I was just talking with a client of mine, and he mentioned how it feels good to be adding more stability and mobility/flexibility training into his program. I said, “Mike, those exercises will save you big time in the long run!”  We forget sometimes that training is a process, and that it is long term.  Pain sucks, but if you look at pain in a positive way, you may adapt a new level of thinking. Pain lets us know that something is wrong — period.

For example, if you have pain when you squat, then you have to look at how you are squatting. How are the ankles moving in relation to the knee? How is the knee moving in relation to the ankle? The hip? You get the idea.

So in short, don’t think that if you add exercises that promote flexibility and/or joint mobility, it means that you are “taking it easy.” You are promoting positive long term performance, and you may in fact enhance all of your attributes in the long run (strength, power, speed, body composition, etc.)

It also may impact your training session in a way that will help your actual movements you are performing. For example, adding a leg swing between a squat set will help you gain range of motion or mobility at the hip, and  in turn will help you squat lower and deeper.

The bottom line is we need purpose in our training. Train with a brain and think long term health. If we are in pain we need to adjust our program.  Make gains with pain!

Just had a training session. Hopefully I won’t jinx myself by saying this, but I do feel the need to get it out. Usually when the weather changes, and daylight savings kicks in, we need to shift our total behavior patterns.

I train all day. Most of the time, I start my day at 6am, and I don’t get home until around 7 or 8pm (I don’t train for 12 hours, I’m working most of the time). But I’ve noticed how I’ve been feeling lately — I continually wake up on time and feel “ready to go.”

I have made drastic changes towards my training, sleep patterns, eating habits and even social outlook. I get to bed on time regularly. I eat good foods all day (and even when I do eat bad, I still eat). I train hard but also rest hard, and I continue to go out when I feel the need, but I do not over do it (meaning I don’t go out drinking til dawn).

I guess the main question here is: how do we balance stress?  What is stress? Can it be positive and negative? Can it be work related? Relationship related? Can it just be your own perception of things? A big YES to it all. Once we learn what our own stressors are, then we can see dramatic improvements in overall health. I train people everyday, and not a day goes by where people don’t come in with aches and pains. If we don’t manage our own inner stress, we are “spinning our wheels” and not getting anywhere.

So the message for the day is: “Pay attention to what bothers you, make one change per day, train your body not a body part, stretch and get off your ass!!!

Anthony

Just got back from Mike Boyle’s Winter Seminar in Boston.  What a great opportunity to listen to some of the best coaches and trainers in the industry. Here are a couple of random thoughts that I would like to share:

• The program design seems complex, but if you really look at it, it’s simple.  What I mean is that you must look at the big picture when designing programs. All people have to move! Program design should incorporate all concepts to help the client move better and get results. Establish short term goals early on, keep it simple and plan.

• Concussions are more frequent then people think.

• “Insufficient joint mobility leads to inefficient motor patterns” -Brijesh Patel

• Athletes or clients who do not have a sufficient program for flexibility training (static and dynamic), mobility development, core activation, and progressions are at risk for injury.  The more volume you have within a program or a practice, the more chance for dysfunction.

• To establish good posture, we must learn to extend the thoracic spine first, then learn how to rotate it.  You cannot rotate a rounded back. While doing this, we must achieve optimum pelvic alignment through learning how find the “neutral spine.”

• Using reciprocal inhibition is a much better approach than to use standard flexibility training.

• When teaching athletes how to jump through the use of plyometrics, the first thing that should be addressed is landing position and posture. This way we get them stronger eccentrically and develop a sound sense of body awareness and coordination. Most injuries occur with strong eccentric contractions.  Teach people how to stop effectively and you reduce there chance for injury dramatically.

• Athletes and people must be taught on how to push themselves.

• The adductor muscle group is the most misunderstood muscle group in the body.

• Not everyone is made to squat. Split squats may serve as a better alternative to most people.

• Soft tissue work, followed by moderate static stretching can work wonders when aiding in reducing pain and preventing injury.

