What's First? The Egg or the Chicken?

I think I have mentioned several times that I have been having trouble with my left hamstring. I actually discovered it seems to be the glute, and it is causing pain in my glute and hamstring. Sitting exasperates it, a long car ride, like more than 20 minutes is out of the question (the drive to Chico- 4 hours was quite painful and I became a contortionist), and I kneel at my desk to type every single day at some point.

I have had a massage with Rachel and she can spend a good 45 minutes on the left glute alone, and the pain goes away and then when I train hamstrings again, the pain returns. Bugger, it's annoying.

Saturday was the San Jose NPC Bodybuilding show downtown, and the first ever Fit Expo, I wanted to go and cheer on friends and see the exhibits.

I met Sakura and her mother and we watched the show together. I missed Women's Physique, it was a super small show, mainly Men's Physique and Bikini. Ladies, if you are competing in Bikini, please take my advice and really think about your posing! Some of the competitor's looked like strippers, it's unfortunate that they work so hard, dieting and training, and then make themselves look foolish by posing and cavorting on stage in a manner that embarrasses all of us in the audience. A couple of the women were just over the top. I have no idea how they placed, I was at pre-judging, but I cannot imagine the judges awarded their behavior, at least I certainly hope not, it cheapens the entire event for all of us.

Anyway, Roy joined us mid way through Figure, we got to see Yvonne, Megan and Roxanne, they all looked great and they all placed! Congratulations! Afterward Roy and I walked around checking out the exhibits, we saw Jay Cutler, Cory Everson, Nate James (Stacy has been training with him for quite some time now), and countless other people all looking buff or wanting to look buff.

Roy and I stopped at a Chiropractor's exhibit, he wanted to see if we were in alignment. I said "I am fine, I don't need that!" so Roy stepped on the Spinal Analysis Machine and he was ever so slightly out of alignment.  I decided to get on the scales. There are two, each foot gets weighed independently and it is supposed to show your weight distribution and postural imbalances. 

Seems I am 10 pounds heavier on one side then the other!!! Whoa Boy! The doctor started talking about one side being weaker, pointing to my left (it is, quite a bit) and said I have a pelvic tilt (I do). So I knew he was going to try to sell me services. He asked if I had a chiropractor and asked his name. "Yes, Dr. Joseph Leahy" I replied and the chiropractor stopped dead in his tracks. He smiled, he knew him! He said he was the best in the area, in fact, when he came here to study he came specifically to study under Dr. Leahy, he was a student of his! He advised that I go see Dr. Leahy and gave me his own business card, asking if I might pass it on to him.

I felt that I may have gotten some good advice. 

The question in my mind though is this: Does the glute muscle hurt because of an imbalance that needs to be corrected, or am I out of balance because my glute muscle hurts? Is the muscle strain causing the imbalance or the other way around? It could be a vicious cycle that I need to end. 

If I can rest the muscle a while, the discomfort goes away, but since I train hamstrings twice a week, as soon as it starts to feel better, it gets hit hard all over again.

I found something that does relieve the discomfort though, it's one of my son's lacrosse balls. If you are not familiar with them, they are about the size of a baseball, but much harder. They are all over the place at my house so I have no problem finding one. I keep one in my gym bag to use at Gold's and Roy has a few at his gym too.

I have found that a foam roller just doesn't apply enough pressure, I need some really hard, deep pressure on the muscle. I can just rest my glute on the ball, it is quite painful at first, then the muscle starts to relax and I sink into it a bit more. I can roll around a bit until I find the sore spot then I just rest there until it feels better.

I have been trying to do this twice a day, and it helps, it really does, but I would like to eliminate it all together. I have a massage scheduled, hopefully that will work out the kinks. If not, then I guess I go see Dr. Leahy!

B-12, Adjustments and Burgers

Saturday, Squat day! My alarm was set for 5:00am and I woke up ready to go at 4:30, so out of bed I hopped. It would be a great day, I was looking forward to it. I am still at 121 pounds and I want to hold there just a bit longer, last competition I was at 118 and my bodyfat was way too low, I have gained lean mass, so I should not get down there again or I am losing muscle.

I will drop a pound the last week. 


Roy met me at Gold's Gym and I showed him all of the unfamiliar equipment and he told me what I should use and what I shouldn't. There is so much stuff there, it was very helpful to go thorough it and get his opinion.


