42 yo. old novice recovery

[Charlie Davies]

Years of a twisting sport like golf, tennis or squash, makes the lower back unusually rubbery. For example, consider the lower back stretch where you lie on your back, bring one leg up with knee bent and foot against other leg, and push the knee towards the ground on the opposite side. A typical male will get stuck with their knee a handswidth from the floor, a guy in his 40s maybe two handswidths or even three.

My knees stop 10" above the floor (49, male, no sports, history of back pain). Interesting.

[Kyle Schuant]

To clarify: not everyone who has back pain has a rubbery spine, but everyone with a rubbery spine eventually gets back pain. Usually, when strength decreases. For example many women gymnasts are fine during their career up till 25yo or so, then by 35yo they're a mess - they haven't done the sport for a decade, have popped out a baby or two (weakening abs etc), etc.

If you get stronger than "untrained" then you will be whippier. "Whip" is simply power. Power is force exerted over a distance... quickly.
Your quickness is largely genetic, but obviously knowing where the ball is coming from and being there first is a practiced skill.
What we're talking about here is strength - the ability to exert force. So if you don't practice your "whip" then yes you'll slow down.
But if you get stronger you'll speed up.
This is why you do not give up your sport entirely while building your strength base, but simply reduce the intensity of practice so it doesn't eat up your recovery resources which could be going to getting stronger.

Whip = power = force x distance / time
Distance is not a variable we can control, it's a function of your limb length, how the ball's coming at you, etc. Time is as I said partly genetic - you're just fast or slow - and partly practiced skill. This leaves force, which is very trainable.

This is why I would duck when Serena Williams lobs one at me.

[wmilas]

As a quick update. I've kept the squat weight the same and put in 2 more training sessions. I've concentrated on my form (videoing all my squats) and really concentrating on my back when i get to the bottom and as I drive my ass up. It's helping. I can feel the muscles in the lower back get tighter and more responsive each session. I'm getting more contraction and it doesn't feel as "sloppy" back there. I just finished my session today and although its tight and a bit painful its nothing like it was last week. I've added 10 and 5 lbs to my dead lift last two sessions also. Dead lift is getting easier as my back tightens harder. Last 3 sessions only had 48 hours of rest between them. I figure i'll get back on the 48, 48, 72 schedule now.

I'm convinced its a sloppy muscle issue that just needs to come together over time. I'm planning on increasing squat 5 lbs for the first time next session.

I don't know why, but performing that stretch talked about above really loosens my back up and pretty much alleviates the pain. I think as stated above my muscles aren't used to contracting that hard in and are in fact spasming.

As a quick aside, I was positively smashing the shit out of the ball last Tuesday during my hit around. I'm much more aware of my ab muscles and find myself tightening them right before ball impact just like I would when I squat or dead lift. My breathing pattern is also changing with a large intake of breath right before the tense and then an exhale right after follow through. I did this before but not nearly to the same extent.

[Kyle Schuant]

Dan John commented that going and doing another sport for a while gives you insights which you bring back to your original sport.