knocked knees, flat feet, and squeezing medialis

Long post today - my apologies to anyone reading this up front lol. I have a few topics to touch on after doing the Front Split workout today. Hoping to get some good advice from Forum Coaches. :-)

1.) I noticed my knees have a distinct inward rotation. I did a Google search and it seems like maybe "knocked knees" for lack of a better term. Anyone else experience this and/or taken corrective measures to straighten out the knee? Perhaps going through the Foundations 1-4 will fix this without needing to do additional work outside the GB curriculum? 

2.) My feet are flat. At least I believe they are and my physio told me that at least once. Again, is this something I should try to correct with additional work outside the GB curriculum or will it take care of itself as I progress through Foundations 1-4?

3.) Coach mentions squeezing/contracting medialis (tear drop muscle on inner thigh) in order to assist with pressing knee into the carpet in a move like hurdler stretch. I can contract/squeeze that muscle but only briefly and it starts to shake a lot. Should I be shooting for holding that tight for the full 90sec or just contract here or there for 1-2sec at a time?

*I desperately want to make sure I am doing these workouts correctly. I feel like the GB curriculum is now (5 weeks in) starting to expose areas of my body that have mechanical flaws or muscle imbalances (no shit, right?). I'm trying to be mindful of everything I'm doing and take some notes. Besides reaching out on the forums for help I find myself going down rat-holes on Google and YouTube to try and understand/study what is going on and self-diagnose. I know other people have encountered this same process - go through a workout, find a weakness or a pain or discomfort, scour the internet for a diagnosis, reach out on the forums...etc. Is this the best way? I appreciate the forums and I have yet to post a video/picture which is coming. I just maybe wish there was some kind of anatomy diagram inside of each workout section with some common issues people encounter (tightness in "x" area), maybe include reasons why (weakness in "y" area), and a list of Coach-Sommer-approved "extra-curriculars". I would pay more for something like that. Trying to piece this together has been challenging - especially not being able to fully trust random sources of info online. And also not having the best understand of human anatomy. Like today I had this pain in my upper-outer-butt area. I think it was muscle, but who am I to judge? Based on the movement I was doing at the time, is there something I should expect to feel? I think you see where I'm going with this. The iM scaling videos are okay but feel like it could be improved/more thorough.

Just my 2 cents. Still loving this program and still giving it all that I've got.

Hey Jeffrey,

I can't comment much on #1. That's not something I know much about.

But for #2, there are ways to strengthen the arch of your foot, mostly by doing exercises where you scrunch up the bottom of your foot from your toes to your heel. I have flat-ish fee too. You can google on arch-strengthening exercises and videos. I've also rolled my arches on lacrosse balls while standing at my desk and that feels good although I can't say how much it helps.

For #3, just start slow. Don't hold it so long that feel like you are going to cramp up. You're just starting out so don't expect to do everything perfectly with full range of motion and full duration. Just do the best you can so it's uncomfortable but not really painful.

As for the general challenge of it all, it will get better. The adaptation and skills will come. It all feels like a total train wreck at first but give it some time and your body will start to adapt. Starting gymnastic training as an adult is no easy task, but it's well worth it, so keep at it, and don't rush it. The benefits are huge. I'm 48 and already feel crap-tons better than before.

The outside of your butt where you felt tightness is probably your gluteus medius. It's a common weak area that is correlated with tight adductors and hip flexors, and is targeted by some of the GB exercises. That will get better too. I'd say the key is to not stress too hard and don't push too hard at first. Work hard, but if you experience real pain, back off. Stay far away from the edge of the pain zone. As beginners we don't need to dance there in order to make gains. Make space for the body to adapt and it will improve. The body has to *grow* (neural connections, connective tissue, muscle tissue, capillaries, etc.) into its new demands and no amount of pushing will speed that up.

Best,

Matt

34 minutes ago, Jeffrey Mailly said:

1.) I noticed my knees have a distinct inward rotation

Everything that @Matthias Schwartz said, plus your no. 1, it is very probably because your gluteus medius is very weak (thus your knees "falling" inward) and you WILL definitely have a bunch of gluteus medius training in the Foundation…  

Thanks both of you. Points well taken. I heard Coach use the phrase "eat and train" on one of the podcasts. Perhaps a new phrase for over- thinkers like me would be "shut up and train" lol. I'll try to have more faith in the program and give it time to develop without getting so lost analyzing myself. I'm thinking I may need to maximize the benefit of this forum and start posting some photos and videos too.

