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I have been in Orange County at a Fitness Conference. It was a little more than a fitness conference, it was a fitness mastermind group.
After the fitness mastermind in Los Angles, I was off to Seattle for a fitness business conference. The people presenting were Tom Plummer and Bill Parisi.
Just Marked Her Rotator Cuff exam
The great thing about the scoliosis and rotator cuff manuals that I have written, I have been able to help people with these injuries and fitness professionals better understand these injuries. These manuals have helped people around the world. I just sent off a scoliosis manual to Seol, Korea. How cool is that.
Here are a few kind words from a fitness professional in Calgary, Alberta, Canada had to say about the Effective Rotator Cuff Exercises.
“Thanks Rick! Always great to read your manuals though – I find them very thorough and I really like the progression that you write them in – anatomy, purpose of exercising, etc.”
Fiona Yeoman
Wellness trainer, Kinesiologist
Talisman Centre, Calgary
If you are reading this, you know I am big into injuries.
That is my thing.
That is what I see, live, breath and overcome.
Sometimes I think I am a little crazy to be focused on this.
I wanted to get a reality check about this injury thing, I thought I would walk up to Tom Plummer and ask him about injuries.
Since I have presented at number of fitness conferences, I know that presenters are easily reachable. I know I love it when people come up and ask me questions.
I had been sitting in the audience for 6.3 hours and I have been listening to his recommendations when it comes to what fitness clubs should be doing and highlighting what fitness clubs are doing wrong.
As I walked up, I was not sure of what to expect. Tom is a blunt guy. It you are wrong or suck, he will let you know.
I thought he would say it is a crazy idea and I was wasting my time.
I waited my turn and asked.
Here goes my question:
“Tom, I don’t do group training or training in a club. I do one-on-one training focusing on people with injuries. Do you think I am crazy for being in this niche and is there a future in this niche?”
What Tom Plummer had to Say about Training Clients with Injuries
It is so great to run into another person that focuses on injuries.
I know one of the big injuries I get are knee injuries. I know a fair bit about knee pain and injuries but I am always looking for new tips and tricks. I love hearing what others that specialize in injuries have to say and what is new in the research. Last week, I reviewed a research article on exercise and patellofemoral pain syndrome, check it out here.
In the video she talks about a few key tips to remember when training a client with knee pain.
I know a lot of you do not know who Tom is, I will get to that.
I was introduced to him when I was doing my Masters of Science Degree in Exercise Science.
I was taking a fitness business course. One of the books I had to buy The Business of Fitness.
I was not expecting much from the book. I was kind of pissed off because I had to buy 5 books for the course and not excited to be reading a book on how to run a fitness business.
As I read it, I was taken back. I thought a fitness business was simple but it is not.
Filed Under (General) by Rick Kaselj on 14-07-2010
I am off to Seattle today.
I got off early and crossed the border in 10 minutes.
I was making great time until I got near Seattle and got hammered by Seattle traffic.
Look at the photo. The traffic sucked but Mt Rainer in the background is nice.
I promise never to complain about traffic.
Vancouver traffic is nothing like in Seattle and LA.
Last Saturday I was stuck in LA traffic.
All this traffic is brutal.
While driving I was listening to the radio.
I found one thing that helps with traffic is listening to Barry White. How can you get angry or mad listening to Barry White.
The radio does not play Barry all day long. They play that California song. I don’t know who sings it.
What Exercise is Ideal for Clients with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome due to Muscle Imbalances
Approximately 60% of athletes have patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) sometime in their life, and a long line of research has shown that PFPS is primarily caused by muscle imbalances in the vastus medialis oblique (VMO) and vastus lateralis (VL) muscles.
Activation, endurance and strengthening of these muscles is key to PFPS prevention and rehabilitation, but the best exercises for these muscles have not been conclusively determined.
In an effort to help clarify contradictory findings in the exercise science literature on this topic, researchers in the United Kingdom conducted a study designed to test the effect of two closed kinetic chain exercises and one open kinetic chain exercise on VMO and VL muscle activity in healthy individuals.
Highlights of the Study
The study’s participants were 11 men and 11 women between the ages of 18 and 40 who were not experiencing any symptoms of PFPS at the time of the study.
Researchers used electromyography (EMG) to measure VMO and VL activity and calculate a VMO:VL ratio while the participants performed three quadriceps-strengthening exercises after a 5-minute indoor cycling warm-up.
Other Amazing Stats about Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
- incident rates in the general population of 25%
- one of the most common injuries in the lower body
- the ratio of VMO:VL should be 1:1 but in people with PFPS it is estimated to be 0.54:1.
- muscle imbalance of VMO:VL leads to a decrease in medial pull leading to patella maltracking
I don’t think anyone reads them but I enjoy sharing and writing.
Here you go with today’s random thoughts.
