Urgan Shows Up, Does the Thing

[miss_marissa]

21 hours ago, shaarawy said:

 

!!!!!!

 

Two things that are THE BOMB:

 

1. Those u-shaped microwavable neck pillows.  I use this frequently and HOLY HELP.  Like ex: this morning I woke up on my back (not my usual sleep position) with a decent amount of stiffness... used my neck pillow while I had my coffee/breakfast and BAM, cured.

 

2. My massage therapist highly recommends damp heat, i.e. run your water for as hot as you can get it (or rather, handle it), drench and wring out a towel, and drape it around your neck.  Pro: feels REALLY good, con: doesn't stay really hot for really long.

 

Heat.  HEEAATTT

#2 is best thing on the feet at the end of a long day full of walking. BEST.

 

 

Zucchini Ricotta cheesecake, yummmm.

 

Also adding epsom salts to my shopping list after DOMS from hell since Sunday.

[Urgan]

2 hours ago, shaarawy said:

 

Ooohhhh ricotta.  I stayed at a B&B in Savannah once and breakfast was a raspberry ricotta tart GOD BLESS it blew my mind.  Ricottaaaaaa dairy whyyyy~

 

Oh yeah, that won't be jiving so great with your stomach, will it now? Darn shame.

 

1 hour ago, raptron said:

Oooh, that looks lovely! And INTERRRRRESTING re: supplementation! Very interesting! Glad you are hopping around like a spritely satyr now. Or I guess like a spritely lady creature... nymph? Sure, let's go with that. 

 

Well, I sorta just took an hour and a half nap on the couch because four hours of sleep don't play and now I feel a little more reconstituted. You do NOT want to be magnesium deficient. Ever. That stuff is important. 

 

43 minutes ago, sarakingdom said:

 

Yay, feeling human!  I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier, it's one of my go-to suggestions when people have muscles that won't un-knot.  It's a pretty common deficiency, I think, even among people whose diet should be optimal for it.

 

My guess is that if you feel that bad, and it is magnesium, you may benefit from a lot of epsom salt baths at first.  I'd keep the supplementation at the recommendation on the bottle, and just add a lot of baths.  It's pretty common to feel relaxed and sleepy after soaking in epsom salts, regardless, so the real test is how you feel the rest of the day.

 

I legit wore out my left thumb the other day working on shoulder "knots", otherwise pretty darn close to human. It's kind of frightening how this particular deficiency is basically a case of muscles being jammed into constant contraction and that's where the tension feeling comes from.

 

39 minutes ago, miss_marissa said:

#2 is best thing on the feet at the end of a long day full of walking. BEST.

 

 

Zucchini Ricotta cheesecake, yummmm.

 

Also adding epsom salts to my shopping list after DOMS from hell since Sunday.

 

PVC pipe against the soles of the feet needs to make it on that list somewhere, that feels soooo good. 

 

Indeed. I made a big deal about him baking it all by himself. He's one of those people who are intimidated about cooking by himself. 

 

Holy crap, that is some severe DOMS. What did you do to yourself?I should think that'd help a lot, that and some Tiger Balm if the pain isn't quite banished by the end of the soak.

[sarakingdom]

37 minutes ago, Urgan said:

I legit wore out my left thumb the other day working on shoulder "knots", otherwise pretty darn close to human. It's kind of frightening how this particular deficiency is basically a case of muscles being jammed into constant contraction and that's where the tension feeling comes from.

 

Yeah, there's this one muscle in my shoulder that does that occasionally.  I can use the tennis ball or the foam roller, and it's fine while I'm using them, but it contracts again right after.  So painful.  It's incredibly distracting.  (And it happens infrequently enough now that I forget I know how to fix it.)

 

1 hour ago, miss_marissa said:

Also adding epsom salts to my shopping list after DOMS from hell since Sunday.

 

Could be good!  It's one of those old-school sports medicine things no one remembers anymore.  Definitely relaxing, regardless of your magnesium status.

[miss_marissa]

57 minutes ago, Urgan said:

Holy crap, that is some severe DOMS. What did you do to yourself?I should think that'd help a lot, that and some Tiger Balm if the pain isn't quite banished by the end of the soak.

First volume squats in ~1 month. Since hurting the hip.

[Urgan]

Just now, miss_marissa said:

First volume squats in ~1 month. Since hurting the hip.

 

Ah. That'll do it. Volume is rough when you're detrained.

[ixaera]

Magnesium! Why didn't I think of that!

Hope the humanity sticks~

[Urgan]

3 minutes ago, ixaera said:

Magnesium! Why didn't I think of that!

Hope the humanity sticks~

 

This is a call out to anybody who has a spasming muscle that just won't quit....I'm not saying, I'm just sayin'.

