Calling All Kettlebell Kittens!

Core, Cravings, Curves and More...


How to Cut fat by attacking the Core and More



I am Natalie Pyles, owner of Kettlebell Kittens Workout in Phoenix, Arizona and creator of the “Art of KettleBell training the Core and more” workout series. I’ve seen, studied, and used almost every quality fitness tool and worthless infomercial gadget introduced to the marketplace over the last couple decades. Quite a few of them get regular use at Golds Gym… but I’d need three times the gym space to hold what’s been tossed in the dumpster out back!

I’m quite open-minded and will try just about anything with my clients. After all, mainstream folks need variety more than anything to stay motivated. We use bands, barbells, medicine balls, rings, punching bags, dumbbells, stability balls, spinning bikes, bosu balls, and about a dozen other fun tools.

My favorite tool (and the core of most of my training) is now the kettlebell. A kettlebell looks like a cannonball with a suitcase handle welded to the top. It’s a hunk of iron with a long, rich history that is virtually unknown in America. Kettlebells have been used for centuries in Eastern Europe and are beloved for the strength they impart. The kettlebell might seem completely unfamiliar to you… but think back to early childhood. Most people have a fuzzy recollection of the circus strongmen in Bugs Bunny cartoons tossing them about. Are you with me now?

I was originally drawn to the kettlebell because of its simplicity and unique shape. It is an undeniable chunk of iron. I can’t imagine anyone hanging the “infomercial gadget” sign on a kettlebell. This is clearly a serious strength tool. As I began to study this simple, utilitarian looking implement, I discovered a deeper training philosophy surrounding its historic use.

For hundreds of years, kettlebell use has focused on muscle integration rather than isolation. Nearly every drill recruits multiple muscle groups to work in unison. The body is trained as a whole and particular emphasis is focused on the core and back muscles. Isn’t it interesting to see the “new” paradigm in American fitness shifting to a radical “new” philosophy of functional training? Kettlebells represent functional training in its purest sense… and have been doing so since before the discovery of electricity.

You don’t technically even need a kettlebell to experience some of the philosophy surrounding it. The variety of kettlebell drills is staggering. Many of the more advanced drills simply aren’t possible to perform with a dumbbell. Two of most basic, fundamental drills can be (to some degree) experienced with a dumbbell if you haven’t purchased a kettlebell yet. To avoid turning this introductory article into a novel, I’ve prepared 5 short videos of a fellow fitness expert demonstrating the kettlebell swing and Turkish getup. Please watch each in its entirety. Then grab a dumbbell and give it a try. The swing will certainly feel awkward compared to using a proper kettlebell… but you should get the idea.

I recommend you then purchase a kettlebell or two and watch this training zone for future tips and articles.

View all article campanion videos.

P.S. Here is Melissa's Success story and this workout program is dedicated to her for all her hard sweat & tears! I love you girl!

'New Pilates 4 Weight-loss'

Converting the “Non-Believer”

While the popularity of mainstream Pilates continues to increase, there are still people who view the stated benefits of Pilates with a degree of skepticism – especially in terms of integrating Pilates into their training or workout regimen. Are they missing out? Absolutely!

Dear Friends,

We’ve all encountered them – people, often those with a particular focus in mind such as weight loss, toning or building muscle mass, who think that Pilates will not help them achieve their goals. Additionally, people used to high-adrenalin classes or activities may feel that Pilates does not offer enough of a challenge. Regardless of the reason for not trying Pilates, these potential clients are missing out. Why? Because Pilates can help improve performance, reduce injury, and relieve stress. The challenge is getting them to give it a try. Our first page shares some key points to remember when discussing Pilates with a potential client. We hope you find this information helpful. Check back often for educational content, programming inspiration, fitness tips and more.

Here are some key points to remember when discussing Pilates with a potential client:

1. Mass Appeal
Regardless of the fitness level of a client, Pilates offers something for everyone – sports fanatics looking to build core strength and improve their golf drive; elite athletes who want to prevent or attend to injuries; rehab and prenatal clients who want to enhance their fitness ability; new moms who want to get their pre-baby shape back; or mature adults who simply want to make getting out of bed easier. Every exerciser can reap the benefits of this form of exercise – and get a good workout at the same time.

2. Real Men do Pilates
Some of your male clients may think that Pilates is only a woman's workout – it’s not. The reason why so many elite athletes are incorporating Pilates into their training regimens today is because this method of exercise has evolved over time and is now focusing on the modern day biomechanics of the body bolstered by essential scientific research. More and more men are finding that by incorporating Pilates into their exercise and athletic regiment they have experienced increased flexibility, power, strength and mobility.

3. Pilates Incorporates Key Performance Factors
Many people know that Pilates helps build strong, healthy muscles, improves blood flow, and engages all the muscles at the right time. What they might not know is that Pilates also addresses all seven of the key performance factors cited by experts as having great significance in terms of contributing to an athlete’s overall conditioning and rehabilitation exercise and sport-related injuries. What are these factors? Posture, balance, mobility / flexibility, stability, coordination, functional strength and endurance.

4. Athlete’s Choice – Pilates!
Athletes in a variety of sports have discovered the benefit of integrating Pilates into their training and exercise regiment. In addition to helping athletes develop core strength and increase flexibility, Pilates creates balance throughout the entire body. Many sports are one-sided and create muscle imbalances throughout the body. Pilates can help address these imbalances and create more symmetry overall. Pilates has been utilized for rehabilitation after injury for many years and continues to be an important factor in injury prevention and recovery. As a result, athletes can withstand rigorous training regimes and ultimately improve their golf drive or baseball pitch, as well as maintain an optimal weight for their sport or activity of choice.

To Yours In Health & Fitness,

Natalie Pyles

The Power Of The Core and Neurostabilization Training

Core training and neurostabilization training are extremely popular but as professionals we must understand the science and technology behind current trends in exercise. Core training can be just another fad or it can be a scientifically-based methodology that involves a functional and progressive approach to movement re-education and performance enhancement. It is important that you understand the necessary steps to develop a ‘core training’ program. It is also important that you understand that many variations of training and many opinions will be presented to you; however, there is a neurological framework and musculoskeletal structure that require a special sequential approach. This article will discuss the philosophy and the sequence behind building a practical model for training the core.

First, you must understand that the brain recognizes movement patterns and not simply muscle groups. Yet, many professionals are still stuck in isolation training or muscle group training. Understanding movement patterns is a little more in-depth and complicated than simply understanding muscle groups. You need to understand the role of stabilizers and the role of movers. You need to understand the most basic patterns of human movement and how they build upon each other in a neuro-developmental sequence starting in infancy and developing through childhood. You also need to understand that the most fundamental activities of the human body revolve around simple and basic movements of running and climbing.

Running demands that a spine be stable and transfer energy from one leg to the other as well as deal with the counterbalance movement of the arms as they swing, whereas climbing requires that the spine be mobile, adaptable and dynamic. These are two very fundamental movements of the human body, and yet they contrast each other in their demands of the core.

You must also understand that the core runs on a reflex base. This means that the core musculature is engaged by reflexes in response to your actions and reactions. As many of your movements involving the limbs are structured, controlled, planned out and trained, the movements of your core are reflex driven in an attempt to stabilize the spine so that more efficient movement patterns of the extremities can be produced. When the core is not functioning properly, you should first look for things that would limit this reflex behavior - significant limitations with respect to flexibility as well as asymmetries between the left and right side of the body. Imbalances in muscle groups including agonist and antagonist can all create a need for the core to compensate.

When the core must compensate, the effectiveness of the reflex with its natural sequence and timing is interrupted and the result is a less efficient core that is more susceptible to injury. Since most of us do not have high-tech equipment and EMG to check the core musculature for its efficiency in demonstrating perfect sequence and timing, we must approach training from a different aspect. If we can establish that there is minimal reason for the core to compensate, then we can assume that the appropriate amount of training will produce the desired result with respect to core stabilization and core strength.

• Screening fundamental movements will demonstrate significant limitations and asymmetries, and will also help to narrow the focus of problem areas within the human body. This will open the door to more involved assessment and evaluation practices that can produce effective exercise techniques that refine mobility and stability, as well as rehabilitation strategies that will reduce asymmetries and limitations.

• Once adequate mobility has been demonstrated and the need for compensation has been reduced, it is important to understand the distinct difference between stability and strength. Many assume that doing crunches and increasing the strength of the abdominal musculature will produce a stable core. This is a simplistic approach and it fails to demonstrate the difference between stability and strength. Stability is the use of muscular timing, control and sequence to maintain a relatively stationary or stable spine in the presence of extremity movement whereas strength would demonstrate or reflect the need for movement. Doing more crunches demonstrates greater endurance and greater strength of the core but still does not guarantee that the core will stabilize in a striding or squatting movement. It is important to establish spine stabilization prior to core strengthening.

