The Forgotten Foot Pt.1 and My Top 5 Blogs!

The Forgotten Foot...is an anatomical structure that influences the entire body.

Up to 25,000 steps per day (Average 10,000, but in our line of work it is a bit more!), Responsible for our Vertical Equiliberum, has proprioceptors that balance the ENTIRE body, and EVERY MYOFASCIAL CHAIN has a connection here.

So why does every trainer/therapist overlook this area when it comes to exercise programs and rehabilitaiton?

In Exercise and functional rehab, our goal is to create a balanced body. I am not talking about balancing on a BOSU (which you will never see in our facility!)  I'm talking about balance as One Unit working together in movement, digestion, power, and cohesiveness!

To create that type of body or to rehab any low back, shoulder, and visceral dysfunction we need to always start by assesing and look at the foot first.

Besides the static function of absorbing gravity and create propulsion simultaneously, here are some interesting facts that we should know when talking about the foot:

A) The Sinus Tarsi, located between the Talus and Calcaneus, has the intraosseus talcalcaneal ligament which houses proprioceptors responsble for balanceing the entire body. Opening up this area can increase venous drainage of the entire foot!

B) Has a Diagram (Plantar Diaghram: Muscles that run horizantal and repsonsible for pressure regulation). This diaghram works with the Pelvic Diaghram, Thoracic Diaghram, and Cranial Diaghram.

C) The Subtalar Joint: Most Critical Joint in the Body.

D) Talus Bone. Has no muscle attachments (Hint: Every important bone in the body that should have great mobility, does not have muscle attachment). This bone is a POSTURAL BONE, relates to C1, T4, and L5. Having postural issues? - No one has shown you to check mobility at this bone, eh?

E) In Chinese Medicine and Merdian Therapies, each line (which ends at the Toe) corresponds to every organ vital to survival: Spleen, Liver, Stomach, Gall Bladder, and Bladder. MYOFASCIAL Adhesions, will cause a "block" in each orgran.

F) EVERY MYOFASCIAL CHAIN IS CONNECTED TO THE FOOT!

Think you have other issue's with your client or yourself that you can't figure out? Thought you did soft tissue work and mobility stuff everywhere possible? Check the integrity of the feet!

Even if you don't know anything about the foot, start to incorporate Stick Work and Golf Ball Rolling across your feet.

Stick Work on Feet

Having problems squatting or lunging? - Work on Ankle Mobility:





Pt.2 - We are going to write about Myofascial work, and chains that influence our feet!



2. My Top Five to Read Blogs:

Everyone who has access to internet or even a cell phone seems to have a blog of some kind. We are all experts in our own way, most bloggers just seem to write, and not be in the trench's, some (the good one's) produce blogs because they are passionate, love to educate and are damn good at what they do!

Here are my Top 5 Blogs:

1) Rachel & Alwyn Cosgrove.

http://alwyncosgrove.com/
http://www.rachelcosgrove.com/

2) Eric Cressey.

I have been following this blog since I was a 6am to 10pm Trainer at a major gym club. Now I run a full health care clinic & gym and now more than ever I get more information from Cresset.

http://www.ericcressey.com/

3) Mark Young.

One of the funniest and most informative blogs in the fitness Industry that I have come across! He is also a local guy from the area.

http://www.markyoungtrainingsystems.com/

4) Thommas Plummber

If you are in the fitness industry and have no idea who this guy is, you better start reading up!

http://www.thomasplummer.net/blog

5) Mike Reinold - Physical Therapy

One of the most up to date and useful information in the alternative health care and rehabilitation scene!

http://www.mikereinold.com/


3. On Tuesday, we filmed a great workout with Kasia from Body Movement Therapeutics and her correctice exercise program going into her show 5 weeks out. For corrective exercise, soft tissue work, and dynamic stuff, this was a killer workout. I have been getting facebook messages and emails since the afternoon that we filmed it. The YouTube Clip will be up Sunday.

Kasia Sitarz
http://www.bmtherapeutics.com/

"S*!&T that Get's You Motivated Mondays!" - Define Your Success!

Today is the first day that we are going to upload our new blog posting: "S*!&T that Get's You Motivated Mondays!"

