I understand that the majority of folks reading this are not "the gym guy" you know the one, weight belt, gloves, elbow wraps. They must lift HEAVY ALL THE TIME. They have poor posture (rounding of the shoulders, foreward head position, sway back and little tiny legs. Bad form and bad body, no pain no gain!. The other day in the gym I watched a guy, in horror, do what I believe was a dumbell row. He leaned on the bench (with all the above mentioned gear, including wrist straps because the weight was too heavy to hold) and pulled so fast and hard that the weight, which moved only a few inches, forced him into a self induced whiplash. His neck moved so violently that when he was finished he was dizzy. The strain was so severe that a limp developed tht got progressively worse as he completed all 3 sets, with a 130lb dumbell.
So, what is my point. If you used to be that person, or played sports in school or you were just a normal kid, you have pain and stiffness for a reason. Please understand that proper exercise needs control, you can not have control without stability, and if you have no stability you will have pain from lack of the above. As I explained to a physician the other day about the books we have published, there is a sequence that needs to be followed to re-program the body, you did not get this way overnite and fixing it will take some time as well. Muscles have memory and are quite stubborn, if you reinforce the bad patterns/memory through poor posture or continually exercising wrong you will never acheive a permanent resolution to your pain or lack of performance.
Showing posts with label Core. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Core. Show all posts
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Friday, January 4, 2008
Joining The inmates in the Asylum?
08' is here, and like everyone else it's new years resolution time. Time to make the same old promises to yourself year after year of eating better making better choices exercising. Unfortunately, these so-called resolutions fail year after year.
Insanity is defined as doing the same thing again and again expecting a different result. Waking up January 1 and making the same resolutions year after year and going about achieving them the same way year after year is plain insanity.
Over the past 15 plus years of clinical practice and personal training I've seen people make the same mistakes over and over again. Mistakes that, with a little bit of education, should never have been made! Now, I don't blame these people that set out with lofty goals to make positive and proactive changes in the new year. I blame the misinformation and the lack of scientific data that the public is exposed to when it comes to exercise, fitness, nutrition and wellness.
So, it only seems appropriate that education, debunking myths and exposure to safe and effective exercise is the only way to avoid insanity. What if I told you that the only good thing about the bench press exercise is that without any doubt it will destroy your shoulders. Last time I checked in playing sports and the game of life if you are laying flat on your back staring at the sky you lost. What if I also told you that leg raises, an exercise that most people think strengthens you're ab's, actually only serves to create a muscle imbalance so severe that it will not only inhibit your ability to move but, it will permanently damage your spine never mind doing nothing for your ab's. When was the last time that you sat on a bench and pushed or pulled something behind your head? When you think of it in that context it really doesn't seem like a good exercise does it? So my point is simple, what we know we may very well no wrong. Hopefully we are all smart enough to realize at some point that what we are doing and what we have done has not or is not working. Change, especially for the body, is essential to attaining consistent fitness and wellness-based goals.
Now, for the big question, where does one go to get this information? There are a host of websites and magazines that will provide you with some of this information. There are also countless books, manuals, and programs that you can buy that can help you on your quest. But, and there is always a but, many of these books websites and magazines are also trying to sell you something. So, be careful in your choices.Over the years it has become very frustrating as a fitness and wellness professional that there are very few websites or books that I can recommend in good conscience to my clients. So, on a challenge from a client and friend who just happens to be a physician I went ahead, stepped up, and wrote a book. Now, I know what you're thinking, here comes another plug to buy something. But, in my humble and hopefully professional opinion this book is different from what is on the market. It is truly research-based, safe, effective clinically based exercises designed to bridge the gap between knowledge and application of good exercise science. The exercises and programs that "Back to Feeling Great a proactive approach to combating back pain and stiffness" contains will help you create proper flexibility, balance, effective posture and most importantly spine and pelvic stability.
Now, you may be wondering why those are important. It is usually the lack of stabilization in the spine, pelvis and core that prevents you from ever achieving your exercise goals. So what I did was create a program based on over 16 years of clinical rehabilitative experience that will help you to move better, be more stable, and have better posture which will in turn allow you to move more efficiently. If you are able to move more efficiently while maintaining good effective posture your muscles fire better. And very simply, if they fire better than you will get more out of your exercise. Sounds pretty good do less and get more!, and that is really the secret to a good and effective exercise, and wellness-based fitness routine.
Most people work way too hard when they're in the gym, the "Back to Feeling Great" book will teach you how to work smarter not harder on your road to achieving your fitness and wellness goals. Since the book came out numerous Physicians and Chiropractors have begun to recommend the book to their patients as a safe, effective and easy program that will actually do what it says it will do. I sincerely hope that with some education and exposure to proper exercise and not 'gym' exercises you will find your New Year goals to be effective and lasting without the risk of making the same mistakes over and over again, no sense joining the inmates in the asylum.
