Fassination

Stay Tuned!

2012-04-16T19:21:00.002-04:00

New blog posts and a new website will be coming soon! Look for it in the second half of 2012

-Jonathan

I Know Kung Fu

2009-08-29T09:42:00.008-04:00

Kevin at The FitCast has been reminding me every week that I haven't updated my blog in months. Even Tony called me out for not updating, and he's the guy that hangs out at Lord of the Rings festivals...allegedly.

I've been hard at work with my Orthopedic Residency at the University of Delaware, but unfortunately my 60-70 hour work weeks leave me little time for much more than recording the show once/week and updating my Facebook page. The good news is that I'm learning a lot, so it will definitely be worth all of the long hours, sleepless nights...and dusty blog posts.

With all of that going on, I did get the chance to unwind with one of my favorite movies, 1999's groundbreaking instant classic, The Matrix. Taking cues and inspiration from religion, classic literature, modern cyber-culture, Hong Kong martial arts and Japanese anime films, and even a healthy dose of Alice in Wonderland, The Matrix redefined how we create television and cinema.

Neo, the protagonist of the film, transforms from a simple 9-5 computer programmer and hacker into a modern-day super hero capable of amazing abilities, learning how to move faster than a speeding bullet and leap tall buildings in a single bound. But just like a certain blue-and-red suited crusader for Truth, Justice and the American Way, Neo didn't need to work hard for years and years in order to perfect his skills and abilities: all he really needed to do was plug himself in and download the information! I can't think of anything easier than that...except maybe just stepping outside and being able to fly Under a Yellow Sun.

The idea of achieving an amazing life without an equally amazing dedication towards achieving it is littered throughout our culture, unfortunately. We play the lottery so that we can become instant millionaires and we cram the night before an exam so that we can pass a test.

The fitness field is rampant with "Instant E-Gurus" that announce themselves as experts, producing sloppy YouTube videos and e-books in order to make a fast buck without the slightest bit of education or experience (insert Tracy Anderson joke here). In turn, they feed into our own "something for nothing" instincts by promising the world for as little as 10 minutes a day and 2 low payments of $39.95

And you won't even get bulky!

As you might have guessed, the solution to any problem is rarely as simple as this, and it usually only works in the movies for people named Morpheus and Trinity. By feeding into these impulses, we often end up wasting more energy and time by not achieving our goals than had we simply dedicated ourselves to performing the hard work that we should have done in the first place. It's almost always better to do something rather than nothing, and if you can dedicate yourself to even 10 minutes of exercise each day, I'd much rather see that you do; however, if you're just making excuses to yourself and trying to "cheat the system," at the end of the day you're likely to end up with exactly what you've put in: excuses.

In the last three months, I've averaged 65 hours/week at the clinic. I've worked as much as 17 hours in one day, and average 13-14 hours each day. In the end, I will have learned an enormous amount of information, acquired a huge amount of experience and become a better therapist because of it...and that's why I wanted to do this. When it's done, I will be applying for Fellowship training in manual physical therapy, another year of advanced training and education. When I say that I want to be "the best," I mean it. But unlike Neo, I know that if you want something, you have to work for it. Sometimes, you really have to work for it. But if you do, good things will come of it, too.

Whatever your goals are, keep at them. Resist the temptation to take the easy way out or the quick fix. Earn your results through your efforts and your dedication, and you will be better for the experience.

Trust me.

-Jonathan

I've been unfaithful...

2009-05-07T21:02:00.003-04:00

I cheated on the Fitcast!

Have a listen: In the Trenches Fitness: Episode 3 with Mike Robertson

Mike and I talked about physical therapy and sports performance settings, what I learned from Bill Hartman, what strength coaches can learn from PT's, what MMA fighters, from beginners to advanced, need to focus on to improve...not to mention just what I've been up to for the past two months!

It's always awesome to catch up with Mike, and we had some great discussions. Have a listen and enjoy it!

-Jonathan

Starting Strength

2009-03-03T22:33:00.015-05:00

Q: I'm a brand new personal trainer. I don't want to be an average fitness professional, but my background is geology; I studied at home for the NSCA-CPT and passed, and have been working in a pretty decent gym for a year now, while I was studying, but that's it for my background. What are the biggest things you've learned (to do or not to do) as a trainer?

-Giz

A: Congratulations on the start of your new career, Giz!

Beginning a new profession can be fairly intimidating, especially a career as dynamic and detailed as health & fitness. The truth is, I continue to learn more and more every day. Rather than try and give you a giant list of do's and dont's, here are my top three areas to focus on as a new trainer:

1. Anatomy is the lyrics written to the music of kinesiology that we sing to our clients.

If you're still reading this post, that's good. If you were able to tolerate my horribly corny analogy, you should have the mental fortitude to dedicate the hours of study required in order to know your anatomy and kinesiology expertly. Studying anatomy can be pretty dry at times, and kinesiology can be fairly intimidating to the uninitiated, but these subjects are the basis of everything that we do as trainers. Without a firm grasp of these sciences, you're going to have a difficult time truly understanding anything else in your job description.

Always remember: the client exercises his/her muscles; the trainer understands the muscles.

You've got your ubulus muscle, which connects to the upper dorsimus. Its boring, but its part of my life.

2. Don't fall in love with only one "method"...be a swinger!

When I first began training clients, I generally used one approach with everyone, which had been taught to me during my first certification coursework. The truth is, it worked well enough and my clients got leaner and stronger. But that was really all that I knew. Programming for performance enhancement, weight loss, increased strength...it was basically all the same! As I developed and learned more about training, exercise and the science behind them, I started incorporating different methods and techniques into my "bag of tricks," while at the same time removing some of the things that I felt were no longer effective.

So while you search to find your own niche, discovering what works for you and within your particular skill-set, don't be afraid to venture out at times, observing others and incorporating different methods to make you a more well-rounded and more effective trainer! A few great places to start might be podcasts such as The FitCast or Mike Robertson's new podcast newsletter, In the Trenches Fitness, as well as excellent resources such as Mark Rippetoe's "Starting Strength" (you didn't think that I made up the title of this blog by myself, did you?) or the growing collection of free information at places like FLZine (where, if you search hard enough, you might even find an interview with yours truly!).

Leigh and I sit down for a little quality time at FLZine.com

3. Be good at what you do, but know your limits.

It can be pretty overwhelming when you're a new trainer, especially when you don't have a background in exercise science. At first, it might seem that you're woefully under-prepared or unfit for the job. But the truth is, you are prepared. Are you as good now as you might be in another 5 years with more experience and education? Of course not. But that doesn't mean that you aren't able to help your clients and make a positive impact on someone's life right now.

However...

Even with 50 years of experience, you'll never know everything. No one does (except maybe William Kraemer,PhD). So focus your efforts on getting really good at a few things, but don't get caught up in trying to figure out everything, especially when it's a subject outside of your scope of practice as a personal trainer.

