#13 in Health, fitness & dieting books
Reddit mentions of Becoming a Supple Leopard: Movement, Mobility, and Maintenance of the Human Animal
Sentiment score: 36
Reddit mentions: 98
We found 98 Reddit mentions of Becoming a Supple Leopard: Movement, Mobility, and Maintenance of the Human Animal. Here are the top ones.
or
- Broadway Books
Features:
Specs:
| Height | 10.88 Inches |
| Length | 8.5 Inches |
| Number of items | 1 |
| Release date | March 2013 |
| Weight | 3.73022147304 Pounds |
| Width | 1.2 Inches |
Becoming a Supple Leopard.
http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588#
dat dere mobility
Far be it for me to discourage anyone from a physical regimen, but the article draws its citations from Kelly Starrett. In the interest of fairness, here's a particularly damning review of Starrett's book.
I don't think your legs look big at all. As said by previous posters, I think your doctor is biased. You mentioned your quads are very tight. I don't know what your issues are specifically, but have you tried mobility work (I know crossfit is big on mobility. I don't do crossfit, but KStar (physical therapist and crossfit coach) wrote a really awesome book about technique and mobility that has helped my joints and functioning in general.
http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588
That's an impressive 19-week transformation, great job! Here's a piece of advice you can choose to ignore; instead of avoiding squats for fear of your knees, start doing squats, and use them as a method to fix your knees. That said, don't straight out start squatting like a monster. I'd suggest taking a look at Becoming a Supple Leopard, stabilization and torque, seeing a physiotherapist or doing all of them before getting into it.
Also, if you're going to do the above, it's important to think of it as rehabilitation rather than working out. I had some pretty nasty hip/ass/groin-issues (allthough if you'd asked me before I found out, I'd blame the hips and knees) due to bad form and lack of stretching during my years of thai boxing. Perfect form, slowly increasing resistance (starting very low) and constant awareness of what your body is telling you is what you should be aiming for.
Disclaimer: I'm just a regular guy who doesn't know shit about what kind of problems you're having with your knees.
Mobility. Check out Kelly Starrett's Becoming A Supple Leopard
Becoming a Supple Leopard by Kelly Starrett. Thank me later.
There is a section about posture in Becoming a Supple Leopard.
while standing:
Here, I found you this book.
Links
here's a start
3 hours and no recommendation for Becoming a Supple Leopard?
Buy this...
http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372545317&sr=8-1&keywords=becoming+a+supple+leopard
It's difficult to study exercise technique/form in quite the same rigorous & scientific way as we do with medications & diseases. Or perhaps more importantly, people haven't put nearly as much effort & money into the (proper scientific) study of exercise.
Having said that, it's not a data-free zone. I'd recommend Kelly Starrett's book Becoming a Supple Leopard as a fairly comprehensive book that covers proper form for many exercises.
It's not referenced, but Starrett is knowedgeable & widely respected, and the book is excellent.
Two books to buy:
One of the best things you could probably do for yourself is start increasing your motor control and mobility. It helps tremendously to learn how to brace your spine and position your shoulders into a stable position. Once you learn that you will understand how to create the most force off your movements through torque and maintaining tension in your body.
A lot of "good technique" in bjj or lifting or any sport starts with good bone/joint/spinal/body positioning. When you start practicing these proper body position and maintaining them through a full range of movement (i.e. the basic squat), you learn where your joints/muscles/spine need better range of motion and how to train that--your bjj technique will probably improve. An understanding of basic human movements translates into any physical activity through better performance.
That being said...I would say you don't really need weights or kettlebell swings until you've built a good base of physical strength/conditioning. Start with some general physical preparedness (GPP), bodyweight squats, pushups, situps, planks, chinups and pullups + add a little bit of good form running.
I would highly suggest reading Kelly Starret's stuff (http://www.mobilitywod.com/ , http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588) if you are working on correcting a mechanical issue with the way your body works. A couple simple tips of his have been very effecting in correcting my hip tilt and slouch.
Get this book Becoming a Supple Leopard
anything and everything for soreness/mobility is in there.
Becoming a Supple Leopard: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance
You should check out Kelly Starrett's site MobilityWOD and his book Becoming a Supple Leopard. Some of his videos are behind a paywall now but there are still plenty of free ones. The exercises are a lot more targeted and effective than just plain 'ole stretching.
Also, yoga is a great place to start! I just did 10 minutes a day for awhile and it made a huge difference.
This book is very popular with crossfit-types. There are a lot of mobility exercises here that you can do to assist your T-spine.
http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588
Becoming a Supple Leopard by Kelly Starrett has been a great read so far. It looks like a text book but is a relatively easy read full of amazing information regarding some basic anatomy, mobility and training.
Right here
Suns out, guns out!
