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Friday, January 30, 2015

Your Butt is Non-Weight Bearing Surface

A great and humorous thought experiment by Kelly Starrett, his wife and Brian McKenzie give a brief explanation as to why we shouldn't sit and that your body isn't designed to do so.   Just another reason to get up and stand as much as you possibly can.

Fix It Early, Fix It Often


Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Running Shoe Recommendations

There are unlimited options and opinions out there when it comes to running shoes and what style, size, support and color you should get.  Well here is one more but backed up with some thought outside of just picking one to fix a problem that you may or may not have.

I have worked in high level track and field for several years and utilized many different shoe companies to outfit the athletes I have worked with and there was never the perfect shoe, it was highly independent.  I've had the fortune to meet and work with a major shoe company representative that came in and helped us in finding the right shoe for each athlete.  Turns out their thought is that about 80-90% of runners need to be in a support shoe or any description that will control for pronation.  At the time I thought this was huge information but now with more research I'm thinking maybe they were just trying to sell me something.

Pronation control, extra cushion and heel lift are all shoes built to support you for heel striking when you run.  We have talked about in previous posts this is not the best form for you as the force it applies to your bones and joints can be extremely brutal and taxing.  We are wanting to adapt a forefoot landing pattern that allows our muscles to help absorb the shock and make it much easier on our bodies.

Having watched many people recently work to switch to this style of running and do so in new and "minimal" shoes has been very successful.  In my own experience it is very hard to run on your forefoot or in the "Pose Method" with a pronation controlled shoe or anything with a substantial heel. It gets in the way of your landing mechanics and also there is a noticeable difference in the weight of the shoe.

My basic running shoe recommendation is "minimalist"/zero drop or a drop no bigger than 4mm from heel to toe.  Please keep in mind if you are making the switch to start a slow progression to forefoot running and allow your body to adapt.  Please feel free to contact us for a suggested program, we'll send it right over to you.  Email: totalathletictherapy@gmail.com

If you have questions about having flat feet and how to fix it if we don't recommend letting a shoe do it.  Please also email us.

Here are the running recommendations from Dr. Romanov who created the Pose Method and has worked with some of the most elite endurance athletes in the world.  Pose Recommendations

Fix It Early, Fix It Often

Monday, January 26, 2015

Study Spotlight: Too Much Sitting Increases Mortality Risk Despite Exercise

We've talked about on TAT before about how sitting is wrecking your hips (check out the post here) and then how you can go and work to fix that (click here) but according to a recent study sitting may not only be wrecking your hips, it could be threatening your life as well.

The article talks about how a sedentary lifestyle even with exercise can significantly increase your mortality rate.  They discussed that the risk is much greater for those who exercise less but there is still some evidence that can have an effect on even moderately active people.

This was an eye opener to myself and further makes the standing desk look like an important purchase.  Find the link to the full article below.

Too Much Sitting Increases Mortality Risk Despite Exercise

Credit to mattmcwilliams.com for the great image.

Friday, January 23, 2015

Using Your Butt: Activate Your Glutes

By: Joel Luedke

Your glutes.  It's one of the strongest muscle(s) in your body and is able to generate force used for everyday posture to explosive movements like running, jumping and lifting.  Yet, with all the power and movement that can be generated out of this muscle it is often underutilized due to improper form or lacking the neuromuscular patterns to activate them properly.

While squatting we will see many athletes make their first move when lowering the weight by pushing their knees forward and trying to complete the squat mainly through the strength of their quads.  They still work to get below parallel but in the process are putting massive amounts of force through the knee.  What we try and teach is that their first movement should be to squeeze their butt (causing external rotation at the hips) to lock in as much torque as possible and then have their first movement be pushing their hips back and allow their glutes to engage while pushing their knees out throughout the descending motion.  At the bottom of the squat, squeezing their butt will help move the weight back up and will result in the ability to lift more.  Our goal through this entire movement is to keep the tibia's as close to straight up and down as possible.

How do we know if they are activating their glutes properly?

The Test: Have the athlete perform a standard lying double leg glute bridge and have them hold the contraction at the top.  As they are holding this position ask them to break down where they feel they are working more, glutes vs. hamstrings.  This answer can range from 70/30 to 50/50 to 30/70.


After performing the double leg glute bridge have them perform the same exercise but only with a single leg glute bridge.  Ask again where they feel the most work occurring, glutes vs. hamstrings.

What we are looking for in terms of where they feel the most work is a 70/30 breakdown of feeling it in the glutes vs. the hamstrings.  This ratio is generally accepted to make sure that the athlete is using their glutes to help with hip extension and not relying on their hamstrings to create that motion.  This will result in a greater power production (remember the glutes are one of your strongest muscles) and also a reduction in hamstring injuries by using them as an assistive muscle in hip extension and not the primary muscle.

