Blog
High Heels Pain
When I see a lady wearing high heeled shoes my first impression is pain and discomfort. However fashion tends to override pain, no matter how drastic the consequences are. Research has shown that there are health hazards and injuries related to extensive periods of time in high heeled shoes but how serious? How do our […]
Shoulder Injuries – Rotator Cuff
Common sporting shoulder injuries include dislocations, Acromioclavicular joint injuries, rotator cuff injuries, labral tears, thrower’s shoulder, biceps injuries, bursitis and fractures. Contact sports such as Rugby, AFL, Wrestling, Ice Hockey, Hockey and boxing to name a few, have a higher rate of dislocations and ACJ injuries. Rotator cuff tears and bicep lesions are more common […]
Ski Injuries – Knee Issues
Knee injuries have always been a problem for skiers, accounting for roughly 30-40% of ski injuries. The vast majority of knee injuries consist of damage to the ligaments, whether it is an ACL, meniscus or Medial collateral ligament tear. Soft tissue injuries can also occur. Serious injury symptoms Obvious deformity to the knee Total inability […]
CrossFit – Push-up Form
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 […]
Shoulder Injuries
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, […]
CrossFit – From Weakness to Strength
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 […]
Good Deadlift Form
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 […]
Mobility and Stability
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 […]
Tennis Elbow
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 […]
Training for Explosive Power
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 […]
Weight Lifting – Lift Like a Girl!
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 […]
Stretching – when, what and why?
“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 […]