1.
and 2.
Edit: also finished my own Summer reading list if anyone cares.
"Becoming a Supple Leopard", "Pagan Christianity", "Anatomy Without a Scalpel", and "The Official Truth: The Inside Story of Pantera"
I assume you mean movements like cleans, snatch, etc?
If so, it's fully possible to execute these movements as a tall person. Becoming a Supple Leopard is a book that can help you increase your Range of Motion in different joints, if that's an issue for you.
Here's a squat from a 6'7"/6'8" guy and here's the same guy doing a snatch.
Form is paramount to a successful lift. The people over at /r/weightlifting are always helping out with form checks and advice. In fact, there's a thread right now about getting squat depth as a tall lifter.
I'd highly suggest you buy "Becoming a Supple Leopard" from Kstar: http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368219399&sr=8-1&keywords=becoming+a+supple+leopard.
His website, MobilityWOD.com has long been a CrossFitter's best friend for all things mobility (soreness, stretching, smashing, etc.). Foam roller is but one of the tools he goes over (although he seems to prefer Lacrosse ball and other more painful methods now).
I may get shouted at for this but becoming a supple leopard is really good. It's written by a guy involved with crossfit so I wouldn't be surprised if people dislike it, but it's good.
There are older pdf versions of it online, and if you skip to the exercises sections towards the end, you can find loaaaads of things to do with a foam roller, depending on what you're trying to hit.
There won't be a full "routine" because it would take ages. Just do 10 mins a day on 2 or 3 areas you think need it.
As far as causing injury- just look up how to foam roll your back. You'll struggle to injure anything else
edit: just to point out that mobilitywod (recommended in a different post) is the same guy who wrote this book!
You should check out this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588
Becoming a Supple Leopard
http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588
if you're serious about mobility i feel like this is an incredible resource
Like with any sport you gotta just go for it.
If you are being conscious of keeping your spine straight, abs just slightly flexed, shoulders up, chin up, and glutes firmly tucked, you'll be well on your way to doing any exercise better than most.
You will always see people in the gym with bad form. Again, just mindfully go for it and trust your body to do what you need it do. This book may also help.
Gray Cook's book Movement covers everything you just described. That, combined with Kelly Starrett's Becoming a Supple Leopard and you're set. One more book I recommend, Travell and Simons' The Trigger Point Manuel.
This is just skimming the surface though. A thorough understanding of kinesiology, anatomy, and physiology, while not required, will help you understand the theory behind the human body.
I'm brand new to Crossfit. I'm about 9 weeks into some intense metcons and strength training...working with my buddy who is a personal trainer.
He introduced me to a guy named Kelly Starrett. This guy wrote a book called Becoming a Supple Leopard. I read that book and watched a lot of his videos on YouTube. He now has a pay site which is cheap, but I stuck more to the free stuff.
I gotta tell ya, this guy changed my life.
I do his mobilization stuff every day before a workout. And a lot of it on breaks I take when I've been on my computer for too long. It's been a life saver.
Also got a green "monster" band from Rogue fitness to do his stuff....which is worth it's weight in gold to me. Especially for arm and leg mobilization stuff.
I'm about 6 foot 1 and around 220-230 right now and still can't touch my toes...my hamstrings are the worst. But after this past 9 weeks of doing what Starrett says, it's changed everything.
Can't recommend him enough. HOURS of YT stuff and that book is a game changer too. (this being my favorite)
See what ya think of the videos before throwing any money down on this book.
I hope that helps!
Just as a supplement you might consider giving this book a read: http://www.amazon.ca/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588.
If we're talking mobilizations Becoming a Supple Leopard is the book I would recommend. You can also do the soup can thing with a lacrosse ball.
So stick with it for as long as it is effective, do the resets. By the triple reset point you'll have different numbers, and probably a whole new perspective on what you want from another program.
Also I forgot to mention, I've recently picked up kelly starrett's book. This is another tool that I think will eventually be seen as on the same level as SS. I think the guy is pretty brillant, and the book can help with form a lot. Not to mention the other half of the book is mobilization and recovery techniques.
> 1) ... shoes ...
CF workouts are hard. Your old shoes will probably feel very heavy to you. I say, invest in shoes. I have 4 pairs: Many wear Nanos. I have the 3.0 version. They are good CF shoes because they are very light, have almost no drop from heel to toe, provide ample support, and have a nice toe box and are pretty breathable. Use the foot-sizer at a shoe store to find your true foot size. That's your Nano size. I also use Nike Free 5.0, which I actually like more than the Nanos. The are slightly lighter than the Nanos, they have a very slight heel to toe drop, and they put more demand on your feet, so you get stronger. In addition I have a pair of Mizuno Be. They are the most minimal shoe I can find. I love them, but use with caution. Finally, I have a pair of Adidas adiPower weightlifting shoes. (I take an Olympic weightlifting class which really helps develop the skills for the more advanced lifts.) The adiPowers have a 3/4" heel. They are firm as a rock. They are solely for weightlifting. Do not WOD in them. Don't even walk back to the car in them.
