Stopping stiffness: any advice?

Shaolinwind

Shaolinwind

2nd Black Belt
Joined
Mar 9, 2005
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Suisun City, CA
Hi guys!

I have a question. I practice Kung Fu daily, and attend 6 classes weekly. A lot of the new things I am learning are difficult for me, such as lunge stance, pressing stance and steal stances. These things confound my muscles, and I often have very stiff muscles esspecially in the calves and upper thighs after practice. I am a rather stocky and large framed person but I try to push my limits within a reletively safe margin. I endure discomfort but if something really *hurts* it's probably bad form anyhow. =) Long story short; Kung Fu = big time stiffness for Gerald.

Would I benefit from some cool-down stretches after class and practice? Does anyone have a reccomended cool-down routine?
 
How long have you been practicing, and how much activity were you doing before you started working out 6 days a week?
 
dubljay said:
How long have you been practicing, and how much activity were you doing before you started working out 6 days a week?
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I've been practicing Kung fu for a little more than 3 weeks. Before that, there was a several week period after I left TSD where I did nothing. Before that I was doing 4 - 5 days weekly for about 7 months.
 
Chobaja said:
I've been practicing Kung fu for a little more than 3 weeks. Before that, there was a several week period after I left TSD where I did nothing. Before that I was doing 4 - 5 days weekly for about 7 months.
Click to expand...

Ok that gives a bit more info on your physical condition.

I wouldnt say that the pain is from bad form, just out of shape muscles. Definately add some cool downs stretches post work out. Both dynamic and static stretching. Your time spent in TSD probably build up different muscles and Kung Fu is working a different set. Give it time as well as your muscles tone and strengthen.

-Josh
 
Keep in mind that any time you do something that you've never done before, you'll most likely be using muscles that you've never used before. Being 3 weeks into an art, would explain why you're feeling like you do.

Some suggestions:

Arrive at your class a few minutes early and start to do some light stretching.

I suggest that you also stretch after the class. It will help as a cool down as well as help your flexability.

Take some time on your non-class days and do some stretching. Of course, anytime you stretch, you'll find that you'll get better results after your body is already warmed up.

Mike
 
MJS said:
Keep in mind that any time you do something that you've never done before, you'll most likely be using muscles that you've never used before. Being 3 weeks into an art, would explain why you're feeling like you do.

Some suggestions:

Arrive at your class a few minutes early and start to do some light stretching.

I suggest that you also stretch after the class. It will help as a cool down as well as help your flexability.

Take some time on your non-class days and do some stretching. Of course, anytime you stretch, you'll find that you'll get better results after your body is already warmed up.

Mike
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I'm glad to hear it's just noobie pains. I actually do spend up to a half hour stretching and warming up before a class, plus we do some at the beginning of class. I will definitely start to do some stretching afterwards.
 
Well, we older over 40 set are always stiff in the morning. Do dynamic stretches, easy leg raises, side raises, joint rotation, first in the morning. Besides, even the advanced get stiff as they are constantly going to their max (and sometimes beyond). But it is important to do ten minutes of stretching after a workout--certainly helps alot with the normal stiffness. TW
 
I would stretch out before classes. Arrive early like someone had posted earlier and do some stretching on your own. After classes, stretch out some more and taking a warm shower with a massager is always a nice finish upper.:)
 
You might consider taking one of those days off...

The body doesn't get better when its training, it gets better when it is resting, if you don't take the rest you don't get stronger, you go into "Overtraining" and can actually go backwards...

No one needs to train 6 days a week
 
Andrew Green said:
No one needs to train 6 days a week
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This is good advice. MAists tend to over do it. If you are going to train that much, vary your workouts.
 
Andrew Green said:
You might consider taking one of those days off...

The body doesn't get better when its training, it gets better when it is resting, if you don't take the rest you don't get stronger, you go into "Overtraining" and can actually go backwards...

