Mike Robertson's Blog

The NEW Website is ready to rock!

2008-12-20T19:14:00.003-05:00

All right everyone, I've been hyping it up for a while now, and the time has finally come!

I'll no longer be posting blogs on this site, so please make sure to change your RSS feeds accordingly!

Check it out HERE

Stay strong
MR

Coming Events and Randomness

2008-12-19T13:59:00.003-05:00

This is going to be a collective effort today - some updates and some randomness to boot. I hope you enjoy it!

- Did you know if you Google the word "Random" the pic to the right comes up on the front page? I thought it was fitting, given the holiday season....

- Still need NSCA CEU's? All Robertson Training Systems products are approved for CEU's, and if you use the discount code "NSCA" you get an additional 10% off your order!

- Speaking of the NSCA, I actually took care of my recertification last night, and it was surprisingly easy. Kudos to the NSCA for getting something right!

- We still have openings for our January 24th KB seminar with Brett Jones at I-FAST. We'll be covering the basic lifts such as swings, snatches, windmills, Turkish get-ups, etc. Cost is $175 and the seminar will run from 10 am - 5 pm. If you're interested in attending shoot me an e-mail at indyfast@gmail.com.

- I hate my laptop. It randomly turns caps lock on and won't turn it off. The only way to correct this is to open a new file and just randomly hit buttons until it stops. Other times, I'll actually hit the ultra-sensitive directional pad while typing and sponataneously erase all of what I just wrote. It's a month or two away from enduring the 5 foot drop test.

- Did I mention I can't wait until the new site is up?!?!?!?! We're in the process of migrating it now, and my web guru extraordinaire Jason Lengstorf is doing all kinds of fancy computer things to make it work. I'm glad I hired this one out!

- Last but not least, I'm doing an interview with Leigh Peele for her site next Monday. Stay tuned for details and I'll shoot you a link when it's done. And BTW, Leigh Rocks.

Have a great weekend!

Products I Like: Combat Core

2008-12-18T15:54:00.002-05:00

I was going to write a whiny, half-assed post today because, well, that's the kind of mood I'm in.

Two words for that: Weak sauce.

Instead, I'd like to chat a little bit about the low back and core training. In lieu of my upcoming projects and seminars, I've really been digging deep on low back information. I mean, who else in their right mind curls up for bed at night reading text books? Okay, other than Eric Cressey?

The answer - me. Yes, I'm a geek. Sue me.

I could go on and on about the biomechanics of the lumbar spine - I'm not as geeky about backs as I am about knees, but it's getting close. The scary thing is that the more I read, and the more I think I understand, the stronger my resolve is to get people healhy. I don't care what anyone says, I still think repetitive flexion and rotation of the lumbar spine is not only bad, but a pretty sure-fire way to get injured. But that's a post for another day.

Regardless, while going over all these materials, I remembered what a great resource Smitty's Combat Core training really is. Smitty takes all the basic principles that should be adhered to with core training, and finds about a million and one cool ways to do it. In all reality, Smitty has more creativity in the nail bed of his pinky finger than I do in my entire body.

If you want to kick your core training up a notch, definitely pick up a copy of Combat Core. I promise you won't be disappointed!

Stay strong

I-FAST featured on Fox 59 Morning News

2008-12-16T14:56:00.004-05:00

Well it was a day later than expected, but here's a link to our fitness segment on Fox 59.

http://www.fox59.com/pages/fitness_works

In this segment we wanted to show the viewers that there are tons of ways to have "metabolic" workouts without stepping on a treadmill or recumbent bike. I was a little disappointed in my pulling technique on the keg cleans, but then again I wasn't really expecting to do it in a full winter coat either! Let me be the first to tell you, it was NOT warm yesterday when we were filming.... ;)

Stay strong
MR

Sport-specific training for kids?

2008-12-15T16:01:00.002-05:00

(Originally published at www.IFASTOnline.com)

I love the term "sport-specific." Not because it's a hot buzz word, but because it's so overused nowadays. It seems as though if you aren't talking about sport-specific programming, sport-specific exercises, etc., you obviously don't know what you're talking about.

