Glenn Hyman Archives - Page 23 of 24 - Denver Chiropractic Center

How to get stronger outside: The Swing Set Workout

Keeping an eye on 3 kids shouldn’t mean that Meredith and I need to skip workouts. Of course the kettlebells travel nicely from the basement to the backyard, but few of you actually have kettlebells. So here is a G-R-E-A-T bodyweight swingset workout that you can do anywhere.

Get out of the sweaty musty gym, head to the nearest park (or if you have a big ol’ swing set in your backyard, head there) and get ready to have some strength-building, muscle-working fun in the sun.

We’re going to cycle between 3-5 rounds of the following exercises:

· Decline Pushups

· Pull-ups / Australian Pull-ups

· Hanging leg raises

Decline Pushups. Decline pushups are a little tougher than flat pushups, so if you have trouble with regular pushups, just stick with those. But the decline pushup is great for working the chest, shoulders and core.

Place your hands about shoulder width apart (who remembers the Zone of the Dog shoulder articles?) and your feet on a swing. Make sure you don’t let your body sag – use your core to keep it tight.

Decline pushup 1

Decline pushup 2

Anyway, strive for sets of 20 pushups, moving down slowly and back up a little bit faster. Once you get to 3 sets of 20, instead of adding more reps, try doing your reps at a slower and slower pace.

Pull-ups

Next, we move on to pull-ups. We’re going to shoot for 10. If you can’t do sets of 10 pull-ups, do smaller sets to get to 10. For example, 5 sets of 2. Or 2 sets of 3 reps followed by a set of 2 reps and then 2 sets of 1 rep. As long as you get to 10. I prefer the monkey bars with my palms facing each other, but any hand position you prefer is fine.

pull-up small 1

pull-up pic 2

Pull-ups can be hard on the elbows, so generally, the wider you can position your hands, the less the elbow strain. If you can’t do pull-ups, bring a buddy who can help you!

Hanging leg raises

After the pull-ups, shake out your arms and get ready to hang. I still think that hanging leg raises are among the best ab exercises out there.

While hanging, brace your abdominals as of you’re about to take a punch. Then curl your knees up to waist level. Hold for a second or two, and SLOWLY lower back down. Shoot for 10 reps with good form. If you can do only 3 or 4, that’s ok. Don’t combine smaller sets to get to 10. Over time, you’ll get stronger and the rep count will get higher.

abs

So there you have it. A great upper body / core workout with just 3 exercises and a swing set. If you want to up the ante and have a couple of kettlebells lying around, the kettlebell complexes that I show on the last post are great!

New late night hours start today (and a wedding pic)

I just wanted to let you know that as of today, I’ll be in the office seeing patients until 7 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays. For those of you who have been scrambling to get here by 5, things should get easier.

To summarize, our office hours are now:

Monday: 9-5

Tuesday: 9-7

Wednesday: 9-5

Thursday 9-7

Friday 9-3

The catch here is that I, Dr. Glenn Hyman, won’t be in on Fridays during the summer, but I WILL be here Monday through Thursday (until 7 Tuesdays and Thursdays). But don’t worry, we’ll still be open on Fridays, Dr. Jeff Stripling will be here on Fridays (and the other days, too).

Congratulations to Meaghan and Cody!

Yesterday our good friends Meaghan (the legendary Mega-Nanny) and her fiance Cody Chavez were married at the beautiful Arrowhead Golf Club in Roxborough Park. Here’s a pic:

Meaghan and Cody exchangin I-do’s

And Meredith and I got all cleaned up, too:

Meredith and Me at the wedding

Once again, congratulations Meaghan and Cody!

Back from teaching for Active Release Techniques & NEW summer hours.

I just got back from sunny San Diego last weekend, where I was teaching for Active Release Techniques. It’s hard to believe that I’ve been an ART provider for 11 years, and an instructor for 9 years. I’m still the only ART instructor in Denver.

Anyway, the weather was beautiful (I flew out in rain and snow here) and the hotel was right on the bay. Here I am in front of some sort of famous racing sail boat that seemed to be a big deal to boat-savvy people (I get seasick so I’m no boat guy).

As always, working hard in tough places

The sunny, breezy weather got me thinking about summer time, and summer hours. So, starting May 31 (the day after Memorial Day) our office hours will be as follows:

Monday: 9-5

Tuesday: 9-7

Wednesday: 9-5

Thursday 9-7

Friday 9-3

The catch here is that I, Dr. Glenn Hyman, won’t be in on Fridays during the summer, but I WILL be here Monday through Thursday (until 7 Tuesdays and Thursdays). A lot of you have been asking for later hours with me for years, and I’m happy to oblige.

