These are things I think you will find interesting, thought provoking or learn something. I know I gained something from them and they are not things I can sum up in a few sentences.
Alligator Boogaloo (Don't Just Be an Information Collector).
10 Uncommon Superfoods from the World of Ultra Endurance.
50 Renegade Food Rules.
Breathing Patterns: Assessment.
Showing posts with label people. Show all posts
Showing posts with label people. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Documentary "Strong" Cheryl Haworth
Last night I had the opportunity to see the documentary "Strong." Thanks to Crossfit 616 for the invite. It was premiered at the UICA in downtown Grand Rapids. This should be available for viewing sometime in late June, early July.
"Strong" follows the exploits of Cheryl Haworth an American super heavyweight Olympic Lifter. She was the bronze medalist in 2000 Sydney Olympics. It essentially picks off after a horrific elbow injury in 2003 and ends with her 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Through the journey you see a young lady dealing with injury, love of the sport that vacillates, body image (she was 290lb) training and life. She talks openly about how her weight helps with her sport, but that she doesn't want to be that big in everyday life. So she talks about the internal conflict she had with this dilemma.
Throughout the movie you get a nice feel for what Olympic athletes have to deal with and how it's not always the physical side that is the hardest to overcome after a setback like an injury. There are mental and emotional hurdles that have to be vanquished for the purest form of athletic expression to be achieved.
As with every injury and setback, the sacrifice you put into the goal comes into question. Is this worth it? Is a question that looms in the back of your head. The director did a great job of letting us follow this incredible athlete and Cheryl did an awesome job of letting us into the psyche of an elite athlete.
"It's a lot easier talking yourself into doubting, that this weight is to heavy to lift, then I can lift this."
Anyone that's ever picked up a barbell can relate. Anyone that has had to deal with injury or setback will enjoy this. Anyone that has had to come to the grips with the notion that you have to move on to the next stage of life will find this well worth their time.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Free Ebook on Nutrition from Stumptuous
I'm not sure how I stumbled on her blog this past winter, perhaps it was looking up some training and pregnancy information. Either way, it was a nice find. She mostly writes for women and has a blog that is worth paying attention to. She has a free eBook called, "Fuck Calories." It contains some really good information, cuts through and just delivers what I consider to be solid nutritional advice. Like I said, it's free and worth reading. I think it's around 40 pages. Sometimes you just need to keep hearing the good stuff to keep from being swayed by the constant barrage of propaganda that is out there.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Cold Thermogenesis and Wim Hof
After hearing Jack Kruse speak on TedX, I immediately became interested in his example of Wim Hof. Climbing Everest without a shirt? Really? Pretty crazy. Here is his video on TedX. A scientist comes on and talks about how he thinks Wim is able to do such things.
Here is the article in Science Daily about Wim and his control of the autonomic nervous system. Research on ICEMAN.
Remember we may not have the ability of Iceman, but you to can control the autonomic nervous system with proper diaphragmatic breathing. This too is powerful!
Here is the article in Science Daily about Wim and his control of the autonomic nervous system. Research on ICEMAN.
Remember we may not have the ability of Iceman, but you to can control the autonomic nervous system with proper diaphragmatic breathing. This too is powerful!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
New Fat Bike World Champion
Big congratulations to Train Out Pain athlete and new Fat Tire World Champion, Danielle Musto. This past weekend, she travelled up to Marquette, MI to take on the 25k course. If you haven't seen these bikes around, you will. These monster 4" tires are part of the new craze that is sweeping the Midwest. I did get a chance to ride one this summer and was surprised at how well it actually handled. 
Danielle has been training hard since winning the 24 hour single speed National Championship this past fall. The goals we outlined for her in building her training program was building up more upper body strength (as evidenced by being able to do unassisted chin ups now) and also increasing power output in the hips. You can read Danielle's race report on her blog. World Champion has a pretty cool ring to it.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
DVD REVIEW: Womens Sprinting: Therapeutic Considerations for Speed and Power Development
Last night I watched the DVD: Women's Sprinting: Therapeutic Considerations for Speed and Power Development."
It was a presentation by Track and Field coach Kebba Tolbert coach for Texas El Paso. He has trained some pretty fast track athletes. I'm just going to list some of my take away points. For only 25 dollars, I thought it was actually a pretty good buy. It's an interesting perspective hearing a coach talk about the high value they put on therapy and the important clues he looks for.
Hamstring issues in his sprinters, he always checks the psoas first, piriformis second, adductors third, quads last. Usually it is not the hamstring. Levitt's old law, he who treats the site of pain is lost!
Peroneals that are tight kill the elasticity of the athlete. Probably the most important take away point for myself.
Athletes need to drink a gallon of water a day. Dehydration can kill an athlete. (not literally) Most don't even come close to this. Those that do, bounce back from injury up to 50% faster.
Deep lateral rotators are tight, the foot will land externally rotated. This will transmit tension either into the back or into the hamstrings.
When the quadratus lumborum is healthy you will see a nice oscillation/undulation in sprinters. When they are tight, you won't.
He did a lot of drills, not for warm up or sprint mechanics, but to see how the athlete is moving. I found this very interesting. One drill he performed was the slow backwards walk with hip extension to evaluate the psoas. I will try to make a video of this in the future.
All in all, a pretty nice little resource.
It was a presentation by Track and Field coach Kebba Tolbert coach for Texas El Paso. He has trained some pretty fast track athletes. I'm just going to list some of my take away points. For only 25 dollars, I thought it was actually a pretty good buy. It's an interesting perspective hearing a coach talk about the high value they put on therapy and the important clues he looks for. Hamstring issues in his sprinters, he always checks the psoas first, piriformis second, adductors third, quads last. Usually it is not the hamstring. Levitt's old law, he who treats the site of pain is lost!