For instance, I'd like to think that I have a fairly decent grasp of the basics of nutrition. I've even dedicated a few blog posts to questions about eating healthy. However, I'm far from being an expert like my friends Cassandra Forsythe and Leigh Peele are, and I always turn to them when I need information about diets and nutrition. Conversely, both Leigh and Cass are excellent trainers as well as experts in nutrition; however, when they face an issue in training or rehab that they're unfamiliar with, I'll happily return the favor and try to help them with their training question (and if I don't know the answer, I just ask Bill Hartman!).

Sure, all three of us could dedicate ourselves to actively learning more about other fitness-related areas such as nutriton (for myself) or rehabilitation (for Cassandra and Leigh), but that wouldn't make much sense, either. We are all good at what we do because we chose to be good at those particular things. Too much "Career ADD" won't make you particularly good at anything, even if you feel like you're expected to know everything as a new trainer.

You're not!

Wait, where was I going again?

I hope that this gave you a good place to start in your new career. Best of luck!

-Jonathan

The Emperor's New Clothes

2009-02-25T17:23:00.005-05:00

The blog just got a major facelift thanks to my friends at Local Wisdom, and I have to admit that it's a significant upgrade! The brilliant minds at LW have been my go-to computer experts since I started, and without them, I would barely know how to turn my laptop on.

No, seriously.

Teh coMput3rz maiks my heAd hurTz

I think the blog looks great, and I hope that you do too. Let me know your opinion in the comments!

-Jonathan

Winter Wonderland

2009-02-19T19:55:00.003-05:00

Last weekend I took the drive up the NJ Turnpike all of the way to the Mass Turnpike and attended Mike Boyle's 3rd Annual Winter Seminar (yes, it was Valentine's Day: my Jenny is a very understanding woman!). I had a great time, and the presentations were varied and full of great information. I met a lot of talented coaches and trainers this weekend, and a few listeners of The FitCast too (thanks for coming by and saying hi, guys!).

Rather than giving my own review (we're saving that for this week's FitCast episode), I'll let you check out what my friends Brian St. Pierre, Lance Goyke, Mike Robertson and Tony Gentilcore had to say (actually, Tony wrote two different posts because that's how Tony rolls). Check out their reviews, and then check out the rest of their blogs, too...I always find great information (and usually great pictures, too...thanks Tony) when I read them.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

-Jonathan

More from the Mailbag: Shoulder Swagger

2009-02-12T20:57:00.007-05:00

Q: Hey, Jonathan.

I have this question that I have been pondering. It's about shoulder internal rotation and range of motion. First of all, we've got two ways of assessing it, right? Abducted shoulder internal rotation and back scratch test.

With the back scratch test I've not yet seen a clear classification of what arm position corresponds to what range of motion. General classification is : if your arm goes horizontal - that's a good start; if you can't get horizontal - bad; if you can go above horizontal - you have good flexibility. Always look for the inferior border of the scapulae and scapular winging - the easiest way to cheat the test. Other ways are shoulder abduction and thoracic lateral bend.

That one's fine with me, if you say that it's a good test.

The one that's bothering me is the abducted arm internal rotation test.
Here's the thing - I can rarely get anyone to go into internal rotation without scapular elevation and/or anterior tilting.

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/what_i_learned_in_2008

What Eric Cressey is showing in his pictures usually corresponds with my observation - on most of the pictures he post, he allows people to hike the shoulder up and get more ROM. Now don't get me wrong - he's a really smart guy, but is that ok with you?

Best of wishes.
TS

A: In general, we've got definite ROMs that we would use for shoulder internal/external rotation that we consider to be "accurate" (90 & 70 degrees, respectively, by goniometric measure according to the American Academy of Orthopeadic Surgeons). Personally, I prefer the supine position (the subject remains on his/her back with the arm brought out 90 degrees), but any position is fine relative to patient needs (from a clinical standpoint, there may be a reason that the patient can't get into the position that you need them to, so you have to use different strategies). That can include the arm held at the side or with the shoulder abducted to 90 degrees, etc. The scratch test is fine too, but it's more of a gross movement test vs. a single, isolated movement test and you won't get a "pure" number corresponding to just one movement. In the gym, this is fine. In the clinic, this may or may not be ok...it just depends on the case.

If we're interested in the technical word of law, then no: you shouldn't allow any additional movements such as scapular tilting (or any other compensation) when taking the ROM of the shoulder. However, it probably isn't that important in a non-pathological shoulder, which is what you're likely to see in a gym client.

In terms of "real world" function, observing compensations by allowing gross movement can be extremely valuable, so I understand why Eric would say that. I generally do the same thing for a non-pathological client, too. I would just add that if there's a difference, you probably need to break down the movement into it's constituents (IR, extension, elbow flexion, etc) and see what's really going on.

Which leads to the last point: how do you measure things in the "real world" outside of goniometers and the AAOS? Compare both sides: it's more important that a client is symmetrical then if they have the appropriate ROM in most (if not all) cases. Problems will occur if there is a difference between limbs, and that's what you should be looking for.

Yes, if a client presents with bilaterally short hip flexors, for instance, you would probably look to address that through various stretching and mobility work, but if you have the case of one hip flexor being significantly stiffer or shorter than the other, that's where you will see non-symmetric, unilateral alterations to the kinetic chain, which can cause major problems over time. That's like driving with one flat tire: eventually, your car's alignment will also need fixing, too.

-Jonathan

Seven Secrets

2009-02-10T12:49:00.004-05:00

My friend and fellow trainer Galya "tagged" me in her blog three weeks ago. The rules of this game are pretty simple:

Link back to the person who tagged you
Share 7 random or weird facts about yourself
Tag 7 people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs
Let each person know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog

Galya and me at last year's Indianapolis Performance Enhancement Seminar. Mike Robertson took the picture. Apparently, he has never heard of "Head Space."

Normally I hate "chain letters," but this one kind of looked fun (and it's FAR less time-consuming and annoying than that "25 things about me" thing going around Facebook these days!). Considering the fact that I've also been on one of my blogging hiatus holidays, I also thought that it could be a great way to get back to posting up some new articles. After all, I love to kill two birds with one stone! That's not one of my 7 random facts, but these are:

1. I tore my Lateral Collateral Ligament about seven years ago while practicing Russian martial arts (Sombo).

I had been practicing various martial arts since college, and had certainly been hurt before, so I decided that I had simply suffered a "sprain" and did not seek a medical opinion (I was also afraid that if it was something worse I would need surgery and would have to stop fighting...what can I say, I was young and stupid!). It is still unrepaired to this day. I'm able to perform 99% of the things that I would need to do on any given day including work and working out, but competing in sports (specifically cutting movements) can be difficult and my knee will usually buckle if I'm not wearing a supportive brace. At this point, I doubt that I will end up ever having the surgery to repair it.

