Posts in "Assessment"

Stop Cranking on Your Shoulders for More Mobility

Seriously, stop it. For many people the first choice when their shoulder begins to hurt or if they lack mobility is to start cranking and yanking on it. This is rarely the right approach, and as Andrew Millett (my good friend and Boston based physical therapist) points out in today’s post…there a far better and… Read more

Porcelain Post: Building a Wider Base to Reach a Higher Peak

NOTE: the term “Porcelain Post” was invented by Brian Patrick Murphy and Pete Dupuis. Without getting into the specifics, it describes a post that can be read in the same time it takes you to go #2. Huh, I guess that was more specific than I thought. Enjoy. Building a Wider Base to Reach a… Read more

When to “Fix” Someone’s Squat

I often joke I’m the worst handyman in history. Something breaks in our apartment? I’m the first one calling the landlord. A picture needs hanging? My wife is the go to aficionado in that realm. A task calls for a Phillips screwdriver? Well, I’ll hand you a Phillips screwdriver. I’m not that much of a… Read more

Strong Traps, Healthy Shoulders

A funny thing happens whenever I inform someone (namely, guys) they need to hit their upper traps more. The immediately go into Bane mode: Visions of heavy barbell shrugs, breaking Batman’s back, and walking around asking people “do you feel in charge?” run rampant. It’s all well and good, I have nothing against shrugs. I… Read more

It’s Coming: The Complete Shoulder and Hip Blueprint

Much like Winter in Game of Thrones……It’s coming. Except, you know, in this case “it” has less to do with the Night King, White Walkers, and the impending doom of man, and more to do with shoulder and hip assessment, corrective exercise, strength & conditioning, and programming strategies to optimize performance in the weight room…. Read more

The Forgotten, Often Overlooked Cause of Low Back Pain

There are many root causes of low back pain and discomfort, and there are many people who’s day to day lives are affected by it. In my neck of the woods – Strength & Conditioning – the culprit(s) can often be displayed on the weight room floor. Lifters who routinely default into movement patterns that… Read more

Addressing the Stone Cold Facts of Training Athletes

Remember that show diary on MTV? You know, the one that aired back in the early to mid-2000s? The documentary style show centered mostly on musicians and celebrities and followed them through their daily lives. Each episode started with said celebrity looking into the camera and saying….. “You think you know, but you have no idea.”… Read more

A Common Mistake People Make With Thoracic Extension

Thoracic (mid-back) extension is kind of a big deal. Without turning this into an anatomy lesson, t-spine extension is important for a variety of reasons. In no particular order: It’s what the mid-back (T1-T12) is designed to do.  However, due to the long hours many of us tend to accumulate at work and at home… Read more