The Magnificence of Mobility

Hello all,

First of all i would like to thank all the new readers of the blog for sharing comments and feedback, particularly on my last blog. Its nice to write stuff that is being read and appreciated (and enjoyed in several different countries) its why i write in the first place. We just finished a GFD 7 day challenge and the results were again very good - i will write more on this in February blog "6 week training results" - but the average loss was about 5lbs across everyone who tried it.

Things are starting to pick up again at the gym as all the clients crawl back from their festive celebrations - I have made a commitment to start the year off with a bang, everyone is going to get pushed that liitle bit extra over the next 6 weeks.

Starting on Saturday 8th January (which is now in the past) we embarked on an experimental 6 week training and diet plan which was a combination of several different diet strategies along with my own training sessions i have been working since 2010. I will post a blog of results in February which will show results. Lets hope it works!

Today's blog is all about Mobility. I kid you not when i say that one DVD i bought (well actually it was lent to me by a friend, cheers Leigh) a few years back, 100% changed the way i trained people. The amount of money i have made using this program has been absolutely ridiculous (Thanks Eric Cressey and Mike robertson - more on that later) and the results that my clients have enjoyed from using this program have been amazing!

MM has earned me 1000's, fact.

Definition of Mobility

Mobility - "The quality or state of being mobile"

Think of the people you see at gyms across the world, do they produce quality movement? Let me tell you that here in Bahrain - they dont! more on that later....

During every assessment, i get clients to perform the primal patterns:

Squat (one for the guys!)

Lunge

Push

Pull

These are the basic human movements that should be easy to execute on command. But very often, clients/gym members will struggle with them.

Why is this? This could be a number of reasons from lack of basic strength, lack of co-ordination to stiff joints and tight muscles.

What can be done? By identifying faulty movement patterns you/your trainer can start to work out which muscles and joints are tight and are impacting normal movement.

The system of "assessing" and "correcting" should be the foundation of everyone's training programs or it will lead to dysfunction and injury somewhere down the line.

Cressey, Robertson and Hartmann's newer product - Assess and Correct

FYI- Im not getting paid to plug these products, its just they really are 'the shit' when it comes to corrective exercise and mobility exercises.

Are you mobile? Can you perform perfect technique in the Squat and Lunge? If not, read on. If so, read on.

The difference between Mobility and Flexibility

I could say that im asked this question all the time but i would be flat-out lying to you! Nobody has asked me this because they dont really care. But, i do ask myself this question all the time and here is the answer.. i give myself. In training terms, Mobility deals with the range of movement around a joint.

E.g. Skipping rope dislocation to assess shoulder mobility

Flexibility deals with the length of an individual muscle.

E.g. Adductor stretch to assess adductor length (another one for the guys!)

"The length and quality of each individual muscle tissue can affect a person's mobility and exercise technique in both a positive and negative way".

What am i saying? If you have short, tight and weak muscles around a joint, your mobility will suffer - if you have strong, quality supple muscles around a joint, your mobility will improve - simples.

What should you do? You should get yourself assessed  by a qualified trainer who can then write you a program based on your individual needs. Every one of these types of training programs should start with a corrective warm up with both mobility and flexibility drills specifically included to target an individuals' issues.

I dont mind the shameless plug here but that's what we do best at RCC gym. We write great training programs from our comprehensive assessment process. Plug over. Continue blog.

Working with Bahrain golfing prospect, Daniel Owen

The Bahrain/Modern day world problem on quality movement

The clients im seeing coming into the gym now in Bahrain (generally) have extremely bad mobility, flexibility, movement and technique. So what's going wrong?

I believe (and this is just my opinion) that the youth of Bahrain (and probably most of the world) are not doing the same things as we did as kids 20+ years ago. They do not fall over, they do no learn to get up. Its as if they have missed a crucial development stage during youth when you acquire motor control and basic movement. As a human being its very difficult to watch young people fail at basic movements, as a PT its very difficult to know where to begin when teaching exercises. I believe mobility and flexibility training is the only way forward with these individuals.

