Last week we went over the importance of implementing assessment and corrective strategies at your box.  This week we’ll begin going over the specifics of how to do it.  First up, overhead mobility.  I love myself some overhead work.  Most boxes also love themselves overhead work.  Let’s just for a second make a list of common exercises you’re going to see at our gyms:

The list goes on and on.  If we want to be any good at these exercises it makes absolute sense that we should have full overhead motion.  If it’s hard for me to get my arms overhead without any weight, it also makes sense that putting 300lbs overhead is going to be tricky.  It also makes some sense that people that are lacking motion here might be running into greater potential for injury in the future.

Missing overhead motion will also cause compensation down the chain such as poor scapular position, excessive rib motion and increased lumbar lordosis.  All big words for what may lead to pain and inefficiency over time.

A good place to use this screen would be during your foundations / elements / on ramp classes where you’ll be doing a lot of overhead work.  Like I alluded to earlier, most people come to your box because they want to work-out, not to be lectured in shoulder safety.  However, explaining the importance of overhead motion for both efficiency in the movements shown today (and for most people you’ll be pointing out those deficits all throughout class) and exercise safety goes a long way in getting people to buy-in.  If taught quickly and efficiently it also shouldn’t take away from the client’s experience.  Most members end up …read more

Observe the laws. Build muscle, lose fat, and win the mind game. It starts right here. …read more

Whether your goal is to deadlift 400 or 700, two things are clear: you’ve got to bloody some shins and you’ve got to learn these cool training techniques. …read more

Forget icing and NSAIDS. They may delay or prevent healing. Instead, try these methodologies that you probably haven’t heard of. …read more