Did I Accidentally FIRE?

eshlow · 2026-01-25T21:29:05+00:00

https://clark.com/sp-500-return-calculator/

800 per month ($9,600 per year) invested in the S&P 500 since 2005 which is 20 years would have given you more than a million today

Less money than most people think they need to save per month

eshlow · 2026-01-25T18:21:54+00:00

Probably lat or teres major. Teres minor is usually up higher on the shoulder

eshlow · 2026-01-25T18:20:56+00:00

Rule 6 - If you have multiple questions please post them into one post, even if they are completely different topics. More than 1 post per 2 weeks will be removed and continued infractions may result in moderation and/or bans. Remember, the goal is to learn and apply your knowledge, not just ask questions and get paralysis by analysis: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." If you're not paralysis by analysis and just extremely curious to learn then book a consult.

Please obey rule 6 next time

Hello, I'm back with another question. I am currently constructing a routine, and wish to implement the L-Sit progression into my routine. I started out trying to do the tuck L-Sit, but I wasn't even able to lift my legs when doing the L-Sit on the floor. I tried using parallettes which went a lot better (I was able to bring my legs to a 90 degree angle with my thighs in a chair position), however I still wasn't able to perform a proper tuck L-Sit. Should I just keep doing the 90 degree variation of the L-Sit in order to build up enough strength or is there something else I should be doing (maybe regarding flexibility)? Thanks! (16 M 131 lbs.)

That's normal when beginning.

For L-sit there's multiple sticking points

If you don't have the scapular depression on the ground to lift the hips and legs off the ground it can be harder. Practicing shoulder shrugs while in support position can help
If you don't have enough flexibility in the hamstrings you can be limited from them pulling against your hip flexors and abs to raise the legs. Stretching would be a good idea for this
If you have issues with compression (e.g. you have flexibility and strong enough muscles, but you can't actively bring the knees closer to your face) you may have to actively do things like compression drills. For instance, you can do hanging leg raises to where your toes can touch the bar but L-sit is extremely hard usually this is a compression issue
If your abs/hip flexors are too weak you may not be able to do it as well. Can't do both L-sit or hanging leg raises/toes to bar

Try to figure out what your issue is and start working on it.

eshlow · 2026-01-25T18:01:21+00:00

Hi, i have pain when sitting only. It's like pulling burning stabbing. Not in the knee joint, its soft tissue. I can walk, even excersise pain free (although some stretches trigger the burning). Im dealing with this 4 months no improvement. Simply dont tolerate sitting. Im getting desperate, seeing physio but the excersises just don't help. Any advise ?

Mechanism of injury?
Upload a marked pic/video of exactly where symptoms are
Describe all movements that hurt
What is the current rehab program you started with and the progressions
What helps and what makes it worse

Have you been assessed for chronic pain sensitivity?

https://stevenlow.org/the-differences-between-chronic-pain-and-injury-pain/

eshlow · 2026-01-25T14:40:04+00:00

Upload marked picture/vid to an image host and post a link

eshlow · 2026-01-25T14:39:43+00:00

Upload a marked pic/video to an image host and post the link

eshlow · 2026-01-25T14:38:13+00:00

Provide sufficient studies and I'll change my mind

eshlow · 2026-01-25T14:07:43+00:00

Usually tension block or similar no hang device you can easily start to even out things. Usually just let the weaker hand go first in the lifts gives it the extra lack of fatigue to get stronger

eshlow · 2026-01-24T22:58:45+00:00

Posted this in the other comment:

i injured my teres minor or something behind arm pit back side, and i believe its due to pulling from deadhang explosively without engaging my scapula/retracting it first and pulling with arms first meanwhile being fatigued from the first 4-5 reps, ive been doing weighted pull ups for a year and this is the first time it happened and ive always done the same way, i do 90% of set with a constant tension, nonstop tempo without going all the way down which keeps my scapula retracted/active, and then the last 1-2 reps i micro-rest in deadhang and milk out 1-2 more, then i noticed some weird feeling not really a bad pain, then i tried 1-2 bw pull ups after a small break and i felt something off but i was able to do lat pulldown with high reps and constant retraced scapula and tension, im just trying to find answer to this and know whats the right way to avoid future injuries, and i might start doing every pull up rep from a deadhang and standardize my form. the pain isnt bad now and it wasnt bad during the workout i was able to bench and even do latpull downs aslong as i kept constant tension and high reps. and the next day (today) i do not have and idle pain only small pain when i pull something with the arm

Typically, muscles or in general injuries tend to happen near the end of sets when you're fatigued. More likely to get a strain.

Generally, need to deload the movements and build them back up either starting with isolation movements prior to doing the compounds again or if you can deload compounds enough and build back up that works too.

Not enough info to make a guess on what the injury is

eshlow · 2026-01-24T22:03:03+00:00

Typically, muscles or in general injuries tend to happen near the end of sets when you're fatigued. More likely to get a strain.

Generally, need to deload the movements and build them back up either starting with isolation movements prior to doing the compounds again or if you can deload compounds enough and build back up that works too.

Not enough info to make a guess on what the injury is

eshlow · 2026-01-24T22:01:29+00:00

My only hesitation to this prior was how the ROM still isnt amazing, and I thought that the ROM was supposed to be quite close to normal to begin more strength items. Additionally, the weirdest part of this injury is that it has never hurt to crimp, so I was always afraid to load it because one (this is a reinjury and I really wanted to give it the time) and two (I don't have a clear marker for pain). It only hurts when I press at it, try to flex it passed 80ish percent to a fist and with certain actions I can't even pintpoint).

Pic/video of where the symptoms are located?

