A great article for you today.

It is a guest blog post from Nick Rosencutter.

Enjoy.

Take it away, Nick.

Injuries are no fun.

They are a pain, literally.

They can stop you from doing something you love.

They can cause nagging aches and pains.

They can affect you mentally.

They can ruin your day.

They are something that most people try to avoid.

On the other hand, they can also be a blessing in disguise. This is something that I have realized first hand.

The Rush of Training

I absolutely love training, especially powerlifting. I love the thrill and rush of stepping on the platform to compete. I love pushing my body past limits and growing stronger both physically and mentally when I push past barriers with my training. I love being in great shape and moving weights that most people can only wish to move. I’ve loved training (notice I said training and not “working out”) for over 12 years without a break (which really isn’t that much and I still have a long way to go).

When I’m not training, I’m helping others train, reading about training or dreaming about training. The deadlift happens to be my ace and pretty much my favorite thing to do in the world. In my opinion, there is absolutely no better feeling than locking out a heavy deadlift as you feel every muscle in your body tighten up to make it happen.

The hip drive, grip strain, the glutes coming through, the back locking out, the traps stabilizing, the intrinsic foot muscles gripping the floor, the blood rushing through the veins and the rush that flows through the body and mind; just an amazing feeling that only certain people will understand. Not being able to do this for a period of time was devastating.

Great little video from Nick on Gluteus Medius Exercises:

Training Stupidity

Flash back to November of 2008. I had just done my fifth meet in about seven months, which was probably a little too frequently. I was on pace to pull my first 600lb deadlift at a bodyweight around 178-180. Training had gone well as I had pulled 610 with band tension, tripled 540 and had made good progress on most of my assistance work. Well, I ended up missing 570ish at the meet when I had nearly locked out 585 a few months earlier. Part of the problem was just training stupidity. I had gone too intense for too many weeks before the meet and had competed too many times. But I knew that couldn’t be the only issue at hand because when I made that attempt, the weight was coming up smoothly; I thought for sure that I had it locked. Then as I approached lockout, I just couldn’t finish it. I was upset to say the least.

The Injury was in the Details

So at this time, I was in my last semester in the exercise science and strength & conditioning program at UW-La Crosse. Luckily, I was surrounded by some very knowledgeable people who knew their stuff. I spoke with one of my mentors, an amazing strength coach who knows a thing or two about the iron game. I showed him a video from my missed deadlift. He immediately pointed something out that I hadn’t noticed or really even thought of. My left leg began to shake as I approached lockout. He looked at another video of a 560 pull I had made easily a few months earlier. I had some rotation occurring through my hips and trunk as I pulled the deadlift. It was subtle, but you could sure see it.

So what the heck was going on?

He evaluated me and found out that:

1. my left glute was not firing as well as my right with hip extension
2. my right shoulder had some issues as well
3. my subscapularis was very fibrotic and was stopping my scapula from moving as efficiently as it could

If you have ever read any of Thomas Myers’ stuff on fascia and exercise, this should make you think of the spiral line: opposite hip and shoulder.

I’m assuming that many who read this page know about the book, Anatomy Trains, so I won’t get into tons of detail, but the spiral line is a line of fascia that wraps around the body and at a certain portion of its path, connects opposite hip and shoulder together; basically meaning that an issue with one can affect the other with various movements.

This had implications with the rotation that was occurring with my movement. So he did some ART on my hip and shoulder (left TFL and right subscap among other things) and gave me a few corrective exercises to fix this imbalance that I had. This was probably my first real personal experience/encounter with the world of muscle imbalances and corrective exercise.

I had been decently well versed in every strength and conditioning modality imaginable but had apparently slacked on this whole other department. I was determined to fix my imbalance and get better. I decided to take some time off of competing and hammer these things out for a little while. The January following this encounter, I would embark on my full time internship in order to finish up my degree, which would turn out to be one of the best experiences of my entire life.

Muscle Imbalances that Affected My Lifting

Enter Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training with a couple of guys named Mike Robertson and Bill Hartman. I learned a tremendous amount about training during my amazing time there and was totally immersed into the world of analyzing and addressing postural faults and muscular imbalances. I had no choice but to get better.

They discovered some of the same that my mentor at La Crosse had plus more:

• left glute medius was weak
• left glute max had gotten a little better but still wasn’t great
• external obliques weren’t where they needed to be, which meant that I didn’t have optimal control over my pelvis and trunk and was leaving pounds on my lifts
• lower traps were weak, especially the left side, which meant that my scapulae were not as stable as they could have been (implications for all of the big lifts)
• I had a slight shift and rotation with squats and pulls, which was definitely part of the issues listed above.

Those were some of the main problems for me. So I hammered out lots of special exercises to help balance things out and get my lifts up. I did however, make one mistake. I still trained too intensely, too often. I picked a meet that I wanted to do that May and trained for it.

Little clip from Bill Hartman’s Presentation in Muscle Imbalances Revealed – Lower Body Edition:

Now, these issues that I had were things that were probably going on for a long time. In my early days of training back in high school, I really had no true idea what I was doing (though I sure thought I did) as I pretty much just taught myself and learned from random gym rats and magazines back then.

The shifts and rotation that I had with my squat and pull were subtle enough that an average eye would never notice them, so who knows how long that had been going on. While I had gotten along fine and had built up to a respectable strength level and build, fixing some of these things earlier could have saved me lots of trouble and probably helped me to hit bigger weights easier. I mean, locking out a max deadlift with one glute firing versus two glutes firing is kind of a big deal. So anyhow, I was training hard and lifts were going up, etc. until…..

===========================

That is the end of part 1.  I got part 2 coming up very soon.  Big thanks to Nick.  We all have an in jury story.

