Plateau Breaking - Part 2 - Overtraining and Recovery

"The goal is certainly not to avoid stress - stress is a part of life. It is a natural by-product of all our activities...But in order to express yourself fully, you must first find your optimum stress level and then use your adaptation energy at a rate and in a direction adjusted to the innate structure of your mind and body. It is not easy... it takes much practice and almost constant self-analysis."- Hans Selye, 1956

 
Before we get into the technical BS, lets review for those that arent well-versed in these topics:

• Overtraining is NOT proven as a condition, BUT we know SOME detrimental changes occur in MOST people when stresses of training + life are greater in summation than the recovery capability is at that time (in simple terms: you're doing too much and not resting enough, aka burning the candle at both ends)
• There are several models of overtraining, but for the purposes of this article we simply will term them alpha- and beta-overtraining models. These terms actually are borrowed from Dr. Mel Siff's excellent text, Supertraining.
• Alpha-model overtraining is mostly encountered with endurance sports, and shows very few easily detectable signs; with that said a performance decrement is the main identifier. This is also associated with diminshed activity of the adrenal glands (adrenal fatigue/insufficiency/burnout), and mimics Addison's Disease.
• Beta-model overtraining is mostly encountered in power sports (if you're reading this here's a sign to pay attention) and is identified with all the common symptoms of overtraining. This model mimics Basedow's disease, and is associated with thyroid hyperactivity.
  
• There are also two types of overtraining, local and systemic. Systemic affects the entire body and results in a performance decrement, including but not limited to coordination disturbance. Local is fairly easy to identify since the overused muscle/groups are particularly stiff/sore and dont improve in condition after a few days' rest.
• The total stressors (internal + external) on a person make up the stress load, and this stress load vs. recovery capability is a constant battle to avoid overtraining. The stress load encompasses EVERYTHING that generates any amount of stress upon the biological organism, no matter how small or large the stress is.

That should cover a very basic knowledge of overtraining as we know it.
Recovery, on the opposite end of the spectrum, is not nearly as understood in this country as it should be. We should take advantage of all recovery methods, with exception of those that compromise your morals.
Recovery is:

• The process of repairing/remodeling damaged/overworked tissues.
• There are two types of recovery: active and passive. Passive recovery is something we know about quite well. "Rest and it will get better" is the motto of this approach. To be honest passive recovery is a lazy approach and can be improved upon greatly by serious athletes.
•  Active recovery is just that, moving and actually doing work to speed up recovery. This includes, but is not limited to: Foam rolling, contrast therapy, traction work, etc.
•  There are MANY methods of recovery that may not suit you. Hot Pine Baths, for example, are popular in the Russian States for recovery. So is the contrast method. In some sports here in America, we have anabolic (drug-aided) recovery, and this goes on in almost every professional sport you can think of, behind the shadows, silently helping athletes enhance performance. For the true drug-free athlete, this is not an option, at least not in the sense of Anabolic Androgenic Steroids. However, there are plenty of anabolic substances that are perfectly legal and improve performance greatly. These are: food (especially high-quality, clean foods - food is the most anabolic substance on the planet), ginger (megadosing), lemons (eat a wedge of one at every meal and see), and plenty of others. In fact there are methods to increase the performance (ie absorption) of your food!

Not literally, but close.

• There are three modes to recovery: Ongoing, Rapid, and Delayed Recovery
• Ongoing Recovery is just that; it takes place during the activity. Enhancing this type of recovery is accomplished by increasing your conditioning (cardiovascular).
• Rapid Recovery occurs immediately after exercise, and can be enhanced by active recovery methods performed immediately following training (contrast showers, sauna alternated with mobility work, etc.)
• Delayed Recovery is just that, and can surpass the initial level if training volume/intensity loads are not excessive. Enhancing this recovery method is accomplished by active recovery methods performed 3 (or 6) hours after training. one must keep in mind the rule of Rapid/Delayed Recovery: You can't have both! Pick one recovery method based on your needs. If you are training 2x a day, following the first session one would be wise to enhance Rapid Recovery, to facilitate optimal performance for the following training session later in the day. On the other side, if you are training today, and then tomorrow or the next day, Delayed Recovery would be your best choice. Active recovery methods performed 6 hrs after training yield the greatest supercompensation effect.
• Timing of delayed recovery methods are covered in a previous article: self-myofascial-release-therapy

 If you are SERIOUS about pushing the limits of human performance (or even just your limits) you should be following a concept called "no days off," which was coined by Kelly Starret. What this means is that on days you aren't training/practicing, you are opening/mobilizing your hips/hip capsule, performing mobility work, eliminating trigger points, foam rolling to improve circulation and remove soreness, and get the boat turned back around, so that you are even MORE recovered before the next training session. This yields to not better, but FASTER performance increases due to a greater training effect from each training session.

Now that we have covered a base primer of knowledge, lets go break some rules:

• Overtraining + Adequate Recovery = Supercompensation

• Supercompensation is where you surpass the previous level that you were at. This is the goal of training. 