2. I hated school growing up.

I was far too social in junior high and high school and would have much preferred to hang out with my friends than study or do homework! I was more-or-less a straight "C" student throughout 7-12th grades. If there were 100 students in my class, I was probably #50 exactly. In fact, it wasn't until my high school graduation that I started to see the error of my ways when my parents told me rather directly that they weren't going to send me away to college. "Why would we spend money on a college education for you?" they asked. "You hate school. You'll just fail out!"

My parents agreed to send me away to school if I proved myself by going to community college and doing well there first. I enrolled in classes at Bergen Community College and began my new journey. I realized that I had made a mistake and that I hadn't lived up to my abilities or taken advantage of my opportunities in high school. After earning a 3.9 GPA that first year, I applied to Rutgers University and was accepted.

I still have some difficulty paying attention in a classroom setting (I work much better hands-on), but compared to my early academic days I'm light-years ahead...and it all started at Bergen Community. To this day, standing their ground and sending me to community college was one of the best things that my parents ever did for me. It was a powerful lesson: I finally understood that I was not only accountable for my actions, but also that when I work hard and dedicate myself to a goal, good things can and will follow. That moment in my life is still one of the lessons that drives me today, even as I am about to complete my doctorate.

Thanks mom & dad.

3. I can't type.

I took a typing course my junior year of high school. Unfortunately, I was seated next to a very attractive girl who was a year younger than I was. By the end of that semester, we were dating...and neither of us knew how to type. Oh well! I make due with a fairly advanced "hunt & key peck" method.

4. I won the dorm awards for "Funniest," "Loudest," and "Best Smile" my first year at Rutgers.

Quite a combination, if I do say so myself.

5. I had my interview for PT school at the City University of New York on November 15th, my mother's birthday. I received notification that I had been accepted into the program on December 1st, my father's birthday. I started classes on January 25th, which is my uncle Bob's birthday, and I will finish the last day of my final clinical rotation, thus finishing grad school, on March 27th, which is also my parents' anniversary. You just can't make stuff like that up!

6. I was terribly shy as a child.

I tend to still be a little shy, although most people don't believe me when I tell them that now. I find myself sometimes (ok, a lot of times) getting that familiar little "jump" in my chest when I first walk into a situation with people that I don't know or don't know well, even now. Without even realizing it, I'll try to hide with a group that I do know in order to avoid "strangers."

I've gotten much better at becoming more outgoing and social, and I've trained myself to seek out new people and get conversation going in unfamiliar situations, but it still shows up from time-to-time (and it probably doesn't help that I hate shmoozing and small-talk, either). It doesn't happen too much, but it's more often than I'd like it to. Admittedly, I probably look like I'm ignoring people and that I'm a rude jerk, but I swear that I'm not...I'm just a little shy sometimes.

So consider this a public apology to anyone that I may have inadvertently avoided at a party or gathering over the years: I didn't mean to!

7. I'm horrible at time management...which is why this post took two weeks to finish!

And now...

1. Kevin Larrabee. See? I told you I was going to post something!

2. Cassandra Forsythe. If all she writes about are 7 protein studies, I'll :heart: her

3. Leigh Peele. We already know that you're a fat Kim-Kim...but what don't we know about the elusive Ms. Peele?

4. Ben Smith. His blog is an amazing round-up of information and blogs from others. Now to learn a little more information about the man himself.

5. Tony Gentilcore. Tony loves this crap.

6. Keith Suthammanont. Keith is a good, young trainer full of energy and talent. He just started up writing on his blog again, too...now here's something else that he can write about!

7. Stephen Antel. Steve is a buddy of mine from my old days at the Men's Health and JP Fitness forums, and now at Training Anarchy. He now owns his own gym in Kansas City.

**Bonus**

8. John Gesselberty. John's "Monday Motivators" are the stuff of legend around the fitness boards...go check it out and see why.

-Jonathan

Ho, Ho, Ho...?

2008-12-22T00:08:00.003-05:00

Jennifer and I braved the traffic and the crowds at the mall for a little last minute shopping today, and I realized a few things:

1. I hate the mall
2. I hate crowds (see #1)
3. Online shopping is definitely the way to go (see #1 & #2)
4. There are a lot of overweight and out of shape people in this world, and they all congregate at mall food courts.

From my observations, the mall Santa was actually looking pretty slim and fit compared to some of the people that I saw today, and it was honestly pretty sad. At a time of the year where people are thinking of which gifts to buy for their loved ones, no one seemed to understand that the most important gift wasn't one that they were going to find on a sale rack.

In another week, thousands and thousands of people will be making New Year's resolutions to "lose weight" and get in shape. Unfortunately, most of them will fail after a few short weeks and fall back on the poor habits and lifestyles that they swore to change at the drop of the New Year's ball.

So why not change things this year? Instead of promising yourself that you're going to go to the gym (just like you did last year, and the year before, and the year before that...), why not give your health as a "gift" to someone else? Promise your spouse that you will faithfully exercise 2-3 mornings every week. Promise your children that you will go to your favorite bootcamp every Thursday after work. Tell your parents that this year, along with the tie and scarf tucked away under the tree, you're going to give them the most important gift that any parent could want: a healthier, happier child. Hold yourself accountable not only to yourself, but to the people that you care about the most...because they care about you too, and want you to be the best that you can possibly be.

This year, make it a holiday season to remember. Show the special people in your life just how much you care about them by letting them know that you "get it." What better gift could there ever be than to ensure that you will be happier, healthier and active for a long time to come, not just for yourself but for the people that love you, too?

...And stay away from the malls. Trust me on that one.

Happy holidays, everyone. Be safe and be healthy...and the happiness will follow.

-Jonathan

How About a Quickie?

2008-12-15T20:47:00.001-05:00

...Post, that is.

Ok, I'll admit it: being too much of a perfectionist at times can be, well, problematic. That's why, when I'm low on time and don't feel like I'll be able to write up a good blog post, I'll let the blog, um, well, languish.

Kevin calls me out on a weekly basis about this, and I have to admit: he has a point. So here's a little something that I recently ran across on a forum that I thought was just about perfect. If this doesn't get you excited to lift, you need to have your heart examined!

Have you ever done deadlifts? I mean, have you gone into the gym thinking like. "ok today is deadlift day!"? No?

I do.

I think that there is no other exercise like it in the world. I fear it, hate it, and love it. I look forward to deadlifts like a child looks for candy. It is a drug and I am hooked. Tonight I go forth to do battle with it.

I feel nervous, like I was before my first real kiss. I will be singularly focused tonight to get a certain weight for 1 rep. This is the key for future deadlift workouts. I feel that this exercise could in fact have its own day if I could find the time. I must hit this weight, there is no question I am ready for it, just a question if my mental state will be strong enough to get it done.