 

I'm in the gym after 4 hours' sleep and a 1.5 hour nap. Still better than Tuesday's session. Yay knees that don't hurt every time I sit down.

[shaar]

7 minutes ago, Urgan said:

 

This is a call out to anybody who has a spasming muscle that just won't quit....I'm not saying, I'm just sayin'.

 

I'm in the gym after 4 hours' sleep and a 1.5 hour nap. Still better than Tuesday's session. Yay knees that don't hurt every time I sit down.

 

So I've spent the better part of my morning researching MAGNESIUM in lotion form and am very interested in trying it for myself in a few weeks when life calms down.... in the meantime I look forward to more success stories of yours!!

[Mistr]

I've been doing Epsom salt foot soaks to cut back on annoying foot cramps in the middle of the night. Thanks to the discussion here, I soaked in a hot bath with lots of Epsom salt last night before bed. I'm attempting to get my knees to stop being cranky. The muscles have had more than a week to recover from my biking excursion. Now they are just being stubborn. I was able to sleep all night without ibuprofen or Tiger Balm.

 

My former roommate is a professional dancer and gymnastics instructor. She started magnesium supplementation a couple months ago and has been raving about how she no longer has pain in her feet.

 

Did you discover any dietary recommendations to increase magnesium and calcium intake? I'd prefer to eat better rather than take supplements if possible.

[Urgan]

6 minutes ago, Mistr said:

I've been doing Epsom salt foot soaks to cut back on annoying foot cramps in the middle of the night. Thanks to the discussion here, I soaked in a hot bath with lots of Epsom salt last night before bed. I'm attempting to get my knees to stop being cranky. The muscles have had more than a week to recover from my biking excursion. Now they are just being stubborn. I was able to sleep all night without ibuprofen or Tiger Balm.

 

My former roommate is a professional dancer and gymnastics instructor. She started magnesium supplementation a couple months ago and has been raving about how she no longer has pain in her feet.

 

Did you discover any dietary recommendations to increase magnesium and calcium intake? I'd prefer to eat better rather than take supplements if possible.

 

Funnily enough, there's two sides to the magnesium absorption game. You have to mind what you do eat and also what you DON'T eat in conjunction with mag-rich foods. You know how food can bind to medicine? Same thing. You won't be shocked that sugary food and drink reduces absorption and tells your body to do dumb things re:mag regulation. I think beans are a good source?

[ChrisWithaStick]

5 hours ago, Mistr said:

I've been doing Epsom salt foot soaks to cut back on annoying foot cramps in the middle of the night. Thanks to the discussion here, I soaked in a hot bath with lots of Epsom salt last night before bed. I'm attempting to get my knees to stop being cranky. The muscles have had more than a week to recover from my biking excursion. Now they are just being stubborn. I was able to sleep all night without ibuprofen or Tiger Balm.

........

Did you discover any dietary recommendations to increase magnesium and calcium intake? I'd prefer to eat better rather than take supplements if possible.

There's a decent amount of food/supplement talk about magnesium on Mark's Daily Apple.  I don't remember off the top of my head, but I would say dark green leafy things (probably good to have more, even if it's not Mg rich).  One nice thing about MDA is that how different minerals and nutrients interact is often discussed. 

 

I do recall that even with an optimum diet, it's an easy one to be low in - However, as noted, it crosses skin pretty easily, so an epsom salt bath is good.  You can order it by the multi pounds for not too much money (way cheaper than stores). 

[Urgan]

6 minutes ago, ChrisWithaStick said:

There's a decent amount of food/supplement talk about magnesium on Mark's Daily Apple.  I don't remember off the top of my head, but I would say dark green leafy things (probably good to have more, even if it's not Mg rich).  One nice thing about MDA is that how different minerals and nutrients interact is often discussed. 

 

I do recall that even with an optimum diet, it's an easy one to be low in - However, as noted, it crosses skin pretty easily, so an epsom salt bath is good.  You can order it by the multi pounds for not too much money (way cheaper than stores). 

 

One could make an argument that topical is superior to trying to get it solely based on food/supplementation, because of the complications involved with absorption. Right now I wouldn't trust getting it only through diet, that's for sure. Once I get stable, who knows. Hopefully this stuff stores and doesn't leave the body immediately...

[Urgan]

 

5-5-2016

Me at 4:00AM

 

Lifting

Mind the knees; mind the back

Squat - 45 1x5

            65 1x3

            95 1x2

            115 1x1

            135 6x3 - belted

BP -    NA

OHP -  45 1x3 - belted

           57 3x3 - belted

DL -    162.5 2x3 - belted

PC -   NA

I won’t lie, this was work, but even on four hours’ sleep it was an improvement over the past. I look forward to Saturday’s session.

 

Ukemi

Roll 5x per side

Oh yeah, they see me rollin’, dey hatin’.