About the Author

Nick Rosencutter, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, LMT – Nick is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Certified Personal Trainer through the National Strength and Conditioning Association and is also a Nationally Certified and Licensed Massage Therapist. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sports Science with a Fitness emphasis and Strength and Conditioning Concentration from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse, and received his diploma in Massage Therapy from Lakeside School of Massage Therapy in Milwaukee. He has worked with all varieties of clients ranging from fat loss to various levels of athletes and is also a competitive powerlifter. He currently trains clients at Southridge Athletic Club in Milwaukee and offers corrective exercise and movement training at Miller Sports and Wellness Chiropractic in West Allis. You can learn more at his website www.rosencutterultrafitness.com

Rick Kaselj, MS

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My inbox has been flooded with questions about Muscle Imbalances Revealed – Upper Body 2.0 Edition - (MIRU2) all week.

I have answered all of them but I wanted to make sure that I have answered yours.

If you have a questions about Muscle Imbalances Revealed, please do ask it below.

You can ask it in the comment area or send it to me via email (support@ExercisesForInjuries.com) .

Q – What is new with MIRU2?

I have not done a good job explaining this.

This is what we have added to MIR for the 2.0 version.

#1 – Mobility Med Ball Workout (26 minutes)

In this update, Kevin Yates from MIRL, takes you through a variety of mobility exercises  that you can do with a medicine ball.  These exercises help loosen up the upper body, activate the scapular and rotator cuff muscles, improve thoracic mobility and focus on integrating the upper and lower body.  This is going to be great if you are looking for new med ball exercises ideas and looking for a workout with the med ball that will help with the upper body.

#2 – UBD – Bootcamp Edition (3 minutes)

This is an awesome dynamic warm up for the upper body. Josh Saunders takes you through a 4-minute upper body dynamic warm up that he takes his 100 bootcamp clients through on a weekly basis. He has found this has been something easy to add to his classes, has decreased the injuries his campers have had, is quick and is fun to do. This is going to be great for any bootcamp instructor or if you are looking for a quick dynamic warm up for the upper body. You receive a video of the exercises and a book with all the exercises in it.

#3 – Upper Body Release (9 minutes)

This is a video for manual therapists looking for ways of releasing the upper body muscles. Dr. Erson Religioso III takes you through a number of the manual therapy techniques he uses with his clients to help release muscles that are tight and active in the upper body. This is going to be great for manual therapists that are looking for more techniques to release the upper body, especially pec minor.

Update #4 – VIP Coaching Call # 1 (44 minutes)

This is one of the calls we did with MIRU members where we answered their questions about MIRU but also on a whole lot more of topics.  On the call we talked about when and when not to use a weightlifting belt, ideas on what to do about kyphotic (rounded mid-back) and lordotic (increased curve in lower back) spine while driving, when tension is needed and not needed when doing exercise, fatigue and the rotator cuff, how to address strength differences on different sides of the body, when to do and not to do soft tissue work, expanding on assessments for athlete, lifts to address hip dominance and where does breathing factor in when teaching lifts.

Update #5 – VIP Coaching Call #2 (50 minutes)

This is the second coaching call we did with MIRU members.  Once again with this call we expanded on what we went through with MIRU plus a bunch of other stuff.  Specifically looking at what we chatted about is what to do with a meatheads that don’t want to do the corrective exercises, what to do with tempo and training, how to integrate core training into your workout, different exercises to hammer the core, training considerations for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), improving performance with ankle exercises, things to do about a sprained wrist and what to do about piriformis pain syndrome.

Update #6 – Top 7 Core Exercises (12 minutes)

I asked Dean Somerset, “What are his Top 7 Core Exercises?”  He sent me these 7 exercises.  I take you through the exercises.  Dean gives you bodyweight, stability ball, medicine ball, dumbbells and cable exercises to improve core fitness.

Update #7 – Top 9 Meathead Exercises (13 minutes)

I asked Tony Gentilcore, “What are the Top 9 Exercises for Meatheads That Want to Lift More?”  So Tony sent them to me and I go through them for you.  Tony highlights exercises with the ball, sock, dowel, wall, resistive band, half foam roller, rack and pulley to help meatheads lift more.

Update #8 – Upcoming VIP Coaching Call

As you can see, from above.  The coaching calls have been a huge hit and we will do one more of them very soon.  Make sure to write down your questions ad you go through MIRU and send them to us so we can go through them on the call.  If you can make the call, you can ask us live but if you can’t we will record it and send it to you.

Update #9 – Forum Area to Ask Questions

We have set up an area that you can ask your questions.  You can put your questions here and we will answer them.

Those are the 9 things we have added.

Q – What Order Should I Watch MIRU2?

This is a great question.

After viewing the presentations, this is the order that I would suggest to view the presentations:

• Component #8 – Neck Exercises for Prevention, Rehabilitation and Strength with Rick Kaselj
• Component #7 – Unraveling Muscle Imbalances in the Shoulder with Rick Kaselj
• Component #3 – Myofascial Training for the Upper Body by Dean Somerset (49 minutes)
• Component #1 – Corrective Exercise Strategies for Athletes (and Meatheads, too) with Tony Gentilcore (1 hour 7 minutes)
• Component #4 – Advanced Core Training & Conditioning with Dean Somerset (48 minutes)
• Component #5 – Linking Breathing with Rehab, Training and Performance with Dr, Jeff Cubos (55 minutes)
• Component #2 – Avoiding Common Programming Bloops and Blunders with Tony Gentilcore (1 hour 18 minutes)
• Component #6 – Picking the Right Soft Tissue Tool for the Problem with Dr. Jeff Cubos (28 minutes)

This order has things start from the head and work down to the core.

Q – What Are People Saying About MIRU2?

I am embarrassed by this but the feedback for MIRU2 is really starting to roll in.

This is what an exercise enthusiast said about it:

“MIRU was excellent overall.

It provided an excellent balance of technical and practical information for me.
I have always been a fitness enthusiast but am thinking about getting re-certified and doing some personal training and it was a great refresher and more!

MIRU provided me with some great stuff to add to my ‘fitness professional toolkit’ and was a great compendium of information.”