I picture it now as I sit here waiting for the time to go lift to appear. The bar is loaded 4 plates on each side, it is resting on the floor. I see a face from a nightmare on the bar, it appears to be laughing at me, mocking me, taunting me to try to lift it. I walk over, squat down and set my hands. I breath deeply eyes not really in the present, mind tightening down to a narrow laser sharpened beam of utter concentration.

I take another breath, and lift it off the floor. I struggle, feeling the bar scrap my shins bloody. I feel the titanic strain on my arms, grip, shoulder, all over as the bar clears my knees. I stand up and pull the shoulders back, sweat running in a flood down my face, veins bulging on my neck. I lock it out and lower it to the floor.

It is done! The battle is over and I have beaten the demon, it no longer taunts me but rather sulks away to wait till next week. It never really is defeated, just beaten back for a time. I wipe my brow, my whole body is afire with a righteous blaze of accomplishment. Then, I realize that next time...next time is fast approaching for battle. I must stand ready each time to defeat the deadlift.

Good stuff!

-Jonathan

Sex, Lies and Photoshop

2008-11-16T20:20:00.004-05:00

What if I told you that Micheal Jordan never really made all of those incredible shots, or that Jerry Rice never actually caught all of those amazing throws from Joe Montana? Imagine if almost everything that you have seen in pictures and t.v. were...lies!

A month ago, I wrote about how the pictures and images of our favorite athletes and models that we see in magazines and even on television are distorted and manipulated through various methods, including water depletion, lighting, tanning and even drugs. However, there was one enormously important piece of the image-manipulation puzzle that I left out: photoshop. Here's an amazing demonstration that I found from diet.com that shows how every image that we see in magazines and advertisements can be instantly "improved" with nothing more than a left-click of your computer mouse:

Not only is this a fascinating expose into just how simple and commonplace image manipulation is in everything that we are shown through popular media, it gives us a glimpse into how easily it can be to become dissatisfied and discouraged with our own bodies and the hard work that goes into creating them when we aspire to look like an airbrushed and photoshopped lie.

Altering an image may not be as simple (or as silly) as drawing muscles on yourself with a magic marker (I really am a sucker for a woman with an accent), but the fact is that drawing cartoonish muscles on doctored photos is much more common than you might realize. If you don't recognize this fact every time you reach for the latest issue of your favorite fitness magazine, you'll find yourself in a never-ending cycle of frustration trying to accomplish a promise that was never based in truth.

But don't worry: I swear that none of the before-and-after pictures on my website have been doctored! That was all hard work and effort, not MacBook.

-Jonathan

Incredible Success

2008-11-14T07:00:00.004-05:00

I just wanted to add a video that I came across while researching yesterday's presentation. It's of a young woman's journey through rehabilitating a T12 ASIA C spinal cord injury:

An inury at T12 will involve her entire lower body from the waist down, including hip and knee flexors and extensors, the hip abductors and the hip adductors. The grading of her injury as "ASIA C" means that, fortunately, there is some preserved muscle control and strength of these lower body muscles, although there will be deficits in at least half of the muscles that you and I will take for granted every time we walk, sit down in a chair, or even simply stand still and maintain our balance.

Rechelle's example of hard work and dedication is both inspiring and humbling at the same time. Be grateful not only for the ability to improve yourself, but for examples like Rechelle that show us that with enough effort and dedication, anything is truly possible.

-Jonathan

Achieving Your Goals

2008-11-13T10:13:00.004-05:00

Obviously, I've been quite busy this month (and if you've been listening to the FitCast, you know why!). Today, however, all of the work that I've been putting in, not only this past month but the past 34 months, will finally pay off.

Today I will be attending my final scheduled lecture in graduate school.

I'm not quite finished with school entirely, of course: we've got research presentations and submissions for publication taking place in January, as well as our final two clinical rotations which will take us through March of '09. But this is still a major milestone, and it feels terrific!

Achieving predetermined goals is an excellent way to maintain our motivation and focus, not only in school but in the gym as well. In order for these goals to be effective, they need to be realistic and achievable, which unfortunately hasn't always been the case with many of the individuals that I have consulted in the past.

While "I want to lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks" might sound like a great goal to set before a family reunion, or "I want to increase my bench press by 50 pounds before Spring Break" might be every male college sophomore's sure-fire plan to not get sand kicked in his face in Cancun, they may not be. The problem is in the achievability of those goals. There are a number of factors that will play into accomplishing these weight loss or strength gains within a given time-frame, and it can be devestating not to achieve those goals, especially when you did everything right.

For athletes, this is a normal aspect of sport. Top-level athletes have their entire training schedule built around peaking at the exact time for an exact event during their training cycle: for Micheal Phelps, that might be every 4 years at the Olympics; for Eli Manning it might be the playoffs every January. For the rest of us that don't make a living from our on-field (or in-pool) performance, it doesn't always make sense for us to base our goals on the same parameters.

Build your goals around the things that you can control throughout your day, such as committing yourself to going to the gym 3x/week, or sticking to your diet for a week without cheats, or going to sleep every night by 11 p.m. and not staying up late. These are realistic and achievable goals that, when adhered to and accomplished, will help you towards achieveing the bigger goals: losing 10 pounds so that your Aunt Edna doesn't raise her eyebrow at you when you reach for seconds at dinner!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to finish my last presentation for class, due this afternoon. I'm going to miss grad school...but I won't miss writing papers!

-Jonathan

Weighing in on Rapid Weight Loss

2008-10-13T21:35:00.012-04:00

Q: I was watching Ms. and Mr. Olympia last night on a webcast. I heard that Jay Cutler lost 15 lbs in one evening....how?!!! I know water pills can do some, but really? How healthy could that be? - Y.R.

A: Hey Y.R., thanks for the interesting question. Although rapid weight loss such as Cutler's isn't a good idea, the fact is that it's a fairly common practice in a number of sports. The rapid drop in weight is known as "making weight," and athletes such as wrestlers, boxers, mixed martial artists and Olympic Weightlifters, among others, will normally lose weight quickly and then gain it back almost as quickly before their events as a tool to gain a competitive edge.

Making weight stems from the use of weight classes, such as those used in boxing, which separates fighters into 17 different classes and weight divisions. In contrast, the UFC, which is the premiere Mixed Martial Arts promotion, uses five distinct weight divisions, although there are nine official divisions according to the state athletic commissions where MMA is sanctioned. In order to compete, an athlete must weigh no more than the pre-determined upper limit (normally within a pound) of the given weight class that the competition is set to occur.

In theory, this improves the competition and safety of sports where a larger athlete would have a distinct advantage over a smaller athlete. However, there is a loophole: by qualifying for a lower weight class through rapid water loss and dehydration techniques and then regaining some or all of that weight by the time of the competition, the athlete can enjoy an exceptional advantage over his/her opponent.

