I have been on the road a ton lately. Just this last week I have made two trips to Arizona and one to Denver. They were all good, productive trips. I had some very productive meetings at NASM corporate in AZ and attended a very helpful performance management training course alongside many of the managers from the Mesa office as well. I had a great time in Denver. I shot some footage for NASM TV, taught a corrective Exercise Specialist Workshop for NASM and got to see some friends for dinner Friday night. I even shot some video footage for the CPT Assist eTeach course Saturday night. Needless to say I was wiped out by the end of Saturday! Leading the workshops for NASM has been one of favorite parts of my “jobs” over the last ten years. More specifically, I have really come to enjoy teaching others.

As I shared to my Corrective Exercise class in Denver as well as on my NASM TV shoot, my first opportunity to educate other professionals came when I was working as personal trainer for 24 Hour Fitness in Aurora, CO.

Where it all started...

I’ll save the long story for another day, but knowing that I have made a contribution to others makes me feel amazing. They may use the information for themselves or to help their clients, it doesn’t make a difference to me. At the Perform Better Functional Training Summit in Chicago, I had a packed house for the hands on session.

I had a blast in Chicago and Providence!

I mean people were spilling out into the hallways. It was awesome. The title of my session was “Save Your Back: get Your Butt in Gear.” After my hands on breakout session a woman came up to me with tears in her eyes. She had pain radiating down her posterior and lateral hip for some time and could not find relief despite seeing several medial professionals. She was overjoyed that she was experiencing relief. All I taught the group to do was NASM’s four step Corrective Exercise (CEx)process- Inhibit, Lengthen, Activate and Integrate. I focused on the lumbo-pelvic hip complex and threw in my own wrinkles to the stretching and activation section, but it was NASM CEx straight up. To be able to provide someone relief from pain is a great feeling. I home that she keeps up with her program and can in turn pass the techniques and system on to others.

You have me on a cross country flight with a full battery, so I have some time to give you a nice solid post! Okay, back to barefoot training. Last post I wrote about progressing sensibly from a supportive shoe to a minimalist shoe if there were no injuries or congenital conditions that made barefoot training contraindicated. During Mark Verstegen’s lecture at Perform Better, he even gave a history of minimalist shoes and provided pictures of the best minimalist shoes on the market today. He cited a research study that compared 186 pairs of feet. He compared the feet of people who did not wear shoes to the feet of people who did wear shoes. If you want to read the study, search for “J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1905, Conclusions Drawn from A comparative Study of Barefooted and Shoe-Wearing Peoples, Hoffman, M.D.” Hoffman found that the barefoot group had more separation and straightness to their toes with the toes being the widest portion of the foot. Verstegen also included a picture of a Bronze Herculaneum Statue that depicted a runner and the adduction to the great toe (the big toe) is much more prominent than what I see with my clients, patients and athletes today. For those who wear shoes, especially something like a cowboy boot, women’s high fashion shoes or anything with a small and restrictive toe box, this is basically going to compact the tarsals, metatarsals and phalanges.

Look at that big toe...and it only ges worse from here

This can happen in men’s professional shoes and kids sneakers too. The shock absorption of the foot is all but eliminated. The rich amount of proprioceptors in the sole of the feet are shut down. Imagine walking around with a canvas bag tied tightly over your head all day. How well would you be able to process information?

I magine a rope around the bag...

All of the ground reaction forces that should be stored and released throughout the kinetic chain and propel someone through the gait cycle are now forced to be transmitted to the knees, hips spine and beyond. Ambulating now requires more effort and places more stress throughout the human movement system. Think of all of the professional basketball players in the 1900’s. The all wore Chuck Taylors, Converse All Stars. Chucks basically were and are just a shank of rubber with some canvas and a lace. It did not have arch support and had a wider toe box than most shoes seen today. It also did not have an elevated heel. This let the calve sit at it’s natural resting length and kept the pelvis better balanced. I have a pair that I wear during when performing yard and house work and a pair that I wear in public. The public ones are cleaner and more respectable. The house work ones have paint stains and are much grungier. For $35-$40 they are worth every penny. I used to train clients in them and work out in them too. I have to admit, lifting, kettlebells, core and flexibility were more comfortable than agility or cardio with them on. I wanted to slowly bridge the gap from the Asics 2150 pronation control show than I had been wearing for a year or so, and a minimalist shoe like the Vibram Five Fingers.