The key with sport-specificity, however, is the context within which you're applying it. Especially with younger athletes, the goal should be to have some sport-specificity to the programming (deceleration work for team sports, scap/rotator cuff stabilization for overhead athletes, etc.), but not a ridiculous amount. After all, a 14 year-old athlete may be awesome at baseball, but his long-term potential is seriously compromised by letting him play the same sport year round. Wouldn't he learn more sports and motor skills by also playing basketball in the winter? Or soccer in the fall? The goal should be to develop a broad athletic base that can be built upon in the future.

Beyond the physical advantages to playing multiple sports, there are mental advantages as well. Firstly, you learn to adapt to situations in which you are uncomfortable. If you aren't as great physically at soccer, you learn other ways to be competitive. Maybe you get better technically or tactically in your sport. The bottom line is you learn how to adapt.

Secondly, you don't run the same risk of burnout. How many great young athletes have you heard of that quit early because they were burned out? I'm all for teaching our kids lessons like competition, teamwork, camraderie, etc., but we have to draw the line at some point and allow them to have fun.

Quite simply, sport-specificity is great, but it's not the be-all, end-all of training. At I-FAST, especially with our younger athletes, our goal is to build ATHLETES first and foremost. The more athletic they are, the more potential they have to succeed in any sport in the future.

Stay strong
MR

Flu-ridden Friday

2008-12-12T15:03:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the slow blog menu this week, but there have been better weeks for Team Robertson. I've had the flu off and on for the entire week, with Thursday being an amazing day where I spent an astounding 19/24 hours in my own bed! Even by my own standards, that's impressive.

With that being said, let's have a few quick hit thoughts for the blog and call it a weekend, okay?

- Tuesday night my wife had to work late, so I got to refamiliarize myself with one of the greatest movies of all-time: Conan the Barbarian. I mean does it get any better than bloodshed, mayhem, and Arnold all in one movie? I don't even consider myself an "arms" guy, but Arnold was one proportional, well-built mofo.

- On Monday our gym will be featured on the fitness segment of Fox 59's newscast. Obviously, this is pretty cool! We'll mostly be discussing the gym and the non-traditional cardio workouts we use (Prowler, dragging sleds, kettlebells, med balls, etc.)

- I plan on doing absolutely nothing this weekend, just in case you cared ;)

I told you it was quick hit today - we'll be back in action next week with some serious content. Have a great weekend!

MR

Random thoughts - 12/9

2008-12-09T15:55:00.004-05:00

I can't muster up a solid performance today, so here are my random thoughts for the week.

- Everyone knows I'm a huge football fan. One of my favorite players (even though he's not a Colt) is Marion Barber of the Dallas Cowboys. If you like hard-hitting, smash-mouth football, you have to like MB3. As many have noted, the guy "runs angry."

However, has Jerry Jones lost his mind? He recently called out Barber for - wait for it - for being soft because he couldn't play with a dislocated toe and calf injury!

Now maybe it's just me, but it seems as though the ability to plant, cut and run effectively might be important for a running back in the NFL. And it also seems to me that your foot and calf are kind of important for all of these. Call me crazy, but this is one guy on the team I wouldn't want to call out in that regard.

- NSCA CEU time is rolling around again, and we offer CEU's for all of our products. Be sure to check out our products page if you need last minute CEU's for this 2008 reporting period!

- The web update is getting closer every day, and I really think you're going to enjoy the look and feel of the new site. You'll obviously have all the same great content, but we've incorporated some much needed functional changes so that you'll never have to go randomly clicking for articles/posts again!

- I'm officially out of my fantasy football league as of this past weekend. Without Barber, and Clinton Portis playing poorly, I really didn't have a shot. All well, maybe next year!

Stay strong

Great blogs from others...

2008-12-08T14:43:00.003-05:00

I'm kind of a 'net-head, so I love reading people's blogs. I generally take 10-15 minutes every day to follow my favorites, and I've compiled a few that are quite good.

Here are some great blog posts that I've read in the past week or two. I hope you enjoy them!

Take Action - Alwyn Cosgrove

This is one of my personal favorites. AC always has insightful commentary, but I really liked this one because it inspires people to take action. It also reminds me of the saying, "Ready, Fire, Aim" - basically, get started immediately and work out the details later. Good stuff.

