By Brian Diaz Sitting in the corner of many gyms, including some of ours, is that dusty old angled bench that makes many exercisers wonder, “What do you do with that weird-looking bench?” Gone are the days of the traditional preacher bench bicep curl that frequented every chain
By Brian Schiff Efficient cycling requires sufficient total-body strength and endurance. Weakness in the shoulders, torso and hips will negatively impact performance and contribute to postural deficiencies. As fatigue sets in, gravity only magnifies poor posture and flawed technique. Some common technical and postural flaws that cyclists may encounter
By Elizabeth Tow Objectives: Increase core strength and spine stability. This exercise also trains the deeper glutes to hold you erect on one leg while abs and lower back muscles keep the torso stable over the pelvis. Functional application: Side plank strengthens lateral musculature, which also helps resolve imbalance
By Brian Diaz | The fastest growing national “race” category is not the full or half-marathons that all your Facebook friends claim they are training for, nor even the surge in triathlons, but a different type of multi-event race known as an obstacle course.
By Elizabeth Towe Objective: We have talked previously about the role of the gluteus maximus in hip extension and its importance as a powerful hip mover. If the glutes get “shut off” because of an injury or opposing muscles that are short and tight, substitution patterns will
Dear Doc, I am doing my first mud run and I am nervous about injuring myself. I have a history of rolling my ankles and I want to nurse a post-race beer instead of a sprain. Any recommendations? Hyper-mobily yours, D.P Topsail Island, N.C. Dear D.P., Stability
By Joshua Stevens Henry David Thoreau once said, “The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” We can’t all immerse ourselves in nature for a couple of years like Thoreau, but if you find yourself spending too much time at work, you may
Dear Doc, I decided 2013 is my year to transition to barefoot shoes. Ditching my thick, soft soles will make me faster and healthier, right? Best, Carl the Caveman, N.C. Carl, Before you go shoe shopping, ask yourself this: Is your butt ready to go barefoot? Minimalist
By Brian Schiff The biomechanics of running revolve around single limb support. Many runners have muscle imbalances that lead to asymmetrical loading and injury patterns. In light of this, dynamic balance training is critical for injury prevention and optimizing running economy. Keep in mind that poor balance
By Elizabeth Towe Objective: When we are running we need to have strength and stability on one leg to drive the body forward efficiently. The split stance squat is a great multi-joint (hip-knee-ankle) exercise that really brings the hip joint to the forefront as the power mover that drives us forward in