Peroneals that are tight kill the elasticity of the athlete. Probably the most important take away point for myself.
Athletes need to drink a gallon of water a day. Dehydration can kill an athlete. (not literally) Most don't even come close to this. Those that do, bounce back from injury up to 50% faster.
Deep lateral rotators are tight, the foot will land externally rotated. This will transmit tension either into the back or into the hamstrings.
When the quadratus lumborum is healthy you will see a nice oscillation/undulation in sprinters. When they are tight, you won't.
He did a lot of drills, not for warm up or sprint mechanics, but to see how the athlete is moving. I found this very interesting. One drill he performed was the slow backwards walk with hip extension to evaluate the psoas. I will try to make a video of this in the future.
All in all, a pretty nice little resource.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Seven Principles for a Healthy Life
I just signed up for a seminar in January to learn from Dr. Bob Rakowski. I'm pretty excited to hear this guy talk as I've heard some pretty awesome things about him from a mentor of mine. Dr. Rakowski works a lot with nutrition and athletes and muscle recovery. I've included an audio interview that he gave that gives some pretty eye opening information. He also goes over his Magnificent 7 tips for a healthy life.
1. Eat Right
2. Drink Right
3. Think Right
4. Move Right
5. Sleep Right
6. Poop Right
7. Talk Right
If you don't have the seven down, find help, get help. Here is the audio interview.
1. Eat Right
2. Drink Right
3. Think Right
4. Move Right
5. Sleep Right
6. Poop Right
7. Talk Right
If you don't have the seven down, find help, get help. Here is the audio interview.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Congrats to a New National Champion
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Exerces and Brain Health: Authors@Google: Dr. John Ratey
This is a great lecture. Really worth your time to listen. Dr. Ratey is the author of the book Spark. A great read.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Thoughts on Usain Bolt and Sprinting
This is not my writing. This was in an email I get from Cal Dietz, Strength Coach, University of Minnesota. I have copied and pasted it. Great read.
One year from now, the 2012 Olympic Games will begin in London, where all eyes will be on the incomparable Usain Bolt -- the Jamaican sprinter who is more than living up to his name.
Since 2008, Bolt has taken a jackhammer to the 100-meter world record, lopping off a whopping .14 seconds. That might not sound like a huge chunk of time until you consider it's twice as much as any other sprinter has shaved off the world record since the advent of electronic scoring.
Logically, one would think that Bolt did so by moving his legs faster than anyone else. Only he didn't.
Speed, as it turns out, may be completely misunderstood.
This is a theory put forth by academics and track coaches alike who contend that running fast has more to do with the force one applies to the ground than how quickly one can move one's legs.
More than a decade ago, Peter Weyand, a science professor at Southern Methodist University, conducted a study on speed. Comparing athletes to non-athletes, Weyand clocked both test groups as they ran at their top speed. What he found shocked him.
"The amount of time to pick up a leg and put it down is very similar," he says. "It surprised us when we first figured it out."
So if leg turnover is the same, how does one person run faster than another?
Weyand discovered that speed is dependent upon two variables: The force with which one presses against the ground and how long one applies that force.
Think of the legs as springs. The more force they can push against the ground, the further they can propel the body forward, thus maximizing the output of each individual step. In a full sprint, the average person applies about 500 to 600 pounds of force. An Olympic sprinter can apply more than 1,000 pounds.
But force isn't the only factor. How quickly that force is applied factors in as well.
"The amount of time [one's legs are] in the air is .12, regardless if you're fast or slow," Weyand explains. "An elite sprinter gets the aerial time they need with less time on the ground to generate that lift -- or to get back up in the air -- because they can hit harder."
So what makes Bolt faster than even the elite sprinters? And can he run the 100 meters even faster than 9.58 seconds?
Bolt's superiority is often explained by his unique combination of height, strength and acceleration.
At 6-foot-5, Bolt is two inches taller than fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell (pictured together below) and has six inches on American Tyson Gay -- two of his closest challengers. While it takes most elite sprinters 44 strides to complete 100 meters, Bolt does it in 41.
Pfaff, now working in London to help boost Great Britain's track-and-field hopes for 2012, says Bolt's height gives him a distinct leverage advantage.
"If you're digging a hole in the ground, you have to get a longer lever to pry [out a rock]," he explains. "If you can control those levers and make them work efficiently, it's a huge advantage."
It's Bolt's ability to control the levers that is so unusual for a sprinter his height.
While taller sprinters may be able to reach a higher top-end speed, getting up to that speed isn't as easy. This can be explained physiologically -- smaller people can exert more force in relation to how much they weigh -- but Weyand prefers a more simple visual to show this to be true.
"You can easily imagine a 4-foot-10 gymnast doing a triple back flip, but imagine Shaquille O'Neal or Yao Ming doing it," he says. "You know they can't do it."
Bolt, it seems, is the exception to this rule. Though he's not doing triple back flips, he does get up to speed nearly as quickly as his more diminutive competitors.
"He has a very unusual combination of being extremely tall and relatively massive and being able to accelerate well. Those things are at odds with each other," explains Dr. Mike Young, a strength and speed coach who trains professionals in track and field and other sports. "He accelerates better than all but one guy in the world -- behind Asafa Powell -- but because he's so massive, he takes fewer strides. If you're that large, once you're moving, you stay moving."
"He has the holy triumvirate," Young contends. "He's one of the top accelerators, has the highest top-end speed and the highest endurance. It's something that's never been seen before. Carl Lewis had the highest top speed, the highest endurance, but he was not the best accelerator."
