Wrist And Ankle Strengthening Options

[Trinityx3]

Anyone have any good tips to get both areas stronger?

[Google Bot]

[Gabe]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKMy8hiuGnY

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/par15.htm I know that the name of the site is not what you expect, but there are some good information on it.

This post has been edited by Gabe: Nov 19 2007, 02:36 PM

[Trinityx3]

Thanks for the links bro

[Pkdanno]

Good post Gabe.. Ive never seen that first series of videos on Youtube

[Hebertiste]

What you are maybe going to read, if the length of the post doesn't discourage you, might sound quite controversial to you. Of course, for those who know me already, I'm not trying to convince any of you or to prove my point.
I'm just simply expressing my own concepts as I'm used to for a long time. If you think I'm wrong, if you think you're right, fine ! We don't have to agree.
If you prefer skipping such a long reading, it's whether you're in a hurry, you're not a critical thinker, or you prefer to dedicate more time to training, or playing video games. Again, it's all fine, you really don't have to.

I'll state it straight, to me this video just shows another useless kind of training drills.
It's always the same mindset that leads to the same kind of boring drills.
Because isn't all this really boring ? Would you consider yourself sitting everyday just to do this repeatedly? If you like this kind of boring drills or were led to believe they are essential and necessary to your health and strength, go for them !
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that they're not beneficial at all, surer better than nothing especially for a sedentary modern individual, but there's much better, more natural ways to get actually superior results regarding getting strength in your ankles (in this case, or wrists as well).
The problem with such drills, and with most of "conditioning" drills that come from the fitness industry, is that they're based on isolation. I'm afraid that working out your ankles or feet this way doesn't mean it relates to the functional reality or biomechanics of the human body when in motion, feet in touch with the ground and including lots of parameters, a whole kinetic chain, while these "ankles drills" are performed on the spot, feet off-ground. So basically such drills will enable you to be better at...performing such drills, with not much beneficial outcome when it comes to the real thing, i.e real motion, not of the sole ankle joints, but of the body as a whole and in different ways and directions, also on given surfaces that can greatly vary.

Such drills don't challenge the specific body parts targeted in a complete manner. That's always the problem with drills based on isolation, always.
First off your basic issue regarding ankles strength is not just the strength, it would be too simple. You real and actual goal is to have a capacity of efficient functional movement first, then to prevent injury and to prevent injury you need more than only strength.
Of course, you also need flexibility, since stiffness may reduce the angles of motion of the joint, potentially causing injury, but you have to know that too much laxity in the joints could as well cause injuries...so not so simple issues huh ?
But there's more to strength and flexibility in fact, there's more involved to allow efficient movement and avoid injuries. When moving onland what you need and what you use is tactile information, proprioception. The reason why people often sprain their ankles more or less seriously, and apart from risky stunts or feats on very slippery or uneven grounds or hard obstacles, is that they are not vigilant.
It is not their mind that is failing to be vigilant, but their body intelligence (neuromuscular aptitudes and alertness, but let's not go deeper into unecessary physiological concepts) and their vision, their peripheral vision to be accurate. The body hold its own intelligence but problem is that in our modern sedentary societies the body intelligence is truly neglected and therefore goes dormant. That's because we live such an unatural lifestyle that about all vital biological functions are in atrophy and disarray.
People have about no peripheral vision because they are almost permanently involved in "narrowrama" visual activities like watching TV or starring hours to all kinds of screens or books, so they are likely to just clumsily step on any obstacle on their way without noticing or only when it start to challenge their balance or...hurt, instead of instinctively avoiding them without even noticing as any agile and alert wild animal would do. When they actually step on those obstacles they have no or low neuromuscular connections that would allow them to instanteously and extremely fastly process information coming from their own body in motion and this body in relation to the ground and external parameters, so they fail to quickly and instinctively respond to both, fail to fastly adjust their movement to avoid getting injured and...get injured indeed.

This is also lots due to shod motion. Feet are naturally packed with sensors that give you valuable information about the ground you're moving on and how you're actually positioned and moving on it, but this doesn't work so well when you are almost totally deprived from this contact because of shoes. Plus the contact to the surface being seriously modified and altered by the thickness of synthetic material that somewhat impairs balance and creates a permanent destabilization of the whole skeletal structure, which fact we've learned to cope with since an early age, but it evidently still has a cost.
The natural motion is constantly challenged, even if you've got accustomed to not pay attention to this anymore. Only if you train barefoot movement on a regular basis can you start noticing these subtle parameters and make a real difference.
The difference between shod and unshod movement is almost as great as the difference between swimming with or without fins. Shoes alter the natural human gait to a significant extent.

