I made a short video for you and put together a list of Christmas presents if you were still looking for a gift for me;)

Here is my Merry Christmas video;

Here are some things I want for Christmas;

The iGallop-30 second video

The Shake Weight Certification;

The ButtMaster; (30 second video)

Just mail them to me or have Santa drop them off;)

Thanks for reading!

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

http://gvo-ericbeard.gvoconference.com/

<

• November 20, 2010 -- 99 Problems But a Vision Ain’t One (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 11, 2010 -- HFPN-Another Fitness Challenge Goals and Progress for Eric Beard 2/11/2010- My Corrective Exercise is Working! (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)

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)

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)

If you observe the first woman with the green shirt, you can notice her right knee moving in and foot moving out. Often their is tightness in the muscles around the ankle and hip, like the lateral gastrocnemius fibers, soleus, TFL, psoas, illiacus and biceps femoris short head and quite possibly a joint restriction at the subtalor joint in the ankle. Many time sin this situation, the medial hamstrings and gluteal complex along with the medial gastrocnemius are under active and weak.

If left unchecked, this pattern can wear down the medial meniscus, aggravate the plantar fascia, patella femoral joint and lead to low back pain, neck pain and even headaches as the ground reaction forces are transmitted through the kinetic chain.

The man in the blue shirt displays a varum or bowlegged stride. This can be congenital and has a similar pattern of muscular imbalance with the piriformis and long head of the biceps femoris joining the over active group. There is less that can often be done about this type of gait because it is possibly structural, but corrective exercise can still help to minimize the muscular imbalances and enhance personal athletic performance and recovery from running.

Lastly the woman in the yellow top that takes the orange from the girl in the crowd displays that leg whip (foot out/knee in) compensation similar to the woman in the green shirt.

These compensations can all be observable in a movement assessment like the overhead squat, which makes a great pre-screen to a  running program.

Even a basic regimen of self myofascial release, static stretching, core stabilization and balance training can have a major  positive impact on these three runners and how they feel during and after a run.

I have helped several endurance athletes train for and recover from major and minor events and it is a challenge to balance corrective with the Horus of training needed to complete these events, but the importance of a corrective exercise program, good sleep, a smart meal plan, consistent training and complimentary/adjunct therapy (massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, physical therapy) is the way to have long term success with endurance sports,even if they are just F.T.F.O.I. (for the fun of it)

One more to go!!! Thanks for your persistence:)

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 2 (0)
• April 19, 2010 -- Please Read This: Gratuitous Boston Marathon Post Part 4: The Juice (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)

I took a few pics with my trusty iphone and got a few usable ones, although I saw much more craziness than I got I on film.

Low back pain? Runner's Knee?

[/caption

This last one is the most obvious, you can really see the knee collapsing inward and foot turning out. This is loading the ligaments and cartilage of the knee abnormally and will wear down those tissues.

Think of how much energy they have to use just to propel themselves down the road? They are not using the elastic properties of their tissues, they have to use so much concentric effort instead of "springing" from one stride to the next.

I could go on for hours about dysfunction, movement impairments and why people should not be doing what they are doing…but there is something to be said for the human spirit…that is what struck me even more powerfully that the ugly running and punishment people were perpetrating on their poor joints.

Next post I will show you a video I took and write about some of the things I see as well as the emotional impact this day had on me…the intellectual part is easy:)

Thanks for hanging in!

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 -- Please Read This: Gratuitous Boston Marathon Post Part 4: The Juice (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)

Boston Marathon 2010

Although I have lived in Framingham and Natick for a combined total of 21 of my years, I have not gone down to the Boston Marathon race route as an adult and probably only did it a handful of time as a kid. Route 135 in Natick is literally a block and a 1/4 from my house and every year my wife, children, mother in law, some friends and their kids, neighbors and countless others in our community take in the spectacle. My kids love to hand out orange slices and get high fives from the runners, but this is the first year that I have witnessed it live.

I usually work a full day every Patriots Day, a holiday in Massachusetts so I never get to share in the reindeer games, until this year. I took a half day and made sure to get up early and park my car on the other side of rte. 135 so I could get to work when I was ready because the road is closed most of the day for the Marathon. So my Lab and I dropped the car off, enjoyed a brief walk back to the house and started to get ready for the Marathon. We loaded up on snacks, juice boxes and of course tons of orange slices for the marathoners.