Bolt, just 24, has set his goal of running the 100 meters in the 9.4 range, explaining to Britain's BBC Radio: "Because that's where I think the record will probably never be beaten."
While Young doesn't think Bolt will break 9.5 in London, Weyand, through his research, says it's possible. Though if Bolt pulls it off, it won't be because he moves his legs any faster.
Since 2008, Bolt has taken a jackhammer to the 100-meter world record, lopping off a whopping .14 seconds. That might not sound like a huge chunk of time until you consider it's twice as much as any other sprinter has shaved off the world record since the advent of electronic scoring.
Logically, one would think that Bolt did so by moving his legs faster than anyone else. Only he didn't.
Speed, as it turns out, may be completely misunderstood.
When Bolt established the current 100-meter world record in the 2009 world championships, running it in 9.58 seconds, he did so by moving his legs at virtually the same pace as his competitors. In fact, if you or I were to compete against Bolt, our legs would turn over at essentially the same rate as his.
This is a theory put forth by academics and track coaches alike who contend that running fast has more to do with the force one applies to the ground than how quickly one can move one's legs.
More than a decade ago, Peter Weyand, a science professor at Southern Methodist University, conducted a study on speed. Comparing athletes to non-athletes, Weyand clocked both test groups as they ran at their top speed. What he found shocked him.
"The amount of time to pick up a leg and put it down is very similar," he says. "It surprised us when we first figured it out."
So if leg turnover is the same, how does one person run faster than another?
Weyand discovered that speed is dependent upon two variables: The force with which one presses against the ground and how long one applies that force.
Think of the legs as springs. The more force they can push against the ground, the further they can propel the body forward, thus maximizing the output of each individual step. In a full sprint, the average person applies about 500 to 600 pounds of force. An Olympic sprinter can apply more than 1,000 pounds.
But force isn't the only factor. How quickly that force is applied factors in as well.
For this, think of bouncing a beach ball versus a super ball. The beach ball is soft and mushy and when bounced on the ground sits for a while before slowly rebounding back into the air. Conversely, a super ball is hard and stiff and when bounced rebounds almost instantaneously -- and at a much faster speed than the beach ball.
The average person's foot is on the ground for about .12 seconds, while an Olympic sprinter's foot is on the ground for just .08 seconds -- a 33-percent difference.
The average person's foot is on the ground for about .12 seconds, while an Olympic sprinter's foot is on the ground for just .08 seconds -- a 33-percent difference.
"The amount of time [one's legs are] in the air is .12, regardless if you're fast or slow," Weyand explains. "An elite sprinter gets the aerial time they need with less time on the ground to generate that lift -- or to get back up in the air -- because they can hit harder."
So what makes Bolt faster than even the elite sprinters? And can he run the 100 meters even faster than 9.58 seconds?
Bolt's superiority is often explained by his unique combination of height, strength and acceleration.
At 6-foot-5, Bolt is two inches taller than fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell (pictured together below) and has six inches on American Tyson Gay -- two of his closest challengers. While it takes most elite sprinters 44 strides to complete 100 meters, Bolt does it in 41.
"Would you rather take 44 steps to your car or 41?" asks Dan Pfaff, who coached Canada's Donovan Bailey to the 100-meter gold during the Atlanta Games in 1996.
Pfaff, now working in London to help boost Great Britain's track-and-field hopes for 2012, says Bolt's height gives him a distinct leverage advantage.
"If you're digging a hole in the ground, you have to get a longer lever to pry [out a rock]," he explains. "If you can control those levers and make them work efficiently, it's a huge advantage."
It's Bolt's ability to control the levers that is so unusual for a sprinter his height.
While taller sprinters may be able to reach a higher top-end speed, getting up to that speed isn't as easy. This can be explained physiologically -- smaller people can exert more force in relation to how much they weigh -- but Weyand prefers a more simple visual to show this to be true.
"You can easily imagine a 4-foot-10 gymnast doing a triple back flip, but imagine Shaquille O'Neal or Yao Ming doing it," he says. "You know they can't do it."
Bolt, it seems, is the exception to this rule. Though he's not doing triple back flips, he does get up to speed nearly as quickly as his more diminutive competitors.
"He has a very unusual combination of being extremely tall and relatively massive and being able to accelerate well. Those things are at odds with each other," explains Dr. Mike Young, a strength and speed coach who trains professionals in track and field and other sports. "He accelerates better than all but one guy in the world -- behind Asafa Powell -- but because he's so massive, he takes fewer strides. If you're that large, once you're moving, you stay moving."
This would help explain why Bolt still managed to break the world record during the Beijing Games in 2008 despite throwing up his arms in celebration some 20 meters before the finish. As Young explains, if the "average athlete is a motorcycle, Usain Bolt is a dump truck," and it takes a lot more resistance to slow down a dump truck than a motorcycle. Thus, when he fatigues, he slows down more slowly.
"He has the holy triumvirate," Young contends. "He's one of the top accelerators, has the highest top-end speed and the highest endurance. It's something that's never been seen before. Carl Lewis had the highest top speed, the highest endurance, but he was not the best accelerator."
Bolt, just 24, has set his goal of running the 100 meters in the 9.4 range, explaining to Britain's BBC Radio: "Because that's where I think the record will probably never be beaten."
While Young doesn't think Bolt will break 9.5 in London, Weyand, through his research, says it's possible. Though if Bolt pulls it off, it won't be because he moves his legs any faster.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Rib Mobility and Movement Checks from Shirley Sahrmann
One of the big take aways I took from Shirley Sahrmanns lecture a few weeks ago in Boston was the importance of monitoring posture and movement. For those of you that don't know, Shirley is one of the smartest manual therapist out there. I own two of her textbooks, that I refer back to often. Her first book, actually influence the way I treat and evaluate patients and athletes.
