CategoriesNutrition

Should Personal Trainers Give Nutrition Advice?

Today’s post comes from current Cressey Performance intern, and competitive powerlifter, Pat Koch.

As someone who’s often giving nutrition advice myself – albeit in a very limited fashion – I think this is a very important and pertinent discussion to have considering the resounding alternatives that people have at their disposal.

Who should we listen to?  Who should we believe?  Who’s right?  Who’s wrong? What the hell is going to happen in Fringe this season? 

You see, I like to ask the important questions!

Nevertheless, I think everyone will enjoy this one.  See you tomorrow.

Within the last couple months, a battle has been waging.  This battle is of particular interest to those involved in the health and wellness industry, but for the most part has flown under the radar.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics formerly known as the American Dietetic Association has used aggressive tactics to deter a blogger from disseminating nutrition advice.

The blogger in question is a diabetic who used a paleo diet to help him get off meds and improve his quality of life.  He openly encouraged other diabetics to follow his lead.  The blog provided advice mostly free of charge, and built a decent web presence.  Ultimately he seemed to help a few people out.

After an uproar from his supporters, documents leaked from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics showing a plan to disenfranchise other nutrition providers, using state legislature.

It raises the question: Is the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics doing this for “the good of the people,” or are they trying to destroy competition for their business?

Certainly it is in their interest to make sure that registered dieticians are the gold standard of nutrition care.

I can certainly see why we don’t want any Joe Blow off the street giving diabetics nutrition advice, but do we need to make a crack down on other nutrition providers?

Physical therapists, chiropractors, personal trainers, MD’s, routinely give nutrition advice.  Should it be illegal?  Some of these professionals have no business talking Nutrition, and some of them have useful knowledge.

Note from TG:  on that tangent, it’s been said that medical students receive – at most – around two weeks of nutrition related course work during their tenure in school.  To me this is woefully deficient, and speaks volumes to the gap between who should be giving nutrition advice and who shouldn’t?.

On one hand you have someone who’s spent the better part of the past decade of their life studying the human body collecting a knowledge base that I can’t even begin to fathom. There’s a lot to be said for that and it should be commended and respected.

Yet, by that same token, I think we can all agree that two weeks of course work is peanuts and is by no means enough to cover one’s nutritional bases thoroughly.

I mean, we have some doctors out there spewing out nonsense like whole eggs are tantamount to smoking a cigarette (no joke!). I’m still waiting with bated breath the day where egg yolks are compared to ebola virus. 

Similarly, while there are undoubtedly thousands of reputable and well respected Registered Dietitians out there who “get it” and don’t coddle to the establishment, I’d be remiss to ignore that that number pales in comparison to those who are still spewing out nonsense like high(er) protein diets lead to renal damage or disease. 

On the other, you have those who, just because they read a book on how to make gluten free cupcakes (or have 10,000 posts on some random fitness forum) feel they have the nutritional fortitude to shell out advice to anyone and everyone with a computer screen.

Needless to say, there’s a lot of gray area here.

Personally, I feel completely comfortable discussing a bevy of nutritional topics with my athletes and clients.  I get questions all time relating to which supplements are worth taking, which are a waste of money, and which – if any (and there are a few) – are dangerous.

Too, I routinely answer many other inquiries ranging from what’s a good meal to eat after training and discussing with a young athlete the importance of getting enough protein in their diet to more geektastic topics like Intermittent Fasting and gluconeogenesis.

Thankfully I have a close network of diet and nutrition professionals whom I refer out to on a consistent basis.  I KNOW my scope of practice (I’m certainly not writing diets or diagnosing anything), and I would hope most personal trainers and coaches are doing the same.

That said, this is an interesting topic for sure.  For all the verbal fireworks that are abound, I think the answer does lie somewhere in the middle.

Okay, sorry for the slight rant.  Back to Pat!

Do consumers need to protect themselves from quack nutritionists?  Or should the government tell us who to listen to?

Certainly we don’t have to be reminded of the, “credible sources” that back in the day provided us with the recommendations for 6-11 servings of grains a day…

It would be a sad day when a doctor legally could not give nutrition advice but moments before entering the office, patients read magazines in the waiting room showing them how to “Lose Thirty LBS in 10 Days.”