It is a tough racket as kid handing our orange slices. There are now engineered yummies such as Cliff Bar “Shots” etc.

So many runners go high tech and skip taking an orange slice from some snot nosed kids who ay have already licked the orange they are offering him or her.

Nature's Sports Refreshment!

It was fun for the kids regardless and we helped facilitate the offerings to these running crazed marathoners, who are so appreciative of the support they get. They give kids high 5′s, cheer and clap back to the screaming crown and are mostly smiles (so are in down right agony). Our post was about 10.5 miles in to the race…so most people were still cruising pretty good, but I am sure much more pain was yet to come.

Let me stop this post now and come back with round 2 in case you are getting bored:)

Thanks for reading!

Eric Beard

CEO A-Team

Corrective Exercise Specialist

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

http://youtube.com/theericbeard

• 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)
• November 20, 2010 -- 99 Problems But a Vision Ain’t One (0)
• August 21, 2010 -- Corrective Exercise 2010 Summer Update (0)
• May 27, 2010 -- Whiplash is Not Just an Awesome Song From Metallica or Mickey Rourke’s Character in Ironman 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)
• 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)

Right Ankle Prone Straight Leg- 0 degrees
Left Ankle Prone Straight Leg- -2 degrees (yes that is a minus as in negative)
Right Ankle Prone Bent Leg- 2 degrees
Left Ankle Prone Bent Leg- 4 degrees

The ideal for these measurements is about 15-20 degrees. You need 12 degrees of dorsiflexion to stand with a neutral position in your lumbo-pelvic-hip- complex (LPHC) and @ 15 degrees to be able maintain neutral when walking….I am not even close so the alignment of my pelvis and lumbar spine must be way off! Based off of my movement assessments (on my You Tube Channel http://youtube.com/theericbeard) my left ankle is the primary source of dysfunction. I have spent most of my efforts on getting the ankle to move better and I feel better already. My forward lean is improved in my squat and there is less tension in my body overall. Ankle mobility is so important to human movement.

I do have some other goals as well. Here are my measurements and goals to reach by the end of Another Fitness Challenge;

2.1.10 Measurements
height 6’05″
weight 205lbs-shorts tee shirt Goal weight-210 lbs
calipers
1-bi 3.5 mm
2-tri 7.5 mm
3-supra 8.5 mm
4-sub 11.5 mm
Total mm 31
chart BF% 16.17%
Omron bf% 15.70%
BF average 15.93%
fat mass 32.65 Goal LBM- 27.65 lbs
LBM 172.35 Gaol LBM-182.35 lbs
BMI 27.6
HR
BP
chest (exhale) 44″
right upper arm 15.75″
left upper arm 15.5″
waist 36.5″
hips 44″
right thigh 25″
left thigh 25.25″
right calve 17.75″
left calve 18″

I wrote out my goals clearly using the S.M.A.R.T. System and review them daily. I am also using the support from the HFPN/AFC chat room and contestants to stay on track. I have accountability to everyone that I have shared my goals with.

I hope you are all progressing with your health and fitness goals as well. Thanks for the support and feel free to comment below and share your goals.

Eric Beard

CEO A-Team

Corrective Exercise Specialist

AthleticShoulder.com
RangeOfMotionWorkshop.com

• 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 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)
• February 4, 2010 -- Goal Setting 101…an Abridged Lesson (1)
• February 1, 2010 -- HFPN’s Another Fitness Challenge? Eric Beard is In! How About You? (0)
• February 19, 2010 -- Upper Extremity Reach Range of Motion Assessments (0)
• February 9, 2010 -- 5 Minute Core Stability / Corrective Exercise for Back Pain by Eric Beard with the MECA Back (0)
• February 6, 2010 -- Chunking Goals: Breakdown the Big Goals Into Smaller Actionable Steps (0)
• January 31, 2010 -- FLY This-Eric Beard Shows a Cool Variation for Core Stability plus Another Fitness Challenge (1)