Archive for the ‘Functional Strength Training Tips’ Category
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…:)
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:
Last night I was playing with my 3-year-old daughter Briana and she just loves when I bench press her. 
So, there I was lying on the floor on my back pressing away with my wife just laughing at us…
Actually, she was laughing at me because after about 30 ‘Briana presses’ I was getting a bit red-faced and out of breath; HEY she’s a big girl now!
The thing is that about 6 years ago I would never have been able to this because my shoulders were a mess back then.
They always hurt after I worked out.
Sure, I did various PULLING movements like rows but I never made any real progress until I discovered the exercises were only a part of the solution.
The answer wasn’t just doing the exercises but HOW I was doing them.
“Pull your shoulder blades down and back as if pinching your spine” wasn’t enough to actually make those muscles work when they were never taught how.
So, I developed my own special cues to literally FORCE the right muscles to engage and that’s when I got serious results.
I have ZERO shoulder pain these days and one of the exercises that not only helped me but have helped some athletes I trained over the years was…
Get ready to cringe…
Behind The Neck Presses
UH OH!
Yeah, I know you’re probably screaming at me “Don’t you know that exercise will DESTROY your shoulders!”
But, that’s the thing…behind the neck shoulder presses aren’t the shoulder wreckers that 99% of fitness pros think they are.
Check out the video below where I share my ‘odd-ball’ thinking like:
If you like the video do me a favor and click the share link below and tell your facebook friends about it.
Most of the textbook guidelines we’re taught for performing the squat exercise are pretty similar
Keep the upper back straight, keep the feet about shoulder width apart, bend at the hips and knees, etc..
But, there’s another guideline that’s taught by most textbooks and even health & fitness professionals but it can be the #1 squat exercise mistake in those who suffer from nagging lower body injuries
It’s something that isn’t particularly obvious either…
It has nothing to do with the upper back, bar placement nor the hips…
…It is assuming squat position with the toes pointed out
While this may not be problematic for apparently healthy individuals, it can have a few drawbacks for those dealing with lower back, hip, knee or ankle pain:
For example: running or jumping with the toes pointed out decreases force production during acceleration, negatively affects deceleration mechanics and develops poor alignment and joint stability of the lower extremities
Most individuals prefer squatting with the toes pointed out because it feels stable and as if the feet are straight
In most cases, if you ask a client who squats this way to point their toes straight ahead they will feel as if they are ‘pigeon-toed’ and will have difficulty keeping the knees and ankles from collapsing inward
Because of this, it’s often assumed that squatting with the toes straight is ‘bad for the knees’…
…But, if we look at it from more of a lower body assessment perspective what we’re REALLY seeing is inefficient hip mechanics…it’s the lack of hip stability that causes the real problems
When the hip extensors and/or abductors are weak the integrity of the lower extremities becomes compromised often resulting in pain or injuries to the hips, knees, ankles or even the lower back
And, although the squat gets a bad rap for causing injuries to the knees and lower back, the reality is that the movement itself is something our bodies are designed to perform…
…it’s one of the first movements we performed as babies learning to stand
Unfortunately, as we get older (and technology advances) we drive, sit at computers, perform desk jobs, watch television and without proper conditioning of the hip musculature function is lost which leads to a growing list of nagging pain and injuries
The squat isn’t a bad movement but a lack of physical conditioning to squat efficiently is
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
Chest and shoulder presses have gotten a pretty nasty reputation for causing shoulder injury pain and are typically one of the first exercises that most health and fitness professionals
recommend to avoid at all costs.
They have been blamed for everything from placing excessive strain on the shoulder joints to causing rotator cuff tears to impingement syndrome.
Unfortunately, if you have ever suffered a non-traumatic shoulder injury the common medical advice is usually not to lift your arm above shoulder level or to avoid lifting anything overhead.
While simply avoiding normal, functional everyday movements like lifting and reaching overhead may help alleviate painful symptoms, the relief is often temporary at best.
The truth of the matter is that most chronic shoulder pain isn’t actually caused by overhead movements.
It’s really caused by repetitively using the prime movers (deltoid, upper trapezius, levator scapulae, pectoralis major and minor, latissimus dorsi) which become tight and/or dominant while the shoulder stabilizing muscles (rotator cuff, mid & lower trapezius, etc) become progressively weaker and inhibited.
And–I’m going to make many health and fitness professionals cringe–when performed properly, overhead presses are one of the MOST EFFECTIVE shoulder injury exercises that can help eliminate shoulder pain.
Here’s why…
In most cases, chronic shoulder pain and non-traumatic injuries are usually caused by any of the following:
When any of the above conditions exists, shoulder pain and injuries are often the end result.
But, that doesn’t automatically mean that pressing exercises need to be avoided.
In fact, pressing or pushing is one of the 5 functional movements we use all the time in our everyday lives…
Overhead and pressing movements are used for a number of activities such as: to drive a golf ball of the tee, to serve in tennis, to throw a baseball or football, reaching up in a cupboard, brushing hair, picking up a child.
…And, since overhead movements such as lifting and reaching are necessary they should be included as one of the shoulder rehab exercises for overuse injuries.
Avoiding overhead movements may temporarily alleviate shoulder pain but as soon as overhead lifting and reaching are performed regularly the pain usually comes back.
Contrary to popular belief, to prevent shoulder injury pain, the movements that contribute to the pain or injury shouldn’t be avoided–they should be corrected.
Strengthening weak scapular stabilizing muscles, correcting alignment issues, establishing proper shoulder movement mechanics and restoring proper muscle balance are all key factors that can help prevent or rehabilitate shoulder injuries.
In the video below I demonstrate:
One thing I did not mention in the video was how tightness of the lattisimus dorsi can contribute to shoulder pain. If I get enough responses to this video perhaps I’ll address it in another post.
Also, if you notice the dark shade under my right eye it’s not bad lighting…and no, I didn’t get punched by a health professional for my often ill-advised rehabilitation exercises.
Actually, my 2 1/2 year-old daughter caught me real good with her elbow–TWICE–during one of her tantrums and gave me a pretty good shiner.
Post your comments and let me know what you think of the video and if it helped you out:
