what's with the crampy muscle?

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canadianlbs
canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
edited December 2016 in Fitness and Exercise
i've never found an answer to this, but i ask now and then in case this time i'll learn something new.

i have one muscle in my whole body that tends to cramp if i contract it too hard. it's one of the bum bunch, idk if one of the glutes or something else. but it doesn't seem to be related to the usual suspects for cramping, i.e. potassium, magnesium etc. it just doesn't tolerate being contracted too well.

curious because it just can't be i'm the only one in the whole world who has this. it's kind of hard to develop it since it goes all drama queen if it's put under stress.

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  • cathysyng
    cathysyng Posts: 21 Member
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    "Drama queen' hehe :D Then I've definitely got a drama queen knee! It groans and creaks during squats. Fortunately it's friend, left knee who's also just turned 54 is very dependable. Right calf muscle often gets tight and feels hard as a rock after exercise. Dr says it's due to not doing enough warm up before and stretches after exercising.
    Tiger balm is wonderful on sore muscles. Never tried balm on bum though.
    My son taught me a neat trick... if a certain muscle feels like it's cramped, search the internet for a muscles chart of the human body. Locate the spot and name of the exact muscle where you feel the discomfort. Then Google 'how to ease cramp in latissimus dorsi', for example.
    Inevitably there'll be a video that explains the stretch you need to do to ease it instantly. Hope you have success pin pointing your contracted muscle on the chart
  • Qskim
    Qskim Posts: 1,145 Member
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    Periformis?
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
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    yeah, it's probably one of those. i can shake it out when it happens, i'm more maddened by never having gotten an answer to why it is.
  • Qskim
    Qskim Posts: 1,145 Member
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    I like bum bunch lol
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
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    _SKIM_ wrote: »
    Periformis?

    This is a likely suspect. I've found that I was able to make it stop cramping after a few days of using a foam roller to bust them loose. Worked wonders for making my work life driving a truck more bearable as well, and helped my squat form at the bottom quite a bit.
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
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    Do you have any back injuries? That can happen with nerve damage.

    I have to ask, though... how do you shake out a glute?!
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
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    GauchoMark wrote: »
    Do you have any back injuries? That can happen with nerve damage.

    I have to ask, though... how do you shake out a glute?!

    Twerking?
  • MsAmandaNJ
    MsAmandaNJ Posts: 1,248 Member
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    Sounds like you might benefit from pigeon pose. From hands and knees, bring the knee of the tightness behind the wrist of the same side and extend the other leg back. If your bum or thigh won't touch the floor, prop it up with a pillow (or rolled up yoga mat). You don't have to lay your body all the way down, I find the stretch is best for me when I lean a bit forward, pressing into my hands. You may find a different sensation if you aim your torso toward the outside of the knee or to the opposite side.

    If you're open to a balancing pose (this one is my favourite), stand on the non-tight foot, place the ankle of the other leg on the standing thigh and bend your knee as if you were going to sit in a chair. You can hold onto a table/chair/wall if you're not up for balancing.

    I hope these help.
  • Qskim
    Qskim Posts: 1,145 Member
    edited December 2016
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    https://bretcontreras.com/how-to-fix-glute-imbalances/

    Not sure obviously if this will help but it's what I'm having to do after a long lay off.

    ETA: what I like about the article is how he mentions that a sore toe can affect the bum bunch....I have dodgey ankles.
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
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    GauchoMark wrote: »
    how do you shake out a glute?!

    it's not pretty, and when i say 'shake' . . . it isn't really. i'ts more like that peed-down-my pants-leg type shake.

  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
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    GauchoMark wrote: »
    Do you have any back injuries? That can happen with nerve damage.

    not that i know of, but medical science hasn't shown much interest in me and my bum. guess it's just one of those thing i'll either find out the answer to one of these days . . . or i won't.
    MsAmandaNJ wrote: »
    Sounds like you might benefit from pigeon pose.


    thanks for this, and to other people who've suggested similar things. i actually do stretch and especially like those ones, so idk, doesn't seem to be that. i kind of think sometimes that it has a mechanical cause, something like an impingement or adhesion that can be 'found' only at certain angles or while doing specific things.

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