Jumpers knee anyone?

[Russ]

I'm 48. I suppose that I'm lucky. I've never experienced the kind of knee swelling that you are describing. I did tear cartlige in my knee vaulting in 9th grade (1972). I had it scoped about 10 years ago, and it hasn't bothered me since.

I agree with Becca, ice for several days, then switch to heat. Anti-inflammatories will help too.

I've discovered that I really can't vault more than twice in a week, and typically once a week is my norm. In fact, I use a stationary bike, a Nordic Track, and a treadmill a lot more than actually running on regular surfaces. I think that I probably do about one-third or less of my aerobic activity on regular hard surfaces and two-thirds on the bike, Nordic Track, or treadmill. If I do more than that on hard surfaces, I find that I start straining muscles, and those injuries knock me out for 2-3 weeks. I've always thought that I should swim, but I've not gotten around to it.

[CrossBarHOpper]

hey I am fourteen and i am already Feeling pain for you I was thirteen when I had knee surgery and i am limited to most everything so hope its gets better for you.

[souleman]

Well? I'll be a guinea pig on this one. Next time I go vault I will do just the opposite of what I did this time around. Then I'll report which way got me back quicker. Just got out of a hot tub and popped 800mgs of vitamin I. (I love calling it that, I called it that to my wife who is a nurse. After a minute of staring at me like a deer in the headlights I told her what it was and she busted out laughing).I have decent range in motion and the pain in the groin area is all but gone. Knee still is definitely there though. We'll see what works best. I'll ice it next time. Oh, how I long for my younger days when I was bullet proof. I too will probably be able to only vault once a week. Most of my work outs have been low impact. One thing I think I'll just have to start doing is some good ol' sit ups. What are your thoughts on those Russ? I'm figuring the groin stuff is due primarly to lack of abs strength. Later....Mike

[Russ]

I don't know about the relationship between abdominals and a sore groin. Hey, VaultMD, what are your thoughts on this?

I do leg-raisers (up about 6 inches off the ground, out, back together, down) x 15, 3-4 days a week as part of my streching routine. I also do 20 sit ups, 3-4 days a week. I began doing them just normal, then I graduated to holding a 5 lbs. weight behind my head (for about a year I think), and now I've upped it to 10lbs.

I know that many think that sit ups are taboo & injurious. So far I'm very happy with the results that I get from them.

[rainbowgirl28]

I know that many think that sit ups are taboo & injurious.

The latest I have heard on that for athletes, is that if you do not have any back problems, and you are doing them with good form, you're not likely to hurt anything.

I do full situps all the time and never have any problems with them. If you try them and they hurt something - don't do them!!

[souleman]

One more thing Russ, my groin reasoning came from the location of the pain which was right in front of my hip joints. It would feel like a pulling when I would lean forward. That's why I thought it may be ab related. I'm asking all these questions so that I can guard against these reoccurances but also so that I can know what to look for if I help other vaulters. I'm going to take Jan's course and get certified so that if there's someone who needs help/coaching I will know all I can to tell them the right stuff. Later...........Mike

[ladyvolspvcoach]

souleman, I think the ab exercise is crucial anyway. I do four ab exercises (crunches not situps) three times a week. I do leg lifts with my hands under my butt and legs crossed and straight up. Lift you hips off your hands as high as you can. The lay your legs to the left side and come straight up, then to the right side. Then lay flat and bend the knees with you feet flat on the ground. Put your hands together and "push" them between your legs. The first time I tried these I couldn't do ten of any one of these. Now I do 50 of each three times a week. Huge help!!!!!

[souleman]

Thanks Dave, I'll try them. I've been doing 60 crunches with a lot of rubberbands on my Jake, but I've got to do more. I just know that. With what I've done from a work out stand point the gut shouldn't still be there but it is. I can see the six pack starting to develope under the fat, but the fat is still there. I'm at least 10 lbs over and it's all in my gut. So I'll definately start doing your excercises. Later.....Mike

[Robert schmitt]

I don't know about the relationship between abdominals and a sore groin. Hey, VaultMD, what are your thoughts on this?


I know that many think that sit ups are taboo & injurious. So far I'm very happy with the results that I get from them.

The relationship is not from the abdominal muscle it's self per say. It's from the illiopsoas muscle (people commoinly refer to it as the hip flexor). The ab flexes the lumbar spine only as soon as you flex at the hip joint you are activating the illiopsoas. So if you are doing a "full range" sit-up you are using both the abdominal and illiopsoas (hip flexor) to accomplish this motion. Therefore you can get soreness and pain with in the groin region from this exercise. Doing a "crunch" minimizes the use of the illiopsoas (hip flexor).

[souleman]

So, basically it came FROM the jumping, well, the pulling my legs up after I took off? OK, I think I get it now. I'm wondering why it didn't bother me after last nights ring jumping then? I was doing a complete roll back after I jumped off the step therefore I guess using those muscles. Oh well, maybe those muscles are getting used to it or stronger. Thanks all. Stay tuned.........after Sunday, it will be "ice week". Later..............Mike

[master]

Thanks Dave, I'll try them. I've been doing 60 crunches with a lot of rubberbands on my Jake, but I've got to do more. I just know that. With what I've done from a work out stand point the gut shouldn't still be there but it is. I can see the six pack starting to develope under the fat, but the fat is still there. I'm at least 10 lbs over and it's all in my gut. So I'll definately start doing your excercises. Later.....Mike

souleman, if you are thinking more abs exercises will work directly on the gut, I think that is a mistake. If you are trying to lose weight (fat) wherever it is stored on your body, the simple formula of calories in must be less than calories burned should be the basis of your plan. Running will burn calories pretty effectively and on the intake side, watching the diet is extremely helpful. Over the years, I have gradually reduced my portion sizes and found substitutes for high fat foods/treats. Portion sizes is something your body adjusts to (in my opinion), and it goes both ways. If I were to eat at an all-you-can-eat place frequently (I don't do this because I yield to the temptation to eat too much), my body would become accustomed to a certain volume of food and my brain wouldn't get the message that it had enough food until I overate. On the other end, if I eat a reasonable portion size, and do it slowly, my brain tells me when I have had enough and I don't take more. It will take discipline to get to this state. I am fortunate to have a wife that prepares nutritious, good tasting meals that supports this approach. Eating well and doing reasonable exercise has resulted in my body fat being around 5% for a few years now. Now if only my skin had a little more of the youthful elasticity, it wouldn't sag and wrinkle, and the hair on my chest didn't grow to be 2 inches long and turn white, and my muscles and tendons and ligaments had some elasticity, and I had some hair on the top of my head, and ........

- master

[master]

I forgot to mention that I support doing a lot of strength building exercises. Putting on some muscle mass is also helpful for weight loss as long as you keep that muscle mass in good tone after you put it on.

Are you jumping this weekend? If so, good luck and stay healthy.