Empty Your Cup - Nate Green and Craig Weller

Nate is a great writer, and in this edition Craig Weller talks about the process of learning. Basically, get around really smart people and open up your mind. The story that he tells is great as well.

Sex, Lies and Photoshop - Jonathan Fass

Sure, those LA types look great - but what's their secret? We all hear about people being Photoshopped, but this really sheds some light on how easily it's done. A must-see, especially if you work with female clients.

Stay strong
MR

Bench Press Updates....

2008-12-05T15:02:00.004-05:00

As always, I like to start these posts off with a little inspiration. Pictured to the left is my good friend and former Ball State University powerlifter Matt Wenning. I'm assuming this pic is from ~2002 or 2003. At the time, Matt was benching in high 400's, maybe low 500's. I got word (via the latest PLUSA) that he recently benched 815! Matt is an inspiration to a lot of people and I wish him the best going forward.

After last week's post I figured I better keep everyone in the loop with my bench press training. Don't expect anything too huge, yet; my goal is simply to get healthy and back in the groove, then start pushing my numbers from here. Last night I trained later in the evening, which generally leads to sub-par training sessions. I'd love to train in the morning all the time, but lack of training partners and other commitments sometimes get in the way.

Regardless, I kicked off the session with some serious soft-tissue work using the Starr tool. If you have soft-tissue adhesions/scar tissue, you need to get your hands on one of these things. They rock! After about 5 minutes my pec was feeling better than it had in quite some time. I warmed up using the I/O drills, and then began the benching.

Again, keep in mind that the weights are not huge. Like I said, the goals are:

- No pain

- Clean, crisp reps

- Develop connective tissue strength

Luckily my boy Justin was in last night, and I've also made another promise to myself that I am going to get a hand-off for everything 135 and over. Can I lift it off myself? Sure. But when I do, I compromise my stability and I can't get my right scapula back into place. Lack of scapular stability = shoulder/pec problems.

I started with 185 for 8, and that felt pretty good. I honestly would've been happy to stay there, but with some goading I moved up to 195. Again, nice and smooth. I went up to 205 for my last set and the final rep was a struggle, but still clean.

Honestly, the biggest difference between tonight and other training sessions was the soft-tissue work before hand and the lift-offs.

All in all, this was a good session. Now the key is to string together a couple of weeks like this, and then eventually a couple of months. Only time will tell, but this was exactly what my body and mind needed.

Have a great weekend!

Stay strong

BTW, if you like my bench chronicles, let me know as I've considered doing this with my squat as well. It's more jacked up d/t surgery and the ensuing compensations, but I really have no idea if people want to hear me ramble on about my own lifting week in and week out.

Old School Article of the Week

2008-12-04T11:13:00.003-05:00

In this week's edition, we return to some simple yet effective ways to get more out of your workouts. Whether you're a strongman, powerlifter, Olympic lifter, or just someone who likes to lift heavy things for fun, you should be able to pull a nugget or two out of here.

6 Keys to Killer Workouts

Enjoy!

Stay strong

Q&A: Lunging properly

2008-12-02T13:33:00.003-05:00

Mike -

I have a problem when I lunge. Too often, my toes want to turn out - why does this happen?

Thanks!

First off, thanks for the question. I actually got a very similar question from one of my online clients, so I figured I'd address it here in the blog.

We know the gluteals (and in particular posterior glute medius) is often weak; this is really important when we are discussing frontal/transverse plane movements. Essentially, if your posterior glute medius isn't up to the task, you'll see an increase in adduction/internal rotation of the femur in single-leg exercises. In non-geek speak, your knee caves in.

To help improve your balance/stability, your body looks further down the kinetic chain. One of the primary lines of defense is to turn your toes/foot out, giving you a wider base of support. So while you'd think the issue was the foot, it's typically more of a hip problem.

If this is the issue you're suffering from, I'd incorporate either some x-band walks or band resisted clams into your program. These can be performed pre-workout, or even better still, immediately prior to the affected exercise. This will engage/facilitate the appropriate musculature in a lower level setting, and help it re-groove it's appropriate role in a motor integrated setting as well.

