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Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 8/10/2011

First off, I want to thank everyone for the kind words and for supporting the initial launch of Muscle Imbalances Revealed – Upper Body yesterday.  In reality, however, all the kudos should go towards Rick Kaselj who’s the mastermind behind it all – the man behind the curtain if you will.   So far, feedback has been great and Rick has gone out of his way to provide people with a bunch of awesome bonuses during the initial launch.

For instance, those who purchased yesterday received a presentation that Rick did on “Advance Training Concepts in Exercise Rehabilitation of the Rotator Cuff.”  Likewise, for those who purchase Muscle Imbalances Revealed – Upper Body today, you’ll receive information on a VIP Coaching Call where you’ll have the opportunity to call in and take part in a Q&A session with all the contributors.  And, who knows:  maybe I’ll sweeten the deal and offer to bust out my rendition of R. Kelly’s “Ignition” for the hell of it.  Parts I AND II.

Rick, if you’re reading, that needs to happen!

And that’s that.  Oh, and before I forget, be sure to check back tomorrow because both myself and fellow contributor (and current newlywed), Dean Somerset, will be running a cross-interview we did with one another discussing everything from MIRU to my affinity for Star Wars references.  It’s pretty awesome.  The interview, I mean.

Anyhoo, here’s some stuff to read:

3 Deadlifting Tips You May Have Never Heard Before – Brendon Rearick

Admittedly, I’ve touched on the whole “packing the neck” thing in previous posts and articles, but Brendon brings to light two other concepts that I had never thought of before, which I felt were VERY cool.

And speaking of deadlifts – and not to overshadow Brendon’s article or anything – here’s a video of me pulling 505 lbs for eight reps yesterday.

Tank wasn’t impressed, it seems.  Jerk!

5 Ways the Nutrition Field Hinders Its Own Progress – Andy Bellatti, RD

All in all a fantastic, real, look into some of the more common ways the industry trips over its own feet.  The best part, though, was the last few paragraphs where Andy kinda-sorta calls out the ADA – the same organization he’s affiliated with.  Nevertheless, it’s nice to know that there are some independent thinkers out there who aren’t ADA zombies.

Teach Your Female Personal Training Clients to Train Like Men – Neghar Fonooni

I’ve never met Neghar in person (pictured above), but I’ve read enough of her stuff to know that I’d definitely include her on my list of “Badass Females Whom I’d Like to Give a High Five.”

In my ten years experience as a fitness professional, I have encountered a handful of intrinsically motivated females. There are some who train purposefully, fearlessly and intentionally. Most, however, have required some convincing, and it is through the power of persuasion that I have had the unique pleasure of watching countless women experience a paradigm shift.

And that, in a nutshell, is what Neghar is all about.  And I can dig that.

 

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Muscle Imbalances Revealed – Upper Body

Okay, here’s the deal:  there’s no point in sugar coating things.  This is my first product.  Like ever.

<====== Yeah, That One

People have been asking me for some time now when I was going to get off my duff and produce my own fitness product.  Truth be told, it’s only been within the past year or two that I’ve felt “ready” and comfortable enough to take the plunge and jump in headfirst.

To give a little backstory – I entered this industry back in 2002 (before iPads!!!) simply working as a personal trainer at various gyms, trying my best not to suck.  Along the way, I came to the conclusion that I had a few things to say and because I could differentiate between they’re/their/and there (and that I had a knack for combining fitness with self deprecating humor) – logically, this meant that I should start writing articles!

Fast forward to today:  I’m one of the featured authors on t-nation.com, as well as Livestrong.com.  I’ve appeared in Men’s Health Magazine numerous times, and I also happen to be the co-owner of a pretty sweet training facility (Cressey Performance, located just outside of Boston, MA).  The logical progression, seemingly, has always been to develop a fitness information product, right?

Well kinda.

Truth be told, if or when I decided I was going to do a product, I didn’t want to do it for the sake of just doing it.  I wanted my “first time” to be right.   I wanted it to mean something.  You know, I wanted it to be special.  Something I’d never forget.  So, I did what any warm-blooded strength coach would do:  I splashed on some Old Spice, lit some candles, busted out a little Boyz II Men, and……….oh, wait a minute.  My bad.  Wrong first time!

Actually, to be completely honest, I’ve seen lots of money hungry people come blazing into this industry, eager to produce their first DVD or write their first E-book only to fall flat on their face because, well, their product ended up being complete garbage.