She must have stated 3-4 times over the course of her two hour talk about how she can't believe in today's society we don't have regular movement checks, but that we have twice yearly teeth check ups. She extrapolated on what health benefits teeth bring, then extrapolated on what health benefits proper movement brings. Hard to argue about some of that.
Her lecture was titled "The Role of Hip Movement in Low Back Pain." One of the key points I took away was measuring rib movement. I really, really like this concept. Like the quote says, "If you can't measure it, you can't manage it."
She suggests that you breath all the way out, measure your rib circumference, then take a deep inhale. Measure again. Optimal rib movement is 3 inches. I was at 1.5 inches then and 2 inches now. Lately, I have had less midback tightness. Circumstantially, I PR'd in inverted row reps recently.
Improve joint function, improve movement quality, improve strength.
Improve joint function, improve movement quality, improve strength.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Understanding Isometrics for Athletic Performance
One of the topics I was able to learn more about in my seminar in Boston was the use of Isometrics in strength and conditioning. Isometrics are a very intriguing topic for me as it can be used by novice and elite athletes for benefits.
First, muscle activation can be defined as 3 phases. Concentric, (shortening of the muscle), Isometric (no change in length) and Eccentric (lengthening of the muscle). This is termed triphasic. So in every dynamic repetition there is an isometric component.
There are two general types of Isometrics. Yielding Iso's and Overcoming Iso's. A Yielding Iso is where the athlete is trying to keep himself from lowering the weight or lowering the body. Holding a lunge position, holding a push up and holding yourself up in a chin up position are examples.
Overcoming Iso's would be trying to overcome an object. Pulling as hard as you can against a barbell that can't move. Pushing against a wall. Pushing or pulling on a barbell that is set on pins in a squat rack for a deadlift or a squat, would be two great examples.
Ray Eady, strength coach at the University of Wisconsin, talked extensively how he uses Isometrics, athletes can develop better deceleration with the use of Yielding Iso's and acceleration with Overcoming Iso's. Overcoming Iso's are Central Nervous System (CNS) intensive and should be used as you would a Max Effort type exercise.
Some of the research Coach Eady presented was that Iso's can contribute up to 5% more motor units. That it can be used to increase strength effectively at desired joint angles. Greater strength gains when combined with a dynamic movement. When combined with a dynamic movement you use the iso first as a potentiator, recruiting more motor units then normal, then do a dynamic movement to take advantage of this.
Some examples presented were as varied as you can get depending on goals. Hold the isometric for 7 seconds, rest 30 seconds and then go into a dynamic exercise.
Hold a yielding or overcoming iso for 20-40 seconds to work the hypertrophy angle.
Hold a joint angle for 8 seconds at several different angles to work on strengthening a injured bodypart or muscle.
Hold a yielding iso for max time to work on ROM using eccentric quasi isometric (EQI) principles.
A common parameter Coach Eady presented was 7 seconds iso/1 rep/6sec iso/1 rep/5 sec iso/1 rep...ect So he was combining isometric with full movement in an endurance type parameter.
Isometrics have many benefits, but there are a few drawbacks. There is a quick adaptation period, so shouldn't program them in for longer then 8 weeks. They require a lot of concentration, what you put in, is what you get out. They are hard to measure in terms of strength gains and progress.
Isometrics are a great tool to add into your strength training arsenal. Use wisely and they will help develop a healthier more athletic patient/athlete.
Some examples presented were as varied as you can get depending on goals. Hold the isometric for 7 seconds, rest 30 seconds and then go into a dynamic exercise.
Hold a yielding or overcoming iso for 20-40 seconds to work the hypertrophy angle.
Hold a joint angle for 8 seconds at several different angles to work on strengthening a injured bodypart or muscle.
Hold a yielding iso for max time to work on ROM using eccentric quasi isometric (EQI) principles.
A common parameter Coach Eady presented was 7 seconds iso/1 rep/6sec iso/1 rep/5 sec iso/1 rep...ect So he was combining isometric with full movement in an endurance type parameter.
Isometrics have many benefits, but there are a few drawbacks. There is a quick adaptation period, so shouldn't program them in for longer then 8 weeks. They require a lot of concentration, what you put in, is what you get out. They are hard to measure in terms of strength gains and progress.
Isometrics are a great tool to add into your strength training arsenal. Use wisely and they will help develop a healthier more athletic patient/athlete.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Fascial Fitness Seminar by Thomas Myers in Boston
Thomas Myers is the author of Anatomy Trains
.
A book about the way things are connected from the sole of your foot to the top of your head. There are several "trains" that make up the body. It's a great book and has been profoundly influential on how we look at, treat and train the body.
If you haven't read it. Get it. It's great. He was one of the reasons I signed up for the seminar I took this past weekend in Boston. I wanted to hear and learn from him for awhile. I will talk about a few other's later this week or next.
First, Myers has about as much influence on our knowledge of practical application of the newest fascial information you can find. He can go off a bit on some interesting tangents...ala Paul Check and get into the spiritual side of body work ect...but it's hard not to listen.
So here are some notes and thoughts from the lecture.
1/2 of what we know will be wrong in 20 years. The problem is we don't now which half. So always keep an open mind. Stuff that doesn't work but should, stuff that shouldn't work and it does. There will never be an absolute. Don't get stuck with that mindset. Example, "Five years ago, I would have stood up here and stated absolutely, fascia does not contract! We now know that fascia does contract and has a profound impact on contractions.
Look at the posture of depressed people. They are stuck on the exhale. Breath out as hard as you can and hold that posture. Feel the tension and compression in your body. We know there is a serotonin problem. But could there possibly be a breathing problem? Fascially, look at the pecs, scalene, SCM and get that diaphragm fully engaged.