(Video clips can be found on my website if you are unfamiliar with the above exercises.)

Good luck and good training!

Stay strong

Cyber Monday Sale

2008-11-30T14:56:00.004-05:00

I didn't know this, but evidently, the Monday following Black Friday is called Cyber Monday. So for all the people who can't get their shopping fix over the weekend, they can always go online and pick up some product the next week!

With that being said, Eric, Bill and I decided it would be a good idea to offer up a quick sale on all of our products. Not only can you get 15% off everything in our store, but you ensure yourself that it will be on your doorstep before Christmas rolls around!

Here's all you have to do to get the discount:

1 - Pick out the product(s) that you want from our online store and add them to your shopping cart.

2 - Proceed to checkout.

3 - BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR PAYMENT, input the coupon code "CYBER" in the box on the right-hand side of the screen and click on "Apply."

4 - Complete your order and get 15% off!

This offer will ONLY be available on Monday, December 1st.

Have a great day and enjoy Cyber Monday!

Stay strong

Old-School Article of the Week

2008-11-25T17:19:00.002-05:00

Tired of having a weak deadlift? The following article should help - originally featured at Elite Fitness Systems.

The Intermediate Deadlift Cycle

Stay strong

Bench press introspection, Part II

2008-11-24T16:22:00.005-05:00

Sorry for the delay in getting this up, but well, I've been freakin' swamped lately!

So without any further ado, here's what I'm going to do to bring my bench press up to par. Motivational picture of bench press beast Scott Lade included, too.

- I've had an on again/off again pec issue that is currently "on" again. The only thing that has provoked the issue in the past is unstable, open chain pressing exercises like blast strap push-ups. It's not the exercise, as much as my stabilization patterns on my right side. For now, they're out.

(And FWIW, check out a copy of Eric Cressey's Unstable Surface Training manual if you want to learn the proper application of these techniques.)

- Along these same lines, I'm going to bust out my trusty Starr Tool out and get to digging around on my pecs, specifically the clavicular portion. I know they're ratty, I just need to man up and get this done.

- As far as training goes, I'm going to do several things to not only get healthy but develop a base:

* First, I'm going to incorporate more movements for my diagonal pattern connecting my left hip and right shoulder. After some testing and evaluation, I have some weakness in my left glute and right lower trapezius. Essentially, years and years of throwing baseballs and spiking volleyballs off people's faces has shortened that fascial line. To open it up, I'm going to be incorporating some total body PNF drills, chop/lift variations and other exercises to open up this line.

* I plan on re-incorporating my DB fly EQI's post-workout. This really helped the first time around and I assume it will do the same again.

* With regards to actual bench training, I'm going to have two horizontal pressing days per week. One is going to be a bench day (duh), and another will incorporate a push-up variation as the primary movement. Both will be done for high reps initially to help re-develop the connective tissues. Once I get this base built back up, I'll incoporate either a speed day or lockout day, based upon my needs at that point in time. Push-ups will still be incorporated as a secondary exercise.

- Finally, I need to be consistent with some old-school static stretching for the pecs, lats, and posterior capsule. It's not hard and it doesn't take much time, I just need to remember to do it.

So there you have it, my initial game plan for training. I'm leery of setting a goal at this point in time with regards to weight, as it's dependent upon how I feel. Instead, my goal is to feel 100% by the time the new year rolls around and I'll set mini-goals from there.

One final thing, I'm going to purchase the new Elite Fitness bench manual as well. I figure if nothing else it will provide motivation and give me some new tips

Stay strong

Old-School Article of the Week

2008-11-20T16:37:00.002-05:00

Okay, okay, I lied - didn't get the bench press introspection done today, so it will have to wait. Hopefully tomorrow, as I'm getting programs done, creating powerpoint slides, and getting ready for the wedding of the century this weekend.

In the interim, here's this week's old-school article - enjoy!

Hips Don't Lie - Fixing Your Force Couples

Stay strong

Mike

Bench press introspection, Part I

2008-11-19T14:46:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was a weird one. Typically I train first thing in the morning, but I had an early client and thus found myself at the gym early. I proceeded to work until 6 pm, and then realized I needed to get my bench press session in for this week. Allow me to step back for a moment.