In the summer i took part in a 200-strong class taken by Alwyn Cosgrove who was taking us through a basic warm up:

- side to side jumps

- bear crawls

- jumping jacks

- push ups... and so on

When i told him i had clients who couldn't do these movements, he didn't understand what i was saying! In the end i dont think he believed me. Come to the Middle East Alwyn, Take a look for yourself, kids have forgotten how to move properly and walking into gyms with mobility issues aged 9! WTF!

Babies learn naturally to crawl, walk, run, fall...

Other factors that could affect poor motor skills in this region are:

- Hot weather does not allow kids to be out as much

- Massive reliance on motor transport to get from place to place

- No major parks or cycle tracks on the island

- Cheap home help means that every household will have atleast 1 maid who will do all housework

- Poor nutrition. The region has completely fallen in love with American fast food. Its also cheaper

- Its not compulsory for kids to take part in PE lessons

The way things are going... well, put it this way, it doesn't look great. I now see kids in the malls who are an unbelievable size. I always look at the parents. Its crazy but most of all its sad! Rant over.

Take home message

Everyone needs to incorporate some form of mobility and flexibility work into their training programs. How and when you do it is up to you. You can have extended corrective warm ups (which we favour at RCC) or you can have complete sessions devoted to corrective exercise. It would be a wise move which ever you choose, otherwise you're probably going to end up:

1) Tight

2) Injured

3) un co-ordinated

4) and have no friends

Ok... maybe not the last one.

For ideas of mobility drills, check out my youtube channel www.youtube.com/nathanbahrain11

See ya :)

The game-changer (exclusive content)

Hello all,

Happy new year, i hope you all had a great festive season and are ready to follow through with the 2011 goals?

Pretty interesting title? Well, this blog will be a pretty interesting read. The truth is i have been sitting on this amazing information since the summer and have not got around to turning the notes into a decent article/blog... until now.

In case you haven't read some of my earlier blogs, I travelled to the US in the summer and attended the Perform Better seminar and got to listen, learn and hang out with some of the biggest names in the industry. I dont want to name drop (actually i do) but i met:

Martin Rooney

John Berardi (worlds leading sport nutritionist)

Alwyn Cosgrove

Eric Cressey

Al Vermeil (chicago bulls strength/conditioning coach)

Thomas Plummer (Fitness Business expert)

Bill Parisi (CEO, Parisi speed schools)

Gray Cook

Greg Rose (Titliest Performance Institute)

Robert Dos Remedios

Mike Boyle

Todd Durkin

Steve Cotter (Kettlebells)

Fraser Quelch (TRX)

Nick Tumminello

... And Thomas Myers (author of Anatomy Trains).



If you are a fitness professional and you dont recognize any names on that list, I suggest you go and do some reading on their individual websites. They are all industry leaders and you could spend the next few years learning from the great work these trainers have put forward. But for today's blog i want to concentrate on the last name, Thomas Myers.

This guy probably knows more than you about anatomy

Thomas Myers is an anatomy expert, period. The closest we (trainers, gym users) ever get to people is by touch, this guy actually cuts bodies up for his research. It is safe to say he knows what he is talking about when it comes to the intricate workings of the muscles of the human body.

The following information was taken from notes taken by myself during Thomas Myers key note speech during the Perform Better seminar (of which only 500 people got to hear).

What is 'Anatomy Trains'?

This book shows how the body is inter-connected entirely by myo-fascial tissue (remember fascia from the last blog?) and identifies different lines/trains that connect the body. It looks at the body as a whole organism and not the traditional 600+ muscles attached to bone we all grew up learning about.

Opening question f the talk: How many muscles in the body?

Answer: 650+ (as we all thought)

Thomas Myers: Wrong. There is one muscle in the human body compromised of 600+ fascial pockets!

All these muscles are inter-connected by fascia

In one sentence, this guy had the whole room of fitness experts, trainers, doctors, etc in complete silence. He had commanded everyone's attention. Here are some other points taken from his talk:

- Injury roots start at an early age, people grow with their injuries

Some clients i train will have carried injuries from childhood and it almost impossible to fully correct these in just a few sessions per week.