I didn’t want to be that guy. So I waited…

I waited and actually coached people for the past nine years.  I waited and wrote articles.  I waited and built a blog that started with ten readers (on a good day) to now attracting upwards of 2,000+ per day.  Call me crazy, but I waited to actually get good at what I do before I even thought about putting my name on a product.

So, of course, when Rick Kaselj asked me if I’d be interested in contributing to Muscle Imbalances Revealed – Upper Body, along with Dean Somerset and Dr. Jeff Cubos, it seemed like a slam dunk, and I jumped at the opportunity.

“Perfect,” I thought to myself.  What better way to get my feet wet than to collaborate on the sequel to an already highly successful product (Muscle Imbalances Revealed – Lower Body) with a handful of VERY smart guys, whom I HIGHLY respect?

Now, I know what some of you may be thinking:  sequels, for the most part, bite the big one.  And, 99.99% of the time, you’d be absolutely correct.  But, I assure you this isn’t Speed 2: Cruise Control we’re talking about here.

Hell no!  We’re talkin more along the lines of The Godfather Part II territory.  A sequel that, much like the original, definitely holds its own.

To that end, rather than rant and rave about the product itself, by now, you’re probably wondering what’s included in Muscles Imbalances Revealed – Upper Body.  Well, a lot, actually:

8 Killer Presentations

***sneak peaks below

1.  Corrective Exercise Strategies for Overhead Athletes (and Meatheads, Too) – Tony Gentilcore


 

2.  Avoiding Common Programming Bloops and Blunders – Tony Gentilcore

3.  Myofascial Training for the Upper Body – Dean Somerset


 

4.  Advanced Core Training and Conditioning – Dean Somerset

5.  Linking Breathing with Rehab, Training, and Performance – Dr. Jeff Cubos

6.  Picking the Right Soft Tissue Tool for the Problem – Dr. Jeff Cubos

7.  Unraveling Muscle Imbalances in the Shoulder – Rick Kaselj

8.  Neck Exercises for Prevention, Rehabilitation and Strength – Rick Kaselj

What’s more, Rick has included literally TONS of great bonuses into the mix, and if that wasn’t enough, you can also earn Continuing Education Credits (CECs) as well.

So, whether you’re a personal trainer, strength coach, physical therapist, athletic trainer, or just someone who likes to lift heavy things and get his or her nerdification on, I truly feel that this product wil not only serve as an invaluable resource for you and your athletes/clients, but will also help to take your knowledge base to a whole new level.

I don’t really know what else to say, other than if you don’t buy this product a kitten dies* and you’d be remiss not to take advantage of the introductory sale price – running from now until this Thursday (August 11th) which saves you $50 off the regular price.

===> Muscle Imbalances Revealed – Upper Body <===

NOTE:  For those willing to do so, leave a comment in the comments section asking any questions about MIRU that you may have.  Thus far, the feedback we’ve been receiving is great, but I’d be looney to think that we’re going to please everyone.  So please, share any comments, concerns, tidbits of awesomeness you may have below!

 

* Okay, not really.  But seriously, a rainbow will cry.

 

 

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Are You Following Cressey Performance on Twitter?

In an effort to increase our web presence, not to mention demonstrate to the world our overall badassery, Cressey Performance is now on Twitter! 

Well, to be fair, we’ve had a Twitter account all along – it’s just taken a while for us to realize the power that social media has at creating a buzz.

Both myself and Eric are routinely discussing the importance of training environment and how that can have a profound effect on not only motivation and the results people get (try missing a PR with George Abele screaming in the background), but more importantly, the camaraderie that often developes amongst clients and athletes alike. 

It’s not uncommon for cliients to drive upwards of an hour and half (both ways) to come train at Cressey Performance.  Likewise, it’s not uncommon for a 14 year old athlete to walk in on any given day during the winter and train alongside 20 professional baseball players from several different Major League organizations.  Needless to say, it’s kind of cool, and there are A LOT of shenanigans that go down on a daily basis. 

I mean, where else will see stuff like this?

Stanford Pitcher, Sahil Bloom, Crushing 405 lbs For Reps

And CP Intern, Brad, Pwning Water

Of course, we’ll also be highlighting athlete performances from around the country, intern death circuits, staff going ons (Tony’s Techno Tuesdays!!!), and I’m sure there will be a Tank sighting here and there – because no Twitter page is complete without some cute puppy action.

So, what are you waiting for?