What does everyone think?  Should personal trainers be allowed to give nutrition advice?  Is the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, “protecting the people,” or overstepping boundaries in order to stifle competition?

To read more about the situation read on HERE

Author’s Bio

“Pat Koch is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and Sports Nutritionist (CISSN) through the International Society of Sports Nutrition. After studying at Ithaca College, Pat obtained his undergraduate degree in Health Sciences with a concentration in Nutrition. Since then he has been working as a trainer specializing in Sports Performance.  Currently Pat interns at Cressey Performance, and has recently started competing in powerlifting.”

CategoriesUncategorized

Cold Case Files With Brian St. Pierre

Both Brian St. Pierre and I have been on an emailing tear this past week, going back and forth on a litany of nutritional topics, and I figured that since I really didn’t have anything flashy or important I wanted to discuss this fine Monday morning I’d give everyone a peek into a few of our e-conversations.

NOTE:  Oh, what’s that?  You don’t know who Brian St. Pierre is?

Well, long time readers of this blog will know exactly who he is. But for those who are a bit newer around these parts, Brian was actually Cressey Performance’s very first full-time intern, part-time employee, full-time employee, and subsequent first employee to leave.  Jerk!

Okay, in his defense he did get married to his lovely wife, Anna, and they ended up having a kid and buying a house up in Maine.  So he gets a mulligan for that one.

Since leaving, he’s gone on to make quite the name for himself getting his Masters in Human Nutrition and Dietetics as well as becoming a coach for Precision Nutrition.

Basically, he’s become one of the “go to” guys for no nonsense nutritional information, and it’s been awesome to see him grow as a professional.

And what’s more, he likes to quote Star Wars, so there’s that.

A few weekends ago we were both in attendance for a mutual friend’s wedding and we ended up sitting at a table discussing a few hot topics in the nutritional realm, which as it happened, spilled over into several back and forth emails last week.

Some of the discussions included:

1. Why type II diabetes can’t (or shouldn’t) be blamed solely on sugar intake. Instead, much of the data suggests that, as Brian notes, “you essentially get it from having too much bodyfat (specifically visceral fat) and/or inflammation (which sugar can contribute to, but is FAR from the definitive cause).”

2. Why is it that cholesterol always seemingly gets the bad rap in the mainstream media?  Sure, roughly 47-50% (0r somewhere in that range, I don’t have the actual number in fromt of me) of people who suffer from a heart attack have high cholesterol levels, and there may be something to look a little deeper into there.

Okay, but what about the other 50% who have a heart attack and have LOW cholesterol levels?  What then?  Huh

3. Why the New York Times bestselling book, Wheat Belly, according to Brian, is a poo-pooey book.

“Much like Taube’s insulin theory,” he noted, “William Davis’ starting premise is simply flawed.  There is certainly some credence to grains and wheat in particular being potentially problematic for some people, but his overall argument is poor.”

Here is a great scientific debunking of his book:

Click ME (<—-and have your world rocked.)

I love talking with Brian about these sort of topics because, unlike a lot of nutritionist out there on the interwebz, he has an uncanny ability to weed through the BS and not fall prey to any preconceived hype.

Needless to say, I really appreciate his candor and the fact that he has an open mind when it comes to many of the “hot topics” in the nutritional world.

Another prime example is a comment I received from a former distance coaching client of mine concerning eggs and oxidized cholesterol levels. Knowing I’m a huge egg fan, and that my preferred way to eat them is in omelet form (onion, bacon, broccoli, salsa, and bullets), he wanted to share a comment which Dr. Batshitcrazy Dr. Mercola wrote on his website about eggs, how you eat them, and oxidized cholesterol levels.

Dr. Mercola:  “Eggs are one of the richest sources of dietary cholesterol, so the way you cook them will influence the level of oxidized cholesterol in your blood. Oxidized cholesterol contributes to hardening of your arteries, which increases your risk of heart disease.

High heat will promote this oxidation. Since there is iron in the egg white, when it combines with the egg yolk that will also oxidize the cholesterol. Scrambled eggs or omelets are one of the least healthy ways to prepare eggs.