No one needs to train 6 days a week
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Cutting down will be hard. I'm a fiend for this stuff. I will have to take your advice, as well as increase my stretching time to include after training and maybe add a morning routine in there somewhere.
 
why is 6 days a week too much?
I've been going 6 days a week since october. (then again I have to start physical therapy on wednesday for my legs)
What do you mean by vary your workouts? its not really a choice, you do what the teacher says lol.
 
Samantha said:
why is 6 days a week too much?
I've been going 6 days a week since october. (then again I have to start physical therapy on wednesday for my legs)
What do you mean by vary your workouts? its not really a choice, you do what the teacher says lol.
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Its great to see your that you are committed to your trainning, If i could share with you a few thoughts,

If your trainning is Vigorous then six days a week could be consider to much, and your workouts need to be varied as previously mentioned , without a well thoughout trainning program you may have the reverse effects, slow progress, injury ,etc ,an example of a structured program might be:

Monday a technical work out,
Tuesday a strength workout designed around the sport,
Wednesday endurance work out that focus on the sport,
Thrusday off recovery hey even a play in the pool.
Friday a technical work out, with an aerobic work out.
Saturday speed and strenght work out / strenght exercise that focus on speed of your technque
Sunday off
With the approperiate stretches to co-inside with each of your work outs

A rule of thumb that I follow in my trainning / teaching is ; a technical work out OR speed work out, preceeds a strength OR endurance work out, A strength workout preceeds an exhausting endrurance workout, which is followed by a day off rest.
Repeat

AND IT IS ALWAYS YOUR CHOICE!!!

No offense to either you or your instructror, but because some one has a black belt around their waste dose not make them a coach. and more often than not there methods of trainnig have only been a mimic of there Instructor, someone that has had little formal education in any sports training or associated fields( please note just a common generalization)

( poor speller)
cheers
 
I was the same way after starting in my 7* mantis school. My muscles were not used to the low stances at all.

What helps me TREMENDOUSLY--10 min. of post-workout stretching. I also take the time to do a 10 min. warm up and stretch even on my off days.

A hot/cold interval shower after ~30 min. after your workout. Do it really hot for a minute or so, then switch it to cold. Repeat. For me this has been great for soreness, too.

If you don't like doing the hot/cold thing, I also did the hot only with good results.
 
The below link goes to a page that describes what and how inosine works in the body. One thing that is does not mention is that it also helps with stiff sore muscles when used before and after training. The way it was explained to me (when I used it to keep from getting sore from running after I hadn't run for a while) is it helps the muscles to use energy more efficently, and more important in your case, it helps to flush the waste acids (the reason you get sore) out of the muscles. Body builders and athletes use it to work out longer, and recover faster. It is naturally occuring in the body and facilitates the production of ATP. Most health food/nutritional stores carry it. I used to get it at the local GNC when I was in the Marine Corps and had to go to the "running"...er..ah..I mean the Advanced SNCO academy.


http://www.herbalglobal.com/Supplements/Inosine.html
 
I don't know people, but at my age i have to go to the DOCTOR just to keep the stiffness,:idunno: (lol)
 
RBaddorf said:
The below link goes to a page that describes what and how inosine works in the body. One thing that is does not mention is that it also helps with stiff sore muscles when used before and after training. The way it was explained to me (when I used it to keep from getting sore from running after I hadn't run for a while) is it helps the muscles to use energy more efficently, and more important in your case, it helps to flush the waste acids (the reason you get sore) out of the muscles. Body builders and athletes use it to work out longer, and recover faster. It is naturally occuring in the body and facilitates the production of ATP. Most health food/nutritional stores carry it. I used to get it at the local GNC when I was in the Marine Corps and had to go to the "running"...er..ah..I mean the Advanced SNCO academy.


http://www.herbalglobal.com/Supplements/Inosine.html
Click to expand...

Thank you, that might be a good idea. I'll take any safe edge I can get.
 
clfsean said:
More Stance Practice...

Zheng Gu Shui...

Alleve...

Works wonders for me.
Click to expand...
Hehehe stance practice is probably the main Cause of my issues. Actually, since I originally posted I've been doing cool down stretches and it's helped a lot, esspecially in my problem areas.
 
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