And the Chucks were a good cheap option. My feet felt so comfortable and cozy all wrapped up in my Asics. The arch support felt good from ankle to hip….but the elevate heel aggravated my sacroiliac joint and low back to no end. I could just feel them tightening up as the day went. At the time I had a standing desk, so when I wasn’t training clients I would work standing up. So being upright with those shoes was not a good fit for me. Notice I said for me…

I did try a minimalist shoe back in 2005 when Nike came out with their Free 5.0. They launched the shoe at IDEA World and I happened to presenting a Speed Agility and Quickness for Youth session for NASM there. I saw the shoe, bought a pair. Like them so much that after three days at the show, I went back and bought a second. I still have the newer pair! What happened, because I had some 1st MTP, ankle and LPCH issues that were unresolved is that after a week or so I started getting some aches and pains and slowly moved away from them. I put them on every now and then, but the 5.0 still has too much of a heel for me. Their 3.0 is even lower and the 7.0 is even higher in the heel, so they provide their customers with some choices which is nice. Nike toe boxes tend to run on the narrow side as well and I did feel a bit restricted through the toes as well.
From there I went to a New Balance tennis trainer that had minimal arch support and a very low heel. I liked these. Unfortunately, the discontinued the model and I could not find a second pair anywhere and I eventually had to move on. I found some funky orange Teva walking shoes that I tried for a while. I still have them somewhere. A physical therapist that was helping me with my joint restrictions in my big toe and ankle thought that I needed some more support so I tried some over the counter shoe inserts called Superfeet. They run about $30 and have three versions that range in level of support. They were decent.

Another physical therapist that I saw thought that I needed even more support and convinced me to go with the Asic 2130. This worked great for the foot ankle as I mentioned and I matriculated to the newer 2150 model from there.

Until I said enough is enough with the stinking elevated heel! The reason that these pronation control shoes need the heel is that they need a place for the arch support to “sit” in. That is one of the reasons that the Superfeet did not help out my Tevas very much. The Tevas were flat from heel to toe, there was no “drop”. So the arch support had minimal support underneath it and did not have the desired effect. I knew that, but thought it was better than nothing. I also ran into some plantar fascia pain, yes plantar fasciitis, last year while transitioning to my Chucks. I saw a podiatrist to try and find out more about my 1st MTP and ankle restrictions. He started off well talking about the global effect of foot ankle issues and the potential negative impact of wearing shoes with an elevated heel. He recommended Spenco arch supports which I found on Amazon for less than @$10.

<iframe src=”http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=ericbecom-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B000FPKUZ0″ style=”width:120px;height:240px;” scrolling=”no” marginwidth=”0″ marginheight=”0″ frameborder=”0″></iframe>

They seemed to help in my Chucks some, so I stuck with them for a couple of months. Then he ended one of our appointments by saying that I had some pathologies in my feet and I would eventually have to have surgery…I disagree, so I never went back.

If you haven’t seen this, there is some amazing info on this DVD I put together. I used some of these techniques to help with my foot pain
http://kunaki.com/Sales.asp?PID=PX00Z43XTB

That’s all for tonight. I’ll be back for part 3 soon! Thank you for reading!

Eric Beard
CEO A-Team
Corrective Exercise Specialist

AthleticShoulder.com
http://facebook.com/theericbeard
http://youtube.com/theericbeard

• August 7, 2011 -- Barefoot Training Part-3 (0)
• July 5, 2011 -- Perform Better Show Review: Barefoot Training – Mark Verstegen Part 1 (0)
• August 21, 2009 -- Flip-Flops and Sandals Make Me Money as A Corrective Exercise Specialist but I’d Rather They Just Wore Sneakers! (0)
• January 22, 2012 -- Knock The Rust Off With Some Core Stability Work (0)
• January 19, 2012 -- Vertical Core Stability Training (0)
• January 7, 2012 -- Can You Give Me Some Advice? (0)
• June 28, 2011 -- A Pilgrimage to Wrigley, A Heel and Perform Better in Chicago (0)
• June 23, 2011 -- Perform Better, Disney World, The Boston Bruins and the Stanley Cup (0)
• February 13, 2011 -- I Need a Doctor (Not for Valentines Day) (0)
• December 10, 2010 -- Improving Running Performance and Running Mechanics (0)

