Why Powerlifters Don’t Move Laterally

As most physical therapists will tell you, powerlifters typically do not demonstrate great multidirectional movement skills. Why would they?

Training for any sport is all about specificity.

The goal of a powerlifter is to squat, deadlift or bench press more weight. Their training reflects this and as a result, they become better at those lifts. Any movement qualities that do not contribute to helping perform in these lifts are likely to suffer because they are not useful to the sport.

In fact, any unnecessary movement may be detrimental to their sport because it takes energy away from what is most important.

One way to prevent unnecessary movements from occurring is to reduce the capability of doing so in the first place!

Elite level powerlifters often do not even possess the prerequisite movement capabilities to efficiently move laterally. That wouldn’t be helpful to their performance!

The highest level of performance in any sport often requires physiological adaptations that set the body up for the greatest level of success in that specific activity. Many times, this means that unrelated movement capabilities will diminish.

While this is helpful for short term performance, when taken too far, a reduction in movement options can increase the risk for injury. A lack of movement capabilities results in a limited number of ways the body can minimize physical stress.

How do we know that the body has lost too many movement options? Overuse injuries begin to accumulate, and signs of discomfort start to present themselves.

The best solution for any athlete looking to improve their performance in particular sport is to visit a professional that can assess their capabilities and personal risk profile. Our team of Doctors of Physical Therapy at Cohen Health and Performance specializes in just that.

Pullup and keep your shoulders happy

The Impact of Breathing on Shoulder Function and Pull-Up Performance

As we discussed in a recent article (which you can find here), our ability (or lack thereof) to breathe effectively can significantly influence shoulder function. This is a common area of focus in sports physical therapy and performance training, particularly for runners. Breathing can affect posture, shoulder mobility, and even lead to issues like clicking, popping, or decreased strength in the shoulders.

Among these factors, reduced shoulder mobility is often the most noticeable.

In many cases, a slight reduction in shoulder mobility isn’t problematic unless you’re engaging in exercises that demand extensive shoulder movement.

One such exercise is the pull-up or chin-up. Performing these exercises correctly requires substantial shoulder flexion and overhead pulling strength. When these abilities are lacking, the body tends to compensate in ways that can affect form and function.

A common compensation is leaning back and puffing out the chest when initiating the movement from a hanging position. This causes the front ribs to flare out, altering the position of the shoulders and reducing their overall effectiveness.

So, how can you ensure proper form during vertical pulling movements like pull-ups and chin-ups?

The key is to perform these movements in a tucked position. This position flexes the hips, aligning the pelvis underneath the body, which makes it difficult to excessively puff out the chest.

However, be prepared—this position makes chin-ups and pull-ups significantly more challenging!

Not only does it increase the workload for your abdominals, but anytime you eliminate compensations, the movement becomes more demanding.

When starting out, try supporting your legs or feet. Once you’ve mastered this, progress to holding them up on your own.

Check out this video of Dr. Cohen incorporating these techniques into his training routine.

Is Mobility Overrated?

Mobility has become a popular buzzword in the sports physical therapy community in Bethesda and Chevy Chase. While it is an important aspect of health and fitness, could mobility be getting more attention than it actually deserves?

What Is Mobility?

The term “mobility” refers the quantity of available movement — and how freely and efficiently you’re able to do so. Popularized by the sports physical therapy and training community, mobility is important for everyone, whether you’re an elite athlete or a busy working Mom.

Mobility is an important part of a well-designed injury rehabilitation and prevention program. It is also used to improve the quality of life for our physical therapy patients in Chevy Chase and Bethesda.

While very important, many experts feel that the booming popularity of mobility overshadows several other key health factors. In particular, the added focus on mobility often leads to a lack of attention on other important health factors, such as strength, cardiovascular health, and other global health behaviors.

What The Mobility “Craze” Makes Us Overlook

Although mobility is an important aspect of a healthy body, mobility alone won’t provide the quick fix you might be looking for. Instead, there are several complex contributing factors that need to be properly managed to improve your overall health.

Strength Training

Lean body mass and strength are some of the greatest indicators of the overall health of an individual. In fact, according to a study done by Harvard University, something as simple as grip strength can help measure an individual’s risk of heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular disease.

Focusing on mobility alone overlooks the importance of strength training. According to The Mayo Clinic, strength training can help you manage or lose weight, increase metabolism, protect your joints and ligaments, and improve your ability to do everyday activities.

Cardiovascular Exercise

Another important measure of the overall health of an individual is cardiovascular fitness. A simple way to gauge cardiovascular health is by measuring your resting heart rate — the number of times your heart beats per minute when not physically active.

Although the normal range of a resting heart rate is between 50–100 beats per minute, a resting heart rate greater than 90-100 BPM can put unnecessary strain on the heart. A high resting heart rate has even been linked to high blood pressure, cholesterol, and even heart disease.

By solely focusing on mobility, cardiovascular health may be overlooked.

Global Health Behaviors

Outside of strength and cardio training, there are several other important contributing factors to an individual’s health — specifically sleep, nutrition, and social connection.

