As this pack thinned out and the first wave of runners from the next heat came through there was a very different feeling…

Boston Marathon 2010 Start

These runners were cheering back to the crowd! High Fivinng, smiling! Yelling…happy to be alive and running in the Boston Marathon. They probably all had personal goals for times, but they seemed to run for the love of the sport and experience. These runners donned the garb and colors of their country and outrageous costumes. There were a couple dozen Canadian proudly displaying the maple leaf. A group of 4 men carrying the Japanese flag. Several Irish folks running along. A man carrying an American flag with red white and blue clothes on. A man dressed as a fairy..wings and all. A Ninja, a man with a towel and rubber ducky, characters from movies, people with their 20 year old college and high school cross country pinnies on. Celtics and Red Sox T-Shirts, their names or the names of the people they are running for written on their bodies and more.

There were the teams of runners running for a cause or a sick or departed friend or family member. Runners running for themselves and those who could not run.

A blind man with 2 escorts, an 80 year old who was running Boston for his 8th time, an old man pulling an oxygen cart (yes…pulling his oxygen…with 2 health aides walking with him). There were people with prosthetic limbs and other seeming physical challenges.

It was amazing…I could not clap or cheer for an hour…I thought I would burst into tears. The humanity, the sacrifice, the camaraderie the unbridled and unconditional support of one another…total strangers! It was beautiful.
There were people handing our notes to runners…young girls near us…one runner took one and accidentally dropped it…this man RAN BACK through the other runners to get it!!!! He was so appreciative of the words of encouragement on the paper that he actually ran against the tide of thousands (only about 10 feet) to get the note off of the pavement and kept going.

This is what sport should be about. This is what life should be about. there are crowned winners who stand out…but not a single loser. It was about each man and woman being out for themselves on this journey, while sharing it with thousands of strangers. People cheering for other people who were limping or tired, that wanted to quit!

There was a man in obvious pain…limping, barely walking and woman shouted to him “Keep ti up! You are doing a great job!”…honestly at any other time in Boston this woman would have been yelling at this man to “hurry up and get the heck (PG version) out of the way!” .But this was “Boston”…what they call the Boston Marathon. Where the crowds treat the participants like kings, queens and family.

Never have I experienced a culmination of effort, dogged determination and sacrifice like this. Never have I felt this much pride about this community, about the people at this race and in this race. It was a celebration of life. My narrow mind tried to pick and analyze the human body but my heart and soul would not let me ignore the human spirit.

Thank you to the thousands of volunteers and tens of thousands of marathoners and untold number of fans. I feel like a better person for what you showed me today.

Talk about “Acres of Diamonds”…

Thank you for reading…I hope this story, my experience today can make a difference for you too the next time you have the opportunity to pick someone else up when they are down.

Eric Beard
CEO A-Team

Corrective Exercise Specialist

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

http://youtube.com/theericbeard

• 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)
• November 20, 2010 -- 99 Problems But a Vision Ain’t One (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)
• July 29, 2011 -- Barefoot Training Part-2 (0)
• February 13, 2011 -- I Need a Doctor (Not for Valentines Day) (0)
• December 24, 2010 -- Merry Christmas from a Corrective Exercise Specialist (0)

Thanks for checking in!

Eric Beard

CEO A-Team

Corrective Exercise Specialist

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

• December 17, 2009 -- Corrective Exercise Specialist Answers Why Do I Like DotFit? (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)
• 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)
• December 24, 2010 -- Merry Christmas from a Corrective Exercise Specialist (0)

I shot this at NASM corporate after teaching a corrective exercise specialist workshop in January 2010. NASM.org and HFPN.com share an exercise library with other ideas as well. I wish I had more time to do these videos, there is so much more to cover. If you are looking for more ideas for training the shoulder complex you can check out my video series Secrets and Staples of Training the Athletic Shoulder at http://athleticshoulder.com . This is a 5 disc series that I am pretty proud of. Lots of content! Truly soups to nuts training for the shoulder complex.

Are you guys registered yet for HFPN’s Another Fitness Challenge (AFC)? Visit http://anotherfitnesschallenge.com to get in while the getting is good. I can’t wait! I am going to use the AFC to reach some personal goals and offer some goal setting coaching and moving towards reaching your goals. Will be a fun ride! Register now, it’s free and you could win some cool stuff:) http://anotherfitnesschallenge.com to

Back to the Grammy’s! Beyonce finally beat Taylor Swift with a Grammy for Single Ladies and just tore it up on stage with a pretty cool mash up with her stuff and an Alanis Morisette cover!