*This CAN be called overreaching, but for your understanding, overreaching is a usually-intentional near-overtraining state that can be recovered from quicker than actual overtraining, and still can produce supercompensation if the necessary recovery is in place.

• Pines and Firs (evergreen trees) release quite a bit of beneficial 'pinenes,' and there are several studies that these pinene chemicals can act as structural secretaragogues, or GH-releasing/producing agents.

• High-quality meats can significantly increase testosterone levels. So can cold showers.

• For most efficient recovery, combine active and passive methods. Get plenty of quality rest, don't stay up till 2am watching Dexter, be sure to have conditioning as a staple of your training program (training one energy system has cross-system beneficial effects to other energy systems), be sure to foam roll, stretch, mobilize, and correct.

So how can you determine if you are overtrained?
Increases in blood pressure
Decreases in coordination
Colds/minor infections (these are a dead giveaway, overtraining kills the immune system)
Irritability beyond normal levels
Lack of appetite
Moodiness
Poor-quality sleep
Inability to get to sleep easily
Sweating easier/more than normal
Breathing harder than normal
Lack of endurance
Lack of aggression
Elevated muscle soreness

     ALL of these are symptoms of overtraining. If you experience more than a few of these you need to: 1) Rest more/better, 2) Increase the quality/quantity of food, 3)Be sure to massage/foam roll/eliminate trigger points often, 4) Do activity you dont often do: if you mainly lift weights, take a day off and go for a walk or a hike, a swim, or something not very taxing, but effective enough to move blood throughout the body.
   The importance of nutrition (ie food) in relation to overtraining can not be overstated. Simply not supplying enough nutritional fuel can make or break the overtraining barrier, and for sports where weight classes are competitive, this is the difference between winning or not even showing up to the fight. I found this quote from a knowledgeable man quite apt: "can we assume that the stresses of improper diet and lack of appropriate supplementation can also cause overtraining? Absolutely! In fact, probably faster than training can!" - Fred Hatfield, Ph.D., also known as Dr. Squat, and the first person to squat over a grand. This is a link to more info he wrote on the interaction of food and overtraining: http://www.timinvermont.com/fitness/1nutover.htm
   Overtraining can take WEEKS to get over if you have pushed yourself for a LONG time. A systematic, built-in deload every 4 weeks allows for one to avoid CNS burnout and overtraining. A deload, for clarification, is a reduction in weight and volume, but the movements are still performed, but at half or less intensity. Once you have learned what methods of recovery work best for you, and when they work best, you can determine if a deload every 4 weeks is necessary. Some deload every 3rd week after 2 intense weeks of training, for a supercompensation effect. Others dont need a deload at all. You have to learn your body and what works best for it.
   Here is an example of walking the overtraining knife-edge:
   For over a year straight I made progress, with no deloading whatsoever. In fact, after a while, I was able to decrease the time in between training sessions. And I still made progress. It was harder-earned progress, but I was still able to handle the intensity. Then suddenly classes are back in session, I have a relationship that isn't what it was a few months ago, and things got very, very busy. This additional stress pushed me over the edge into overtraining, and shot my immune system to hell. I came down with mono, and was bed ridden for more than 2 months (zero training). I figured my strength was in the toilet at this time. Several weeks after, I was able to start some of my normal activities again, and I wanted to see where my squat strength stood. I was amazed that after zero training, I set a PR by nearly 90 lbs! The only explanation I have for this is that the time I spent recovering from mono was the optimal time for recovery from the year + of heavy training with no time off. This was an EXTREME example of supercompensation due to optimal recovery, but this was most certainly not planned, and nor would I EVER recommend anyone try. But I know recovery time is important. Hell, I will even argue that proper recovery is more important that the strength training program you are following! I cant remember who said it at this time, but it was said that "The best strength training program is the one youre not currently on." There are NO MAGIC BULLETS, no oddball special Russian training program, no super-effective supplements, and NO SHORTCUTS. There is no 'perfect' training program. They are all effective if they are adhered to. Period.

Research for yourself this List of Recovery Methods:
Classical Massage
PNF
Myofascial Trigger point massage/therapy
Acupressure/Shiatsu/Reiki
Hydrotherapy
Stretching/Mobilization Techniques
Flotation (excellent for decompression)
Aromatherapy
Therapeutic Touch
Electronic Technology (including brain wave generators, which you can download for your PC)
Laser Therapy
Vibromassage (including those massage chairs)
Barotherapy (pressure)
Physical activity
Milder recreational sport
Dance
Play
Postural Realignment (includes Chiropractic care)
Breathing Regimens
Progressive Relaxation
Tai Chi & Yoga
Meditation
 
   To summarize a overworded article, overtraining and lack of sufficient recovery can keep you from progressing. Lack of progression = reaching a plateau. To break through this plateau, correct the cause. Attend to your lack of active recovery work. Make sure you get enough sleep. Eat lots of clean foods. Increase the time in between training sessions if needed. And be sure to keep your stress levels comfortable!