He thinks a lot of the ADHD we see in kids these days is coming from a lack of people not inhabiting their body correctly. How I took it was the things like art, music and sport are being taken away and there isn't enough stimulation neurally to get a proper release.
Fascia is stronger then steel. Just sounds cool.
Women with hysterectomies have a destroyed fascial pelvic floor. (from my own thoughts, the diaphragm will have to be free along with the psoas to help stabilize the inner core)
We now know when you lift a weight or pull on a muscle. That muscle is only doing about 50% of the load. Other structures around the joint are being used. This is most evident with the lower leg.
That knot you find about the medial top shoulder blade from the levator scapulae will not improve if posture remains a problem. He calls it the forward head strap preventer.
A new gem I learned is that a muscle will have different tendencies of dysfunction. It can be eccentrically loaded which will be painful and people will complain about the pain. You can also have a concentrically loaded where it is again dysfunction but will not be painful. Eccentrically will be long and tight. Concentrically will be short and tight. Very interesting.
Very interesting point. Myofibroblast can pull significantly on the extracellular matrix. Extracellular matrix is everything that isn't a cell to put it simply. The environment that you cells live in. Fibers and glue ect....Now the real interesting point is that athletes have more myofibroblasts then non athletes. What we don't know is if there born that way or is it because of training. I would tend to be on the side that it can be trained for. (not sure how) Everything we are learning lately is that we are in control, epigenetics ect. Now how much more can we get? That will be something to keep your eye on.
These myofibroblasts are heavily present in the thoracolumbar, crural fascia. They are also super prevalent in Dupuytrens Contracture in the palms.
From research there are to types of fascial individuals. Viking fascia and what he calls temple dancers. Viking people are stiff and temple are loose. The theory is that it takes more energy because of the friction and stiffness to move and thus creates heat.
He gives this little test to see what you are naturally. Flex your wrist down and pull your thumb towards your forearm. The closer you get your thumb to the forearm the less Viking you are. If you get your thumb to your forearm, your what he calls a temple dancer. Fluid and less stiff individual. I am somewhere in the middle, more temple dancer I believe then Viking though.
He believes we are in the Fascial Health decade and that's where the research will be. 70's was power, 80's aerobics, 90's neural coordination, 00's core.
Fascia transmits force globally. Fascia listens with it's many sensors. Fascia has 10x more sensors then a muscles.
Fascial fitness was the title of his lecture. Train the long myofascial slings. Don't isolate muscle. He think this is a horrible idea. (I personally do believe there is a time and place for isolating a muscle) What he is getting at is that the body is one piece. When you start doing leg extensions...ect. You are training your body to not be fluid, not be a spring.
Stretch in multiple variations. He actually has some cool fascial stretches that I will discuss at a later date. It would be to hard to explain without pics or video.
Cultivate elastic rebound. An example is doing push ups off a wall. Stand, fall into the wall and push to a standing position. Train preparatory counter movement. Think jumping. ( this was big concept with many of the strength coaches I listened to over the weekend)
It takes 6-24 months for fascial changes. I believe he was speaking about permanent changes that need no intervention for global patterns.
He gave an interesting example of a nationally ranked older German weight lifter that took a vegetable brush and brushed it all over his body before he attempted big lifts. He said it turns his fascia on through enhanced proprioception. This will be an interesting experiment. You see it all the times in sprinters before they get in the blocks. They are hitting their quads, glutes, hams.....like saying "Wake up!"
Facial health comes down to posture, nutrition and hydration.
.A book about the way things are connected from the sole of your foot to the top of your head. There are several "trains" that make up the body. It's a great book and has been profoundly influential on how we look at, treat and train the body.
If you haven't read it. Get it. It's great. He was one of the reasons I signed up for the seminar I took this past weekend in Boston. I wanted to hear and learn from him for awhile. I will talk about a few other's later this week or next.
First, Myers has about as much influence on our knowledge of practical application of the newest fascial information you can find. He can go off a bit on some interesting tangents...ala Paul Check and get into the spiritual side of body work ect...but it's hard not to listen.
So here are some notes and thoughts from the lecture.
1/2 of what we know will be wrong in 20 years. The problem is we don't now which half. So always keep an open mind. Stuff that doesn't work but should, stuff that shouldn't work and it does. There will never be an absolute. Don't get stuck with that mindset. Example, "Five years ago, I would have stood up here and stated absolutely, fascia does not contract! We now know that fascia does contract and has a profound impact on contractions.
Look at the posture of depressed people. They are stuck on the exhale. Breath out as hard as you can and hold that posture. Feel the tension and compression in your body. We know there is a serotonin problem. But could there possibly be a breathing problem? Fascially, look at the pecs, scalene, SCM and get that diaphragm fully engaged.
He thinks a lot of the ADHD we see in kids these days is coming from a lack of people not inhabiting their body correctly. How I took it was the things like art, music and sport are being taken away and there isn't enough stimulation neurally to get a proper release.
Fascia is stronger then steel. Just sounds cool.
Women with hysterectomies have a destroyed fascial pelvic floor. (from my own thoughts, the diaphragm will have to be free along with the psoas to help stabilize the inner core)
We now know when you lift a weight or pull on a muscle. That muscle is only doing about 50% of the load. Other structures around the joint are being used. This is most evident with the lower leg.
That knot you find about the medial top shoulder blade from the levator scapulae will not improve if posture remains a problem. He calls it the forward head strap preventer.
A new gem I learned is that a muscle will have different tendencies of dysfunction. It can be eccentrically loaded which will be painful and people will complain about the pain. You can also have a concentrically loaded where it is again dysfunction but will not be painful. Eccentrically will be long and tight. Concentrically will be short and tight. Very interesting.
