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By
Charles Staley, B.Sc, MSS
Director, Staley Training Systems |
Tip
One: The Hyper-Warm-Up
If you're hurtin' and you start
your squat session with 135 on the bar, keep reading…
Look, if you're young, healthy,
and stupid, you can skip the warm-up- for now. But if you've
got a few miles on that chassis and you're not yet ready for
replacement parts, it'll serve you well to institute the hyper-warm-up:
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Step 1: The Early Bird Gets Burned:
If you can, your joints will appreciate
a later workout as opposed to an earlier one. Synovial joints, for
example, aren't fully lubricated with synovial fluid until a few
hours after waking. Think of your first few hours after waking as
part of your warm-up- and in fact, you'll immediately find that
your exercise warm-up will be faster when you train later in the
day as opposed to earlier.
Step 2: The Long, Hot Shower:
This is another example of success
by "doing the opposite:" Take your shower before your
workout, not after (well, OK, you can take one after too if you
like). How long? How hot? As long and hot as you can comfortably
tolerate- 15 minutes is probably plenty, but play around with it
and you'll come up with the best duration. Warm tissues respond
better to training- which is where the term "warm-up"
comes from in the first place).
Step 3: Dress For Success:
Even if it's warm out, try to wear
Under Armor-type sweat-wicking material. There are a number of materials
available now, but the salient idea is that these new fabrics wick
sweat away from your skin as you train. Why is this important? Because
evaporating sweat cools your body- the exact opposite of what you're
trying to do. I love cotton when I'm not training, but in the gym,
forget it- I'm sold on Synthetic sweat-wicking materials. If you
haven't yet tried them, I urge you to give it a go and see what
you think.
Step 3: Joint Custody:
Neoprene joint sleeves help to warm
your joints faster, and they also keep those joints warm through
your entire workout. At Bed & Barbell, we like sleeves made
by TK and Rehband, but a number of brands are available. If you
haven't yet tried joint sleeves because you view them as "cheating"
or "giving in," you're really missing out!
Step 4: Sweat:
Your general warm-up should be sufficient
to generate a sweat. You don't need to be pouring sweat mind, you,
but if you're still dry, you're not warmed up. I like skipping rope,
but whatever works for you is fine.
Step 5: Come In Through The Back
Door:
If you've got a "problem"
joint, muscle, or body region, try training it last in the workout.
Now here's why you'll probably dismiss this idea- your "problem"
areas are likely to be related to exercise you deem important to
you. For example, if you love to squat and/or you're a powerlifter,
and your knees are a bit cranky, try squatting at the end of the
workout instead of at the beginning. I know this violates the old
axiom that important exercises should come first in the workout,
but your HEALTH is what's really important, correct? Use your upper-body
exercises as a general warm-up, and you'll find that your knees
will respond better to the squats as a result.
Tip Two: Control Variables
If I've got a client who needs/wants
to squats, but he's got orthopedic issues, I'll always do everything
I can to ensure we're using consistent technique on every rep. For
example, squat depth can be made more precise by squatting down
to a box or bench. Similarly, tempo can be monitored/timed as well.
Tip Three: Hold Load Constant
And Use The "O" Rating
If you've got a nagging injury that
you're determined to train through, consider this tip: Every time
you perform a/the exercise that tends to aggravate joint pain, use
the same load, and the same set/rep bracket. For example, if you're
benching with shoulder pain, you might work up to 185 pounds for
5 sets of 5. Then, every time you bench, in your training journal,
make a note of your joint pain on a 1-5 scale (0 meaning no pain,
5 meaning you had so much pain you had to stop). If, over a series
of bench press workouts, your "O Rating" increases, you'll
need to reconsider your plan. On the other hand, if your O Rating
decreases, you're probably on the right track.
Tip Four: Stop the Vicious Cycle
When you've got an injury, you might
need to rest it, but if you never return to training, you'll be
victimized by the "vicious cycle:" the initial injury
tends to cause reduced activity, which causes atrophy, which further
reduces activity, which leads to further atrophy, etc. You've gotta
break that cycle somehow. And that might mean medical intervention
by the way.
Tip Five: Train Injured Parts
Last
This was already addressed in the
first tip relating to the Hyper Warm-Up, but it bears repeating:
don't hammer your hurtin' joints right out of the gate, even if
that's the way you've always done it. The more a joint hurts, the
later it should be trained, if at all.
Tip Six: Your Warm-Up Remains
The Same
Consistent with the idea of controlling
variables is the concept of using a consistent warm-up routine.
Here's mine for Olympic snatches:
44 pounds (2x3)
66 pounds (2x3)
88pounds (2x3)
110 pounds (2x3)
132 pounds (2x2)
Then I proceed to my heaviest weights
for the day, whatever they might be.
Notice that I always use the same
weight jumps, and also notice that I perform each weight twice.
This provides me with a basis of comparison- if, for example, my
second set with 110 pounds feels better than the first set with
that weight, I know my warm-up's working for me- I can feel myself
becoming more prepared for the heavier weights to follow. Without
this approach however, I don't benefit from this comparison
Tip Seven: Be Efficient
If you're a competitive lifter, are
all those joint-trashing exercises really necessary? For example,
let's say you're looking for a bigger bench and your elbows are
becoming problematic. Further, your pecs (not your triceps) are
the weak muscle group in the bench press. So why are you still doing
heavy triceps extensions?
Tip Eight: Is Pain An Ibuprofin
Deficiency?
OK, it's probably irresponsible for
me to suggest this, but the point is, anti-inflammatories can really
help. Ask your doctor, not me.
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Tip
Nine: If All Else Fails, Rest
I know, you don't
wanna take a layoff. But if your O Rating is climbing and
your Ibuprofin purchases are breaking the budget, you might
have to do it. Take heart: after a very recent three-week
layoff, I hit a lifetime PR power snatch right out of the
gates, at age 49. Sometimes the upside of healthier joints
are worth the downside of detraining.
Tip Ten: If That Fails,
See Your Doc
Here's a wild
thought for ya: if you know what's actually wrong, you might
be closer to finding a solution! I know, you don't want
your doctor to tell you to stop lifting, but obviously he
will, so just get over it. Knowledge is power. Get the knowledge,
make a plan, get those joints healthy, and get back to the
gym already.
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About
The Author
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His colleagues call him
an iconoclast, a visionary, a rule-breaker. His clients
call him “The Secret Weapon” for his ability
to see what other coaches miss. Charles calls himself
a “geek” who struggled in Phys Ed throughout
school. Whatever you call him, Charles’ methods are
ahead of their time and quickly produce serious results.
His counter-intuitive approach and self-effacing demeanor
have lead to appearances on NBC’s The TODAY Show
and The CBS Early Show.
Currently, Charles competes
in Olympic-style weightlifting on the master’s circuit,
with a 3-year goal of qualifying for the 2009 Master’s
World Championships.
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