EricDagati @ ONE Human Performance

The Road to the Super Bowl - How a kid from Section 308 got to help the Giants get ready for their biggest game

2012-02-29T10:39:00.000-05:00

Sunday, February 5, 2012, Indianapolis, IN

One last play. Tom Brady, arguably one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, heaves a hail mary pass towards the end zone that can win the ultimate game. After getting batted around, the ball bounced on the Lucas Oil Stadium turf no more than 50 feet away from me. Incomplete. Giants win. Or should I say “Complete”. The pinnacle of an incredible journey and life’s dream was now complete.

I must have sat in the stadium in awe for an hour. In what was arguably one of the greatest Super Bowls ever played, the Giants had just pulled off one of the most remarkable come from nowhere runs in football history. The emotions I felt can not be described, but I should explain a little of how I got to here.

My grandfather went to was coined “The Greatest Game Ever Played” when the Colts beat the Giants for the NFL Championship in 1957. The next year he bought season tickets for the Giants that have been passed down through the generations in our family, through 5 different stadiums, with lots of tradition attached. Our family bleeds Giants blue to insane proportions. I got my first season tickets at the age of 18, almost 22 years ago. Section 308, Row 12.

Fast forward to 2007. I have been in the fitness industry for about 10 years at this point and in addition to owning a training facility since 2002, I also was teaching around the country for a company called FMS (Functional Movement Systems). FMS is testing and training system that evaluates an individual’s movement abilities which not only helps in designing training programs, it can also discover if someone is at risk for injury.

One afternoon, I get a call from my Operations Director and Head Trainer Mark Leibowitz. He tells me that through a contact of his, he has set us up with a meeting with the training staff of the NY Giants. They are intrigued by our testing system and are giving us a half hour to show them what we have to offer. Cool.

At that meeting, the staff explained how they had brought someone in who did a different type of movement testing the year before. They didn’t think much of it, but took note of when one of their big name free agents did the test that he failed miserably. Everyone on the team laughed it off as the player just being clumsy until a few weeks later when they were paying millions of dollars for him to stand on the sideline in a sweatsuit injured.

Our first opportunity came during the team’s Spring program which usually commences in mid-March. We were able to screen as many players as we could on an optional basis and the players who participated were given Corrective Exercise programs to address any weak links we found. My staff and I returned for a few more visits that Spring for follow up. A few players appreciated the work we were doing with them and began to hire us privately to help keep them healthy throughout the season. That year the team went on to defeat the undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl 42. Very cool.

Each year after that our relationship with the organization has grown, leading to me being with the team throughout the season also, as well as a growing stable of marquis players who have enlisted my services privately.

The way it works is this: I have what I call “Team Time” that the Giants hire me for that I am at the Timex Center to be available for any players who desire and/need Testing or Corrective Work. I serve in a way as a liason between the Strength staff and Medical/Training staff. The strength coaches will bring to me players who are struggling with certain movements or exercises and the trainers will send over players who have acquired non-contact injuries that they would like me to be a detective of sorts to discover if there are any underlying dysfunctions that may have precipitated their injuries. Many players will also seek me out independently, referred by teammates that I have helped at one time or another. I have 2 days per week of Team Time that I have a set up in a room off of the weight room to work with players. Occasionally I will add in some extra trips to the facility if we have a player that needs special attention that we need to get back on the field ASAP.

On top of that, players will hook up with me 1-3 times per week privately to work on optimizing their function, mobility, recovery and overall movement. These sessions are done either at the Timex Center, our facility or the player’s homes. This eventually led to my Super Bowl attendance, as many of the players felt strongly about having me work on them in the days leading up to the game. Out in Indianapolis, I ended up working on guys Friday afternoon and evening, all day Saturday and Sunday until they got on the bus to the stadium. For many reasons, I purposely try not to name drop the identities of the individuals I work with. (Even though a good fan can figure out from the picture collage from the game I posted :)

In the years since we started with the Giants, we have been fortunate enough to have been hired by several other NFL teams. Published research has shown that NFL players who score below average have up to a 40% higher likelihood to end up with season ending injury so many teams have begun to take notice. It is estimated that almost half of the teams in the league are now using the system in some shape or form and it has recently been instituted as part of the testing regime at the NFL Combine. It has also trickled over to more areas of athletics and we have had the subsequent opportunity to work with pro teams and athletes from other major sports. None, however, will quite come close to my experience with Big Blue.

