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Coach of the Week: Former Army Ranger and CrossFit Coach Matt Hoff

7 Jun

Each week the Uberbloggers showcase a coach or athlete of the Ubersense community they think our users and everyone else would like to meet (all articles can be found on the Coach of the Week page).  This Friday we’re talking with Matt Hoff, a CrossFit coach and active Paleo blogger. Blog posts can be found at Paleonow.com.

Matt Hoff
Can you tell us a little about your background?
I recently got out of the Army. I served for 9.5 years as a Cadet at West Point, a Scout Platoon Leader in the 82nd Airborne, and a Ranger Instructor. I now have a desk job and go to Grad School at Georgia Tech. I’ve always played sports, but honestly have never been that good. I love CrossFit for the competition aspect, but I like the social aspect of it just as much. I’d give you a laundry list of certs and competitions that I’ve done, but that’s kind of boring. Frankly, an embarrassing amount of my expendable income and time goes to competitive exercise

How did you get into CrossFit and coaching?
I got into CrossFit while I was at West Point. At the time the main site was still pretty new. Some buddies of mine introduced it to me as this cool thing that elite Soldiers did. I did my first “Cindy” in 2005 in the barracks bathroom. Probably not the best place to do push ups, but my hands didn’t fall off so that’s a win. I got into coaching by working out with some of my Soldiers while in Iraq. I was definitely not an instant covert to CrossFit, but that was mostly because I had no clue what most of the lifts were. Once we got back I got my Level 1 so that I could better run my platoon in PT. I kept going to certs and learning as much as I can. I started coaching when I moved to Columbus, Ga/Ft. Benning. Mark and Chris at CrossFit Inception asked me to start coaching and its been a life changing decision.

How does CrossFit compare to other workouts and training programs?
Doesn’t even compare. Its the most fun and effective thing I’ve ever done. I never thought that at 28 I’d be in better shape then I was in as a Cadet or as a young officer. I also didn’t think I’d be a better athlete at this point in my life then I ever was before. I love the community and to compete. I can’t think of any other exercise program that give that to so many people.

What is the ‘Paleo lifestyle’?
Basically, the Paleo lifestyle gets a bad rap. Its not trying to recreate what some dude in a loin cloth with a club did when humanity first started. Not only is it inaccurate its also impossible. The world and humans have changed too much. Human beings are incredibly resilient. We’ve thrived in everything from the jungle to desert to the arctic. You won’t instantly die from grains or from a can of soda. You can also live through a gun shot to the stomach. Living a Paleo lifestyle means that you’re trying to optimize your food and daily routine to give you the best results for health, athleticism, and longevity. You eat real food, primarily meat and vegetables, and avoid food that you know are going give you problems.

How did you begin working with military soldiers? What types of coaching do you provide them?
I began working with them as a Platoon Leader running morning physical training session. I coach the early morning class at CrossFit North Atlanta off of Howell Mill Road. The only military people I work with nowadays are friends or friends of friends. Its usually someone who wants to compete as an athlete, but needs to balance it with work schedule or someone who wants to get ready for a selection or specialty training course like Ranger School.I have more experience than most with both of these, so I fill a niche market.

How does video help with CrossFit and Olympic lifts?

I haven’t really had consistent coaching or training partners over the past however eight years of CrossFit. Video allows me to follow through on being my own worst critic. It lets me actually apply all of this hard earned knowledge to myself.

How do you use Ubersense in your coaching routine?I’m not the world’s best weightlifting coach, but being able to watch lifts in slow motion gives my eye a chance to catch up with what my brain is thinking. I also coach a lot of people remotely, so video is really the only way to see what they are doing. Without seeing how people move I can’t correctly program for them. The ability to record my voice over the video makes it incredibly easy for my athletes and I to keep a track of progress, give cues, and fix lifts. I can watch a missed lift, record a video, and email it back to Afghanistan before the next training session. That’s pretty cool.

What are you favorite features?
The voice over feature is amazing. I also like being able to draw lines as reference points.

