Many of the moves we use to improve range of motion are a little weird. What if I have a client who wants to lift them heavy-ass weights? They want to feel like they did something. How can we bridge this gap? Watch this video to learn how. Applying the movement model to fitness Don’t underestimate the power of some of these simple breathing moves. When coached well, your clients will shake and get absolutely cooked. It’s a beautiful sight. Often, the key differentiator between feeling nothing and feeling a whole lot with some of the simple breathing moves is the stack. Make sure you have the stack. But remember folks, these moves are not something we just throw into the program willy nilly. These moves are merely regressions of the common moves that we perform in the gym. The Lewitt position is a regression of your midrange depth of the squat. If we understand the different positions we need to utilize to improve various ranges of motion, we can pick common gym moves to get range of motion changes. For example, if someone has a loss of external rotation, we might choose a 2 kettlebell front squat: If I need internal rotation in the arms and legs, pushups could be MONEY: Need to rotate like a boss? Well fam, a 1 arm press could change da game!
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Refer In: When Trainers Can Work with People in Pain
It is a common recommendation to immediately refer clients in pain to a medical practitioner. However, immediate referral is oftentimes not warranted, and in certain cases is discouraged. But as a trainer, how do you know when a client’s pain is a medical problem, and when is it not? With today’s podcast, I hope to answer that question for you, as well as give you tips on working with people in pain, and collaborating in a manner that is in your client’s best interest. Enjoy, and check out the modified transcript below Modified Transcript If you are a trainer, and your client has pain, what should you do? Well I’m glad you asked. Many people on the interwebz will make the claim that if your client has pain, you should refer. The reason why this claim is made is 1) because you do not want to make your client problem worse; 2) you also want to cover your ass. If you do something and your client’s problem gets worse, you could potentially get sued. That’s why people say “when in pain, refer out.” I think that this claim is bullshit, and here’s why. Reasons why immediate referral can be problematic There are three negative consequences when you pull the referral trigger too early. Pain does not equal tissue damage This claim assumes that pain and tissue damage are synonymous. If you listen to my talk, Practical Pain Education, you would find that
Read MoreSocial Media Resources
I was asked recently about how I utilize social media. Namely, who I follow, why I follow them, so on and so forth. Up front, I do the best I can to limit my time on these platforms exposure. As we all know, it is very easy to get sucked into a rabbit hole of walls, posts, cats of Instagram hashtags, etc. Before you know it, it’s been four hours and you missed the most recent episode of “Days of Our Lives.” Secondary to the inevitable timewarp that you can be pulled into on social media, I utilize each platform with various goals in mind. This helps me stratify my consumption, and provide me the most relevant information.
Read MoreRecommended Resources
I oftentimes get asked what resources I recommend. The resources listed below have been essential at putting me down the path that I am currently going, and have shaped how I practice today. The cool thing about this list? None of these are set in stone. If I find a better resource, or one of the blogs I recommend starts to resonate with me less, it leaves the list (no pressure). I want to give you guys the most up-to-date resources as humanly possible, so please check back here frequently. If you’d like articles and such that are tripping my trigger as of late, you may want to sign up for my newsletter. You’ll also get some access to almost 3 hours and 40+ pages worth of exclusive content on pain and breathing. [yikes-mailchimp form=”1″ submit=”Oh wow, free stuff? Absolutely!”] Here are my resources: Foundational Sciences Video series Makemegenius – A youtube page dedicated to explaining scientific concepts that a kid could understand. Crashcourse – Another series of short videos explaining complex scientific topics and more in 15 minutes or less. I wish I had this in undergrad. Books Gilroy Atlas of Anatomy – Easily the best paper anatomy atlas you can find in the land. The angles drawn, the clarity of pictures, this atlas has it all. Wait until you see the subocciptals from the side. #mindblown Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology – Easily the best and most comprehensive physiology textbook in the land, the depth at
Read MoreHow to Design a Comprehensive Rehab Program
Just when I thought I was out, the clinic pulls me back in. Though I’m glad to be back. There’s just a different vibe, different pace, and ever-constant variety of challenges that being in the clinic simply provides. This has been especially true working in a rural area. You see a much wider variety, which challenges you to broaden your skillset. I’m amazed at how much working in the NBA has changed the way I approach the clinic. Previously, I was all about getting people in and out of the door as quickly as possible; and with very few visits. I would cut them down to once a week or every other week damn-near immediately, and try to hit that three to five visit sweet spot. This strategy no doubt worked, and people got better, but I had noticed I’d get repeat customers. Maybe it wasn’t the area that was initially hurting them, but they still were having trouble creep up. Or maybe it was the same pain, just taking much more activity to elicit the sensation. It became clear that I was skipping steps to try and get my visit number low, when in reality I was doing a disservice to my patients. This was the equivalent of fast food PT—give them the protein, carbohydrates, and fats, forget about the vitamins and minerals. Was getting someone out the door in 3 visits for me or for them? The younger, big ass ego me, wanted to known as the guy
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