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When it comes to push-ups I have seen it all, ‘the snake’, ‘the floor hump’, ‘the stripper butt-lift’, ‘the chicken feeding’, ‘the half-rep master’ the list goes on. Chances are that those examples of poor technique stem from a lack of knowledge and/or a lack of strength. The push-up is one of the best exercises around, they require no equipment, can be performed just about anywhere, there are numerous variations and they are excellent for building body tension. When it come

Rotator cuff strains The rotator cuff muscles balance the forces of the deltoids which act to raise the arm. However the rotator cuff muscles (especially supraspinatus) prevent or limit the head of the humerus moving superiorly when the arm is raised in order to put off impingements. The rortaor cuff consisits of the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis. Strains or tearing of the rotator cuff may be caused by overuse, falling on an out stretched arm an

You’re only as strong as your weakest link! How does this relate to fitness? Firstly it’s important to understand what is meant by the term “fitness”. To quote Coach Greg Glassman (founder of crossfit) “There are ten recognized general physical skills. They are cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy. You are as fit as you are competent in each of these ten skills”. Suppose each link in your ch

The deadlift, next to the squat, would arguably have to be the most primitive, effective, full body strength building exercise there is. It is a fundamental movement that many bodybuilders, powerlifters, and other athletes use in their programming to gain muscle mass, build strength, and improve their athletic performance. As with any exercise, the deadlift carries an injury risk, which is why it’s important to focus on and maintain good form. So, what does “good form” look l

I read an interesting quote recently “we are born with mobility, but we have to earn stability”. On the surface I agree but really, we have to earn both, they need to work and develop together. Joint mobility and stability are important for everyday function but become even more imperative in athletic movements if you want to avoid injury and maximise performance. What’s the difference between the two? Mobility: Also known as Range of Motion, is the range of movement about

Also known as Lateral Epicondylitis , involves pain in racket sports when hitting the ball (or absorbing force) through the backhand stroke as the forearm extends. The tendons of the extensor muscles of the wrist and forearm absorb the stress and with repeated trauma may cause inflammation, pain and altered movement mechanics to avoid pain which results in the development of muscle and tendon weakness. Anatomy Tennis elbow is a slight tear or inflammation of the extensor c

What is the difference between power and strength? Strength refers to the ability to move a certain amount of weight. Power is the ability to move weight quickly (Power = (force x distance)/ time), which is highly beneficial for athletic performance. Training for strength and training for explosive power are not the same thing. When training for strength, speed doesn’t matter. This is certainly not the case when it coms to power development. That is not to say that increasin

One of the biggest weight lifting myths I’ve heard is that lifting weights makes women manly. It takes an incredibly strict and specific dedicated approach to training and diet for a female to look that way (even then some “assistance” can be required). The greatest misconception of fitness is that it is one dimensional, while there is no denying a world record holder marathon runner has incredible endurance, s/he would most likely struggle to keep up with a swimmer or track

“You must always stretch before working out, otherwise you will risk injury” is a pretty common statement that floats around in the fitness world. But how true is it? And what is meant by stretching? I’m guessing that when most people hear the word stretching they think of static stretching where the muscle is stretched to it’s limit and then held in that position for some time. Some other forms of stretching include; dynamic, and Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PN

Migraines are a common and distressing disorder which can limit the person’s quality of life. Studies have shown the incidence of migraine to be 9-10%. From this about 17% of suffers are the female population in comparison to 6% of suffers from the male population. Thus, about 2 million Australians can be expected to suffer from migraine with about 1.5 million women and about 500,000 men respectively. It is thought that more women suffer migraines than men due to hormonal fac

The most common health complaint in the modern world is headaches. Headaches affect 75% of the population with reports showing a person will suffer from one or more headaches within the year. There are three major categories of headaches: Primary headaches; cluster, tension headaches and migraines Secondary headaches; due to an underlying structural problem in the neck or head Cranial neuralgias, facial pain, and other headaches: Occur when the nerves in the head and upper ne

Headaches are a common ailment which varies in intensity, pain and location. Although the majority of headaches are a temporary nuisance some can be more serious, concerning and disruptive. One common patient complaint is occipital headaches which can signify an underlying condition that can be treated with massage and bodywork techniques. Occipital headaches also known as occipital neuralgia is a non life threatening disorder that is located at the back of the head and can

Lower-half Headache or Facial Migraine Also known as carotidynia and applies to a common migraine that causes severe pain lasting from minutes to hours (frequency – several times per week) that covers one-half of the face involving the nostril, cheek and jaw. The presence of tenderness and swelling over the carotid artery in the neck also may occur. This type of migraine is more common in older people. Migraine Aura without Headache This is when the attacks are referred to

Postural Headaches The next time you get a headache, check your posture. Poor posture causes muscle strain, changes in your breathing patterns and leads to a host of problems, including headaches. Without being conscious and taking positive steps to get your posture back in line chronic neck pain and headaches will occur. Neck-related headaches are nerve related which can be caused by stress which can consequently lead to straining or inflammation of the discs and facet join

The rotator cuff comprises; Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Teres Minor and Subscapularis. Muscular function: The rotator cuff muscles balance the forces of the deltoids which act to raise the arm and in doing so forces the humeral head superiorly towards the acromion and coracoacromial arch. The rotator cuff muscles (especially supraspinatus) counteract this action by preventing or limiting the head of the humerus moving superiorly when the arm is raised, which if not preven