Anything else you’d like to add?
I’ll use Ubersense on myself between lifts, on my athletes in the gym to show them how they’re moving when I’m at loss for words with my cues, and with people half a world away.

A special thanks goes out to Matt Hoff  for answering these questions and for serving our country.  To learn more about Matt’s CrossFit and Paleo lifestyle check out his website at Paleonow.com.

Strengthening your Core for Golf

29 Nov

This post was contributed by certified golf fitness professional Ian Manning, owner and operator of Orthocore Physical Therapy in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. 

Core Strengthening exercises for Golf

Having the proper mobility/flexibility is the first step to a good golf swing.  If you have any restriction in motion it will show up in your golf swing (no matter how strong you are).  If you haven’t read my past posts on how to improve your mobility you should.  Read the first three posts before you move onto this one.  Once you have mobility/flexibility, you need to have the appropriate amount of strength to stay on plane as you swing a golf club.  The best way to have a stable golf swing is to have a stable core.  When most people think about core strength they instantly go to the abdominals.  This is only part of it though.  The gluteus muscles are also considered to be a part of the “core complex” and are the most important muscle in the golf swing.  The first thing we need to do, as always, is test your core.  From there we will review some exercises that will help to build up the core strength and help improve your golf swing.

Test

The first test is for the gluteus.  Lie on your back with both knees bent and your feet as close to your hips as you can.  Lift your hips in the air with your arms up in the air.  Once in a flat position kick one leg out and hold it for 10 seconds.  After that lower your hips, raise them back up again, and then kick the other leg out.  If you have difficulty with this test you have a glut weakness.  Difficulty means; cramping in your hamstring, shaking, or dropping of leg that is off the ground.

The second test is for the abdominals.  Again, lie on your back with both legs out straight.  Lift both legs up to the 12 o’clock position.  Flatten your low back into the ground.  Slowly lower your legs back to the ground keeping them straight.  Go as low as you can keeping your low back flat.  Once your low back arches that is the end of the test.  You should be able to get to at least 1:30 but 3 o’clock is optimal (and also VERY hard).

Odds are that you did not pass one if not both of the tests.  Do not go easy on your grading with the tests (in other words be honest).  Most people that I see have a weakness in these areas.  It is a result of the way we live our lives.  We spend most of the day sitting (I’m doing it right now writing this post).  The sitting position creates weakness in our core complex.  Now think about how much you sit throughout the day vs. how much core strengthening you do.  It starts to add up.

There is good news though.  The exercises listed below will help to improve your core strength for a better golf swing.

Exercises

The first two exercises are going to look very similar to the tests.  Lie on your back with your knees bent similarly to the first test.  Keep your feet together but your knees apart 6 about 6 inches.  Bring your hips up in the air, squeezing your gluteus together as you do so (pretend you have a $100 bill between your cheeks and you don’t want to let it fly away) until your thighs and torso are flat.  Hold 10 seconds and perform 15 repetitions.

The next exercise is similar to the second test.  Lie on your back with your legs straight up in the air.  Press your low back into the ground and keep it there.  Slowly lower your legs as far as you can keeping your back flat.  Once you get to the area where your back wants to come off the ground stop.  Hold that angle with your legs for 5 seconds perform 15 repetitions.

The squat is a great way to strengthen both your abdominals and gluteus muscles at the same time.  Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and a weight in your hands (8-10lbs).  Slowly lower down into the squat position until your thighs are parallel to the ground.  As you lower down hold your hands out in front of you holding the weight.  Hold the bottom position for 3 seconds and perform 15 repetitions.

The last exercise involves a basketball or soccer ball.  Lie on your back and hold the ball between your elbows and knees.  Kick one leg out and drop the opposite elbow to the ground while still squeezing the ball between the other knee/elbow.  Hold 2 seconds and then switch to the opposite side.  Perform 15 repetitions on each side.

