IOL Strength and Conditioning

Do you think I could talk you into starting the year off with a near-daily joint mobility program if I made it really simple? Just one or two easy movements per major joint will take you about five minutes; do it in the mornings and your joints will be oiled up and ready to take on the day. What a great way to start off the New Year, a resolution that’s really easy to keep and comes with a major big payoff.

As we age, our joints lose their ranges of motion, limiting our ability to move well in addition to causing other problems or pain in nearby muscles and the joints above or below. Working the joints—not the muscles, the joints—reminds the brain how to access the full range of motion while at the same time circulating the synovial fluid, removing waste products and breaking down calcium deposits. The result: confident, smooth movement in the joints, a reduction of pain and an increase in injury prevention. It’s golden, and worth the five precious minutes.

The main thing to remember is we’re working the joints. Pay attention to joint motion, keeping other areas of the body as still as possible so the joint alone can move forward and back, side to side or rotational. Whenever possible, close your eyes and get an image of the actual joint in action. Slow the action down and make the movement smaller rather than as pushing far as you can go; you’re looking for smooth, easy action, not big jerky movements.

Here we go, real simple, no frills, just do it. Five reps per move, per side — as you get comfortable with the routine, you may feel like doing a little more in areas where you feel less confident. Some people do dozens of reps with great results, but this is a beginner’s set-up where time and interest will run out fast; you’ll see a difference with only  a few reps if you perform them regularly.
Toes:
Standing tall, move one foot behind, heel raised with the pads of the toes flat on the floor. Move your heel toward the floor, and back up, keeping the toes pressed into the floor. Do this five times; now, with the heel high, put more weight on the pad of the big toe, then move the weight outward toe by toe until the weight is more heavily on the little toe. Reverse and take the weight back to the big toe. Change feet and repeat.

Ankles:
Still standing, most of your weight on one foot, roll the un-weighted foot to the inside and outside, paying attention to side-to-side movement in the ankle joint, repeating on both feet. Then, standing near a wall or countertop, put your weight evenly on both feet, feet flat on the floor, and bend toward the nearby surface, making sure the movement takes place in the ankles. You’ll be moving your ankles forward and back; your knees are slightly bent, holding that position (not increasing the bend), and there’s no movement in the hips. Your entire body moves forward and back, with the action taking place in the ankles.

Hips:
Warm up the hips from a standing position, weight equally on both feet, moving forward and back in a small hip thrust, back and forth with the movement taking place almost entirely at the hips where the top of the quads attach. Then, rest your weight on one foot, pull the other foot off the ground to the front, then cross over the front of the stance leg so your foot is turned, inside facing behind you. Begin to circle your foot, again with the circling taking place at the hip joint; your ankle is not circling or bending, nor is your knee. Circle five times and reverse directions for five more circles. Move your foot to the front of your body and repeat; move it to the outside to repeat in both directions; move it to the rear and circle it, again in both directions. You may feel pretty sloppy at this one at first—stick with it, it comes fast and is a real doozy for good hip mobility.

Thoracic spine:
Still standing, weight evenly balanced, extend your arms to the front, palms down. With your hips stable and unmoving, extend and contract your arms by moving at the mid-back. Your chest will be caving in and moving out in opposition to your thoracic spine activity. Now move your hands to your sides to perform a slight side bend. This isn’t the side bend you remember from gym class; instead you’ll be moving at the upper back, your lumbar spine and hips are immobile, with the only movement taking place between the neck and bottom of the rib cage above the low back.

Shoulder joints:
Keep standing for a few more minutes while we finish this up. Skipping over the scapulae, we’re going to target the ball-and-socket part of the shoulder joint, starting with forward to overhead raises. Next up, small circles beginning with the hands to the sides and low, moving forward and at shoulder height, then in an extended Y position, palms facing out. Do five circles in each position, reverse direction and repeat. Remember to picture the joint in action, and make the circles as small as necessary to keep the action smooth.

Wrists:
As long as you’re standing there and your arms are handy, hold them outstretched at shoulder height, palms facing down. Move your fingers toward the floor, then back up toward the ceiling with the action entirely at the wrist. Then circle the hands in both directions, again with no action at the elbows or shoulders.

Neck:
Finally, still standing, move your head back and forth with your body stable and the movement happening in the neck. Circle your head from side to side (the universal “no”), with no activity from the shoulders down. Now move your head up and down, as if indicating “yes.” As you practice this over a few days, the range of motion will increase and the crackling sounds will decrease as the small bits of calcium deposits are broken loose and dispersed.

That’s it. Print this out. Run through it a few times this week and after you get the hang of it, it should take you about five minutes, maybe seven if it starts feeling good and you get carried away. And it’ll only take a couple times for you to realize all this typing was simply to describe ways to move your joints forward and back, side to side and in circles… nothing to it, no special exercise names, just rediscovering the ranges of motion of your mobile joints.

Once you have a taste of how powerful this stuff is, you can expand on the areas that have previously given you the most trouble. There are a variety of incredibly powerful joint exercises that will literally reverse the chronic pain of a middle-age life. I’m serious, you truly can feel like a kid again, and it doesn’t take a whole lot of time, either. Persistence, maybe, but other than that, it’s not hard at all.

What to get, what to get? You want your gift to be special, and you know training is something your friend or family member is passionate about. Maybe there’s not enough extra cash throughout the year for him or her to order some of the training toys we yak about in the forum or ponder over through youtube exercise videos. Settle in for a spell and I’ll send you off with some specifics to help make your gift shopping a little more successful.

Categorized by price instead of topic, you’ll find everything from books and dvds to metal, foam and rubber. These are truly the things we discuss in the forum, so in many cases buying a new implement doesn’t mean you have to get a book or dvd to go with it, unless money’s looser around your house than most, because we’ll have links to articles and videos handy. Heck, we welcome this kind of thing in the forum – we’re always in need of new topics of conversation.

A couple of thoughts before the nitty-gritty:

One: Consider a gym membership gift certificate if the household budget is stretched and a gym causes a gleam in your recipient’s eye. But beware: not all gyms are alike. If you aren’t sure which one will do it for him or her, think handmade gift card with cash earmarked for the membership. It won’t feel like a gift to be stuck in a hated gym when the heart’s pining for the gym down the road.

Two: If this all feels too hopeless and you don’t feel confident in making a decision, zip on down to your local Play it Again Sports for a gift certificate. Anyone with a desire to train at home even part-time will find a way to spend the loot. Just don’t go along for the ride unless you’re a gymrat, too; it’ll be like an extended trip to the lumberyard where every bolt gets reviewed. Shudder.

Price Categories:

Under $30

Starting Strength, Basic Barbell Training by Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore, $26.95, includes shipping via media mail
I’d have to call this book poorly titled, because it’s anything but basic, and the idea of “starting” is probably a turnoff to folks who’ve been training for awhile. Yet those are some of the people who will benefit the most from this fabulous barbell training instruction, because most of us learned by accident and are doing our barbell exercises entirely wrong. If you’ve got a beginning trainee on your shopping list, so much the better – get ‘em started off right.

Gym Boss workout timer, $19.95, plus $2.95 shipping
This tiny little stocking stuffer is an interval timer that works for a variety of training modalities from weight training, kettlebell work, cardio intervals, sled drags and more. Just set the work and rest times, tell it how many times to beep at you and get to work.

Captain’s of Crush grippers, $19.95, plus $7.00 shipping
If you’ve never shopped for grippers before, you’ll probably get stuck on which one to order. Can you swing a pair into the budget? If so, the average person will probably want a trainer (#1250) and the Number 1 (#1251) unless he (or *maybe* she) has an exceptional untrained grip.

The Concise Book of Neuromuscular Therapy: A Trigger Point Manual, by John Sharkey, $24.05, $4.98 shipping
This is an outstanding book for anyone who has recurring pain, especially those who exercise regularly. Self-treatment of soft tissue problems is the future of athletic healing, and this book provides a comprehensive description, specific bodypart details and plentiful illustrations. For now, this is my top triggerpoint book recommendation.

JumpStretch band, $22 for the average band (green), plus $7.34 freight
I’d buy two matching bands if possible because the options with two are far greater than double one. These are used for a variety of purposes, from assisting exercises (such as chins) to making exercises harder (such as bench or squats… for sure get two if you think this might be the purpose), to standalone bodyweight exercises and strengthening tools for ankle and other joint work. A great addition to a limited home gym, the curious trainee will find a lot of good uses for a band or two.

Foam Roller, $21.95, free shipping holiday special
We use this as a sort of self-massage tool by rolling over it on the floor or against a wall, and it works surprisingly well. Get the black molded or EVA foam; the white rollers don’t hold up very well under weight. While you’re shopping, if there’s room in the budget, consider a round “posture” ball. In fact, if space is an issue or your giftee has chronic shoulder and arm problems, the myofascial release ball might be a better choice if you’re picking between that and a roller.

The Mind in Bodybuilding book by Frank Zane, $23, plus $3.05 shipping
If you have a Zane fan on your shopping list, this will be a great surprise because it just came out a couple of weeks ago. In this book, Frank focuses on meditation, relaxation and other mind-body techniques for which he’s well known.

~$30-50

Dan John’s Everything’s Over My Head dvd, three different 30-minute informal seminars, $39.95, plus $6 shipping
Now here’s a guy whose life mission is to teach people to train heavy, pick up stuff, put it overhead or drag it around, and he does a darn good job of it. From unusual outdoor training ideas to Olympic lifting technique learned in one viewing, Dan’s going to keep the viewer inspired and laughing while at the same time taking plenty of notes. This is a dvd that will be in and out of the player; unlike most dvds, this one gets better with each viewing.

John Izzo’s Free the Hips dvd, $27.99, plus $4.29 shipping
John’s done an excellent job at teaching us how to regain hip mobility to get rid of back pain and to increase athletic skills. This is a dvd of a live workshop, and includes the lecture handout notes. Personal trainers will use this material with their clients, as will baby boomers trying to train around nagging back pain.

Dave Draper and Bill Pearl’s seminar dvd, $29.95, plus $6 shipping
This is our filming of a 75-minute seminar featuring Bill Pearl and Dave, and including a transcript of a later conversation between the two guys that covers material they felt was missing in the earlier recorded Q&A. Readers of Dave’s newsletter or followers of the Golden Era of Bodybuilding (‘60s and early ‘70s) will really get a kick out of seeing the guys together 40 years later as they reminisce about those treasured days and come full circle to their training today. Note: If your recipient is a regular visitor here, check your dvd shelf before placing your order – this may already be there.

West Coast Bodybuilding Scene by Dick Tyler, $24.95, plus $6 shipping
If this isn’t already on the shelf of whomever you’re shopping for, I think it will get you a grin on Christmas morning. Easy to pick up and read a few pages anywhere in the book, Dick Tyler’s timeless memories along with the classic photos and Dave’s clever captions is always tops for a nostalgic smile.

~$50-75

Grey Cook’s Secrets series dvds, ~$69.95 each (Core Training is $39.95; $199 discounted price for the set of dvds), free shipping holiday special
Here you’ll have to decide which your beneficiary most needs: attention to the shoulders, hips and knees, core or overall movement patterns. If the person has a specific nagging problem in one of those areas, the answer’s easy. If not, I’d go with the primitive patterns because the ideas on that one are not well known, and it’s likely to be an unexpected gift. If the guy or gal’s a personal trainer and there’s any chance of spring for the set, it’s a gold mine that will propel the viewer far beyond the other trainers in the region. No kidding.

Scott Sonnon’s Intu-Flow 2-dvd set, $49.95, plus an unfortunate shipping cost of $16.95.
This is a bit of a mis-named instructional program; Intu-Flow sounds more like a yoga routine rather than the comprehensive joint mobility program it is. Scott was on the forefront of an industry now saturated with joint range-of-motion routines—he knows it the best and brought the rest of us into the fold. This dvd set is divided into sections, to teach the beginning, easy joint movements before being dumping into more complicated, possibly impossible positions. If you think a follow-along joint mobility workout would be more appropriate, Scott’s Ageless Mobility dvd will set you up right at $24.95. The program is over an hour, kind of too long for most of us for a regular joint mobility routine, however it’s real nice to practice a few times, work a few of the exercises for a shorter duration over the course of a month, going back to check progress against the dvd on occasion. The Ageless Mobility dvd is sort of a combination of joint mobility and joint mobility via yoga positions rather than a dedicated joint mobility program.
Magnificent Mobility dvd by Eric Cressey and Mike Robertson, $49.99, plus $5.99 shipping
Mobility is one of the newer buzz words in our industry; most people have an idea what it means, but not so much how to put a plan into action. Eric and Mike are two of the go-to mobility guys, and in this dvd they show their stuff, including beginner, intermediate and advanced options. An ebook that’s real handy for later reference is also available, but it drives the price up pretty good.

Inside Out dvd by Bill Hartman and Mike Robertson, $49.99, plus $5.99 shipping
This time Mike’s joined by a guy known industry-wide as one of the top physical therapists alive, even called the “Smartest Man in Fitness” in one popular interview. This rep is well-deserved, and in the Inside Out dvd you’ll see why. This offering focuses on the upper body, the thoracic spine and shoulder girdle in particular. Most excellent for anyone with chronic shoulder pain. This also comes in a set with either an ebook or print manual, again at additional charge.

Polar Heart Rate Monitor, $59.95 for the bottom tier monitor, free shipping
A heart rate monitor is a great tool for gaging how hard we’re training, both in steady-state cardio, interval cardio training and also for monitoring kettlebell work and sled drags. If you’re unsure if this will be a welcome gift, go with the cheapest, a monitor with big numbers in the display, the time, a stop watch and a heart rate measuring strap. Moving up from the basics, it’s going to get a little dicey to pick one for someone else because the options available are extensive and range in price up to around $400.

Trail Guide to the Body, spiral-bound muscle and bone textbook by Andrew Biel, $52.95, plus $6.67 freight
For anyone who’s interested in how the physical body is connected, bone to muscle, this book is primo. Massage therapy schools use this textbook; personal trainers should have a copy to read, read again and nearby on the shelf for easy reference.

Kettlebell, 26-pounder, $42.95 from Lifeline, plus $15.87 freight; $54.95 plus $27 freight from Ader — 35-pounder, $47.95, plus $14.87 freight from Lifeline; $64.95 plus $27 freight from Ader. Best guess for a beginning kettlebell user is a 26 for a woman, a 35 for a man – we use these differently than we use dumbbells, and the weight used is lighter than you might expect. The difference between these two brands is best described on this page from Ader; in particular, note the wider handle. If hand size is big, a wider handle is better. Otherwise, go with the Lifeline for price most likely. Power Systems has a few of their “cardio bell” kettlebells on sale, 50% off plus free shipping if you use the code from the front page, for those who are a little interested but not committed enough to spring for the cost of the black iron ‘bells. One last point about kettlebells, if the person you’re buying for is something of a kettlebell enthusiast or might be interested in competition, pass over the kettlebell idea. This person has a specific ‘bell in mind and the surprised look on Christmas morning will be mixed with disappointment in being stuck with a brand he or she doesn’t really want.

Anthony DiLuglio’s Art of Strength kettlebell workout dvd, $49.95, seems to include freight
Your mate’s got a kettlebell, but doesn’t know how to use it. There are a number of excellent kettlebell instructional dvds designed to teach exercise form, but not so many to show how to train with one of those handled blobs of iron. Anthony’s an expert instructor – exceptional, really – who’s created a set of work-along training videos that are superb. The first in the series is the Providence dvd, and while his teaching style has only gained ground the past couple of years, it’s still a gold standard as a place to start. Needing a “what do I do next” option, you can’t go wrong with any of the more recent offerings.

Steve Cotter’s Encyclopedia of Bodyweight Conditioning, 3-dvd set, $49.99, plus $6 shipping
For anyone who trains at home or travels, or anyone who’s rehabbing and unable to train with weights for any reason, this set covers 160 different exercises to be done without weights or props. When we talk about bodyweight training most of us get stuck at pushups; Steve’s a master at bodyweight conditioning and teaches his many techniques is this fine dvd set.

Randy Roach’s Muscle, Smoth & Mirrors, Volume 1, $57.95 paperback or $67.95 hardcover, plus $7.17 freight
562 pages of well-researched, honest recording your iron history buff will go nuts over. And check this out: If this gift goes over big, you’re all set up for next Christmas; Volume 2 is on the way in 2009. Review the contents here, and order it here.

~$100-150

Lebert Equalizer bars, set of two, $99, plus $18 freight
First thought, of course, is dipping bars, but these are useful for oh so much more. Very handy to have around a small home gym or personal training studio. Includes a laminated exercise poster and a workout idea dvd.

X2 Weight Vest, $112.49 ($149.99 less 25% sales discount – use coupon code X08 if before 12/31/08)
We use these for conditioning in a variety of modalities, walking… hill climbing… to pushups, squats or other exercises. Comes with 12 pounds vest inserts. Doesn’t sound like much, but it’s plenty for starters. Shipping costs vary depending on distance from company.

~$150-200

TRX Suspension Trainer, ~$149.95 less 15% sale discount, includes free shipping
I recommend this one unless your recipient is a golfer, tennis player or has another specific interest as described on the main product page. I love love love this thing; don’t be dissuaded by the idea these are just overpriced, silly straps. Note: If you think this will be used indoors where there’s no squat rack, you’ll need to spring for the door anchor ($24.95) or your great gift will sit behind the couch unused until the late-ordered anchor arrives.

Louie Simmons’ pulling sled, $149.95, includes free shipping
Scroll down (no direct link). The neighbors sometimes stare, but after the first day out, we don’t care much. Pulling and dragging heavy objects is fabulous for strength, endurance and conditioning, and sled pulling is how much of us drag. Don’t forget, weights aren’t included, so if the giftee doesn’t have weights or kettlebells at home, this might not be the best gift choice.

Dave’s Top Squat, $149 plus $24 shipping
This would be for the guy or gal who loves or needs to squat but who either has issues getting the shoulders back comfortably or who has trouble holding good squat form. It’s an add-on to a bar that basically puts handles in front; your giftee would already need to own the bar, squat rack and plates for this to be a useful item. Some people carry it in to the public gym, but it won’t fit into a gym bag and isn’t particularly handy to carry.

Mike Mahler’s Boys are Back in Town seminar dvd set, $169.95, includes freight
Looks like a lot of money for a set of dvds, sure enough, but instead think of it as a weekend seminar, nearly eight hours of four of the top speakers in the industry talking about their specialties, each one doing one or two 90-minute sessions: Steve Cotter on kettlebell sport training and on chi-kung; Mike Mahler on kettlebell training for strength and on optimizing hormones; Steve Maxwell on joint mobility and on kettlebell core training; and Nate Morrison on performance breathing. I’m confident the next seminar set, the nine-hour Collision Course featuring John Brookfield, Jon Hinds, Mike Mahler, Mark Philippi, with Tom Furman and Dylan Thomas is equally powerful, but I haven’t seen those sessions personally. This one’s on a pre-sale special at $99.95 (*might* not be in by Christmas, but it’s a savings of $100 off the soon-to-be price of $199.95—a handmade gift card with the set following a week or so later would still get major props).

~$350-500

Pendlay weightlifting bar, 20kg, $389, plus $45 freight (varies depending on distance) These bars are the double-drool factor around the forum; everybody wants one. They’ve also got an economy bar at $199, a good quality, normal-use home gym bar. If the home-gym is being set up or upgraded, this is the bar that provides the foundation for the work that follows.
~$500-1000

Concept 2 Rower, $900, plus $40 freight (both the unit and the freight are bargains, seriously)
This is the crème de la crème of cardio equipment, full body rowing on a smooth, top quality machine. You may be able to find one on your local craigslist, but usually someone has to die first.

Remember watching Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry, how he clenched his jaw muscles rhythmically, looking oh so cool and you either wanted to be him or wanted your boyfriend to have a squared-off, hardworking exactly jaw like his? Think of that intense-jaw look now, from your adult perspective. Do you see the same thing, or do you see a person too tense, habitually beating the heck out of an aching jaw?

Whether Clint did that as part of his Callahan role or if it was or is a regular part of his life, I haven’t a guess. But I’ll betcha a similar habit and plenty more like it are buried in your structure, and that of your family and friends. In fact, I’ll wager a few of those idiosyncrasies are clever little bits you picked up from your dad and mom, even from your grandparents if they were around the house when you were a young’n.

We now know some of those handsome and not-so-handsome habits can wreck havoc on an aging body, and some of you reading this are well aware of a dull ache that’s getting worse, pounding to get your attention.

Here are a few examples to get you pondering:

• Shoulder hunched up on one side
• Head tilted (hello, Horatio) or rotated
• Chin lifted – chin up! Meaning excessive cervical lordosis
• Pelvic tilted too far in one direction, forward or back
• Duck foot on one side, or both
• Resting your weight on one leg, never both
• Crossing knees when seated, unable to sit with your feet flat
• Tensing the jaw, grinding the teeth
• Sucking in the gut, never relaxing the abdominals
• Resting on your heels or the outsides of your feet
• Walking on your toes
• Arms crossed over your chest, shoulders internally rotated
• Tight hold on the computer mouse when reading a webpage
• Left foot always leads or right foot always leads, staying a fraction of a second longer on the lead foot each step

Each one of those, and probably a hundred others like them, can add tension to your body, and often cause a cascade of affects up, down or crossing the body, sometimes enough to set the whole configuration askew.

Strictly from a functional body standpoint, realize how you habitually hold the parts of your body can contribute to – if not be the main factor of – your mobility problems. These are the type of things we need to address in order to fix an aching back or a messed up shoulder or elbow. Sounds bizarre, but it’s true.

This isn’t a discussion about body language; it doesn’t matter where the habit came from – not the psychology behind it, whether it was a headtrip or a habit you copied from you dad when you were a child or your favorite actor from your teen years, or perhaps a compensation for a long-forgotten injury. Instead, I’m only pointing out there are things you’re probably doing that are detrimental, or will be as time carries on.

We get what we train, that’s what it boils down to… not just in our workouts but even more in our working and resting postures that take up a lot more of the week than the training. Then we go to the gym and train in those faulty positions to strengthen up the tilted, rotated, hunched-up structures.

A lot of our mobility problems require work, strengthen up this side, stretch out that – tease our joints into moving better over the weeks or months of a concentrated rebuilding plan. It’s so valuable and effective, and well worth the time we dedicate to corrective exercise.

But listen here: Some of the problems contributing to a troubled overall is a case of Just Stop Doing That.