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Other/Mixed Prehab to Main Exercise Ratio

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
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watchnerd

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I swear I get more little niggles and nags these days.

For almost all of them I know what I need to do -- do a little more stretching and mobility work here, a little more antagonist strengthening there, etc.

But I swear the amount of prehab work I have to do these days to keep everything running smoothly when training is approaching 20% of all the exercises I do!

1/5th of the time dedicated to 'just keep crap from breaking and injuring'.
 
I swear I get more little niggles and nags these days.

For almost all of them I know what I need to do -- do a little more stretching and mobility work here, a little more antagonist strengthening there, etc.

But I swear the amount of prehab work I have to do these days to keep everything running smoothly when training is approaching 20% of all the exercises I do!

1/5th of the time dedicated to 'just keep crap from breaking and injuring'.
I feel you on that since switching the the am. I’m doing the OS resets, the standard S and S warmup, dead hangs on the pull up bar, plus some general stretching and moving around to make sure my back doesn’t feel tight. It definitely takes me 20 minutes to warmup before my 30 minute training. I miss just jumping in but it’s worth not having to take 3 months off for some injury.
 
Also could add that if I even sleep on my stomach for an hour during the night it feels like my lower back is a pretzel and I really have to give it time to get back to normal. My neck gets incredibly tight too if I end up on my stomach. The trick for me was finding ONE pilot that was the right thickness and density to allow comfortable back sleeping. It’s rough getting old. No one tells you what 35 is really gonna be like :cool:
 
I find that when I start feeling like that, the answer is to back off the training volume for 2-3 weeks.

I'm not a believer in "prehab work" myself.

I've got too much mileage on this frame from Division I rugby-- left shoulder torn labrum, left shoulder torn supraspinatus, right shoulder dislocation, compound rib fractures, torn left side hamstring.

Without pre-hab work to build up all my damaged spots, I wouldn't be able to do anything more intense than walking and yoga.

Plus, with competition in 6 weeks, I don't have the option of just backing off the volume while I'm trying to peak. :(
 
I've got too much mileage on this frame from Division I rugby-- left shoulder torn labrum, left shoulder torn supraspinatus, right shoulder dislocation, compound rib fractures, torn left side hamstring.

Without pre-hab work to build up all my damaged spots, I wouldn't be able to do anything more intense than walking and yoga.

Plus, with competition in 6 weeks, I don't have the option of just backing off the volume while I'm trying to peak. :(

You know yourself best... I would just say that any type of "work," even if prehab, is stress on the body. And stress is cumulative and requires recovery in and of itself, so should be considered in the overall training load. But since I don't do any prehab work myself, I may be mischaracterizing it.

And I still think that "I get more little niggles and nags these days" might mean your overall training volume is too high... but for a competitive athlete, that comes with the territory I guess. Hopefully you'll take a nice deload after your next meet!
 
And I still think that "I get more little niggles and nags these days" might mean your overall training volume is too high... but for a competitive athlete, that comes with the territory I guess.

Indeed, it comes with the territory.

Every peaking cycle is unsustainable in the long run.

Which is why I only compete 1 or 2 times per year.
 
Indeed, it comes with the territory.

Every peaking cycle is unsustainable in the long run.

Which is why I only compete 1 or 2 times per year.

Makes sense. And I haven't been in a serious competitive cycle so I'm purely speculating... but perhaps it's just a matter of shifting your mindset a bit. Instead of "Another warning light just came on, I need to respond to it by adding another prehab routine", it can then just be "Another warning light just came on, but this is totally expected, given where I am in my cycle... it's a bit of a risk to keep pushing but it's one I'm willing to take for this goal, and I'll probably be fine... And I'll give my body the rest it needs when this peaking cycle and competition is over."

Then in the short term, scrub your routine of anything that doesn't add to your immediate goal. Look for things to remove, rather than things to add.
 
Makes sense. And I haven't been in a serious competitive cycle so I'm purely speculating... but perhaps it's just a matter of shifting your mindset a bit. Instead of "Another warning light just came on, I need to respond to it by adding another prehab routine", it can then just be "Another warning light just came on, but this is totally expected, given where I am in my cycle... it's a bit of a risk to keep pushing but it's one I'm willing to take for this goal, and I'll probably be fine... And I'll give my body the rest it needs when this peaking cycle and competition is over."

Then in the short term, scrub your routine of anything that doesn't add to your immediate goal. Look for things to remove, rather than things to add.

That's pretty tough to do when the "thing to remove" is pushing the boundaries on the clean.

I can clean 125 kg right now if I go almost ATG, and power jerk it about 50% of the time. But getting out of the hole at the beginning is pointing out comparative weakness in my external hip rotators relative to my prime movers.

I've been here before. The difference is that the 'hitting the body limits' is coming sooner in the cycle that in years past.

The good part is that, because I've been down this path many times, there is no panic or demoralizing. I just need to work on my weaknesses more.

Just a bit of sigh as it means progression tables have to be recalculated, which is annoying.

As for today (new cycle starts on a Sunday), the only thing remaining in my routine right now are the competition lifts, their accessories, squats, and mobility/prehab.
 
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I'm approaching 51 and pretty beaten up from years of to failure and beyond training. I don't warm up any differently to when I was younger but I definitely add rest days to any program. Most weekly programs I will adjust to complete over nine days. Or if I feel like I need a rest day, I will take two. That has certainly fixed a lot of my aches and niggles, primarily elbow and shoulder related.

I also take a Dr Mercola recommended combination of krill oil, astaxanthan and curcumin each evening with a low dose NSAID, and that has made a huge difference. I no longer get out of bed and hobble around every morning complaining about getting old.
 
I also take a Dr Mercola recommended combination of krill oil, astaxanthan and curcumin each evening with a low dose NSAID, and that has made a huge difference. I no longer get out of bed and hobble around every morning complaining about getting old.

Oh my supplement regime is extensive.

Morning:

Betaine
Vitamine D
Chromium picolinate
Hyolauronic acid
Turmeric
Tart cherry

Evening:

Betaine (again)
Pantothenic acid
Krill oil
Zinc
Magnesium


About 2 weeks before competition, I'll add creatine, if I'm confident I'll make weigh-in.
 
I find that when I start feeling like that, the answer is to back off the training volume for 2-3 weeks.

I'm not a believer in "prehab work" myself.
I like to GTG with medicinal exercise. I stretch my hamstrings a few times a day, hang from a bar when I walk by it.

I agree with @Anna C that many times, little aches and pains are the result of overtraining.

-S-
 
I like to GTG with medicinal exercise. I stretch my hamstrings a few times a day, hang from a bar when I walk by it.

I agree with @Anna C that many times, little aches and pains are the result of overtraining.

-S-

Oh, I don't disagree.

I usually cut the wire close to overtraining during competition prep.

Hitting weekly PRs is tough in the -6 to -2 weeks out range. Plus strict calorie management to make weigh in, so can't just eat through it.

At -1 week and 0 week it backs off.
 
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