Freestyle Fitness Addiction » ACL Rehab/Prehab

Random Recap

admin — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 20:25:54 +0000

Hi lovelies! How are you all? Just wanted to share with you a little bit about what’s being going on with me, since I haven’t been posting much lately. Sawwy! : /

First of all, the biggest transition has been to focus on my business. The pace of life now, ironically, is much more relaxed. I don’t have the crazy commuting anymore, and must be mindful and deliberate about the choices I make.

As always, I have been keeping my head in the books. My most recent book has been the textbook for the CISSN certification (to be a sports nutritionist). I love nutrition and I think it is hugely significant in accomplishing physique goals, and I hate saying “I am a certified personal trainer but I’m not a certified nutritionist…” blah blah blah as a caveat to my recommendations. I WANT to say “I am a certified personal trainer AND a certified nutritionist.” Hence, my studying. The textbook is MAJORLY scientific, though…puts me to sleep! I definitely feel much more comfortable reading exercise physiology texts.

Last Saturday I did one of the FUNNEST THINGS IN SOOO LONG!! I totally LOVE trampolines! When I first met my boyfriend (dating at the time), one of our dates was to this trampoline WONDERLAND in Santa Clara. It’s a HUGE warehouse full of trampolines! This place is truly incredible. I was in heaven. I bounced my heart out for an hour, doing all these tricks and flips, and left with a heaving chest, nastily drenched clothes, and an ear-to-ear smile. Sadly, not long after that is when I tore my ACL and all my “fun” ended. I never went back, as it has been a long road to recovery. Within the last 6 weeks, my knee has finally gotten to the point where I can take hikes and my knee is not bothered. I took this as a sign that my knee is fine and asked my bf for us to go jump on the trampolinness!!! He kept on saying no He said I wasn’t ready. Finally, last Saturday, he suggested we go. My eyes LIT UP and I started squeeling with excitement yeeaahhhh. And we went and it was a BLAST to jump and jump to our heart’s content. Here is an awesome picture as he soars into the foam pit

Then, on SUNDAY, he suggested we kick around the soccer ball. Now this is a REAL test, as I would have to be running on grass and cutting/changing directions quickly. This is a true challenge for the ACL because it involves an unpredictable surface as well as quick changes in direction, requiring stabilization in multiple plans of motion, rapidly accelerating and decelerating. And…the verdict?..My knee held up!!! I didn’t give 100% because psychologically I was scared, but I gave about 80% and it felt GREAT to be darting around the field, FINALLY!! August will be two years since it happened.

So, that’s some of what is going on with me. I am in such transition right now! With my career, with my body…and correspondingly, with my heart. Working on a lot of things right now. And I am sorry I haven’t posted more regularly, it’s terrible! If any of you lovely fellow bloggers would like to guest post to add a little spice to my blog, I would be happy to consider your posts!! Just send them to Kristina@FreestyleFitnessAddiction.com.

Well, kiddies…I guess that’s it for now. Lots of love and healthy, positive energy to you all <3 <3 <3

ACL Injuries and the Fitness Competitor

admin — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 04:57:33 +0000

Interesting! I came across this article on bodysport.com and wanted to share it. I am highly interested in the intersection of functional training and figure/fitness training and will one day write a piece on this. For now, this is one of the only articles that I have seen that addresses something that concerns them both. As someone who has experienced an ACL tear and as a fitness professional passionate about functional training to stay healthy (see my post on ACL injury prevention here), I enjoyed reading the article, copy-pasted below, and available here.

ACL Injuries and the Fitness Competitor
by Carla Sanchez, C.S.C.S. and IFBB Pro

Watching a fitness competition it becomes evident the high level of training these athletes commit to year round. Their bodies are super lean, athletic, and sculpted with shapely, powerful muscle. In addition to physique training, fitness competitors must also focus on performance routine training. For the fitness routine round, the competitor is expected to execute strength skills with precision, effortlessly transition from one move to the next, perform powerful tumbling passes and dazzle the judges with high-energy, creativity and charisma!

Fitness competitors are consistently working on improving their fitness routine performance by adding more technical strength skills, entertaining dance moves, impressive gymnastics skills, and improved flexibility. So, considering the intense training it takes to become a top notch fitness competitor, a serious knee injury would be devastating.