Surprisingly, the best way to prepare eggs is to not cook them at all and simply eat the whole egg — yolk and whites — raw. This is an advanced technique, so no need to rush on this one unless you feel especially motivated.

I realize the texture of raw eggs may not be very appealing. If you have strong objections to the texture of eggs, that can be easily modified by whipping them into a meringue or blending them in a protein smoothie. You won’t even notice they’re there!”

Don’t get me wrong, my client had my best interests in mind – and wholeheartedly appreciated his concern.  Still, something in the good Doc’s logic seemed amiss and my bullshit meter was essentially rearing back to round-house kick me in the face.

I decided to ask Brian his opinion.

Brian St. Pierre: “Your bullshit meter should go off.

There is currently no evidence that consumption of oxidized cholesterol leads to oxidized cholesterol in the blood.  Plus how much actually oxidizes is a function of time x air exposure.  A freshly made omelet or some scrambled eggs is little to worry about.

Having high blood levels of oxidized cholesterol is certainly unhealthy and an independent risk factor, however they are not one in the same.

Eating raw eggs is most certainly not the most effective method!  Raw eggs contain avidin, which binds to biotin, preventing its absorption.  Raw egg protein is not as well absorbed as cooked egg protein – the denaturing from the cooking actually improves its absorption.  Plus you are taking an unnecessary salmonella risk!”

I’ve always said that I don’t like to live my life in absolutes (only Siths live in absolutes!), and that keeping an open mind is always the  best approach.

I think it’s important to bring these controversial topics to the forefront every now and then if for nothing else to demonstrate to people that just because someone in the mainstream media says “carbs are evil,” or “eggs cause cancer,” or “unicorns poop diamonds,” that we DO NOT have to take their word as dogma.

What say you?  Do you have anything to offer in the conversation?  I’d love to hear your thoughts!

ADDENDUM:  Brian wanted to make a small clarification for any nitpickers that may be out there concerning the whole cholesterol and oxidation argument:

“There actually is some evidence that consuming oxidized cholesterol can lead to increased levels of oxidized cholesterol in the blood, but overall the research is underwhelming.  They heated the cholesterol for inordinate amounts of time where you are likely getting compounds that you won’t find in scrambled eggs cooked on medium heat.  There is even some evidence for specific methods of causing oxidized dietary cholesterol being less atherogenic in the blood.  All in all, it is much like the fructose data – in supraphysiological amounts it can be problematic, in regards to a normal food consumption pattern, it is not much to worry about.
How much actually oxidizes would be even more appropriately termed as heat x air exposure x time.”
CategoriesUncategorized

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: Squat Like a Baby?, Letter to Women, and CP Seminar Review

I don’t think I’ve ever said this before, but this week’s list of stuff to read is arguably the best one ever!  I don’t know if it’s because of pure coincidence, the planets aligned just right, the Red Sox signed Mike Napoli, or if it’s simply because people churned out some awesome content this week.

Whatever the case may be, it’s awesome.

First on the list is an EPIC post by my buddy, Nick Tumminello, on what it really means when someone says “everyone should be able to squat like a baby.”

Saying something like that just sounds asinine, and doesn’t make any sense, right?  Sorta like saying, “everyone should be able to fart cinnamon.”

Comparing the anatomy of an adult to that of an infant is just dumb. But in typical Nick fashion he’s a bit more articulate than myself, and explains why this is a faulty belief to carry in your back pocket whether you’re a coach or general fitness enthusiast.

Squat Like a Baby: 7 Reasons This is a Ridiculous Myth – Nick Tumminello

I couldn’t agree more, and while I’ve used the whole “squat like a baby” analogy in the past (more so as a counterpoint to the whole “squatting deep is dangerous” argument), Nick does a bang-up job in debunking this common myth.

As an aside:  I’m currently working on my next T-Nation article which digs into this topic as well, titled Does Everyone Need to Squat (Deep)?

SPOILER ALERT:  No.

