FLO FITNESS

Injuries are Prevented in the OFFSEASON!!                         There is a famous saying that says, “Champions are made in the offseason!” This is very true; in order to be great at any sport you must train for that sport during the offseason. This same truth can be applied to sports injuries. Hence the title of this blog, “Injuries are Prevented in the Offseason.”             I have seen countless athletes trained improperly during the offseason and come into their season either injured from bad training, or too muscular and full of imbalances that cause injuries early in the season. This is not an issue I am making up. This is something I experience every year.   Here are some tips for trainers out there who are looking to work with athletes over the summer. These same tips can also help parents decide wh...

In part 1 we talked about a tight pec, overactive subscap, improper breathing, and weak serratus muscles all causing issues for the shoulder. In this we will discuss four other reasons that you can have pain in the inferior angle of the shoulder.   Before we begin I would like to say that these are not the only 8 reasons you can have pain in that area of the shoulder, but to me these are the most overlooked areas. If you are getting persistent pain anywhere I would suggest going to see the doctor. 5) Tight Lats. The Lats are a huge muscle group in the posterior part of the body but what many people fail to realize is that they attach anteriorly on the humerous. When they are tight they can cause pressure in the back and can also force the arm to rotate interiorly. This rotation can cause the shoulder blade to rise up and tip forward. As we discussed in part one it can cause a seesaw effect with the shoulder blade. The lats are a very large muscle group and can cause a host o...

#1 Issue with Runners  We sponsored a 5K race on Sunday for a good cause. At the race I got a chance to talk to a bunch of people who are runners and do many 5K's as well as other running events. While I talked to these people, who ranged from all ages, I would ask them what they do to prepare for a running event and how they train for it. 99.9% of the time the answer was the same. They would say things like,  I run short distance one day and long distance another, or I run 5 miles everyday and do long runs on the weekends, or some other form of running. None to them mentioned doing any form of cross training or other forms of exercise. This proves my #1 issue what runners, they Run to Train and they never Train to Run.     I know many people were inspired by the book, Born to Run, I myself enjoyed it as well but due to the lifestyle most americans live, we are not able to just pick up and start running. Let alone run without shoes on. Our ancestors did...

Got pain in the lower part of your shoulder blade? You may be barking up the wrong tree if your looking for a massage in that area to fix it.  This is a complaint I see mostly in throwers, fighters, or people who like to bench a lot. This pain can be caused by a large number of issues but we will try to limit it to just a few for the sake of this blog.       The first thing you need to do is find the source of the pain.  1) For most people it can be the over use and tightness of their pec muscles. The pec minor can be tight, causing it to pull on the top of your shoulder blade aka scapula. This can cause a seesaw effect and force the bottom of the scapula to poke out. This is also known as a winging scapula. When this pulling occurs, the muscles in the area of the inferior angle of he scapula will set off a pain signal because they are being over pulled and are trying to pull the scapula back in place. One way to loosen this pec muscle is to take a la...

The Unconscious Truth: Belief versus Acceptance I remember very vividly the moment I came to this understanding. And it has served me well; much like my own private vault of immense riches that I could draw upon at my whim in order to become or do whatever I chose. In a world filled with motivational slogans and catch-phrase expressions, we’ve become conditioned to feel as though ‘Belief’ must sit at the forefront of our consciousness. “Believe You Can” say the zealots. “Believe You Will” read the enthusiastic posters. But I have witnessed more dreams crushed and more goals quelled because of this notion than any other single piece of trivial instruction. All simply because your brain does not function at this level of conscious adaptation… And the simplicity of why is positively staggering… Perhaps the core of why I feel the ‘motivational industry’ has been so amiss in its ardent assertions is because the conscious mind does not control you, your actions or your decisions. The...

            With the increase in hot weather comes an increase in Heat Related Illness. Heat illness can be Heat Cramps, Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke. These are three things that can be avoided if you follow the 5 tips we list below. 1.      Hydrate the Night Before.   The night before a long hot day is very very important. You must stay cool and hydrate at night. This will help your body to recover.   Do not wait for the day of the event or training to try and force hydration. 2.      Hydrate the day of. I know many young athletes have trouble hydrating and eating during school. I will make it very simple for you. The average high school athlete should drink at LEAST 5 bottles of water throughout the school day. When I talk to kids I often hear that they only had one bottle of water or a sugar drink before a game. That is not enough. The question I always get is, “Do I d...

The 3 things you’re probably not doing to be in shape By Paul Newell “ DAMN!!!  I have to get in shape, it’s almost summer!! ”   How many times have your  heard that over the past couple of  weeks?   Think about it; has your gym been busier lately?  Do you see more people being active outside?  I always see a mad dash at this time of year to get on a fitness routine.   But there are three things people are not doing to secure a fit and healthy body for the  summer and all the other seasons . Tell me if this sounds familiar ?.... Y ou start a program, you go strong  for 2 months , then this thing called life happens that may stress you out , or  throw you a curve ball that knocks you out of your orbit for a bit. This may be you, or someone you know, but regardless of who it is, this happens to the best of us. I know  this is true  because I’ve been there, and recently went through a little roughn...