Let's be 100%, brutally honest here - I suck at bench pressing. Yes, I realize this is negative self-talk, a self-fulfilling prophecy, whatever. All I'm trying to do is call a spade a spade.

When I first started powerlifting I hit ~250 pounds for my first 3 or 4 meets at 181. I felt like I got stronger during my training cycles, but when it came time to hit a PR something was amiss. This changed prior to collegiate nationals, as I realized my set-up was absolutely atrocious. Once I learned to get tight, I immediately allowed my body to realize those strength gains in the form of a 36 pound PR.

Over the next couple of years, I really focused in on my bench press training. Obviously, moving up from the 181 to 198 pound weight class helped as my leverages improved. My bench slowly grew, and over the next 3 years I made some decent gains, taking my bench from 286 to 335 in competition.

It was during this time that I was playing around with a new bench shirt in training, and I really focused my efforts in on improving my lockout strength. In fact, with a shirt that I never actually used in a meet, I locked out 365 in the gym. A gym lift is a gym lift, though, and I really wasn't comfortable using a shirt that required a PR weight just to touch my chest! Regardless, I felt like I was on the right track.

Back to yesterday. I got a nice warm-up in, crank up some 2Pac and get to work. Unfortunately, things just aren't where they need to be and my session totall sucked. Granted, this could've been due to the fact that I worked 10 hours prior to training, but it shouldn't be this bad. I feel like my upper back strength is better than ever, but my bench just isn't going back up.

Tomorrow, I'm going to outline my plan to get my bench back up to a (somewhat) respectable level.

Stay strong

Tuesday's Random Thoughts

2008-11-18T14:18:00.004-05:00

Sorry everyone, but this is the best I can do today! When it's only halfway through Tuesday and it already feels like it should be Thursday, you know you're in for a long week!

- Bill and I had a kick-ass distance client in the past two days, and I'm hoping to do more of this in the future. It was essentially an "intensive" two-day session as she had an assessment and two training sessions all within about a 15 hour time frame. Needless to say, I think she's going to be very happy with the progress she gets going forward!

You can find out more by checking out the new I-FAST home at www.IndianapolisFitnessAndSportsTraining.com

- The big project I've been working on is kicking my ass. It's a legit 150 pages as of now, and I still have several chapters left. My goal is still to get it completed by the first of the year, but we'll have to wait and see on that.

- I'm also in the process of pulling together my Aussie seminar presentations. Needless to say, this is no small feat! 5-6 hours of lecture content in the form of Powerpoint slides take a little time ;)

- I'm prepping for the world's most grandiose wedding ever (I think) this weekend. I'm actually in the wedding, and we've got several couples staying at our house this weekend. In all honesty, I'm not sure who's more stressed - me and my wife, or the couple getting married! Regardless, it should be a great time and I'm really looking forward to catching up with some old friends.

I think that's it for today - hopefully I'll be refreshed and ready to go for tomorrow's blog. Have a great day everyone!

Stay strong
MR

Interview Part I

2008-11-17T13:23:00.002-05:00

Here's Part I of an interview I did with strength coach Kevin Neeld for his site.

MR Interview Part I

In this portion of the interview we discuss my background, how I've developed my training philosophy over the years, as well as continuing education.

Part II will be posted on Wedneday, so stay tuned and I'll try to post a link for that as well.

Stay strong
MR

Q&A: Low back position and squatting

2008-11-14T15:32:00.003-05:00

Hey Mike, after reading your article yesterday on T-Nation I had a question. My low back always rounds when I squat deep. How can I fix this?

Thanks!

You know this is a simple question, yet the answer is quite complex. Very simply, it's always going to depend upon the specific limitatations of that person. Here are just a few of the issues that could be hindering their performance:

- Short/stiff hamstrings
- Short/stiff gluteals
- Weak back extensors
- Stiffness imbalance between hips and back extensors
- Poor muscle coordination of the "core"
- Poor technique

Those are just a few of the reasons I can come up with off the top of my head. Generally, the people Bill or I evaluate who can't squat deep have one or more of these issues going on.