Matthew Guertin

Exercise Enthusiast / Policy Analyst/ Former Personal Trainer

Ottawa, Ontario

This is what an athletic trainer said about MIRU:

“Dear Rick,

I am a Head Athletic Trainer at Pro soccer team in Japan.

Your MIRU is helping my athletes to get better.

MIRU has changed or improved what you do.  It has been improved variation of rehabilitation exercise.”

Kiyoshi Higure

Head Athletic Trainer

Albrex Niigata

Japan

Q – Who is MIRU2 for?

There are two groups it will help:

• Health & Fitness Professionals
• Exercise Enthusiasts

It will help health & fitness professionals (personal trainers, bootcamp instructors, strength coaches, kinesiologists, physical therapists, etc) by giving you new information, assessments and exercises to help with performance, training and rehab.

It will help the exercise enthusiast that likes to learn more about what they can do to improve their performance, looking for different training ideas and how to prevent or help recover from an injury.

Q – Briefly Explain what is MIRU2?

It is a program that helps you better understand what to do to improve performance, fitness and rehabilitation results in the upper body.

You get the insight from Tony Gentilcore, Dr. Jeff Cubos, Dean Somerset and Rick Kaselj on assessment, training technique and exercises for the upper body.

It covers a broad spectrum of topics.  It covers training errors, common lifting mistakes, core training, modalities to help recovery, exercises for neck and shoulder injuries.  It also covers two topics that are important but are rarely talked about which is breathing & movement and fascia & exercise.

A little while back, Thomas Myers commented on my Facebook page on the importance of fascia and exercise.

Q – How does MIRU2 Work?

When you order MIRU2, you will get access to a private membership area where you will see the 8 video presentations.  You can view the presentations right off the internet or download then to your computer.

There are handouts and copies of the presentation that you can download and print out to take notes on.

You will have unlimited and lifetime access to the membership area and any updates to the program you will get for free.

Even with the MIRU being out for only a few months, we have already added a bunch of new stuff.

Q – What makes MIRU2 so special?

It is like having a conference on your computer minus all the travel time and expense.  You get the insight of 4 experts in the area from a wide variety of professions.  We cover a board range of topics that will help improve performance, training and rehab results in the upper body.  You can learn at your own pace and when it is convenient for you.  Plus you can easily earn valuable CECs and CEUs.

Q – Can I Earn CECs or CEUs with MIRU2?

MIRU has gotten CEC and CEU approval from many fitness association here are the ones that have been approved:

Even if you association is not listed, it is easy enough to petition to your association for CEC or CEUs.  I can help you out with that.

Q – How can I get CEU credits for purchasing MIRU?

It really is simple.

1. In the membership area you will find the CEC Exam.  Download that and print it out.
2. As you go through the video presentations, answer the multiple choice questions.
3. After you have answered all of the questions, send me the answer key.
4. I will mark it and send you your certificate of completion which is what you need for your CECs and CEUs.

Q – What if it Does Not Help Me or If I Don’t Like it?

Email me at support@ExercisesForInjuries.com.  It would be nice if you let me know why you would like a refund so I can work on improving the product in the future but other than that one question, I will give your money back, no worries.

Q – I have bought MIRU but I can’t access the membership area as my email has changed.

Just email me at support@ExercisesForInjuries.com and I will switch things over to your new email address.  No worries.

Q – Do You Have a Question?

If you have a question, you can leave it in the comment area, email me at support@ExercisesForInjuries or even better yet:

Call Me At ==> 1-888-291-2430

Rick Kaselj, MS

A few days ago, I did an interview with Kevin Yates.

Well he did an interview of me.

Ya, me:

This is was what I (Rick Kaselj) go through:

• Biggest muscle imbalance issue in the upper body
• How our digital lifestyle is affecting our bodies
• The cascading effect of injuries in the body
• How to assess muscle imbalances in the upper body
• What people can do about muscle imbalances in their upper body
• A huge trend that is happening with clients in the gym
• Importance of addressing breathing in an exercise program
• How poor breathing can affect to muscle stress and pain
• Great example of integrating breathing with an exercise
• Where the idea of Muscle Imbalances Revealed came from
• What was covered in the lower body edition
• What is in the upper body edition
• Who I am

I hope you enjoyed the interview, let me know what you think or email me and let me know if there is someone I should interview.

Rick Kaselj, MS

One more thing.

Few Kind Words about MIRU:

Thoroughness of Info

What I liked about MIRU is the thoroughness of the info.

MIRU has given me some more insight into what I was already doing, and a bit of peace of mind that I was on the right track.

Breathing info made me aware I need to spend more time emphasizing this.

Scott Rawcliffe

Personal Trainer

Gold Coast Australia

One last thing.

This is a little video on how to download the interview to your computer:

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How to Address Muscle Imbalances in the Upper Body with Rick Kaselj [ 30:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

With the upcoming release of the second version of Muscle Imbalances Revealed – Upper Body -, I thought it would be fitting if I highlighted a few muscle imblances mistakes that I have seen.

When people hear the words “muscle imbalance”, they think “tight muscle” so let me stretch it.

This is kind of right – you need to stretch – but why does the muscle imbalance come back after you stretch?

Because there is much more to eliminating muscle imbalances permanently than just stretching tight muscles.
That is mistake #1 when it comes to muscle imbalances.

Let me go through a few more that you or your clients might be making.

#2 – Not Looking at Fascia

We all know someone who has plantar fasciitis.

There is a good chance what they have been given to address their plantar fasciitis is stretches.

Many times this will provide temporary relief but the pain comes back.  The reason why: people try to address plantar fasciitis like it is a muscle issue even though it is fascia issue.

This is one example but there are numerous other examples in the hamstrings, biceps and IT band.

In order to address muscle imbalances, you need to address fascia in the body like it is fascia and not muscle.