The recent EliteXC: Heat MMA weigh-ins. Noted female fighter
Gina Carano had difficulty making weight

While this certainly presents itself as a potentially dangerous practice for an athlete about to compete in a vigorous and demanding sport, when done under the supervision of a knowledgeable coach and doctor, the risks to the athlete's health can be minimized (but not eliminated). Obviously, the more weight that must be dropped, the more dangerous cutting weight can be. As you might expect, there have been a number of attempts to curb this practice, especially with younger athletes.

However, Jay Cutler certainly didn't drop his weight in order to make a weight limit. Although bodybuilding also has weight classes, Jay's reasons were more directly related to his performance on the stage: by dropping as much water weight as possible, a bodybuilder will appear to be leaner with more visible definition, helping his/her chances in the contest.

Quick: somebody get this man a Gatorade!

There's something else to consider about Jay's single-day 15 pound water loss, too: when you weigh about 300 pounds in an off-season, 250 in-season, 15 pounds is still around 5 - 6% of your weight, so it's not as startling of a drop as it may seem. Drops of 5-6% still would not qualify as being "healthy,' of course, but it's not the same as a 185 pound mixed martial artist attempting to make the 170 pound Welterweight class (although between the option of facing either Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva or Welterweight Champion Georges St.-Pierre, I'm not sure that either is a very good option for your long-term health!)

However, this still raises a good point, and one that I think that a lot of people miss out on: Bodybuilding is about attaining a certain look, nothing else. Not health, not performance at a sport, and not even strength...just large, proportionate muscles at a low body-fat level. Which means that, just like any athlete in any sport, some things that bodybuilders do will be healthy while other things will be anything but healthy.

Unfortunately, I think this point escapes many of the people that not only enter the sport of bodybuilding, but for those that try to "look like a bodybuilder" without understanding just what goes into that process or in turn what the process might do to his/her body. Especially for women, attaining such low levels of body-fat is impossible to maintain for long periods of time without serious health consequences including detrimental effects on a female's hormonal/menstrual cycles. The pictures that you see in magazines and from the stage are quite literally "snapshots" of that individual at the peak of their weight loss and physical appearance. Unfortunately, many of the fans of the sport who aspire to look like their favorite fitness model(s) year-round don't understand how difficult this can actually be without causing serious health issues.

I have worked with and consulted a number of individuals who have competed in the sport of bodybuilding/fitness, as well as individuals that have simply wanted to look like they did. I have always been careful to try and make them aware of the difficulties that may be ahead of them and the reality of what they think that they are seeing when they thumb through their favorite magazines.

It's pretty amazing what extreme dieting, good lighting, hair and makeup,

tanning, plastic surgery, and steroids can do for your physique!

The fact is that bodybuilding can often be a very difficult and unhealthy lifestyle (certainly healthier, by most standards, than sitting on a coach eating donuts, of course, but still with its own risks nonetheless), and the majority of people with "real" jobs and "real" lives will find themselves having a very difficult time achieving these "unreal" physique goals. Just like facing a boxer that cut weight to make a fight and who now outweighs you by 15 pounds, you might find that you are at a distinct disadvantage when trying to step into this ring. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't aspire to look better and to be healthier, but always be aware of what that actually means...and looks like!

Thanks for the letter, Y.R., and for reminding us that seeing isn't always believing!

-Jonathan

The FitCast Insider

2008-10-11T15:33:00.006-04:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that Kevin decided to re-release The FitCast Insider for a limited time, at $30 off of the original price...sweet!

If you haven’t heard of The FitCast Insider, it is a set of 19 audio interviews as well as a high quality version of the tremendously popular Dan John Squat and Olympic Lift video. It's an awesome compilation of interviews and information ranging from weight loss tips, nutrition, rehab/performance enhancement and strength training.

You get 1 Gigabyte of fitness and nutrition information for less than the cost of a single personal training session with information that would make any typical personal trainer's head spin right out of his underarmour dry-fit t-shirt!

-Jonathan

Bigger, Stronger, Blogger*

2008-10-08T15:20:00.008-04:00

If you haven't listened to this week's episode of The FitCast (Bigger, Stronger, Faster*), you missed a fantastic interview with the Chris Bell, the writer and director of the documentary Bigger, Stronger, Faster*

Simply put, I was able to see the movie, and it was fantastic. Steroids are, of course, currently a hot-button topic and has seen an increase in media and cultural interest recently. Chris forces us to look at ourselves as a "culture on steroids" and challenges us to see that even as we damn the use of performance enhancing drugs in the media and in polite conversation, we applaud it and encourage its use in our society. This deleted scene, featuring among others current Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler, demonstrates this perfectly:

Have a listen to the interview and then do yourself a favor and get a hold of the dvd to watch it for yourself. The movie looks at more than just a drug or even a "drug-culture," but rather at America as a "culture on drugs." In fact, even as I write this, I am guilty of being part of the culture as well, have already used drugs today: two Tylenol Cold multi-symptom tablets to help me with a stuffed nose and sore throat that I woke up with this morning. I also used protein powder in my morning breakfast shake, took a handful of fish-oil tablets and of course a multi-vitamin, along with the caffeine in my tea.

So the question that Chris ultimately asks is an important one: if we are a culture and society where supplements and drugs are woven into the fabric of our existence, where do we draw the lines between acceptable and unacceptable substances? In fact, am I, in this sense, being hypocritical by using a powerful stimulant (caffeine), dietary supplements (whey, vitamins, fish oil) and even an assortment of drugs (Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan and Phenylephrine, the active ingredients in Tylenol) while at the same time deciding that steroids are not only a "bad thing" but in the past being guilty of passing judgment on those that choose to use them?

While we may feel that there is a big difference between a Tylenol and a steroid, ultimately it's not the differences between the two drugs but the similarities that bind them that is so important in understanding the current issues with performance enhancing substances, whether they help us to compete in sport, stay awake for an early morning meeting, or help us to suppress the discomfort of the common cold. It is our society that produces these issues and not the other way around, and ultimately we as a society must take a hard look at who we are as a people and not just at the people themselves who use these substances.

I hope that you'll agree that it was an excellent interview! Tony, Leigh and I will be returning this weekend for the round-table discussion with all-new listener questions and discussions. We're working on some cool new segments for future episodes, so I hope that you'll continue to enjoy listening!

-Jonathan

Dysfunctional Definitions

2008-10-04T17:28:00.011-04:00

Q: I just listened to the Fit Cast episode with you (and glad to know you will be a regular contributor, you were great) and was wondering how to find a therapist that can help with imbalances. I'm most certain I have more than your average bear (I've had ACL replacement on both knees - when I squat, my right foot turns out almost 45 degrees, but my knees and thighs are parallel. That's imbalance, right? ;)

Anyway, what are some good resources to find a good pro? My therapist for recovery was great, but she's not that kind of trainer.