So basically, the issue of weakened ankles is lots due to the fact that on the one hand, we are way not enough, and not enough frequently moving in all possible natural ways on various kinds of surfaces (especially uneven and challenging ones) and that on the other hand that most of us are used to walk, run, jump or get in any kind of natural human motion strictly, almost exclusively with shoes on. Some people even go for a jog on the beach keeping their shoes on. It seems now so natural to us because we're used to it since we're born, and because most of us in our modern societies have never really experienced truly natural motion, i.e. strictly unshod, and this on an actual and sufficiently regular basis.
By that I mean everyday or at least several barefoot training sessions per week.
The more unatural the shoes, for instance stilletos or moonboots, the more your ankles are at risk, and actually the more cost to your skeletal structure, triggering all sorts of negative and unhealthy compensations in body bearings and motion, resulting in backaches and so on. But don't believe your super Nike, Adidas or Asics trainers are much safer. They too trigger injuries, sooner or later. Every step, actually every time you step on a plastic orthesis instead of naturally stepping on the ground with your bare foot, a little micro-something-wrong occurs. Repeat it daily for years, in addition to motionlessness in prolonged unhealthy postures onto too soft furniture, along with physiological stasis and toxic junk food, and you have a whole population crippled with joint problems, ankles, knees, hips, back, neck...the whole skeletal structure is being slowly but surely altered. I'm not even mentioning all other health issues such a lifestyle generates. Isn't it this modern domesticated predicament so great ?!?

So you want a therapy now? You want a coping mechanism? You want a whole range of ultra specific drills to be performed everyday or so, to strengthen your ankles? Wrists? So I guess you also need some other drills for your knees right? Maybe for your elbows? What kind of specific drills can we find to strengthen your elbows then ? Why not for your thinking of how to get a stronger hip too ? Doesn't it move, isn't it a joint as well that is fully necessary to movement? What about the neck? The whole spine? Fingers? Toes? There's many joints in the toes too you know, yes, toes ! And after you're done with all your strengthening drills, isn't it necessary to also take care of the very same body parts, to this time stretching them and increase their flexibility? Shouldn't you try to as well isolate your lungs and heart if you could, to make sure they get stronger? Same with all of your organs? Could your strengthen your liver and stretch it and wouldn't you like to be able to do so if you were told by a competent personal trainer or physiotherapist how, after you've explained why a stronger liver can help with higher physical performance? Don't you also need why not after all genital drills to enhance your erectile potential since a happy sexuality has its share in overall vitality and therefore in performance?
Are you seriously going to separate your whole body in isolated parts to work them out specifically and this on a daily basis, so you make sure you get every part stronger and healthier, this guaranteeing your overall fitness ? Sure it would take two days everyday...to work this all out properly without exception.
Sure I'm exagerating. But truly what seems to be a total aberration is not so far from the reality of the isolation stance and perspective.

The other great problem with such specific drills if that you NEVER really know what is enough. How long should I keep working out my wrist? It is most efficient to train both of them together or to alternate ? How many reps and how many series of each ? To what intensity? Is it safe to add weight ? Is it the proper form or not? Should I pay a certified coach to make sure of that? Am I not going to hurt myrself if I was to do the wrong movement? You get easily lost, because even though the purpose seems clear, the solutions and chores to perform get easily vague and subjective. It's so conceptual that it doesn't really lead anywhere actually. It helps a lot merchandisers to better sell you the most appropriate apparatus, a meaningless and costly shit you don't need but are led to believe it's essential to your progress. For sure, you can't make progress without those objects now that you were "proved" they are the best stuff you can find. Buy two now, get a third absolutely free ! After you've played a little while with your new toy, you forget it in a dusty drawer and it adds up to the pile of unecessary objets your place is filled with. You want to make your training objective, but you quickly find yourself really wondering what is it that you're actually doing, and what's exactly the point. It doesn't naturally makes sense in your mind, even though your mind thought it was an excellent idea in the first place, and that's because it doesn't make sense to your body, to your instinct, to your nature. If you were to listen to your body intelligence instead, it would immediately tell you to stop doing this boring pointless movements, drop the plastic or metal magic apparatus, and get back on your feet, walking and running on uneven surfaces, balancing on beams or bars, jumping around, moving on all fours...playing. Being intuitive, being free, being yourself.

I'll tell you what, there's only one kind of situation when I believe such drills to prove worthy: rehabilitation therapy after an injury.
Unless you got actually injured, don't treat yourself like a handicaped, and go explore your natural possibilities in a fun-tough or tough-fun natural way, you'll get much stronger if you are wise enough to follow the laws of your own human nature and human movement, in an incremental manner. Animals, apart when it comes about saving their lives, never push their own limits untill exhaustion. They listen to their bodies. Just like kids when they play. There's an inner drive that comes from a deep memory, that's a genetic program, it's not subjectively imposed by an altered mind all worried with the necessity to get stronger before holidays on the beach, or because it's how you may get women to share your bed, or feel like a video-game character.
But once again if you really like this kind of extremly boring therapeutical chores for sick, old or injured people, again folks, go for them ! I'll watch you do that, or just imagine you performing them, with great amusement . Just like I got really amused watching that old man entangling himself with those straps.
How creative the human mind can be ! Why go for simpleness when one can greatly complicate one's life ! That's so much the human essence. That must be what make us believe we're superior to animals, isn't it ?