Exercise for Prehab or Rehab
Hip Poppers: The starting position is performing either a double or single leg bridge with your feet elevated a couple of feet in the air.  You will perform a set of 10 reps using the 70/30 ration (glutes to hamstrings) in a controlled 2 up, 2 down count.  Immediately upon finishing that you will go into 15 quick as possible hip bridges (keeping the ratio for glutes vs. hamstrings) and finally finishing up with a set of 2 up and 4 down contractions for 7 reps.

You can repeat this series as many times as possible.  This is one to fix in order to not allow your athletes to rob themselves of power and also to prevent injury.


Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Graphic: Comparison of Lunches Across the World

Very interesting to look at what is served across the world as a sample lunch.  Makes you wonder.


Credit to Kevin Luedke at www.l-vd.tumblr.com

Monday, January 19, 2015

The Argument for Screening

By: Joel Luedke

"Unless its traumatic or pathological, its preventable" -Kelly Starrett.  

We are at a time when the treatment of athletic injuries is at its best and most advanced.  The types of treatment options both in a rehabilitation setting and in the doctors office is incredible and cutting edge.  One area that has been neglected in my point of view is the area of prevention and how to best approach it.  Do we write programs that try and address an entire team?  Do we focus it on the individual?  Do we go on what we know and see on a daily basis and come up with the best comprehensive program possible?

In my own personal experience I started looking at a lot of small and subtle single joint movements as well as measuring ranges of motion (ROM) for individual muscles.  I thought what I was getting were really good number and helpful results that I could go back and test in the future.  And then I did more reading.  What's the point of having good or bad motion results for specific muscles if the individual can't move through basic motions in a full range?  Who cares if they have full motion in their hamstrings but can't sit all the way down into a full squat and hold it?  It doesn't do us any good and I was spending a lot of time looking at too small of a picture.

With this shift in thinking the question was now, what is the best screening method to utilize in order to start breaking people down and create programs for them to try and help them move better.  I started with the Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES) exam and was off to a good start but while they tested all these great motions how they suggested addressing them was by singular muscle, either as under-active or over-active.  At this point I hadn't thought a lot about Gray Cook, his book "Movement" or the Functional Movement Screen (FMS).  And then I read "Movement" and it changed my perspective on looking at motion and doing it in a much broader scale.  Continuing with this learning of movement screening on a whole I also looked at Kelly Starrett and his "Supple Leopard" book and his discussion on looking at basic movements to find faults, working on fixing that fault and then testing again.

It's through this progress of test and retest that makes screening worth doing.  You're able not only as a clinician to compare results and see how interventions are working but also it allows the athlete or patient to see those same changes and challenge themselves to get better and fix issues.  As with every athletic endeavor, running a 5K or competing for a national championship, there are always goals and testing and retesting for screening adds these goals into their routine.

It can be time consuming but it put an objective measure towards trying to prevent injury from happening and even possibly increasing performance but it is worth it.  Getting ahead of issues that could become problems is paramount and prevents us from looking at a now injured athlete and then finding out all these subtle imbalances and trying to play catch up.

*Addendum: Nothing has changed with the thoughts on the importance of screening but the more I have taken courses/classes looking at different techniques the more I think you just need to find what works for you and your athletes.  If that is the FMS, great.  Like the SFMA? Perfect.  Or if you're into something like DNS that allows you to systematically break where the main problem might be occurring. 

When it comes to the screen that is most important and using something that allows you to find the issues, make the change and make it effective for your patient/client/athlete.

If you're interested in either the "Supple Leopard" or "Movement" check their links.

Check out Kelly Starrett and Gray Cook's video on screening below.


Friday, January 16, 2015

"Bullet Proofing" Your Coffee & Your Morning

You may have heard of this idea of putting butter into your coffee somewhere at this point and I am by no means on the forefront but I felt like this was just one thing that was definitely worth sharing.

The process is fairly simple and takes a little more time in the morning but the results are well worth while.  Dave Asprey created this process and has his own line of coffee that is super clean, well roasted and tastes really good.  I've done both his "Bulletproof" Coffee and some other independently grown coffee with this recipe and both tasted great.

Process:
-Grind beans
-Brew coffee (do this how you want, I've gone to french press and its awesome)
Use individual blender (i.e. Magic Bullet)
-Add 1-2 tbsp of grass fed butter (if you can find it, I've gone just organic)
-Add 1-2 tbsp MCT Oil, "Brain Octane Oil", or simply coconut oil.
-Add your coffee

When you blend it together you get a light and frothy (latte-esk) drink.  I've always been a straight black nothing added coffee guy and I was hesitant but it tastes fantastic.

So what's the benefits of this and is it really good to have all that fat so early?  Yes it is, the amount of energy you get from the healthy fats in both the butter and the oil are a great way to feel full and make sure have a sustained energy throughout the morning.  I've exchanged the coffee for what I was eating for breakfast and it keeps me full until lunch time and I feel much better.  I also add a little salt (or salted butter) to help with adrenal function in the morning so they don't have to stimulate the set up of your body each morning and that added salt helps keep these adrenal glands from having to work to hard and setting you up for being behind all day.

