Applied Functional Development: Understanding what the REAL CORE is

This is Part 2 of the "More than meets the eye series". In this blog post we will focus on the CORE. Now, my definition of the CORE is much different from a lot of folks out there. I'll here from a client or patient, "I need to strengthen my core" or "I saw (insert celebrity athlete) doing core work. Can we do that too?"

I smile and then roll my eyes (in my mind, of course). I'd like to propose that when we refer to our CORE we are actually referring to our CENTER OF GRAVITY (COG).

Q: Okay...so what is the center of gravity?


In uniform objects like a solid ball, cylinder or square box, the center of gravity is located in the middle of the object. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, it is in physics, imaginary point in a body of matter where, for convenience in certain calculations, the total weight of the body may be thought to be concentrated. The concept is sometimes useful in designing static structures (e.g., buildings and bridges) or in predicting the behaviour of a moving body when it is acted on by gravity.

If you look at the picture above, you will see a dot in the characters that are different heights. We can say that this is the point where gravity will mostly act on a body in motion. Interestingly, coaches of basketball, football, and lacrosse players have said for years to "Watch your opponents hips!!!" This was done so that the defensive player can predict where the offensive player would be heading. Watching the head and feet are bad ideas because they can move in opposite directions from where the COG moves. WISE WORDS!

Q: Why is the COG in a different place in the cartoons above?


Because humans are non-symmetrical objects that are motion, the COG will not be uniform in them. The woman in the picture is more bottom heavy, so here COG is lower than the male who is very muscular in his torso. Correspondingly, his COG is higher. We see a slouched posture, also displaces the COG.

The coolest thing is that the COG within a person is not a fixed point either. When a person moves their arms or legs, it shifts the COG slightly. When we are carrying a heavy object like weights, a child, a book bag, this will shift our COG accordingly. Luckily for us, we have a very sophisticated nervous system that accounts for the movement of the COG and will redirect the our body so that we are able to keep some semblance of a base of support. This management of the COG's mobility and stability/balance is exclusively under the domain of the CNS which then normally regulates balance so that the person does not simply fall and hurt themselves. We see that the CNS calls all of the other bodily systems into play with particular emphasis on the neuromuscular and skeletal systems.

Q: What does this have to do with movement? 


As we go throughout our lives, we are rarely static creatures. In fact, a principle of function is that Function is DYNAMIC, meaning we are moving from a global body perspective down to the cellular level. Another Principle of Function is that Function is DRIVEN BY FORCES. We see that this principle holds true because GRAVITY is the main physical force acting on a human in motion.

When we base our strategies and techniques for rehabilitation, training and condition and prevention in Principle of Function, we can easily understand and implement successful programs for our clients and patients. In life, we are(should) be dynamically moving in all three planes of motions at all triangulations. With this, GRAVITY (a force) will be acting perpendicularly on the COG, driving it into it's trajectory along with momentum and the additional Ground Reaction Forces (GRF).

When we move, we want it to be in the most efficient manner possible. Running, jumping, sprinting, throwing, flipping, etc is how we manipulate our COG that is coordinated by neuromusculoskeletal system, among other body systems. b

Q: Okay, I understand more of the science, but how do I apply this to my movements?


I have observed many coaches doing "footwork" with their athletes. It's a great idea but let's think about what's behind that? The foot is pretty much a bag of bones and joints" who do not have a mind of their own. The foot is really responding to the movements perceived by the brain with input from the senses, right? So instructing your athlete to move their feet faster may or may not work. When we think in terms of COG, we easily understand the body will respond to the movement of the COG so it will not fall. If our body shifts over to the right suddenly, say if we are ice, the foot, ankle and leg will react to stabilize the body by possibly stepping wider so that the COG remains over a base point (i.e. the foot). The foot just got there, or didn't, but our focus was not to train it. It's the same thing with agility. The movement of our COG is dependent on what we are doing (function) so our body will compensate during our movement patterns.

I am posting a video I did a while ago called the 3-D Jump Matrix. It's a great study of seeing how the COG moves and how the lower extremities react. The reaction of the feet when they are IN-SYNC is the best examples.

Paradigm shift: THINK TOP DOWN INSTEAD OF BOTTOM UP REGARDING SPEED AND AGILITY TRAINING! We've done looking from bottom up way too long. Shift your focus.

If you have any thoughts or comments, please email me at will@3doptimalperformance.com

Thanks!

