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Functional Flexibility: Complex Made Simple
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Whether training for golf, football, baseball, or any sport, most athletes realize the
benefits from a strength training program, yet rarely recognize the importance of a
flexibility program. Flexibility is the foundation of what we do! In fact, without
flexibility the body will not exhibit optimal levels of power, strength, cardiovascular
fitness, or muscle endurance. Flexibility is the cornerstone of rehab, performance, and
preventing injuries. CLICK ON THE TITLE FOR FULL ARTICLE
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CALCANEAL EVERSION: The Switch that Turns On the Engine
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GRAVITY, GROUND, and the SWITCH
The internal power sources that drive the body are the hips and trunk: the core of
the body. There are many ways to activate that power source, but probably the most
important for upright function in our gravitational environment is eversion of the
calcaneus. CLICK ON THE TITLE FOR FULL ARTICLE
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THE PRINCIPLES OF LIFTING
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The history of weight training has changed dynamically with the advent of Applied Functional Science.
Traditional weight training basically had two main objectives. Athletes lifted to either increase muscle
mass, i.e. hypertrophy, or they trained to increase strength. The theory was that the more force an athlete
could produce, the more powerfully that athlete could run, jump, and move. Two questions arose from
this thought process. Why does the athlete need to increase his/her muscle mass? Will strength attained
with traditional lifting carry over to the movements used in the athlete’s sport? CLICK ON THE TITLE FOR FULL ARTICLE
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The Functional Knee: Caught in the Middle with Few Places to Go and Nowhere to Hide
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Injuries to the knee are seen throughout virtually all sports and all age ranges. Have you ever wondered why the knee is the most common reason for a visit to an orthopedic surgeon? Moreover, have you ever wondered how rehabilitation and training programs could better alleviate the stresses placed on the knee? CLICK ON THE TITLE FOR FULL ARTICLE
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Functionally Fit Abs
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So you want to get nice abs, strong abs, the six-pack abs? Most often when talking about abdominal exercises, crunches, sit-ups, stability ball exercises, planks, and a variety of exercises on the floor are what come to mind. All of these have been used successfully for years, and many people will swear by these abs workouts as the key to perfect abs. But if you take a closer look at the anatomy of the abdominal muscles, the biomechanics, and the way they actually function in our world, it opens up a whole different way, a more effective way, and a more functional way to train your abs. CLICK ON TITLE FOR FULL ARTICLE
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The Hips: The Monster Beneath the Bed
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The hip is the like a monster underneath the bed, minus a few dust balls and dirty magazines. If it’s working correctly, it can be your best friend. It can assist far away joints like the shoulder or ankle. CLICK ON TITLE FOR FULL ARTICLE
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Tweakology
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Tweakology™ is the study of choosing and managing the most effective functional variables to create the optimal functional environments for analysis, rehabilitation, prevention, and performance training and conditioning. Our ability to effectively tweak is proportionate to our understanding of human function.
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The Lumbar Spine: Unfairly Accused
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Not that it could ever happen, but if given the opportunity to defend a body part in a court of law, without question I would choose to defend the lumbar spine. With mind boggling statistics such as 80% of all human beings will experience low back pain at some time during their life and that the cost of low back injury is estimated at being $100 Billion each year, it is no wonder the lumbar spine has been the subject of much maligning and is often referred to as "a bad back".
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