> 2) Is it really as culty
Imagine you are standing in front of a supermarket with your groceries. There are 10 other people also there with their groceries. All of a sudden some dude in the parking lot lights his car on fire, gets naked, hops on a unicycle and vanishes. You and the others rush to put out the fire, and then stick around to give statements to the cops. Now, imagine you show up the next day at the same supermarket and the same 10 people are there. Fire dude rolls back up on a unicycle this time and lights his unicycle on fire. Gets naked, hops on a skateboards and vanishes. Crossfit brings people together in exciting common experience. You talk. You laugh. You strategize. You go home and tell people about it. (People at home will not be as amused by your tales of constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity across broad time and modal domains as they would be about a dude who keeps lighting his rides on fire and getting naked. Note this well.)
> 3) Will they warm me up...How about stretching...
Most boxes do a warmup. Some do stretching. If your box doesn't find a good warmup online. Find a good stretch regimin also. Show up early and do it. This book is considered the bible by many.
> 4) "pukie" ... being pushed to injury.
I had to ask the same question to this forum. Here's the deal. Crossfit's biggest problem is quality consistency for the coaches. Some are great. Some suck. My Olympic weightlifting coach is an actual former Olympian and Olympic coach. He can watch 10 people do a clean and jerk and point out the minute technical flaws in everyone's movements. He sometimes encourages to take weight off the bar. Sometimes to put weight on the bar. He's the real deal. Some crossfit coaches are very good. Some are good at somethings (like motivation) but bad at others (like give poor execution tips.) So. What you do is get that book I recommended and read it. Read all you can or watch youtube videos about all the exercises (you can typically go the the box's website the day before and get the wod for the next day.) LISTEN to you body. The key to crossfit is the intensity. Learn how to push yourself. But also, learn how to pace yourself. Ask the advanced people in the class for tips about how to do the WOD. Most importantly, learn how to set your own limits. If a coach comes up and you are totally gassed, and he or she starts counting down and tells you to get back on the bar. It's ok to not do so. (After a while you will feel guilty if you don't give it your all, but you will know what your all is. You are responsible for you.) Also if a coach's style is just not compatible with your boundaries, you have to talk to him or her. (I did.) For example. I don't speed lift the complicated oly lifts anymore. I also don't do sumo dead-lift high-pulls. I do the complex lifts at a challenging but safe pace. And I do regular sumo dead-lifts instead of the high-pulls (because I like my rotator cuff).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSSDLDhbacc - Joe De Franco's Limber 11 mobility Stretches.
http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588
Kelly Starrett Becoming a Supple Leopard
They can be done on your off days. Their pretty much the guru's on mobility. They also say you can do it before your workouts so you can take the experts word for it or some dudes posting on the internet with no proof.
Peace Out Bye!
Can't vouch for it personally, but i've heard good things about this
http://www.amazon.ca/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398263888&sr=8-1&keywords=supple+leopard
At 5'5" and 110 lbs, you shouldn't have much weight to lose. I'm wondering if you have anterior pelvic tilt and that's what's making your stomach bulge out.
Try Kelly Starrett's bracing sequence detailed in [this article] (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/sit-better-live-better-excerpt-from-becoming-a-supple-leopard.html), see if it brings your stomach in. If it does, you know what you need to work on.
If that works for you, it might be helpful to check out Starrett's mobility book. He's also written a book on running that's coming out next month, but obviously I haven't read it yet.
Not sure if this is applicable to your situation, but here's a quote from "The Press" (referring to the standing overhead barbell press) chapter in the 3rd (latest) edition of Rippetoe's "Starting Strength" book:
"...Athletes who never do anyhing but bench press tend to have more shoulder problems than those who include overhead training. With all of the pressing emphasis directed to the anterior side of the shoulders, the posterior side gets relatively weak... If the internal rotators become disproportionately strong, enough to exceed the capacity of the external rotators to decelerate the humerus during a throw, injuries can and often do occur... For every bench press workout, there should be [an overhead] press workout..."
You may also want to re-visit your bench press form & revise if necessary, focusing on elbow-to-shoulder angle & grip width for vertical forearms at the bottom. Aim to touch the bar to the area around the bottom of your sternum, instead of trying to bring the bar across the middle (or top) of your pecs.
Kelly Starrett's MobilityWOD YouTube channel (as well as his "Becoming a Supple Leopard" book) may also have some shoulder mobility exercises that could be helpful for you.
