Interesting insight into the personal and professional life of Usain Bolt as he prepares for London Olympics.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Breathing Ladders: The How and Why
Breathing ladders were a new concept to me. I'm not sure where I first heard of the concept, but then I saw it everywhere. Essentially, what you are doing is taking and exercise and pairing it with controlled breathing, working up in reps, and then down in reps.
Each rep corresponds with one breath. Two reps, two breaths, 18 reps, 18 breaths. Get the picture?
The concept is to try to force the diaphragm to breath efficiently and to cut out the habit of mouth breathing. Controlled stress. It's also a very easy way to get in volume. A ladder from 1 rep to 20, back down to 1 rep, would yield 400 reps.
The breath should be in through the nose and work to feel the lateral ribs expanding. Work the diaphragm. It often helps to breath out the nose as well. Just keep the mouth shut.
An example for a nice exercise would be a kettlebell swing. One swing, put the weight down, one big breath. 2 swings, put the weight down, 2 breaths.
Play with this style of exercise and training and see if your breath, recovery improve as you get in quality volume.
Each rep corresponds with one breath. Two reps, two breaths, 18 reps, 18 breaths. Get the picture?
The concept is to try to force the diaphragm to breath efficiently and to cut out the habit of mouth breathing. Controlled stress. It's also a very easy way to get in volume. A ladder from 1 rep to 20, back down to 1 rep, would yield 400 reps.
The breath should be in through the nose and work to feel the lateral ribs expanding. Work the diaphragm. It often helps to breath out the nose as well. Just keep the mouth shut.
An example for a nice exercise would be a kettlebell swing. One swing, put the weight down, one big breath. 2 swings, put the weight down, 2 breaths.
Play with this style of exercise and training and see if your breath, recovery improve as you get in quality volume.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Centration by Any Method for a Healthy Body
I started thinking the other day on why pain happens. The cascading events that lead to pain and also the cascading events that result from the pain and finally the cascading events that lead out of pain.
What started me thinking was Evan Osars book, "Corrective Exercise Solutions." I had a chance to meet Evan awhile back at a Strength/Performance Enhancement seminar and have since tried to read all he puts out, great information.
He uses the term centration quite frequently. Centration is simply the optimal access of range of motion in a joint. When the body has centration, it has ease of movement, no compensation and no pain. If centration is lost, compensation occurs, pain is experienced....eventually.
Unless there is trauma, car accident, a football blown knee, falling down some stairs as examples, most of what is felt has had years to develop. That herniated disc didn't happen from picking that weight off the floor, that was just the last insult the body could handle.
It is possible that actually correct optimal movement of the joint was never learned. Neuro development is a hot topic and it appears that the crawling pattern that occurs is more important then previously realized.
An old injury that doesn't even come to mind is a possible reason for loss of joint centration. I can recall so many times athletes telling me that they can't recall how many severe ankle sprains they have experienced. Ever had a bad ankle? You limp around for days, sometimes weeks. That is disrupting your recruitment pattern, the ankle centration has been altered.
For centration to occur, optimal muscle stability must occur. A joint can not move correctly if there is not stability to allow mobility to occur. An injury to a muscle will alter joint centration.
This brings us to the old saying, "Methods are many, Principles are few." It doesn't matter the method, if the principle is achieved. So whether the method is an adjustment, myofascial work, muscle energy, muscle activation, corrective exercise or a combination, know that ultimately the goal is proper joint centration.
Achieve joint centration, achieve ease of motion, achieve a pain free body.
What started me thinking was Evan Osars book, "Corrective Exercise Solutions." I had a chance to meet Evan awhile back at a Strength/Performance Enhancement seminar and have since tried to read all he puts out, great information.
He uses the term centration quite frequently. Centration is simply the optimal access of range of motion in a joint. When the body has centration, it has ease of movement, no compensation and no pain. If centration is lost, compensation occurs, pain is experienced....eventually. Unless there is trauma, car accident, a football blown knee, falling down some stairs as examples, most of what is felt has had years to develop. That herniated disc didn't happen from picking that weight off the floor, that was just the last insult the body could handle.
It is possible that actually correct optimal movement of the joint was never learned. Neuro development is a hot topic and it appears that the crawling pattern that occurs is more important then previously realized.
An old injury that doesn't even come to mind is a possible reason for loss of joint centration. I can recall so many times athletes telling me that they can't recall how many severe ankle sprains they have experienced. Ever had a bad ankle? You limp around for days, sometimes weeks. That is disrupting your recruitment pattern, the ankle centration has been altered.
For centration to occur, optimal muscle stability must occur. A joint can not move correctly if there is not stability to allow mobility to occur. An injury to a muscle will alter joint centration.
This brings us to the old saying, "Methods are many, Principles are few." It doesn't matter the method, if the principle is achieved. So whether the method is an adjustment, myofascial work, muscle energy, muscle activation, corrective exercise or a combination, know that ultimately the goal is proper joint centration.
Achieve joint centration, achieve ease of motion, achieve a pain free body.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Monday Motivation: London 2012
The Olympics start on Friday! I'm pretty excited to watch, hope you are ready!
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Small Overlooked Muscles: Rectus Capitis Posterior Minor
The sub occipital muscles consist of the Superior Oblique, Inferior Oblique, Rectus Capitis Posterior Major and Rectus Capitis Posterior Minor. All of these muscles can contribute to headaches when tight or short. A very common headache comes from an entrapment of the greater occipital nerve in the Inferior Oblique.