A: Hey AT, thanks for the question. It was a busy couple of weeks (funny how that keeps happening in your last semester of grad school...go figure!), but I definitely wanted to respond to your excellent question!

Unfortunately, most often a physical therapist is chosen by a patient not because of his/her qualifications or experience but whether or not that therapist accepts the patient's insurance and how close the office is to the patient. Finding a qualified and expert physical therapist (just like finding a great trainer, physician, massage therapist, etc) can be difficult depending on your location and/or your particular needs, but there are definitely some things that you can look for to help.

There are unfortunately very few resources on the internet which actually rate physical therapists, such as Angie's List. However, Angie's List is also a pay site, requiring either a monthly or annual fee for access. If you're willing to pay for it, you might find this service helpful.

Other than that, it's pretty similar to finding any good health-care professional: look at their credentials and experience!

Although it's not a requirement of practice, it's not a bad idea to seek out a physical therapist that chooses to enrich his/her knowledge by earning additional credentials beyond their degree. Of course, a good place to start would be looking for the Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist credential, the CSCS. Other credentials include the Sports Certified Specialist (SCS) and the Orthopedic Certified Specialist (OCS), which indicate a therapist that has achieved advanced clinical knowledge and skills, being recognized by the American Physical Therapy Association as a board certified expert.
Of course, Certified Athletic Trainers (ATC) can also be a great option, and a number of physical therapists have their ATC as well. Other credentials following a PT's name that indicate expertise in manual therapy, such as CMPT or MPT (Certified Manual Physical Therapist) or the prestigious FAAOMPT (a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists) are also good indicators of a highly experienced and expert practitioner.
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't also mention Active Release Techniques (ART) here as well. Although I would not consider ART to be a complete system of treatment by itself, it is a very effective complimentary skillset when used properly as an adjunct treatment. An experienced therapist that has this credential is often very good at properly diagnosing and treating dysfunctions.

After narrowing your search, take a look at who the therapist has worked with (athletic populations in performance enhancement would be my first choice) and how long he/she has been practicing in orthopedics/sports rehabilitation. Experience goes a long way, of course, but make sure that you're getting a therapist with the the right kind of experience.

Finally, a word on education: at this point in PT training, there are a number of different degrees that a PT might have earned. You may find therapists that practice with an undergraduate degree in physical therapy, a Master's degree (MS or MSPT), or the Entry-Level Doctorate (DPT). In addition, there are a number of Terminal Degrees that a therapist may have earned as well, including the EdD., ScD., and of course the PhD. While it might be tempting to simply assume that a PT with the most educational letters behind his/her name is also going to be the best therapist, this might not always be the case. The terminal degrees are research-related and therefore do not necessarily translate into better clinical skills, and the difference between a DPT and a therapist with his/her Masters or even Bachelor's degree isn't as great as you might expect, either. The major difference between these entry-level degrees is primarily the amount of time in school, with the DPT student taking an expanded curriculum when compared to the other degrees. However, this doesn't mean that the DPT is a better clinician, which is even acknowledged by the American Physical Therapy Association itself.

In this case, I would recommend experience and additional qualifications over simply the type of education when looking at a PT's abilities. As an aside, the DPT is now the standard entry-level degree of all new physical therapists, and most programs have already switched over from the MSPT to the DPT, so as the profession of physical therapy continues to move forwards, there will be fewer therapists that are practicing without the DPT (at this point, bachelors programs no longer exist by themselves, although there are some programs that offer undergrads the option of entering an accelerated 4+2 year bachelor/doctorate degree).

Now that you (hopefully) understand physical therapy a little better, let's take a look at what you're describing as your problem: a turned-out foot when squatting. This isn't actually an imbalance. It's a potential dysfunction or movement impairment. That means that there is a departure from what would be considered the standard, or normal, position or motion of part of the body during an activity. This is not, however, an imbalance by itself.

An imbalance refers to the interaction between either opposing muscle groups (such as the quadriceps on the front of your leg and the hamstrings on the back of your leg) or muscles that work together as synergists, such as the actual muscles that make up the hamstrings: the semitendinosus, semimembranosus and biceps femoris muscles. When the natural relationships between muscles are changed and one or more muscles become weaker or shorter than the other(s), this is called an imbalance. For example, the normal and healthy strength ratio between the quadriceps and the hamstrings has been examined quite a number of times in the literature, such as in this study from the journal Physical Therapy. Most of these studies find a natural strength ratio somewhere around 2:1 quadriceps:hamstrings, depending on the study and the methods.
As you might expect, these two concepts are, of course, related. Our current model for the cause of chronic injury/pain is based on muscle dysfunctions and imbalances. If we take the example of the 2:1 strength ratio and change it to make the quadriceps much stronger than the hamstrings, for instance (perhaps 2.5:1 or 3:1), this will change the forces occurring at the knee and the way that we move, which can lead to chronic issues. However, the terms imbalance and dysfunction do not describe the same concept, but rather two aspects possibly having an effect on the same overall issue.

The truth is, the reason that your foot turns out even if your legs and knees appear to be lined properly could be happening for a number of reasons, some of which would be structural (meaning that the actual alignment of the bones and joints are to blame) while others could be functional (meaning that there are adaptations to your muscle lengths, strength and movement that causes this to occur). To make it a little more complicated, there is very rarely any single cause for a problem, and it is far more likely that you are dealing with both issues to some degree: there may be muscle strength and length issues that have resulted in structural changes (imbalance leading to dysfunction), or you may have structural issues that have contributed to changes in your muscles that are contributing further to the problem (dysfunction leading to specific imbalances).

Usually, dysfunctional movements such as the kind that you're describing can be improved if not entirely corrected, but understanding what is actually contributing to the problem is just as important as being able to identify the problem in the first place. For example, I would take a guess and suggest that what is actually occurring when you are squatting is probably a relatively common issue such as an over-pronation of your right foot. This can be caused by a number of issues including structural changes in the foot itself due to muscle weakness and/or shortness in the hip extensors, leading to changes in the kinetic chain from the ankle up to the low back and even beyond.

In this example, muscle weakness and subsequent poor dynamic control of the knee leads to compensatory strategies in the lower leg, foot and ankle. Normally, the biceps femoris muscle acts as a strong lateral stabilizer of the knee, preventing your leg from falling inwards (adducting) during a squatting motion. In your case, there are a number of reasons that would lead me to suspect that this might not actually be happening. Although I don't know how you actually injured both of your ACLs, muscle weakness in the hip extensors such as the biceps femoris can be one of the causes for such injuries, especially in non-contact ACL injuries. I'm also assuming that your ACL injuries were in fact non-contact (meaning no direct trauma to the knee itself) since bilateral ACL ruptures would be a pretty rare thing...even for a football player! Non-contact ACL tears occur 2-4x more in female athletes than they do in males, based on the sport and activity, which also leads to my assumption concerning the mechanism of your injuries.