I’d like to think that the interventions I’ve done with at least more than a few of players have allowed them to avoid injuries they may have otherwise been destined for. If that allowed them to participate in one more game or contribute in some way to getting them to or winning the Super Bowl, that is an indescribable feeling. I don’t mention this for the accolades or credit, since there are many who contribute in making such a Herculean victory happen. My rewards came in the form of the gratitude, acceptance and warmth I felt from the staff and players at the team’s postgame celebration party and really being made to feel part of the team. And unless there is a dramatic paradigm shift in the NFL and there is a sudden demand for a short, slow, minimally athletic, almost-40, Irish-Italian kid, my chances of playing in a Super Bowl are looking pretty bleak. Short of my own boys playing in the Super Bowl it probably isn’t going to get much better than this. Unless of course, we do it again next year!

Why Gyms Don't Work - The Top 5 Reasons to Not Join a Gym in 2012

2011-12-28T22:28:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again and so the end of year checklists are starting to be written:

1. Finish off the last of the Christmas cookies so they will be out of the house

2. Make a resolution to lose weight and be healthy next year

3. Join a gym

While I don't have too much of an issue with the first 2 items, I highly object to #3.

What??? Why not join a gym? Well, here is 5 real good reasons why:

1. You'll pay and never go
Nearly 3/4 of all new gym members will drop out within the 1st three months of joining. Gym owners actually bank on this and hope you NEVER show up. If all the members of any given gym showed up one day, the fire department would close them down for overcrowding. The hope is that they can just hit your credit card each month for your dues.
And you will let them do it. There is a huge psychological component to the process as you won't call and cancel since you will feel as if you are admitting defeat if you do. You would rather pay for another month and lie to yourself that you'll go back "next Monday".

2. The WalMartting of the Fitness Business
As with many industries in our country, big conglomerates are taking over the fitness business using the same model as big chains such as WalMart, Home Depot, etc.
They open up large "box gyms" and offer dirt cheap memberships for $19.99 or less per month. This then drives out all the privately owned local "Mom and Pop" gyms who can't compete and survive at those rates. Then all that is left to choose from is the big box gyms that provide little to no service and are usually overcrowded pick-up joints.
On top of that, at only $19.99 or less per month you are less likely to cancel so you'll keep paying for what you will never use. See #1.

3. You Don't Know What You Are Doing
Some people are gym rats. They have spent the better part of their lives in gyms. I am proud to say I am one. That's what made me want to be in this business.
I also know a lot of other gym rats and you know what? They don't know what they are doing either. I have spent the better part of the last 15 years studying anything and everything about training, injury prevention and rehabilitation, etc. and I am just starting to scratch the surface of understanding exercise and it's effects on the human body.
At best, most people's attempts at an exercise program produce little to no results. At worst, it often leaves them injured, frustrated and forced to quit.

4. It's Just an Equipment Rental
I've answered multiple phone calls from prospective customers who ask if we have a basic membership if they just want to "use the treadmill". In turn I offer to give them free exercise advice from an "expert" in the field. (Me:)
For $20-30 per month you can pay Gym Source or Sports Authority or Sears for a treadmill that you actually get to keep! They will even set it up in your home so you don't have to go anywhere. It will save you gas money, conserve the environment and give you a great place to hang your dry cleaning once you stop using it.

5. The Twisted Gym Psychology
Do you even know why you are going to the gym??? I often wonder if most members do.
Let me explain:
Have you ever seen someone drive around the parking lot for 10 minutes looking for the closest parking space so they can go inside the gym and walk on a machine that goes nowhere?
Do you know I used to watch members take an elevator or escalator in the gym (Yes, they do exist) just so they can go upstairs to get on a Stair Climber?
Do you also know the #1 reason why people are overweight, achy, immobile and weak? Because they sit all day. So what do gyms offer them for their one hour of opportunity to move each day??? More chairs with pulleys and bars and cables and weights attached to them, also known as exercise machines.

Bottom line is that if you want Look, Feel and Perform better, you need to move. The question then becomes - How? and When? and How Much? and for How Long? and How Often?
The answers to these powerful questions are unique to each individual but can be answered easily with the guidance of trained fitness professionals. That is why the future of the fitness industry lies in the hands of highly skilled Personal Trainers, Strength & Conditioning Coaches, Group Fitness Instructors and Physical Therapists. Facilities that are based in and focus on the services provided by these "exercise technicians" are where the future lies and where YOU should be.

