Author’s note: In the first and second articles of this series, I discussed the rationale for why the reverse-band back squat might be safer and more effective for strength and power purposes than conventional back squats. I’ve included a brief summary of the two articles below before I delve into the new material, but you can read the articles in their… Read more →
Category: Blog Posts
An Introduction to the Postural Restoration Institute, Part 2: Biochemical & Physiological Responses to Neurological States
Author’s Note: This is the second installment in an ongoing series meant to introduce the Postural Restoration Institute and the concepts that it teaches, as well as how to integrate them into training and rehab. If you missed the first installment, you can click here to give that a read. In this installment, I’ll take the neurological underpinnings of PRI’s methodology… Read more →
The Beauty of the Reverse-Band Back Squat, Part 2: The Rationale
Author’s note: This article is the second post in the series, “The Beauty of the Reverse-Band Back Squat.” You can find the series’ first installment here. The reverse-band back squat might seem like a back squat with a hyphenated prefix, but it’s more than that. With the bands attached to the top of the squat rack and the barbell, the bands tighten… Read more →
The Beauty of the Reverse-Band Back Squat, and Why I Might Never Back Squat Again: Part One
I have a confession to make: I haven’t done a back squat in at least two years. I also haven’t recommended anyone do them unless they absolutely needed to do them (e.g., he or she is a powerlifter, is required to do it for team testing, etc). It’s not because I have an injury that prevents me from doing them,… Read more →
Everything is Connected?: An Introduction to The Mind-Body Connection
You might be familiar with the advice to take a deep breath (or ten) when you’re feeling angry in order to help calm yourself down. Implicit in that advice is the belief that “the physical,” which, in this instance, is breathing, can affect “the mental.” Likewise, if you’ve ever felt nervous, such as before a public speaking engagement, an exam, or a… Read more →
Don’t Blame the Victim, Part 1: Compensatory Movement, Overuse Injuries and the Importance of Adequate Scapular Upward Rotation in the Overhead Athlete
Throwing a baseball isn’t necessarily difficult. Understanding the anatomy and biomechanics of throwing a baseball often is–take it from me. Despite my stellar little league baseball career (note: I’m only being a little sarcastic, since, at least by my own account, I had a respectable little league career), my knowledge of what was actually happening anatomically and biomechanically when someone threw… Read more →
Monday Musings (yes, on a Tuesday): Getting Athletes to Embrace Corrective Exercise
So it’s Tuesday morning, and it dawned on me that I missed the Monday Musings post for the week. Go me. Fortunately, I have a legitimate excuse–I was busy pillaging my physics exam. For those of you who don’t know me personally, this is a huge accomplishment, as physics has been the bane of my existence since high school. Anywho,… Read more →
An Introduction to the Postural Restoration Institute, Part 1: The Neurological Nature of PRI
If you’ve worked with, talked to, or read articles by me or Rob in the last few years, then you’ve inevitably heard us discuss or reference the Postural Restoration Institute. While PRI has become quite popular in many circles within the physical therapy and strength and conditioning fields, there are still many practitioners and non-experts alike who have not heard of it or… Read more →