Sleep plays a crucial role in your physical health. Not only does sleep heal and repair your muscles, heart, and blood vessels, but a recent study discovered done by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute discovered a link between sleep deficiency and an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Final Thoughts

All in all, mobility is only one aspect of staying healthy and active — it isn’t the only thing that should be focused on. Health is achieved through the successful balance of multiple variables, including mobility, strength training, cardiovascular exercise, and various other global health behaviors.

If you’re looking for a comprehensive program to improve your health, fitness, and quality of life, our physical therapy team in Bethesda and Chevy Chase can help. Contact us today for a free consultation!

Exercise Snacking: A Simple Approach To Aging That Can Actually Improve Muscle Function

It’s no secret that finding time to exercise gets more difficult with age. As professional, family, and personal responsibilities stack up, it becomes more and more challenging to find time to get to the gym or exercise.

As part of the aging process, our performance physical therapy patients also tend to lose muscle mass and function. One well-known combatant of muscle loss is resistance training, though it does require access to both exercise equipment and the time to work out.

If you find yourself struggling to get to the gym as you’re getting older, there’s good news! A recent study from The Centre for Sport in Chesterfield, UK, concluded that short bouts of exercise spread throughout the day are an effective method to improve muscle function in a time-efficient manner.

“Exercise snacking,” as the study coined, is the process of breaking down exercise into short sessions throughout the day. During the 28-day study, individuals doing a twice daily home-based exercise snacking program improved their lower limb muscle function and size compared to a control group. In addition, not only did their maximum leg pressing power increase, but those who followed the exercise snacking program also improved their 60-second sit-stand scores.

Although the study is still being examined, the data suggests that “exercise snacking,” or short bouts of exercise, may be a promising strategy to improve muscle function in older adults. Something as simple as a short walk could do the trick.

If you often struggle to find time to exercise, “exercise snacking” is a super time-efficient method to combat the side effects of aging while staying in shape.

For a more personalized approach, our virtual physical therapy team in Chevy Chase can help! Contact us today for a free consultation.

How Professional Athletes Are Addressing Their Mental Health

“File:20140101 Kevin Love (cropped).JPG” by TonyTheTiger is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

Health is a word that has a variety of meanings. Although physical health often comes to mind, mental health is equally important. Quality performance training and injury rehabilitation includes activities that improve both your physical and mental health to improve performance in sport.

What is Mental Health?

According to The Center for Disease Control, “Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.”

Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood through adulthood. Positive mental health allows people to better cope with stress, work productively, realize their full potential, and make more meaningful human connections.

Mental illness, such as depression, increases the risk for many physical health problems, particularly long-lasting conditions like diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. Furthermore, the presence of chronic conditions can increase the risk for mental illness.

Put simply — mental health is an aspect of overall health and well-being that cannot be overlooked.

The Impact of Mental Health On Performance

Mental health not only improves your quality of life, but it also improves performance — both in sport and in the workplace.

According to the CDC, poor mental health can negatively affect job performance, productivity, communication, physical capability, and job function. For example, someone could be in elite physical shape, but if their mental health is lagging, their performance will ultimately suffer.

Psychologists and mental health experts aren’t the only ones preaching the importance of mental health. Kevin Love, a professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers, has been very public with the mental health issues he’s dealt with throughout his career.

To help people strengthen their mental health, Love founded Koa, an online learning experience with therapist-led emotional fitness classes and 1:1 therapy. This growing community is helping people taking on real-life challenges and better prepare for the stresses of life.

“Mental health is an invisible thing, but it touches all of us at some point or another. It’s a part of life,” said Kevin Love of his struggle with mental health. Mental and physical health are equally important components of overall well-being. Love understands that to perform at the highest level, both his physical and mental health must be properly trained.

What Is Blood Flow Restriction Training? Can It Help You Overcome Your Injuries?

“Running by Coolidge Corner” by jpo.ct is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Since the beginning of performance training, athletes have searched for the most effective training methods out there. Although there are countless strategies available, blood flow restriction training, or BFR for short, has been used for more than 20 years in physical therapy and performance training.

What Is Blood Flow Restriction Training?

Blood flow restriction is a training technique that involves performing exercises with a reduced amount of blood flow to the arm or leg. Using a cuff or strap placed tightly around the limb, blood flow is reduced to that specific area. BFR training combines low-intensity exercise with blood flow restriction to produce similar results to high-intensity training.

In recent years, blood flow restriction training has become popular for both athletes and patients recovering from injuries. Mike Reinhold, a leading physical therapist, describes the various benefits as:

Provides a great workout with smaller weights and fewer reps or time
Can help with rehab from injuries
Improve strength for clients with physical limitations
Pain reduction after ACL surgery or knee osteoarthritis
Relieve pain and treat functional scores for older patients

Is BFR Training Right For You?

Much like anything, it’s important to educate yourself before trying any new training method. For example, blood flow restriction training is commonly used in performance training and physical therapy because it allows patients to develop strength and stability without requiring a lot of weight.

Although it is within the scope of practice for physical therapists and athletic trainers, our PTs at CHP are certified specifically in blood flow restriction training. If you’re returning from a recent injury or want to learn more, contact us to set up an initial consultation!