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
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• March 19, 2010 -- Active Heel Slides for Deep Core Stabilizers and Psoas Inhibition: Corrective Exercise (0)
• February 24, 2010 -- Another Fitness Challenge Update on Ankle Mobility of Eric Beard (0)
• February 9, 2010 -- 5 Minute Core Stability / Corrective Exercise for Back Pain by Eric Beard with the MECA Back (0)
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My first response was; that as a personal trainer and massage therapist, I am not licensed to make such recommendations

second; the injury is a result of a muscular imbalance and soft tissue work would reduce the discomfort but the “strain” would flare up again at some point but unless her daughter performed the recommended core stabilization exercise regularly (4-6 times per week) it is only a short term fix

third; if you wanted to try something for pain and inflammation to temporarily help get through an injury, then one of the best products I have used is the FAST Patch from Wei Laboratories (www.weilab.com 1.888.919.1188). this homeopathic treatment has worked wonders for my with muscular strains and liagemtous sprains in the past.

Muscular imbalances are very often the source of injuries in the athletes that I see, especially the tennis players where they have spent years swinging a long racket around with mostly one side of their body doing a big percentage of the work.

Using a long lever like a tennis racket an create significant asymmetries if flexibility and core stability work are not kept up with. Can you see in the picture below how that might lead to pain in the hip, low back, shoulder or elsewhere?

Granted these are pictures of structural scoliosis, but a functional scoliosis an be created by muscular imbalances just the same.

I am taking my daughter to a Father Daughter Dinner Dance for her Girl Scout troop and I need to go get ready!

Have a great weekend and thanks for reading!

Eric Beard
Athletic Performance Enhancement Specialist
Corrective Exercise Specialist
theericbeard.blogspot.com
www.ericbeard.com

• March 16, 2009 -- What’s Wrong With This Core Training Picture? A Corrective Exercise Specialist Knows (0)
• March 18, 2009 -- "Orthopedic Surgeons and Shoulder Injuries: Can the Rotator Cuff be Saved with Corrective Exercise and Improved Tennis Technique?" (0)
• March 12, 2009 -- Standard Protocol for Rehabilitating Rotator Cuff Tendinitis: What About An Integrated Assessment and Corrective Exercise? (0)
• March 23, 2009 -- Shoulder Injuries Waiting to Happen; Corrective Exercise vs. Rehabilitation (0)
• March 19, 2009 -- Tennis Players: It Doesn’t Matter "How You Slice It" Corrective Exercise Before a Problem is Better Than After One! (1)

We get a day or two off from Red Sox games to get some sleep. I need it. Then the Rays! The handled us in the summer, but the falls is a different game…I think the Sox will prevail in 6.

Watch this 2 minute video and practice this stretch. It is a crucial stretch to do on a regular basis to keep your back and knees healthy. Do it 2-3 times a day, hold each stretch for at least 60 seconds. Flexibility is a crucial component to any exercise program.

Have an awesome day!
Eric
theericbeard@blogspor.com
www.ericbeard.com

• October 8, 2008 -- Try This Strtetch! Flexibility is crucial component of a balanced exercise program… (0)
• November 20, 2010 -- 99 Problems But a Vision Ain’t One (0)
• January 8, 2009 -- What is the Number One Muscle to Stretch to keep Your Low Back Healthy? (0)
• January 8, 2009 -- What is the Number One Muscle to Stretch to keep Your Low Back Healthy? (0)
• December 30, 2008 -- Is Your Strength Training for Tennis Too Intense? (0)

We get a day or two off from Red Sox games to get some sleep. I need it. Then the Rays! The handled us in the summer, but the falls is a different game…I think the Sox will prevail in 6.

Watch this 2 minute video and practice this stretch. It is a crucial stretch to do on a regular basis to keep your back and knees healthy. Do it 2-3 times a day, hold each stretch for at least 60 seconds. Flexibility is a crucial component to any exercise program.

Have an awesome day!
Eric
theericbeard@blogspor.com
www.ericbeard.com

• October 8, 2008 -- Try This Strtetch! Flexibility is crucial component of a balanced exercise program… (0)
• November 20, 2010 -- 99 Problems But a Vision Ain’t One (0)
• January 8, 2009 -- What is the Number One Muscle to Stretch to keep Your Low Back Healthy? (0)
• January 8, 2009 -- What is the Number One Muscle to Stretch to keep Your Low Back Healthy? (0)
• December 30, 2008 -- Is Your Strength Training for Tennis Too Intense? (0)

There has been on-going controversy about spinal stabilization for the last 9 years or so. Some claim that drawing the belly button towards the spine (drawing-in) is the best and others say that bracing, or tightening up like you are about to be punched is the way. There are fanatics on either side, but as is most things in life, the truth probably lies somewhere right in the middle. Drawing in and activating the TrA (transverse abdominus) and other core stabilizers should precede limb movement, but does probably not provide enough support to the spine against greater forces. On the other hand, bracing alone, which is common with most people who have synergistically dominant movement system (rectus abdominus, external obliques etc.) will not provide inter-segmental stabilization to protect the vertebrae and surrounding structures. In healthy, well conditioned individuals, this should happen automatically. Unfortunately, the chair borne society we are entrenched in weakens our core stabilizers which leaves the movement system to do it’s job and an almost impossible task (because of anatomical arrangement) of providing inter-segmental stability.

Long story short, draw-in to return the feed-forward mechanism, draw in and brace when the load/forces increase and remember posture and corrective flexibility:)

Have a great night!

Eric

• April 28, 2009 -- Change a Life With Exercise: Benefits of Exercise (1)
• March 6, 2009 -- Advil for Back Pain, Tennis Elbow or a Rotator Cuff Injury? (0)
• October 8, 2008 -- Try This Strtetch! Flexibility is crucial component of a balanced exercise program… (0)
• October 8, 2008 -- Try This Strtetch! Flexibility is crucial component of a balanced exercise program… (0)
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