So since I can't evaluate you, what can I help you with? Quite often, we see a stiffness imbalance between the hips (glutes, hams, etc.) and the spinal erectors. When we examine the properties that constitute stiffness, one of the key attributes, quite simply, is cross sectional area! A bigger muscle will be stiffer than a smaller oner. So how do we fix this? Get the appropriate area stronger!

While I'm not a big fan of back hyperextensions, I think basic back extensions should be a part of your program if you have this issue. After all, Olympic lifters have included back extensions in their programs for years and they have arguable the best squat technique. Obviously this isn't the only contributing factor to their squatting prowress, but I think it plays a role. Low back strengthening/hypertrophy work, coupled with mobility work for the hips should take you a long way.

Bill and I actually have an entire piece in the works on this topic. Our goal would be to make it a manual/DVD combo. Hopefully once I-FAST settles down a bit we can pull it together. This would include assessment techniques, training strategies, the progressions we use with clients, etc.

In the interim, get that low back stronger and get your hips as mobile as possible. Good luck!

Stay strong
MR

New AND Old-School Article of the Week

2008-11-13T14:30:00.005-05:00

In this week's installment of the Old-School Article of the week, we're featuring an oldie but a goodie.

Plateau Busters!

If you can't break through your plateaus after reading this, you're screwed!

Nah, just kidding - but it should help quite a bit.

As well, I had a new article run at T-nation today. Here's the link:

Fix that Weak Link

In this article, I discuss ways to improve your low back health and strategies to keep you lifting heavy for a lifetime.

Stay strong

The Angry Biomechanist, Part II

2008-11-12T10:26:00.003-05:00

In our second installemnt of the Angry Biomechanist, we're going to discusss the rotator cuff and why it's so important.

We hear all the time about how so-and-so has torn their rotator cuff, or that we need more rotator cuff strengthening in our programs. My goal for you here today is to see what exactly the rotator cuff does in real-life.

When we lift our arms overhead, we get movement from both the scapulae (shoulder blade) and the gleno-humeral (shoulder) joint. As the humerus rotates upwards, the scapulae also upwardly rotates to help you achieve full flexion or abduction of the shoulder.

The problem herein is when one of three things happens:

- You lack extensbility in the thoracic spine

- You fail to have good upward rotation of the scapulae

- Your rotator cuff is weak and fails to depress the humerus

In any case (and most definitely if ALL THREE are occuring), you get impingement of the rotator cuff tendons. Now keep in mind you ALWAYS have some impingement; you always have some friction. The issue is when you go from a normal amount of friction/compression to something greater due to mechanical dysfunction.

If you lack scapular upward rotation, I'd highly recommend checking out Bill Hartman and I's "Push-ups, Face Pulls and Shrugs" article featured previously at T-Nation. This, combined with the Inside-Out warm-up, should get your scapulae moving much more efficiently. And while I didn't discuss it in-depth in this blog post, addressing your T-spine is critical as well. If you lack T-spine extension, your scapulae will never get into the appropriate positions.

If you lack 'cuff strength, you could do a lot worse than checking out Eric Cressey's first feature article at T-Nation, "Cracking the Rotator Cuff Condundrum." I'm sure there are a few things he'd remove now (like the muscle snatch, as I recall) but it will get you started with some basic 'cuff exercises. I also wrote a piece that focuses on external rotation movements titled "Shoulder the Load."

Finally, I think we all agree that those who have stiff posterior shoulders and lack internal rotation ROM would benefit from some dedicated internal rotation work that focuses on the subscap, but that's a little off topic in regards to this post.

Remember, when looking to optimize upper extremity function you have to know how all the separate components work. Once you've isolated things out, though, the goal is to bring up the deficits and re-integrate them into functional, real-world movements. Good luck!

Stay strong

Random blog updates

2008-11-11T11:56:00.002-05:00

There have been some really great blog posts lately, so I wanted to link to them here in case you missed them.