Here are some vids about AFC…

HEY! Did you see the picture on Ben’s Desktop?? Mr.T!!! That is my boy B.A. Bad Attitude Barracass of the A-Team…it is hint! Get on bard A-Teamers!!!

Have a great night.

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

• February 26, 2010 -- First Month of Another Fitness Challenge Brings Eric Beard Some Results (1)
• February 12, 2010 -- Will Smith Needs Corrective Exercise…but He Helps Me this Time (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)
• February 6, 2010 -- Chunking Goals: Breakdown the Big Goals Into Smaller Actionable Steps (0)
• 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)
• January 27, 2010 -- Overhead Squat Assessment-Excessive Forward Lean from Ankle Restriction at NASM CES Workshop by Eric Beard (0)
• December 24, 2009 -- Does the Grinch Need Corrective Exercise? (2)
• December 17, 2009 -- Corrective Exercise Specialist Answers Why Do I Like DotFit? (0)

If this compensation continues unchecked it can lead to low back pain, headaches, patella femoral pain and other dysfunction in the kinetic chain.

NASM has the best Corrective Exercise credential in the business and an excellent 2 day workshop. Visit http://nasm.org for more details.

Hope you find the video helpful!

Eric Beard
CEO A-Team
EricBeard.com
AthleticShoulder.com
http://youtube.com/theericbeard.com

• January 15, 2010 -- Boston CPT for NASM Ends up With Some After Hours Corrective Exercise Action for Eric Beard (0)
• November 10, 2009 -- Brian Tracy Has Performed Corrective Exericse for my Head (0)
• February 26, 2010 -- First Month of Another Fitness Challenge Brings Eric Beard Some Results (1)
• January 31, 2010 -- FLY This-Eric Beard Shows a Cool Variation for Core Stability plus Another Fitness Challenge (1)
• December 17, 2009 -- Corrective Exercise Specialist Answers Why Do I Like DotFit? (0)
• August 21, 2010 -- Corrective Exercise 2010 Summer Update (0)
• 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 8, 2010 -- Revist, Recite, Re-Write Your Goals Dailly to Manifest your Dreams (0)
• December 24, 2009 -- Does the Grinch Need Corrective Exercise? (2)

Just like “Hannibal”, “Faceman”, “Howling Mad Murdoch” and “B.A Baracus” (Bad Attitude if you didn’t know)…this rag tag group with common bonds and special skills worked together in an unorthodox manner as well intentioned mercenaries to fight injustices. Somehow it all came together at the end of each episode..you can hear Hannibal now “I love it when a plan comes together.”

Can you imagine BA on a foam roller??? lol!!

Who would you be??? Faceman was always my favorite as a kid!

I feel like the plan is coming together for me too which means I am another step closer to helping more people directly with corrective exercise, moving touching and inspiring even more professionals to do the same, finding a way to give back to the community and providing for my family while I do it. Now that fires me up!!!

Why am I so bleary eyed in my video below?? I flew to Mesa Arizona to visit the corporate offices of the National Academy of Sports Medicine for a training on the NEW NASM PRO and to lay down some audio for the site webinar tutorials. This sound room was cool, you don’t see all the material on the other walls that absorbed the extra sound!

Here I am with two of my good buddies Marty Miller an ATC, CES and an NASM Instructor for NASM (left) and Scott Pullen Director of Fitness and Nutrition Education for dtoFIT.com-or some fancy tittle these days- (with the guns) at lunch.

I haven’t been there since before they switched buildings, must have been 2 years before that. I am at the Calabasas location @ 3 times a year to teach however. Here is a pic of me with Ben Tucker the President of NASM PRO, great guy and devoted family man.

Here is a short video that I shot this morning while waiting for my shuttle at Logan Airport. I look pretty rough…actually still fee pretty rough, but was too excited to sleep on the plane and have not been to bed since Wednesday night!

This is short…but you will get the gist!

Thanks for reading and watching!

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

• No Related Post

Great to be home! Well almost home, I am actually typing this on the plane ride home! I am just getting back from another fantastic Corrective Exercise Specialist workshop for NASM in Calabasas, CA just out side of LA.

This was the largest group I have had at a CES workshop, 31 people. There were people that travelled from several different states to the workshop including; Arizona, Oregon, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Kentucky and Texas. There were personal trainers, athletic trainers, physical therapists, strength coaches and even a professional body builder amongst the group!

Want to see what one of the participants thought of the workshop?

Andy, a Neuromuscular Therapist from the Kentucky/Cincinnati area who enjoys using active isolated stretching techniques amongst others with his patients/clients.

