Pain and Form Question

[GqArtguy]

Bill and anyone else:

As some of you know I strained my QL a few weeks ago and had to take things lightly for a bit. I still feel some slight pull in my left hamstring when taking a wide stance and bending over (think GM position) but it goes away if I stretch it dynamically. Well anyway, Ive been doing deadlift assistance work (1 exercise) to hit the p-chain, and recently have been doing arched GMs to the parallel. The next day my back is very tight and sore and it causes discomfort to round the back, it eases up by the time I get to leg day but its not a comfortable feeling. Additionally, if I twist to the right, far enough to pop your back it causes discomfort in the back but not if I twist to the left. Im not sure what this is and would like some feedback as to what it might be.

I will say that I havent been doing a lot of front ab work. Before the QL strain I had been doing mostly oblique work because my abs were drained from the compound lifts. So Im wondering if Ive created an imbalance by doing pulling and p-chain movements and not enough abs. Perhaps this may be why I have discomfort?


Now to a form Q: Im stuck at a 230 front squat becuase of form issues. When coming back up my knees buckle inward when I get up to the parallel level. Is there anyway to overcome this. I was thinking of doing half front squats, but if anyone has other ideas Im game.

[Bill Hartman]

Gq,

Your lower back issue is a tough call without watching things as they happen. It may not be a as much of a strength thing as a recruitment thing. If you're better at recruiting erectors and psoas for stability, your abs may not be very effective in countering the spinal extension. It could also be something related to your QL issue or a rotation of one side of your pelvis. Your tight hamstring side may be anteriorly rotated due to the QL or psoas (stretching that hamstring may not be the answer...it's tight because of the rotation). Have someone with a good eye check your loaded and unloaded squat form for gross right/left asymmetries. You'll tend to shift away from the "tight" side and/or over pronate on the anteriorly rotated side.

If you've ever seen some of the training hall tapes of the Bulgarians and top weightlifters you'll see quite a few with the tendency to adduct and internally rotate the hip in front squatting with near max weights.

There's a couple schools of thought to correct it. I favor a simple isometric at the point of "buckling" and progressively load it. Start with you best weight that you can hold for good form. This is also good for your trunk musculature which is often the limitation during front squatting.

Another option...tie a very light string around your knees wide enough to squat "correctly" and maintain tension on the string throughout the squat. Some folks recommend a band but there's too much tension from the band and when you remove the band the exercise changes too much. The string helps optimize the tension in the stabilizing musculature rather than overrecruit.

Unilateral work will also be helpful.

Bill

[GqArtguy]

Thanks bill, Ill have someone look at it. What happens if the side is anteriorly rotated and I shift to my right side, how do I fix that?

[Bill Hartman]

It depends on the compensation.

In most PT clinics they'll try to correct it with some form of muscle energy technique using the pull of antagonistic muscles to reposition the one side of the pelvis. It "works" quite often but may not stay unless the soft-tissue issues are addressed. If you QL problem and hamstring are on the same side, I'm betting money that things won't square up until the QL issue is addressed. You may need some manual treatment to the QL. Let me know what you find in your squat test.

Bill

[GqArtguy]

Hey Bill I squatted today and my spotter saw now breaks in form or leaning. I did some front squats with a fast eccentric and found that on several reps within the workout the right side touched the pins while the left didnt.

I did GMs arched and that was fine.

I did split squats (bulgarian) with 35's in each hand to test the movement and that was ok.I did notice a pull in my left hamstring when doing the lift, but I guess thats the symptom of something else.

The only thing I didnt do were RDL's. I think I may be pulling unevenly on those because Im using a thick bar (about 2inches).

Do you have any thoughts?

[Bill Hartman]

Got any video?

Bill

[GqArtguy]

Sorry Bill, I dont have any video.

This is a quote from someone who offered advice on the same subject, maybe you could comment on it:

As for good stretching I find that trunk rolls one of the many MP exercises is great for it. I do this first every workout. Here is what I do before any work out.

Trunk rolls at a slow tempo
TFL/IT band stretch.
Trunk rolls faster tempo
TFL/IT band stretch. With a slight rotation to hit the QL very slight.
Trunk rolls fast tempo

Then I go into a Movement Prep routine.
Also I have found that Movement Prep works much better if you do not take rests between movements. It is really hard but man it wakes you up like a EC stack never could.

Great stuff if you can learn how to use it. I am still working on it and trying to master it.


Heres another:

You could also implement the progression if using Amstaff's Hip Crossover (i.e., Trunk Rolls) series. That is, go from feet on the floor and knees at 90 degrees to feet up off the floor and hips and knees at 90 degrees to legs straight and hips at 90 degrees (or as close as you can get).