When shoulder range of motion is impaired, the most common response is to address the shoulder joint. While this seems to make sense, it is not usually the best solution.
Shoulder range of motion is intimately related to thoracic mobility, or the mobility of the middle of your back. Full shoulder range of motion is possible only if there is adequate thoracic extension. Accordingly, in many cases thoracic mobility is a significant contributor to a lack of shoulder range of motion.
Most people have stiff thoracic spines because of poor training habits and poor posture. The best way to improve thoracic mobility is through manual mobilization at the hands of a skilled therapist. However, another great, simple option is to use a foam roll.
While this is commonly suggested, I think the way most people are instructed to do it poorly addresses thoracic joint mobility into extension, and instead focuses on mobilizing the muscles of the thoracic region. And this is a big difference. The goal of mobilizing the thoracic spine to improve shoulder motion is to specifically increase gliding of the joint surfaces to allow for increased thoracic extension. Accordingly, we need to as best as possible stabilize one region so the other can glide in a manner to increase extension.
However most people are rolling back and forth on the roll to reduce the soft tissue density of the muscles, thereby increasing extensibility. The only range of motion this will improve is flexion, or bending forward, which is the opposite direction you want your spine to go to improve shoulder mobility.
Spectrum trainer Tom Biggart, ATC, CSCS, demonstrates a great way to increase thoracic extension mobility with a foam roller below.
Most of us should be mobilizing our thoracic spines daily to counteract poor postutre habits. This should be certainly something you are doing if you need to improve shoulder range of motion.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
The Truth About Abdominal Exercises
Many people spend inordinate amounts of time doing ab exercises, with the misguided notion that they will flatten their belly and protect their back.
Training the abdominals is one of the most misunderstood component of fitness. I'll cut to the chase and list 5 cold hard facts about the core:
1. Training the abs won't lead to a ripped or flat midsection. It will do nothing to get rid of that "stubborn body fat". These muscles are small. Small muscles have a limited capacity to oxidize (burn) fat. These muscles also don't grow well, so they won't become big muscles.
2. Doing several abdominal exercises makes fat loss more difficult. The most common reason why people say they have problems getting results with weight loss is that they don't have enough time to exercise. You need to exercise to lose fat. So if you spend the limited amount of time that you have doing several abdominal exercises, then you are spending less time doing exercises that actually work big muscles and burn fat. Take away the 321 versions of the crunch, focus on proven fat burning exercises, and watch the fat come off.
3. Doing many ab exercises will increase your risk of back pain. Ever see the research in (pick your favorite fitness magazine) that shows the "best ab exercises"? They are all missing a key point, big time.
You see, most research on the abdominal exercises focuses on how much muscle is working. They conclude that the higher the activation of the abs, the better the exercise.
Wrong. A brilliant researcher from Canada, Stuart Mc Gill, and several others, have studied ab exercises in depth, with a different perspective. Rather than focusing only on how much the muscles were activated, they also measured the stress imposed upon the discs, ligaments, and joints of the spine. These are the structures that are involved in back pain.
The results were amazing. Many of the exercises purported to be the "best ab exercises" imposed stress on spinal structures far beyond levels known to cause spinal damage.
Ironic how people are advised to do "protective" exercises that have actually been shown to damage the very structures causing back pain!
4. Strong abdominals do not reduce your risk of back pain.
If they did, then why do so many weightlifters, gymnasts, and football players have back pain? They have abs of steel! The research shows that motor control and endurance of the trunk muscles is correlated with reduced back injury, but strength is not.
5. Sit-ups, crunches, and ab machines are horrible exercises.
Do you know what movements are essential to allow a disc to herniate? Bending and twisting of the spine. Add excessive compression (via muscle force, additional weight, etc) and you have a great shot at damaging your back.
Guess what crunches, sit-ups, and ab machines have in common? Bending and twisting under high compressive loads. No wonder why low back pain is so common.
I could go on and on about this topic, but these points should hopefully shed some light regarding the truths about abdominals.
So what exercises should you do for your core? It depends on your goals.
If you want to lose fat, focus on working big muscles that have a high capacity for calorie burn. This usually involves multi-joint body weight and free weight exercises that use multiple muscles, including your abs! Of course, nutrition is a huge factor as well, and some energy system work in most cases.
If you want to protect your back, focus on adopting proper ergonomic in daily life, learning how to use your torso muscles, and choosing exercises that focus on proper body mechanics, controlling movement of your back and pelvis, and challenging the torso muscles that stabilize your low back without mimicking the very forces known to cause back injury. These things can be challenging to learn initially, but become ingrained habits, like riding a bike, with sufficient practice and instruction. For starters, check out some other examples here.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Sunshine and Vitamin D
We’ve certainly had some beautiful weather around here in
All of this sun sparked a question I received about vitamin D, so I thought I’d share my response based on the latest research.
