I often give advice on how to strengthen the rotator cuff and scapular stabilizers in my articles and products, but have not revealed as much about my stability training methods. The shoulder is naturally unstable. Therefore, it is at increased risk for injury especially in those with subtle and gross instability.
In the short video clip today, I reveal 3 progressive stability exercises that can be done on a stability ball. Keep in mind these exercises are designed for an intermediate level exerciser or someone who has already gone through more basic gravity eliminated stability training (on a wall for example).
I generally like to do 10-15 repetitions or timed reps with my clients. Pay close attention the arms and how I must work hard to control the sholder positioning through consistent co-contraction of the shoulder musculature. This co-contraction and weight bearing is instrumental in training the shoulder to be more stable and resist outside forces. It is best to spot your clients behind the ball early on in case they lose balance and suddenly shift their body weight to one side.
In this video, I reveal two of my favorite single leg TRX exercises. Using the anterior and lateral reach will challenge lower leg balance/stability while improving hip and thigh strength for any athletic pursuit. These progressions are excellent for ACL and other knee injury prevention and advanced rehab programs. Turn up the volume as the camera is far away to capture the video. Enjoy!
In today’s video, I reveal 3 distinct single leg progressions with the TRX to strengthen hip and knee. Again, these can all be done at home with a counter top. Stay tuned as I will show you suspended single leg TRX exercises in the next post designed to challenge balance and improve dynamic power and control.
In today’s post, I am going to show you a few techniques using the TRX to build up your quadriceps strength and reduce knee pain related to arthritis. Don’t have a TRX? Watch anyway, because every exercise I show can be done at home using a simple countertop.
This will be the first of a video series on knee training progressions for the general population as well as athletes. If you have specific questions, please let me know. Normally, I use Viddler to upload my latest video, but it was acting up so today’s video comes to you by way of YouTube.
This is the third exercise in my three part series on single leg training for improved running performance. The prior two exercises focused primarily on quad/hamstring/glute development. Today’s exercise addresses frontal plane hip control emphasizing the gluteus medius muscle as well as continuing to improve single leg stability.
When doing this exercise, you will definitely feel the quads and glutes working to lower the body down, but to avoid the knee caving inward (a visible indication of excessiove femoral internal rotation and a weak gluteus medius) you must actively fire the gluteus medius to maintain proper alignment. I utilize this exericse a lot with runners and my female athletes to reduce with ACL injuries as well.
The key thing to focus on here is keeping the knee in line and over the foot as you lower down. For beginners, it is perfectly fine to lightly touch the reaching toe or heel to the ground once you begin to lose balance or control of the movement. One pitfall to avoid is leaning the upper body away from the reaching leg to stay balanced. Note: those with lower arches and overpronation may find this more challenging as well.
It is always better to move a shorter distance with proper execution than to compromise form and use other muscles to complete the movement. This exercise is particularly beneficial for runners struggling with anterior knee pain or IT band issues as well. It conditions the muscles to reduce lateral dispalcement of the kneecap, a common scenario which often increases shear forces in the knee.
Perform 2-3 sets of 10 on each leg as part of your training program once or twice per week. As you advance, consider adding an unstable surface such as a pillow or soft pad (as demonstrated in the video below) to add difficulty. The unstable surface also helps strengthen the ankle and reduce sprains.
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