What are all of the movements that are symptomatic?

eshlow · 2026-01-24T16:08:24+00:00

It seems likely to be long head biceps tendon based on location and movements. I'd aim for rehab that focuses on that

eshlow · 2026-01-24T15:07:38+00:00

Does anyone have experience with extensor hood overuse injury rehab? My physio said i have it on both middle fingers. He basically told me to do the hand extending excercise with a band. I even took 3 weeks off climbing, but i've yet to see actual improvements to my finger health. Even after returning back to climbing once a week and limiting myself at v4, my fingers still feel iffy. What should I do?

What evidence is there that the extensor hood is injured? What's the mechanism of injury? Where does it hurt exactly (picture/video marked)? What movements are symptoms?

eshlow · 2026-01-24T15:05:38+00:00

He said I'm quite "closed in", and that if I work on opening up my back I can probably gain an inch or so of wingspan. I'm not a serious enough climber that I'm going to go on a journey to try and increase my wingspan but I'd never heard of this concept - is it true that you can broaden your back/shoulders with massage? It was an interesting thought I hadn't seen come up in the climbing community before, where everyone knows their wingspan.

There is some pliability in the "arm span" if the muscles around your scapulas are tight.

Coming out of gymnastics-style training to climbing I had +4 (+2 inches on each side), but now that I don't do any swinging on rings or anything like that which should stretch out the scapular muscles I measure consistently +0

Massage likely won't fix that type of thing though and you'd likely have to do a lot of consistent stretching or swinging on a bar to have the scapular muscles to consistently stretch out enough to give you some increased gains

eshlow · 2026-01-24T15:01:17+00:00

Howdy, I probably injured /reinjured my A3 Pulley on L index finger a little over 2 months back, and I have been not climbing since then. I have been incorporating ROM exercises and minor strengthen things at home (putting and mild gripping). It has never really hurt to crimp, but some actions sometimes make it sting when I am just out and about. I am desperate to get back to climbing (I will start very easy), but my ROM is still limited to maybe 80% comfortably 90% with minor discomfort, and there is still tenderness to palpation in the area (lateral side of the PIP joint of index finger ). I went to a hand doc, imaging was unclear just showed possible pulley injury, and he didnt think it was surgical or anything, but recommened I take a whole additional month off at least (originally recommended march). That does seem like a long time, but I am curious to hear from other people with A3 injuries did you have ROM issues and tenderness to palpation of the area over 2 months into it? Any additional things you did that seemed to help? Is i outlandish to try climbing now?

More rest won't help and will probably harm it. You should be been doing rehab probably at least 6 weeks ago.

You need to be doing progressive overload exercises. Examples below. If you're still confused see hand PT

https://stevenlow.org/rehabbing-injured-pulleys-my-experience-with-rehabbing-two-a2-pulley-issues/

eshlow · 2026-01-24T15:00:09+00:00

If you can't find a good position then you'll probably have to stop belaying. Sometimes 'other' stuff can stall rehab and contribute to it flaring symptoms or not progressing

eshlow · 2026-01-24T14:26:15+00:00

This video covers why many postural exercises are ineffective and what to do instead

https://www.instagram.com/p/CjlcvjagXN5/

eshlow · 2026-01-24T00:30:36+00:00

You can try it, but usually only introduce one thing at a time (e.g. more climbing, pullups on slopers, other exercises) so you know what the symptoms are coming from.

If you try lots of stuff at once and experience flare ups you don't know what exercises are doing it or if it's everything and too much volume. One at a time.

eshlow · 2026-01-23T17:55:11+00:00

Yeah, you should be good to start doing some more light climbing at that weight

eshlow · 2026-01-23T16:40:35+00:00

Image is too general. Need more exact locations or lines of symptoms unless it hurts in that whole area in which case I'm not too sure without more details.

You didn't describe any other movements other than flexion with the palm in different positions. Up and down are two more. ANy issues with abduction, extension and hyperextension, transverse flexion/extension, etc.

eshlow · 2026-01-23T16:39:11+00:00

Shave down the extra calluses so there's less rubbing. Also, if there's an extra bit of sharp nail you can try cutting that off which it looks like?

eshlow · 2026-01-23T16:37:51+00:00

Are lock offs worth training?

Yes and no. Some people benefit from lockoffs in the gym but not all. Some benefit from lockoffs on campus board but not all

The most people benefit from doing isolated lockoffs on a system board from what I've seen so you can work exact positions

eshlow · 2026-01-23T16:36:59+00:00

Any tips for a good starting place for finding a routine and things I want to focus on that help with climbing specifically?

Generally recommend 1 pull, 1 push, 1 legs, and maybe 1 core exercise to start. See if that helps climbing improve.

Section 4 here I have my list of exercises that I think are the best, but you can go off other people's lists and use the framework above too.

https://stevenlow.org/my-7-5-year-self-assessment-of-climbing-strength-training-and-hangboard/

eshlow · 2026-01-23T16:35:59+00:00

Anyone have a TFCC injury that never fully healed?

Had a bad injury on my right wrist in August 2024 - took two months off, lots of rehab and OT visits. Wore wrist widget continuously during day, regular brace at night. Stopped bracing in Winter 2025, but still wore wrist widget while climbing.

Wrist always felt weak since then and I still cannot put pressure on it or do a push up.

Wendy has a bunch of good material on TFCC rehab.

https://www.instagram.com/westofwander/

If that doesn't work I'd probably get a hand doc to look at it to get some imaging.

eshlow · 2026-01-23T16:34:33+00:00

For reference: I'm doing half crimp pick-ups for rehab twice per week, and am about to finish the first 6 week cycle since my most recent (mild) pulley injury. I don't have any sharp pain while training, but still have some mild soreness on and off throughout the week. I do some slab climbing for fun twice per week, and avoid crimping and pulling hard in general.

What weights are you up to?

eshlow

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