Low HR Training

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Muscle imbalance (Read 589 times)

stephenmarklay


    I have been experiencing muscle tightness in low back, so times left other time right as well as hamstrings and hips.  All I can say is that my knees are great Smile

     

    I overused my glute/hip at the first of the year doing a rower at the gym and it has not been the same since.  I did a lot of biking last year and I think I have some imbalances going on that are not working themselves out.

     

    I am about to go to a PT.  I kind of am apprehensive about that but I am very tired of the current issues.

     

    I find that even walking for half and hour to and hours causes muscles tightness in my back and hamstrings.  Clearly, my anatomy is not functioning at a high level!

     

    I have read a bit about Maffetone's biofeedback stuff and I am at least a but interested.

     

    Any help is GREATLY appreciated.

     

    Stephen

    BeeRunB


      Had the same tightness thing emerge in my lower back when I overtrained. 

      I do yoga (when very warmed-up) 2-3 times a week along with Yoga sit-ups and

      a few other core exercises. Haven't had any pain or tightness in a long time.

      I've always been fine when I keep in touch with yoga and the core stuff.

      When I get away from it, things get out of whack. Running is a lop-sided

      thing to do.

       

      --Jimmy

       

      p.s. I avoid any form of calf-stretching in or out of yoga. Any stretches in yoga are done with very little pressure and

      only when very warm

      stephenmarklay


        Thank you for the tips. I actually did a fair amount of yoga and may pick that back up.  I always push too hard in that no doubt.  I have a lot of great video's so I can pick it back up.

         

        I read through the Maffetone stuff on this and it generally says to get an evaluation.  In general he advocates just locating the week or injured muscle and activate it.

         

        Last night I did some light leg extensions at the gym and found that my quads fatigued and burned with very light weight.  I could go over and squat a fair amount of weight so I guess that is the true issue.  I am using other muscles to allow those compound movements yet my quads are not really being activated.

         

        I am going to see if working the quads a little helps.  I had been trying to do a lot of activity like shooting hoops and things that would activate my full musculature to some degree but again like squats I think my body is just avoiding using or firing my quads to the extent possible.

         

        We will see.   I am also going to do the mediation feedback (respiration) as I have started that anyway.

         

        Thanks again.

          I experienced some issues that relate to this thread. Last week, I experienced a tugging feeling behind my right knee. It felt like my hamstring would not extend all the way, like it was short. I tried running through it for a few minutes and finally stopped. It happened within the first half mile of my run, so I walked back. The tugging subsided and it felt normal again while walking.

           

          I then started jogging slowly, and it tightened up again. Very strange feeling. It did not actually hurt, but if I kept on going, it would have become injured. So, I stopped that day. Of course, I went out again the next day, and it happened again at about the 1.5 mile mark. Again, I stopped and walked back. Enjoyed the walk, but was very disappointed.

           

          So, I got on line and did research. Best I could come up with is that I simply had tight hamstrings and/or calf muscles. I have a feeling that my calf and hamstring muscles were kind of beat up, and in that state, they lost some flexibility? I took a day off and then the next day I went to an indoor track and walked for a few laps and jogged very slowly for a few laps and then I just stretched. I did various calf and hamstring types of stretches. I then walked and then did more stretches. My hamstrings were very tight. I read that some people just naturally have short/tight hamstrings and some people don't. I read it can be genetic. Well, I am one of those people that do not have very much flexibility in my hamstrings and never have. The stretching felt really good. I was pleased that I did not have an actually hamstring pull. I did not have any localized pain in my hamstring or calf muscles. So, once I was really stretched out, I opened up my pace and it felt good. I only did a few more laps and called it a day.

           

          Yesterday, I went for a longer run, and toward the end, I could feel the hamstring getting "tired". After my run, I did another good regimen of stretching the calf muscles and hamstring muscles. So, that is where I am at now. I defintely feel out of balance right now, and I am trying to offset that with a program of stretching and I think I need to do some other kinds of exercise.