Unfortunately, however, you all probably know a female athlete who has injured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of the knee. In the fitness industry alone, there are many who have sustained this injury, including myself. As a matter of fact, I have had the unfortunate experience of tearing mine three times and subsequently have undergone four knee surgeries.

My first ACL injury was before my very first IFBB Pro Fitness competition. I competed throughout my pro fitness career battling knee injuries which was challenging and painful. But with a few modifications to my routine and with creative training, I was able to continue performing and competing. Call me stubborn, but despite the pain and training restrictions, I simply didn’t feel like quitting! I stuck with it and just four months after tearing my ACL the third time, I won the 2-minute round at the 2002 Pittsburgh Pro Fitness Championships!

After the third tear, I began wearing a knee brace and chose not to have surgery again to repair it. It’s very uncommon to injure it as many times as I have, but it is common for female athletes to have more ACL injuries than males with gymnasts leading the injury list.

So why are female athletes more susceptible to an ACL injury? I never imagined the possibility of injuring my ACL! Just like you probably haven’t either! I was always a healthy athlete, even played college basketball, and had never experienced a serious injury until that first ACL tear. At the time of injury I considered myself strong, flexible and agile. I didn’t know that female athletes were more susceptible to an ACL injury so I never considered followed a training prevention plan. In hindsight, if I had followed a training prevention plan, perhaps it would have saved me from several painful surgeries and months of rehabilitation! Remember, an injury can happen to anyone, at anytime. Do what you can to stay healthy and protect your knees!

Pop Goes the ACL

The ACL connects the femur to the tibia at the center of the knee. It is responsible for limiting rotation and forward motion of the tibia, a very important function for a fitness competitor! For the most part, torn ACLs are considered “non contact” injuries. They usually occur during:

1) Planting and cutting moves

2) Straight leg landing from jumps

3) Pivoting with hyperextension

Planting and cutting moves, jumps, and pivots are quite common while performing a fitness routine. If the ACL is injured, the athlete will usually hear a loud “pop” and experience significant swelling within the knee, thus making immediate medical care imperative. It is known in the medical literature that ACL deficient knees or reconstructed ACLs have 105 times greater chance of developing osteoarthritis.

The surgery requires reconstructing the ACL with either a patellar tendon, hamstring tendon or allograft tissue. The surgery is costly and the recovery period is generally six to nine months long, with the first month being the most painful; physically and emotionally. In addition, the loss of muscle tone and sport-specific training, puts a fitness competitor at least a year away from competing again. Given the financial, physical and emotional stress that an ACL injury can incur on a competitor, prevention is crucial.

Why Are Female Athletes More Prone to ACL Tears?

Why does gender make a difference? According to the medical statistics, if you’re a female, you are more susceptible to an ACL injury. Several studies clearly show that in sports that place a significant demand on the ACL such as; basketball, soccer, cheerleading and gymnastics, ACL injuries are up to ten times more common in women than in men. There are many hypotheses as to why women are more prone to ACL injuries than men. They include:

1) “Q” Angle of knee: The Q angle refers to the quadriceps angle or the angle between the hip and the knee. Women’s hips are wider so the femur [upper leg bone] comes down to the knee at a sharper angle, placing additional stress on the ACL.

2) Anatomy of the notch inside the knee: On average, women have a slightly smaller ACL and the place where the ACL passes through the knee joint, the intercondylar notch, is slightly smaller. These anatomic differences may account for a greater susceptibility to ACL injury.

3) Hormonal variations: Ligaments, like many other tissues, are affected by hormone levels in the body. Estrogen makes ligaments looser. One small study found a higher rate of ACL tears around mid-cycle
(days 10-14) when estrogen levels peak. Women on oral contraceptives are thought to have a lower rate of ACL injuries than women not taking oral contraceptives.

4) Loose ligaments: In general, women have looser ligaments, possibly increasing ACL injury.

5) Pivoting Tactics: Women turn and pivot in a more erect position. Bending at the knee and hip reduces ACL stress.

6) Jump Landing Tactics: Women do not bend their knees as much as men when landing from a jump. This increases knee joint pressure.