- Nate Green discusses our training in his blog post below; check it out:

http://thenategreenexperience.com/blog/A+Peek+Into+My+Training+Schedule

- In Eric's blog yesterday, he discusses how far the mainstream media is behind the current literature. It's almost like we know what we're talking about. Or something like that.

http://ericcressey.blogspot.com/2008/11/mainstream-media-lag.html

- Strength coach Mike Boyle discusses his views on pundits and criticism here:

http://mboyle1959.wordpress.com/2008/11/11/the-man-in-the-arena/

These are just three of the blogs I follow, but I think you'll find them all interesting for different reasons. Enjoy!

Stay strong
MR

BTW, we're updating the I-FAST site as we speak! Be sure to check it out at www.IndianapolisFitnessAndSportsTraining.com

Q&A from Friday's Post

2008-11-10T11:34:00.004-05:00

This was originally posted as a comment but I figured I'd throw it in here...

Hi Mike. I currently have neck soreness and tightness all the time. It definitely affects my ROM, but some days are worse than others. What would you recommend?

Do you cover how to deal with this in "Inside Out"?

Thanks, Paul

Thanks for the question Paul! While we don't cover neck pain directly in Inside-Out, we cover a lot of fundamental relationships that could be producing your neck pain.

Now keep in mind there's a lot of speculation going on here, especially since I've never seen you or evaluated you in person. But here are some issues I typically see in people who have neck pain. Some, if not all, may apply to you.

- Terrible thoracic spine posture. Generally, these people have a wicked thoracic kyphosis, which forces the head/neck forward to balance the body's alignment. Obviously, anything that deviates from the norm is probably going to put undue stress on the body. Basically, your neck is forced to keep your head level and eyes up, which is very taxing on the posterior neck musculature.

- Poor alignment throughout the day. Quite simply, your body gets very "efficient" at sitting in a slouched or hunched over position. If you sit at a desk, clean up your posture throughout the day! We actually cover this in-depth in the "Behavior Modification" section of Inside-Out. For sleeping, an orthopedic pillow could make a big difference, too.

Again, this comes back to improving your t-spine alignment and getting your neck back in a neutral alignment.

- Downwardly rotated scapulae. Assuming your neck/thoracic spine are in good alignment, I often see excessive downard rotation of the scapulae in people with neck pain. The rhomboids and the levator scapulae work synergistically to promote downward rotation, and there seems to be a definite cause/effect between a tight levator scapulae, neck pain and even headaches.

In this case, definitely check out Bill and I's article featured previously at T-nation titled "Push-ups, Face Pulls and Shrugs." This will cover the training aspect w/regards to getting those scapular upward rotators stronger and lengthening the short/stiff levator scapulae. A good soft-tissue specialist could play an integral role as well.

Again, a lot of speculation without examining you in person but I'd take a closer look and see how much of this applies to you. Good luck Paul!

Stay strong

No more neck pain?

2008-11-07T14:59:00.003-05:00

I was working with one of our new clients today, and he mentioned something that I felt the need to blog about. Let me back up for a moment, first.

The whole "joint-by-joint" approach seems to take a beating from time to time. I discussed this to some extent in my "Mobility-Stability" continuum article on T-Nation; it's not perfect, but you can take those basic concepts and build upon them to have a pretty darn good idea of how the body functions, and how to improve your training.

Back to my client. We were taking him through his warm-up, and he remarked how little his neck had bothered him since we started his training 3 weeks ago. This is no small feat, considering he sits at a desk anywhere from 8-16 hours per day, 5 or more days per week! You read that right - he works 16 hour shifts all next week!

The recipe for him was simple, though. He didn't have a neck problem as much as he had issues surrounding his shoulders and thoracic spine. He was assessed by Bill and his routine has included foam rolling, static stretching, mobility drills as we discussed in Inside-Out, and a comprehensive training program geared towards improving his upper extremity alignment.

The result? Virtually no neck pain, and his shoulder (which was also an issue) is coming around too. Not bad for three weeks work.

The bottom line in this industry is results. But, that's a blog for another day! ;)

Stay strong

Old-School Article of the Week

2008-11-06T15:06:00.002-05:00

Today's edition is an article I wrote for T-Nation several years ago titled Single-Leg Supplements. In it, I discuss all kinds of single-leg exericses and their variations. Enjoy!

Stay strong
MR