I would suggest performing 3 sets of all the exercises listed above.  It will take you a little while but the results will be well worth it.  Even if you did “pass” the tests I still think you need to perform these exercises.  In my opinion you can not have a strong enough core complex in the golf swing.   If you have any pain with the tests or exercises please consult with your local Physical Therapist.  If you have any questions please contact me.  Thank you for reading.

Ian

“Live Pain Free”

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Improve you Shoulder Turn for Golf

21 Nov

Shoulder Turn Exercises for you Golf Swing

This post was contributed by certified golf fitness professional Ian Manning, owner and operator of Orthocore Physical Therapy in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. 

Improving your shoulder turn is something that every golfer should work on, from amateur to professional.  It will help every aspect of your game from set-up to back swing to impact and follow through.  Having the required mobility in your torso will also help to improve distance off every club in your bag.  Allow me to explain the concept.

“Shoulder turn” in the Physical Therapy and training world is known as thoracic rotation.  Your thorax is essential your rib cage.  It consists of the 12 thoracic vertebrae that your ribs attach to.  Any restrictions in this area of your body will affect your set up.  It can lead to a rounded position (C-posture) or a scooped position (S-posture) when you address the ball.  When you go into your back swing it can lead to a flattened position at the top of your back swing.  A properly sequenced swing starts with your hips.  Having poor shoulder turn can prevent this from happening leading to an “over the top” swing which will then most likely lead to a slice type of ball flight.  All these things are swing killers and will rob you of distance and consistency.  So the question presents itself.  How do you test for it and how do you fix it?

Test

Testing for thoracic rotation is fairly easy.  Take a seat in a chair, preferably one that doesn’t swivel, close to the edge of the chair (be careful not to fall off the end, Ive seen it happen).  Place a club behind your shoulders with your shoulders pinched back and elbows pointing down to the ground behind your body.  Twist as far as you can to the right and as far as you can to the left.  Once again were going to imagine a clock face.  Your front shoulder should be able to get to 11 o’clock (rotating to the right) and 1 o’clock (rotating to the left) on the clock face.  There are a couple of cheating type motions that I see with this and I want you to be aware of.  First, it is how far your “shoulders” turn not your hands.  As we turn we will try to push more with our hands.  That doest count.  It is where your shoulders can turn to, not your hands.  Secondly, people will try to add a little bit of rotation with their hips.  To prevent this make sure that your knees and feet stay in contact and level with each other throughout the turn.  If you cannot get to these points on the clock face then you have a restriction.  Perform the exercises below to help improve this motion and improve your shoulder turn.

Shoulder Turn Exercise

Exercises

The best exercise (and one that I give to almost every golfer that walks in my doors) is the open book stretch.  To perform this lie on your side with your bottom leg straight, your top leg bent, and on top of a foam roller or towel roll.  Place the hand of the arm that you are lying on on top of the bent knee and press down with 20% effort.  Keep your top arm straight and out in front of your body.  Rotate that arm back, following it with your eyes, without allowing your bent leg to come off of the foam roller/towel.  You should feel a great stretch through your chest.  Hold for 3 seconds and perform 15 repetitions.

Golf Torso Exercise

To perform the seated torso turn sit in a chair with the club behind your shoulders (just like the testing position).  Once again pinch your knees together and don’t allow them to move.  Turn as far as you can to the right.  When you get to the end of your rotation side bend and lean towards the hip that you are rotating to.  When you come up from the side bend instantly turn increasing your turn to the right.  Perform the side bend and rotation one more time.  When you rotate to the right for the last time hold that end range for 3 seconds.  You should have noticed that your shoulder turn improved after every side bend.  Go back to the starting position and perform the whole exercise two more times.  Perform 4 reps to each side.  Make sure that your knees don’t move with the turn, just like we did with the test.

To perform reach backs get onto your hands and knees.  Make sure that your back is flat and parallel to the table/floor.  Place one hand behind your head.  Press the hand that is still on the table into the table with 20% effort.  Rotate your bent elbow up towards the ceiling and follow that elbow with your eyes.  You should feel a stretch in your chest and shoulder.  Hold 3 seconds and perform 15 repetitions to each side.

