Beginners Guide to LSJL

This is an introduction to LSJL (Lateral Synovial Joint Loading)and a guide to

understanding how to perform it. The science behind it isn't discussed here at
length. If you want to learn more about the science please visit Minigolfer's blog.

How it works
Lateral loading of the ends of long bones promotes cellular activity in the growth
plate that in effect induces thickening and lengthening of the bone over time.
By laterally loading your epiphysis (ends of your bones) you force the red bone
marrow present there towards the center of your bones where the hyaline cartilage
growth plate is, which leads to chondrocyte differentiation. Simply put, it will cause
growth in your growth plate.
Methods of loading
Loading can be done either with a table clamp or with a dumbbell (or any other type
of weight). With the dumbbell you can also tap the joint.
It doesn't really matter which method you use, although it has been suggested that
the clamp is better for vertical growth. Clamps might be more time efficient since
they apply pressure to both sides of the epiphysis at once. Another advantage of
the clamp is that it allows you to adjust the pressure/load more easily, without
needing to change the weight plates or use a different dumbbell.
Clamps might be more difficult to put into place, however. Also, it is impossible to
clamp the hip. When loading the bones always ensure that the screw part of the cclamp is on the OUTSIDE of the leg, meaning on your little toes side. The flat part of
the clamp must always be on the inner part of the bone (your big toes side). We
have found this orientation to be the most comfortable and effective positioning of
the clamp.

How it's done

The most difficult aspect of LSJL for most will be identifying with certainty the areas
where the loading force needs to be focused. If you search the forum you will find
that the vast majority of topics concern this aspect of the routine. It is very easy to
assume you are loading the tibias epiphysis when in fact you may be loading the
femurs epiphysis.
Here are some illustrations from MiniGolfer's blog:
http://thequestforheight.blogspot.com/p/experimental-synovial-joint-loading.html
http://thequestforheight.blogspot.com/2010/12/lsjl-illustrated-introdution-toheight.html
http://thequestforheight.blogspot.com/2010/11/lateral-synovial-jointloading_16.html
http://thequestforheight.blogspot.com/2010/11/lateral-synovial-joint-loading.html
LSJL can be performed on any joint, although to grow in vertical height the legs are
the most (only) relevant bones. The relevant joints are therefore your ankles, knees
and hips.
Loading the ankle is pretty straight forward. Loading the knee however requires that
you load both the upper tibia and the lower femur. In layman's terms, this means
the ends of the bones of both your lower leg and your upper leg. For starters
though, it is possible to load both at the same time since they connect. The hip only
has one leg bone to load, although it is harder to access due to muscle and fat
covering it.

The following diagrams and basic anatomy information will hopefully

guide you to correct loading positions:
The major skeletal components of the human leg are the femur, tibia, and fibula.
These are all long bones in the body, meaning they are the bones which contribute
most to the height of any particular human being. Long bones are also the only
bones which utilize the mechanism of elongation that LSJL attempts to exploit. If
you wish to learn more about this mechanism, search for endochondral
ossification on the internet.
Loading and clamping spots are on the red dots:

At the ends of every long bone there exists a rounded portion of the bone called the
epiphysis. During normal bone development throughout childhood, adolescence and
ending with puberty, there exists an epiphyseal plate at the end of the epiphyses.
This plate is the area where endochondral ossification occurs and is ultimately the
source of natural bone elongation. When this plate becomes inactive in adulthood it
is referred to as the epiphyseal line. However, we believe LSJL can be used to

promote further growth in this otherwise inactive area of the long bones.
In between the two epiphyses of a long bone exists the diaphysis. The diaphysis is
where bone cells developed in the epiphyseal plate are ultimately stored, and this
portion of the bone contributes most of the length of the bone. However, this IS NOT
the portion of the bone we want to load. Loading must be focused on the epiphyses
of the bones.

Femur Epiphyses:
Loading the upper epiphysis of the femur is virtually impossible since it located
within the hip area. So we must be content with loading only the lower epiphysis of
the femur. Through experimentation we have found the easiest way to locate the
lower epiphysis of the femur is to pinpoint its location in relation to the knee cap.

The knee cap is a special bone in the human body in that it is sesamoid bone,
meaning it is a bone embedded within a tendon. The area around the knee joint is a
complex area containing the epiphysis of the femur as well as the tibia, and many
tendons and ligaments as well. This is why it is especially important when loading to
be responsive to any pain experienced; if you experience any pain then you are
most likely pinching a tendon and should immediately release pressure and try
again.
To identify the femurs epiphysis simply pinch your knee cap with the thumb and
index finger. Pinching and identifying your knee cap should be relatively easy. From
the diagram shown below you can see the knee cap rests directly upon the
epiphysis of the femur, so to identify the correct femur loading position, simply slide
your thumb and index finger off of the knee cap, and now with your thumb and
middle finger (since its a bit of a stretch with your index) you should feel a bone
protruding from each side of your grip. This is the femur loading position.

