Push and Pull

Workout 29 March 2009:

Time for 21-15-9 reps of:
Strict chin-ups
Handstand push-ups

Results: 18'34
Previous best: none, new workout

After almost three long weeks, my back is about 80% healed. Today's workout is a modification of the L-pull-up and HSPU workout (see 16 Feb) that places much less stress on the back. The HSPUs felt more difficult than normal and I had to break up the reps more than I would have liked. The chin-ups, however, felt strong. By strict, I mean no kipping and full range of motion (full extension of arms at bottom to chin over the bar).

I had my second session of myofascial release and massage yesterday, again focusing on the back and hips. The physiology behind why this technique works so well is very interesting. Your muscles are all surrounded by a continuous sheathe of connective tissue called fascia. If you've ever bought meat at a grocery store, you've probably noticed the thin grey-white stuff that surrounds the meat and separates muscles. That's fascia. It's purpose is essentially two-fold. First, it acts like a scaffolding system linking your whole body together; think of it as an internal skin continuous from your head to your toes. Muscles move bones, and bones then move all the surrounding tissue linked by the fascia. Second, it serves a protective and barrier function. It protects muscle from injury, and also can serve as a barrier to infection to prevent it from spreading to surrounding compartments. In a future post, I'll discuss what happens when fascia does its role too well.

Mark Rippetoe Quote of the Day:
"The vast majority of women cannot get large, masculine muscles from barbell training. If it were that easy, I would have them."