I now have the privilege of uploading videos to YouTube that are longer than 15 minutes. I am guessing that I have passed a certain number of uploads and maintained a positive status with You Tube. So basically I have not uploaded any iphone videos of a Bruins broadcast or anything like that. I did recently post a series of videos on You Tube giving a basic overview of the OPT Model over the course of five videos. Visit my YouTube channel if you want to see them http://youtube.com/theericbeard. You probably notice that I have been investing my time outside of my blog lately I logged in last week to post and spent an hour fixing the typos in my last post. Sheesjh! What a stinker! My apologies for letting that go out. The content was good but what a mess! So that is fit for public consumption and worth a peak when you have time

More importantly is that I uploaded an entire DVD of mine to You Tube. It is finishing processing right now. The DVD is actually the prologue installment for my DVD series Secrets and Staples of Training the Athletic Shoulder. (of course available at http://athleticshoulder.com ) it is 54 minutes long and has some greta stuff in it if I do say so myself. Please watch it and let me know what you think! I am confident that you will find it helpful.

Thanks for reading!

Eric Beard
CEO A-Team
Corrective Exercise Specialist
AthleticShoulder.com
http://facebook.com/theericbeard
http://youtube.com/theericbeard

• September 14, 2009 -- Secrets of Training the Athletic Shoulder: Corner Activatons from AthleticShoulder.com (0)
• September 8, 2009 -- Corrective Exercise and Performance Enhancement for The Shoulder Complex Has Evolved (0)
• March 3, 2011 -- Shoulder Dysfunction and Contra-Lateral Sacroiliac Joint Health in a Tennis Player (0)
• November 5, 2009 -- Corrective Exercise for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? (2)
• September 25, 2009 -- Teaching an NASM Personal Trainer Workshop in Atlanta Thinking about HFPN.com (0)
• January 22, 2012 -- Knock The Rust Off With Some Core Stability Work (0)
• January 19, 2012 -- Vertical Core Stability Training (0)
• January 12, 2012 -- Quick Tip to Improve Dorsiflexion (making your calve stretch more effective) (0)
• January 7, 2012 -- Can You Give Me Some Advice? (0)
• January 4, 2012 -- Does 30+30+30 Really Equal 90? (0)

I think he likes my style

Juan Carlos Santana, Eric Beard, Todd Durkin, Dianne Vives at the ATI Summit 2010

Dianne Vives was up next. Dianne pounded the pavement, knocked on doors and drove this event to be what it was. I have know who Dianne was for years, but this is the first time we got to meet. She was all that I have heard and more. So welcoming, gracious and friendly and she was excellent on stage. She developed rapport with the audience and engaged them throughout with her personality and offered up instantly applicable coaching and cuing tips. Dianne focussed mostly on exercise technique and teaching tips.

Juan Carlos Santana brought his “Juan-ness” to the stage next and lit the crowd up with his presentation on metabolic training. If you know Carlos, then you know, what you see is what you get. He is a straight shooter with no tolerance for bull. I got to have dinner with Carli Strength, Brian and Dianne, from ATI, Jacob from Perform Better and Carlos Thursday (Todd’s flight was cancelled and he got in late) night and I enjoyed hearing JC’s stories. He is a good guy and has some opinions for sure, but another successful icon in the industry that was approachable all weekend and willing to engage others. An example for professionals of any level. Be yourself and follow your beliefs. JC does just that. I did catch JC releasing his ITB before he went on stage…

I see you!!!

We each spoke for an hour then had breakout/hands on sessions in the afternoon. We each set up in different corners of the ballroom and had 30 minute sessions then the students rotated to the next session. JC buried the group with some metabolic training protocols, Todd pulled out some his Under Armor challenge workouts and Dianne whooped up on the group with some Sandbells (a great newly revamped toy!).