Good luck.
Buy this book ...
Becoming A Supple Leopard ...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1936608588/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1936608588&linkCode=as2&tag=recov0b-20
It appears that dead tree format is your only choice currently.
https://kindle.amazon.com/work/becoming-supple-leopard-preventing-performance/B008QW27R8/1936608588
I would either use both plates or none at all. It could be potentially dangerous to have a height imbalance by using one plate. If you are struggling with the heel problem I would suggest using the plates for the time being and concentrate on mobility work.
Kelly Starrett has a book called 'Supple Leapord', which I think is the go to for any mobility/mechanical issues you have with your body. If you are thinking about getting into any strength training prgramme I would highly suggest spending a bit of money on the book and going through the chapters on mobility work/stretching. It really has changed the way I view lifting.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588 - The book.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Gwgm3s2EQ0 - Video is a little example of the kind of thing he does and it may help your situation in some way.
Just to reiterate what biscarch said: hip and ankle ROM are huge, specifically (in my opinion) ankle dorsiflexion.
I’ve posted this on here before, but I think an underemphasized factor in getting to a deep squat with an upright back is ankle ROM. If you can’t dorsiflex, your shins will remain more upright. If your shins are too upright, your butt will end up too far back at the bottom of the squat, or you’ll end up with an excessively wide stance to compensate (which is unstable). And the only way to remain balanced if your butt is too far back is to lean your torso forward. If your torso is leaning forward, you won’t be able to hold the barbell.
You mentioned that when you’re wearing Oly shoes you still put small plates under your heels? That says you’ve got pretty tight ankles. I’m in the same boat, man. I’m currently doing the same thing that biscarch mentioned: foam rolling, specifically on my Achilles and calves. It’s… not comfortable, but it helps, along with some of the stretches listed here. It’ll take time and patience, but stick with it and you’ll see results. Definitely check out mobilitywod.com for mobilitly exercises too, it’s by the same guy who wrote Becoming a Supple Leopard
Supple Leopard by Kelly Starret.
http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588
Even Berkhan should read this book!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAX94eA2zrA
Often times back pain is caused by muscles and soft tissues being over exerted, this is often due to some nasty posture issues as well as incorrect lifting procedures. I recommend you take a good look at your posture and see if you have improper sitting habits or other such things in your day to day. You wont be able to get rid of back pain unless you stop whats causing it.
Once you have addressed whats causing the problem you can begin to take a look at repairing the damage that you have already caused. Lower back fixes are pretty straight forward but it can worsen the problem if they are not done properly. there are some great exercises with lacrosse balls and rollers that can help loosen up that tissue. A trustworthy massage therapist can do some great stuff as well, just remember to be careful and do your research.
I may recommend some running and low impact stuff just to see where you are and figure out what is causing those pains in your workouts. It will really help to pinpoint what actions are causing the pains in your back. Adjust your posture in those actions and have a look if that fixes anything.
This book's got some good stuff.
Check out this book, this helped me with similar shoulder problems. Check your form as well, I was benching wrong for years.
I would recommend taking some serious time to study optimum leverages and how to properly move through different ranges of motion. I know that sounds silly since you have reached impressive numbers but if you are getting injured, chances are very high that either you are not moving properly, or you have some critical mobility issues that were never addressed by your coaches. We have only just begun to understand what makes a universal good position for athletes, and the fundamentals that create a safe environment for lifting heavy over a lifetime. This book changed my life http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420228410&sr=8-1&keywords=becoming+a+supple+leopard and teaches you EXACTLY what to do. Since implementing the mobility (second half of book) teachings I have not had a single injury. Now I can recognize when things are STARTING to go bad, and address it before it becomes a big problem.
This is all to say: back way off the weight, and focus on mobility and health. Dont lift for strength anymore. Focus on your body.
Since you are what may be known as a "Masters" runner, you might want to think about this a little differently than a lot of people. How are you on flexibility? Arthritis? I take it you're basically healthy, otherwise you wouldn't be doing this, but what about blood pressure? Resting heart rate? Heart problems at all?
The reason I ask is that I would ordinarily suggest hill sprints, and sprints in general, they're rather tough on one's body. Not that you can't do them, but you're going to have to work up to it more gently than I (age 28) would.
How is your 400m time? 800m?
Regardless, you ought to acquaint yourself with self-massage. This book is a general-purpose manual, and this one is more oriented towards athletics. Both are very good, but if you only want one, I'd go for the latter. The main limit on your performance and improvement are going to be your ligaments, tendons, and cartilages, and self-massage will help keep them healthy.
mobilitywod is a great resource for this and the book the same guy wrote.
https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588
Starting Strength (the 2nd or 3rd edition would be best, the 1st edition was more focused on teaching other people rather than the reader). This is a huge resource on form for the most common, major compound lifts (squat, bench, deadlift and overhead press).