- As fitness trainers it is "our parental task to design fitness programs for a neolythical body in an electronic world"

Due to modern technology, the way in which we move has changed, trainers must find a way to get people to re-engage with primal movements and avoid the modern day postures of offices and home life.

- Are you in shape? Round is a shape.

This picture is just wrong, but you can't argue he is very round?

- The neuro-myofascial web cannot be seperated. Training in isolation is not an optimal method.

- The key of modern training is to break bad habits not teach movements

Corrective training is the cornerstone of all good training programs. Anyone can design and implement a punishing training program but not everyone can design a program that allows the user to get great results and be injury-free. A truly effective program will manage stress not accumulate it.

- "Wherever your pelvis is, you are" Think about seated posture.

- The fascial system is affected by habital movement and needs focused work.

The foam roller/hockey ball are great ways to identify what is actually going on with your body. If it hurts like hell when you roll on your IT bands, then you have chronically tight IT bands from daily habits. Ironically, the clients who 'hate' rolling are the ones who need it the most, funny that?

- Is your scapula in the correct position when typing? are you even fit for typing?

- You need to incorporate 'long-chain' movements into your training programs.

- Yoga, pilates, bodyweight exercises using the whole body are the best for training fascia

His words, not mine. Don't think for 1 minute i'm going all Yoga on you. But it does seem to have excellent benefits for myo-fascial health.

The warrior stretch is a classic exercise which invloves the whole body

- Every warm up should include a dynamic element

If you do not include mobility exercises into your warm ups by now then you have been living under a rock. Mobility (or Dynamic flexibility) movements are the ideal start to each training session. Assess clients for individual issues then implement corrective strategies in the warm up and during the sessions for best results.

- Training with vector variation is useful (think kettlebells, clubs, etc.)
- Elastic rebound training is a great way to train fascia (jumping, running, plyometrics)
- Place more emphasis on propreceptive training for optimal 'fascial fitness'
- Rollers are good but may not be enough to truly correct fascia issues, regular massage is key.
- Hydration plays a massive role in the condition of your fascia system.
- To rehabilitate fascia completely, it may take up to 18-24 months!

So at this point im thinking (along with every other fitness dude in the room) 24 months!!! There is no way any gym rat would change their whole way of training for so long just to get optimal fascial health - no matter how good the final results, it just wont happen.

Which brings me to the main idea for this blog. How can you incorporate this philosophy into your training, stay healthy and not taking 18 months off lifting!

A: Create an off season for your body

Every athlete needs 'down-time' at some point


All sports have an off-season. They need to have an off-season so that athletes can rest and recover from the daily grind of matches and training. If they did not have a rest, the performance of each athlete and the standard of every competition would decrease - not to mention a massive increase in injuries.

Your body is no different. In order to grow/improve (whatever your goal is) you need some quality time out of the gym as well as in it. Below i have mentioned 3 different methods of incorporating mini 'off seasons' during your training year - see if you like the look of one and give it a try.

Method 1: 25 days on, 5 days off

A pretty simple concept, you take the last 5 days of each month off normal training to work on mobility, flexibility, foam rolling, corrective ball work, massage, restorative measures, relaxation, etc. The options are endless, you should start each 25 day training cycle fully refreshed and motivated when hitting the gym. I would say 2 or 3 longer periods off during the year (1-2 weeks) could be added to make this even better.

Method 2: 6 weeks on, 1 week off

You cant train "balls-to-the-wall" every session, all year round without something going wrong. You can do it for a while but your body will soon start telling you when its had enough. Niggling knee, wrist and shoulder injuries will develop into serious issues and will lead to time off training which can have a negative pyschological effect - i know, ive been there.