• Say you sit for longer than 20 minutes in the same position. When you stand up and begin to move, the muscles that surround the hip will remain short and tight.  What does this mean?  Sitting is bad for humans. Get up, get moving!

Haven’t posted anything in a long time. As some of you may know, I spent a week working with the Tampa Bay Rays Major League Baseball Organization.  Fortunately, I was invited back for an additional week at the end of February for Spring Training.

We are still rocking over at the Junction. We added two new dynamite trainers — Patrick Taylor and Jeremiah Pope. They are making great programs for our clients and fit in quite well with Junction’s mission.  We look forward to see what the future brings for all of us. We are kicking ASS!

With the year coming to an end, I just want to make a last notion to all of you and our clients here at Junction.  This past year has been a great one in regards to our ability to really look at the individual as a whole and design “corrective exercise” protocols and we’ve seen great results. 

Personally, I have reached new levels in the way I approach programming and training.  As a young trainer I have evolved so much in that I have directed my mind to a new approach to training: the idea that we need to train for “what we need and not what we enjoy doing.” 

For instance, I love the bench press, deadlift, all types of squats and the good old military shoulder press. I still do all of these, but I modify them every 2-3 weeks; loads are adjusted, I change rep schemes, types of grips, different speeds, angles of lifts or direction of load application.

With this type of variation, we offer a chance for learning of our weaknesses and determine what we should focus more upon — adding exercises that contribute to mobility/stability, core development, single leg work, and plyometrics. These offer great benefits, although sometimes we may feel that they aren’t doing anything.

One thing we all have to realize is that training is long term. Putting in or adding exercises to contribute to our main movements will enhance all of our existing lifts.

For example — for the past six months, I have steered away from all of my good lifts and worked diligently on all of the ones I stink at. Just recently, I went back to all of my ”old lifts” and they are all better than before. No more aches and pains. When something hurts I can get a better understanding of what is happening in the lift.

Walking into the gym and doing the things you like may in fact hinder your overall goals. Number one - what are you trying to do? What is your rationale for the movement you are doing? Figure that out and you’re on the right track. Number two - do it till you get it, and then change the exercise. Change it by increasing the load, speeds, angles, load application, heights etc. Number three - be consistent!  This may be the most important. Get in the gym and train. And number four - eat a good diet and get some sleep. Do these things, and train for things you need and results will come till next year. Happy holidays and happy New Year!!!

-Anthony

In the first post for shoulder injury prevention, I wrote about certain stretches and mobilizations necessary for the shoulder girdle to function properly and get the appropriate scapulo-glenohumeral rhythm. This means that we need to get the humerus to function properly in the glenohumeral joint to help the scapulae glide efficiently and not tilt anteriorly (up and forward).

The next step is to look at movement patterns:

• squat patterns
• bending patterns
• lunging patterns
• core stability and functioning
• hip stability/hip mobility
• ankle mobility/stability
• appropriate scapulae functioning
• breathing patterns

Why do we look at these? We’re talking about the shoulder, right?  Well, lets think…the shoulder joint works in conjunction with the opposite hip, knee and ankle. Lets do a test. Stand up and walk or run 20 steps. Notice how when we step the opposite arm works with the forward leg and vice versa. 

So when we want to help the shoulder function properly, we have to look at the big picture and not just the shoulder itself. We must look at the relationship the shoulder has with its counter part (mainly the opposite hip, knee and ankle) and how they are moving.

This means that Squats, lunges, deadlifts, one-leg squats, one-leg deadlifts, split lunges/squats step ups, presses, push presses, kettle bell work, and overhead squats (just to name a few) become a huge factor towards programming.

Appropriate progression must be followed to allow for neuromuscular learning as well as developing the strength and the correct pattern to perform these lifts. They are complicated, but our movements must become precise and efficient. During these phases pf training, we can vary speeds, loads, environments & rest times between sets.

There’s a big picture we have to look at when we talk about training. Having pain in a movement means something is wrong, and looking at all of these aspects is critical.