Here is a link to his 5 Simple Steps Themselves

Fix It Early, Fix It Often

Thursday, January 15, 2015

First Standing Classroom for Kids

This is a simple an amazing novel idea with so many benefits.  StandUpKids.org has officially set up the United State's first standing classroom.  From what I could find the first one to exist was in Australia.  These desks are made for kids to be able to stand up, lean on and even have a sway bar
underneath the desk to rest their foot and move/fidget as much as they need to when they are in class.

The benefits of this are many.  First we are taking kids out of the forward flexed, short anterior chain, position.  We are allowing them to engage their posterior chain all day and work on having proper posture (or at least much better posture throughout the day).  They also estimate that standing at school alone with burn upwards of 100,000 calories a year.  I'm not big on calories in, calories out but there is no denying this is a huge number and it will be greatly beneficial to utilize your leg muscles throughout the day.


Check out more at www.standupkids.org or on Twitter @Stand_Up_Kids

It may never apply for than now: Fix It Early, Fix It Often


Thursday, January 8, 2015

Fed Up-The Movie


This movie may be way overdue but it brings up many points that I feel are extremely hard to argue with.  Even in the short version of this trailer the facts are astounding.  In two decades 95% of Americans will be overweight and within that same time span 1/3 Americans will have diabetes.

I'm not a perfect eater by any stretch of the imagination and like to have my sugars in the form of pizza and things like that as well but I think the entire culture of the food industry needs to change and that starts at the grass roots, us.

It's well worth the watch just to see what is really out there and how it is hurting you. It was release this year.  www.fedupmovie.com



Fix It Early, Fix It Often.

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Using Compression for Recovery and Generally Feeling Better

By: Joel Luedke

Compression socks can be seen everywhere these days.  If you watch the Crossfit games they are worn by most of the competitors in all kinds of colors.  Runners have sworn by them for years.  The verdict is still out on how much they can truly help with increasing performance during activity. A recent research study by undergraduate athletic training students at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse found there to be no significant difference in blood lactate levels in compression socks vs. soccer socks and also no significant difference on subjective feel of improved running performing.  But the use of compression for recovery is something that has been a solid tool for a long time.

The body has a magnificent design for circulating not only blood to your body and especially your legs in our case but also for clearing out the "crap" in your system after a workout or a long day and delivering fresh blood and nutrients to damaged and worn out tissues.  The main clearing system responsible for all this to occur is the lymphatic system.  Comprised of its own networks of vessels throughout the body this system helps clear the waste upstream to collection points or nodes and eventually back to your core to be processed and eliminated.  Now, the lymph system is a passive system and needs help moving the junk fluid through the body.  This is accomplished by muscle contraction and at time graduated compression.

This is where compression socks can assist you in recovery and from having to deal with fat swollen ankles.  When we are done working out or after a long day one of the worst things we can do is sit down as this puts a "kink" in your lymphatic system at your ankles, knees and hips and muscle contraction basically stops. If you look at the image on the right you can see where we are "pinching" off this system when we have flexion in our knees and hips.  By using compression on your lower legs can help prevent the accumulation of fluid in your lower legs, ankles, and feet.  It helps counteract gravity (which we will not win against completely)  and keep fluids out of your lower limbs.

We can get a double effect if you're able to walk around and recover your legs after a workout while using your compression socks. At this point we are getting both the muscle contraction to help move everything through out body and the compression to help. Utilizing compression when you travel long distances in the car or on a plane trip makes an amazing difference.  This is one I've personally tried because I don't do a great job hydrating and always had fat ankles after traveling.  So far the compression socks are doing the trick and my legs feel better when I get there.

Compression socks aren't so expensive anymore and well worth a look online.  Check to the right of this article for one recommendation on Amazon.   If you travel a lot, have a desk job, generally feel like your circulation isn't great, or are looking for a better way to help recover your legs this is a simple tool that yields great results.

Friday, January 2, 2015

Carol Dweck: The Power of Believing That You Can Improve

Do you praise yourself, friends, children, athletes for how talented they are, how smart they are, and in general how special they are when they accomplish something?  It makes you feel good, it most likely makes them feel good but is it the best way to go about it?  Carol Dweck discusses this point in the video below and more extensively in her book "Mindset" (haven't gotten to read it yet, but it's on the list).  

I found a summary on Professor Dweck's work in the book "Bounce" and it discussed that encouraging people based on their talent and smarts isn't the best way to motivate them long term.  Her team has found that encouraging effort and the desire to accomplish something is actually much more beneficial in the long wrong and help the person develop the desire to continue to get better.  Believe and you will achieve.
This might be a good way of looking at changing motivational tactics with students, kids, and athletes.

Enjoy.