10 More Random Thoughts

Okay, more like 8 but 10 sounds cooler

1. The draw-in method (belly button towards the spine, TA activation) is not a good method to support spinal stability. In fact it de-stabilizes the spine. Your spine will buckle if you choose to draw-in while your body is under significant load. People should rather learn what Stuart McGill refers to as "Abdominal Bracing", which is a co-contraction of the abdominal musculature (RA, TA, Ext/Int Obliques). The research on TA activation has been very misunderstood.

2. If you have knee pain you should replace your walking and forward lunges with reverse lunges or slideboard lunges. Also, perform more hip dominant work than knee dominant. Basically, Deadlift more!!

3. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

4. Most personal trainers scare me!! I think there should be a governing body that throws personal trainers in jail for malpractice. Or at least a Grim Reaper looking dude that makes them Deadlift with a flexed spine so they can feel the same disc herniation that their clients feel.

5. Hip flexors aren’t just short and tight. They are often weak too. Especially the iliacus and Psoas. These two hip flexors are isolated when the hip is flexed beyond 90 degrees. If you constantly get quad pulls I guarantee your Ilio-Psoas is weak.


6. For the Trainers out their……..Strengthcoach.com is the best site on the internet for training information. If you are not a member, you are so far behind the curve that I won’t even make a joke about it. Check it out!! Click this link:SportSpecific.com and get a 14 day trial for $1. You can't afford not too!!

7. I NEVER thought I would make a myspace page………but I did (just threw up in my mouth)!! I promise that I won’t start snapping photos of myself making different emotions with my face (that’s just weird). But if I do, you will know Armageddon is near.

8. Power Yoga?? Huh?? Power is the rate of force production. Think speed........so how can something be done deliberately slow and be called "Power"? This confuses me. I think they should rename "Power Yoga" and call it "Not As Slow As Other Types Of Yoga". Or for short, "NASAOTOY". Wait a minute, I'm getting an idea here! A new sport for the Olympics.........Slow Sprinting.

DN

Randy Pausch Passes Away

I have posted this video before and it has also been on many other blogs. If you have not watched it, take a few minutes to do so. I guarantee it will move you. If you have watched it.......Watch it again.

Rest in Peace Randy Pausch 1960-2008



DN

Featured IPT Athlete

Bryan Marugg is one of our athletes' at Impact Performance Training and Impact Jiu-jitsu. He is only 15 years old and is already becoming a decorated grappler. Bryan has competed numerous times at the adult level and taken home 1st place time and time again. Not only is Bryan a great athlete but he is one of the nicest, most level headed kids you will meet.......Lets hope he stays that way :-) Check out his highlight video:



DN

Olympic Lifts: Bad or Good?

The Olympic Lifts (OL’s), namely the Clean and the Snatch, get a bad wrap a lot of times. They are feared and frowned upon by many professionals including some doctors and physical therapists. There is also a concern among the general population along with parents worrying that their kids are going to hurt themselves performing the OL’s in a high school weightlifting program.

The OL’s are second to none in producing power development in athletes. Here is where some of the confusion and problems stem from:

1. Coaches/Trainers teaching the lifts incorrectly – This is the number one problem. The OL’s are incredibly coaching intensive. When the lifts are done correctly, they are extremely safe and VERY effective. But, they become a train wreck quickly when they are being coached by someone who does not fully understand the purpose and technique.

2. Not knowing who to do them with – The OL’s aren’t meant for everybody. They should mostly be performed with athletes but even that doesn’t qualify the use of the lift. Extremely tall athletes (basketball) or athletes with a past history of back problems should avoid them and choose one of the many alternatives.

3. Not knowing where to place them in a training session– You must understand the demands and purpose of the OL’s. They are used for power development and require a large central nervous system demand. Because of this, they should be placed at the beginning of a workout, after a warm up, before strength training.