Do we need to supplement with Vitamin D?
There are several studies showing Vit D deficiencies are common, and are
associated with many diseases and disorders.
What is considered a Vit D deficiency?
Deficiencies are determined by blood tests. Testing blood levels (25 hydroxy vit D) are not usually covered by most insurances for a typical blood panel (unless you complain of fatigue or are elderly) so some PCPs will either not test and not advise supplementation, where as others will advise supplementation without testing assuming that most could benefit, and risks are low. It would not hurt to ask your PCP to test you though.
There is much debate about what is considered deficiency, as measured by 25 hydroxy vit D blood levels, and what is optimal. Minimum is usually defined as 37.5 nmol/L, where optimal is considered between 75 and 100
nmol/L.
Can you take too much?
Toxicity levels are > 375 nmol/L measured by 25 hydroxy vit D blood levels
Toxicity is very rare. Very conservative estimates states that the safe upper limit for intake is 2000IU per day, while many believe it is more like 20,000. Studies show toxicity with levels exceeding 50,000IU/day for months.
I know I can get Vit D from the sun. Does sunscreen impair this?
Sunscreen can limit vitamin D production by the skin. However, studies suggest that it only takes 10 minutes of daily sun exposure to produce adequate levels of Vit D. This can be impaired for those who are dark skinned or elderly. Interestingly, studies have shown that even Hawaiian surfers can have vit D insufficiencies, so there’s more to this than simply sun exposure.
So should I supplement with Vit D? How much?
Those with a history of inflammatory issues (crohns, IBS, OA, asthma, acne), autoimmune issues, significant dietary restrictions (no dairy, picky eater, no fish), risk of heart disease, elderly, or infants exclusively breast fed, I tend to think supplementing vit D is a good idea- no risk, and possibly a benefit. More studies are needed for sure. These people should get a 25 hydroxy vit D test from their PCP to know for sure.
For those on low carb diets who are over weight, I would definitely advise Vit D supplementation, as body fat is inversely related to 25 hydroxyl vit D levels and the dietary restriction can be an issue.
As far as how much, conservatively, for both kids and adults 2000IU is the level I would use if I were to supplement.
For everyone else, considering that it only takes 10 minutes of sun exposure to produce adequate levels of Vit D, and that most breads, cereals, and milk are vitamin D fortified, not to mention eggs, fish, and tuna serving as good sources, I not 100% sure that Vit D supplementation is necessary.
Hope this helps clear up the vitamin D issue. As always, feel free to contact me at mike@spectrumfit.net with any questions.
For all the New Englanders, enjoy this great weather, and go Celtics!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
A critical component of athleticism - the speed myth
Many athletes and their parents/coaches are concerned about getting faster. And for good reason, because it is the athletic quality that is important for almost any sport if you want to excel.
Getting faster is not too complex, however it is certainly hard work. The reason getting faster seems so complex is because of the misinterpretation of what speed really means, and how to train for it.
So before I discuss the simply solution to getting faster, let's clarify some things about what speed really is.
When most refer to speed in sports, they are actually talking about acceleration (and accordingly decceleration is equally important). Most are confusing speed in sports with speed seen on the track.
For example, 100 meter sprinters have been found to not reach top speed until 60 meters. Mind you, they are also reacting to a predictable stimulus ("ready, set, bang"), and going in a straight line.
In contrast, athletes in soccer, basketball, football, and baseball (amongst other sports) need to accelerate from a dead stop or change speeds or directions in an instant in reaction to some stimulus (i.e. the crack of the bat, a whistle, or a sudden opening in the defense). This is called acceleration, the ability to move quickly in an instant, in multiple directions, and this is what most people are referring to when they talk about speed. Coaches often refer to this as quickness or agility.
Acceleration is much more important than speed when it comes to sports other than track. Accordingly, training for acceleration is entirely different than training for speed. So all the form sprinting drills are not the best use of time for young athletes that want to get faster.
What should athletes do then to get better acceleration? Playing games and working on various conditioning drills are good for skill development, coordination, and energy system training that impact acceleration. But doing this won't make a huge impact. This is where the big training camps having a huge group of kids going from drill to drill come up short.
We can make the biggest impact by focusing on one of the most important components of acceleration that is often neglected:
Force development.