Tibia Epiphyses:
1. The Knee
The tibias upper epiphysis is JUST below the knee cap. The easiest way to find its
epiphysis is to cusp the shin from behind with your hand and slowly kick your lower
leg (shin) up and down. With your other hand feel for the protrusions on each side of
the leg that are moving with the motion of the kick. If the bone feels like it is not
moving then it is most likely the femur. We must stress that it is a fine line between
the two bones ends, but with practice you should be able to become proficient in
identifying which is which.

2. The Ankle
For the ankle the most important area to focus pressure is on the inner ankle (on
your big toes side). This is the epiphysis of the tibia, while the outer ankle bone
protrusion is the epiphysis of the smaller fibula. The fibula does not contribute as
much to overall height as the tibia does and thus we want most of the pressure
focused on the inner ankle.
When loading the ankle, it is sometimes painful with direct metal to bone contact if
you are using a c-clamp. Through experimentation we have found the most effective
loading position is one where the clamp is slightly staggered so that the screw is not
directly on the outer ankle but just in front of it. Some users have also opted to
utilize a barrier such as a paper notepad or eraser to further reduce pain on the
outer ankle.

Routines
You should load once a day at most. As a beginner you should stick to either a 5-on2-off routine or a 4-on-3-off routine, and alternate by starting one day on your left
leg and one day on your right leg (or vice versa). It should be sufficient to load your
ankles and knees (as one joint) when initially starting. Keep this routine until your
gains slow down. If no gains are seen within 1 month, consider moving to the next
level (femur and tibia loading).
Start off with 30 seconds of load per joint.
Rest, alternation and loading
Following the exact same routine for a prolonged period won't help. It will probably
give gains at first but as your body adapts gains will slow down. In bodybuilding
terms, this is a plateau. To bust this plateau, as in bodybuilding, "mixing it up" is
quintessential. This means reconditioning, increasing the load and alternating legs.
One explanation to smaller gains is that the bones lose mechano-sensitivity.
Mechano-sensitivity is regained to 98% after 24 hours. To regain it fully, 48-72 hours
may be necessary. That is why at least 2 days per week off of LSJL is necessary, and
why taking prolonged breaks every now and then might be helpful.
Alternation is used to balance the reaction of the cytoskeleton. The first leg will
have a benefit being the so called "fresh load". The second leg will have a
disadvantage since the cytoskeleton has already been affected by the previous
load. Later on, it might be important to alternate the specific areas (epiphysis'). In
other words, this goes to say you should also alternate between loading the ankle
first and the knee. This isn't necessary for the first month or two, though.
Increasing the load (how tight you screw the clamp or the weight of your dumbbell)
and the duration of the load is also important. This is an example of why the clamp
is more practical, since with a dumbbell you might be forced to increase the weight
by a large amount. With the clamp you just can increase the load more precisely.
How much pressure should be used? My rule of thumb for a beginner is to simply
feel the clamp "is on", but never to reach any pain. With time the pressure can be
increased. Since you get used to it, you still shouldn't reach the point of pain. When
it comes to weights, about 30-35 kg (~ 70 lbs) should be used. For tapping, a
substantially lower weight will suffice, like 5 kg (~ 10 lbs).

As mentioned, start with 30 seconds of loading. Every month increase this by 15

seconds, but stop when you reach the 90-120 second range.

Why exaggeration isn't helpful

Loading too much too soon doesn't really help and could potentially cause injury or
have other side effects.
Take bodybuilding for example. If you are a newbie and start, it won't make a
difference to your growth if your curl just 10 kg or go with 30 kg. There is a finite
amount the body can grow in a certain time and a finite amount of pressure it can
react to. Assuming (very unlikely) you manage with the high weights and don't
injure yourself, all you are doing is giving yourself trouble in the future. Your body
adapts, so in two months you will have to increase load and mix things up anyway. If
you have to increase by, say, 10% every month you will reach the point after a
while that you are using a weight that is very hard to manage. Good luck trying to
control a 50 kg (110 lbs) dumbbell and putting it on your knee or ankle. Apart from
being very unpractical, if the dumbbell were to fall in some way you could get hurt.
Also, just because you don't feel pain since your mind and nerves get used to the
increasing weights, there is a limit to how much bones can take. Performing LSJL
with a pet elephant is a recipe for broken bones.

DISCLAIMER: We are not medical doctors nor are we bone experts. This routine is in
the experimental stage since only a few people have reported success from the
methods involved. If you decide to perform LSJL you are doing so at your own risk
and no one on this board will be held responsible for any injury or ailment related to
said performances.