Hips – Deep Squatting
Humans should be able to squat. DEEP. Real deep. Unlike the hinge that moves the hips back and forth, the squat drops the hips up and down. All the way through toddlerhood being able to graze the ankles with the… Read more ›
Hips – The Hinge
90% of the people I see at the clinic cannot hip hinge. When I ask them to try and touch their toes, this is what I get: Successful, right? Well… This is what I hope to get (sans cat photo… Read more ›
Joint-By-Joint, the Big Picture
Before getting to the mammoth post of hips (it’ll at least be a two parter), I wanted to take a step back and reveal some patterns within the body that outline joint function. We started with the feet, which are… Read more ›
How Sport Contributes to Social Retardation
I didn’t have many friends growing up, but I always got picked first for teams. When PE or practice came, I was of a choice, selected group. I think that built-in wantedness is a big reason a large number of… Read more ›
Knees
The knees are a STABLE joint. I know what you’re thinking, “the knees move so how can they be stable?” Well, they are a hinge joint, meaning the simply flex (bend) and extend (straighten) in one plane of motion. If… Read more ›
Coopetition
Athletes are inherently selfish. They are constantly looking for that edge, for that workout or supplement that will keep their head bobbed among their peers. They want to be able to do more, so that by the law of 10,000… Read more ›
Ankles
It’s happened to all of us. The foot torques, somebody steps on us, or we land on uneven footing and bam! — ankle sprain. It hurts to darn much that first minute or so, but then we can walk it… Read more ›
Of Fables and Wanting
I always thought my favorite story was a biblical one, but it seems it’s either a Japanese or Chinese folk tale, depending on which search engine you use. (I’m not sure if I trust you Wikipedia, but I’m open to… Read more ›
More Feet (part 2)
Can you have one flat (pronated) foot and one regular foot? Absolutely. For a variety of reasons. Personally, I always lean on my right foot, and I blew out my left knee which meant I had several YEARS of training… Read more ›
It All Starts With the Feet (part 1)
I can’t help but notice people’s movement patterns as I walk. You’d be stunned by the number of high schoolers busting out of the inside of their Tom’s. It’s an interesting enigma. Nobody ever teaches you the proper mechanics of… Read more ›
Sacrificing Health for Fitness
To ‘be fit’ at something generally comes at a cost. Getting faster means you lose endurance. To be bigger you get less mobile. To be smaller you get less food. Being an athlete means you have to deal with pain.… Read more ›
Don’t Be Afraid To Get Fat
Breathing isn’t sexy. It’s not intense, infomercial-worthy, or high-five inducing. It won’t sell gatorade or trucks. (Except to Sue Falsone. Mention the diaphragm within ear shot of this woman and she’ll gas up the van and drive you to Disneyland… Read more ›
Snippets of Better and Big Chunks of Not as Good
To win you must force others to be losers. You are better because you proved they are worse. Success is shown on the score line or being picked for a team. There is a sense of elitism that comes with… Read more ›
The Pelvis
The last couple of years of rehab blitz can be narrowed down into a single thought : the pelvis is important. (Couple that with the pelvic-diaphram breathing connection and you’ve got the last five years at least). Simply put, the… Read more ›
Sugar, pt. 2
photo credit, Groupe Canam, en.wikipedia.org Sugar’s goal was to play for the NY Yankees. In the final scene of the film, his smile breaks for a moment of sternness, as he contemplates what might have been. While to most it… Read more ›
Sugar, pt. 1
I recommend this film to anyone who has hitched all of themselves (and family hopes) into the dream of playing professional sports. It is an honest, all-encompassing look at the trials one faces as they seek to become a member… Read more ›
Shifting Gears
Five years ago I suffered from Post-Competitive Depression, though I didn’t know it at the time. I attempted to start a blog about it, but as lethargic as it was to get the thoughts out of my head and find… Read more ›