Lewis on the Way Home

We are publishing this a little late, our puppy (also known as "king of the gym") Lewis went into an operation today. If you are a regular to the Canadian Human Performance Centre and Dynamic training & Rehabilitation, Lewis is a patient and client favorite at the clinic. We work with a number of chidren, and Lewis is a great addition to the children that come through.

As a busines coach and mentor that works with many therapist and trainers, my goal is to initially find that fire, the passion that drives all of us to work in the best industry in the world!

Every Monday Morning, Taylor and I sit down and review the ups and down of our week prior, plan for our upcoming week and talk shop with fit business, training philosophy and the "industry"

One of our goals is to give you a "snip-it" of our Monday Morning talk. We want to inspire, motivate, and remind why you are in this industry and how you can make a difference!


1. What Defines Your Success In the fitness Field??

We recieve this questions on a daily basis from inquires about our mentorship programs. Every trainer and therapist wants to be successful. But what is success?

Is it Cash Flow? Gym Expansion? Being able to take nice Vacations?

To Taylor and Myself, our success is not determined by a measurable number. It is determined by our clients success. Clients that have lost weight, Patients leaving our clinic pain free, a competitior winning the Skinny Jeans Challenge and giving back to fitness, THAT IS OUR SUCCESS!

Being successful in this industry is being the best at what you do, helping your clients & patients, and striving for excellence.

We are practitioners in the best business in the world. We can change lives, save lives, motivate, and educate. Strive to be the best!

We want to know how you define your success as a Trainer, Therapist, or Doctor. Leave a comment in the comment box and for the best "Definition of Your Success" comment we recieve, we will award it with a BP Corrective Exercise Package!



2. Fascia. It is one thing you should know about, incorperate with your clients, but will never know everything!

If you have never read an article, opened a book, or looked at an outline of fascia. I HIGHLY RECOMEND YOU DO THAT NOW!

In the 1980's fascia was the "stuff" thrown on the floor when we wernt through Cadaver Labs. Now, it is one of the most studied and researched part of anatomy in the human body. It contains more nerve endings than muscle tissue.

It is now considered a system all to itself. If every componant of the human body were absent except fascia, it would still cover every part and crevis in the body.

There is increasing interest in certain therapeutic communities in the role that fascia plays in musculoskeletal strain disorders such as low-back instability and postural strain patterns of all types, fibromyalgia, pelvic pain, and respiratory dysfunction, chronic stress injures, as well as in wound healing, trauma recovery and repair.

Self Fascial Work should be complimented in every program. Here are some great Techniques:





Fascial Resource: http://www.fasciacongress.org/2009/index.htm

3. Instead of Making Excuses, Make Improvements

Now, this is a personal pet-peeve of mine. In every aspect of our industry we can make improvements with this point.

We are in a business of helping people. Whether you are a doctor, personal training ata  club, or massage therapist we all have a unified goal of improving health and well-being (I dispise the word Well-Being, but it is needed here).

I recieve email after email, with excuses of why that cleint can't lose weight, or why that patient is still in pain.

If you haven't defined your success from #1 yet, this may be a point to look at. Be the best and ahead of the game, instead of making an excuse find the solution! This is our success, be passionate about what you are going to accomplish.

It is your JOB and Duty to find a solution to an issue your patient is having. They are coming to you, because they have a trust that you are doing this.

We are the key holding to unlock the health out of your patients and clients.

4. This gets me motivated!

Broken Foot?, Small Gym with Little Equipment?, Competition 6 Weeks Out?

Kasia Sitarz, Owner of small Personal Trainign Studio and Massage Clinic 45 Minutes North of DT&R, shows us the solution to a problem that most trainers and practitioners makes.



5. On the game plan for this week:

This week is going to be extremely busy at DT&R but Great! We have multiple events we are working towards, an article being published and filming a few videos.

On Wednesday, we will publish some businbess information that will help change your practi and fitbiz.

A Secret to having a Succesful Business in Health Care


On Fridays, everyone in the Health and Fitness Blogging realm seem to be on a tangent of posting "randomness" from the week prior. I actually look forward to each friday after a week in the trench's at DT&R sitting back and scolling through these blog's that provide comic relief, and clairty about past events. I still think the Friday Blog Stream may be overkill, but those who do it, and do it well, keep it coming.

