noted the discussion re: externally rotating the femur below a certain angle to prevent femoral head on pelvis limitations in range. By focusing on that cue I could feel a difference in my pancake depth today.

Having a salient target to stretch towards appears to make a difference too.

Also have been reorienting my core workouts towards areas of developmental need/potential. These include doing dead bug variations instead of rectus abdominis-heavy hollow holds. The dead bug variations just hit more of the core muscles that are under developed for me (like transverse abdominis). Once I have a sense these are sufficiently improved, will move onto ab wheel variations. Putting core extension and oblique movements on maintenance. 

[mytype1collagenis2tight]

After experimenting with several of the Master the Pancake limbers and exercises today, the half-pancake helped me focus on a discomforting pull sensation right above, across and past the knee on the medial tibia. Specifically, when I had the thigh neutral. Wasn’t alarming, but notable. Playing with the position, the ‘pull’ would disappear with slight thigh external rotation, or time. 

Looking at my anatomy book, there are several muscles that have their tendon insertion at the superior-medial tibia spot: gracilis, sartorius, semitendinosis (which Netter’s lumps into “PES anserinus” whatever that means to anatomists). Also many hamstrings and deeper muscles have tendon convergence at that superior-medial tibia location more generally.

Anyways, just that I could avoid the uncomfortable pulling sensation with slight thigh eternal rotation makes me think it’s possibly due to the sartorius shortening (and therefore maybe relieving tension on the tibia tendon insertion). 

^ the above may all be me just overthinking, but a really cool effect nonetheless