Alternating Dumbbell Lunges
When executed properly the lunge is a very beneficial single leg exercise that provides a challenge to even the strongest individuals. The dumbbell lunge challenges not only leg strength but also grip and core strength when done with heavy enough weights or for high enough reps. There's also a lateral hip stability element to the lunge in that it requires some balance side to side and gets some good eccentric glute activation on the lead leg when done under control and with the right amount of external rotation. We use
Basic Hurdle Progression
Sometimes keeping things simple is just what you need to make improvements. This version of the hurdle progression covers all of the basics for the developing athlete. The hurdle jump and stick will build explosiveness and help work on deceleration mechanics. The continuous hurdle jumps increase speed by decreasing ground contact time and improving the efficiency of the stretch shortening cycle. The change of direction hurdle jumps work on agility and body control and give our athletes a better sense of where their body is in space. Try them all
3 Reasons You Need to Work Out When Life Gets Hectic
“People sacrifice their health to build wealth, then they spend all of their wealth trying to get their health back”. Those are the wise words of one of my longest standing clients. He makes a good point in that as we get older something inevitably changes in our lives, they get busier and we cut things out to make time for work. Do you remember what it was like to be bored? I can honestly say that there are times where I miss the abundant amount of down time that
Back Pain and Golf: The Fix is Simpler Than You Think
Back Pain and Golf: The Fix is Simpler Than You Think I’m sure you’ve heard one of your friends talk about it, or experienced it yourself, or maybe you’ve even both discussed it together. Back pain is so common that it’s estimated 85% of Americans will suffer from it at some point in their life. As we get out to the range and on to the course more often, many people will start to experience that aching back creeping in again. The fortunate thing about back pain is that it’s very
A Discussion With PGA Pro Matt Walsh on Golf Specific Training
In this quick video, Matt Walsh of Warwick Country Club and I discuss some common swing characteristics that he sees when giving lessons, and how Personal Training with a TPI Certified coach can help to address and change some of those moves.
The Fundamentals of Foam Rolling (Self-Myofascial Release)
The Fundamentals of Foam Rolling (Self-Myofascial Release) Written By: Michael Lefebvre of Olympia Fitness and Performance. B.S Oftentimes When leading a client through a foam rolling series. I'll get asked questions like "What's the point of this? What is this even doing?" (Usually the discomfort naturally elicits a curse word or two but that's beside the point). My initial response is usually "well, do you know what Fascia is?" Nine times out of ten the answer will be no. I occasionally have to remind
Process vs. Outcome in Exercise: Are You Having Fun?
In 1960, the US Men's Olympic team won a gold medal in Squaw Valley. The majority of the members of that team, including Bob Cleary, worked full-time jobs apart from hockey. Cleary, interviewed in 2010 for USA Hockey Magazine, recalled "I couldn't try out for the Olympic Team at first because I just got married and opened an insurance business. I couldn't afford to be away for all the time leading up to the Games." (1) The NHL contained only 6 teams, and TV coverage was in its infancy. On
Protect Your Back Through Golf Season With These Two Moves
Exercise 1: Lateral Band Walks for Hip StabilityWith the recent emphasis on the importance of fitness in golf, we often hear people talk about “core strength”. Many people think of this as meaning that you have strong abs, but the core is much more than that. The core is where all movement begins and is responsible for transferring power from the lower body to the upper body in most athletic movements. One often over looked part of the core is our hips.Many people think of the hips as being
How Physical Therapy Can Help You Run Marathons
About the Author: Today's blog post is a guest post from Amanda Smith, DPT, from Specialized Orthopedic Physical Therapy in Warwick, RI. Amanda has been a Physical Therapist at SOPT since 2013 after receiving her Doctorate in PT from Sacred Heart University. Before attending Sacred Heart, she received her Bachelor's Degree from The University of Rhode Island where she was also a member of the track team. Amanda not only has experience in treating marathoners, but has also run multiple half marathons as well as the Chicago Marathon in 2014. If you
3 Reasons That Rory (and All Golfers) Should Keep Lifting
Rory McIlroy has repeatedly made it known that he loves lifting weights and is proud of his accomplishments in the weight room, as he should be. Despite his career success and the fact that he attributes his power to his workouts, he has come under fire a few times for his off the course training regimen. The most recent example was when Brandel Chamblee commented that he should be ‘wary” of ending up like Tiger Woods. If Rory needs to give up anything to avoid ending up like Tiger, it’s golf, not lifting, and Rory made mention