7) Weaker hamstrings: This is the most probable theory leading to a higher incidence of ACL injury in women. Together the quads and hamstrings help stabilize the knee. The quad muscles are an ACL antagonist, placing stress on the ACL when contracting. The hamstrings are an ACL agonist, removing ACL stress when contracting. If the hamstrings are excessively weak or inflexible, they may not adequately protect the ACL during a strong quad contraction.

Also, if the quads are excessively strong relative to the hamstrings, the ACL may be torn due to a lack of hamstring protection. Women tend to use their quads more then their hamstrings when landing and changing direction which can lead to an ACL tear. It’s very important to realize that anyone, whether you’re male or female, whose quadriceps are significantly stronger than their hamstrings may be highly susceptible to ACL injury!

Training Prevention Plan

Fitness competitors should routinely work with a Strength and Conditioning Specialist and/or a Pilates instructor to be analyzed for any body misalignments and/or muscular imbalances. Together with your trainer create a training prevention plan with the following tips in mind:

Train Hamstrings: Hip extensions, straight leg deadlifts, seated, lying and kneeling leg curls should be incorporated to strengthen the hamstrings.

Avoid the Leg Extension Machine: This machine, which is an open chain exercise (feet not in contact with the floor), can apply shearing forces to the knee, making it more susceptible to knee injuries.

Integrate Strength Training With Balance: Incorporate the stability ball, wobble board, dyna disc, and BOSU ball.

Practice “Closed Chain” Exercise: Exercises such as squats and the leg press are examples of closed chain exercises. These types of exercises keep your foot in a closed position, i.e., in contact with the floor. This incorporates the use of more muscle groups while lessening the forces on the knee present in open chain exercises such as the leg extension.

Practice Plyometrics: Plyometrics teach proper jump landing mechanisms and are an excellent way to achieve sufficient hamstring strength.

Occasionally Train Barefoot: Training barefoot enhances proprioception, which helps prevent injuries.

As a fitness competitor, fitness routine conditioning should be a year-round event. However, even a highly conditioned competitor is not necessarily protected from an ACL injury if the training technique is insufficient or the training environment is inadequate. You can be a superior fitness competitor but if you are practicing your routine at the end of the day when most sport injuries occur, you may still be injured. In addition, if you’re regularly tumbling or practicing fitness skills on a hardwood floor, you may be putting yourself at a higher risk of injury.

In the event that you do tear your ACL, most athletes opt for surgery. Post-operative therapy will initially focus on obtaining full range of motion, followed by a rigorous strengthening program. Typically the athlete is allowed to run in a straight line at three months post-operatively, while pivoting and cutting exercises are usually not allowed until six months after surgery. Always get your physicians approval prior to returning to fitness routine training.

ACL injuries are a serious problem for a fitness competitor but can be prevented! Don’t take your health for granted and follow the recommended measures to insure the health of your knees and in turn you’ll have a successful and fulfilling fitness career!

Tidbits & Big Changes

admin — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 01:16:52 +0000

I haven’t been posting as much as I want to. Things have been c-r-a-z-y lately. A lot going on! Here are some tidbits:

Four dogs in the house. We already have two big pitbulls, but my boo is like a regular Cesar Millan so he is always babysitting his client’s dogs. We were planning on all going hiking today for our newly weekly hiking ritual, but the rain…rained on our parade. Boo!

I received some casein packets & new shaker cup from Jay at Optimum Nutrition. Woo, thanks Jay! I am totally on the scour for some tasty, healthy peanut butter flavored things but so far have come across failures. This is a whole ‘nuther blog post in itself which I hope to write about later…but anyway I tried his chocolate peanut butter casein powder (a slow-digesting protein best for pre-slumber) mixed with some organic low-fat yogurt and it was fairly tasty. What I liked: 1) a good macronutrient distribution for me (24 g Protein, 3 g Carbs, 1 g Fat, 120 cal) 2) pretty good taste (esp. because many peanut butter flavored things TASTE LIKE BUTT, if I may be so eloquent 3) pretty good mixability. What I didn’t like: 1) it didn’t taste very much like peanut butter! More so like chocolate, which is fine, but I am looking for something tasting very peanut buttery.