Have you ever noticed any animal doing what we call "conditioning" drills ? Never. Why ? Because they're dumb and we're so smart and superior? Because we're the top of the pyramid, the exclusive purpose of some "intelligent design" deriving from our religious imagination and that they stagnating to some backwards level of evolution ?
Nope simply because they don't think much like we do in a conceptual manner, i.e supposed to be extremly efficient...I believe that instead of giving the wrong answers to the wrong problems, unlike us they're smart enough to not create these problems in the fist place and consequently don't have to find ways to solve unecessary issues. They just, simply,only follow their own nature, means their own species requirements, their own genetic program. Why is it that we wouldn't be able to do just the same ? Because we cannot ever question how we are used to think and behave, since we believe we're so superiorly smart as humans apes that we are ? Because we cannot get ridden of unatural civilized habits and oversophisticated explanations and so-called scientific solutions ?
Yes, humans are probably the only, or say one of the few animal species, that can set their own goals. Could it be the most relevant option and goal to set for ourselves to start reconnecting to our own specific nature, without altering it, modifying it, impeaching it in the first place?

Seriously, and from an evolutionary perspective, can you picture our ancestors, hundred thousands years ago, isolating their ankles with straps to "strengthen" them, every morning before they went hunting while avoiding getting hunted, to make sure they wouldn't sprain their ankles on the various and demanding surfaces of the semi-wooded grasslands, where we used to evolve for 6 to 8 millions years? That would be truly hilarious.

It is proved, well that's a scientific fact actually that our ancestors had much more healthy and strong bones than most of average modern humans. There must be a reason to this. Did they have access to sophisticated "hamster fitness" gyms before they went out of their caves and shelters and face dangers and provide tough efforts in the rough wild ? Did they have to learn about biomechanics, calisthenics, proprioception, phospagen, glycogen, aerobics, plyometrics and so on to know how to move efficiently and get by? Did they have to order a powerball to enhance their grip and better fight, climb, lift stones, carry prays or throw spears ? Or is it that they were lucky enough to have access to some powerful magical supplements to grow strong bones, joints and muscles, that modern science is yet unable to create and supply? Seriously...scientific discoveries and explanations are fascinating indeed, it is part of human intelligence, progress and culture, no doubt about it, but explanations are not necessary to naturally find the right patterns, movements, behaviors to fully develop ourselves, our vital capacities, and get strong and healthy. If ALL animals can do it, if ALL millions of our COMMON ancestors could do it, why is it that we could not ?
It is not the scientific knowledge that is guilty, it is the so-called scientifical applications that betray our nature and treat us likes machines, robots, not like hominids, but like humanoids. Not like part of nature, but superior to it, disconnected from its rules and laws, and entitled to submit and rule it.

All we need is simple observation and natural experiment. Yes, it's as simple. We need more naturalness, less sophistication. More intuition, less concept.
You think this is less rational or not rational ? It's the most rational attitude you could ever choose.
Nature indeed didn't condemn us to remain weak, but instead instinctively pushes us to spontaneously develop ourselves. Well, that's before we think we are civilized and not animals anymore. Before we think we must make it all supposedly "rational" because again, we're fucking smart apes...yes, we're apes, no more. Deal with it. You can shave your hairs, wear synthetic sporty garments and shoes with a famous brand on, wear a cap and futuristic sunglasses, use a pulsemeter and follow a scientific program, filling tons of spreadsheets, you're still just a fucking ape that believes it's not part of the animal realm and condition.

http://www.slick.com/dmd/dancemonkeysdance.htm

Like your human body had been supposedly created overnight. No history, no evolution. No animality, no nature. Perfect creation, god of the Universe. Wait, is that perfection ? Compared to many animals we're as strong and skilled as guinea-pigs in a cage. And so much more clever ! Eat, watch tv, drink, eart, sleep, wake up, eat, drive a car, eat, stay seated, sleep...
Who are we to deny where we all come from ? You seriously believe future is obviously brighter since it's technological and scientifically approved? Are you so sure we, as a species, have a future, or is it that you're just blinded by your specieisist arrogance ?
The human race as a whole as never known such a state of global weakness and illness in its whole history. You can just look around you and notice how obese or too skinny our bodies are, how stiff, how flaccid, how clumsy, how dormant they are. How degeneraed. Only a tiny fraction of these degenerated domesticated humans would last more than two days in the living conditions of our origins. You know, when we had to share the land with an amazing variety of predators that were all praying on us. How would you gather, hunt or escape from carnivores if you can't just...run ? Climb, jump,,crawl, swim, fight ?
To those who falsely believe we're now in a much better condition than thousands years ago, clearly you're wrong. That's medical propaganda.
Our ancestors would easily outpower most of the modern versions, i.e ourselves, of what a human animal is supposed to be: powerful, endurant, agile, cunning, alert and proud.
Instead most of us, modern and pitiful domesticated versions of what we're biologically and genetically designed to become, are weak, clumsy, dumb, dull and depressed and lacking of self-esteem, when not just hating what we are. Or oppositely being illegitimately overproud and blinded with vanity. Thinking it's very pessimistic ? We must not share the same interpretation of modern reality. Of course, if you're roaming on these boards, or find yourself reading this, it means you're looking for solutions to avoid this predicament, for sure. But look around, you barely don't have to scratch much the surface to realize what this contemporary predicament really is.
And as regarding the possibility to one day find yourself in the position of our ancestors, in the wild...no worries, we'll have soon totally destroyed about all of those original conditions. You think what could maybe be a few hundreds years is not so soon ? Given life on Earth is billions years old, given our species age is about 6 to 8 millionsof years, yes, that is defeinitely EXTREMELY SOON.
Time to take care of your ankles and wrists people, make sure they are strong enough !!!