Excessive weight training and shoulder pain go hand in hand


This method breaks up training cycles into longer 6 week periods with 1 whole week off to work on corrective issues mentioned above. My recommendation for the the 6 weeks would be to use smart progressive methods as the weeks went on and not just lift more weight. For example:

Week 1: 70 % effort
Week 2: Increase 10 % effort (80%)
Week 3: Increase 10% effort (90%)
Week 4: De-load week (50% effort or change to Bodyweight movements)
Week 5: Maximum effort (100%)
Week 6: Maximum effort (100%)
Week 7: OFF

This is just one of numerous strategies to avoid an all-out approach when it comes to training. Use smart progressions and plan time off in order to continually increase performance. Try different rest periods and see what works best for you.


Method 3: Utilizing 'de-load' weeks, bio-feedback and extended restoration periods.

Ok so after thinking about this for a while... i have decided there are 3 essential methods to utilise for optimal performance when it comes to maintain healthy fascia, these are:

1. Deloading weeks. Training at approximately 50% to recover from intense training cycles without actually stopping training.

For an in-depth document on the subject, check out Eric Cressey's "The art of Deload"

http://ericcressey.com/artofthedeloadhtml

2. Biofeedback. Have you ever walked into a gym and known it wasn't going to be your day and then walked out? No, thats not being a pussy - Thats called Biofeedback - listening to your body and knowing when to push hard and when to hold back.

After reading (my hero) Andre Agassi's autobiography recently, he mentioned in some chapters that his trainer, Gil Reyes would take one look at him when he walked into the gym and say "Not today, man, you ain't going to achieve nothing in here today". Some would say thats a cop-out from a trainer? I say Gil Reyes was a very smart guy, who knew explicitly how his athlete performed. This is Biofeedback.

Gil Reyes is a master of Biofeedback

The problems with Biofeedback are obvious. If you are a lazy bastard, you will always choose to do less. You could claim to be using biofeedback but actually you would be selling yourself way short. To effectively use biofeedback you must be:
- Experienced enough to 'listen' to your body.
- You must be willing to push hard when you feel good and lay off when you feel crap.

Its a tough skill to master, but i think you'll find that all the guys/girls who are 50+ and still in great shape are those who were excellent at biofeedback and used a long-term moderate approach to training.

3. Extended restoration periods. Periods of time (lets say 4 weeks) devoted completely to restoration and recovery. These are the off-seasons in your own training year.

This is something i have been using sub-consciencely for the past 2 years. I always take 2 seperate periods off per year (July/August & December/January) to give my body a rest from heavy lifting. Taking time away from the gym is vital for continued progress. So why not plan these times around your life?

Going on holidays in August? use this time away from the gym and fully recover for a hard winter program.

Busy work schedule on in January? Take this time to work on your flexibility, soft tissue work.

Final thoughts

Whether you write your own training programs or make a living writing other people's, you should always program in some form of down-time/deload/rest periods... whatever it takes to keep you and your clients injury-free. I hope i have shared enough ideas above for you to make your own decisions on what would work best for you. Training intensely for extended periods of time will ultimately end up in injury.

Everyone should strategically use 'off-seasons' to work on other components of fitness like Mobility, Flexibility, soft tissue work, etc. If you dont have any real knowledge of these areas then im guessing you will end up hurting yourself... or even worse, your paying clients. No paying clients = no job. Simples!
Share with Facebook friends below if you like this :)

'til the next time...

For F*cks sake.... Foam roll!

Hello all,

Its been about 3 weeks since my last blog, partly down me being busy with the opening of the gym, partly due to playing more golf and partly down to a new drinking habit that has formed over the past fortnight!

SHOCK, HORROR.... GASP! yes i do drink, i am human. Im just enjoying some free time before kicking back into a diet and exercise plan, keeping things steady and enjoying some 'off-menu' items (mainly cider). And its been good for the mind - but im ready to get back into my healthy ways again.

The corner-stone of every nutritious breakfast?

Anyway, onto todays blog. The attractive title "For f*ck's sake... Foam roll!" was an actual comment i made to a client who wasn't listening to my recommendations of rolling and stretching every day, we had a chuckle about it... but there is a trend amongst the poeple i train... they dont like foam rolling, full stop.