Specifically, how much force an athlete can develop relative to their body weight. Consider a simple car analogy. Let's say you have a Honda Accord. If you simply take it to a race track an open it up, you'll likely be able to go 0-60 in about 7 sec. If you have some driving instruction, you'll might get that time down a tenth of a second get to that top speed quicker. But even if you were a professional race car driver, you wouldn't get that time down much further. However, if you swapped the V6 engine for a V8, you would certainly see a faster 0-60 time. You simply need to get a engine that produces more force.
Not surprisingly, research exists to confirm that relative strength correlates with acceleration.
J Strength Cond Research, Sept 09:
Researchers found that athletes with greater leg strength as determined by their maximal squat relative to their body weight had faster 5, 10, and 40 yard sprint times than those who had lower strength levels relative to their body weight. Short distance acceleration strongly correlates with superior athletic performance in most sports, like football, basketball, and soccer.
Unless you are already squatting 2 times your own body weight, you should try to get stronger if you want to be faster in sports.
So, getting fast is as simple as getting stronger? For the most part, yes.
However, there are a couple of critical points here.
First, strength is useless if it is not total body strength. For example, getting your legs stronger won't help much if your torso is weak. The body is only as strong as its weakest link. The analogy I often use with my athletes is that of a Honda civic with the engine of a Ferrari. Although you have a powerful engine, you won't go too fast if the chassis, suspension, tires, or brakes can't support the engine! Unfortunately, focusing on"safe machines" that isolate muscle groups (like some bodybuilders train) is a common way athletes develop muscle imbalances
Second, you can't use the strength if you have improper mobility. For example, if your ankles and hips can not bend to allow you to get in positions of optimal leverage, muscles can not exert the sufficient force to optimize speed. This factor is almost universally neglected at every level of athlete conditioning. As fellowship trained Physical therapists, we have a keen eye for these issues, and can spot mobility deficits in a heart beat.
Finally, producing force is one thing, but producing it quickly on demand is another. That is why some athletes who are strong in the weight room are slow on the field (although, I have yet to see or hear of a case of someone who is strong, lean, and slow). The rate at which you develop force needs to be emphasized once you have developed sufficient strength. This is a factor we focus on more with our advanced athletes who have been through our conditioning program a couple of times.
You see, getting faster is not too difficult when you have the right game plan, suited for your needs. Young athletes need to be taught what to do and how to do it properly. The best way to do this is through our Athlete Development Program.
Please click here to see what some of our athletes and parents have to say about the Athlete Development program.
We are currently accepting athletes for our upcoming Summer program. Our program begins on June 21rst so be sure to submit your registration form soon, as our program is already nearly full!. We keep our program small to provide the highest quality of service, so please submit your form right away to reserve a spot. You can download a registration with all the details form from our website here. Feel free to call at 978-927-2065 with any questions!
Getting faster is not too complex, however it is certainly hard work. The reason getting faster seems so complex is because of the misinterpretation of what speed really means, and how to train for it.
So before I discuss the simply solution to getting faster, let's clarify some things about what speed really is.
When most refer to speed in sports, they are actually talking about acceleration (and accordingly decceleration is equally important). Most are confusing speed in sports with speed seen on the track.
For example, 100 meter sprinters have been found to not reach top speed until 60 meters. Mind you, they are also reacting to a predictable stimulus ("ready, set, bang"), and going in a straight line.
In contrast, athletes in soccer, basketball, football, and baseball (amongst other sports) need to accelerate from a dead stop or change speeds or directions in an instant in reaction to some stimulus (i.e. the crack of the bat, a whistle, or a sudden opening in the defense). This is called acceleration, the ability to move quickly in an instant, in multiple directions, and this is what most people are referring to when they talk about speed. Coaches often refer to this as quickness or agility.
Acceleration is much more important than speed when it comes to sports other than track. Accordingly, training for acceleration is entirely different than training for speed. So all the form sprinting drills are not the best use of time for young athletes that want to get faster.
What should athletes do then to get better acceleration? Playing games and working on various conditioning drills are good for skill development, coordination, and energy system training that impact acceleration. But doing this won't make a huge impact. This is where the big training camps having a huge group of kids going from drill to drill come up short.
We can make the biggest impact by focusing on one of the most important components of acceleration that is often neglected:
Force development.
Specifically, how much force an athlete can develop relative to their body weight. Consider a simple car analogy. Let's say you have a Honda Accord. If you simply take it to a race track an open it up, you'll likely be able to go 0-60 in about 7 sec. If you have some driving instruction, you'll might get that time down a tenth of a second get to that top speed quicker. But even if you were a professional race car driver, you wouldn't get that time down much further. However, if you swapped the V6 engine for a V8, you would certainly see a faster 0-60 time. You simply need to get a engine that produces more force.
