Holistic Corrective Exercise For Fitness Professionals

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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I’ve had many clients come through my door telling me how they want to strengthen their core because of lower back pain.

And, most of them wonder why all the crunches, sit-ups and other “6 pack abs” exercises aren’t getting the job done.

They tell me how much better life would be for them if they could get their abs in shape.

But, sadly six-pack abs does NOT mean you have a strong core…A lot of bodybuilders that could attest to that.

You can do 1000′s of crunches and abdominal exercises but unless those exercises are targeting the entire spectrum of core muscles (and that means more than just your abdominals) in the role for which they were designed to perform–as STABILIZERS rather than just movers–your results will continue to suffer.

If you really want to strengthen your core try this core strengthening exercise and then leave me a comment below and let me know what you think:

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I can’t tell you how many times I see people completely missing the boat by failing to do a proper core warm-up prior to their workouts.

I see people trodding along on treadmills, ellipticals or stationary bikes while reading their favorite newspaper, gossip magazine or watching the stocks on CNN

And it’s no wonder so many people are suffering from shoulder, low back and knee problems.

You see, those run-of-the-mill cardio warm-ups may pass time or make you feel like you’re ‘putting your time in’ at the gym but in all honesty

They won’t do JACK to prime your body for your workouts!

An effective core warm-up programs the muscles and joints of your shoulders, low back, hips, knees and ankles to function properly during your workouts.

It’s a way to eliminate muscle imbalances by turning on the right ‘switches’ in your body so you’re not stuck with excuses as to why you can’t do squats and lunges because of your ‘bad knees’…

…or why overhead movements aggravate your rotator cuff and lower back.

So, it’s time to stop making excuses and build an INDESTRUCTIBLE core with my 5-minute warm-up…

…For some this will feel more like a workout rather than a warm-up.

And, check out the look the lady gave me at 57 seconds into the video…clearly she wasn’t ready for the camera at 8:30am

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Low back pain is nasty!

It’ll hit you where it hurts…

…It can bring you to tears

It’ll get you down

But, I’ve got a secret 1-2 Punch–er, exercise–to KNOCK-OUT lower back pain fast!

Give it a go and let me know how it goes by leaving a comment below (hey, I could’ve been a poet…:)

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Now you see it…

…Now you don’t

See what you ask?

The difference between the 2 photos on the left depicting the plank exercise.

Ok, so either I’m one apple short of a fruit salad or there’s not a difference right?

While it’s true that there is no visual difference (it’s the same photo) there can be a difference in what 2 clients FEEL even though they appear to perform the exercise the same way.

And, the muscles they feel can improve core strength, muscle balance and function or they can reinforce existing compensation strategies that contribute to shoulder, lower back and knee problems…

So, how can you tell if your clients are getting it right or if they’re just reinforcing pain patterns?

Watch the video below where I share an often over-looked problem that 9 out of 10 people are doing leading to pain and how to correct it.

Oh, and don’t forget to leave me a comment below after you watch:

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I love using the swiss ball (a.k.a “stability ball”, “gym ball”, “exercise ball”) for upper & lower body core exercises because the unstable environment doesn’t allow much leeway to cheat on exercises.

This way compensatory strategies that lead to muscle imbalances and injuries are minimized and the effectiveness of the exercise is maximized.

In the short video below I show my ’2-for-1′ lower body swiss ball core exercise from my Muscle Imbalance Solution program that’s great for developing core & hip strength. I got the idea for this exercise by noticing a number of my clients who were overusing their hamstrings during lower body exercises like squat, lunges and bridges.

I wanted a way to get their glutes fired-up in these movements so they didn’t get hamstring cramps or injuries.

And, that’s when the idea hit me.

After a bit of experimenting with all kinds of ways I finally came up with this one and it’s a real challenge but suitable for just about anybody.

It’s a cool variation of a hip extension & hamstring curl wrapped up into one movement with one unique trick I use to make this exercise completely different and unmatched by ANY machine…(hint: watch my feet

Check it out, try it and leave a comment below.

By the way, don’t forget to get a copy of the webinar “Muscle Imbalances Revealed” at 50% off the regular price + another $30 off. There are only 11 copies left and at midnight tonight the price will go up (or when the final 11 copies are sold).

They might all be gone already but you can check for yourself –>CLICK HERE For Muscle Imbalances Revealed Special Offer

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As fitness professionals we’re well schooled in proper exercise form and the importance of core fitness training . When it comes to performing exercises involving rotation of the spine we’ve heard all the typical theories like:

• “Don’t EVER perform rotation of the spine while sitting”

• “ALWAYS perform exercises involving rotation of the spine in a slow, controlled manner”

• “NEVER do any twisting or turning movements with a flexed spine”

And, I used to preach these principles to my clients over and over giving myself the proverbial ‘pat on the back’ for–what I thought at the time–might save my clients from possible injuries

Little did I know back then that I was actually INCREASING the likelihood that my my clients would injure themselves by following  my ‘rules of core exercise’ as if they were the 10 commandments

Many of the movements we perform on a daily basis are much like an illusion in that we don’t actually see what’s really happening…

…many movements we think occur in the sagittal plane are actually dominated by the transverse plane

A great example is walking

When viewing a person walking we see movement occuring only in the sagittal plane (assuming the person hasn’t a few too many cocktails…then that might be a different story entirely)

However, other muscle actions and movements occur that we cannot see

If we could actually see what’s going on ‘behind-the-scenes’ we would notice that walking involves movement and muscle actions in the sagittal, frontal & transverse planes

In fact, 87.5%  of the major core muscles are oriented diagonally or horizontally and include rotation as one of their actions yet much of today’s popular core exercises like stability ball crunches, the plank and back extensions do not train trunk rotation