Practical Programming for Strength Training explains actually setting up a program using the lifts explained in Starting Strength as well as discussing diet and nutrition. It's also written by the same guys that wrote Starting Strength.
FIT is written by one of the co-authors of Starting Strength along with Michael Hartman and Justin Lascek. It explains the ideas of incorporating multiple facets of training (strength, endurance, and mobility) into a single routine.
Finally, Becoming a Supple Leopard details even more form recommendations on a lot of lifts from bodyweight exercises to ring work and Olympic lifts. It's main selling point is the detail it provides on appropriate movement patterns, how to test for them, and stretching and mobility work to help correct any issues.
BASL = Becoming a Supple Leopard, Starrett's book.
Unfortunately, I can't afford physio work right now. Once I got my diagnosis from the sports medicine doc, they gave me the isometric exercises and wished me the best of luck.
I ordered the Kelly Starrett book that mxmxmxmx recommended in another comment. I looked into it, and it seems like the best way for me to go at this point. I'm sure my hips and glutes are a mess, since both school and work have me sitting a lot. When I first tried to squat, I couldn't get near parallel without my psoas feeling like they were going to explode. I've also noticed lately that my right ankle is rotated inward slightly, so this is a dead giveaway that something is out of whack.
I'd be interested in knowing what the specialist finds. I should have the book in a couple of days and I'll be able to begin whatever exercises it recommends. I can let you know about any progress if you'd like.
Also, ouch! I couldn't even imagine using the leg extension machine - for a few months, it hurt just to make that movement without any weight.
Best of luck with your knee - I definitely know the frustration you're going through!
This very well could be hip flexors, but I just want to point out that it might be a hip-impingement issue. I would actually bet that this is hip impingement.
I had/have the same problem. For the longest time I was pounding my hips with mobility exercises trying to loosen up my hip flexors and psoas. But it turned out that I was just running into an impingement at the bottom of my squat. I would have to warm up my hips really well before any squat just so I could hit proper depth. Then later in the day I would be sore "inside my hip", and it is easy to mistake as muscle soreness, but it is actually joint inflammation and aggravation of the joint caused by the impingement.
So I stop doing squats, it gets better, keep doing mobility exercises, decide I'm ready to squat again, pain comes back. After going through this cycle a few times I realized that I wasn't really improving at all and did some research to figure out what the heck was wrong. After some research I figured out what was actually wrong and figured out how to fix it.
For me, I need to get more external rotation of the hip so that I can "get around" the part of my joint that is hitting my femur. So this means doing rolling out my adductors and doing other mobility exercises so that I can really open up my hips in the squat. By doing this I have managed to gain 2-3 more inches of depth and significantly improve my squat form.
Check out these links:
http://fitnesspainfree.com/why-do-my-hips-hurt-when-i-squat-femoral-acetabular-impingement-part-1/
http://fitnesspainfree.com/why-do-my-hips-hurt-when-i-squat-femoral-acetabular-impingement-part-2/
http://startingstrength.com/articles/active_hip_2_rippetoe.pdf
Also if you can afford it I highly recommend picking up "Becoming a Supple Leopard" it has been really helpful for me in diagnosing my issues and coming up with ways to correct my faults in a ton of different movements:
http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588
I linked that video in another comment, the instructor is Kelly Starrett, who has written a great book on flexibility, mobility, injury prevention etc.
Link Becoming a Supple Leopard
I highly recommend this book
If you like books, check out "Becoming a Supple Leopard" by Kelly Starrett. It has dozens of ideas on loosening up, and a lot of hints on how to loosen up for specific lifts.
https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
https://www.youtube.com/user/sanfranciscocrossfit
there's a few hundred videos from Dr Starrett to get you started.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ_b5TNIbPI
Here's one specifically on the importance of foot position.
http://www.mobilitywod.com/
His website
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588
Here's his book, which I highly recommend.
I don't have the studies his work is based on if that's what you're asking. But personally, a highly qualified professional employed by the worlds greatest athletes is enough for me.
Sounds like a Valgus Knee Fault. Its usually caused by an issue with your stance.
Try lowering your stance from 45 degrees to 12-15 degrees. Anything past this range will make you more vulnerable to a Valgus fault.
Also try to focus on the first 6 inches of your squat, especially try to focus on driving your knees out as you lower.
Finally, rather than focusing on getting your butt out as you drop, focus on getting your hamstrings out. It will lower the tendency to over extend, which can also lead to a Valgus fault.
Another issue could be how you are coming up. Remember focus on Hips coming UP not forward, and try to match that with your chest coming up.