Where can I find such a magical place???
I know ONE in particular in Montville that's really good:)
www.onehumanperformance.com

Is the FMS worthless or is this just another case of only knowing enough to get you in trouble?

2011-11-25T15:53:00.000-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KDxeJVIc7iM

I 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 many of the athletes featured in the video still got injured this year..."

Well, here are the 2 giant gaping holes in his argument, which unfortunately are all too common of many of the FMS critics:

1-He has not been formally trained or certified in the FMS system so automatically he is speaking out of his posterior chain. He also goes on to say in his follow up article that he uses "some aspects of the FMS" in his own assessment. The FMS is a SYSTEM so to use it partially will never give you results, which you would know if you actually knew the system you are criticizing.

2-The screen itself does not prevent injury. It only discovers movement impairments and imbalances. The corrective training program you design based on that information is what reduces (not eliminates) the likelihood of injury. More importantly, that program only works if the athlete actually does the program and does it correctly.
I personally have worked with one of the athletes you use in your argument (Have you???). You know how much corrective work he does??? NONE. I hate to burst your bubble folks, but even professional athletes can be lazy sometimes and no testing system in the world fixes that.

3 Tips to Avoid Dehydration and Cramping

2011-08-03T21:11:00.002-04:00

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 solution of w...ater with a trace amount of honey and sea salt to be comparable to many popular sports drinks without the added sugars and artificial colors and flavors.

3-Once cramping does set in, it can often be relieved almost immediately by drinking a shot of pickle juice or vinegar. I know it sounds gross, but it works!

Why Does Everybody Hurt?

2011-08-03T21:10:00.000-04:00

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 dysfunctions

2-Most people are just bloody weak and have no core support or strength to divert forces out of their spine so they hang on their joints all day until they eventually break down

3-We are constantly bombarded by ads that tell us to take a pill and don't let your pain stop you from living. Pills just mask the pain, they don't fix the problem.

Ring the Alarm

2011-08-03T21:08:00.002-04:00

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 pain issues can be resolved in a relatively... short amount of time with proper and diligent corrective exercise.

However you won't see a constant barrage of TV ads promoting physical activity as a means to reduce your dependency on pills, hot packs and ointments. As comedian Bill Maher once joked, "Ask your doctor if getting off your ass is right for you!"

Could your neck pain come from poor breathing???

2011-08-03T21:07:00.000-04:00

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 neck muscles such as our scalenes, which pull up on your lungs to make space. This not only leads to less oxygen intake, it can also lead to overuse syndromes in your cervical area which lends itself to neck stiffness, joint stress and even headaches.

Expectations & Potential

2011-08-03T21:06:00.000-04:00

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. This was also the impetus for why I created a holistic system for assessing athletes to see if they were actually firing on all cylinders.

As I tell all of my clients when we get started together, the only difference between where they are now and where they can be in the future is the weak links that are holding them back. Take for example an athlete from any given sport who is gifted with incredible speed. Most people sit back and marvel at their sprint and drill times, while I ponder if there is still more in the tank. Sure, they may have great speed, but what is their diet like? If they got stronger or moved better, could they be even faster???

This often puzzles athletes when I assess them and turn to tell them, “Good news, you stink!” What I mean is that if they are someone who achieving a high level of success in their given sport, but yet score poorly on any given test, it only shows that much more room for improvement. They have actually been successful in spite of themselves. An example I often give is of an athlete that I had come in who was a national champion in two sports at one of the top colleges in the nation. He had blinding speed and a physique that looked like it was carved by Michelangelo. His score on his Functional Movement Screen? A lowly 12 out of 21. I have had grandmothers score higher than that. Imagine if he could take all of his horsepower, skill and athleticism and combined that with efficient movement skills, where he was unencumbered by his own immobility and instability. It’s scary to think about the possibilities.

Then again, if you start to venture into the philosophical outreaches of the topic of potential, the web you fall into could be endless. I remember a great commercial a few years back that showed Larry Bird working in Home Depot. What if Larry never picked up a basketball? The game may have never seen one of its greatest legends ever grace the court. In his great book “Outliers” author Malcolm Gladwell investigates the intricate series of circumstances that align that allow one person to reach greatness while others barely achieve mediocrity.

