Communication Beat

Welcome to article number 2 in our series “Bodybuilding Sins That Cause Back Pain and Missed Workouts”. In this article we are going to talk about how bodybuilders tend to create massive muscle imbalances and what you can do to not be one of them.

If you missed the first article, you can read it by clicking on the link below.

Here’s a breakdown of the articles to look for:

1. Article:1 – Choosing The WRONG Exercises
2. Article:2 – Training Variations for Pain Relief and Maximum Results
3. Article:3 – Targeted Stretching
4. Article:4 – Targeted Exercises
5. Article:5 – Rest, Recovery, and Injury Prevention

Article:3 – Targeted Stretching

Stretching can be great, but it can also make existing injuries worse or even bring about new ones!

The key to making stretching work for you is knowing which stretches you need to be working on… and just because a muscle feels tight, that doesn’t necessarily mean it needs to be stretched.

For example, many people stretch the hamstrings because they feel tight and they think the hamstrings are limiting their flexibility…

the fact is, most of the time the hamstrings are “tight” because they are constantly being pulled / lengthened due to muscle imbalances that tip the pelvis forward.

As you can, when the pelvis tips forward the hamstrings get pulled upward and are constantly held in a stretched position…

And this is why millions of people can stretch their hamstrings every freakin day and never make any improvement in their flexibility….

Are you one of those people?

If you are, you need to stop stretching your hamstrings and find out exactly which muscles you need to be targeting by reading the rest of this article…

Not only does this forward tipping of the pelvis (which is caused by muscle imbalances) keep the hamstrings tight and make it very difficult to make improvements in the muscles flexibility, but it also leads to the following:

• increased stress / wear and tear from the ankles all the way up the spine

For example, the forward tipping of the pelvis places uneven pressure on the ankle, knee and hip joints and also many of the vertebrae in the spine.

• weakens the hamstrings, inhibits normal functioning and increases the likelihood of hamstring pulls

When the hamstrings are constantly being strained because of the muscle imbalances, the muscle is weak, not able to function as it normally would, prone to injury and without correcting the muscle imbalance recover can take up to 9 months to a year, or longer!

• creates excess curvature in the lower and middle spine

This tipping of the pelvis places excessive amounts of abnormal stress on the muscles, vertebrae and discs in the lower and mid spine and this sets you up for potential injuries to the muscles of the lower and middle back…

Plus, it also causes the discs between your vertebrae to wear down and deteriorate much faster than they normally would and this sets you up for degenerative, bulging, protruding and herniated discs along with numerous other spinal conditions like arthritis, spinal stenosis, and the oh so popular sciatica!

This hamstring example is just one of many… muscle imbalances are responsible for nearly every ache, pain, injury and condition out there!

Here are a few more examples of injuries / conditions that are caused by muscle imbalances and can easily be prevented and/or eliminated with targeted stretches and exercises:

• upper back and neck pain
• shoulder injuries (rotator cuff)
• elbow and wrist pain (carpal tunnel, tennis/golfer/baseball elbow, etc)
• knee pain (runners knee, chondromalacia, ligament tears, etc)
• hip pain (IT band syndrome, bursitis, etc)
• ankle pain (Achilles tendonitis, shin splints, plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, etc)

All of these conditions are caused by muscle imbalances and will NOT go away unless you work towards correcting the imbalances… and the only way to know for sure which imbalances are causing your pain or injury is to do a series of physical assessments like the ones covered in our Lose the Back Pain Video which is designed for anyone suffering from back pain or sciatica.

What the heck is a targeted stretch?

This is a question we are asked often and here’s the definition we give it:

Targeted Stretch – a stretch or stretching exercise that is chosen, based on physical assessments, to target a specific muscle or muscle group to increase the flexibility and range of motion in that area and bring the bones and or joints back towards the normal position.
When you compare a targeted stretch to general stretches like the ones found in Yoga, Pilates and the corny ones your doctor, chiropractor or physical therapist gives you, it’s no surprise they give little or no pain relief and almost always fail to get rid of the problem.

