How To Beat Low Back Pain (A Bulletproof Plan To Speed Recovery And Forge A Strong Back)
I’ve got quite a backstory. Literally. I’ll give you the abbreviated “cliff notes version” if you haven’t heard me discuss this before. I had a major low back injury many years ago in my training career (*severe L4-5 disc herniation with persistent radiculopathy that required surgery. Indeed, it did require surgery after conservative measures failed […]
The Essential Guide To Warming-Up (How To Warm-Up)
How important is the the warm-up? How much time should be spent on the warm-up? What should you be spending your time on before a strength training session? I’ll make a case to answer these questions for you in this article. Let me be the first to tell you, I’m not a huge fan of […]
The Overhead Press – Is It Bad For The Shoulders?
Is the overhead press bad for the shoulders? That’s a common question and often a very debated one. Should you avoid this exercise? And, what are the benefits versus the risk? I’ll give you my perspective, as both a strength athlete and former PT (physical therapist). I’ll tell you why I love this exercise, but […]
Does Strength Training Ruin Our Joints?
If you’re like me, you care about your joints. The last thing any of us would want is to have joint pain or any joint issues that limits us in any way. I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the effects of heavy strength training on our joint health. Does heavy training ruin our joints? […]
Why The Functional Movement Screen Makes Sense (Mind-blowing Statistics)
Let me tell you why the FMS™ (Functional Movement Screen) makes a lot of sense and can potentially help reduce the risk of injury for athletes, strength enthusiasts, and recreational exercisers. The FMS was developed by Gray Cook and Lee Burton to determine whether there is a baseline of quality movement. The screen consists of […]
Avoiding Shoulder Pain: 7 Unconventional Exercises To Prevent Injury.
When I was an orthopedic physical therapist, I can’t tell you how many shoulder patients I treated through the years. The shoulder was my gig, my speciality. And, for a period of time, I was fortunate to work directly under one of the top physical therapist’s in the country. I can’t tell you how invaluable […]
How To Use Kettlebells For Injury Prevention.
As a former physical therapist, I was immediately attracted to the kettebell for a long list of reasons. Things like the unique blend of human biomechanics, cardiovascular fitness, and strength training applications for starters. And, the results were outstanding. After decades of training, this tool “had me at hello” for all the strength and performance […]
The Number One Goal of Every Workout Program.
What’s the number one goal in your training program? Quick, what is it? Fat loss, muscle building, fitting in your old clothes again, feeling more confident, improving your health, dropping 20 pounds, pressing or lifting something heavy? Whatever it is, your main objective is really what I’m about to share with you right now. The […]
Exposing The Importance of The Functional Movement Screen (FMS)
Rule #1: Fundamentals First, Always “You can’t put fitness on dysfunction.” – Physical Therapist, Gray Cook Have you heard of the expression “fundamentals first?” All top-level coaches, professionals, and experts advocate the simplistic approach of having the fundamentals before anything else. One of the challenges today is that many of us want progress to the […]