Will

Applied Functional Athletic Development: More than meets the eye

This week, besides being a holiday week, I have been fortunate to meet two AMAZING martial artists.
Ben, who is a 20 year old collegiate wrestler, is in the Top 3 grapplers as far as moving more naturally and athletically than most. Not only is he a great wrestler, he is also a great coach who INTUITIVELY moves and teaches in all 3 planes of motion.

The second is James, who is a Kung Fu artist/master. From what my client-patient tells me, he's been doing Kung Fu for close to 20 years. He just 'gets it' in terms of the way he moves and the way he instructs. When he was demonstrating as well as teaching, I could see he was FULLY ENGAGED in the movement. There was nothing in his body that was isolated. Kung Fu, by appearance, looks to be a lot of arm movements, blocks and kicks. However, being a biomechanist, I look at what is going on from the bottom of the foot to the top of head and everything in between as well as how internal and external forces are acting on the body.

Q: So why bring this up?


Funny that you should ask that! What I have observed is that when most people see my two friends in their respective activity, they are doing the big movements like the punches, kicks, trips etc without any authentic connection throughout their bodies. It's all arms or legs since that's what the most obvious motion is. I believe naturally gifted movers and athletes, have found ways to not only use their whole body for their activity, they also use their 5 senses in a coordinated fashion to deliver all pertinent information to the Command Center of the Body. When the brain is "fed" information, given no major neurological deficits, it can transform it into the proper movement with ease and a high level of sophistication.

When we see the big movements of the body, we usually miss the smaller and more important movements some of which are not subtle and then others that are unfortunately, not really able to be seen.

I included a picture of an iceberg above because that is what happens in movement. A lot of what we do is totally under the surface and cannot be seen and is generally enormous and complex. It's the finished product that is really at the tip of the iceberg.

Mind, Body and Spirit must be honored for us to reach potential.

Q: What does this have to do with MOVEMENT? 


Well, the short answer is: EVERYTHING!!!

In the next few posts, I will expand on the "More than meets the eye" series. We will cover:

Center of Gravity: What it is and its applications in movement
Joint Motions and possibilities
The Rock & Roll of the Soft Tissues
FiOS of the Body: Brain-Nerve connections

I am very excited to get into this information as it can be so transformational. If you have any questions or requests for anything in particular, please email me at will@3doptimalperformance.com

Thanks!!!

Will

Optimal Performance Quote Series: Coach John Wooden

"You haven't taught until they've learned"- Coach John Wooden

Back to Basics: It can help anyone from the Redskins to you

Once in a while, things come into my life that I really need. It may be one or two things at a time that have the same message but once in a blue moon, MULTIPLE events occur with the same message, and I have no choice but to notice and take action.

The message has been: GET BACK TO BASICS!!!

It's amazing how much I hear this everyday and see it lacking in many people, including myself. Please do not think that I am exempt from this. It is truly something that I have to work with physically, mentally and spiritually every day BUT the good news is that when I put a block in place that is missing, everything gets a little easier and makes A LOT more sense.

I can give multiple examples but the one that really jumped out at me the most was reading an article written about the Washington Redskins after their abysmal loss to the New York Giants. Redskins Linebacker London Fletcher had this to say:

"It's extremely frustrating," Fletcher said. "Same old story week in and week out, we're just not a sound fundamental football team. Poor tackling, probably the worst tackling team I've been around, don't do the fundamental things well: don't catch footballs, don't hold onto the ball, don't tackle well. Those things are things that you need to do on every level in order to win football games."

That's pretty powerful especially when its coming from an elite level athlete on a professional team. Now while this may not be the only issue that is plaguing the Redskins now, it's definitely a major factor.
 
Why is it that we are allowed to go through our lives without the fundamentals that London Fletcher spoke about? I do not believe it is limited to sports as it is easily seen pervading all aspects of our society.

When I started this post, I was going to use the picture of a building blocks but the more and more I thought about it, I felt as the building blocks were too much of a "static" analogy. Building blocks are necessary but I wanted something a little more natural so I choose the image of a tall tree with deep roots. As we know, as trees grow, they must sustain themselves by using their surroundings, above and below ground, for nourishment and stability. Branches reach upward to grab the important solar energy and the roots soak up nutrients from the soil. As the trees get bigger, the roots get deeper. That's what the BASICS are. The deeper when can go with our basics, the more better we will get with our skills.

Unfortunately, most people do not want to acknowledge their lack of the basics. Through various psychological mechanisms, they deceive themselves either subconsciously or consciously tell themselves that "I've got it". In my experience, that's the furthest thing from the truth.