Letter to a Client or Why I Don’t Believe in Barre Classes – Emily Giza Socolinsky

If nothing else this post serves as an AMAZING message to women on why they should ditch the pink dumbbells and incorporate more strength training into their repertoire.

From Emily herself:

I believe, as many other women who strength train believe and who are in my field, that women need more than what a barre class offers. Women do not need special classes like barre because they are women and they should “train this way because this is how a woman should train.

Doing tiny little pulses until your thighs burn does nothing but make your thighs burn. So what? As my husband said, “My butt would burn too if you made me squeeze it 100 times. But it won’t help me develop a strong butt.”  You will not build a strong body unless you stress the body ie. lift weights that are more than 5 pounds. No one is telling you that you need to lift 200 lbs (although this is damn impressive and shows true strength and domination.) But 5lbs? Come on.”

And really, that’s just a taste. Emily pours her heart out in this post, and it behooves all of you to take five minutes to read it.  Especially YOU, ladies!!!!!

1st Annual Cressey Performance Fall Seminar Review, Part 1 – Guys From Show-Me-Strength

Given I’m an epic ball of fail for never writing up my own summary on the seminar from a few weeks ago (It was awesome – how’s that????), I breathed a sigh of relief when both Matt Kramer and Chad Rodgers (both of whom train at CP) posted this up on their site yesterday detailing some of the highlights.

CategoriesUncategorized

Talking Shop On The FitCast

Kevin Larrabee reached out to me yesterday and asked if I’d be willing to hop on Skype early this morning (8 freaking 30 thank you very much) and talk a little shop on The FitCast.

Luckily I’m an early riser so I had plenty of time to mentally prepare myself, try to be “on my game,” and more importantly, put some pants on.

It’s a short talk – like 40-45 minutes – and we delve into a few topics that I think many of you would be interested in: like my current deadlift programming, the importance of hip stability, how to coach the hip hinge, some new things we’re doing at Cressey Performance with our clients, and there may or may not be some geek talk on The Hobbit.

HINT:  there totally is.

Anyways, if you have some time to spare, and you’re boss isn’t around, you can check out the episode HERE.

 

 

 

CategoriesProduct Review

Gift Ideas For the Fitness Fanatic

Tis the season!

Well, I guess technically the season started a while ago having witnessed the first Christmas themed commercial a few days before Halloween, and thinking to myself, “wow, really?????  This early???”

But alas, like most people, now that we’re well past Thanksgiving and Christmas (or whatever respective holiday you choose to celebrate: Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, He-Man’s b-day) is right around the corner, it’s time to put our game faces on.

As is customary in my family, when everyone’s home for Thanksgiving my mom literally forces us to sit down and make our respective list of gift ideas. In no certain order mine consisted of:

  • World Peace.
  • For Nickleback to never release another album ever again.
  • For my upstairs neighbors to NOT decide that 2AM seems like as good as time as any to reorganize their apartment and move around their furniture.
  • Socks.
  • Red Ryder BB Gun.
  • The Batmobile.

You know, nothing fancy.

In reality, however, my list generally consists of books I want to check out, some DVDs, maybe a few dress shirts, and definitely not socks.

Not everyone is as easy to shop for as me, though.

*cough cough, X-Box, cough cough*

But given this is a fitness site and you’re presumably reading it because you (and those close to you) dig lifting heavy stuff (or making fun of Tracy Anderson), what’s better than to give the gift of fitness, health, and well-being?

Okay, a movie quality Chewbacca mask is right up there too, but that goes without saying.

With that said, the following are some fitness themed gift ideas for the fitness minded individual in your life.  Some are things that I’ve recommended before, but there are a fair number of new ideas as well.

I hope this helps.  And if it doesn’t, you can always go the underwear route.  But that’s kinda lame.

1.  TRX Suspension Trainer 

This is one of those repeat gift ideas, but I find that this is perfect for those who want to get in shape (or do something) yet either don’t have time for the gym or just don’t want to deal with the hassle of dealing with pushy salesmen, shady trainers, crowds, lots of grunting and groaning, and people who wear way too much cologne.

In other words:  everything about a commercial gym.

The TRX is a very versatile piece of equipment that can be used at home or even as a nice alternative to those who do a lot of travelling and can’t always hit the gym.

