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)

What a week it’s been. I put in some long hours and late nights working on the keynote presentation that I delivered at the New England Health and Racquet Sportsclub Association’s (NEHRSA) spring conference on 5/19/11. The conference was titled Hitting the Jackpot and my presentation was tittles “Stop Chasing Success and Celebrate Your Success.” I had an amazing time there.

A Shot of the MGM Grand at Foxwoods when I arrived

I got to grab some snacks at Whole Foods (which I love!) a couple of times this week and got a kick out of this new water I saw, the call it how I say it lol!

Finally someone spells it right!

On Friday night I had some time to myself and took in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides on an IMAX screen in 3D.

I have enjoyed the Pirates’ franchise so far and liked this installment too. It was so long that my nose was sore by the end from wearing the 3D glasses. The movie was two hours and twenty one minutes plus advertisements previews. If you go, stay all the way past the credits for a hint into Pirates 5! I won’t give it away, and it’s just a quick clip, but if you are a fan, you will want to see it.

Sunday was busy too. We are doing some landscaping/yard work and it required taking down an old fence that had some metal poles holding it up that were cemented into the ground. I have to dig them up, pry bar them out and sledge hammer them apart.

Forget hitting a tire, try busting concrete!

I hope you all had an awesome week and have an even better one lined up!

Thanks for reading!

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

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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
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• 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)

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)

If you are looking for more info on my NASM PRO A-Team check out my new blog that I started just for you!

One short 23 second funny video and one 4 minute 42 second informative one plus a few paragraphs. I am fired up!

http://nasmproateam.blogspot.com/

Check it out!!

Back with more on Corrective Exercise and more Monday or Tuesday!

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

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Here are a few quick videos to try and answer some questions.

This is a funny 23 second clip that I shot tonight while I was buying food for my lab, Murphy, at the pet store.

This reminds me of the grind that most people are caught up in in “the real world”. A boring treadmill that doesn’t get you anywhere. Never mind that the poor guy that decides to join the race just gets repeatedly trampled by the fella who is laser focuses on working harder…not smarter…This video represents so many things for me, I can’t believe that I just shot this at the pet store, I just thought it was cool to see this little guy bombing around and then the other guy just hurls himself right on the wheel! Is this real life or what??? Never mind how this relates to our clients!

Don’t get caught on the treadmill struggling to get nowhere!

And don’t run other people over on the way…lift them up! Move, touch and inspire them! that is our call. NASM Pro is a powerful vehicle that will multiply our efforts and the ATeam, the organization that I am starting is going to lead the way.

I have invested countless hours and tens of thousands of dollars into my education, and continue to do so every single day with topics like; human movement, corrective exercise, biomechanics…but also personal and professional development, marketing, psychology, Internet marketing (there was 7,700,000 hits for “personal trainer” on Google today…were you one of those? I have so much to share with you and as out team grows you can push content up to the rest of our group and share what you know too! We can really support each other.

Do you want to leverage your time and efforts? Work smarter not harder? Then join the ATeam and let’s make a bigger difference together!

Feel free to share this site with others and please let me know if you have any questions, even better, send me an email or leave a comment and I will make sure to email you before this thing kicks off to everyone else. Remember…to join the team, you must sign up under my code!

Short list of NASM PRO features; brand new exercise library, anatomy library, updated research library, a safe and legal way to individualize nutrition and supplement plans for your clients and enjoy a revenue sharing program with products like bands, balls, rollers and supplements sold to your clients (or bought for yourself) through the site, and the killer ATeam section I will be running JUST FOR US!!!!

It will be easier to help more people and make more money with this system.

In the mean time, I will use this blog to start coaching the team for FREE. I will have another post up for you by Tuesday morning at the latest.

Feel free to post comments or ask questions and share with others.

That’s it for tonight for me!

Change a life!

Eric Beard
Corrective Exercise Specialist
theericbeard.blogspot.com
ericbeard.com

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