• Stabilization techniques should be grouped by functional foot position and requirements of spine stability. Good examples are the first 3-foot positions taken from the Reebok Movement Screens. They are squatting, stepping and lunging.

Squat	Hurdle Step	Lunge

The squat movement is a double leg stance that is symmetrical. The legs perform the same tasks and the same role within the same range of motion. The hurdle step is single-leg stance requiring one leg to move freely and be a mobile segment while the other leg supports the weight of the body and is a stable segment. The lunge is almost a combination of the two above positions in that both legs remain on the floor like the squat but they are in complete opposition of each other as in a stepping motion such as the hurdle step.

These very different foot positions place different demands on the core and, when combined with diagonal movements of the upper extremity, represent a complete array of functional and athletic movements that provide opportunities for appropriate stabilization. Key equipment and communicating stabilization through proprioception include slide board, medicine ball, stability ball, cable column and core board training.

Since the core functions on a reflex base, it is necessary for initial stabilization training to be at that level. This means minimizing verbal and visual input and allowing exercise to communicate to the core what is necessary. This is a science called Reactive Neuromuscular Training and can be done by exaggerating the mistake that the individual performing the exercise is currently making. By exaggerating this mistake through weight shift or reduced control, the individual exercising has a greater proprioceptive awareness of poor timing, coordination, movement sequence, posture and joint position. If done safely and effectively, this will ultimately allow the exerciser to slowly correct the problem accelerating motor learning. Once neurostabilization training has been implemented, core strengthening can be performed through isolation or functional movements.

In closing, it is extremely important that you identify and isolate the important statements within each one of these bullet point paragraphs. They build an appropriate case for core training and will help you evaluate the many protocols and exercise techniques that will be coming your way in the future as the trends of core training and neurostabilization training are popularized. No doubt, many will jump on the bandwagon of core training but few will endure the criteria laid before them. The future of our profession lies in our credibility and attention to detail. It also relies on our creativity and openness to new concepts and philosophies. I hope this article / lecture has given you food for thought and the desire to learn.

References: Gray Cook

Call Me For Your FREE Consultation Today! 1-800-681-9894 or e-mail fitnesselementsassociates@yahoo.com

Forwarded By, Natalie Pyles

Fitness & Nutritional Expert, Author, Speaker

WWW.MyFitnessElements.com

"How To Incorporate Programming for Skiing"

It’s that time of year in the Northern Hemisphere, when people are dusting off their ski boots and heading for the slopes. For personal trainers, it is traditionally the time of year when we are approached by prospective clients looking to improve their fitness in order to make the most of their time on the slopes. This article will focus on how to design a functional, enjoyable and appropriate training program for skiers and set recommendations on how to best prepare these clients.

I would like to start by making some general points with regards to designing and implementing a skiing program, or indeed any sports specific training regime. Never lose sight of these points because they will act as the focal point of your program.

1. Keep it FUN. This may be stating the obvious, but if your clients feel they need to perform hours of monotonous, repetitive and unimaginative exercise, they will be put off skiing forever.

2. Keep it functional. Functional training appears to be the latest fitness buzz word, but its underlying principles are relevant to sports specific training. We have all seen the trainer who guides his client around the gym floor from resistance machine to resistance machine. My advice would be, where at all possible, keep your clients on their feet. There are one or two exceptions to this rule, and I will explore these later in this article.

3. Keep it specific. Another obvious one perhaps, but if you are training athletes, then train them to improve aspects of their fitness that are specific to skiing, not soccer or basketball. A program must also be specific to an individual’s age, standard and own personal specifications.

That last point brings us nicely onto the first task of a trainer when designing a skiing program, and that is to analyze the requirements of the task. Questions to ask during a consultation include: Have you skied before? Where are you skiing? How much skiing will you be doing (and how much time will be spent in the lodge)? Once you have determined your clients' individual requirements, you must examine the activity demands.

Skiing, depending on the standard and ability of the client, can be compared with interval training. That is, an individual may perform high intensity exercise lasting anywhere up to several minutes followed by a period of inactivity or active recovery at a lower intensity. This puts a demand on both the aerobic and anaerobic systems. Or individuals may choose to participate in less intensive and more continuous skiing, which places different demands on the body. Skiing also places a great demand on the central nervous system with regards to balance, coordination, reaction time and, of course, core strength and stability. While skiing, these components of fitness are affected by variables such as surface area, contact points such as feet and hands, visual effect, movement and external stimulus (i.e., obstacles on the slopes).

It is vitally important to replicate the activity of your clients and train them to cope with the physical demands of such activities. I will now break down some of the above principles and apply them in a programming setting.

Strength Training

The strength component of a skiing training program deals with base strength preparation. This is the work an athlete needs to complete before he can progress onto more advanced forms of training such as stability ball exercise, BOSU integrated training and resisted movement training. This phase should involve familiarizing clients with fundamental large muscle movements such as squats, lunges, deadlifts and body weight resistance exercises such as pull ups and press ups. These exercises recruit high threshold motor units and increase motor unit firing rate. I would never use isolation exercises in a sports specific exercise routine unless it was absolutely necessary, not even for novices. For strength training exercises, I would recommend working on a three sets of eight to 10 repetitions protocol. The base strength preparation phase should last between four and six weeks, depending on your athletes' fitness levels.

Core Development

Core training is arguably the most important element of any skiing fitness program. Effective core development will ensure your clients are strong and stable in the trunk and therefore able to support quick, powerful dynamic movements. In his article "Principles of Skiing Preparation," Chip Richards highlights the importance of moving from our center, thereby taking the stress away from the limbs and promoting core function.

I use several methods in order to develop core stability. The first and most simple is single leg training. As mentioned above, skiing places great demands on the CNS due to changing surface area and contact points. Single leg training reduces available surface area and halves the body’s contact with the ground. Also, skiing requires rates of force production generated by a single leg. Appropriate exercises include single leg backwards lean, opposite leg and arm reach and resistance exercises such as single leg shoulder press and single leg squats. (Examples of these can be found in the PTN Exercise Library.) Exercise on unstable surfaces should be incorporated into all snow sport training programs.

The stability ball plays a vital role when training skiers. Its versatility coupled with the fact that you can really stimulate the core makes it one the most effective exercise tools for skiers. Effective exercises include dumbbell chest press (supine) and bridge raise with tuck. For more advanced athletes, do jack knife, press ups and lateral raise kneeling on the ball.

Unstable surfaces should be incorporated into a winter sports program, with the most effective piece of equipment being the BOSU integrated trainer. Skiing requires high frequency muscle contractions with a restricted range of motion. Therefore, squats and lunges on the BOSU ball are ideal. Conventional standing strength training exercises such as deadlifts, shoulder press and woodchop as well as single leg exercises can also be performed using this piece of equipment.

The Resisted Movement Training protocol developed by Premier Training International in the UK is an idea based on dynamic movement patterns to promote healthier human function with particular emphasis on exercise along the kinetic chain. The type of exercises promoted through resisted movement training is relevant to winter sports training.

Dynamic Flexibility

There has been little research conducted in the area of flexibility for snow sports. I don’t prescribe any static stretching for my clients unless they have a specific muscle imbalance, and even then, I consult with a physiotherapist before prescribing a static routine. It is my belief that dynamic stretching is a safer and more effective way of improving flexibility. Some of my favorite exercises include leg kicks, star jumps, hip swings in the saggital plane and dynamic hip adduction and abduction. Ensure your clients have conducted some form of aerobic activity before performing such exercises. I would reserve five minutes every session for flexibility work.

Agility

Due to the aerobic and interval nature of the sport, there is a requirement for skiers to undergo some aerobic training. This is best conducted in the form of explosive and agility work, which requires clients to complete short bursts of aerobic activity with a rest period. Exercises involving short sprints, agility ladders and vertical cones/poles should be high on the agenda. This will also increase quickness and reaction time. If you are seeing your client for two hours per week, then I would spend a total of 30 minutes per week on agility.

In summary, it is very important that trainers consider all of the above theories, principles and exercises in order to plan an effective training program for skiers. Sometimes, the amount of time we can spend on the program is affected by our clients' schedules, and it is very common for someone to approach a trainer two weeks before their holiday. Ideally, a trainer would have at least two months to prepare their client, but we can only do our best. Your ultimate goal should be to design a fun, functional and sport specific skiing program.