Now add in the factor of desire. I have clients that could be better, but the price of the sacrifices they would have to get there (stricter diet, less partying, more training time, etc.), do not justify the rewards they would achieve in their eyes. Even though I can see their potential, it is fruitless if I want to achieve it more than they do. How many athletes stop short of greatness because they didn’t have the fortitude and diligence to push through the tough times? Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. What if MJ decided that rejection meant basketball wasn’t meant for him and he gave up the sport? The game as we know would have been changed forever.

Want to keep going? Well, we can’t discuss potential and achievement without discussing expectations. As the famous saying goes ”Whether you think you can do it or if you don’t, you’re probably right.” If you don’t think you can be a scoring champion, MVP or a starter on the varsity team, your chances of accomplishing those feats are slim at best. Derek Jeter, a sure first-ballot Hall of Fame baseball player has achieved what many players can only dream of in his career. He is the leader or in the top 3 in almost all statistical categories for one of the most storied teams in sports history, the NY Yankees. He has won 5 World Series titles, including 4 in his first 5 years in the league. When he was asked recently to reflect on his remarkable stat line and if he had accomplished all that he wanted as a Yankee, he answered with an emphatic NO. “As long as Yogi is out there with ten rings (Referring to Yankee legend Yogi Berra who won an unmatched 10 World Series in his career), we all have something to shoot for.” For a kid that grew up rooting for and dreaming of one day playing for the Yankees, Derek could have easily closed his storybook tale when he put on the pinstripes for the first time. The difference is, he only was getting started.

What is the difference between a dream and a goal? A goal is just a dream with a plan to get there. Remember the kid’s party game “Pin the Tail on the Donkey”? If you try to pin the tail on the donkey blindfolded and you actually hit it, you’re pretty shocked and more likely pretty lucky. If you read a book on how to best pin the tail, tracked the donkey’s tendencies, mapped out the steps leading up to the donkey and walked the path dozens of times per day everyday leading up to the party, you would expect nothing less than to hit the bulls eye and you now are actually extremely frustrated if you don’t achieve perfection. See the difference in the paradigm?

With consistent preparation you earn the right to expect great results. This was expressed eloquently by Lou Holtz in his book “Winning Everyday”. Lou is a legendary college football coach, motivational speaker and TV analyst. Coach Holtz tells the tale of how he had the opportunity to golf with someone he highly respected, one of the top TV golf commentators of all time. After watching Holtz go into a tirade after blowing a shot, he turned to the coach and said, “I have watched all the best play this game and I have watched you play and you’re not good enough to get mad.”

If anything sums it all up, it is that statement. For an athlete to get to their absolute end of the road, I can’t get any better, complete potential, they have to be able to say that they have maximized every element of the mental, physiological and skill components of their sport. Only at that point can we say they are at their top peak. Out of all of the thousands of athletes I have had the chance to work with, guess how many hit that mark? 0.

NONE? Yep. Sure, I have I had the good fortune of working with State, National and World Champions. They have been the best at their position, in their state, league or sport, but they weren’t their best. That’s what makes this fun. It is a never ending journey and you can always get better. So what’s holding you back???

You Don't Know Squat - Part II

2011-08-03T21:04:00.000-04:00

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 endurance but minimal muscle and maximal strength.

So the question is, do squats make you strong, build muscle or increase endurance??? The answer: YES

You Don't Know Squat!

2011-08-03T21:02:00.000-04:00

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 squat for hours... each day and don't have a epidemic of knee issues. Squats only hurt your knees when they are done incorrectly and you have lost the ability to do them correctly because of lack of mobility, strength and/or muscular imbalances.

If you don't learn how to squat properly, how is your body going to learn how to get in and out of your car, up and down from a chair and even use the toilet???

Balance Out Your Back - Part One

2011-08-03T20:47:00.001-04:00

As we have said many times, most chronic pain and injuries stem from some type of imbalance in your body right to left. Try this simple test on yourself to see if the lateral muscles of your low back and torso are balanced:

Stand with your feet together and arms straight at your sides. Side bend to one side, sliding your hand down the side of your leg reaching your middle finger tip to the outside of your ankle. Be sure to not bend your knees, twist or bend forward or back.

