Posted In: Blog Discussion
My wife and I are due with our fist child in about 14 days. She's been working out throughout the pregnancy. In fact, she's been working out at a level similar to what she was doing pre-pregnancy but the program is heavily modified (this is what ACSM suggests is healthy and safe). Yesterday in her last heavy lifting session before the birth she squatted 315. I took this video of her
ELITETRACK Founder
Cool, but is there any concern over the increased torque present at the L5/S1 vertebral joint? We didn't cover the issue of pregnancy in my occupational biomechanics class, although it must have some impact with concern on the RLI.
Wow, and I thought I wasn't taking it easy on my prenatal client whom just had her baby last month.
Is there no concern with using the valsalava maneuver during pregnancy???????
how long do she normally squat and max 1rep?
From the video, the angle at the knee is 90 degrees and looks to be about 45 degrees at the hip thus it looks to be a half squat.
BTW, congrats to mike and his wife on their soon to be baby.
how long do she normally squat and max 1rep?
She normally squats to about 8 inches deeper. She likes to use a box to gauge depth and keep it consistent and her non-pregnancy box is 8 inches lower….not ATG but definitely beyond parallel. Her 1 rep max at that depth is around 300. She wasn't quite at a limit weight on that higher depth squat in the video…I'd imagine she could have done 25 more pounds but she wasn't trying to test.
ELITETRACK Founder
Cool, but is there any concern over the increased torque present at the L5/S1 vertebral joint? We didn't cover the issue of pregnancy in my occupational biomechanics class, although it must have some impact with concern on the RLI.
No concern at all but she wasn't working at limit weights…especially given the higher depth. The torques at L5-S1 wouldn't be significantly different than what would be observed in a big-bellied powerlifter.
ELITETRACK Founder
Wow, and I thought I wasn't taking it easy on my prenatal client whom just had her baby last month.
Is there no concern with using the valsalava maneuver during pregnancy???????
No, not really given the lift didn't cause significant straining (which would extend the duration of the val salva). Also, the body adapts to handle pressure changes so since she had been doing heavy lifting for several years there was even less concern.
ELITETRACK Founder
[quote author="QUIKAZHELL" date="1166925750"]
Wow, and I thought I wasn't taking it easy on my prenatal client whom just had her baby last month.
Is there no concern with using the valsalava maneuver during pregnancy???????
No, not really given the lift didn't cause significant straining (which would extend the duration of the val salva). Also, the body adapts to handle pressure changes so since she had been doing heavy lifting for several years there was even less concern.
[/quote]
Just curious if you have seen research on what you have mentioned regarding duration of valsalva in pregnant women who have had prior training history and more specifically the body adapting to handle pressure changes which would show no danger for pregnant women.
What is her sport/event?
She vaulted for OU and LSU where she is the school record holder. Last year she competed in Skeleton and made the Elite Development squad. Nothing right now.
ELITETRACK Founder
Just curious if you have seen research on what you have mentioned regarding duration of valsalva in pregnant women who have had prior training history and more specifically the body adapting to handle pressure changes which would show no danger for pregnant women.
I haven't seen anything specifically on either the valsalva and pregnant women or IAP and pregnancy but as with most topics you don't need specifics to make reasonable and educated conclusions. There's quite a bit of evidence to suggest that under normal coniditions (good mechanics, prior experience, nothing excessive, adequate nutrition) heavy lifting is safe for pregnant women. Here's a couple references:
As for pressure changes I was looking for (but unable to track down) a series of articles I have that looked at the IAP of elite power lifters who had IAP readings that were off the charts and had no adverse affects. The IAP readings were 2-3x what a normal person could handle. The conclusion was that they had adapted to produce more and handle more IAP. I believe the articles may be in my work office. I'll see if I can find them when I go back.
ELITETRACK Founder
Thanks Mike. Good to know. I will try and check out those references.
Mike–
How much do people competing in winter events (like skeleton, bobsled, etc.) make? Is it anything near a decent living or …?
In skeleton…not enough to really live. Last year my wife didn't make an income but had all her housing and meals taken care of at the Olympic Training Center.
Some bobsled athletes make a stipend and / or get paid by their sled driver much like a worker-for-hire. There's little job security as a bobsled pusher and you make around poverty level income.
ELITETRACK Founder
Any news of your first child? Boy or girl? Strong baby?
Any news of your first child? Boy or girl? Strong baby?
Eva Leigh Young…born 7lbs 14oz and 20.5 inches long on January 16th, 2007 at 12:34pm. She is very strong….lifting her head at 3 days (bench mark is 3-6 months I believe). Next week we start Olympic lifting.
ELITETRACK Founder
Awesome! Congratulations!
Congrats, Mike.
Re Olympic lifting: This is great, we will soon know if Barry Ross is correct. Once she produces enough "mass-specific force", she might be able to skip learning how to walk… (technique doesn't matter)
Congratulations!
Congratulations, Mike!