If there is a weakness of your lateral (outside) hamstrings, the biceps femoris specifically, we would normally expect to see a dynamic valgus where the knees fall inwards towards one another. However, in order to prevent this, your particular strategy may be to laterally rotate your tibia (turn the shin/lower leg outwards), resulting in an improvement in the biomechanical ability of the biceps femoris muscle to exert force and maintain the position of your knee, disguising the actual weakness that exists. Because of this, there would be an increased pressure on the outside of the foot (the little toe and the "fifth ray"). This is not how we would normally walk or place pressure on our feet, so in order to balance out the contact forces of the foot your body has responded by pronating your right foot, allowing contact to once again be placed closer towards the inside of the foot (big toe and "first ray").
Of course, I could be completely wrong, too! But by putting the details together like my attempt above, coupled with a complete physical examination and evaluation of movement, a good therapist will be able to "read" the signs of your body and correct the issue.

Thanks for the great question, and thanks for listening to me ramble on the FitCast! I'm glad that you like it.

-Jonathan

Thoughts

2008-09-11T23:50:00.010-04:00

1. Having any knee pain associated with arthritis? According to a new study published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine, you might want to consider physical therapy before electing to undergo arthroscopic surgery.

The study evaluated 178 patients over a two-year span with mild to severe arthritis, half of which underwent surgery followed by treatment with physical and medical therapy, while the other half received physical therapy and medical care without first receiving surgery. After two years, the investigators found no difference between the two groups. In other words, physical therapy alone was equally as effective as was surgery + physical therapy for these patients in terms of pain levels, physical function and quality of life.

2. There is more to health and fitness than just what's on the outside. Exercising just what you can see in the mirror is only a small part of a becoming a total and complete individual. Always remember that true strength comes from within. As you strive to improve your form and function, don't forget that it's equally as important to challenge yourself personally. Learning how to better relax your mind and alleviate stress has been shown to help in decreasing physical pain and headaches, improve immune system function, and help to feel more energetic with better recovery from exercise. For some quick tips on how you can decrease stress with simple relaxation techniques, check out this link.

3. Speaking of improving your inner-peace and harmony, there's no better and more meaningful way to do this than to adopt a pet in need. Anyone that knows me knows just how much I love animals, and I couldn't imagine a day without my best friends.

Jessica Biel loves dogs...you should too

Even if you are unable to take an animal in need into your home, please give anything that you can in order to help with the supply of food, veterinary medicine and care for those that are still waiting for adoption.

4. Cassandra is funny. She's really smart too...have a look at the link to find out one reason why. Then stand up and stretch!

5. By the way, owning a pet may help to improve your physical activity and fitness as well as your overall mental health. You know, in case you were thinking about adopting a pet in need...

Jessica Alba loves dogs too. You love Jessica Alba. Do the math...

6. Today was the anniversary of 9/11. Please hug someone that you love, and never forget.

Be well everyone, and have a safe and healthy weekend.

-Jonathan

Zen and the Art of Running

2008-09-09T23:25:00.007-04:00

Q: I'd like to ask a question about your two posts on running - what do you think of the Chi Running technique?

A: That's an interesting question...mostly because I had never heard of ChiRunning before! I train people to perform better with improved technique and explosiveness, but I'm not exactly a world-class runner myself. If I had been meant to run, I would have been blessed with longer legs!

For those of you that have never heard of this technique before either, you can familiarize yourself with it by visiting the ChiRunning website or by reading this synopsis of the technique that I personally found to be very helpful in understanding what ChiRunning is all about.

Because I've never seen or tried this form of running before, I unfortunately can't give you a complete, informed opinion on it; however, there are a few things that stood out for me:

1. There's no such thing as "injury free." Of course, I realize that it is an exaggeration as part of a larger ad copy, but I think that it's still worth taking note of. A technique or kind of workout may reduce the likelihood of an injury occurring, or it might help in reducing the impact of an injury once it happens, but there is nothing that can guarantee that an injury won't happen...not even falling asleep! So if you're hoping that ChiRunning will be your answer to ending any pains, aches or difficulty with running...it might. But then again, it might not. In any case, I'd always be skeptical of such a claim.

2. Proponents of the method also claim that ChiRunning will improve your runs by teaching core muscle integration, enhanced running posture and forward lean, muscle relaxation and better breathing. These are all good things, if these claims are true . Again, I have never tried ChiRunning, so I can't tell you if this is actually accomplished by people that use the method. But these are all aspects of good running technique.

3. Speaking of its proponents: in my web-searches for information on ChiRunning, I was able to find lots of interviews of its founder, Danny Dreyer, as well as his personal articles describing the method, but very few first-hand accounts of anyone other than coach Dreyer actually using this technique (other than the testimonials found on the website)! This doesn't necessarily mean that no one is really using ChiRunning (maybe I just didn't search the right places, after all), but I would be curious to hear accounts from "real" people vs. articles written by its "inventor" before ultimately casting my vote for or against it.

4. I don't know if ChiRunning lends itself well to sprint techniques, or if it's better suited for long-distance running (Danny Dreyer is an ultra-marathon runner, which also seems to be the focus of the technique: long, steady-state running). If not, I would say that for individuals that are using running as part of their overall weight-loss approach, it will therefore be limited (perhaps still valuable, but not always usable). Also, without using a complete hip extension or full running stride, there would be at least a potential for muscle imbalances including the hamstrings, glutes and hip flexors without additional training to correct for this possibility.

Having said all of that, I studied a number of martial arts in the past, including Tai Chi Chuan and Pa Kua Chang (which are both internal styles of Chinese Kung Fu). There are very few activities, in my experience, that compare to these forms of martial arts in terms of improving your balance, focus, movement and overall well-being. Personally, I would always be interested in learning more about a technique that claims to base its methods on Tai Chi. So if you feel that ChiRunning could help you in your fitness pursuits, give it a try and see for yourself!

-Jonathan

This Week's FitCast

2008-09-07T22:24:00.004-04:00

I've been a little behind with the blog this week, but the good news is that I did get a chance to sit in on this week's FitCast along with my friends Kevin Larrabee, Leigh Peele and Tony Gentilcore.

We discussed High-Frutcose Corn Syrup, Fish Oil, and new advances in ART treatments. Enjoy it!

-Jonathan

This and That

2008-08-26T23:58:00.004-04:00

Just a few random thoughts:

1. There are currently two large-scale studies investigating the effectiveness of stretching. The investigators hope to evaluate how a standard stretching routine will influence performance, injury rates, and how the study participants feel from stretching.