References:

1. Heatlie, M. (2006) Strength Training for Winter Sports. FitPro Network, October/November 2006. pp 16-17.
2. Pratt, B. (2006) Progressive ski-matics. FitPro Network, October/November 2006. pp 14-15
3. Tom Huelin

Forwarded By,

Natalie Pyles

Fitness & Nutritional Expert, Author, Speaker

Call Me For Your FREE Consultation Today! 1-800-681-9894 or e-mail fitnesselementsassociates@yahoo.com
WWW.MyFitnessElements.com

How To Train The Abdominals

"All I want is a Six Pack!" It is almost a standard request to a personal trainer from a prospective or current client. There’s no getting away from it; we are literally obsessed with our physical appearance and no body part (other than maybe the butt) has perfection wished upon it more often or receives more specific work and attention than the abdominals!

This is not necessarily a bad thing, provided that the cosmetic enhancements come along with improved health and functional benefit. Nor is it a surprise! The abdominals are the centerpiece of the body and one's eyes are automatically drawn to that area, so it stands to reason that we would want them to look good.

From a functional perspective, a great set of abdominals are the key to optimal performance in a multitude of exercises and activities as well as being a major key in the prevention of back injuries and pain!

However, a great looking set of abdominals will not necessarily be functionally effective.

The goal of working this muscle group (and any other) should be to get the ultimate in both cosmetic development and functional value.

We must also be very careful about subscribing to a myth that none of us really believe in (or shouldn’t): spot reduction! "I would never be guilty of promoting that!" I hear you say? Think again! How many times has a client told you that he wants to lose fat off his waist/hip and/or wants lots of abdominal/thigh work for the same purpose? How many times have you responded by giving him what he asks for and usually at every single session with high repetitions and multiple reps? For what purpose is the A.B.T. (Abs, Butt & Thigh) class promoted other than to support the ridiculous notion that spot reduction is possible? How many gyms provide such classes and direct "appropriate" clients to participate? If you fall into any of these categories, then by association you are indeed guilty!

Enough of this preamble, and on with the article!

To achieve the ultimate in abdominal development in both function and form in minimum time, the trainer must approach the task from three directions, targeting three specific factors:

1. The deep abdominal and spinal stabilizers used in everyday activity
2. The external (visible) spinal flexors
3. What you or the client eats

In short, this article is not about diet, but let me say this: if you insist on shovelling in copious amounts of starchy carbohydrates, then the majority of you should forget about ever making significant visual acquaintance with your "six pack" no matter how hard you work ‘em. This statement is a whole other article that needs to be addressed separately.

So, in reality, we are only addressing factors 1 and 2.

Factor 1 – Deep Abdominals and Spinal Stabilizers

I’ll keep this simple. This group of muscles generally act in an involuntary fashion. They are skeletal muscles, and we do have the ability to voluntarily contract them, but they are most active in a stabilizing role, reacting to shifts in the body’s centre of gravity in relation to its base of support as well as altered pressure on joints. In short, these factors are known as "tilt and equilibrium reactions" and "proprioception."

Training for these skills is a cinch. Basically, you just have to perform free standing, resistance training exercises or, for that matter, any activity that has you moving in multiple directions (i.e., aerobic classes) possibly except swimming. Why not swimming? In the water, you are supported partially in three dimensions, gravity exerts less effect, creating less need for these particular muscles to be active to support the skeleton and another factor may be that eccentric resistance is all but absent in water. (I am not saying that swimming is a redundant health pursuit. I am simply saying that it is not productive in developing the core stability and joint proprioception required for life outside of water!)

Free weight, resistance training exercises (including cables and pulleys) will generally require good levels of activation of the deep core and abdominal muscles and are most effective for the development of the same. Following these simple tips during workouts can enhance this:

1. Replace benches and seats with a Swiss Ball.
2. Train the body unilaterally (one side at a time) without hanging on to something.
3. Maintain perfect posture – don’t let the weight dictate your position.
4. Activate deep abdominals by pulling in the stomach.
5. Don’t use a weight-training belt.
6. Reduce your base of support (stand on one foot) during upper body exercises.

One of the added benefits of training this way is a significant increase in calorie expenditure! By bringing multiple deep stabilizers, proprioceptors and other extraneous muscle groups into play, the amount of energy required to perform the exercise is significantly increased. The increased innervation of the nervous system results in a hormonal situation that is highly favourable to fat metabolism. The functional/real life value of the exercise is greatly enhanced as well as a much improved injury prevention ability, not to mention that the resultant fat loss will serve to make your abs more visible. The time taken for the session is the same, but the calorie usage is greater! Whichever way you look at it, you can’t lose!

Factor 2 - External Spinal Flexors

This group of muscles simply consists of the Rectus Abdominus and the External Obliques. As with all muscles in the body, they act in an integrated way with numerous other muscle groups to perform a particular movement: in this case, spinal flexion, rotation and lateral flexion. Movements to work this area should consist of variants of these movements.

It is unwise (if not impossible) to try and isolate these muscles for three reasons:

1. Muscle isolation does not happen in real life and is rarely necessary in training.
2. Greater loads and/or intensity can be applied to a "group" of muscles as opposed to a muscle working autonomously (resulting in the hormonal situation mentioned above).
3. Functional integration and "real life carry over" inevitably results in greater training effects in energy expenditure, strength development, injury prevention capabilities and inevitably far better cosmetic results.

Factors that one should consider implementing are:

1. Train the muscle(s) through as full a range of movement as safely and as practically as possible.
2. Utilize resistance from weights, cables and even machines.
3. Train to at least concentric failure and, if possible, eccentric failure on working sets.
4. Keep repetition rage below 15-20.
5. Perform multiple movement patterns, even within the same set.
6. Limit the use of "fixed path of resistance" machines.
7. Vary the exercises, resistance and repetition range from session to session.
8. Keep working sets and exercises to no more than two of each.
9. Train this muscle group 1 – 2 X per week, program it like any other body part and always train it last in the session.

Technical Issue

Past, and even in some quarters, current teaching criteria would indicate that during crunch type exercises, the lower back must remain in contact with the floor. This is incorrect and dysfunctional from the point of view that if the spine remains flat on the floor, it stands to reason that the spine remains in flexion – not even approaching neutral curvature. The lumbar spine is not naturally flat! It has (or should have) a lordotic (concave) curve in it!

If this is considered, then the muscle that flexes the spine will remain in a contracted/shortened state with the spine staying in flexion through the exercise. The target muscle will not be worked in anything approaching full ROM. This then poses two issues that need to be carefully considered.

1. The muscle is only being worked through partial ROM and is likely to only be strong through the range that it is worked! Considering the target muscle in this case is the Rectus Abdominus and it is a "back up" muscle to the Transverse Abdominus (TA) in preventing the spine going into forced, passive extension! (It inevitably takes over that role when the TA ‘lets go’ – generally in extension beyond neutral). Should it not be trained in the ranges that it might be required, then it is unlikely to be much use when it is actually needed for the task.
   
2. Working the abdominals with the spine maintained flat on the ground and the head/neck continuously protracted is simply promoting and developing a kyphotic (round shouldered) head forward posture! An unacceptable amount of individuals in modern society already suffer chronically from this condition - the last thing we should be doing is promoting and developing it! Especially in the highly repetitive manner that happens in "Exercise to Music" classes. We are just enforcing an already deeply established bad habit and making it worse!

The Exercises

The numbers of exercises available to you for this muscle group are immense. It would be impossible for me to list and describe even half of them here. So, I have selected my top 5 "Ab Killer" exercises and described them, along with photographs for your perusal and subsequent trialing.

Before embarking on the description of the exercises, I should probably enlighten you on some of the terminology I’ll use to describe some exercises.

Folded Mat refers to a plain old "sit up" mat with (surprise, surprise) a variable number of folds placed in it to adjust the difficulty of the exercise. The folds are about the same width as the distance between the base of the scapula and the base of the spine. The client lies supine across the folds making sure they are centred between the scapula and the base of the spine. This is done, as the name of the exercise describes, to extend the range of motion in the crunch and is a great alternative and variation to using a Swiss Ball or DuraDisk. The more folds you put in the mat, then the greater the ROM and the difficulty of the exercise.

Just make sure of two things: 1) That the clients’ hips and shoulders can touch the ground at either side of the folds and 2) that extended ROM of the spine is not going to aggravate any pre-existing conditions.