These were awesome for grip strength and versatility

I did corrective exercise for low back protocols. I skipped SMR since we had more students than planned and we were a bit short on rollers. No fault of Perform Better, more students signed up than planned, which we all loved! By the way…thanks Perform Better and Sandbells for the toys I used during my breakout session. So I started with 4 progressions of a kneeling hip flexor stretch followed by 4 versions of a standing adductor stretch. Next was activation for the glutes. Glute max-stability ball bridge with the Sandbells. Glute medius-clamshells and side lying leg raises. For integration we did reach squats with either Sandbells, Stability balls or chairs. We reviewed step ups and did some lunge progressions ending with a lunge with an anterior reach to curl. The groups were rotating to me from JC and they were pretty spent, but they felt some work in the glutes for sure.

I came away from the event invigorated by the students, they were hungry to learn, energetic and appreciative. I am also energized and motivated by being on stage and working with Dianne, Todd and JC. They make me want to be better and achieve more. I have more to contribute to others and I have some ideas on how to reach out. I can see my future more clearly as well as a future that we can create together in this industry.

Let’s make it happen!

Eric Beard
CEO A-Team
Corrective Exercise Specialist
AthleticShoulder.com
http://facebook.com/theericbeard
http://youtube.com/theericbeard
<

• March 19, 2010 -- Active Heel Slides for Deep Core Stabilizers and Psoas Inhibition: Corrective Exercise (0)
• January 15, 2010 -- Boston CPT for NASM Ends up With Some After Hours Corrective Exercise Action for Eric Beard (0)
• April 19, 2010 -- Please Read This: Gratuitous Boston Marathon Post Part 4: The Juice (0)
• April 19, 2010 -- The Gratuitous Boston Marathon Post Part 3 (0)
• April 19, 2010 -- The Gratuitous Boston Marathon Post Part 2 (0)
• April 19, 2010 -- The Gratuitous Boston Marathon Post 1 of 2 (0)
• February 26, 2010 -- First Month of Another Fitness Challenge Brings Eric Beard Some Results (1)
• February 24, 2010 -- Another Fitness Challenge Update on Ankle Mobility of Eric Beard (0)
• February 19, 2010 -- Upper Extremity Reach Range of Motion Assessments (0)
• February 12, 2010 -- Will Smith Needs Corrective Exercise…but He Helps Me this Time (0)

Tribes by Seth Godin, a great and quick read

Me, Some Aussies and our Muslim Friend after conquering the wall

I just want to make sure you know that I don’t know what I am doing. I have a clear vision of where I want to go and the impact that I want to have on others. I just don’t know exactly how to get there yet. I feel like I could go on and on but to spare you I will try and curtail this Jerry Maguire moment and not give you my personal manifesto over this blog post.

Tommy boy after some bad pizza on the road

So, in case you didn’t know, which you probably did, I am not sure how to get where I want to go. I may very well know how to help you, and maybe that is how I get where I want to go…but my plan needs some refinement.

Thank you so much for your time. I truly hope you are invested in doing what you love to do and get to contribute positively to other people’s lives.

Eric Beard
CEO A-Team
Corrective Exercise Specialist
AthleticShoulder.com
http://facebook.com/theericbeard
http://youtube.com/theericbeard
<

• December 2, 2009 -- Corrective Exercise Specialist Eric Beard Works With Chinese Tennis Association in Nanjing, China Part II (0)
• February 12, 2010 -- Will Smith Needs Corrective Exercise…but He Helps Me this Time (0)
• December 1, 2009 -- Corrective Exercise Specialist Abroad for Tennis: To China and Back! (0)
• January 22, 2012 -- Knock The Rust Off With Some Core Stability Work (0)
• January 19, 2012 -- Vertical Core Stability Training (0)
• January 7, 2012 -- Can You Give Me Some Advice? (0)
• January 4, 2012 -- Does 30+30+30 Really Equal 90? (0)
• July 29, 2011 -- Barefoot Training Part-2 (0)
• February 13, 2011 -- I Need a Doctor (Not for Valentines Day) (0)
• December 10, 2010 -- Improving Running Performance and Running Mechanics (0)

In the NorthEast we have had beautiful weather, much better than the 7 week deluge of 2009.

it just would not stop raining last summer!!!