Shoulder Turn exercise

Performing these exercises should help to improve your thoracic mobility and shoulder turn.  One side note with all of these exercises.  Make sure you BREATH when you are performing them.  If you hold your breath the increased lung volume will not allow your vertebrae to move.  That will restrict your turn and restrict the amount of stretch you can obtain.  If you feel pain with the exercises or notice that you aren’t making any improvements (give it about a month) then you need to consult with your local Physical Therapist.

Having the necessary amount of shoulder turn will help you to stay on plane throughout your swing.  It will also afford you the adequate amount of motion to initiate your swing with your hips.  That will help to keep you on plane but also help to increase club speed and distance (and who doesn’t want that?).  If you have any questions please contact me.  Thank you for reading and check back with us for the next post on how to improve your core strength.

Ian

“Live Pain Free”

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Improve your Golf Swing Hip Rotation

14 Nov

Golf Swing Hip Rotation

This post was contributed by certified golf fitness professional Ian Manning, owner and operator of Orthocore Physical Therapy in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. 

Hip rotation is frequently talked about but not frequently understood when it comes to the golf swing.  It is certainly one of the areas of the body where you cannot coach it into working better.  If you don’t have the motion your swing is going to hit a huge road block that will cause swing faults and inconsistencies.

Lets talk about the motion first.  When a golfer goes into their backswing they load into their trail leg (right hip for a right handed golfer).  Not only does your trail leg have to be able to accept this load, your lead leg needs to let go to allow the motion.  In transition and into the follow through the same rules apply just in reverse.  The trail leg needs to let go and the lead leg needs to accept the weight and momentum of the swing.  Any weakness or inflexibility in the hips will prevent this motion and lead to swing faults.  These swing faults will take your swing off plane, lead to inconsistent contact, and possibly lead to injury.

Test

So how do you test yourself for hip motion?  Here is how I test every golfer that walks through my door.  I prefer to use an alignment rod passed through the front belt loops of your pants.  This will help to highlight what your hips are truly doing.  Stand on one leg with the other foot up on a step or platform (you are testing the leg that is on the ground).  The foot your standing on has to stay pointing forward, it cannot twist, that’s cheating.  Turn to your right and to your left.  If you imagine a clock face your alignment rod should make it to at least 1:30 and 10:30.  If your a geometry guy, 60 degrees is what were going for.  If you can’t twist that far then you have a restriction.  Work on the following exercises to help improve your hip rotation.

 

Exercises

Improving hip outward rotation is fairly easy.  You need this motion in your lead hip in the backswing and in your trail hip on the follow through.  The first exercise is called a figure-4 stretch.  Get onto your back and cross one leg over the other.  Pull the whole complex up to your chest.  You should feel a stretch in the hip that is crossed.  Hold 3 seconds and perform 15 repetitions.

Hip inward rotation is a little bit tougher to improve and frankly where I see a lot of problems with my golfers.  You need this motion in your trail hip on the backswing and in your lead hip on the follow through.  To stretch this motion place a bent knee on a chair and place a towel roll between your knee and the back of the chair.  Keeping that leg stationary start to walk your other leg across your body until you feel a stretch in the hip of the bent leg.  Your bent knee must stay in contact with the towel roll throughout the exercise.  Hold 3 seconds and perform 15 repetitions.

Golf Hip Rotation

Now that we have talked rotation we need to talk forward and back.  Tightness in your hamstrings and hip flexors can also cause hip problems.  Here are my two favorite stretches for these muscles.  Hold each 3 seconds and perform 15 repetitions.

For your hamstrings place your feet up on a small object (a 2×4 piece of wood works really well) and a towel roll between your knees.  Squeeze the towel as you reach for your feet.  Do not allow your knees to bend throughout the stretch.

Golf Hip Rotation

For your hip flexors get into a kneeling position.  Place your front foot across the line of your back knee.  Hold onto a chair or wall for balance.  Drive your back knee forward and towards the front heel.  You should feel a good stretch in the back hip.