Conclusion

Remember, the key to eliminating injuries and preventing future ones is to identify what areas you need to target. In the next article we’ll be discussing in detail, how to address various injuries like back, hip, knee, and shoulder pain with targeted exercises. In the meantime, be sure to read thru all of our detailed Pain Articles and post any questions you have on our discussion fourm.

Article by Jesse Cannone, CFT, CPRS, CSPN and Steve Hefferon, CMT, CPRS of http://www.losethebackpain.com. If you’ve got back pain or sciatic pain, you’ve gotta check out their website!

It doesn’t matter what your age or ability, anyone who wants to can start running for fitness. It does not appeal to everyone, but it does not take a lot of special equipment or know how to do. Running is a great way to improve your cardiovascular health as well as helping you to maintain a healthy weight. You can run a lot or a little. You can run inside or out. You can go running with other people or by yourself. Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Talk to a doctor or another qualified health professional before you start any type of running program. They will be able to help you assess your current fitness level and will give you guidelines for how much to exercise and nutrition advice as well.

2. Your clothing and shoes will be really your most important running equipment. But, you don’t necessarily have to go out and buy all new stuff once you start to run. Clothing should be appropriate for the weather and climate if you are going to run outside. Your shoes should be comfortable and fit well. Once you start to run for longer distances you may want to purchase some better quality shoes with advice from a specialty running shoe store.

3. Warm up before you start to run. This will get your body ready for the increased activity and will help to limit injuries. Stretch your calves and thigh muscles and walk briskly to get your heart rate up.

4. In the beginning you can alternate walking briskly and running for short distances to get accustomed to the activity. If you are new to exercise, you should probably only go for 10 to 20 minutes for the first few times out.

5. Set goals that are reasonable. If you want to do a 5K run, then set little more manageable goals that you can do to reach your big goal. If you are too ambitious in your start, you may burn out too quickly and not reach your goal.

6. Cool down at the end of your run. Stretch again and walk slowly. This will help to keep you from getting sore muscles and limit injury as well as increasing flexibility.

7. Eat right. Give your body good nutritious fuel to work with. Use a calorie calculator online to find out how much you will need for weight management or loss.

Eriani Doyel writes articles about Sports. For more information about running shoes visit runninge.com

You have heard in the news that walking is one of the best exercises to maintain a healthy weight. Yet, what should a new mother or father do when they work so many hours and time is precious? The virtually forgotten and, perhaps, optimal piece of fitness equipment for the young mom, or new daddy, is the baby jogger stroller. A baby jogger stroller may allow one of the best sorts of work out for the regular working parent is just walking. Really, any variety of movement is work out. Even So, young mums and pappa ofttimes appear to suffer a mediocre time juggling a rich work day with taking care of the little kid.

Most of the time, individuals fail to view a baby jogger stroller, I guess because a baby jogger is not marketed as a piece of physical fitness equipment, is the baby jogger stroller. A baby jogger stroller can allow the young mother, or the new mother, to get out of the home and delight in a little restorative air, while at the identical time experiencing some much-needed work out. Children normally enjoy the ability to get away for a nice walk.

Instead of investing in a gym membership only to utilise the treadmill, you should consider using a baby jogger stroller to reach your primary physical exercise needs. I am not stating that a gymnasium membership is futile. However, most individuals will state to you you that you want mixture in your work out program in order to maintain your regimin’s efficacy. Even So, I have in person heard so many people not realize their daily work out because they simply cannot get to the gym. Individuals sometimes have difficulty finding a sitter or they fail to trust the babysitters at the gym.

Utilising a baby jogger stroller is simple and what it can do is let you to find the work out you demand to at least maintain your current training point, and recognize that your infant is secure. Why not think about buying a baby jogger stroller today.