Random Monday

1. I decided to get a website up and running for Feldman Peformance. It's in the works and can't wait for it to be done!

2. I see a lot of people who have been exercising for years on years. It amazes me how many of them are in love with a class at our gym called BodyPump (terrible class but I won't get started). I'd get some heat for saying that I'm sure if the wrong people read my blog but what I'm getting at is how they go through a class like BodyPump or life in general without knowing proper technique of a squat. Classes like BodyPump are a major contributor to why I hear endless people say squats hurt their knees or back. Within two minutes of working with these individuals on squat technique they learn to use their hips/glutes as the mover and magically they can squat pain free. Think how many times you squat to a chair or bend over to pick something during the day. Your lower back and knees will thank you after the squatting movement almost becomes second nature. There are numerous other things that need to be accessed and worked on to progress to proper squat depth for each individual but a book could be wrote on these issues.

3. I try not to write a lot of negative things but there are numerous other things that bother me not only at the gym I train at but I'm sure at just about every other gym in the world, here's a short list of things that get to me:

• Bent over rowing with a rounded back
• Endless benching without being able to complete a proper push up
• Thinking tricep extensions are going to get rid of the flab on the back of your arm
• Unstable surface training (we have whole classes with Bosu balls!)
• Devoting a whole day to "shoulders"
• Thinking running takes the place of squats and deadlifts
• Getting a sweat going means you had a good workout
• Leg presses
• People who train their tails off and don't take care of things outside the gym
• Looking for a reason you're tired other than the fact that you got 4 hours of sleep the last two nights
• Thinking of supplements as steroids
• Not seeing progress toward your goals and still doing the same thing day in and day out
• Using bumper plates to bench press
• Static stretching before training

I feel a whole lot better now!

4. What Your Doc Doesn't Know About Weightlifting

Stuff Worth Reading/Random Wednesday

1. Make It Simple. Making progress goes back to the basics.

2. Training Tips. Which ones do you do correctly or incorrectly?

3. A great question I had today:

Yesterday, I tried to figure out what my deal was with anything “lunge-like” and am thinking I feel like my knee/leg wants to twist in, like the inside of my leg is not as strong – is that fixable? I would appreciate any guidance, I want to conquer the lunge world.

With the lunge situation....remember how your groin (adductors) kept cramping up the first day? Your groin is tight and in turn overactive. This and having a tight pectineus muscle (the muscle in your glute that was causing you pain) makes your knee want to turn in. Simply put, working specifically on loosening up your groin and pectineus with foam rolling will help even out the force wanting to pull your knee inward. Strengthening your glutes (which are in charge keeping your knee turned out) will help greatly too. So yes it will get better in time.

4. Another great email:

I noticed something yesterday and thought I'd share with you.........there was definition in my arm that wasn't there a few months ago. So even though it sucks sometimes and I complain probably too much it's working and for that I thank you!!!

5. Don't tell a girl she needs to loose weight. I didn't, but had an situation this week where someone close to me was told she needed to loose weight. I don't know the whole story but that's the last thing a girl needs to hear.

Stationary Machines

A stationary machine is a machine that is one where your range of motion is set. Whether that be a Smith machine, Hammer strength machine, or your famous leg extension machine and all its evil friends such as hamstring curls or seated row. People like easy I guess. We will look at why they are a waste of time for the general population and just about everyone for that matter.

1. Range of Motion - How often do you perform a move where the range of motion is predetermined? Take picking up a bag of grocery's from the ground. You have to worry about keeping your balance in numerous planes of motion. In a Frontal, Sagittal, and Transverse plane. If you don't you'll likely end up falling over and loosing your balance. Now take a look at a squat using a Smith machine. You don't have to worry about keeping your balance in a Frontal or Transverse plane. Machines don't mimic everyday movements.

Along with this since your range of motion is predetermined, a lot more wear and tear can seen at a joint. It's like trying to fit the wrong key into a key hole. It just doesn't work all that well.

2. Stability - Machines are safer than free weights. I hear this all the time. But are they really? This goes along with number 1 but since your knee joint doesn't have to worry about adduction and abduction at that joint. This causes much less activity at that joint itself and almost lets that joint relax. Back to that example of picking up your grocery's. Without stabilization at that knee joint you are much more likely to become injured. There goes that saying about machines being safer than free weights.

3. Leg Extensions - Maybe the worse machine of them all. The starting point of a leg extension is at 90 degrees. When your knee is at this 90 degrees your four main protective knee ligaments (ACL, MCL, PCL, LCL) that keep your femur from displacing on your tibia are almost completely lax. Plain and simple these four ligaments can't do their job of stabilizing the knee joint. Not to good for that knee.

Ouch

4. Unilateral Movements - There are none. Well I guess you could use a leg extension with one leg but you're telling me you get more benefit from a one leg extension compared to a one leg squat or a good old lunge? Doubt it.

I've touched on this before but many people have tight hip flexors. We sit at desks all day and our hip flexors are in a shortened state. When one hip flexor ends up being less flexible than the other (which I see a lot of) this can lead to imbalances in legs. Whats the best way to address this? With unilateral movements.

