Squatting, Breathing, and Sleeping

What does squatting, breathing, and sleeping all have in common? The answer is airway management. In order to squat well, you have to manipulate your spine in a manner that maximizes vertical pelvic displacement. In order to manipulate spinal position, airflow into the upper back is one factor that can change the way you squat. Breathing is also of utmost importance for sleep. Consider the negative effects of sleep apnea. What if there were activities that could improve both of these areas? In my eyes, these activities center around maximizing breathing mechanics and are the centerpiece discussion in an episode of the Portal PT podcast I was featured in. Check out the setlist below. 1:30 Zac’s Story 6:00 Zac’s Experience with Bill Hartman 12:30 When / Why Did Zac Jump Down The Breathing Biomechanic Rabbit Hole 18:00 Stacking, Diaphragms, Biomechanics, Movement Variability 22:30 Where’s The Breathing Research? Clinical Practice Guidelines 31:00 Squat vs. Hinge 36:30 Pain, Manual Therapy, Blood Flow, and Movement Variability 44:00 Myofunctional Therapy, Upper Airway Resistance, and Sleep 47:00 Zac’s Patient and Their Changes 49:00 Oxygen Advantage & Mouth Taping While Sleeping, Exercise Endurance, Resting Heart Rate 54:00 Dreaming, Sleep Studies, and Quality of Sleep 57:00 Improving Nasal Breathing and Changes in Facial Structure and Musculature 59:00 Proactive Care in Children 1:00:00 What is The Worst Fitness Advice Zac Has Ever Received 1:05:00 What Was Zac’s First Exercise Experience and Was it Good or Bad? 1:07:00 What’s Zac’s Number One Source For Research and Education Info If

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Top 10 Goodies of 2019

It can be incredibly challenging to keep up with the information overload that is the internet.  This is why every Friday I send my newsletter subscribers (aka the fam) the select few things I found useful. What did the fam enjoy the most in 2019? Exercise, exercise, exercise. The overwhelming majority of goodies the fam loved were exercise variations that I’ve been employing with my peeps.  If you want to see some good shit (you’ll laugh when you see it), sleep better, and move better, then definitely check out the top goodies from 2019. What’s crazy is there were a ton of high-ranking goodies that did not make the list. That’s why I encourage you to sign up for these on the newsletter, as 2020 will make the majority of the goodies fam exclusive. You’ll also get access to a free course, 5 hours of lecture on pain and breathing, and an acute:chronic workload calculator. I won’t even charge you extra, because it’s FREE! [yikes-mailchimp form=”1″ submit=”Yes, I want goodies and free stuff”] Without further ado, here are the top 10

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Shoes, Self-Correction, and Position Education – Movement Debrief Episode 95

Movement Debrief Episode 95 is in the books. Below is a copy of the video for your viewing pleasure, and audio if you can’t stand looking at me. Here is the set list: Do I prescribe shoes to people? What do I look for when giving shoe recommendations? How can one self-correct during breathing exercises? How do we know if a breathing exercise is working? If we shouldn’t educate bones going in/out of place, how do I explain joint position and movement options?

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Movement Analysis and Breathing Strategies for Pain Relief and Improved Performance

Chris, a high level mountain biker, at first didn’t believe someone could help him move better over the internet. He had back issues for a hot minute, what the heck was an online consult going to do? A couple consults later with me, and Chris is pain-free, back to doing all the wild and crazy things he was doing before without issues. Chris was so juiced up about his results that he wanted to learn more about my thought process and what I do that he had me on his podcast. Chris Kelly is the owner of Nourish Balance Thrive, a really cool site that brings several great practitioners together to help clients remotely with whatever their goals are. Despite Chris technically not being in the field, he’s one of the best interviewers I’ve had the pleasure of podcasting with. He asked some great, unique questions, and we got into a wide variety of topics. Here are some of topics we discussed on the podcast: Ben House and Flō Retreat Center in Costa Rica How I got into physical therapy. The influence of Bill Hartman. Working with NBA basketball players. The influence of Dr. Bryan Walsh. Sleep and performance How to treat pain Assessing movement Movement variability The online assessment process Pain vs. tissue damage How we improved the host’s chronic lower back pain The importance of the pelvic floor What is considered normal breathing How to promote behavior change in our clients Applying the principle of minimal effective dose

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January 2019 Links and Review

Every week, my newsletter subscribers get links to some of the goodies that I’ve come across on the internets. Here were the goodies that my peeps got their learn on in January. If you want to get a copy of my weekend learning goodies every Friday, fill out the form below.  That way you can brag to all your friends about the cool things you’ve learned over the weekend. [yikes-mailchimp form=”1″ submit=”Hell yes I want weekend learning goodies every Friday!”]