On our blog we are going to switch gears. I am not going to post randomness on here every friday. My goal is to inspire, motivate, and educate Trainers and Therapist a like. If I can inspire a trainer to learn more, think out of the box, and be a leading power in their niche, than I have completed my job.

Moving forward, every monday we are going to post "S*!&t that get's you Motivated Monday's".

The goal of our Monday Post is simple, provide information that will make you look further into what you are doing, dig up a new book, be inspired to get out their and be a pioneer of the best industry in the world!

Until Monday, we are going to post an answer to multiple question that we recieve over email at DT&R and BP.


1. Taylor and I receive numerous emails on a daily basis from trainers and therapist asking us "secrets of making money and being succesful in the health industry"

What is the secret to being succesful in the health industry, whether you are a personal trainer, massage therapist, or chiropractic????

BE GOOD AT WHAT YOU DO!

Get clients results, make patients feel better, have the knowledge AND continue to learn in your respective field.

Now, I am not trying to be cocky, or be a "show-off", but since spring, we have had 8 Patients fly in from around North America for treatment, been flown out to different parts of the states to treat athletes, have had a wait list, and been asked to lecture at several different events.

We didn't get this oppurtunity because we have a great system, market our facility and TEAM well, or make false promises. I became one of the best in Manual Therapy at what I do and my patients get results, feel better, and can get back to sport faster!

The Secret: Be the best at what you do, strive for results, then Market and Create a system.

I am a huge believer in passion is success. Love what you do, and success will follow.

Ask yourself, what have you done today to make your practice and fitness business better?

For me personally, I have a goal that each day I ready an Anatomy book for atleast 30 minutes, and read3 Chapters of a business book each. This does not include other time I spend surfing Blogs, Facebook  (some may say wasting time, but you haven't read Mark Young's Blog), and reviewing literature.

What do you do each day to make yourself that best at what you do??

Over the weekend, I am going to finish the Article on "Creating a Niche Market". We are going to post a follow up to our blog on Monday.


2. We have a new trainer at the Canadian Human Performance Centre and Dynamic Training & Rehabilitation: Jeff Aldham from Jeff Aldham, from All Body Conditioning.

Here is an Interview with Jeff:





By the way, Jeff is the one in the gym wearing purple shirt and shoes, he claims it is his business colours.



3. One more thing that we are working on:


We are working with Kasia, a competitor in UFE (Ultimate Fitness Events). Kasia has a hip and low back issue that we have been rehabing. We have decided to film or manual therapy treatments and corrective exercise sessions so everyone can have a look on what an athlete goes through from Injury to Sport Performance. Watching the Video's you can get some cool Corrective Exercise and Soft Tissue Work Idea's as well!





4. Hockey is almost here. We are headed out to the pre-season game this evening to see how everyone is looking!


Have a great weekend!

Importance of Creating a Niche Business Market

Taylor and Myself have come a long way in the health and fitness industry. In my opinion (and I am very Biased), we make one of the best teams out there. Taylor has mastered the Female Fitness and Bootcamp Niche, while I have become known in Manuel Therapy, Soft Tissue’s, and “Scar Work Guy”. We are compatible and don’t step on each other’s toes. We have had mentors, help, and support throughout our all path, and we are still not done. Our goal know is to make one of the top fitness facilities and alternative health care clinics around, our second goal is to make the practitioners and trainers around us better. When we bring on new TEAM Members (not employee’s, or staff, TEAM MEMBERS) We have an in-house mentorship program, where we work with our TEAM, showing them the blue prints, and giving them support to be successful.
Note: Picture above. This is when we first started out, training Rep Soccer and Hockey Teams outside. This particular team was very succesful that year. 7 out 12 of the players above are now either player college or semi-pro in the United States and abroad!
It has blown up that Taylor is receiving offers to franchise her bootcamp, and I am getting emails from doctors and physiotherapist from as far as California and England wanting to know what we do differently. We have begun to share more information online, through Blogs, Podcast, BlogSpotRadio, Now were moving into Youtube Video’s and Articles. Like we have stated before, my goal for the BP blog, is to share performance information, whether it be Performance in Business, or Patient Performance: From Rehab to Sports Conditioning, I want this blog to help you!