#3 – Not Taking Breathing Seriously

Only focusing on breathing out during exertion and breathing in during relaxation phases of exercise are important to keep a steady blood pressure in clients but breathing is so much more than that.

It needs to be integrated into core exercises in order to relax the diaphragm and the accessory muscles of the chest wall.

It needs to be integrated into dynamic exercises in order to assist in movement efficiency and proper movement patterns.

It needs to be incorporated into stretching and self massage (SMR) in order to get the maximum benefit from the stretch or self massage plus relax surrounding muscles and fascia.

#4 – All Core Training is the Same

Over the last 13 years, core training has evolved tremendously.  With more research being done on the continuum of core training when it relates to clients who are rehabilitating an injury, improving fitness results or maximizing performance goals.

Core training has become a continuum that you move along or focus in on in order to get the results that you want.

There are a lot more examples of mistakes exercise enthusiasts and health & fitness professionals make when it comes to muscle imbalances but I think you get the point from just these four examples.

Next time you come across a tight muscle, remember, there is more than just stretching it out.

Rick Kaselj, MS

P.S. – One thing that may help you is the Muscle Imbalances Revealed series.  Here are some kind words from a strength coach on the program:

“I Have a Deeper Understanding of Muscle Imbalance”

As a fitness professional who works with athletes as well as elderly clients, I feel MIRU has allowed me to have a deeper understanding of muscle imbalance.

MIRU has changed the way I progress through a client.  I now begin to look at all opposing muscles to see where the imbalance is before I start my progressions.

Joseph Yager

Independent Strength and Conditioning Coach, Motivational Speaker, and Baseball Instructor

Urbana IL

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I get lots of email. Let me answer some of the questions that came in over the last week or so.

What to Do About Bootcampers with Painful Knees?

Brenda found me on Facebook.

“Hi Rick, I’ve got a couple of clients with dodgy knees and a lot of my boot camp has running, which is too painful for them – can you offer suggestions that will give them just as good a workout and that are safe? Thanks, Brenda”

If you are looking for a program to help you out, I recommend this:

Working Towards 10,000

I mentioned this in last week’s questions from readers.  I am working towards helping 10,000 health and fitness professionals help 1,000,000 clients become pain and injury free by 2020.

It is an ambitious goal but you got to have big goals to bring the best out of you.

I think I am on the right track especially when I get emails like this:

“Hi Rick,

Thank you very much for the free gift!

I am just starting out as a personal trainer.

However, I have been involved in physical fitness, getting in shape, nutrition for quite a number of years. Your website is really incredible!  You’ve opened my mind up to things that I did not know about.  This will definitely help me out when I train people.  The last thing I want to do is hurt them when they’re coming to me for help.  The information you provide will definitely help me do that.

I now feel better ‘armed’  to train people properly if they have an injury.  Thanks, Rick.
Larry”

Thank you so much, Larry. I am glad all the free stuff on the website has helped you and your clients out.

This is what Larry was talking out, yours free.

Yes, free.  Click here to get it.

Even Fit Pros Get Injuries

A few years back, I got chatting with another fitness professional on injuries that fitness professionals have.

After that conversation, I asked other fitness professionals about their injuries.  I was shocked to see how many of them had some little ache and pain that was not forcing them to stop working, but slowing them down a little.

Here is an example.

“I love learning more about how unbalanced I am.

I just ordered the Achilles tendinitis package last night from your site and am going to get started on that right away.

I went out and bought new shoes and that seem to help a bit, but I’m going to work through the exercises so that I can avoid any future problems.

I can’t remember if it was Eric Cressey or Mike Robertson that recommended your site, but I think that’s how I found about you and your site.

I like the name Exercise for Injuries and the concept behind it… I just don’t like being injured.   Thanks for your help,

EK”

Thanks EK, let’s get  you uninjured.

Seniors in a Care Home

A neat trend that I have seen over the last 12 years of teaching fitness education courses is more fitness professionals in senior care homes.

This is very cool and exciting.

From talking with the few that are in them, what they do is an activity class, stretch classes, core classes and some personal training.

I know these seniors are getting a lot of benefit from exercise at their age.

One thing that they all said was a big issue for seniors is shoulder injuries and many of them have come to my Exercise Rehabilitation of the Shoulder course.

If you do work with seniors, it may be an idea to come out to the class.

Muscle Imbalances Revealed – Upper Body Edition – Exam

Things are rolling with MIRU and people are getting their CECs and CEUs from it.

I have just got approval from NSCA, BCRPA and BCCMT.

Here is a specific question as it relates to the MIRU exam.

“Hello Rick,

How do I go about in submitted MIUB in order to receive .7 credits through the NSCA?

I won the product a few months ago and I do not have a receipt for them for approval.

What do you suggest?

AZ”

It is really easy.

The exam is in the membership area in the exam and there are no plans on taking down the membership ares so it is there when you need it.

Print the exam out and fill in the answer sheet.

Send me the answer sheet and I will mark it.

If you get over 80%, I will send you the certificate for NSCA CEUs.

That is it, pretty easy.

Some More Kind Words about MIRU

“MIRU provided a different perspective about movement.

First, because of the different background of each presenter and second was a sort of the “holistic” approach, meaning that, breathing and myofascialtraining aren´t  too common findings in other materials related to exercise.

Best,

Please do send me your questions via Facebook or email.  I will do my best answering them and please do not be angry if I do not get to it.  I get a few hundred a day.

Plus, here are some more videos that may help when it comes to bootcampers and knee pain:

A common thing you will see in people that do bootcamp are muscle imbalances.

Let me explain with this Q&A that I did with Caroline Fitzgerald.

We all have clients who have nagging injuries that are not only holding them back, but challenging us. I don’t know about you, but my certifications covered very little about dealing with client injuries, and certainly nothing about how to help them fix the problem so that they can continue working with me, getting stronger and seeing better results!

