Brian Schiff’s Blog

Many people struggle with faulty posture (forward head and rounded shoulders).  Tightness in the pec major or pec minor can negatively affect the body.  Often, the throwers I see suffer from tightness in this region.  Any overhead athlete can be affected as well as the person who sits and types all day long in the office.

The video below reveals how to use a trigger point ball and block to work on soft tissue tightness.  I like the TP ball and baller block from Trigger Point for this exercise sequence.

For more information on this technique and its application, click here to read my online column for PFP magazine. Note: the final “W” motion in the video is not described in the column article, but it is another option that can be included.

One of my favorite quotes from a well known fitness professional, Alwyn Cosgrove, is: “Exercise is a drug.  If we give the right drug in the right dose – everything works.  But, if we give the wrong drug or even the right drug in the wrong dose, we cause more problems than provide solutions.”  In essence, dosage matters a whole lot.  This means that getting it just right is also not by accident, but by careful analysis and exacting prescription.

After a thorough evaluation, exercise selection and progression must be predicated on the end goal for the athlete.  Where are they now?  How do I get him/her back to 100%  Understanding the injury itself, training and medical history as well as inflammation and healing time frames is important, but that is just one part of the equation.

For those with experience, you already know athletes heal differently and no two injuries are ever just alike.  Addressing the mental components outlined in my previous post, Return to Play: Part 1 (The Athlete’s Mindset), is the starting point.  Next, you must formulate a plan to physically mend, challenge and prepare the athlete’s body to return to its previous functional level.

Below are some BIG mistakes I have either made along the way or witnessed in my career:

1. Prescribing exercise solely based on the diagnosis – while logical and not entirely off base, we must learn to think globally and make sure we assess the whole athlete as opposed to isolating one area.  In my early days, I tended to focus on the affected area where symptoms were prevalent.  Keep in mind the symptoms may simply be the result of another weak link in the chain.  The FMS, SFMA and myofascial chains have taught us the importance of kinetic linking
2. Pushing too hard too fast – progressing sessions simply based on what the athlete tells me as opposed to properly moving through a sound functional progression with specific criteria needing to be met prior to moving on to the next phase of rehab can cause more harm than good.  While you may be able to go faster in some cases, do not get too greedy without satisfying set goals along the way.  You do not want to reinforce a poor movement pattern.  A misstep here may cause a recurrence of the injury, perpetuate inflammation or weaken healing tissue.
3. Not pushing the athlete hard enough – it is paramount that we assess client response “in the moment” rep to rep and set to set as opposed to just session to session.  Observe form and fatigue, but do not let the athlete coast or get bored with the lack of progression.  Understanding and applying fundamental exercise physiology principles and recognizing periodization is necessary to ensure complete restoration.

Now, on the my next big point.  I strongly believe you need to know how HARD the exercises you suggest are in order to effectively prescribe them.  One of my primary philosophies is that I will not prescribe exercises I cannot do.  Not only is this critical for teaching proper form, it is a must to gage fatigue, workout demand, recovery needs and so on.

Possessing a solid grasp of volume and intensity is also essential.  For example, having an athlete who is 6 weeks post-op with a bone-tendon-bone ACL autograft reconstruction do too much eccentric quad loading will inevitably lead to anterior knee pain or patellar tendonitis.  Would you do 10 separate eccentric quad exercises (2-3 sets of 10-15 each) in one hour ?  I do not do this type of volume on my healthy knee, but I have seen rehab done this way.  We must always keep a watchful eye on load, time under tension and overall volume throughout the rehab process.  The proper balance is critical.

Continue reading…

I have spent the past 16 years helping athletes get back to their sport or desired activity following an injury. Whether dealing with muscle strains or ACL ruptures, every injured client shares the same goal of making a full recovery and getting back to their previous activity level. My purpose in writing a blog series on this topic is simply to share some pearls I have picked up along the way and to help others learn from my mistakes and successes.