Plateau Breaking - Part 1 - Mental Training

"To continue to do the same actions again and again, while expecting different results, is the definition of INSANITY."    - Albert Einstein

"See much, study much, suffer much is the path to wisdom." - Celtic Proverb

Plateau breaking 
   There are many varying methods of breaking plateaus. These articles will specifically refer to those chasing the iron game, however this will work for weight loss/gain, breaking/creating habits, bettering yourself, thinking more effective, clearer, and sharper, improving problem solving skills, playing chess or Brazilian JiuJitsu at a higher level, or simply washing your dirty laundry instead of being a damn bum, you name it.
   Many, MANY methodologies will be covered to break plateaus, some you may be familiar with but think is bullshit (mental training), some will be unheard-of (periodization, or abandoning one goal temporarily to pursue another, secondary goal that will allow one to surpass the first), and some will be common.
1) MENTAL METHODS
   To break a plateau in many things, the most effective way of doing so it by changing the mind. The mind exerts control over what we do; getting the results you expect to get is the premise of feedback (and inhibition) from the logical portion of the brain. Changing your mind will, at the most fundamental level, change the results you get.
   How many times have you heard someone say "Its all mental"? This is a common saying because it happens to be unequivocally correct, regardless of what activity is being pursued. How often do you ACTUALLY exercise your brain? It is the strongest method of control in the body, yet most Americans have the weakest minds.
A Brief List of the Nine Mental Skills
Successful Athletes:

1. Choose and maintain a positive attitude.
2. Maintain a high level of self-motivation.
3. Set high, realistic goals.
4. Deal effectively with people.
5. Use positive self-talk.
6. Use positive mental imagery.
7. Manage anxiety effectively.
8. Manage their emotions effectively.
9. Maintain concentration.

             (For a more detailed description of these: http://www.sportpsych.org/nine-mental-skills-overview )
   Personally, I think most people can choose to adopt the first eight listed above. However, I think the last one is where most everyone falls to pieces. 
   Try this:

• #1) Take 5 minutes, and sit somewhere without distractions or interference. Empty your mind. As thoughts come, do not dwell on them or let them take attention from your mind. Allow them to drift away as they came, unimpeded and unfocused. If you are honest with yourself, this will be VERY VERY hard. To NOT think of thoughts that present themselves in your mind is backwards thinking, but this is exercise for the brain.    If you discover yourself thinking about the thoughts that spontaneously come, start over. If you discover that you are thinking about not thinking, start over. If you discover that you have thoughts that you cant get out of your head, start over. These instances are all 'proofs' that your concentration, to put it bluntly, sucks.

This is also known as "silencing/stilling the mind."
   If that was a pleasant distraction (or if it was ridiculously difficult), try this next mental exercise:

• #2) Mentally, silently count from one to ten, focusing on nothing but the number you are currently on. If ANY thought slips in, even for a split second, you have to start over. Shoot for a 5-10 count on each number before advancing to the next. If you are honest here (AND IT WILL PAY BIGTIME IF YOU ARE) you can expect to make it to 3 or 4 the first couple times you try this. Youre gonna be thinking 'ONE, ONE, ONE, ONE, OH HOW MANY TIMES WAS THAT OH SHIT FML I HAVE TO START OVER.'

   Try that one for a few weeks. You should surprise yourself after that time by how far you can get, due to your mind being quieted. These mental workout methods were taught to me by the late Dr. Glenn Morris, and as he put it, you want your mind functioning like a smoothly running cadillac, not a jumpy, stacky race car motor. He also wisely said "if you dont control it, something else does!" Do you want that statement to apply to your MIND?
For a bio on Dr. Glenn Morris, click here

For a quick impression of the man's stunning intellect, look at the list of his Educational Background entries.

I know, you are most likely thinking "what in the HELL does this have to do with lifting weights?"
Go here:

Study at Univ. of Texas on importance of mental strength in athletes

Mental Discipline at its best!

   Have you ever seen a professional athlete play their sport? Have you ever watched them in the spine-tingling focus they summon to be able to perform? This is what we are attempting to develop, although that level can take years. Consider a maximal effort bench press. Think about how psyched up you need to be. And then remember the form/saftey cues that you need (lower bar under control but not too fast or slow, tuck elbows slightly near bottom, keep upper back tight, etc.). Now think about your spotter. Is he ready? Eff, you just lost your train of thought. 'Ok, well ill give it a go anyway' you say. If you look at that gym cutie that walks by as you set up and swing under the bar, you have already failed.

I know she's got a sick body but dont let it distract you until you are done.

   Getting set up for a lift should not be easy, and should require a zen-like focus to attempt (for max effort attempts). Distractions neccesarily need be absent from your mind, and if they arent, how well do you think you will perform? Sloppy set up, lack up body tightness, lack of squeezing grip on the bar (think this one isnt as crucial? Check this out: USC's tailback Johnson), all of these can lead to a missed lift. For more info on the specific technical aspects of the bench that you might be missing, check out this article on proper bench pressing.When striving to break plateaus, there will be plenty of instances when your mental toughness, the refusal to give up, the self-confidence, etc. will be what carries you through.