There is a fantastic resource out there now…not only will it help you become a better trainer who gets better results for their clients, it will set you apart from other trainers who don’t have these advanced training skills. And this week, this fabulous resource is on sale.

Rick Kaselj’s Muscle Imbalances Revealed 2.0 is on sale this week! (NOTE: The sale prices show at checkout, not on the sales page.)

MIR2 offers trainers a comprehensive education on understanding, identifying, and addressing muscle imbalances in our clients. It’s thorough, easy to understand, and presented in the most convenient way. You really won’t find anything else like it.

I was lucky enough to grab Rick for an interview so that you can get an even more in-depth view of what MIR2 is all about. (Be sure to read all the way to the bottom where he addresses using MIR2 for Boot Camps and check out the video tip he did just for Best Boot Camp Workout subscribers!)

Caroline – 1. Why did you decide to produce MIR2?

Rick – MIR2 evolved from what I was doing with my clients, and the successes they were having, and from my desire to share what I was doing with other fitness professionals.

I have been a personal trainer for well over 15 years and, like many trainers, when I started I focused on cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility. I got decent results with these three techniques, but I wanted to get even better results.I went back to school and got my Master’s Degree in Exercises Science. I took what I learned to my clients and things certainly improved, but the results were still not what my clients and I were looking for.

I began doing some reading on my own and came across the concept of muscle imbalances. I’d heard about them and usually addressed them with stretching, but I found out that this was not the best way to deal with them.

I researched, practiced on myself, and worked with my clients to address muscle imbalances. The results were amazing. I was able to help them bust through fitness plateaus, prevent injuries, and overcome injuries. I knew pretty quickly that this was something I wanted to share with other trainers.

In order to get an even wider perspective on muscle imbalances, I sought out 5 other experts in the area and, using video presentations and handouts, we all share the best assessments and exercises that we use to help clients address muscle imbalances.

2. Virtually all trainers work with injured clients at some point, whether it’s something as simple as nagging aches and pains or full blown injuries, but many certifications don’t really prepare us to handle those clients. MIR2 is, in essence, the vital missing piece of a personal trainer’s education.

I feel this way because it is true that most clients have some sort of old injury. With that old injury, what occurs are muscle imbalances. These muscle imbalances need to be addressed in order to get better fitness results, to fully overcome the old injury, and to prevent a future injury.

This does not mean that your client needs to do a 60-minute muscle imbalance exercise routine. Very often,a 5- minute routine will do the trick. Not just any 5 minutes of exercises will do the trick, however; it needs to be specific and targeted exercise.

This will set you apart from other trainers and you will have more advanced skills than other trainers.

Caroline – 3. Speaking of certifications, is it true that MIR2 offers CECs and CEUs?

Rick – Yes, this is really cool. I used to work in a small community and it was difficult to get CECs or CEUs. I needed to take time off from work, travel to the course, pay for a hotel and then pay for the course. Quite often the travel costs were more than the cost of the course.

With MIR2, you can sit at home and watch the video presentations on your laptop, iPod, iPad or DVD player. While watching the presentation, you fill in an exam and send it to us. We grade it and send you a certificate for 9 different fitness associations.

(Muscle Imbalances Revealed has been approved for 0.6 NSCA CEUs, 0.6 NASM CEUs, 0.7 ACE CECs, 6.0 BCRPA, 6.0 AFLCA Credits, 6.0 BCAK CEC, 3.0 PTS/3.0 FIS CanFitPro CEC, 5.0 CMTBC, 6.0 OFC and CSEP 6 PDC.)

Caroline – 4. You’ve mentioned that muscle imbalances are more complicated than those that can be fixed by what we traditionally call Corrective Exercise…will you explain the difference?

Rick – I find that corrective exercise is not comprehensive enough to deal with muscle imbalances. Most corrective exercise systems focus on self-massage, activation, stretching, and integration. These certainly do help, but they don’t solve all the problems. I have expanded on corrective exercises and incorporated 10 specific techniques to address muscle imbalances.

Caroline – 5. Okay, so I understand how MIR2 is invaluable to a trainer to help them work with injured clients and to prevent injuries and imbalances in healthy clients.  Will you explain how MIR2 helps trainers help clients bust through fitness plateaus?

Rick – Muscle imbalances lead to clients not getting the most out of an exercise.

If a client has muscle imbalances in their ankle, knee and hip, this will result in any exercise involving squats or lunges being less effective. When the exercise is less effective, results decrease.

If you can address muscle imbalances, your clients will get more out of the exercise and that will help your clients bust through fitness plateaus.

It sounds simple because it is.

Caroline – 6. Can MIR2 be used in group training settings, like boot camps?

Rick – Yes! Numerous boot camp instructors have benefitted from MIR2.

What MIR2 gives them is:

1) Exercises that they can put in their bootcamps that will help all of their campers overcome muscle imbalances.

2) Quick ways of assessing their campers in order to highlight muscle imbalances.

3) A method to show the issues that can be slowing down their clients results.

Caroline – 7. Is there anything else you would like my readers to know?

Rick – There is so much more trainers can do to help people than just reduce fat. If you have a tool that allows you to address muscle imbalances, you will see better and more results for your client.  It will also allow you to show that you can help people with their aches and pains. This leads to setting you apart from the rest, getting more clients, and making more money.

Thanks, Rick for the great information on bootcamps and muscle imbalances!

You can get more details on MIR2 here:

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Muscle Imbalance Training – The Missing Piece to Most Fitness Professionals’ Tool Box

Most fitness professionals apply the FITT principles to all clients hoping it will help their clients reach their goals. Focusing on the FITT principles limits the speed at which clients will reach their goals.  What needs to be addressed are the muscle imbalances in clients which are affecting the frequency your client can train, the intensity your client can reach, the type of exercises they can do and the length of time they can exercises.  Addressing muscle imbalance will help improve the FITT principles in your clients leading to preventing injury, rapid results and busting through fitness plateaus.

