A couple of things have happened in the last month that have made training a bit...interesting. We are moving to our first home on Saturday, though, and this has contributed to a lot of my stress, poor sleep, and overall feeling of crappiness in my body lately...it will soon be over!
There are a few hurdles I need to overcome before I can make either goal a reality. Here is an interesting fact that I have never actually told any person verbally-at least not another coach/client: For someone who believes in and uses FMS as much as I do, I have never actually screened without pain before. I have been screened numerous times since my first exposure to it in 08-09, when I was transitioning out of physical therapy and back in to my track program after I had a nasty hamstring tear. Back then, the screen uncovered a left shoulder problem that only continued to grow the more I exercised...go figure.
The first hurdle I need to overcome is to get my left shoulder, which is still not all the way healed, to become pain free. A recent change in my job has left me working alongside two chiropractors who are SFMA certified. Most of my PT has been done using Mckenzie method diagnostic exercises, so it will be a nice change to "chase down the dysfunction" instead of trying to make a change in the pain.
The second challenge I need to overcome is to heal my thumb tendon completely. Simple ice and rest has not been enough unfortunately. Immobilization leaves is stiff, and my palm in general is getting tighter, making extending my thumb problematic.
The third and final challenge I need to deal with is my right hip impingement. I am the poster child for joint problems and articular dysfunction. I'm only 26, but ripping my hamstring in track as a college freshman set me on a slippery slope on which I haven't completely stopped sliding. My left hip used to be the problem, but my right hip bore the load while the left was healing. I'm now left with a joint that doesn't like flexion with internal rotation. This makes deep squatting problematic as I get a nice "thunking" noise at end range, as if my hip were shifting in the capsule. It is getting better, however. In time...
Programming for myself has been very simple, i.e. I am only doing what I can physically do without pain...which isn't much right now. Farmer carries, zercher squats, and sumo deadlifts, chin ups/pull ups, and KB presses (with my right hand verrrrry carefully, so as not to aggravate my mom's thumb. On the upside, it's forced my clean to improve as there is no room for error). I'm waving reps and loads, and lately I've been doing 5x5 or 5x3 days of just either a squat and a pull, or a hinge and a push. It's a nice combo and leaves me feeling fresh at the end.
Overall, my strength levels haven't suffered much, but I feel like my brain has lost some movement skills. Not being able to plant my hand on my right side has taken so much joy out of movement. Normally it's a freeing feeling to move around, do some rolls, crawl, etc. Now it is only associated with fear and pain and I hate it. But this is why I am so passionate about what I do for a profession. I believe in it wholeheartedly.
Before I sign off, I want to give a big shout out to the managing editor of Breaking Muscle for having faith in me to write for them. It's a small position, but it's a big deal for me. Before I switched majors in college, I fully intended to become a journalist and write for a living. Well, it's no living, but I'm now writing and getting paid for it! Dream come true, if you ask for me.
Stay strong!
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