DuraDisk is a 30cm diameter inflatable disk with a very high burst rating. It can be inflated or deflated to varying degrees. Greater inflation generally will mean less stability, greater ROM (in abdominal exercises) and a higher degree of difficulty. Same two precautions as for the Folded Mat apply. (Available from AOK Health in Australia – bradley@aokealth.com.au & www.aokhealth.com.au)

Bench (applies in Extended Crunch only) refers to lying supine on a standard gym bench with the upper torso, down to the base of the shoulder blades, positioned just off the end of the bench and the feet anchored or held by the trainer. Again, this is used to increase the effective ROM. But I strongly suggest caution and control in this variation and application to advanced level clients only.

1) Extended Range Balance Crunch – (Ball, DuraDisk or Folded Mat): To do this properly requires a high degree of skill, abdominal strength and control. I will describe to you the advanced version and then give you some interim techniques to assist you in getting there.

For the "full" version, a 4–5 Folded Mat or DuraDisk is required. Start position is with the mat or disk placed at a "balance" point between the hips and shoulder blades. Thighs should be in the vertical aspect, the knees bent and the ankles crossed. The hands should be positioned at the temples.

Begin the movement by simultaneously lifting the hips and the shoulders off the ground until the abs are fully contracted and you are "balanced" on the mat/disc. The return to the start position should be a controlled and simultaneous descent of the hip and shoulders, both coming into contact with the ground at the same time.

It is unlikely you will ever need resistance for this exercise, and if you can make 10 repetitions unassisted (especially on the disk), you are exceptional.

Slightly easier variations would include placing the heels on a bench (you can lie across a Swiss Ball for this version) or in the hands of the trainer to allow some purchase through the heels or have a trainer assist your balance. Some adjustment of the placement of the mat/disk may be required to find the individual point of balance.

2) Swiss Ball Reverse Crunch: Place a large (65cm+) Swiss Ball up against a machine with 2 upright posts (be sure to protect the ball from any sharp edges). Lie against the ball at angle of 45 degrees to the posts and grip them with both hands. Lift the legs until the thighs are at 90 degrees to the torso; this is the starting position. Perform the movement by flexing the spine and drawing the pelvis up off the ball to full spinal flexion then return to the start position.

Resistance, such as a dumbell between the feet, a cable or a rubber band may be added.

Movement at the hip joint should be kept to a minimum.

An easier variation could be done by placing a DuraDisk or Folded Mat under the Lumbar spine while lying on an incline abdominal bench or even while flat on the floor.

3) Weight Resisted Extended Crunch – (Ball, DuraDisk, Folded Mat or Bench): Lie supine across a DuraDisk, Folded mat, Swiss Ball or with the upper torso hanging off the end of a bench (see instructions for correct performance of this particular version earlier in the article). Hold a weight plate on the chest or forehead or set up with cables or elastics. Make sure that the neck is in extension and that the head is supported on the Ball or ground (dependent on the exercise) prior to the commencement of each repetition.

Begin the movement by flexing the neck first and then allow spinal flexion to occur sequentially to the point where the ribs and pelvis are as close together as possible. At this point the spinal flexors have reached their point of full contraction and to continue beyond this will inevitably engage the hip flexors. This is acceptable and even quite functional as it is rare that spinal flexion will happen without some hip flexion in real life, so it may improve the functional benefit of the exercise to perform the full sit up. However, if you are using a weight plate, be advised that resistance to the target muscle groups is reduced as the plate travels closer to and above the hip joint. This shortcoming is eliminated if cables or elastics are used instead of or in conjunction with the weight.

Functionality and effectiveness can be increased by reaching out behind with the arms at the point of full extension and by pulling them in as the client comes up.

This exercise can be made easier by using less folds in the mat, less air in the DuraDisk or bringing the client further forward on the ball.

4) Bench Kneeling Cable Crunch: This is probably my favorite abdominal exercise. I see many people performing versions of this but very few get it right.

Start position requires you to kneel on a flat bench that has been pushed up in front of a Lat Pulldown machine or overhead pulley with a rope attachment. Tuck the toes over the end of the bench for grip, maintain a right angle at both hip and knee throughout the movement and have the spine in the position of full extension. Hold the rope in your hands and rest the forehead on the thumbs.

Select a weight that is heavy enough to support you comfortably in the start position. If it is too light, you will find yourself falling face first onto the bench. The exercise seems to be more effective if you are back from, rather than directly underneath, the pulley wheel. A 20kg disk placed between the bench and the machine will give the desired result.

While maintaining hip and knee angles, begin the movement by contracting the abdominals and flexing the spine. Imagine yourself curling around a pole directly under your abdomen. Return to the start position under strict control. (A tip here for greater effectiveness is to "suck in" the stomach hard during the eccentric phase – it seems to increase the workload on the abs.) Remember that the exercise is spinal flexion not hip flexion – keep the hip joint stationary!

Adding a twist (right elbow to left knee) into this movement (and the others described previously) gives a good functional variation.

5) Dumbell Bent Press: This is an exercise from the distant past of weight lifting and was a competitive lift way back in the 1800s. It may seem like a strange exercise to do for the abdominals – until the morning after the session and your obliques feel like they are on fire!

Hold a dumbell in one hand at the shoulder (same as a press), in the upright position, feet slightly wider than hip width. This is the start position. Perform the movement, not by pressing up the dumbell but by pushing and rotating the body away from it. Imagine that you are attempting to pick up a weight off the floor and between your feet with your free hand (which is in fact an exercise/lift known as "Two Hands Anyhow").

While keeping the dumbell at arms length, return to the upright position and then lower the dumbell to the shoulder to begin the next repetition.

A floor pulley system can be used to provide variety for this exercise.

Conclusion

Effective training of these muscles should be no different to the training philosophy applied to other muscle groups. The emphasis should be placed on avoiding homeostasis! That basically means that a muscle or muscle group will cease to respond favourably in strength, size or appearance if the necessity to adapt to the particular stress diminishes. Simply increasing the load or volume of work is rarely enough! The body will adapt to a "movement pattern" very quickly and become very efficient at performing it, even with increased loads.

Increased efficiency, while in some instances we desire it, in this case is not a desirable outcome. Efficiency means that we are using less effort to complete the exercise. It means there is less neurological recruitment of muscle fibres, and it basically means we are not going to reap the same benefits from the exercise as we were prior to the adaptation taking place. Remember the great improvements that you made as a beginner? These improvements were simply adaptation. Once adaptation took place, improvements diminished. Simply put, we must continually prevent our body from becoming too familiar with any one particular exercise. This factor alone may be the prime determining factor in "plateauing."

"IF NOTHING CHANGES, THEN NOTHING WILL CHANGE"

Chronic use of the same movement pattern, especially with "fixed path of resistance machines" will also induce a phenomenon known as pattern overload and slow down progress even quicker. These machines should be used sparingly.

In short, I am basically saying that it is more favourable to vary the exercises for any muscle group on a session-to-session basis rather than follow them religiously for extended periods of time.

References:

1) Pattern Overload Part 1 & Part 2 by Paul Chek. Personal Training on the Net. Online. September 2000.

2) Lou Barrie

Forwarded By,

Natalie Pyles

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WWW.MyFitnessElements.com

Why Core Training and Glute Activation Is A Must!

Why Core Training and Glute Activation Is A Must!

Simply defined, core stability or pillar strength is “the ability to create extremity movement without compensatory movement of the spine or pelvis.” In the broadest sense, it is “the ability to produce and transmit force from the ground without energy leaks at the hips, spine or scapulo-thoracic joints.” Energy leaks are defined as points at which energy is lost during the transfer of force from the ground. Energy leaks are a result of the inability of the body to stabilize a particular joint. Torso strength encompasses core, hip and shoulder stability and, most importantly, the ability to move force from the ground to the extremities while maintaining stability in the aforementioned areas.

Setting the Stage for Stability: Training the Deep Abdominal Muscles

As the study of the interrelationship of low back pain and the training of the abdominal muscles continues, it is obvious that the paradigms will continue to shift. One such shift is occurring currently. I have written and spoken extensively about the Australian methods of training the deep abdominal muscles. The work of Richardson, Hodges and Jull, through their landmark work Therapeutic Exercise for Spinal Segmental Stabilization in Low Back Pain, has significantly advanced our knowledge of core anatomy and muscle function. In actuality, that book and the research that preceded it have forever changed the way that training is performed. Interestingly enough, some practitioners in the field have rejected the Australian concepts for a broad range of reasons. The most notable and credible among these critics is Canadian Dr. Stuart McGill. McGill provides a sound biomechanical rationale for why “hollowing,” as he refers to the “draw-in” maneuver, will actually decrease stability. McGill advocates a technique he refers to as “bracing” in place of “hollowing” or “drawing in” (these terms are defined below). I understand Dr. McGill’s premise, but I still believe that learning to hollow or draw in is a necessary skill for our athletes to achieve.