5. Glute Activation - Ever wonder why a powerlifter has a huge backside? Because they perform movements such as deadlifts and squats. Your most powerful muscle should be your glutes and that's what is the main mover in a movement such as a deadlift or squat. The general population doesn't know how to activate their glutes. Without glute activiation problems such as knee and low back pain are more than likely going to happen in the future. You find a machine that will strengthen your backside as well as a good looking squat or deadlift and I'm all ears.

Wake Them Up People!!

There's a couple of a big things that need to be taken to mind before sitting down and performing a set of seated leg extensions. Or a leg press. If you like your health and the idea of performing movements that may benefit you while walking up a flight of stairs stick with anything but stationary machines. People like easy and easy isn't always better or safer.

Ten Ways To Help Alleive Low Back Pain

1. Improve Hip Mobility - If your hips are stiffer than your lower back, movement will occur at the lower back. Improve hip mobility and you'll be able to bend over without to much forward flexing at the lower back.

2. Improve Thoracic Mobility - Forward flexing and rotation shouldn't be made at the lower back. The more movement and mobility at the mid or thoracic vertebrae the less movement that will occur at the lower or lumbar vertebrae.

3. Strengthen Your Core - A strong core (glutes, abdominals, low back) will help stabilize the lower back and keep movement at the low back to a minimum. There are much better ways to strengthen your core than a crunch. Crunches can end up putting more stress on the lower back. Use planks, dead bugs, and roll outs to name a few.

4. Use Hips To Bend Over - In most cases bending over at the lower is not advised. Learn to use your hips to bend over. Stay in a neutral position at the lower back and the chance of lower back injury will greatly decrease. Some bending will occur from time to time but learn to use your legs as much as possible.

5. Stop Using Machines - Machines don't have much carryover into the real world and aren't "functional". When you use free weights you force your body to stabilize not only at the core but you also receive more activation from every other joint and area of the body. How often is your range of motion set, like when using a machine?

6. Stop Stretching Your Lower Back - And hamstrings for that matter. They may feel tight but look on the other side of your body. In most cases tight hip flexors pull the pelvis into anterior tilt forcing the low back and hamstrings to be under constant stretch or tension. It may feel good at the time to stretch these areas but when hip flexor flexibility improves you'll have lengthened musculature on the backside.

7. Improve Resting Posture - Or stop resting so much. The move movement the better. Make it a goal to never sit down longer then 20 minutes.

8. Lose Body Fat - Ever wonder why a pregnant ladies back always hurts? That weight they are carrying on the front side is making the low back work overtime to keep your body upright.

9. Change The Way You Sleep - Stop sleeping on your stomach. Sleep on your side or back.

10. Improve Glute Activation - Guess whats right below the low back? The glutes. I see terrible glute activation when people start training. The glutes are a very powerful thing and when they are learned to be used much less stress will be put on the low back and hamstrings. This will also help pull the pelvis out of anterior tilt along with many other problems that can occur down and up the chain.

Progress

Its been a while. But last week I did deadlift 405 lbs. for the first time in my life which is very exciting. I've been training for really about the last 6-7 years but I'm going to say only really training for about 8-9 months now. I've always loved to train and have really done it ever since I got started early in high school. I've learned more in the past 8-9 months as a trainer then I ever did in my previous training experiences. So really the first 5-6 years of my training almost made things worse for me as far as activation and technique goes.

I also have had shoulder and knee problems for the past 2-3 years and I've always thought it was because first off I was a collegiate baseball player and a catcher at that. Not to mention my pain was in my right shoulder and left knee, which thanks to reading on reading of Eric Cressey and Mike Robertson to name a couple have made me realize this is a very regular thing. Who would have very thought this pain could have diminished this much in the past couple months. Compensation patterns suck. I know baseball had was a factor but terrible programs design along with exercise technique did quite a bit to help in the pain I was having.
It's unbelievable how informed people are on things such as low back, knee, and shoulder pain. It was hard for me believe how far a these following things incorporated into a warm-up can do to improve pain:

1. Myofascial Release - A foam roller may be one of the best investments you can make.

Greatness

2. Activation Work - simply put you can complete a movement, but if you aren't stabilizing or activating the appropriate musculature you're more then likely going to run into problems down the road. Things from X-band walks, scapular push-ups, to glute bridges.

Scapular Wall Slides

3. Dynamic Warm-up - Yes I used to be that kid who did static stretch on static stretch to "get ready and warm" for my training session. Amazing what a little moving around can do.

4. Warm-up sets and reps - You need to get a "feel" of the movement on hand and who wants to throw 300 lbs on their back without a couple warm up sets?

5. Kettlebell Work - No I'm not saying kettlebells are going or should replace a good ole' deadlift by any means but they have helped me in activating that backside also know as the glutes. Not to mention they can be just plain fun.

Glute Activation = Good

6. Footwear - or no footwear. Nike Free may be one of the greatest things invented or just plain barefoot has helped greatly in deadlift and squatting technique and "feel"

Great Choice

Terrible Choice

Well there it is a little list of things that have helped me greatly in my quest to pain free shoulders and knees. I have seen great improvements from just incorporating an extra 10-15 minutes into my training sessions.