I've been seeing a trend with people where they hit some kind of barrier that I'll call a PIVOT POINT. This pivot point is a point in the experience where a person starts to run into difficulty. Sometimes it's overt and sometimes its very subtle, but it's still there. At the pivot point, there are 3 choices that I have observed (or done). They are:

1) STOP. RESIST. DESIST. Most people will not go any further claiming it's too hard and completely reject this point. There will be plenty of excuses and people, usually other than that person, to blame. It's a knee jerk reaction. However, the sad thing is that it will continue to happen over and over in many aspects of the persons life and they finally get it.

2) MOVE OVER, UNDER OR AROUND THE PIVOT POINT BY DOING THE MINIMUM: This is also a fun one that I people will attempt to find the PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE in the moment.  They may get something accomplished but it will never be to their potential and they will always be left wanting more.

3) ENGAGE WITH SMART AND HARD WORK: This is the most challenging choice and its the road less travelled by many but the results that will follow from the detailed, thoughtful work will surpass their expectations and leave them feeling satisfied. Do not get me wrong. This is a difficult choice that comes with a myriad of experiences, up and down, during the process. However, the process of reaching your potential will be worth it.

Which option do you choose? Can you take a moment to think about a difficult aspect of your life and see what decision you have made for yourself? If you are unhappy and frustrated with something, more than likely, you will have chosen Options 1 or 2. How do you get out of that rut?

GET BACK TO THE BASICS!

As always, I welcome questions and feedback. Contact me at will@3doptimalperformance.com


Thanks,

Will

Optimal Performance Quote Series: Pig in Mud

"Never fight with a pig. It loves mud & stink and you don’t. Identify a pig and avoid it."

Stylishly Scientfic: Staying warm for outdoor workouts

I am going to start to do this more often in this blog so I can bring in a different perspective. I've asked my good friend, Read Wall, of Read's Clothing Project who is an expert in what I call Functional Fashion (my cheesy words, not his). In this post, Read gives great suggestions on what to wear during the fall and winter seasons and I will throw in a little science of why you should stay warm during your workouts.




Cold Weather Workouts


As the weather get colder…and colder…and colder…where was I going with this? Oh right, it's cold outside. It would be easy to call it quits and spend the winter on the treadmill dreaming of green leaves, shorts, and the gentle warmth of the spring sun. But we can't do that. For a number of reasons. First, the treadmill is boring. Like, fork in the eye boring. Second, staying inside deprives the body of vital vitamin D, which, among other health benefits, makes us fell not-crappy all the time. I think we can all agree that's a good thing.

But we need to remember to dress for the weather. Breathable, technical fabrics, layered correctly, provide the perfect level of warmth without sacrificing movement or, just as important, style. Look good, feel good, right?

So get outside, even when it looks like Ernest Shackelton wouldn't. Run, do some body weight movements, even grab a kettlebell. It's good for you.

Here are some ways to keep from getting frostbite while doing so:

Zoot RUNfit Jacket (ZootSports.com)- I've been running with this jacket for about a year now. It's gotten me through a lot. Cold can be tough, but this jacket is tougher.

2XU Thermal Run Tights (2XU.com)- If you've got it, flaunt it. Rock the tights.

Nike Thermal Running Pants (Store.Nike.com)- And if you can't, these will work, too.

Patagonia R1 Hoody (Patagonia.com)- An essential layering piece. Cool colors but warm where you need it.

Accessories (Note: Important!)

Patagonia Lightweight Glove Liners (Patagonia.com)

Patagonia Cap 4 Beanie (Patagonia.com)


Q: SO WHY WOULD I WANT TO STAY SO WARM DURING WORKOUTS?

A: Well, that's a great question. The easiest answer is so that we can avoid hypothermia, where the body temperature drops too low to allow for normal bodily functions to occur which includes, but not limited to, neuromuscular and cognitive function decline. WHOA...That is not good at all and through simple solutions like wearing the appropriate clothes, we can prevent a lot of that. When our body starts to sense a temperature drop, it will divert energy and heat to keep our core body temperature up as much as possible while pulling heat away from our extremities like hands and feet. This can get dangerous especially if we are in an activity like jogging, where our feet and hands are being desensitized because of the cold. The vasoconstriction, or tightening of the blood vessels to reduce blood flow to the muscles also reduces blood flow to the nerves which means we do not respond very well to gravity, ground reaction forces, mass and momentum. Because of our loss of proprioception, we may be more prone to injury.