Beyond the severity and nature of the injury itself, there are several considerations that play a significant role in the rehabilitation process including: the athlete’s emotions, goals, mental toughness, age, experience, previous medical history, relationships with parents/coaches/teammates, innate movement patterns, etc. I feel the first and perhaps most important step in the recovery process involves connecting with the athlete on an emotional level.

Injured clients want to know that their medical team (MD, PT, ATC and strength coach) really care about their well being, that they truly understand the impact of the injury on his/her life, and that they can provide the skilled care necessary to restore the body to its prior level of function. Too many times, we as health care professionals speak first espousing all our expertise and often forget to LISTEN enough.  Our athletes want to feel special during this low point in their life.

Pearl #1 – Spend more time listening on the first meeting/visit to gain a thorough understanding of how the injured athlete “feels” and views their current injury. I spend the majority of my eval time interviewing the client to allow them to describe their physical symptoms, but more importantly fully elaborate on their goals, perceptions and thought processes surrounding the rehab timeline and expected outcome. Knowing how they feel (afraid, angry, depressed, etc) is essential in order to connect as well as properly motivate/coach throughout.

Many athletes (especially those who have been injured before) tend to want to dictate how things will go or pre-determine when they will be able to return to the playing field.   I will re-direct them, but it is wise to listen to them tell you what did not work for them in the past.  Mistakenly, they often compare their injuries to past experiences of their own or peers. While prior experience dealing with the same injury is helpful mentally preparing for the recovery process, it is critical to remind the athlete coach and family that no two injuries are exactly alike and that the recovery process will be guided by specific milestones and processes as opposed to “what happened in the past.”

Pearl #2 – Thoroughly educate the athlete on his/her condition, the anticipated timeline for return to sport and the implications for pushing too hard and fast in rehab. Never assume he/she does not want to know all the details. Emphasize that your goal is to return to sport as soon as possible but in a safe manner that ensures adequate recovery and minimizes the risk for re-injury. Telling your athletes the “why” behind each and every decision (exercise selection, reps, sets, practice limitations, etc) will help put the athlete at ease early on and foster trust and collaboration. This is an absolute must.  To ensure success, we need the athlete to honestly and openly communicate throughout.  I tell every athlete I work with that we are a team dedicated to the same goal – this achieves buy in from them up front as they see I am fully committed and invested in them.

In almost all cases, I find the athletes fear losing their starting position and/or letting down the coach far more than long term damage to their bodies. As such, I tell them it really is okay to rest and recover. They seemingly feel guilty about not contributing and their self-worth may markedly diminish. Recognizing this and encouraging them to be patient, stay the course and see the light at the end of the tunnel is very important. You see, the emotional and psychological healing is a HUGE part of the process during rehab. Being an advocate for the patient and not the sport provides security and emotional support for the injured client.

Continue reading…

For those familiar with my blog, you know I like to post research updates and exercises that prevent injury and maximize performance.  In my setting, I get to work with a very active population ranging in ages from 10-50 in most cases, including elite and professional athletes.  I am pointing this out simply because I have an opportunity to test and measure unique and challenging exercises every day with fit, athletic clients.

As part of my world, I am often faced with restoring shoulder, core and hip stability.  As clients progress through rehab and conditioning, I am always seeking advanced training options that are feasible and functional.  One training tool I like to employ, especially in upper body, core and hip training is the BOSU Balance Trainer.

Emphasizing co-contraction and scapulothoracic and glenohumeral stability is essential for optimal shoulder function.  But more importantly, addressing kinetic chain function in the shoulder, torso and hips is a must if we are to soundly address energy leaks and reduce injury risk.  To that end, I like to incorporate unstable closed kinetic chain training when my athletes are ready.  The video below demonstrates two upper body step-up progressions (forward and side-to-side) on the BOSU Balance Trainer that I utilize for higher level clientele.

Upper Body Step-ups

Regression – in place stepping (this can be used to prepare clients for the step-ups)

This regression can also be a very effective training tool especially if the client lacks sufficient strength, endurance and form to execute the full step-up patterns.  Pain and form should always guide exercise selection and progression.