I arrived in LA earlier than usual on Thursday and got to stop by the NASM home office or headquarters as I like to call it and visit the people that make it happen behind the scenes. There is actually quite a contingency from the east coast with Nina, Matt and Brett.

I also got to visit some of my favorite haunts;

Zuma Beach

Duke's in Malibou

Sharky's in Calabasas

Adobe Cantina

29100 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills, CA 91301; Phone: 818-991-3474

During the workshop we saw some interesting assessments. There was one variation of a compensation that was very unique, one that I have never seen before. During the decent of her overhead squat she had an excessive forward lean and flexed her thoracic spine. Her right knee moved inwards slightly as well and right foot out slightly. This probably does not sound all that unusual. But the manner in which she moved was different than I had seen. How she stayed neutral at the lumbar spine but collapsed at the thoracic spine and kept the arms in line over her head, cool to see. I often times see the excessive forward lean preceded by an excessive arch in the lumbar spine, but that did not happen. Recreationally she; runs, plays goalie in ice hockey and rides a motorcycle.

Her primary area of dysfunction was her lumbo-pelvic hip complex, with the primary impairment existing in the right side.

The Corrective Strategy we designed was to;

Maybe our mystery volunteer is reading now Thank you if you are. I really appreciate everyone coming to the workshop and I look forward to seeing you all again!

Maybe for a neuromuscular stretching and goniometry workshop???

Thanks for reading!

Eric Beard

Athletic Performance Enhancement Specialist

Corrective Exercise Specialist

theericbeard.blogspot.com

www.ericbeard.com

• No Related Post

Great to be home! Well almost home, I am actually typing this on the plane ride home! I am just getting back from another fantastic Corrective Exercise Specialist workshop for NASM in Calabasas, CA just out side of LA.

This was the largest group I have had at a CES workshop, 31 people. There were people that travelled from several different states to the workshop including; Arizona, Oregon, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Kentucky and Texas. There were personal trainers, athletic trainers, physical therapists, strength coaches and even a professional body builder amongst the group!

Want to see what one of the participants thought of the workshop?

Andy, a Neuromuscular Therapist from the Kentucky/Cincinnati area who enjoys using active isolated stretching techniques amongst others with his patients/clients.

I arrived in LA earlier than usual on Thursday and got to stop by the NASM home office or headquarters as I like to call it and visit the people that make it happen behind the scenes. There is actually quite a contingency from the east coast with Nina, Matt and Brett.

I also got to visit some of my favorite haunts;

Zuma Beach

Duke's in Malibou

Sharky's in Calabasas

Adobe Cantina

29100 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills, CA 91301; Phone: 818-991-3474

During the workshop we saw some interesting assessments. There was one variation of a compensation that was very unique, one that I have never seen before. During the decent of her overhead squat she had an excessive forward lean and flexed her thoracic spine. Her right knee moved inwards slightly as well and right foot out slightly. This probably does not sound all that unusual. But the manner in which she moved was different than I had seen. How she stayed neutral at the lumbar spine but collapsed at the thoracic spine and kept the arms in line over her head, cool to see. I often times see the excessive forward lean preceded by an excessive arch in the lumbar spine, but that did not happen. Recreationally she; runs, plays goalie in ice hockey and rides a motorcycle.

Her primary area of dysfunction was her lumbo-pelvic hip complex, with the primary impairment existing in the right side.

The Corrective Strategy we designed was to;

Maybe our mystery volunteer is reading now Thank you if you are. I really appreciate everyone coming to the workshop and I look forward to seeing you all again!

Maybe for a neuromuscular stretching and goniometry workshop???

Thanks for reading!

Eric Beard

Athletic Performance Enhancement Specialist

Corrective Exercise Specialist

theericbeard.blogspot.com

www.ericbeard.com

• No Related Post

Had a great time this last weekend in San Antonio! My last trip there was 2 years ago when I taught an NASM CPT workshop there with my Friend Ervin Zubic. It was his last workshop as an instructor for NASM. He has since been focusing solely on his career with Lifestyles Fitness. I miss being on the road with “Ez”. He is a sharp, funny and driven guy.

Actually one of the women in the workshop this weekend was in that same workshop 2 years ago! She remembered us:)

The hotel was nice and there service at the Airport Hilton was very good. The food was average. I was craving some GREAT Mexican food and got very average food. I must have gone to the wrong places! We had lunch at Bees by the airport on Friday and dinner at some touristy place on the Riverwalk Friday. I did get to go by the Alamo again which I thought was very interesting. I love history!

Unfortunately it was closed so we just poked around the outside.