Now an often overlooked contributor to headache is the Rectus Capitis Posterior Minor (RCPMinor). It has connections to the posterior arch of C1 and travels up to the nuchal line on the occiput. Often overlooked and I believe very important is that it also has connections into the spinal dura.
These connections seem to somehow help monitor the cerebral spinal fluid. We do know that all the sub occipital muscle have loads of muscle spindles in them to provide proprioception to the Central Nervous System.
If the RCPMinor becomes tight the atlantooccipital joint is not as stable. Proprioception will be hindered and perhaps most importantly, cerebral spinal fluid will be altered.
On a personal side note, every person/athlete I have ever treated post concussion have had extremely tight RCPMinor and Major.
If you receive treatment or seek treatment for cervicogenic pain or tension headaches, make sure to ask about the RCPMinor.
Now an often overlooked contributor to headache is the Rectus Capitis Posterior Minor (RCPMinor). It has connections to the posterior arch of C1 and travels up to the nuchal line on the occiput. Often overlooked and I believe very important is that it also has connections into the spinal dura.
These connections seem to somehow help monitor the cerebral spinal fluid. We do know that all the sub occipital muscle have loads of muscle spindles in them to provide proprioception to the Central Nervous System. If the RCPMinor becomes tight the atlantooccipital joint is not as stable. Proprioception will be hindered and perhaps most importantly, cerebral spinal fluid will be altered.
On a personal side note, every person/athlete I have ever treated post concussion have had extremely tight RCPMinor and Major.
If you receive treatment or seek treatment for cervicogenic pain or tension headaches, make sure to ask about the RCPMinor.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Foam Roller vs The Stick vs Vibration for Mechanoreception
I'm a pretty big advocate of using a foam roller to help free up tissue, even if some people claim it's for a very small amount of time. My views on this. If one uses the new range of motion within this time frame, one gets stronger and gradually increases the tissue quality in that new ROM.
Is there a difference in the method one chooses? I believe there is.
There are things called mechanoreceptors in your muscles, ligaments, joint capsules and fascia. They respond to different pressures, frequencies and oscillations. A few of these mechanoreceptors are called ruffini, pacini and interstitial receptors.
Ruffini (type 2) respond to deep sustained pressure. This would be where the foam roller would be of most value. It has the ability to inhibit the sympathetic nervous system. When a muscle is tight or short, this is a good idea. In the therapy world, myofacial release and massage would be of high value. Our central nervous system receives the most input from the myofascial tissues. (more then eyes, ears, skin)
Pacini receptors respond to vibration and rapidly changing pressure, many think a high velocity low amplitude adjustment (HVLA) common in chiropractic, stimulate this form. This would also be where the vibration would be of value. The biggest benefit to this is an increase in proprioception and kinesthesia. One becomes more aware of posture and where one's body is in space.
Another home therapy tool is a popular product called The Stick. This does the least amount in terms of therapy in my opinion. It mostly just stimulates afferent impulses from the skin. Similar to using a vegetable brush. This would be something you could use to rapidly run across muscles before a lift or immediate activity.
The interstitial receptors are the newest receptors discovered. They are further classified into Type 3 and Type 4. These in fact make up the majority of your muscle receptors at about 80%. In the past they were thought to perform pain reception as they terminate in free nerve endings. They are now accepted to be primarily mechanoreception, so they respond to pressure and mechanical tension, along with pain reception. They also seem to have a huge influence on fluid dynamics.
The Interstitial receptors respond to slow deep sustained pressure, just like the ruffini. So again the foam roller becomes the go to method. It has been shown that their stimulation increases parasympathetic activity. Global muscle relaxation is the outcome. This is the goal for most people dealing with chronic pain, loss of ROM or increased recovery.
Choose your home therapy tool wisely.
Is there a difference in the method one chooses? I believe there is.
There are things called mechanoreceptors in your muscles, ligaments, joint capsules and fascia. They respond to different pressures, frequencies and oscillations. A few of these mechanoreceptors are called ruffini, pacini and interstitial receptors.
Ruffini (type 2) respond to deep sustained pressure. This would be where the foam roller would be of most value. It has the ability to inhibit the sympathetic nervous system. When a muscle is tight or short, this is a good idea. In the therapy world, myofacial release and massage would be of high value. Our central nervous system receives the most input from the myofascial tissues. (more then eyes, ears, skin)
Pacini receptors respond to vibration and rapidly changing pressure, many think a high velocity low amplitude adjustment (HVLA) common in chiropractic, stimulate this form. This would also be where the vibration would be of value. The biggest benefit to this is an increase in proprioception and kinesthesia. One becomes more aware of posture and where one's body is in space.
Another home therapy tool is a popular product called The Stick. This does the least amount in terms of therapy in my opinion. It mostly just stimulates afferent impulses from the skin. Similar to using a vegetable brush. This would be something you could use to rapidly run across muscles before a lift or immediate activity.
The interstitial receptors are the newest receptors discovered. They are further classified into Type 3 and Type 4. These in fact make up the majority of your muscle receptors at about 80%. In the past they were thought to perform pain reception as they terminate in free nerve endings. They are now accepted to be primarily mechanoreception, so they respond to pressure and mechanical tension, along with pain reception. They also seem to have a huge influence on fluid dynamics.
The Interstitial receptors respond to slow deep sustained pressure, just like the ruffini. So again the foam roller becomes the go to method. It has been shown that their stimulation increases parasympathetic activity. Global muscle relaxation is the outcome. This is the goal for most people dealing with chronic pain, loss of ROM or increased recovery.
Choose your home therapy tool wisely.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)