Very interesting point. Myofibroblast can pull significantly on the extracellular matrix. Extracellular matrix is everything that isn't a cell to put it simply. The environment that you cells live in. Fibers and glue ect....Now the real interesting point is that athletes have more myofibroblasts then non athletes. What we don't know is if there born that way or is it because of training. I would tend to be on the side that it can be trained for. (not sure how) Everything we are learning lately is that we are in control, epigenetics ect. Now how much more can we get? That will be something to keep your eye on.
These myofibroblasts are heavily present in the thoracolumbar, crural fascia. They are also super prevalent in Dupuytrens Contracture in the palms.
From research there are to types of fascial individuals. Viking fascia and what he calls temple dancers. Viking people are stiff and temple are loose. The theory is that it takes more energy because of the friction and stiffness to move and thus creates heat.
He gives this little test to see what you are naturally. Flex your wrist down and pull your thumb towards your forearm. The closer you get your thumb to the forearm the less Viking you are. If you get your thumb to your forearm, your what he calls a temple dancer. Fluid and less stiff individual. I am somewhere in the middle, more temple dancer I believe then Viking though.
He believes we are in the Fascial Health decade and that's where the research will be. 70's was power, 80's aerobics, 90's neural coordination, 00's core.
Fascia transmits force globally. Fascia listens with it's many sensors. Fascia has 10x more sensors then a muscles.
Fascial fitness was the title of his lecture. Train the long myofascial slings. Don't isolate muscle. He think this is a horrible idea. (I personally do believe there is a time and place for isolating a muscle) What he is getting at is that the body is one piece. When you start doing leg extensions...ect. You are training your body to not be fluid, not be a spring.
Stretch in multiple variations. He actually has some cool fascial stretches that I will discuss at a later date. It would be to hard to explain without pics or video.
Cultivate elastic rebound. An example is doing push ups off a wall. Stand, fall into the wall and push to a standing position. Train preparatory counter movement. Think jumping. ( this was big concept with many of the strength coaches I listened to over the weekend)
It takes 6-24 months for fascial changes. I believe he was speaking about permanent changes that need no intervention for global patterns.
He gave an interesting example of a nationally ranked older German weight lifter that took a vegetable brush and brushed it all over his body before he attempted big lifts. He said it turns his fascia on through enhanced proprioception. This will be an interesting experiment. You see it all the times in sprinters before they get in the blocks. They are hitting their quads, glutes, hams.....like saying "Wake up!"
Facial health comes down to posture, nutrition and hydration.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Thoughts on Brazil, Athletics and Life
I recently took a ten day trip to Brazil to work with a sprinter from Great Britain. It was my first time to Brazil or anywhere in South America for that matter. We were at 3 different track meets in the Brazil Grand Prix. The cities were Belem, Uberlandia and Sao Paulo.
The athlete got 3 wins and faster times in the 100 meter at each race. I think he will be set up to run sub 10.0 seconds in a few days.
Brazil was a crazy mixture of rich and poor. In fact, my definition of poor took on new meanings. I had been to Tijuana in Mexico, while training in the Olympic Training center in San Diego, and my previous definition of poor had been challenged.
So again, my definition of poor has been brought to new a level. We were on a bus to the first meet when the true reality hit me. Going to chiropractic school in Iowa, I saw a few pig farms. Small wooden lean-toos in a field. Looking out that bus, on the way to the meet, I thought I was looking at a massive pig farm. That is, until I started to see people. Talk about an eye opener.
On the complete opposite spectrum, I visited the largest mall in Brazil in Uberlandia. Nike shoes were as much as 300 dollars for a pair you can get in the states for 80 dollars. People were buying them as well.
The meets themselves, were pretty amazing. The crowds that showed up were large and enthusiastic. I was at the USA National Track Championships in Indianapolis a few years ago and there was maybe a thousand people there.
Sprinting creates different hamstring development. The posterior chain development is insane in the fastest people in the world. It's hard to explain, but you can visually see those that sprint and someone that lifts a lot of weights, the difference. Sprinting is high intensity and when you have been doing it for years and years, high frequency. It creates a different density, length and feel, then lets say deadlifts.
Athletics can be a great bridge to different cultures. I became friends with a strength coach from Cuba. He didn't speak much English and I speak no Spanish, but we managed to hang out and "talk" about isometric training (a topic I want to learn more about) and myofascial release. A topic he had never seen in action before. He said in Cuba, all they do for the athletes is stretching.
He had some tremendous athletes. I watched as one of his triple jumpers hang cleaned 170k with such ease I had to count the kilo's myself. I was kicking myself I hadn't brought my camera to film it.
Top sprinters have great front side mechanics. The knee lift is awesome. It's amazing how technical the 100 meter race actually is. I wish I had known this when I was in high school and college running. The most direction I ever received was try to stay relaxed.
To sum up, it was a great trip. Be thankful for what you have. Start sprinting. It's a great fat burner and will develop the posterior chain like no other. Try to learn from everyone you meet.
Dwain and I after he runs 10.01.
The athlete got 3 wins and faster times in the 100 meter at each race. I think he will be set up to run sub 10.0 seconds in a few days.
Brazil was a crazy mixture of rich and poor. In fact, my definition of poor took on new meanings. I had been to Tijuana in Mexico, while training in the Olympic Training center in San Diego, and my previous definition of poor had been challenged.
So again, my definition of poor has been brought to new a level. We were on a bus to the first meet when the true reality hit me. Going to chiropractic school in Iowa, I saw a few pig farms. Small wooden lean-toos in a field. Looking out that bus, on the way to the meet, I thought I was looking at a massive pig farm. That is, until I started to see people. Talk about an eye opener.
