Athletic performance in your 40s?

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Originally Posted by Brock Landers

10000% disagree. I go to a very competitive, regionals-level, popular “box”. And 80% of the people, minimum, are just normal people working hard. Training. Most places it’s 95% of people.

You can get hurt. You can tweak stuff. You can get in great overall shape. Like you can get hurt doing anything that gets you in great shape. But you don’t need to go 110% in terms of competitiveness v training.

Go in, don’t think much, go hard, get a great workout in, it’s more efficient than anything else you’re doing. The other cult cameraderie stuff is extra if you want to go into it.

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Most people playing in pickup league soccer or basketball do it to stay in shape and because its fun. The point is that anytime you are in a competitive environment you are no longer in a controlled environment and the risk of injury goes up. You will also get in better shape in a competitive environment vs non competitive because, for most people, you will push harder when competing than when you are not competing. Shoot, even doing EMOM workouts in my garage my form becomes slacker because of physical fatigue, but also the mental fatigue of focusing on hitting my prescribed reps within the time allowed. And as i get older with cranky joints and shit, making sure my mind is focused on each rep is important to mitigate tweaks and strains. The downsides to crossfit i see are an increased risk of injury, and the cost (if joining a box), compared to more traditional training methods. Training for skiing by MTBing has similar benefits/drawbacks (risk of injury and cost) but its something i choose to do. I never said crossfit was bad, i even said it was good, just that it should be viewed more as a sport.

My crossfit advice that I've given over the years: Olympic lifts are good. Speed workouts are good. Oly lifts for speed is fucking stupid.

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Originally Posted by californiagrown

The point is that anytime you are in a competitive environment you are no longer in a controlled environment and the risk of injury goes up. You will also get in better shape in a competitive environment vs non competitive because, for most people, you will push harder when competing than when you are not competing. .

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Yes to the first sentence. NO to the second.

Proper training, for strength or endurance, requires structure and specificity that can't be adhered to in competition. If you're not going as hard in training intervals as in competition, you need to find more motivation. Of course, competition will be the hardest overall, but the lack of structure means you'll be tired but won't necessarily get the most benefit from the time spent. "Racing into shape" is just a great way to get injured or overtrained.

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Originally Posted by climberevan

Yes to the first sentence. NO to the second.

Proper training, for strength or endurance, requires structure and specificity that can't be adhered to in competition. If you're not going as hard in training intervals as in competition, you need to find more motivation. Of course, competition will be the hardest overall, but the lack of structure means you'll be tired but won't necessarily get the most benefit from the time spent. "Racing into shape" is just a great way to get injured or overtrained.

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Eh. There is a reason why every football, soccer, basketball, hockey, etc player will tell you that they are in way better shape midseason than at the beginning. Even the great ones with notorious work ethics.

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Originally Posted by old goat

You guys make me laugh. 40's? Hah! This 73 year old hadn't run in about 7 or 8 years due to back and leg pain from spinal stenosis. I've been hiking and biking to keep my legs in shape, but now my knee has limtied my hiking and my back is much much better so I started running again. I managed a mile of half walking and half running. When I recover I'll do it again and restart my leg blasters which I do every fall. So stop feeling sorry for yourselves at 40.

I do have to say that after practicing a wide variety of lower body aerobic and anaerobic exercises for decades that running is as good as anything for the legs and for overall endurance and fitness--maybe the best.

Also, it would be nice if the high weren't 93 in October.

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Glad you found this thread.

Thread title should be changed to “… past your 40’s” or “in your 40’s, 50’, 60’, 70’, and beyond”

Anyone on Jacob’s Ladder? I’ve been doing about 2000 ft, in 30 min. Kicks my ass. But I like it.

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Originally Posted by Lvovsky

Glad you found this thread.

Thread title should be changed to “… past your 40’s” or “in your 40’s, 50’, 60’, 70’, and beyond”

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Yah well, when I started the thread, I was focused on athletic performance in my 40s. Pretty soon that won't be the case anymore, but I don't think I can change the title.

is anybody reading this only 40 ? I was in way better shape mid 50's

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Originally Posted by XXX-er

is anybody reading this only 40 ? I was in way better shape mid 50's

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Just turned 45.

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Originally Posted by Cono Este

Anyone on Jacob’s Ladder? I’ve been doing about 2000 ft, in 30 min. Kicks my ass. But I like it.

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Pretty respectable

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Originally Posted by zion zig zag

My crossfit advice that I've given over the years: Olympic lifts are good. Speed workouts are good. Oly lifts for speed is fucking stupid.

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I agree.

It’s a shame that a few of the worst movements in CrossFit aren’t eliminated. I think you could decrease the injuries significantly by taking out just a few movements.

I had problems with my shoulders from whitewater kayaking. I learned to stretch and strengthen them and eliminated subluxations. I would never want my hands above and behind my head under tension like when performing a kipping pull up. When we would do pull ups for a workout I would just opt to do them strict.

I think you can do CrossFit responsibly and without injury but it takes a lot of discipline. Knowing when you can’t get another rep with good form is key. Also, backing away when you feel a tinge and working on that area, mobility, massage, heat and cold, whatever it takes until you can do the same rep without feeling that tinge of pain. If you ignore it you will hurt it or compensate and hurt something else. I am not opposed to it being “competitive” - but just like any amateur athletics you have to know your limits and realize getting hurt isn’t worth the tiny bragging rights of getting a PR or finishing a little higher in a comp.