Remember — our body must be able to absorb shock, stabilize our body in unstable environments, run fast, react, and most of all, lift heavy things whether at slow or fast speeds.

Till next time,

Anthony

Training on one leg does not get the respect it deserves!

Single leg training offers great benefits. If we take a step back and look at the way humans move, all movement occurs on one leg.  Training on one leg enhances strength, proprioception, stability, mobility and most importantly helps us become more athletic.  A primary goal that I work towards in my programming for clients is to make them more athletic. Athletes move better than the average Joe, and also react to varying stimuli in changing environments. Thats what life is. A constant change of environments.  Keeping our lower extremity strong is a huge factor in overall long term health.

It is very rare that you see the average lifter perform an acceptable squat that looks good and has nothing wrong with it.  So when we train on one leg the proprioception demand alone forces our bodies to adjust and use every muscle in the working leg as well as core musculature. Because if you don’t adjust, you fall. That’s reason number one.

Reason number two: it enhances all of your other lifts such as heavy squats or deadlifts. Why? Because of the previous notion before.

Number three: it keeps you healthy. I’m a huge advocate of exercises that keep the body healthy, as well as challenge the nueromuscular system to help develop changes. Single leg training is long-term. Performing a single leg squat or single leg RDL will not kill you if you do it once in a while.

I have found that using super bands offers for you to learn where you’re weak and where you compensate these weaknesses. Sometimes, putting yourself in the actual compensation pattern will force you to turn on the non-working muscle group to help assist in the movement.

Before you jump on the treadmill or bike, pedal at a low resistance, and beat your body up even more with long cardio workouts, try the slideboard.

The slideboard offers great benefits in lateral movement, frontal plane mobility and stability, hip mobility, hip stability and strength, endurance, and great benefits to flexibility improvements.

Think about it…should we sit on a bike and pedal in a hunched-over position? Or should we get in an athletic stance with our shoulders back, abs tight and butt down? Like an athlete? If we are in this position, we are in fact working all the areas that humans are weak and tight in. It works the hips, stretches the adductors, and helps with overall body awareness and positioning. It works our core indefinitely!

Hi everyone.

Check out this website: www.sbcoachescollege.com

My good friend Brijesh Patel, the head strength and conditioning coach for Quinnipiac University, started this website along with other colleagues in the strength and conditioning industry.  We will be posting their tip of the month as well as giving our own input. 

I had worked with Brijesh as an intern at the University of Connecticut and I consider him to be one of the most influential people who got me into this industry. He’s a great speaker and a great coach; his knowledge of training evolves every day, and he makes programs simple and to the “point” when it comes to improving performance. 

-Anthony

If you haven’t seen a foam roller around the gym or in various stores, you need to learn about them now.

Do you constantly get sore or feel pain? Then foam rolling is for you. If you feel tight and your muscles don’t move like they use to, foam rolling is for you. If you get joint pain (neck, back, knee) and play sports, then foam rolling is definitely for you.

Why Foam Roll?

Sometimes our muscles are extremely sensitive to stretch, as well as touch. Foam rolling offers a chance to aid in muscle recovery as well as muscle regeneration. If you did not know, our muscles are in fact made up of blood cells, connective tissue (fascia), cells, fibers, minerals, and water. Muscles are made to move our body and to provide support to the skeletal system. What better way to take care of our muscles than to massage them from time to time? It helps alleviate soreness, pain, lactic acid build-up or coagulated blood that was not removed from previous workouts.

Foam rolling also allows for good muscle activation in regards to a warm-up prior to training sessions. So whenever you feel sore or achy, the best tool may be to get on that roller and start working out all of the kinks. If you foam roll consistently for 2 weeks, you’ll notice positive effects towards flexibility and strength improvements.

Here are some of the benefits of foam rolling:

• Increased flexibility and muscle strength
• Improved Muscle Tissue Quality and Health
• Improved joint integrity
• Improved Recovery and Muscle Repair
• Improved joint integrity