I was on the road 11 days out of 21 from the end of July to the first week of August and have enjoyed the last 2 weekends at home for sure. I spent some time in an small Integrated Manual Therapy workshop with NASM CEO Dr. Michael Clark in Mesa, AZ which was just amazing! Thanks Mike!!! We studied assessment and treatment of the pelvic girdle. I have been able to provide relief for so many of my clients since applying this information.

I wanna be like Mike!

I also taught two NASM Essentials of Personal Training Workshops and an NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist Workshop. I got to visit; Washington, DC, Denver, CO and LA ( and Calabasas), CA. I did stop by the IDEA World 2010 Awards Ceremony in LA as well. Two friends of mine, Tanya Colucci and Lance Breger, were nominated for co-directors of the year. I am very proud of the them and the work they do with http://infinitywellness.org/ that brings health, fitness and wellness to underfunded schools in teh Washington, DC area. Tanya is the founder and Lance is the president.

I shot a handful of videos over this time including this one on Thoracic Spine Mobilization and corrective exercise technique;

Another on Adductor Magnus Dysfunction;

This one on OPT Model Periodization for Max Strength Training for a basketball player during the offseason;

This one on a corrective exercise stretch for the posterior capsule of the shoulder (gleno humeral joint);

This one on a Power Training compound set with a medicine ball and Power Plate;

I post these videos on You Tube and usually Facebook. If you are not following my You Tube Channel and want to see these videos as soon as I post them then follow me at; http://youtube.com/theericbeard

Well, that’s it for me. I had a fantastic day on Cape Cod at the beach, playing mini-golf and downing homemade ice cream fro the Ice Cream Sandwhich in Sandwhich, MA!!

Hope you are having an awesome summer too!!!

Thanks for reading.

Eric Beard
CEO A-Team
Corrective Exercise Specialist
AthleticShoulder.com
http://facebook.com/theericbeard
http://youtube.com/theericbeard
<

• January 31, 2010 -- FLY This-Eric Beard Shows a Cool Variation for Core Stability plus Another Fitness Challenge (1)
• January 27, 2010 -- Overhead Squat Assessment-Excessive Forward Lean from Ankle Restriction at NASM CES Workshop by Eric Beard (0)
• January 15, 2010 -- Boston CPT for NASM Ends up With Some After Hours Corrective Exercise Action for Eric Beard (0)
• December 17, 2009 -- Corrective Exercise Specialist Answers Why Do I Like DotFit? (0)
• November 10, 2009 -- Brian Tracy Has Performed Corrective Exericse for my Head (0)
• June 28, 2011 -- A Pilgrimage to Wrigley, A Heel and Perform Better in Chicago (0)
• May 27, 2010 -- Whiplash is Not Just an Awesome Song From Metallica or Mickey Rourke’s Character in Ironman 2 (0)
• April 19, 2010 -- The Gratuitous Boston Marathon Post 1 of 2 (0)
• March 19, 2010 -- Active Heel Slides for Deep Core Stabilizers and Psoas Inhibition: Corrective Exercise (0)
• February 26, 2010 -- First Month of Another Fitness Challenge Brings Eric Beard Some Results (1)

Unless you have a success coach or mentor integrated into your team or you have a nagging, I mean supportive spouse or significant other gently reminding you to get off your rear and stop wasting your time, it is all on you/me/us. If my wife is reading this post, I love you honey, thank you for your support

At the end of the day “you” are responsible for “you”. Of course that same standard applies to me, but I am getting sick of typing you/me/us. We are responsible for our successes and failures. Everything that we have done, said, read and thought has brought us to this point in life. We are 100% successful. We are reaping what we exactly what we have sown. Now whether our Dharma or Karma have a greater impact on our lives than what we have done in the more tangible world I do not know. I believe that the universe/God is there to help and guide us if we put out what we want to receive. It might not come back in a form that we recognize or on the timeline that we expect but I believe that it will come.