As many of you know, I have 3 little sons, ages 5,3 & 1, and I just want to spend a little more time with them this summer. So that’s why I’m going to take some Fridays off. But don’t worry, we’ll still be open on Fridays, Dr. Stripling will be here on Fridays (and the other days, too.).

Why we suggest maintenance care…

Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2011 Jan 17. [Epub ahead of print]

Does maintained Spinal manipulation therapy for chronic non-specific low back pain result in better long term outcome?

Senna MK, Machaly SA.

Source

Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Department, Mansoura Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University.

Abstract

ABSTRACT:: Study Design. A prospective single blinded placebo controlled study was conducted.Objective. to assess the effectiveness of spinal manipulation therapy (SMT) for the management of chronic non-specific low back pain (LBP) and to determine the effectiveness of maintenance SMT in long-term reduction of pain and disability levels associated with chronic low-back conditions after an initial phase of treatments.Summary of background. SMT is a common treatment option for low back pain. Numerous clinical trials have attempted to evaluate its effectiveness for different subgroups of acute and chronic LBP but the efficacy of maintenance SMT in chronic non-specific LBP has not been studied.Subjects and Methods. 60 patients with chronic, nonspecific LBP lasting at least 6 months were randomized to receive either (1) 12 treatments of sham SMT over a one-month period, (2) 12 treatments, consisting of SMT over a one-month period, but no treatments for the subsequent nine months, or (3) 12 treatments over a one-month period, along with “maintenance spinal manipulation” every two weeks for the following nine months. To determine any difference among therapies, we measured pain and disability scores, generic health status, and back-specific patient satisfaction at baseline and at 1-month, 4-month, 7-month and 10-month intervals.Results: Patients in second and third groups experienced significantly lower pain and disability scores than first group at the end of 1-month period (P = 0.0027 and 0.0029 respectively). However, only the third group that was given spinal manipulations during the follow-up period showed more improvement in pain and disability scores at the 10-month evaluation. In the non maintained SMT group, however, the mean pain and disability scores returned back near to their pretreatment level.Conclusion. SMT is effective for the treatment of chronic non specific LBP. To obtain long-term benefit, this study suggests maintenance spinal manipulations after the initial intensive manipulative therapy.

Why you should be doing deadlifts (start today, we’ll show you how).

Many of you have been asking about Meredith’s knee after reading about her recent surgery in the last DCC newsletter. We certainly appreciate all of the interest you’ve shown.

Meredith is on the road to recovery. She’s doing all of her normal everyday activities, and her rehab continues.

While a big part of her recovery is having me do Active Release to normalize her muscles (quads, calves, shin muscles, etc), as well as working on her IT band, lateral meniscus and Lateral Collateral Ligament, doing her rehab is just as important.

The deadlift is at the center of her rehab program. That’s right, good old-fashioned deadlifts (with a little twist).

The deadlift is a classic weightlifting exercise that can fit into anyone’s training program. You certainly don’t need to use a barbell to do it. In fact, Meredith and I got rid of all the barbells in the basement (to make room for the kiddos) years ago and have NEVER missed them.

This exercise activates and strengthens just about everything in your legs, including the glutes, hamstrings, adductors, and spinal extensors. You want all of these muscles working together, and the deadlift teaches them to do that. It’s great for preventing injuries in runners, triathletes, hikers, climbers, and even relatively sedentary people. Of course, clear this with your doctor first, as you could get hurt if you do it wrong.

We’ll demonstrate here with a pair of kettlebells, and they allow for the most optimal mechanics.

1. Stand with your feet about hips’ distance apart. Have the kettlebells between your feet.

Deadlift 1

2. Looking forward, arch your back slightly and start moving your hips backwards. Maintaining that arch is important, as the muscular tension directs forces away from the discs and ligaments in the back.

deadlift 2

3. Start bending your knees as you reach for the bells.

Deadlift 3

4. Grasp the bells, brace your abs, and use your legs (NOT your back) to lift the weights. Think about pushing your heels into the floor. Come to a full upright position.

deadlift 4

5. To lower, start the motion with your hips moving backwards and lower the weights all the way to the ground. Let them come to rest on the ground before setting yourself up for the next rep. This allows you to correct your form for each rep.

deadlift 5

Start with 3 sets of 5 reps with moderate weights 2-3 times per week. Over time, you can work your way up to 5 sets of 10-20 reps. Just make sure you progress slowly. Remember, the goal is to get stronger safely.

If you’re having hip pain, back pain, hamstring problems or (like Meredith) knee problems, your best bet is to get the problem checked out by us. Call 303.300.0424 today to schedule your next appointment.