With just a casual and quick review of the article, a number of major flaws stood out to me: both studies appear to be so general that it's hard to believe that any significant findings and real-world, usable data could possibly come out of it. This is because both programs chose to use a general stretching program for all study participants, regardless, it would seem, of the actual presentation or individual needs of the participants. A more useful approach, for example, might be in using a stretching routine that involves the hip flexors used by participants that present with an anterior pelvic tilting, or with limitations in hip extension, such as this research paper published in the Journal of Physical Therapy.

The stretching protocols, by nature of the study methods, are also performed without supervision by the researchers and therefore cannot guarantee that the protocol was even performed properly by any and all participants, also casting a significant amount of doubt on the validity of the information collected (which is also self-reported, and therefore also subject to scrutiny and questionable reliability.) This is a also a glaring weakness of the study design.

The studies may have been a good idea on paper, but their obvious weaknesses would appear to make them almost useless. Good research is the cornerstone of our decision making and practice choices as coaches, therapists, and health professionals. But bad research is just, well, bad.

2. I hear people talk about exercises that focus on the "upper abs" or that some exercise targets the "lower abs", but why no love for the middle abs? I mean, if everyone's after a six-pack, there's 2 abs in the middle that need work too, right?

Of course, if that sounds dumb to you, talking about separating the rectus abdominus into upper and lower "parts" should sound pretty silly, too.

3. You like me! You really like me!

4. Expert Village sucks.

5. Tomorrow is the first day of classes, but this time will be a little different. It's my last semester of grad school! It's hard to believe that it's been nearly three years since I started. Time really does fly sometimes...so don't forget to stop and appreciate your journey, no matter how focused you might be on the destination.

-Jonathan

Ramblings and Rants

2008-08-24T23:09:00.004-04:00

The FitCast is all finished and already up on the website! I hope that you enjoy it...it's always a blast hanging out with Kevin. We discussed a number of topics, including beta-alanine, the P90X and CrossFit programs, and protein powders. Have a listen!

-Jonathan

The FitCast 2: The Next Chapter

2008-08-23T12:19:00.003-04:00

I'll be returning to the The FitCast this Sunday where, along with Kevin and the rest of the crew, will be answering listener questions, waxing philosophical (and hopefully poetic) on all things fitness-related, and if I learned anything from the first time that I was a guest on The FitCast, having a great time!

If you have any questions or comments that you'd like for us to answer for you, feel free to leave us a message and we'll do our best to fit it into the show!

-Jonathan

Anatomy of an Injury: When Pain isn't the Problem

2008-08-22T11:32:00.002-04:00

I woke up last Saturday with a sharp pain in the middle of my back. After four days of Jennifer digging her elbow into my left lower trapezius to work out an enormous knot, I had nothing to show for it but a slight bruise and a stiff, painful, and very persistent spot of tension in the muscle. So instead, I performed a quick ART release to the upper trap, and a day later I'm feeling 100% better.

Huh?

When a strain persists even after treating the area of the muscle tension, chances are that the strain is a result of something else, and not a direct trauma to the tissue itself. In my case, Jen and I had just made the trip up to Boston to visit with her brother and his family, and 4 hours in the car doing little more than sitting probably affected my posture in subtle ways. Because treatment to my lower trap, where I was feeling the pain, wasn't actually resulting in any long-term relief, I looked in other directions.

Normally, the first place that I would look would be for an underactive synergist (muscles that would assist in the actions of the lower trap). However, I didn't injure myself from a sport or exercise...I injured myself from driving and then sleeping wrong! I can't believe that I just admitted that. Anyway, another possible place to investigate could be in an overactive antagonist (muscles that opposes the actions of the lower trap). There is one muscle, in particular, that can do both: the upper trapezius.

The upper trap will work in combination with the serratus anterior and lower trap to produce upward rotation of the scapula/shoulder blade (the action that occurs to your shoulder blade when you raise your hand overhead). The upper trap will also oppose the lower trap's ability to depress (lower) the scapula by elevating it. If the fibers of the upper trap were stiff (from driving with an elevated shoulder for 4 hours, for instance), this would do three very important things: first, it would keep the shoulder blade in an elevated, lifted position, causing the lower trap to be weaker and over-excited as the body attempted to re-stabilize the normal position of the shoulder blade. Secondly, it would also weaken the upper trap's ability to assist in upward rotation, leaving more of the burden on an already weakened lower trap. Lastly, my ability to stabilize the shoulder blade during any motion would be severely compromised as two very important muscles would be weak and ineffective in resisting unwanted movement of the scapula.

Sure enough, when I examined the muscle texture of my upper trap close to the neck, there was a second palpable mass of tension (technically, called a "trigger point"). As might be expected, there was also increased tension in my levator scap, an antagonist muscle in not only scapular elevation but in downward rotation of the shoulder blade as well (therefore directly opposing two of the lower trap's three actions: scapular rotation, depression and retraction).

After clearing the muscles with a few ART treatments, my shoulders were finally able to relax, and my lower trap returned to its normal resting length and alleviated the pain. A little bit of soreness from four days of tensing the muscle was all that was left.

When we feel persistent aches and pains in our muscles, our body is trying to tell us something. Often enough, the pain or discomfort that we feel is only a sign that something is going wrong. Like a detective in a mystery novel, a therapist should be able to follow the clues and discover the true cause of the problem and correct it so that it is permanently addressed.

-Jonathan

Happy National Chest & Biceps Day!

2008-08-04T12:18:00.005-04:00

If you've ever held a membership at a commercial gym, you're already familiar with the weekly pilgrimage of the North-American gym-jock towards the weight room as he endeavors to squeeze just one more rep out of his bodybuilder approved Monday workout. Yep, it's that time of the week again: Chest & Biceps day!

If not for the infuriating monopolizing of every bench in the gym and every dumbbell on the rack, and the large crowds of young males shouting words of encouragement ringing in your ears and interrupting your workout, it'd probably be pretty harmless. It'd at least be pretty funny to watch.

So what to do when every Tom, Dick and...actually, just Dick, is taking up every other piece of equipment in your weight room? Squat! Besides the occasional misguided bodybuilder wanna-be curling in the squat rack (latest issue of Muscle & Fitness on the ground next to him) to deal with, the rack will always be free! You can be certain that whether your goal is to get big and strong (I promise you, there's no rack curls going on in that gym!) or lean and fit (hmmm...she's wearing pink, too), squats need to be part of your workouts!

And no, these aren't squats...they just suck. Hmmm, I wonder if this "expert" is an example of what I talked about here? I'm thinking yes...

Worst-case scenario: even if there's just no room to work, just ask if you can work-in and share whatever equipment you need. On National Chest & Biceps Day, there's plenty of down-time that you can take advantage of between their sets of biceps curls during the obligatory mirror posing!

Have a good workout!

-Jonathan