Those awarded one of THESE can tell you about mental toughness. Think you have that mental edge?

     However, NOT having these in order can lead to a missed lift, as indicated above, but beyond that, one must remember resistance training with free weights is NOT a safe activity. Go outside and find the heaviest thing you can possibly pick up, and then attempt to press it over your head. (DISCLAIMER: THIS IS AN EXAMPLE THAT ATTEMPTS TO MAKE A POINT THROUGH EXTREME EXAMPLES AND SHOCK VALUE. DONT ACTUALLY EVER TRY THIS. EVER.) Think that was safe? Chances are you didnt even consider it. Your brain actually saved you from a stupid injury or death in that case. Take the time to 1) make that brain stronger since it just saved your life and 2) realize that resistance training can be a FATAL activity if you screw it up or lose your focus.
   Have you ever felt 'in the zone' at anything you were doing? What was happening? Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has termed this 'in the zone moment' as the Flow. "According to Csíkszentmihályi, flow is completely focused motivation." (Wikipedia) Guess what? The same numbers-counting exercise that you are currently not very good at (#2 above) requires the same 'completely focused motivation!' This is part of breaking plateaus, by focusing motivation appropriately. THE BRAIN is the difference when you are in the 'flow' and when you arent. So start strengthening your grey matter! For even more info on the 'flow' check out this link: http://www.austega.com/education/articles/flow.htm

   Mensa Workout - Question 25 of 30

Continue the following number series with the group of numbers below which best continues the series?
1 10 3 9 5 8 7 7 9 6 ? ?

11 5

10 5

10 4

11 6

   This is from www.mensa.org and if you would like to see the answer see the end of the article.
   A good baby step is crossword puzzles. Hell, even brain-teasers you can play on your phone help when your brain is as shit-shape weak as yours. Thanks to Matt Antonelli for that little idea on keeping your brain sharp. Mental exercise is only one part of the equation to mental strength too. Mental toughness is necessary as well. Think you have the mental toughness? Go stand in a COLD shower for 15 minutes. Or hold your hand over a flame to see how much pain you can handle. There is an EXCELLENT book on the mental side of toughness, pain tolerance, etc. and its called "The Fighter's Mind" by Sam Sheridan. He doesn't teach you how to get that toughness, he talks with people that are ALREADY HAVE IT, on what makes that characteristic show up, what makes tough people tick, etc. The MIND is always what fails first, except in those unnaturally tough, resistant human beings, "those that can take a crowbar to the face and keep on fighting"  - Greg Jackson. Once you give up, you give in, you let the desire slip away, you have lost. And one of the best ways to train that mental tolerance for pain, for toughness, is by experiencing it, by facing it down, whether it is by banging out an extra 5 reps, running that extra half a mile at that ridiculous speed, forcing yourself to do things outside your comfort zone, training for a MMA fight (training is WAY harder than the actual fight), etc. An article on Matt Kroc gives excellent examples on how that gives you an 'edge' in the iron game:
http://www.t-nation.com/testosterone-magazine-628#more-man-than-you
Here is a quick excerpt: "Mental toughness is making your body do something your mind doesn't want to do," he says. That day he learns an important lesson he'll keep with him forever: if you can override your mind, you can do anything.
Another article BY Matt Kroc talks about the importance of confidence, and the mental side of things:
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/the_confidence_switch
A recent article by Dave Tate on pain, strength, and excellence in sport; superb but short article:
http://articles.elitefts.com/articles/columns/under-the-bar-how-strong-is-your-pain/
Thanks to my good friend Blake Andrews for showing me this article, he has plenty of experience with pain, mental toughness, strength, and hes not too slow either.

SO:    Subject yourself to discomfort. Run hills till things get fuzzy, spinny, or until your lungs burn. Jim Wendler is a HUGE advocate of these and can tell you how the day-to-day shit just isnt nearly as important/bad/grueling after finishing a set of hill sprints, bear crawling up to the top on the last sprint, holding down your vomit until you get to the top. In fact, you should probably check out his 5/3/1 book, its pretty damn simple, yet VERY well thought out, VERY smart training. Traffic aint shit after pushing the prowler and 5 min after your last set you realize you STILL cant breathe fast enough and you are in real danger of suffocating while wide awake cause you cant breathe in enough oxygen. Or you could take half your 1RM for a back squat and attempt to get 20 reps with that weight. Even better, Blake showed me THIS recently too: http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/hungarian_oak_leg_blast Here your first session you take roughly 30% of your 1RM for a back squat, and LITERALLY squat that same weight for a 2 minute set. Each subsequent session you add 20 minutes to the time limit! THESE examples are SERIOUS pain tolerance, and will teach you a lot about yourself as well. Going through these will make you mentally tougher, without a doubt. Just remember these are EXTREME examples!

