Sport-specific training is as much about training movements that counteract what you do in your sport as it is about training the movements and muscles you need to perform. Or at least it should be if you want your body to let you continue enjoying your sport.
Foam rolling the adductors
I used the analogy of the spare tire on your car – it gets you there, but it’s not as good as a full tire (unless your spare is a full tire, but you know I’m referring to cars with the mini spare tire). Same deal with muscles in the body – when a muscle is doing it’s secondary job, it tends to not be as good at it. If you continue driving on the spare tire, it’s going to either seriously limit your speed, or it’s going to blow. Same goes for when a muscle is consistently asked to do it’s secondary function in addition to it’s main function.
My experience with hip injuries and FAI
I’m not sure how many of my friends and readers are aware that I spent many, many years enduring pretty bad hip pain. I don’t…
The 4 Things I Know About Sports Injuries
You know how your mom told you you can do whatever you put your mind to? She was wrong. Or maybe she was lying, but you can sort that detail out with your shrink. The reality is, we are all built differently, and some of us aren’t built for the activity we love.
The one truly horrifying image that will make you reconsider wearing heels
There are often articles that pop up in newspapers and blogs, and on the health segments of television news shows that explain the health problems people who wear high heels will likely face. Inevitably they include a stylized x-ray image of a woman’s foot with highlights of the pain and damage points. Probably the people who write, produce, and share those images and articles think it will scare women into wearing more sensible shoes. I wonder if anyone has been convinced by those messages? My guess is very few.
Maybe there’s a better way. What if this was the message:
Skiing and knee injuries: can you train for them?
The following video is a clip from a presentation I gave at the Ottawa Ski Show two years ago about training for skiing. I’ll be sharing a few more clips on topics related to training for skiing over the next few weeks. Each one is less than 5 minutes (I think – or close to), and covers a topic related to skiing and training.
I have arthritis in my knees. How would you train me?
People with knee problems tend to be really surprised when they have come to us with the assumption that they can only work their core and upper body and then we say: “Okay, time to deadlift”.
The 30 day The Core is the Core challenge
Every day for the next 30 days, you will do 4 exercises, one each for:
Anterior (front) core
Lateral/rotary (side) core
Posterior (butt!) core
Core plus – an exercise that is big on core but also works something else
Anyone see what I did there? Balance! When I think of core, I think of the many great trainers and educators whom I have learned from over the years. Virtually all of them advocate a strong core, but their definition of core goes far beyond “the six pack muscles”. We got obliques, we got transverse abdominus, we got glutes, we got multifidus, we got QL…There’s a whole lotta muscles in your core, and all are important in maintaining a happy, healthy, and high-performing body.
“This workout was not at the intensity I expected”
I think the notion of intensity is one of the most misunderstood aspects of training, and that this is particularly true for beginners and those who have injuries or are returning to activity post-injury.
Plyometrics: Are they hurting or helping you?
Plyos without the less cool tools like weight training, muscle activation, foam rolling, and stretching, is almost always problematic. And unfortunately this is how they tend to be used. I can’t count how many discussions I’ve had or overheard about an awesome 45 minute plyo session. They may be fun 45 minute plyo sessions; and they may make you feel tired; but I guarantee they are not awesome.