Compare one side vs. the other.
If you feel more restricted going to one side, lay on the opposite side and perform the stretch pictured below. (If you are tighter bending left, you need to lay on and stretch your right side.

After holding the stretch for 30 seconds, stand up and repeat the test to see if the two sides are now equal.

Balance Out Your Back - Part Two

2011-08-03T20:46:00.001-04:00

-In a previous post we looked at balancing out trunk movement side to side. Today we are going to look at rotation. Stand tall with your feet together and arms straight out to the side. Rotate as far as you can to the right. Be sure to rotate from the torso and not just the arms. Repeat to the left side and note any differences from one side to the other.

If there was an imbalance, lay on the floor on your back with your hands out to the side and your knees bent and pulled in over your hips. Hold a small ball or pillow between your knees. As shown in the picture below, roll your lower body to the side at waist height while maintaining contact with the ground with both arms and shoulder blades. The side that you are rotating to should have the palm down and the other palm should be up. Once you can go no lower without having your arm and/or shoulder blade pull off the floor, engage your core and pull your legs back to the starting position. Do a total of 10 reps.

The exercise should only be done to the side you are limited to. If in standing you were limited twisting left, you will be rolling your legs to the right when doing the exercise on the floor. After completing the exercise, stand up and test your rotation again to see if you are now equal.

A Quick Thought...

2011-08-03T20:41:00.002-04:00

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 change direction, I WILL BEAT YOU EVERY TIME. Think about it...

Choose Your Tools Wisely

2011-08-03T20:40:00.002-04:00

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 like a builder saying screwdrivers are "good". Sure they are great when you need to tighten a screw, but lousy if you need to paint a wall.

As the old expression goes, "if your only tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail!"

Get a Grip!

2011-08-03T20:39:00.002-04:00

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 lifting wrist straps and wraps??? They allow you to lift weight you probably don't deserve to be moving in the first place. They should be used sparingly for only very specific situations, if at all.

How do you know if you have a good trainer or therapist???

2011-08-03T20:38:00.002-04:00

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 actually coined the phrase "RF", short for "Random Facacta", from the yiddish word meaning ridiculous or irrational, for stuff we see people doing that makes no sense)

Next time you are in a training or therapy session ask "why are we doing this?" or if being evaluated, ask "what are you looking for?". If they can't give you a clear and logical explanation (or if they say "umm" a lot) then they are wasting your time. Get the hell out of there.

The Thin Line between Tough and Stupid

2011-08-03T20:37:00.002-04:00

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 afterwards

First 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 snows. I guarantee you'll sweat a lot and be sore the next day. I don't know if you will reach your fitness goals, but who cares, I'll have a clean driveway.

Pack on the muscle mass with the "2-Shake Method".

2011-08-03T20:36:00.002-04:00

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 should include protein and a carbohydrate. The carb can from a fruit such as banana, or a specialized sugar supplement such as maltodextrin or a waxy starch.

We have had great success with the brand Vitargo. Mix with water.

The 2nd shake is taken right before bed and should contain protein and a fat source, such as flax, coconut oil and/or nut butter. This may be mixed with milk or water.

Please also note that your protein needs to be high quality. If you choose a whey protein, it should be from cows that are not fed with hormones and/or antibiotics. We have found that the "Jay Robb" shakes mix well, tastes good and comes from good sources.

Need some Push???

2011-08-03T20:35:00.003-04:00

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 increase the amount o...f pushing exercises in your strength program and decrease your pulling exercies until the ratio reaches the desired percentages. Obviously, the inverse is true if your Bench Max far exceeds your Max Chin Up goal ratio.

In doing Structural Balance Strength Ratio testing on many of our athletes, we often find that it is their Push strength that is lacking. Try it for yourself and let us know what you find...

A "Twisted" Injury Plague

2011-08-03T20:35:00.000-04:00

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=txtheinjurybug

My 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 obliques work as part of a "system" and that trying to treat or train one isolated part will be palliative at best. The obliques work in concert with a host of other muscle groups, most notably the adductors and most often in the Transverse (rotation) and Frontal (lateral) planes.

Until you can re-educate the player on how to properly sequence these patterns as a unit with respect to the above, these injuries usually end up being recurring or simply traveling to another body part.

