“Bodybuilding Sins” That Cause Back Pain and Missed Workouts Part 4

“Bodybuilding Sins” That Cause Back Pain and Missed Workouts Part 4


(Courtesy of Jesse Cannone, CFT, CPRS  and Steve Hefferon, CMT)

Welcome to article number 4 in our series “Bodybuilding Sins That Cause Back Pain and Missed Workouts”. In this article we are going to talk about how bodybuilders tend to create massive muscle imbalances and what you can do to not be one of them.
If you missed the first article, you can read it by clicking on the link below.


Here's a breakdown of the articles to look for:
Article #1 - Choosing The WRONG Exercises
Article #2 - Training Variations for Pain Relief and Maximum Results
Article #3 - Targeted Stretching
Article #4 - Targeted Exercises (Below)

Article #4 - Targeted Exercises
What is a Targeted Exercise and Why You Need To Be Doing Them?


While performing three different exercises for each area of the chest may sound “targeted” and it may work great for targeting the chest itself... this is NOT what we mean by targeted...


What we are talking about is choosing exercises with more than just size increases in mind... remember, there is far more to muscle than just how it looks... You can be really big, but also weak, slow and inflexible.


To drive this point home some more, remember the “Turtle Back Syndrome” we covered in article #1? So many body builders are plagued with this gruesome condition and they don't even know it! Are you?


The Turtle Back condition is a direct result of too much focus on building up the pecs and lats and not enough focus on the upper back. Also, the lack of focus on flexibility in the chest and shoulders makes it even worse...


Not only does this look stupid, but it sets you up for back, neck and shoulder problems like rotator cuff tears and the like... and I know you don't want any of those!


So by targeted, we mean exercises that will not just develop muscle strength and size, but more importantly work towards correcting muscle imbalances which will mean less pain and missed workouts, better performance and function, and most of all better and balanced total body development!


So How Do You Find Out Which Ones You NEED To be Doing?
As we discussed in the previous article on “Targeted Stretching”, it's very important to know before hand what stretches you actually NEED to be doing... the same applies to exercises...and the ONLY way to find out what specific areas you need to target is to perform physical evaluations so you can pin point the weak muscles that need strengthening and the tight muscles that need stretching.


We have developed a series of simple assessments you can do yourself to identify the muscles imbalances you have...and while they are intended for people suffering from back pain or sciatica, as a bodybuilder you stand to benefit greatly because you train so hard, you are far more likely to experience injuries like bulging and herniated discs, rotator cuff tears, knee pain, etc...


Plus, even if you don't have any pain or injuries now, it would be very wise to learn how to assess yourself so you can target your training now before you create an injury, which not only will slow down your training and progress, but it can also become a life-long struggle with pain and a serious loss of your strength, size and fitness.


Peace and Victory Over Pain,
Jevaughn Brown

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Revealed: The REAL Reason You Have Neck Pain...

It's funny how everything in your body is connected like a single... tightly wrapped piece of fiber.

When one area hurts, it reduces the function of another. If one organ isn't functioning properly... you feel it throughout your entire body. World champion athlete and bestselling author Matt Furey once said, "For great health you don't just focus on the muscles. The muscles matter not if even ONE organ in your body runs amuck. See how strong your legs are when a kidney fails. Or how powerful your chest if your heart has an attack. Or how far you can throw a football if your spleen is ruptured."

So true - But guess what? Your muscles are organs too! And if even one of your muscles is in agony – it strips the focus straight out of you and makes it nearly impossible to have a good workout (or a good day at work, or a good day period!)

This is something a buddy of mine was complaining to me about the other day.

His neck had been bothering him for a few days and it was killing his workouts. Then he started popping pain pills and then his stomach started bothering him. (Aren't drugs wonderful?)

He asked me for some help...

… and here's the website I sent him to ← click here!

This letter was written by Jesse Cannone and Dr. Brian Paris. Jesse is one the world's leading experts on back pain and neck pain... and Dr. Paris is a chiropractor specializing in neck pain and all-natural, drug-free solutions to fixing neck pain.

