HOW YOU MOVE IN THE GYM = HOW YOU MOVE IN LIFE

So you've started up a new gym routine, you've got the gear, you've got the motivation and you've got the gym membership. Just don't leave the knowledge required to train you safely and effectively at the door!

You may have a Personal Trainer, but not all Personal Trainer's are created equal. Some can push you to the point of injury and beyond. If your Personal Trainer is letting you repeat a poor movement habit without correcting you over a period of time, this can create dysfunction in your body and those movement habits stay with you for life if not changed. Inevitably, leading to injury further down the track. If you have a Personal Trainer, make sure they have a lot of knowledge on the human body and movement and not just a PT certification as this is not enough to train people safely.

It's not all about Personal Trainers though, you may be training yourself and that's great! Just make sure you aren't performing poor movement habits. It is worth educating yourself on proper movement technique for all basic movements such as squats; lunges; pull-ups; pushups etc before going crazy at the gym.

I've spent a lot of time in different commercial gyms and have seen a whole lot of poor movement. You know that person is inflicting harm on themselves and they probably don't even know it YET. 

When it comes to FOOTWEAR, less is more! When it comes to EXERCISE CHOICE, there are too many variables influencing this, but you always want to include functional, full body movements in your workout. And when it comes to WHY, well this is where it gets fun, as really it comes down to what your flexibility is like; where your strength is at; what your goals are; how you feel on the day - so many variables that affect WHY you choose certain movements over others.

If you find yourself stuck in a rut with working out or are unsure how to put workouts together for yourself then consider joining our Your Moov strength program. Where we program all your workouts for you so you can spend more time training & less time thinking.

You won't regret it!

DO YOU STRUGGLE WITH PULLUPS?

Did you know in order to do a full functional pullup you most definitely need your lats to be kicking in?!

Did you also know that if you are trying to execute a pullup that involves rolling your shoulders forward even slightly that you are making it increasingly difficult for your lats to engage?

Try this little exercise now:
- Place your hand under your armpit
- Making sure your shoulder is NOT rolled forward (chest open)
- Draw your shoulder blade down and squeeze your arm into your armpit
- You should feel your lat pop out into your hand
- Now roll that shoulder forward and try squeezing again

Much harder isn't it? You probably won't feel the lat pop out half as much and will struggle to connect with it in the same way you did previously.

This is what happens when you try and execute a pullup without utilising your large, powerful lats which should be doing the majority of the work. If you are over using your pecs and upper traps (which is often the case) you will only land up with neck and shoulder problems and a weak pullup.

This was the case for one of my clients. His brain was unable to locate his lats when tested using Neurokinetic Therapy and he was using his pecs and upper traps to try and gain the movement required. Much to his surprise, his pullups were a lot different after changing his motor control within the session.

Your shoulder blades should be drawn down during the pullup movement. You should start from a full hang and then draw your shoulder blades down to engage the lats and lower traps and from there comes the pull up towards the bar.

Always worth remembering: Just because you have well developed musculature doesn't always mean they will be functional.

DO YOU GET LOW BACK PAIN WITH DEADLIFTS OR KETTLEBELL SWINGS?

Perhaps you are compromising your back as a result of poor hip movement...

Studies done on low back pain show that the pain is often caused by losing the ability to move through the hips. I see this all the time in clients and always have to re-pattern their hip movement to save their backs!

Dr Stuart McGill strikes again: “This is why the hip hinge is known to be a superior movement pattern for low back pain clients. Learning to hip hinge is paramount for both injury prevention and optimal performance.”

Too right Stuart! 
Learn how to move before you learn how to be strong!

If you'd like to learn how to hip hinge correctly, check this out.

If you feel like you need to work on your hip mobility then follow one of our hip mobility videos here.

Don't sacrifice your lower back for Deadlifts or Kettlebell Swings unless the movement has been broken down and taught to you effectively and you can carry it out extremely well.

CORE EXERCISE #3 : BIRD DOG

3rd core exercise in our top 4...

BIRD DOG:

Another great core activation drill. Awesome for improving Multifidus function; neck & shoulder stability as well as overall core stability.
For full explanation of the exercise please visit "stability exercises" in our exercise library.

If you found this information (or any info on this page) useful, please share.

THOSE AHA MOMENTS...

I love nothing more than when a client has a lightbulb moment.  I live for these moments! Here is one from yesterday:

Client:  “I’m not sure if it was right but when I was carrying my shopping home yesterday I tried to focus on keeping my shoulders drawn down and gently squeezing my arm to my side like we have been doing in the exercise you get me to do.  I noticed that my shoulder that usually aches a lot after my shopping trip was fine yesterday and thought I’d ask if I was doing the right thing?”

Me: “Hell yeah, you were doing the right thing!  That’s what I like to call body awareness, AKA progress!  That is EXACTLY what you should be doing every time you carry anything.”

Client:  “Ah, I thought it must have been right as my shoulder didn’t hurt”.