The book is available on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com
www.backtofeelinggreat.com
www.backtofeelinggreat.blogspot.com
Insanity is defined as doing the same thing again and again expecting a different result. Waking up January 1 and making the same resolutions year after year and going about achieving them the same way year after year is plain insanity.
Over the past 15 plus years of clinical practice and personal training I've seen people make the same mistakes over and over again. Mistakes that, with a little bit of education, should never have been made! Now, I don't blame these people that set out with lofty goals to make positive and proactive changes in the new year. I blame the misinformation and the lack of scientific data that the public is exposed to when it comes to exercise, fitness, nutrition and wellness.
So, it only seems appropriate that education, debunking myths and exposure to safe and effective exercise is the only way to avoid insanity. What if I told you that the only good thing about the bench press exercise is that without any doubt it will destroy your shoulders. Last time I checked in playing sports and the game of life if you are laying flat on your back staring at the sky you lost. What if I also told you that leg raises, an exercise that most people think strengthens you're ab's, actually only serves to create a muscle imbalance so severe that it will not only inhibit your ability to move but, it will permanently damage your spine never mind doing nothing for your ab's. When was the last time that you sat on a bench and pushed or pulled something behind your head? When you think of it in that context it really doesn't seem like a good exercise does it? So my point is simple, what we know we may very well no wrong. Hopefully we are all smart enough to realize at some point that what we are doing and what we have done has not or is not working. Change, especially for the body, is essential to attaining consistent fitness and wellness-based goals.
Now, for the big question, where does one go to get this information? There are a host of websites and magazines that will provide you with some of this information. There are also countless books, manuals, and programs that you can buy that can help you on your quest. But, and there is always a but, many of these books websites and magazines are also trying to sell you something. So, be careful in your choices.Over the years it has become very frustrating as a fitness and wellness professional that there are very few websites or books that I can recommend in good conscience to my clients. So, on a challenge from a client and friend who just happens to be a physician I went ahead, stepped up, and wrote a book. Now, I know what you're thinking, here comes another plug to buy something. But, in my humble and hopefully professional opinion this book is different from what is on the market. It is truly research-based, safe, effective clinically based exercises designed to bridge the gap between knowledge and application of good exercise science. The exercises and programs that "Back to Feeling Great a proactive approach to combating back pain and stiffness" contains will help you create proper flexibility, balance, effective posture and most importantly spine and pelvic stability.
Now, you may be wondering why those are important. It is usually the lack of stabilization in the spine, pelvis and core that prevents you from ever achieving your exercise goals. So what I did was create a program based on over 16 years of clinical rehabilitative experience that will help you to move better, be more stable, and have better posture which will in turn allow you to move more efficiently. If you are able to move more efficiently while maintaining good effective posture your muscles fire better. And very simply, if they fire better than you will get more out of your exercise. Sounds pretty good do less and get more!, and that is really the secret to a good and effective exercise, and wellness-based fitness routine.
Most people work way too hard when they're in the gym, the "Back to Feeling Great" book will teach you how to work smarter not harder on your road to achieving your fitness and wellness goals. Since the book came out numerous Physicians and Chiropractors have begun to recommend the book to their patients as a safe, effective and easy program that will actually do what it says it will do. I sincerely hope that with some education and exposure to proper exercise and not 'gym' exercises you will find your New Year goals to be effective and lasting without the risk of making the same mistakes over and over again, no sense joining the inmates in the asylum.
The book is available on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com
www.backtofeelinggreat.com
www.backtofeelinggreat.blogspot.com
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Core Fitness
Core training, core fitness, core strength, core, core, core. Do you know what the 'core' of your body really is or where it is. Does your trainer or therapist know. 'Core' fitness is the current catch phrase in the fitness industry. Hundreds of gimmicks, machines and programs have been marketed to an uneducated population all with the belief of building strong ab's.
The sad fact is that most people do not realize that the core is your entire torso, so if you have no arms or legs all that is left is your core. With that being said does it make sense to just train a single 'core' muscle? NO. To effectively and efficiently train the core (ab's, back, spine) one must engage ALL of the muscles at the same time. This is not that hard to do, simply buy My book (shameless plug) and learn all about it.
www.backtofeelinggreat.com
The sad fact is that most people do not realize that the core is your entire torso, so if you have no arms or legs all that is left is your core. With that being said does it make sense to just train a single 'core' muscle? NO. To effectively and efficiently train the core (ab's, back, spine) one must engage ALL of the muscles at the same time. This is not that hard to do, simply buy My book (shameless plug) and learn all about it.
www.backtofeelinggreat.com
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