3 Benefits of this Presentation

- 9 step process of identifying muscle imbalances in your clients

- 4 must-do assessments that reveal muscle imbalances the best

- Top 10 exercises to help correct muscle imbalances in your clients

Today I have an interview for you I did on the importance of muscle imbalances.

Importance of Muscle Imbalances Interview

==>  Importance of Muscle Imbalances Interview

What I Go Through in the Importance of Muscle Imbalances Interview:

• Why are muscle imbalances so important?
• What most fitness education certifications focus in on
• Why most fitness professionals miss focusing on muscle imbalances
• No one profession or person can cover a huge topic like muscle imbalances
• Why stretching is a band aid when it comes to muscle imbalances
• What is Muscle Imbalances Revealed 2.0

In the above interview, I talk about the product called Muscle Imbalances Revealed 2.0:

If you would like more details on Muscle Imbalances Revealed 2.0, CLICK HERE.

I did the interview with Erik Rokeach of FitnessBusinessInterviews.com .  I would highly recommend visiting his site as it is packed with great interviews with fitness professionals sharing their business secrets.

Rick Kaselj, MS

I was talking with my friend, Shawna Kaminski, about squats and knee pain.

Shawna runs bootcamps and helps train women over 40. One thing she hears a lot is:

“I can’t squat or lunge because I get knee pain.”

I did an interview with Shawna on what you can do about your knee pain during squatting:

==>  Squats and Knee Pain

In the interview with Shawna, I talk about:

• The importance of squatting and lungeing
• How you can modify the squat
• How flexibility can help you with your knee pain during squatting
• A different kind of lunge that decreases knee pain
• Vicious cycle of knee pain
• Importance of using a mirror for feedback on your technique
• Master your lunge and squat exercises with no weight and added weight

As I discussed in the interview, one of the things you need to address when it comes to knee pain during squatting are muscle imbalances.  I go into detail about this in Muscle Imbalances Revealed.

I am having a tough time keeping up with all the kind words about Muscle Imbalances Revealed.  Here are a few more that I just got:

“Addressing muscular imbalances is of paramount importance when training athletes. Muscle Imbalances Revealed provides the background, assessments, training strategies, and specific exercises to restore balance across the lower extremities, lumbopelvic area, and shoulders, and therefore equips you with the knowledge you need to help prevent the most common sports-related injuries. Even better, you can benefit from all the content from the comfort of your home.”

Kevin Neeld
Hockey Strength and Conditioning Coach
KevinNeeld.com

“I am glad I had the opportunity to review Muscle Imbalances Revealed by Rick Kaselj. These are DVDs that you should NEVER let out of your education library. We all know how good DVDs just “disappear” all of a sudden. I am not only writing this review from the eyes of a fitness & sports performance coach but also a person that has suffered from knee and lower back injuries from my days in the US ARMY.

Muscle Imbalances Revealed is an indispensable resource for coaches and fitness trainers with an “all-star cast” of some of the best rehab and post rehab exercise specialists in this business. It’s not a perfect world and eventually your athletes or fat loss clients will get an injury you need to work with and around. This program has enlightened me and added a new toolbox to help my clients in a more effective way, and improve my own performance and past injuries I sustained while in the ARMY. Muscle Imbalances Revealed is a comprehensive and easy to follow program that I wish was around years ago. Not getting this program is leaving you unprepared for inevitable injuries that you or your clients may receive.”

Nii Wilson
New York City
USAW-Sports Performance Coach/ Underground Strength Coach Certified
NiiWilson.com

“One of the keys to my success as a personal trainer has been my ability to work with and around the nagging aches and injuries of people from 35-55, the very demographic that has the time, money, and demonstrated needs for our services.

The information you’ll gain in MIR is exactly what you need most to differentiate yourself from generic “just-make-em-tired-and-sweaty” trainers. Rick and the crew have done an outstanding job, and Bill Hartman continues to defend his title as “the Smartest Man in Fitness.”

If you want to elevate your skills and, therefore, your income, you need these DVDS. You owe it to your clients and to yourself to be the best you can be.”

Stephen Holt
“One of America’s Greatest Trainers” – Men’s Fitness
2003 ACE Personal Trainer of the Year
BabyBoomerFitnessAuthority.com

Okay, before going.

I remembered that I did an interview with Shawna a few months back where she talked about knee pain.

You can get her tips in this video:

In the interview with Shawna, she goes through:

• The importance of technique
• Where your knees should be positioned
• How you should place your hips

I think that is it.

Have a great day and thank you for reading.

Rick Kaselj, MS

I don’t know why I like doing these research reviews so much.

I always end up learning something or it confirms what I am doing.

I try to break them down for you so they are easier to understand and you can get the take home message from them.

For those that want a lot more detail, I have included the reference so you can read the original article.

Lets get to the research.

Do Elite Athletes Have Muscle Imbalances?

What They Looked At:

They looked to see if elite athletes performing team or individual sports had muscle imbalances.  They looked to see if they did with MIR investigation.

What Did They Find?

They found a variety of muscle imbalances in the trunk and pelvic region.  They feel muscle imbalances may be related to injuries athletes get.  They suggested that each sport needs to be looked at to determine what muscle imbalances are common and what specific muscle rehabilitation can and needs to be done.

So What?

It shows that athletes do have muscle imbalances.  It is tough to say if these imbalances are needed in order to excel in their sport or are leading to injury or decreased performance.

It is cool that the concept of muscle imbalances is being discussed more and more.  Even in research papers.

I wish I had more to say but I was not able to get the full journal article as it was still being processed.  I look forward to getting it soon enough.

It was interesting that they identified muscle imbalances using MRI, I have never heard of this before.

Where to get more information:  Franettovich M, Hides J, Mendis MD, Littleworth H. Muscle imbalance among elite athletes. Br J Sports Med. 2011 Apr;45(4):348-9.

Is a Single Leg Squat a Good Indicator of How Your Hip Functions?