           

          I have a theory as to the cause of this. I recently started doing a lot of running with my new Nike 3.0s. I have read that you should adjust to them slowly, but I felt no issues with them and just used them a lot. Not every run, but I used them on a lot of runs. But, I only recently used them outdoors on a trail run. I have a feeling they put stress and my calf and hampstrings that I was not used to? So, my hamstrings got a little beat up and tight? Needless to say, I have put away the Nike 3.0s for a while.

           

          There has been this debate as to whether stretching is necessary or good for you? Some say it causes more injuires than it prevents. I definitely have experienced injuries while stretching, so I believe it can cause injuries. But, I also think I need to keep an eye on those hamstrings and keep them stretched. Tight hamstrings can cause injuires too. In my younger days, when I played a lot of basketball, I was always stretching too. When I neglected stretching, I got injured.

           

          My whole point with this is to say that I definitely feel I have been out of balance. I definitely feel I need to do other things besides just run. I am in the base phase, so I am not really even varying the pace I am running.

          BeeRunB


            Thank you for the tips. I actually did a fair amount of yoga and may pick that back up.  I always push too hard in that no doubt.

             

            The worst thing to bring into yoga are the competitive fires. "Must get my head to my knee, NOW!"

            It took a long time fo me to get how gentle it is really supposed to be. Like a feather, not

            a cannonball.

             

            Cool

            --Jimmy


            Petco Run/Walk/Wag 5k

              run48 - your issue sounds similar to my calf issues. I made a simultaneous transition to near zero heel drop (VFF's, Huarche Sandals, & BF) and a hilly neighborhood. My calves tightened up and ached all the time. Being a stubborn person (Italian heritage...) I had been ignoring the fact that the calves (especially the damaged left one - faciotomy surgery) ached when touched and if feet flexed when in bed. I finally got the message and found level ground to run on, and have been using moderate heel drop shoes for the last 10 days or so. Also massaged with Biofreeze twice/day. Calves no longer ache so I'm going to introduce the VFF's back into rotation (every third run) but run level ground for a couple of weeks. I have to resist running in my hilly neighborhood until I know the VFF's are not aggravating the calves. Oh, I'm not stretching them either. Just massaging, foam rolling and avoiding hill/heel drop irritation. 

               

              I should mention that I thought I was ready for VFF's when we moved to Austin from Fort Worth. Had been bf''ing once/wk or so in FW (rolling hill to level) for 6 months and had gotten about 2mi as longest bf run. Had also started wearing zero heel drop shoes & sandals on a regular basis, so thought muscles were ready. Didn't count on or know about double jeopardy to the calves (and Achilles tendon) of zero heel drop and hills.

               

              So - recommendation - take the Nike's out of circulation until your leg heals, I'm guessing maybe 2 weeks? then add it into rotation on maybe 1 in 3 or 1 in 4 runs for a few weeks, then adjust accordingly. Consider wearing zero heel drop shoes such as Tom's or other flats to strengthen muscles impacted by minimal shoes. Start gradually with them as well. 

               

              good luck! Any injury is annoying! 

              bob e v
              2014 goals: keep on running! Is there anything more than that?

              Complete the last 3 races in the Austin Distance Challenge, Rogue 30k, 3M Half, Austin Full

              Break the 1000 mi barrier!

              History: blessed heart attack 3/15/2008; c25k july 2008 first 5k 10/26/2008 on 62nd birthday.

              stephenmarklay


                Interestingly I went have been doing a few light sets on the leg extension each day at the gym..  Not trying to build muscle mind you just get my body to remember they are there!

                 

                Guess what.  My hamstrings have eased a huge amount.  I am going to keep isolation exercises in mind for working on the agonist muscles groups a bit when I am having issues.

                 

                I still have some tightness deep in one hip but I am going to continue to "search" for the weak muscles and see if I can self treat.

                 

                THANKS!!!

                stephenmarklay


                  Just as a follow up my hamstring tightness has been greatly reduced by doing a few light leg extensions.

                   

                  I still have a muscle imbalance in my left hip so I will continue trying to figure that out.