Q: WAIT...HYPOTHERMIA? CAN YOU GO INTO MORE DETAIL ABOUT WHAT IT IS AND WHAT CAUSES IT?


A: Hypothermia "a decrease in the core body temperature to a level at which normal muscular and cerebral functions are impaired." - Medicine for Mountaineering.

This is caused by a a number of factors which include:

•Cold temperatures
•Improper clothing and equipment
•Wetness
•Fatigue, exhaustion
•Dehydration
•Poor food intake
•No knowledge of hypothermia
•Alcohol intake - causes vasodilation leading to increased heat loss

Q: SO I SEE THAT THE FIRST TWO FACTORS ARE COLD TEMPERATURES AND IMPROPER CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT.  IT SEEMS THAT I CANNOT CONTROL THE TEMPERATURES, BUT I DO HAVE CONTROL OVER WEARING PROPER CLOTHES.

A: Yes! Great observation and you see the wisdom in Read's selections where he is recommending the ZootRunFit Jacket which is a great outer shell that will keep too much heat from escaping. The 2XU Thermal Run pants, that will "wick away" the sweat from the body which you know is important as the body starts to sweat to cool itself down from the exertion but gets into a dangerous situation when we are soaked with sweat in cold weather. We cannot stop the sweating but can control the effects with layering of clothes. Finally, the gloves and beanie are important as well. Most will be wearing socks but many will neglect wearing gloves which are super important as the hands are the most distal part of the arm and will be low on the priority list of blood flow if the core temperature needs to be regulated.

Q: OKAY, I UNDERSTAND HYPOTHERMIA AND I WILL DO MY BEST TO STAY WARM BY DRESSING PROPERLY BUT I'D STILL LIKE TO KNOW THE SIGNS OF HYPOTHERMIA. WHAT ARE THEY?

A: According to the OUTDOOR ACTION GUIDE from Princeton University are 3 stages of hypothermia: 1) Mild 2) Moderate and 3) Severe. With Severe Hypothermia being the most life threatening.

Signs of hypothermia are the "-UMBLES" of stumbles, mumbles, fumbles, and grumbles which show changes in motor coordination and levels of consciousness


b. Mild Hypothermia - core temperature 98.6 - 96 degrees F
•Shivering - not under voluntary control
•Can't do complex motor functions (ice climbing or skiing) can still walk & talk
•Vasoconstriction to periphery

c. Moderate Hypothermia - core temperature 95 - 93 degrees F

•Dazed consciousness
•Loss of fine motor coordination - particularly in hands - can't zip up parka, due to restricted peripheral blood flow
•Slurred speech
•Violent shivering
•Irrational behavior - Paradoxical Undressing - person starts to take off clothing, unaware s/he is cold
•"I don't care attitude" - flattened affect

d. Severe Hypothermia - core temperature 92 - 86 degrees and below (immediately life threatening)

•Shivering occurs in waves, violent then pause, pauses get longer until shivering finally ceases - because the heat output from burning glycogen in the muscles is not sufficient
to counteract the continually dropping core temperature, the body shuts down on shivering to conserve glucose
•Person falls to the ground, can't walk, curls up into a fetal position to conserve heat
•Muscle rigidity develops - because peripheral blood flow is reduced and due to lactic acid and CO2 buildup in the muscles
•Skin is pale
•Pupils dilate
•Pulse rate decreases
•at 90 degrees the body tries to move into hibernation, shutting down all peripheral blood flow and reducing breathing rate and heart rate.
•at 86 degrees the body is in a state of "metabolic icebox." The person looks dead but is still alive.

e. Death from Hypothermia

•Breathing becomes erratic and very shallow
•Semi-conscious
•Cardiac arrythmias develop, any sudden shock may set off Ventricular Fibrillation
•Heart stops, death

Q: WHOA! THE FACT THAT YOU CAN DIE FROM HYPOTHERMIA IS SCARY. WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I AM EXPERIENCING IT?

A: Well, the first thing I will say is that I am not a doctor so I am obligated to say SEEK PROPER EMERGENCY CARE IMMEDIATELY! Do not pass go or collect $200. This is your life and if you have any doubt in your mind, please seek some professional care.

