Brian Schiff’s Blog

This exercise is an excellent way to increase hip disassociation and more specifically hamstring flexibility.  Foam rolling and/or myofascial compression therapy prior to stretching may further enhance range of motion.  This exercise can be used with runners and clients struggling with tendonitis, IT band issues and patellofemoral pain.  It is also helpful in eliminating asymmetry that appears on the active straight leg raise on the FMS.

This exercise can be used as part of a mobility workout, warm-up, regeneration day or at the end of a workout. Remember that maximally dorsiflexing the foot will increase dural tension and place more stretch across the back of the knee.  So, relaxing the foot (or placing the rope more along the mid foot) will reduce this tension and allow for a more concentrated stretch in the hamstring.  For clients with a history of sciatica, I would suggest avoiding the stretch with the foot in full dorsiflexion as a general precaution.

I see plenty of pitchers in my clinic ranging from 12 y/o travel baseball players to MLB guys. My own son is a left handed pitcher so I am always carefully watching his mechanics, pitch count and arm care. There has been much written about glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD) and total shoulder motion over the years.

Today, I wanted to recap a nice article that was recently published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine by Wilk et al. looking at deficits in glenohumeral passive range of motion (PROM) and the increase in elbow injury risk.

This prospective study was done over an 8 year period from 2005-2102 and looked at PROM of both throwing and nonthrowing shoulders of all major and minor league pitchers within a single baseball organization. The measurements were taken with a bubble goniometer during spring training. See images below from the journal article for how measurements were taken:

In sum, 505 exams were performed on 296 pitchers. Motion was assessed in supine with the arm abducted to 90 degrees and the arm in the plane of the scapula.  One examiner stabilized the scapula, while another measured total rotation and passive flexion. Elbow injuries and days missed because of injuries were assessed and recorded by medical staff. Throwing and nonthrowing measurements were compared, while additional testing was done to find significant associations between shoulder motion and elbow injury, as well as odds of an elbow injury.

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Facilitating better lower leg stability is always a priority in my rehab and training programs. I have long been an advocate of single leg training to resolve asymmetry and reduce compensations and injury risk. Once a client masters form on the ground, adding in more proprioceptive challenges can take their training to a new level.

Today I wanted to share a previously unpublished video I shot for my ‘Functionally Fit’ column that demonstrates a single leg squat exercise on the BOSU Elite Trainer. It is a relatively new exercise tool that offers some tweaks on the original BOSU balance trainer.

Core strength and stability deficits are apparent in many people.  The ability to restrain movement while keeping a stable base or pillar is essential for injury prevention.  Building prerequesite pillar (hips, torso and shoulders) stability is important before loading a pattern and moving more explosively.  This exercise I recently featured for PFP Magazine incorporates a progression for both options.

Application:  Poor hip, trunk and shoulder stability elevates injury risk with daily activities and sport.  This movement introduces controlled hip extension, torso rotation and shoulder elevation, while aiming to improve pillar strength and stability.  The handle bar moves around the bar facilitating a safe and smooth motion.  Using both hands allows for more control initially allowing the client to incrementally adjust the amount of rotation while they learn to move in a 3D manner.  Working in a slower manner will effectively train anti-rotation strength /control as well.

The exercise progression provides an option to train explosively to develop power from the ground up using both upper extremities similar to a push press except introducing some rotation to the movement.  Overall, this exercise offers a great way to train the entire kinetic chain in a multiplanar fashion.

Precautions: Clients with any existing rotator cuff and/or labral pathology or low back dysfunction should proceed with caution initially mastering controlled form with light loads and not push through any discomfort.  Be sure to use proper body mechanics when lifting the bar off the ground as well.

Increasing hip strength and stability is a common focus in training and injury prevention programs. Current research indicates hip and knee strengthening is more effective than knee strengthening alone in those suffering from anterior knee pain. I routinely use mini-bands to strengthen the hips and maximize proximal stability.

Many clients struggle with poor proximal hip stability that shows up as excessive frontal plane adduction and compensatory trunk lean. This exercise targets the hips and closed chain control needed for those participating in jumping, running, cutting and pivoting activities. It is an excellent way to warm-up and activate the hips as well as reduce patellofemoral overload and prevent knee injuries.