For those looking to save a little money, however, I also recommend that Jungle Gym.

2. Heart Rate Monitor

Stealing a quote from Joel Jamieson, who’s really brought the whole concept of heart rate variability to the forefront in recent times:

A high quality heart rate monitor will help you get the most out of your conditioning work because it can help keep your heart rate in the right training ranges while also providing invaluable feedback so you can determine if your program is working the way it should be or not. Without this sort of objective feedback and information, a lot of your training becomes nothing more than guesswork.

Where I find the most value in using a heart rate monitor is managing your rest intervals during circuit training.

Using predetermined work:rest ratios is fine – and a great starting point for most individuals – but may be detrimental for some in that it can be either too aggressive or not enough.

With regards to the former point, some people take longer to recover when performing high intensity training.  An effective approach is to let your heart rate return to 130-140bpm before repeating an interval. This helps make sure you’ve recovered enough and are ready to push yourself to the max.

Conversely, some people recover faster than others, and if this is the case, you’re doing yourself a major disservice if you stick to preordained work:rest ratios.

Using a heart monitor takes the guess work out and allows people the luxury of optimizing their training.

I actually got one for Lisa for her Birthday not too long ago and she loves it!

NOTE:  I’m indifferent as far as which one to use:  the one that wraps around your chest, or the one that wraps around your forearm/wrist.  I guess it just comes down ti personal preference.  I don’t know if one is more effective than the other.  Maybe someone else can chime in?

3.  150 Healthiest Foods on Earth

Speaking of Lisa, I bought this book for her three Christmases ago, and it’s arguably still the best present I’ve ever got her.

To this day it’s not uncommon for either of us to reference the book for new food ideas or to serve as a refresher as to why grass fed beef is a better option or what it is about curcumin that makes it so healthy.

In all honestly, the entire book is chock full of nutritional information.

Likewise, I believe she and I have given this book as a gift for family members or friends no less than five times, and it’s always been a huge hit.

4. REPboards

So you’re at the gym and your program calls for board presses.  It’s already a pain in the ass enough to ask some random person to offer a handoff (which is an art in of itself), let alone to ask yet another person to come along and hold the boards in place.

If you train at a powerlifting gym it’s one thing – it’s part of the regular rigmarole and scheme of things to spot one another and to be “board bitch” on occasion.

At a commercial gym, though, things can get dicey.

Sure you can use your own boards and place them underneath your shirt and hope they stay in place, or you can even use a mini-band and wrap that around them, but nothing is guaranteed and it’s often a cumbersome cluster****.

A few weeks ago I was sent a complimentary set of REPboards to try out, and gave them a go.

They’re a handy little tool that takes all the cumbersomeness (is that a word????) out of the picture and allows one to utilize 1,2,3, and 4 board presses without all the fanfare.

Personally I don’t have a lot of need for them given where I train, but for those who don’t have the luxury of a training crew, these are a great alternative.

5. The Dark Knight Rises

Granted this has absolutely nothing to do with fitness, but it’s Batman, and Batman is awesome.

Actually Tom Hardy (who plays Bane) is pretty diesel in this movie, and Anne Hathaway (who plays Catwoman) is pretty flexible and stuff (and kicks several people in the face), so it does have a slightly fitness feel to it.

What’s more important is that your boyfriend already has the first two movies in the trilogy (Batman Begins and The Dark Knight) in his DVD collection, so you might as well do him a favor and complete the collection.

DO IT!!!!!!

6. Show and Go

Written by my good friend (and business partner, Eric Cressey), Show and Go is a comprehensive FOUR-MONTH training program that’s about as close as you can get to training at Cressey Performance without actually stepping through the doors.

Rather than wasting $597 (or however much it costs to buy “x” number of sessions with your local schmocal personal trainer), why not spend infinitely less and actually get your loved one a program that will actually yield results?

Note:  Show and Go is definitely geared towards the more intermediate/advanced trainee, so I wouldn’t look into this product for someone who doesn’t have a lot of experience under the bar.  In that case, hiring a personal trainer – if that’s the avenue you were going to take anyways – to show them the ropes would be the right path to take.