I sent it to him, and he LOVED it.

What I think you'll find most interesting is the part about WHY you have neck pain.

Trust me – it's not what you think.

I've always thought my neck hurt because of injuries, herniated discs, strains... and things like that.

… but I was wrong.

If you've ever suffered from chronic, makes-you-massage-your-own-neck pain like I have... you'll find it interesting as well. It's filled with great content and will make you think twice about ever going to the doctor again – I can tell you that much!

Check it out here: http://sciaticstretches.blogspot.com/no_more_neck_pain

Peace and Victory Over Pain,

Jevaughn Brown

P.S. Seriously, check this out for yourself if your neck's been bothering you lately. It'll help you where other approaches have failed - http://sciaticstretches.blogspot.com/no_more_neck_pain

Lower Back Pain and Golf by Dr. R. Duvall, DPT, ATC, MGFI

Lower Back Pain and Golf

Courtesy of Dr. Robert Duvall, DPT, ATC, MGFI

 

Low back pain represents one of the most common and costly diagnoses that the health profession manages on a continuous basis. It is one of the most common reasons to visit a physician, physical therapist, or chiropractor. The costs for evaluating and treating low back pain patients are estimated to be beyond $50 billion dollars a year in the U.S. Regardless of the costs from the multiple diagnostic options, physical therapists and other healthcare practitioners must become more efficient and effective with their treatment plans. Treatment must be aimed at the individual with the back problem rather than the back problem itself. It is crucial for the clinician to include in their clinical assessments to examine the person and their ability to function, and not just focus on the traditional clinical tests of impairments such as range of motion and strength tests.

Traditional exercises have been shown to be an effective treatment modality for patients with low back injury. Multiple studies have examined the benefits of exercise in treating patients with low back pain; however, there have been very few published reports describing specific program designs as it relates to golfers. Golf injuries to the low back are the most common problems in both the professional and amateur player. It's poor technique and the repetition of hitting balls that usually leads to an injury. Combine that with the typical sedentary lifestyle (in which people drive to/from work in a seated position and work in a seated position for most of the day) and you begin to understand why there is such a high incidence of back pain among golfers.

A back injury results from excessive stress placed on the spine, usually when the body does not perform the correct sequence during the golf swing. Here is an astonishing fact: Eight times your body weight is forced through your spine as you make contact with the ball. So if you have poor mechanics combined with a weak back you are more likely to cause yourself a significant amount of injury.

To avoid back pain, I recommend you start by visiting a health professional for a golf-specific training program. A well-trained health professional is able to identify skeletal and muscle imbalances and give you correct golf specific exercises to improve your posture and overall conditioning specific for golf. Correct posture and muscle balance will enable you to get into the proper positions required to swing the golf club effectively.

The golf swing is considered a very unnatural movement for most people, especially for people with a sedentary lifestyle. As with most sports, golf is a sport that requires a lot of rotary movement. When we sit for the most part of the day, certain muscles get used to that position and become “tight”, while other muscles get “stretched out”. This leads to significant muscle imbalances that then put unnecessary stress on the back. In all likelihood, their golf muscles have “shut down” due to sitting for long periods. Effectively, the muscles that absorb force and reduce load in a golf swing (that is, the lower and deep abdominals) are relatively weak and aren't able to work together. And if your hips and shoulders are tight, there is a greater chance of moving incorrectly.

The golfer's checklist to ensure a healthy back:

» Visit a physical therapist or chiropractor well versed with golfers for a golf-specific physical assessment and conditioning program.

» Take a lesson from a PGA professional about basic fundamentals and how the body should move during the golf swing. Hopefully the PGA instructor uses video to analyze your swing.

» Practice golf specific drills that teach the correct movements in your swing, which will decrease the chances of injuring your back.

» Ensure your clubs are fitted properly for you, e.g. are your clubs too short or long? Are the shafts too flexible or stiff?

» Make sure you do a golf-specific warm-up routine prior to hitting balls or playing golf. 

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Peace and Victory Over Pain

Jevaughn Brown

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Jevaughn_Brown

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