Pre-Workout Scar Treatment and Soft Tissue Work

A little bit of pre-workout scar treatment and soft tissue work goes a long way.

This took under 5 minutes.

These are the results you should be getting.

Introduce Plyometrics Slowly

Plyometrics are used regularly but are often misused. Coaches tend to implement them too early on in a training plan and at too large a volume.

Jumps and throws are good to do but you should monitor your volume closely to avoid injury and overtraining. I feel this applies more to jumps as many athletes are already running, cutting, and jumping, when training for their sport. Doing too many ground contacts in the gym on top of all this work can lead to problems such as shin splints. You will typically see this throughout the offseason/pre-season in rugby league.

You should also slowly increase the volume of plyometric work anytime you have had a break from them, even if you have still been training. I hadn’t programmed any jumps for myself for a length of time and in my previous program decided to re-introduce some jumps. My tibialis anterior were sore after the second session and the volume was low. I only did 4x8 of tuck jumps on day 1, and 4x8 broad jumps on day 2. So, my weekly volume was only 64 ground contacts. By week 2 and 3 of my plan, I was fine. The point of this, is that it doesn’t take a lot of work to cause muscle soreness initially, so you have to monitor the volume and increase it gradually. The following chart is a good starting point when considering how much volume to do:

(I can’t remember the source as I have had this a long time so I apologise for not giving credit or having the reference)

Some things to remember when trying to develop power:

• Quality is more important than quantity.

• Intent is key.

• In most cases, you should be fully (or near) recovered between sets.

Some Benefits of Collagen

 There is some collagen in stock at the gym and I was asked what it is good for. It has many benefits, here are some of them:

• Collagen is a building block for bone, teeth, intervertebral discs, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments. It is also found in the skin, organs, and even blood. It is the most abundant fibrous protein in the human body.

• Collagen consists of 30% of the total protein in the human body. Collagen is essential for the extracellular matrix of muscles and tendons, and muscle force transmission, flexibility, and adaptability. Collagen peptides have a unique amino acid composition, including hydroxyproline, glycine, and proline (approximately 12%, 22%, and 13%, respectively).

• Studies show that protein intake can augment post-exercise skeletal muscle protein synthesis. Collagen peptides have been shown to help increase skeletal muscle anabolic gene expression and enhance contractile force transmission from muscles to tendons or bones by supporting the extracellular connective tissue. Collagen peptides may also act as signalmessengers in anabolic cellular processes in cartilage, tendons, and ligaments.

• Collagen also acts as a semi-conductor of electricity. By being able to conduct electricity inside the body, collagen helps cell communication, which optimizes growth and healing. By helping the cells communicate better, collagen can also help the cells work together to eliminate their own toxic waste products.

• Collagen may be able to help prevent stretch marks. It gives our skin strength and elasticity.

• After the age of 25, collagen production decreases by about 1 to 1.5 percent per year. As collagen levels decline, connective tissues begin to deteriorate. When there is a shortage of collagen, even if you drink enough water, you have a hard time staying hydrated. This can lead to a build-up of toxic substances and other related problems.

• If you have had repetitive joint injuries, pain, and discomfort of the joints, you will see a decrease in joint inflammation which will reduce pain and will have you feeling much better. Musculoskeletal injuries also heal much faster. Supplementing with collagen appears to reduce autoimmunity to the body's own collagen, resulting in less inflammation in instances of osteoarthritis and rheumatism and benefits to joint health.

• Mentally, collagen can help you be more alert, have better concentration, have a more balanced mood, improved energy, and an increase in well-being.

• Collagen can also help heal a leaky gut. Once cooked, it becomes “gelatin.” Gelatin is important because it can support gut health. Collagen also contains the critical amino acids proline and glycine, which are known for supporting a healthy gut.

• Dosages tend to be anywhere from 15 - 40 g per day

References / further reading:

• https://strength-community.com/collagen-peptides-effect-on-skeletal-muscle-signaling-post-exercise-strength/

• https://www.bulletproof.com/supplements/macronutrients/what-is-collagen-guide/

• https://bengreenfieldlife.com/article/nutrition-articles/keto-collagen-review/

• https://drgabriellelyon.com/the-truth-about-collagen/

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Knee Injuries: Prevention and Management

 Knee injuries are one of the most common injuries seen in sports today. Even those who train in the gym regularly are not immune to this type of injury.

It’s not just contact sports that have a high rate of these injuries. Around ¾ of all ACL injuries occur without any contact. The most common reported mechanism of injury is when the individual is changing direction, usually very fast, in a cutting motion (stepping from one side to the other at speed).

If the structures around the knee are unable to cope with the force exerted upon them, what we generally see is a dislocated knee and/or a torn ligament along with it, the most common being the ACL.

The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) connects to your femur and your tibia, making it a big player when it comes to stabilizing the knee. The meniscus is a small piece of cartilage between your femur and tibia and acts as shock absorbers for the knee.

There are two main structural factors that contribute to knee injuries, specifically an ACL tear. The first is the Vastus Medialis Oblique (VMO) and the second is the quadriceps and hamstrings ratio. In the gym, squatting to 90 degrees (most people believe that going past 90 degrees will injure the knees when in fact it does not) and not training the hamstrings as a knee flexor and hip extensor are factors that can contribute to knee injuries.

In addition to these, poor mobility in the hips and ankles will be a contributing factor.

The hamstrings play a vital role in preventing knee injuries including ACL tears. When you decelerate, the tibia glides forwards which places strain on your ACL. The hamstrings kick in and prevent the tibia from moving forward too far.

If the hamstrings are not strong enough, if they are not sitting in the right anatomical position, or if they are full of adhesions, they are not going to be able to work effectively which will often result in an injury.

This is why we place such an emphasis on training the hamstrings, both as knee flexors (leg bending the knee) and hip extensors (bending forward).

What we see a lot of, especially in elite levels of sport, are poor strength training programs and rehab programs.

Common practice with ACL rehabilitation programs will include a period of time using manual therapy (hands-on) and then you progress to active based therapy (exercise). You will see a lot of single leg squats, jumping, running, bounding, etc.

This is wrong.

How can you expect an athlete who cannot perform a bodyweight split squat or even a step up to be able to jump? If you cannot perform basic structural balance exercises, you cannot run, jump, bound, etc.

These exercises highlight the imbalances and weaknesses that contributed to the injury in the first place. If anything, they should be used as an assessment tool or a tool to measure progress.

So, how can we address these issues and prevent knee injuries on and off the field?

Firstly, you need to know where you are weak, unstable or immobile. Once you know where your issues are you can better select your exercises.

In general, we find these movements are beneficial:

· TKE with band

· Poliquin Step Ups

· Petersen Step Ups

· Step ups

· Split squats

· Leg curls (standing, lying, kneeling and seated with varying foot positions)

· Back Extensions (flat and 45 degree)

· GHD (full and top half)

Movements to avoid are those that cause pain, excessive use of leg extensions and frequent box squats, primarily due to the excessive shearing forces placed on the knees.

Regardless of your knee injury, the rehab protocol you follow will need to address your movement patterns, along with hamstring and VMO strength. At the start of the rehab process, you will respond well to manual therapy, however, after a few weeks, you will see a better response if you progress to strength training.

Laying down on a bed a getting your leg massaged will only get you so far. If you want to progress you will need to put in the work and start training.

Resources:

https://strengthsenseiinc.com/2020/10/19/the-acl-solution/

https://posturepro.co/