You can see how many would confuse these as dangerous…………Because they are, in the WRONG hands!! A four year old with a chainsaw is dangerous too.

The girl in the video has some pretty good technique. So for the Olympic Lifting "purists" that watch it and start nit picking away........Don't try to pick fly sh** out of pepper :-) and realize that using the OL's to develop power for an athlete is different than using the OL's to make an Olympic Lifter.



Note: If your child is attending Newberg High School, they are in great hands with my good friend Coach Baumholtz.

DN

Sciatic Pain Relief

Every day, sciatic nerve pain debilitates thousands of people. Many people just deal with the nagging pain in their butt (literally) and push on through their day. There can be several reasons for sciatic nerve pain (many of which we will not discuss here) and finding relief can sometimes be more difficult than sitting through an episode of American Idol.

Often times, pain is wrongly attributed to a “tight muscle” when it is actually an irritated nerve. Getting a proper diagnosis is very important because treating the muscle for tightness (ex: hamstring stretching) will most likely irritate the nerve more.

One of the techniques I have seen work many times in situations of sciatic nerve pain is Nerve Flossing. This is a great technique that can work in as little as one time of performing it.

Scientists have suggested that nerves have the ability to create their own pathways as long as they can move. This makes sense since so many people find relief through “flossing”.

The idea of “nerve flossing” is to pull the cord and nerves from one end while releasing at the other end, and then to switch directions. Flexing at the cervical spine creates a pull on the cranial end of the spine and a release from the caudal end. As your knee extends at the same time your cervical spine extends, you reverse the pull.



Caution: Be very conservative in your first time of doing this. While this can be an unbelievable technique for chronic sciatica, it can also be an onset. If the nerve is adhered, it will not slide. Therefore, the problem will be exacerbated. If you feel no change or relief the next day, continue flossing.

Some Tips:
1. Keep the motion slow. Each cycle should last about 5 seconds.
2. Make sure the flexion/extension motion is coordinated
3. Begin with 10 repetitions. If it feels okay, continue to perform it several times per day.
4. Do not floss within 2 hours after rising from bed.

* Stuart McGill, Low Back Disorders second edition 2007
* Butler, 1999


DN

I Hate When People Write Stupid Things

I'm sorry, I just had to post this. I was reading an article on back pain on the Internet. It started out pretty good and was citing Stuart McGill's work. Then it took a turn for the worse. Half way through, I have a feeling the author started to consume illegal drugs, prescription pills and sniff glue all at the same time. Here are the not so bright highlights.

"Dead Lifts: If you are looking for 1 exercise with the highest likelihood of producing a back injury, then this is it. For example, people with osteoporosis can injure their back by simply bending over to pick up a pencil. Imagine what kind of pressures are being exerted within your lower spine when you bend over at the waist and try to lift a barbell."

Note to Author: Are you serious?? A deadlifting pattern is one of the most important patterns someone (especially with back pain) could learn!! And you don't bend over at your waist, you hinge at your hips. It's hip movement, not spine movement. If you actually read McGill's work, "Spare the Spine" would ring a bell.

"Weight-machines: Use a light weight and do a high number of repetitions. Pick a weight where you can do at least 20 reps. Your goal is to develop your core muscles by increasing muscular endurance."

Note to Author: Weight machines?? Light weight?? Everyone already knows my opinion on machines.......they are crap. But can someone please explain what light weight means? And how do you develop your core muscles on a machine?? Seriously, did you really read McGill's books?

"Pilates: Pilates is an excellent method to develop "core" strength (eg., the muscles of the torso)."

Note to Author: Repetitive flexion is the mechanism of disc herniation. Pg. 68-70 in Stuart McGill's book, Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance.


I don't have anything else to say :)

DN

On Your Way to a Pullup

You have always heard about the benefit of performing Pullups but have never done them because...........well, YOU CAN'T!!