The OUTDOOR ACTION GUIDE suggests the following:

The basic principles of rewarming a hypothermic victim are to conserve the heat they have and replace the body fuel they are burning up to generate that heat. If a person is shivering, they have the ability to rewarm themselves at a rate of 2 degrees C per hour.
Mild - Moderate Hypothermia

1. Reduce Heat Loss

•Additional layers of clothing
•Dry clothing
•Increased physical activity
•Shelter

2. Add Fuel & Fluids

It is essential to keep a hypothermic person adequately hydrated and fueled.
a. Food types
•Carbohydrates - 5 calories/gram - quickly released into blood stream for sudden brief heat surge - these are the best to use for quick energy intake especially for mild cases of hypothermia
•Proteins - 5 calories/gram - slowly released - heat given off over a longer period
•Fats - 9 calories/gram - slowly released but are good because they release heat over a long period, however, it takes more energy to break fats down into glucose - also takes more water to break down fats leading to increased fluid loss

b. Food intake
•Hot liquids - calories plus heat source
•Sugars (kindling)
•GORP - has both carbohydrates (sticks) and proteins/fats (logs)

c. Things to avoid

•Alcohol - a vasodilator - increases peripheral heat loss
•Caffeine - a diuretic - causes water loss increasing dehydration
•Tobacco/nicotine - a vasoconstrictor, increases risk of frostbite

3. Add Heat

•Fire or other external heat source
•Body to body contact. Get into a sleeping back, in dry clothing with a normothermic person in lightweight dry clothing

Severe Hypothermia

1. Reduce Heat Loss

•Hypothermia Wrap: The idea is to provide a shell of total insulation for the patient. No matter how cold, patients can still internally rewarm themselves much more efficiently than any external rewarming. Make sure the patient is dry, and has a polypropylene layer to minimize sweating on the skin. The person must be protected from any moisture in the environment. Use multiple sleeping bags, wool blankets, wool clothing, Ensolite pads to create a minimum of 4" of insulation all the way around the patient, especially between the patient and the ground. Include an aluminum "space" blanket to help prevent radiant heat loss, and wrap the entire ensemble in plastic to protect from wind and water. If someone is truly hypothermic, don't put him/her naked in a sleeping bag with another person.

2. Add Fuel and Fluids

•Warm Sugar Water - for people in severe hypothermia, the stomach has shut down and will not digest solid food but can absorb water and sugars. Give a dilute mixture of warm water with sugar every 15 minutes. Dilute Jello™ works best since it is part sugar and part protein. This will be absorbed directly into the blood stream providing the necessary calories to allow the person to rewarm themselves. One box of Jello = 500 Kilocalories of heat energy. Do not give full strength Jello even in liquid form, it is too concentrated and will not be absorbed.
•Urination - people will have to urinate from cold diuresis. Vasoconstriction creates greater volume pressure in the blood stream. The kidneys pull off excess fluid to reduce the pressure. A full bladder results in body heat being used to keep urine warm rather than vital organs. Once the person has urinated, it precious body heat will be used to maintain the temperature of vital organs. So in the end urinating will help conserve heat. You will need to help the person urinate. Open up the Hypothermia Wrap enough to do this and then cover them back up. You will need to keep them hydrated with the dilute Jello solution described above.

3. Add Heat

Heat can be applied to transfer heat to major arteries - at the neck for the carotid, at the armpits for the brachial, at the groin for the femoral, at the palms of the hands for the arterial arch.

•Chemical heat packs such as the Heat Wave™ provides 110 degrees F for 6-10 hours.
•Hot water bottles, warm rocks, towels, compresses
•For a severely hypothermic person, rescue breathing can increase oxygen and provide internal heat.


Afterdrop

Is a situation in which the core temperature actually decreases during rewarming. This is caused by peripheral vessels in the arms and legs dilating if they are rewarmed. This dilation sends this very cold, stagnate blood from the periphery to the core further decreasing core temperature which can lead to death. In addition, this blood also is very acetic which may lead to cardiac arrythmias and death. Afterdrop can best be avoided by not rewarming the periphery. Rewarm the core only! Do not expose a severely hypothermic victim to extremes of heat.


I hope this was informative from a style and a scientific standpoint. We all want to reach our best and by being smart and working hard, we can get to those goals. Please make sure you dress properly if you are going to do outdoor workouts during the cold months. We hear a lot on the news about people suffering from heat stroke but we also hear about many who are struck by the various stages of hypothermia.

If you have any comments or questions to either Read or I, please send mail to will@3doptimalperformance and I will pass any questions on to Read.

Read is also the designer of 3 great shirts for men that are made especially for athletes focusing on a nice fit. What is great is that Read is donating part of the proceeds to help promote education in Africa. Please visit his site at http://www.readsclothingproject.com/.

Stay warm!

Read Wall and Will Stewart