WATCH: Fixing Dave Tate — Orthopedic Evaluation
Whereas the previous screen was intended to identify red flags, this assessment will consist of clinically-based testing to produce both a medical diagnosis and a functional movement capacity diagnosis.
Back to the Platform After Injury: David LaMartina's Lessons from the Rehab Process
There are so many layers wrapped up in recovery and getting back to competition. These are the key points that Dave had to embrace if he wanted to keep training for the next 10 years.
WATCH: Fixing Dave Tate — Movement Screening
The initial assessment is complete and it's time for some hands-on evaluation of Dave's movement, using these seven key movements. The compensation patterns and pain indicators observed in this step will be used in the next phase of the process.
Tissue Load vs. Tissue Capacity: A Key to Injury Recovery and Prevention
One of the most common causes of injury is accumulation of load on a tissue, tendon, or ligament that exceeds that tissue, tendon, or ligament's capacity. For optimal rehabilitation and recovery, you need to understand and manage this relationship.
Back to the Platform After Injury: The Three Main Components of David LaMartina's Rehab
In order to get to the point of actually getting better and taking rehab seriously, a lifter must be willing to shift from short-term to long-term focus. Here's what we did and how I think most rehab for strength athletes should be structured.
Increase Muscle Mass with Massage
If you're looking for a way to restore muscle function and promote muscle growth, a trip to the massage table may be the answer.
Revisiting Tonic and Phasic Muscles for Increased Performance and Position
There may be a strength discrepancy between your anterior and posterior chain, but are you sure this isn't because some muscles are stuck doing a job they weren't originally intended to do, in a position that isn't optimal?
Back to the Platform After Injury: The First Steps
Dave LaMartina is one of the hardest working lifters I've met, and has proven over many years that he is willing to train through just about anything. After significant injury led to him stepping off the platform, he reached out to me, and this is how he came back.
Is Inflammation the Bad Guy?
Inflammation is your body’s biological response to harmful stimuli, which in this case is the damage induced to your muscles from training. But trying to ward it off with NSAIDs and ice may be a mistake.
Yoga for the Serious Strength Athlete
This practice is useful for avoiding development of dangerous muscle imbalances, muscle tears, and joint impingements — but that's just the start of what it can do for your training and your life.
5 Training Staples for Your Off-Season
When the time rolls around to start prepping for your next competition, you'll wish you'd used your off-season wisely. Here are the five things you should focus on to provide the most improvement, longevity, and resilience.
The Candle Protocol for Deeper Sleep
What you will find in this article is an easy-to-implement solution that will have a quicker, more impactful, and longer-lasting effect on your health, your physique, and your progress than anything you’ve ever done before.
Common Behaviors of Lifters Who Know How to Improve
Lifters who succeed share a lot of qualities — and so do lifters who fail. I'd challenge you to honestly evaluate how closely you fall on the spectrum of each of these qualities.
Controversies in Recovery Strategies
This article will provide a scientific evaluation of three frequently-implemented recovery strategies: anti-inflammatory interventions (NSAID/ice baths), foam rolling, and nutrition timing.
Current State of the Injury Rehabilitation and Pre-habilitation Field
How do people begin to decipher what constitutes good injury rehabilitation or pre-habilitation? In this article, I’m going to describe in detail many different factors that will help you sniff out the bullshit.
Hack Your Internal Clock for Improved Sleep Quality and Sport Performance
Getting stuck in the routine of a disrupted sleep-wake cycle can turn a top-tier athlete into a complete mess. Understanding circadian rhythms is the first step to avoiding this.
Back to Recovery Basics: Supplementing Your Recovery Plan
In order to best manage the time available to devote to recovery, it is essential to devise supplemental recovery methods that best target each athlete’s personal needs.
Back to Recovery Basics: The Big Three
In part two of this series, the topic is the big three for recovery, which allows athletes to experience better performance, resistance to injury, and longevity in their sport.
Improve Your Posture for Sport Performance
As a lifter, and likely someone that sits at a desk a lot, the odds are you spend a lot of time slouching, with tight hip flexors, pecs and biceps, fueling the fire of kyphosis, lordosis, and medial humeral rotation.
An Argument for Post-Training Cardio Gains
Worried that too much cardio could hinder your muscle growth? Performed the right way, at the right time, low-intensity aerobic activity can actually improve muscle hypertrophy.
Reborn After Arthritis
Surgery isn't magic but sometimes it is the best option if you're willing to take the time to recover and undergo proper rehabilitation. Here's my story of osteoarthritis at 29 years old.
Back to Recovery Basics: Fundamentals of Recovery
Understanding the role of recovery is the first step to improving your health, longevity, and performance as a strength athlete. Think of it like this: your training is the sledgehammer and your recovery is the raw materials and blueprints for improvement.
Tools of the Trade — Popular Modalities for Soft Tissue Recovery and Therapy
This article will give a thorough understanding of the similarities and differences between modalities, which modality is best for certain injuries, how they are best used in your training, and what their overall purpose is.
Got Shoulder Pain?
The shoulder is a complex joint but keeping it healthy can be simple. Many issues can be fixed or greatly improved with certain exercises and stretching.