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FAQs
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| Wang Jie & Tian Jia, Olympic Silver Medalists |
The Missing Link R
I used to adhere to the same view as most other trainers and training
organizations. Not any more!
R After more than a few years
of doing this, I have realized there was a foundational piece missing. Everyone focused on core, and the development
of muscular symmetry - left to right and front to back. What was missing, I now know absolutely, was the role of "skeletal"
symmetry. My recognition of pelvic torsion was the lynchpin to this new perspective. In clients who had pelvic torsion - and
I see more with the problem than without - they had neuromuscular inhibitions that could not be cured by targeted strength
work. It was like the "dimmer" switch was turned down, and despite prolonged efforts to create strength or endurance,
my clients were not improving. R I also began to connect the dots between a number of common injuries plaguing
athletes - sports strains, hamstring strains, ACL and meniscus injuries, ankle rollovers, etc. - and these "musculoskeletal"
dysfunctions or assumetries were the the likely primary causal factor. For example, an anterior (to the front) rotation of
one Ilium (pelvic bone) will create a functionally long leg on the same side. In order to try to maintain a level pelvis,
the arch of the foot flattens, allowing the femur to internally rotate. The problem is compunded by the fact the glute medius
on the same side is inhibited, creating instability at the hip, knee and ankle. R Then, when a force is applied,
by walking, running, or jumping, that re-occurring "moment" of valgus (medial deflection) of the knee places
a strain on the patellar tendon, and the ACL, as well as an unequal loading to the lateral aspect of the meniscus. The result can
be chronic patellar tendon inflammation, ACL strains or tears, meniscus tears, and with untreated cumulative trauma,
a "pothole" defect can occur, requiring microfracture surgical repair. R The point is, that unless you
have proper skeletal alignment and symmetry, all the core work and conditioning in the world is simply going to be unsuccessful.
With proper "treatment" by a clinican - physical therapist or chiropracter - and restoration of skeletal symmetry,
all the muscles of the core can be accessed and activated. At that point, successfull re-training of the previously inhibited
musculature can take place. R For more information regarding pelvic dysfunction and functional leg length,
read my article published earlier this year. R
The Pyramid of Athletic Development™
 So, I've already discussed how important it is to have Musculoskeletal
Symmetry. The next progression in The Pyramid of Athletic Development™ is Core
Endurance. R In my opinion, core endurance trumps core strength as it relates to an athlete, or even a
regular person. When I think of core strength, I imagine a one-rep max bench rest. In fact, as an example, most high-level,
professional athletes I will see for the first time tell me the longest they have ever done a prone plank, or prone iso-abs,
is one minute. That's about as close to a one-rep max exercise as I think you can get. My question to them is, when you are
practicing, or playing in a game, how long are you going to need to be able to perform? It could be an entire NBA quarter
of 12 minutes. Or it could be a 45-second NHL shift. R The fact is, although you may have breaks between the action, if you're an athlete,
you're going to need to perform at a high level over time. Your ability to maintain core stability is going to be critical
to supporting your performance. Core stability means you can express power at the end of your limbs, to swing a hockey stick
or baseball bat. It means you have better frst step quickness, because you are moving from a stable core. It means you can
jump higher. And it means you are moving with better neuromuscular efficiency, so your overall endurance is improved. R So, although
the plank is only one exercise in the arsenal, it is arguably demonstrative of core endurance. One-minute is not going
to cut the mustard! I believe in high-volume, and time can be a measure of volume in a static exercise. So, I expect my clients
to perform between 4 and 8 minutes in a plank in good form. I've had an entire high school prep team at Bishop Montgomery High School in Los Angeles, that after a season of proper training, could hold that position for 16 minutes. and I've had an NBA athlete,
Alex Acker, who could maintain it for 25 minutes, although that is extreme. but it does prove a point, which is that
it is not out of the realm of possiblity to expect more from an athlete.
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