Cressey Performance Twitter Page (<== Increase testosterone levels by infinity)

 

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Soft Tissue Work with a Sock?

So today’s post serves two purposes.

For starters, to show how diesel I look in my vintage Captain America t-shirt, which seems appropriate considering I’m finsihing up week 3 of The Super Hero Workout as of today.  BOOM!  But more importantly, the video demonstrates a cool and simple way to hit up a little soft tissue work on the backside of the body (particularly the rhomboids and traps) using nothing more than a lacrosse ball and (what I hope) is a clean sock. 

We all know the importance of soft tissue work, so I won’t belabor the point here.  But giving credit where credit is due I stole this idea from current CP intern (and resident nutrition guru), Tyler Simmons, when I saw him using this contraption with a client the other day.  Initially, I thought to myself “what in the what is he doing?”  But then I quickly realized that Tyler was onto something, and thought it was a downright brilliant concept that I felt needed to be shared with the masses.  Check out the video below for a quick tutorial.

A few things:

1.  Yes, using a foam roller and/or a PVC pipe is standard issue around CP; but I’ve found that in order to really get after the rhomboids and traps, using something a little more “focused” is ideal – hence the ball against the wall.  In addition, this protocol can be problematic because the ball slips around and falls to the ground much of the time.  Thowing a sock into the mix, however, just makes it a bit more convenient and less cumbersome in the long run.

2.  Of course, another contraption I’ve mentioned in the past is the Thera-Cane, which I’m a huge proponent of.

Thing is, a sock is free.  And if you’re like me, you have a million and one of them anyways so why not toss a ball in there and kill two birds with one stone.  Not only will you have a pretty nifty (yes, I just said nifty) soft tissue tool, but you’ll also have a makeshift weapon if or when you ever find yourself being attacked in an alley by ninjas.  You never know!

Try it out, and let me know what you think!

 

 

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Wanna Know the Secret to Motivation: Train, Don’t Workout

Here’s a question I received via Facebook from a strength coach based in Ireland that, once I actually answered it, thought would make for a good blog post:

Q:  Got a question for you.  A few of my guys have asked me to write about motivation and how to stay motivated to train.  This can be such a personal issue that I thought I’d ask a few people who I know and respect to give me their opinions on motivation.

A:  As someone who has been in this industry for coming up on a decade now – and likewise, as someone who has participated in sports and been involved with some form of fitness all his life (I got my first cement weight set when I was 13) – I’ve often been asked, “dude, what keeps you motivated to train?”

A few things, in no particular order:

Hot chicks.  I think for many, at the end of the day, deep down, we stay motivated to train because we want members of the opposite sex to want to hang out with us.  Pretty basic.

But more specifically, actually having a purpose to train is really the meat and potatoes.

Notice I said train, and not “workout.”  Far too often, at least in my experience, people tend to workout and not train. What’s the difference, you ask?  Well, people who workout just kind of show up and go through the motions, and don’t really have a set plan or rationale for why they showed up that day.

These are the ones who do a few arm circles here, a few lat pulldowns there, pound their Gatorade (because we all know how draining walking on the treadmill while watching Dr. Oz can be), hop on the ab crunch machine, and call it a day.

As a result, they basically do what they always do, and what they’re good at, and not coincidentally, look exactly the same now as they did three years ago.  Which is to say fat, weak, and really frustrated.

Of course, this doesn’t apply to everyone – but for 90% of trainees, 90% if the time, it most certainly does.

Taking it a little further, people who workout also tend to be the ones who flip flop from one program to another seemingly on a weekly basis.  One week they went to focus on fat loss; the next they want to dabble in MMA (LOL); the following they’re going to give intermittent fasting a try; only to top that off by deciding they want to train for a powerlifting meet that’s next weekend.

If this describes you, is it really that surprising you’re not getting any results?

Conversely, someone who TRAINS has a sense of purpose and conviction.  They have a PLAN; or better yet, a goal. They arrive to the gym on a mission and don’t waste any time pitter puttering around trying to figure what they should do that day.

In a way, there’s a sense of “I’m here to wreck some shit, everyone get out of my way, because I’m going to make Susie ElipitcalTrainer and Jonny McBenchEveryday destroy the back of their pants.”

That in of itself is all the motivation one should need.

Simply put – pick a goal for yourself.  I don’t care if it’s to lose ten lbs by the end of the month or to squat 300 lbs by the end of summer.  Just have SOMETHING to train for.  It makes all the difference in the world when you actually have a purpose for why you’re heading to the gym everyday.