So...what's my advice eventually?
Well like I said, if you truly believe those strengthening drills are what work best for you, forget about what I have to say since I'm not at all trying to prove you otherwise or convince you. Go for them, if you have spare time and enjoy them or really believe their worth dedicating some of your precious time...you could as well order an additional powerball to make sure you wrists get as strong as your ankles do. Hey btw isn't there a powerball for ankles available on the market ? Should be invented, would be truly revolutionary, oh yeah, this would deeply change and improve our fitness level, wait, our lives actually !!!

So to start with and again, if you want to seriously strengthen your ankles, it is not doing this type of isolating drills that is truly necessary, which again have about nothing to do with the actual natural biomechanical patterns of the human gaits, since it is not even done standing on your feet, but with feet off-ground.
That's just rehabilitative gymnastics for elders or injured people, at best, you know, when the functionality of the joint or limb is so much reduced that you have to slowly train reduced movements, at a much lower intensity that a healthy joint or limb could perform.
Doing such exercises would be just inefficiently trying to cope with the problem induced by the fact that you're not moving enough, not in a sufficietly complete manner (wider range of motions and challenging parameters) plus you're wearing shoes about all day everyday of your life for years and years.
Because indeed, is it that you need to exercise your ability to move your feet and ankles off-ground, on the spot, like a third-age person looking to recover some mobility and functionality back ? Or instead to strongly and safely be able to move in all kinds of manners on all kinds of grounds and surfaces ? In this last case how you need to train is precisely what you wanna be training for.

The obvious conclusion is, train directly what you want to adapt to, of course in a progressive approach that's for sure, so you're gonna adapt directly, specifically and gradually to the real thing that you want to be conditioned for. The more variety, the greater adaptation, the higher strength. NO NEED for specific drills prior to the real movements, actions or efforts. Total waste of time.
The only specific conditioning drills you want are precisely the real movements, actions and efforts. If you're humble and patient enough to go incremental and listen a lot to your sensations (your body "talks" to you, all the time, but you won"t listen...) instead of fooling around as the potential idiot and unsufficiently prepared performer you may be, it's all you have to do. It is AS SIMPLE AS THAT.

You only need a remedy when there's a cause that creates a symptom. Weakened ankles is the symptom. The cause being not moving enough for a long period, leading to atrophy, or oppositely moving too much in a wrong way or while being not prepared to sustain an intense effort, which leads to overtraining and chronic lesions and traumas.
To sum it up the cause is not moving enough or moving inappropriately, especially while constantly wearing shoes. Suppress the cause and you don't need a remedy anymore. Because health and strength should be a normal and natural condition of any human being, not some impossible physical state we cannot ever fully reach. Also, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying one should be compulsorily and constantly moving barefoot, but that one should not constantly be moving with shoes on. It's not about going back to caves, but finding a healthy balance between our nature and some obvious comfort modern technologies can provide, as long as they don't slowly but surely impair our health and strength.

What you want to do is to simply walk, run, jump, balance and move on all fours barefoot as much as you can, just like a wild animal would do, just like kids playing always do before they're getting "properly" educated or so it is supposed to be. Lifting, carrying, all this will add extra pressure on your joints, again if done properly and gradually, your whole skeletal structure will grow thicker, stronger.
The good newsfor people totally reluctant to the idea of moving barefoot like a dirty "inferior animal" is that as a matter of fact you don't even need to compulsorily take off your super sophisticated and expensive shoes all the time to strengthen your ankles and other joints and bones (as well as muscles) if your effort and movement is properly done, but it's still best done barefoot though and there's no doubt it will greatly enhance the physical outcome you're looking for. The natural basis of well-grounded and strong bare feet, the overall balance and stability of your whole body in barefoot motion is one of a kind feeling. It's animal, it's fresh, it's free. Wait wait, no, it seriously hurts, you can injure your feet anytime, and look like a savage weirdo and it's dirty. You blow away all your chances to get girlfirends in your nearby area. For sure. That's what super sophisticated and domesticated atheltes-to-be think always when it comes to training barefoot. To be in touch with the ground ? The mud, the dirt ? Like a beast or something, like any inferior life form ? To get in touch with Mother Earth ? Hahahaha that's for hippies, I ain't a fucking hippie, I live in then real world and I wear plastic shoes made in China for less than a dollar, brand shoes than I'm strongly desiring to acquire and own for dozens of dollars before I proudly wear them because they give me a status or REAL and hype human being !