   Mental discipline will make a HUGE difference in breaking through a plateau, which is 99.99% of the time simply a mental construct of your personal limitations. After learning how to quiet your mind, your focus will be like a laser, your technique will be DAMN good, little distractions like "my left arm isnt going up as fast as the right" wont get you out of your groove, and people won't be able to distract you from working towards your goals. After making your MIND tough as nails, you wont mind a little discomfort since you have become accustomed to it, and that OH-SO-HEAVY weight doesnt feel like a dangerous attempt, it feels like a way to test yourself. Those last few reps, those that you could never exceed because of that burn (which is a crock) now feel like you are just warming up those muscles and you blow past that limitation you had set on yourself. That drained feeling that you are used to at the end of a training session, that feels like you have just done a little work, and with a few minutes recovery, you will go back at it and hammer away at a intensity level you previously hadn't been aware you could have. So find ways to test your limits. Mentally, by increasing the disractions to your concentration incrementally so you can build up a tolerance to them (playing mind-puzzles with static in your headphones), as well as increasing the discomfort you can subject yourself to and become accustomed to, so that day-to-day things can't even begin to phase or distract you (hill running 1-2x a week), but TRY to make those mental toughness exercises things that will also take you toward your goals as well, whatever those are!

Answer to mensa workout question 25 - first choice, 11 5.

8% Bodyfat

   This article is one that has taken some time to get to, namely since Ive been trying out a nutritional plan that I did NOT develop but wanted to evaluate for myself and on others, and now that I am convinced that it can be done, I will share it with you. This nutritional solution is pretty effective and gives you several options, and was developed by none other than Dave Palumbo. To be honest I thought I would HATE eating this way but it is very similar to the way I normally eat now. And you wont starve yourself eating this way, actually it forces you into a schedule which most people need anyway. Now, this solution CAN bring you to sub-8% bodyfat, but it will not do so overnight, or after a week, unless you happen to be starting at 9% BF, and if you are there, chances are you dont need this nutritional solution.

Chicken and Almonds FTW

There are only a few rules:

• Eat every 3 hours (this includes within 30 minutes of waking and within an hour of bed)
• DONT SKIP MEALS
• IM SERIOUS DONT SKIP MEALS
• Give it a week and see if you havent seen any results. (this assumes that your metabolism and hormonal levels are near normal)

 Here are your options, eat ONE of these every 3 hours.

1. 8 oz. Chicken or turkey + 1/2 cup almonds
2. 8 oz. lean fish (tuna, flounder, catfish, etc) + 1/2 cup almonds
3. 5 whole eggs
4. 8 oz red meat (ground beef, flank steak, etc) + 1 tablespoon olive oil
5. 50 grams whey protein isolate + 1/2 cup nuts

Notes:

• 1/2 cup of almonds can be substituted with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter

• you can eat unlimited amounts of these with any meal:

             Broccoli
             Kale
             Asparagus
             Brussels Sprouts
             Collard Greens
             Spinach

• For every 10 lbs ABOVE 200 lbs, add 1 oz. protein to each meal (if you weigh 220, add 2 oz, so meal option #2 would be 10 oz tuna + 1/2 cup almonds)

Thats really all there is to it.
Thanks to Tim Ferris for your wonderful book, to the genius of Dave Palumbo, and Sean Esna for the stimulus to write this article.

Band (Dis)Traction - Part 2 of 2

   If you have read Part 1 of this article, you should be somewhat familiar with band traction and how it tractions particular joints for beneficial, pain-reducing effects. If you have read the knee article, you should be familiar with how traction and distraction work in similar ways. If you arent familiar, please go and read the articles linked above for a brief review.
   We know from earlier that band distraction is essentially traction with movement through a ROM(range of motion) and that we usually use less band tension to accomplish this than we would use for static traction. Technically this distraction is known as "Band-Assisted Joint Distraction w/ Active Circumduction" but I don't wanna see people's heads explode every time I try to describe this. Band distraction can be used as part of a thorough warm-up, and if used with a compression device (neoprene sleeve, ace bandage, etc.) on the joint being distracted, can markedly improve the joint feel. We will try to cover band distraction for most major joints, but knee distraction has been covered a bit in the previous article, so there will just be an alternate distraction setup for the knee here.
   Wrapping the joints before distraction work is NOT necessary, but I feel it so strongly correlates to pumping blood better into a joint/joint space and removes grating/pressure upon nerves or bone/cartilage that I am adamantly stating right now that you should research and learn how to wrap the joints if you dont have compression clothing, etc. Youtube is excellent for learning how. You should have no excuse to not know how to wrap/splint/tape.
The ULTIMATE method of distraction would be to:
1)Ice for 2-3 minutes, dry off.
2)Apply Icy Hot/Blue Heat/Equi-Block/etc.

3)Wrap joint/bodypart to be distracted

4)Apply band distraction.

5)Observe the decreased joint pain and increased ROM. Smile.