That being said we must plant the seeds, tend the crops and then harvest when the bounty when ready. If we do not plant enough or the right type of seed, or care for our crops or harvest too early then we will probably be disappointed with our results.

We have to put in, give back and put out what we want to receive.

Plant-Read, watch and listen to what will give us the knowledge that we need to achieve our goals.

Tend-Take consistent action on what you have learned. Give back to others. Be good to others. Be good to yourself.

Harvest/reap-Be on the lookout for and take advantage of opportunities that you have been preparing for and creating. Make sure you keep an eye out and pay attention to these opportunities, they may not be what you expected. Then follow through! Do not miss this chance. The next one may be the result of a different crop.

I know it is often more comfortable to take be easy way out. Sometimes we can be enjoying our safe and secure groove that we are in and sometimes we are just plain scared to make then changes we need to make to reach the goals we want to reach.

There comes a time when we have to take the high road and put the extra effort in, and it may not pay off right away, but you will be strengthened for future journeys and experience things that will be remembered for a lifetime. It’s been said before, it is not about reaching your goals, it is about who you become along the way.

Thanks for reading. I hope you are having an awesome day!

Eric Beard
ps. I took these pictures while hiking in Castlewood Canyon in Colorado. I enjoyed the high road that day;)

• No Related Post

Watch this short video, share your comments and pass it on if it makes sense to you.

Eric Beard

CEO A-Team

Corrective Exercise Specialist

AthleticShoulder.com
http://facebook.com/theericbeard

• February 8, 2010 -- Revist, Recite, Re-Write Your Goals Dailly to Manifest your Dreams (0)
• May 26, 2010 -- It’s Okay to Peek into the Past (0)
• February 12, 2010 -- Will Smith Needs Corrective Exercise…but He Helps Me this Time (0)
• February 6, 2010 -- Chunking Goals: Breakdown the Big Goals Into Smaller Actionable Steps (0)
• February 4, 2010 -- Goal Setting 101…an Abridged Lesson (1)
• March 19, 2010 -- Active Heel Slides for Deep Core Stabilizers and Psoas Inhibition: Corrective Exercise (0)
• February 26, 2010 -- First Month of Another Fitness Challenge Brings Eric Beard Some Results (1)
• February 24, 2010 -- Another Fitness Challenge Update on Ankle Mobility of Eric Beard (0)
• February 19, 2010 -- Upper Extremity Reach Range of Motion Assessments (0)
• February 11, 2010 -- HFPN-Another Fitness Challenge Goals and Progress for Eric Beard 2/11/2010- My Corrective Exercise is Working! (0)

Are you going to help make a positive difference or sit on the sidelines?

Thanks for reading and watching!

Eric Beard

CEO A-Team

Corrective Exercise Specialist

AthleticShoulder.com
http://facebook.com/theericbeard

• February 4, 2010 -- Goal Setting 101…an Abridged Lesson (1)
• January 22, 2012 -- Knock The Rust Off With Some Core Stability Work (0)
• January 19, 2012 -- Vertical Core Stability Training (0)
• January 7, 2012 -- Can You Give Me Some Advice? (0)
• September 19, 2011 -- And The Emmy Goes To… Fitness or Fiction: The Truth About Diet and Exercise (0)
• July 29, 2011 -- Barefoot Training Part-2 (0)
• May 2, 2011 -- So High Fructose Corn Syrup is Bad, Right? (1)
• February 13, 2011 -- I Need a Doctor (Not for Valentines Day) (0)
• January 25, 2011 -- Celebrate Jack LaLane, Do Not Mourn His Loss, Rejoice in His Life (0)
• January 15, 2011 -- A Second Chance for a Golden Voice (0)

