Functional Training Coach.com

When people hear the word, “muscle imbalance“, they think “tight muscle” so let me stretch it.

This is kind of right, you need to stretch it but why does the muscle imbalance come back after you stretch it?

Because there is much more to eliminating muscle imbalances permanently than just stretching tight muscles.

That is mistake #1 when it comes to muscle imbalances.

Let me go through a few more that you or your clients might be making.

#2 – Not Looking at Fascia

We all know someone that has plantar fasciitis.

There is a good chance what they have been given to address their plantar fasciitis is stretches.

Many times this will provide temporary relief but the pain comes back.  The reason why, is people try to address plantar fasciitis like it is a muscle issue even though it is fascia issue.

This is one example but there are numerous other examples in the hamstrings, biceps and IT band.

In order to address muscle imbalances, you need to address fascia in the body like it is fascia and not muscle.

#3 – Not Taking Breathing Serious

Only focusing on breathing out during exertion and breathing in during relaxation phases of exercise are important to keep a steady blood pressure in clients but breathing is so much more than that.

Proper breathing assists in spinal extension and flexion and helps pump cerebrospinal fluid up to the brain and back down through the (central) spinal canal.

Proper breathing is also needed to properly stabilize the spine and trunk during functional movements which helps to reduce the likelihood of injuries to the lower back or extremities.

Most people do not breathe properly and as a result overuse the muscles of the chest and neck which leads to chronic neck pain and stiffness, decreased blood supply to the brain, headaches and other more serious problems.

Proper breathing needs to be integrated into core exercises in order to relax the diaphragm, the accessory muscles of the chest and neck.

It needs to be integrated into dynamic exercises in order to assist in movement efficiency and proper movement patterns.

Breathing also needs to be incorporated into stretching and self massage in order to get the maximum benefit from the stretch or self massage plus relax surrounding muscles and fascia.

#4 – Core Training Is More Than Just Abdominal Training

Over the last 13 years, core training has evolved tremendously.  With more research being done on the continuum of core training when it relates to clients that are rehabilitating an injury, improving fitness results or maximizing performance goal.

Core training has become synonymous with abdominal training. And, abdominal training has become narrowly focused on crunches and other non-functional movements that lead to poor posture, decreased core stability, muscle imbalances and injuries.

The core is the body’s center of gravity and origin of movement made up of approximately 35 muscles that attach to the spine and/or pelvis.

In order to achieve optimum core function it is vital to identify which core muscles are imbalanced and employ a targeted program to address these muscles and integrate them within functional movements.

There area a lot more examples of mistakes exercise enthusiasts and health & fitness professionals make when it comes to muscle imbalances but I think you get the point from just these four examples.

What are some other mistakes you’ve noticed when it comes to addressing muscle imbalances?

Leave me a comment below.

Next time you come across a tight muscle, remember, there is more to just stretch it out in order to get rid of it for good.

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One of the biggest factors contributing to muscular imbalances is a lack of thoracic spine mobilization.

This can happen for several reasons and one of the most common is sedentary jobs and lifestyles which can have a HUGELY negative impact on mobility of the spine particularly in rotation.

Thoracic spinal rotation is a requirement for so many movements and a lack of mobility often results in injuries to the spine, lower back muscles, hips, knees and the list goes on…

…There are techniques that can help improve mobility of the thoracic spine like foam rolling, stretching, massage therapy, and manual joint mobilizations performed by a chiropractor or physical therapist.

However, while these techniques can help they are often short-lived unless new motor programming is used to help your client teach their body how to actively mobilize their spine during functional activities.

In the video below I reveal 1 highly effective exercise to instantly improve thoracic spine mobility

Read the rest of this entry »

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Just a quick post today to address hip mobility.

If you or your clients suffer from lower body injuries there’s typically ONE reason why this is happening…

…Most nagging injuries involving the lower body are caused by muscle imbalances at the hips.

But, it doesn’t stop there.

An important thing to keep in mind is that everything in our bodies are related which means if the hips are affected so is everything above and below to some degree.

That means a growing list of injuries to the knees, feet, ankles, low back, shoulders or neck if the imbalances at the hips are not properly addressed.

So, I shot this video to share 10 powerful hip mobility exercises you can use to get your clients moving & feeling better quickly. Read the rest of this entry »

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Alright, so in part 1 of this series we took the first steps toward putting an end to running with knee pain by first identifying the actual CAUSE behind it all instead of taking the same old ineffective approach of addressing SYMPTOMS.

Treating a symptom without eliminating the cause of that symptom is almost guaranteed to end up with that symptom returning often with a growing list of other symptoms that follow.

So, I showed you 2 assessments to help identify the cause of running knee pain and revealed what to look for as well as what it all means.

In most cases of runners knee injuries there is 1 of 2 possible scenarios: Read the rest of this entry »

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Statistics show that about 80% of adults have had or currently deal with low back pain.

Unfortunately, very few actually get permanent relief and are subject to on again, off again bouts of lower back problems.

If you’re one of the 80% your doctor might have told you that losing weight can help alleviate symptoms of back pain.

