Are your hamstrings really tight?

Cam Ward - DVRT Master Instructor, Australia

Are your hamstrings really tight?

One of the things I love about our Dynamic Variable Resistance Training (DVRT) system is applying our movements and exercises to clients and watching their reaction when they see and feel the change.  Just recently I was approached by a local football club at a competitive level to come on board and work with them over their pre season training.  A very fit bunch of young fellas finished off the 2015/2016 season just short of the grand final.  A series of injuries let them down in the back end of the season.

We approached the first training session and I was nervous.... what would they think? What would be the reaction? 

With 30 pairs of eyes staring at me, I took a deep breath and put our system into action. “SO hands up if you have tight hamstrings?”  Was my first line. 

Now if you know Australian Rules Football (AFL) one of the biggest complaints in the sport is hamstring injuries or tightness.   

BUT IS IT THERE HAMSTRINGS?

Yes I agree it is the hamstring that generally goes POP, but what would you say if I could give you two exercises that would assist this problem....... I know what I would say!

After asking the question a young and powerful player’s hand flew up like a young kid busting to ask a question.  This player had a history of hamstring and low back issues.....

So in front of 30 footballers we tested his range of motion, gave him one exercises the tall kneeling around the world.  The full test can be viewed below.

BOOM!! Jaws dropped and the reaction from the improvement in the range was awesome.  I know, I know it hasn’t fixed the issue permanently.  No it hasn’t but what it has shown you is to look further than the area of pain or discomfort.

So what changed? 

The tall kneeling position gives us not only a firm base to work with but a greater chance of core activation.  The idea behind this movement is to teach the body to resist rotation or swaying from side to side whilst the USB is moving around the head.  Driving the toes into the floor lights up our glutes whilst the upper torso is controlling and resisting the action of the USB. 

So what does it give us.....well with a core system activated and a stabile pelvis we have a platform ready to turn up the heat of what the year will bring.

Now where: Work on your tall kneeling around the world, read more about the progressions here or even look to bring into your program the ultimate sandbag press out squat or resisted front loaded marching.

Give it a go and let us know how you go.

Check out our upcoming workshops where we will go into further detail of some of the most common DVRT Ultimate Sandbag exercises.

Until next time

Cam Ward
DVRT Master Australia   

Can you really use a sandbag to fix an injury??

Cam Ward, DVRT Master Australia (4EVERfitness)

Can you really use a sandbag to fix an injury??

As we sink our teeth deeper into the health and fitness industry it becomes more and more noticeable that it takes a team to fix a problem.  Having an issue looked at from all angles and levels goes a long way to educating your client to a better outcome.

About two months ago I wrote a blog telling my story of how I over came major knee surgery to running a marathon (Read Here).  Well the story continues with a success story about my wife and best friend Bec.

Bringing two beautiful children into our lives and setting up a functional training centre from home was the best decision we made.  Not easy but a great way to watch the kids grow up and allow them to see what it took to get mum pain free and moving.

Two years ago!!!, Yes two years, Bec is now on track to getting back to her passion of running.  Without getting to gory Bec had a dislodgment of her pubic bones and would find it hard walking or even moving around to complete her day to day activities.

Working with Bec’s Chiropractor we took to the studio and worked through the DVRT system using the Core and Power Ultimate Sandbags.  Now keep in mind kneeling or putting any asymmetric load through the pelvis was painful, which is why we started with glute bridging movements.  We wanted to fire the connection between the lats and the glutes to allow us to progress to more powerful movements later on.

Once we could achieve fluid movement through bridging patterns we advanced to cross pattern loading with one of the movements the bird dog. What we found interesting about this movement was when executing the traditional bird dog pain was experienced through the lateral hip.  However when introducing the lateral drag bird dog using the Core Ultimate Sandbag the pain disappeared.  

Huh! No pain! There must be a trick and why would this take away the pain.  Well what we did different is by dragging the Ultimate Sandbag along the ground it light up the lats and connected with the opposite glute giving us the cross pattern connection.  

BOOM follow the make and design of the body.  Like our walking or running patterns we move in cross patterns with the opposite arm and leg tracking forward as we move. Training the body as it is designed to move, not shockingly, improves strength, movement, and pain-free actions so much faster! 

This is different than how most people perform a Bird Dog. They create the same motion, but the intent is quite different. There isn’t the tension and connection to this chain that automatically “turns on” the right muscles!

Having an understanding of movement and how the body connects and communicates will go a long way to achieving your clients goals of pain free movement.  It’s a very humbling feeling when your client once struggled to stand on one leg to moving through the below patterns.