Is Janda’s book available anywhere? I searched for it on Amazon but it says it is out of print. After reading some of his articles, I’m interested in reading the book.
Asbury & RandyG,
I have read the lumbar movement disorder chapter in Sahrmann’s book (continuing reading) and I just testet one athlete I work with. I am guessing she has extenstion-rotation syndrome with no simptoms currently.
I have slight problems with her doing front squats. She usually shift weight to righ, so when I look from behind her left knee is more outside the body than the right. She is left handed. I also notice slight rotation in the core…
I tested for hip flexor length, and I noticed that her left hip flexors are more thight, especially TFL and rectus femoris (aducction brings greater ROM, and straight leg brings greater ROM). This is not the case on the right leg.
When doing hip addution from flexion she is unable to stabileze the ASIS.
Bending forward is normal. Side bend seems normal too (maybe greter ROM on the right and maybe benging from a given segment). Rotation seems bigger on left. No symptoms at any position.
Rocking backward simetricall!!!
During prone knee flexion spine goes into hyperextention. When stabilize the pelvis, the ROM is normal. Thus, greater relative sstifness of flexors than of adbominal muscles.
I am still a rookey at this area so I am asking some help here…
What is causeing the shift on the right in front squat? Is some hip muscles more stiffer? Maybe the left hip extensors (glutes) are more stiffer than the right ones? Also, it seems she is having great hip internal rotation ROM (prone position)!
Any advice?
I am still reading the book, but I still don’t have enough experience to test her with good precision…
Do you do any type of movement prep or range of motion work with her? I used to (and probably still do) drive myself crazy trying to figure out every tiny imbalance and why, but more times than not, when I started doing movement prep (a la Verstegen) and other movements that work the entire body like anatomy trains, it fixed up a lot of issues all at once.
I think it is good to be able to break down small things, but sometimes it’s as simple as tightness in movement chains a la anatomy trains.
Foam roller and movement prep can go a long way for a lot of people AND you won’t have to drive yourself crazy.
Yes we do alot of movemement prep! I am thinking like you, that if everything fits in place, then the small things will go by itsels within time… but they don’t! There are maybe some improvements (no pain etc) but I am still not satisfied!
I outlined our preparations in this thread
Warm-up consists of the following stuff (We don’t do any bycicle riding and statical stretching because it dont prepare you for the lifting as this will)
- Joint Circles
- Shoulder Circle (IIYTWX)
- Hydrant (Hip mobility)
- McGill exercises (curl, bridge, side bridge, bird-dog etc)
- Dead-bug, one leg-bridge etc
- Leg raises (lying front, side)
- Scap-push up
- BW squat and split squats (8-10reps)
- Kneeling narrow Push-ups (8-10resp)
- BW Sumo squat and side split squat (8-10reps)
- Kneeling wide Push-ups (8-10resp)
- Gate swings, walking lunge, side walking lunge
- Butt-kick, jumping jacks, skips, seal jumps etc…
Is this the movement prep you are talking about? It looks very good, but it might now be right for her right now. I’d do:
Walking Quad Stretch
Walking Knee Hug
Supine Hip Crossover
Prone Scorpions (using glute)
prone calf stretch
handwalks
backward lunge w/ twist
walking elbow to instep
inverted hamstring stretch
lateral lunge
rocking calf raise
I’d also do then entire prone hip series + hurdle under/overs, & butt bridges, lying add/abd.
I’d also not be afraid to statically stretch her hip flexor/quad and her glute medius.
I’m against static stretching on paper also, but when you are repeatedly tight it does the trick and that’s what were after, results, not just proper theory.
The above is a direct rip-off of Verstegen’s movement prep, but hey, if it works why try to change it.
Following this, you can do more dynamic things like standing leg swings, etc.
(also, I know Boyle now says hip crossover and scorpions are bad but I love them, they’ve helped me and as long as you keep your feet on the ground on hip crossovers and activate with your oblique you be ok. As for scorpions, don’t try to over-reach and active the movement with you glute.)
Thanks Kacz!!! I really appreciate it bro!!!
Anyway, I agree with Boyle regardnig scorpions and hip cross-overs. Actually I gave them to my bball players, but then I kicked them out (and they asked: “when we are going to do scorpions again?”, “Never!” 
). Giving this same thing to her will actually worsen her extension-roattion syndrome (disability to stabilize the spine in extension and rotations). Stabilize what should be stabilized, mobilize what should be mobilized!