It's like the difference of touch between hands in ski mittens and bare hands. Imagine you would be socially imposed to wear thick synthetic mittens all your life, fingers constantly sweating in them, no palm callouses, super white pink soft and tender skin, atrophied sense of touch, weaker hand muscles, much lower agility in the fingers and hands, and there's no way you would find yourself in the street without your mittens on even in the summer, that would be so weird, a shame !!! Sounds surreal huh ? Same happens to your feet since you were born actually. Of course it would be more comfortable in the winter. But it would feel strange for sure to get used to a bare hand touch again after all these years or wearing thick synthetic ski mittens wouldn't it? It would take some time to readapt to the biological naturelness. You wouldn't be able to handle any tool causing friction like a There's what's "normal" and what's not.
Our biological needs should be our indicators of normality.
See, in "biological", there's "bio" i.e "life", and...logical. Betray this evolutionary logic on a daily basis, and you end up trying to figure out how you could strengthen joints that should have naturally and strongly developed for ages already, if you had just followed, or been allowed to follow the laws of the human animal nature. The laws of nature, the laws of life. But we're far from them. We've found "better" or so it seems. We've created a civilized lifestyle or so it seems. But civilization doesn't care much about ankles and wrists strength, as a matter of fact, it clearly seemed to be designed to weaken us at every level of what were are, to better control this out of shape global mass of individuals we've become.

So why don't you just do more balancing on bars ? Do lots of them. Not only it is natural, but it is real situation, real demand, real parameters, by real I mean relevant to our human biomechanical patterns and demands, relevant from an evolutionary standpoint. It is also much more efficient and much more FUN and like I once said, everybody knows fun rules !
Watch the squirrel, watch the puma, watch all non-domesticated wild animals. Think they're of an inferior intelligence ? They play, they explore, they live, they survive too, they adapt, they fight for their lives. Now look at one of the most domesticated animals of all, dogs, those so-called "pets", one could name them "living toys" now, given they basically transform into living entertainment organic devices which mission is to share the burden of our pathetic domesticated lives and put some liveliness back in our constant stae of depression and isolation from other human animals. Yes, those faithful companions that too live, experience, undergo and suffer of the very same domesticated existence we have created for ourselves, including lack of movement and industrial junk food. They're often sick, obese, slow, when not simply depressed. They could spend most of their times sleeping on your couch if you were to let them do so, and they would just eat as much as they could if you were to constantly refill their can. They are extremly pitiful versions of their wild counterparts.
Oh yes, before I forget to tell at all, their wild counterparts are...wolfes. We took wolfes, and we transformed them into a wide range of breeds, like chihuahuas...impressive human creativeness isn't it. That's the wonders of domestication really. Applaude people.
So...forget any kind of boring isolated and repetitive drills and go out play naturally before you become a chihuahua. Or maybe you are a human chihuahua.
Maybe that's the reason why those light exercises are appealing to you? But you know you don't necessarily need to behave like a pittbull either. Being a balanced, healthy natural human athlete, a free, liberated human being, that would be already a tremendously challenging goal and ambition, really. Forget chihuahuas and pitbulls, tigers and pumas, snakes and dragons. Be what you are, or what you're supposed to be: a true positive individual.

You want your wrists to get stronger too ? Train more quadrupedal movement ! Do it on your fists, on your fingers. Balance on all fours on not too thick bars so your grip is lots involved and increased, this is an extremly valuable natural movement action to strengthen your wrists, hands, forearms. Well is it so necessary to always list what parts of the body are most "worked out" ? Because yes, such quadrupedal movements ALSO increase strength in your core stabilizer muscles, increase strength or your thighs, your triceps, your shoulders, your buttocks, your abs, your calves, your lower back, increase flexibility in about all of your joints, increase your cardiorespiratory capacity, increase your coordination, balance, agility, proprioception etc etc...want a comlete listing, or you only want the drill that isolate wrists and ankles, then the drills that isolate shoulders, then abs etc...or this is not yet enough to understand isolation is an aberration when it's not for therapeutical purpose and that complete natural movements is all you need to get fucking STRONG ?
Complete that with more "specific wrists strengthening movements" that are as well natural and fun, just do lots and lots and lots of brachiation, swinging in all directions, then your wrists will explore and adapt to the full range of their possibilities. And again, be sure it is not at all as specific as what you think it is, because brachiation increases as well strength and flexibility all your upper body joints, rib cage, shoulders, the spine, all upper body muscles.
You want more conceptual understanding, just to make sure ? More scientific facts and material ?

Train all these natural movements, your ankles will be happy and strong, so the rest of your body parts, since you so much want to make it some kind organic patchwork...and so will you...be happy.