World-renowned fitness expert and educator Juan Carlos Santana brought to light the ‘Serape Effect’ (originally published by Logan & McKinney) that describes the human body’s natural mechanism of using integrated muscle actions to produce rotational movement

So, with all this being said we can now expose 3 popular core exercise training myths:

• Myth #1: Performing movements involving spinal rotation while sitting can injure the low back

Fact: The vertebrae of the thoracic spine is actually designed to allow rotation to occur. Trunk rotation is a natural and much needed movement that comes almost entirely from the thoracic spine not the lumbar spine and is safe to perform utilizing light and even moderate loads in an unsupported environment (not in a machine)

• Myth #2: Always perform rotational movements in a slow, controlled manner

Fact: Most injuries occur at high speeds and during the eccentric phase of muscle contraction yet most training protocols only focus on performing movements including trunk rotation exercises in a slow, controlled manner focused mostly on the concentric phase

Movements aren’t the cause of most injuries but lack of preparation and physical conditioning to perform those movements effectively is

• Myth #3: Avoid twisting with a flexed spine

Fact: If you look closely at the movements involved in golfing, tennis, wrestling, bowling, throwing and many other movements and activities you’ll notice how they all involve rotation of the trunk with a natural kyphotic posture of the spine at the upper back.

A healthy thoracic spine has a natural kyphotic curve that it is meant to perform a number of movements within which poses no real threat of injury to the spine

I’ve also mentioned some very valid reasons why you should lift with a rounded back in a previous post

By now, we can understand the importance of core training exercises involving rotation and why they are needed to improve functional movement and performance

And, more importantly why these movements need to be trained in a capacity beyond just the traditional ‘slow & controlled’ environment

Our bodies are designed to twist and turn in different angles and at high speeds we encounter in a number of movements outside of the gym and the best way to minimize the potential for injury is to physically prepare for those movements rather than trying to avoid them

Leave me a comment below and let me know what you think

Do you agree? Do you think I’m a total nut case who’s cuckoo for coca puffs? Would you like me to demonstrate some unique rotation exercises in a future post? What are some rotation movements you’ve used with positive results?

I’d love to hear all your feedback

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Here’s an unlikely core exercise assessment for shoulder or lower back pain

It’s not some fancy, secret underground exercise from outer space…But, it’s not an exercise that is associated with assessing muscle imbalances of the shoulder or lower back

So, just what is this core fitness assessment?

It’s one word…THE PLANK–ok, it’s technically 2 words–

Now, before you think I’m the name many of my clients call me (crazy), I’d like to share with you the wealth of information this simple core exercise test can reveal about shoulder and lower back pain

Here are 3 things to look for when performing a core training assessment using the plank exercise:

1) Lifting the upper body first-This is when the the shoulders and chest come off the floor before the hips and is often a subtle occurrence that shifts emphasis away from the abdominal stabilizing muscles because the lumbar extensors become overactive and is a sign of lower back compensation which often contributes to lower back pain

2) A kyphotic upper back-Most of the time this occurs in conjunction with #1 and involves an overcompensation pattern of the neck and shoulder muscles. The client often will feel significant fatigue in the shoulders, neck and triceps and usually struggles to hold this position for 30 seconds. This is often a sign of weakness or inhibition in the upper/mid-back muscles and contributes to neck and shoulder pain

3) The hips are lower than the shoulders-This usually indicates weakness of the abdominal stabilizers and increases stress to the lower back. In fact, the client will often feel as if the lower back is “working” which can easily be mistaken for a weak lower back when this is not the case

Keep in mind that the plank is just one exercise that can be used in a core exercise assessment and other specific core fitness tests should be performed to confirm or dismiss what the plank reveals

Leave me a comment below and tell me about any core exercise tests you use

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In this post I am going to share a favorite of mine I call my Power Pull Up Workout. I cannot stress enough the importance of pulling exercises to develop upper and mid-back strength, grip strength and to prevent injuries to the neck, shoulders and back.

In the video below I put together a power pull up exercise you can perform anywhere you have access to a pull up bar. This exercises takes pulling to another level beyond strength. This pull up requires not only pulling strength but explosive hip power and endurance.

This is truly a functional total body workout that will challenge you like never before.

Give this workout a try and leave me a comment below to let me know what you think.

Power Pull-Up Workout Perform the exercises in a circuit alternating from one to the next: -Power Pull Up x 10 Reps -DB Squats x 20 Reps Complete 5 Circuits In Your Fastest Time

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In recent years core training workouts and abdominal training have become synonymous but core conditioning programs need more than just abdominal exercises.

The “core” is the body’s center of gravity and origin of movement and actually consists of many different muscles that stabilize the trunk and hips, allowing efficient movement of the upper and lower extremeties.

Core training programs that fail to address these muscles and focus primarily on abdominal exercises will get limited results at best. Core training exercises need to address the muscles of the trunk and hips to be effective.

Proper core workout training targeted on these muscles help:

• develop better movement coordination and control
• improve balance
• proper load transfer between the upper and lower body
• stabilize the spine and pelvis
• improve joint stability

A strong core is needed to protect the back and hips and other joints of the body during weight bearing activities and to effectively dissipate ground reaction forces.

Core training workouts can help reduce shoulder, back, hip and knee pain and improve athletic performance.

And, core training exercises can be performed using a variety of training tools such as: medicine balls, stability balls, dumbbells, kettlebells, resistance bands and your own body weight.

Movements like the plank, bridge, trunk rotations, squats and multi-directional lunges are very effective core fitness training exercises.

Developing optimum core strength and stability requires core training workouts focus on more than just ab exercises. There are many different exercises to develop core strength and stability.

A qualified trainer or a properly designed core training workout program can help you determine which core fitness exercises work best for you

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