Re: 'Overactive' Adductors?

[Guest guest]

In response to the comment on " over-active adductors " I should have

written, at the risk of sounding vague, " When the adductors seem to

overpower the abductors. " It is my experience that when an athlete

has medial deviation of the knee while squatting, lunging or dead

lifting, if they do roughly :45 seconds of static stretching of the

adductors, it tends to help the problem.

Cowell, CHEK III, CSCS, PICP I

931 Vance St

Raleigh, NC 27608

[Guest guest]

>

> In response to the comment on " over-active adductors " I should

have

> written, at the risk of sounding vague, " When the adductors seem

to

> overpower the abductors. " It is my experience that when an

athlete

> has medial deviation of the knee while squatting, lunging or dead

> lifting, if they do roughly :45 seconds of static stretching of

the

> adductors, it tends to help the problem.

***My understanding was that a certain degree of this action is normal as it

helps stabilise the pelvis and the knees, which happens reflexively under loaded

('intense') conditions. In your experience has the action occurred during

warm-up sets or would you wait until the action occurs under loaded conditions

then stretch the adductors? Poliquin has also attributed the latter

action of the knees to the following:

1. Weak hip abductors.

2. Weak vastus medialis.

3. Adhesions between the adductor magnus and the medial hamstrings.

4. 'Over-recruitment' of the vastus lateralis.

5. Overuse of the hip adductor and hip extensors chains.

6. Latest - 'over-active' adductors.

Though he has never provided any research to support his claims. I

recall Chek and Dr Siff stating that this action of the knees is

most often a motor learning issue.

Carruthers

Wakefield, UK

[Guest guest]

I agree it is most likely a learning issue, then it becomes a pattern

(how does one learn this pattern? is the next question). I think to

decrease neural activity in a muscle or muscle group, statically

stretch it. Hopefully then the pattern can be corrected. I also

agree that the action is normal. That is, almost anyone, if enough

load is placed on them or if they have to perform enough repetitions,

will display this pattern. I think in these situations, the lifter

is lifting the weight by any means necessary and what is " correct "

takes a back seat to a survival response.

Interesting to note Poliquin because he is one of the few strength

experts who isn't completely smitten with the whole " glute "

phenomena. After spending time at his facility in Arizona, I learned

a lot about strengthening the VMO to correct the aforementioned

pattern. In fact, I was under the impression that at his facility,

they feel that all the emphasis on glute strengthening is sort of a

waste of time, rather, the VMO should be emphasized. I find that for

my practice, strengthening the glutes as well as the VMO works best.

What's your take?

To answer your question about stretching the muscle, I'd say an

initial stretch, followed by an in-between set stretch would be

good. Poliquin recommends stretching the rec fem/quads between every

set of hamstring exercises.

I am interested to hear opinions on the VMO vs Glutes issue.

JC

Cowell, CHEK III, CSCS, PICP I

931 Vance St

Raleigh, NC 27608

john@...

www.cowellfit.com

fax

cell

[Guest guest]

Cowell wrote:

> In response to the comment on " over-active adductors " I should have

> written, at the risk of sounding vague, " When the adductors seem to

> overpower the abductors. " It is my experience that when an athlete

> has medial deviation of the knee while squatting, lunging or dead

> lifting, if they do roughly :45 seconds of static stretching of the

> adductors, it tends to help the problem.

***, I think you will find this also in people who do a lot of horseback

riding. This tends to develop the adductor magnus and other large adductor

muscles. Exercising the abductors can help create a balance.

Don Hoffman

Amery, USA