And of course, focus on knees out the entire time, this will help compensate for the weakness in stability once you get past the first 6 inches of your squat.
Just try to hit several air squats and keep practicing this so you get your movement right.
Edit - The reason you may be going as far as 45 degrees could be a lack of range of motion in your ankle. Check out this video of Kelly Starett explaining the pistol test. The lack of range of motion on your ankle could be further emphasising all of the above stuff I've mentioned which makes your Valgus fault more acute. You could consider trying to use your rest days to work on range of motion in your ankle.
I'd highly recommend Kelly's book, which has been a valuable resource at finding my own form problems and working on improving them.
Edit 2 - I haven't tried this yet but I've seen it recommended that if you still can't get your knees out correctly you can also use the Slingshot Hip Circle. Its a mobility assistant that will help keep your hips and glutes activated and your knees out. Looks like something that is great to use during your warmups. Here's a video of Kelly talking about how he uses it on his athletes to help give them a full range of motion.
yes i completely agree / own the book / have gone to his seminars but I personally believe that for 90% of us without a lot of prep work to do these mobility techniques or if you are not an advanced athlete those techniques may be frustrating or provide little benefit.
I was trying to link videos that take very little time and require almost no equipment. i completely believe that MWOD has amazing resources though and highly recommend his book
Sounds like a classic case of overtraining. Heart rate elevated? No desire to go to the gym? Trouble sleeping?
Take AT LEAST a week off. That includes your cardio classes. Take 10 days if possible. During your time off, eat a lot and sleep as much as you can. And try not to drink any alcohol. If you're worried about what you're doing to do with all of that extra time, buy a copy of Becoming a Supple Leopard and spend your time reading that and working on your mobility.
Overtraining sucks. I've been there. It was so bad that I landed myself in hospital. Don't let it get to that point. You're not being weak, you're being SMART. Look after yourself, buddy. I promise you aren't going to lose anything by taking a bit of time off. In fact, I can almost guarantee you'll come back feeling stronger. Let us know how it goes.
Avoid looking down to check your feet when you take the bar out of the rack. Keeping your knees out in the squat will help you stay more upright and will engage more of your glutes.
Pendlay rows, deadlifts, and squats: keep the weight around the middle of your foot. Feel it out. In the row videos I can see you pitch forward, heels coming off the ground. You might need to address ankle mobility if you cannot get in these positions as you're already using an elevated heel.
DL looks okay, but you're going to have to get and stay tighter. When you're lifting 90 lbs or 900 lbs your setup should be the same.
If you're a huge stickler for form as I am, one of the best resources you'll find are Becoming a Supple Leopard and MobilityWOD. You can also find a BaSL torrent on pirate bay, and it might be hosted on 4chan/rs/.
This is the best book ever on self treating and preventing soft tissue injury
I highly recommend this book, from the maker of Mobility WOD
http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405914515&sr=8-1&keywords=supple+leopard
Becoming a Supple Leopard. Changed my life.
Can't recommend Kelly Starrett's website and his book Becoming a Supple Leopard enough.
book: http://amzn.to/164eb7W
website: http://www.mobilitywod.com/
Ever since I've started following Kelly Starrett at mobilitywod my muay thai has improved leaps and bounds (while I've decreased skill training). Proper posture and mechanics is key to unlocking your potential. My power and stamina has increased from posture corrections alone. This stuff transfers over to all athletic endeavours and helps me feel looser and more relaxed in training and just day-to-day living. I can't recommend it enough.
Website
http://www.mobilitywod.com/
Books
http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1426507402&sr=8-3&keywords=kelly+starrett
http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Run-Unlocking-Potential-Naturally/dp/1628600098/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426507402&sr=8-1&keywords=kelly+starrett
Equipment
http://www.roguefitness.com/mobility-rehab
Read this book before doing anything anyone else suggests
http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588
Check out the videos at Mobility WOD http://www.mobilitywod.com/
Or buy his new book "Becoming a Supple Leopard"
http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588
Lots of great stretches to help with mobility, posture, and just good form while lifting heavy things.
You're wife's story sounds a lot like mine. I was doing crossfit for two years or so, and the results were amazing, but I had uneven muscle development. In general my posture sucks, my form was not good and as time went on, on account of the imbalances, got worse and I ended up with a herniated disk.
I was told many times to put my knees out and contract my abs on a squat. But those muscles were underdeveloped and they could not handle the load. Without realizing it, you shift the load to muscles that can handle it, like using the quads instead of the glutes on a squat. But the imbalance gets worse as the quads get stronger.
In general though, using a barbell won't make her posture better. Sure it will work all the muscles, but unless she fixes her posture, it won't really work her weakest muscles.