You see you don't actually need to think about strengthening such or such part of you body. When you run, you get a higher and stronger cardio-respiratory capacity for instance. What it is that you really want when you run ? A better cardio-respiratory condition, or the ability to run both with speed and endurance ?
I'll tell you, it is the last that actually matters. The first is just the consequence, not the goal. The real goal is the ability to run and then you get cardio-respiratory condition improved as a natural consequence. No speed or endurance motion, no cardio-respiratory improvement. First things first. Same goes with strengthening your overall body or any body part. You just have to make sure you perform a sufficiently wide and complete array of natural movements and efforts.
Apart when you have a very specific and obvious weakness, don't focus on such or such part of your body because it is the wrong focus. If you're sure you have a specific weakness, maybe because such specific part of your body easily hurts or get injured, it is that you need to perform the same movements at a lower level of difficulty or intensity until it get stronger and stronger, step by step. Go for the actual capacities, all of them, whatever is natural and necessary to the development of the human being. It includes walking, running, jumping, balancing, climbing, moving on all fours, lifting, carrying, throwing, catching, swimming, figthing and all other kinds of utility actions, movements and efforts, all closely relating to your self-preservation. It can be as well to stay still, to hide, to scan your suroundings wit all of your senses, to hold breath, to shout...anything relating to your ability to stay alive.
YES, it as SIMPLE as that. It is the GREAT SECRET of natural health, strength and vitality. You want scientific proofs ? You want supplements ? You want sporty apparatus, machines, equipment and gear ? You want spreadsheets and to be flooded with scientific datas ? You will never be truly reinsured and satisfied. You're likely to end up even more injured and lost because you'll listen to what you think and believe is the "truth" of fitness when the truth lies within your own body and sensations. For millions of years already. You're the outcome of this evolution. Fitness never started with this century not even the last one. It started when life and genes appeared on Earth. It didn't happen in a week with Sundays to rest. It is an endless process that's called life and that exists on Earth for billions of years. This s where fitness comes from. The condition of being fit, lively, full of vitality, the ability to live well and the power to survive. This is fitness. Not the fitness garbage merchants sell to you at a high price. Not the photoshoped magazine covers that make you believe it's all in the looks and cosmetics. Poor fashion victims we are !

You definitely shouldn't be reading what I have to say about the whole topic, really.
It's a totally different mindset and approach. It's a different world. You could become a voluntary lab rat to make sure your drills and training programs are the most efficient ones, just like Drago in Rocky IV. You can measure and quantify whatever you want. You'll never be statisfied because all this is basically some issue that takes place in your mind and not so much in your body. The body is much smarter than any of your scientists, depsite it knows nothing about spreadsheets and sports programs. It has an agenda of its own to follow : genetic program.
The more your goal will be supposedly objective, the more your vision will be blurred in the process.
Except you are part of a sporty elite, like an hyper specialized athlete, an olympic champion, that has to constantly repeat the same movement patterns until they are totally worn ? This is highly specialized capacity. It most of the time doesn't even find any beneficial application in daily life. Oppositely, it most of the time triggers amazing loss of balance in one's life and organism, leading to potentially impressive but yet temporary performances, but also generally to permanent downsides in health.
So, are you part of this elite ? If not you might better choose to challenge this body of yours and those capacities of yours wisely, enough frequently, enough but not too much, with a spirit oscillating between both fighting spirit and playfulness, also oscillating between primarily sensations and why not some actual measurable capacities to boost your motivation. Then rest in between and pay attention to what you eat and how you think. The body adapts naturally. Always. Trust it. Trust your own nature. Go natural.

And oh yeah, of course, one last thing that is PRETTY OBVIOUS again. If you feel some lack of strength in your joints, it is VERY likely that you're putting too much pressure on them, means you're attempting or actually performing movements that are too difficult compared to what your actual physical condition is.
Again, you just need to train in an incremental, gradual, progressive manner. Is it so hard to understand that this must be redundantly repeated over and over ? How many more Blane's "Dilution" articles do you need to understand this simple fact ?
You see, here again it's not more isolated conditioning drills nor laboratory tests and scientifical datas that are required. What you need is a bit less of conceptual thinking (or rather questionning and doubting) and lots more of simple and basic attention to your personal sensations. It is more observation and more experience that you need. Less movie or video-like stunts and more moderation. More humility and less superhero-ninjaturtle-samourai-spartan-warrior-swat-ideal-soldier-mortal-kombat-robocop-extreme-killer-of-the-future mindset or the illusion of having such a mindset. Again, more humility and patience is what you need. By humility, I do not mean a reduction of your self-esteem and PRIDE, hell no ! Just a djustement or your possibly inflated ego, in order to have your actual condition better match with reality for a while. That's the kind of "humility" I'm talking about. For the rest, be proud of what you are people, make sure you're convinced and happy of your own personal worth.
So, the more in touch with NATURAL experiential, empirical reality of yourself and the world you're interacting with, the better.

In a nutshell, what you need is a secret. What's this secret ?



Commonsense.




The best and most efficient answer to our problems is not to cope with them with sophisticated pseudo-scientifical solutions that don't solve much of anything, but to use more rational discernment in understanding the initial cause(s) that trigger most of those issues. To those who doubt it, the capacity of high quality rational thinking is part of the human intellectual abilities for hundred thousands of years. So, in most cases, these causes derive from a bigger and wider overall one of a much greater importance, which most of people simply miss to identify since they're so blinded about their own condition.
It is all simply our extremly unatural modern civilized lifestyle, i.e a domesticated existence based on an almost total and obviously increasing disconnection with our own evolutionary and biological nature and with Nature itself. This modern myth and tragedy of human superiority, also called speciesism, and the blinded faith in our superior intelligence not only has been relentlessly destroying nature around us, but has also been increasingly alienating and destroying our own original nature, ending up in the pathetic predicament we find ourselves in as a species. To tell you the truth, it's not going to improve soon. Quite the opposite actually. Isn't it sooooo great to be such smart...apes ?