 

Food

Protein: 3/20 - 125g

Made the ever-beloved Eggroll in a Bowl. This time I added toasted sesame seed oil. Is there anything that stuff can’t do??

 

Note: in a house of four cats, no tuna is safe.

 

Sleep

Lights out: 11:45PM -- 7/10

Wake up: 4:15AM -- 9/10

If it weren’t for the early wakeup time and the stuffed up head I’d have given it at 10 just for being able to lie any which way without summoning Armageddon,

 

I managed to stick to last challenges’ drink curfew for the first time, hopefully this permits me to get a full night’s sleep... (spoiler: ...nope)

 

Mobility

No slouching

Neck mobility: 4/28

Stretch and mobilize: 4/28

Full ROM for my neck, stiffness detected on right side. I still shopped for a new pillow because I think I can do better, don’t you? In the process, I bought an egg crate foam topper, new bedsheets to commemorate the occasion, a fake orchid to decorate my new “spa” area, sesame body oil moisturizer, and some pomegranate fizzy bath stuff. Soaked in the triple threat of epsom salt, sesame oil, and bath fizz while drinking my BCAAs and playing FF: The Four Heroes of Light. If that isn’t NerdFitness, I don’t know anymore…

At the gym, I did all the leg stretches for hip, quad, and calf mobility, rolled around on my back outside of ukemi practice, and rolled my lower body. It’s a lot less painful to apply full bodyweight pressure to a single leg.

[shaar]

Most epic bath EVER!

 

Eggroll in a Bowl, hmm, haven't had that one in a while!! I need to grab some more curry powder for that....

[Urgan]

2 minutes ago, shaarawy said:

Most epic bath EVER!

 

Eggroll in a Bowl, hmm, haven't had that one in a while!! I need to grab some more curry powder for that....

 

And Maggy was so concerned for me she sat by me on the side of the tub beside my towel.

[sarakingdom]

21 hours ago, Mistr said:

Did you discover any dietary recommendations to increase magnesium and calcium intake? I'd prefer to eat better rather than take supplements if possible.

 

The difficulty here is that apparently foods that should have a lot of magnesium tend not to, because the soil's very depleted.  So you get very misleading nutrition info.  IIRC, epsom salts do function as a magnesium supplement, though.  A little more reliable than dietary, a little harder to measure than a supplement.  (But supplements come with their own issues.  Like vitamin C, there's a developed bowel tolerance, so go kind of slowly if you supplement.  Not an issue with epsom salts.  That's why I suggested Urgan go with lots of baths if she's seriously low, because there's a limit to how much you can supplement orally, but it's pretty safe though the skin.)

 

[Urgan]

2 minutes ago, sarakingdom said:

 

The difficulty here is that apparently foods that should have a lot of magnesium tend not to, because the soil's very depleted.  So you get very misleading nutrition info.  IIRC, epsom salts do function as a magnesium supplement, though.  A little more reliable than dietary, a little harder to measure than a supplement.  (But supplements come with their own issues.  Like vitamin C, there's a developed bowel tolerance, so go kind of slowly if you supplement.  Not an issue with epsom salts.  That's why I suggested Urgan go with lots of baths if she's seriously low, because there's a limit to how much you can supplement orally, but it's pretty safe though the skin.)

 

 

And with oral at least there's the other logistical issues with taking a concentrated form....oh well, live and learn. It's supposed to help you sleep, so I take it with dinner (8~PM)...too late, apparently. 

[Urgan]

Editted OP to add:

 

On 4/29/2016 at 11:18 AM, Urgan said:

Lessons Compendium

*~* 5/6/2016 *~*

Magnesium deficiency is something you don't want to be--supplement

You might also be deficient in other vitamins and minerals--supplement with a multivitamin

Magnesium is a diuretic

Squat foot position should be maintained at hip width, no farther: a wide stance is Trouble for your inner legs

 

This is a place to store all the things I've discovered the hard way. That way I have no ready excuses for having to learn them a second time.

[lucky fire dragon]

Wow, what an epic bath indeed!!!

 

So so happy for you about good pillows and magnesium soaking up helping, AWESOME

 

Can't wait to see you enjoy a wonderful weekend training after all the sleep 

[Urgan]

 

 

5-6-2016

"And when all else fails, hit it again"

 

Lifting

Mind the knees; mind the back

Resty. Knees are happy, nothing wrong with my back. Life is good...

 

Ukemi

Roll 5x per side

Rest day!

 

Food

Protein: 4/20 - 117g

Moar tuna. I bought a multivitamin today. My skin is still dry and itchy, guys, and I am sick and tired of moisturizing in the springtime. Time to adult harder. Took it and the magnesium supplement at 6:30~PM, will report back on my findings. Somehow, some way I will be a normal functional human being that can get to sleep.