Not surprisingly, research exists to confirm that relative strength correlates with acceleration.
J Strength Cond Research, Sept 09:
Researchers found that athletes with greater leg strength as determined by their maximal squat relative to their body weight had faster 5, 10, and 40 yard sprint times than those who had lower strength levels relative to their body weight. Short distance acceleration strongly correlates with superior athletic performance in most sports, like football, basketball, and soccer.
Unless you are already squatting 2 times your own body weight, you should try to get stronger if you want to be faster in sports.
So, getting fast is as simple as getting stronger? For the most part, yes.
However, there are a couple of critical points here.
First, strength is useless if it is not total body strength. For example, getting your legs stronger won't help much if your torso is weak. The body is only as strong as its weakest link. The analogy I often use with my athletes is that of a Honda civic with the engine of a Ferrari. Although you have a powerful engine, you won't go too fast if the chassis, suspension, tires, or brakes can't support the engine! Unfortunately, focusing on"safe machines" that isolate muscle groups (like some bodybuilders train) is a common way athletes develop muscle imbalances
Second, you can't use the strength if you have improper mobility. For example, if your ankles and hips can not bend to allow you to get in positions of optimal leverage, muscles can not exert the sufficient force to optimize speed. This factor is almost universally neglected at every level of athlete conditioning. As fellowship trained Physical therapists, we have a keen eye for these issues, and can spot mobility deficits in a heart beat.
Finally, producing force is one thing, but producing it quickly on demand is another. That is why some athletes who are strong in the weight room are slow on the field (although, I have yet to see or hear of a case of someone who is strong, lean, and slow). The rate at which you develop force needs to be emphasized once you have developed sufficient strength. This is a factor we focus on more with our advanced athletes who have been through our conditioning program a couple of times.
You see, getting faster is not too difficult when you have the right game plan, suited for your needs. Young athletes need to be taught what to do and how to do it properly. The best way to do this is through our Athlete Development Program.
Please click here to see what some of our athletes and parents have to say about the Athlete Development program.
We are currently accepting athletes for our upcoming Summer program. Our program begins on June 21rst so be sure to submit your registration form soon, as our program is already nearly full!. We keep our program small to provide the highest quality of service, so please submit your form right away to reserve a spot. You can download a registration with all the details form from our website here. Feel free to call at 978-927-2065 with any questions!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Pushups For Charity: pictures and total funds raised
I was excited when I arrived back from vacation earlier this week and heard the amazing total amount of funds raised for the Wounded Warrior Project from our Pushups for Charity event last week. The photographer also dropped off some great pics!
Check out the show below to see the action, and the total amount we raised...
Check out the show below to see the action, and the total amount we raised...
Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Pushups For Charity Results
Last Saturday we hosted the Pushups for Charity Beverly event, and it was a great time!
We raised some serious money for the Wounded Warrior Project! The donations are still being collected, so I'll post the totals next week.
Some amazing push-up performances were on display as well. Here are the results for how many push-ups were performed in 90sec by the participants:
Michelle (the push-up queen: 32
Stephen: 64
Rob: 64
Tom: 64
Tom R: 67
Dave: 67
Bryan: 81
John: 84 (fittingly perfect West Point style technique)
Me: 96
And the winner...
Daniel (aka Pocket Hercules): 98!!!
It was a pleasure to lose to Daniel. He is an amazing young man (13 years old!) and has done some really impressive stuff training with Spectrum. Nice work Daniel - unbelievable!
I'll have some pictures posted next week when I return from a quick trip to Chicago.
In the meantime, check out the video below we showed and the event to tell the audience about Spectrum and inspire the participants before the contest.
Be sure to find out about our Quick Start to get the results you deserve!
We raised some serious money for the Wounded Warrior Project! The donations are still being collected, so I'll post the totals next week.
Some amazing push-up performances were on display as well. Here are the results for how many push-ups were performed in 90sec by the participants:
Michelle (the push-up queen: 32
Stephen: 64
Rob: 64
Tom: 64
Tom R: 67
Dave: 67
Bryan: 81
John: 84 (fittingly perfect West Point style technique)
Me: 96
And the winner...
Daniel (aka Pocket Hercules): 98!!!
It was a pleasure to lose to Daniel. He is an amazing young man (13 years old!) and has done some really impressive stuff training with Spectrum. Nice work Daniel - unbelievable!
I'll have some pictures posted next week when I return from a quick trip to Chicago.
In the meantime, check out the video below we showed and the event to tell the audience about Spectrum and inspire the participants before the contest.
Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.
Be sure to find out about our Quick Start to get the results you deserve!
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