Golf Hip Rotation

Perform these stretches daily.  Once you get used to them and don’t have to look at the pictures it might take you 10 minutes.  Don’t tell me you don’t have an extra 10 minutes.  Stop watching useless commercials about Ginsu knives and start stretching.  If you tested yourself and have the motion but still have problems with your swing due to your hips then it is a strength issue.  We are going to get into the fixes for this problem later in this series so be sure to continue to follow us.

I know this will help to get you hips rotating better and get your swing back on track.  If you are performing these stretches regularly and not making any improvements then your issues stem past flexibility.  Consult with your local Physical Therapist to get a hip evaluation.  You should also consult with a PT if you have pain with the exercises or the test positions.  If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.  Thank you for reading.

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Golf Off-Season Workout: Ankle Mobility

8 Nov

The following post was contributed by certified golf fitness professional Ian Manning, owner and operator of Orthocore Physical Therapy in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. 

Golf Off-Season Workout Routine: Ankle Mobility

When it comes to the golf swing there are three main areas of mobility (motion), the ankle, the hips and your torso/shoulders.  For this post I want to review why the ankle joint is so important for the golf swing.  I will then show you how to improve your ankle mobility to optimize your golf swing.  Ready!?  Here we go!

The ankle joint is vital to the golf swing and I think frequently over looked.  Your foot and ankle complex is the only thing connecting you to the ground.  Any small loss in motion at this joint can cause you to lose your stability (which we all know is very important in the golf swing) and take you off plane.  Tiger Woods actually battled with ankle stiffness early in his career.  He would frequently be seen stretching his ankle between holes on a bench to make sure that he stayed loose.  More recently, tightness in Paul Casey’s ankles lead to his toe pain.  The ankle moves forward and back but also side to side.  All these motions are required during the golf swing and can affect it more than you would think.

Mobility Check:

To test your ankle motion forward and back you want to get into a half kneeling position.  Shift your weight forward driving your knee directly over your toes.  You should be able to get your knee about 5 inches past your toes.  Make sure your knee does not dip in and your heel does not come up off the ground, that’s cheating!

 

To test the side to side motion of your ankle have a seat and place your fists between your knees.  Roll your foot in and out without allowing your knees to come off your fists.  You should be able to easily roll onto the outside edges of your feet without moving your knees.

 

Exercises:

Not that we have assessed your motion we need to know how to improve it.  If you have a restriction moving forward/back perform these exercises (one should look familiar).

Get into a kneeling position and drive your knee past your toes until you feel a stretch.  Keep your heel on the ground.  Hold 3 seconds and perform 15 repetitions.

Stand against wall with heels, hips, shoulders, and head touching the wall.  Slide down the wall keeping your knees tracking over your toes until you feel a stretch in your calf muscles.  Hold 3 seconds and perform 15 repetitions.

If you have a restriction moving your ankle in and out perform these exercises.

Sit on a table/bed with your foot on a stability ball.  Stabilize your knee with your hands.  Roll your foot in and out on the ball.  Go as far as you can until you feel a stretch in your foot.  Hold 3 seconds and perform 15 repetitions to each side.

 

Stand with your knee slightly bent and your opposite foot back.  Roll your foot in and out (flatten your arch and create an arch) as far as you can without allowing your knee to move much.  Hold 3 seconds and perform 15 repetitions in each direction.

 

You should start to notice improvements in your ankle mobility in about a month if you are diligent in performing the exercises.  If you work on it and don’t notice an improvement its time to go see someone, i.e. a Physical Therapist, Chiro, DO.  Sometimes a loss in motion cannot be fixed by stretching alone.  These specialists will be able to further assess where your restriction is coming from and what else needs to be done to correct it.

The ankle complex is VERY important to the golf swing.  If you noticed that you have restrictions it could be what is causing your swing faults and affecting your game.  Hopefully improving the motion in your ankle with help improve your game on the course.  Thank you for reading and please contact me with any questions.