On the complete opposite spectrum, I visited the largest mall in Brazil in Uberlandia. Nike shoes were as much as 300 dollars for a pair you can get in the states for 80 dollars. People were buying them as well.
The meets themselves, were pretty amazing. The crowds that showed up were large and enthusiastic. I was at the USA National Track Championships in Indianapolis a few years ago and there was maybe a thousand people there.
Athletics can be a great bridge to different cultures. I became friends with a strength coach from Cuba. He didn't speak much English and I speak no Spanish, but we managed to hang out and "talk" about isometric training (a topic I want to learn more about) and myofascial release. A topic he had never seen in action before. He said in Cuba, all they do for the athletes is stretching.
He had some tremendous athletes. I watched as one of his triple jumpers hang cleaned 170k with such ease I had to count the kilo's myself. I was kicking myself I hadn't brought my camera to film it.
Top sprinters have great front side mechanics. The knee lift is awesome. It's amazing how technical the 100 meter race actually is. I wish I had known this when I was in high school and college running. The most direction I ever received was try to stay relaxed. To sum up, it was a great trip. Be thankful for what you have. Start sprinting. It's a great fat burner and will develop the posterior chain like no other. Try to learn from everyone you meet.
Dwain and I after he runs 10.01.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Ultra Marathoner Anton Kupricka Shares His Thoughts
Last Friday I had the chance to hear Ultra runner Anton Kupricka talk at a local shoe store here in Grand Rapids, MI. He's New Balances new spokesman for their minimalist trail shoe. Normally, I would think it's more of a shoe propaganda, but actually Anton was heavily involved in the shoe creating process as it was the shoe he was trying to build on his own for over 7 years. He showed different products he had bought and how he cut out certain aspects of the shoe to create a light minimalist shoe. Pretty interesting to see his hand made, customized works. It started with him having up to 11 stress fractures from high school through college and seeking a better way to run.
Here are some notes I took about his journey in running. First, this guy is a stud in the world of ultra running. Never lost an Ultra race. I think he's competed in something like 11. We're talking 8-20 hours of running.
He finds his inspiration in other endurance athletes, mostly alpine mountaineers. Especially, guys like Ulie Steck that climb fast and without oxygen. He says that's the way he want to run, fast and without much gear.
Some things I found interesting. Doesn't carry much water. He drinks from mountain streams and yes, he has gotten sick many times.
In a 100 mile race he will burn something like 15,000 calories. He only eat about 40 GU gel packs. So not a lot of fuel. He says he's trained his body to work under these conditions.
Why he likes ultras, " It forces me to stay in the moment, you can't think in a 8 hour run, I have 6 more hours and You're done. You will be defeated. Stay in the moment.""I like to try to find that flow, where each foot strike is perfect, that is essentially why I run."
He was asked if he got massages. "No, it's not for me, I have a chiropractor I see a lot that I trust with all my aches and keeping my body ready." (shameless plug for chiropractic!)
He has a documentary out called "Indulgence, 1000 Miles Under the Colorado Sky."
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Burzynski Documentary
Recently a friend let me watch the documentary Burzynski. Burzynski is a MD from Poland practicing in Texas that has been treating cancers the last few decades with a "new" type of approach.
While most drugs for cancer treat one gene. Burzynski developed what he calls antineoplastons that treat hundreds of genes at once. I copied this from his website as it does the best job of describing antineoplastons.
"Dr. Burzynski discovered naturally occurring peptides and amino acid derivatives in the human body that control cancer, not by destroying cancer cells but by correcting them. He observed that cancer patients typically had deficiency of certain peptides in their blood as compared to healthy individuals. He named these substances antineoplastons. Chemically, the Antineoplastons include peptides, amino acid derivatives and organic acids. They occur naturally in blood and urine, and they are reproduced synthetically for medicinal use. The name of Antineoplastons comes from their functions in controlling neoplastic, or cancerous, cells (anti-neoplastic cells agents)."
While most drugs for cancer treat one gene. Burzynski developed what he calls antineoplastons that treat hundreds of genes at once. I copied this from his website as it does the best job of describing antineoplastons.
"Dr. Burzynski discovered naturally occurring peptides and amino acid derivatives in the human body that control cancer, not by destroying cancer cells but by correcting them. He observed that cancer patients typically had deficiency of certain peptides in their blood as compared to healthy individuals. He named these substances antineoplastons. Chemically, the Antineoplastons include peptides, amino acid derivatives and organic acids. They occur naturally in blood and urine, and they are reproduced synthetically for medicinal use. The name of Antineoplastons comes from their functions in controlling neoplastic, or cancerous, cells (anti-neoplastic cells agents)."
Now here is the catch. The therapy is FDA approved. FDA has said that the antineoplastons are safe. Wait for it....the FDA gets to say who can and can't be treated.
FDA has decided that only people that have failed chemotherapy and radiation can qualify. The other qualifier, a brain tumor that is so beyond what can be treated by are "recommended protocols."
The FDA actually set up a few clinical trials and these are the results.
Clinical trials of Anaplastic Astrocytoma patients treated with chemo
5 of 54 patients 9% cancer free
Treated only with Antineoplastons
5 of 20 patients 25% cancer free with no toxic side effects.
FDA trial #2
Childhood brainstem glioma
treated with chemo
1 of 107 were cancer free no one lived 5 years
treated with antineoplastons
11 of 40 were cancer free and 11 of 40 lived 5 years.
Pretty crazy stats. The overall statistics not in the clinical trials would be better, but the ones the FDA says can be treated have already failed lots of chemo. Chemo kills, literally kills your immune system. So they are in a much weaker state.