We do a lot of stuff mentioed when outside when doing tempo! Like inverted hams stretch, A & B march, hurdle step overs (over the “invisible hurdle” ) etc.
I alinso share the opion regarding stretches… I actually use them too in my own training due over-thight piriformis. I actually massage my butt and I notice the increase in mobility and a nice warm feeling.
Anyway, as Carl Valle has pointed out in his warm-up for speed article at elitefts.com, if this happens all the time (thight muscles in warm-up) the stretches can be the solutions, but the whole training should be re-analized to find to source of the problem.
I would be very thankfull if you could post all the exercises Verstegen proposed in his Core Performance (if you are using this book as a reference) in Movement Prep.
BTW, you got couple of exercises here
Also, I must warn about that “hype” called Movement Prep, because it is nothing new! Maybe in near future would be also re-analized like long distance running, aerobic, statical stretches etc. So, be critical and open minded! Also, even if I got a warm-up procedure, I dont like fixed patterns in training even in warm-up, usually recomended by those Movement Prep proponents! What do you think? I think it is enough to know the GOAL/TASK of warm-up, nothing else!
Another issue I got up today,
One of my kids (15yo) I work with, aksed me for help.
He is pretty tall (>195), very good player, motivated to work. Talent. But, during last years (of accelerated growth) he developed “chicken breasts” (sternum pointing toward, not much), kiphosis (there is also a lordotic posture), and knee pain when flexing his right knee under load (one leg squats, lunges etc). He is lefthanded and he jumps using his left leg.
He do a lot of ab work (curls) and push-ups with little pull-ups (no horizontal pulling).
Here is what I did from tests:
Standing arm lifted (shoulder flexion) and deep breath - no ribcage movement. Are his abs stiff and short?
Hip flexor lenght while lying. Both of his legs touched the table - He don’t have short or stiff hip flexors. Did knee curl in prone position, angle is >100 deg
Hams length is normal. Straight Leg lift is around 70deg.
He is unable to maintain posterior pelvic tiltl while being on the wall. He learned this.
I noticed that his erector spinae is pretty short/or/stiff because he couldnt do knee to chest exrcises.
Diagnosis/Questions:
Altought his abs are short and stiff, he is still having realitively stiffer erector spine - thus he develops lordotic posture.
Due too much of press movements (push-ups) and stiff abs, his sternum is pulled outside. It seems that his Pecs are also stiff and short. Is this the possible explanation?
Due lordotic posture and round shoulders (stiff pecs) he developed kiphotic posture too.
Is this ok diagnosis?
What to do?
I explained him that his abs are pretty strong, but not enough to keep his spine on floor during leg lifts, heel slides etc.
So, we kicked out curling exercises. I want him to do heel slides with single/both leg.
Also, we included rowing actions and shoulder circles (II, Y, T, W, X). Stretches of kiphotic spine are also included.
We also did leg extentions in seated positions while keeping spine in neutral.
Lower back stretches (knee to chest) are included too.
For his right knee, we use seated isometrics, and wall squats (isometric, single leg, double leg) while keeping his spine and shoulder on the wall. Knee is flexed to the position without pain.
Knees in standing position are normal, also in single leg stance. I noticed slight atrophy in right vastus medialis compared to left one.
He do this exercises at home every day:
- Shoulder circle
- Heel slides
- Isometrics for the knee
- Seated knee extension
- Wall squats
- Thoracic spine stretches and extensor spine stretches (knee to ches)
- Breathing exercises?
Avoid push-up and ab curls for some time, till we hit the gym.
What do you guys think? Any suggestions???
Duxx,
I don’t have Verstegen’s book, I just knew most of that from memory. Sorry.
I agree with you, however, I do think that there are times when the body needs to be balanced out left to right. When I was in the minor leagues doing an internship we spent an entire day testing the movement patterns of 150 athletes or more. You’d be shocked to see how many and how wide the variance in lumbar rotation from left to right. I remember some people having 4 degrees of left rotation and 13 degrees of right rotation. One person had 2 degrees of right rotation and 8 degrees of left rotation. In these cases I think that it would be helpful to balance out the rotation left - right. You have to do it smartly, but stability is the main long term goal. Also, before anyone else says it, there wasn’t really any connection to lumbar rotation and a dominate throwing or swinging side.
What to do to get rid of those chicken breats?
Doing more pushing actions will only pull it out… Does ab action pull them down? What about rowing and breathing exercises (deep inhalation tend to pull breast inside)???
Sorry guy, you are on your own here. I don’t know.