I will absolutely be trying the flat foot exercises and strengthening gluteus medius. Thanks guys.

Hey Jeffrey,

Great questions. 

21 hours ago, Jeffrey Mailly said:

1.) I noticed my knees have a distinct inward rotation. I did a Google search and it seems like maybe "knocked knees" for lack of a better term. Anyone else experience this and/or taken corrective measures to straighten out the knee? Perhaps going through the Foundations 1-4 will fix this without needing to do additional work outside the GB curriculum? 

Some visuals of this specific issue would be helpful. Your best bet, however, is to visit with a sports physio about it. Better safe than sorry. 

21 hours ago, Jeffrey Mailly said:

2.) My feet are flat. At least I believe they are and my physio told me that at least once. Again, is this something I should try to correct with additional work outside the GB curriculum or will it take care of itself as I progress through Foundations 1-4?

Just like number one, a physio is best to check in with. The courses will almost surely help both issues but I recommend getting a professional opinion to be positive and totally safe. 

21 hours ago, Jeffrey Mailly said:

3.) Coach mentions squeezing/contracting medialis (tear drop muscle on inner thigh) in order to assist with pressing knee into the carpet in a move like hurdler stretch. I can contract/squeeze that muscle but only briefly and it starts to shake a lot. Should I be shooting for holding that tight for the full 90sec or just contract here or there for 1-2sec at a time?

Gradually build into being able to comfortably hold the tension throughout the entire stretch. As you know, this is not possible at first and is something that should be gradually progressed towards. Play it by feel and never let your effort/level of intensity exceed a four out of ten. 

Please send us form checks and follow-up questions as much as you'd like. We're all here to help you improve and succeed!

So it's been 2 weeks. I've only done 2 more sessions of Middle Split since this post. I've taken all your input and tried to apply it. Here's my update on progress.

1.) I've been doing a ton of Side Lying Leg Raises. This has helped with my knocked knees a lot. Actually since I've been doing them I can notice that gluteus medius get's hit pretty often in my Foundation 1 training. Feels good to see that getting stronger and noticing my knees pointing more straight than inward now.

2.) Started doing some light arch work for flat feel that I found a bunch of on another site. People in the forums seem to use the same techniques. I noticed an improvement in my left foot especially during curled seiza. My feet are feeling pretty good overall, though one day earlier this week after a good flat foot workout the next day DOMS was pretty harsh. Backed off a little on the next session and feels normal now.

3.) I've been slowly trying to squeeze medialis for longer durations and my hold times are increasing some. Feels much better than before where I could only hold for 1-2sec at a time.

Now that I've started to address these areas it seems there are others that need more attention. The two movements I am having issues with right now are the hurdler stretch and the vertical shin stretch. For hurdler stretch - when I tuck my left leg, even with right glute elevated on a block, the amount of stretch pain I feel in the front of my left ankle is pretty harsh. Any idea what might specifically be to blame here? As for the vertical shin - I cannot get into the starting position for this. The stretch is WAY too harsh in my quads. Even with the scaling video it's too much. Anything I can do here as an alternative until my quads are more mobile?

7 hours ago, Jeffrey Mailly said:

Any idea what might specifically be to blame here?

Tight shins and/or quads! For now, simply move your foot out a little further away from your glute and keep your knees slightly apart. If that still doesn't feel great, elevate your hips even higher. 

7 hours ago, Jeffrey Mailly said:

The stretch is WAY too harsh in my quads. Even with the scaling video it's too much. Anything I can do here as an alternative until my quads are more mobile?

 Use two blocks for support, one on each side of you, and don't sit all the way up for now. Put as much weight as necessary into the blocks and increase the space between your glute and your heel. You will be able to side up taller and close the gap over time. 

@Everett Carroll Thank you so much for the reply! I will incorporate this advice going forward.