Why? Well, because it hurts. The people who complain the most about it are the ones that need it the most. Over the past 5 years i have noticed this trend is consistent in fitness. The people who train the least complain about themselves, the people who dont work hard complain that their personal trainers are no good... and so on.

Why does it hurt? Because they have excessively tight fascia around their muscle tissue (mainly quads, IT band). The first time i jumped on (during Premier PT training course) and did my IT bands, i seriously couln't believe it! I was in so much pain i asked for something to bite on! My instructor however knew what was coming because i had played football for 20 years and weight trained for 10 without really stretching much... i was an accident waiting to happen!

Should we give a f*ck? If you want to increase your performance, then YES, you really should. Also, tight muscles will restrict movement which will lead to bad technique. Ever seen a person whose squat looks just damn awful? It is not just bad luck, its very likely they have tight muscles which are restricting the natural pattern of the movement. Rolling and strecthing will help this.

The foam roller is a regular in our warm-ups at the gym

What is Foam rolling?

To keep things nice and simple, Foam rolling is a form of self-massage. Mike Boyle once said that rolling helps "remove density of the muscle to add length" I have yet to come across a more simple explaination. Knots and lesions in the muscle tissue will add density and thickness which are called trigger points. These trigger points will not stretch and therefore restrict the lengthening of the muscle.

What does this mean? If you are stretching with knots and lesions in your muscles you are effectively "pissing into the wind".

Stretching without foam rolling is not a good idea

Imagine an elastic band with knots all along it (An over-used thigh muscle would not look to disimilar to this elastic band).

What would happen if you pulled this tighter?

Obviously the knot would get tighter. This is a great analogy for the tightness in your thigh/IT band muscles and stretching. You must first "remove the density" (foam rolling) to add length (stretching).

Can't find a roller?

As they say on meerkat.com "Simples!". Just find a piece of draining pipe about 6" long (insert 6" jokes here) and cut to a half-metre length. You now have an advanced level roller which will (and should) rip you a new set of muscles in no time. I have named many rollers in my time, the latest edition at RCC gym is affectionately called "Bastard". Those who use it have a love/hate relationship with ole' B, they love the results it gives them but hate that it hurts like (well... a bastard) when you use it.

Bastard is one of the family here

Training recommendations

You really should use the foam roller pre-warm up for the best results. We have a set template for all warm ups and it looks something like this:

- 3-5 minutes steady cardio (bike, skipping, X trainer)
- 5 minutes+ Foam rolling (concentrate on worst areas, work all over the body)

- 10 minutes+ Mobility/Flexibility work to correct individual issues

Other instances to use a foam roller

1. We have a section of our assessment process called "the foam roll pain assessment". We use the foam roller to look at clients hot spots and then look at ways to reduce that tightness through focused rolling and smart corrective warm up exercises.

2. Recently i have been experimenting with foam rolling mid-session and as parts of extended sets for those individuals who need it most.

For example, my client EP has a really tight IT band left side so i have a tri-set in her session which is:

A1) Standing Cable chest press - 3 x 10

A2) Foam roll left quad/IT band (30 seconds+)

A3) Prone IT band stretch (30 seconds+)

Its unconventional, its not really that sexy... but EP is now working on her main problems during a strength session. Is it weird that i find that quite sexy?

I told you foam rolling could get sexy!

Final thoughts

Everyone who strength trains should foam roll. Everyone who is active should foam roll. If you are looking to increase flexibility, performance, technique and also relieve aches and pains of your muscles and joints... you should foam roll. Every trainer should use one on clients who have poor flexibility (TIP: In Bahrain, this is everybody) and they will see and feel great results instantly. I recently 'cured' a clients' chronic back pain through excessive rolling and stretching of his legs - if you asked him what was the main reason for his recovery (apart from his super-smart trainer) he would answer foam rolling.

See ya! That is all from me.

If you like this article, Please spread the word of my blog by sharing with your facebook friends below :)

I will be back sometime at the end of next week when my PT clients all go away for holidays and finally give me a break and some time to finish more writing, videos, etc.