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Here we go!

This time around we have video case study for you. CS Athlete Coach Emily and client Hamid sit down and discuss where he has come from, what changes he has experienced to his lifestyle and wellbeing, and then we get to here what his future goals and desires are.

Here is Hamid’s written case study:

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At 50 years of age Hamid has drastically increased his mobility and strength. Read on to find out how he was able to get back to doing what he loves and greatly improve his quality of life. pastedGraphic.png

Results 

  • Initial – Goblet squat, very limited depth with 8kg dumbell
  • Stage 2 – Began deadlifting with trap bar and squatting with barbell, gradually building up the weight over several months
  • Stage 3 – Bodyweight front squat of 70kg
  • Next Goals – Continue gaining strength, increasing mobility, to climb the monkey bars all the way from start to finish and to tackle the warp wall!

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Hamid Before Clean Shred 

When I first met Hamid for our first consult, he came to me with a list of his injuries past and present. He was very nervous about doing anything, scared that almost everything would worsen his injuries. Hamid had played volleyball at a high level for many years and was wanting to be able to move like he used to in his younger days both on the court and in everyday life.

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Initial Consult 

Initially, programming was a real challenge. Hamid had been struggling with back pain, a bad knee as well as an old shoulder injury and at first there were a lot of things we just had to avoid. At 50 years of age, I think Hamid assumed all his aches, pains, and immobility were simply due to normal aging. However, over the next 6 months we were able to make huge progress with Hamid and show him just how good he could feel. The main problems we identified that needed to be overcome to achieve results were:

1. Back pain – Hamid was experiencing lower back pain that made getting out of bed in the morning, getting in and out of the car or being seated for long periods painful, almost unbearable

  • Solution – At first, we avoided any exercises that Hamid found too uncomfortable or painful. We did not want to cause a flare up of symptoms that would hinder his ability to consistently complete weekly sessions.  He was lacking core and glute strength which we really focused on to ensure the right muscles were working when he exercised, but also to improve his posture generally so that activities such as sitting and driving did not aggravate his lower back. Simultaneously, we dramatically increased his mobility in the hips, hamstrings, and lower back with various dynamic movement patterns, banded stretches and weighted mobility exercises.

2. Knee pain – Hamid was unable to squat or jump due to his knee and he couldn’t get up without using his hands to push up off the ground.

  • Solution – More than 10 years ago, Hamid had had surgery on his left knee and it had never been quite the same again. With the help of Shaun, our expert physiotherapist at Cleanshred Allied Health, Hamid was able to improve the function of his knee and left leg generally. We incorporated exercises prescribed by the phsyio into our personal training program to increase the quad strength, particularly VMO strength, stability and with that came greater strength and range of movement.

3.  Shoulder pain – An pre-existing shoulder injury meant that Hamid had limited strength and range of movement in one shoulder.

  • Solution – By incorporating controlled articular rotation exercises into Hamid’s gym program, as well as his volleyball warmup, we were able to restore his shoulder mobility. We are continuing to work on his upper back strength to ensure he is able to spike in volleyball.

 

4. Limiting mindset – Hamid was unsure how long he would continue playing volleyball for as the state of his body was making it impossible to play the way he wanted anymore. He was also quite nervous of doing any new exercises, especially when they involved any parts of the body that he was carrying an injury.

  • Solution – By ensuring everything we did was progressed very gradually, and performed with excellent technique, we were able to improve strength and mobility at a pace Hamid was comfortable with. We celebrated the small gains along the way and we often reflected upon how far we had come to keep motivation high. Over time, Hamid learnt to trust me as a coach, but also to trust his body. He went from being scared and worried to push himself to being driven by the challenge to continually improve himself.

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Hamid Now 

I have continued to be able to challenge Hamid in his training by regularly modifying his training program. Some of the outcomes and goals achieved over the time Hamid has been training with me are:

  • Eliminated his lower back pain completely!
  • Increased muscle mass of left leg, which was previously much smaller than the right as well significantly improve strength, stability and range of movement
  • Transitioned from being (physically, but also mentally) unable to squat any heavier than with an 8kg dumbell, to front squatting his bodyweight of 70kg
  • Working in the construction industry, Hamid was previously unable to do any physical work, but now his is able to
  • Perform spiking in volleyball was a major goal for Hamid of which we have partially achieved by increasing the mobility and strength of the shoulder, in addition to  strengthening muscles to assist with jumping and landing
  • Recovers better after his volleyball games due to increased strength and good form
  • Last but certainly not least, a change in mindset. Hamid was considering giving up volleyball but now he continues to play competitively knowing his body is able to cope with the demands of the sport

 

For more info on Clean Shred programs contact [email protected]

* Results may vary. Results are based on individual circumstances. Timeframes for results are not guaranteed. A positive attitude is required.