Re: Re: Leg exercise -Pistol

[Guest guest]

Hi Ed,

Remember, this is an exercise usually for super-fit athletes, but there is

no reason you can't do it the way I did and just figure that it will take a

year to work up to it. Here's how I did it:

* aim on practicing the lowering and raising parts independently until you

feelt the muscles are getting up to par. Use a weight bench (flat-topped

stool works too, be you need really good balance) since you can keep the

foot where it needs to be so that you don't lose form. Contoured chairs are

the pits, since you slide back and then have to really launch yourself

forward to get out. When you get comfortable, with a certain height, you

can adjust the height of the bench or start piling large plates to stand

on. You can start really high (such as with a barstool) just do the

exercise right.

* Next once you feel comfortable in a certain range, don't bottom out on

the bench, just come to a stop barely above it. Intersperse these into your

workout initially, then when you can do 10 or so easily, that is when you

can drop the bench. So if you are doing 15 of these the way you work them

in is to have every 4th one stop above the bench. Next week, every 3rd

one, etc. Then when you are doing every other one, start glomming them

together in chains of 2. Expand these over the next few weeks to 3, then 4.

So it will take you several weeks, but the point is that nothing hurts and

you *will* feel like your legs are getting very strong. This is done to

give the body a chance to get the message it has to put on muscles in

places it had forgotten about.

* Doing these two-legged down, then 1 leg up etc. like he says is really

good. Do some of these every time you work out too. (see next tip)

* A towel or rope draped over the top of a door works well (or a tree

limb). I like to practice some of these along with the other motions. The

idea is that you should be working on form (so use your arms a lot) while

the actual muscles are rehabbing. The idea is that you can do a pullup to

save wear and tear on you. This exercise is about angles, really and

getting your body to do the sort of motions that it was designed to do (we

weren't designed to squat 500 lbs. Seriously. But we can run lickety-split

up the side of a mountain with a sabre-toothed tiger after us and the

amount of work done in both cases is the same, but the second one is a lot

better for your joints.)

If at any point something hurst, back off and check your form. Remember you

are acquiring a new *ability* (yes, strength is an ability you have to work

at, just like flexibility. Grok that).

Hope this helps.

The (formerly) wamblin' man,

Jeff

rBHR Aug. 1, 2001

Mr. McMinn

>Hi Jef,

>That " pistol " is quite a challenge. Congrats if you can even do it

>halfway. I agree that a doorpost does not give you enough grip,

>but what kind of chair has the proper form and weight to support you

>like a pole would?

>Ed

>

>

>> >

>> >

>> > I'm also a year Post-op. What you may be expericencing is

>> >inflammation. I ran some at 6 months, but decided to wait a year

>> >for all the soft tissue to heal. I did not experience any

>> >difficulties, but went on a regiment of leg work to strengthen my

>> >hip flexors and surrounding muscles. I do abduction, adduction,

>> >horizontal leg press, calf raises and hamstring curls along with

>> >lower ab crunches(real good for the psoas muscle). I now feel

>more

>> >comfortable to start running again. I will use the track at the

>> >school near my home because its soft and provides alot of give.

>> >

>> >

>> >Good luck

>> >

>> >C+ 3/13/03 Dr.Mont

>> >

>> >

>> >

>> >

>> >

>> >