To build strong ankles, you need to move on your feet extensively, that's it. That's the secret. You can create whatever specific isolating drill you want, it will NEVER be an optimum subsitute to what our true nature tell us to do spontaneously, instinctively. NONE of the last "primitive" individuals, indians, Inuits, Pygmies, Bushmen, all those "First" human beings remaining alive and living a natural way in all sorts of natural environments would ever regard those drills as relevant and significant or useful. Since they're not even fun to do, they wouldn't regard them as games and would certainly be very reluctant to try them more than once, if ever.
Now bet who's got the strongest joints ?

You see, there's much more to think about than the strength of your ankles and wrists. It's definitely not looking at the whole picture. But of course, this is the "health and fitness" section and I'm apparently way off topic right ?

Think for yourself what's wrong in our lives generally speaking and maybe you'll start to find a new fresh direction in solving your fitness problems, and actually many of your existential problems. You may wanna take more of this modern fitness garbage instead. Go deeper in your domestication process. Or start to liberate yourself, your body and mind, just like parkour is supposed to make of you a freer individual in the first place.
Brainwashing is everywhere and mind control is everywhere. Mind control leads to body control and vice-versa. You think you're not concerned ? Hilarious and pathetic inability to face the reality of your own condition.
To some, future will tell, it will be time to start doing your own brainwash of the modern garbage and start to control your own mind, not let the system do the thinking for you as it's been going since the beginning of civilization and the process of domestication that directly derives from it and supports it.
Or...you can as well not think too much, grab a soda, turn on your tv or play more video games, eat more chocolate chips cookies and find a comfortable niche in the zoo. Believe your human, forget you're just an ape, and pretend you're smarter than all the animals and life forms your ignorance and arrogance contribute to destroy. That's what you call life.
The choice is all yours.

Don't forget to work out your ankles and wrists people ;-).

This post has been edited by Hebertiste: Nov 20 2007, 07:26 PM

[clgladiator]

Hebertiste, again a poignant and inspirational post. Have you ever thought about writing a book full of your points of view etc like your posts on these forums i think it would be a truly amazing read and i would buy it.

I second your point on quadrupedal movement this defiantly strengthens wrists and ankles. A good one is on a set of stairs sprint up then cat crawl back down and repeat. Also crawling on a bar is amazing for your wrists.

[Tobi]

Great post Erwan, it really got me thinking again, even if one already knows the simple fact that by performing a certain activity you adapt to that specific action it is quite easy to fall back into the thinking pattern you described.

I am currently studying physio therapie and i often find myself sitting in class or seeing patients and observe how so many of my fellow students (and myself also from time to time) miss the point in looking at problems from a far too isolated view and missing the real problem.

So thank you for sharing your thoughts.

regards

Tobi

[Dirk]

Thank you Erwan .

It resorts to the question:
Are you honest to yourself, or are you just trying to look healthy?

bye,
Dirk

[Hebertiste]

Great post Erwan, it really got me thinking again, even if one already knows the simple fact that by performing a certain activity you adapt to that specific action it is quite easy to fall back into the thinking pattern you described.

I am currently studying physio therapie and i often find myself sitting in class or seeing patients and observe how so many of my fellow students (and myself also from time to time) miss the point in looking at problems from a far too isolated view and missing the real problem.

So thank you for sharing your thoughts.

regards

Tobi

Well as I said or intended to say, what you're now learning in a very scientific and methodical manner is indeed often crucial to help recover after an injury.
There's so many possibilities of lesions and traumas in the human body and it requires a highly specialized knowledge to help fully recover from those.
Of course, I still believe that with enough self-understanding and knowledge, an individual is sometimes in a better position to recover on its own, after a surgery id surgery is required. We need modern surgery in some cases, it is the fantastic positive sides of the human progress.
But not always, depending on each specific case, the nature of the injury, and the individual itself.
So be sure your studies are worth the effort. Now you might end up realizing than most of your patients' injuries are due to sedentarity, unhealthy diets, or sports traumas an sporty overuse of some body parts and neglected chronic injuries due to the constant pressure of "winning" and being "first" or "on top".
In natural life, first off your lifestyle respects the natural development of your body functions from the youngst age, its overall health and strength. Then secondly, you can't afford to get seriously hurt so you usually don't put your body at unecessary risk with pointless challenges, or not so often (often it's because of some initiation ritual to become man). Even when you get injured, and apart from injuries that would require surgery, compared to modern civilized individuals as a natural individual you have a fantastic capacity for recovery, because you are TRULY fit.
So good luck in preparing yourself to heal those whole generations of degenerated bodies to come. It's a societal slow process of physical mass destruction.
Pilates will not help much, really....

This post has been edited by Hebertiste: Nov 20 2007, 08:12 PM

[likes]

Longpost is looong, really good, helpful and inspiring though

[CPK]

Firstly, thanks to Erwan for a very good post.

Secondly to CLgladiator "

A good one is on a set of stairs sprint up then cat crawl back down and repeat."

While I, too, think that quadrapedal training is awesome, why on earth would you sprint back up the stairs? You have nicely warmed up the joints and muscles by cat crawling down; now the REAL work can begin by cat crawling backwards up the stairs. Then coming down again but this time two at a time etc, etc.

