Lateral Movements

Those of us who are addicted to exercise tend to focus on our favorite exercises. This can be a good thing if you want to get really good at something it tends to take a lot of practice. I have read that it can take 10,000 attempts to master a movement. (squats, lunges, etc.)

Lateral Lunges aren't easy

 

What type of movements do very few people work on? Lateral movements. Why? Because they aren't very easy to perform without a lot of practice. 

Lateral movements on stairs are a great way to prepare for ski season. Just don't look down at your feet while doing them.

Why should you consider adding lateral movements to your routine?

1.  They will add stability and balance to your movements through your hips.

2.  They will help your knees track properly over your toes. This will help alleviate knee pain.

3.  They will increase the range of motion of you hips and that can help alleviate back pain.
 

If you are looking for another way to challenge yourself, consider adding lateral movements to your exercise routine.

Stair Climbing for Balance (and Strength too)

The older you get the scarier these get!

Ask older adults about what they fear most about getting older and one of the most common answers you will hear is losing their independence. Ask them what part of their homes in the scariest any many will mention the stairs. I have relatives that live in two story houses that have talked about moving before they get too old to go up and down the stairs.

What can you do to make the stairs a less scary place in your home? You have two ways of approaching the problem.

Will this make your stronger (or WEAKER) around your stairs?

1.  You can accept getting weaker and eventually look for a way to get up and down the stairs with the help of something like a lift. Remember the phrase use it or lose it. Quit using your legs to get up and down the stairs and your legs will lose the ability to help you go up or down the stairs.

2.  You can prepare ahead of time by getting stronger around the stairs.

Anyone that knows me realizes I don't want anyone to settle for option number one unless absolutely necessary. I realize that some people will have to give up their ability to go up and down the stairs under their own power. What can you do to minimize the chance of that happening to you?

Exercise of course!

If you are unstable around the stairs, you should work on your overall strength level (Squat, Lunge, Deadlift, Hip Hinge, etc.) before attempting any of the following exercises.

My favorite exercise to teach clients body control around stairs is call the

Step Down/Step Up.

The up portion

I begin by teaching my clients how to control the step down portion of the movement. 
Stand facing a sturdy step at least 8 inches high.
Step up onto the step with both feet. I spot my clients by standing behind them and having my hands on their hips in case they lose control of the movement.
I have my clients begin using their weaker leg first. Slowly lower one foot back onto the ground focusing on using as much muscle tension on the leg that is still on the step. Repeat on one side until that leg begins to get tired. Rest for a couple of minutes. Repeat with the other side.

If you can't control the down portion of the movement, I recommend facing the kitchen sink. Place your hands on the edge of the sink and use your arms to help control the movement. As you gain strength, you will be able to perform this movement without using the hands.

The goal is to be able to take between 6 and 10 seconds to lower your body down till one leg is touching the floor. As you gain strength, the height of the step can be increased until it is about the length on your lower leg.

Once you have step downs/step ups mastered you can begin working around a staircase. 

Taking Steps Two at a time:

Version #1

Taking the steps two at time while using the same leg to lead:

Start at the bottom of a staircase.

Place the lead foot on the second stair.

Like this except don't use your hands to help.

Lift up using that leg until it is straight and the trailing sides foot is on the same step.
Use this pattern until you reach the top of the stairs.
Take your time going back down the stairs one at a time, alternating legs as usual.

Repeat using the opposite leg as the lead leg until you reach the top of the stairs.

Once you feel that you have mastered these versions, you are ready for the more challenging version.

Alternating the lead legs while taking the steps two at a time.

Begin at the bottom of the stairs.

Place the lead foot on the second stair.

As you use the lead leg to go up the stairs, lift your trail leg until it's foot is on the forth step.

Lift your body using the lead leg and lift your trail leg until it's foot is on the sixth step.

Repeat this sequence until you reach the top of the stairs.

Once you have mastered these you can add more of a challenge by holding weights in your hands by your sides, at chest level and even overhead if your are ready. The higher the weights, the more challenging.

What is mobility? (and how do you keep it)

How is this going to increase your mobility when you become dependent on it?

What do you think of when I use the word mobility? I'll bet most people think about scooters.

If you watch enough TV you will see ads for products that are suppose to help keep you mobile. Some of them even highlight that they are free. (Nothing is free) Use it long enough and it will cost you your independence from it.

When I see these ads I think about the phrase use it or loose it. If you get to the point where the only way you can move is to be sitting on this, you aren't going to be getting any stronger. I promise you that you will become weaker the longer you use it.

If you no longer ask your legs to work, they will become weak enough that they won't want to work.

