The Origin of My Logo The deep squat and handstand has been my logo since I launched this blog in 2012 and became the logo of my physical therapy, personal training and bike fitting business in 2014. When I was brainstorming logos in 20012 I was reading Grey Cook’s description of the overhead deep squat […]
Why the toe touch matters Can you reach down and touch your toes with your knees straight? I consider a proper toe touch as a demonstration of basic competency in the multisegmental flexion pattern and aim to improve it with most of my clients (exceptions being flexion intolerance such as acute disc pathology). While it is […]
A Question Tendon problems include traumatic injuries such as rupture, rapidly worsening problems such as tendonitis (inflammation) and slow developing chronic problems such as tendinosis (non-inflammatory tendon breakdown)[1]. These later two are often blamed on overuse and poor bio-mechanics. But you might be asking “Why is my achilles sore when that other guy with terrible running form is […]
Questions My wife and I were traveling in Bulgaria when she asked me “why does that woman have a bulge in her upper back?” This bulge is technically called thoracic hyperkyphosis and suddenly, we were noticing it everywhere: a young woman holding a baby, and older woman walking with a cane, the taxi driver, the […]
You might have tight shoulders if… You have ever asked yourself “Why do I have a hard time reaching up overhead.” For the gym junkies this often comes up as “Why is it so hard to hold weight overhead?” For the frequent flyer this comes up as “why is it so hard to put things […]
References: Vivek V. Venkataraman, Thomas S. Kraft, and Nathaniel J. DominyTree climbing and human evolution. PNAS 2013 110 (4) 1237-1242; Neil T. Roach, MadhusudhanVenkadesan, Michael J. Rainbow & Daniel E. Lieberman. Elastic energy storage in the shoulder and the evolution of high-speed throwing in Homo. Nature 498, 483–486 (27 June 2013) Jeffrey L. Halbrecht, M.D., Phillip Tirman, M.D., David Atkin, M.D. Internal Impingement of the Shoulder: […]
THE QUESTION The question “How low should I squat” is one that wafts through the air of weight rooms and fitness centers almost as often as the unique malodorous scent of nitrogen rich sweat from protein supplementation. Everyone from your gym rats to physicians to your aunt Betty seem to have an opinion on the appropriate […]
A Question In physical therapy school I was taught that a young adult should be able to stand on one leg for 30 seconds with their eyes closed. I assumed this number was derived from a large study measuring the average balance time from a large number of individuals but I never took the time […]
Perusing the articles on my blog, you will find that I have a predilection for writing about squatting. The most conclusive research to date on the factors effecting deep squatting range of motion indicates that the ankle is the key variable. If you have excellent ankle dorsiflexion range of motion, chances are you will be able to […]
A QUESTION My last post covered the modifiable risk factors for osteoarthritis. My conclusion based on the available evidence was that your best bet to reduce risk of osteoarthritis is to avoid joint injuries, don’t get too heavy and pick a job that doesn’t require a lifetime of heavy lifting, kneeling, squatting, stairs or […]
Posture Movement Pain 