The scenario ended with a HIGH 5! ☺

When we make our bodies more aware of good movement patterns and enforce it as a habit that is where CHANGE occurs! Those “AHA” moments are way more effective if the client is taught the biomechanics of a movement, along with the FEEL of it.  These movement patterns are then trained and re-inforced in session.  When this translates to their lives and they begin to make connections between WHY we are doing what we are in the gym and how it translates to their lives it is hugely empowering for each individual.  It doesn’t always make sense when explained during sessions until the connection is made outside of the gym through body awareness. 

I always try and train my clients for LIFE, to prepare them for whatever life throws at them and in order for them to achieve functional and pain free lives.  Everything we do in-session has a purpose and a direct translation to their necessary function through life, whether it be through sport; certain hobbies; achieving basic pain free functional movement patterns or just being ready for the unpredictable!

NOW LET ME SEE YOUR HIPS SWING

Incorrect swinging (as seen in first half of clip) can cause lower back pain and injury. Swing with the hips and not the lower back. Neutral spine (including neck), grounded feet, powered hip hinge, functional breathing.

In the above video I am first demonstrating what I see a lot of people doing when swinging kettlebells, they bend over way too far; have their chins jutting out; initiate the swing by thrusting through their upper back and then hinging through their lower back and hyperextending at the top.  Notice how you can see my lower back activating just after I start to raise my upper body into the swing, that is where you are directing the load if you're swinging incorrectly...hence your lower back is stiff and painful after swings.  This does not need to be the case and I beg you to please seek help if you pull up sore after swings or deadilfts...I am more than happy to do one-off sessions with anyone who would like to work on form or movement efficiency through such movements as kettlebell swings; deadlifts & box jumps (these are my top 3 priority movements that can do the most damage and are the most common to be done with poor form).  To quote one of my mentors, Gray Cook, "first move well, then move often".

So I decided to write a post on this topic after a client of mine that I've been working with only for a few weeks now was stunned at how different his kettlebell swing felt after a quick correction.  He has been using kettlebell swings for the past 10 years in some of his training sessions and had said that they were the one movement that always made him pull up really sore and stiff in his lower back.  Now it is not ok to ever experience lower back pain and stiffness after either kettlebell swings or deadlifts, a lot of people think that they are a lower back exercise but they're actually meant to predominantly utilise your glutes and hamstrings.  

It took me all of about 1 minute with my client to give him a couple of cues during his kettlebell swing in order to get him swinging with a hip hinge and not with his lower back. His face was priceless!  For the first time in the 10 years he has been utilising the kettlebell swing he felt nothing in the lower back and his glutes were firing madly!  This is what you are looking for guys!  It's all in the hips!

Some people might take a whole session to "get" the swing movement but if you are very body aware it won't take much to coach the swing and get you saving your lower back...and an added bonus is developing those glutes ;-)

THE POSTERIOR OBLIQUE SLING...CONTROLLING ROTATIONAL FORCES

The Posterior Oblique Sling (POS) comprises of your opposite Latissimus Dorsi to Glute Max as well as the Biceps Femoris hamstring to the same side Glute (not seen in this pic).

This is a functional fascial line utilised in any movement requiring rotation or rotational stability.  If you imagine yourself walking or running and take note of what your arms and legs are doing you will find:  as your left leg steps through and is behind you, your right arm will be swung back and visa versa as you continue in a forward motion.  This is where your POS comes into play on a regular basis.  Helping to stabilise your Lumbopelvic region against rotational forces when needed.  If you are someone who walks with a "woddle" (over-rotating their pelvis) then you may have dysfunction in this area.  As always, better to get assessed as an individual as there are no blanket rules. 

If you play a sport that demands a lot of running or rotational movements (particularly golf; lacrosse; water polo; cricket & any sport that requires you to run) then it is even more imperative that you have a functional POS.

In order for something as simple as walking to be a functional movement, one of the things you need is a functional connection between your opposite lat to glut.  If there is a break in the chain somewhere you will quite often find that your Sacroiliac Joint (SIJ) will try and compensate by compressing itself to create stability in the system, or your Thoracolumbar Fascia (TLF) will create tension.  This is often why you might find the area where your lower back meets your pelvis constantly tightens up, no matter how much you try and release it.  

If you are someone who repeatedly gets a locked up SIJ and gets it regularly manipulated or released, you might want to try and find out why it is happening.  There will be dysfunction somewhere that is causing the joint to compress itself.  

Your body will always find stability when it needs it and joints are no exception.  If you don't feed your system with stability after creating more range of movement (stretching/foam rolling/massage/manipulation) then you are feeding a viscious cycle.  Your joints/muscles/fascia/ligaments can compress in a desperate call for stability.  You need to feed the motor control system the information necessary to correct dysfunction after releasing a dysfunctional pattern or it won't know what to do with the extra range of movement & extensibility.  

If it is left open, nothing will change.

REGRESS TO PROGRESS

To quote Pat Flynn from Chronicles of Strength (love this simple, yet effective way of summing up this whole blog post in 3 small symbols)...

"- = +" :-)

The golden rule in movement:  REGRESS TO PROGRESS!...