Shoes. I got new shoes last week because my feet were hurting. Bad. After another day or so, my feet still were hurting. Bad So I went to a podiatrist, who told me it was the shoes, despite the two different pair of shoes causing me problems. He told me to stay away from “stability” shoes and go for “neutral” shoes, and I should be fine. Well, that’s easy! (I was fearing having to work on adjusting my gait or some other complicated solution.) I went back to the running shoe store and they allowed me to exchange my shoes for these “neutral” shoes! Yay! So far so good Will keep you posted.

My shoulder has been acting up. It feels very inflammed right now. The frustrating thing is that it was just starting to feel better. I FINALLY went to the doctor and his assistant said it was the biceps tendon, the physician said it was the pec tendon, and they sent me to a physical therapist who said it was the rotator cuff. Lovely, indeed, I am so glad they agree on what the problem is so that we can create a focused plan of attack. Anyway, the physical therapist told me I can’t lift anything heavier than 5 pounds. Kill me now…But then I had “floor shift” at my work where I re-rack the weights on the floor. There are 45+ lb weights lying around on the floor because apparently the guys who lift weights then become so drained of every ounce of energy that they can’t return the weights to the weight stacks. So it’s my job to get the workout floor organized. As I would re-rack these heavy weights, I could feel my shoulder yapping at me…I know this isn’t good for me…And this puts all my figure & fitness plans on hold even longer…because I can’t do figure or fitness or train how I want to if basic movements hurt and I can’t lift heavier than 5 pounds! Even though I don’t much trust physical therapists, especially seeing that I have gotten different diagnoses from top-ranking Stanford doctors & PT’s… I will follow his advice for now… Is the illustration dramatic enough for you? ;P (source: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aRknaJ8wci8/Rpbl0ncLzmI/AAAAAAAAAJI/5k8YQ4Gn8uM/s400/argh-frame.gif)

Embracing growth. This leads me to my biggest update. I made a big decision. The floor shift and other factors led me to give notice at that job, so I will be focusing full time on my own business, working out of my boo’s new studio! Wow! This new studio is MUCH closer, and with all the logistics (keeping a higher percentage of the session price, doing my own marketing and outreach, different tax implications, and more!) this will be a huge change in my life! Ch-ch-ch-changes!
And just, for fun, check out my boo’s video(s)! He is absolutely incredible.
And, just for double fun, gratuitous kitten pic (source: http://larry.ironlemon.com/sleepingkitty.jpeg)

Updates on the Life of Kristina

admin — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 23:30:49 +0000

Hello, my lovelies! Just wanted to give you a quick scoop on what’s been going on, as I don’t like going too long without letting you know what’s the dealie. In short, the answer is: I have been busy. Yeah, what else is new? Just a lot of stuff. Work. Miscellaneous. Here are some “highlights” from the recent past:

hiked with the boo & doggies at Almaden Country Park in San Jose yesterday
am working on a boot camp to be launched in April (right around the corner) called “Hot Body TRX Boot Camp” with my partner-in-crime, Cassie.
Saturday I made “guilt-free protein ice cream.” I followed the recipe and it turned out really gross. Tasted like 6 month old icy ice cream. Since it turned out so nasty, I didn’t want to showcase my disaster. Looking back, I realize that I should have posted it, so you wonderful readers don’t have to go through what I did. If anyone has a modification on this that makes it turn out yummy, of course I would be delighted to try it. Next time I will try to suck up my pride and post pictures of truly nasty experiments, just so you don’t have to experience what I did. You’re very welcome, I know, I know, you don’t have to say it.
bought new shoes to hopefully remedy my feet hurting! After my ACL reconstruction, it has been such a blessing to have the ability to walk, jog, and jump. The irony is that lately I have been limping due to blisters and other odd foot pain! My boyfriend suggested that my current shoes are not a good fit, and I am desperate to find a solution. So I am trying out these new bad boys!
rehab update: knees feel great. shoulder feels improved, but not all the way. Still have several weeks more until my program is finished, so I am still thinking positively about my the outcome of my program

May you all manifest wonderful days! Ttys~xoxo

First Guest Post- on The Process of Healing- YAY!

admin — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 04:10:13 +0000

I have been following Jessica on her The Process of Healing blog because I have been/am in a similar situation. Here is synopsis of her blog: “This blog chronicles the process of healing from an injury, not being able to run (something that is a huge part of my life) and how I am coping with it.” Hmm sounds familiar. I wrote to her to let her know that I totally relate, and either share some insights with her (as I have been healing for longer than she has) or, at the least, remind her of things that she probably already knows. She so kindly invited me to share my story, and I was so excited to do so! Thank you, Jessica!