7. Post Rehab Essentials

For the more nerdtastic fitness enthusiasts in your life (those who want to geek out on anatomy, assessment, corrective exercise, programming, Dean Somserset’s sultry voice), I can’t recommend this one enough.

I really feel this is a “must-have” product that any coach or trainer should have in their fitness library – especially if they’re someone who works with a lot of banged up clients (which basically means everyone).

In fact I used many of the tests and exercises Dean discusses as part of my own rehab a few months ago when I was dealing with some lower back funkiness.

Dean talked me through a few months of programming and I was back to tip top shape in no time flat.

8. New Rules of Lifting (Series)

I’ve mentioned this in the past, but I can’t thank Lou Schuler, Alwyn Cosgrove, and by extension, Cassandra Forsythe (who helped pen the female version) enough for writing these books, as they have saved my fingers from doing a lot of typing.

In a time where people are inundated with an avalanche of information when it comes to fitness, and seemingly more confused than ever, this series is the one that I ALWAYS divert people towards for information that they NEED to hear as well as to help set them on the right path towards success.

The New Rules of Lifting

The New  Rules of Lifting for Women

The New Rules of Lifting for Abs

The New Rules of Lifting for Life

And that’s about it.  I know I could probably list a few more books, gadgets (and movies), but I know people are probably stressed tot he gills and don’t need more lists to read or check off.  Hope I was able to help somewhat.

Happy shopping/Don’t kill anyone.

 

CategoriesCorrective Exercise Rehab/Prehab

Why Are We Breathing Inefficiently (and What Are the Ramifications)?

Last week I wrote a quick synopsis of a staff in-service we participated in that consisted of  Michael Mullin stopping by for a few hours and proceeding to melt our faces off with the number of knowledge bombs he dropped regarding some of the “inner workings” behind the PRI (Postural Restoration Institute) philosophy.

For those who missed it, you can check it out HERE (< — click me, don’t be shy).

In a nutshell (if that’s even possible to do):  we breath like poop.

I’m more of an analogy guy, so using one that most people reading can appreciate:  if our breathing patterns are like the worst karaoke singer we’ve ever heard, we’d sound like a whale passing a kidney stone.

Yeah, not pretty.

As a corollary to the above post I linked to, current Cressey Performance intern/coach (and resident break-dancing/ Gangham style guru), Miguel Aragoncillo, wrote a quick follow-up that I felt many of you would enjoy.

Why Are We Breathing Inefficiently?

Everyone is breathing incorrectly. We are all stuck, we are all patterned. The real question is… Do you want to get out of the pattern?

Take the blue pill, the story ends, you wake up in your bed, and believe what you want to (and still breath like an asthmatic Darth Vader).

Take the red pull, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you just how deep the rabbit hole goes.

The stance that the Postural Restoration Institute takes (pun intended) is that yes, we have two arms, two legs, two eyes, two ears, etc. To elaborate on the PRI aspects of Tony’s blogpost, we have one heart on the left/central part of our body, liver on the right, along with different diaphragmatic discrepancies such as more crural attachments on the lumbar spine, right versus left lung control, and lung structure.

With this anatomy refresher, you have to wonder: how does this affect our ability to use our diaphragm effectively?

To break down how the body compensates, here are a few factors that are involved in the PRI philosophy:

1. Posture

What is your posture like? If you are constantly standing or moving around (or coaching), you are subjecting ourselves to being in a more extended position.  Comparing by contrast, if you’re a desk jockey – a phone pressed to your ear, a keyboard to crouch over and work on, and more often than not, a not so comfortable chair that you plop yourself into everyday – you’re most likely a walking (or more appropriately, a sitting) ball of flexion.

Whether you are extended or flexed for the majority of your day, it is safe to say that the posture you assume for most of your day will definitely affect you in the long term.

2. Patterns

After attending a 2-day PRI seminar at Endeavor Fitness, my brain was mush on the ride home. So to spare your face from getting melted like Tony from our most recent in-service, understand that there are different patterns that we can be classified into, along with the breakdown of what exercise we should use to not only inhibit these patterns, but also “encourage” us into a better working posture.