Although I am not qualified to dispute Dr. McGill’s research, I have a point of theoretical disagreement. McGill’s research clearly shows that drawing in or hollowing can decrease base of support and stability of the spine. However, we are teaching drawing in as a neuromuscular awareness exercise, not as the primary vehicle for stability.

In addition, most of our athletes are the classic “Janda lower-crossed body” with an almost protruding abdominal wall and a significant lumbar lordosis. (Vladimir Janda was one of the pioneers of manual medicine in Europe. He introduced many of the concepts of muscle imbalance on which core training and functional training are now based.) In these athletes, I believe that drawing in simply brings the rectus into normal alignment from a position of concavity. In reality, the athlete is not hollowing but simply bringing the abdominal wall back to its intended position of stability. In other words, the goal is simply to bring the abdomen back to its normal anatomical position. The key here is that drawing in for a lordotic athlete would not decrease the base of support as McGill suggests.

In my opinion, performing draw-in exercises literally sets the table for all other stability exercises. We are teaching athletes to contract a muscle they may not be capable of contracting voluntarily. Athletes or clients unable to draw in will not be able to properly stabilize in any other movement pattern. In fact, I don’t believe an athlete who cannot draw in would be able to “brace” as effectively in a natural setting. In my opinion and experience, the purpose of the draw-in exercises is not really to be exercises in themselves but to allow clients to learn to properly set the core musculature in all activities.

Initially the draw-in concept is applied in quadruped or bridging exercises (both of which can be found in the PTontheNET.com Exercise & Flexibility Library). In my opinion, the draw in is the foundation on which all other stability exercise is built. Whether you choose to draw in or brace, the execution of quadruped or bridging exercises remains the same. The difference is not in how you do the exercises, but in how you choose to set the table. The end result remains the same.

The Science Behind Core Training

Torso strength could be a book in and of itself. The training of the torso, core or pillar, depending on your descriptive term of choice, is filled with controversy and confusion. Advocates of powerlifting or Olympic lifting seem to feel that most of the scientific advances made in the areas of medicine and physical therapy do not apply to strength sports. As with many points made by those who consistently lift weights with two feet on the ground, I respectfully disagree. I think our influences in the area of injury prevention should be the physical therapists who deal with injured athletes, not people from the sports of powerlifting or Olympic lifting.

It is very easy for those who never have to worry about athletes running or jumping to tell us how to train those who do. Unfortunately, when powerlifting or Olympic lifting coaches begin to move from strength and power development into performance enhancement, problems arise. In this instance, I believe you cannot deny science. Science tells us that the deep abdominal muscles (internal oblique, transverse abdominus and multifidus) play a key role in the stability of the lumbar spine. Many in the strength community disagree. I believe that disagreement is healthy, but I have seen far too many strength athletes with problems in the lumbo-pelvic hip complex (hip and low back) to think that exercises like squats provide enough stability training to the core.

I have come to believe that learning to stabilize either via a bracing maneuver as described by McGill (simultaneous use of the rectus abdominus and the deep abdominal musculature) or by executing a draw-in maneuver is key to being able to strength train and remain healthy. Many who have read my work might consider this a departure from my previous thoughts. In fact, it is only the continuation of my education. Six years ago, I did not have nearly the depth of understanding on the anatomy of the deep abdominal musculature as I do now. McGill’s work has continued to advance our knowledge of the workings of the abdominal musculature, and I must admit his evidence is compelling. Dr. McGill’s Low Back Disorders is the latest landmark work for any strength and conditioning professional. I think the disagreements between people like McGill and Hodges are primarily disagreements of semantics as they relate to strength training and not really of science. The Australian research in the area of drawing in is still applicable to athletes because, as I stated previously, most athletic bodies are lordotic.

As I have continued to read the work of physical therapist Shirley Sahrmann, I have also changed my ideas on the training of “local muscles” versus “global muscles.” In her book Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes, Sahrmann makes some interesting comments relative to core training as it relates to the larger muscles, like the external oblique and internal oblique. Sahrmann has isolated the essence of any exercise but, most importantly, core exercise. Sahrmann states: “Motion is restricted to the segment that is supposed to move.” Like McGill, Sahrmann relies heavily on EMG data to prescribe exercise, but her prescriptions run away from the norm. Sahrmann recommends a traditional abdominal curl-up as a segmental movement not directed primarily at the rectus but at the internal oblique.

In fact, Sahrmann states, “The primary disadvantage of improving the rectus abdominus is that the rectus cannot produce or prevent rotation, and shortness or stiffness contributes to thoracic kyphosis.” However, the data Sahrmann cites shows that the highest internal oblique activity is actually when a curl-up or segmental crunch is progressed into a full sit-up. Sahrmann makes clear distinctions as to how this should be performed with internal oblique focus and makes a wonderful case for including an “old school” exercise in the torso strength program. Sahrmann also cites the reverse crunch as a key external oblique exercise. This is a hips-to-shoulders flexion exercise that elicits high external oblique activity.

Glute Activation and Injury Prevention

To really understand core training, we need to look at the key compensation patterns that occur when someone attempts to train the core. As I often state in my work, substituting lumbar extension for hip extension is the major culprit in many of the problems that we see. This is one of the primary problems in lower back pain and may be one of the key areas we attempt to improve over the next few years. McGill uses the term “gluteal amnesia.” Mike Clark might call it a problem of reciprocal inhibition or synergistic dominance. Both are “Jandaists." Both McGill and Clark identify the same problem. The problem is, are the glutes weak because the psoas is tight, or is the psoas tight because the glutes are weak? It may be a classic interdependent, chicken and egg scenario. Either way, proper strengthening of the glutes will be the best cure. In fact, we may not even be strengthening but just re-educating the neuromuscular system. In reality, most early strength gains are more neural than contractile.

In order to do this, the athlete needs to be able to set the core and fire the glutes. Initially, this is best done in quadruped to eliminate hamstring contribution. Sahrmannn presents another series of thoughts in her book. She believes most anterior hip pain is also the result of poor glute function and the resultant synergistic dominance of the hamstrings. Sahrmann discusses the simple biomechanical explanation by citing the lower insertion point of the hamstrings on the femur. If the hamstrings are consistently called upon to be the primary hip extensor, the result will be anterior hip pain in addition to hamstring strains. The anterior hip pain is a result of the poor angle of pull of the hamstrings when used as a hip extensor.

The key to the future of torso or core training will be in combining all of the necessary movements without overemphasizing or underemphasizing a particular muscle or movement. If I look at my failings over the last five years, I would say that it would be in not training the larger global muscles. So much emphasis was placed on draw-in exercises and on stability that many of athletes could not perform sit-up or curl-up exercises. If I can make one clear statement of what I believe now about training, particularly as it applies to the core or pillar, it is "Glute activation or more importantly, lack of glute activation, may be the root of many of our evils."

As we look at more and more athletes, both injured and healthy, the inability to activate the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius stands out as the root cause of at least four major injuries:

1. Low back pain relates strongly to poor glute max activation. (Poor glute function will cause excessive lumbar compensation.)
2. Hamstring strains relate strongly to poor glute max activation. (Think about synergistic dominance.)
3. Anterior hip pain relates strongly to poor glute max activation. (This relates to the poor biomechanics of hamstrings as hip extensors.)
4. Anterior knee pain relates strongly to poor glute medius strength or activation.

Sahrmann makes one of her many lucid points: “When assessing the factors that contribute to an overuse syndrome, one of the rules is to determine whether one or more of the synergists of the strained muscle are also weak. When the synergist is weak, the muscle strain is probably the result of excessive demands.”

I call this looking on the roof. If you see water leaking into your house, you don’t simply try to plug the hole or paint over the water stain. You look for the source of the water. You look on the roof for the problem. The same applies to injuries. Don’t focus on pain site - focus on the pain source. In our case, the source keeps coming back to the glutes. In the bigger picture, coaches should look at every non-traumatic (non-contact) injury as having a root cause in either poor program design or weakness of synergists.

We perform glute activation at the beginning of every workout to develop better awareness of the function of the glutes and to hopefully “wake them up” so that they will be greater contributors to the workout.