Pullups are arguably one the best upper body exercises. The only problem is most people can not even do one pullup, so they get stuck on the evil step brother, (insert build up music here) "The Pulldown"!! In fact, even the people that CAN do a pullup choose to do the pulldown instead. This is because the pulldown is easier. Much easier. But "easy" does not produce results! So if you CAN physically perform pullups, you should not be caught on a pulldown machine. But what can the rest of you do so that you can be on your way to knocking out some pullups? Get a set of Superbands.They will progress you faster than an assisted pullup machine. Here is the simple progression:

- Use the 2 1/2" band until you can get 10 reps
- Progress to the 1 3/4" band for 10 reps
- Progress to the 1" band for 10 reps
- Almost there!! Now progress to the 1/2" band - By this point you will be able to do bodyweight pullups.

Here is the set up:


DN

Becoming Great

Read/study for one hour per day, and you will be in the top 5% in your chosen field within three to five years. Thats 1095 to 1825 hours of continueing education under your belt!

Not enough time in your day to read? Skip a tv show, get off the computer, or buy a book on time management and read it :)

Don't like to read? Than your in the wrong field/proffession. Get out sooner than later and look elsewhere.

DN

Featured Recipe

I actually can't remember where I got this recipe........Possibly John Berardi. So I don't know the name but lets call TASTY SLUDGE. Yeah, I like that name!!


2 Tbs Natural Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup Cottage Cheese
2 Tbs Ground Flax Seeds
Add some Agave Syrup or Honey

Stir it all up and enjoy!!

Total calories are around 430. You can alter this by adding more or less peanut butter.

Total Protein is about 23 grams

I know it sounds gross but it is actually really good. I'm wolfing some down right now!!

DN

Beware of New Media Brainwashing About High Fructose Corn Syrup

The Corn Refiners Association is launching a major advertising and public relations campaign designed to rehabilitate the reputation of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). HFCS has been linked by many scientists to the nation's obesity epidemic. Read More....

DN

The Village Idiot

Stupidity at an all time high!!



Does any one have a big enough scale that we could weigh the risk to benefit ratio on this one?? I hope the coach has a good lawyer. And hopefully he has good health insurance because the first smart soul that catches him doing this is gonna smack him in the mouth!!

Hmmmmmm??? Maybe he has a money investment in a Dr., or Physical Therapist? Train althete - Injury athlete - Collect money - Repeat. Kinda fishy??

DN

Training Around Knee Pain

I get many pre-knee surgery and post-knee rehab clients. For the most part these people come to me in order to still get a training effect around the existing injury. The things we first look at are:

1. Eliminating knee dominant exercises that present ANY discomfort. Many times this is all of them.

2. Performing mostly hip dominant patterns. Deadlifting, bridging, etc. We will replace all knee dominant exercises for hip dominant. Basically overdosing on hip dominant exercises. The deadlifting pattern is of the most importance to learn, as it sets the patterning for squatting.

3. Restoring ankle and hip mobility. This is usually what caused the injury in the first place. If the ankle isn’t moving right and the hip is lacking mobility, guess what makes up the movement? Yes, the knee.

4. Waking up the foot musculature to produce stability thus making the ankle maintain the new found mobility. We do this by teaching the client proper foot positioning and including barefoot warm-ups.

5. In extreme cases where the client really cant use the leg at all, we will work the good leg only. This is called a “cross transfer”. The injured leg will actually get some of the benefits of the working leg even though the injured leg is not being exercised. This is because the body cannot completely separate itself.

On the road to recovery we look at:

1. Progressing to a single leg unsupported pain free squat. We use a progression of split squats, split squat back foot elevated, and finally single leg squatting with emphasis on progressive range of motion.

2. We also want the client to eccentrically decelerate in a dynamic environment. We use Mike Boyle’s plyometric progression for this. This is used in the later stages of recovery.

So, just because you have an existing injury or pain, this should not be an excuse to not train. There are many ways to train around all sorts of injuries. These are some that I use for knees.

DN