DOMS

Horse stance is a great exercise for strengthening the muscles that stabilise the knee joints. It is one of the precursor exercises to achieving full splits.

 

"Dynamic stretches before your main workout, isometric and relaxed stretches (in that sequence) after your main workout. "

Thats all I needed to know, thanks superfoot.

TheCount, ur confusing me man. Ur not giving me an exact definition of "medically nourished". Plus Superfoot seems to be against a lot of the things you are telling me about stretching.

At any rate, thanks for the help gentlemen.

 

Plus your nutrition needs change in accordance with your workout program/routine (including your MA classes)

 

What I was hoping for by asking for the definition of "medically nourished" was a creative answer that I haven't heard before.

Of course I was expecting to hear something about balacing the nutrients you take in.

I'm pretty good with my nutritional plan (I eat enough or more than enough) I don't drink soda, alcohol, don't smoke, and candy makes my stomach hurt if I eat 2 bars of it. I focus on eating a good amount of protein and I drink chocolate milk directly after my cool down after my workout.

Thanks for the replies and help tho.

 

The idea of nutrition is not just about how much you eat but what you eat.

On obese person can easily be malnourished but eating lots of the wrong types of foods.

From trusty wikipedia
"Although hunger and malnutrition are often used interchangably, hunger is properly conceived of as the feeling in the stomach while malnutrition is the physiological condition where there is not the right amount of nutrients and minerals for physiological development and maintenance. However, as a term to describe the social condition of people affected by this issue, hunger is the more commonly accepted."

Just focus on not eating too much foods that are referred to as 'empty calories'. Basically foods that normally contain high amount of a particular macronutrient (normally carbs or fats) but with limited nutritional contents in terms of micronutrients (eg. vitamins, minerals).

While protein is important in a balanced diet. You should focus on eating a good amount of fruits and vegetables as well.

Certain types of chocolate milk I would argue aren't great for you to be drinking regularly either.

 

My TKD classes never incorporate cool down stretches at the end of a class. The last part is spent sparring, then we leave. Unfortunately, our venue boots us out as soon as we are done, as it's quite late and they need to lock up.

I am a white belt and haven't been with the club for long, so would feel cheeky asking my instructor to allocate time for stretching at the end of a class. What to do? Stretch in my own time after a brief warm up? I have very tight hamstrings and hips, and could do with a little extra time working on stretches that will help with flexibility and reduce pain the next day!

 

Ask your instructor to allocate time for stretching; if he refuses to do so, then I would seriously consider leaving and finding another club that does so. Ignorant instructors are one of the major causes of sports injuries.

However, leaving is sometimes not an option. You may be surrounded by ignorant instructors and this one happens to be the best of the bunch, or he may in fact be the only instructor available in the sport you enjoy. If it comes to it, you could always do cool-down stretches in the changing room. At the very least you should do relaxed stretches when you get home.

Bear in mind that DOMS is probably a sign your body is adapting to the demands imposed in the prior night's training session, and sometimes it is better to not stretch at all when sore. Consider that no amount of stretching will prevent DOMS if your workouts are way beyond what your body is currently capable of handling. A little soreness once in a while is to be expected, but regular soreness is a sign that your are exhausting your muscles. This is not necessary, nor beneficial, to physical improvement.

Note - the term "ignorant instructor" is not intended to be an insult at your coach. He or she may be a great fighter, but not necessarily clued up on correct sports training principles.

 

I will ask, I just don't want to appear like I'm telling him how to do his job! He has 25 years more experience on me. However, that said, Ive noticed he doesn't spend much time on stretching during our warm up either. Ive trained at other clubs that can spend as long as 15-20 mins on various sitting/standing stretching routines, whereas we spend 5 mins. It feels very rushed, and I pull something every session usually.

 

Don't feel like you have no right to ask. With 25 years experience he should have come to expect requests by now. Gone are the days when the dojo leader was seen as a "master" or "commander". Instead, he is now a service provider and you are a paying customer, so he should be asking what you want in the lesson - at least, that's the way I run my lessons! The fact that you "pull something" almost every session is a sign that his teaching methodology is wrong, and potentially harmful. Although the other clubs you visited are doing it wrong by incorporating static stretches in the warm-up, if they do static stretches in the cool-down, you might be better off joining them instead. Don't feel like you have to put your health in jeopardy out of loyalty for your instructor.

 

I've just moved house actually.... so haven't ruled out chaging clubs, or at the very least dropping in on one nearer where I live. (Ealing, if anyone knows any good WTF clubs that way!) The stretching things is bugging me alot, but if you don't ask you don;t get so I will try that first. Thank you for the advice

 

Ferret,

How about getting to class 15 mins early and doing stretching before class, and then a warm down stretch either at the dojang or once you get home?

I normally stretch before class either at home or at the dojang, and again after class at home after a nice hot bath.

With class times getting shorter and shorter it may not always be possible to get a decent stretching routing in as well as basics, cardio, sparring etc. I'm not advocating this at all, but the current trend is to have 45 to 60 minute classes, which means more work required out of class.

It seems the days of 2 hour plus classes have gone to get these a couple of us get together evenings and weekends outside of regular class.

All the best,

Andy

 

A good teacher will always take on board a students concerns, I know mine does......even if he thinks I'm talking nonsense LOL

 

Andy - we train in a small hall that is used before we go in, so space is limited. There is much room outside the hall (i'd be in the way!), unless I go outside and stretch there. I hadn't thought of that. As for time, we are allocated a 2 hour slot, but we never seem to start on time (i have no idea why, the instructor is always there way before we kick off anyway...its like there is a lot of faff-time! Our other black belts should take the warm up if the instructor is busy shoudlnt they?)

I live quite a way from my club....it'll be a good hour on the train before I'm home.
By that time its very late!! But I guess I should make time for stretching, even if everything has ceased up.

 

Ah, I see your problem...

As Dean said, talk to your instructor. Any good instructor should listen and you have a very valid point, a pre-workout stretch is critical, and ideally you should also have a post-workout stretch.

All the very best,

Andy

 

Thanks guys, fingers crossed he won't think me being cocky