Brian Schiff’s Blog

Well, it has been too long since my last post.  Between seeing patients and the onset of spring sports with my kids, I have not been writing as much as I would like.  I hope to get back to posting at least twice per month very soon.  In the meantime, I thought I would share two recent videos I did for PFP Magazine.  They include a half kneeling torso rotation and supine torso anti-rotation using the Surge.  Both are great ways to improve rotary stability.

Rotational stability within the shoulders, torso and hips is critical for optimal performance in sport and injury prevention. Often, clients will exhibit asymmetries with respect to trunk stability with pillar assessments and the Functional Movement Screen (FMS).  I often see 2/1 scores on the RS.  Addressing any asymmetry is important for athletes and weekend warriors involved in cutting, pivoting, and rotational sports.

There are several exercises that can be used to increase rotary stability.  One exercise I recently featured for PFP Magazine in my online column, Functionally Fit, uses a bottoms-up kettlebell hold with trunk rotation to accomplish this.  This particular exercise can be used to increase anti-rotation strength and improve rotary stability.  The pictures below illustrate a knee bent (beginner) and knees straight (advanced) version of the exercise.

The knee bent position allows for easier control of the lumbar spine while keeping the shoulder blades flat on the floor. cadence should be slow and deliberate avoiding momentum that may be caused by gravity.  Once this variation becomes easier, progress to the straight knee version below.

Form is everything here so be sure to use a weight that you can control, while slowly lowering the legs each direction.  This movement pattern blends in nicely with movement prep/pillar prep activities that work on hip disassociation as well.

Click here to see my video and full column for PFP Magazine on this exercise.