Shoulder/Rotator Cuff Distraction
Step 1: Wrap band around wrist, step away from anchor, and allow tension to pull the shoulder joint longer.

 Step 2: Thumb and hand should rotate 90 degrees clockwise for the right hand, and 90 degrees counterclockwise for the left. Thumb should start by pointing across the plane of the body and rotate upwards till pointing straight up. At the same time, the shoulder joint should be shortened by 'sucking the arm back into the socket,' I know this is not a good description of what happens here but if you play around with it you will find out what I mean; this action is done against the band tension. We start with the band pulling the shoulder and arm directly straight out to the side and repeat 5-10 reps before gradually turning to face the anchor and repeating. This method I usually reccomend 5 reps, rotate in, 5 more reps, etc. until you have turned in 4 times in succession until you are facing the anchor.

Elbow Distraction
Step 1: Tie a slip knot around the elbow and anchor the other end of the band (mini bands work well for this) around a post, a peg on a rack, a doorknob, etc. 

Setup

 Step 2: Create a closed-chain movement by placing hand on to a surface that you will not move it from during the movement. In this case, the ground works, but you can perform this movement on a barbell sitting in a rack, with one hand on the barbell and the other end of the band around an upright on the rack.

Photo 2

 Step 3: Flex the elbow joint against the resistance and allow it to pull back into a nearly straight/locked out position. Once you reach this position the series is simply an alternation of photo 2 and photo 3. You should flex the elbow several times in this position (5-10) and then move it a hand's width farther from the anchor point (increases the tension in the band slightly each time). Repeat until A)joint feels better, or 2) you run out of room or the band snaps. 40-50 reps total on each elbow is common.

Photo 3

Hamstring (epsecially inner thigh/lower glute muscles) Distraction
Step 1: Loop band around upper thigh, step away in a side lunge position. Focus must be made to extend the leg under tension.

 Step 2: Allow for the band tension to slowly pull the body back upright and allow the knee to bend slightly at the top. Repeat step 1 & 2 for a total of 30+ reps, at varying angles toward/farther away from the anchor point.

 

Glute + Hamstrings Distraction
Step 1: Loop band around lower back (use average or strong bands for this), and squat excessively far back with your hips. The band should keep you upright in this overly backwards-sitting squat.

 Step 2: Allow the band to assist you in returning to the standing position. As with most band distraction, facing away in several directions as you repeat this series of steps is a good addition. 50+ reps with this distraction due to the size/strength/capability/importance of these muscles/muscle groups.

Knee (alternate) Distraction
Step 1: Slip knot a band around the knee joint, pulling away/behind.

 Step 2: Walk away to generate band tension. Ensure that foot is pointed directly ahead. Start at what appears to be a half-kneeling/half-squat/split-squat stance, and bend the rear knee against the band tension. Allow the band to slowly pull the knee back into a more extended position.

 

 Step 3: Refer to the photo below to observe that the knee does not need to lock out, nor should it, before you begin the split-squat manuver again. 20 total reps, without any angle change, is all that should be needed here. Most of the weight should be on the front leg, and this is NOT any indication on how to squat correctly. This is simply moving the knee through resisted flexion.

Lower Back + Glute Distraction
Step 1: Position yourself as shown at a wall or power rack, with the band anchored securely above.

 Step 2: Cross legs at the ankles (slightly above works too)

 Step 3: Extend hips and raise the glutes and lower back off the floor.

 Step 4: Bend at the hips and gradually allow yourself to lower back to the floor. This can also be done as shown in Dick Hartzell's video on Lower back Rehab/Traction video in Part 1 of this article. Legs/hips can be distracted independently by leaving one leg paralell to the floor while movement/distraction occurs on the leg wrapped around the band. 20-30 reps seems to alleviate much of the lower back pain.

Hip Distraction
Step 1: Loop band around one thigh, fairly high up, and turn away. The trailing leg should be in traction. Bend the leg at the knee and pull with hips forward to bring your knee closer to your chest.

 Step 2: Once you have brought your knee close to your chest, allow the band to pull the leg back to a semi-straight position again. And alternate through these series of photos, step1 and then step 2. Reps are up to the individual, as the hips are VERY tight for most American people, but can loosen dramatically with this distraction. Personally I use 15 on each hip if I feel they arent working/firing correctly.

 This covers the most common band distraction methods for alleviating joint pain, as well as several that are quite uncommon. Feel free to use/adopt what works for you and discard the rest.

Special knee traction/distraction/rehab article!