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Originally Posted by dan_pdx

Yah well, when I started the thread, I was focused on athletic performance in my 40s. Pretty soon that won't be the case anymore, but I don't think I can change the title.

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Pretty epic thread regardless

In the spirit of getting legs ready for the ski season (light NSFW warning: yoga pants)

https://youtube.com/shorts/17XJf3YsD...kSdAaUcwET13Hi

Anyone have really good stretches and/or exercises to deal with hip flexor pain? I’ve had nagging pain for the last two months now that won’t resolve. As in, its hard for me to lift my foot to put on socks first thing in the AM. Lifting my ski to rip skins really lights me up.

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Originally Posted by zion zig zag

Anyone have really good stretches and/or exercises to deal with hip flexor pain? I’ve had nagging pain for the last two months now that won’t resolve. As in, its hard for me to lift my foot to put on socks first thing in the AM. Lifting my ski to rip skins really lights me up.

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You have to strengthen it, not just stretch it. For stretching I like the Pigeon yoga pose.

For strengthening, banded glute bridges and banded fire hydrants are both quite effective for me. And single leg balance ball squats.

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Originally Posted by zion zig zag

Anyone have really good stretches and/or exercises to deal with hip flexor pain? I’ve had nagging pain for the last two months now that won’t resolve. As in, its hard for me to lift my foot to put on socks first thing in the AM. Lifting my ski to rip skins really lights me up.

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Good suggestions above. I roll out hip flexors with a mix of foam roller, larger ball, lacrosse ball etc. Aggressively stretching them can cause my back to flare up.

I’d also make the pain isn’t coming from the nerves in your back or hip area (/broken record)

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Originally Posted by Self Jupiter

Good suggestions above. I roll out hip flexors with a mix of foam roller, larger ball, lacrosse ball etc. Aggressively stretching them can cause my back to flare up.

I’d also make the pain isn’t coming from the nerves in your back or hip area (/broken record)

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I’ve been battling a right sciatic never issue for the past couple months. Fucking sucks. Symptoms have range from pretty intense hip pain, loss of strength in leg to tingling leg sensations. Aggressive stretching can make it worse. Slowly seeing improvements from sciatic flossing exercises, and strengthening my lower back. The flossing exercises are low demand and created movement along the nerve path, they can provide significant relief. Lots of physio YouTube videos out there on various options.

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Originally Posted by jpcm

I’ve been battling a right sciatic never issue for the past couple months. Fucking sucks. Symptoms have range from pretty intense hip pain, loss of strength in leg to tingling leg sensations. Aggressive stretching can make it worse. Slowly seeing improvements from sciatic flossing exercises, and strengthening my lower back. The flossing exercises are low demand and created movement along the nerve path, they can provide significant relief. Lots of physio YouTube videos out there on various options.

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If you have tingling, it would hurt to see a pro and get specific instructions for you.

With nerve stuff anything remotely aggressive can flare it back up so I’ve always just done super low intensity stretching and small strengthening stuff for longer than I think I should.

Even flossing and rolling out could make mine worse when it was bad

X2 on finding a good PT

ZZZ, I think that generally (no medical diagnosis) that is a pretty common problem. For me, I went from thinking that maybe I was going to have to quit ski touring a perhaps get surgery to having my hips feel pretty good. But it good a daily commitment to being healthy.

I don't think the best approach is to think about a particular stretch or exercise unless it is prescribed by a good PT. A lot of times the pain manifests somewhere because of an imbalance of weakness somewhere else. That said, try this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho9em79_0qg&t=819s

I think is is pretty easy to have muscle imbalances that manifest as pain even if you are fit and active. So a routine of stretching and strengthening your whole body in addition to just exercise seems like a requirement as we get older.

Single leg deadlifts helped me fix and strengthen. Deadlifts and squats in general fixed all my flexor issues save for some cobwebs from time to time. Unilateral movements esp, hold a kettlebell or db in one hand, work your way up to heavy, great for balance and core in addition to strengthening the hip girdle

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Originally Posted by EWG

You have to strengthen it, not just stretch it.

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This is an important piece that people often forget. Areas sometimes cause pain or get tight or spasm because they are weak.

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Originally Posted by Foggy_Goggles

I think is is pretty easy to have muscle imbalances that manifest as pain even if you are fit and active. So a routine of stretching and strengthening your whole body in addition to just exercise seems like a requirement as we get older.

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Truth. To add to that, the pain sometimes appears in a different spot from the weak/tight muscle (often the opposite side).

You guys aren't wrong about the whole imbalance thing, but loss of strength can be a sign that a motor nerve is being impinged and personally I'd take that seriously and see a pro just in case.

A couple of things:

The overuse that gets talked about is ski touring, hiking for elk and firefighting. I go to a conditioning class once a week in Winter Park. Primarily it is middle aged (cough) folks who still get after it. Overall strength and hip mobility are a big focus.

I like yoga because is teaches body awareness and core stability. So idea generally suggest putting yoga and ski specific weight lifting at the top of the list. But daily hip health may be a requirement for you. It is for me. Otherwise I honestly can hardly walk straight.

Here are some good exersices to just maybe get started with https://www.healthline.com/health/fi...es#bottom-line

Integrating more squats and deadlifts combined with less high-frequency movements like running have helped me out when my hip flexors have been pissed off. Others with desk jobs might have a similar outcome.

Sounds a little woo woo, but Sweet Earth CBD muscle gel is freaking awesome for inflammation.