Thursday's Thoughts

Quick one today.

I read sexyasFu$% 's BLOG.  He's a marine and coach.  Kind of sarcastic and funny.   nonetheless, he blew his Achilles doing high rep box jumps.  

I've read a lot of 'crossfit' bashing, but i think the majority of the messages that get lost, filtered, or lost in the ramblings is 'Be Smart'  

I will be stepping down on box jump MetCons.


 From CROSSFIT SOUTHBAY..

Well… not me, at least not yet. The reason for this is that I know that high rep box jumps are an achilles tendon destroyer. And not in the nice, “ouch, my achilles is sore” type of way, but the “BOOM, MY ACHILLES JUST TORE” kind of way. Unfortunately, achilles tendons do not strain first as a warning like a muscle would do. They get painful and inflamed, and then if you ignore them for too long and add in a ton of loading that your body isn’t used to (a recreational basketball game or high rep box jump workout), there is a chance you could cause a complete rupture.

Do I have your attention now??

Sorry for the picture, but I needed you guys to understand that this is a big deal. Anyway, now that I have your attention, lets go over what we can do to prevent achilles tendon ruptures. First, is your achilles achy or tender to the touch?? Ice it, now… and then two more times today, and tomorrow, and the next day until you no longer have pain. This will reduce the inflammation and help it to heal like it is supposed to. Second, drink a ton of water over the next day or two before your workout, as almost all soft tissue injuries occur when you are dehydrated. Lastly, let’s mobilize your calves and all the other tight pieces in your ankles to give your Achilles slack to work.