It my not be the crossfit way, but she really has to work on isolated core, posture and back strength. Physical therapists are really good at designing this kind of exercise regime, but generally they're geared towards getting a person back to being functional in a day to day setting, not at Forging Elite Fitness.
That being said, there is a PT at my box that is just awesome, so maybe someone at her box could suggest somebody. And sometimes boxes have yoga classes, which could be really helpful too.
I have not read any of Esther Goghale's books, but she seems to be highly regarded for this sort of thing. Also, Kelly Starrett just published a new book that I've read amazing things about. He is a crossfit instructor and a physical therapist out of San Francisco.
Best of luck.
Hey! Reddit is a great source, but it looks like you want some detailed information, Have you tried books and google?
In terms of nutrition, this book is a must have for anyone serious:
http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Nutrition-Metabolism-Sareen-Gropper/dp/1133104053/
But this site has some pretty good articles as well, as a beginning perspective:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition
In terms of Power/ Motor development/ Performance , I am not really sure outside of powerlifting, but these 2 books are amazing
http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Programming-Strength-Training-2nd/dp/0982522703
http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-3rd-Mark-Rippetoe/dp/0982522738
Recovery is actually pretty damn simple - sleep more, eat more, rest and avoid over-exertion. For a more scientific standpoint, this book is a must have
http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_z
Any more specific advice and you would have to list your goals :)
Not sure what your knee problems are, but Kelly Starrett's book Supple Leopard is the body fixing encyclopedia. Worked wonders for both myself and my bf. Guy is a bit of an asshole, but such a fucking genius when it comes to the human body.
Sorry for commenting so late. It's important not to forget the rest of the body, especially from the hips down, when preventing knee injury. People tend not to think about hip and ankle mobility, or whether they're walking like ducks all day, when their knees start to hurt. Studying K-Starr's stuff from Mobility WOD and his book has helped me a lot. This article explains it pretty basically.
See the FAQ. Also:
mobilitywod.com
Becoming a Supple Leopard
also check out this book: http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588
if you like starting stretching, try this one as well. i used to have horrible hip pain if i walked more than 18 in a day, which i did once a month. after working through this book it all went away https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588
Check out this book, https://www.amazon.ca/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588
It's a complete guide to mobility in athletes. It's even got a 14 day mobility revamp. It's seriously helpful for recovery and proper movement techniques.
I haven't seen it recommended in this post yet, so I'd like to tell you about the Rumble Roller. I used to have a 1.5" diameter section of PVC I used, but this is better because I can roll out my spine on it. The 3' one more useful because you don't have to twist as much to hit everything, but if you can only afford one, get the travel-sized 1' one.
I like to start with my lower legs after a workout, doing ten passes on each axis starting with the back of calves, then the interior, exterior, and front. Same with my upper legs, hamstrings first then exterior, front, and interior. Do the butt, then back, then lats. When I find any muscles that feel tight and tense up under the pressure, I'll spend a few minutes trying to relax them so that roller sinks into the muscles - I'm not "rolling" at this point, just hanging out on the sticky, pissed-off stuff. You might have get creative to put more pressure on that part. Lacrosse balls, or tennis balls if the first hurt too much, are also good to increase the pressure, but again, you might need to get creative with the edges of tables to hit just the right spot, or books to raise the ball up to the appropriate height. Watch out for grinding on nerves in the back of your calves, I've done it and ended up with leg pain for a few days. It wasn't anything permanent, but why suffer through it?
Start a bromance with Kelly Starrett: follow MWOD, buy a copy of Becoming a Supple Leopard, maybe stalk him at one of his Mobility Certs.
Here's an (old) SMR routine on pdf from Mike Robertson.
I recommend buying a copy of the Alexander Method of SMR from Network Fitness. It's a really good manual on the subject.
On the nutritional side Master You Metabolism and It Starts With Food are both excellent books on the effects of various foods and chemicals on hormone regulation. Both are a little content dense though when it comes the science involved in metabolism and hormone regulation, neither is an easy read.
Also a fan of Becoming a Supple Leopard, though I expect this one is probably a little more widely known and nothing new to most.
More like relieving the causes of joint dysfunction through mobility work.
Thank you for your contribution though. You are henceforth tagged as "my balls, your forehead".
>i don't know this book.
becoming a supple leopard
>is it teaching squats?
it covers all movement types - dips, pullups, squats, bench press, OHP, KB swings etc - and provides a comprehensive list of mobility drills by body part.
This book will help with technique of all the major lifts http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588
The standards are fish oil, foam rolling, and making sure you drink a lot of water.
I would check out mobility wod (link up top) or the book Supple Leapord.
If it's truly a brutal workout an ice bath or cold shower isn't a bad idea.
1A. http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410924327&sr=8-1&keywords=supple+leopard
The WOD Life website is good as it sells packages with massage balls etc in them as well.