Further, if you’re an athlete that has extreme unilateral demands (ie: baseball), it’s pretty much guaranteed that you’re an ideal candidate for PRI’s corrective exercises.

Personally, as a breakdancer, I’m full of dysfunction and asymmetry – rotating in one direction along with favored limbs for other dance movements falls neatly within the PRI philosophy.

During the PRI Seminar, I had many “A-ha!” moments as to why I move the way I do, along with why I favor one side versus the other during years of dancing.

Now take a look at any sport – baseball exhibits handedness (right-handed vs. left-handed pitcher), soccer shows favor for a dominant leg, and swimmers favor one side over the other to rotate towards their flip turns.

The constant demands of a chosen sport, coupled with your structural posture (thanks to the above reasons) will more often than not “feed into your dysfunction,” which in turn can often exacerbate common injuries seen in specific sports.

These dysfunctions alter how we breathe and how we respond to certain exercises or stretches.

3. Positioning

When we got into the practical portion of our in-service at CP, we were asked to get into some rather crazy positions, even blowing up a balloon. However, by getting into an ideal position, we are more readily able to get ourselves out of this pattern. So do not fear – most of us are able to get out of this pattern, much like Neo did in The Matrix. 

WARNING – I’m going to geek out a bit…

 “The activation/setting of the abdominals pulls the lower ribs down and in (caudad and posterior) and helps to inhibit/relax the paraspinals muscles (trunk extensors) which may help to decrease the patient/athlete’s lumbar lordosis and pain in the paraspinal region through reciprocal inhibition.”-1

(Side note: After performing these exercises, a few mentioned that they felt immediate results – loss of tension in their back, or even getting rid of back pain upon movement after being “repositioned”. Some pretty magical stuff.

On another aside: I asked Michael Mullin to walk me through some of the advanced tests, as I had only experienced the lower half of the assessments. After breathing into a few positions, I had seen immediate results with my shoulder issues. Craziness – I know.)

Putting It All Together

So putting the pieces of this puzzle together shows that a large majority of us may fall into a few of these categories from the get-go. What can we do now? Luckily for us, PRI gave us a few corrective exercises that they use often enough for the unlucky few that are still caught up in “The Pattern.”

Sounds like a Stephen King novel, I know, but bear with me.

One question that’s often been asked: where can we fit more exercises into an already jam packed session of foam rolling, mobilizations, and strength exercises?

The few things I’ve been experimenting with on my own along with coaching at CP are using these correctives after foam rolling, and before a dynamic warm-up, and also between sets of heavy compound lifts.

Note from TG:  For those who feel it a bit strange to use a balloon, you can also use a standard straw for this exercise.  Just be sure that when you inhale, you do so through the nose (which means you’ll have to block/pinch the tip of the straw in with your tongue against the roof of your mouth).

And for those who feel it’s a bit weird or “funky” to do this exercise in your gym, it’s no stranger than the moron who’s performing one-legged squats on an inverted BOSU ball while curling pink dumbbells.

Further, we have even gone on to emphasize with our athletes the importance of fixing our posture when we are standing during games, during our travels, and even at rest – sleeping and sitting. If your commute to work is long, making a conscious effort at shifting your posture can go a long way towards reducing overall symptoms.

What can we expect after appreciating these factors?

Whether you call it diaphragmatic breathing or the zone of apposition, we need to be mindful of how we position ourselves not only during exercise, but during our “resting” posture, and most importantly during our respiration.

With these things under our belt (or diaphragm!), I recommend watching the diaphragmatic video one more time to “see” how the above factors can affect our ultimate goal of performance and getting out of The Pattern.

Author’s Bio

Miguel Aragoncillo, CSCS, graduated from Temple University with a B.S. in Kinesiology. His focus as a trainer is getting people to move better and lift heavy things. Miguel is currently interning at Cressey Performance, and openly enjoys Techno Tuesdays, breakdancing, and powerlifting. Check out his writing at www.miguelaragoncillo.wordpress.com and follow him on Twitter @MAragoncillo1.

References:

-1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2971640/ – The value of blowing up a balloon