If you would ask me what mobility is my answer would be like this: Mobility is the ability to move your body any way that you ask it to move. It can be trained just like strength and endurance. It can also be lost just like them.

What can you do to keep your mobility? I have covered the basic principles here.
Neck Mobility, Shoulder Mobility, Hip Mobility.

Keeping a basic level of strength will help keep you mobile. Strength is the foundation and without it, your mobility will be challenged.

Combine mobility exercises with strength exercises and you can remain mobile for as long as possible. (and they can help you avoid having to rely on scooters, walkers and wheelchairs)

 

 
 


When I use to visit my father in the nursing home, I would see the residents sitting in their wheelchairs and wonder how many of them didn't need to be there. If only they had worked on the mobility and strength levels in the decades before they ended up there.

What are you doing to make sure you keep your mobility? Losing it can happen to anyone.

 Below is what I am doing.

My four favorite whole body exercises.

#1 Squats

#2 Split Squats

#3 Bent Knee Deadlifts

#4 Straight Legged Deadlifts

Eccentric vs Concentric vs Isometric Muscle Contractions

In anatomy 101 you learn that there are three main types of skeletal muscular contractions.

Isometric, Concentric, and Eccentric. I feel that you should train all three if you want to get the most out of your training.

Using Arm curls as an example

Think about climbing stairs. Up the stairs is primarly concentric muscle contractions.

I doubt if he is saying to himself, only 5 more flights on concentric climbing left.

Now think about descending stairs. Make sure you have enough eccentric strength to control your body on the way down. Imagine your body is this truck.

Descending stairs. I sure hope the brakes don't fail.

Take Squatting as another example. As you lower your body you are performing Eccentric work; if you pause anytime during the lift, the muscles being used to hold the position are being used isometrically; as you raise your body you are performing the concentric portion of the lift.

Ask the average person what the purpose of their skeletal muscular system is and you will probably hear answers such as:

To make you move, jump, run, lift things, throw things, etc. This is why most people and trainers focus on training their muscles to make the body move? It is also easier to get an idea of how much work you accomplish during concentric contractions. (Ex. You lifted 100#'s 10 times)

What do these all have in common?

They all involve concentric muscle contractions.Think of concentric contractions as the engine in the body. They determine how the body moves.


What do I think is the most under trained type of muscle contraction?
Eccentric contractions.

Why? When strength training most people focus on how much weight they can lift. They rarely focus on how to control the weight while is is being brought back down to the starting position of the lift. One of the reasons is we don't measure how much work is done during the eccentric parts of a set. (Ex. You spent 45 seconds of that last set on the eccentric portion of the lifting)

Think of eccentric training as teaching the mind how to stop movements. Would you want to drive your car without brakes. Shouldn't you learn how to stop your body when you need to?

In 2010 I was attending the Missouri Strength & Conditioning Seminar at Parkway North. One of the speakers was Dana LeDuc. (the Strength & Conditioning Coach of the St. Louis Rams at the time) During his presentation he mentioned that the rams players used eccentric lifting during leg curls to prevent hamstring injuries. When he was done speaking I got to ask him a question. Where there any other lifts being used eccentrically to prevent injuries? He said no. Too much Eccentric training can slow an athlete down.

If one of the best Strength & Conditioning Coaches in the world doesn't focus much on Eccentric lifting is it any surprise that most people don't?

Why do I feel that you should focus more on the eccentric part of the lift?

1.     It strengthens connective tissue (ligaments and tendons) more than Concentric lifting. Stronger connective tissue is less likely to get injured. I would be willing to bet that if more emphasis was put on the eccentric parts of lifting, there would be a lot less injuries in all levels of sports.

2.     It teaches your mind how to control movements better leading to greater balance and less chance of falling down.

3.     It leads to better change of direction and agility. (athletes focus on this while everyone should.)

4.     It is a great way to get stronger in less time. (More bang for your buck)

What is the biggest risk of Eccentric training? It can make your muscles really sore when too much of it is done.

What type of contractions are being used to control proper posture while lifting/moving? Isometric Contractions. While performing a movement like a squat, isometric contractions stabilize the torso. You wouldn't want your torso moving all over the place while squatting. Even if you think you never perform isometrics, you perform them all the time.

      Imagine the amount of isometric work being done during this picture.

I was watching a performance of my daughter's Cheerleading team on video recently and was amazed at the amount of isometric work being done by the bases and flyers during their stunts.  Getting really strong doing the standing press and overhead squats would pay off the the bases. The flyers could reap huge benefits from working on single foot stability.