how to 'condition' lower ribs

[dear john]

< JeetKuneDo >

 

I have yet to see any evidence of calcium deposits on ribs

 

 

 

i have asked my doc a ciropractor and several of my MA instructors, even though they all say it is a bad idea, they agree that you can build deposits on the ribs.

 

 

 

so i guess in the end i reccomend that you do not do it, but seriouly everyone posted to this response saying that it was impossible, and they never knew in the first place. why respond and call me a liar when you yourseld never knew in the first place?

 

kind of pointless.

[WhiteBelt]

Damn. Ok if you want to learn to take shots then just learn to take them. Keep taking the shots in your gym/class/dojo and you'll adapt soon enough.

 

Building up stronger muscles will help too. For your ribs I'd say obliques not abs, but the opposite for the sternum.

[GhostlySykanRyu]

Who called you a liar? Most of us just stated that you were endangering yourself...

[dear john]

 

-eventually you will build a good calciums deposits and hve strong ribs.

 

??? Calcium deposits are only formed if bones are broken or usually in ball and sockey joints due to repetitive use syndrome. Are you saying you are actually breaking the ribs?? Please...don't do that...

 

Please, before you post, know what you are talking about before you cause some gullible people to actually take your advice. Slamming a stick into your gut daily for the rest of your life is not the answer. Let's be responsible here...

 

it really ticked me off when he said that. yes i do agree that you need the muscle first, but if they hit hard enough ribs will break. strongs ribs strong muscles behind the ribs and your good to go.

 

many practice this. iron man training can be done all over the body. if you become serious about it, most people would end up doing this. muay thai guys do it to shins, boxers to knuckles and there is certain styles out there that does it too the whole body.

[Rich67]

dude when you hit a bone with a hard object you are creating tiny fractures in the bone. AND YES I AM IN A SENSE BREAKING MY BONES.

 

but if you do it hard enough it will cause a big bruise, internal bleeding.

 

i do know what i am talking about.

 

i do it to myself and on my shins and ribs, it works believe me and not someone who has never done it.

You know, I realize you were "upset" at my post accusing you of not knowing what you are talking about. But I REALLY find the misinformation and innacurate medical information in your posts quite disheartening. FIRST: You DO NOT cause "tiny fractures in the bone" when you hit it with a hard object! There different types of fractures: oblique,spiral, compound, comminuted, greenstick, traverse, and simple. Have you ever held a human bone? It's not like a piece of plaster that breaks at the slightest tap. And based on your hypothesis you are making it sound as if it is. It takes a large amount of force to break a bone. More force than can be produced by you slamming a stick into your gut. Even if someone were to strike you with a stick and break a rib, you will either completely break it or cause a hairline fracture to it. Either way, it is quite painful, gives way to breathing difficulty, and can cause internal injury if done hard enough.

 

SECOND: calcium buildup will occur after a break, but this in no way strengthens the bone MORE than its original state. By you stating that by striking yourself repeatedly in the ribs over the course of time and fracturing your ribs so that calcium buildup occurs and thus strengthens your ribs is completely INCORRECT. This isn't saying that doing the same type of conditioning to your tibia or knuckles wouldnt have a positive effect. But to say you are actually fracturing the bone is an incorrect statement. The muscle, tendons, skin, and other areas surrounding the bone WILL build up a resistance to this kind of training. Bone strength relies on calcium and its intake over the course of your life. Breaking a bone causes an area of weakness in the bone. EVEN IF calcium rebuilds the bone this area is still weaker than the healthy bone. That's why you hear of people breaking bones repeatedly in the same spot after it heals. So no, you do not know what you're talking about. To reiterate, no one is calling you a liar. You are simply misinformed, and we are just trying to properly inform you so you (or someone else) won't seriously injure yourself while trying to do something that doesn't have the proper intended purpose.

[Vito]

.....

 

riiiight

 

i dont know about calcium deposits... but if your bones are repeatedly struck they will harden. MT guys do it to their shins all the time. perhaps the same can be done to your ribs, i dunno. but i do know that MT guys dont break their shins to do what they do.