If you would like to learn more on how we can help you, than keep posted to our blog or you may contact our office at: info@dynamictraining.ca or at our Burlington Office: 905-637-4934

I have been working on an article for a Massage Therapy Magazine that will be published in December. My goal is to reach out to Manual Therapist to determine a service they are known for. Whether it be; Corrective Exercise, Pain Management, Sports Injury I want to help therapist reach and exceed their potential.

Take a look at the article, let me know what you think, and we will see you in a few days for another blog post!

Article: Creatng a Niche in the Health Care Business

In my opinion, this is a missing link with every trainer and therapist. They try to do it all, and help every client/patient that walks through that door.


I had a great conversation with a Sports Injury and Massage Therapist the other day that made me realize a component in our business that most of us, if not all, are missing!


CREATING A NICHE AND BEING THE BEST AT WHAT YOU ARE KNOWN TO DO!


To many times when I mentor Therapist and Trainers, I visit their website and I have no idea what they do! The practitioner/trainer lists every single course and “speciality” they have ever done. It comes from the mentality of more is better.


I am not trying to rip into anybody because I was like this too. When I was going through College for Manuel Therapy and Massage Therapy, I was in a separate course every weekend. Over a two year period, I spent $20,000 in every course I still have never used.


The beginning of my practice, I was treating everything possible!


Muscle Spasm; No Problem, Fertility Issue; Let’s Fix it!, Not Regular?; We can do Something about it!


After years of ignoring my mentors, I realized that this wasn’t working! My patients were not returning to use my services.

But Why???


We are going to post the other half of this Blog Wednesday. Come back and check it out why it is so important to have a niche market and how I created one, and the blue print that you may use!

Also, check out this Youtube Video of Fit-Escape Bootcamp:



An Interview that I had with Eric Daye from TruBody Fitness:

Decompact that Low Back!

It has been extremely busy at Dynamic and the Canadian Human Performance Centre. We have a couple HUGE announcements that will be release by the end of the week. With Fall now here, all our university athletes are back to school (some are back, pre-season injuries and were already home sick from our facility), and professional athletes are back in camp. To get this blog back on a roll I want to address a few questions and concerns that I have seen over the past few months.

 Lumbar Spine Deloading AND Decompacting

In our Blog and when I talk to athletes that I am working with from a treatment, corrective exercise, and rehab perspective when I use the word DELOAD, I am referring to taking pressure off an area. This will help prevent repetitive strain injuries, compression injuries (very common to LOW BACK PAIN, in particular Facet Irritation) and help soft tissue rebound from strenuous work or exercises.

Most Sports Conditioning Guru’s will refer to DELOAD as taking a week of from a program, or modifying a particular program to let body recoup. I am on the opposite end of the spectrum, my job is to help athletes stay injury free and rehab, our Sports Conditioning Guys at Canadian Human Performance Centre have the other job.

Below in this blog, we are going to go through techniques and exercises to help take pressure off of your back. THIS IS A GENERAL OUTLINE for Blog Readers to spark curiosity and motivate to learn some anatomy; it will not treat low back pain or dysfunction, but most certainly can help manage symptoms.

Helping to alleviate pressure of your lumbar spine is great for anyone with a history of “low Back pain”, Facet Compression Issues, or just dysfunction.

There are going to be critics reading this blog, and watching our video’s and will write, Adam forgot to talk about Thoracic Mobility, make sure Navicular Bone is not following proper PRM. The list can go on. This is an outline, and we are just taking one or two exercise that my staff and I prescribe on a daily basis for our patients and athletes.

Note: For Corrective Exercises Techniques, we will be posting a blog coming up.

Soft Tissue Preparation: Before & After Exercise, Morning and Evening

SMFR and Soft Tissue preparation will do just that, prepare your tissue for work. These techniques will also help break adhesions, promote proper muscle health.

Your lumbar spine is the weak link in your body. Compared to your Thoracic Spine, there are minimal major actions of your lumbar spine except for stability.