This whole “glute activation” thing can become a problem as you will be asking your athletes or clients to continually touch their rear ends. In addition, you will be continually touching people’s rear ends. A word to the wise: In our litigious society, sexual harassment is a problem. Be careful and communicate clearly. We are treading in dangerous, but necessary, water.

One small problem: When does glute activation become resistance training versus core training? I must confess to being unsure at this point. There is a thin line between hip-dominant exercise and core training. The solution may be to do your core work (quadruped and bridging) on the days you are doing your hip-dominant lower-body exercises or perhaps to perform some type of hip-dominant exercise every day. Whatever your approach, let me be clear that I believe it is vital to perform glute activation prior to every workout.

Glute Activation Keys

* Perform glute activation as the first thing in your warm-up.
* Straight-leg mini-band or super band X walks are great for glute medius (posterior fibers) See Figure 1 below.
* For glute max, use either quadruped hip extension or Cook hip lift. See Figures 2 and 3 below.



Figure 1


Figure 2


Figure 3

X Band Walks


Quadruped Hip Extension


Cook Hip Lift

Glossary of Terms:

Drawing in - The action of bringing the rectus abdominus toward the spinal column. Ideally this is done by contracting the transverse abdominus and internal oblique muscles.

Hollowing - Another description of a drawing in action that assumes the action results in a decrease of waist diameter.

Bracing - The technique taught and favored by McGill that involves a simultaneous stabilization contraction of both the transverse abdominus and the rectus abdominus. In bracing, there is no attempt to decrease the diamter at the waist, only to activate the muscles.

References: Michael Boyle

Forwarded By, Natalie Pyles

Fitness & Nutritional Expert, Author, Speaker

Call Me For Your FREE Consultation Today! 1-800-681-9894 or e-mail fitnesselementsassociates@yahoo.com
WWW.MyFitnessElements.com

"Health & Fitness Before the Core" - Part 1

As the words "core" and "function" have taken center stage in the arenas of health, fitness and strength and conditioning. Many professionals are making the terms mutually exclusive. In other words, they are using both words to mean the same thing. Is core training and functional training one in the same? The answer is "no."

Core training and stabilization is agreed upon by most authors and researches to refer to the lumbo-pelvic complex and spinal stabilization. Functional training refers to training the body to optimally perform "real world" movements involving acceleration, deceleration and stabilization, using biomechanically efficient and coordinated movements.

The critical differentiation to make here is that a complete functional training progression must include core training and stabilization. However, core training and stabilization do not always equate to complete "functional training." In fact, many exercises that have been labeled as "core strengthening" exercises can contribute to perpetuating an individual's existing dysfunction.

By dysfunction, I am referring to existing muscular imbalances and altered sensory perception that create faulty movement patterns. It is often not the exercise that is at fault but rather the execution of the exercise by the individual. This can occur when an individual is placed in a position or positions that require static or dynamic stabilization utilizing the core musculature. During this stabilization, the strategy that their motor system uses may be biomechanically inappropriate. The individual in this case will resort to their unique position of strength. For example, the person in Figure 1 is keeping a neutral spine and eccentrically loading their abdominals to avoid excessive lumbar extension. Figure 2 depicts the same individual demonstrating a stabilization strategy for someone with weak lower abdominals and tight hip flexors. Notice how the individual in Figure 2 flexes through their middle thoracic back. They have sought to stabilize themselves using the superficial upper rectus abdominus, pecs and abducting their scapulae. The flexion in their thoracic spine is their strategy to indirectly minimize excessive lordosis in the lumbar spine in this position.



Figure 1


Figure 2
A movement strategy occurs high up the decision making process of planning a movement. According to Massion, strategy implies the existence of a choice in attaining the movement goal. Therefore there is some cognitive input by the individual and the response is not purely reflexive - happening below the cortical level.

A strategy is created when a movement synergy or synergies is repeated enough times that it is learned. A movement synergy is a coordinated pattern of muscle activity that produces force, reduces force or stabilizes against force.

The individual in Figure 2 will eventually become more stable on the ball using this kyphotic positioning. His balance will improve using this strategy but this balance will come at the expense of the biomechanics of his shoulder girdle. As he further trains his core in this manner without correction of the substitution patterns, he will develop what Kibler calls a sub-clinical adaptation complex. The adaptation is the use of a compensatory mechanism utilizing thoracic flexion for indirect lumbar stability. It is categorized as sub-clinical because there is no pathology present – yet. However, it is only a matter of time before this individual exhausts his body's ability to compensate and pathology will be present.

Why would someone use an inappropriate strategy when you, as a professional have clearly explained and demonstrated the desired outcome? Hanna refers to this as "Sensory Motor Amnesia." He describes this as a condition in which a person's ability to voluntarily contract or relax a muscle(s) is directly dependent on the degree to which a muscle can be sensed or felt. Therefore, our peripheral output (the way we move) is directly dependent on the quality of our proprioceptive input. Computer programmers have a saying for bad software: Garbage in equals garbage out. If the code (proprioceptive input) you place in your software isn't accurate, your program (your movement) will crash.

Another contributing factor to this thoracic flexion example is that tight muscles have a low irritability threshold. They will become active or overactive during instances when they are not the prime movers. Janda did a study in which subjects with lower back pain were given abdominal curl up exercises. EMG recordings of the lower back erectors showed that these lower back muscles actually fired prior to the abdominals at the initiation of the curl up. Does this imply that the subjects' lower back musculature contributed to lumbar flexion? Absolutely not. Instead it demonstrated the low irritability threshold of this muscle group. The individual who is represented by the example in Figure 2 would likely be tight through the muscles of the chest and anterior shoulder. With the upper extremities placed in a weight bearing position, these muscles immediately became the dominant stabilizers.

You may repeatedly tell your client to engage the abdominals and allow the thoracic spine to passively drop into extension and they can't. They might be able to do one or the other but not both. And they certainly can not do this on an unstable apparatus.

Prior to putting your client in the position of Figure 1, use a modification of the exercise (i.e., Prone Plank on Knees, Elbows on SB). This exercise reduces the overall demand on the body by shortening the body as a lever. In addition, the gravitational vector pulling the pelvis into an anterior tilt is lessened. With the elbows flexed on the ball the individual’s use of the biceps for stabilization is minimized. This improves their ability to extend the thoracic spine and reduce the tendency toward scapular abduction.

What happened in Figure 2 can in fact happen with any exercise or any movement. But because of the way the industry has gravitated toward core training, it is very important for health and fitness professionals to understand that that the application of an exercise categorized as addressing the “core” does not give one cart blanche to use it with anyone anywhere at anytime.

I am continually asked by professionals at my seminars about this stabilization exercise or that stabilization exercise. It is usually a "sexy" new exercise that they saw at a workshop or in a magazine. And my first question is: "For who?" And my second question is: "For what?"

Responding with a question is my attempt to have the individual realize the uniqueness of each and every one of his or her clients. And the only way to differentiate uniqueness is to assess. A simple postural screening can provide a wealth of information to begin the assessment process. This combined with extensive health history is an excellent starting point. Of course, what you do with the information gathered is what really counts.

In Part 2, I will expand on the need for using corrective exercises for all of your clients, regardless of their current level of musculoskeletal health.

References: Anthony Carey

Forwarded By, Natalie Pyles

Call Me For Your FREE Consultation Today! 1-800-681-9894 or e-mail fitnesselementsassociates@yahoo.com

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Health & Fitness Expert, Nutrition Expert, Wellness Coach, Author, Speaker

"Corrective Exercise Is Functional - Part 3"

This article is a continuation from Part 2....

Kinematic Redundancy

Kinematic redundancy is the ability of the kinetic chain to complete a movement task using numerous combinations of joint motions and levels of contribution from various muscles. This is evident even in a motion as repetitive as walking. If we were to evaluate sophisticated gait analysis data (ground reaction forces, EMG, joint angles and displacement), we would see that no two sequential strides are exactly alike. There are patterns and ranges within the data, but they will not be exactly alike. Interestingly, those ranges could involve desirable kinematics or undesirable kinematics. Just because a motion falls with a given kinematic range does not mean that it’s the range we want.

With kinematic redundancy, the more variables (i.e., joints) involved, the greater variability in the muscle activation pattern and greater variability of motion at the involved joints. A standing one arm cable row with lunge, for example, could produce different responses on each repetition at both ankles, knees, hips, lumbar spine, thoracic spine, scapulo thoracic joint, gleno-humeral joint, elbow joint, radio-ulnar joint, wrist and even the interphalangeal joints.