Likewise, when dicussing the topic of motivation, making a concerted effort to train around like-minded people is an often overlooked component.  It’s no wonder people aren’t getting any stronger or lack motivation to train when they’re surrounded by others who complain when the air conditioning is off and think 50 lb dumbbells are too heavy.

Even if it’s only once per week, make an effort to train in an environment that encourages you to step outside of your comfort zone and breeds “stop being a pussy” (no offense to any ladies that may be reading).

Seriously (boobies) it makes all the difference in the world.  I remember back in 2005-2006 when both Eric Cressey and myself would drive 45-60 minutes (both ways), 2-3 times per week, to train at South Side Gym in Stratford, CT (it’s no longer there, unfortunately).   Friday afternoon traffic would suck pond water, and I’d literally contemplate driving my car off a cliff, but it was well worth it when we’d walk in and see 8-10 dudes setting up for max-effort bench night.  You couldn’t beat the atmosphere – dudes, chalk, rusty barbells, sacrificial goat, angry music, it was awesome.

Every time I left, I’d feel like I got stronger.  And, I did, because I was training with people who were a lot (A LOT) stronger than myself.

Moreover, when in the right environment, how could you not get fired up after watching something like this:

The video above was taken the other day at our facility – dude is a freak (and only a sophomore in college).

it’s totally worth the extra 15-60 minute drive it will take to train at another facility.  Just think of how glorious it will be to perform your deadlift day without some Zumba class going on in the background! Sure it’s a pain to have to travel, and spend more money on gas, but it may be all you need to light a fire underneath your ass, and actually not suck.

Okay, you don’t really suck, but you know what I’m trying to say.  Training around people who will not only push you, but get royally pissed if you blow them off will be all the motivation you need.

Do you have any thoughts or words of wisdom with regards to how you stay motivated to train?  It doesn’t necessarily have to pertain to getting stronger, it can be anything – I don’t care.  Share them below!

And, do me a favor and click the “like” button, because, you know, this was an awesome blog post, and more people need to read it!

Toodles.

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Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: GHRs, Fat Scales for Kids, Comcast Sucks!

I’m kind of short on time this morning – namely, because yesterday I spent half the morning on the phone with Comcast trying to figure out why both our internet and cable keep cutting out only to be directed to their automated voice system like four times. 

Me:  Hi, our cable and internet isn’t working…….again.

Comcast:  I’m sorry to hear that, do you want us to refresh the signal?

Me:  No, I want you to jump into a shark’s mouth.

Comcast:  Well, Shark Week does start this week on the Discovery Channel, I’ll get right on that.

We’ve been in this apartment for about six weeks now and I think in total, I’ve called Comcast at least twelve times complaining about service – literally calling every other day.  One day the cable is “skipping,” and the next, our internet is painfully slow and/or our network is down or limited to local access only (whatever the hell that means).  Regardless, I’m about ready to scissor kick someone in the pancreas.

So, while I was supposed to spend the majority of yesterday catching up on work and other shenanigans, instead, I spent half of it on the phone with freakin Comcast. 

Nevertheless, I realize I didn’t blog yesterday, and I’m being a lamo today and just posting some cool things to check out, but assumimg I’m not throwin in jail when the Comcast guy gets here this morning, I’ll have some stuff up tomorrow.

I hate my life!

Glute Ham Raise:  Instruction and Common Mistakes – Zach Moore

Without question, the glute ham raise is a fantastic movement to help build a strong and aesthetically pleasing posterior chain.  Thing is, though, it’s often butchered by many trainees and what they end up doing is anything but.  Here, Zach – of IFAST – gives the lowdown on how to perform it correctly.

Attention Ladies:  Here’s PROOF That Lifting Heavy Weights Will NOT Make You Big and Bulky – JC Deen

A few weeks ago, JC wrote a phenomenal post on the marketing ploys (read:  straight up shadiness) of the mainstream fitness industry (magazines) to get women to “think” that all they have to do is lift those cute, little pink dumbbells in order to get fit.  Here, JC proves that training like a girl is anything but pink dumbbells.

Horrifying New Product Alert:  Body Fat Scales For Children – Dr. Yoni Freedhoff

The good doctor hits the nail on the head here.  Rather than shame our kids into losing weight, how about actually taking the time to make them nutritious foods?