One of the things that really struck me is that with all this new research on cancer, many of the chemo drugs that are being used are the ones developed in the late 70's and early 80's. That's not to breakthrough-ish to me. Just a thought that I could be way off on, just seemed a bit wrong to me.
The documentary wasn't entertaining, as much as it was enlightening. I don't want to turn it into Big Pharma vs Health, but he has been on trial in Texas for almost 10 years. Every time they go to court, the accusations are thrown out. It just seems wrong that the FDA can control your options of treatment in the United States.
If your interested in this type of subject, I recommend reading through his patients website. Very interesting stuff.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Huge Congrats for T.O.P Athletes for Silver Medal
Friday, February 18, 2011
Outline of Deena Kastors Marathon Medal Method
Monday, February 14, 2011
Monday Motivation: David Foster Wallace on Life
First, a warning, the speech I'm going to link you to will take you around 15-20 minutes to read. It is the commencement speech David Foster Wallace gave to Kenyon College in 2005. I've never read any of his books, but I was referred to the speech by a coffee barista who had the words, "This is Water, This is Water," tattooed on their forearm.
Second another warning, it will challenge the way you look at the world around you. I can honestly say it has influenced how I think about things. I can not say that about to many things.
When you get a bit of time, open the link. Read it. Think about it. David Foster Wallace died in 2008. I have a feeling this speech will be around for a long time.
Here is the link: David Foster Wallace on Life and Work
Second another warning, it will challenge the way you look at the world around you. I can honestly say it has influenced how I think about things. I can not say that about to many things.
When you get a bit of time, open the link. Read it. Think about it. David Foster Wallace died in 2008. I have a feeling this speech will be around for a long time.
Here is the link: David Foster Wallace on Life and Work
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
David Weck, Spiraling Fascia and Sprinting Faster
A friend of mine the other day commented on an article in Mens Health magazine, called, The New Science of Speed. The article was about the BOSU ball creator David Weck and his very interesting ideas on fascia, spiraling and sprinting.
He talks about how when you sprint, the old standby of hips to lips with your arms is not as effective as spiraling your arms with your hand supinating on the upstroke and pronating on the downstroke. One of the new believers is Tyson Gay. Gay is the fastest US sprinter and recently the slayer of the fastest man in the world, Usain Bolt. Weck taught Gay how to spiral his arms while sprinting and coincidence or not, Gay beat Bolt in the 100m.
Weck talks about how spiraling the arms tenses the fascia which allows for greater running efficiency and keeps your body aligned with a better gravitational center. This is taken from the Mens Health Article.
"If you pronate your hand while it's back, you help your hip flex on that side, which is what is happening when your arm is at the back of the swing," says Weck. "It will lead to the internal rotation of the upper arm, and the 'recoil,' for lack of a better term, of your lats, biceps, and pecs as they prepare to help bring the arm forward again."
I found this to be very interesting. I can remember reading Warren Hammers soft tissue treatment book for the first time and discovering muscles that spiraled or twisted on insertion and the theory was that the twisting allowed for greater energy transfer. The two prominent structures were the latissimus dorsi and sacrotuberous ligament. I realized all great sprinters have great lat development and hamstring development. (hamstrings insert fascialy into the sacrotuberous ligament). Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.
Weck is a big believer in what appears to be spiraling training. Believing it trains the brain to work in more congruency with the body that opens up to better athletic performance.
Scott Sonnan does some interesting things with club bells that involves circular training. Training in all 3 planes of motions. I bought a pair of Spaulding Indian clubs when I was in chiropractic school to help rehabilitate a dislocated shoulder from my rugby days. This spiraling idea brings me back to thinking of this circular type of training.
I'm a big believer in how fascia is a major component to movement and health. The performance aspect will be a very big field in the next few years and will continue to be an exciting topic. I think I will try spiraling the next time I run.
He talks about how when you sprint, the old standby of hips to lips with your arms is not as effective as spiraling your arms with your hand supinating on the upstroke and pronating on the downstroke. One of the new believers is Tyson Gay. Gay is the fastest US sprinter and recently the slayer of the fastest man in the world, Usain Bolt. Weck taught Gay how to spiral his arms while sprinting and coincidence or not, Gay beat Bolt in the 100m.
Weck talks about how spiraling the arms tenses the fascia which allows for greater running efficiency and keeps your body aligned with a better gravitational center. This is taken from the Mens Health Article.
"If you pronate your hand while it's back, you help your hip flex on that side, which is what is happening when your arm is at the back of the swing," says Weck. "It will lead to the internal rotation of the upper arm, and the 'recoil,' for lack of a better term, of your lats, biceps, and pecs as they prepare to help bring the arm forward again."
I found this to be very interesting. I can remember reading Warren Hammers soft tissue treatment book for the first time and discovering muscles that spiraled or twisted on insertion and the theory was that the twisting allowed for greater energy transfer. The two prominent structures were the latissimus dorsi and sacrotuberous ligament. I realized all great sprinters have great lat development and hamstring development. (hamstrings insert fascialy into the sacrotuberous ligament). Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.
Weck is a big believer in what appears to be spiraling training. Believing it trains the brain to work in more congruency with the body that opens up to better athletic performance.
Scott Sonnan does some interesting things with club bells that involves circular training. Training in all 3 planes of motions. I bought a pair of Spaulding Indian clubs when I was in chiropractic school to help rehabilitate a dislocated shoulder from my rugby days. This spiraling idea brings me back to thinking of this circular type of training.
I'm a big believer in how fascia is a major component to movement and health. The performance aspect will be a very big field in the next few years and will continue to be an exciting topic. I think I will try spiraling the next time I run.
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