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Ruth Performance Lab
264 members • Free
3 contributions to Ruth Performance Lab
3d •
Case Discussion: Athlete With Multiple Injuries – SI Joint Pain Limiting Unilateral Work
Hi everyone, I’d appreciate some input on a case I’m about to start working with. I’m beginning with a new athlete. I completed the TTT Movement Course, so I plan to apply principles from the Fives model, but I’d also like to open this up for discussion and hear additional perspectives on approach and progressions. She is 45 years old, previously competed in CrossFit, and her goal for the coming year is simply to return to consistent, enjoyable training without pain. Current issues: • SI Joint inflammation (Sacroiliac Joint) – at one point there was even concern about possible arthritis• Partial labrum tear in the shoulder – no pain in internal rotation, but external rotation is painful Movement observations so far: • She can perform most bilateral lower-body movements until the load becomes painful• Unilateral lower-body work is currently not possible (split squats, lunges, SL RDL, SL hip thrusts)• Running is not currently an option due to pelvic pain During the initial assessment I tried to identify a pelvic imbalance, but didn’t see any major asymmetry in the 90/90 testing. The pain during unilateral work appears to be immediate during execution, rather than delayed soreness. Programming-wise, I’m fairly confident in the overall direction. The template will likely emphasize: • Freedom / Variability / Self-Mastery• Isometrics and tempo work• Extensive hip and ankle mobility• Very controlled, foundational strength work I still need to complete my full movement assessment battery, including the additional tests I incorporated after the TTT movement course. My main questions: 1. Why do you think unilateral work might currently be such a major limitation here? 2. How would you approach progressing it back in? 3. Is there anything else you would consider prioritizing in this situation? I already have a general structure in mind, but I’d really appreciate hearing how others might approach a case like this.
1 like • 2d
Can't answer for 1 But 2. Did you try regressing and check just isometric holds? No added weight. Just holds , bracing and breathing.. Maybe then introduce isometric efforts, building from light effort into max effort. A while after that going with eccentrics and slowly try low rom unloaded full motions slowly building to full motion with no loads. As an idea for regression then progression
8d •
Speed work for Endurance-type & Velocity
Hello everyone Was just listening to episode 23(I think) of The stimulus matters with Mike Allen and really wanted to dive a bit more into this. Is it something you found usefull with lower level athletes? I working with quite a few quarterfinle+ Endurance type athletes (females too) and never really felt that this method moves the needle. Usually when I try to teach them to work on generating more speed I use ques on faster stand-ups from cleans and use of more intent on STR work especially on warmup weights... Doing speed work as it prescribed in Conjugate always felt less usefull in as stand-alone work and i usually just spread this kind of work through warmups, cues in Cleans etc.. feeling like I'm getting the same amount of work and benefit anyway. Also maybe that's just too early of a stage to try this approach for them? I did begin implementing reverse band style work for them following the podcast for ME work - interested to see how it goes. If you would, how would you implement Conjugate Speed-day work for this level athletes? As more of a same type of athlete myself I tried using this method here and there for myself but never saw good outcomes. Just deloading my heavy work. So i didn't stick to it much. Good to keep things firing on lighter weeks/periods but not to build actual abilities. Nothing made me move lighter weights quicker than better technique and higher top-end strength + the actual cue and intent to do so. So maybe that's just a heavy bias I hold myself.... Also a question regarding velocity. Sport specific practice aside. Say you program it for more of the basic lifts and you make progress on paper. Faster velocity on heavier loads as the peak of what you can wish for as good outcome. Logic tells me it means you can now also move heavier loads on the lower velocity or simply put you got stronger - then how is this approach better doing that the other way around? (Increase 1rm - and let's just add avoiding too much grind doing so). Which also seems more sport-specific for like rogue comp or heavy deadlifts for reps you can meet here and there.
0 likes • 6d
Thanks a lot, definitely makes things more clear for me. On the velocity: Do you have maybe examples on how improvement in heavy load bar speed changes the elite crossfit athletes abilities in a relevant test? I've seen Powerlifters and Weightlifters use it but they do seek 1rm improvements as end goal. Also throwers and jumpers that use it and seek a very specific end goal (jump / throw further/higher) What an Elite Crossfit athlete looks to get from that? Or maybe even what data a coach would track and use on his athletes and how would it change an approach in programming?
Dec '25 •
The Split Jerk is F@#ing hard
I’ve more or less spent about 12 years lifting…but I still suck at the split jerk at heavy loads. Lighter loads is okay, but once I go beyond 70%, my foot work and pressing turns to 💩 My best clean is 155kg, but my best jerk is only 125kg. And even that weight is a bit iffy. I know that my knees cave in on the dip and my shoulders don’t really lock out. I try to control it but once it gets to a certain load, it’s almost like my body can’t handle it in a way. Any feedback here? I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts.
1 like • 9d
New here , broasing through and saw this post decided to throw in some ideas. Although i do think you can improve your jerk with all the idea's thrown here. Since its a Lab thought sharing my expirence as well. Just to put a backround for it: Im also playing with the Jerk for around 15 years now. No matter what i did, i lockout heavy jerks in front of the head or right above (the better ones) - barely holding on to them.. footwork goes crap.. short step+back heel hits the ground, hard arch in the low back: all the good stuff. Thing is that if i could hold on to it, i could push it back behind the head during the recovery of the split. All specific Bodybuilding style work - Done Heavy Recoveries - done Heavy Squat jerks - done BTN Work - done Pressing work targeting that specific issue - done I gave everything months and years of work. Although i got stronger and the jerk numbers did go up.. i couldnt change how i recieve them when they were heavy. all the boxes seemed checked: -mobility was there -Overload work in that range was done way heavier than my best jerk without issues (best jerk 180kg, did recoveries with up to 220kg) - Strength in the dip-drive was there (155kg push press) and all this could be fine if it wasn't painfull in the low-back. about 2 years ago i just deicided it wasn't worth it for me anymore. And i changed my approach - I figured if i'll look at the split jerk more from a skill lenses maybe i could change it. Footwork was fine. The specific 'skill' moment i was looking on is from the Drive to the Catch - Something had to change there under heavy loads. It all started with coming across an idea for execises i saw from WL coach (@matt_the_paddy) which was a Squat Jerk but to bench, So you dont go all the way down to a squat you just sit to a bench. Seems like a good execsies to try out and possibly load pretty heavy (with blocks, not a rack).. Any diviation from locking the bar behind the head would result in it falling on the blocks. Pretty quickly i could load it up to 120-130kg - after that the bench just wasn't comfortable but the idea stayed with me, i started to approach the Jerk more like Snatch Balance kind of intent - No need to go all the way down, with a wide stance i could stop it around above parallel. Meanwhile i stopped doing the Split jerk at all - looking from a skill lenses - any step back in the new "skill" i want to learn will make it harder to transfer. After 15 years i figured i could get back to the split-footwork pretty quickly.
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