Unilateral Leg Work Post Bilateral Low Rep Exercise: After Heavy Lift

This is one of the most important aspects of Lower Back Deload or Decompact that I recommend. Usually, in our programs, our sports conditioning guys will use a split squat or Bulgarian split squat, I agree with this exercise. Single leg or Unilateral Exercise will activate muscles like Glute Med.

This particular exercise will also dynamically stretch Psoas Major, Rectus Femoris, and will force your body to keep proper spinal aligment.

Lumbar Distraction: Post –SMFR/Dynamic Warm-up, Home Care

Video: Decompact Your Low Back. Pt. 1



Eretor Spinae Health: These muscles will help keep the stability and prevent lumbar vertebrae go into flexion at most common L2 on L3, L3 on L4 (Most important Vertebrae, for another blog post), L5 on S1.

Quick Mention of L5 on S1: Take a look at biomechanics of this segment, with hip flexion, the spinal process on L5 should rotate the opposite direction. If there is a adhesion or lesion present and the L5 vertebrae moves same way,



    Side Bar:

How to test: Have your patient standing up, kneel behind (ask for permission and explain what you are going to do), place one finger on L5 Spinous Process and another finger on the Ischial Tuberosity. Have client/patient move leg into Hip Flexion, What way does it Move? Compaction? Lesion? Dysfunction?

A major component of Lumbar Spine or Low Back Pain is Pelvic Dysfunction, whether it be a visceral component, mechanical, or myofascial. There are many issues that should be assessed and addressed for proper biomechanics and tissue health.



I have a lot of Clients and friend that read this blog looking for business advice as well. I also want to include “tid-bits” of information that make you think, look at your business, and grow!

I had a conversation with a Sports Injury and Massage Therapy practitioner who is in the first few months of his new business. We had a great conversation on creating a NICHE business and not being an "all in one"

We are going to post the conversation and why it is important to create a Niche Market that you should have your business aimed towards.

Eric from TruBody Fitness and Myself had a few minutes to kill yesterday afternoon, so we decided to film a quick interview, check it out:



Summer Re-Cap and Moving Forward!

This past summer has been one of the busiest summer in our Clinic and Gym at DT&R. We had atheltes come through from every major university in canada getting ready for the 2011 season, travelled around the states treating, and got the ball rolling on a number of major projects that we are excitted to introduce in the coming weeks.

A few things to look forward to in fall:

- We have joined forces with a few other giants in the health and fitness industry and opening a new facility, and will take DT&R and Bogar Performance (BP) to the next level. This is ll we can say, readers will have to wait until we make the big announcement with more details!

- BP is changing focus and will be offering webinars, in-house seminars, and online information for therapist, doctors, and trainers to expand there practice/business. This is a Blue Print and information that we use to make DT&R one of the leading Altertive Health Care and Rehab facilities in Ontario and known nationally.

We are calling this Synergistic Business System.

If you are in the healthcare field and looking to expand your practice, make a better income with working less hours, and saving your body/hands, than look forward to the information we are going to present. It is going to be phenominal!

- We have been working with a number of other health care practitioners and are putting together course that are reconized for Continueing Education Credits or Units. These course are going to be on Business, Techniques, and Treatment protocols. They practitioners that we have partnered with are the best in there respective fields, and want to help other therapists and doctors!



On another note, DT&R held the first measurments/weigh-ins this morning at our facility for the Fall $1000.00 Weight Loss Challenge. I have never seen so many motivated and happy people with the same goal, working together!

I have never been more motivated to be in the helth and fitness industry than today!!

Interview with Anthony, Creator of TRAIN or BE TRAINED

Last night, I had a visit to my office from the creator of TRAIN or BE TRAINED, Anthony Perreira. This is a phenominal project that he has put together to help the health and fitness industry. In my opinion, this should be on everyone's favorite tab.

This is a web based show, that will showcase 4 diferent trainers every month. By Viewing and Voting you could win tons of cool prizes.

Check out an interview that we had with Anthony:



I am doing a lot of research on a new fad of Skatemills that a lot of my hockey players are working on now. Everyday I see a new injury that we have to rehab from hockey players using this new equipment. Do you think it changes the biomechanics of a hockey players skating? Is it benefitial or useful for hockey training?

Let me know your comments.