Here is the link to the post:

http://theprocessofhealing.wordpress.com/2010/03/13/cookware-winner-a-guest-post-journey-to-appreciation/

Dynamic Mobility: Reduce Injury & Make The Most From Your Workouts!

admin — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 22:20:52 +0000

What is it?

Dynamic mobility is a great warm up before training. Although there is a bit of semantic confusion in the phraseology, I am referring to “mobility” as contracting your muscles and taking your joints through their ranges of motion actively, as opposed to passively.

What does it do?

Increase flexibility
Prevent injury
Enhance performance
Make the most out of your exercises

How does it work?

More and more research has been showing that static stretching before workouts is not the optimal time to do this. When you, say, lay on your back and stay in a stretch for a minute or more, then switch positions and lay down some more and hold it for another minute, and so forth…do you think your nervous system is firing up? Actually, the opposite occurs, and the signal between your muscles and your nervous system weakens, which can result in reduced strength and power output, and less coordination within your body, which can lead to injuries!

When you warm up by actively moving your joints and muscles through their ranges of motion, you are stimulating your nervous system and enhancing the signal between it and the muscles. This leads to an increased power and strength output, greater joint range of motion, and a much more efficient performance. You also get the synovial fluid (fluid in your joints that helps cushions and lubricate) going in your joints, greatly reducing joint friction. Now your body is warm and your joints are ready for exercise!

AFTER working out then, you can perform your static stretching, and by doing so, you will relax your system and prime your body for recovery.

What do I do?

Begin with about 5-7 minutes of continuous moving activity to raise body temperature, increase blood flow to your muscles, and activate your nervous system. Any sort of cardio will do, such as biking, a light jog, or elliptical. Once you have completed your light cardio, continue with dynamic mobility, then your workout (e.g. resistance training), then do static stretching.

Even if you are just doing “legs” you still need to work on TOTAL BODY mobility. Question: If you pull one section of a spider web, does the whole rest of it remain intact? No! The whole thing will shift. This is the same in your body, due to your fascia, which is an amazing three-dimensional soft-tissue network in your body. If your shoulder girdle is tight, for example, you will not generate the same fluid arm swing you need in running, and this has ripple-down effect to your hips, knees, and ankles. Therefore, understand that tightness in one section of the chain can impact a body part much further away (e.g. arch of the foot can impact the back!) SO, work on total body mobility and watch the positive cumulative effect unfold after a few weeks.

SAMPLE DYNAMIC MOBILITY PROGRAM

Perform each exercise for 6 -10 reps each, in a smooth, continuous manner. Start with smaller and slower ranges of motion and progress over time in amplitude and speed. Note that anatomical distinctions (below) are loose.

Upper Body:

Arm swings
- Overhead/down and back
- Side/front crossover
Forearm stretch
Wall slides

Neck:

Flexion/extension
Lateral flexion
Rotation (look R, L)

Trunk and Shoulder Girdle:

Flexion/extension
Lateral flexion
Rotation (hands up, elbows out)
Inchworm
Knees to Chest
SL RDL
Bird Dog

Lower Body:

Hip circles
Hip twists
Leg Swings
- Flexion/extension
- Cross body flexion/abduction
Frankensteins
Quad stretch
Sumo Squat to Stand
Reverse Lunge to Twist
Spiderman
Scorpion
Ankle Bounce
- Double leg
- Single leg

I hope to post some video soon. For now, I hope you appreciate the message that we need optimal length-tension relationships in our entire kinetic chain to build our athletic base and prevent injuries. Please feel free to comment or email me if you have any thoughts or questions

Week SIX of Thirteen to kicking ass and taking names…

admin — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 06:21:25 +0000

The injury rehab process has been…less than pleasant.