Using the ASLR to prevent back pain, hip pain, knee pain and more

I spent a recent December weekend hanging out once again with some very smart physical therapists in Brighton. We were becoming certified practitioners of the Functional Movement Screen. (Many of you may recall that this past August I went to Brighton to learn about the Selective Functional Movement Assessment. Despite their seemingly similar names, the two are different. End digression.)

I’ve been using the Functional Movement Screen for years, but decided to get officially certified because it’s becoming a key part of my practice- finding the underlying dysfunctions that end up producing pain. It’s about fixing the problem, not just getting rid of the symptoms.

The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is a system of 7 movements that are scored on a 3-point scale. 3 is good, 1 stinks, and 2 is somewhere in between. A total of 21 is perfection. Research shows that athletes (of any level) who score 14 or less are three times more likely to get injured than athletes who score a 15 or more.

The idea is that you identify your worst functional movement and then work to correct it, thus improving your score. You then do follow up screens to determine what you need to work on next.

So I’m going to have you check yourself on the movement test considered most important – the Active Straight Leg Raise.

At first glance, this may seem like a test of hamstring flexibility. It is, and more. It also assesses your active hip flexion, and your ability to maintain hip extension on the other side. These are three very important fundamental ranges of motion.

Your hamstrings start at the knee, run up to the “Sit Bone” and then send fibers into the SI joint. This joint is continuous with the spinal muscles.

Poor performance on this test means you’re more likely to experience one or more of The Big Five- back pain, hip pain, sciatica, IT band problems, and knee pain. So scoring your Active Straight Leg Raise (ASLR) is a good place to start if you want to prevent or improve any or all of these.

The ASLR requires a stick, an optional tape measure, and a buddy. For purposes of the description here, you are the one who’s evaluating the test and your buddy is the one performing the test.

Have your buddy lie down on his back. You need to identify two points on your buddy, the kneecap and the ASIS, or point of the hip. (Start on the left side.) The hip point is that bony thing at the waistline right above where the hip flexes. Measure the distance between the two points to find the middle of the thigh. The middle of the thigh is the reference point for this test.

Once you’ve found the middle of the thigh. Stand the stick up to mark the spot.

Your buddy is still on his back. (If you are a woman and your buddy is a guy, he’s probably making smart-ass remarks at this point because he knows he’s about to do a really bad job on this thing. Try to take pity on him.) Your buddy’s head must stay on the ground, his arms at his sides, and his palms UP, to avoid cheating.

So, your stick is at mid thigh on the outside of the left leg. Have your buddy raise the left leg – with the knee straight – as high as he can. The right leg MUST stay flat on the ground. If your buddy can get his left ankle (the bumpy bone on the outside of the ankle) above the stick, he gets a 3. If he can get his ankle between the stick and the left kneecap, he gets a 2. If he can’t raise the ankle past the level of the left kneecap, that’s 1. (3 pics)

Erin gets a 3 for this effort, her heel is above her mid-thigh

With her heel between the stick and her right knee, Erin gets a 2.

Erin couldn’t raise her foot past her right knee, so she gets a 1. Boo.

Now test the other side. When scoring, a 3 on each side is ideal. 2 on each side is OK. 1 on each side is bad. Different scores on each side is considered an asymmetry, and that’s bad.

If you’re interested in getting a baseline score for how your body is functioning, call up and make an appointment. We don’t charge any extra fees in conjunction with a treatment. The idea is to figure out which Functional Movement you score lowest on and take steps to improve it. We’ve developed rehab protocols to improve each pattern and improve your overall score. This reduces your likelihood of getting injured.

Update on my triathlon training

I’ve been taking some time away from swimming and biking, but still doing some running. Mostly, I’ve been hitting the kettlbell pretty hard.

I bought a DVD about improving your VO2 max with the kettlebell snatch & this weekend I finally watched. Very interesting.

In a nutshell: You set a 2-second cadence with the kettlebell snatch, so one rep every two seconds. This amounts to essentially non-stop snatching. You do 15 seconds of this with 15 seconds of rest. For 25 minutes.

Absolutely brutal. A Danish study showed that this was more effective than intense running or biking for increasing VO2 max. How will this affect my triathlon training? Well, hopefully it will increase my VO2 max. Stay tuned…

Interested in learning more? Well, kettlebell class just might be returning soon.

The very popular barefoot running article is now online

Those of you (over 1000!) who get our paper newsletter already have the barefoot running article from the June / July 2010 newsletter.

We sort of goofed and never managed to put it online. Well, here it is:

http://www.denverback.com/pdf/2010_July.pdf

For those of you who like to follow my training, I did a workout I picked up from top strength guru Mike Mahler’s facebook page. P90X is starting to seem a little too easy for me.

It looked a little something like this:

10 sets of 10 reps of the following (in giant-set formation):