 

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Much Ado About Deadlifting

Note from TG:  Recently, my girlfriend and I moved in together, which, jokingly, I’ve been referring to as Operation Co-Habitation.  Predictably, we’ve had to make a few compromises here and there – you know, with stuff like deciding which piece of furniture goes where (guess whose vintage Star Wars poster IS NOT the centerpiece of the livingroom?), who’s responsible for taking the garbage out (me), what night of the week I subsequently have that thing I have to do for that thing, oh gosh babe I completely forgot, I’m so sorry, I REALLY wish I could stay (Wednesdays, when So You Think You Can Dance? is on), and how many mulligans I get for leaving the toilet seat up (running dangerously close to hitting my limit).

In addition, we’ve seen the “meshing” of our personal belongings.  For instance, I’m looking at the bookshelf in my office right now, and right next to my copy of The Science and Practice of Strength Training is a book about How to Interpret Dreams (Lisa’s getting her PhD in Psychology).

Moreover, my movie collection (arguably the best in existence) has been “tainted” with the likes of Pretty Woman, The Notebook, and several other equally as likely to render me infertile atrocities.

… Which brings us to the title of my latest article on t-nation.com.   Recently, I made my girlfriend watch GoodFellas.  In return, I had to watch one of her favorite movies –  a Shakespearean play, made into a movie,  entitled ‘Much Ado About Nothing’.

I don’t remember much about it, honestly.  I blacked out.  But what I do remember was that I HAD to do something to increase my plummeting t-levels, so I figured what better way than to steal a movie title and write an article detailing some miscellaneous thoughts on the most manly exercise of them all…..deadlifts?

Much Ado About Deadlifting (<=== That’s the article)

 

CategoriesMotivational

Intimidate the Weight

You know what’s the limiting factor preventing many people from attaining their strength or aesthetic goals?  Anger.  People need to get more angry when they train.  It’s as simple as that.

Granted, I’m a little spoiled in that I train (and work) at a pretty kick-ass facility where it’s common practice to brag about how many callouses were ripped off during the last training session, you don’t have to “sneak” chalk in, people request Slipknot when going for a PR (sorry, no Michael Buble), the only acceptable excuse for having your cell phone on the gym floor is if you happen to be texting with Jessica Alba or a Victoria Secret model, and when in a pinch, battery acid is an acceptable substitute for protein powder as a post-training shake.

Okay, so that last part was a bit of a stretch, but nevertheless, the training environment at CP can be pretty intense.

Alternatively, walk into most (not all: yes, Dean Somerset, not all commercial gyms are walking piles of fail) commercial gyms and it’s hard not to recognize how bored and disinterested people look.  What’s more, if you take a minute or two and just watch how people train – just going through the motions and training with no effort or purpose – it’s not hard to put two and two together and understand that people need to grow a pair and train with some freakin conviction.

I mean, seriously.  Take a few minutes and actually watch how people train.  Many will just gingerly pick up a pair of dumbbells, do their 8-10 sloooooooooooooooow reps, delicately put the weights down, and then go off and take a sip of their electrolyte enhanced Vitamin Water before heading over to the elliptical machine that’s attached to a Bose theater system.

And, even if someone is making somewhat of a concerted effort to do something worthwhile – like squat – it’s like watching a butterfly kiss a rainbow.

Jesus people –GET ANGRY!!!!!!

I watched one guy not too long ago just go through the motions while squatting and it was just painful to watch.  By the time he loaded the bar, un-racked the weight, checked himself in the mirror for the umpteenth time, and performed his “set” (if that’s what you want to call it; I did my entire training session, watched Titantic three times, read Atlas Shrugged, played in a cricket match, arm wrestled a grizzly bear (and won), and washed the dishes.

So, to say that his set was pretty much a waste of time would be an understatement.

You see, that’s one component I feel many trainees miss the mark on entirely:  BAR SPEED!!!

Chad Waterbury has written on this topic extensively and has noted on several occasions that, when it comes to the Central Nervous System and performance, so long as the “effort” to be fast is there – meaning, you tell yourself to be fast, even if the load is heavy – you’ll then recruit more high threshold motor units (which also have a greater propensity for growth), and as a result, you’ll increase muscle mass, burn more fat, cure cancer, you get the idea.

Dumbing it down even further (because obviously it’s a lot more complicated than this blog post):  load a bar with whatever weight you’re going to use + make an effort to lift said weight quickly = good things will happen.