   So as someone with quite a bit of experience w/ knee injuries, I have put together an article (short and sweet, just like Josh Kim) on a veriety of treatments. These are not all used effectively together, but in some cases they can work all together. With that said, identifying the issues that caused the knee issue/injury is paramount of importance. The knee is a hinge joint and SHOULD only operate in one plane. Take a car door and twist the top away and the bottom of the door toward you and see if the car door closes well after (NOTE: dont really try this; if you actually do this the damage, and the responsibility, is up to you. This is just for mental imagery). That would be an example of forcing a single-plane joint to move in a dual-plane manner (through shear forces) and will certainly result in the destruction of the joint.
   Since the body works in kinetic chains, observe the mobility (or lack of) of the ankle and hips. Do the ankles dorsiflex beyond 90 degrees? do they evert (tilt outward-facing at the bottom of the foot) or invert (opposite of evert) at or near end-ROM for plantarflexion or dorsiflexion? What about the hips? Are the hip flexors chronically shortened and overtight (if this subject is American, then the answer is a resounding yes 99.99% of the time), and are the glute /hip complexes able to effectively rotate the femur inward and outward at all points of hip flexion/extension? Check all these points to observe what issues the kinetic chain is placing on the knee. An example is the lack of femur rotation outward near the bottom of a squat (almost end-ROM for most ppl) causing varus stress on the knee and possible overtension of the MCL.
Band Traction
Band traction for the knee is iffy business. If the ligamentous tissue is damaged this could result in serious pain and/or injury. Even meniscal damage can cause some pain due to the vacuum suction-like effect when pulling apart the joint space. With that said, however, feel free to give it a try. If it helps, use it. If not, avoid it.
Knee Traction #1

Wrap the knee before traction and distraction

Knee traction on swiss ball

Alternate view of traction on knee

 With this first setup you should ensure plenty of time is spent in traction before moving anything. A friend can push down on the band about midway between the anchor point and the attachment to the body to generate more tension for additional traction. Also, gradually rolling the swiss ball back underneath the knee, inches at a time, will eventually get the knee joint open and lengthened.

Knee Traction #2
This alternate setup is more aggressive and should be approached mildly at first to evaluate the appropriateness for the individual and their particular issues.

Tension on the ankle and above the knee

Additional tension by looping around the elbow and pulling upward

Be sure to use lighter bands (minis work well) to start with. This can generate serious torque forces on the knee joint if not careful. Allow to move through a range of motion for the knee before considering this done.

Band Distraction
Band distraction is very similar to traction, except the tension is less than with traction, and this is dynamic traction through a ROM essentially, where traction by itself is simply static. Move the joint around through a ROM, and use additional help moving the body/joint complex against resistance if needed. An example is Knee Traction #2, the band looped above the knee joint, that setup can be used if you arent strong enough (ie your hip flexors) to move the knee through a decent ROM against the band.

Extended in distraction

Partial flexion in distraction

   Remember, band distraction is all about movement + traction. Ensure that while in distraction, the knee can move in flexion/extension with the femur in inward/outward rotation positions as well. If you find a weakness, that is your new enemy. Kill it. If the knee is not able to flex at such a large ROM with the femur in external rotation, it looks like a 10 min squat test to free up those tissues would be a good start. Problem solving all the redundant combinations of problems for all the issues in the body is NOT something I plan on doing here for free, not could I do it accurately over the internet. So if you have a basic question, ask away. If you want me to problem solve for you (for free), you would be better off slamming your head in a door.

Knee Rehab
Knee rehab is a snake oil business at best unless you can identify what/where weaknessess are coming from.
Foam rolling and SMR should be your friend and you should identify which tissues are sensitive to the SMR and correct this sensitivity (usually due to a trigger point).
This video shows the Terminal Knee Extension (TKE) which is the basis for most knee rehab.

This video is part one of several (I think 8) and Buddy Morris is VERY knowledgeable about fixing knee issues, being a former NFL head/strength coach. He gives a good progression/regression for TKE's somewhere in one of the parts of this interview: ie watch all of them.

If this video has information you need be sure to seek out the other parts to this interview.

This video below has several good ideas for knee rehab, however, I would personally use them as a method of evaluating for problems, not necessarily the method of correcting them.

Lastly, for more information on traction/distraction, check out this:
http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1105903

Band Traction (Part 1 of 2)

JumpStretch Bands are useful in many, many ways

Band Traction
   This technique is used for treating many ailments common to joints, however it isn’t commonly utilized, I fear due to ignorance of it. Seeing as how it has fixed many issues and lessened (or even eliminated) many cases of joint pain, I feel its use amongst athletes should be more common.
   Common traction involves attaching a band to a stationary object and also to a body part/limb, and pulling the body away from the anchor to generate tension. This tension generated by the elastic properties in the band can serve to lengthen the joint complex it is applied to and can cause several audible ‘pops’ as blood gases trapped inside the joint can be released. These sounds do not correlate to any benefit or beneficial effect other than a possible placebo effect of pain reduction. The relocation of the joint itself however, including the lengthening of chronically shortened/inflamed/irritated stabilizer muscles, can be of actual benefit to the user. We generally go for several minutes (at least 60 seconds) in each position as part of a good warmup, although this is also done on days off to better prepare ourselves for the next training day. Many consider this recovery work since it helps them so much.
   Shoulder Traction
   If you check out the following links you can see Dave Tate (CEO of Elite FTS) showing how overhead, frontal, and lower traction can be set up on the shoulder complex. This is good, but a very basic overview.
http://train.elitefts.com/exercise-index/band/shoulder-band-traction-overhead/
http://train.elitefts.com/exercise-index/band/shoulder-band-traction-forward/
http://train.elitefts.com/exercise-index/band/shoulder-band-traction-bottom/
There are more ways to develop traction in the shoulder complex that are less common, and most are usually more effective in generating the effect we want. Here is a series of photos to show how the band is wrapped AROUND the wrist instead of being held in the hand:

