Overdoing it?

not getting the results that you have been working hard for?

chances are that you might be overdoing it...if the body does not get adequate recovery time then it will not grow and become stronger. it will in stead be in a constant state of fatigue. if you are also lethargic, tired or depressed, then you should consider a break from training for a week or so to let your body recover completely.

if you're worried that this will be detrimental to your training, look no further than professional body builders, who take regular breaks every few months to allow their bodies proper rest. when the body is resting, it has a chance to regenerate mucle and connective tissue cells...have a break every few months, and have at least one or two days every week were you only do light intensity training.

this will leave you feeling energized and healthy, and best of all, a lot stronger than you were previously!

Chronic Compartment syndrome

Normally a throbbing pain in the lower extremeties, felt after a few minutes continuous exercise and causing the sufferer to stop exercise. The lower leg is divided into four compartments; anterior compartment, deep posterior compartment, superficial posterior compartment and the lateral compartment.

If the amount of blood entering the compartment exceeds the amount being transported away, then compertment syndrome occurs. It is merely a build up of pressure inside one of the compartments, due to a collapse in the blood vessels that take blood away from the muscles and back to the heart.

If you are suffering from this, see a myotherapist to have it treated asap, as it will continue to interupt your training.

Did you know...?

That plyometric training can help improve your vertical leap? Plyometrics is where the muscle is placed under load whilst stretching out, then contracts rapidly to perform a fast and powerful movement. A common exercise of this type is skipping. Plyometric or jumping lunges are also a great exercise for improving the response of your leg muscles.

Exercise of the week: isometric squat against wall

Awesome for toning the thighs and creating definition, the isometric squat against a wall is a very good exercise. The quadriceps and gluteus muscles have to contract to hold your body weight in a seated position with nothing other than a wall to lean on. This means that these muscles are placed under a lot of tension, burning a lot of calories and toning up at the same time. Leaning against a wall, slide down until you are in a squat position. Make sure your whole back is against the wall and that both your knees and your hips are bent to 90' to each other. It is as though you are about to take a seat, except obviously no chair to rest on! Give this exercise a go even though it is hard...the rewards of great toned thighs are well worth the effort!!

Tennis elbow

Tennis elbow (or lateral epicondylitis as it is technically known), is a chronic condition that can take from months to years to resolve fully, and is not necesarily limited to tennis players. If you are a carpenter, builder or any other job where you use a lot of repititious movements, and have a dull achy pain in/around your elbow, the chances are you may have lateral epicondylitis.

Lateral epicondylitis is a condition whereby the tendon that attaches your wrist muscles to the bone in your elbow becomes inflammed and irritated due to overuse. This happens at the attachment sight of the tendon onto the humerous. The bone has an outer layer called the periosteum (the periosteum is to the bone what the skin is to our body) which becomes inflammed as the muscle pulls excessively on it.

Myotherapy treatment is great for this condition and can drastically aid in the body's natural healing process, reducing recovery time. Eccentric (negative) exercises can be beneficial in the regeneration of the tendon, as can stretching out of the muscles. Consult your myotherapist for treatment and strategies to improve your chances at recovery.

Benefits of eccentric (negative) training

The eccentric part of an exercise is the part when the muscle is lengthening while under tension (contracting). The benefits of this are twofold:

1. much better for muscle hypertrophy, and
2. improves tendon strength and helps injured tendons to heal.

During the eccentric part of the exercise, the muscle is trying to contract at the same time as it is lengthening...this causes more significant muscle tearing, hence bigger muscles as the muscles rebuild and adapt to the excessive stress placed upon them.

There has also been significant research to suggest that negative reps will help with tendon strength and also with repair of injured tendons. If you have an achilles tendinopathy, tennis elbow or any other chronic or acute injuries that involve the tendon attaching muscle to bone, you should definately explore the possibilty of doing eccentric work ie. heel drops for achilles etc.