Fitness Q&A...&A

[thestrangequark]

I have a simple question about a specific stretch. I thought it would be pretty wasteful to devote an entire thread to one little question, though, so this thread may be used as a general fitness Q and A and A (A for "answer," A for "advice"), and I'll start:

I've been training for some upcoming bike tours, biking up to 60 miles a day. I also do Vinyassa Yoga and water aerobics. I get plenty of stretching done before, during, and after these pursuits, and aside from a minor right buttock issue a couple of weeks ago that was easily resolved with two days off and a heating pad, I've had no muscle aches or pains. However, last week I started developing odd sensations in an anterior thigh muscle -- the one directly above the knee toward the inner thigh (though not in the inner thigh). I'm not experiencing pain, but I'm getting weird spasms -- especially if I put pressure on it. This is present in the same muscle of both legs. I've taken two days off the bike but have seen no improvement -- I think I need a really good stretch.

Can anyone recommend a good stretch for the area? Nothing I do seems to target that specific muscle.

 

[DarkHelmet]

Sounds like the vastus medialis. If that's the case, and your problem is indeed due to lack of stretching (which I doubt) you don't have many good options. The vastus quads don't cross the hip joint, so while flexing your knee to your butt might give a mild stretch, adding hip extension won't do anything for your vastus.

Massage, especially near the origin and insertion of the muscle bellies, would probably do you more good. When gaiting and riding bike, ensure your knee/patella is tracking correctly - should be over your biggest two toes. The spasmsing could be due to either a lack of strength in that muscle during movement with overcompensation by others.. or it could be due to overcompensation of that particular muscle with weakness in others.

Without assessing you personally, I can't tell for sure.

But here is a good link on the efficacy of quad stretching. Link

 

[thestrangequark]

^Thank you for the answer, it was very informative. Do you do this sort of thing for a living? You are very knowledgeable. I am going to try the massaging -- the muscles spasm big time when I put pressure on them. I'm also thinking of taking a little more time off, maybe another day or two.

 

[DarkHelmet]

Thanks for the nice words TSQ. My BS is Kinesiology.. on top of that, I have a lot of extra education and spent nearly 8 years as a personal trainer/corrective exercise consultant.

This problem is acute - give a couple more days rest combined with massage/deep pressure on the muscle belly and the origin/insertion of the muscle tendon(s). If that doesn't help, check back in and we can look at some other alternatives.

 

[thestrangequark]

^Thanks, your expertise really shows. It seems to be easing up, though the left one still twitches like mad (but only if I'm lying on my belly -- odd).