After training Roy and I went to see Dr. Leahy who was having a client appreciation day. We each got a free adjustment, he did something else to Roy's back and A.R.T on my ankles again. Then Dr. Josh gave us free B-12 shots (in the butt, boy it's been a long time since I had that!) and I had LED treatment on my neck to boost my immune system.


I am anxious to see how I feel after the B-12. Dr Josh said I can come in and have one every week and it is amazingly inexpensive! 


Dr. Leahy asked me to take off my shoes. "You mean my very undercover wallflower shoes?" I asked. He chuckled and said "I think those socks were made just for those shoes too!"

I like pink and yellow together....

Then the highlight of the day, Roy and I went to The Counter in Santana Row for a burger! Some folks have a "cheat" meal every week throughout their competition prep. I don't, I had one on April 11 and then this one, I most likely will not have another. I had to as I was dropping weight too fast and getting too skinny is just as bad as being too soft, you have to come in at the perfect weight and bodyfat for your frame (much easier said than done folks!)


I told Roy he could not eat until I took some pictures, he was hungry, I could tell, but he smiled politely for the camera. It was 95 degrees out and the doors and windows were open, I think we were sweating on the food. 


I told Roy he would have to bear with me as I took pictures for my blog and he laughed and said "OK, I have never seen you in action." He waited patiently. 

My perfect burger. Red onion, dill pickles, chopped lettuce, sprouts and cheddar cheese, on a bun.


Did you read that?

ON A BUN

The waitress had them made nice and rare, Roy is showing me the blood soaking into the bun, lovely! 

Now he's so famished he is about to eat it with no hands, cause he is waiting for me to take my pictures and the fries weren't there yet.

 Fries. Sweet potato fries and garlic parmesan. Together, touching, amazing.  See Roy getting his napkin? He's had enough of the picture thing I think. 

 Happy, happy, happy. The food was good. 

We both ate our burgers, 2/3 pound ones! Fries were not touched much, we indulged a bit, just enough to eat all the crispy cheesy parts off the top. The sweet potato fries were stellar though. I will get those again for sure. 

Now I wait and watch to see how long it takes me to respond to this meal and fill out, to help me plan my pre competition meal in two weeks. My last 'cheat" I looked best between 20 and 30 hours later, I want to see if I do the same, then I know I have it all dialed. in.


Sunday morning, when you read this it's Back and Biceps. And 14 days to go!

Active Release Technique

I'm cured! Those are the exact words Dr. Leahy used after three ART sessions. Yahoo! Previously I wrote about Active Release Technique, and now I will explain what I went through.

I first visited Dr. Leahy and explained my issues, I have very tight hip flexors and I have an anterior pelvic tilt, probably due to tight hip flexors. It was aesthetically unpleasing and probably causing me issues with quad development. In addition, this can be a cause lower back pain.

I also had issues with lack of dorsiflexion and this was causing me problems with squatting and perhaps calve development. 

Dr. Leahy had me stand and looked at me from the side, he could see the "sway back". He had me squat and immediately saw the ankle mobility issue and said that really needed to be addressed first.

Onto the table and he played with my feet. It didn't hurt at all. Onto my stomach and he worked on my glutes, specifically these areas:

Piriformis

Superior Gemellus


Inferior Gemellus

Then onto my back and these areas:


Quadratus Femoris

Vastus Lateralis


The final was the psoas, this was the hip flexor area that was causing the issues.


It took about 10 minutes and he said I would need to come back three more times probably, all within the next two weeks. The next day my left shin was fairly sore, the muscle running up it all the way to the knee was tender. 


I saw Roy and it was squat day, I could go right down to the floor with ease. Roy said he could tell by watching me walk, everything moved with ease, I wasn't stiff or tight anywhere.


When I saw Dr. Leahy two days after the first appointment we talked about the tenderness of the shin, he said it was due to the increased range of motion. 


At the second appointment he said I held onto quite a bit of the treatment, my pelvis was in a better position.


I felt great after the treatment and particularly after the second one. The third treatment he announced that he liked the curve of my back, it was perfect and normal. He performed the treatment on my psoas and talus (ankles) and said I should cancel the fourth appointment, there was no need for it. 


I felt great. 


I asked when I should come back, and his response? "You're an athlete, you will know when and if you need to return."


Will I go back? You bet, if I need to! Did my insurance cover it? No, they did not. I have an HMO and they do not cover this treatment, but I am worth the investment.


Here is a video to give you an idea of what might be done in an ART session for the psoas. You can watch the entire video, but my treatment consisted of what is shown starting at minutes 3:37. (Email readers will need to navigate directly to the blog to view this video)