What They Looked At:

The researchers wanted to see if a single-leg squat was a good tool to determine poor hip muscle function because lately the focus of addressing knee pain has been by focusing on the hip.  They felt that people that performed better on a single leg squat would have earlier onset of gluteus medius activity, greater lateral trunk strength, greater hip abduction strength and greater external rotation strength.

They had 5 people evaluate 34 participants when performing a single leg squat.  They measured the muscle activity of the participants when it came to their hip strength based on electromyographic activity.

What Did They Find?

They determined that a single-leg squat is a good tool to determine if someone has poor hip muscle function.

So What?

I have been using the single-leg squat for an assessment for a long time and use it in the Core Stability of the Hip program.

It just highlights that getting your client to do a single-leg squat is important and will give you a good idea of what you need to focus on in your exercise program.  If you or your client perform poorly on a single-leg squat, you will need to work on gluteus medius, lateral trunk, hip abduction and external rotation strength.

Where to get more information:  Crossley KM, Zhang WJ, Schache AG, Bryant A, Cowan SM. Performance on the single-leg squat task indicates hip abductor muscle function. Am J Sports Med. 2011 Apr;39(4):866-73. Epub 2011 Feb 18.

What is a Good Test for the Core?

What They Looked At:

They looked at a dynamic core test of a chop and lift test and compared it to a static endurance posture tests of the Biering-Sorensen and side-plank.

Cool Points that Were Brought Up:

- “Trunk musculature absorbs, produces and transports multidirectional forces to and from the upper and lower extremities by maintaining a balance of stability and mobility.”

- “Researchers have hypothesized that defects in muscular capability (power, strength, endurance) and motor control (amplitude, timing) lead to poor trunk stabilization and can alter performance or increase injury susceptibility.”

What Did They Find?

The chop and lift is a good power test to test dynamic trunk control.

So What?

I have seen the chop and lift around for a while.  I have not used it very much but I will now.  I will use the two endurance tests to measure directional endurance for the core but will add the chop and lift in order to look at more dynamic core function.

Always great to take the time to read these research articles.

Where to get more information:  Palmer TG, Uhl TL. (2011). Interday reliability of peak muscular power outputs on an isotonic dynamometer and assessment of active trunk control using the chop and lift tests. J Athl Train. 2011 Mar-Apr;46(2):150-9.

That is it for today.

Time to put the papers away and head to work.

Have a great day!

Rick Kaselj, MS

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I think it is Friday . . . well, maybe it is. Maybe not.

Here are some random things from the past week:

Muscle Imbalances Revealed 2.0

I received some surprise feedback from a hockey coach - very cool!

What a Hockey Coach Says About MIR:

“I found the ideas presented in Muscle Imbalances Revealed as a comprehensive way to reach trainers who are just starting out, right up to those of us who have been at it for years. I see this as a great tool for trainers and strength coaches. If this is an area where you are lacking, I suggest you check this out.”

Maria Mountain, MSc
Owner/Strength & Conditioning Coach
HockeyTrainingPro.com
London, Ontario

You can see the article HERE, where she talks about how MIR2 can help ice hockey goalies.

here are some more kind words about MIR2:

“Being a personal trainer, it’s difficult to set yourself apart from the “Norm”.   The Muscle Imbalances DVDs I received through the mail are fantastic, and I find ExercisesForInjuries.com invaluable. I constantly refer to the information you post and send in your newsletter daily.”
LuAnne Platt

Hey, People Read My Stuff

Some days you wonder if anyone is reading your stuff and if it is helping anyone.

It is great when you get surprise Facebook messages like this.

Thank you, Nicole and please keep them coming.

“I always love your posts and hearing what you are up to with writing. Very inspiring and informational to fellow fitness pros, like myself.”
Nicole Ciarlelli Almeida
Personal Trainer

I work I do what I can to help fitness professionals work with injuries and exercises.  I am so glad that I am helping out.  It looks like it is helping Dannielle as well:

“I find your products really useful & recommend you to my trainers, instructors, & clients. (Although I haven’t posted feedback for you yet – I’ve been spreading the word.)  Thanks Rick.”
Danielle Briggs
Personal Trainer & Fitness Director

What People Think of the Scoliosis Manual

I just shipped out manuals to Taiwan and Hawaii, so I am happy to report that the program is helping people around the world.  Here is what one fitness professional said:

“After completing Effective Exercises for Scoliosis,  I will use the information from the course to help my clients with scoliosis incorporate proper exercises for their situation.  I will be better educated now about how to address clients with a scoliosis issue”
Kathleen D Thomsen

What is New on Facebook

I took a break from Facebook for a bit, but now I am back.

It is great to see things like this on my wall:

I think that’s it for today.

Have a great one.

Rick Kaselj, MS

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Here we go to the rambles.

Nice to look at the week that was.

These are a few things that happened.

MIR Approved for Fitness Australia CECs

I just got the word from down under that Muscle Imbalances Revealed has been approved for CECs.

Fitness Australia has reviewed Muscle Imbalances Revealed and approved it for 6.0 CECs.  Now the 23,000 fitness professional that are part of Fitness Australia can earn continuing education credit when learning and watching Muscle Imbalances Revealed.

Very cool!

I just got the details and will be finalizing everything with them.  Working with Fitness Australia is a new thing, so I need to figure out how they work and what they would like their members to receive.

Effective Rotator Cuff Exercises

Just to finish off, here are some kind words I received about Effective Rotator Cuff Exericses:

“The Exercises Rehabilitation for the Rotator Cuff course was excellent! Rick really brought together a course that was thorough, effective, and was easy to apply to my clients as a personal trainer as well as myself, who up until recently had shoulder issues. Thanks Rick! “

Leah Seaton
BCRPA/ ACSM Personal Trainer
Vancouver, BC

“Even if the money spent only helped one of my clients, Effective Rotator Cuff Exercises would have been a worthy investment. The great part about the course is that not only does it allow me to help those with rotator cuff issues, but it also allows me to design better programs for all my clientele.”

