Any tips to prevent thickening of the waist besides vacuums when practicing powerlifting?

Unfortunately, this is par for the course with powerlifting routines and typical growth stimulating diets. Some have shown very good results with cutting carbs/sugar and increasing sleep, whereas others have been positive results from cycling keto every 6 months for around 4-5 weeks.

hello raynor,

I've been wanting to grow in general but with a higher emphasis on my legs. My right hip, knee and foot are all out of wack probably due to muscle imbalances so I have been doing a lot of glute medius work and foam rolling which is helping. I do a lot of banded crab walks and i use the band for slow eccentric back squats to force the glute medius to work throughout the lift. I would like to keep these exercises included in my training.

I'm available to gym about 5-6times per week. Do you have a split that targets the legs more frequency while also addressing the upper body adequately? Please let me know. THanks

Hi Raynor,

Do you know why cracking your back spirals out of control?
- Start cracking back, feeling of relief
- Over time, need to crack more often, more pain

I'm working on:
- Posture
- Cracking back less

Wondering what else there is? I am able to crack my back sitting on a chair, or simply standing and bringing my neck back / chest forward in a sort-of pulldown motion.

My theory (am I right? wrong? is there evidence that already supports my following ideas?):
- People say cracking bones isn't bad for you. But I've experienced more pain over time, and it seems related.
- I theorize that cracking your back increases the flexibility of the bones and the parts where the gases can build up that cause the need for cracking. The more you crack, the more flexibility there is, and the more room/ability for the gases to build up in greater amounts (therefore more pain, and easier ability to crack it).
- I theorize that this can be reversed by reducing flexibility in those areas. To do so, I believe I need to stop cracking my back as much. By not cracking my back as much, flexibility in the areas of the spine will reduce over time, reducing the amount of gas that builds up, and reducing pain.
- I also theorize that over time, frequent cracking could change growth/shape of the area, and thus result in pain/damage. For example, inflammation might occur, which could cascade and result in other problems, which might not be as easily reversible. Thoughts?

Thanks.

Hey Raynor,

100% it's not cardiac, so I'm not super interested in getting a work up for one.. But my sternum has a sharp pain when pressed on and when I get to certain positions "it hurts when moving into a laying position"..

Broken rib? Broken sternum? Inflammation? What's your 2 cents?

Scratch this post. I'm running wendlers 531. The plan is :

Mon - OHP
Tues - Deadlift
Wed - ??
Thurs - Bench
Fri - Squat
Sat - ??
Sun - OFF

From what I read Jim stresses that cardio is a must. Have you run wendlers 531 before and have any insight on what they did for these "??" days I have listed. I'm thinking cardio and some accessory lifts

Either of these are good:

http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=21269614&f=60&p=345300636
5x5 plan

http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=21269614&f=60&p=345358141
Hypertrophy Plan 3-on-1-off (regular)

However, for the 5x5 plan, just replace arms day with a second legs day.

The feeling of relieving pressure from the joints can become addictive. Also, it can also be the stretch/manipulation associated with the crack that feels good at first. Over time, the desire to crack more for relief results in more extreme movements to "crack" the back, ultimately stretching the ligaments improperly.

The actual act of cracking the joints does not have any deleterious effects. However, hyperextension and overmanipulation can lead to tendonitis and general swelling/soreness.

The gasses releasing and reforming does not gradually increase the area for which they store over time. Also, increased flexibility is not bad, but instead good. However, with increased flexibility, it becomes more difficult to "crack", as you will require more extreme movements. The overall goal here is to stay in good overall spinal shape, which requires good stretching, proper exercise, and avoiding hyperextension and rapid forceful movements.

See a good chiropractor in your area if you would like to have a professional work on your alignment.

Sounds 100% like Costochondritis. Although there is no known cause of this, some theories involve muscle swelling/soreness from hyperextension, allergic reactions, inflammation from localized microfractures, or even alignment issues.

There is no solution to this problem either, but typically rest, ice, and ibuprofen gets rid of it pretty quickly.

Definitely accessory lifts on those days. Abs, Arms, Traps, etc.