This presents a challenge for the fitness professional who assumes the client is engaging the appropriate muscle groups at the optimal time in the movement sequence with the optimal force contribution. In the one arm cable row, the goal would be to extend the ankle, knee and hip of the front leg prior to extending the lumbar spine. This allows the gluteus maximus to fire and contribute to force closure, along with the contralateral latissimus dorsi of the S.I. joint. The preferred firing sequence of the involved muscles produces the desired movement sequence.

If the lumbar spine extends prior to the hip, the desired stability from the gluteus maximus is late. Lumbar extension prior to hip extension increases lumbar stresses and places the lumbo-sacral region at greater risk of injury. If the fitness professional is not accurately assessing these motions during the exercise, the “functionality” of the exercise is questionable.

Another biomechanical consideration is that of limited motion in a link of the involved chain. Limitations in motion of one joint in the involved chain will transfer the responsibility to another joint, and motion will occur first in a more flexible joint. The body will produce motion at the more mobile segments in the chain first. For example, in our cable row, if the client is kyphotic, during the eccentric phase of the exercise, the thoracic spine will flex prior to the hips and lumbar spine. This decreases the mechanical line of pull of the thoracic extensors with tendinous attachments on the lumbar spine and thereby reduces their contribution to lumbar stability. It then increases stress on the passive soft tissue structures of the lumbar spine as the flexion moment is more concentrated in the lumbar spine because there is no flexion left to give in the thoracic spine.

A corrective exercise program that addresses these dysfunctions by improving thoracic extension and proprioceptive awareness of spine/hip motion can enhance the overall quality of the more integrated movement.

Myofascial Slings

The gluteus maximus is linked with the contralateral latissimus dorsi via the thoraco-dorsal fascia making up the Posterior Oblique System. The Posterior Oblique System is one of multiple myofascial slings present in the human body. Recent advancements in the understanding of force transmission through muscle, fascia bone, tendons and ligaments have shed new light on how the body maximizes mechanical efficiency through these slings. Thomas Myer’s book “Anatomy Trains” is an excellent resource on this topic.

A myofascial sling is formed when any of the previous mentioned structures (i.e., muscle, fascia, etc.) lie in series and parallel to one another. They are anatomically connected and functionally related. Myofascial slings can cross multiple joints and can be “active” during certain movements and “inactive” during other movements based on the relationships of the body parts during the given movement. They allow the body to store kinetic energy from ground reaction forces in motions like walking or the above cable row example when the trunk and arm are rotated in one direction and the contralateral hip and pelvis are rotated in the opposite direction. When they contract, they act as one continuous muscle. This provides the body with an enormous advantage for stability and force production. The Posterior Oblique System literally connects the hip and opposite shoulder. Other myofascial slings throughout the body will be active in the sagittal plane, frontal plane and transverse plane motions.

The structures that give myofascial slings a mechanical advantage may also contribute to disruption of normal movement patterns. Any dysfunction in one part of the sling will have an effect on the rest of the sling. For example, we often see clients with shoulder girdle issues that are directly related to hip issues on the opposite side of the body.

In our cable row, if the dysfunction in the posterior hip was not addressed prior to performing this exercise, the resulting muscle activation patterns would be much different at the shoulder girdle than expected. This would stress the lumbar spine as previously mentioned but would also increase stress on the entire upper extremity of the rowing arm due to poor ground reaction force transfer from the lack of contralateral hip stabilization.

Corrective Exercise Application

I use corrective exercises prior to introducing the cable row to promote the desired movement sequence and minimize an environment for compensation. The number one purpose behind using corrective exercises is to improve the quality of overall movement, not to isolate joint movement or a muscle or produce artificial movement. Cognitive processing is used to reinforce movement patterns by accessing another part of the brain during the execution of the exercise.

Corrective exercises create the road map for the body to follow on its route to producing improved movement patterns. The fundamental goals of the corrective exercise program to enhance movement are:

* Activate latent muscles
* Release hypertonic muscles
* Create proprioceptive awareness of enhanced segmental motion
* Improve postural alignment and the body’s center of gravity
* Improve osteokinematics and the path of the instantaneous center of rotation of the joints
* Functionally integrate the responses across multiple segments in the kinetic chain
* Create a baseline for improved movement strategies

This methodology of corrective exercise follows the well established motor learning approach of "segmentation." Segmentation consists of taking a complex movement and practicing it in small parts. The small parts are progressively linked together, producing the more complex skill. Segmentation is similar to Keel’s Gearshift Analogy. When learning to drive a stick shift, initially each of the individual actions are independent motor tasks. With practice, similar tasks are linked together, decreasing the overall number of tasks. Eventually, the process is automatized and becomes one independent motor task, allowing the driver to add other tasks involved with driving (i.e., turn signals, climate control, etc.)

When working with clients and athletes that have active symptoms or chronic injuries, corrective exercises allow the fitness professional to progress the client safely. Corrective exercises avoid end range loading of joints and exceeding tissue tolerance thresholds. Exercises are progressed as the client successfully meets the objectives within the exercise program. If a client is apprehensive, unable to perform an exercise or the exercise produces pain, the exercise can be changed with less chance of injury.

In a more comprehensive and loaded exercise from the FR, there is a much smaller “buffer” zone. If an unsafe exercise is mistakenly given, the risk of injury is much higher. If a client has been asked to do a transverse plane lunge with an ankle level reach and their lumbar facets didn’t cooperate, the damage would be done if the client could not control the acceleration of his body. You can’t “un-ring” the bell. If an unsafe corrective exercise is mistakenly given, the movements are slow enough and the ROM is controlled enough to allow the client to stop the exercise before any damage is done.

All exercise is about manipulating the environment to produce a desirable change in the client or athlete. Sometimes that requires going backwards to ultimately move forward. We cannot mistake being effective for being efficient. Corrective exercises are functional because they are part of the safest and most influential continuum for many clients and athletes.

We should be cautious in adopting a single thought process that is applied to all our clients and athletes all of the time. And we should be equally cautious not to discount the value of other thought processes being used by others. Because one will soon discover that the process that they have become dogmatic about, will not work for all of the people all of the time. The true craftsman always chooses the best tool for the job... not his favorite tool.

Corrective exercises should not be left out of the conversation on “function” just because at first glance they don’t look like an activity of daily living or an athletic movement. If the result of a corrective exercise sequence is transferable to improvements in activities of daily living or athletic movements, then there is a functional result. And a functional result is the ultimate goal.

References:

1. Babyar SR: Excessive scapular motion in individuals recovering from painful and stiff shoulders: causes and treatment strategies, Physical Therapy 76:226, 1996
2. Brooks, VB The Neural Basis of Motor Control. New York: Oxford University Press 1986
3. Edgerton, VR., Wolf, SL., Levendowski, DJ., Roy, RR. (1996). Theoretical basis for patterning EMG amplitudes to assess muscle dysfunction. Medical Science in Sports and Exercise 28: 744-51.
4. Hungerford B, Gilleard W, Hodges P 2003 Evidence of altered lumbopelvic muscle recruitment in the presence of sacroiliac joint pain. Spine 28(14):1593
5. Jeansonne, J, (2004). Motor skill learning looks beyond outcomes. Biomechanics Magazine Online. Retrieved June 2004.
6. Keele, S.W. Summers, JJ (1976). The structure of motor programs. In G.E. Stelmach (Ed.), Motor control: Issues and Trends (pp. 109-142). New York: Academic Process.
7. Lee, Diane (2001). An Integrated Model of Joint Function and Its Clinical Application. 4th Interdisciplinary World Congress on Low Back and Pelvic Pain. Montreal, Canada, 137-151.
8. Laskowski ER, Newcomer-Aney K, Smith J, (2000). Proprioception. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America. May;11(2):323-40, vi.
9. Magill, RA, (2001). Motor learning: Concepts and applications. New York. McGraw-Hill, 2001
10. McGill, Stuart (2002). Low Back Disorders: Evidence-Based Prevention and Rehabilitation. Champaign, IL. Human Kinetics.
11. Myers, T. (2001). Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual and Movement Therapists. New York, NY: Churchill Livingston.
12. O’Sullivan PB, Twomey LT, Allison GT. (1997). Evaluation of specific stabilizing exercise in the treatment of chronic low back pain with radiologic diagnosis of spondylolysis or spondylolisthesis. Spine;22:2959-67
13. Anthony Carey

Forwarded By, Natalie Pyles

Fitness & Nutritional Expert, Author, Speaker

Call me For Your FREE Cosultation & FREE Report Today! 1-800-681-9894 or visit WWW.MyFitnessElements.com

"Corrective Exercise Is Functional - Part 2"

This article is a continuation from Part 1....