I don’t care if you’re deadlifting, squatting, or benching – approach the bar and intimidate the weight!!!.

Shake it.  Make it your bitch.  Tell it it’s ugly.

Grab that mofo with your hands, and grip it like you mean it.

Now when you actually lift the bar – lift it like you mean it!  Don’t just go through the motions.  I’m not kidding, you want to try lift the weight so fast that people destroy the back of their pants.

Note:  again, it’s about effort.  Even if the load is heavy, so long as the “intent” to be fast is there, that’s what we’re looking for.

If you’re squatting, get your ass out of the hole and snap those hips through at the end.  Try to make the plates rattle as you stand up.

If you’re deadlifting, trust me, if you don’t somehow fire yourself up, that bar isn’t going to budge off the floor.  Shake the bar.  Get your air.  Pull your shoulders down and lock them in, chest tall, and rip that bar from the floor like you mean it.  Again, snap those hips.  Make the plates rattle!

The same can be said whether you’re benching, lunging, goodmorning’ing (?), or even doing tricep pressdowns – I don’t care.  Lift with some balls will ya?  Or, if you’re a girl, lift with some fallopian tubes.*

For those who are more visual learners, here’s a great example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4jO21-a2W0

INTIMIDATE THE WEIGHT!!!!

* Credit to Nia Shanks for the awesome line…….;o)

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How to (Properly) Assess Shoulder Internal Rotation

In light of some recent emails I’ve received from people asking about the importance of testing shoulder internal range of motion, I thought it would be prudent (yep, I just used the word prudent) to use today’s post to give a quick little tutorial on how to do it correctly – as I feel that many people are missing the mark on how to do so.

Unfortunately, some are under the impression that you just lay someone on their back and then just crank them into IR and that’s that.  Well, as with most things pertaining to the shoulder – it’s a bit more complicated than that.  A lot more, in fact.

You see, while the test itself is an important tool in the toolbox, and can undoubtedly help you better ascertain any issues or underlying shoulder pathologies that may (or may not) exist, which in turn will dictate any programming considerations and/or modifications moving forward; the more important thing to consider here is execution.

Simply put, if done haphazardly, you could end up with a result that’s wrong, giving the illusion of one having more IR than (s)he actually has, hurting the client in the long run, and making you look like an asshat (which, for the record, is a step below asstard).  

Alternatively, when done correctly, you won’t suck.  Which is always cool.

First, though, we can’t have a discussion on testing shoulder IR without having an idea of what exactly we’re looking for:

For the normal weight training population, ideally, we’re looking for 50+ degrees of internal rotation.

For the overhead athlete (baseball, softball, tennis, volleyball –  ohhhhhhh yeah, volleyball), the number gets skewed due to any number of factors – retroversion being high on the list – and a GIRD (Glenohumeral Internal Rotation Deficit) of ten degrees can and would be completely normal and an otherwise acceptable adaptation given the demands of the sport.

In a like manner, it’s important to note that internal rotation is just a small component of the overall picture.  TOTAL range of motion (ER + IR) – and more specifically, total ROM between left and right sides – is the key factor here, and will definitely give you a broader scope to work from, but I’m getting a head of myself.

“Alright Tony, get with it already.  What’s the proper way to test IR?”

  1. I don’t like that tone.
  2. Here’s a video to help demonstrate, with my comments to follow

The first time through, you’ll notice I don’t pin the shoulder down with my left hand, and as a result, Tyler’s shoulder goes into anterior tilt and I get a false indication of how much internal rotation he actually has.  For all intents and purposes, this is how many fitness professionals are “assessing” shoulder IR, and well, it’s wrong.  Tsk tsk tsk!

Conversely, on the second time through, you’ll notice I set his elbow on my thigh, use my left hand to actually “pin” the shoulder down (thumb over coracoid process, pushing scapulae into more posterior tilt), and the result is DRASTICALLY different.  By preventing the shoulder from going into anterior tilt, I then get a better reading of what his “true” IR actually is. 

Of course, from there, I’d test external range of motion and then compare TOTAL range of motion between left and right sides; but for today at least, my main objective was to demonstrate that one subtle correction (pinning the shoulder) can make a drastic difference in assessing shoulder IR.   Well that, and Morgan Beck (see pic above) is kinda hot.