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Rectus Abdominis, My Movement Limitations, and Stability – Movement Debrief Episode 64

Movement Debrief Episode 64 is in the books. Below is a copy of the video for your viewing pleasure, and audio if you can’t stand looking at me. Here is the set list: Case study on lower back pain differential diagnosis What is the action of the rectus abdominis? Why is feeling rectus not desirable during breathwork? What muscles should you feel during breathwork? What movement limitations do I have? What measures have I taken to try and improve these limitations? What activities do I use to try and improve those movement limitations? What measures do I plan on taking in the future to improve my health? Our all of our movements and postures governed by stability? If not, what? If you want to watch these live, add me on Facebook or Instagram. They air every Wednesday at 7pm CST. Enjoy! and the audio version…                  Here were the links I mentioned: Check out Human Matrix promo video below Below are some testimonials for the class Want to sign up? Click on the following locations below: Kansas City, KS on October 27-28th  Portland, OR on November 10-11  December 8th-9th, Charleston, SC (early bird ends November 11th) February 2nd-3rd, 2019, New Providence, NJ (early bird ends January 4th) SIGN UP FOR THE REVOLUTION featuring myself, Pat Davidson, and Seth Oberst February 8th-9th in Boston. MA Building a Success on a Foundation of Failures by Daddy-O Pops Bill Hartman Here is the pump handle debrief Here is

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Variability, The Problem of Transfer, and Gymnastics – Charlie Reid

 I recently had a great conversation with my dear friend, Charlie Reid. Charlie is a very successful trainer in the San Francisco Bay area, and a wealth of knowledge when it comes to a variety of fitness domains. He reached out to me to help audit his thought process, and it turned out we had an incredible conversation. Here were a few topics we discussed: Where does variability training fit when chasing fitness? What do certain variability tests theoretically look at, and what are the relevant mechanics? How well does variability training transfer to higher level activities? and many more  Click below to check out the video, and read along with the modified transcripts. I’ve linked some helpful pictures and links throughout. Enjoy. or if you’d rather, here is the audio version: Modified Transcript Charlie: I’m always looking for people to to audit my own thought process on things and help with shifting my paradigm. I’ve had these conversations with Joe Cicinelli regularly about interjecting PRI-based things with with fitness. It’s not even PRI, it’s just looking at like the body with this neuro-pulmonary/neuro-mechanical lens that I want to move towards and understand more of, but I’m also a pragmatist. I want to be as practical as I possibly can within the context that I’m working. That’s always a challenge. How do we take this information and make it as practical as possible? I’ll start with a confession first. I don’t I actually have a strong prejudice against PRI clinical exercises.

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Ulnar Nerve Subluxations, Testing Variability, and Pelvic Tilts and Lordosis – Movement Debrief Episode 39

Movement Debrief Episode 39 is in the books. Below is a copy of the video for your viewing pleasure, and audio if you can’t stand looking at me. Here is the set list: Why would the ulnar nerve sublux or the triceps tendon snap? What are the variability patterns of the elbow? How to improve elbow variability to potentially reduce subluxations How did I choose the variability tests that I use? Why did I switch to the Active Midstance Test and Copenhagen Adduction Test? How are infrasternal angle, lumbar spine, and pelvic position related? If you want to watch these live, add me on Facebook, Instagram, or Youtube. They air every Wednesday at 7:30pm CST. Enjoy!                  Here were the links I mentioned: Here is the Active Midstance test: Here is the Copenhagen Adduction Test: Infrasternal Angles and Overhead vs. Quadruped Bill Hartman Large eccentric strength increase using the Copenhagen Adduction exercise in football: A randomized controlled trial Trigger Points and Muscle Chains in Osteopathy Here’s a signup for my newsletter to get nearly 3 hours and 50 pages of content, a free acute:chronic workload calculator, basketball conditioning program, podcasts, and weekend learning goodies: [yikes-mailchimp form=”1″ submit=”Get learning goodies and more”] Ulnar Nerve Subluxations Testing Variability Pelvic Tilts and Lordosis