But, there’s an important detail you’re not being told about your back pain and your body weight. Read the rest of this entry »

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One of the BIG trends in the fitness world is core stability training.

It seems like almost every fitness enthusiast, athlete and 6-pack ab seeker is interested in getting a stronger core.

And, that’s a cool thing as the core is the most important part of a fitness training program.

It’s interesting to know that much of what most fitness professionals are taught about core training comes from the physical rehabilitation field.

And, while I spent 3 of my 10 years as a fitness pro in the physical rehabilitation field I have witnessed a LOT of different core exercise programs intended to help rehabilitate injuries and keep the body more resistant to future injuries.

I’ve also seen a number of problems with many of these programs that have resulted in less than ideal results for the injury sufferers such as: Read the rest of this entry »

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Yes I’m still alive and well!

I’ve got a ba-zillion projects I’m trying to get done before 3 straight weeks involving traveling

But, enough about me.

I wanted to share my thoughts on one of the BIGGEST core training mistakes that’s being made all of the time…

..This mistake is actually what most fitness pros are taught to do when designing exercises programs for their clients or athletes and it’s also one of the main reasons your clients or athletes are going to be MORE susceptible to injuries.

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Just some Friday fun at home on a light unloading day focused on conditioning the METABOLIC system and CONDITIONING pulling patterns…

…It reminded me of the AWESOME feeling of training for performance–in functional-style of course

This pull conditioning workout serves 2 purposes:

1) To improve endurance of the scapular stabilizers of the upper/mid-back complex. This is an area where many individuals AND athletes are WEAK which results in fatigue of the trunk that kills power, speed & agility and leads to shoulder problems

2) Adds a METABOLIC conditioning component ideal for physiologic change–Athlete or not who doesn’t want to BURN some SERIOUS body fat and get leaner?

Check out my ’20/20 Power Pull Conditioning Workout’ in the video

Try it yourself or with your athletes and leave a comment below:

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Years ago I suffered from enough injuries that would’ve resembled a grocery list if I wrote them all down.

First, there was the shoulder subluxation that happened as a teenager while I was doing dumbbell bench presses on my home weight bench.

There I was holding the dumbbells at the top of the movement, panting from fatigue and my arms were shaking quite a bit.

Then, it happened…I felt a pop in my left shoulder and I went so weak that the head of the dumbbell came crashing down toward my head as if I had a bulls-eye the size of the Target logo on my face.

Luckily, it somehow missed. But, every now and then when I’d move a certain way my shoulder would pop out and back into the socket.

It made me fearful of working out or lifting anything remotely challenging.

Then came the right elbow and shoulder pain I experienced during my college years while practicing with the baseball team. I tried to push through it, but eventually it got bad enough that I had to quit the team and end my dream of becoming a pro baseball player.

Then in 2000 another injury to my right shoulder happened while doing a warm-up set of behind the neck shoulder presses. I had such poor shoulder mobility back then but didn’t realize it.

Halfway into my warm-up I felt a sharp, intense pain shoot through my arm while holding the barbell overhead. Again I lost all strength and the bar came crashing down with 95 pounds which this time did not miss my head.

THUD!

And, my shoulder problems were just the beginning. It didn’t take long before I started experiencing lower back pain on my left sacroiliac joint.

At the time it seemed as if the two were completely random. And, it took some time before I discovered how they were directly related.

If you know someone (perhaps yourself) with a shoulder injury it’s highly likely they also have low back pain.

Is it just a coincidence or is there a link between the two?

If you think the latter is true then you’re right…

…Not only that, but back problems can also cause shoulder problems too.

Watch the video below where I explain how the 2 are directly related and a simple solution to fix shoulder and low back pain:

So, what do you think? Let me know about it.

If you’re looking for a more in-depth program to rehab your rotator cuff injury then go check out the Effective Rotator Cuff Exercises program by exercise kinesiologist Rick Kaselj. Rick has done his research on this and put together a solid program.

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I have to admit I LOVE lifting heavy!

Considering that years ago I had pretty bad shoulder and lower back pain you probably think it’s because of all my heavy lifting.

But, here I am with ZERO shoulder and low back pain…

In fact, my shoulders and lower back are probably the strongest they’ve ever been even though I continue to perform heavy squats, rows, presses, deadlifts, power cleans, snatches and the like.

Actually, I realized that all of my problems (as is the case with most shoulder, low back and knee problems) wasn’t due to the loads I was lifting.

It was due to muscle imbalances that I had for so long and didn’t even realize at the time.

And, once I figured out how to identify and address muscle imbalances with specific exercises the results were amazing!

So, what’s the SECRET to fixing most nagging injuries?

To build an INDESTRUCTIBLE core!

I’m not talking about doing stability ball crunches and tons of abdominal exercises, but REAL core training.

See most people see the core as only involving the abdominals but it’s much more than that.

When you move forces are constantly being transmitted between your lower and upper body. And, the muscles that connect your extremities are every bit as important for a strong core as your abs are.

Core training should be based on movements that develop REAL CORE STRENGTH. That is strength you can actually use outside of the gym.

Try this functional core strengthening warm up to address muscle imbalances of the shoulders, lower back and hips and feel how different your body moves after:

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