For the trainers out there:  please don’t expect your client to “get” movement by handing them a weight they’re not ready for and just expecting them to move correctly by shouting out a few cues to them…it ain’t gonna happen!  

The only thing that happens is they learn bad movement and possibly land up with an injury.  

For the fitness enthusiasts out there: you have to break down movement and work on the weaknesses within a movement pattern in order to progress a movement. Don't just think that practising single leg squats or pistols is going to get you better at doing pistols...it's only gonna get you injured.  There is a reason why you struggle with certain movements, you need to find that reason and work on it!  Maybe your ankles aren't mobile enough; maybe your hips are unstable; maybe you lack good sequencing in your inner unit (core); maybe you have flexility issues in either certain muscles or joints; maybe fear is holding you back; maybe all of the above! :-o  There are a number of possible, likely reasons but you need to find yours.

Just because your mate did loads of hamstring flexibility and went from finding pistols difficult to being able to achieve them, doesn't mean that's going to work for you.  We're all individuals here and you need to treat yourself as one.  And holding a kettlebell out in front of you is not the answer, yeah, you might feel more stable but maybe, just maybe that is because you have core issues and the kettlebell is forcing your body to react to the weight by engaging your core before you descend, but what happens when you try again without the kettlebell?  

I'd suggest ditching the kettlebell and stepping away from the pistol for a while to work on core sequencing...once you've made progression there, find ways to progress.  I'm just using pistols as an example, this applies to anything in life.  And it takes time, you're not gonna fix things overnight.

So please, think before you cause yourself harm.  If I gave you one Golden Rule of advice it would be CHECK YOUR BREATHING!  This is highly important for any form of stability work.  If your'e unsure, my stability exercise page has a great description of how to check your breathing and how to correct it, I have video links on Youtube to help as well & my facebook page has a link to an awesome interview with Dr Perry Nickleston & Julie Wiebe on the pelvic floor & breathing...Check it out!  Core function begins with breathing!

I repeat:  Regress to progress…Perfection before load…Get assessed if you're unsure...

PREVIOUS INJURY IS A BIG PLAYER IN THE MOVEMENT GAME!

One of my clients, who is a keen diver, tells me whenever he swims or dives he usually always gets pretty bad cramping in his right hamstring towards the end of the swim/dive and wandered if there was anything he could do for it.

After a couple of minutes of assessment I had discovered he had a hamstring to quad dysfunction & his hamstrings were compensating for his medial quadricep (Vastus Medialis) predominantly. His VMO muscle (Oblique fibres of the Vastus Medialis that form the teardrop muscle at the knee) was particularly weak and had some noticeable wasting. His quadriceps in general on the Right side were slightly wasted in comparison to the Left.

He then precedes to tell me when he was 15 years old (+-50 years ago) he tore his medial quad & never got treatment on it, there was a noticeable dip in the muscle bulk as well which had been there ever since (a give away for a full tear or a possible partial tear). EUREKA!  

So our findings related back to an ancient injury from decades ago that has manifested as dysfunction in his right side and causing him problems at this time.  He admitted never having issues after the injury healed and kept playing footy for years.

Moral of the story, even though his injury was decades old and he'd adapted to it in a way that enabled him to get away without too much trouble for many years, it eventually comes back to bite you in the ass!  Some cases being worse than others but don't ride on dysfunction for too long as it will always win!  Post injury compensations stay with you for life, unless of course, you seek help to change them!

NO. 4 AND FINAL OF OUR TOP 4 AB EXERCISES: FITBALL OR TRX JACKNIFE AND/OR PIKE

Jackknife and Pike on a fitball or TRX. A great ab and core exercise for hitting the abs hard!

Want to train your ABS in an efficient, functional way?

As mentioned in the previous Sit-up posts, you all know (unlike most personal trainers), I am no fan of traditional sit-ups. So here is the fourth and final of 4 alternatives that will hit your abs hard and give you that burn that you probably desire. As well as increase the function of your core area if done correctly.

No. 4 in our Top 4 ab exercises

4. TRX or Fitball Jackknife/Pike:
This is really two in one as the pike is a good progression from the Jackknife! 

Using either a fitball or a TRX for the Jackknife.
Hands on floor in a pushup position with shins and ankles on fitball (or feet into TRX straps). Push your hands away from the floor to activate your shoulders, gently push your ankles into the ball and drive your knees towards your elbows. Make sure you brace your core and don't let your pelvis sag down or raise up too much. Keep your shoulders stable so there is no movement through them.

The pike is very similar but instead of bending the knees, keep them straight, push your feet into the fitball or straps and reach your butt towards the ceiling, whilst still pushing your hands away from the ground. Keep your neck neutral, I could probably have tucked my chin in a little bit more in this video. 
Only lift your hips as high as is comfortable. Mine go pretty high but start by getting used to the movement first and making sure you’re moving through your hips and not your lower back.

These are both quite advanced moves so please only attempt if you have relatively good stability and strength.

Otherwise, give it a go! :-)

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