Attn dodger87

[Toby]

I tried to reply to your e-mail and it didn't work 3 times, so I'm gunna make a thread about it. Hope you don't mind me posting your question and a reply here.

[Toby]

Originally posted by dodger87
Hey Toby,

I am still wondering about the whole overstraining thing that you said on my
post. In case you forgot this is what my exercises consists of:

Rest = 1-2minutes
Chinups x 10
Pull ups x 10
Pushups 80. Rest. Another 20 pushups.
Horse stance 3 x 1minute and 10 seconds with two side leg exercises in
between.
Rest.
v-holds until I cant stand it anymore.
Rest.
Diamond pushups x 20. Rest. Another 20.
Two finger push-ups x 5.
Five finger push-ups x 20.
Rest.
Hand stand pushups x 10. Rest. Another 10.
Leg stretches by placing 1 foot on a chair and stretching at a time.
Doing the splits until I can't handle the pain between my thighs anymore.
Rest.
Knuckle pushups x 40.
Squatting exercises until I cant bear the pain in my thighs anymore.
Rest.
One-armed pushups x 10 each arm.
Leg raises with my 2kg ankle weights. Front and side.
Head to knee stretch where I touch my knee with my forehead for about 3-5
seconds x 3
Situps x 40.
Crunches until cant bear the pain.
Rest.
Running. Rest. Skipping. Rest. Shadow Boxing. Rest. Bagwork.

Ever since you told me that i have been overstraining i split up my
exercises to allow myself to rest more days. I work on my
arms/legs/abs/flexibility in one day and for the next two days i train my
fitness level. I am worried that i still don't get enough rest or that i'm
getting too much. Thanks in advance.

Dodger87 Hi Dodger,

No, that sounds fine. I think it was someone else that said you were overtraining. You'll know you're overtraining if you are too tired and/or sore to do the exercises the next time. But still, with the volume you're doing, it may pay to have a rest in between days and train every 2nd day. You'll know in the long run because fatigue will build up. As long as you cycle things you should be fine e.g. not the same muscles every day. Some guys on the message boards only lift weights one day a week and find that works well for them. I used to do 3 times a week and that was good. Now I do something every day, with heavy weights every weekday. But my volume is low because I'm aiming for strength. Your workout is more an endurance workout than strength, and that is fine too. For me, I'd be tired the day after an endurance workout, but I probably wouldn't be sore. However, I'm almost 31 and my body recovers a lot slower than yours will. Still, mix it up a bit like you are - stretching one day, fitness the next. Once you start doing MA, you will probably do some sort of conditioning while doing that anyway. I'm surprised you have enough time to do that much exercise each day. I have to schedule mine around everything else and I don't have much free time each day after everything else. One thing to bear in mind is that you're doing more exercise than most other people (i.e. probably 90-95% of the population) so (as long as it's fine for your body) you will have an advantage over other people anyway.

BTW, it's probably best to post questions like this in the KF training & health forum. I read it every day anyway and will reply to most questions. Plus you have the benefit of other people's opinions.

Toby

[dodger87]

Thanks a bunch!

[Ford Prefect]

One thing I wouldn't do is hold a split until the pain in your legs becomes unbearable. That's a sure sign you are stretching the ligaments and tendons.

[dodger87]

So when it starts hurting i should just pull up? Are there any other exercises that could substitute the splits? It seems to be kinda dangerous for the knees.

[Toby]

Originally posted by dodger87
Are there any other exercises that could substitute the splits?Yes there are ;). What are you wanting to stretch specifically?

[MasterKiller]

I quit doing the splits because I kept getting tendonitis around my knee. Instead, I stand with my back against a wall, and prop my leg up on a free-standing bag. The bag is adjustable and goes pretty high, so I can get a good groin stretch without putting all that stress on my knees. Some people can use a ladder, too.

[blooming lotus]

or a wall :D

[dodger87]

Originally posted by Toby
Yes there are ;). What are you wanting to stretch specifically?

Well, whatever area that allows me to do splits.

[Toby]

Well, you should keep your quads strongly contracted when doing your splits and your knees locked back to protect them.

What other things to do? Butterfly pose (sitting, soles of feet together, knees pressed down to the ground), lunges, cossacks, a few others that I forget the name of.

[IronFist]

Originally posted by Toby
What other things to do? Butterfly pose (sitting, soles of feet together, knees pressed down to the ground),

I've always heard that the butterfly is bad for you.

[blooming lotus]

ok...first post here I didn't read the whole beginning..but going over it, you guys are confusing me...

1st..what is v hold ?or a butterfly for that matter( laugh if you must,. but I'm figuring we just call it somethinmg else?)