Eric Beard

CEO A-Team

Corrective Exercise Specialist

AthleticShoulder.com
http://facebook.com/theericbeard

• February 26, 2010 -- First Month of Another Fitness Challenge Brings Eric Beard Some Results (1)
• February 19, 2010 -- Upper Extremity Reach Range of Motion Assessments (0)
• March 19, 2010 -- Active Heel Slides for Deep Core Stabilizers and Psoas Inhibition: Corrective Exercise (0)
• February 12, 2010 -- Will Smith Needs Corrective Exercise…but He Helps Me this Time (0)
• February 11, 2010 -- HFPN-Another Fitness Challenge Goals and Progress for Eric Beard 2/11/2010- My Corrective Exercise is Working! (0)
• February 9, 2010 -- 5 Minute Core Stability / Corrective Exercise for Back Pain by Eric Beard with the MECA Back (0)
• February 8, 2010 -- Revist, Recite, Re-Write Your Goals Dailly to Manifest your Dreams (0)
• January 15, 2010 -- Boston CPT for NASM Ends up With Some After Hours Corrective Exercise Action for Eric Beard (0)
• February 1, 2010 -- HFPN’s Another Fitness Challenge? Eric Beard is In! How About You? (0)
• January 31, 2010 -- FLY This-Eric Beard Shows a Cool Variation for Core Stability plus Another Fitness Challenge (1)

You can find the MECA Back at http://www.mecaback.com/back-products.html

Fix this posture!!!
“In just 10 minutes a day, you can actually create elastisity to help restore the natural shape of your back!”-quote from their site.

“If you’ve suffered from back pain, you know that there are many different answers out there, none of which provide lasting relief.

Now, that all can change. Really, prevention is as easy as knowing how. Testimonials

The vision of the MECA™ Back Institute is to create awareness about the damage the human spine endures from normal daily activities, the actual cause of most mechanical back problems.

Our ultimate goals are to:

1. Reduce the frequency of lower back pain issues

2. Lower the costs associated with back care

3. Provide products that support, enhance, stabilize and maintain good body mechanics and posture

4. Inform the public of the origin of mechanical back pain and provide real solutions to prevent this damage. ”

“What does MECA mean?

The vision of MECA™ is to create awareness about how and why human spines
develop mechanical problems leading to degeneration and pain, and to provide
real solutions to prevent this damage.

MECA – an acronym for Mobility, Elasticity, Core Stability and Adaptability – stands for the four integrated components that lead to overall back health:

MOBILITY:
The independent motion between spinal joints.

ELASTICITY:
The resiliency of soft tissue (muscles, tendons & ligaments). Elasticity is not flexibility.

CORE STABILITY:
When our muscles work to maintain stability of the spine and pelvis while the limbs are moving.

ADAPTABILITY:
The integration of these three elements, and referring to our spine’s ability to effectively compensate for the insults of daily living. 85% of the U.S. population will have a lower back problem in their lifetime. It is the position of the MECA Back Institute that this astonishing statistic is largely due to a simple lack of understanding of how to maintain the health of our lower backs.”-from their site.

For more video on the MECA Back click here

Eric Beard
CEO A-Team
AthleticShoulder.com
RangeOfMotionWorkshop.com

• March 19, 2010 -- Active Heel Slides for Deep Core Stabilizers and Psoas Inhibition: Corrective Exercise (0)
• February 26, 2010 -- First Month of Another Fitness Challenge Brings Eric Beard Some Results (1)
• February 24, 2010 -- Another Fitness Challenge Update on Ankle Mobility of Eric Beard (0)
• February 19, 2010 -- Upper Extremity Reach Range of Motion Assessments (0)
• February 12, 2010 -- Will Smith Needs Corrective Exercise…but He Helps Me this Time (0)
• February 8, 2010 -- Revist, Recite, Re-Write Your Goals Dailly to Manifest your Dreams (0)
• January 31, 2010 -- FLY This-Eric Beard Shows a Cool Variation for Core Stability plus Another Fitness Challenge (1)
• February 11, 2010 -- HFPN-Another Fitness Challenge Goals and Progress for Eric Beard 2/11/2010- My Corrective Exercise is Working! (0)
• February 6, 2010 -- Chunking Goals: Breakdown the Big Goals Into Smaller Actionable Steps (0)
• February 4, 2010 -- Goal Setting 101…an Abridged Lesson (1)