My helper pointed out my knee kicker technique was wearing me out

He said I was using my back too much on every tack strip, not my leg. Switched to a proper thrust with my thigh and my lower back doesn't ache after a 400 square foot job anymore. What's the one piece of advice that saved your body the most wear and tear?

3 comments

3 Comments

quinnmitchell21d ago

Listen, my whole body hurt until I figured out the real trick is to just hate the carpet enough... pure spite fuels the kick. But seriously, @jennifer516 is onto something with that whole-body roll, because just using my leg felt like a bad piston slamming my knee into next week. The best advice I ever got was to stop fighting the tool and just fall into the motion, like a controlled stumble. Saves my back and my sanity.

jennifer51621d ago

Honestly, I had the opposite thing. Focusing on just my leg made my knee hurt like crazy. For me, the big save was learning to use my WHOLE body, like a smooth roll from my shoulder down through my hip. It's not just one part doing the work. That constant push with only the thigh still tires out one spot. Spreading the move across my back, core, and leg together took the real strain off.

grace_perry4412d ago

My first year I swore by just the leg drive, thought I was being efficient. After a 600 square foot job on a Tuesday I could barely walk Wednesday. Reading what @jennifer516 said about the whole body roll finally clicked for me. Now I start the motion from my shoulder, let it flow down through my side, and finish with the leg. It feels less like a punch and more like pushing a heavy box across the floor. My knee doesn't throb anymore and I can actually breathe during the kick.