Your body is an adaptive organism that is always fighting to maintain what is called homeostasis, or middle ground. For example, if it is hot outside, you will begin to sweat to cool down. The inverse is also true that when it is cold, we begin to shiver to get warm. What research has also found is that brief and controlled exposure to extreme cold can help boost … [Read more...] about Cold exposure to heat up your metabolism
The Forgotten Art of Workout Timing
When I come across fitness magazine covers or overhear party conversations about working out, the primary focus is many times "which exercise is best for _____". Now this may sound a little crazy coming from someone who teaches movement for a living, but when programming for physiological change, the exercise or movement you choose may be the least important variable. Hear … [Read more...] about The Forgotten Art of Workout Timing
Protecting the Innocent : The Abuse of Young Baseball PitchersAs a father of two young boys, one of my absolute true joys in life is to watch them both play baseball. Fortunately both of them share this love for the game with me and play on pretty competitive travel teams. This has allowed me to see them be exposed to some great training and coaching, as well as … [Read more...] about
Preventing the Pull: Key Steps to Keeping Hamstrings Healthy
The thought of it makes every coach, parent and athlete cringe. A player is sprinting down the field and all of a sudden they slow up, grab the back of their leg and painfully limp to the sideline. The infamous pulled “hammy” has become all too common in sports, leaving athletes out of commission for weeks, if not months at a time.So why are so many athletes coming up lame … [Read more...] about Preventing the Pull: Key Steps to Keeping Hamstrings Healthy
Is the FMS worthless or is this just another case of only knowing enough to get you in trouble?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KDxeJVIc7iMI recently came across an article that got my Irish up by a trainer entitled "Is the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) worthless?". He used the video above from the Nike Football Training Camp as the basis for his argument on the FMS's usefulness in preventing injury. This guy basically said "look how … [Read more...] about Is the FMS worthless or is this just another case of only knowing enough to get you in trouble?
3 Tips to Avoid Dehydration and Cramping
This past weekend was unusually warm for this time of year in NJ and inevitably we saw a lot of athletes cramping up in the field. Here is 3 tips to keep in mind: 1-Once the event is going, it is really too late to hydrate. You should be drinking plenty of water the 24-48 hours leading up to the game for optimal hydration. 2-Research has shown a … [Read more...] about 3 Tips to Avoid Dehydration and Cramping
Why Does Everybody Hurt?
Did you know that low back pain is the 2nd leading cause for missed work in our country? Why??? There are lots of reasons, but I'll give you the top 3:1-Our modern society sits at desks and chairs all day, leading to all sorts of postural dysfunctions2-Most people are just bloody weak and have no core support or strength to divert forces out of their spine so they … [Read more...] about Why Does Everybody Hurt?
Ring the Alarm
Musculoskeletal pain is like the fire alarm in your house. It is your body's way of telling you that something is wrong. (Imbalance, weakness, tightness, etc.) Taking pills to try and "fix" low back, shoulder, hip, knee, and neck pain is like popping the battery out of a beeping fire alarm. The alarm may stop, but you didn't put out the fire. Many chronic … [Read more...] about Ring the Alarm
Could your neck pain come from poor breathing???
Yes! Healthy breathing involves the expansion of your lungs (which can almost double in size) and the contraction of your diaphragm. To make way for the air coming in, your diaphragm pushes down on your viscera (inner organs), which in turn pushes your stomach out, also known as "belly breathing". When we don't do this due to stress, etc., we kick in our accessory … [Read more...] about Could your neck pain come from poor breathing???
Expectations & Potential
Shortly after getting involved in training elite level athletes, I soon realized that my marker for training success was not whether my clients were the best at their sport, but rather if they were achieving their potential individually. What made me come to this realization was that many of the top big-name athletes that I have come across were actually under-achieving. … [Read more...] about Expectations & Potential
You Don’t Know Squat – Part II
Another training myth is that your choice of exercise determines the outcome. For example if you do a set of squats for 1-3 reps with a heavy barbell on your back you will get very strong, but it may not be the best formula for building muscle and you won't gain any endurance from it. However, if you cranked out 100 bodyweight squats you'll build great muscular … [Read more...] about You Don’t Know Squat – Part II
You Don’t Know Squat!
I had someone else tell me today that their doctor said they are forbidden from doing squats because it will destroy their knees. This is as uninformed of an old wives tale blanket statement as telling people that they will catch a cold if they go outside with wet hair. The squat is one of our most innate and fundamental movement patterns. There are cultures who … [Read more...] about You Don’t Know Squat!
A Quick Thought…
The athlete who makes the most plays on the field or court is not always the fastest, but the one who gives away his or her speed the least.If you and I run the same exact straight away time in a 40 yard or 100 meter sprint, but when you're trying to defend me in a game I am better at decelerating, rebounding my stride and controlling my center of gravity when we … [Read more...] about A Quick Thought…
Choose Your Tools Wisely
It's always amusing when someone asks our opinion about a specific exercise like "What do you think of Box Squats?" or "Do you believe in doing Upright Rows?"Exercises are simply tools. In the process of building your body, there are certain tools that are best served at certain times depending on the needs of the individual. To say one exercise is "good" or "bad" is … [Read more...] about Choose Your Tools Wisely
Get a Grip!
Whenever performing any lifting, always grasp the bar or implement with a strong full grip and squeeze hard. Your hands provide sensory feedback to your shoulder girdle, so a tight grip triggers your shoulders to brace. This greater stability puts your shoulder in a safer and more packed position which also allows you to produce more force. What about using … [Read more...] about Get a Grip!
How do you know if you have a good trainer or therapist???
Unfortunately there are a lot of sports medicine, fitness and strength & conditioning professionals who just do random crap with their clients and patients. They have no plan and so they just throw out whatever modalities, treatments, drills or exercises that come to mind at that moment. (Please note that we use "crap" as a clinical/industry term. We at ONE have … [Read more...] about How do you know if you have a good trainer or therapist???
The Thin Line between Tough and Stupid
Before we get started, I ask every new client how they know if a training session or workout was good. Do you know the 2 most common answers are???1-I sweat a lot and it was hard...2-I was real sore afterwardsFirst of all they are both wrong. Secondly, if that is your only expectation from your training, than why don't you come and shovel my driveway next time it … [Read more...] about The Thin Line between Tough and Stupid
Pack on the muscle mass with the “2-Shake Method”.
If you are looking to add more beef to your frame, in addition to busting your butt in the weight room and eating frequent healthy meals throughout the day, you can help your cause using what we call the "2-Shake Method", consuming two protein shakes each day. The first shake is your post-workout shake that should hit your lips before your sweat dri...es. It … [Read more...] about Pack on the muscle mass with the “2-Shake Method”.
A “Twisted” Injury Plague
So someone sent me this article talking about how many pro baseball players are going out with Oblique strain injuries:http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=txtheinjurybugMy guess us that many will pontificate on why these are all happening all of a sudden and there will be undoubtedly be endless mindless references to the "core". What many fail to realize is that the … [Read more...] about A “Twisted” Injury Plague
Need some Push???
According to world renowned strength expert Charles Poliquin, your Max Chin Up should equal only 87% of your Max Bench Press. So if you can do a chin up with an additional 25lbs. added on (belt or DB) and you weigh 175lbs., your Max Chin Up would be 200lbs. That means your Max Bench would ideally be 230lbs. If your Max Bench is less than 230, then you need to … [Read more...] about Need some Push???