Brent Campbell

“Dear Rick, I would be happy to help you out with the Rotator Cuff program. I have reviewed the program and have found it very beneficial for use in the clinic. As a physiotherapist, it is always challenging to provide patients with all the information and handouts they require. Rick’s systematic approach and reliant/clear patient handout have helped me keep on top of patient education. In the long run, this equals more compliance and better results. I also think the way the program is divided into goal focused sections helps keep patients focused on their exercises and their rehab goals. Overall I think it is a great program and it has really helped me address rotator cuff injuries within a clinical setting. Thanks Rick.”

Katie Ireland
Registered physiotherapist
Ottawa, Ontario

Positive Vibes

Ending things on a positive note.

Thanks for everyone that says such kind things on my Facebook page:

Thanks for reading.

Have a great weekend.

Rick Kaselj, MS

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There is a lot more awareness when it comes to muscle imbalances.

The incredible success of Muscle Imbalances Revealed 2.0 has really taken the industry by storm.

Trainers, coaches, and therapists from around the world have been using it to help their clients overcome injuries, bust through fitness plateaus, and prevent injuries.

It has been amazing to see how this little product has helped thousands of fitness & health professionals, which in return has helped hundreds of thousands of people.

Sad to say, the battle continues.

We need to do more to better understand, assess, and prescribe exercises to eliminate muscle imbalances.

In 2011, there will be more and more emphasis on muscle imbalances.

Muscle Imbalance is my #8 Exercise Rehabilitation Prediction for 2011

 
In fact, I just got approached by an Australian outdoor magazine to write an article on muscle imbalances and how it can affect the outdoor athlete.  Very cool.  I will let you know how it goes.

With the media starting to focus on it, so has the research.

Muscle Imbalances in the Research

Read the rest of this entry »

A few weeks back I did an interview with Maria Mountain.  She specializes in goalie training.

She wanted to get my thoughts on muscle imbalances and goalies.

Below I chat about:

- hip flexor and lower ab strains, are they different?
- what is important in preventing goalie injuries
- two things that increases a goalies risk of injury

Here is a clip from the interview.

Maria Mountain: Going back at least 10 years I had the opportunity to go see Shirley Sahrmann speak and attend one of her two or three day seminars. And 10 years later, I don’t remember all the minutia. She is so intelligent and it was great to hear her speak. But the one thing I do remember is, similar to what you’re saying, she said, “Look at what doesn’t look right, make it look right and then move on to the next thing that doesn’t look right.”

What a week last week.

Hundreds of trainers, coaches, and therapists took advantage of the launching of Muscle Imbalances Revealed Version 2.0, or as I call it, MIR2.

What People Are Saying About Muscle Imbalances Revealed

It has been very cool, and the feedback from MIR is pouring in:

“I’m a new personal trainer and I’ve always been worried about not knowing enough on injuries and how to deal with them. Your resources so far have been very beneficial.

I listened to the interview below and one thing that really hit home was the difference between core stabilization and core strengthening exercises. This was just one part of his talk but the reminder was really good because now in my boot camps, or personal training clients, I can make the distinction and they can appreciate the core exercises even more.

Thank you for continuing to share amazing resources.”

Humairah Irfan

Personal Trainer & Group Fitness Instructor

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Fit Body Bootcamp Edmonton

Okay, my son is crying so I have to get him.  Back in a minute.

I am back, and my 5 month old son is good.

Great Feedback on Something that I Give Away for Free

“I just viewed the #1 Fitness Mistake webinar. I think this is key to summarizing muscle imbalances revealed and should be included in your DVD set.”

Stacey Levine-Prejza
CanFitPro PRO TRAINER, CPR and Mind Body
Certified 500 hour Yoga Instructor
Certified Pilates and Cycling Instructor

This is what Stacey is talking about:

If you want to get the FREE video presentation as well, CLICK HERE .

Read the rest of this entry »

After sending out the update on Muscle Imbalances Revealed 2.0, one of the contributors of MIR, Dean Somerset, sent me a great guest blog post for you.

Muscle Imbalances Part 2: The Long and Short of It

The 3 Hams

What is the solution?

I am really excited to announce the re-launch of Muscle Imbalance Revealed 2.0 .

Over the last few weeks I have been getting feedback from the hundreds of trainers, coaches, and therapists that have gotten Muscle Imbalances Revealed, to see how I could make it better.

This is the feedback that I got from them:

• We want more lower body muscle imbalance exercises – DONE!
• We want more information on the fascia stuff – DONE!
• We want to hear about new trends in muscle imbalances – DONE!

Thank you for everyone’s feedback, and I am very excited to give people what they want.

This is what is new for Muscle Imbalances Revealed 2.0:

#1 – Muscle Imbalance Exercises for the Lower Body (Value – $89)

I got a lot of feedback on Muscle Imbalances Revealed from all the health and fitness professionals from around the world, and the number one thing they wanted was MORE EXERCISES, so here you go.

For MIR2, we added more exercises that help address muscle imbalances in the lower body.

This bonus is a live presentation that I had done a few months back where I went through well over 50 exercises to address muscle imbalances in the lower body.

Some of them are unique and different, but very effective.

You get the video of the presentation and a handout with pictures of all the exercises.

Read the rest of this entry »

Symptoms of an Underactive Psoas

Dealing with an Underactive Psoas

Muscle Imbalances Revealed Update with Mike Robertson

I just finished up an interview with Mike Robertson.

Mike did a presentation for Muscle Imbalances Revealed program:

- Component #1 – Muscular Imbalances in the Hip & Pelvis

Read the rest of this entry »

Let’s start off with “Thanking You” for all the Happy Birthday Wishes!

All the birthday wishes have been amazing!

I think I got about 150 on Facebook.

Here is a video for you:

Read the rest of this entry »