Step 1

Step 2: Wrap over

Step 3: Wrap under

Step 4: Wrap under complete

Other positions for shoulder traction:

 

 

Note staggered stance, same side leg forward, and thumb upward pointing

Another view for better visibility

The pictures above show a lunge-type stretch done facing away from the band traction anchor point. The key points here that make this traction position different are 1) the thumb must face upward to pull the shoulder back in relation to the pectoral structure (can help correct anterior shoulder positioning and overtight pecs), and 2) the forward leg in this staggered stance is the same side as the arm/shoulder being tractioned (this ensures a "lean-away" position and a much better stretch)

Kneeling position, note head lower than plane of shoulders

This kneeling position helps with MANY things all at once, and overhead traction (and behind the head traction even) is a position/ROM so foreign to many of us that this will start correcting issues very quickly. This can stretch and pull apart fascia and muscles in the lats, pecs, shoulder complex, etc. and does so in a plane seldom experienced in adult life. Lean/sit away from the traction anchor point and if this position is 12 o'clock, lean a little to the left for a 10 o'clock position and added ROM/fascia work, and then repeat to the right for a 2 o'clock position as well.

 If you would like a more technical description and a little more info on shoulder traction, go here:
http://charlieweingroff.com/2010/12/shoulder-traction/

Ankle Traction
The next 4 photos show how to set up basic traction for the ankle that allows for independent inversion/eversion of the ankle. This works exceedingly well for tractioning ankle sprains, and sore ankles. You can adjust the tension independently for inversion/eversion traction by looping the band around the anchor multiple times for higher tension. Mini bands work well, so do monster minis; even micro miniswork for sore or sensitive ankles.

Loop around foot to one side

Lower section of band moved below heel

Loop another band around to other side

Pull bands up and away to anchor

Alternative Single Plane Ankle Traction
This picture shows the setup for simple traction and allows for ankle traction in one plane, as well as a manner of stretching the plantar fascia and arch structure.

Pull top arch structure away and traction band against this tension closer toward toes.

Shows an easy way of setting up this by yourself

Lower Back TractionThis video was created by Dick Hartzell (inventor of Jumpstretch Bands) I believe and shows several ways to generate lower back traction and several ways that arent common (lumbar traction w/ back extension). Refer to this if you have problems setting up the traction from the pictures I provided or to simply get another point of view:

Alternative Method 1: Decompression and Simultaneous Traction
This method is very efficient for reducing back pain due to disc injury and was shown to me by my friend Eric Richardson, with some alteration for increased traction. Setting up this traction is difficult until you learn how to scoot back and roll the ball back underneath yourself a little at a time. Be sure to let your bodyweight sit fully onto the swiss ball and also be pulled away by the band. We find average or strong bands to be best for this, especially for those over 200 lbs.

Loop band around T-Spine and under armpit

Lean forward and drop center of bodyweight onto apex of swiss ball. Allow band to pull shoulders away from hips and lengthen the spine.

Alternative Method 2: Similar to Egoscue Method
This method allows for contralateral traction across the pelvis/spine complex; this is accomplished by letting the leg hanging in the traction band to freely pull downward, generating its own traction. This leg should sit here in traction for at least 6 minutes, and for best effect 10 minutes is reccommended. While this mild traction occurs, the lumbar spine should be flattened out to touch the floor. The arch in the spine should decrease during this time and the real key here is to attempt to touch your belly button to your spine (TVA activation). Make sure the opposite leg (not in traction) maintains 2 90-degree angles: at the hip, and at the knee. Placing this leg on a chair or bench works equally well. This traction helps immensely with lengthening hamstrings and glutes. Make sure you get both legs tractioned!

Hip Traction
Very few people do better at explaining the 'super couch' position/stretch than the guy who invented it - Kelly Starret. I wont attempt to show you pictures of myself when Kelly already has a video on it, how to set it up, and he happens to be big into manhugs. lol. Enjoy:

Neck Traction
Neck traction is fairly easy to accomplish and can be done by laying back with a band holding up the weight up the skull. If you feel light headed or like you will pass out, get out of the traction setup. Be sure to wrap a small towel around the band to avoid essentially choking yourself out! This can be done with a foam roller underneath the neck as well, and both setups can be effective at removing tension headaches as a nice bonus.

Be sure you can maintain circulation to your head: its not too hard to pinch off the carotid arteries like this.

Article 2 will be coming soon on band distraction (traction with movement).