He wrote "Becoming a Supple Leopard," a best seller and highly rated book. I'm reading through it now.
http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588
Becoming a Supple Leopard is a phenominal book for mobility! It is very dense but can really help any athlete out! I highly recommend it!
The question you asked is unfortunately very hard to answer without knowing the different variables affecting your mobility. For me personally, I have always been very flexible but stretch 5-10 minutes after every workout to keep limber. When trouble hits, I hit the lacrosse ball and if I strain a muscle I let it recover. (Crossfitters work through too many injuries!)
Like Optamix said, Starting Strength is a good foundation for learning about the basic barbell exercises. However, to gain any appreciable amount of knowledge you're going to have to delve a bit deeper by reading various texts. For example, Lon Kilgore's Anatomy without a Scalpel is a great book to get acquainted with basic human anatomy. I'd suggest you pick up an introductory book on human nutrition as well. The Science and Practice of Strength Training, although a little more on the advanced side, would also make an excellent addition to your library. As far as mobility and prehab/rehab texts go, Becoming a Supple Leopard is one that is often recommended around here. Oftentimes you can get used copies of these on Amazon in decent condition for a good price.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588/ref=pd_sxp_f_pt
Becoming a Supple Leopard is a great mobility and injury prevention book that will also increase your progress too! The Author is Kelly from Mobility WoD which is a great resource in itself.
I highly recommend [this] (http://www.amazon.com/dp/1936608588/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=31928876370&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16247486102667840620&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_4w8yfr2cj7_b) book.
It helped a lot with form and mobility in general.
How To Become A Supple Leopard.
You need to gain flexibility, learn stable positions and learn how to move while in stable positions with and without load. It will be the best $30 you have ever spent if you take the time to study it.
When you slouch you are hanging on your spine. It feels alright because the spine doesn't hurt but that doesn't mean you don't damage it. The poorer the posture the harder it is to correct and the more effort it requires. Each time you are slouching and sitting in poor position you need to do fixing mobilizations. If you don't want to be hunched when you are old and be in great deal of pain check out Kelly Starret -
https://www.youtube.com/user/sanfranciscocrossfit/videos?view=0&sort=p&flow=grid . He works with professional athletes and has knowledge that will change your lives.
I'm 20 years old and almost each muscle in my body needs work and hurts. My spine is somewhat damaged and I don't know if I will recover completely. Fix your posture now! Posture is not 'done to you by aging'. Aging just facilitates your poor biomechanics. You might also check these out:
http://www.creativelive.com/courses/maintaining-your-body-kelly-starrett
http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397542189&sr=8-1&keywords=becoming+a+supple+leopard
Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:
Amazon Smile Link: http://smile.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588
|Country|Link|
|:-----------|:------------|
|UK|amazon.co.uk|
|Spain|amazon.es|
|France|amazon.fr|
|Germany|amazon.de|
|Japan|amazon.co.jp|
|Canada|amazon.ca|
|Italy|amazon.it|
|China|amazon.cn|
This bot is currently in testing so let me know what you think by voting (or commenting). The thread for feature requests can be found here.
Work on your mobility every day, there are a lot of revolutionary techniques out there. you might check out http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588
You could look into the Mobility WOD videos on youtube. The site is paid now. Or you could purchase his book, which is fantastic.
http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588
Based on my reading of the book the program isn't intended to be a posture fix, 100 swings a day aren't going to counteract decades of poor posture.
This, and getting a stand-up desk at work, helped me more than anything. https://www.amazon.ca/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588
Before reading the book I didn't understand how to stand correctly, and the mobility exercises are designed specifically to address the common outcomes of our postures (e.g. couch stretch to fix hip flexors).
Becoming a supple leopard is a good resource for working through your own aches and pains. He also has hundreds of youtube clips oriented towards athletic performance that run through the self massage type treatments.
Youtube MWOD and you'll find it.
What Solange songs do you like? I love Sam Smith and Childish Gambino too. Ima have to check out Soko and Kyla La Grange, never heard of them.
I'm actually using this book for posture/flexibility: Becoming a Supple Leopard
http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588
The author Kelly Starrett is really knowledgeable and has good YouTube videos too
This book really helped me with my posture problems. Some of the most useful info is in the first chapter or two, which is available in the content sample in the link I provided.
Those for sure aren't Olympic weight lifting shoes. And on top of that, even if they are, it doesn't take away from the fact that his form is bad.
His knees are inward. That shows a lack of hip and ankle flexibility. A true squat should be done with legs parallel or pointing outward (although pointing outward is mostly a cue and not a reality).
Check out Becoming a Supple Leopard for more great information in body mechanics and lifting in general.
Here are some videos to watch. They're long and I doubt anyone will watch them but fuck it.