2. you said or he said "doing the splits til you can't handle the pain between your thighs anymore"??? then ford made the same reference...so 1st I'm guessing we're talking nth/sth splits rights...but then, don't you settle into you pelvis/ relax nd take it out of your thoighs? I don't think I even feel it there :eek:


and 3rd a head to knee stretch for what was it 3 ish seconds? How about sliding it down and going chest to knee? I did a seminar with a monk out from china and hje gave me a new point on the bottom of foot to increase range. Instead of grabbing toes going down hold the smack in the ball...also with splits, nth/sth he put pressure on the back of my thigh where my leg meets my butt...or was that where my upper glute met my lower back??..sore but gooood:D

now I get my daughter ( LOL..or her little mate who weighs more than I do)to stand there, or I sit with feet together in a diamond and
have someone stand on my thighs while I extend up and out....might sound silly, but check it out for a variation on an assisted stretch ;)

[Toby]

Originally posted by IronFist


I've always heard that the butterfly is bad for you. Maybe. What is it bad for? Knees? When I did yoga many moons ago, the teacher used to stand on our knees to push them down :eek:. Personally, butterfly feels alright to me as long as I concentrate on keeping my back straight and if I go forward, leading with the chest to tilt the pelvis not round the back.

BL, butterfly pose is the yoga one, (like I posted above) where you're sitting on the ground with the soles of your feet together and you usually hold your ankles with your hands and press down on your shins or knees with your forearms to force your knees down. Gives a nice groin stretch.

[blooming lotus]

oh..ok..very cool ...I do that all the time...and a v hold?

[IronFist]

As far as I know, a v-hold is like when you lift yourself up with parallel bars and lift your legs up so they make a "V" with your upper body. You can also do it on paralletes, or, if you're pretty strong, you can do it on the floor by supporting yourself on your hands (fists are easier).

[blooming lotus]

ok cool...got it :p ..whhat's it called when you do the reverse and extend legs back and over???:D

[blooming lotus]

Dodge

I printed out a copy of your routine because I think I'm going to add and change a few things and use it myself...I was considering your last staement about having concern about lack of rest...You did hear what happened to flo - jo right...total athlete, worked like a trouper and died of a heart attack..I think you're putting a lot of stress on your heart there, especially being new to ma, it is probable that you are not practicing qigong right...I train myself and with this kind of work load I highly recommend that you either incorperate some breathing or meditative excersises throughout the day or take more rest periods....on a sideish note, if you're looking to increase flexiblity maybe something like a pilates or yoga would bev worthwhile..;):cool:

[dodger87]

Originally posted by Toby
Well, you should keep your quads strongly contracted when doing your splits and your knees locked back to protect them.

What other things to do? Butterfly pose (sitting, soles of feet together, knees pressed down to the ground), lunges, cossacks, a few others that I forget the name of.

sorry i dont quite get what a butterfly pose is, how do you sit? and when you say i should lock my knees what do you mean? when i do the splits my knee caps usually are facing the front.

[dodger87]

Originally posted by blooming lotus
Dodge

I printed out a copy of your routine because I think I'm going to add and change a few things and use it myself...I was considering your last staement about having concern about lack of rest...You did hear what happened to flo - jo right...total athlete, worked like a trouper and died of a heart attack..I think you're putting a lot of stress on your heart there, especially being new to ma, it is probable that you are not practicing qigong right...I train myself and with this kind of work load I highly recommend that you either incorperate some breathing or meditative excersises throughout the day or take more rest periods....on a sideish note, if you're looking to increase flexiblity maybe something like a pilates or yoga would bev worthwhile..;):cool:

I've heard of qigong before i think, but they say its too dangerous to practice by yourself and that its better to have an instructor. And as for meditation, i don't know how to, i fall asleep when i close my eyes.

[blooming lotus]

basic meditation is not as complicated or esoteric as some people might think...
begin by sitting in cross legged position, close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing pattern...breath in for 4, hold for 4 and exhale deeply for 4....if other thoughts enter your head, make an effort to return your focus to your breathing....


once you have a regular pattern of deep breathing, maybe 5ish minutes is ample to do this....you might like to experiment in experiencing your qi......

begin by as you breath in, using creative visualisation, still thoughts focussed on breathing, see/feel a column of , I like to use light/electric blue for it's obviuos power and purity....entering through the base of your spine..travelling up through you energy center (dantien) in your lower abdomen, up through your spinal column, gathering over or at the top of your head as you hold then "raining" down over and through you as though your body did not occupy that space...though since it does, it is permeated by this energy and therefore "washes" clean your being....

after doing this a several times...bring your palms together in a prayer like fashion...continue to focus and your visualisation and breath...eyes may remain closed...gentley "pull" palms apart..allowing that energy to stretch and grow...it may help here to visualise that you are holding an expandng ball...stopping at intervals to "sqeeze" the ball an inch or so to make sure it's there and the tension is right.....You should experience a cool tinglely pulling sensation which will dictate the speed and distance to which you do this....after you are free from tension, and done playing with your qi...while your ball is wide...slowly and deliberately bring your palm in toward your body, directing that energy, as though you are pushing your ball into your dantien (lower abdomen)....let your hands drain as your dantien fills, then "sink" that energy into the earth...to ground your energy, as your breathing returns to normal and you open your eyes, sit for a minute or so with your palms flat on the ground.....

It probably also important to mention that it is best to this in direct contact with ground, rather than say, on an upper floor ;)

hope it ties you over 'til you can find yourselfa qigong teacher

cheers enjoy :D :p