Although working with clients in pain for the purpose of “treating” or “fixing” their pain is outside the scope of practice of the fitness professional, this does not mean that our clients do not have active symptoms. Many clients feel they have exhausted treatment options or have plateaued with their care. Managed care and capitation that has limited visits for physical therapy has created a new demographic seeking personal training. Add the aging baby boomer generation and the health history profile of many personal training clients is increasingly more complex. These individuals still want to be healthy, physically active, functional and productive. The appropriate training progressions can help them do that.

There is a critical point here I would like to emphasize. In my observations, many fitness professionals have adopted the "Far Right (FR)" philosophy, not recognizing the full complement of tools that a physical therapist or chiropractor - who also uses the FR philosophy - utilizes as part of their intervention. Aside from having a more in-depth education on joint mechanics, tissue tolerance, etc., physical therapists and chiropractors also apply joint mobilization, joint distraction, manual resistance and even orthotics to enhance what they will do with fully integrated, multiplanar exercises.

Following comprehensive assessments on their patients, these medical professionals will use these various other “tools” to prepare the patient’s body for fully integrated, multiplanar exercises. These tools are used to address dysfunctions at the local level to improve the global response. The fitness professional who applies exercise strategies from the FR philosophy without addressing the local segmental dysfunctions first provides the body an environment to perpetuate compensatory movement patterns.

The appropriate application of corrective exercise can produce benefits similar to many manual interventions. In fact, from a motor learning perspective, the benefits of corrective exercise can be even superior to manual intervention because the client can reproduce the benefits independently of the health professional. This allows for more frequent and proactive changes by the client that can not occur with manual interventions performed two or three times a week. This is assuming the fitness professional has the prerequisite knowledge of functional anatomy and application of specific corrective exercise.

A fitness professional who does not assess musculoskeletal function or who does not have a thorough understanding of the results of an assessment may incorrectly believe that getting an exercise done is the same as getting an exercise done right. Or that if an exercise does not produce immediate pain, it is not doing any harm. The reality is that cumulative mechanical stress from inappropriately applied functional exercises is the same as cumulative mechanical stress from any other activity.

Proprioceptive Flow Following Injury

The ligaments and joint capsules contain mechanoreceptors that provide feedback on joint position and acceleration. Certain mechanoreceptors also contain pain receptors. When a ligament or the joint capsule is injured, the amount and quality of proprioceptive information is reduced. During the healing process, scar tissue forms. The properties of scar tissue are not the same as the original ligament tissue. Therefore, proprioceptive information remains reduced, unless the injury was followed by a comprehensive rehabilitative process that challenged the local proprioceptive system.

Unless you are working with high level athletes, how many of your clients have gone through comprehensive proprioceptive training following an injury? Many people won’t even go to a doctor for a diagnosis following a sprain, never mind therapy.

Muscle spindles will adapt to injury as well. Edgerton et al. studied the muscle activation of spinal muscles during a variety of motor tasks in whiplash patients. Their research showed an under activity of agonists and over activity of synergist. They concluded that the nervous system can detect a reduced capacity to generate force from a specific muscle or muscle groups and compensate by recruiting more motor neurons. This compensation is achieved by recruiting more motor units from an uninjured area of the muscle or from other muscles capable of performing a similar task (synergist).

Babyar looked at a population that had experienced shoulder pain. As part of the patient’s compensation strategy, they elevated their scapula when the arm was raised. Patients were reevaluated after the shoulder pain was gone. Babyar observed that the scapular elevation continued even in the absence of pain.

Janda also describes muscles that have a low irritability threshold. These are posturally shortened and hypertonic muscles. These muscles will create a bias of the motor neuron pool and are prematurely active (or overactive) and exert inappropriate influence on selected movements.

Interestingly, joint range of motion (ROM) may return to pre-injury levels after the ligament or joint capsule heals. But ROM does not correlate directly with proprioceptive flow from the mechanoreceptors. Therefore, even if a previously injured joint has normal ROM, it may not be “feeding” the necessary proprioceptive information to the CNS during activity. Our internal feedback systems are based on the quality of the proprioceptive information we receive. Therefore, poor proprioceptive flow from the periphery will negatively affect the quality of the motor response based on that poor proprioceptive information.

For example, the client or athlete with a history of ankle sprains that were never rehabilitated properly will have poor proprioceptive flow from the damaged ligaments. The body will not sense the “stuck” talus that is inhibiting adequate dorsi flexion during midstance in gait. The body unconsciously figures out the best way to maintain equal stride lengths is by prematurely lifting the heel on the affected side during the stance phase. This creates biomechanical changes at the hip and lumbar spine.

Also associated with joint injuries are two muscular responses resulting from disruption of the joint integrity. Both are unconscious and neurologically based. One response is reflex spasming. This is a response to pain in which the muscles splint via co contraction around the joint to protect it by reducing movement and minimizing additional damage. Motion required at the protected joint must be transferred to joints proximal and distal to the protected joint.

An alternate response by the CNS is reflex inhibition. This is the complete opposite of spasms. As the result of the arthrogenic reflex, the muscles surrounding the joint become inhibited. This often follows distention of the joint due to effusion (swelling). Inhibition prevents the body from using that joint, thereby avoiding any potential additional harm. Biomechanical compensation is therefore necessary to compensate for the weak link.

An often overlooked example of this is the role a blocked sacroiliac (SI) joint has on the function of the ipsilateral gluteus maximus, internal oblique and multifidus. If the appropriate movement of the sacrum on the innominate does not occur, the activity of these three vital lumbo-pelvic stabilizers is delayed due to inhibition by the CNS. Force production is secondary to appropriate timing of muscle activation for joint stabilization. The role of the SI joint is critical in load transfer of forces from the ground to the upper body. Poor load transfer through the SI joint requires compensatory reactions at the knee, hip and lumbar spine, compromising optimal lumbo-pelvic stabilization.

Therefore, it is questionable if, for example, an anterior lunge with the trunk flexed forward can improve gluteus maximus function if the SI joint is blocked on the same side. According to Hungerford’s study, there is more likely to be an earlier onset and increase in activity of the biceps femoris, also a hip extensor. Clearing the SI joint with the appropriate corrective exercises prior to lunging will facilitate appropriate timing of gluteus maximus function in the lunge.

Stay tuned for the third and final part of this series... coming soon!

References:

1. Babyar SR: Excessive scapular motion in individuals recovering from painful and stiff shoulders: causes and treatment strategies, Physical Therapy 76:226, 1996
2. Brooks, VB The Neural Basis of Motor Control. New York: Oxford University Press 1986
3. Edgerton, VR., Wolf, SL., Levendowski, DJ., Roy, RR. (1996). Theoretical basis for patterning EMG amplitudes to assess muscle dysfunction. Medical Science in Sports and Exercise 28: 744-51.
4. Hungerford B, Gilleard W, Hodges P 2003 Evidence of altered lumbopelvic muscle recruitment in the presence of sacroiliac joint pain. Spine 28(14):1593
5. Jeansonne, J, (2004). Motor skill learning looks beyond outcomes. Biomechanics Magazine Online. Retrieved June 2004.
Keele, S.W. Summers, JJ (1976). The structure of motor programs. In G.E. Stelmach (Ed.), Motor control: Issues and Trends (pp. 109-142). New York: Academic Process.
6. Lee, Diane (2001). An Integrated Model of Joint Function and Its Clinical Application. 4th Interdisciplinary World Congress on Low Back and Pelvic Pain. Montreal, Canada, 137-151.
7. Laskowski ER, Newcomer-Aney K, Smith J, (2000). Proprioception. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America. May;11(2):323-40, vi.
8. Magill, RA, (2001). Motor learning: Concepts and applications. New York. McGraw-Hill, 2001
9. McGill, Stuart (2002). Low Back Disorders: Evidence-Based Prevention and Rehabilitation. Champaign, IL. Human Kinetics.
10. Myers, T. (2001). Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual and Movement Therapists. New York, NY: Churchill Livingston.
11. O’Sullivan PB, Twomey LT, Allison GT. (1997). Evaluation of specific stabilizing exercise in the treatment of chronic low back pain with radiologic diagnosis of spondylolysis or spondylolisthesis. Spine;22:2959-67

12. Anthony Carey

Forwarded By, Natalie Pyles

Fitnes & Nutritional Expert, Author, Speaker

Call me For Your FREE Cosultation & FREE Report Today! 1-800-681-9894 or visit WWW.MyFitnessElements.com