The quoted replies are abbreviated to make life easier for everyone a
[quote]CoolColJ wrote:
read my freaking post again!!!
[/quote]
Did you read your own post again, or this an invitation for me to do so? I did read it, actually, yesterday, and have ordered a foam roller since
I just didn’t read all the articles yet, so I didn’t want to reply prematurely.
[quote]CoolColJ wrote:
I had jumpers knee real bad, couldn’t squat and land from a jump with pain in both knees
after a few sessions of foam rolling and tennis ball massage starting from the bottom of the feet and up, it got much better, the pain completely disappeared after the 3rd week - I only did it once a week initially, more often now, split to different muscle groups on each day. I did every muscle in my body
even though I’m still tight, with trigger points, although less painful now, my ankle and hip mobility improved dramatically. I feel loose and supple everywhere now, like a teenager pretty much 
I can even squat deeper in an oly squat, without my butt tucking under. Use a narrow stance without any knee pain, even a front squat in regular flat sneakers, narrow stance rock bottom is easy to do, thanks to my better ankle mobility as a result of foam rolling out my painful calves
Helped fixed up my shoulder problems and impingement pain too. Pecs, upper traps and lats really tight from years of sitting in front of a PC. I was finally able to get my upper arms above parallel in a scapular wall slide this week. And finally did a behind the neck press with an oly bar pain free!!!
Tissue work should be compulsory for anyone who trains, because training causes scar tissue and adhesion buildup. Stretching is almost useless until the fascia has been loosened up by foam rolling/massage/tennis ball work etc
this is the order you should approach it
tissue work ( foam rolling, massage etc) → mobility work → stretching —> corrective exercises
It is hard work, takes effort, is tiring and time consuming, but if you desire to save money - ART is not cheap, and want to push yourself hard like a Formula 1 car, you need to put in the maintenance work too…high performance engines are highly strung and go bang real quick…[/quote]
No degree of effort is excessive in injury prevention. I’ve been plagued with a shoulder problem for a few years because I was careless once; the pain of not being able to lift far outweighs that of having to take preventative measures. (That problem is dormant now due to rotator cuff exercises) However, sounds like once I get the foam roller and start using it, I’ll see loads of benefits in my problem areas. If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you? I’m quite interested in the effect of oly/power lifts on joint and bone health in the long-term. Sounds like you’ve overcome a few complications yourself, so I’m hoping the answer might shed some light on this for me.
[quote]LBramble wrote:
are you sprinting, long distance walking and jumping on grass???
i was scheduled for torn meniscus surgery in both knees but i didn’t have the cash for the co-payment. So i had it rescheduled for 3 months later to save up, and was making plans for my recovery when i read an article that basically said
“hey idiot, we were evolved for walking and sprinting on grass, dirt, sand etc., not asphalt or concrete”.
Grass, dirt, and sand are all very forgiving surfaces, and easy on the joints. Because THATS WHAT our joints were Darwin selected for. Not asphalt,concrete, artifical turf etc.
Hell there are still plenty of people on earth in remote locations who’ve never worn shoes! And think nothing of it.
Of course you can say our “modern” shoes take all the punishment out of the modern surfaces. Thats just what Nike wants you to say.
So why are all the NFL teams going back to grass or new “just like grass” surfaces??? if our sports shoes are so good and protective for our joints.
We’ve only had massive pavement for the last 2 or 3 generations. Our genes will not adapt for quite some time.
During my 3 month wait for surgery i found a middle school grass football field and started doing light jogging, working up to sprints 3 times a week (i use to run distance and sprints at a university track).
The knees healed on their own because i took the source of the problem away.
That was 3 years ago. I don’t do any running on anything but grass. Squating is painfree now as well, and alot heavier that before the meniscus tears.
try it, your knees will thank you.
its simple how your body was designed.
LB [/quote]
This is great, and I love sprinting in nature; unfortunately, in a few weeks I’m going to move to a megapolis with very few opportunities to sprint, walk or jump on grass. In fact, everything is covered in ice and snow for a third of the year
I believe there’s a tiny park nearby which is fine for certain things, but I can’t do much there. However, there is a lesson to be learned here; at the very least, I’m going to do exercises on a carpet.
I wonder if there’s an alternative, perhaps in the form of some corrective or cushioning shoe, that could make up for working out on hard surfaces? That’d be my best option, but then, my present trainers offer excellent cushioning, and that hasn’t helped me much. Guess I just answered myself!