Obviously, listen to your body. If you are not yet strong enough to do these variations then by all means sprint up. It is better than walking after all!

[Trinityx3]

Not trying to go too in depth, but..

"It is proved, well that's a scientific fact actually that our ancestors had much more healthy and strong bones than most of average modern humans. There must be a reason to this. Did they have access to sophisticated "hamster fitness" gyms before they went out of their caves and shelters and face dangers and provide tough efforts in the rough wild ? Did they have to learn about biomechanics, calisthenics, proprioception, phospagen, glycogen, aerobics, plyometrics and so on to know how to move efficiently and get by?"

The universe is only 6000 years old. The Earth used to be enclosed in a layer of ice. The air pressure was higher and the oxygen was more pure. The more oxygen, the plasma in your body becomes saturated. Thus longer life span, ability to run longer distances, faster cell regeneration, bigger bone structure etc...

That is your reasoning why. Not Evolution. If you would like to go more indepth on this stuff and debate with me about it, I'd be glad to show you science proving science wrong.

Thanks for the post though

[Feraess]

Unfortunately I think that would be getting into the realms of religious belief and that is not allowed here, so if you want to discuss that do so elsewhere.

[giant]

I'd be glad to show you science proving science wrong.

mmmmkey...

[Trinityx3]

mmmmkey...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2...h&plindex=6

[Trinityx3]

Unfortunately I think that would be getting into the realms of religious belief and that is not allowed here, so if you want to discuss that do so elsewhere.

Yes, I know. That's why I asked him if he'd like to debate about it. If he would then I was going to pm him or something. If not, case closed and subject dropped.

[Vivanto]

I agree that debating anything religious here would not be a good idea. This is a parkour forum, not a debate forum. I was a little disappointed when seeing religion brought up in your post Herbisiste, but no worries, most of it was excellent. But if you want to know more about what Trinityx3 is talking about a very easy understandable resource is drdino.com then go to downloads. The fourth seminar is my favorite. PMs would be more appropriate for actual discussions.

Anyways, very inspiring. It's amazing how amazing the human body, and anything else in nature, is. We keep trying to improve on it, keep trying to think we are smarter than what created us. Whether you believe nature created us or a god created us the fact remains that we simply aren't as wise as we think we are. I've recently discovered why common sense is called "common" despite being so rare. We are all born with common sense. Ever notice how kids can say things more profound than any philosopher? It's what told us to play on jungle gyms when we were little, but then someone told us to stop playing and we lost our common sense. Time to start listening to our child selves again.

This post has been edited by Vivanto: Nov 21 2007, 09:20 PM

[Hebertiste]

Trinity, when you affirm life on Earth is 6000 years old, I don't need to debate on it because to me it has absolutely no whatsoever relevance. So thanks for your offer anyways, but I'm not AT ALL interested in this kind of debate, that it concerns your personal belief of any other religious belief. You can tell me it is science, to me it is not more objective and relevant than telling me planet Earth is flat, which also derives from a religious conviction.
I am not questioning your faith, you can believe in whatever you want, just like Bhuddist believe in karma, some people in a horse shoe and kids in Santa Claus, it is your entire right and as long as it fits your own perspective of reality and makes you a happy person that's what really matters. But I won't find relevant to debate about it, at all.

Vivanto, you are disappointed that I brought up religion? I made a single short reference to a specific religious concept within an interrogative sentence, out of dozens of interrogative sentences and within a very long text.
If such minor references should not be allowed here anymore, then I suggest Trinityx3 to change his pseudo right now since it doesn't refer to the heroin of Matrix but to a Christian doctrine seeing God as three entities made one. And you Vivanto should also remove your current photo right away since it is obviously Christian and therefore could definitely be regarded as some voluntary religious propaganda.

Do that as well as removing from your last post that weblink that clearly promotes absolutely debatable scientific thesis that derive from religious beliefs and I will remove that slight reference that seem to bother you guys so much.
If not, you really have no reason to be disappointed here.

Apart from that minor issue, I just wanted to tell you Vivanto that I appreciate your positive posts and overall input.

This post has been edited by Hebertiste: Nov 22 2007, 04:22 PM

[jamesk]

Awesome post Herbertiste

[MobilizedRope]

Anyone have any good tips to get both areas stronger?

Back to the original post, ive been taking martial arts for several years and my sensei always emphasizes natural and un-boring(is that a word?) ways of practicing. For easier and natural forearm and wrists, and he has a good bit of muscle there, he said can be excercised by just drumming a lot and casually, like when im bored in class and the teacher doesnt mind i just drum on my desk for as long as i can w/o losing momentum. Just an idea and if you make a habit of it and use something like pencils w/ it, it can help. This'll make your wrist movement real quick but wont help much w/ tendon/ligament strength. Oh, and you guys post really long posts, like 5 page articles . It'll take me a while to read all of them, especialy yours Herbtiste. Hope this helps a bit .Sorry i dont have anything on ankles.

One more thing for you guys, im new to these pk forums but where do you get the Pro Parkour, Against Competition tags?

This post has been edited by MobilizedRope: Nov 22 2007, 10:02 PM