Your Hips are Weak. Probably super weak. Especially this muscle: The Glute Medius Or "High Glute" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmwLJ1OQKJM&feature=emb_title Role(s) of the Glute Medius: Truth is, the Glute Med plays several different roles. The primary function of the GMed is position, movement and load dependent. "Hip and knee kinetic and kinematic variables related to the development of dynamic knee valgus would appear to be influenced by gluteal muscle strength and EMG activity. The level of influence varies across single leg squatting and landing tasks and would appear superficially to differ between genders, though this was not … [Read more...]
You Should Do This: Hips Off Dumbbell Bench Press
January 1, 2021 by
Hips Off Dumbbell Bench Press I'm willing to bet you don't create enough tension when you press. I know I don't. How do I know this? Just go to the gym and watch folks bench press. You'll see lots of wiggling around, feet tapping and moving, knee coming in and out, hips up and down. But watch the strongest, smoothest bench. What do you see? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLrecJPciy4 None of that, usually. There is always that dude who is a freak, has craptastic technique and is waaaaaay stronger than almost everyone else. But we call those people freaks, lucky, outliers and wasting lots of potential if they just got their shit … [Read more...]
Prone Bent Knee Hip Extensions (PBKHE) To Get Your Ass in Gear
December 11, 2020 by
Prone Bent Knee Hip Extensions After I put out this one about back pain I got some, "What's the deal with the exercise where you put your face into the ground and lift your leg" Well, here's the deal. I've been using it a lot lately and while I can't "prove" it. That sh@t has been straight magic. PBKHE are Like Gandalf. And not, nice, grandfatherly Gandalf. Like, You Shall Not Pass, Gandalf. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlaiBeLrntQ The First Step in the Scientific Method is Observation In the absence of accumulated evidence we need to work in observation and hypothesis. Why isn't personal observation alone good enough? High, high, risk of … [Read more...]
Your Low Back Hurts Because of YOU…
November 29, 2020 by
Low Back Pain Its a real mother. Over 80% of ALL people (Americans) will experience Low Back Pain (LBP) in their lifetime. LBP is the #2 cause of disability and the most common reason for work days lost. There are about a bazillion causes for low back pain. Those reasons range from genetic to catastrophic injury to many people just do consistently stupid things (myself included) that aggravates their back. The worst part is, they rarely even realize what they're doing is the root cause of their pain. Fundamentally, people with low back pain tend to share a few movement strategies, TOO MUCH low back movement. Lack of Gluteal Activation/ Reliance/ … [Read more...]
Spring Ankle to Fix Your Weak Feet
October 21, 2020 by
For a long time I've realized, People Lack Foot Strength and generally just have F-ed up feet, Collapsed arches Flat Feet Bunions Immobility Plantar Fasciitis Heel Spurs Lack of motor control And so much more!!!! I cant tell you how many people I've recommended foot mobility and strengthening exercises to. I can tell you how many people have taken the advice/ homework and consistently done them.... Keep in mind, things like foot exercises need to be done regularly, as in EVERY DAMN DAY. Why So Often? You're loading your feet all day, every day. They're the product of how you've lived loaded them To create change in these tissues you're going to … [Read more...]
You Should Do This: Slider Side Lunge
September 29, 2020 by
Slider Side Lunge Most of what we do in the weight room occurs in the astral plane sagittal plane. These are forward/ back ward movements like squats, lunges, bench press, pullups etc. This makes sense. Much of life occurs in this plane too. Most, not all. A LOT of life occurs in the other planes too. Transverse and Frontal and the truth of truths is that MOST things actually occur in a combination of ALL these planes of movement. Muscles coordinate actions across joints to control the movement creating the desired outcome. Well, anyone who has done literally ANYTHING even mildly athletic knows.... NOT Allowing Movement is Just As Important as … [Read more...]
You Should Do This: Single Leg RDL
September 1, 2020 by
The Single Leg RDL might be my favorite lift to prescribe. Not most RX'd (thats how the cool kids used to write prescribed circa 2015), favorite. It's almost like a right of passage. When it shows up on your program it's like you've graduated from padawan learner to Jedi apprentice. But you ain't no Jedi..... Not yet. Does this mean everyone gets SLRDL's? Nope. Sometimes it's not a good fit for that person. Sometimes Single Leg RDL's are not worth the trouble and investment in time to pattern correctly and load effectively. But for many, many clients of mine, "You're gonna get em, you're gonna do them, and YES, they will suck" Single Leg … [Read more...]
You Should Do This: 1 Arm TRX Plank
August 6, 2020 by
1 Arm TRX Plank Planks are really good. They do lots of good stuff for ya. But you don't do them, at least, not enough. Or, you unfortunately saw something like this, This is super impressive, from a competitive standpoint. Just not a useful from a "fitness" standpoint. Your friend at the gym told you they hold a plank for: insert insanely and mostly useless length of time here _______ and you thought, "WTF is the point? If I need to waste a whole day just hanging out on my forearms?" "Not So Fast My Friend"- Lee Corso https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVAc3q-7qPQ Yes, that really is mostly just, hanging out off your low back and doing a whole lot … [Read more...]