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Hypermobility, Pushups Over Quad Sets, and Lat Dominance – Movement Debrief Episode 28

Movement Debrief Episode 28 is in the books. Here is a copy of the video and audio for your listening pleasure. Here is the set list: How do testing considerations differ for people with joint hypermobility syndromes? What does treatment look like for the hypermobile client? Why I like pushups and other upper body exercises can be effective selections for lower body problems What “pain science” courses do I recommend What’s the deal with overbracing and cueing abdominal coordination? How can you reduce lat overactivity The clinical reasoning model that I am thinking of If you want to watch these live, add me on Facebook, Instagram, or Youtube. They air every Wednesday at 7:30pm CST. Enjoy. (sorry about the audio delay, still making some tweaks on my new computer)                  Here were the links I mentioned: Here is the first way I assess coordinative variability   The next test assess coordination, power, and fatigability of joint variability: Noi Group Explain Pain Course Notes Graded Motor Imagery Course Notes Mobilisation of the Nervous System  Course Notes Therapeutic Neuroscience Education Course Notes International Spine and Pain Institute “All Gain No Pain” by Bill Hartman Enhancing Life Method Strength Andy Mccloy  Trevor LaSarre Here’s a signup for my newsletter to get a free acute:chronic workload calculator, basketball conditioning program, podcasts, and weekend learning goodies: [yikes-mailchimp form=”1″ submit=”Get learning goodies and more”] Hypermobility Pushups Over Quad Sets Overbracing Lat Dominance    

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Kyphosis, Post-Rehab Total Hips, and Coordinating Three Planes- Movement Debrief Episode 26

Movement Debrief Episode 26 is in the books. Here is a copy of the video and audio for your listening pleasure. Here were all the topics: What treatment parameters should be considered when working with someone who is overly kyphotic What to look at when assessing a total hip arthroplasty What training pieces should be considered and focused on with a total hip arthroplasty Should anything be avoided on the training floor with a total hip arthroplasty? How do I restore shoulder flexion How do I use cervical rotation to restore cervical lordosis What exactly do I mean by restoring sagittal, frontal, and transverse planes? How do I assess the three planes How do I restore the three planes Can the ribcage and t-spine act independently? If you want to watch these live, add me on Facebook, Instagram, or Youtube. They air every Wednesday at 7:30pm CST. Enjoy.                  Here were the links I mentioned tonight Enhancing Life Bill Hartman An Anatomic Investigation of the Ober’s Test The Ultimate Guide to Treating Ankle Sprains Ipsilateral Hip Abductor Weakness after Inversion Ankle Sprain Method Strength Andy Mccloy  Trevor LaSarre Jeremy Hyatt Here’s a signup for my newsletter to get a free acute:chronic workload calculator, basketball conditioning program, podcasts, and weekend learning goodies: [yikes-mailchimp form=”1″ submit=”Get learning goodies and more”]   Kyphosis Post-Rehab Total Hips Shoulder Flexion Cervical Rotation Coordinating Three Planes

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My Feature on Mike Robertson’s Physical Preparation Podcast

I was recently featured on my boi Mike Robertson’s Physical Preparation Podcast. It was quite surreal to be interviewed by a guy who I have tremendous respect for, and who has been a huge influence on me. MR was one of the people who I was initially exposed to when I got into this field. After reading all the cool things he wrote on t-nation, I bought most of his products, became a huge reader of his blog, and applied many of his teachings to my own training. Zac = fanboy. Can you imagine what it was like the first time I met him and Bill at IFAST? Like meeting rockstars, fam. Then he we are, having a conversation as peers. Point being with this story, if there was no Mike Robertson, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now. The Life of A Mercenary PT Here were some of the things we discussed in this podcast: How I got started in the world of physical prep. What life is really like in the NBA/D-League, and what it’s like to transition from therapy to performance at the highest level. What skills I was comfortable with, and how he grew and evolved to take his coaching skills to the next level. My biggest struggles in pro sports. Movement Variability: What it is, and why you probably need more of it. What it’s like to transition from the biggest stages in sport, to working in a smaller setting with a more general

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