No swimming today -- some kinda crap about "the pool is closed during tornado watches" or something. Whatever.
Had ART/PT today. Encouraging and frustrating all at the same time. Here's the good news list of problems I don't have:
Bone length differential
Joint problems
Any other major structural problems
What I do have is a massive neuromuscular dysfunction from 20 years of one-sided repetitive muscle fires. In other words, my hundreds of thousands of baseball throws, baseball swings and golf swings were all the same motion. All fired the left lower body and the right upper body. Transverse relationship, and those areas got really, really strong. My left leg and right arm/shoulder/lat are all very strong, and you can see this on my latest challenge photos. The right side of my upper body is stronger, and always has been. Now I know why.
For most athletes this isn't that big of a deal -- all of them thrive on imbalance. Pitchers can't throw 90mph with both hands, and don't need to. One will do. But for me, the weak side eventually quit firing altogether. My right glute medius, for instance, rides the short bus on the neuromuscular highway. It's getting there finally after three weeks of hard work, but before that it was almost useless.
I am now in the clear to "load up" on the lower body again and see how things go. Rock. On.
And for the voyeurs out there, here was my self-control moment of the week at the ART office:
Receptionist: So what size orthotics are we ordering for you?
Me: Twelve.
Her: Wow.... really big feet. (What to say, what to say... so many options... I stayed a good boy)
Me: Hey, I'm 6'3. Seems proportional to me.
Bystander: He's right. My husband's 6'6" and wears a size 13.
Me: See? With feet any smaller than that we tall guys would fall right over.
If she was from Singapore I probably would have had a different answer.
__________________ Megaloi -- My Blog
"Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers."
- Mignon McLaughlin
Thanks! I'm not usually very good at being patient and doing the right thing with rehab-type activities, but I did better this time around.
I won't actually be loading the leg today, though, because I've got a golf outing tomorrow with guys from church. First time I've played since December -- should be interesting! Hopefully I won't have to fire the left posterior chain more than 50 times, and the other 50 shots will be with the wedge and putter.
__________________ Megaloi -- My Blog
"Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers."
- Mignon McLaughlin
Bundle up. Isn't supposed to be cold? And for all you Northern types yes I understand that cold is a relative term. We have our little league opening day parade and games which should be a shivering good time.
__________________
Past performance is not indicative of future success.
Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.
The forecast keeps getting warmer. Now they're saying the morning will start in the mid 40s and warm up from there. Not bad (I'm from the midwest, though).
__________________ Megaloi -- My Blog
"Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers."
- Mignon McLaughlin
Congrats on the resumption of lower-body work. I went ape-shit when I was out with my hamstring mess. As for the imbalances, I'm in the same boat as you (really showed up when I was going Swiss ball work during Core Performance): years and years of baseball, basketball, tennis, golf, and even wrestling, to an extent. Strong left leg and right arm. I'll be looking to boost your PT regimen for myself, but I'm thinking after I finish the NROL Strength stuff, I'll go back to CP for another round--I haven't felt so fully balanced and stable in my life until I did that program.
"If you do not find time to become and remain healthy, you will be obliged to find time to be ill." --George Hackenschmidt
"These Canadians lure you with their kindness and Eskimo stories and then WHAM...you're bent over an IHOP trash can, pants around your knees with nothing but your tears and the smell of blueberry syrup to comfort you." --gobbla
That's right, all you internet stalkers. Come out to Cinco Ranch Golf Club tomorrow morning and watch the tall redhead guy hit balls over 300 yards in the wrong direction. It's better than the theater.
__________________ Megaloi -- My Blog
"Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers."
- Mignon McLaughlin
T-pushups: 3 sets of 5, each arm, ended last set in pushup hold in bottom position
Inverted rows: 3 sets of 10 (wide, narrow, underhand)
Bent-over DB rows: 3 sets of 10, 55lbs
Farmer's hold (like a farmer's walk, but a lot less distance), 160lbs
Reverse crunches
Side/front/side plank combo, no rest, 1:20 total
Enough to get some work in and not hurt my golf game tomorrow. It'd be a tragedy if I shot a stroke over 98.
__________________ Megaloi -- My Blog
"Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers."
- Mignon McLaughlin
The forecast keeps getting warmer. Now they're saying the morning will start in the mid 40s and warm up from there. Not bad (I'm from the midwest, though).
Dangit. That was premature elaboration.
Now the forecast is for 35 degrees at tee time. Warming up to low 60s after a few hours, but by then we'll be done!
__________________ Megaloi -- My Blog
"Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers."
- Mignon McLaughlin
Cable rows -- 8 sets of 3, 150 lbs
DB Military press (neutral grip) -- 8 sets of 3, 45 lbs
Woodchoppers
Scap retraction work
Grip work (DB-pinch-hold-doohickeys)
I had just finished a set of rows when a trainer grabbed my arm and frantically said, "Get the other side!!!" I had no idea what he meant. Then I looked over and an idiot kid had failed miserably on the press and was trapped by 165 pounds. Why the trainer couldn't lift the entire bar off by himself, I don't know. I ran around to the other side of the bar and lifted it off the kid.
The trainer looked at the kid and said, "C'mon man, at least yell for help or something. Don't just lie there."
The kid answered, "Well, I thought I could... it was... I ... yeah."
Nobody told me about their failed marriage today. So I've got that going for me.
Pullups: 7 sets of 4, 60s rest
DB bench press: 7 sets of 4, 60s rest
Cable crunches
Back extensions, 10-lb plate at arms' length
*One-legged romanian deadlifts, 20lbs in each hand, 10 reps per leg
*Reverse lunges, 20 lbs in each hand, 10 reps per leg
Farmer's hold, 160 lbs, 35 seconds
*I have once again entered the realm of lower body training, albeit a slow, gentle entrance. So far things feel good.
I'm not listing the daily PT stuff I'm doing in the mornings. But I'm still doing it.
OJM (Old Jewish Man) was in the locker room today:
OJM (loud and hard of hearing): HI, HOW ARE YOU!?!?
Me: Fine, thanks!
OJM: ARE YOU THANKING ME BECAUSE YOU'RE DOING FINE, OR BECAUSE I ASKED!?!?
Me: Because you asked. How are you?
OJM: FINE.... AND THANK YOU. HAHAHAH!!
__________________ Megaloi -- My Blog
"Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers."
- Mignon McLaughlin