Below are two links to my Functionally Fit columns describing the execution and application of these exercises:

Unstable Upper Body Step-ups (forward)

Unstable Upper Body Step-ups (lateral)

I am big fan of lat pull downs and pull-ups.  I think when done properly, this is a fantastic way to improve postural strength and safeguard the shoulder against injury.  In April 2012, I wrote a column on lat pull downs addressing shoulder pain (click here to read that post).

I decided to add to that previous post and discuss a recent article published in the February NSCA Strength and Conditioning Journal.  In the article, the authors present some research regarding how altering hand orientation and grip width affects muscle activity during the exercise.

Grip Width Summary

Lehman J Strength Cond Res 2005

• No significant difference between narrow supinated grip and wide pronated grip with biceps and latissimus dorsi
• Highest level of latissimus dorsi activity occurs with seated row with retracted shoulders

Lusk et al. J Strength Cond Res 2010

• No difference in biceps, latissimus or middle trapezius activity (note – wide grip only slightly larger than narrow grip)

Sperandei et al. J Strength Cond Res 2009

• In front of the head pull downs with standardized width and hand orientation revealed higher activation for posterior deltoid and latissimus compared to behind the neck
• This study did NOT compare different grip widths

Hand Orientation Summary

Youdas et al.J Strength Cond Res 2010

• Pronated grip during pull-ups (56 +/- 21% MVIC) was most effective for activating the lower trapezius compared with the supinated grip
• Pronated grip also resulted in greater infraspinatus activation (45 +/- 22% MVIC) compared with the perfect pull-up
• Perfect pull-up showed higher latissimus activity (130 +/- 53% MVIC) than the supinated grip of a chin up
• Supinated grip of the chin-up revealed an increase in pec major (57 +/- 36% MVIC) and biceps brachii (96 +/- 34% MVIC) versus 44 +/- 27% (pec major) and 78 +/- 32% (biceps brachii) for the pronated version
• Posterior deltoid showed no difference in all hand orientations

Lusk et al. J Strength Cond Res 2005

• Pronated grip during lat pull-downs elicited a 9% greater muscle activation of latissimus dorsi compared to supinated grip
• No difference between middle trapezius and biceps brachii in pronated or supinated grip

My Takeaways

1. If your goal is maximizing latissimus activity and improving scapular stabilizer and rotator cuff function opt for the pronated grip
2. Supinated grip elicits greater activation in the pectoralis major and biceps – no surprise here based on physics and kinesiology -> easier for clients to do and also not going to stress the shoulder as much in the presence of any inflammation or pathology
3. Range of motion, scapular dyskinesia, pain, soft tissue restrictions and imbalances play a vital role for each client so they may need some preparatory work to make the most of this exercise
4. Small tweaks (in my opinion) can make a big difference in comfort level and performance of the exercise (refer to number 3 for why) so do not be afraid to experiment between wide and narrow in a pronated grip
5. The authors mention that if individuals elect to do the behind the neck version they should have adequate range of motion to do it safely.  Let me be clear – there is NO reward big enough to justify the risk involved in doing behind the neck pull-downs.  Save your neck and shoulders by eliminating this option altogether as I would bet most of us do not have perfect bony anatomy, mobility and optimal muscle firing throughout the motion to ensure that potential repetitive micro trauma will not occur over time.

For my CrossFit friends – optimal shoulder mobility, scapular stability and adequate thoracic spine extension and rotation is a must to minimize risk with kipping and less than perfect pulling form.  I much prefer unweighting or assisting the body through pull downs, bands or partner assists to build pre-requesite strength initially until the client is better able to manage the movement under full body weight.

Quality movement ABSOLUTELY matters over hundreds and thousands of reps.

As far as research goes, I think we still need further studies on grip width and specifically how it may directly impact not only muscle activation but force on the glenohumeral joint itself.  For me, I opt for pronated pull-ups and or pull-downs once per week with a moderate grip width in my own routine.  I hope this information serves you well.  Happy lat training!!