[Rich67]

I am going to try to put this "strking the bones makes it harder" myth to rest once and for all:

 

#1: The ways to strengthen bones:

 

http://www.bodytrends.com/articles/strength/strengthbones.htm

 

http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/activity/bonehlth.htm

 

These two sites explain that LOAD BEARING exercises can, in fact, help bone density. NOWHERE in these or any other medical-related articles do they insinuate bone density can be increased by strikes to the bone or deliberately "fracturing" the bone. I fully agree that weightlifting assists in bone development and strength. But dropping the weight on your shin WILL NOT strengthen the bone. Nutrition (calcium and vitamins K and D) also help strengthen bones.

 

In this article:

 

http://www.mybrokenleg.com/faq/detail.html?id=8

 

The fact that a fractured bone develops a "callous" and the process of that is outlined. It is also clear in this article as well as many other studies that the fractured bone does not come back to 100% strength before its fractured state. The article states it comes "close" to its original state. But never does it become STRONGER. Thus endth the theory that fracturing the bone makes it STRONGER over the course of time. Another piece of misinformation.

 

Iron Body conditioning works on a different plane. Repeated stress to an area (shins, knuckles, etc) DOES have the tendency to allow a "tolerance" to stimuli. For example, repeated strikes to the shin will toughen the connective tissue and muscle surrounding the area, and also "desensitize" the student to the pain of taking a hit. However, the bone's strength itself does not become affected unless a proper nutrition regimen and weightlifting program is also adhered to. Look at it this way: if every day you stabbed an area in your hand with a pencil, eventually that area will sustain nerve damage and build up scar tissue. Eventually the pain would decrease and the area would not be as easily punctured. Same premise of Iron Body conditioning- but notice the bone doesn't come into play. Guys who bust baseball bats with their shins have good technique, focus, and have tough connective tissue in the shins. Their bone density may also be more so than the average Joe. But the density has nothing to do with kicking the bat repeatedly...its just becuase he has healthy, strong bones.

 

I don't mean to sound like a jerk, and I didn't want to offend anyone. But I don't like to see information posted in forums that leads people to incorrect conclusions. Please understand that by deliberately injuring yourself is no way to train. It can become counterproductive and cause other issues with your body. All you need to do to become resistant to strikes and be straong is to:

 

1) Train hard in the gym and dojo

 

2) Eat properly- lots of calcium and vitamin K and D

 

3) If you want to do Iron Body programs, do so sensibly and don't fracture your bones...that's not its purpose.

[Hudson]

There are other ways to avoid getting broken ribs. For one, start blocking some kicks.

 

The reason we take hits isn't to strengthen bone. It's so you get used to taking hits period.

 

If you REALLY, REALLY, want to know the secret to make all blows to the ribs useless, forget crunches, eat a lot of fast food until your midsection becomes coated in at least 10" of fat. It will act as a cushion and make you less susceptible to attacks at the torso.

[AngelaG]

I think that repeatedly hitting yourself with sticks is over the top, and IMO a bit weird. If you weren't a martial artist and someone found out you were doing that they would probably refer you to a psychiatrist. I find it disturbing that many people see to seem this institution of self-harming as normal and natural.

 

I find it disturbing that someone can suggest to somone else on the board that they do this and most people actually go more into the biology of it than point out that this is dangerous and irresponsible. There are kids reading this board who may decide to implement these, frankly scary, ideas. Parents out there, how would you feel if you found out that your teenage child who is interested in Martial Arts was beating themselves in the ribs, with sticks(!) every night??? And then if you found out they had got the idea from somewhere like this?

[Synaesthesia]

Angela,

 

Although it appears that some doubt has been cast on the thesis that impact conditioning can build stronger bones, impact conditioning remains an important part of many fighter's preperations.

 

Fights often end quickly because we have a natural tendency to want to stop fighting if we aren't used to the pain of being punched in the stomach or kidney, kicked in the leg or solar plexus. It is well known that getting hit, as a part of your training, can toughen you up and better prepare your body for combat.

 

Moderate and regular conditioning is an enormous advantage. Those who condition their body may be regarded as crazy, but only by us softies who fail to see the advantages.