Let me think of some things I would rather do than go without my sweaty, fantastically killer workouts

eat cockroaches (have already done that, actually, but I digress)
have someone burn my flesh (check! still have the marks, what can you say, we were crazy kids)
go without my beloved many flavors of protein powder
the list could go on and on

My adherence to the program has been a bit spotty lately. Have not been as frequent with my rehab “workouts.” Have not iced. Have not done towel scrunching. Have not taken any group exercise classes, as I had planned, because I feel reluctant to relinquish control to an instructor and would rather be in control of my own exercise. I HAVE been diligent about rolling and stretching my foot, doing single leg balance exercises and tube walking to strengthen the arch, glute medius, and other lower limb infrastructure. I have been doing a montage of my rehab exercises for knee and shoulder (as tolerated), and I have been increasing my jogging mileage (woo hoo!).

Today marks week 6, which is a huge lifesaver for me, because I get to move to my strength cycle, and I LOVE strength training! I get to switch my routine a bit, and already the workout this morning was much more invigorating!

I allowed myself to do whatever I wanted in the gym (within limits) and had a great time testing out my (measly) strength. Wow, what a difference! My left latissimus dorsi and posterior deltoid are weaklings! About two months ago I was popping out 3 set of 15 bodyweight pull ups no problemo (and sometimes even weighted pull ups) and having people come up to me at the gym asking how do I do that, and today…well…today I was struggling to do ONE! What a far cry! And the seated row, and the push ups, and the lunges…I marveled at how my strength has waned in only two months! I am certain, though, that as long as I progress CAUTIOUSLY, I will be back at my previous strength pretty soon.

I will stay in this strength phase for four weeks before I progress to power. At least, that’s the plan.

Here is my outline:

Week 6-9: Strength

Focus: increase the load-bearing capabilities of muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints

Massage WEEKLY this cycle (I am blessed to start a trade with a massage therapist, yes!)

Healthy fats (e.g. chia seeds or olive oil) & healthy nutritional choices daily

Wellness Visualization x1/day

Incorporating total body exercises, including:

Shoulder:

8-12 reps, 3-4 sets, minimal rest

DB OH press

DB bent arm lateral raise

DB I, T, Y

Foam roll: Lats

Stretch: Pendulum, posterior capsule stretch, external rotation, internal rotation, lats, pecs, biceps, supraspinatus, neck

Foot: Roll bottom of foot w/tennis ball

Knee:

8-12 reps, 4 sets

DB lunge matrix

Multi-planar step ups

Step downs

Foam roll: quads, IT band, adductors, piriformis, calves

Stretch: glutes, quads, hip flexors, piriformis, adductors, achilles

Cardio: Try jogging 30 min a day, 3 x wk (to be increased by 5 min weekly)

~Each week I will increase the resistance training load, reps, complexity, plane of motion, or other variable to slowly and progressively overload my muscles.

Will keep you posted on my progress.

Lots of love to you all** <3 <3 <3

Injury Rehab Week 5 of 13

admin — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 05:19:38 +0000

Rehab/Stabilization continues to be a challenge. I just love lifting super heavy weights, sweating bullets, sprinting, dancing, and all that…and to not be able to do that…sometimes makes me not so excited to “work out.”

I just started week 5 of my program- last week of stabilization. My knee and feet feel good, my shoulder feels not so hot. I have not given up, just acknowledging that I am on week 5 of my program, and I still have time to rehab it. Boo suggested to me that I need to stop supporting myself on my left side, and not sleep on my left shoulder (I cuddle up to him that way). So, sadly, I will stop cuddling up and start sleeping on my back. And not slouch over or crunch myself in a strange position while on the computer, which is my habit. He is encouraging me to change these habits, and since he suggested these changes (last week) I have implemented them. I hope they will contribute to my recovery.

I am following the specifications of my program, except for taking group fitness classes and icing. Exercises are slowly increasing in difficulty, reps, and/or weights. Last week I held plank for a minute at a time for a few times, which is definitely the first time I have tried that in ages. It was okay. This week my program called to start push ups. I gingerly tried a few. Felt okay. Just a stark contrast from whipping out 30 or 40 five months ago or so, and then now just being uncertain about a few push ups. And today I tried single arm dumbbell rows. I used to lift 45 or so pounds no problem!! Today I did a set of 15 with a 10 pounder and wow I felt it!! Now I understand how my clients feel!! ;P

Positive affirmation:

Onward I go.

