By Topic: New to the Industry

Improving pillar/torso strength should be a primary aim for all fitness programs. Utilizing neutral spine core work to minimize unwanted shear force on the lumbar spine is a safer and often more effective... View More

Just for a minute, think back to when you were just learning the skeletal and the muscular systems. You may have been in college and enrolled in an anatomy class or just received your personal trainer... View More

Incorporating a dynamic warm-up prior to athletic activity and training is the preferred way to prime the body for exercise. This particular movement is an effective drill for addressing hip and thoracic... View More

Shoulder mobility limitations are often present in clients and many times are related to poor thoracic spine mobility. Addressing any asymmetry and resolving kinetic chain tightness is important to reduce... View More

Remember the good ol' days of looking forward to recess? Why oh why have we let that escape us as adults? Our clients work all day and then as their personal trainers we ask them to workout, which... View More

Pectoralis minor tightness coupled with poor scapular control often leads to postural dysfunction and shoulder problems. Improving scapular stabilizer activation and shoulder alignment will reduce rotator... View More

In the February 2013 Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy the sidestep with resistance ranked second on the list. In particular, this exercise had one of the lowest TFL activations thereby... View More

The snow is gone. Spring has sprung, summer is quickly approaching if you are in the south like myself we are starting to feel the full impact of summer and you know what that means for many of our... View More

Weakness in the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius is often cited in contributing to patellofemoral pain, IT band problems, hip pathology and even back pain. Furthermore, activating the glutes and minimizing... View More

If your clients are anything like mine they are inquisitive and ask a ton of questions. This, of course, is a good thing because it shows they are engaged in their own training (if you aren’t a parent... View More

Tightness in the hip flexors, especially the iliopsoas, can have a negative impact on the lumbar spine and pelvic motion. Excessive tightness creates undue stress and shear force on the lumbar spine particularly... View More

In many cases, shoulder dysfunction and pain are tied to weakness in the scapular stabilizing musculature. The serratus anterior is an integral part of the force couple working with the upper and... View More

In last month’s article, "Starting Off On The Right Foot," I wrote about the importance of using a set of tools that would streamline your approach to training sessions, while giving you a scientific... View More

Assessing anti-rotation pillar strength is important prior to loading clients’ spines with torsional activity. From a tall plank position, you can assess torsional control by observing this test/exercise.... View More

Tightness in the chest is a common issue that negatively impacts posture and may contribute to shoulder impingement and dysfunction. In this column, I will reveal how using a compression technique in combination... View More

In a previous column, I addressed a tall static plank with sliding hip flexion. In this column, I am expanding on that concept with the use of the BOSU Ballast Ball and BOSU Balance Trainer. Developing... View More

Trainers, like anyone else, are creatures of habit. So it's not surprising that we can get stuck in the proverbial rut of doing the same tasks over and over again without even thinking (motor learning),... View More

In the previous column, I reviewed unstable upper body step-ups. This column expands on the column featuring unstable upper body step-ups using the BOSU Balance Trainer. Similar to lower body exercise... View More

Performing closed chain shoulder exercises is an integral part of training shoulder stability and promoting optimal scapular muscle control. In addition, it provides an opportunity to challenge the stability... View More

Now that 2013 is in full swing, you should be experiencing a surge in your momentum as a direct result of the amount of goal setting and planning you did last year in preparation for this year. Established... View More