 

CategoriesUncategorized

Morning Cup of Vomiting in My Mouth: Laser Fat Removal

It never ceases to amaze me the extent to which people will go to lose fat.  Well, actually, let me rephrase that, because we all know that people will do some batshit crazy stuff in an effort to lose bodyfat.  So lets try that again:  it never ceases to amaze the utter nonsense people will fall for thinking that it will lead to long-term fat loss.

Key phrase:  LONG-term fat loss.

On one hand, I can’t say that I blame people for their naivete.  I mean, we just don’t move as much as we used to – we sit on our way to work, we sit at work, we sit on our way home from work, and to top it off, if or when we do make it to the gym, we sit even more; regurgitating the same boring, mundane, machine circuits that are so easy a caveman could do.

Or, to be more precise, a zombie could do – cause that’s exactly what most people look like when they “exercise.”

Note:  quotations = sarcasm

What’s more, we have government agencies telling us that (refined) carbohydrates should be the main staple of our diets, and that icky stuff – butter, red meat, eggs, fat, or what I like to call REAL food – should be avoided like the plague.  The result?  Obesity rates have risen steadily state-by-state to the point where as of now, according to the latest CDC statistics, obesity prevalence was 30% of higher in twelve states in 2010, compared to nine states in 2009.  In 200, NO states had obesity that high.  Houston, we have a problem!

A BIG problem

We have escalors for those who don’t want to walk up stairs.  We have 4,785 cable channels at our disposal rather than go for a walk.  We have fast food restaurants around every corner.  We have kids who would rather text on their phone than play kickball.  In short, we’re struggling.  Again, it’s hard to put blame on any one person when we live in such an enabling society that encourages us to eat like crap and not move.

On the other hand, though, I come from an old-school train of thought that believes that we need to take a little more accountability for our own actions.  Moreover, we need to exhibit at least the slightest bit of intelligence to recognize that some things are just, for lack of a better term, #%**#@! stupid.

The fat loss industry is a billion-dollar-per-year industy.  So, to say that there are mega bucks involved would be an understatement.  You saw the stats – there are a lot of people out looking to shed some inches, and many of those will spend oodles of money to do so; even if it sounds like it came from the set of Space Odyssey 2001.

Take for example, the latest trend of laser fat removal.  I won’t name any names (a simple Google search would suffice), but the basic jist is this:

1.  You show up.

2.  You’re placed underneath a laser, which is targeted at a specific area on the body: most often the waist, hips, and thighs (your wallet).

3.  You then chill for 20-40 minutes.  Taking an excerpt from the website I’m looking at right now:

You simply lay in a comfortable, stationary position for twenty minutes at a time, in a relaxed environment, while the cold laser does all of the work. Since the (name omited) uses cold laser technology, you feel nothing during the procedure. You may feel a bit different and lighter as you exit the treatment center due to the bio-stimulation that begins in your body.

4.  See what just happened there?  A piece of my soul just died reading that.  Bio-stimulation?  Really?

5.  You leave and give everyone a high five.

6.  You repeat for three sessions per week, for two weeks.

7.  You pay roughly $1600 for treatment.

That’s right, roughly $1600 bones for a treatment that I HIGHLY question. I mean, why not just have people drink some Unicorn tears and save them the hassle?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but fat loss entails a fairly specific response from the body:

1.  Mobilization:  the body actually needs to be stimulated to release stored triglycerides which first requires us to break down triglycerides into free-fatty acids.  The limiting step here is an enzyme called Hormone Sensative Lipase (HSL), which is affected by either insulin and the catecholamines.  Not a laser.

2.  Transport:  when free-fatty acids are in the bloodstream, they then have to be transported away from the fat cell via the blood.  It’s a lot more complicated than this obviously (I’m not going into alpha-2 receptors and beta1,2-receptors and how they come into play with regards to stubborn body fat), but again, no laser in the mix.

3.  Oxidation:  free-fatty acids are then transported into the mitochondria of muscle by carnitine to be used as fuel.  No laser there, either.

Did I mention there was no laser involved?  There’s no laser involved.

Far be it from me to tell people how to spend their disposable income.  If you want to shoot lasers, shoot lasers.  But hey, like I said, I’m old fashioned – I’m more interested in helping people develop LONG-TERM behavioral modifcations towards food, and to do anything I can to help them move around more.  And move well.

If we spent a little more time changing our behaviors when it comes to food, and I don’t know, getting off the elliptical trainer, we might save ourselves $1600.

Seriously, does anyone know whether or not this laser treatment has ANY ounce of validity?