Movement Fundamentals

2011-08-03T20:33:00.003-04:00

Whether you're working out in the gym, playing a sport or cleaning out your garage, every movement you do can be broken down into 6 or 7 main categories. Just like all the music you have ever heard comes from the same 8 notes, most experts in the field of functional movement agree that all physical activities are derivative of a few basic and innate patterns that you are either doing wholly, a part of, or a combination of.

An analogy used by Paul Chek compares these Primal Patterns to the keys on a calculator. With the digits 0-9, you can make any number in the world. If you have a broken key, it is similar to having a dysfunctional movement pattern that you will now have to compensate for. At best this will lead to diminished performance and at worst lead to injury. Are all your keys working???

The "Diagnosis Label" and Low Back Pain

2011-08-03T20:32:00.002-04:00

Everyday I encounter someone who tells me they have low back pain because they have a disc herniation, spinal stenosis or some other scary sounding diagnosis that was given to them based on an MRI or X-ray.

Truth is, research shows upwards of 90% of all adults over 35 have some sort of spinal abnormality or dysfunction. So if these diagnosis are the source of ...the back pain, why aren't 9 out of 10 people walking around hunched over in pain???

The reality is that many of these diagnosis are asymptomatic, meaning that they have nothing or little to do with the real cause of the pain which is actually more likely due to wear and tear from poor movement caused by a lack of mobility and/or stability.

Are you sneakers making you worse???

2011-08-03T20:31:00.003-04:00

Many of the athletes and weekend warriors who walk through our doors are sporting the supposed latest and greatest athletic footwear. The have springs and cushions and bubbles built in the soles of the shoes with the goal being "less impact" and "better support", when ironically they often do the opposite.

As humans, we have 2 primary contact points with the world: our hands and our feet. Because of this, we have the highest concentration of sensory feedback into our nervous system from these areas.

Now when you take the equivalent of a bag of marshmallows and strap them under your feet, your foot and ankle doesn't "feel" the ground and can not appropriately react and align itself, leading to repetitive stress to the ankle, knee, hip and up the chain. To give you an analogy, running or training your lower body in these sneakers would be like performing an upper body activity or skill with oven mitts on, you would have no "feel" for what your doing.

A One-Sided Argument

2011-08-03T20:30:00.003-04:00

If you are looking for a great way to build stability in your core, neck and hips, perform strength work with uni-lateral loading, aka holding a weight in only one side. This forces your stabilizers to react and kick on to fight side bending and twisting. Here are just a few good examples:

-Walking Lunges or Step Ups (Holding a dumbbell in one hand)
-Single Arm Overhead Pressing
-Single Arm Rowing
-Suitcase Deadlifts

The Fitness Industry's Most Dangerous People

2011-08-03T20:29:00.000-04:00

The most dangerous people are...
The ones who know "a little". They don't know what they don't know.

This is a very prevalent problem in our world of fitness and rehab "experts". For example, I just read a critique of the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) online yesterday that criticized the validity of the screen in predicting likelihood of injury. The basis of the argument was from some recent rese...arch that indicated that the FMS could not detect if a subject was previously injured, which has been cited as the #1 reason someone will become hurt again.

Could have been a great argument, but the research didn't indicate what the scores were previous to injury, what type of rehab the participants had and most importantly, it only looked at overall/composite scores. Any one who knows the system well knows that Total Score is only a small piece of the system and that someone can score a high overall score and still have major dysfunctions.

I heard a great saying once that applies to so-called "experts" in anything: "Just because you smoke pot and play guitar, it doesn't make you John Lennon."

Think about that next time you heed fitness advice from someone just because they have "nice abs" or learn about injury rehabilitation from someone who only knows textbooks and research and doesn't work hands-on with live human beings.

Football players or distance runners???

2011-08-03T20:27:00.000-04:00

As football camps are getting ready to get rolling all over the country, it makes me crazy when I hear about players who we work with have their coaches making them go on distance runs to get in shape.

When I speak at football conferences I always ask the coaches in attendance, "when was the last time you said your team would be so much stronger if you could j...ust pull some of the kids from the cross-country team???"

Football is a power and strength sport played with short, intense bursts with moderate recovery times. Train that way.

The only time one of your players is ever going to run a mile+ is if the team bus breaks down and it is over a mile to nearest service station. Think about it...