Lately, I’ve heard of many coaches that are against the theory that the lumbar spine was designed to be stable and resist rotation, citing that if the lumbar spine wasn’t meant to move that it would’ve been made with a solid bone instead of moving joints. Most of you know that this is my philosophy when it comes to training the lumbar …
Great Video on the Low Back
Check out this video from Mark Young. He shows exactly what can and does happen with countless reps of traditional ab training (spine flexion). I found it on another website and thought it was too good to pass up. It may be a little graphic but it is just a pig spine. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mZF9mAgjw4] I’ve said it several times that I don’t …
Feel like a million bucks today!
The foam roller should be every athlete’s best friend. It is essentially a poor man’s massage. Not every weekend warrior, or college athlete can afford a deep tissue massage every other day, and the foam roller is the perfect substitute. It is essentially deep tissue massage that causes relaxation in the muscle. It still surprises me how many coaches don’t fully know …
Single Leg Lowering
A great way to stretch the hamstrings is with our exercise Single Leg Lowering. It’s the beginner progression for our SL Lowering series. I believe we got this from Gray Cook, but it’s been so long ago that I’m not 100% positive. It’s a great exercise for those tight in the hammies. Remember to always stretch the front side of the …
Lower Crossed Syndrome II
Yesterday we touched on lower crossed syndrome. Today, lets take a look at the steps we use to reset normal function. We know that by definition lower crossed syndrome is when one side is inactive or inhibited due to lifestyle, training, etc, and the other side is over-active, or short. Often times resetting the optimal length and stiffness on one …
Lower Crossed Syndrome
I came across something in a past article this afternoon that I’m going to expand on. Knowing many coaches out there may not understand this concept I thought I would break it down a little more clearly. The concept is that of the lower crossed syndrome. If any of you have read Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance by Stuart McGill then …
Empty Can vs. Full Can
A recent workout brought up a few questions on the validity of the shoulder exercise, the empty can. The empty can has long been a staple in physical therapy circles when it comes to shoulder rehabilitation. Dr Frank Jobe, a well known shoulder specialist, was the first the come up with this exercise. Since then it has become widely known as an isolation execise for the supraspinatus, …
Quick notes on the Low Back
There is negative correlation between low back pain and flexibility. This is for all the athletic trainers out there that believe when you injure something it needs to be stretched because it must be tight. The more flexible your low back, higher risk of injury. You don’t want a flexible low back. The lumbar spine needs high levels of stability …
Strains
Today we’ll stay on with the topic of pain and dysfunction from the day before. Lets talk soft tissue injuries in the form of strains and pulls instead of the overuse joint pain we discussed earlier. Again sticking to the concept, the problem isn’t where it always seems. Let’s talk about soft tissue injuries now such as a quad, or hamstring …
Protraction and the bench press
Question: Isn’t the bench press training the scapula just the same as the pushup? Wouldn’t this hit my serratus every time I bench press? First off the bench press and most forms of db bench presses do not allow for movement whatsoever of the scapulae. The scaps are pinned beneath the athlete’s body to the bench. Typically no movement occurs. Efficient bench press technique actually calls …