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Orthocore Physical Therapy: Analyzing Golf Injuries

29 Jun

The following post was contributed by certified golf fitness professional Ian Manning, owner and operator of Orthocore Physical Therapy in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. 

My name is Ian Manning and I have been practicing Physical Therapy for 8 years.  Four years ago I did a search on how to become a Golf Physical Therapist.  I was introduced to the Titleist Performance Institute and have worked my way through the different levels of certification to now be a certified level 3 medical professional and a certified level 2 fitness professional.  I’m always looking for ways to give my patients feed back on what they are doing, right or wrong, that is affecting their swing and creating an injury.

I have recently started utilizing the Ubersense app to show my patients their swings in the clinic.  Once they are cleared to swing I will record them from both a front view and down the line view.  I will then play their swing back and show them how their swing fault, or faults, is leading to their injury.  It has been so helpful for many reasons.  The main thing that it does is give a cause and effect to the patient.  They now visually understand why their swing has been giving them pain.  It also gives them more of a drive to correct the problem to play better golf and ultimately pain free golf.

Here is an example of a patient that I was working with:

Patient X had a lead hip issue.  He stated that he was working on “covering the ball” and started to notice pain.  While playing he felt a “pop” and was no longer able to swing or walk.  MRI was positive for a muscle tear in the glut medius.

After evaluating him I noticed that he had a loss of hip rotation and a weakness.  Part was due to the injury but part was there prior to the injury.  I worked with him to get his motion and strength better to the point where he could swing without pain.  Then I recorded his swing in the clinic.  Here is a still shot of that swing:

Note: Name and face has been blurred due to PT regulations

I was able to show him that his version of “covering the ball” is actually a slight slide vs. getting his hands ahead of the ball at impact.  He was getting past the ball and outside of his lead leg which puts too much strain on the lead hip and can cause injury.  I was then able to correlate his loss of motion and strength to why he isn’t able to properly post around his lead leg.

Prior to having Ubersense I would always try to describe this cause and effect moment to my patients by demonstrating with my swing.  It is a much more effective feedback mechanism to be able to show them their specific swing and what needs to be fixed.  I use it with every golfer that I treat and am starting to utilize it with other athletes as well.

Fore more information on Golf Physical Therapy or Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation please visit www.orthocorept.com or find Ian on Twitter @ManningGolfPT

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Video Analysis and Instruction for CrossFit Training and Learning

17 Jun

The CrossFit community consists of some of the most passionate and disciplined fitness enthusiasts.  CrossFit athletes and trainers are continually discussing and honing their craft in pursuit of rigorous and precise workout routines.  These attributes make CrossFit a natural fit for the UberSense app as it allows for quick and easy analysis and sharing of workout and lifting video.

For instance, we recently discovered how the CrossFit Southie in Boston, Massachusetts uses the UberSense app to demonstrate proper power clean technique. In this following video that was posted on their website, a coach is providing analysis of a lift using the UberSense app so that his students and anybody else can learn and improve.

UberSense’s goal is to make it ridiculously convenient for trainers and coaches to review video and identify areas of improvement instantly by just using their mobile device such as an iPhone or iPad.  Trainers can record a video using the camera on their device or even import videos from YouTube if they wish to. Once the video is taken, the trainer can provide in-person feedback to the athlete, or record a telestrated review of the video to be shared with the athlete or posted on the website. Athletes and gym members can then see what they need to work on to perfect their form and trainers can upload or record videos of themselves demonstrating proper form.

On the other hand, an athlete can also post a video and solicit feedback from peers and trainers at their gym or network of friends.  Athletes can then monitor and track their performance and technique over time through video comparison using the app. The visual aid can be a powerful motivating factor as athletes can actually see their improvement and progress over time.

If you are a CrossFit member or trainer, please do provide your feedback on the use of UberSense and how you think we should improve. You can either post in the comments section below or send us an email at support@ubersense.com

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Fitness Training Video Analysis: Lunge technique

11 Jun

Contributed by certified Personal Trainer & Group Fitness Instructor Anne Pedicini

Lunges are a great exercise to engage your hips and lower body.  They are also the most commonly mistaken exercise I see in the gym each day.  Lunges require perfect form to maintain proper balance and prevent injury. Achieving perfect lunge form takes practice and it can be extremely helpful to watch and learn from someone with good technique.