The group of trainers were great! I had lots of fun working with them and teaching with my buddy Scott Mitchell and we even met Alan Russell from NASM corporate for dinner Friday. The group was responsive and prepared. There was a nice mix of veterans and rookies and trainer who have been in the game for a couple of years too.

They got a little workout on Saturday;

Doing some 2 arm Ys from a 1/4 squat

…and single leg squats here.

Thank you for the hospitality San Antonio! Sorry to miss Fiesta , good luck to your Spurs and I hope to be back in another year or two!

Thanks for coming to the workshop and reading!

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

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I received and email from a physical therapy group that was designed to be informative and offer solutions for a painful condition called plantar fasciitis. Here is what I received via email (WHICH I THINK ONLY TELLS SUCH A SMALL PORTION OF THE STORY);

“Plantar Fasciitis is a common condition affecting many people. It is characterized by pain in the bottom of the foot. This pain is typically worse in the mornings, the first few steps of the day. The pain can also increase after activities such as long walks or athletic activities. This condition is caused by tightening of the large ligament on the bottom of the foot. This condition can be started by an injury to this area or something as simple as a new pair of shoes.

Use a tennis ball or golf ball. Place the ball on the ground and run the sore spot on yourfoot back and forth across the ball with gentle pressure.

Freeze a 12 ounce plastic bottle with water inside. Place the bottle on the floor and roll your foot back and forth over the bottle.

Calve stretches: Place the effected leg back and stride forward with the other. Try to keep the effected leg heel on the ground. You should start to feel a stretch in the underside of the foot and your calf.

If you try these techniques and continue to have difficulty with heel pain, feel free to call us for

an evaluation_______________.”

I know a professional baseball player that followed this protocol for months until his plantar fascia ripped! This was from treatment advice from the team’s medical staff!!! This injury cost the team hundreds of thousands of dollars, home runs, RBI and the player unnecessary pain and anguish and probably dollars off of his next contract. How many regular “average Joes” have suffered the same fate???

People might receive soft tissue work…

Other might use modalities for pain relief or to break up bone spurs..

Stretching is often recommended..

BUT WHY ARE WE LENGTHENING THE PLANTAR FASCIA WHEN MOST PEOPLE EXCESSIVELY PRONATE and evert at the calcaneuous???? This will lengthen the plantar fascia more!!! This may feel good for a few minutes or hours, but often times the problem is being exacerbated while the symptom is being treated.

When you see people’s arch flatten excessively when the squat, walk or run then the plantar fascia is being pulled apart every time the foot comes in contact with the ground. Sometimes it looks like the foot is turning out…

Other times only the arch falls…

This causes undo stress throughout the rest of the body (kinetic chain) and is often caused by a genetic predisposition to laxity in the arches of the feet, or restricted joints and muscular imbalances. Knee pain, low back pain, headaches, fatigue…and the list goes on. This position wears out and wears down the human body. If you were born with this structure, you should probably get fitted for orthotics and if you have developed this condition over time (as it seems to be the case with most people) then corrective exercise can do wonders. RECAP-if you were born this way-see a medical professional (who gets it) for orthotics AND do corrective exercise to balance off the rest of the kinetic chain if you have DEVELOPED this situation then corrective exercise and then maybe an over the counter insert into your shoe may be helpful. It is extremely important to get some coaching from an experienced corrective exercise specialist/physical therapist/chiropractor/certified athletic trainer etc on this.

Over active muscles include the; lateral gastrocnemius, biceps femoris (short head), tensor fascia latte and more

These muscles need soft tissue work with something like the rollaxer (www.rollaxer.net)
..you can not beat a skilled manual therapist…but this product does a nice job!

and to be statically stretched while the arch is maintained, NOT FLATTENED
I have found this or similar adjustable slant boards to work best since it supports the base of the 1st MTP, 5th MTP and calcaneuous so well.

These muscles need to be strenghted the; posterior tibialis, anterior tibialis and glute medius (posterior fibers) and glute maximus.

And then you need to teach the body better movement patterns

There is always more BUT the biggest thing to take home is that if some one’s foot is flattening and causing plantar surface pain DON”T KEEP STRETCHING THE BOTTOM OF YOUR FOOT!

The discomfort is the symptom…not the cause. If pain persists after you receive an integrated assessment and corrective exercise program for your plantar fasciitis, then follow up with a licensed health care practitioner, you may have a bone spur or another condition that requires the attention of a medical professional.

Hope this at least has you looking at things at a different angle, I know so many people that chased the symptom and not the cause and wasted months if not years doing the wrong things for their situation.

Thanks for reading!

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

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