Monday, February 12, 2007

More with Dr. Cobb

Z-Health was back in town this weekend for another R-Phase. I sat in on part of Saturday but that was all I could handle. I had a private session Saturday morning. Here was the problem: I couldn't flex my right knee while my right was extension without sharp pain. Nothing I did would take care of it. Nothing. My timing in seeing him was perfect and it seems this always happens. Here's what we found: the same visual and vestibular disturbance we found at the start (apparently, these things return) plus more visual tracking problems.

Here was the coolest thing about the session: Dr. Cobb was palpating my right gastroc. It was tender to the touch. At this point, many other practitioners would've concluded that my right gastroc was the problem. Some SMR and/or stretching would've been prescribed; I'd done that stuff in the past. No dice. Back to Dr. Cobb: He had me do some more visual testing, found a faulty motor pattern, and had me do some visual and vestibular work. Here's the cool part: I didn't move anything other than my head and eyes. I was still standing in the same place and my right gastroc was no longer tender to the touch.

Take home point: The fascial system is slave to the visual and vestibular systems. Fascial winding apparently is determined primarily by the visual system. I did not know that. Very cool.

Then, Dr. Cobb found yet more visual problems. These made me want to vomit: sympathetic response. He concluded that if while looking down on the squat, I looked slightly left with my eyes only, that would break the old motor pattern and rewind the fascial systems associated with my right knee. I tried it yesterday. It worked like a charm. Perfect front squats. Perfect. Felt like a new knee.

Here was yesterday's training session (on the platform with weightlifting partner):

Sunday, 2.11.07
A. Snatch from high point.
Tried getting under the bar. Nothing doing. Right knee pain plus old winding pattern. Switched exercises.

B. Pressing/Heaving/Snatch Balance (depending on the weight)
60kg/3
(70/2, 80/2, 90/2) x4; approx 60-90s rest (you go, I go)

C. Clean from the high point
70kg/3
(100/2, 105/2, 110/2) x3; approx 60-90s rest (you go, I go)
My legs were feeling tired in the middle of these. Almost a week off will do that to you.

D. Front Squat. Just had to try these out, even though I was tired already.
100kg/3, 110/2, 120/1;
110/3, 120/2, 130/1
These were the BEST front squats I have ever done. Ever. It was like I was squatting on rails--straight up, straight down. Plenty of room left. Felt like I could've squeezed out 4-5 with that 130kg. Good stuff.

Tonite's session,
Monday, 2.12.07


Focus is on putting on some muscle as well as pushing the strength up. Using a program I developed a couple of years ago just before I hurt my hip. This combined with some heavy eating put approximately 10 relatively lean pounds on me at that time. Let's see if it still works, cause I need about 20 right now...

A. Press, jerk grip, 3RM, then 80% for 8 sets of 3 with 60s rest
3RM=90kg,
80%=72.5kg
Sets 4 and 5 were hard--then it got easier.

B. Rack Pull, clean grip, 2 inches below knee, 3RM, then 80% for 8 sets of 3 with 60s rest
3RM=205kg,
80%=165kg
This was really disappointing for me. I realized just how weak I've become, especially at this lighter bodyweight. Of course, just after typing this, I realize I've never had the mobility to pull from this position. But still, numbers seem a little low. If I want to C&J 200kg eventually, this number needs probably another 100kg added to it. Another year or so...

C. Front Squat, 1x5, 2x3
60kg/5, 100/3 x2 set; approx. 90s rest
Just wanted to grease the groove here. Try out the new eye position 2 days in a row. Again, no problems. Easy. Did feel a little tired after the RM work though.

D. 45 Degree Hypers
1x10, bodyweight.

I liked the RM work in the past with the back-down sets. My reasoning for doing this is that it put on specific muscle, that is, specific to Olympic lifting. The back-down sets work quite nicely for this. That 80% is a little heavier than it normally would be due to CNS potentiation from the RM work. So, I get to use more weight. Good stuff. We'll see how it works now with a more efficient CNS.

Overall, feel good--a little tired, but good.

Tomorrow is a KB/GPP/Rehab day.

5 Comments:

Blogger Chris said...

Geoff

After reading yoru blog and your mentions of Z Health I've ordered one of their DVDs.

Sounds interesting stuff - I'm ready to try anything on my back! Stretching, massage, trigger point therapy all help....so does relaxing.

4:23 AM  
Blogger Mark Reifkind said...

geoff,

glad you got that fixed so quickly. only problem to me is that if YOU, with all your z experience, couldnt get it how can the average person,even with good z health training figure those connections out? Seems like Dr Cobb is a genius with these things but it does appear, from the writing anyway, pretty complicated assesment stuff.

I'll call soon.

ps back is unspasmed today!

7:59 AM  
Blogger Geoff Neupert said...

Chris--you can't go wrong. Just be patient and enjoy learning how to move again. I'm currently moving like I was 10+ years ago.

Rif--you bring up a VERY valid point. However, I'm really not that experienced with Z--just practicing for a year now. And I've only been practicing R-Phase and am only certed. thru R-Phase. You're right--Dr. Cobb is a genius which is why he's distilled Z down into bite-size chunks, or phases, of which, there are four, in the following order: R-Phase, I-Phase, Sports-Specific, and Rehab. R-Phase works for 75-80% of the general population. Guys like you and me are anything but general. Some of the TPT trainers periodically checked me with I-Phase assessments and it was my former business partner, Tom, who determined the myofascial winding and what to do to correct it. That went a LONG way in and of itself.

Re: the assessment: Actually, the R-Phase assessment, which is actually the standard Z-Health assessment is so simple, you'll kick yourself when you find out at the R-Phase cert. It makes PERFECT sense, once you see it and go thru it and explains why every other assessment on the market today is actually a skill assessment that has little to do with imbalances. Even the I-Phase assessments are simple enough once you learn them.

11:35 AM  
Blogger Geoff Neupert said...

Oh yeah, Rif--good job on the back.

11:35 AM  
Blogger Mark Reifkind said...

cool dude.can't to see some of this stuff in action. back is better still today. almost eerie. I think I sarno'd it,lol.

10:49 PM  

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