Hip Replacement
I got an email from a Kinesiologist in Regina, Saskatchewan who specializes in training clients with hip and knee replacement.
She had taken the Core Stability of the Hip webinar and is using the concepts and exercises with her hip and knee replacement clients.
If you are looking at increasing your understanding, confidence and getting some exercises for clients with hip and knee replacements, I would recommend Jody Kennett.
Jody Kennett, is a fitness professional that has a specialization working with clients with hip and knee replacements.
Filed Under (General) by Rick Kaselj on 25-06-2010
I still get looks when I am doing lower body mobility exercises or roll my back over a foam roller in the gym (Below you can see Bill Hartman demonstrating a t-spine mobility exercise).
I know mobility exercises are standard with athletes and in the performance world. It still shocks me that not many people in fitness do mobility exercises.
If people did, they would get better fitness results, recover from injuries faster and are less likely to be injured.
M is for Mobility
Mobility is a key component to injuries or holding your clients back from optimal movement and results.
The joints in our body require movement. With most of us, constant sitting, driving, awkward postures, previous injuries and poor training techniques lead to muscle imbalances.
In many cases, muscle imbalances lead to a decrease in movements in our joints. This decrease in joint movement leads to joint dysfunction. This joint dysfunction leads to the joint not moving properly.
Muscle Imbalance => Decrease Movement => Joint Dysfunction => Decrease in Fitness Results / Slow Injury Recovery / Increase Risk of Injury
If you missed what he talked about in part 1, CLICK HERE.
As the wheel loses that stability, it becomes “out of true” and winds up warping and not working too well.
What Happens First when Your Back Hurts
So if my hamstrings were tight to make up for my low back, stretching them without stabilizing my back would actually make the problem worse. Normally, when something happens to make my back start to hurt, the first thing that happens is that my glutes and hamstrings tighten up almost immediately. The first thing I do is start to do some light core activation work and spinal stabilization work, and magically my hamstrings feel better!!
What to do if the Muscle is Stiff Due to Disuse?
If the muscles are stiff from disuse, This could be considered a pathological condition as the muscle has undergone degenerative changes to its’ structure, as well as to the fascial envelope around each fibre. The best thing is not simply static stretching to gain length, but a series of active stretches to engage that muscle and the ones around it. This helps to reset the neuromechanical transmitters to lower the tone of the muscle and allow it to re-gain its’ strength and ability to contract and relax properly. This is the type of tight muscle that should be stretched.
The shoulder is one of the most injured joints in the body. One of the most common injuries to the shoulder is shoulder impingement. A key component in the recovery from shoulder impingement is exercise. The role of exercise for shoulder impingement is key in helping speed up recovery, decreases pain, improving movement, increasing strength and creating stability around the shoulder joint. The focus of the Exercises for Shoulder Impingement webinar will be exercise program design and exercises for a client that has shoulder impingement.
What you will learn during the webinar:
- A 12 week shoulder impingement exercise program that you can use right away with you shoulder impingement clients
- The exercises to DO and NOT do when training a client recovering from shoulder impingement
- Essential components of an exercise rehabilitation program when training a client recovering from shoulder impingement
- Recommended and research backed exercises when training a client recovering from shoulder impingement
- Key structures involved in shoulder impingement
It is difficult to fully understand a lumbar spinal fusion without briefly discussing the normal anatomy of the spine. The vertebral or spinal column consists of 33 bones called vertebrae. Each are that stacked on top each other to for them spine. The spine, which extends from the base of skull to the pelvis, has four regions: the cervical spine, thoracic spine, lumbar spine and the sacrum. Between each vertebra are the flat and circular plates of cartilage called the interverbral discs. Intervetebral discs maintain the integrity and continuity of the spine by holding one vertebra to the next. It acts as an effective cushion that absorbs shock and pressure placed by the everyday movements of the back. This disc also makes bending and head rotations possible.
The lumbar spine makes up the lower back, extending from the lumbar curve down to the sacrum. Among the four regions of the spine, the lumbar region endures the greatest stress. Carrying the entire body weight, this region is supported by the five thickest and sturdiest of all vertebrae of the spinal column. It has also been determined that the intervertebral discs between two adjacent lumbar vertebrae are the thickest. Attaching to the lumbar vertebra are some of the largest stabilizing muscles of the lower back, which include the lumbar erector spinae, psoas and quadratus lumborum. Because the greatest amount of work and stress are placed against this region of the spine, the lumbar spine is most susceptible to injuries and structural alterations.
I sent my Core Stability for the Rehab Client DVDs to fellow personal trainer, John Izzo.
I wanted to get his take on the DVDs.
John had some very kind things to say about me and the DVDs.
“Rick Kaselj is a great exercise physiologist from Canada and a great presenter.
His 3-disc DVD set Core Stability for the Rehab Client is a fantastic resource for trainers that work with anyone demonstrating postural deficiencies and post rehabilitative status.”