 

(Going from taking mag at 8:30PM > 4:00AM bathroom to 6:30PM > 2:50AM bathroom. See a pattern yet??)

 

Sleep

Lights out: 11:30PM -- 9/10

Wake up: 8:00AM -- 8/10

Turns out magnesium is an electrolyte and it causes an increase in the frequency of urination. ...good to know. Going to be tweaking my supplementation down just a bit so I can not hurt AND sleep, lol. I woke up at 4:00 again, but this time I was able to get back to sleep, so there’s that.

 

I swapped pillows back to the washed one. The one I bought is a down alternative and the filling just kinda scoots out of the way of my head slowly overnight. I have neck tension immediately upon waking up and it dissipates over the course of the day. I blame the pillow. I don’t have the gumption to play games the last two days or so and that’s a classic sign I don’t have a certain baseline of energy.

 

Edit: BRIEFLY swapped in the washed pillow. I felt it in my low back within 10 minutes,swapped it back. The down may be annoying as heck, but the tension dissipates throughout the day and it's less intense overall than the alternatives. Let's get some sleep-throughout-the-night happening then fool with playing around more. 

 

Mobility

No slouching

Days since last tension headache: 2

Neck mobility: 5/28

Stretch and mobilize: 5/28

Happiness is two whole days with no headaches. I need to start a counter...oh wait, I can do that. Done. All ‘bout that delt/pec mobility with a bit of ankle massage thrown in.

 

11 hours ago, lucky fire dragon said:

Wow, what an epic bath indeed!!!

 

So so happy for you about good pillows and magnesium soaking up helping, AWESOME

 

Can't wait to see you enjoy a wonderful weekend training after all the sleep 

 

Gonna do it again tonight, methinks~ VITAMINS ARE IMPORTANT WHOA THIS IS NEWS TO ME APPARENTLY. 

[lucky fire dragon]

steady progress... you're winning! Surely as your body is catching up it will get easier, plus you're fine-tuning already

[Urgan]

10 minutes ago, lucky fire dragon said:

steady progress... you're winning! Surely as your body is catching up it will get easier, plus you're fine-tuning already

 

Sleep and relaxing are the hardest things on this earth. Ironic, isn't it? 

[Urgan]

 

5-7-2016

What he said.

 

Lifting

Mind the knees; mind the back

Squat - 45 1x5

            75 1x3

            100 1x2

            125 1x1

            152.5 2x3 - belted

BP -     45 1x5 - belted

           55 1x3 - belted

           65 1x1 - belted

           76 1x3 - belted

OHP -  NA

DL -    NA

PC -   45 5x5

I have been thinking about how far I managed to progress with my muscles fighting me the whole way...I wonder what will happen when I’m not handicapping myself??

 

At any rate, did the thing. Entirely too hard for its own good, but then interrupted sleep, recovery, blah blah blah.

 

Ukemi

Roll 5x per side

Did the thing x 2. Seriously, I blew this quest out of the water. This isn’t work, this is fun. It almost makes one feel like it doesn’t count, you know??

 

Food

Protein: 4/20 - 120g

Supp experiment take three: multivitamin + mag at noon, 15 minutes after coffee, otherwise on an empty stomach to hopefully give that caffeine a head start. It’s going to have to happen really early or not at all most likely, because guaranteeing there’s no food standing in the way of complete absorption any other way would be a nightmare. I am worried about the mag causing havoc on said empty stomach due to past experience, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

 

PROTEIN GET.

 

Husband is going on a multi to try to see if it will help his mold allergic response--exposure is unavoidable, he works outside and blasts water all over the place outside, it’s really not the place for someone with allergies, but them’s the breaks.

 

Sleep

Lights out: 11:15PM -- 6/10

Wake up: 10:00AM -- 10/10

I slept longer because I needed it, y’all. This waking up in the middle of the night shit gets old really fast. HOWEVER, when I did crawl out of bed at around10:30~, it only took about 30-45 minutes from the compounded overnight neck tension to dissipate. HOLY FLYING F YES I will take it. I still have knots, but the tension goes bye-bye. Seriously, I can live with this arrangement. Does this have to do with my delt/pec mobility last night right before bed??

 

Mobility

No slouching

Days since last tension headache: 3

Neck mobility: 6/28

Stretch and mobilize: 6/28

Neck tension down, will to live up. Quads, hams, calves, ankles, feet all rolled. Rolled my back via ukemi and just plain rolling back and forth and side-to-side.

[Urgan]

Here is yesterday's lunch: frico eggs by way of feta cheese. 10/10 would do again.

 

[ixaera]

Those eggs look delicious~

 

Think the magnesium is helping any with that neck tension? I've started taking a supp for it myself after your adventures. I even snagged a bottle of magnesium lotion!