Today I will end with a quote from James Allen As A Man Thinketh: “A man cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances.”

Week 3 of Injury Rehab update

admin — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:09:45 +0000

Today marks the end of week 3 of my 13 week program to healthy, lean and mean goodness. This past week I have been dealing with a cold, so have not been working out much…This week I jogged twice for 15 min as opposed to three times this week, and did shoulder rehab twice and knee rehab once instead of twice…I have not been icing…but have been stretching and all that good stuff. Knees and foot feel good, shoulder feels eh.

Sucks to not work out. Sucks to have a cold. But must stay in positive spirits, eye on the prize.

Happy Saturday to everyone!

ACL injury prevention & multi-planar training

admin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:01:51 +0000

Something I feel very passionate about is multi-planar training. Ever since I tore my ACL a year and a half ago, learned more about principles of rehabilitation and injury prevention, and got certified as a Corrective Exercise Specialist, I have a message about training: Thou must train in multiple planes of motion. Most people (especially endurance athletes) overtrain in the sagittal plane (front and back). This leads to overuse injuries as well as weakness and instability when a demand from the frontal (side) or transverse (rotational) plane challenges them. Which happens frequently, because we don’t move only front and back- we step to the side, we twist, we cross our legs over, et cetera. If we move in multiple planes, we need to train in multiple planes.

What is multi-planar training? Multi-planar training means training in all planes of motion.

What are the planes of motion?

The sagittal plane means to the front and to the back. Examples: walking, running, biking, seated row, bicep curl, push ups.
The frontal (or coronal) plane means to the sides (confusingly enough). Examples: side shuffles, jumping jacks, lat pull down, lateral raises.
The transverse plane means rotation. Examples: Russian twists, cable woodchops, lunge w/med ball twist, golf swing.

ACL injury prevention and multi-planar training

Mike Boyle, one of the top strength and conditioning experts around and owner of the #1 Strength and Conditioning Facility in the nation (2009) as voted by Men’s Health, wrote a very interesting article on ACL injury prevention. Read it here: http://www.strengthcoach.com/public/1641.cfm?sd=51

He agreed that increasing the eccentric control (a.k.a. deceleration) from multiple planes of motion is key to reducing the incidence of ACL injuries. He describes his program in total as:

- Active Warm-up
- Power and Stability / Eccentric Strength=landing skills
- Strength Development – (emphasis on 1 Leg)
- Change of Direction Concepts – learning how to stop
- Change of Direction Conditioning – developing conditioning

His unique assertion is that this program does not differ inherently from a good training program for any athlete. Any well-developed program should include the elements listed above. In essence, there is no such thing as an ACL injury prevention protocol. There is only good training (that would naturally include multi-planar training) and bad training.

How to modify exercises in different planes? Okay, so you would like to incorporate more multi-planar training into your workouts. How do you do that? All you have to do is understand the planes of motion, and tweak your exercises to follow the various planes. The number of exercises that can be created is ENDLESS. Use your creativity! Let’s run through some examples below.

Running: Traditionally this is done in the sagittal plane. How about doing some side shuffles, running backwards, diagonal bounding, or karaoke?
Push ups: Traditionally, this is also done in the sagittal plane. How about side to side push ups? Or push ups with rotation (a.k.a. T-push ups)? (e.g. push up, then raise one arm up and twist your body laterally toward the ceiling? Then rotate back to center and repeat on the other sids)
Lunges: Again, this is usually done in the sagittal plane. How about side lunges or rotational lunges, or a multi-planar lunge matrix?
Upper Body Pull: Such as a row. Traditionally done in the sagittal plane (are you catching a pattern here?). How about a lat pull down (a pull in the frontal plane), or an alternating row with torso rotation to challenge the transverse plane?
Step Up: Do I have to say it? Usually sagittal plane dominant. How about side step ups? Cross over step ups? Transverse step ups? (Always make sure the knee is aligned over the 2nd and 3rd toe)

Does this make sense? By challenging your body in different ways and training in the way that life and all sports HAPPEN (e.g. in ALL planes), you are doing yourself a favor by promoting major injury prevention. If you don’t already train like this, start now and let me know how it goes. If you already do, I hope I have reminded you of why what you’re doing is important and reinforce your commitment to functional/multi-planar program design.