Proper Lunge form

The lunge begins in similar fashion to the squat exercise, with your feet square under your shoulders and your body in an athletic stance.

Finish position

Step forward with your left or right leg. It is essential to keep your head, hips, and back knee in a straight line. This not only helps you maintain your balance but also ensure that your legs are getting the proper workout.  It is also important to keep the knees at a 90 degree angle to the ground.  Your front foot should remain planted on the ground while your back foot should be on your toes. Return your front leg to the start position and alternate with your other leg in the forward position. Repeat for a set of 8-15 reps depending on your fitness level.  Feel free to add a weighted barbell or hold dumbbells to increase the level of difficulty.

 Video

Below are two videos of a great workout demonstrating the proper technique of lunges and side lunges. Try this simple exercise today at the gym or in your home.

Lunge Workout – Front View

Lunge Workout – Side View

Written by: Anne Pedicini

Certified Personal Trainer & Group Fitness Instructor with over 12 years experience

annepedi@comcast.net

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Fitness Training Video Analysis: Squat technique

4 Jun

Contributed by certified Personal Trainer & Group Fitness Instructor Anne Pedicini

When done correctly, squats are a great lower body exercise for your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glute muscles.  This exercise can be performed with heavy weights at a gym or home in your backyard. However, poor squat technique can put tremendous strain on your knees and put the athlete at risk of serious injury.  Today, we demonstrate the proper squat technique and form from setup to finish.

Squat technique

Start position

Your feet should be pretty much square under your shoulder. You want to stand up on the ball of your feet in an athletic position with a slight bend in your knees.

Finish position

Your knees should form a 90 degree angle towards the ground. You do not need to go any lower than this as you may risk injury in doing so.  You will also notice that the back is almost at a 40 degree angle and the arms are raised up to maintain balance and posture. Note that this form is exactly the same if you are using a weighted barbell or squat rack. Raise and straighten your back to the start position and repeat for a set of 8-15 reps depending on your fitness level.

Video

Squat Workout - Front View

Squat Workout – Side View

Written by: Anne Pedicini

Certified Personal Trainer & Group Fitness Instructor with over 12 years experience

annepedi@comcast.net

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Fitness Training Video Analysis: Push up technique

30 May

Contributed by certified Personal Trainer & Group Fitness Instructor Anne Pedicini

The push up is one of the most basic and effective workouts to perform.  The push up can be done at home or at a gym and can be varied based on level of difficulty and desired muscle group.

However, I often see athletes and fitness lovers of all levels performing push ups incorrectly. Using poor technique can actually negate the positive affects of performing the exercise.  Equipment like the Perfect Push up handles can help, but even these do not guarantee good form.  The best way to learn is to watch someone who knows what they are doing and practice on your own. Here is the perfect push up form.

The Perfect Push up Form

Start/Rest position

In the ideal start or resting position, your elbows are extended, but not fully locked.  Your back should create roughly a 20 degree angle from your neck to your heal.  You should remain balanced on your toes with your heals pointing directly up in the air. Hand placement can vary based on difficulty and desired outcome. Hands placed close together will work your triceps and inner-chest while wide grip focuses more on the pectorals.

Finish position

In a controlled and steady motion, lower your body to the ground. You should strive to finish with as straight a back as possible.  A 0 degree angle from head to heal is perfect as this indicates you have lowered your body exactly far enough.  In this position your elbows should be roughly at a 90 degree angle from the ground. Hold this position for 1-2 seconds and slowly push yourself back up to the rest position. Repeat for a set of 10-25 reps depending on your fitness level.

Video

Watch a video of this technique here

Written by:
Anne Pedicini
Certified Personal Trainer & Group Fitness Instructor with over 12 years experience
annepedi@comcast.net

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