regressing with pistols

[twan]

With the pistols I somehow can't seem to press back up with my left leg, like I could 1 week ago more easily.

It feels like I'm not as comfortable with the movement as I was 1 week ago. It feels like I've lost some of my flexibility in my left leg.

What could be the cause of this problem? I think it's weird because I only have the problem in my left leg.

[Blairbob]

muscle pull at all?

[JL]

How has this problem worked out, twan? I'm going through the same thing now. I am more flexible in my hamstrings and hip flexors, but I feel more tight, and my left leg is failing early. What is crazy is that I feel reasonably strong, and bam, I'm done.

[kbryk]

I would do some work with normal body weight squats.Most people have a problem with the "sticking points" where people get stuck, such as the parts of the movement that are 90 degress or parallel to the floor. Also some good deep body weight squats will increase your flexibility.

Just a suggestion.

[griffdrc]

it could also be acute over training... rest may be the best answer... give it a go in a few days... this is usually what works for me... good luck

[JL]

I think it might be a mix of things, which throws me through a loop. Itry to do PNF stretching twice per week, but I never have. So far, I have only do it once per week. And after recovering, I set a perosnal best in the volume of reps I was able to do in a day (GTG style). Here is how I arrived to where I am at. When I first embarked on my pistol journey, I was basically doing one legged box squats. My quideline was that as soon as I could get 5 reps straight with each leg I found something lower. The reps were basically lower under control, pause, and then rise out with littl rocking forward. Doing this, I got to slightly below parallel on the box squat. One day I decided to try going to my lowest platform, but without sitting, just a light touch to know where I am at. I noticed I couldn't pull back up. With that I decided to junk the idea of sitting and just using it as a guide. I found a height I could do at least three reps with just a light touch. I did this for about two weeks and started noticing my number in the higher height declining from when I first transitioned to them. My first thought was I am getting weaker, but when I tested my myself on previously lowest achievable sit down squat, I was actually stronger. So, if I'm not getting weaker in my maximum range of motion (one which I am not practicing, either), then why the hell am I declining in the shorter one? My only other explaination was that I was using a more difficult technique as I have gotten stronger, and I'm trying duplicate the old volume at a greater intensity. I think I may sit back farther as I have become stronger, using more strength to maintain balance. Thing is, it doesn't feel hard for the first few reps. I feel strong, and no DOMS, but then I just conk out. The only thing I have noticed, like I said before, is that I feel more tightness when I raise a leg off the ground. Yet when I do this exact same position in a stretch, I am more flexible than ever. I don't know. I'm taking two days off, I'll see if that brings my work capacity and my active flexibilty back.

[StevenL]

try variations, you may be exeperiencing some type of burn out with the movement.

try a negative-free pistol, by doing a normal squat on two legs and then taking one leg off the ground and pressing up.

also try "dynamic isometrics": lower down about half way and hold for some seconds, then lower all the way and hold, then press half way back up and hold, etc.

try sitting on your behind and rolling forward hard into a pistol. sorry if that's a bad explanation.

anyway, just keep trying and you WILL get it. believe me.

[JL]

I just rested for 8 days and came back even weaker. My guess at this point is that I was undergoing detraining more than overtraining. At one point, I really felt like my balance and ability to reverse the movement was being challenged more than my strength throughout the movement. Maybe, I should have taken the hint when my quads seemed a little smaller. It makes me believe I was detraining my quads while overtraining something else. I have never experienced such a thing. I'm going back to the box squat plan I was doing before, at least I was making progress.

[braindx]

If there's significant muscle atrophy that's a sign that:

1. There's neurological damage in which case you should see a doctor

2. Lack of calories = muscle being burned for fuel

If your diet has remained unchanged I would probably get it checked out.

[JL]

If there's significant muscle atrophy that's a sign that:

1. There's neurological damage in which case you should see a doctor

2. Lack of calories = muscle being burned for fuel

If your diet has remained unchanged I would probably get it checked out.

Pretty extreme. I don't think that's the case, though, I hope not. Like I said, so many things have changed, my hamstring flexibility is better than ever, and I did do some PNF. I did lose about 2 lbs. over the last two weeks; I thought it was because I upped the volume of my leg work and was burning more calories. Everything else strength wise is better, though. I restarted my old program yesterday, I'll see if I feel better today. If I start getting stronger through the week, should I still get checked out?

[braindx]

Peh, 2 lbs is nothing.

Probably just random fluctuations in strength.

[dissipate]

Thanks for posting up the question and thanks to those who replied! I've been having problems with pistols too - there were a few weeks when I was making good progress and I reached a peak or something where I could do 5 pistols on each leg, ATG. Then it started going downhill from there and I can only do about 3 now.

try variations, you may be exeperiencing some type of burn out with the movement.

try a negative-free pistol, by doing a normal squat on two legs and then taking one leg off the ground and pressing up.

also try "dynamic isometrics": lower down about half way and hold for some seconds, then lower all the way and hold, then press half way back up and hold, etc.

try sitting on your behind and rolling forward hard into a pistol. sorry if that's a bad explanation.

StevenL - how many sets/reps do you recommend for these? I was doing 5x5 each leg for pistols.

[Coach Sommer]

The body is not a machine; your strength levels fluctuate naturally. It is both unreasonable and unrealistic to expect it to always be performing at 100%, setting new PR after new PR. Rather than constantly attempting to set new PRs, perhaps it would be more productive to spend some time with a Steady State training cycle in order to give you body a chance to solidfy your strength gains.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer