Diaphragmatic Breathing

Functional Exercises

Functional Exercises Found on the Perfect Fitness Plus App

The optimal exercises progression is following the continuum of 2-legs to alternating legs to 1-leg. This progression dictates that by the time a person gets to a Step-up, Lunge or Single leg Squat, they are prepared for the movement and do not have start at the most elementary form of the movement. This means that as instructors we do not need to teach every variation of these exercises. Rather we can demonstrate how to make minor modifications.

The importance of teaching the squat is that it is a fundamental pattern necessary to master prior to moving to other exercises. Each of the following exercises (Step-up, Lunge, Single Leg Squat) are all a form of a squat movement pattern and therefore, should mechanically (trunk, hip, knee, ankle) look identical to a squat position. Each integrated exercise will progress from and build on the previous one.

Once we get them to perform the Squat, then we can add in the upper body movements (curl, press, etc.) and follow an upper body progression as well (if anyone should ask – 2-arms, alt-arms, 1-arm, 1-arm w/rotation).

Ball Wall Squat
Set up:

• Stand completely upright (vertical) with the apex of ball placed in the curve of the lumbar spine (A)
• Take a step forward equal to ½ of your foot length (B)
• if compensation is still apparent during execution of exercise the feet may need to be moved forward 1-2 inches
• if the execution is perfect, the feet may be moved back 1-2 inches

Execution:

• Initiate movement from the hips, moving the tailbone down toward the point where the wall meets the floor (C)
• At bottom, pause and check pelvic position by moving into posterior & anterior tilt
• reset into neutral, squeeze glutes and focus on driving hips up and forward into full hip extension (D & E)
• Glutes should be fully contracted at end on motion

Progression here is:

• Added resistance – i.e. weight vest, DB’s, etc.
• DB curls
• DB Scaption
• DB overhead press
• DB curl, overhead press

Step-up
Execution:

• Focus on the mechanical similarity to the squat only in a staggered leg position
• As you step up onto platform with one leg, the glute of the other leg(down/straight leg) should be contracted. This provides stabilization to the LPHC during weight transfer as well as awareness
• Once the foot of the “step-up” leg is on the platform, the weight should be transferred to this leg and this means that the glute of the Step-up leg should be engaged
• In this position, the body should have a very similar look to the squat position in a staggered stance
• Squeezing the glute on the Step-up leg and placing your bodyweight on this leg, stand up driving the hips up and forward – just like a squat
• there should not be a “push-off” from the back foot

• Progression here is:
• Step-up Sagittal, Frontal, Transverse, Backward (Step-down)
• Step-up to balance with foot down
• To all planes of motion
• Step-up to balance with opposite hip, knee, ankle flexed (triple flexion)
• To all planes of motion

Lunge
Execution:

• The lunge should be identical to the Step-up only now moving horizontally versus vertically
• We will begin the teaching progression with the lunge as a forwardmoving step identical to the Step-up
• Focus again on the mechanical similarity to the squat only in a staggered leg position or side position in a frontal plane lunge (side lunge)
• As you step forward/sideways with one leg, the glute of the other leg should be contracted. This provides stabilization to the LPHC during weight transfer as well as awareness
• Once the “lunge” foot moves forward/sideways and lands on the ground, the weight should be transferred to this leg and this means that the glute of this leg should be engaged
• In this position, the body should have a very similar look to the squat position in a staggered stance
• Squeezing the glute on the front leg and placing your bodyweight on the front leg, stand up driving the hips up and forward – just like a squat
• there should not be a “push-off” from the back foot
• Key Note (Pelvic should be in neutral position no anterior tilt) Use a dowel

picture by Gray Cook "Athletic Body in Balance"

• A regression can be not going down as low
• Progression here is:
• Lunge – Sagittal, Frontal, Transverse, Backward
• Lunge to balance with foot down
• To all planes of motion
• Lunge to balance with opposite triple flexion in planes above
• To all planes of motion

Single-leg Squat
Execution:

• Exactly like the 2-legged squat only on 1 leg!
• Initiate movement from the hips, moving the tailbone down toward the point where the wall meets the floor (A)
• At bottom, pause and check pelvic position by moving into posterior & anterior tilt
• You can also lift the chest to help both the thoracic “hunch” and low back rounding that is often seen in this exercise
• reset into neutral, squeeze glutes and focus on driving hips up and forward into full hip extension (B & C)
• Glutes should be fully contracted at end on motion

Progression here is:

• Use an aerobic step and starting above or a 90 degree knee angle
• Each week try lowering the step an inch
• After 8 weeks you will be able to a pistol (russian squat)

Tube Walking
Set-up:

• Start by placing the tubing just above the knee (A)
• Feet should be straight ahead, hip (ASIS) width apart(A)
• Have body in a ¼ squat position – this should look identical to the squat position already practiced only not as low in a squat position (B)

Execution:

• Pretend you are riding a horse and you cannot squeeze too hard (knee adduction) or you will get bucked off, so you must keep your knees out enough to let the horse breath
• Keeping the feet straight ahead, focus on moving the ankle & knee of one leg straight out to the side in a straight line to shoulder width
• At the “non-moving/closed-chain leg” – make sure to keep the knee in line with the tip of the shoe – with the band stretching and applying tension to the knee, it will want to adduct, so you have to consciously abduct (gluteus medius) to keep it in proper alignment
• At the “moving/open-chain leg” – make sure to keep the knee abducting through the motion (gluteus medius) so the tension of the band stretching does not push it into adduction
• Note the pattern/shape of the femur/tibia created by the proper execution of the exercises (seen in red)
• Improper execution creates the opposite pattern/shape (blue)
• Also watch the obvious trunk rocking from side to side

Start Correct Incorrect

Progression here is:

• Move band down closer to ankle
• Increase resistance of band
• Lateral step with upper extremity motion (i.e. curls, scaption, overhead press)
• Lateral step to balance
• with upper extremity motion (i.e. curls, scaption, overhead press)
• Lateral step to single-leg squat
• with upper extremity motion (i.e. curls, scaption, overhead press)

When training you need to mimic the different planes of motion. Training in one plance of motion does not reduce the risk of injury but only builds your skills in a single plane of motion. Below is an example of the differnet planes of motion

Learn all of these exercise in the Perfect Fitness App

To shim or Not to Shim

As a coach and professional bike fitter I always here this question “should I shim/wedge”? The answer to that question depends on what are you trying to accomplish. I would have to say 90% of the time shimming/wedging is like putting a band-aid on the problem. Putting a shim/wedge in the shoe or on the cleat is a cheap way to say “hey you are messed up, but I don’t know how to fix you”.

The coach/bike fitter who puts a shim on his/her athlete is like the Joe gym rat. You can be Joe gym rat who each time goes to the gym puts on a weight belt before lifting weights. The belt becomes a crutch and Joe gym rat ends up with weaker core muscles, which promotes muscle imbalances, and weak stabilizers. The same thing happens when you put a shim in the shoe or on the cleat.

Think about this your athlete spends maybe 20% to 40% of their time on the bike. This leaves the athletes with the rest of their day spent in sandals or regular shoes. Do you believe that fixing their gait on the bike is going to fix their gait when they are off the bike? Think again this leaves the athlete with more muscle imbalances and probably some long term injuries. Say you shim your athlete, and he/she is doing really well on the bike. As you watch them walk off the bike they tend to have their knees turn out or turn in while they walk. Now you have a bigger problem. You need to fix their biomechanics not only on the bike, but off the bike as well. Your athlete becomes an accident waiting to happen.

I would consider these coaches, bike fitters, or doctors who shims as someone who treats the symptoms and not the problem. As a coach or bike fitter you need to be proactive and address both the on the bike issues and off the bike issues. You have probably seen this when you go to a doctor for an injury and he gives medicine for the pain, but never addresses the causes only the symptoms. Do you want to be the coach, bike fitter, or doctor that fixes things or the one that gives a band-aid?

There is a small percent of people who are born with flat feet, club feet, or an abnormal femur or limb length. Those who were born with these genetic problems would probably need to use shims. Although, those that were not born with flat feet and currently experience flat feet symptoms this is due to a muscle imbalance. Flat feet are muscle imbalances of probable overactive peroneal complex, lateral gastrocnemius, bicep femoris, and TFL. The probable underactive muscles are the anterior tibialis, posterior tibialis, medial gastrocnemius, and glute medius. Performing an Optimal Corrective Program by foam rolling and static stretching overactive muscles and activating the underactive muscles with will help create an arch back in your athlete’s feet. If you are the athlete and say you don’t believe you can get an arch back in your feet.

I ask you to try this; stand up tall, and then contract your glutes like you were going to squeeze a penny between your glutes (butt). If you look down your arch in your feet has reappeared.

If your athlete has feet problems he/she probably will have other compensations in the knee, lumbo-pelvic hip complex, and the upper body.
Some great tips or cues to watch for while you athlete is in the gym:

1. Pretend his/her pelvis is a bucket of water. If the buck tilts forward (anterior) or back (posterior) when performing an exercise water will pour out. Make sure he/she keeps their pelvic in neutral alignment.
2. Watch how your athlete walks and sits. This can help you determine probable overactive and underactive muscle imbalances

   

To learn more about Postural Alignment Program check out the Kinetic Loop Training System Workshops on Muscles imbalances. Get optimal by getting one of our Optimal Bike Fits.