Over the past 2 weeks, my husband has been afflicted with a sore back.

What started out as a 7 day “pain in the neck” has progressed to his lower spine – most likely because of the compensatory role that his lumbar muscles have been performing in order to protect his upper back.

Most adults have experienced times when their back has “gone out” – that painful situation often caused by the simplest of movement, but through an awkward plane of motion.

Given time and rest, this type of soreness usually works itself out (as I hope it does soon for Luc). But what about those who have chronic back pain – those who find that their pain is actually worsening?

Here’s a post that I published in 2009 on that topic… Read the rest of this entry »

Unless you stand over 6-2, there is NO REASON to go so wide on your lat pull down grip.

Some of your peers or other Trainers may have led you to believe otherwise, but using too-wide-of-a-grip doesn’t build big lats as well as a narrower grip.

Sure, a wide grip creates lots of movement in the scapulae (shoulder blades) – but a majority of that work comes from the lateral spread of each scapula (via the mid-back rhomboids  > NOT FROM THE LAT(issimus dorsi) which is what you’re trying to target.

See my earlier post on the scapulae to appreciate how these important bones function.

And while we’re on the topic – when you do your lat-pulls, have you noticed that your shoulder blades rise with each rep? DON’T let them!

Since the lat muscles are what you want to be working here – you need to ensure a strong scapular RETRACTION (inward pinch of the shoulder blades) & DEPRESSION (downward) motion.

A PERFECT LAT PULL-DOWN = A manageable weight + an overhand grip a little wider than shoulder width (before the bend in a standard pull-down bar) + focused work of the scapular retractors (down) and stabilizers.

(Of course, I’m assuming that you already know that Behind-the-Neck pull-downs are notorious for shoulder joint and cervical spine INJURY – so just don’t.)

Doug

Here on the We(s)t Coast, a record cool, wet spring has really been bringing people down. Even the Stanley Cup playoffs can’t allay the desperate need for a few sunny, warm days.

Many people are complaining that their Spring Workout plans also washed away under the longer-than-usual season of hoodies and raincoats. They’re having a tough time mustering the motivation to shed their winter fat layer and to beef up those underlying muscles that T-shirt season usually inspires. Read the rest of this entry »

 

 

Image links to article.

When you sit down on a weight bench or climb onto one of the resistance machines in the gym, do you start cranking out your reps immediately or do you take time to really focus and set yourself up for success?

One of the disciplines that I try to reinforce in each of my clients is the principle of “Get Ready. Get Set. GO!”

This has come from watching (mostly) guys plop down on a bench, 50# dumbbells in hand, lever them up awkwardly and then start banging out their reps. No care if the spine is straight… No sense that the feet are pulled back and imbalanced… No awareness that the pelvis is mis-aligned… No clue that the shoulder ligaments are being strained.

Do This:

Take a few extra moments to “Get Ready”… which means adjusting the seat level, securing the bar, loading the right amount of resistance. Then, “Get Set”… aligning your spine (including your neck!), relaxing your shoulders, tightening your core, setting your base of support, ensuring that your body position is symmetrical.

Then… GO!

That’s what makes it count. Safe. Effective. Efficient.

Doug

In the gym, it is most common to find a close-grip, triangle-shaped handle attached to the cable of a Seated Row station.

Big power lifters like to do cable rows using this handle since they can use a lot more weight – not because of the power of the back –  but because the chest and shoulder complex is also involved by the inward position of the arms.

When you do the Seated Row with a close-grip though, observe how the handle can only be pulled as far as your abdomen.

Note that you’re not getting a complete contraction of your lats and traps, because you leave off the final 2 to 3 inches of your full range of motion.

Do This:

If you’d like a better alternative, and better result, use a slightly wider-grip row.

Just detach the narrow grip handle and connect a wider bar, or 2 long-strap handles, or even the long tricep pull rope (upturned for grip) to the cable.

Some seated row stations even have a dual cable/handle configuration to use – all the better for this great rowing exercise.

Be prepared to lower your weight!

Believe me – what you may sacrifice in load (because of the back isolation), you’ll more than make up for with the greater range of motion — with much greater involvement of your middle trapezius and rhomboids (mid-back), in conjunction with your lats.

And that is exactly what you want to be targeting in order to create that nice V-back shape, to promote better posture, and to improve functional movement.

Try it and see.

Doug

 

During an average week, I spend at least 30 hours in a gym.

Of course, most of those hours are spent working to assist clients achieve their personal fitness goals. The other hours are those that I spend staying true to my own.

On any given day I see a number of regular gym goers, as well as a few infrequent visitors. And on occasion, I see a gym patron who really knows what they’re doing.

Whoa!  Did I say “on occasion”??

Yes, I did.

Read the rest of this entry »